This blog started off by focussing on NZ's smaller 3rd level airlines, past and present. It has evolved to trying to present some record of NZ's domestic airline operations and some of the larger charter operators, interesting NZ international airliner movements and photos I have taken around the country. Comments, corrections or contributions are welcome, Steve - westland831@gmail.com
The astonishing moment shows a pride of lions preyed on a buffalo just meters from cars full of stunned tourists in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. The buffalo was crossing the road when a lion suddenly pounced at its back, and killed by three other lions in a chase right in front of tourists cars.

Field guide Marten Lange captured the moment and told his guests not to move and everything would be OK.

I have seen a couple of kills by leopard, lion, cheetah, wild dog and hyena. But nothing previously seen could compare with this experience, because it was so in your face. My guests were absolutely blown away, Lange said.
"Beijing is going all out for fitness and health, and going all out for function easing development," Beijing Party Secretary Guo Jinlong commented in a People's Daily on op-ed on urban governance reforms.

In 2015, Guo wrote in the article, Beijings population growth slowed in both absolute and percentage terms compared to the previous year, meeting the citys targets. Beijing has not however seen its economic vitality diminished. In 2015, total GDP reached nearly 2.3 trillion yuan, with the service industry accounting for 79.8% of output. Urban and rural residents incomes rose faster than GDP growth.

While the political center of China, Beijing has in recent years taken on a growing number of additional functions, in the process of experiencing population growth, traffic congestion, air pollution, rising real estate prices, and increased social governance challenges. Beijing is designed along a typical single-center urban layout. Most of its functions are concentrated in the heart of the city, which has brought enormous traffic pressure, efficiency reductions and, deteriorating air quality." Gu Shengzu, an urbanization expert said. He has taken to calling such problems "big-city disease".

Taihu Town, Tongzhou District of Beijing, recently built 25 public bicycle rental centers to ease traffic congestion and address issues including insufficient parking spots and environmental pollution. The first batch of 1,000 bikes covered around 80 percent of the town. The bikes rented in those centers can also be returned in the city area.

In February 2014, President Xi Jinping required Beijing to control its population size and enhance regional balanced population distribution. According to the "Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Cooperative Development Plan" released in 2015, the total resident population of Beijing to be held to 23 million by 2020, and the numbers of residents of Beijings six downtown districts should decrease by 15 percent between 2014 and 2020. Beijing also set a goal for significantly easing traffic congestion and further improving air and water quality. At the same time, Beijing began to accelerate the construction of administrative sub-center in the suburb of Tongzhou, and is planning to gradually move part or Beijings municipal administrative institutions to Tongzhou.

Guo also mentioned, Beijing will continue to further strengthen its role as an international communication center, and strive to become a world-class harmony habitat capital.
China to follow reform path in next five years

As Chinas devotion to comprehensively deepening reforms brings the country tangible benefits, experts believe its 13th Five-Year Plan, which will be deliberated during the upcoming two sessions, will maintain the path to further reforms.

Chinas medical and health service system has been improved since the country implemented the strategy of comprehensively deepening reforms. (Photo: Qhnews.com)

The 13th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint for Chinas development from 2016 to 2020, is one of the focuses of the upcoming annual meetings of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Analysts believe maintaining the reform path will inject impetus into Chinas development.

At the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in November 2013, China emphasized comprehensively deepening reform to advance the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Chinas pilot reforms on public hospitals have achieved substantial progress since the country implemented the strategy of comprehensively deepening reforms. (Photo: Qhnews.com)

In the last two years, the central leading team has completed 181 major reform tasks and relevant central departments have fulfilled 261 reform goals. Altogether 785 reform results were achieved.

Many people benefited from these reforms. Thanks to the canceled requirements of minimum registered capital, Wang Shidong and his friends are able to embark on their business ventures.

Wang started his online 3D printing shop two years ago. His company has already sold over 1,400 3D printing machines, and new orders keep rolling in.

China never stops its reforms. The results not only show the improved governance of the CPC, but also reassure Chinas determination to follow the reform path.

By comprehensively deepening reform, China will realize its development goals and the Chinese dream, said Donald, an analyst with an investment bank affiliated to the Standard Bank of South Africa. Previous evidence shows that the Chinese government is confident and capable of leading Chinas development, he added.

Chinas practice also inspires other countries. Severino Cabral, director of Brazilian Institute for China and Asia-Pacific Studies, believes the reform effort will push Chinas development to a new high.

During the new expedition, the challenges that China faces and its solutions will provide valuable experience to other developing and developed countries, the scholar noted.
G20 finance ministers and central bank governors pose for a photo during a recent meeting in Shanghai. It was the first time for China to host such a meeting since becoming host country of the 2016 G20 Summit. (Photo: the official website of the 2016 G20 Summit)

With more engagement from China in global governance, its foreign policies are under the limelight as the country's lawmakers will examine its development course in the following two weeks.

As the diplomatic ideas proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in these years have invigorated the countrys diplomatic image, China now shoulders more international responsibilities by playing an unprecedented active role in global stage.

Not long ago, China hosted the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Shanghai. With Chinas endeavors, consensus was reached during the meeting.

Six months later, the 11th G20 Summit will be held in Hangzhou, in Southern China. The summit is also regarded as a platform to showcase China's leading role in global economic governance.

In the last three years, Xi has set foot in all the continents, extending Chinas partners to every corner of the world. China's global partnership network, therefore, has taken its initial shape.

During these visits, the president upgraded Chinas relations with Russia, the US and the EU, and consolidated Chinas traditional friendship with developing nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America as well.

He also comprehensively expounded approaches to build a community of common destiny of all mankind by promoting economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress on the United Nations summit.

In addition, China, in the past years, hosted APEC meetings, initiated the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, included the yuan into the SDR basket and began the official operation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Those achievements also indicate an increasing influence of its diplomacy that puts more emphasis on consultation and sharing.Given its rising influence, China is launching more win-win cooperation with other countries while defending its legitimate national interests. As a result, more countries have expressed wishes to ride on Chinas development.

"I transport sea products from Vladivostok to Huichun each week, and the custom clearance is getting more and more convenient, " Lapkin, a staff member of a Russian logistics company told Peoples Daily.

"Openness brings development, and development calls for openness. It is an inevitable choice for an open China to bear globe in mind when making plans, said Ye Xiaowen, senior advisor from China Strategic Culture Promotion Association.

The difference between China and western countries is that, China focuses more on what Africa needs instead of its own interests, Kenyan President Uhru Kenyatta explained the reasons why so many countries take China as partner.
As the Communist Party of China (CPC) devoted more efforts to tightening regulations on corruption, Chinas anti-graft drive has captured recognition from the public. This endeavor is expected to be continued this year.

Since the CPC Central Committee revised its regulations on disciplinary penalties last October, the general public have held CPC members behavior to higher standards. Experts believe that this also, on some levels, symbolizes the enhanced restraint of regulations in China.

Power should be exercised within the cage of regulations," said Chinese President Xi Jinping at a meeting of the top anti-corruption body of the CPC.

Xis remarks, echoed by the peoples expectation, showed the strong determination of Chinese leaders to build clean governance by addressing the root causes of corruption through effective disciplinary system.

In a bid to strike against corruption, as early as December 2012, the CPC Central Committee introduced its "eight-point" bureaucracy and formalism-fighting guidelines, urging officials to resist pomp, ceremony and reduce bureaucratic visits and meetings.

In the guidelines, explicit requirements were given on how to better serve the public by further honing the Partys working style.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and discipline watchdogs at all levels later strengthened their supervision and punishments against those violating the rules.

Paired with the tightened supervision, the guidelines sent a strong message to the Party members. Instances of inappropriate behavior such as holding banquets with public cash significantly dropped afterwards.

Based on such anti-corruption practices, the CPC Central Committee amended a series of standards, norms and rules for the Party in 2015, where previous achievements or innovations were included for guidance.

For example, in the inspection work regulation, special inspection tours were required for relevant authorities, while in another regulation on disciplinary penalties, CPC members discipline violations were further detailed.

In 2016, China will devote more efforts in drafting regulations. The country is expected to improve its intra-Party supervision system, set up a national supervision mechanism covering State organizations and civil servants, and establish an accountability regime.

In addition, major violation cases will be made public. As China pledges more regulations on corruption, the public now bear more expectations toward the anti-corruption goals set by Xi , specifically that people do not dare to, are not able to and cannot easily commit corruption.
As both China and the rest of the world are plagued by the increasing threat from terrorism, China is devoting more efforts to fighting terrorism by law.

The new counter-terrorism law launched by China is one of such efforts that brings the countrys anti-terror campaign to a new stage.

Todays world is facing an unprecedented wave of terror threats, causing suffering in many countries and regions.

Those attacks, including the gunshots in Frances Bataclan concert hall and suicide bombs on the Iraqi streets, have vandalized the world and challenged the bottom line of human civilization.

China has also fallen a victim to terrorism. The terrorist attacks against China claimed many innocent lives and caused economic losses, giving rise to social divisions and tensions.

Such attacks include riots hitting Lhasa, capital of Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, in 2008, the violent terror attack at the Kunming Railway Station in 2014, and the violent terrorist incidents in Urumqi in 2014.

Given the backdrop, terrorism has become the mankinds enemy standing in the way of world peace. All countries on the planet including China should eradicate this tumor.

In a bid to strike against such brutal acts, China adopted its first counter-terrorism law.

The law that took effect on the first day of this year stipulates in its first article that the law is introduced to fight terrorism, safeguard national security and personal and property rights, as well as prevent and punish terrorist activities.

The enactment of the law shows Chinas firm determination to fight terrorism and maintain security. It not only meets the urgent demands, but also reflects Chinas courage to shoulder international responsibility.

It took China 10 years to finalize the law after the country began to draft it in 2005.

During the decade, the terrorists stretched their reach. In todays globalized world, the terrorist forces in China will also bring disaster to other parts of the world.

The enactment of the anti-terrorism law by China represents a new stage in Chinas anti-terror drive. A law-based anti-terror campaign is expected to be a sharp weapon against terrorists.
BEIJING, March 5 (Peoples Daily) -- China is kicking off its annual National People's Congress session on Saturday morning in Beijing, the main event on its political calendar. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a government work report at the opening meeting, chaired by Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee and executive chairperson of the session's presidium.

The National People's Congress is Chinas national legislature. The fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress opens at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, nearly 3,000 NPC deputies attended the opening meeting along with top Party and state leaders Xi Jinping, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli.

The annual National People's Congress session will last from March 5 to March 16.
BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China's ongoing annual political high season has provided a key window through which observers can better understand China's development and its outlook.

However, if the nation and the annual two-week events are still viewed with rigid impressions offered by the West, then conclusions drawn are likely to be defective.

Observers should avoid a series of biases seen in the past if they seek true objectivity when understanding China today.

BIAS NO. 1: CHINA IS "NOT A DEMOCRACY," MAJOR DECISIONS DO NOT REFLECT PEOPLE'S WILL

The essence of democracy is to be responsible for the people.

In some nations, the checks and balances of power have resulted in a political stalemate in which bitterness between parties has worsened and opposition is raised simply to disagree, rather than to discuss.

They have also seen a handful of families and hidden interests exercising influence on elections via their wealth. This kind of democracy can hardly lead to the sound governance badly needed by the people, though it may look "beautiful."

From a realistic perspective, China's democratic decision-making has displayed relatively high quality and efficiency.

As a multi-ethnic nation with a large population and territory, China values reaching consensus through broad consultation before taking measures.

The formulation of the 13th five-year plan for the national economy and social development is exemplary of this effort.

It took about nine months for a team formed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to draft the plan's proposal, which marks priorities for national development from 2016 to 2020.

During the period, which started in January 2015, the team solicited and analyzed opinions from all walks of life and tried to include as many opinions as possible.

The proposal guided the creation of the 13th five-year plan. A draft of the plan was produced later after rounds of top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top consultation that covered all aspects of the society.

The draft plan will be submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC) for review during its ongoing annual session.

Once adopted, the propositions of the CPC will be elevated as the nation's will and implemented across the country.

Scientific and effective decision-making and implementation is a huge advantage for China's democratic system.

Currently, China is focusing on realizing the goal of finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, which is the people's biggest concern. One objective is to lift more than 70 million people out of poverty by the end of 2020, a number bigger than the population of either Britain or France. This goal not only conforms to the fundamental and long-term interests of the people but also safeguards human rights.

BIAS NO. 2: "ONE-PARTY RULE" NATION CAN NOT ELIMINATE CORRUPTION

Historically, corruption is not the result of a political system, but is related to phases of economic development. In the process of industrialization, the Western nations all witnessed spreading corruption due to fast accumulation of wealth and lack of supervision.X Sure, there are problems with the CPC, which boasts more than 87 million members. Fortunately, it has been increasingly aware of the fact that if the violators are not punished, then it is offending the 1.3 billion population. Therefore, the CPC is highlighting the governing of Party members strictly.

Over the past three years, investigations into violators including Zhou Yongkang and Ling Jihua have demonstrated the CPC's determination to take a zero-tolerance stance against corruption.

China has also been carrying out cooperation with the international community to facilitate repatriation of corrupt fugitives, leaving no haven for those hoping to escape punishment.

The CPC's campaign against corruption is gaining ground, which not only enhanced the Party's soft power, but also offered experience for the international community to jointly stem corruption.

BIAS NO. 3: CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT MODE IS UNSUSTAINABLE

It is true that China is continuously facing problems and challenges in its development, but the cliche prediction of a "coming collapse in China" made by speculators overseas has never come.

It seems unlikely such rhetoric will end this year however.

Over the 30-plus years since China's reform and opening up, every five-year development plan has been perfectly fulfilled. This is thanks to China choosing realistic development paths, which relies on the CPC's strong governance capability.

China's economic fundamentals remain sound and steady and the economy stays within a reasonable level. The political and social conditions are stable as well.

The CPC has put forward the five development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, opening up and sharing and the "Four Comprehensives" strategy keeps making progress, facts that ensure the constant unleashing of benefits from the country's reforms.

BIAS NO. 4: CHINA'S ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN DRAGS DOWN WORLD ECONOMY

This argument ignores the opportunities brought about by China's economic scale and potential.

China is the world's second largest economy, and a 6.5 percent growth is a huge propeller for the world's economy, whereas the Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) in its Interim Economic Outlook Forecasts put the growth rate of the United Statesat 2 percent this year and 2.2 percent for next year. The growth of Japanthis year and next is expected to be 0.8 percent and 0.6 percent respectively.

In China, however, despite a slowing growth in some better-developed coastal areas, the development room for many inland regions remains broad.

China's drive to solve the economic imbalance among different regions provides huge potential for future economic development. Besides, China is encouraging and stimulating new dynamics with a new round of high-level opening-up, offering greater opportunities for investors all around the world.

Many observers also believe that the current slowing growth signals an increasingly mature Chinese economy, a "new normal" situation that should be adapted to by both China and the world. They believe China will continue to be a major "engine" for the world economy.

BIAS NO. 5: CHINA'S INCREASED MILITARY SPENDING THREATENS WORLD

To help better understand China's military spending, it may be advisable to first listen to U.S. President Barack Obama's recent State of the Union address. "We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined. Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world," the U.S. president said. "No nation attacks us directly, or our allies, because they know that's the path to ruin."

On the contrary, China's military expenditure has long been at a low level, putting the building of national defense under great pressure. The current defense spending rise reveals tremendous restraint by China.

The blame by some major countries on China is, no doubt, out of ulterior motives.

China implements an active defense military strategy. It will never attack others unless being attacked first and it will not waive the power to strike back if it is under attack from others.

The peaceful development of China has significantly reduced the risk of a world war.

BIAS NO. 6: IRRATIONAL NATIONALISM IN CHINA

In a sense, many localities in China are turning into "cities of immigrants" where more foreigners are investing and living in. Chinese people always welcome them, despite the fact that Chinese have suffered century-long humiliation inflicted by foreign aggressors since the outbreak of the Opium War in mid-19th century till the founding of the New China.

Today, the comprehensive strength of the country has become increasingly stronger and the national pride and cohesion are also rising.

However, Chinese people are keeping a sober mind and understand that patriotism should be expressed in a rational, peaceful and inclusive manner and they are making their patriotism a motive to work hard and seek peaceful development.

China will never allow the emergence of any extreme nationalism, knowing that such mentality will put the nation in peril. It is incompatible with the CPC's peaceful ideology.

Moreover, the inclusive trait in Chinese culture is a powerful antidote to the parochial nationalism.

BIAS NO. 7: NO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CPC-RULED CHINA

People holding this view should visit China to see the fervor during Christmas or observe the devout prayers at mosques. If the government had really oppressed religions, such scenes could never occur.

The Chinese government's respect for religious freedom lies, to a great extent, in this country's profound culture and traditions. Historically, hostility between different religions hardly existed in China, not to mention a religious war. Such respect is also stipulated in the law to protect people's religious freedom.

According to international consensus, the choice of whether to worship and what to worship adheres to a country's law. If an individual commits crime or conducts terrorist activities in the name of religion, they must be handled in accordance with the law.

BIAS NO. 8: CHINA HAS NO INTERNET FREEDOM

China has more than 600 million Internet users, the most in the world, and has fostered such Internet giants as Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent.

If one understands Chinese and lives in China, he or she will find diversified topics on Chinese websites and heated online discussion. As a political stage that welcomes overseas media, the ongoing annual sessions of the country's national legislature and political advisory body have also drawn a huge amount opinions and suggestions from Internet users.

As a sovereignty, China doesn't allow the Internet to be outside the law. Overseas Internet companies are only permitted to enter the Chinese market if they obey Chinese laws. The Chinese government has tightened management on illegal remarks posted on the Internet and it won't tolerate the West using the Internet to set agendas to interfere in China's economic and social development.

Many countries have laws to manage the Internet and China will improve its network management.

BIAS NO. 9: CHINA PURSUING MILITARIZATION IN SOUTH CHINA SEA

Islands in the South China Sea were first discovered, named and used by the Chinese, and China was the first and continues to exercise sovereignty over these islands.

As a matter of fact, peace, security and stability are the common wishes for all countries in the region. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are actively and steadily pushing forward consultations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea under the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Since the United Statespresented its Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy, the region that had been generally peaceful for many years has fallen into tumult. U.S. aircraft and ships have perennially conducted surveillance on countries in the region with increasing frequency, escalating regional tension. This is the greatest danger for "militarization" in the South China Sea.

China has never held back freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Ironically, the United States urged China to obey the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the United States itself is unwilling to accede into.

BIAS NO. 10: "BELT AND ROAD" GEOPOLITICAL TOOL

The Belt and Road Initiative doesn't solely belong to China. It rather belongs to the whole world.

Without exclusivity, the initiative is a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes and radiating across the oceans to America. Any interested country or region can join the network.

China's efforts to push forward progress for the Belt and Road Initiative, set up Silk Road Fund and call for the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have received positive responses from many countries. Future cooperation will be conducted under the principle of joint consultation, construction and benefits so as to realize common development and prosperity.
Dont look down on the home service and eldery care businesses. They are the sunrise industries now, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said during a group deliberation of deputies from Shandong to the annual session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 6, 2016.

We had home service in the past, and the government has opened some elderly care centers, but they have not been made into normalized business, Li said.

With the idea of Internet Plus, nanny service and nursing home business can be transformed into a new-type service industry, which provides important impetus to our economic development, Li said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, who is on an official visit in the country, held a one-on-one meeting.

Prime Minister Orban and his spouse Aniko Levai were welcomed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva.

Azerbaijan's president, Hungarian prime minister and their wives posed for photographs, then the president and the prime minister held a private meeting.

They hailed the successful development of the bilateral relations in different areas, particularly in political and economic ones. The importance of the visit in expanding Azerbaijani-Hungarian relations was stressed during the meeting.

The sides pointed to good potential for developing the bilateral relations in different fields.

They also discussed a number of issues of mutual concern.

Following their private meeting, President Aliyev and Prime Minister Orban met in an expanded format and made speeches at the event.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

Trend:

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's spouse, Aniko Levai, has visited the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku.

She was informed that the Center is a cultural complex designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid.

An internationally recognized architectural work, the building of the Heydar Aliyev Center has become a landmark of modern Baku due to its innovative and cutting-edge design. The building was nominated for awards at the World Architecture Festival and the biennial Inside Festival in 2013.

The Center houses a conference hall with three auditoriums, a library and a museum. The project is intended to play an integral role in the intellectual life of the city. Located close to the city center, the site plays a pivotal role in the redevelopment of Baku. The Center is engaged in studying and promoting the statehood policy and heritage of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

Aniko Levai viewed "On The Other Side" solo exhibition by British sculptor Richard Deacon, and then viewed the Classic Car Exhibition, which demonstrates rare car models produced in different countries from the end of the 19th century to the 1960s.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, March 6



By Demir Azizov - Trend:

The total volume of leasing operations increased by 2.9 percent up to 850.1 billion soums in Uzbekistan in 2015 compared to 2014, Uzbekistan Lessors Association told Trend.



As of March 4, the official exchange rate is 2856,64 soums /$ 1.

The aggregate portfolio of leasing operations in the country increased by 14.4 percent - up to 2.45 trillion soums during the reporting period.

Uzbek lessors concluded 5,600 transactions in 2015 versus 4,900 transactions a year earlier.

Agricultural equipment has the main share in the structure of leased property as of 2015.

Its share in the total transactions was 32.9 percent compared to 34.2 percent in 2014.

The volume of transactions in technological equipment leasing amounted to 30.6 percent (27.7 percent in 2014), motor vehicles - 19.8 percent (24.4 percent) and real estate - 16.7 percent (13.7 percent).

Some 90 lessors, including 24 banks and 64 leasing companies worked on the country's leasing market in 2015.

Uzagroleasing (273.1 billion UZS), Uzavtopromlizing (50.8 billion UZS), Uzbek Leasing International (68.2 billion UZS), Uzmeliomashlizing (53 billion UZS) and Qurilish-Lizing (23.1 billion UZS) are the biggest participants of the market among the leasing companies as of 2015.

Asaka State Joint-Stock Commercial Bank (49.8 billion UZS), Joint-Stock Commercial Mortgage Bank (17.9 billion UZS), Trustbank (14.7 billion UZS), Hamkorbank (12.8 billion UZS) and KDB (28.8 billion UZS) are among the most active commercial banks in the area of leasing services.

The customs duties on import of modern technological equipment on lease terms were abolished in Uzbekistan. The leasing payments were exempt from VAT and lessees - from taxes on leased property. The legal entities rendering leasing services were exempt from paying an income tax and a single tax payment in the area of leasing.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

Trend:

Azerbaijan has proposed Hungary's Gedeon Richter company to create enterprises for medicine production in the country.

The proposal was made by Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev during Azerbaijan-Hungary business forum March 6.

He noted that currently, 135 types of Hungarian-produced medicines are imported to Azerbaijan, however, there is a greater potential for cooperation in this sphere.

"We also have good opportunities for cooperation in ICT, agriculture and tourism," he said. "As a result of the work done by our governments, Hungary's WizzAir company will restore the flights on Budapest-Baku-Budapest route from March 27."

"We have information that all tickets for this flight have already been sold," Mustafayev added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

Trend:

Azerbaijan and Hungary can jointly work in Iran, Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said.

He made the remarks during Azerbaijan-Hungary business forum in Baku March 6.

The business forum is being held during the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Baku.

Over 50 representatives of Hungarian companies operating in agriculture, ICT, construction, renewable energy sources, industrial production, tourism, light industry, consulting and etc. are participating in the event.

"We have great opportunities to cooperate in investment sphere. We believe that there is a great mutual interest in this field," said the minister.

"I would like to emphasize the possibilities of investing in third countries," said Mustafayev, adding that from this point of view, work has already been done in Iran on lifting the sanctions.

"During the post-sanctions period, we can consider joint activities in this country," he added.

The minister noted that Azerbaijani are companies already operating in Iran and vice versa.

"Therefore, we are well aware of the situation in Iran," said Mustafayev. "Taking into account a number of other factors as well, our companies can play a mediating role for Hungarian companies in Iran."

The minister pointed out that given the fundamental reforms carried out in Azerbaijan, investing in this country become more relevant.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Hungary in 2015 totaled $27.96 million, of which over $27.7 million accounted for the import of Hungarian products, according to Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

Trend:

Azerbaijan and Hungary signed four memorandums of understanding during the bilateral business forum held in Baku March 6.

The documents have been signed between Hungarian and Azerbaijani companies - Umirs Europe and East Stream, Project Service Venture and RR Group of Companies, Toll Service and Sinam, European Parking System and Komtec.

The business forum is being held during the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Baku.

Over 50 representatives of Hungarian companies operating in agriculture, ICT, construction, renewable energy sources, industrial production, tourism, light industry, consulting and etc. are participating in the event.

Azerbaijan and Hungary plan to cooperate in the sphere of developing the toll roads system, information technologies and developing agriculture in Azerbaijan.

Hungarian companies actively participate in construction of roads and bridges in Azerbaijan and the two sides plan to expand the cooperation in this sphere as well.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Hungary in 2015 totalled $27.96 million, of which over $27.7 million accounted for the import of Hungarian products, according to Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:

Hungarian government has opened a credit line worth $200 million through the Eximbank to develop the bilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto said.

He made the remarks during Azerbaijan-Hungary business forum in Baku March 6.

"The sphere of information technologies definitely has the greatest prospects for bilateral cooperation," said Szijjarto.

The minister added that Hungary is interested in developing the cooperation in developing the toll roads system in Azerbaijan.
Details added (first version posted on 11:50)

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Azerbaijan and Hungary signed four memorandums of understanding during the bilateral business forum held in Baku March 6.

The documents have been signed between Hungarian and Azerbaijani companies - Umirs Europe and East Stream, Project Service Venture and RR Group of Companies, Toll Service and Sinam, European Parking System and Komtec.

The business forum is being held during the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Baku.

Over 50 representatives of Hungarian companies operating in agriculture, ICT, construction, renewable energy sources, industrial production, tourism, light industry, consulting and etc. are participating in the event.

Azerbaijan and Hungary plan to cooperate in the sphere of developing the toll roads system, information technologies and developing agriculture in Azerbaijan.

Hungarian companies actively participate in construction of roads and bridges in Azerbaijan and the two sides plan to expand the cooperation in this sphere as well.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Hungary in 2015 totalled $27.96 million, of which over $27.7 million accounted for the import of Hungarian products, according to Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

By Aygun Badalova - Trend:

US JP Morgan bank lowered its global oil supply estimates by 0.4 million barrels per day (bpd) to 96.4 million bpd, with the drop in non-OPEC supply only partially offset by higher OPEC estimates.

In 2017, analysts of the bank forecast further global oil supply contraction of 0.5 million bpd amounting to 95.9 million bpd.

"Lower US, Canadian and European supply estimates are incorporated based on our view that low prices are starting to have an increased impact on the financial ability of producers to sustain production," JP Morgan's analysts said in a report obtained by Trend.

Non-OPEC oil supply is expected by the analysts to decline by 0.9 million bpd to 54.7 million bpd in 2016 and by 1 million bpd to 53.7 million bpd in 2017.

"Low prices have certainly started to feed through into lower non-OPEC supply growth, albeit not yet sufficiently to rebalance markets, analysts said. However, the process appears to be underway and building momentum. Consequently, it still seems premature for Saudi Arabia and others to look to support prices at this juncture."

JP Morgan forecasts OPEC oil production at 32.2 million bpd both in 2016 and 2017 compared to 31.5 million bpd in 2015.

Cartel's 13 members produced 32.335 million bpd in January, about 130,700 bpd more than December 2015, according to OPEC's latest report. The official quota for OPEC oil production stands at 30 million bpd.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend:

There have been contradictory reports regarding Iran's reconnection to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) over the past 45 days and following the removal of international sanctions against Tehran on Jan. 16.

While a group of Iranian conservative and hardliner media affiliated with opponents of the administration of moderate President Hassan Rouhani question Iran's reconnection to the SWIFT, administration officials repeatedly announce that Iranian banks have been reconnected to the worldwide financial system.

In the latest remarks regarding the issue in question, Valiollah Seif, the governor of the Central Bank of Iran, as well as Ali Majedi, the country's ambassador to Germany, have reassured Iranians that the country has been reconnected to the financial system.

"All our banks have been reconnected to SWIFT," Mehr news agency quoted Seif as saying at a conference on banking and trade in Tehran.

Ambassador Ali Majedi has said that receiving and sending of banking messages between Iranian and German banks started two days ago.

However, he added that banking activities between Iran and Germany have not been fully launched so far.

"Although the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aka nuclear deal] was implemented 45 days ago, the banking activities [between Iran and Germany] have not been launched fully. The German government is making all the efforts to launch all banking ties with Iran," IRNA quoted Majedi as saying.

Over the past decade, in a bid to curb Iran's nuclear program, international community took measures against Tehran, including restrictions imposed on the country's financial system, as well as its connection to the SWIFT, which have had a catastrophic impact on Iranians' economic situation and life conditions.

---

Farhad Daneshvar is Trend Agency's staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @farhad_danesh
Tehran, Iran, March 6

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran's clothing industry has been grappling with the problem of cheap foreign-made products smuggled into the country for long.

Every day, 142 containers of clothing items are smuggled into Iran from Turkey, according to Mohammad Javad Sedqamiz, advisor at Clothing Union.

"We are not worried about Italian brands, which are finding their way into the market after sanctions were lifted, because we can compete with them in terms of price. [The government] should prevent the $5 billion smuggling," he told Nasim news agency March 5.

Smuggled clothes coming from Turkey have turned into a major threat as there seems to be no effort to fight the smuggling, Sedqamiz said.

"The Turkish government has obviously adopted dumping policies for our country, testified by the fact that they have confessed to their $5 billion export of clothes to Iran," he further noted.

"This only belongs to Turkey and does not include the amount taken into the country by ships from Dubai or China. The amount is not small enough to say it cannot be traced."

But it seems that the smuggling is not so much easy to fight. The Iran-Turkey border is mountainous, with many paths unknown to security forces.

"Every day we bring into the country thousands of clothing items via mountain paths and border crossings using mules and other animals," Othman, a tradesman from the border province of West Azarbaijan had told Magiran in 2006.

The local businessman had then said that thousands of people from border areas work in the smuggling business.

There is one more reason why smuggled wear succeed in attracting customers. Iran's clothing industry, like many other industries in the country, is far away from what could be called modern.

Various factors including mismanagement and international sanctions have kept the industry from equipping itself with the latest equipment and management systems, giving rise to production costs.

This has opened room for foreign-made clothing products to reach the market with much lower prices than Iranian rivals.

Mehdi Sepahvand is Trend Agency's reporter in Tehran. Follow him on Twitter @mehdisepahvand
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif set out an official tour late on Saturday taking him to six Southeast Asian and Pacific countries, IRNA reported.

He departed for Indonesia where he will attend the extraordinary foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on liberation of Palestine and Al-Quds al-Sharif.

Heading a ranking political delegation, he will also visit Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, New Zealand, and Australia.
Tehran, Iran, March 6

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iranians voted for moderates from all political factions in the recent parliamentary election, President Hassan Rouhani said.

He made the remarks in a press conference in Tehran March 6, Trend's correspondent reported from the event.

"I'm glad that at the election moderates were elected among the parties and groups," Rouhani said.

He hailed the high turnout at the election, saying it strengthened the pillars of the Islamic establishment.

He further said that the government and the parliament should cooperate.

Rouhani further said that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been almost concluded and the P5+1(US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China) have done their main commitments.

People can feel results of nuclear deal implementation, Rouhani said.

He added that next Iranian fiscal year will be better one in terms of welfare for Iranians.

The JCPOA has led to a 10 percent decrease in expenses of international financial transactions, the Iranian president said.

He further said that Iran needs to reclaim its status in trade and business.

The Iranian president added that Iran has recovered its position in oil export and will continue that in the coming months.

Tehran has increased its oil output to 1.4 million barrels per day following the removal of the sanctions, Rouhani said, adding, the figure will reach two million barrels by next Iranian fiscal year.

He underlined that the country's economy should be revived by private sector.

However the sanctions are removed some international private companies and banks still are afraid of working with Iran, Rouhani said, urging the US to be more active and encourage European banks to cooperate with Iran.

Regarding the crisis in Syria, Rouhani said that the Islamic Republic has told Russia as well as other countries that territorial integrity and unity of Syria should be maintained.

He also said that Iran has not stopped its aids to Yemeni people.

"Iran sends and will continue to send humanitarian aids to Yemen," Rouhani underlined.
President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that the Syrian nation's determination is the criteria for building that country's future status and that territorial integrity of Syria, and all other countries should be respected, Irna reported.

President Rouhani made the comment in reply to a reporter who had asked: Russia has presented a plan for establishment of a federal political system in Syria, while the Americans' plan is based on the Syrian disintegration.

'What is your evaluation of these two plans? Is Tehran still fully agreed with Moscow's moves on Syria?' added the reporter.

'Do not disturb our relations with our neighbor, Russia,' said President Rouhani with a broad smile.

'We enjoy good relations with Russia as we share thoughts and are harmonized in policymakings, but that does not mean that anything Russia does is approved by Iran,' he added.

President Rouhani further stressed that Tehran is in touch with Russia both through the phone calls and via the delegations that are often frequenting between the two countries' capital cities.

'The main objective of the interactions, especially during the recent past, has been returning the normal life for the Syrian people and putting an end to the war in their country,' he added.

Rouhani said that Iran's other main objective in Syria is campaign against terrorism and kicking the terrorists out of that war torn country, so that the Syrian people's will should become the basis for constructing Syria's future.

'We have clearly told Syria's friends and neighbors, as well as Russia, that the territorial integrity of the regional countries must be respected, either in case of Iraq, or in case of Syria, or any other regional country, the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries are important for us,' he said.

The head of the Supreme National Security Council further emphasized: Therefore, we believe in Syria's unity and territorial integrity are important and it is necessary to observe a just truce in Syria as soon a possible and simultaneously the campaign against terrorism should continue with appropriate measures for further developments there, including reforms in the constitution and future elections based on the people's will.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 6

By Umid Niayesh - Trend:

Iranian billionaire Babak Zanjani, was sentenced to death, the Islamic Republic's Judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said.

The court of first instance has issued its verdict on the case of Zanjani and his two accomplices who were charged with corruption, Ejei said, Iran's state-run IRINN TV reported March 6.

The issued sentence is tentative and can be appealed for a review.

Earlier in December 2013, Iranian judiciary officials accused Zanjani of massive fraud at the Oil Ministry and money laundering. He has been kept in custody and attended court hearing sessions since then.

After sanctions were imposed against the National Iranian Oil Company, Iran had to partially export its oil through Zanjani's channels. Meanwhile, the ministry said Zanjani still owes more than two billion euros for the oil exports he handled on behalf of the former government.
At least 13 civilians died and 40 were wounded in artillery shelling by terrorist groups at a northern residential district of Aleppo in northwestern Syria, a military source told RIA Novosti, according to Sputnik.

"The terrorists opened heavy fire on the Sheikh Maksoud neighborhood in Aleppo. Thirteen civilians were killed, 40 people were hospitalized with injuries," the source said.

The largest city in Syria has been subject to intense shelling since the ceasefire between government and rebel forces came into force on February 27.

The Nusra Front terrorist group, exempt alongside the Islamic State from the Russia-US brokered ceasefire, is believed to be behind the latest attack.




German Chancellor Angela Merkel told German media that the Greek authorities should hurry up with providing the promised amount of proper accommodation places for refugees.

In October, Greece agreed for opening reception centers to host 30,000 refugees by the end of 2015, with the United Nations to help provide another 20,000 places.

"Initially, Greece should have created 50,000 accommodation places for refugees by the end of 2015....The arrears must be resolved just now at lightning speed because the Greek government has to guarantee [refugees] decent accommodation," Merkel told the German tabloid Bild am Sonntag on Saturday.

The German Chancellor also stressed that the task is not easy, that is why Greece needs help and support of the European Union on the issue.

Europe has been beset by a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants fleeing their home countries to escape violence and poverty.

In February, Austria and Slovenia introduced quotas on a number of people entering their territory and number of asylum applications. The two countries agreed to jointly profile and register refugees and asylum-seekers at the Macedonian-Greek border, which led to refugees crowding in Greece.
NATO announced Sunday it will expand its mission in the Aegean to crack down on human smugglers and stem the flow of refugees coming into Europe, according to Anadolu.

In a statement, the alliance said: "NATO ships are already collecting information and conducting monitoring in the Aegean Sea. Their activity will now be expanded to take place also in territorial waters".

Last month, NATO agreed - at the request of Turkey, Germany, and Greece - to send its vessels to the Aegean, a major transit area for refugees entering Europe via Greece and Turkey. The decision was finalized on Sunday, with NATO allies agreeing the vessels will not only operate on international waters, but in Turkish and Greek territorial waters as well.

"Our commanders have defined our area of activity in close consultation and coordination with both Greece and Turkey," NATO said in Sunday's statement.

"Our activities in territorial waters will be carried out in consultation and coordination with both allies."

NATO will liaise with the Turkish and Greek coast guards, who have been struggling to protect and save refugees put at risk by human-smuggling gangs that place them on often unseaworthy bats.
A refugee boat that sank this weekend in the Aegean Sea off Turkey's western province of Aydin, killing 25 people, Anadolu agency reported.

According to the district governor, the refugee boat was en route to Greece when it sank off the coast of the Didim district. The Turkish Coast Guard has so far rescued 15 refugees.



A search and rescue operation is still underway. The total number of refugees involved is not yet known.



Turkey's Aegean provinces - Canakkale, Balikesir, Izmir, Mugla and Aydin - are prime spots for refugees leaving for the EU, with many Greek islands lying within sight of the Turkish coast.



Over the past year, hundreds of thousands have made short but perilous journeys in a bid to reach northern and western Europe in search of a better life.



Nearly 135,000 migrants or refugees have crossed into Greece and Italy since the beginning of 2016, according to the International Organization of Migration (IOM). Of the 134,905 migrants who have already crossed the Mediterranean this year, as of March 3 some 125,819 have reached the Greek islands, while the others landed in Italy. Media reports indicate that arrivals in Spain in 2016 are fewer than 100.



Of the more than 1.1 million refugees who arrived in the EU last year, more than 850,000 arrived by sea to Greece from Turkey, according to the IOM. Over the course of the year, 805 people died in the Aegean.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Sunday emphasized the maintenance of Syria's territorial integrity, rejecting any scenarios for partitioning the country, Anadolu agency reported.

"We have agreed that Syria will sustain its presence as a strong, unitary Syria. We do not want a partitioned Syria," Davutoglu told reporters ahead of his departure for Brussels, where he will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Mark Rutte, prime minister of the Netherlands, the holder of the rotating EU presidency.

Davutoglu said he discussed the issue with Iranian officials on Saturday's visit to Tehran and evoked the Sykes-Picot agreement, the 1916 secret agreement between Britain and France that established the borders of the modern Middle East, and is widely blamed for many of its current woes.

"100 years ago, Sykes-Picot partitioned the region. We should not allow again the division into small pieces. We must enter into efforts that could unite the region on a large scale. Here, there are contributions Iran and Turkey can make," the prime minister said.

In his remarks, Davutoglu called for a political structure in post-Assad Syria "where every national is represented and no one is excluded".

"As this was not done in Iraq, we can all see that peace and serenity in Iraq have not been maintained".

Syria has remained locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity. Since then, more than 250,000 people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN figures.
MERIDITH KOHUT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES





MERIDITH KOHUT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

I just dont think we should be encouraging people by funding even this rudimentary shelter in Costa Rica,









.

Cuban migrants in January at a firehouse converted into a temporary shelter in La Cruz, Costa Rica, near the border with Nicaragua, which blocked their passage. That month, the United States provided $1 million in aid for thousands of Cubans stranded in Costa Rica.By FRANCES ROBLESMARCH 4, 2016MIAMI  The United States government has been paying to feed and shelter thousands of Cubans trying to migrate to the United States, in what critics consider another sign of the lopsided treatment provided to Cubans under American law.The Obama administration has tried hard to deter the crush of migrants arriving from Central America in recent years. It has pressed Mexico to crack down on migrants passing through its territory, while women and children who managed to cross the American border have been held in detention facilities.But American law gives Cubans special status to live in the United States and apply for a green card, provided they make it here. That has set off a rush of Cubans who have taken advantage of changes inside Cuba that make it easier to leave, and who are worried that the Obama administrations improved relations with their government will soon erase their privileged status.In January, the United States pledged $1 million to help provide temporary shelter, potable water, food, sanitation and hygiene kits to thousands of Cubans who were stranded in Costa Rica while trying to make their way to the American border.Tens of thousands of Cubans have been arriving each year to the southwestern United States border after making an arduous journey by land through eight nations. But Nicaragua put a stop to the exodus by refusing them passage in November, causing a bottleneck of about 8,000 Cubans in Costa Rica and 3,000 in Panama.The Costa Rican government was forced to open 29 shelters in schools, fire stations and other locations around the country where the Cubans are fed and sleep on mats on the floor. Some 2,000 Cubans remain.The United States contributed to the effort through the International Organization for Migration, eliciting criticism that it was helping Cubans on their journey north at the same time it was blocking other migrants.We expect this particular contribution to be a one-time contribution, and the final amount that will actually be provided to I.O.M. will depend upon needs on the ground, given that the number of vulnerable migrants in need of immediate humanitarian aid in Costa Rica fluctuates, the State Department said in a statement.The International Organization for Migration declined to discuss the donation, referring questions about it to the American government.I dont think that the ambassador wants to talk about exact amounts, said Roeland de Wilde, who heads the organizations mission in Costa Rica. He wants to talk about the role, the impact and the fact there is support.Cubans staying in January at a Costa Rican school near the border with Nicaragua.The State Department said the donation was consistent with other American efforts to help vulnerable migrants throughout Central America. The United States has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in Central America in aid programs for law enforcement and other areas, largely to stem the tide of migration.Its a double standard for sure, said Kevin Appleby, the international migration policy director at the Center for Migration Studies in New York. We are not doing that for the Central American children who are more vulnerable. We are not paying for their shelters in Mexico.The American government, he noted, has paid Mexico to step up deportations.They are handling even more vulnerable populations by using tax dollars to interdict them, versus housing others, he said. Thats the inconsistency they are embarrassed about.Aracy Matus Sanchez, who runs a refuge for migrants in southern Mexico, said that as far as she knew, none of the shelters in Mexico received American funding.It seems a little strange, she said. Here in Mexico, support has not been seen in any way. I suppose it makes sense they would receive the Cubans with open arms, because they are more educated.David North, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, said any debate that arises over the donation boils down to questions about the Cuban Adjustment Act, the 1966 law that gives Cubans the right to enter the United States, even if they paid illegal smugglers to make the journey.The Cuban government has consistently pressured Washington to do away with the law, which many people feel encourages illegal and dangerous journeys by land and sea.Mr. North said.Representative Carlos Curbelo, a Republican in South Florida who has introduced legislation to eliminate welfare aid for Cuban migrants, said President Obama was to blame for the migration crisis because he had normalized relations with Cuba , but Mr. Curbelo said the donation was important anyway to support a major partner in the region.Costa Rica has always been a key ally in the region and offered assistance to these Cubans after the Marxist government of Nicaragua shut its border in a geopolitical dispute, Mr. Curbelo said in an email. The following crisis exasperated Costa Rican resources as the migrants piled up in that country. Throughout, the Costa Rican people demonstrated great humanity and hospitality to these migrants.Manuel Gonzalez, the Costa Rican foreign minister, said his country had spent up to $3 million housing the Cubans. At one point, 29 shelters were open, although 15 have since closed as thousands of the migrants have left for routes to the United States in a deal brokered by Central American nations and Mexico.At one point, it was costing $35,000 to $40,000 daily, Mr. Gonzalez said in a telephone interview. Its complicated logistics: security, medicine, food, electricity. Its quite an important daily expenditure.
South Korea was Egyptian President Sisi's last stop in his third Asian tour, which included Kazakhstan and Japan

South Korea has vowed to provide Egypt with a financial package worth $3 billion for export credits and to develop infrastructure in the transport, energy and water resources sectors, the Egyptian presidency stated on Saturday.

The package, which is expected to be presented by the finance ministry and the Export and Import Bank in South Korea, includes $700 million from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund, according to the statement, which followed Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's visit to Seoul.

Both sides have also agreed on boosting cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, given the strategic importance of energy in achieving economic and social development.

The statement also mentioned an agreement on promoting cooperation and cultural exchange at the official and popular levels.

On Friday, El-Sisi met with his South Korean counterpart, President Park Geun-hye, and visited the county's parliament where he expressed Egypt's keenness on fostering relations with South Korea, including the Korean parliament.

El-Sisi and Geun-hye also attended the signing of nine memorandums of understanding between Egypt and South Korea in the fields of industry, education, transportation and justice.

El-Sisis South Korea visit concluded his third Asian tour, which started 26 February and included Kazakhstan and Japan.

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The assailants were reportedly killed when they opened fire on troops stationed at an unscheduled checkpoint in Sheikh Zuweid

Egypts army has killed five terrorist elements in a shootout in North Sinais Sheikh Zuweid city, the army spokesman said in a statement on Sunday.

The incident occurred after the army set up an unscheduled checkpoint in Sheikh Zuweids El-Sabkha area.

The assailants reportedly opened fire on the troops, who responded in kind, resulting in the death of the five militants.

There was no mention of army casualties in the statement.

The soldiers found two machine guns, 94 bullets, and a walkie-talkie on the assailants.

Egypt's army has been fighting an insurgency in parts of North Sinai, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of militants and security forces.

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More than 500 delegates from the 49 OIC member states confirmed they would attend the summit on Palestine held in Indonesia

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry attended the first day of the Extraordinary Summit on Palestine by the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jakarta, Indonesia on Sunday.

Shoukry travelled to Jakarta on Saturday and is set to return on Monday.

On Sunday, Shoukry met with the secretary general of the OIC Iyad Madani to discuss the necessary arrangements for the summit and to stress the importance of the peace process in Palestine.

According to a statement by Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry, those confirming their attendance include more than 500 delegates from the 49 OIC member states, four representatives from the Quartet on the Middle East (the United States, Russia, the United Nations, and the European Union), five UN Security Council representatives, and three observer countries.

Senior officials will meet on Sunday while high-level meetings between heads of state will be held on Monday.

Spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid said that the summit is being held at the request of the Palestinian Authority, after increased violence in recent months, and restricted access to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem by Israel.

"The summit is expected to make decisions concerning the Palestinian issue in spite of the proliferation of armed conflicts in a number of Muslim countries," says Abu Zeid.

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Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghafar said legislation would both ensure prompt action in the face of any police violations and provide incentives to policemen who excel in their work

Egypts parliament could review the interior ministrys draft laws regulating police treatment of citizens this week, Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghafar told state news agency MENA.

The laws, according to Abdel-Ghafar, stipulate that police respect the freedom and dignity of citizens inside and outside police stations.

The legislation also ensures protection of police personnel from the violations of some citizens against them, so that they can carry out their duty to uphold peace and security.

Abdel-Ghafar added that the laws would ensure prompt action in the face of any police violations and provide incentives to policemen who excel in their work.

The minister stated that the interior ministry, which was tasked with redrafting these laws by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, has already drafted them and sent them to the cabinet.

Abdel-Ghafar added that the cabinet was done reviewing the laws, and has sent it to the state councils legislative committee.

The committee will further review the laws before returning them to the cabinet, which will schedule a date this week for the parliament to review the legislations.

President El-Sisi ordered the drafting of these laws after a policeman shot dead a taxi driver in the working-district of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar in late February in a street brawl over the taxi fare.

The policeman is currently on trial.

The interior minister added that the team tasked with investigating the death of Italian student Giulio Regeni, discovered dead in Cairo in February, was working closely with the Italian team.

A number of joint meetings have been held with the Italian team, according to the minister, and the Egyptian team "has conveyed its findings so far to the Italians and answered all of their questions."

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'Ramses 2016' is being hosted by Egypt for several days in the coastal city of Alexandria

Egyptian and French air and navy forces started on Sunday the joint training session "Ramses 2016," which is being hosted by Egypt for several days in the coastal city of Alexandria, MENA reported.

The joint exercises come in the framework of military cooperation between the two countries.

Many French and Egyptian naval ships--including the new FREMM frigate named Tahya Misr (Long Live Egypt) that Egypt recently received from France--are participating in the military exercises.

Various military aircraft from both countries are participating in Ramses 2016, including Rafale fighters, F-16s, and other fighters.

Egypt previously purchased 24 Rafale fighter jets, a FREMM frigate, and two Mistrals from France, with the jet deal amounting to 5.2 billion euros.

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An ambulance transferring conscripts from an earlier attack in North Sinai's El-Shadaid on Sunday was shot at by unknown assailants, killing one paramedic, Ambulance Authority head Ahmed El-Ansary told Ahram Online.

A security source told Aswat Masriya that earlier in the day an explosive device detonated while a police vehicle was passing by in Sheikh Zuweid, killing two conscripts and injuring another.

It's unclear whether the gunmen who targeted the ambulance were also behind the earlier attack.

The attack comes only a few days after unknown assailants targeted an ambulance in North Sinai's El-Arish, wounding two paramedics, who sustained minor injuries.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Egypt's army has been fighting an Islamist insurgency in parts of North Sinai, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of militants and members of security forces.

Earlier on Sunday, Egypt's army spokesperson said that the army killed five terrorist elements in a shootout at a security checkpoint in Sheikh Zuweid after assailants reportedly opened fire on the troops.

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Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution prosecution ordered the detention of six suspects for 15 days pending investigation into charges of killing the prosecutor-general in June 2015, the prosecutors office said in a statement on Sunday.

The defendants, who were arrested on Saturday, are the first to be identified as suspects in the murder.

Prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat died from injuries sustained in a Cairo bomb attack; the first successful assassination attempt against a state official since an upswing in militant violence following the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Two drivers and five members of security forces were also injured when the blast hit the prosecutor's convoy near the military academy in the upscale Cairo district of Heliopolis.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but there have been unconfirmed reports that the Islamic State militant group was behind the killing.

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The policeman said during questioning that the three brothers were performing sorcery against him, which made him constantly sick

A Zagazig criminal court sentenced on Sunday a low-ranking policeman to death for killing his three cousins, whom he said had cast a spell on him, state news agency MENA reported on Sunday.

The events of the case date back to September 2012, when the culprit shot and killed his cousins  all brothers  outside a mosque where they were praying.

During questioning by the prosecution, the policeman said that he had family disputes with his cousins.

He added that what ultimately made him decide to kill them was that some of his fellow villagers told him that the three brothers were performing sorcery that made him chronically ill.

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The Egyptian interior minister said on Sunday that leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey and the group's Palestinian offshoot Hamas were behind the assassination of top prosecutor Hisham Barakat on 29 June, 2015.



Barakat died from injuries sustained in a Cairo bomb attack; the only successful assassination attempt against a state official since an upswing in militant violence following the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.



Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghafar said that Turkish-based leaders of the Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, masterminded the assassination, while Hamas "provided training for militants to execute it and also took part in planning it."

"We intercepted electronic communications in a way that had never been done in the history of the Egyptian security apparatus," Abdel-Ghafar told a news conference.

"There is a major conspiracy targeting the Egyptian state It began a long while ago and included a number of militant attacks, including the assassination of prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat."

Abdel-Ghafar said that Hamas was not involved in the operation within Egypt, but planned and provided training for militants in Gaza.



Hamas denial

Hamas expressed dismay at Abdel-Ghafar's accusations, with spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri describing them as "untrue".



He was quoted by the group's website as saying that Abdel-Ghafars claims are not in line with "the efforts exerted to develop relations between Hamas and Cairo."

He also called on Egyptian officials "not to involve Palestinian factions in internal domestic disagreements."

Egyptian officials have more than once linked Hamas to terror acts in Egypt, which spiked following the toppling of Morsi in 2013.

Though Islamic State group affiliate Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claimed responsibility for a large number of militant attacks in Egypt over the past two years, no one has claimed responsibility for Barakat's assassination.

Abdel-Ghafar added that police had identified a number of apartments across the country where militants were manufacturing explosives.

"All of those arrested were referred to the prosecution... they all admitted to being Brotherhood members," Abdel-Ghafar said.

During the conference, a video was played showing testimonies of a group of people admitting to being involved in terror activities.



They said that the assassination was initially planned for 28 June but was called off after the militants tracking unit informed the others that Barakat's convoy was not taking its usual path.

The suspects said that former health ministry spokesperson and now-fugitive Yehia Moussa told them to prepare themselves for the planned assassination of Barakat.

Some of the men said they had received training from Hamas in Gaza, including in tracking and planned operations.
Hamas expressed dismay at statements made on Sunday by Egyptian interior minister Magdy Abdel-Ghafar in which he accused the de facto rulers of the Gaza Strip of being involved in the assassination of Egypt's top prosecutor in June 2015.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri described the statements as "untrue," and was quoted by the group's website as saying that Abdel-Ghafars claims are not in line with "the efforts exerted to develop relations between Hamas and Cairo."

He also called on Egyptian officials "not to involve Palestinian factions in internal domestic disagreements."

Abdel-Ghafar said that Turkish-based leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi hails, masterminded the assassination of prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat, while Hamas "provided training for militants to execute it and also took part in planning it."

Egyptian officials have more than once linked Hamas to terror acts in Egypt, which spiked following the toppling of Morsi in 2013.

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Senior Sudanese officials joined some 3,000 mourners on Sunday at the funeral of veteran Islamist leader Hassan Turabi, an ally turned outspoken critic of the regime.

Police were out in force as Turabi's shrouded body was laid to rest in the Burri cemetery in the east of the capital.

Mourners from his Popular Congress Party, many of them wearing traditional robes and turbans, paraded banners bearing his photograph and paying tribute to his life.

First Vice President Bakri Hassan Saleh was among several members of the government who attended the ceremony but President Omar al-Bashir was absent after flying out to Jakarta for an Islamic summit that opens on Monday.

Bashir visited Turabi's family on Saturday evening to offer his condolences on the 84-year-old's death from a heart attack earlier in the day.

The two men were once close allies.

A power struggle between them saw Turabi dismissed from the ruling National Congress Party leadership. He later formed his own party.

Turabi was the only Sudanese politician to support a warrant issued for Bashir's arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the regime's conduct of the conflict in Darfur.

He was detained several times over a career spanning four decades, including in January 2009 two days after urging Bashir to give himself up to the ICC.

An ideologue with influence beyond Sudan's borders, Turabi was one of the driving forces behind the introduction of Islamic sharia law in Sudan in 1983, which sparked a devastating 22-year civil war with the mainly Christian south that cost an estimated two million lives and led to its secession.

The story was edited by Ahram Online.

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A truck bomb exploded at a crowded checkpoint outside the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, on Sunday, killing at least 47 people, officials and medical sources said.

Faleh al-Radhi, the head of the security committee of Babil provincial council, said "the attack was carried out against a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Hilla."

A doctor at Hilla hospital put the number of people killed by the blast at 47, including around 20 members of the security forces, and said at least 72 people were also wounded.

The Islamic State group, which carries out nearly all such attacks, has not had fixed positions south of Baghdad since security forces and allied militias began their fightback against the militants in late 2014.

A March 2014 suicide bombing at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Hilla, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital, killed 50 people and wounded more than 150.

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Libyan forces based in the city of Misrata have carried out air strikes against Islamic State (IS) group militants in their stronghold of Sirte, a military source said on Sunday.

As many as 18 people were killed in the strikes, including senior ID members, said Jamal Zubia, foreign media spokesman for Libya's self-declared government in Tripoli. The claim could not immediately be confirmed with other officials.

A resident in Sirte told Reuters that air strikes on Sunday had targeted districts in and around the city, and that at least one civilian had been killed.

Air strikes on Sirte are reported frequently, often attributed to unidentified aircraft. Military forces in western Misrata, which back the Tripoli government, say they regularly carry out strikes.

Five years after the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi Libya is deeply divided, with rival governments based in Tripoli and the east. Militants loyal to IS have taken advantage of a security vacuum to expand their presence, establishing control over the coastal city of Sirte last year.

Also on Sunday, a spokesman for military forces loyal to Libya's eastern government, Akram Bouhalika, said troops had clashed with suspected IS militants for the past two days about 120km (75 miles) south of the city of Ajdabiya, east of Sirte.

Eleven militants were killed and two soldiers wounded in the clashes, Bouhalika said.

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Global contractor Orascom Constructions Limited (OC) was awarded two contracts worth $200 million to build a cement plant in Algeria and manufacture steel in Egypt, the company said on Sunday in an e-mailed statement.

Egypt-listed OC will build a cement plant for an unnamed private contractor in Algeria with a daily capacity of 6,000 tonnes as well as construct infrastructures for an industrial complex, both at a value of $180 million.

In Egypt, the company's subsidiary, National Steel Fabrication (NSF), will manufacture and supply all structural steel for the West Nile Delta gas development project at a value of $20 million.

The building company, which was spun off from OCI NV last year, focuses on infrastructure and industrial projects in MENA and the United States.

Orascom Construction Limited climbed 1.69 percent to EGP 50.7 a share by mid-trading in a session of gains on the Egyptian bourse on Sunday.

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Suez Cement, an Egyptian subsidiary of Italcementi Group, saw EGP 60 million ($7.7 million) in losses in 2015, the company showed in its consolidated results sent to the bourse on Sunday.

The cement maker, which is one of the largest producers in Egypt with roughly 11 million metric tonnes of clinker per year, made almost EGP 500 million ($64 million) in profits in 2014.

Italcementi Group in Egypt runs five cement plants in Suez, Tourah, Kattameya, Helwan and Minya, employing more than 4,000 people.

Suez Cement managing director Bruno Carre told Bloomberg on Sunday that the company was unable to repatriate 50 million euros ($55 million) of profit from Egypt for about a year, and is also facing difficulties in paying its foreign suppliers.

The company could end up moving its regional hub from Egypt if the countrys dollar shortage persists for another year, said Carre.

Egypt has faced a foreign currency crunch since an uprising in 2011 scared off foreign investments and tourists, the country's main sources of hard currency.

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One of Greece's most renowned painters and academics, Panayiotis Tetsis, died in an Athens hospital early Saturday aged 91, state agency ANA said.



Born on the Greek island of Hydra in 1925, Tetsis is best known for his seascapes which were inspired by his birthplace, the island of Sifnos, and other Greek islands.



After graduating from the Athens School of Fine Arts in 1949, Tetsis pursued postgraduate studies at Paris' famed Ecole des Beaux Arts in 1953-1956, where he learned engraving.



He held over 90 exhibitions, was awarded Greece's second-highest order of merit in 1999, and continued to paint until the end of his life. His last exhibition was held in 2015.

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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Italian unions have lambasted the new museum chief of the world-famous Royal Palace of Caserta for working too hard, prompting Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to ride to his defence.

Renzi's government appointed Mauro Felicori five months ago to revive the fortunes of the spectacular, 1,200-room Baroque palace of the Bourbon kings, which like many of the country's artistic and cultural treasures was suffering from decades of neglect and mismanagement.

Local unions however sent a letter to the culture minister, Felicori's boss, complaining that he works late into the evening without the rest of the personnel being informed.

"Such behaviour puts the whole structure at risk," said the letter, published in Corriere della Sera daily on Saturday.

In a post on his Facebook page, Renzi said the accusation levelled at Felicori, a 63-year old expert in the management of cultural sites, was ridiculous.

"The unions complaining about Felicori, who was chosen by the government after an international selection process, should realise that the tide has turned. The fun's over," Renzi said.

Visitors to the Caserta palace, a Unesco World Heritage site often referred to as Italy's own Versailles, increased 70 percent in February from a year earlier, with revenues up 105 percent, he added.

"The director is simply doing his job. And we all stand by him, without fear."

The national leader of Italy's biggest labour group CGIL, Susanna Camusso, distanced herself from the complaints against Felicori.

"Mistakes must be acknowledged and those unions are wrong," Camusso tweeted.

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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The book looks at Ayoub's rich life and examines her valuable contributions to theatre and film

Titled The Charming Woman: A Vocation of Creativity, a new book celebrating the life of Egypts famed actress Samiha Ayoub is scheduled to be released Monday, 7 March.

Written in Arabic by journalist Sayed Mahmoud and published by the Writers and Critics Association, the book will be released during a ceremony, also organised by the association, to honour Ayoub.

The ceremony will be held at the Higher Council of Culture in the presence of Minister of Culture Helmy El-Namnam.

Also present at the ceremony will be Ahlam Younis, head of the Academy of Arts; Professor Amal El-Sabban, secretary- general of the Supreme Council for Culture, directors Mosaad Fouda and Omar Abd El-Aziz, and Ashraf Zaki, head of the Egyptian Actors' Syndicate, amongst others.

The book is centred on Ayoubs film career, with some of her most important films being Al-Motashareda, Shatea Al-Gharam Wal Wahsh, Bayn Al-Atlal, and most recently Teita Rahiba and El-Leila El-Kebira. The book also looks at Ayoubs television career and examines articles written about the actress, as well as some of her TV interviews.

Ayoub is best known as a theatre actress with works including Al-Bakheel (The Miser), Kobry Al-Namoos (Mosquito Bridge) and Sikkat Al-Salama (The Right Way).

She was the director of Al-Qawmy Theatre and The Modern Theatre during the late 1970s.

In June 2015, Ayoub received the Nile Award in the Arts, claiming a gold medal and EGP 400,000, the largest prize of the State Awards granted to three people, with one going to the arts.

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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Discussing Egypt's experience of socialism and class over an elaborate meal and dessert at the heart of the once cosmopolitan Alexandria is a good use of a Saturday morning

On a beautifully sunny, if still cold, Saturday morning, a Cairo resident who is ending a weekend in the heart of Alexandria regrets that the old tea salon of Le Trianon at Ramlah Square is not yet allowing clients to enjoy its pavement tables.

Shortly, the winter is coming to an end and we will have the tables back in place, said the waiter before inviting us into the salon of this old tea room.

The concept of cafe-trottoir is essential to this part of Alexandria. As we took our seats in the warm interior of this tea room both of us used to frequent in our childhood, Laila immediately said with no little dismay, They are now serving shisha. This is so sad.

The waiter took us to a table at the remote end of the salon left us with menus, with Laila expressing disappointment over how Alexandria has changed" since she was last in the city "in the early 1990s.

We ordered two cappuccinos "to start with and a club sandwich and Greek salad.

Of course, it was already different in the 1990s than the late 1960s and early 1970s. But still, the city centre had not been changed that much, Laila said.

You would immediately say it was the open door policy of Anwar Sadat that caused this damage. But I think it is more Gamal Abdel Nassers policies of nationalisation that hurt Alexandria most, she added.

The waiter brought the cappuccino which was not particularly impressive, but still served as a decent dose of caffeine.

Had not Nasser made the foreigners want to leave with his nationalisation policies things could have been different, she argued.

I told Laila it was more, in my opinion, the unplanned and excessive migration from rural to urban areas in the second half of the 1970s and the economic madness that crunched the middle classes.

As the food was put to the table, I asked Laila if she had read the short stories of Ihssan Abdel Qoudous that were recently printed by Al-Dar El-Masriya El-Lebnaniyah.

She shook her head as she went to eat the French fries  real homemade ones, to her liking.

Three of the six short stories are happening in Alexandria in what must be the late 1950s and early 1960s. It is a confused society of men and women who have either been born to considerable wealth and were trying to adjust their dislike for the norms of socialism, or they have been born with no wealth and were trying to adjust to the new reality of less class segregation that came their way, I said.

As I ordered a tea to have with my salad, to the shock of the waiter, I told Laila that my favourite of the short stories was the one titled A swimming suit for the daughter of Usta Mahmoud, which reflects on the bewilderment of a worker who takes his wife and two daughters for a short summer holiday in Alexandria paid by his factory, and who had to deal with the wish of his daughters to have swimming suits.

He ultimately gets one for the little girl but not for the teenager, who is so angry about this, I said.

Laila could not have come all the way to Le Trianon from New York, where she has been living with her husband since the 1990s, without having a cassata and a no sugar Turkish coffee.

As we enjoyed the rich slices of ice cream with dried fruits, I told Laila about the "Women have white teeth" story that captures the expectations of a worker who lost his arm to get a Cuban cigar.

A colleague of his had received a cigar during a visit of some rich charitable women, "with very white teeth," who give away gifts delivered to the charities from foreign diplomatic missions. But to his bad luck the women decided to auction the cigar and buy regular cigarettes instead.

The smoking of a cigar was at a point in Egypt quite something for those who wanted to indicate social evolution, Laila said.

As I had a sip of what was a relatively decent coffee, I said that this story was taking place in the late 1950s, the heyday of socialism, but still Abdel-Atty  from the story of AbdelQoudous  wanted a cigar like the one that the chairman of the factory used to smoke.

As we paid our bill that was slightly over EGP 250, and we embarked on a stroll by the sea, Laila argued, I think our society never really embraced the concept of socialism. This is perhaps why the open door policy of Sadats hit society so hard.

She added, But I never knew that Ihssan wrote short stories. I must take back a copy of this book.

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Sci-tech offers huge contribution to China's economic growth

2016-03-05 20:50

BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's scientific and technological progress contributed to 55.1 percent of the country's economic growth in 2015, demonstrating the crucial role of sci-tech, the Ministry of Science and Technology said Friday.

China ranked the 18th in the world in terms of the national innovative capacity last year, and the scientific system reform has achieved tangible progress, according to a statement from the ministry.

The ministry said China is now focusing on a collaborative innovation mechanism combining the industry and academic research, striving to transform technology into real benefits as the country pushes for a innovation-driven development.

The State Council on Wednesday publicized a regulation on how to implement a bill on the commercialization of scientific research findings, providing detailed operational measures for academics and inventors to commercially exploit their work.

The value of technology transactions in China amounted to 983.5 billion yuan (about 150 bln U.S. dollars) in 2015, up 14.7 percent year on year.

Statistics from the ministry showed 16 pilot areas implementing a "combined technology and finance" program, including Shanghai and Chongqing, have loaned more than 1.2 trillion yuan to middle and small enterprises for scientific research investment.
Deficit increase doesn't signal strong stimulus: official

2016-03-05 21:48

BEIJING, March 5, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a government work report during the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2016. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China's higher fiscal deficit rate budgeted for 2016 should not be considered strong stimulus, and the country still has ample policy tools to arrest downward economic pressure, a senior official of China's Cabinet research office said Saturday.

A 3-percent deficit-to-GDP ratio is within a safe margin and is still relatively low compared with that of many developed countries, which set the ratio well above 3 percent, said Huang Shouhong, deputy director of the State Council Research Office at a news conference.

China will increase deficit-to-GDP ratio to 3 percent this year from 2.3 percent last year, and cut taxes across the board, Premier Li Keqiang said Saturday at the annual parliamentary session.

The expansion is mainly aimed at reducing costs for firms, and should not be interpreted as strong stimulus, Huang said.

For the past few years, the government has refrained from using mass quantitative easing to battle the economic slowdown but rather has pushed structural reforms, which proved successful in reinvigorating the economy.

"The Chinese government still has enough innovative policy tools to battle the downward pressure," Huang said. "With enough weapons and bullets, we can fire whenever we need."

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Xinhua Insight: China sets 2020 goals as legislature convenes amid tougher challenges

BEIJING, March 5, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a government work report during the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2016. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday expressed his confidence of realizing China's 2020 goals, while mentioning to fight "a difficult battle" in face of tougher challenges.

The government work report, delivered by Li at the opening meeting of the national legislature annual session, sets this year's economic growth target at between 6.5 and 7 percent as well as the average annual growth rate for the next five years at above 6.5 percent. Full Story
President Xi says Shanghai can "pioneer" reform, innovation

2016-03-05 22:48

BEIJING, March 5, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a group deliberation of deputies from Shanghai to the annual session of the National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2016. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping said Shanghai should continue to serve as a vanguard and pioneer in reform and innovation when talking to lawmakers from the coastal city Saturday.

Xi made the remarks when he joined a meeting of Shanghai deputies, who were deliberating the government's work report, at the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress.

Shanghai should use its courageous, pioneering spirit and youthful vigor to be innovative in the way it advances reform, Xi said.

Xi asked the region to accelerate measures that will help it establish itself as a globally influential center for technology and innovation.

As the country's finance and trade center, Shanghai was chosen as the location for China's first-ever free trade zone (FTZ) and has been used by policymakers as a testing ground for new policies, such as the negative list for foreign capital management, which defined sectors in which foreign entities could invest.

Speaking highly of Shanghai's efforts in reform and innovation, Xi said he hopes Shanghai could deepen reforms by focusing on the China (Shanghai) Pilot FTZ.

The FTZ should be used to trial and test mechanism innovation, Xi said. He urged Shanghai to take the lead in creating a convenient, international business environment based on the rule of law, as this would influence a fair, unified and efficient market.

A conducive relationship between the government and the market is influenced by economic system reform, Xi said, noting that the market plays the decisive role in resource allocation and government should assist this process.

The government should step up function restructuring, allowing the market to fully play its role and fulfill its responsibility, Xi said.

When talking about innovation development, Xi urged Shanghai to focus on science and explore core technologies.

Shanghai should make greater efforts to attract more leading scientific and technological talents with global vision and experience, Xi said.

Xi also asked Shanghai to speed up industrial restructuring, and identify and support new growth points to improve the real economy.

In addition, he spoke about China's innovative, coordinated, green, open and sharing developmental philosophy during the deliberation.

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China Headlines: Supply-side reform a recipe for China's economic rebalancing

BEIJING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Kocel Machinery Company, a state-owned enterprise (SOE) that had been struggling in the anemic foundry industry, is recovering amid a wave of economic reforms in China.

After piloting an employee stock ownership plan and introducing 3D printing techniques, the 50-year-old manufacturer, located in Yinchuan in west China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, has seen improved productivity and worker morale. Full Story

Economic Watch: No need for panic about China's economy

BEIJING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Despite slower growth and market volatility, China has plenty of good news to offer.

Skyscanner, a global travel search site headquartered in the United Kingdom, is a case in point to question the fears about China.Full Story

Spotlight: Latest statistics show resilience, vigor of Chinese economy

BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Amid growing concern over the "new mediocrity" of the global economy, China's latest economic data provide a snapshot that the world's second largest economy is resilient and full of vigor and vitality.Full Story

China FDI growth steady despite slowing economy

BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland continued to grow steadily in January despite slowing overall growth in the world's second largest economy.Full Story
Chinese leaders uphold "four consciousnesses" upon parliament's opening

2016-03-05 22:48

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China Headlines: China champions "four consciousnesses," conforming with Xi

BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Party officials, lawmakers and media have called for unwavering conformity with top leader Xi Jinping, ahead of the country's major political meetings, known collectively as the "two sessions."

Faithfulness to the core leadership of the Party is characterized by staunch loyalty to "the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, [its] General Secretary Xi Jinping as well as to Party theories, guidelines, principles and policies," according to a recent commentary published by Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee. Full Story

Leading journal decodes Party advocacy

BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, recently stressed Party leadership in governing the country, saying its position should not be wavered "at any time and under any circumstances."

An article bylined Qiushi prioritizes the core leadership of the CPC, urging the enhancement of the consciousness of the ideology, the whole, the core and the line. Full story
Studying in Canada promoted in Shanghai

By:Wang Jiaye | From:english.eastday.com | 2016-03-03 09:46

From R to L: Consul General of Canada in Shanghai Weldon Epp, Managing Director of North American International Education Center and Co-founder & Lifelong Senior Counsellor of EduShanghai Joshua Gu, TV host Steven Weathers and the associate producer of the TV specials Cindy Shen (Photo by Gao Yiyang)



A Canada's educational outreach activity was held in Shanghai on 2nd March, 2016, as the International Channel Shanghai (ICS) released the preview of its TV specials on studying in Canada.

The TV serial in 4 episodes will be broadcast in the programme All About Going Abroad on ICS from 5th March, featuring advantages and characteristics of studying in Canada from primary schools to universities.

The Consulate General of Canada in Shanghai and the educational institutions in Ontario and British Columbia also contributed to the shooting of the TV specials.

Weldon Epp, Consul General of Canada in Shanghai said in the activity that the high quality of Canada's education organizations is very competitive in the world thanks to its public education system.

As the TV host Steven Weathers viewed that the safe, beautiful environment and friendly locals are some of the advantages in studying in Canada. Besides, "culture shock is less" for Chinese owing to the large number of Asian students there.

The most important advantage in studying in Canada is its advanced professional knowledge and excellent research skills especially in higher education system, said Joshua Gu, Managing Director of North American International Education Center and Co-founder & Lifelong Senior Counsellor of EduShanghai, who is among the earliest group of Chinese studying abroad.

When speaking of the job-hunting in Canada, Mr. Gu advised that students should have a gradually-clear orientation for their future and be active to seize the opportunities such as co-op programs, salaried internships and volunteer activities, which help to gain social connections and enter workforce market more smoothly.

In addition, Express Entry, an immigration program coming into effect in January 2015 was elaborated in the activity.
The Kilikollur thrashing is only the latest in a string of incidents that pull the veil on the waywardness of the police.
#coronavirus-additional cases New COVID-19 cases under 30,000 for 4th consecutive day South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 30,000 for a fourth straight day Saturday with the daily death toll down to its 14-week low for a Saturday. The country reporte...

#BLACKPINK BLACKPINK to headline BST Hyde Park festival next year K-pop sensation BLACKPINK will headline British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park in London next year, the group's agency and the festival announced Saturday. The four-member act will...
The first in director Ulrich Seidl's "Paradise Trilogy", to be followed by Faith and Hope, Love finds us in Kenya with the 50 year old Teresa (Margarete Tiesel). Having dumped her daughter on a neighbour back home in Austria, she romps off to a tourist resort in the struggling African nation with one thing in mind: Sex. In this part of the world a woman like Teresa is in high demand, a rich lonely female with quite a bit of disposable income. For a time it's all going pretty well, as she saddles up with a number of lithe young local men, but it all starts to sour for her once she realises that as much as she is using them, they are also using her.

Teresa is nothing more than a "Sugar Mama" to them, and once they've got their hooks into her, they will use her for every last penny she has. They local townsfolk have wised up to their exploitation, and are now using that very same exploitation to do some exploiting of their own. Morally and emotionally it becomes very difficult to know who to feel more pity or anger towards, and over the course of the movie things get pretty grim.

The film, much like its lead actress, the country it's set in and the topic it is confronting, is a myriad of conflictions; pathetic and yet sympathetic, horrific and yet beautiful. Teresa is a sad woman, using her insecurities to an emotional advantage, and a completely-free-from-vanity Tiesel plays her as a disgusting yet all too relatable person.

It will raise some questions in your own mind about the ethics at play on screen, but it does so with a complete lack of subtlety. Every last woman seems to be a rich sexual predator, and every last man is a morally bankrupt submissive. There is an important point being shown in Paradise: Lost, but it seems content in showing it over and over (and over) again, without any kind of satisfying resolution.

Fantastically acted and all too topical, but perhaps too repetitive with it's repulsiveness to be whole-heartedly recommended.
Dyslexia is known to affect at least 10% of the population in Ireland, however there are many who simply refuse to acknowledge it or keep it hidden from friends and loved ones.

For those who don't have dyslexia, it's incredibly difficult to fathom just how much of an issue it is and how frustrating it can be for those who have it.

Reading is something we all take for granted, but what if everything you read looked like this?

See all the words jumbled around and switching as it's read? That, according to some people, is what dyslexia is like.

Victor Widdell created a script on his blog that randomly sorted and swapped the text and letters in a simple description of dyslexia. Of course, not everyone who has dyslexia say it's this severe, whilst others believe it's entirely accurate.

Whatever the case may be, it's definitely eye-opening. For more information on dyslexia, please contact the Dyslexia Association of Ireland.

Via Geon
Li: Growth of at least 6.5% achievable Updated: 2016-03-06 09:31 By Zhao Huanxin(China Daily)

Premier Li Keqiang takes the stage to deliver the Government Work Report at the opening session of the annual National People's Congress in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Saturday. Wu Zhiyi / China Daily

Premier pledges reformand unveils support measures as he delivers Government Work Report

Premier Li Keqiang said on Saturday that China is confident of achieving a GDP growth rate of between 6.5 and 7 percent this year.

While delivering the Government Work Report to the top legislature, Li said that the country has enough resources and policy tools to achieve the growth rate, despite difficulties in the global market.

Last year, China recorded a GDP growth of 6.9 percent, the slowest in a quarter century.

The premier indicated that the growth target will be achieved without raising taxes from any groups of enterprises or individuals.

Massive Stateled projects in public infrastructure and in relocating workers from the closure of old, polluting factories will be facilitated through government deficit financing and participation by private investors.

A raft of reform policies will be carried out, Li promised, to make the supply more effective in meeting demand, and to diversify financial risks.

In a research note, Bloomberg's Tom Orlik and Fielding Chen said China's 2016 GDP growth target is "still ambitious" and "testing but achievable".

"In order to hit it, and offset the shortterm drag from industrial restructuring, monetary and fiscal policy support will both be expanded," the economists said.

Li said the country still has new instruments for macro regulation and a good reserve of policies at its disposal.

The premier announced a draft goal of running a fiscal deficit equivalent to 3 percent of GDP, up from last year's 2.3 percent, and proposed to raise the growth of M2 - a broad measure ofmoney supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits - to 13 percent, one percentage point higher than last year's figure.

"The moderate increase in government deficit is projected primarily to cover tax and fee reductions for enterprises, to further reduce their burdens," Li said.

Li Daokui, a political adviser, saidthat raising the government deficit-projected to be 2.18 trillion yuan ($335 billion) for 2016 - is a "prudent and rationalmove".

"As China's economic transformationis a difficult process, it needs to havemore fuel added like a vehicle," he said.

In addition to proactive fiscal policy, the premier said the country would ramp up supply-side structural reform to drive sustained growth.

This will include efforts to streamline administration, transformthe functions of the government and improve its performance, and ensure that innovation-driven development holds sway.

The country will create 10 million new jobs, address socalled zombie companies through mergers, bankruptcies and debt deals, and hold the urban registered unemployment rate below 4.5 percent this year, he said.

State-owned enterprises beleaguered by inefficiencies and overcapacity will be restructured, with some reorganized, merged or forced to exit themarket, he said.

The premier also promised to open oil and telecomindustries to private competitors in sweeping industrial reforms, and to speed up urbanization.

"We will significantly relax restrictions on entry into markets such as electricity, telecom, transportation, petroleum, naturalgas ... and encourage private companies to increase investment in these areas and to participate in the reform of State firms," he said.

Private competitors will be afforded the same treatment that State-owned enterprises are entitled to in terms of project approval, financing and land availability.

The premier also announced a raft of growth-supportive measures, including investment in infrastructure.

The country will invest 1.65 trillion yuan on road construction and 800 billion yuan on newrailways, according to the Government Work Report.

Huang Shouhong, deputy director of the State Council Research Office who participated in drafting the Government Work Report, said he believed the issue of laidoff workers following the overcapacity cuts would not be so pressing as some analysts have feared.

"Development of the service industry can provide far more jobs than development of other industries,"Huang said.

Li Xiang contributed to this story.
China opposes US trade probe into Chinese stainless steel Updated: 2016-03-06 10:08 (Xinhua)

BEIJING -- China is highly concerned about frequent trade investigations by the United States into Chinese high-end steel products, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Saturday in a statement.

On Friday, the US Department of Commerce launched an anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation into stainless steel products imported from China.

Similar probes into high-end steel products have caused significant impact on the interests of Chinese firms. China is gravely concerned about it, the statement said.

Though the World Trade Organization (WTO) allows its members to conduct trade remedy investigations, the WTO rules must be strictly followed and legitimate rights of concerned parties must be fully guaranteed, said the statement.

China hopes the United States will correct past practices that had violated the WTO rules and conduct investigations in an objective and fair way, it said.

The ministry said steel overcapacity is a global problem that needs to be solved with coordinated efforts from all sides. China has already taken substantial measures to curb excess capacity.

The ministry called for dialogues and negotiations as a solution to trade frictions. It also vowed to protect the legitimate rights of Chinese firms, according to the statement.
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Every person in the world has one thing in common is the need for fat loss. Unfortunately, this is a common scenario for many people. Thats why its important to know what hormones or steroids are available that can help you reach your goal sooner and more efficiently. If you are interested in buying weight loss steroids, then a Great place to buy weight loss steroids at LAWeekly . Five essential hormones can help increase your metabolism and burn calories at a faster rate. They are all easy to use, just like any other hormone supplement would be.Testosterone is a natural hormone that is mainly produced in males. It is the best testosterone booster you can get when burning fat  even if you have a low testosterone level. You need some testosterone to make your muscles hard and your body feel healthier. The best thing about this hormone supplement is that its use does not require a prescription for any condition. More importantly, this drug has no side effects and should be used only by adults.This hormone regulates fertility. However, this is not the only reason why it is so popular. Oxytocin helps you increase your connection and trust with other people, which makes some people addicted. Sometimes, oxytocin is used instead of morphine because of its analgesic effect. Nowadays, oxytocin fat burners are very popular among women and men who want to get rid of extra calories. Oxytocin is beneficial to lose weight faster without any side effects.Cortisol reduces stress and increases blood pressure levels in the body. It also increases blood sugar levels, contributing to more energy during a workout session or sports activities. The best thing about cortisol is that it can increase your metabolism, making it the perfect hormone for people who dont have the time and energy to go to the gym to lose fat.This is a direct response to the leptin level in your body. If it becomes too low, your hunger will increase, and you will feel inclined to eat more food than needed. Leptin can help suppress that feeling and regulate your eating habits and diet plans for losing weight fast.T3 and T4 are the hormones that promote healthy metabolism, essential for burning more calories. The only drawback to these two hormones is that they require prescriptions like any other hormone supplement and from a specialist. So whenever you want to take thyroid hormone pills, you should always check with your doctor first if it is right for you or not. There is no point in risking your health just because you dont have enough money for prescription drugs.Eating less and working out more is not the only way to lose weight. You need to do it faster and easier if you want to see results in a short time. The five hormones listed above can help you burn calories faster than ever without any effort at all.
The prophecy is more than seeing into the future. For the prophecy sees without the element of time. For the prophecy sees things as they were, as they are, and as they always shall be.
As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.
A UK book publisher says congestion at Felixstowe Port has left it with no books to sell in the lead up to Christmas. Colin Hoad and Matt Gr...
BUENOS AIRES, March 6 (Reuters) - Argentina's shale oil output from the vast but barely tapped Vaca Muerta formation has edged up to 50,000 barrels per day equivalent, the CEO of state-controlled energy company YPF told the La Nacion newspaper.

In an interview published on Sunday, Chief Executive Miguel Galuccio said that profit on YPF's shale oil and gas production was "marginal" even with the price of locally produced crude set artificially high by the government.

However, in a clear acknowledgement that the global oil slump is affecting exploration of one of the world's largest shale resources, YPF said on Friday that it will cut capital expenditure in 2016 and put rigs in standby mode.

Galuccio told La Nacion that profit margins could improve as the company, which produces most of its shale in a joint venture with U.S. oil company Chevron, reduces exploration costs.

The executive said that the company had cut the cost of drilling each horizontal well to $13 million from $16 million, and expects this to drop to $10 million by the end of the year.

"If we increase the productivity of these wells and drive costs down, the economic equation changes," Galuccio told La Nacion.

A year ago, YPF was producing about 44,000 barrels per day equivalent from shale wells.

The South American country wants to ramp up its exploitation of Vaca Muerta, which covers an area the size of Belgium under the windswept plains of Patagonia, to reverse an energy deficit.

YPF has said that reversing the country's energy deficit will require $200 billion in investment over the next decade, largely on Vaca Muerta.

(Reporting by Richard Lough; Editing by David Goodman)
bernie sanders hillary clinton

Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders fought Saturday's Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses to what seems likely to be a virtual tie.

Of the three nominating contests held on Saturday, Sanders won Kansas and was projected by NBC News and CNN to win in Nebraska.

Clinton was projected to win the Louisiana primary, a contest worth just under the number of delegates of Nebraska and Kansas combined.

Shortly after several news outlets called Kansas for Sanders, the senator reiterated that the win proves he still has a path to securing the nomination.

"We have the momentum. We have a path toward victory," Sanders said in a statement. "Our campaign is just getting started and we are going all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia."

Clinton has easily won states across the South, which has been attributed to her campaign's strength among African-American voters.

Though his wins could inject some perceived momentum into his bid following a string of losses earlier this week on "Super Tuesday," Sanders faces an increasingly difficult electoral map going forward.

Sanders may pick up a victory in the Democratic caucuses in Maine on Sunday. But Clinton led in almost every reliable recent poll of states voting on March 8 and March 15, when another substantial chunk of delegates will be awarded.

And Sanders still appeared to fall short of picking up the delegates needed to put a dent in Clinton's significant pledged delegate lead.

If Clinton keeps this 51-point lead in LA (with 9% in), she will get significantly more delegates than Sanders got in KS/NE  Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) March 6, 2016

Sanders has a 10 point edge in Nebraska. Far, far short of what he might have hoped. Was Obama 68-32 in '08 pic.twitter.com/r1CyoSrm2i  Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) March 6, 2016

In a speech on Saturday night in Detroit, Clinton congratulated Sanders on his wins, but quickly shifted focus toward the next set of delegate-heavy contests.

Story continues

"Now all eyes turn to Michigan," Clinton said. "And I can tell you  we're going to work for every vote."

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BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to launch several mixed ownership pilot programmes in the oil, natural gas and rail sectors as it deepens reforms of state-owned enterprises, the country's top economic planner said on Sunday.

As China restructures its state-owned companies, it will also moderately increase investment in infrastructure and public services, Xu Shaoshi, head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told reporters at a briefing in Beijing.

In September last year, China issued guidance on reforming state-owned enterprises, including the introduction of so-called mixed ownership of state firms, as part of the most far-reaching reforms of its sprawling and inefficient state sector in two decades.

China has about 150,000 state-owned enterprises, managing more than 100 trillion yuan (10.8 trillion) in assets and employing over 30 million people, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

(Reporting By Pete Sweeney and Xiaoyi Shao; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Why Are Banks Like Citigroup Selling Stakes in Chinese Banks?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Why is Citigroup selling its stake in China Guangfa Bank?

Citigroup (C) announced on Monday, February 29, 2016, that it has entered into an agreement with China Life Insurance Company (LFC) to sell 20% of its stake in China Guangfa Bank. In a company announcement, Francisco Aristeguieta, CEO (chief executive officer) of Citi Asia Pacific, said that Citi is exiting this holding to build its own network in China, which currently spans 13 cities.

Another factor that could have led to this decision is deteriorating profitability of China Guangfa Bank. A slowing Chinese economy is also driving foreign investors away. The bank wants to focus on other partnerships in the country. It has an investment-banking joint venture based in Shanghai, called Citi Orient Securities, and another partnership that sells insurance products.

Regarding this transaction, Aristeguieta said, While we are proud of our decade-long partnership with China Guangfa Bank, this transaction is consistent with the simplification of Citi and allows us to focus our resources in China on growing our core franchise further.

In the recent past, Chinese regulators have restricted the expansion of foreign banks in the country. Total assets held by foreign banks are lower than 2% of total bank assets in China. Tougher regulations and a hostile operating environment have led to foreign banks selling off their stakes in Chinese banks. A number of Western banks such as Deutsche Bank (DB), Bank of America (BAC), and Goldman Sachs (GS) have recently sold off their stakes. They subsequently have the freedom to compete on their own.

In the next part of this series, well see why Western banks are dumping investments in China.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Demonstrators demand action from the Republican presidential candidates about the water crisis in Flint outside the historic Fox Theater before the GOP presidential debate on March 3, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan (AFP Photo/Chip Somodevilla)

Flint (United States) (AFP) - Tiana Lankford's two-year-old daughter was poisoned by the lead-tainted water that flowed from the taps in their home, causing the toddler to develop appetite and behavioral problems.

The contamination, ignored and then hushed up by government officials, will be in the national spotlight on Sunday as Democratic White House hopefuls come to this poor, predominantly black Rust Belt city for their next debate.

"I'm furious, of course," said Lankford, 33, who has two other daughters. "No one in the world should have to deal with that."

It's not just little Carlina and her sisters who are affected by lead poisoning, which can have devastating impacts on young children by irreversibly harming brain development.

More than 8,000 children in the Michigan city of Flint, economically devastated by the closure of General Motors factories, were exposed to lead for more than a year before the tap water contamination was uncovered by citizen activists.

"It affects your behavior, it affects them eating. I can't tell you how many meals I put over there for them to eat and they don't touch it," Lankford said in an interview with AFP in their sparsely furnished home.

The mother said she boiled water for Carlina's bottles without knowing it was toxic -- and tests now show the girl's blood contains seven micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, when health experts say anything higher than five micrograms indicates an unsafe level.

"We almost feel like people almost trample on this city on purpose. We can't understand why," Lankford said.

- Clinton and Sanders -

The tainted water, which Lankford said had a rotten egg smell and sometimes ran brown from the taps, is sure to be a major topic of discussion when Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders meet for their debate. Lankford is planning to attend.

Republican Governor Rick Snyder has apologized for the state's series of failures but a top Michigan Democrat has called for his resignation, saying emails released by the governor's office in recent weeks showed "negligence and indifference" in his handling of the crisis.

Story continues

Filmmaker Michael Moore, who is from Flint, has called for Snyder's arrest, while the US Justice Department is investigating why it took until October 2015 for officials to tell residents to stop drinking the water despite months of tests showing dangerous levels of lead.

Flint's drinking water came from Lake Huron, through Detroit, until April 2014 when it was switched to the polluted Flint River.

It is estimated that $100 a day in corrosion controls would have made the water safe.

Instead, they weren't put into place to save money. The polluted water corroded pipes, which then began leaching lead.

It is estimated that the cost of replacing all the pipes will be more than a billion dollars, an amount that only the federal government could afford.

On Friday Flint began its first official replacement of pipes, which service a house belonging to a husband and wife who is pregnant.

One-third of Flint's 100,000 residents are impoverished. The closure of the General Motors plants caused an exodus from the city, and entire streets are abandoned, with houses boarded up.

"It's really hard for a lot of us to make a living. And it's really hard to move out," said Kevin Larsen, a 26-year-old unemployed landscaper. "Right now Flint is really the cheapest place you can live. Houses have gone downhill drastically, to $10,000 or $12,000."

Speaking to AFP on the porch of his tumbledown home, wearing a gun in his belt as permitted by local law, the father of three said the water is a constant worry because of its longterm health impacts.

- Confidence broken -

Lankford had trusted the announcements from various government departments that the water in Flint was safe.

But evidence shows authorities put off issuing warnings about the risks until a persistent mother, a local doctor and researchers from Virginia Tech University broke the news of the contamination in 2014.

In October, Flint reverted to the Detroit water supply, but it's not known how long it will take for tap water to be safe again.

Some ask whether dirty water is to blame for pregnancy miscarriages and a spike in cases of Legionnaires' disease.

Snyder declared a state of emergency in January, which allowed for the release of aid for Flint residents.

More than 2,200 volunteers as well as soldiers from the National Guard have been handing out free bottled water and distributing thousands of water testing kits, often door-to-door.

"When we find out that there are folks with young children or the elderly or the handicapped, they get a priority definitely because they have less of an ability to get the supplies that they need," said American Red Cross volunteer Franklin Dickerson, walking in the snow with an armful of bottled water.
Lorn Chenda, 26, (L) and her boyfriend Kong Chamroeunm 28, look on during an interview with Reuters in Phnom Penh February 16, 2016. Unable to pay his way out of jail, Chamroeun was remanded in a Cambodian prison pending trial for stealing $80 of company property, a crime his family said he did not commit. With Chamroeun, 28, behind bars for 10 days and no one else to turn to, Chenda used her smartphone to appeal directly to Cambodia's highest authority - Prime Minister Hun Sen. She recorded a five-minute video detailing the alleged extortion attempt and urging the self-styled strongman to intervene, then posted it on his Facebook page. The next morning, Chamroeun was freed and his case dismissed. PIcture taken February 16. REUTERS/Samrang Pring

By Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Unable to pay his way out of jail, Kong Chamroeun was remanded in a Cambodian prison pending trial for stealing $80 of company property, a crime his family said he did not commit.

"We had nothing, just empty hands," said his girlfriend, Lorn Chenda, who alleged police tried to extort Chamroeun for $2,000 in "compensation" in exchange for not pressing charges.

With Chamroeun, 28, behind bars for 10 days and no one else to turn to, Chenda used her smartphone to appeal directly to Cambodia's highest authority - Prime Minister Hun Sen.

She recorded a five-minute video detailing the alleged extortion attempt and urging the self-styled strongman to intervene, then posted it on his Facebook page.

The next morning, Chamroeun was freed and his case dismissed.

"We never expected the prime minister would help us," Chenda, 26, told Reuters.

"This is the smallest problem for the prime minister to have to solve himself, and it was solved very quickly."

Chamroeun's release was fortuitously timed, coinciding with Hun Sen's new infatuation with Facebook, which he adopted with gusto in September last year and now has two million followers.

Experts say he is using Facebook to quickly recoup some lost popularity ahead of a 2018 election tipped to be the biggest test to his three-decade rule.

Hun Sen's strategy appears to be out of the playbook of bitter rival the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).

The opposition's social media campaigns were a hit with young, urban voters in a disputed 2013 election that stunned Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and sharply reduced its house majority.

FAST ACTION

Chenda's video appeal to Hun Sen went viral and the premier has since urged the public to send complaints about government corruption to his Facebook inbox.

He referred to Chamroeun's case at a recent speech, adding that without Facebook, he could not serve the public so effectively.

"I need to have work done quickly," he said. "The problems the people face are not small, do not underestimate them."

Story continues

It was not an isolated case. The former Khmer Rouge soldier has been credited with solving numerous problems raised on his Facebook, like high university test fees, informal road tolls and issues with motorcycle licenses and inheritance tax.

Seven ministries have set up working groups with 64 members who trawl postings on Hun Sen's Facebook page looking for solvable public grievances, including land disputes, arguably Cambodia's most entrenched problem.

"We track the comments all the time, every day," said Seng Loth, who monitors the page for the Land Management and Urban Planning Ministry.

"This is at the direct instruction of the prime minister so this work can't be ignored."

The government last year held mandatory classes for 400 heads of Phnom Penh schools, where they were encouraged to use Facebook and write messages supportive of the CPP.

Sebastian Strangio, author of the book, "Hun Sen's Cambodia", said successes from using Facebook to troubleshoot voter problems were being spun as Hun Sen's "personal gifts" to the public and ignored the need for structural reforms to tackle graft, injustice and bureaucratic inefficiency.

"This populist strategy merely reproduces an old pattern in Cambodian politics, which is that improvements in people's lives are treated as a blessing from the powerful, rather than as part of a democratic social contract," Strangio said.

(Editing by Martin Petty and Michael Perry)
nancy reagan

As public officials paid their respects to former first lady Nancy Reagan following her death on Sunday, many noted her prominent role in one of America's most high-profile anti-drug campaigns: "Just Say No."

After popularizing the phrase during a stop at a high school in the early '80s, on September 14, 1986, the then-first lady and her husband took the campaign national.

Speaking to the nation during a televised address from the West Wing of the White House, the Reagans announced a concerted public "Just Say No" campaign aimed at reducing drug abuse among teens.

"Our job is never easy because drug criminals are ingenious," the first lady said. "They work everyday to plot a new and better way to steal our children's lives, just as they've done by developing this new drug, crack. For every door that we close, they open a new door to death."

"Open your eyes to life: To see it in the vivid colors that God gave us as a precious gift to his children, to enjoy life to the fullest, and to make it count. Say yes to your life. And when it comes to drugs and alcohol just say no."

Though the former first lady was a far more active player in influencing her husband's political decisions than many people realized at the time, the "Just Say No" campaign was the most defining aspect of her public time in the White House.

The former first lady traveled the country as part of the effort, giving speeches, visiting schools, and working with groups like the Ad Council during the early '80s to develop messaging encouraging kids to reject the temptation of drugs. The campaign peaked in the late '80s, as millions of Americans joined organizations like the Just Say No Foundation, and advocates pointed to slightly lower drug use rates among high school students.

But many critics asserted the former first lady's approach to drug prevention was unsuccessful, pointing out that it ignored the motivations for drug use and the long-term steps needed to curb abuse. Indeed, many social scientists found that abstinence drug education programs like "D.A.R.E." had little impact in reducing drug abuse among teenagers.

Story continues

Listen to a clip of the audio below, and read the full transcript here.

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By Oleg Vukmanovic and Stephen Jewkes

MILAN (Reuters) - Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM) is counting on its deep natural gas ties with Italy to revive plans aimed at bypassing Ukraine as a transit state for politically sensitive gas shipments to Europe.

But whether the tactic works is another matter.

Having tried and so far failed to bolster pipeline links with the continent through Bulgaria and Turkey, Gazprom is running out of options to secure its strategic entry point into southern Europe, and with it any chance of cutting Ukraine out of the picture this decade, industry and government sources say.

Undeterred, last week it announced new plans with Italian utility Edison (EDF.PA) and Greece's DEPA to supply natural gas along the seabed of the Black Sea into Greece and Italy, from where it could be sold in Europe.

The so-called Interconnector Turkey Greece Italy (ITGI) Poseidon pipeline scheme - stuck in limbo for years - was first conceived back in 2003 as a way of lessening reliance on Russia by bringing in central Asian gas.

At one time it even had the backing of the European Union which aims to dilute Russia's one third share of Europe's gas market.

But ITGI was shelved in 2012 after it lost out to rival project TAP on a major deal to transport Azerbaijani gas to Europe.

"My immediate reaction is that in light of political difficulties this project is unlikely to move forward at this time," Emily Stromquist, analyst at risk consultancy Eurasia Group said.

Two Italian government sources dismissed the Gazprom-ITGI announcement as a Russian manoeuvre designed to force its assent, saying officials were not consulted beforehand.

"The government was furious at the companies for the way this was handled, at being put in a situation which made it seem as if the government was behind the plans," one source said.

Edison declined to comment for this story.

How the 8 billion cubic metre a year capacity project plays out on the ground is still unclear.

Story continues

Stakes are high for Gazprom which needs a southern European link to fully avoid Ukrainian territory by the time pipeline transit agreements with the country expire on Dec. 31, 2019.

FAILED ATTEMPTS

Between 2006 and 2014, Russia halved to 62 billion cubic metres/year the amount of gas crossing Ukraine, but is unlikely to build any new export pipeline by 2020 to complete the process, a report by the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies (OIES) said this week.

All previous attempts have ended in failure.

Its long-planned South Stream pipeline was scrapped over a year ago after failed attempts to get around European Union anti-monopoly rules, known as the Third Energy Package.

A slimmed down successor project, TurkStream, was shelved this year in retaliation for Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter jet along the Syrian border.

"Nobody is in a good position here," Jonathan Stern, chairman of the OIES told Reuters.

"The Russians want to get their gas out of Ukraine and sell it to Europeans who will need to buy it, while the Ukrainians must realize they are not independent of Russian gas," he said.

Tense ties with the European Commission amid various ongoing investigations into Gazprom's business practices won't endear them to ITGI, which anyway will face the same hurdles that sank South Stream.

"Interconnection projects must contribute to the EU's diversification and energy security strategy, and ... in particular the third energy package rules," a European Commission spokesman said in an emailed statement.

There are good reasons for Gazprom to choose Edison. The ITGI project has most of the authorisations in hand and Edison, like Depa, is a long-term buyer of Gazprom gas.

The plan is for ITGI to link up with South Stream or TurkStream if built, along with east Mediterranean fields, enhancing its prospects, industry sources say.

A Gazprom source said Turkey is a vital part of the chain to realise ITGI. "Now we are hearing Bulgaria wants to get back to South Stream again, maybe that's the way," he said.

What's more, Italy, which imports around 90 percent of its energy needs, currently counts on Russia for over half its daily flows and needs more gas to pursue ambitions to become a south Europe gas hub.

Cooperation with Italy won't be easy though. Reformist Prime Minister Matteo Renzi took a stand against Gazprom's controversial Nord Stream pipeline expansion plan, which aims to double flows into Germany, urging Europe to unite in opposition.

(Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow, Giancarlo Navach in Milan, Barbara Lewis in Brussels, Michael Kahn in Prague; editing by David Evans)
By Oleg Vukmanovic and Stephen Jewkes MILAN (Reuters) - Russia's Gazprom is counting on its deep natural gas ties with Italy to revive plans aimed at bypassing Ukraine as a transit state for politically sensitive gas shipments to Europe. But whether the tactic works is another matter. Having tried and so far failed to bolster pipeline links with the continent through Bulgaria and Turkey, Gazprom is running out of options to secure its strategic entry point into southern Europe, and with it any chance of cutting Ukraine out of the picture this decade, industry and government sources say. Undeterred, last week it announced new plans with Italian utility Edison and Greece's DEPA to supply natural gas along the seabed of the Black Sea into Greece and Italy, from where it could be sold in Europe. The so-called Interconnector Turkey Greece Italy (ITGI) Poseidon pipeline scheme - stuck in limbo for years - was first conceived back in 2003 as a way of lessening reliance on Russia by bringing in central Asian gas. At one time it even had the backing of the European Union which aims to dilute Russia's one third share of Europe's gas market. But ITGI was shelved in 2012 after it lost out to rival project TAP on a major deal to transport Azerbaijani gas to Europe. "My immediate reaction is that in light of political difficulties this project is unlikely to move forward at this time," Emily Stromquist, analyst at risk consultancy Eurasia Group said. Two Italian government sources dismissed the Gazprom-ITGI announcement as a Russian manoeuvre designed to force its assent, saying officials were not consulted beforehand. "The government was furious at the companies for the way this was handled, at being put in a situation which made it seem as if the government was behind the plans," one source said. Edison declined to comment for this story. How the 8 billion cubic metre a year capacity project plays out on the ground is still unclear. Stakes are high for Gazprom which needs a southern European link to fully avoid Ukrainian territory by the time pipeline transit agreements with the country expire on Dec. 31, 2019. FAILED ATTEMPTS Between 2006 and 2014, Russia halved to 62 billion cubic metres/year the amount of gas crossing Ukraine, but is unlikely to build any new export pipeline by 2020 to complete the process, a report by the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies (OIES) said this week. All previous attempts have ended in failure. Its long-planned South Stream pipeline was scrapped over a year ago after failed attempts to get around European Union anti-monopoly rules, known as the Third Energy Package. A slimmed down successor project, TurkStream, was shelved this year in retaliation for Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter jet along the Syrian border. "Nobody is in a good position here," Jonathan Stern, chairman of the OIES told Reuters. "The Russians want to get their gas out of Ukraine and sell it to Europeans who will need to buy it, while the Ukrainians must realize they are not independent of Russian gas," he said. Tense ties with the European Commission amid various ongoing investigations into Gazprom's business practices won't endear them to ITGI, which anyway will face the same hurdles that sank South Stream. "Interconnection projects must contribute to the EU's diversification and energy security strategy, and ... in particular the third energy package rules," a European Commission spokesman said in an emailed statement. There are good reasons for Gazprom to choose Edison. The ITGI project has most of the authorisations in hand and Edison, like Depa, is a long-term buyer of Gazprom gas. The plan is for ITGI to link up with South Stream or TurkStream if built, along with east Mediterranean fields, enhancing its prospects, industry sources say. A Gazprom source said Turkey is a vital part of the chain to realise ITGI. "Now we are hearing Bulgaria wants to get back to South Stream again, maybe that's the way," he said. What's more, Italy, which imports around 90 percent of its energy needs, currently counts on Russia for over half its daily flows and needs more gas to pursue ambitions to become a south Europe gas hub. Cooperation with Italy won't be easy though. Reformist Prime Minister Matteo Renzi took a stand against Gazprom's controversial Nord Stream pipeline expansion plan, which aims to double flows into Germany, urging Europe to unite in opposition. (Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow, Giancarlo Navach in Milan, Barbara Lewis in Brussels, Michael Kahn in Prague; editing by David Evans)
Yemeni tribesmen supporting forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed President, hold a position during ongoing clashes with Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies on February 29, 2016 (AFP Photo/Abdullah Al-Qadry)

United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's UN ambassador said Friday there was no need for a UN Security Council resolution to address the dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is waging a military campaign.

"We don't think that a resolution is needed at this time," Ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi told a news conference.

His remarks came after the 15-member council expressed grave concern for the worsening situation in Yemen, where the coalition launched air strikes nearly a year ago to back Yemeni forces fighting Shiite Hutu rebels.

The council is considering a new resolution to press for more humanitarian aid deliveries and to stress the importance of protecting hospitals from attacks.

The United Nations says more than 80 percent of the population is in dire need of food, medicine and other basic necessities and the crisis ranks as a "Level 3 emergency", the most serious in the UN system.

Mouallimi said that UN aid officials and the UN envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, agreed with him that there is no need for new action by the Security Council.

Asked about the ambassador's comments, the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said: "OCHA cannot comment on what a diplomat may say he has heard. The Security Council takes such decisions and makes such recommendations as it sees fit."

The ambassador cautioned that any new resolution could prolong the war "because the Huthis would now feel that they have a new lease on life with something other than 2216."

Adopted last year, Resolution 2216, which was drafted by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners, demands that the Huthis withdraw from all territory seized in their offensive.

More than 6,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the coalition began its air strikes campaign in late March last year.

The United Nations is pushing for peace talks between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, the Huthi rebels and their allies, but those efforts have been deadlocked over disagreements on a ceasefire.

Mouallimi said he hoped that talks could resume by March 15.
ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland and the European Union could strike a deal on curbing immigration to the neutral Alpine country soon after Britons decide in June whether to quit the bloc, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter said. His unusually upbeat comments to the NZZ am Sonntag paper follow the cabinet's unveiling on Friday of tough draft legislation that envisages unilateral limits on EU immigrants, a red flag for Brussels, should negotiations fail. The talks are on hold until EU member Britain's June 23 referendum of whether to stay in the bloc. Brussels is unwilling to show any flexibility in the Swiss talks that could encourage the British 'Out' camp. Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga had said on Friday the two sides remained far apart, but Burkhalter said things could move quickly after the British decision. "The fact that the EU is interested in a joint solution is evidenced by the intense discussions we have conducted for a year. In my opinion we don't have to negotiate much longer as we are close to a solution with the EU," he was quoted as saying. Switzerland is two-thirds of the way through a three-year timetable to enforce a binding 2014 referendum vote in favour of immigration quotas which would violate a bilateral pact guaranteeing freedom of movement for EU workers. The government has called Friday's blueprint to go it alone on immigration controls "Plan B" and stressed that a mutual agreement with the EU was by far the preferred option. The standoff has jeopardised a package of Swiss-EU treaties that govern economic ties. A study commissioned by the government last year found exiting the pacts could cut output by up to 630 billion Swiss francs ($634 billion) by 2035, or as much as 7 percent of GDP. (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Mark Potter)
ted cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz is apparently uninterested in talking about Donald Trump's body.

In a pre-taped interview on "Face The Nation" that aired on Sunday, the Texas senator accused Republican presidential rivals Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio of "throwing mud" at each other and dragging the 2016 presidential race into the gutter.

"There's no doubt that there are aspects of this campaign that have gone into the gutter," Cruz said. "We saw moments with Marco Rubio and Donald Trump engaging in insults, engaging in off-color jokes, just getting nastier and nastier and nastier and throwing mud."

Cruz vowed to stay above the fray, saying that he did not have an opinion on the size of Trump's anatomy, which the former reality television star bragged about at Thursday night's Republican debate.

"I'm not going to play that game. I'm not going to engage in insults, I'm not going to throw the mud. I don't really have any views on the size of any parts of Donald Trump's anatomy, and I'm not interested in talking about that."

Despite his pledge to rise above the insults on the campaign trail, Cruz has occasionally had fun needling Trump over the past several months. In Sunday's interview, the senator touted the yoga mats that he's selling to mock Trump's supposed flexibility on his political positions.

"We're now selling yoga mats on our website, they're breathe yoga mats," Cruz told host John Dickerson, grinning. "If you find yourself boiling over with rage, just spend some time doing yoga and breathing and maybe it'll help you relax."

NOW WATCH: Sanders predicts he'll win the democratic nomination in one of the great 'political upsets in the history of the US'





More From Business Insider


(Reuters) - United Continental Holdings Inc (UAL.N) said on Sunday that its President and Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz will return to the airline full-time as of March 14.

Munoz had suffered a heart attack last October and had been on medical leave since then. The company had earlier appointed general counsel Brett Hart as acting CEO.

Munoz has been taking active part in major decisions across the company and meeting with employees and shareholders during his recovery, United said.

Munoz took over as CEO of Chicago-based United in September aiming to build morale after years of strained labor relations. He replaced Jeff Smisek, who resigned because of probes into United's relationship with the Port Authority of New York.

Munoz has plenty of work cut out for him.

United had the worst customer satisfaction of any North American airline, with the exception of low-cost carrier Frontier, according to J.D. Power's 2015 ranking.

(Reporting by Olivia Oran; Editing by Diane Craft)
Set in the '30s, it follows three friends who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most outrageous plo...
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Taipei, March 6 (CNA) Premier Simon Chang () on Sunday visited a poor family in Douliu Township, Yunlin County whose two children suffer from a rare disease, and promised their Vietnamese mother that the government will do all it can to help her take care of her young ones.
It finally happened.PC leader Patrick Brown says he supports carbon pricing | CP24.comOTTAWA -- Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown says he's in favour of putting a price on carbon to help deal with climate change, but he's still no fan of the Liberals' cap-and-trade plan.In his keynote address to more than 1,600 PC convention delegates Saturday, Brown said the official opposition party must change if it wants to form government in 2018, and told delegates he became a Progressive Conservative because of the environment."Climate change is a fact, It is a threat. It is man made," he told the party faithful."We have to do something about it, and that something includes putting a price on carbon."The line earned only muted applause from the Conservative audience and even some calls of "no."Unlike the Liberals' cap-and-trade plan, which is expected to pull in $1.9 billion in revenues in its first full year, Brown said any price on carbon should be revenue neutral."Here in Ontario, we have a cap-and-trade cash grab that is simply another Liberal slush fund," he said.Brown, who won the PC leadership in May, 2014, vowed not to repeat the election campaign mistakes of previous party leaders, whom he did not name."Never again will our candidates and volunteers have to defend faith-based funding or 100,000 job cuts at the front doors of Ontario voters," he said. "There is one thing Kathleen Wynne fears more than anything else: a Progressive Conservative party that has the courage to change."Brown also moved to dispel Liberal attacks that he is too right wing for mainstream Ontario."It doesn't matter who you love. It doesn't matter where you worship. It doesn't matter if you belong to a union," he said.Earlier Saturday, the Tories laid out their plans to change tactics for the 2018 election and campaign hard in every riding instead of focusing only on ridings they feel they can win.The once-mighty Conservatives abandoned wide swaths of the province and alienated would-be Conservative voters simply by targeting only "winnable" ridings in the last election, campaign organizer Walied Soliman told delegates ."Patrick Brown does not believe in target seats," he said. "Under our plan there is no Liberal safe seat in Ontario. We have 122 target seats in 2018."Soliman told the PC delegates that the party that last held power in 2003 had lost its way and needed to take a new approach to winning the next election."Ethnic and faith-based communities ... didn't even know if we were interested in their votes," said Soliman. "Party members were disillusioned by fake policy processes, and most disturbingly, by a feeling that we were not winners."The PC party also announced an extensive consultation of members to develop their platform for the 2018 Ontario election, and said they would open nominations in January 2017, about 18 months ahead of voting day.The Liberals said they weren't worried about the Conservatives' new election strategy under Brown."I look at what he's been trying to do for the past 18 months and the radical group he surrounded himself for his leadership campaign, and now trying to bring a moderate approach ... I'm sorry, not at all," said Liberal MPP Marie-France Lalonde.The Progressive Conservatives also unveiled a new party logo Saturday, which merges a red P and a blue C with a green leaf joining the two letters.
Student charged after sharing nude photos of teacherHarriet McLeod, ReutersFirst posted: Saturday, March 05, 2016 10:49 AM EST | Updated: Saturday, March 05, 2016 10:52 AM ESTCHARLESTON, S.C. - A 16-year-old South Carolina high school student was arrested on Friday on charges that he had distributed nude photos of a teacher that he copied surreptitiously from her cellphone, authorities said.Police in Union, South Carolina, announced the arrest as the school district that employed the teacher suggested she had been partially responsible for the breach, accusing her of improperly supervising her students.The teacher, Leigh Anne Arthur, resigned on Tuesday from the Career and Technology Center at Union County High School, a day after the teenager took the phone, which she had left on a desk while she went into the school hallway.The student, who police would not identify because of his age, is being held on cyber crime and aggravated voyeurism charges at a state juvenile detention facility, said Sam White, police chief in Union, about 45 miles from Greenville.Arthur, who police say is 33, told reporters that the student found nude photos that she had taken to give her husband, copied the screen shots with his own camera phone and distributed the images on social media."He knows right and wrong," she told a local television station. "We all make stupid decisions when we're 16."The teacher said that the student opened up her photo library, took pictures of images using his own phone's camera phone and then sent the pictures.On Wednesday, Arthur found hard copies of the photos in her mailbox with a harassing note, Union County Sheriff David Taylor said by phone. The sheriff's office has turned the photos over to the state police for fingerprinting, Taylor said by phone.A forensic investigation of the teenager's phone by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division found that the photographs taken from Arthur's phone "were stored in a separate passcode-protected file that contained other photos of a sexual nature," Union police said in a statement.The school district found fault with Arthur for allowing the student to gain access to the phone."Her failure to supervise her students along with allowing students routine access to her personal cellphone constitute an evident unfitness for Ms. Arthur to continue as a classroom teacher," District Superintendent David Eubanks said Friday in a statement.Students this week started an online petition to support the teacher, who taught in the district for 13 years."Leigh Anne Arthur is the victim of a blatant attack of her privacy," the petition read. "We the students are left to believe that she has been forced to, or given little choice but to resign," the petition read.As of Friday, the petition had more than 11,000 signatures.In this undated image made from video and provided by WYFF News-4, Teacher Leigh Anne Arthur speaks to a reporter in Union County, S.C.. (WYFF News-4 via AP)and some at 33.




Why am I considered a bigot or an idiot for wanting Britain to leave the EU?

By Janet Daley 05 Mar 2016The TelegraphWhat kind of community threatens people who want to leave it? What exactly is this thing that we joined all those years ago  a cult? The argument that we were persuaded into membership of the European Union under false pretences becomes almost irresistibly credible. The Common Market as it was then seems to have transmogrified into the Moonies.To be quite clear, that outrageous claim the French economy minister Emmanuel Macron threw out last week , that all the migrants now camping in Calais could be pushed into Dover, was utterly gratuitous. As responsible people in the debate pointed out almost immediately, the agreement for allowing would-be immigrants to be processed by UK border officials in France is a bi-lateral arrangement between our two countries which has nothing to do with the EU. It would not expire if we left.Any suspension of it would be a unilateral act of vindictiveness by the French government as deliberate punishment for our withdrawal. In fact, as the responsible people also noted, such a move would be maniacally counter-productive since transferring the processing to Dover would simply mean that those aspiring migrants who are now stuck in Calais would be refused entry to Britain and sent promptly back, with even more chaotic consequences.But there was an even nastier sub-text to that histrionic warning . Not only was it designed to be shamelessly scarifying, but it implicitly condoned the most unpleasant form of xenophobic anxiety: You know what we can do to you if you pull out? We can dump all this scabrous human detritus on your doorstep  and you wouldnt like that much, would you?Hardly surprising that the migrants will endure anything to avoid having to stay in France if this is the official attitude toward them. Indeed, the first thought that came into my head when I heard of Mr Macrons delightful remarks was that if those unhappy hordes were to be sent to Dover they would be handled with more decency and competence than they have been at Calais.And, I suspect, that would have been the nature of much British reaction: by playing on what they confidently expected to be fear and loathing of migrants, the EU bully-boys risked inciting fear and loathing of themselves. I dont know about you (well actually, maybe I do) but I find myself wondering what sort of people we are in league with here. Are they prepared to say absolutely anything  however hysterical or unfounded  to get the result they want?The spirit of communitaire  of social solidarity  was supposed to be about mutual support between states and the institutionalising of decency and fairness across the populations of Europe who had fought each other to a bloody standstill twice in the last century. How is that to be reconciled with the unforgiving vengeance handed out after any members resistance to central diktats  let alone conscientious doubts about whether a countrys membership is in its own best interests?If this project was constructed to heal wounds and dissolve historic resentments, it seems to be going about it in a very odd way. But perhaps this is all just a phenomenally misjudged clash of political cultures.The original European project was designed, to put it bluntly, by and for nation states which had disgraced themselves in the 20th century. Some of them had made criminal use of the democratic process to put demagogues and murderous tyrants in power. The great irony is that it is precisely these countries that should be most aware of the danger of promulgating fear and loathing: once you set these forces alight, you have very little control over where they lead.But, needless to say, Britains historical experience is rather different. It has no reason to doubt either the judgment or the courage of its own people whose most remarkable national characteristic is their willingness to stand up to bullies. So when the EU message appears to be an orchestrated attempt to coerce  or frighten  the British electorate, why should anyone be surprised when it has the opposite effect? That brings us to the question of who is doing the orchestrating. The prevailing wisdom  which is to say, the almost universal assumption  is that Downing Street is behind it.This theory is based on the remarkable coincidences of, say, a visitation by the Prime Minister to Francois Hollande in France or the Chancellor to a G20 summit, miraculously producing startlingly similar warnings  sometimes from people youve never heard of  about the very terrible (unspecified) consequences of a referendum vote for Leave.Such coincidences do not escape the notice of those who are paying attention (who are the ones most likely to vote) and they lead to two possible conclusions: one is that this is a conspiracy of the elites who hold the concerns of ordinary people in contempt, and the other that it is a calculated deception devised by David Cameron with which his EU colleagues are co-operating.In short, if Downing Street solicited the Macron intervention and the more amorphous Hollande warning that followed, then this is an unedifying cabal with its own self-serving motives. If it didnt, then we are in a club that has some very unscrupulous members who are prepared to exploit prejudice and anxiety for the sake of an immediate goal.Both of these possibilities rely on the assumption that the public is so inclined towards Leave that it will not be persuaded to vote Remain without being scared out of its wits. Again, there are two possible reasons for this assumption: Mr Cameron and his EU friends may have concluded that anti-EU feeling is so irrational that reasoned argument and the setting out of a positive case will never be enough, orMaybe that is the answer to this whole perplexing cycle of events. The best way to avoid losing an argument is not to engage in it at all: just threaten and alarm those who might be inclined to listen to the other side. Could this be why the Remain campaign has become so vicious and personal with so little apparent provocation from its opponents? Might it be relentlessly negative because it has so little to offer that is actually positive?Its more moderate spokesmen do not tell ugly horror stories about hordes of migrants arriving in Kent but even they murmur fearfully of uncertainty and the amorphous danger of economic instability. Sajid Javid who seemed last week to be trying to restore his reputation as a sound Eurosceptic, said that uncertainty was the enemy of jobs and growth  which in the very short-term it may be. Markets particularly do not like uncertainty of any kind and will plummet precipitously at the mere suggestion of something unexpected  only to recover as soon as the momentary fright has passed.But what Mr Javid calls uncertainty goes by other names : flexibility, fluidity, innovation. The capacity to adapt to unpredictable circumstances is what makes free economies strong and productive. It is essential to long-term growth and mass prosperity. Certainly nobody wants to face an immediate future of insecurity but how does remaining in the EU address that worry: by permitting the importation of infinite cheap labour with all the pressures on housing, schools and NHS resources that that involves? By supporting the interests of big corporations to the detriment of small entrepreneurial businesses which actually create more local jobs?If there is a reasonable, substantial case to be made for Remain, then I would, seriously, like to hear it. In the meantime, I will continue  along with many of you  to be enraged by people who think that I must be a bigot or an idiot to want to vote for Leave.




Mohammad Shafia, Hamed Shafia and Tooba Yahya are all serving life sentences with no chance of parole for 25 years for the 2009 murder of four female members of their family. Their defence teams are arguing in Ontario appeal court that they deserve a new trial. (Lars Hagberg/Reuters)





The bodies of Rona Amir Mohammad, 58, and the three Shafia sisters: Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17, and Geeti, 13, were found in a submerged car near a Rideau Canall lock in Kingston, Ont., on June 30, 2009. (trial evidence)

Expert testimony on the practice of so-called honour killing did not prejudice the jury against three members of the Shafia family convicted in 2012 of murdering four female relatives, the Crown argued in an Ontario appeal court Friday.The Court of Appeal for Ontario heard arguments for two days this week in an appeal challenging the first-degree murder convictions of Mohammad Shafia and Tooba Yahya and their son Hamed Shafia.The three were convicted of first degree murder in the 2009 deaths of Shafia and Yaha's three daughters and Shafia's other wife in a polygamous marriage. They are serving life sentences without chance of parole for 25 years.The appeal hearings wrapped up Friday afternoon, with the three judges reserving their decision until a later, unspecified date.The family's lawyers argued Thursday that the trial judge should not have allowed the testimony of University of Toronto professor Shahrzad Mojab. Mojab's suggestion that honour killings are planned by fathers and oldest sons often with the help of mothers was prejudicial and "flat-out prohibited," lawyer Frank Addario told the Toronto court.But Crown counsel Jocelyn Speyer said Friday that Mojab was not the one who brought up honour killing."The phenomenon of honour killing and the possible role as motive in this case came from Mohammad Shafia himself," she said on the second day of a two-day appeal hearing.She pointed to police wiretap evidence of Mohammad Shafia condemning his dead daughters for having dishonoured their family."God's curse on them for generations," Speyer quoted Shafia as saying in a transcript of one of the wiretapped calls. "May the devil **** on their graves. Is that what a daughter should be? Would a daughter be such a *****? Honourless girl."The bodies of the three Shafia sisters  Zainab, 19, Sahar, 17, and Geeti, 13  and Rona Amir Mohammad, 58, were found in a car submerged in the Rideau Canal in Kingston, Ont., on June 30, 2009. The family emigrated from Afghanistan in 2007 and was living in Montreal at the time of the murders.Speyer said Mojab herself did not testify about what Mohammad Shafia thought about honour and took pains to explain to the jury that honour killings are extremely rare and broadly condemned in Middle Eastern societies.Majob's testimony did not amount to "cultural profiling," as the lawyers for the Shafias argued, but merely equipped the jury to understand an issue in the trial, Speyer told the court."She is not stigmatizing or seeking to generalize or profile an entire nation," Speyer said. "She didn't offer any opinion that this case was a case of honour killing."The Crown also argued earlier Friday that evidence presented in court Thursday suggesting Hamed Shafia was 17 at the time of the murders was unreliable and contradicted by several other documents from the family's native Afghanistan."There is a substantial body of reliable evidence that Hamed was 18 at the end of June 2009," Speyer saidHamed Shafia's lawyer, Scott Hutchison, argued yesterday that the new evidence about his age means he should get a new trial or barring that, a new sentencing hearing or a reduction of his sentence. Young offenders sentenced as adults to life for first-degree murder are eligible for parole after 10 years.But Speyer said there is overwhelming evidence that Shafia was 18 in June 2009. Two passports issued by Afghanistan to Hamed in 1996 and 2006, respectively, indicate he was born in December 1990.She pointed out that if Hamed was, indeed, born in December 1991 as his lawyers allege, then that would make his younger sister Sahar's year of birth 1992 and not the officially registered 1991.Yet a Shafia family photo from 1992 shows both Hamed and younger sister Sahar with an even younger sibling born that year.That photo proves that Hamed had to have been born on 1990, Sahar in 1991 and the younger sibling in 1992, Speyer told the three judges hearing the appeal."It doesn't work. The only thing that works are the officially recorded dates of birth," she said.The Shafias' team of lawyers also argued Friday that the trial judge should not have suggested to the jury that if they found statements the Shafias originally gave to police to be false, they could consider those statements as proof of guilt.As well, they alleged the judge made several errors in law regarding the admissibility of various other evidence.But the Crown on Friday said all of the points raised in the appeal are inconsequential in the face of the overwhelming evidence presented at trial that showed beyond a doubt that the vehicle in which the sisters and Mohammad were travelling was intentionally pushed into the canal and the three members of the Shafia family were responsible.I sincerely hope this will be the last we see of this murderous group - may they rot in jail for the rest of their lives.
as a commentator says,







this article is yet more nonsense, based on the usual phony premise that looking beyond nuclear power and the centralized grid model is somehow.what?...a threat to corporate interests? perish the thought.

every left social progressive ive ever met wants cheap energy which is truly cheap, ie can be gotten without destroying the earth. in other words it needs to be cheap in both price & cost.

that cant be done with fossil fuels and nuclear power. it CAN be done with renewables and an increasingly decentralized grid, otherwise known as distributed generation.

in this, we are supported by, of all things, the market! remove the insurance liability cap for nukes and the free-ride given coal, oil and gas as they destroy our planet and renewables can throw in all the government subsidies it gets and still come out very far on top.

forcing the nukes shut before the next Fukushima, and driving down the fossil fuel industry before it completely unbalances the climateand bringing on renewables to replace them.that is what the left seems to be about these days.

impractical, you say? we say quite the opposite.

energy thats cheap, clean, safe, job-producing, quick to install, community-controlled.those are the core goals of the green power movement.

our survival depends on winning them all. so well see you in solartopia.















the premise behind the article is total BS
4







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While my mom was visiting us in Dubai last month, Scotch and I took her to Friday brunch at Hoi An restaurant in the Shangri-La hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Its an awesome deal because for 145 dhs (2017 update: the price has increased to 175 dhs) you get unlimited Vietnamese tapas (50 to choose from) which are smaller versions of their best-selling dishes. Or you can upgrade to 265 dhs (2017 update: now 295 dhs) for the alcohol package.

Best thing? You dont even have to get up from your seat because the food is prepared to order, not served buffet style, and served to you at the table.

Here is the food menu of all their brunch offerings:

All the servers were Vietnamese so my mom was able to communicate with them and order at ease. She could also easily understand the menu because it was also in Vietnamese.

I loved that they were very kid-friendly with baby high chairs, Ikea cutlery, plates, and cups. Funny story, my mom thought that I had brought the Ikea plates and cutlery from home so she kept stopping the wait staff from clearing them!

We enjoyed nearly all the dishes. Unfortunately, the Pho was overpowered by cinnamon and the deep fried spring rolls (the ones with crab and shrimp) were way over-peppered. Hopefully, the spicing overload was just an oversight for the day we were there.

And there was one dish that was not at all as described  I even verified it twice with the server. The Tom Rim Cot Dua which was listed as Pan-fried sweet water prawns with green beans, shitake mushrooms, and spicy sambal sauce did not have a green bean, shitake nor sambal sauce in sight. Afraid I dont have a photo as proof because even though it wasnt the dish it pretended to be, it was still very good and we ate it all!

There were more plates than pictured in the gallery below but some were eaten before I remembered to take photos. Sorry for the grainy photos  we were sitting in the middle of the restaurant and the lighting was poor for photos but here they are anyway. Click a photo to enter slideshow mode:

Salmon roll with Vietnamese dill and Vietnames rice paper rolls with chicken, shrimp, and herbs served with home-made fish sauce Assorted Vietnamese appetizers Deep-fried spring rolls with crab, shrimp and shitake mushrooms; served with rice noodles and fresh herbs Tempura Canadian lobster ravioloi with dried scallops and shitake mushrooms; served with baby rocket leaves and coconut mango sauce Green papaya with shrimp, cherry tomatoes and green herb lime dressing Tradtional Vietnamese soup with beef or chicken, asorted vegetables and chili Wok-fried glass noodles with egg, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, and crab meat Pan-fried sweet water prawns with green beans, shitake mushrooms and spicy sambal sauce Grilled, marinated stiploin of beef with sweet potato and asparagus Clay pot of wok-fried organic chicken with lemongrass, chili, onions, and X.O. sauce Coconut ice cream in mango juice

Click here for more details and reservations.

Tip: if you have the Shangri-La Essence card  you can get an additional discount of 25% off your total bill. You can apply via the Shangri-La website.

* * * * *

Hoi An @ Shangri-La Hotel Dubai: 50 Flavours of Vietnam Brunch, pricing: 175 dhs for food only; 195 dhs with soft beverages; 295 dhs with house beverages. For reservations, call +971 04 405 270.
DES MOINES  Two school funding issues  imbalances in transportation costs and in per-pupil spending allowances  were deemed by state lawmakers worthy of extra attention prior to this years legislative session.

Yet upon their return to the Capitol this session, legislators have made little headway on either issue.

Rural public school districts across the state say their high transportation costs mean more money spent on buses and less on classroom programs and supplies. And districts statewide are limited by a school funding formula mechanism that forces some to spend less per pupil than other districts.

School officials and education advocates have pressed lawmakers to devise solutions, and those lawmakers created an interim study committee to investigate.

That committee met once in December to hear from school officials and state agencies. Committee members pledged to take the information gleaned back to their colleagues in the Capitol and discussed meeting again, but they did not.

The result this session has been a small flurry of bills, but none that mustered enough support to survive a legislative deadline. That made them technically ineligible for the remainder of the year, although there are maneuvers by which a bill can be resurrected.

Only one proposal to address the school funding issues remains eligible for consideration this year: to allow school districts to use money from their infrastructure sales tax to offset transportation costs or supplement per-pupil spending.

That proposal has been inserted into two separate pieces of legislation, one of which is the governors bill in which he proposes sharing future school infrastructure sales tax revenue with water-quality projects.

The proposal to use school infrastructure funds to alleviate the transportation and per-pupil spending issues will face critics who say it steals money from one need to fund another.

I think those face a tough, uphill battle, said Brad Hudson, a government relations specialist with the Iowa State Education Association.

In other words, legislative consensus on a solution to these issues has proved elusive.

Rep. Phyllis Thede, D-Bettendorf, said she is frustrated at the inaction. She supported a proposal that would have addressed the per-pupil funding issue by providing a three-year window for districts to use money in their cash reserves.

Opponents said even though it did not allow districts to raise property taxes during the three-year window to offset the cash reserve spending, districts likely would be forced to raise property taxes down the road to refill those reserves.

Thede admitted the proposal was a temporary solution, but said she thinks it would have helped districts until lawmakers could devise a long-term solution.

Now, were just not going to do anything. I think thats irresponsible, Thede said. We have a bill that at least would have taken a little bit of the pain and given us some time to work on this.  Were not doing that, though. We chose not to do it.

Thede represents a portion of the Quad-Cities area that has become the flash point in the per-pupil spending debate. Davenport schools Superintendent Art Tate has pledged to defy state law by covering the per-pupil spending difference in the 2017-2018 district budget with money from the districts reserve accounts. Such action, which Tate said is necessary to avoid further program and staff reductions, could result in the suspension of Tates education license.

Davenport is among the districts in the state allowed to spend the least amount per pupil. Those at the highest level spend $175 more per pupil. If Davenport was allowed to spend at the highest level, it would mean $2.8 million more in its budget.

Thede said some districts are at a tipping point. She said a math teacher told her that the teacher has 34 students in one class.

You cant, year after year, have that many kids in a classroom, Thede said. Theres going to be some kids who fall behind.

Transportation funding is similarly hampering many rural school districts. The average Iowa school district spends a little more than $300 per student on transportation, but some districts spend roughly triple that.

That money is going for buses and bus drivers, not for education, said Hudson, of the Iowa State Education Association.

Devoting new money to balance districts that spend more than the statewide average would cost the state $20 million to $30 million, according to state estimates.

Hudson, who has been involved with state government for three decades, said he thinks the root issue is inadequate general school funding, which has magnified the issues in these specific budget areas.

I think the biggest problem right now is (legislators) are saying their priority is education, but you look at one chamber that is cutting taxes like crazy (referring to the Republican-controlled House) and the other (the Democratic-controlled Senate) doesnt have revenues to do both, Hudson said.

Ive never seen (legislators) put tax breaks before education until six years ago,  he said. Never in my 30 years have I seen (education) pitted against tax issues like I have in the last four or five years.
MASON CITY  Fans of the state champion Mason City girls basketball team will have a chance to welcome the squad home on Sunday.

A rally will be held at the Mason City High School Gym at noon. A police and fire truck escort will meet the team bus at the Rose Bowl at 11:45 a.m. to take the team to MCHS.
Duke vs NU vs JHU [ #permalink

1 Kudos

Congrats.



While It is not always correct that good MBA has powerful MSc or undergrad program, I will assume that happens because you will choose among the above list. I will rule out John Hopkins.



I had a look for Kellogg and Duke. The courses are almost the same. Both declare strong employers. Duke presents full employer list of consulting firms such as Accenture and Deloitte and Mckinsey. On the other hand, Kellogg presents sample which contains Accenture, Deloitte and others but no sign for Bain, BCG or Mckinsey. So you need to ask career office for other employers as I think other consulting firms recruit there.



However, I'm leaning towards Kellogg for important reason which is that you can pair you MSMS with full-time one year program. This means that you can get MBA faster and return to job market quickly and you won't duplicate your study with 2-year traditional MBA program. But It is not clear whether you must pair MBA directly after finishing MSMS or you can wait for some time, get experience and return for MBA. You need to ask admission office about all details of this advantage.



good luck
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According to the NYPD, the incident occurred around 4:08 p.m. on March 5th. The victim was going upstairs in a building in near Bedford Avenue and Union Street "when an unknown male approached her from behind and attempted to shoot her. The gun jammed and the victim fled into the apartment and locked the door behind her."

While she was inside the apartment, the suspect allegedly "fired several additional rounds into the door before fleeing the location." The woman was not injured.

Police released surveillance video of the suspect, describing his as 35-40 years old and 6'-6'2" and last seen wearing a black waist length jack, black cap, black pants and black shoes.



Crown Heights attempted shootingby Gothamist

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782)

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then entering TIP577.
Spa Castle has endured plenty of controversies over the last year, including their Midtown location being shutdown a month after opening and a six-year-old almost drowning at the Queens location. But all that bad press has done nothing to affect the horniness of loyal customersbecause apparently a lot of people have been having underwater sex at the spa.

The NY Post reports today that everyone except you is having sex at Spa Castle in College Point, Queens. "We open at 6 a.m., and lots of strippers come here after work to unwind, an employee told The Post. "Theres lots of skinny dipping and the girls are making out with each other and partying. It looks like the set of a porn movie." During two visits in recent weeks (note: it is currently shutdown while the Health Department reviews a revised safety plan), the Post claims to have observed a lot of hanky panky, including a nude woman who "stood in front of [a] seated man while her hand jerked in and out of the water."

"There is a big problem with customers having sex in the pools, and the management doesn't know how to handle it," the staffer told them. "Practically every day, couples are caught having sex in the indoor and outdoor pools. They think they are being sly about it, but they're not. When you see somebody on someones lap bouncing up and down and the jets arent turned on, you know whats happening."

Much of the action allegedly occurs in the wading pool, which is heated and equipped with underwater jets and a swim-up bar, where you can order concoctions like the Spa-tini (gin, Chambord and pineapple juice) or the Brainstorm (rum, Disaronno and pineapple juice) for $18 a pop. Some of the accounts of witnesses are pretty descriptive:

I had to stop going on Saturdays because it was like a full-on, urban high-school orgy in the outdoor pool upstairs, said Whitney Ward, a 42-year-old Manhattan photographer. Under the water mushroom . . . in the outdoor pool I would see lots of girls sitting on guys laps and they would be bobbing up and down. It was pretty obvious they were having sex. Ive also seen guys rubbing one out the wet way. ... David Chan, 46, a Manhattan retail manager, said he saw two guys rubbing each other off in a steam sauna in the locker room. Now I have this picture in my mind of other mens sperm swimming around in the hot tubs, Chan said. This is supposed to be a place where you can bring your family. A.S. Bunny, 63, a retired nurse from the East Village, said he was once propositioned. This tiny Korean man came up to me and said, You got big balls. I like them. Another time I saw a guy and a girl in the upstairs pool who were in this massive lip-lock and fooling around in the water. When the guy came out of the pool, he had the biggest erection I had ever seen. I think all the alcohol that they serve there makes people more sexual.

Yelp users offer similar stories: one reviewer saw young girl sneaking into the mens dressing room. Others complained about "lots of PDA" and teenagers running amok. And yet another wrote, "Disgusting what goes on in this place - you should be more concerned about catching a std in here management doesn't care what goes on."

A Health Department spokesman noted that the spa has repeatedly been inspected for violations: "The department does not hesitate to take corrective actions, including closures, when an establishment is found breaking the law."
Police are looking for a man who pushed a teen girl onto the subway tracks in Queens as a train was approaching yesterday.

The incident happened around 8:30 pm. Saturday at the 103rd Street-Corona Plaza elevated station. The 17-year-old victim was waiting for a Manhattan-bound 7 train when the suspect approached her from behind and pushed her onto the tracks as the train was arriving. The motorman thankfully saw her on the tracks and was able to activate the emergency brake.

The teen was able to position herself between the platform and wheels of the train. She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital with minor injuries.

The suspect fled the area after pushing the teen: I saw this guy running and he pushed the woman onto the tracks and ran off. He didn't stop." witness Kasandra Veintimilla told the Daily News. You can see a short surveillance video of him below.



Subway Assaultby Gothamist

Police describe the suspect as Hispanic male, approximately mid-to-late 20's, 5'5", last seen wearing a black jacket, white t-shirt, gray pants and white sneakers.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then entering TIP577.

Two people were also injured after being struck by an M train in Brooklyn early Saturday morning; at least one of those victims had his hand severed by the train.
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News

Woman claims losing Dhs542000 due to relationship in Abu Dhabi

The woman said she knew the appellee for a long time and trusted in him, so she lent him Dhs542,000, which he asked to pay off his financial obligations, as he claimed.
1. To believe in the existence and providence of G-d.

2. Not to believe that there are any other gods.

3. To believe that G-d is an absolute unity.

4. To love G-d.

5. To fear G-d.

6. To guard oneself from foreign thoughts.
BUTTE -- If youve ever wondered what it would be like to feed a virtual dog huckleberries against a backdrop of Our Lady of the Rockies, theres good news: a new app will allow video-game lovers to do exactly that.

Boundless Buffet USA became available on iTunes last week.

Programmed by Montana Tech graduate and Calgary resident Igor Koracin, the game involves helping a chocolate Labrador named Lex navigate the United States by feeding her treats in the form of regional foods. The game consists of 50 levels that correspond to the 50 states, each with its own iconic backdrop.

The first level is Montana, of course, said Koracin, adding that he chose the huckleberry as Montanas quintessential food.

To score points, players swipe regional foods toward Lex as they fall from the sky. To avoid deductions, players swipe away balls of descending goo. Once they earn enough points, players can cash them in to move on to the next level, or they can use the points to purchase different outfits for Lex.

Players also have the option of cashing in real money to move on to the next level or customize the dogs appearance.

Koracin describes Boundless Buffet USA as being part of a new generation of games that offer players customization options.

By being able to customize Lexs look, Koracin said, players can personalize the game.

It makes it a little bit more interesting and gives you something to look forward to, he added.

Koracin also described the game as educational, pointing out that players can learn something new about each state and their sometimes bizarre foods.

Koracin said that among some of the more strange delicacies he researched for the game was Vermonts apple pie topped with cheddar cheese. Interestingly, in 1999 Vermont passed a law stating that when serving apple pie in Vermont, a good faith effort shall be made to meet one or more of the following conditions: (a) with a glass of cold milk, (b) with a slice of cheddar cheese weighing a minimum of one-half ounce, (c) with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Koracin added that Boundless Buffet USA is intended for people for all ages and that he thinks parents will especially enjoy the game because of its educational aspect.

Damir Krnic has 15 years of experience playing video games and has known Koracin since childhood.

Krnic says he enjoys playing the game while commuting to work on public transit, but that he sometimes gets a little too into the game and receives puzzled looks from fellow commuters.

I think what I like the most about Boundless Buffet USA is the artistic style of the game, said Krnic. It's very clear how much effort went into creating all the things that make the game.

Although Koracin started developing the game last year, he said hes been immersing himself in virtual worlds since childhood and that his first game was the two-dimensional, side-scrolling version of Prince of Persia  a dinosaur by todays gaming standards.

Although Koracin attended Tech for his bachelors and masters in petroleum engineering, he said his interest in video games never left him while attending the university.

While studying at Tech, Koracin and his friend and classmate Kent Blair started discussing the possibility of inventing a video game.

Eventually, Blair became too busy to devote himself to a new game, but Koracin kept plugging away at the idea and eventually developed Boundless Buffet USA.

Koracin said he did all of the programming, graphics, sound effects and music himself in addition to testing and working out bugs. In all, Koracin said, it took him two months to develop the game, which he released on Android in January.

With its backdrops of iconic U.S. monuments and depictions of regional delicacies, Boundless Buffet USA reads like a love letter to the stars and stripes.

But one has to wonder: what inspired a Canadian to make a video game about the United States?

Koracin said the decision was partly practical.

There are only 10 provinces in Canada, he said, pointing out that the 50 U.S. states afforded him 50 levels of game play.

However, Koracin also said he was inspired by the hospitality he experienced while living in Butte.

The people were really nice, said Koracin. I really appreciated the kindness of the people and their hospitality and I just wanted to say thank you.

But what about that other detail of the game  the food falling from the sky  why not choose something a bit more  sexy?

Koracin said he wanted his game to be different than whats already available, pointing out that other programmers have used objects like candy and jewels for their games in the past. Given this and his love for food, using regional delicacies like Montana huckleberries or apple pie topped with cheddar cheese seemed like a logical choice.

When asked why hes so drawn to video games, Koracin explained that they provide people with a means of escape.

It just makes life a little bit more interesting, Koracin said. (Video games provide) an immersive world where you can forget about your troubles for a while.
Names and faces

Morrison-Maierle has announced the promotion and hiring of two employees in its accounting department.

Tana Greenfield, who has worked in the accounting department for the past five years, has been promoted to staff accountant. In her new position, she will be responsible for accounting procedures for the companys Bozeman and Kalispell offices, handling their billing and other project-related matters.

Greenfield graduated with a B.A. from Concordia College, in Moorhead, Minnesota, with a degree in English literature. She earned an associate's degree in accounting in 2015 from Helena College.

Dee Holland joins the companys corporate accounting office as an accounting technician. She received an associates degree in accounting in 2014 and is responsible for accounts payable at Morrison-Maierle. She previously worked at Smith Law Firm, P.C. as a legal assistant-bookkeeper.

Morrison-Maierle provides a broad range of engineering services and is headquartered in Helena.

***

Tina Eblen recently joined ChildWise Institute, based in Helena. Eblen will be coordinating and executing the Mobilizing Action for a Resilient Community grant. Before joining the team, she worked at Grandstreet Theatre as the development director. Prior to Grandstreet Theatre, Eblen spent seven years at Montana Health Research and Education Foundation as the hospital emergency preparedness coordinator. Eblen attended the University of Montana and received two degrees, a bachelor of arts in human biological sciences and a bachelor of science in business administration with an emphasis in management. She then proceeded to earn a master's of health administration at Montana State University-Billings.

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AAA MountainWest welcomes Russell Wolf, Lisa Schlosser and Denise Wolf, operating under Wolf & Associates, to the AAA Insurance team. Russell Wolf has 13 years of experience in the insurance industry in Helena. His team will provide home, auto and life insurance, as well as financial products to consumers in the Helena and surrounding areas. Schlosser brings 2 years of insurance experience to consumers. Denise Wolf has worked side by side with her husband, Russ, for more then 10 years assisting consumers in Helena and surrounding areas with their insurance needs. Their office is located in the old Pattern House building at 1229 E. Lyndale Ave. Call 443-0111 for more information.

***

The law firm of Browning, Kaleczyc, Berry & Hoven, P.C. has announced Morgan M. Weber has become a partner in the firm. Weber joined the firm in 2010 when she returned to Montana after working as an insurance defense attorney in Manhattan Beach, California. She received her Juris Doctorate in 2007 from Valparaiso University School of Law and earned her undergraduate degree in business management from Gonzaga University. Webers principal areas of practice include workers compensation, landlord tenant law and insurance defense.

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News and notes

A part of the downtown Helena community for 15 years, Dave Schlick, the owner of Dave's Pawn, has sold his business to his son, Matt Schlick. Matt began working at the shop while going to high school and has 14 years of experience. Matt and his team will continue to offer the same personal service that customers have come to expect. For more information, stop by 437 N. Last Chance Gulch or call 449-5150.

***

The Montana Lifespan Respite Coalition, in collaboration with the Department of Public Health and Human Services, will host Lifespan Respite Summit at the Great Northern Hotel in Helena on Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Riding the Respite Wave: Sustaining the Momentum is the theme of this years summit.

The goal of the summit is to address the sustainability needs of respite for Montana caregivers. The Lifespan Respite Program can reach caregivers caring for loved ones regardless of age, disability, chronic illness or individuals at risk for abuse or neglect.

The Montana Respite Voucher program, launched in July 2015, provides needed financial support for unpaid family caregivers to get a short break from their responsibilities.

The keynote speaker is Glen Fewkes, Senior Legislative Representative, Government Affairs Department of the AARP National Office, whose presentation will focus on the growing importance of family caregiving across the country, why respite care is so crucial and how to best advocate for caregivers in Montana.

The daylong event will include a luncheon, caregiver panel and an opportunity to learn and network from caregivers and professionals in the field.

The registration fee is $10. To register visit www.respite.mt.gov. For more information, contact Jackie Stoeckel, Aging Services, at jstoeckel@mt.gov or 444-6061. Registration will be available at the door as well.

***

To assist those traveling out of the country for business or pleasure, the East Helena Post Office, 607 E. Porter St., will hold a passport fair on Thursday from 1-3 p.m.

U.S. citizens must present a valid passport book when entering or re-entering the U.S. by air. U.S. citizens entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land borders and sea ports of entry must present a passport book, passport card or other travel documents approved by the U.S. government.

Information, a list of fees and instructions how to apply for a U.S. passport is available at travel.state.gov/content/travel/english.html. U.S. citizens may also obtain passport information by calling 1-877-487-2778.

Applications will be processed by appointment first. Walk-ins are welcome but applicants with appointments will take precedence. To make an appointment, call the East Helena Post Office at 406-227-5325. The following items are required in order to process the application:

DS-11 (passport application) filled out entirely in black ink,

certified birth certificate,

drivers license (if applicable) and

check or cash for payment

Children under the age of 16 must have both parents present. Children 16 and 17 must have one parent present.

***

Montana Farmers Union will host the annual Young Producer Conference in Havre at the Best Western Plus, April 1-2. The agenda will include topics ranging from Ag Lending, Tools for Ag Techie-Technology and Agriculture & Social Media by Ryan Goodman with AgriClear. Attendees will also have the opportunity to go off-site to the Northern Ag Research Center for hands-on education on Cattle Handling & Technology, Cover Crops for Grazing and Soil Health.

Membership and Development Director Justin Loch says this years conference is open to anyone interested in agriculture.

The cost of the conference is $25 for members and college students; and $35 for nonmembers. MFU is offering a day camp for those interested for a fee of $10. To register visit montanafarmersunion.com/young-producers-conference or call the MFU office at 406-452-6406.

***

The Montana Department of Agriculture is currently recruiting for open positions on the Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council. The deadline for nominations is April 4. For more information, contact Dave Burch at 444-3140 or dburch@mt.gov.

***

Guidelines

The IR welcomes reports of hiring, promotions, awards, recognition, learning opportunities and other news from local companies and nonprofits. We accept press releases and photos (digital images at 300 dpi or more are preferred, but we can also use regular photos; we dont guarantee return of these).

There is no charge for items appearing in the Business Briefcase. Items are run on a space-available basis, and we reserve the right to edit and use information as we see fit.

The deadline is Tuesday at noon to be considered for publication the following Sunday.
DARBY  For the second time a little more than a week, a public body in Darby will host a special meeting to discuss a planned presentation on Islam by a longtime University of Montana professor.

The Darby School Board will hold a special board meeting Monday at 6 p.m. in the high school library to talk about a plan to host UM Professor Samir Bitar on Wednesday.

Bitar is the featured Humanities Montana speaker at the Darby Community Librarys Life-Long Learning Series on the same night.

The school district plans to have Bitar speak to high school social studies classes earlier in the day.

Last week, the library board held a special meeting about Bitars presentation after receiving about seven written complaints and some calls of opposition. After taking public comment, the library board voted to move forward with the presentation.

Darby School Superintendent Loyd Rennaker said some school board members have heard the same type of complaints and decided to allow the community a chance to voice its concerns or support.

Students are already required to have a permission slip signed by their parents or guardians to attend the class.

We saw the potential for controversy so we gave parents the opportunity to make the decision for their children, Rennaker said.

Bitar is a professor of Arabic languages and cultures at the University of Montana. A native Palestinian, Bitar moved to Montana when he was 16. He has been teaching at UM since 1999. He has a masters degree in linguistics, teaching methods and cultural geography. Bitar has trained members of the Montana National Guard in essential Arabic language and culture.

His talk at the library is titled Perspectives on Islam.

An informational blurb about the talk says: Life in Muslim societies is an intersection of religious, social, cultural, and political realities. Thus, for one to develop a well-rounded understanding of Muslims, their perspectives and aspirations, one must look at all the dimensions of Muslim life.

Bitar uses literature, film and other resources to familiarize audiences with the heritage of Islamic civilizations and the religion of Islam.

As the founder of UMs Arabic Program, Bitar said hes dedicated his life to being a lifelong learner and, more importantly, to passing on knowledge to others.

Bitar said people should come hear his presentation for information.

First of all, our current environment in the United States at large is, in an indirect way, asking us Americans to look at this issue to become informed, Bitar said. We live in a democratic pluralistic system and we all have to be active in order for it to work. In order for us to be active and participate, because democracy is a process, we have to participate to preserve our way of life. In order for us to be able to do that and contribute, we have to be informed.

Bitar said when people formulate opinions, those should be based on real, factual data.

No one can simply look the other way, it affects our daily life as Americans, and I believe education is important for every society, Bitar said. I wish to give back to Montana, my home. We have to overcome fear with love and we do that with knowledge because knowledge is light. Only light can overcome darkness. With love, we can obtain the highest in human existence.

I love teaching, he said. I love what I do.

Darby Community Public Library Director Wendy Campbell said Bitar will provide a unique educational opportunity.

The community program at the library begins at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Partial funding for the program comes from a legislative grant from the Montana Cultural Trust and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Michelle McConnaha contributed to this report.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

A mainly sunny sky. High near 90F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies. Low near 65F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
Reporters Silke Schmidt and Dee J. Hall contributed to this report. The story was produced as part of journalism classes participating in The Confluence, a collaborative project involving the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The nonprofit Center (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
Cows once woke Bill Kennedy in the morning. I grew up on a dairy farm near Waunakee, said Kennedy, who started Kennedy Communications in 1983. That taught me that somebody has got to do the work. Every day.

Now, he said, clients stir him from bed every day. When you take on a client, you take on an obligation that you will give your all to them every day. That and a fear of failure.

Kennedys business started with traditional media planning and buying, then moved quickly to the upstart Internet, winning the first Addy in Madison from the American Advertising Federation for Web design in 1995 for client A to Z RentAll and Sales.

But it wasnt until 2006 that Kennedy built from scratch a Web marketing business and named it Kennedy Convergence, knowing that clients needed the Web but only if it was integrated into the fabric of traditional media. Today, KennedyCs online presence includes nearly 200 websites under management and a full suite of search engine marketing, including AdWords campaigns, email marketing, search engine optimization initiatives and constant data mining.

QUESTION: After starting your company in the basement of your home, youve now been in business more than 30 years. Tell me how you started.

ANSWER: My business started out of the ashes of another. That agency failure taught me that you need to be a true partner with your client and not a vendor. In my first day in business, I was lucky enough to get the commitment from two businesses  Sergenians Floor Coverings and Culligan Water. I am proud and humbled to still have those accounts today.

Q. I suspect you started out with one focus  marketing or advertising, issue management. How did you expand to the long list of services you offer now?

A. My previous agency had substantial traditional media-buying expertise. And I had learned to write through my journalism training. So I started by trying to match the message to the medium. Finding the unique voice or story of a business is important. So is finding the right media mix to tell it. That is why we are media agnostic.

Q. Youve worked for politicians, but do you think of yourself as partisan?

A. I try to stay informed on all sides of an issue and read three newspapers with different political slants each day and numerous blogs  but my college-educated, Republican mom was a major influence and created the prism through which I view life.

Q. Working at a PR firm is like working at a newspaper  irregular hours, a lot of adrenalin, and great anecdotes. What are one or two of your favorite stories about ad campaigns youve done. Include a failure or two, if you can.

A. If irregular hours means firing off emails at 3 a.m., sure. And with clients all over the country, I do travel. But I can count on one hand the number of my childrens sporting events that I missed.

Failures. I had a politician stiff me for ads that I ran on his behalf. He even told me, he would pay me out of his next milk check. The specificity of that promise was compelling, but his honesty wasnt.

I lost a client in Canada. I had worked for years to get them to run TV. After we lost the account, they started running TV ads. Sure enough, the TV ads worked. That is bittersweet  way more bitter than sweet.

Successes. I am happy to say there are many clients who have prospered with our help. We have an average client relationship of 16 years. That is unheard of in todays what have you done for me lately business cycle. Our best success flows from a steady hand on the tiller. Too often businesses want to chase after strategies that do not fit their culture.

Q. Did what you studied in school have any bearing on what you ended up doing?

A. I have a degree in agricultural journalism and helped edit research journal articles. So while the subject matter changed, crafting a message with the recipients needs in mind is paramount. Research helps you identify the targets needs.

Q. Do you find divisions between generations? Do your younger employees have trouble understanding where youre coming from?

A. The only divide I have observed is this: either you have a strong sense of obligation to something or someone other than yourself or you dont. That is not age based. Some of the most remarkable people in business today are young. They are just so bold. So fearless.

Q. Whats the first thing on your list of what to do after you stop working full time?

A. I dont have a great line of sight on when that will happen, but I hope I am useful to a charitable group. My Catholic upbringing says you need to give back. I dont have hobbies. Golf is OK. I putter around the yard for relaxation. I am able to travel more now and am enjoying that even while I continue to work in the business.

Q. Whats the smartest thing you ever did, business-wise?

A. In services, it is seeing the benefits of what the Internet could mean to our clients and building our Web department. In people, we have a terrific team that makes it tough to single anyone out, but I would be remiss not talking about my children, Chris and Katie. They have brought new energy and skills to the agency. Chris has a great creative mind. He is excellent at developing the videos that drive our content. Katie is a terrific strategist. She is always keeping us on message.

Q. The Internet arrived more than 20 years ago. Does having all that information at your fingertips make you smarter?

A. Data is a remarkable thing. The Internet provides data. It holds truth, but you need to discover it. You need to provide the insight.
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-06 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Veto must be used with prudence and without fear, says FM Kotzias [02] IMF is responsible for the delay of the review, says parliament president Voutsis [03] 5,245 migrants and refugees ready to leave from the Aegean islands [01] Veto must be used with prudence and without fear, says FM Kotzias ANA/MPA---Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias did not rule out the possibility Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to veto at the EU Summit on the refugees issue. "The veto is a negotiation tool, a tool to promote right positions. It must be used with prudence and without fear" he noted in an interview to the Sunday newspaper Realnews. On whether the refugees issue can have an effect on Greece's relations with its neighbouring countries, Kotzias underlined that "there are some that show that they do not consider a problem the disruption of the countries relations in our region. The neighbours that might blindly trust these "third persons" will do a huge mistake and there will also be consequences". Kotzias answers to those that accuse his of "hard foreign policy" that "the defence of the country's needs and interests...is a very important issue and can not be dealt with endless retreats and concessions." [02] IMF is responsible for the delay of the review, says parliament president Voutsis ANA/MPA---Parliament President Nikos Voutsis put the blame for the delay of the review on the IMF in an interview to the Sunday edition of Ethnos newspaper. "The delay is the direct undermining of Greece and the current government's effort in order the appropriate conditions to be formed that will lead us to growth. The Fund's responsibility is huge for this delay..." he noted. On the refugees issue he said that the access to the Europe for those entitled must be ensured based on the agreements as well as Turkey's participation in the implementation of the decisions. Voutsis ruled out scenarios of an ecumenical government and called untimely and irrelevant whatever discussion for early elections noting that this issue is set by particular parts that "feel that their short-term economic interests are affected by the current government's policy". [03] 5,245 migrants and refugees ready to leave from the Aegean islands ANA/MPA---5,245 refugees and migrants are identified and ready to depart from the islands of the northeastern Aegean for the port of Piraeus. The number of persons stranded on Lesvos reached 3,550 while 542 migrants and refugees were identified at Moria hotspot in the last 24 hours. On the island of Chios were identified 389 refugees while 1,422 persons are ready to leave for Piraeus. Finally, 273 migrants and refugees were identified on the island of Samos. On Saturday, 50 migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh were sent to camps in Xanthi and afterwards will be deported to Turkey. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
All of us, every single man, woman, and child on the face of the Earth were born with the same unalienable rights; to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And, if the governments of the world can't get that through their thick skulls, then, regime change will be necessary.
Indian Motorcycle has unveiled a new motorcycle, the Springfield, in the US market. It is supposed to be made available in India by the end of the year.

The Springfield was unveiled in the US market.

By India Today Web Desk: America's oldest bike maker Indian Motorcycle has unveiled their new motorcycle, the Springfield in the US. The new motorcycle is supposed to be launched in India before the end of this year.

The Springfield is powered by the same 1.8-litre V-twin engine present on its siblings. It is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

The Springfield gets detachable panniers and windshield to allow riders to option of converting the bike from a bagger to a cruiser, or vice-versa, in a jiffy.

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The chassis of the motorcycle has been stiffened up to allow load bearing capacities of up to 242kg.

Other features of the Springfield are adjustable passenger footboards, ABS, tyre pressure monitors, cruise control along with front and rear crash bars. The Springfield will cost Rs 14.76 lakh in the US where as when it comes to India, you can expect it to be priced in the Rs 30 lakh region.

--- ENDS ---
Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Modi unveiled the first of its kind electric bus manufacturing facility in ModiCiti, near NCT Delhi with plans of entering the e-bus and e-taxi market. He is committed to combat key urban issues like air pollution and lack of public transport infrastructure.

By India Today Web Desk: Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Modi (Dr.M), Singapore based entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, today announced his entry into the Electric Vehicles industry under the brand 'Smart Dreams'. Smart Dreams is a conscious attempt to provide affordable, completely pollution-free, world-class transportation on Indian roads. While making the announcement, Dr. M said, "I have a dream to see a healthy and happy India."

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Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Modi (Dr. M) is known for following astute corporate governance practices across his businesses, and for pioneering a series of firsts in business - like transforming white collar productivity with Modi Xerox and pioneering mobile telephony improvements with Modi Telstra and Spice Telecom. Along with e-vehicles, his fund is currently investing in areas like clean energy, smart cities, and healthcare.

At the press conference, Dr. M is unveiling a first-of-its-kind electric bus manufacturing facility at ModiCiti (next to Muradabad), India.

An eight-year study, from 2008-2015, conducted by IIT-Roorkee, University of Minnesota, US and University of Surrey, UK has shown that emissions from vehicles in Delhi have increased up to three times between 1991 and 2011; these could rise by up to 19 times by 2020. The study projected greater pollution from buses. Taxis & Cars (30-34%) were found to be producing the highest CO2 emissions during 2011 to 2015; there is likelihood that buses could dominate in the years after 2015.

'Smart Dreams' aims to take a lead in the pure-electric vehicles segment, by being the first and only Indian corporation to delve into production of pure-electric vehicles, with a primary focus on public transportation. They plan to enter public transportation through e-bus & e-taxi with pure-electric offerings.

To fulfill this vision, Smart Dreams has tied up with BYD (Build Your Dreams) Auto Industry Co. Ltd. - the world's leading electric vehicle manufacturer, and an investee company of investment guru Warren Buffett. BYD has set up an electric bus manufacturing plant in southern California in 2014 and has a contract to supply electric buses to Los Angeles County. In the past 2 years, its electric buses or cars have gone into service from Montevideo(Uruguay) to Jakarta.

Given the rising concern about pollution and public health in the Indian capital, and to realize the government's vision of a clean and pollution free India, Smart Dreams is one of the first automobile industry player to display its commitment and offer two pure-electric buses to Delhi Government for free trial. These buses are currently being tested on a commercial route pre-allocated by the Delhi Transport Corporation.

The bus is completely air-conditioned with first class comfortable seating facilities, and has a battery life of more than 4000 recharging cycles. It can cover a distance of 250 Kms with a fully charged battery. Further, the battery used is recyclable, and addresses this environmental concern as well.

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In line with the government's 'Make in India' initiative, the vehicles will be manufactured in India.

Power stations and grids remain underutilized during the night hours, with these E-vehicles being charged in the night hours, the energy will be utilized efficiently thus resulting in a higher social return on capital.

"The government is committed to turn the country into smart and clean India, and has announced many initiatives and projects in this direction. In an environment where development is being directed towards sustainable coexistence, I believe that this will be a highly successful project for the Smart group. We have partnered with the world's largest player in the e-vehicle market, BYD Company Limited (BYD), to bring in world class technology to the country," said Dr. M.

Dr. M further added, "Today, countries like China have put air quality on same priority as core sectors like infrastructure and defense and it's about time India did the same. For the same, the Govt. in India will have to take bold steps and incentivize citizens and industry players to adopt electric vehicles. One of the ways we could encourage the industry is by making it a zero tax (duties, customs, excise etc.) industry. "

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Mr. Liu, BYD Company Limited (BYD), said, "Sixteen years ago, we had this dream about China, and we today have been able to achieve this through our consistent efforts. India is a very big market for us, and with the business environment being favorable we feel it's the right time for us to capture the e-vehicle market of the country. We are proud to collaborate with Smart Group in this endeavor in India."

--- ENDS ---
While India has decided to stop scanning Japanese food imports after five years of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, US, Germany, Turkey, Russia and Australia still scans all products coming in from Japan.

By Neetu Chandra Sharma: Food products from Japan that run the risk of being contaminated by radioactive substance will now get an easy access into India as the Centre has decided to discontinue the scanning of these items. Even after five years of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, reports indicate that food products from Japan carry the risk of radioactive contamination that can lead to various forms of cancer. Several other countries are still following a strict mechanism to keep a check on Japanese food imports, but the Indian government feels otherwise.

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The imports' division of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Union Health Ministry has recently issued an order saying, "The advisory dated 15.03.2011 issued regarding monitoring of food articles imported from Japan for radioactive contamination, issued earlier as a temporary measure in 2011, is hereby withdrawn." The order has been conveyed to the customs department and the food safety commissioners of all states.

The abrupt end to the practice has, however, alarmed experts. "The Indian government should not have stopped the screening because the kind of nuclear disaster that happened in Japan can still have its effects. Five years is not enough time to decide that food products from Japan are free from radiation and will be safe in the future," said a senior radiation oncologist based in a government hospital in Delhi.

Items like sea food, vegetable seeds, confectionery, fruits and vegetables are imported to India from Japan.

Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), FSSAI, told Mail Today that the screening of food items was unnecessarily delaying the process of imports from Japan. "All the food products from Japan were under strict surveillance for the past five years for any radioactive contamination. However, no food product was found to be contaminated with any radioactive substance. So, we decided to stop the monitoring because it is not required anymore," Agarwal said.

The move by the Indian government can be seen as an attempt to bolster the already strong business and cultural ties with Japan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Japan in 2014 and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe returned the favour with a Delhi visit in 2015 - putting in place a new chapter of Indo-Japan ties.

The withdrawal of scanning of food items from Japan comes even as the United States Food and Drug Administration continues to monitor Japanese food imports for any likely radioactive presence. Along similar lines, countries like Germany, Turkey and Russia also scan all imports from Japan. There are also checks on vessels and containers from Japan for any radioactive contamination by the US, the Netherlands and the EU. Australia, which imports automobiles from Japan, also keeps a strict check on radiation. In March 2015, radiation was found in sample of green tea imported from Japan to the US. A study by Stanford University and Stony Brook University on radioactive levels in the Pacific Ocean found high levels of radioactive contamination in Bluefin tuna caught off the shores of California.

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Recently, a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the US stated that freshwater fish and ocean bottom dwellers around Fukushima are at a higher risk of radioactive contamination compared to most other types of ocean fish in the same area.

In 2011 a massive earthquake in Japan lead to radioactive leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants. Radioactive isotopes were released from the reactor containment vessels and discharged into the sea. Trace quantities of radioactive particles from the incident, including iodine-131 and caesium-134/137, have since been detected around the world.

Caesium-137 has a half-life of about 30.17 years and if enters human body it can cause cellular damage and potentially lead to cancer. "Half life of Caesium-137 is around 30 years which means it takes 30 years for the radioactivity of the Caesium-137 isotope to fall to half its original value," says a Delhi-based senior radiation specialist.

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Off the radar

FSSAI has stopped monitoring food imports from Japan for radiation after Fukushima Daiichi N-disaster in 2011. ?

In March 2015, radiation was found in sample of green tea imported from Japan to the US. ?

Stanford University and Stony Brook University found radioactivity contaminated Tuna fish from the off shore of California. ?

In 2014-15, India?fs agricultural import from Japan was of the order of $6.51 million. ?

Principle imports were chilled fish, seeds, vegetable seed, confectionery, among others.



FSSAI officials say they have not found radiation in any food imports from Japan.



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Japan ends nuclear shutdown four years after Fukushima crisis

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--- ENDS ---
A high alert was sounded in the national capital today after Delhi Police received inputs about a potential terror strike in Delhi by 10 terrorists who have entered India through Gujarat.

By India Today Web Desk: A high alert was sounded in and around the national capital today after Delhi Police received inputs about a potential terror strike in Delhi by 10 suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who are learnt to have entered India through Gujarat.

In view of the input, the police have been told to enhance security arrangements near iconic buildings, military installations, prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges in the national capital.

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The input specifically mentions about 10 militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfits having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi.

Top officers of Delhi police held a meeting to chalk out an elaborate security plan to prevent any untoward incidents. Patrolling across the city has been intensified.

Intelligence agencies have also alerted police commissioners of Mumbai, Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Bengaluru of a possible terror strike by LeT and JeM militants in India.

A high alert was sounded in Gujarat on Saturday after Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua communicated to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval about the terrorist infiltration.

The state police has heightened security at Somnath temple, Dwarka temple, Akshardham temple, airports and railway stations across Gujarat in view of the terror threat. Special security arrangement has been put in place at Somnath temple, where thousands of devotees are expected on Monday on the occasion of Shivratri.

The terror warning comes after, a BSF team located three abandoned boats on the shores in the Kutch district on Friday.

Also Read

NSG deployed in Gujarat after 10 Lashkar terrorists sneak into state

--- ENDS ---
The BJP expelled Kuldeep Varshnay from the primary membership of the party for six years after he announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone who cut Kanhaiya's tongue.

Police have asked officials to keep them informed about Kanhaiya's movements.

By Shashank Shekhar: A BJP Yuva Morcha leader was shown the door on Saturday for his comments on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.

The BJP expelled Kuldeep Varshnay from the primary membership of the party for six years after he announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone who cut Kanhaiya's tongue.

Cracking down on people who are trying to harm Kanhaiya, the Delhi Police on Saturday registered an FIR against few people at the Parliament Street police station for printing and posting posters which announced a reward of Rs 11 lakh for anyone who shoots the JNUSU president.

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According to the police, a man was nabbed while he was sticking posters on the wall of Press Club on behalf of the Purvanchal Sena. However, others accompanying him managed to flee. The police are now trying to track the others involved in pasting posters.

No person has been arrested so far in this connection, said Taj Hasan, Special Commissioner (Crime) and chief spokesperson of Delhi Police, without divulging any further information.

Meanwhile, keeping the JNUSU president's safety in view, a team of Delhi Police will now escort Kanhaiya each time he steps out of the university campus. According to the police, DCP south has asked the university to keep the local police station informed about Kanhaiya's movement.

"We need to ensure Kanhaiya is safe. He was earlier attacked while he was being taken for a court hearing. A similar incident may happen and it is our duty to avert such untoward incidents," a senior police officer told Mail Today.

Kanhaiya had also been given multiple layers of security while he was released from central jail on conditional bail on March 3. He was escorted to the JNU campus amid high security.

Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12 and booked for sedition over an event held on the university campus in which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. The event was held to protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Around 10 days after Kumar's arrest, two more students Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, who were also accused in the case, surrendered. The duo is presently in judicial custody.

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--- ENDS ---
Security across Gujarat has been beefed up after Intelligence Bureau's alert about 10 terrorists sneaking into the state. According to some media reports, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has informed the Gujarat government that around 10 terrorists may have entered the state from across the border to target major installations.

By India Today Web Desk: Security across Gujarat has been beefed up after Intelligence Bureau's alert about 10 terrorists sneaking into the state. According to some media reports, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has informed the Gujarat government that around 10 terrorists may have entered the state from across the border to target major installations.

According to IB officials, nearly 8-10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists have possibly infiltrated into the state from the Kutch area. Four NSG teams have been rushed to Gujarat and put on stand by following intelligence inputs.

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The state police has heightened security at Somnath temple, Dwarka temple, Akshardham temple, airports and railway stations across Gujarat in view of the terror threat. Special security arrangement has been put in place at Somnath temple, where thousands of devotees are expected on Monday on the occasion of Shivratri. One NSG team has been deployed at Somnath temple to thwart any terror attack.

Following the alert, the Director General of Police of Gujarat PC Thakur cancelled the leave of all police officials and ordered them to resume duty immediately.

The terror warning comes after, a BSF team located three abandoned boats on the shores in the Kutch district on Friday.

On Saturday, a man was arrested after he was found taking photographs of the Bhuj Army base in Gujarat. He was arrested when the security officials found that he was clicking photographs of sensitive locations inside the army base with his mobile phone.

Separately, in Pathankot, Western Army Commander Lieutenant General KJ Singh told reporters that there are inputs that terrorists may try to create disturbance during Shivratri celebrations.

"There are security-related problems today. You know, Maha Shivratri is coming. There are inputs which are disturbing but notwithstanding that extra care has been taken," Lt Gen Singh said but refused to elaborate on the details.

Security beefed up at Kolkata airport

Kolkata airport.

Security at the NSC Bose International Airport in Kolkata has been beefed up today after an email threat that it would be blown up within 24 hours, airport officials said.

The mail came in the airport manager's email ID early today and it was claimed to have been sent from Germany, officials said.

While the cyber crime team of the airport is checking the veracity of the content of the mail, security agencies have beefed up vigil in and around the airport.

Luggages and cars of passengers are being throughly checked while various parts of the airport are being scanned, officials said.



Also read:

30-metre-long 'terror' tunnel unearthed in Jammu and Kashmir's RS Pura



Pak accuses India of playing blame game over Pathankot



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--- ENDS ---
The Army has been removed from most of the towns of Haryana which witnessed the fury of the Jat community's agitation. Only a few contingent of paramilitary forces are posted in certain areas.

The Army has been removed from most of the towns which witnessed the fury of the Jat community's agitation.

Haryana,which failed to gauge the anger of Jat community before it put the state on fire, appears to be ill-prepared to deal with another Jat agitation. The Army has been removed from most of the towns which witnessed the fury of the community's agitation. Only a few contingent of paramilitary forces are posted in certain areas.

The state government, which despite the enforcement of prohibitory and shoot-at-sight orders hesitated to take action against the Jats, is hell bent to persuade them again. The video footage aired on news channels and being shared on social media clearly shows how the protesters were let lose to indulge in arson and loot.

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While the deployment of the Army and paramilitary forces proved futile, the police, lower rank officers in particular, allegedly did not take on the protesters as they were from the same community.

State police chief YP Singhal was heard making ridiculous statements like, "The state police is short of tear gas shells" and "instead of acting against the protesters, the police is trying to cool the tempers of the community".

Sources say the Jat community may plan another agitation as they want a quota under OBC category and not under economically weaker section category. The state government is in a fix as it neither wants to annoy the Jats nor the non-Jats who have objected to the demand.

What is evident is that if the Jats returned to the railway tracks and highways, the agitation may assume dangerous proportions as non-Jats, who were at the receiving end during the 10 day agitation, are also up in arms against the perpetrators. The agitation may lead to clashes between the Jats and non-Jats.

"We have decided to boycott the Jat candidates in future elections. This time we will not sit idle if our homes and properties are targeted in the name of agitation," a non-Jat leader told Mail Today.

While the state government is not in a mood to annoy Jats, the community leaders are making different voices to vent their anger and desire. As different factions of Jats have different leaders it may not be possible to bring them under one roof.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said that the state government would introduce a new Bill in the Vidhan Sabha Session beginning March 14 to grant reservation to five communities namely Jat, Jat Sikh, Tyagi, Bishnoi and Ror.

"A five-member committee had already been constituted under the chairmanship of the chief secretary to prepare draft of the Bill to grant reservation under the ambit of the Constitution. An all-party committee was also being constituted to give suggestions for drafting the Bill. The presidents of all registered political parties have been asked to send names of their representatives to the government for this committee.

He said that in case the all-party committee was able to draft the new Bill unanimously, it would be passed in the Vidhan Sabha without any discussion. He said that people associated with the agitation and others could submit their suggestions in this regard to the committees, so that their suggestions could be incorporated while drafting the Bill.

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Witness the political side of Jat quota stir

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Jat reservation stir: Delhi govt moves Supreme Court as water crisis looms largeJat quota row: Veggies price soar, milk supply under stress in Delhi-NCR

--- ENDS ---
By Utpal Kumar/Mail Today: Anyone writing on what it means to be a Hindu in the 'new world', it would be safely assumed that the author may be an old, worn-out, seen-all, done-all individual. But not Hindol Sengupta. Hardly 37 years old, he has already written six books, but what's most commendable is his audacity to choose the academic path which many don't tread for the fear of being called the Hindu Right-winger or, worse, the communal.

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Also read: Ancestral Affairs: A Parsi writer and his take on India's partition

But what has made Sengupta write Being Hindu? "The trigger came when I saw, a few years ago, Swami Vivekananda being decried by some in India as 'Hindu supremacist'. When I heard this, I thought a line was crossed. Being from the tradition of the Ramkrishna Mission, I knew how this institution, founded by Vivekananda, was genuinely plural in outlook.

Where else do people celebrate Christmas at the same place where Hindu rituals are conducted?" This triggered off an "intense sadness" in the author's mind. "It's sad to see young Indians growing up thinking that some of our most iconic figures were intolerant. We are being told by the likes of Arundhati Roy that we must hate Mahatma Gandhi, Vivekananda, et al - and that every tradition that we hold dear must be destroyed in the name of rationalism," says he.

Writing this book is the author's act of dissent against what he calls "popularly known truths". He cites the now discredited Aryan invasion theory to validate his point. "As early as 2004, historian Romila Thapar herself said that the Aryan theory while prevalent at one point holds no ground because the scientific evidences have shown that no such thing had happened in the past. But a few months ago, an MP got up and invoked this theory to bolster his claim. If such overwhelming lies are propagated, where is the dissent? Is the dissent just one way? Writing Being Hindu is my act of dissent against popularly known truths." Ask the author about who a Hindu is, and he emphasises in no uncertain terms how the word Hindu is a derivative term - and that Hindus would ideally be closer to the idea of 'Sanatana Dharma'.

"For me, anybody is a Hindu who believes in the core philosophies of Hinduism. These core philosophies are: one, every soul is potentially divine, which stands in sharp contrast to the Abrahamic way of thinking where the man is a sinner and must be saved by God. Two, for a Hindu, every path leads to God. And the third idea that defines a Hindu is the idea of geography wherein places - and not one single place - are sacred."

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Also read: Anuradha Roy's new book, Sleeping on Jupiter, is a tale of human trauma, torture and solace

Sengupta recalls Diana Eck's book India: A Sacred Geography, to emphasise how India may not have existed as a political entity before 1947, but India as a civilisational entity has remained for millennia. "Diana Eck clearly says that the footprints of pilgrims measure the civilisational boundaries of India."

For the author, being Hindu and being liberal are not contradictory. "I am liberal not because I read Karl Marx. I am a liberal because I believe in the Hindu philosophy," says Sengupta as he recalls Nathuram Godse who, after committing the heinous act of assassinating Gandhi, didn't call for the creation of a Hindi rashtra. "In his last statement, just before being hanged, Godse talked about the need for a secular country. Even at that darkest moment, he was not able to shed his plurality because it had come from his tradition. In fact, those criticising Godse today are the worst critic of Gandhi. Look at Arundhati Roy. She hates the Mahatma as viciously as Godse abhorred him during Partition."

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He bemoans how in the name of secularism it has become so fashionable to deride anything classical.

Sanskrit is a casualty of this secular-communal cross-fire. "When Manjul Bhargava won the Fields Medal, he said that he got his inspiration from reading the Sanskrit texts of Brahmagupta. How many Indians today can recall Brahmagupta? I have to read American mathematician Kim Plofker to find out about India's contributions to mathematics. Isn't that a joke?" The problem, says the author, lies with our skewed sense of secularism. "I find it silly to see our 'secular' intellectuals wasting so much time in humanising Aurangzeb when they have a better guy in Dara Sikoh. Our collective indifference towards Dara Sikoh explains what's wrong with our popular version of secularism."

Being Hindu: Old Faith, New World And You by Hindol Sengupta

Penguin; Rs 399

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani announced that militant group ISIS has been defeated in eastern Afghanistan. The terrorist group had taken over some remote districts.

During the parliament session on Sunday, Ghani said that ISIS loyalists have been displaced from the regions of Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan. "Afghanistan will be a graveyard for ISIS," said Ghani.

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After a 21-day operation in the Achin and Shinwar districts of Nangarhar and claiming to have killed 200 militants, the Afghan forces announced victory.

In February, the US too had significantly increased its air strikes against ISIS. The terrorist organisation has had a presence in Afghanistan for more than a year and still the relatively new force in the country has challenged the Afghan Taliban movement in pockets of the country.

--- ENDS ---
One militant was killed in the encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. One security personnel was also injured in the firing. The gunbattle is underway.

By India Today Web Desk: One militant was killed in the encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. One security personnel was also injured in the firing. The killed militant has been identified as Dawood Sheikh, a close associate of Hizbul commander Burhan.

One AK-56 rifle has been seized from the slain militant. Security forces carry out search operations in the area.



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Security forces on Sunday launched a massive search operation in a village in south Kashmir's Kulgam district after suspected militants fired a few rounds at them, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Buchroo village of Kulgam district, 75 kms from Srinagar, after some suspected militants fired a few rounds at the security forces who were advancing towards the village, a police official said.

Also Read

NSG deployed in Gujarat after 10 Lashkar terrorists sneak into state

After Gujarat, Delhi on high alert following terror threat





--- ENDS ---
Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha president Hawa Singh Sangwan also said that Jat community will not sit silently if their demands were not met.

By Ajay Kumar: Jat leaders in Haryana demanding backward class reservation have threatened to resume the violent agitation if Haryana government does not meet their demands. In a meeting of Jat leaders from across the state in Sonipat district on Saturday it was decided that the community will hit the streets again if the state government does not act.

Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha president Hawa Singh Sangwan also said that Jat community will not sit silently if their demands were not met.

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During the recent Jat agitation there were sectarian clashes reported from the state in which 30 people were killed and public and private property worth Rs 10,000 crore was damaged. The agitators had also damaged canals supplying water to Delhi resulting in a massive water shortage in the Capital. There were reports of women being raped in Murthal but the allegations have not been substantiated till now.

The Haryana government, however, said that it will introduce reservation bills to Jat, Sikh Jat, Bishnoi, Tyagi and Ror community in next session starting March 14.

"A five member committee has already been constituted to prepare a draft of the bill to grant reservation under the ambit of the Constitution. The presidents of all registered political parties were asked to send the names of their representatives for the committee to pass the draft of the new bill," an official statement by the government said.

According to the government, the people associated with the agitation and others could submit their suggestions in this regard to the committees, so that their suggestions could be incorporated while drafting the bill.

"The issue of Jat reservation is not new in the state. Three commissions were constituted after Mandal commission and all of them had recognised Jat as a backward class in Haryana. We had submitted a memorandum to former PM VP Singh in 1990 requesting him to include Jats in the OBC quota. We have since been struggling for a reservation but governments under different political parties have not implemented it. If the Khattar government does not meet our demand, we would intensify our protest," said Yudhveer Singh, national secretary of Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha.

"Initially, we were protesting in peaceful manner. BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini had made objectionable remarks against the community which led to unrest among the people. He is responsible for provoking the Jats in the state, " Singh alleged.

Jat leaders have consistently tried to spread their stir to Punjab. Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha representatives recently met Congress leader Capt Amarinder Singh in Patiala.

Haryana government has so far released an interim assistance of Rs 20 crore to 1,537 people whose properties were damaged in the recent agitation.

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ALSO READ



Witness the political side of Jat quota stir

Jat agitation: Former Haryana CM Hooda's aide in soup over audio clipGovt agrees to grant OBC status to Jats, to table bill in Haryana Assembly

Jat reservation stir: Delhi govt moves Supreme Court as water crisis looms largeJat quota row: Veggies price soar, milk supply under stress in Delhi-NCR

--- ENDS ---
Be travellers, not tourists. That's the mantra of five travel enthusiasts who are changing the way people travel. From offbeat destinations and bespoke experiences to lesser-known cultural events and interesting people, these travel planners are making travel exciting and special.

Be travellers, not tourists. That's the mantra of five travel enthusiasts who are changing the way people travel. From offbeat destinations and bespoke experiences to lesser-known cultural events and interesting people, these travel planners are making travel exciting and special.



1) Curated experiences

Kritika Batra, 27

Kritika Batra lives the lifestyle she professes-the self-confessed wanderer doesn't live in any place for more than a few years. She's constantly on the move, wandering and exploring. In the past decade and a half, she's travelled and lived across the US, Far East, Europe and India.

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Picture courtesy: India Today Spice

"I don't remember exactly when I found my calling, but I've always been a wanderer, I trekked to the Gaumukh glacier at the age of nine, went on my first solo journey to Vietnam at 16, and left India at 17 to explore life in the US and then Europe," she says. In 2012, she returned to India and set up the Wanderbug "in order to make my passion my life and my work."

Curated experiences: Be it a luxury getaway or an adventure trip, Batra designs personalised travel itineraries that are often offbeat. She's curated tree house-stays in Bandhavgarh, camps by the Pangong Lake in Ladakh and royal baths at eco-retreats in Rajasthan. In the past three years, she's designed 200 travel itineraries for Indian and international tourists wanting to experience India.

On the list: For those looking for a quick getaway from Pune, she recommends Deogadh at Pawana, 2 hours drive from the city

Contact: wanderbug.in



2) Breaking cliches

Arjun Malhotra, 31, Sanaya Ghandy, 36 and Ayesha Ghandy, 30

Believe it or not but for most travellers, especially vegetarians, the most reliable travel partner after the passport and money is the packet of theplas. When in doubt about local food, pull out the snack bag. So, if you're among those, then No Thepla Holidays will be a life-changing travel partner.

Picture courtesy: India Today Spice Picture courtesy: India Today Spice

"Eat local; it's a crucial part of the travel experience. Don't waste time eating snacks you've carried from home," says Arjun Malhotra, 31, an investment banker with Ernst and Young who set up the travel company with friends and avid travellers Sanaya Ghandy, 36 and Ayesha Ghandy, 30, in 2014. So, in a bid to tempt the travellers' palate with local flavours, they don't include meals in their holiday packages. The idea came from a personal experience. On a road trip to Spain last year, Sanaya had to skip the joys of eating at local cafes only because her friends pulled out the snacks bag they had carried along.

Twist in the travel: There aren't any tourist spots on the itinerary, instead, the travel is planned around an offbeat activity or experience. In 2014, they took rock music fans to a U2 concert in Barcelona. Last year, the Spanish holiday was all about the San Vino festival in Haro. Even in Paris, they skipped the tourist-staple Eiffel Tower and explored the catacombs. "We target something different in each holiday, either the destination or an offbeat activity," says Malhotra.

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In the pipeline: After five international trips since they debuted in 2014 with a holiday to France and Spain, No Thepla Holidays has been conducting rafting trips to Kolad. In March 2016, they're taking off to Philippines for a certified scuba diving trip and a Sardine Run.

CONTACT notheplaholidays.com

3) Bespoke journeys

Shishir Nikam, 34

When you walk into the vibrant office of Black Swan Journeys, the travel consultants ask you much beyond the customary budget and destination questions. The chat goes on to hobbies, food, sports, music and art. And when you look at the itinerary, you'll find your hobby fitting in. So, if you're a foodie and are travelling to Kerala, they'll throw in a culinary trail or a dinner with a chef.

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Picture courtesy: India Today Spice

"Travel should be about the overall experience and not just the destination and its touristy offerings," says Shishir Nikam, founder of Black Swan Journeys. Nikam quit his software job in 2010 to turn his passion for travelling into a business venture. Last year, when a music loving traveller went to Varanasi, Nikam's team set up a breakfast meeting with a musician from the Benares Gharana along the banks of the Ganesh Ghat. When another traveller group of eight history buffs travelled to Gujarat, they were taken to the magnificent Rani Ki Vav in Patan, Gujarat with a historian for company.

Around the world: In 2013, Black Swan Journeys extended their travel planning to varied offbeat experiences around the world such as culinary trails in Vietnam and malt safaris in Scotland. This year, the focus is on Georgia, as a winemaking region that first grew grapes way back in 6000 BC.

Beyond boundaries: When they're not planning travel itineraries, the Black Swan Journeys team organises events such as lectures on the Archaeology of Food, a screening of Nero's Guests and a one act play on Irom Sharmila.

CONTACT blackswanjourneys.com

4) Traveller diaries

Ekta Kamdar, 31 and Purnendu Singh, 31

American author H Jackson Brown Junior may seem like an unlikely icon for IT professionals but Ekta Kamdar, 31 and Purnendu Singh, 31 swear by his famous saying-'Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour.'

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Picture courtesy: India Today Spice

"Don't rush; go for slow paced travelling where you can explore a city on cycle or on foot. This makes you experience many things, understand the culture and the people," says Kamdar. The couple and co-bloggers who run Shadows Galore do just that-take off to new unexplored destinations and document their travels through travelogues and photographs that inspire others to walk down the path. Kamdar started Shadows Galore as a photography blog in 2010 and then went on to add their travel experiences.

On the go: The blog classifies travel experiences based on activities and experiences, from the bazaars of El Corte Ingles in Madrid to the luxurious Sandy Lane Barbados resort on the Platinum coast in Saint James, Barbados. The posts are detailed travelogues that talk about the personal experiences of the writers, giving insider details that are helpful to travellers. Kamdar and Singh bring in an interesting mix of heritage, beaches and shopping markets. "We write about the places we have travelled and our experiences and understanding of that place," says Kamdar.

Contact: shadowsgalore.com



5)Rediscovering grandeur

Dolly Kushwaha, 47

From sailing on yachts across countries to trekking up glaciers and living in glass igloos, she's done it all. And now Dolly Kushwaha, 47, is helping young and adventurous Indian travellers live her experiences. "Travel is a spiritual experience; it's a stress buster and enriches you. It makes you more tolerant and enriches you," says the founder of De Opulence, a two year-old luxury travel consultancy.

Picture courtesy: India Today Spice

The travel bug bit early on. Daughter of an army man, she moved towns every two years, exploring new places. "Those long train journeys in first class cabins, watching the scenery was fascinating," she recalls. After 18 years in government service-a decade in the army and eight years with the Reserve Bank of India-she set up De Opulence in 2014. "The travel I sell is where luxury is not in terms of expensive things but in the richness of experiences," she says. So, be it a stay in a glass igloo in Finland to watch northern lights or coveted centre stand tickets for the La Liga derby, Kushwaha plans it for you.

Ask and receive: Kushwaha believes in customising travel experiences. For gourmet hounds, she's got a list of suggestions spanning Italy; for spiritual journey seekers, she's got offerings like the Inca Trails in Peru to swimming in Canotes. Another interesting offering is the Bucket List Festivals- cultural fests that one shouldn't miss from the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China to Glastonbury Music Festival in England.

Contact: deopulence.com

--- ENDS ---
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said that Left parties were opposed to democracy and added that they believe in the violent division of India.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the Communist Party was opposed to Mahatma Gandhi and did not want autonomy for India.

By India Today Web Desk: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today launched a sharp attack on the Left parties over the Jawaharlal Nehru University controversy describing them as 'anti-democracy'.



Speaking at the national convention of BJP's youth wing - Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha - in Mathura, Arun Jaitley said that the Communist Party was opposed to Mahatma Gandhi and did not want autonomy for India.

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He added that when India achieved independence, the Left parties were opposed to democracy and said that the Left believes in the violent division of India.

"Left parties have this convention of speaking against the nation. The Left was the only political group which supported the Congress during the Emergency," Jaitley said.

Without naming Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Jaitley slammed the main Opposition party for playing dirty politics in the JNU row.

Referring to JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar's speech at the university campus after being released from jail earlier last week, the minister said that it was a fight of ideologies in which the BJP has emerged victorious.

"Jab wo (Kanhaiya) jail se nikalkar aaye, toh unhe tiranga dikhakar bharat mata ki jai bolna padha. Yahi hamari vaicharik jeet thi (Holding the tricolour in his hand, Kanhaiya shouted bharat mata ki jai, when he went to the JNU campus after walking out of the jail. This was our ideological victory)," Jaitley said.

The event at Vridavan near Mathura has witnessed top BJP leader's taking on the Opposition and the Left over the JNU row and other recent controversies surrounding the government.

On Saturday, BJP president Amit Shah had targeted the Congress, saying the party should be ashamed of Rahul Gandhi's support to 'anti-nationals'.

"The Congress should be ashamed of backing such elements. The youth of this country will give a befitting reply to Rahul Gandhi for supporting those who raised slogans to break India," the BJP president said while demanding Congress president Sonia Gandhi to come out clear on her stand over the JNU row.



ALSO READ | Left parties want JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar to campaign during polls



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Madarsas along the Af-Pak border and tribal areas, in particular North Waziristan, had become a hub of terrorist activities, Pakistan's top diplomat Sartaj Aziz has said.

By Press Trust of India: Madarsas along the Af-Pak border and tribal areas, in particular North Waziristan, had become a hub of terrorist activities, Pakistan's top diplomat has said, but blamed it on the Afghan refugees, who entered the country when the US pushed the Taliban out of power after the 9/11.

These madarsas had well-oiled terror infrastructure, beyond imagination, running bomb-making factories, terrorists training centers and those to train suicide bombers, all under a multi-storied basement under the mosque, Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz told a group of defence writers this week.

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"In one mosque that I visited, I remember, in Miranshah, from outside we did not see anything. But under the mosque there were a 70-room basement, three stories, in which there were four-five IED factories, four-five suicide training centers, communication network, VIP room, conference rooms, amazing infrastructure," he said, giving details of the how deep rooted terror infrastructure had developed in Pakistan.

In North Waziristan, where the Pakistan Army had launched operation Zarb-e-Azb in June 2014, Aziz estimated there were 30-40 such mosques with similar kind of infrastructure.

Pakistan's tribal areas along the Af-Pak border has seven agencies and North Waziristan is one of them.

Aziz, who was here to attend the 6th US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, said this while giving details of the steps being taken by the Pakistani army against terrorists.

"According to our estimates, the IED factories in this particular agency if they had gone their way without disruption, they had enough IEDs for next 20 years for the scale of attacks that they were doing. Those have ended now. Communication infrastructure has been disrupted," Aziz said.

He, however, blamed the Afghan refugees for the tribal areas of Pakistan becoming a hub of terrorism.

"We inherited this problem of (terrorism), 9/11 onwards when people were pushed into our side of the border and they became a threat to us, because they lost their hold in their part of the world. Our tribal belt between Pakistan and Afghanistan is a very long belt and a very open territory. So they came and established themselves," he said.

"Initially they came to seek refuge, but they soon realised that unless they controlled territory and resources they cant survive there. So they started expanding their activities and by 2007-08, they had covered most of the tribal areas. They killed the tribal leaders, then they stared establishing their communication networks, IED factories, suicide training centers," he noted.

"It was unbelievable how quickly they expanded and trained themselves in the tribal belt. So we started getting large scale attacks in our cities, suicide attacks and bomb blasts," Aziz said, adding that in these 14 years, Pakistan lost about 60,000 people, including 10,000 security personnel.

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He estimated the economic losses beyond USD 100 billion.

The toughest area infested with the terrorist was the North West Frontier Province, he said.

Out of seven agencies that the security forces have cleared, those groups, which could not survive there migrated or shifted their activities to North Waziristan.

ALSO READ

Despite India's objections, US moves to finalise F-16 jet deal with Pakistan

Pakistan madarsas used money laundering to fund Jihadi groups



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The Pakistan government today asked India to send all the 24 witnesses of the Mumbai 26/11 attack to Pakistan to record their statements in the Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad.

By India Today Web Desk: The Pakistan government today asked India to send all the 24 witnesses of the Mumbai 26/11 attack to Pakistan to record their statements in the Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad.

"The foreign ministry has written to the Indian government asking it to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court in the Mumbai attack case," prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar told PTI.

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According to Azhar, Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), which is holding the trial of the seven accused including Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, recorded the statements of all Pakistani witnesses and needs to record statements of the Indian witnesses to proceed with the trial.

"Now the ball is in India's court. The Indian government should send all Indian witnesses of the Mumbai case to Pakistan to record their statements so that the trial could further move ahead," said Azhar, who is also a special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Last month, the court had ordered the FIA to present all the 24 Indian witnesses in the court to record their statements.

It had also ordered to bring back to Pakistan the boats used by Ajmal Kasab and other militants on the grounds that it is case property and should be duly examined.

The 8-member Pakistani judicial commission had visited India on behalf of the Pakistani ATC.

The statements of the Indian witnesses were supposed to be used as evidence in the trial.

However, Lakhvi's lawyer had challenged the commission's proceedings because Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S S Shinde did not let its members cross-examine witnesses.

The trial court here subsequently declared the proceedings of the commission illegal.

Pakistani authorities have arrested seven LeT members involved with the planning of the 2008 Mumbai attack.

Apart from Lakhvi, other arrested LeT men are Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum. A trial is underway against them at the ATC since 2009.

Lakhvi, 55, secured bail in December 2014 and was subsequently released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the government's order to detain him under a public security act.

Six other accused are lodged in the Adiala Jail for over six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in which 166 people were killed.

ALSO READ:

26/11 Mumbai attack: Never seen photos of NSG operation



26/11 Mumbai attack: Never seen photos of NSG operation

Headley confesses Pakistan's ISI, Army's hand in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks: Report





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The Justice Sahai report on the Muzaffarnagar riots was tabled in Uttar Pradesh Assembly today.

More than 60 people were killed and over 40,000 displaced in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

By India Today Web Desk: The Uttar Pradesh government tabled the report of the Justice Vishnu Sahai inquiry commission on the Muzaffarnagar riots in the Assembly today.

The Justice Sahai report says that many incidents in August 2013 created a communally tense atmosphere. It added that the transfer of district magistrate and superintendent of police (SSP) Muzaffanagar also had an impact. The report further said that there was a failure of local intelligence.

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The Justice Sahai report has given a clean chit to the Uttar Pradesh government and the police in the 2013 riots, in which more than 60 people were killed and over 40,000 displaced. But blamed local officials for mishandling the riots.

The Justice Sahai commission was formed to look into administrative lapses in controlling the violence and role played by media as well as politicians in flaring up the riots.

The state government had constituted the commission headed by the retired judge of Allahabad High Court on September 9, 2013, days after riots had taken place in Muzaffarnagar.

While the commission was initially asked to submit its report in two months, it was later given several extensions. It had sought the last extension till October 8.

The state government had also formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) on September 24, 2013. In the past two years, a total of 567 cases related to Muzaffarnagar riots had been lodged. The SIT has already submitted its investigation report in all the cases barring nine that are still pending.

ALSO READ | Muzaffarnagar riots: Ex-judge Sahay puts the ball in UP govt's court

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Giving a boost to VIP culture, Safdarjung hospital administration has urged doctors to attend to patients referred by the office of the medical superintendent on a priority basis as they included VVIP patients referred by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Members of Parliament, bureaucrats and ex-ministers.

The medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital says the order was an internal one and will not affect the general patients who visit the hospital daily.

By Astha Saxena: Safdarjung Hospital, one of the biggest central government-run medical institutions in the Capital will give preference to VVIPs over thousands of patients, who wait for long hours in the hope of quality medical treatment.

Giving a boost to VIP culture, the administration of hospital, in its recent order, urged doctors to attend to patients referred by the office of the medical superintendent on a priority basis as they included VVIP patients referred by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Members of Parliament, bureaucrats and ex-ministers.

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When contacted, a health ministry official promised swift action. "The ministry will ask the hospital's administration to withdraw the order," a senior official from the ministry told Mail Today.

"Doctors are requested to attend to VVIP patients, referred from the medical superintendent's office on a priority basis and report back to the undersigned immediately," stated the order dated March 2. Mail Today has a copy of the order.

Dr AK Rai, medical superintendent of Safdarjung hospital told Mail Today that no patient will be forced to suffer due to the order. "We have not asked doctors to neglect any patient. All we have asked them to do is to give priority to VVIP patients. This was an internal order." The order has been issued to all the heads of the departments and unit incharges.

While a central government hospital is promoting the VVIP culture in the hospital, the Delhi government is trying hard to get rid of the same in medical institutions.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain recently had expressed his willingness on converting special wards into general wards.

Senior doctors at the hospital said the directive will have a direct impact on general patients visiting the hospital. The hospital roughly has a footfall of 8,000-10,000 patients on any given day.

Calling chaos

"People queue up at the outpatient department since morning and wait for their turn. They create a ruckus if we give any special treatment to some patients and break the queue," another doctor from the hospital said.

According to the doctors, the hospital treats around 15- 20 VVIP and VIP patients from various parts of the country. From bureaucrats to top officials in health and family welfare department, every one approaches the hospital for better treatment.

"This is the first time that such order has come out in writing. Generally, this is an unwritten rule which everyone follows. But this time, they have made it official. Now, we will have to somehow focus more on the VVIP patients if we get a choice," a senior doctor from the hospital told Mail Today.

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A tiff between the medical superintendent and some senior doctors of the hospital is said to be the trigger for this order. "Various doctors do not treat the patients referred by the medical superintendent due to which the MS was being questioned and pulled up regularly. He has officially communicated to the doctors to follow his orders," a senior doctor from the hospital said.

This is not the first time the hospital is in the news for wrong reasons. Recently, the hospital faced a shortage of Carm machines in the emergency department due to which patients were referred to other hospitals.

Last year in November, the hospital's radiotherapy department was shut after the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) issued a notice to the hospital. "The hospital has been facing problems for too long now," a senior health official told Mail Today.

ALSO READ

Cash crunch set to cripple services at Safdarjung Hospital



Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital has no vaccines for kids



Hard to find X-ray machine in Safdarjung Hospital after 4 pm



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US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz won nominating contests in Kansas and Maine on Saturday, denting front-runner Donald Trump's momentum and bolstering Cruz's case that he is the best alternative for those bent on stopping Trump.

In this March 4, 2016, file photo, Republican US presidential candidate Texas Senator Ted Cruz speaks at the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor, Maryland. (Photo: Reuters/Joshua Roberts)

By Reuters: US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz won nominating contests in Kansas and Maine on Saturday, denting front-runner Donald Trump's momentum and bolstering Cruz's case that he is the best alternative for those bent on stopping Trump.

On the Democratic side, front-runner Hillary Clinton's rival Bernie Sanders, a US senator from Vermont, won in Kansas, the state party said.

Five states were holding nominating contests on Saturday as Trump and Clinton looked to strengthen their leads in the battle to pick nominees for the Nov. 8 presidential election to succeed President Barack Obama.

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Trump was leading in Kentucky in very early results. Republicans and Democrats in Louisiana also were voting on Saturday, as were Democrats in Nebraska.

"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, DC, is utter terror at what 'We the People' are doing together," Cruz told supporters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, after his win in Kansas.

Cruz, a US senator from Texas who has promoted himself to voters as a true conservative, in contrast to Trump, also won a non-binding "straw poll" of activists at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, D.C.

"What we saw in Kansas is a manifestation of a real shift in momentum," Cruz told reporters in Idaho.

Trump has a substantial lead in the delegates needed to secure the nomination at the Republican National Convention, but has come under a barrage of blistering attacks from his party's establishment.

The four Republican contests on Saturday together account for just 155 delegates. They are open only to registered Republicans, excluding the independent and disaffected Democratic voters who have helped Trump's surge to the lead.

Saturday's contests were the first since retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson dropped from the race, after polling in the single-digits in most of the nominating contests. Carson had drawn support from evangelical voters, a group that has also been a stronghold of Cruz.

Since winning seven of 11 contests on Super Tuesday, Trump has come under withering fire from a Republican establishment worried he will lead the party to a resounding defeat in November's election.

Mainstream Republicans have blanched at Trump's calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the United States.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, called Trump a phony and a fraud who was playing American voters for suckers, and 2008 nominee John McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, said Trump's foreign policy views were uninformed and dangerous.

Rubio criticizes media for aiding Trump

At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who is also challenging Trump, criticized the media for fueling Trump's rise.

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"I've been sitting here for five minutes and two of the three questions you've asked have been about Donald Trump," Rubio said during a question-and-answer session.

Rubio, a frequent target of Trump's attacks, also said he "didn't get into this race to beat up on other candidates." But, he added, "If someone keeps punching people in the face, eventually someone's going to have to stand up and punch him back."

At a rally in Rubio's home state on Saturday, Trump criticized his opponent, using a favorite nickname - "little Marco."

"He's a nasty guy, said nasty things, and you know? We hit him hard. Little nasty guy," Trump told the cheering crowd.

The anti-Trump forces have a short window to stop the caustic businessman, who has accumulated 319 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination at July's Republican national convention, outpacing Cruz, who has 226 delegates.

On March 15, the delegate-rich states of Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina will vote. Both Florida and Ohio use the winner-take-all method to allocate Republican delegates, making the stakes in those two states particularly high.

If Trump takes Florida and Ohio he would be nearly impossible to stop. There are a total of 358 delegates at stake in the five states voting March 15, including 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio.

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On the Democratic side, voters in Louisiana and Nebraska also were voting on Saturday in the race between Clinton, the former secretary of state, and Sanders.

Polls show Clinton with a big lead in Louisiana, which has a large bloc of the African-American voters who helped her roll up victories across the South on Super Tuesday. But the caucuses in less diverse Kansas and Nebraska were expected to be more suited to Sanders. The three states have a total of 109 delegates at stake.

Clinton has opened up a big delegate lead and Sanders might have a tough time making up the difference. All states in the Democratic race award their delegates proportionally, meaning Clinton can keep piling up delegates even in states she loses.

ALSO READ:

Rivals rip Trump but promise support if he is the nominee

US election: Hillary Clinton wins 5 states on Super Tuesday, Donald Trump 4



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Communist Part of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today countered Jaitley's comment on the Left parties, stating that everyone knows that RSS had remained away from the freedom struggle and had aim of constituting a "Hindu rashtra".

By India Today Web Desk: Communist Part of India(Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today slammed Jaitley for describing Left parties as anti-democratic, stating that BJP and RSS want to make India a 'Hindu' nation.

"An aggressive nationalism debate has been manufactured by the BJP and RSS so that they can force their agenda on the nation. They want to convert a democratic, republic and a secular country into a Hindu rashtra," Yechury said.

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Yechury was responding to Jaitley's comment on the Left parties. Jaitley during the national convention of BJP's youth wing, Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha, in Mathura, had said that the Communist Party was opposed to Mahatma Gandhi and did not want autonomy for India.

The senior Left leader came down heavily on Jaitley stating that everyone knows that RSS had remained away from the freedom struggle and had aim of constituting a "Hindu rashtra".

Yechury compared the present regime of Modi-led government as "Hitler's fascism model" and accused the Centre of manufacturing the debate on nationalism to serve their agenda of "Hindu" rashtra. "If a parallel were to be drawn of the present government with history, the present regime resembles (Adolf) Hitler's fascism model," he said.

Taking a dig at the entire nationalism debate stirred by BJP, Yechury asserted that patriotism debate was manufactured for specific reasons as "the government is unable to handle the massive expectations people had. Also, people are grappling with financial stress of which the government can do nothing about".

He alleged that the government intends to let private banks take over their public sector counterparts who, as per conservative estimates, have lost around Rs 6 lakh crore due to non-payment of loans.

"There has been a 26 per cent rise in farmers' suicides during two years of Modi's rule. (Crude) Oil rates have fallen drastically but consumers have not benefited. There is frustration among people. The government is scared that all this does not transform into an agitation and thus this nationalism debate is created," he said.

Referring to the criticism of the Jawaharlal Nehru University's (JNU) students by right-wing parties, Sitaram said, "You will find a JNU product everywhere. So there is no wastage of taxpayers' money. JNU students are also soldiers who are fighting for a better India."

Meanwhile, CPI leader D Raja who was also present at the press conference, said that like the British era, the BJP's era too will end.

"India is a secular democratic republic. Those who are saying this is a Hindu rashtra are saying anti-unconstitutional (things). As British Raj had ended, BJP's Raj (rule) will also end. I have visited the borders. Officers from Dalit community are guarding them and here you are troubling Dalits," he alleged.

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ALSO READ:

Youth wing of BJP launches two-national conventions ahead of Assembly polls Raj Babbar accuses BJP of conducting communal experiments



Meenakshi Lekhi: Left parties are witches in the fairy tale of India's growth story





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A suicide bomber on Sunday rammed his explosives-laden fuel truck into a security checkpoint south of Baghdad, killing and injuring at least 60 people.

Iraq has seen a spike in violence in the past month with suicide attacks in and outside Baghdad. (Photo: Reuters)

By Reuters: Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack with an explosive-laden truck on an Iraqi police checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, killing or injuring at least 60 people.

Responsibility was claimed in a posting on the website of the Amaq news agency, which supports Islamic State.

More than 60 people were taken to nearby hospitals, said Falah al-Radhi, head of the provincial security committee, without saying how many were killed.

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"It's the largest bombing in the province to date," he told Reuters. "The checkpoint, the nearby police station were destroyed as well as some houses and dozens of cars."

Hilla is the capital of the province of Babylon, a predominantly Shi'ite region with some Sunni presence.

"A martyr's operation with a truck bomb hit the Babylon Ruins checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, killing and wounding dozens," the statement on the Amaq website said.

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According to reports, five people have been injured in the incident.

By India Today Web Desk: A group of unidentified men today vandalised a Church in Khamardih area of Chhattisgarh's Raipur.

According to reports, five people have been injured in the incident.

Chhattisgarh Police has filed an FIR against around half-a-dozen Bajrang Dal workers and started a probe into the matter. Three bikes of the accused have also been seized by police from near the church.

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As per eyewitnesses, the men stormed inside the church during a prayer service and started ravaging the church building and beating people.

The president of Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, Arun Pannalal, said that the attack was carried out by Bajrang Dal men. In his complaint he said, "they were chanting 'Jai Shri Ram slogans' and were making allegations of religious conversion."

He also alleged that women, who were praying in the church, were molested and kids were hurt. "They ripped off women's clothes and threw a 2-year-old boy on ground," he added.

Also read: Bajrang Dal activist's murder case: Bail granted to 2 accused

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In the overall race for Republican delegates, Trump led with at least 375 and Cruz had at least 291. Rubio had 123 delegates and Kasich had 33.

By AP: Providing new evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious Republican Party race for president, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each captured two victories in a four-state round of primary voting.

Bernie Sanders won Saturday in Nebraska and Kansas in the Democratic race, while front-runner Hillary Clinton took Louisiana, another divided verdict from the American people.

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Cruz, a Texas senator, claimed Kansas and Maine, and declared it "a manifestation of a real shift in momentum."

Trump, still the front-runner in the hunt for delegates, took Louisiana and Kentucky.

In the overall race for Republican delegates, Trump led with at least 375 and Cruz had at least 291. Rubio had 123 delegates and Kasich had 33. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Clinton had at least 1,117 delegates to Sanders' 477, including superdelegates - members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Cruz, a favorite of the ultraconservative tea party movement, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a "manifestation of a real shift in momentum."

With the Republican race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders - including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain - are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the Republican ticket.

Trump, at a post-election news conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, declared himself primed for a head-on contest between himself and Cruz, and called for Rubio to drop out.

"I would like to take on Ted one-on-one," he said, ticking off a list of big states where he said Cruz had no chance. "That would be so much fun."

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.

In Maine, Cruz won by a comfortable margin over Trump.

On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Sanders won by a solid margin in Nebraska and Kansas officials said he'd won the state caucuses, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season. Clinton, who's been doing well with African-American voters, had an easy win in Louisiana.

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Clinton hoped that strong support among African-Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Vermonter Sanders, trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the Republican convention, every one of the 155 Republican delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

It was anger that propelled many of Trump's voters to the polls. "It's my opportunity to revolt," said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because "he's not bought and paid for."

Overall, Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturday's voting. Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.

ALSO READ

Despite India's objections, US moves to finalise F-16 jet deal with Pakistan



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By Mail Today: In an exclusive interview to Mail Today, Akhil Bhartiya Jat Maha Sabha chief Hawa Singh Sangwan apologised to the people for the damage caused during the quota stir.

What will be your community's future strategy to secure your ongoing demand?

- The Jat community will not sit silently until their demands are met. We have been waiting for the state government's response on this matter. The chief minister has assured us that the matter will be discussed in the upcoming Budget session. If they do not respond according to our expectations, we will go on the streets for a decisive war to achieve the target.

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What is your take on the Murthal mass gang rape episode?

- It is quite unfortunate that the Jat community was blamed for the Murthal mass gang rape incidents without having any proof against our youth. It was a measure taken to defame us.

What do you have to say on the vandalism that took place during the agitation?

- It is quite painful that large scale of violence took place in the name of Jat agitation despite the fact that in many cases Jat community people were not involved. Above all, I regret that the violence claimed several lives in the state and we whole heartedly apologise to the people.

What are your reasons for demanding an investigation into the wrongdoings during the stir?

- Since the Jat agitation claimed many lives and caused huge damage to government and private properties, we have demanded an investigation by some independent agency or retired judge of Supreme Court. If our people are responsible for the violence and damage caused in the state then they should be booked under stringent laws.

- As told to Ajay Kumar

ALSO READ:

Jat agitation: Haryana govt releases Rs 20 crore as interim assistance to 1,537 affected people

Jat quota stir: Cops register first FIR in Murthal gangrape case



--- ENDS ---
Welcome to H&C,,, where I aggregate news of interest. Primary topics include abuse with "the church", LGBTQI+ issues, cults - including anti-vaxxers, and the Dominionist and Theocratic movements. Also of concern is the anti-science movement with interest in those that promote garbage like homeopathy, chiropractic and the like. I am an atheist and anti-theist who believes religious mythos must be die and a strong supporter of SOCAS.
What You Can't Discuss:

This is a partial list of taboo topics within progressive-left venues around the Arab-Israel conflict. You cannot discuss this material because it undermines the "Palestinian narrative" of perpetual victimhood. This narrative is a club used by the Arab and Muslim enemies of Israel, along with their western progressive allies, to delegitimize that country in preparation for its eventual dissolution.



1) The centuries of Jewish dhimmitude under the boot of Islamic imperialism.



2) The recent construction of Palestinian identity, its connection to Soviet Cold War politics, and how this is an Arab people with a Roman name that refers to Greeks.



3) Arab and Palestinian Koranically-based racism as the fundamental source of the conflict.



4) The ways in which contemporary progressive anti-Zionism serves as a cloak for gross anti-Semitism.



5) The Palestinian theft and appropriation of Jewish history.



6) "Pallywood."



7) The historical connections between the Nazis, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Palestinian national movement.



8) The perpetual refusal of the Palestinian-Arabs to accept a state for themselves in peace next to the Jewish one.



9) The progressive portrayal of terrorists as those fighting a righteous war of "resistance."



10) The Arab-Palestinian indoctrination of children with Jew hatred.



11) Human rights violations against women, children, and Gay people in the Muslim Middle East.



12) The fact that violent Jihadis call themselves "Jihadis" and claim to love death above life.



This is only a partial list, so please let us know the many more that we are missing.
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DEARBORN, Mich. -- It is here in the industrial Midwest, not in the South, where Ted Cruz's audacious theory of the 2016 race was supposed to be put to one of its most important tests. Michigan's primary on Tuesday -- and especially what happens that day in the Detroit suburbs that in 1980 were ground zero for a new political species, "Reagan Democrats" -- will answer this question: Can Cruz locate and motivate legions of recently nonvoting conservatives, millions of them nationwide, especially whites without college experience, who can be pulled back into voting in numbers sufficient to determine the election in November?

But the best-laid plans of mice and men and even senators often go awry, and one problem with Cruz's plan is that it was formulated in olden days, in the world B.D.T. -- Before Donald Trump. He, too, is courting this cohort of the disaffected, whose grievances about politicians certainly cannot this year include being ignored by them. But although Trump may bestride the political scene mastodon, Patrick Colbeck and Wendy Day are undaunted.

Colbeck, 50, was an engineer with no interest in politics until, six years ago, he did something almost unprecedented even among members of the national legislature: He read the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. He concluded that "this is about control and has nothing to do with care." Now he is a Republican state senator, the first Michigan legislator elected from the tea party, and a thorn in the side of the GOP's legislative leadership on spending and other matters. Which is to say, he is somewhat like Ted Cruz, of whose Michigan campaign Colbeck is chairman.

Day, 43, is the wife of a soldier who has a Purple Heart from two tours in the Middle East, and the mother of a 19-year-old soldier just back from his first deployment, in Kuwait. She was working with war widows before becoming state director of the Cruz campaign because "he's been to Babylon and survived." Meaning he's resisted "the seductive nature of Washington." Now she travels with a spreadsheet, supplied by Cruz's national campaign headquarters in Houston, detailing the expected March 8 vote in all of Michigan's 4,500 precincts and the number of votes Cruz needs to get in each in order to win the state.

Houston projects that Cruz needs 345,000 of the 1.08 million votes the campaign expects to be cast. Day has on her phone a picture of two of those voters who, with no prompting from the campaign, set up a table outside a tractor supply store to educate voters about Cruz's enthusiasm for the Second Amendment. Other volunteers held a fundraiser at a gun range to pay for a Cruz billboard.

Yes, each such anecdote testifies to Cruz's ability to energize a passionate cadre, and, yes, as has been said, the plural of "anecdote" is "data." Today, however, much more than when Winston Churchill said so eight decades ago, "We have entered the region of mass effects." In Michigan, as in many of the Super Tuesday states, the Cruz campaign mounted the most ambitious efforts to create telephone-and-shoe-leather get-out-the-vote operations, all of which strengthen the sinews of American democracy. In its approach to Iowa, the campaign identified 150 clusters of Iowans for special attention, including a group of 60 who signed a petition seeking legalization of the sale of fireworks in the state, a group that received a blessing from Cruz in his libertarian mode.

But today's saturation journalism about presidential politics -- and especially the insatiable appetite of television for the garish sights and sounds of Trump, whose campaign consists almost entirely of feeding this appetite -- can raise waves of passion and distraction that wash away more methodical ways of engaging with voters.

A Detroit News/WDIV-TV poll, taken Feb. 14-16, after Iowa's caucuses and New Hampshire's primary but before South Carolina's primary and Nevada's caucuses, presented a microcosm of the GOP's national problem: Trump 25.2 percent, undecided 21.3, Cruz 15, Marco Rubio 11.8, John Kasich 10.5, Ben Carson 9, Jeb Bush 5.3. Trump had the highest unfavorable rating (41.3), but the combined 37.3 percent of the three serious Trump rivals still in the race is too fragmented to derail him. And Kasich, from contiguous Ohio, is targeting Michigan.

Michigan's primary comes a week -- an eternity -- after Super Tuesday's 11 primaries altered the political landscape. Michigan is one of the 18 states (and the District of Columbia) -- with 242 electoral votes -- that Republicans have lost in six consecutive presidential elections, so attention must be paid.
By MRATT KYAW THU | FRONTIEROne of the richest legacies of the Arakan Kingdom that flourished in western Myanmar from 1429 to 1785 is the site of hundreds of temples and pagodas built in and around its capital at Mrauk U, a wealthy trading hub near the Kaladan River.Thousands of temples were built throughout the kingdom, that ruled over present day Rakhine State and part of Bangladesh, but an inventory by the Department of Archeology and National Museums says there are only about 300 in and around Mrauk U, Myanmars second most famous archeological site after Bagan. It is believed there are many more pagodas and temples in the Mrauk U area yet to be excavated.Since a restoration project began in 2011, the Rakhine and Union governments have allocated large sums to catalogue and restore ancient buildings in Mrauk U. Five years later there is no significant evidence of progress.Instead, restoration work on two of the ancient capitals most famous temples, the Shittaung Paya (Eight-thousand Buddha image temple) and the Kothaung Paya (Nine-thousand Buddha image temple) has involved the use of concrete and modern masonry techniques, a situation replicated at many archeological sites at Mrauk U.They are not doing maintenance, its distortion, the chair of the Mrauk U Heritage Trust, Daw Khin Than, told Frontier. The development of Mrauk U archeological zone is, I can say, zero, she said, criticising the use of concrete to renovate and redecorate sites of archeological significance. Its all 2015-style heritage, not the real Mrauk U; Im so sad.The heritage trust was established last year by former archeologists and academics as a non-profit organisation to campaign for restoration techniques that respect a buildings architectural and archeological integrity.The Department of Archeology is not watching over and checking what they have done, said Daw Khin Than. If they continue like this, it will be fully distorted with new styles and we wont see our ancient craftsmanship anymore, she said. Its as if the Department of Archaeology and National Museums has the legal right to destroy Mrauk U.An urban plan for Mrauk U provides for the towns residential areas and main government buildings to be outside the heritage zone.The hotel zone is close to one of the towns most popular attractions, the remains of the former royal palace. More hotels are being built in the town to cater for an increasing number of tourists. The Rakhine State government has continued to issue permits for hotels, despite passing a law last year that ostensibly protects archeological sites in Mrauk U by limiting the number of new buildings and despite a directive from the department ordering an end to new building projects.The regional government issues lots of permits to business owners to build hotels, said U Aung Soe, the secretary of the heritage trust. The departments office in Mrauk U was unable to do anything about it and the township authorities are involved, he said.The maintenance and development of the Mrauk U archeological zone is the responsibility of the Department of Archeology and National Museums, under the Ministry of Culture. A departmental office in the state capital, Sittwe, had regulatory control over the zone, including issuing permits for conservation and other work. Three months ago, responsibility for the zone was transferred to a departmental office in Mrauk U, where a position was created for a new director, U Nyein Lwin.Responsibility for Mrauk U is no longer our concern, U Kyi Khin, the deputy director of the departments Sittwe office, told Frontier.All departmental allocations for Mrauk U for the last five years were controlled by the Sittwe office, including projects yet to be completed.The maintenance budget is allocated by the state government. Figures from the Rakhine State Auditor-Generals Office show the allocation for Mrauk U in 2011-2012 was K84 million (about US$67,800 at current exchange rates).The state governments allocation increased nearly eight-fold the following year to K650 million but was reduced to K550 million in 2013-2014.The allocation for Mrauk U skyrocketed to K6,927 million in 2014-2015, when the Union government allocated K532 to the archeological zone.Chief Minister U Maung Maung Ohn allocated another K3,000 million to build a national museum in Mrauk U that fiscal year but the department used the funds to redecorate the townships architecturally-significant court and administrative office.The state governments allocation to Mrauk U for 2015-2016 was K6,390 million.Sources in Mrauk U said hotels and other buildings were erected during the term of Chief Minister U Mya Aung, who was replaced by U Maung Maung Ohn in 2015.Over five years, the total budget for maintenance at Mrauk U was K15,138 million.They said there was a lack of transparency in tenders granted by the departments Sittwe office to Rakhine-based companies for maintenance projects at Mrauk U.Those construction companies dont understand the value of archeological heritage and ancient craftsmanship, said Daw Khin Than, who said the department also suffered from a shortage of experts. The department gave contracts to construction companies that know nothing about heritage, she said, referring to the Sittwe office.The law requires that projects worth more than K50 million must be open to public tender. There is no evidence that projects at Mrauk U since 2014 that cost more than K100 million were tendered publicly. Since 2014, 12 construction companies have been awarded state government tenders for projects at Mrauk U.Although U Kyi Khin said the departments Sittwe office had no responsibility for maintenance work at Mrauk U, the Rakhine Auditor-General, U Tun Aung Zan, said the department had received allocations under the regional budget.The department is believed to have sub-contracted some construction companies.Some cases are very hard to say; some budgets are given to construction companies, and some went to the department, U Tun Aung Zan said.Although the Rakhine Auditor-Generals Office is responsible for monitoring allocations for conservation and development work at Mrauk U, U Tun Aung Zan told Frontier it had not been provided with complete documentation on how the money was spent.We can check the contracts but all the permits and allocation decisions are made at ministerial level, he said.Another challenge is frequent changes in senior officials at the Auditor-Generals Office, which disrupts audits of government ministries.Contracts at the Office of the Auditor General show contractors are liable to be fined if projects are overdue, but no fines have been levied despite work continuing on some of them.This is happening because of corruption and a lack of expertise and standardisation, said Daw Khin Than. I hope the incoming government will take action over all the corruption at Mrauk U, she said.Title photo: Mratt Kyaw Thu / Frontierhttp://frontiermyanmar.net/en/whiff-corruption-mrauk-u
1876: A mass meeting of citizens was held to promote building of a narrow-gauge railroad from Lincoln to Denver. Stock was subscribed to for the amount of $16,500.

It was reported that 150 teams had organized to depart from Fremont for the Black Hills, almost depopulating the town.

1886: Lincoln was cited at a meeting of New York ministers as an example of the failure of high license fees in combating the spread of saloons. Before the adoption of a $1,000 license fee, the city had 17 saloons, but the number had risen to 23 saloons after the fee increase.

1896: The new Nebraska Telephone Co. building went into use.

A mass meeting of Republicans in Lincoln declared themselves for McKinley for president.

1906: Much criticism was being directed at the pool halls in Lincoln. It was charged that they were contributing seriously to the delinquency of youths.

1916: A second potash company was being formed to develop mineral lakes near Antioch, east of Alliance, and supply the World War I market.

A canning factory at Kearney resumed operations after being shut down for a year because corn and tomato crops were short.

1926: A Nebraska Baptist Conference passed a resolution approving a move to abolish compulsory military training at the University of Nebraska. At the time all freshmen and sophomore men were required to attend a weekly military drill session.

1936: Flood conditions in Nebraska were easing as ice jams were loosened by warm weather.

The rural electrification bill sponsored by Nebraska Sen. George Norris passed the U.S. Senate.

1946: Lincoln citizens' postwar emergency housing survey got under way with a mass meeting on housing and distribution of 25,000 questionnaires on housing needs.

1956: The $235,000, 25-bed Annie Jeffrey Memorial Hospital was dedicated at Osceola.

1966: Lincoln attorney Charles Thone withdrew from the race for lieutenant governor and from elective political candidacies, he said. (In 1970, he would run a successful race as the Republican candidate for Congress in the First District, and he was elected governor in 1979.)

1976: The 25 schools in rural Lancaster County received generally low marks in a study of health and sanitation conditions by the City-County Health Department.

1986: 55-year-old Robert Lee G. Cowell of Lincoln was Bryan Memorial Hospital's first heart transplant patient.

Sixty-five percent of Nebraskans surveyed favored a state law that would outlaw paramilitary training camps in Nebraska. Forty-five percent felt such camps were a serious threat.

1996: Officials announced plans for a new Strategic Air Command Museum on Interstate 80 near Eugene T. Mahoney State Park to house the collection of historic aircraft, missiles and exhibits near Offut Air Force Base.

Tommy Frazier was released from the hospital nearly two weeks after suffering a severe blood clot in his right leg. A regimen of blood thinners sidelined him long enough to miss the upcoming NFL draft.

Former Nebraskan neo-Nazi Gerhard Lauck was scheduled to go on trial in Germany, charged with 38 counts of inciting racial hatred and distributing illegal propaganda. He faced up to five years in prison.

2006: Amanda McGill, a former television reporter and communications director for the Nebraska Democratic Party is seeking one of Lincolns seats in the Legislature.

The Lancaster County Board approved a nearly $180,000 contract with The Clark Enersen Partners for a pre-architectural plan for a new county jail. Clark Enersen, a local architectural firm, and two consultants will have eight months to come up with a plan for expanding the jail or building a new one. Among tasks defined in the contract are forecasting jail needs to the year 2020, planning and designing a facility to meet those needs and determining how much it will cost. The county must expand its jail because overcrowding has left it out of compliance with state standards for several years.
Hundreds of students, staff and faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have turned out to hear from the finalists vying to become the next campus chancellor.

The public search process required under Nebraska law has allowed those groups to question candidates, hear their ambitions for UNLs future and get to know more about them as people.

A bill (LB1109) set for floor debate in the Nebraska Legislature soon would change that process, allowing the university to name only a single finalist in searches for a system president or campus chancellor. The finalist would then be required to participate in informational forums.

Rebca Nikedemos, a senior political science and global studies major who is also a member of the Executive Council of Multicultural Students, the African Student Association and the Model United Nations, said the forums have given her insight into the decision-making process at the university.

Im a concerned student, I like to be part of the universitys process in hiring staff and faculty and I like the fact that they are letting us have that opportunity, she said.

After the first two forums, Nikedemos said she was able to see how both candidates addressed the same questions. She said she felt confident that both answered as honestly and simply as possible.

I didnt want to let it slip by without me self-assessing who they are hiring to decide where my tuition money is going to go.

Fellow senior Lura Walker, who lives off campus, said she learned about the opportunity to hear from each of the finalists from a professor.

I think its really important to come and listen and give feedback because there arent a lot of choices they explicitly ask for student opinion on, Walker said.

Graduate student David Strom said while he wasn't able to attend each of the forums, he has watched recap videos and followed the news of the candidates' visits to campus.

Sue Ostrander, a project coordinator in UNL Shared Computing Resources, said curiosity about the process brought her to the forums.

"I want to know what the leadership may consist of in the future," Ostrander said, adding she found a lot of value in being able to attend each of the forums.

"It would be disappointing if (LB1109) were to pass, in my opinion."

George Wolf, an English professor emeritus, referred to the legislative bill in a question to a candidate last week, saying it would make the search process for university leadership positions less transparent.

Testifying in support of the bill before the Legislatures Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee in February, NU President Hank Bounds said Nebraskas law leaves the university at a disadvantage to the majority of our competitors across the country.

The public process, Bounds and other supporters of the bill argued, led to a candidate pool with significantly fewer candidates than expected.

Oregon, where UNL chancellor finalist Sabah Randhawa serves as provost of Oregon State University, has no laws requiring universities to disclose finalists although some smaller regional universities do make the names of their candidates public.

Randhawa, who appeared at forums at UNL in late February, said he understands why administrators across the country might be reluctant to participate in a public search process, but added that it wasn't an issue for him.

Ive been pretty open and transparent with my home campus, he said. I feel good if I were to leave at this particular point in time, the university is in good hands.

Still, even in a closed search, Randhawa said he would expect his identity would become known before a hire was made.

I know many of the folks sitting here have picked up the phone and called people at my home campus, he said. Higher education, at the end of the day, is a small community and frankly, even where there is a lot of constraints on names not being released, people find out.

Randhawa has been a public finalist in job searches at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Vermont.

Iowa also requires the university to name multiple finalists ahead of the interview process.

In its recent search to replace Sally Mason as president of the University of Iowa, the Board of Regents there chose Bruce Harreld, the former vice president of marketing and strategy at IBM, over finalists who came from academia.

The selection came under scrutiny from faculty members who voiced concerns through the public commenting process about Harrelds lack of experience in academia, although he had held adjunct professor positions at both Harvard University and Northwestern University.

UNL finalist Daniel Reed, now vice president of research and economic development at the University of Iowa, visited UNL Tuesday and Wednesday and met with students, faculty and staff. He also said he had no hesitation in putting his name forward in a public process.

I had certainly made the university (of Iowa) aware I was exploring another opportunity, Reed said. When he arrived at Iowa, he said, he spoke at length with Sally Mason about his hopes to one day become a university leader.

This is not a sudden or recent thing -- its something Ive been thinking about for years, Reed said.

As a 30-year university faculty member and administrator, Reed said he understands the public search process and described it as a courtship on both sides, one where university stakeholders are given the opportunity to judge the candidate, while the candidate is able to determine how he or she would fit into the universitys culture.

Youre buying the whole person, not just a specific set of business execution plans, he said. People rightfully want to know, Who is this person? How will they affect my future?

Its important for the stakeholders to understand not just what people have done but the ethos of how they would approach problems, he said.

The nine-member Kansas Board of Regents, who are appointed by the governor rather than elected, have the flexibility to decide if and when to publicize the identities of finalists for campus leadership positions.

In previous searches for campus leaders at the University of Kansas, the regents chose not to disclose any finalists to the public.

In more recent searches for campus leaders at Fort Hays State University and Emporia State University, the Kansas board released the identities of three to five candidates 24 hours before their visit.

Kansas State University Provost April Mason, who was a public finalist at the University of Arkansas before becoming a finalist at UNL, described her trepidation in moving forward in the public search process as largely personal.

Its very hard to tell your staff, Im going to go interview for a job that will take me away from you, she said.

Once she learned her identity would be made public in Nebraska, Mason said she was away from the office and had to email her staff, which is never fun.

She did say, however, that her staff was supportive of her exploring the opportunity to become UNLs next chancellor.

Ronnie Green, UNL's interim senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and the vice chancellor for agriculture -- as well as the only internal candidate being considered for the job -- said he has seen good candidates for UNL jobs withdraw before the finalist stage to keep their name from being public.

"I'm in a difficult situation here because I work for the university and the university has said they believe strongly this bill is good," Green told a faculty forum.

"Personally, I'm a candidate in this search. I am very pleased it is a public process where you're being able to look at four different candidates and evaluate who a good fit would be."

It's not an easy process for the finalists, Green said, "but it's fair."

"It's the right thing to do for this campus."
RACINE  Over the last year, the Racine Unified School Board has been engaged in an ongoing battle for control over what direction the school district should go in.

While School Board members Pamala Handrow and Mike Frontier agree on a lot, the issues on which they differ deeply divided the board for months last year  two board factions becoming front lines in a rift between district administrators and employee unions.

In particular, they represent two sides of a debate on the employee handbook, in which Handrow sided with administrators call for quick flexibility in hiring and salary decisions while Frontier argued for greater collaboration with employees and unions.

Handrows side eventually won out with the appointment of John Koetz to the ninth board seat, breaking the tie, but the issue still weighs heavily as the incumbents prepare to face off in a general election April 5 to decide which one will stay on the School Board.

The race

With all nine School Board seats up for election under a new state-mandated system that gives one seat to nine geographic election districts, the two incumbents are running against each other to represent the 3rd District. The 3rd District encompasses a small but densely populated area on the southeast side of Racine, with its rough center near the intersection of DeKoven Avenue and South Memorial Drive.

Handrow, director of SAFE Haven of Racine and Bethany Apartments, has been on the board since 2008 and is in her third term. Frontier, a retired Unified school principal, is concluding his first term since he was first elected in 2013.

Differences

When asked what separates the two candidates, Frontier noted that he has demonstrated willingness to ask tough questions about initiatives and changes that administrators have sought, and in the case of the handbook, to push for the board to be more involved in the debate.

I think our voters need a strong voice that represents the perspective of the community, and a strong questioning voice, he said. I dont mind raising questions  I think its very critical and its how we make better decisions as a board.

Handrow, who is relatively quiet in board meetings, pointed to her votes, including on the handbook, as showing that she will act quickly on choices that cannot wait.

Where I think I differ from Mike is that Im not afraid at this point in time to make some courageous decisions that I think will bring the district ahead, said Handrow. I know Mike agrees that students come first, but I think I have demonstrated that Im more willing to make those decisions when they need to be made.

On the issues

Regarding the handbook, neither candidate argued that employees and all other stakeholders in the district should have some form of input. Frontier stressed the need for the district and the unions to work together to build trust and create harmony between the two groups  and that the board should be an active part in that.

We need to cut through the divisive relations and model the kind of collaboration we expect from our students, he wrote in an email.

However, Handrow stressed that the handbook should not be negotiated or subject to consensus by both sides  a key sticking point that led the districts legal counsel and others to the conclusion the written process for changing the handbook was collective bargaining, which is illegal for most public employees in Wisconsin.

The two came down similarly on block scheduling  a system of fewer but longer classes per day that administrators say is vital to the Academies of Racine launching in 2016, but unions have called for the district to delay on.

Frontier noted that he has asked the district for more information on how long other district have taken to implement block scheduling and train staff, while Handrow pointed to the teacher training and support already planned said the district should start block scheduling next year to benefit students sooner.

I think it needs to happen, Handrow said. It provides a great deal of opportunity for building relationships with students, doing some classroom actives that are project-based and interactive between students  and I think it can be done.
This column is the second in a four-part series submitted by members of the Racine Unified School District Volunteer Communication Sub-committee.

During my high school years, I had the opportunity to nurture my passion for the arts, both performing and visual arts. I was particularly interested in creating pencil and charcoal drawings. As a freshman, I partnered with several upper classmen to form a local band. The opportunity to perform helped me to develop the confidence I would need in law enforcement. I also learned to meet deadlines and to be a team player, and to never settle for less than the best I could do.

As a sophomore and again as a junior, I was honored to be selected by my teachers to receive scholarships to attend a summer camp held in Green Bay for aspiring artists. This summer enrichment program was sponsored through a partnership between RUSD and the UW System. The opportunity to travel to and temporarily live in a different environment was unique for me. Although the trip was intimidating from the perspective of teen who had never ventured so far from home, the experience allowed me to grow both artistically and socially.

In reflecting on my high school coursework and overall educational experience within the district, I realize that I developed a gradual but intense appreciation for English, social studies and psychology. Through analyzing complex pieces of fine literature, conducting research and interviews, drafting essays, and writing academic papers, I learned valuable communication skills that were essential to and transferable to my eventual career in law enforcement. Proficiency in critical thinking, oral and written communication skills can make the difference when advancing from entry level service to advanced levels of management and leadership. Even before I had a specific career choice in mind, I knew I would benefit from the lessons learned during my early school years.

We now know that, from a developmental standpoint, appropriate reading proficiency by the completion of the third grade is critical to ones ability and capacity to absorb new information and move forward. Those who cant read early on will struggle to learn new information. With this reality gratefully noted, much of my later success can be attributed to the years of orderly and expert preparation during my pre-high school years.

During my early development, I enjoyed a hybrid school placement experience that included being educated at the neighborhood level at Franklin Elementary, while being educated outside of my immediate neighborhood during my junior high and high school years. Collectively, the two uniquely different experiences prepared me for success. The neighborhood school experience provided the safety, security and comfort of being in a familiar place, whereas the subsequent exposure to areas outside of my immediate neighborhood, exposed me to other cultures, viewpoints and perspectives.

Overall, from an academic achievement perspective to social interaction, my school experience provided the foundation upon which I was able to achieve success in my current profession.

Like many young couples who migrated to Wisconsin from the deep South in the 1950s, my parents moved to Racine to pursue job opportunities in this community. My father worked at J.I. Case Co. for 33 years. In addition to raising six children, my mother worked part time as well. Although a number of my successful classmates left to pursue employment outside Racine, I made the conscious decision to stay in Racine in order to maintain strong family ties while contributing to the community that had sustained my family since the 1950s.

Within the Greater Racine Community are a number of established and emerging leaders who received their education in the Racine Unified School District. Many have elected to remain connected and to give back to this community. The district has many success stories to be shared, and as a community, we will benefit from reflecting on local success stories. My story is but one such testimonial.
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. People's Artist of the USSR and Russia Armen Dzigarkhanyan remains in intensive care unit with critical health condition, Interfax was informed from the press service of Sklifosovsky Research Institute.

The condition is critical. He is in intensive care unit, a press service employee informed.

On March 5 Dzigarkhanyan was taken to intensive care unit with symptoms of a heart attack, but that diagnose was not confirmed.

On March 5, at 10:00, USSR People's Artist Armen Dzhigarkhanyan was hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the cardiology department of Scientific Research Institute for Emergency Medicine named after N.V. Sklifosovsky, "Armenpress" was informed from the Institute. Staff of the institute refused to provide information on Armen Dzhigarkanyan's health condition.

We only confirm that Armen Dzhigarkhanyan was moved to our medical institution because of heart problems at 10:00 in the morning. All the necessary examinations are carried out. Only after finishing the examination, we can provide new information, receptionist of the Medical Research Institute said.

Armen Dzhigarkhanyan was born in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union on 3 October 1935. His paternal grandfather came from an Armenian family from Tbilisi, Georgia's capital. He graduated from a Russian high school named after Anton Chekhov. Between 1953 and 1954, he worked as camera operator's assistant at the state-run Hayfilm studio.

Since 1960, he appeared in a number of Armenian films. He became popular in the 1970s with the various roles he played in Soviet films like The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers (1968), its sequel The Crown of the Russian Empire, or Once Again the Elusive Avengers (1971) and The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (1979). After almost 30 years on the stage of the Mayakovsky Theatre, Dzhigarkhanyan taught at VGIK and in 1996 he founded his own drama theater in Moscow.

Dzhigarkhanyan, one of the most renowned living film and stage Armenian and Russian actors, has appeared in more films than any other Russian actor with more than 250 appearances.
The Department of Natural Resources is the one agency in Wisconsin tasked with protecting our air and water. So its alarming to learn that the DNR is on the verge of abdicating that responsibility in the name of making the state more business-friendly.

The DNR is closing in on a major reorganization that could send duties to other agencies and streamline regulatory work, including an experimental plan to allow some businesses to draft their own environmental permits, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Feb. 26.

Officials said the goal is to increase the DNRs efficiency. Its responsibilities range from management of hunting, fishing and state parks to regulating large-scale farms and keeping tabs on invasive species.

We cant nibble around the edges, Deputy Secretary Kurt Thiede said last month.We have to make strategic decisions about what we are going to continue to do, where we are going to focus and be brave enough to say we are going to give certain things up.

The Republican-led Legislature is no friend to the DNR. It has cut the agencys funding and advanced a series of measures to limit DNR powers in recent years.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, have grown more dissatisfied, pointing to the drop in enforcement activity, reductions in scientific staff and concerns that the DNR isnt doing enough on matters like groundwater protection, water pollution and oversight of large farms.

Thiede emphasized that environmental protections wont be weakened and the DNR would still have to approve permits. This isnt about changing the law, not following the law, he said.

Mr. Thiede, you dont have to change the law to satisfy certain constituencies. You can do that by become much less vigorous in enforcement. Or by signaling an appetite for deregulation by saying You tell us how much pollution is acceptable.

Is a business given the latitude to write its own environmental-permit language going to be more likely to relax pollution standards on itself, or less likely? We believe that wed hear from Corporation X that the existing standard for dumping waste into nearby streams and rivers is outdated.

Handing a fill-in-the-blank regulatory form over to a business surely will please that business, but its a disservice to everybody else.

DNR should be commended for their efforts to streamline the permitting process to get permits issued more quickly without changing environmental standards in any way, Lucas Vebber, director of environmental and energy policy for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the states largest business group, said in an email to the Journal Sentinel.

Except for the without changing environmental standards in any way part, we agree with the WMC spokesmans assessment of what the DNR is doing.

DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp, a former homebuilder, recalled at one agency listening session how an employee told her that clean air and clean water, that those were our customers. And I said, Well, the last time I checked, they dont pay taxes and they dont sign our paychecks. 

Shes got us there. The air and the water do not pay taxes.

But taxpayers also need clean air and clean water. And they need the agency tasked with protection of our air and water to actually do its job.
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hellhole

In many ways, it needed to happen. Something not so good needed to happen on my recent Costa Rica trip. It was all going too well. Here, if I could, I would insert a killer photo of, oh, say, a quetzal. But I can't. Read on...So there was this moment in a steamy hot eco-lodge called Las Esquinas on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica when I opened my little optics suitcase, and lifted up the 4" pad of soft clothing atop my laptop, and noticed that its protective high-impact plastic case had cracked and sprung off of it. Hmm. How did that happen, inside all that padding? Musta been dropped, or had the corner of another suitcase applied fast and hard.And then when I went to use it, the mouse didn't click right. Over the next few days, it got funkier and funkier, until things ground to a halt on the plane home, coming into Columbus, and the mouse quit working altogether.Years of work as a wildlife rehabber has made me pretty fast on my feet. Nothing like a phone call saying there are, oh, say, four orphaned baby hummingbirds coming in within the hour to make a person quick at reshuffling her life. So as the plane was taxiing to the gate at CMH, I hatched a plan to get that sucker fixed.You see, where I live, two hours from my nearest airport or metropolitan center, there is no repair facility that will touch a Mac computer. Not even with a ten-foot pole. The nearest place used to be in Newark, 1 3/4 hr. away. But then we broke up. So now I take my busted laptops to Elan Technologies in Columbus. I love the guys at Elan. They'll take your hacking, coughing Mac out of your trembling hands, ask for your top secret spy password, and open 'er right up in front of you. They'll even pull out some loops of intestine. And they'll say, "Yep, just what I thought, fried logic board, needs a media card too, gonna be a couple days, but we'll get it back to you good as new!" Then they'll stick the guts back in, transfer all your schtuff to an external hard drive and save it just in case something blows up, and fix that sucker.In this case, whatever bump the laptop took on the bus apparently made the battery swell. And that's a problem, because the battery lies right beneath the mousepad on a MacBook Pro. So when the battery pushes up against the mouse, the mouse stops clicking. And when the mouse stops clicking,nothinghappensatall.You can look at things, but you can't open them or touch them. Or write. Or edit. Or access your calendar. Or your photos. Here, pause to rend clothes and beat breast. Here, do not insert photo of howler monkey going ape. Because you can't.Because all your photos are in Columbus, and you're here working on your old laptop, off which you purged all your stuff so your son could play Minecraft on it by the hour. Ha. ha. ha. ha. Ha. Joke's on you. But hey. You can get your email, and play The Facebook. And that's something.So here I am at a Columbus hotel, where I've gone to retrieve my parked car. I'm dog tired, having gotten up at 3:50 AM in San Jose to start my 18 hour-trip home. It's 6:30 pm, getting dark. I do NOT want to spend the night in Columbus just so I can take the durn computer in to Elan at 9 the next morning. So I start texting friends. No answer from Option 1. I text another friend. No can do--in a crunch at work, can't get away. I'm sitting in the lobby of the hotel where I've parked my car for the ten-day duration, scratching my head, thinking about Option 3, which has yet to occur to me, when I hear a friendly halloo! And there are Jim and Nancy, with whom I've just spent a perfectly lovely trip to Costa Rica. And miracle of miracles, they're still happy to see me! Smiling at me! Not running away! Musta done something right!They're going to spend a leisurely night in that very hotel before starting home to south-central Ohio. Much as I would love to do that, I can't afford it. And there is a little family in Whipple, very anxious to see me, even saving dinner for me. So I ask Nancy and Jim if they would mind my laptop joining them for a pajama party and breakfast at Elan. On the descent to CMH, I've already written a most detailed note to my friends at the repair shop, outlining various things needing fixage, on the only paper available to me, which turned out to be a plastic-lined air sickness bag from the plane. I've included my contact info and top secret Apple password, too. Told you I was fast on my feet. All my sweet friends will have to do is drop it and run.That was Wednesday, March 2. I hope to pick it up March 7 or 8. I'll spend a total of four hours in the car to go get it. And enjoy every minute. Because on that laptop are all my photos. And all my schtuff. I need my schtuff. And if I've learned anything with this little adventure, it's1. Don't put your laptop in a suitcase when traveling. Carry it in your backpack, where, if it's going to get thumped, you're going to be the one who thumps it. I do that on the plane, of course, but let down my guard on the bus once in Costa Rica. Don't let down your guard.2. Get AppleCare. Because if you live large and take your laptop along like I do, somebody's fer shure going to thump it good. Or, as happened to me several laptops ago in Guyana, the Hottest, Wettest Place on Earth, it will simply stop working because it's waterlogged. And you will set it out in the sun to dry out, and tiny pharoah ants will POUR out of the keyboard, where they've been working overtime to eat all the cookie crumbs you've dropped into it over the years. And isn't it nice to have Apple cover that repair? Yes. It is. There is nothing like seeing hundreds of tiny pharoah ants pour out of your keyboard.3. When deprived of your laptop and all your stuff for a week, a good distraction is to clean yourhouse. You may even get it done in less time, because you aren't twiddling away on your, um, laptop. There. It's all done. And it only took 1 1/2 days. Well, the boys helped some.4. When deprived of your photos, it's a good time to reflect on how utterly, pathetically dependent you've become on photos to fuel your blogging. This is neither good nor bad; it just is. You should be able to give a talk off the cuff if the projector breaks. And you should be able to write an engaging blogpost without pictures of quetzals and howler monkeys. Yes, you should. Not to say you will want to. Waaaah. Here, pause to whine. moooonkkkeeeeyyssss nooooooooSo that's the deal, and this is my blogpost about it. See you maybe Tuesday, maybe Thursday.
The head of the US National Transportation Safety Board [official website], Chris Hart, stated on Friday that airlines around the world are not acting quickly enough [AP report] to address safety standards in the wake of the MH-370 disappearance. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) [official website], a UN agency that sets global aviation standards, has taken actions to address the most common safety gaps. Among other things, planes in distress will be required to automatically report their position and other critical information at least every minute to help searchers find the wreckage. Flight tracking, wreckage search, and flight tracking technologies are some of the areas being addressed in general. However, according to Hart, very few if any of these standards may become effective for another decade and not all of them apply to existing airplanes. Hart stated that We are concerned about the slow pace of progress at both the national and international levels  We believe this is long overdue. For instance, ICAO also adopted a standard this week requiring planes to include 25-hour voice recorders to capture an entire flight, as well as crew preparations beforehand. This requirement does not apply to planes already in service, which can have lifespans of 20 years or more, nor will they apply to planes manufactured for another five years.

Airline safety has much become a heavily discussed issue round the world in the wake of a series of disasters that have occurred in the past three-to-four years. The disasters have been attributed primarily to lax safety standards and/or poor implementation of the same. The Malaysian Airlines MH-370 disappearance was the first major event that occurred March 8, 2014. Very little, if any of the wreckage has been found to date, leaving questions as to what caused this disaster. In June 2015 the ICAO downgraded [JURIST report] the security rating of Thailands aviation sector from Category 1 to Category 2 after finding that Thailand aviations safety measures fell below [official report] UN agency standard. In August 2014 an India passenger plane, Jet Airways, that was carrying 280 people from Mumbai (Bombay) to Brussels suddenly dropped 5,000 feet [The Observer report], after a co-pilot got distracted on her iPad. This accident prompted an emergency message from an air traffic control center in Ankara in Turkey. In July 2014, Malaysian Airlines MH-17 was brought down [BBC backgrounder] in rebel-held Eastern Ukraine by a surface-to-air ground missile. Airlines have since been warned not to fly over the region. Russia vetoed [JURIST report] a UN Security Council [official website] resolution that would have created a new tribunal to prosecute those involved in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine last July.
The California legislature began considering a new bill [AB-1887, text] this week that would ban government-funded employee travel to states that are considered anti-gay. Democrat Evan Low stated [Time Report] that he introduced the bill in response to bills like the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act [text], which allows discrimination for religious reasons. The bill would not apply to lawmakers and trips with a political motivation but would apply to administrative travel only. It is unclear, at this point, which states the law will apply to but the law will definitely apply to states like Indiana with laws promoting discrimination.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights, as well as freedom of religious practice, remain controversial issues in the US. At least nineteen states have enacted some variety of religious freedom laws, most modeled after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act [text] signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1993. Following the US Supreme Court [official website] ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges [JURIST report] in June, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis refused to issue [JURIST report] marriage licenses, arguing that her Christian faith should exempt her from issuing the licenses to same-sex couples. In June North Carolina lawmakers passed SB 2, a law that permits magistrates to refuse to perform same-sex marriages on religious grounds, overriding a veto [JURIST reports] by Governor Pat McCrory. Earleir this year, an Indiana legislative committee approved a bill [JURIST report] that would repeal the controversial religious freedom law passed last year.
[JURIST] UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon [official profile] on Saturday called on [press release] the parties involved in the Western Sahara conflict to end the unacceptable plight of Sahrawi refugees in Algeria. After meeting [UN news report] with refugees and representatives at Smara Camp, and later pro-independence group Frente Popular de Liberacion de Saguia el Hamra y Rio de Oro (Polisario Front) [advocacy website, in Spanish] Secretary General Mohamed Abdelaziz, Ban stated that the parties have not made any real progress in negotiating towards a fair and lasting political situation. He stated:

What really moved and, even, saddened me was the anger. Many people expressed their anger -people who for more than forty years have lived in the harshest conditions and who feel their plight and their cause have been forgotten by the world My first objective in visiting the region is to make my own assessment and contribution to the search for a settlement My second objective was to visit the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. I will visit the team site in Bir Lahlou, as well as personnel performing vital demining activities

Ban is also slated to visit the headquarters of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) [official website] in Laayoune, Western Sahara.

Morocco has occupied the former Spanish colony of Western Sahara, native home to the Sahrawi, since 1975. Polisario has encouraged the expansion of the presence of MINURSO in the region, especially for human rights monitoring, but Morocco has opposed any such plans as infringements on its sovereignty [JURIST report]. Only 45 UN member states currently recognize the autonomy of the Western Sahara state, known as Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), even in a limited capacity. SADR is not recognized by the UN, although it has approved more than 100 resolutions supporting the right of self-determination of the Sahrawi people. In 1991 the UN Security Council established [SC resolution, PDF] MINURSO in accordance with the Secretary Generals plan for the implementation of the settlement [report, PDF] between Morocco and Polisario. In April the Security Council extended MINURSOs mission [UN News Centre report] through April 30, 2015, as no referendum on the independence of SADR has yet been held.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] announced on Friday that the city of Forth Worth, Texas has agreed to settle a lawsuit [DOJ press release] alleging that it discriminated against persons with disabilities by refusing to allow a group home for individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction to operate in a single family residential zone in the city. The lawsuit was filed in April 2015 alleging that the city violated the Fair Housing Act [text] when it issued multiple citations and fines against a four bedroom group home called Ebbys Place. Ebbys Place, owned and operated by Ben Patterson, was designed to encourage residents who have successfully completed a 30-day drug or alcohol treatment program to live together to reinforce their mutual commitment to recovery. Ebbys Place requested a zoning variance that would allow it to operate, which the city council unanimously denied. After conducting an investigation, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) [official website] referred the matter to the DOJ. Under the terms of the agreement, Fort Worth has agreed to allow Ebbys Place to operate with up a maximum of seven residents and will rescind all the previous citations. Forth Worth has also agreed to honor the $135,000 of monetary damages and $10,000 federal civil penalty imposed on the city. Additionally, Fort Worth adopted an ordinance that establishes a process whereby qualifying individuals may seek reasonable accommodations that are considered necessary for equal opportunity use and enjoyment of their housing. Vanita Gupta, head of the US DOJ Civil Rights Division [official website] commended Forth Worth for working with the Justice Department to reach an agreement that will safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities in our communities.

Access to homes, shelters, and other benefits and protection for the homeless and people with disabilities are a matter of concern in the US and internationally. UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing, Leilani Farha, warned that homelessness is increasing around the world [JURIST report; press release]. In September, JURIST Guest Columnist Devin Cohen discussed problems surrounding Veterans suffering from PTSD [JURIST op-ed] and their right to receive military benefits. Last August the DOJ challenged [JURIST report] an Idaho city ordinance that criminalizes sleeping in public places by the homeless. In October Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] sent [JURIST report] Moroccan officials a draft letter [text] that a proposed disability law before the Moroccan parliament [official website] conflicts with obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [text].
A breath of cigars and Anna

The play revisits the ceaselessly relevant clash between tradition and modernitya clash that acquires particular relevance in the context of contemporary Nepali reality
YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The family of the People's Artist of the USSR and Russia Armen Dzigarkhanyan denies the information spread by the media about the critical health condition of the actor, the artists wife, Vitalina Tsymbalyuk-Romanovskaya told TASS.

Earlier, media spread information about the critical health condition of the actor, mentioning that he is receiving treatment at intensive care unit.

It is false information which absolutely does not correspond to the reality. Someone decided to earn money ahead the holidays and tells the media absurd things, Romanovskaya mentioned. In her words, Dzigarkhanyans hospitalization is conducted in accordance with the plan.

Armen Dzigarkhanyan is taken to general ward; he feels normal, answers phone calls, talks and jokes as usual, press secretary of Dzigarkhanyans theatre told, adding that the actors wife has been with him at the hospital since morning.

According to TASS, on March 5 Dzigarkhanyan was taken to intensive care unit with symptoms of a heart attack, but that diagnose was not confirmed.

On March 5, at 10:00, USSR People's Artist Armen Dzhigarkhanyan was hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the cardiology department of Scientific Research Institute for Emergency Medicine named after N.V. Sklifosovsky, "Armenpress" was informed from the Institute. Staff of the institute refused to provide information on Armen Dzhigarkanyan's health condition.

We only confirm that Armen Dzhigarkhanyan was moved to our medical institution because of heart problems at 10:00 in the morning. All the necessary examinations are carried out. Only after finishing the examination, we can provide new information, receptionist of the Medical Research Institute said.

Armen Dzhigarkhanyan was born in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union on 3 October 1935. His paternal grandfather came from an Armenian family from Tbilisi, Georgia's capital. He graduated from a Russian high school named after Anton Chekhov. Between 1953 and 1954, he worked as camera operator's assistant at the state-run Hayfilm studio.

Since 1960, he appeared in a number of Armenian films. He became popular in the 1970s with the various roles he played in Soviet films like The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers (1968), its sequel The Crown of the Russian Empire, or Once Again the Elusive Avengers (1971) and The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (1979). After almost 30 years on the stage of the Mayakovsky Theatre, Dzhigarkhanyan taught at VGIK and in 1996 he founded his own drama theater in Moscow.

Photo by TASS
Himalaya all set to start ops

Himalaya Airlines, a Nepal-China joint-venture company, is all set to launch its international operations with an Airbus A320 jetliner.
Invisible births

Stillbirth is a measure of the quality of maternity care and general health conditions of women
Nafea to shut up shop from today

The Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) has announced to stop sending migrant workers abroad for work from Sunday.
Nepse closes above 1,300 for 1st time

Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) last week jumped 17.09 points, crossing the 1,300-point mark for the first time in its history.
New road results in losses for hotels

Hotels along the Annapurna Circuit have complained that the construction of the road connecting Lamjungs Besishahar and Manangs Chame has resulted in losses for them, with tourists opting for hiring vehicles to travel to Chame instead of trekking.
PM Oli briefs UML standing committee on his India visit

The Standing Committee meeting of CPN-UML has concluded that Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis India visit was successful in improving ties between the two countries.
Three killed in jeep accident

Three people were killed on the spot when a jeep with registration plate number Se 1 Ja 7006 met with an accident on Saturday evening.
1. Yes. Its important to cast my votes early and avoid the lines on Election Day.

2. Yes. With nearly two weeks of early voting, its a more convenient way to take part.

3. No. Its better to wait until Election Day, in case any last-minute information surfaces.

4. No. Im not planning to vote early or on Election Day. It isnt worth my time.

5. Unsure. It depends on how the campaigns are shaping up. Ill play it by ear.

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YEREVAN, MARCH 6, ARMENPRESS. The residents of Raqqa city of Syria, proclaimed as the capital of the Islamic State, have rebelled against the militants and raised the state Syrian flag in a number of districts. Armenpress reports, citing Ria Novosti, witnesses have informed Sputnik agency about this.

In their words, Syrian flags have appeared on the buildings of 5 districts. After that, the residents of two districts organized a rally in support of the Syrian army.

Fierce clashes broke out between the Raqqa residents and the militants of the terrorist group after those incidents. As a result, a great number of IS terrorists have been eliminated.

The witnesses also told that fierce clashes took place among the terrorists on March 5 as well, trying to prevent deserters from fleeing the city.
Looking Ahead

Pop quiz on the state-of-the-city-finances report: It took the city staff months to compile the year-end finance report but the Killeen City Council members will have to speed read it. Its a key component of City Manager Glenn Morrisons annual job evaluation and Morrison asked for his review to be on the same night  about a month ahead of schedule. Follow our coverage Tuesday, March 15, to see how that works out.
By Aubrey Catrone, 2015 ARCA alumna





For centuries, civilizations have been built around religion. And, with religion comes burial rituals. Yet, it is these rituals that intimate humans, as a species, are perpetually haunted by the uncertainty of what comes after death. Burial rituals spanning the mummification of the Ancient Egyptians to the funeral rights of modern day Catholics reveal a belief in afterlife for which the deceased must be prepared. However, human remains themselves serve as a reminder of the brevity of individual lives. They represent the only tangible knowledge of the afterlife: decomposition. Perhaps it is this mystery that fuels our interest in the physical remnants of life.





Hordes of tourists pour into the city of Pompeii each year to explore not only a lost city but also the havoc wreaked by the 79 AD eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. It is this inexplicable lure to death and destruction that elucidates a disconcerting aspect of humanity. My sojourn to the archaeological site, during the Summer of 2015, revealed patrons unperturbed by advertisements for their special exhibit, Stolen from death. The casts. The photography. Throughout the park, larger than life posters depicted the writhing bodies of those who died in the eruption of 79 AD. In their palpable anticipation to reach the main event, I witnessed tourists captivated by the plaster casts found throughout the ruins of the UNESCO site. They jeered and pointed at the bodies strewn about haphazardly or encased in glass as if taunting a circus freak show. There was no reprieve from the glorification of suffering when wandering through the city.




Police in Elgon region has beefed up security at all its police stations in the region to counter the increasing attacks by unknown assailants.

The Elgon regional Police Spokesperson, Ms Diana Nandawula confirmed the development.

She explained that they have resolved to beef up security in an Emergency meeting convened by the regional police commander, Mr Francis Chemusto to equip DPCs, Intelligence Offices and Officers In-Charge stations.

After getting information that armed thugs attacked our neighboring district. We cant take this for granted, said Ms Nandawula.

Police and other security operatives have been deployed and will keep peace and monitor any infiltration of the so-called thugs.

This follows an attack by armed thugs on a Central Police Station in the neighboring Kapchorwa in Sebei.

Suspected thugs on Sunday morning attacked Kapchorwa Central Police station, killing one police officer, injuring three others before making off with three guns.

30 year old Akim Kaddu, a police constable attached to the police station who was on night duty was killed in the fire exchange with the unknown assailants in what was said to be a systematically planned attack.

Story By Yahudu Kitunzi
Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, How I sold out to da Man. Robbie Bell again performs: Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells and Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to Dancing with the Stars, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.



Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and Big Cat Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).



Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.



Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".



In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word jackass was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.



In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.



Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.



Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!



This is definitely a Beaver production.



Note: Security provided by INS.


Let it be light between us,brothers and sisters from the Earth.Let it be love between all living beings on this

Galaxy.Let it be peace between all various races and species.We love you infinitely.

I am SaLuSa from Sirius

Channel:Laura/Multidimensional Ocean

     ,        .   

      .        -

   .      .

     .

:Laura/Multidimensional Ocean
No

Yes, a light case

Yes, two or more light cases

One serious case

Two or more serious bouts

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After six years, *The Nut Graph* will cease publication from tomorrow onwards, making this column the last one to be published. Editor and co-founder Jacqu...

8 years ago
In 2014, the village of Sussex in southeast Wisconsin made a dismaying discovery. The radioactive element radium, a contaminant that occurs naturally in bedrock throughout the region, had seeped into two of its seven water wells.

It was not exactly a surprise. Radium has long been a problem in drinking water for dozens of Wisconsin communities from Green Bay to the Illinois border.

The city of Waukesha has proposed replacing its radium-tainted groundwater with Lake Michigan water. If approved, the controversial plan would mark the first test of a provision in a 2008 international compact that allows Great Lakes water diversions only when a county  such as Waukesha County  straddles the basin that feeds water into the Great Lakes.

Another factor fueling Wisconsins radium problem is the lack of regulation of high-capacity wells, which can lead to depletion of groundwater.

As communities such as Sussex drill wells deeper into a diminishing aquifer to meet growing water demands, they are pulling up more radium contamination and creating a public health challenge.

It is certainly a concern for everyone in southeast Wisconsin that more radium will turn up, said Melissa Weiss, assistant administrator for Sussex.

About 25 Wisconsin water systems have exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys maximum contaminant level over the previous two years, which means radium levels remained over the limit of 5 picocuries per liter for more than a year. Some other communities, such as Madison, have seen spikes in individual wells above 5 pCi/L but are not in violation because the levels were elevated for less than a year.

Because of high radium levels in deep groundwater, communities surrounding Green Bay over the past decade have begun receiving water from Manitowoc, which draws most of its drinking water from Lake Michigan.

The extent of radium contamination in private wells is considered minimal because most are not drilled into deep geologic formations. There is no requirement to test for radium in private wells.

In addition, We dont know the radium concentration in private wells because the test is expensive (about $200), so hardly anybody tests for it, said John Luczaj, a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay professor of geoscience who has studied radium in Wisconsins water.

The city of Waukesha has been struggling with radium contamination in its water for more than two decades. The request to tap into Lake Michigan, which has been endorsed by the state Department of Natural Resources, is opposed by many environmentalists. Waukesha has proposed replacing the full amount of its withdrawal to Lake Michigan with treated wastewater piped through the Root River.

Critics fear the request by Waukesha, which lies just outside the Great Lakes basin that drains into Lake Michigan, could open the door for additional requests to tap into the Great Lakes. The size of Waukeshas water service area, which stretches beyond the city limits, also has been a criticized by opponents who fear the water will be used to fuel sprawl.

The proposal must be ratified by governors from all eight Great Lakes states. If the request is approved, Waukesha will spend an estimated $206 million to solve its radium problem.

Health risks of radium

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, radium is a known carcinogen at high levels, causing bone, breast and liver cancer. But there is little research evaluating low-dose, long-term exposure in drinking water.

Small amounts of radium can accumulate in the human skeleton over time, damaging bones and tissues, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A person who drinks two liters of water containing 5 pCi/L of radium every day for 70 years has a 1 in 10,000 risk for developing fatal cancer, according to the geological survey. Other harms of drinking radium-tainted water include anemia, cataracts and fractured teeth, according to the CDC.

The EPA began regulating radium in water in 1977. The rule is based largely on studies of occupational health risk such as the radium girls of the 1920s who ingested deadly amounts of radium as they licked their brushes while painting glow-in-the-dark watch faces. By 1927, more than 50 women had died.

The relationship between the amount of radium that you are exposed to and the amount of time necessary to produce these effects is not known, the CDC cautions. Although there is some uncertainty ... the greater the total amount of your exposure to radium, the more likely you are to develop one of these diseases.

Given that uncertainty, some have argued that the current regulations are too strict.

But that question was decided 12 years ago in a nationally watched lawsuit in which Waukesha and Sussex tried but failed to block updates to radium rules in 2000. The communities charged, among other things, that the EPA used flawed science in determining the dangers of radium.

Geology, pumping tied to radium

A naturally occurring element, radium is found throughout the environment. Overpumping of the sandstone aquifer where radium resides is largely to blame for the high radium levels, experts say.

Water moves through that aquifer slower than it does in other areas that also contain sandstone aquifers, according to Timothy Grundl, UW-Milwaukee professor of geosciences. This can cause bigger problems because the water has more time to pick up contaminants.

Growing populations and increased demand for water have caused the aquifer to become one of the most depleted in the country, according to Ezra Meyer, a water resource specialist at the Madison-based environmental group, Clean Wisconsin.

Although groundwater levels have rebounded some in the last decade, communities have had to drill deeper wells to tap into an aquifer that researchers say has dropped by nearly 500 feet since the late 1800s. In the process, communities run into more radium because contamination tends to increase the deeper the well is drilled, said Steve Elmore, the state DNRs public water supply section chief.

Overpumping of the aquifer also can alter the waters natural flow.

Water that used to flow to Lake Michigan is now flowing west, said U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Daniel Feinstein. Part of the reason we are seeing high levels of radium is that the flow field was energized by overpumping.

There are a variety of ways radium levels can be brought into compliance, at varying costs. Municipalities can use expensive methods such as water treatment or diluting water from deep wells with water from shallower ones; Waukesha is using both strategies. Homeowners with private wells also can use water softeners to remove radium.

Waukesha is counting on diversion of Lake Michigan water, saying it is the only reasonable alternative to provide safe drinking water for its residents.

Depending on how much funding the federal government kicks in, average water bills would rise from $27 a month to between $50 and $90 a month, said Daniel Duchniak, general manager of the Waukesha Water Utility. Even if Waukesha gets federal funding for up to 25 percent of the cost, he said, We expect that water bills will at least double and potentially triple.
MADISON  Numerous public meetings have been held. Tasks forces have investigated, protests have been held and a lawsuit filed. Yet the efforts have brought little change in Madison since the fatal police shooting of a biracial man one year ago, according to some residents and activists.

Community members have planned a series of events this weekend to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of 19-year-old Tony Robinson, who was unarmed when fatally shot by a white police officer on March 6, 2015. They say they hope the events draw attention to the lack of tangible difference in the citys policing.

From my perspective, nothing has changed, said Brandi Grayson, organizer of the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition, which led protests last year. Our black and brown community continues to be impacted negatively due to over-policing of the neighborhoods, the criminalization of our youth.

Some community leaders are optimistic, saying recent task force recommendations will enhance trust with communities of color and that change takes time. NAACP of Dane County President Greg Jones has said the a task force built a bridge between law enforcement and the communities, with both participating in the conversations.

Police also say officers have redoubled their outreach efforts over the last year. Madison Police Chief Mike Koval has encouraged officers to park and get out of their vehicles while on patrol and interact with people in neighborhoods if theyre not responding to calls.

I want people to know that were not going to go into a shell and be hermits, Koval said. Were not going to remain tethered to a narrative that is defined by an 18-second event that occurred on March 6.

Madison police officer Matt Kenny, who is white, shot Robinson in the stairwell of an apartment house after responding to calls about Robinson behaving erratically. Kenny said he entered the house to investigate sounds of a disturbance, and Robinson started punching him. An autopsy showed Robinson had traces of drugs in his system, including hallucinogenic mushrooms. Kenny was later cleared of criminal wrongdoing, and an internal investigation found he didnt violate any police policies.

The shooting sparked protests throughout the city, a federal civil rights lawsuit from Robinsons family, calls for examination of police use of force and renewed efforts by police to educate and engage the community. The shooting also came amid a time of heightened scrutiny of shootings by police nationwide, particularly those involving unarmed young black men.

The conversations are continuing in Madison. About 100 people gathered Friday afternoon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison amid frigid weather to march toward the state Capitol, chanting Robinsons name and carrying a banner demanding justice. A community dinner will be held Saturday, and another march is scheduled for Sunday on Williamson Street  where Robinson was shot.

Over the past year, multiple efforts have launched to examine the police departments policies and procedures.

A United Way of Dane County task force that formed months before Robinsons death  in the aftermath of the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri  published a report last month with 60 recommendations. Koval said Madison police already practice many of the recommendations, such as implicit bias training. He said wants to look at others more closely.

A city committee is conducting an analysis of the police departments policies, with plans to have a report finished by October.

Grayson said its not enough.

Theyre basically sitting at the table together and singing Kumbaya while our communities are still torn and broken, she said.

Robinsons mother, Andrea Irwin, said the familys lawsuit is still in the discovery stage, so it will likely be months before anything changes. She said she lost her job in August but is starting a nonprofit to help victims of state violence. She also said the time hasnt helped her heal.

In the beginning, youre numb, youre shocked, you dont really realize it. But as time goes by and things sink in it tends to hurt a lot more, said Andrea Irwin. I cant believe its been a year.

Irwin said she hopes people will take time this weekend to reflect on what happened and do something positive for themselves and for someone else.

My son was a giving person, Irwin said. For me, thats honoring my son.

From my perspective, nothing has changed. Our black and brown community continues to be impacted negatively due to over-policing of the neighborhoods, the criminalization of our youth. Brandi Grayson, organizer of the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition
More than 20 La Crosse County companies and organizations are doing some heavy lifting not only to improve their employees health but also to earn a Well Workplace Award by April 30, 2018.

The bonus for all is the potential to reduce health insurance premiums and health care costs all around the table.

If they reach the pinnacle as Well Workplaces, the county itself could receive a Well County designation from the Wellness Council of America, joining the ranks of Milwaukee and the Fox Valley, among others in Wisconsin.

Those involved in the Well County La Crosse  Building Better Workplaces initiative are not only the usual suspects  the big dogs that have earned their wellness chops, such as Logistics Health Inc./Riverside Corporate Wellness, with its state-of-the art exercise center, wellness programs and other employee incentives; Kwik Trip, with its own employee clinic and health perks; and, of course, the Coulee regions two major health systems  but also smaller entities such as The Ultimate Salon and Spa in Onalaska; Bronston Chiropractic/Care Clinic, which has five locations; Great Rivers United Way, headquartered in Onalaska; and Dahl Automotive, among others.

The county drive is not, by any means, the only endeavor to help employers nudge workers to become healthier. For example, YMCAs Workplace Wellness program enlists more than 50 businesses and organizations, including many that also are participating in the Well County La Crosse venture.

Program could reach 18,000 workers

Participants in the quest account for about 18,000 employees in the county, with some taking advantage of Wisconsin Department of Health Services Workplace Wellness Program Grants for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

Perhaps underscoring the passion for the task is the fact that co-chairwomen of the initiatives steering committee are executives at Gundersen Health System and Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, which normally might be regarded as rivals.

Its a very vigorous process, Sarah Havens said of the three-year path to earn the designations, including identifying health needs, interventions and outcomes.

On the employers side, the effort fosters wellness programs to enhance the workers health, safety and well-being, said Havens, who directs Gundersens Community and Preventive Care Services Department and is co-chairwoman of Well County with Lori Freit-Hammes, health promotion director at Mayo-Franciscan.

From the workers perspective, they realize my employer is concerned about me,' Havens said.

You want employees to be excited about what is going on at the workplace, Havens said.

Were at work eight hours a day, which is more waking time than some people spend with their loved ones, she said, adding that employees tend to share healthy habits learned at work with their families.

More water, fewer sugary drinks

Those habits might include drinking water instead of sugary drinks, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, using stairs instead of elevators and buying affordable foods and fixing lunches at home to take to work, she said.

Many of us have sedentary jobs, and, if youve been sitting for an hour, its a good idea to get up and move, Havens said, noting that Gundersen computers are programmed to pop up just such a reminder at intervals the workers choose.

Some companies have opted for walking meetings, she said. Walking meetings would be more popular for smaller businesses, or smaller groups, where they walk and talk and get business done.

Noting the importance of mental health in addition to physical health, she said, Companies should encourage employees to do more things during the day that are uplifting for the spirit.

Along those lines, employers also should make the work environment a safe place if people are depressed or cant cope with stress, Havens advised.

As we create these programs, we need parameters to give everybody options. We cant force the alternatives, she said. What may be of interest to one employer may be of no interest to another.

The essential element, Freit-Hammes said, is to bring employers together to share in the knowledge and collective effort to make positive lifestyle changes. We know that, in order to create a culture of wellness, we must have awareness.

Health strikes a chord

Freit-Hammes marched to the beat of a different drummer back in the day, when she was a music major in college, until exposure to the health field struck a chord with her.

I knew in my belly that this was something I wanted to do with the rest of my life  focus on wellness and not sickness, she said. I have had this passion for 25 years and devoted my entire career to workplace wellness.

Employers did not always appreciate the fact that workers health and productivity are tied intimately, partly because there was not any data to support that position, said Freit-Hammes, who has a masters of public health in community health education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

In the 80s, a lot of things felt good, were fun and made sense, but we didnt have the data and followed a shotgun approach, she said.

For several years, employers were caught on measuring return on investment  but return on investment is impossible to measure unless youre a big business where you can measure high risk to low risk, she said.

Many employers now want to have a better way of containing health care costs and be more productive, she said, adding that healthy employees are more productive employees, with less absenteeism.

Previous initiatives took a Band-Aid approach that shifted costs to employers but never got down to the root cause for why employees arent healthy. Fifty percent of chronic conditions are because of poor lifestyles and behaviors we are most likely to have control over.

If you can help employees get healthy, you can save tens of thousands of dollars in health care costs and avoid chronic conditions, Freit-Hammes said.

LHI and Riverside Corporate Wellness have been doing this for a long time, she said.

Now, through the Well County La Crosse initiative, were offering mentors to companies that are just starting, she said.

Healthy employees more productive

Connie Peter, owner of The Ultimate Salon and Spa, attributes her own passion for workplace wellness to rubbing elbows with Freit-Hammes, who said Well County is geared toward helping such smaller firms add rigor to programs they already may have.

For us, one of the smallest (fewer than 25 employees), the biggest form is to move more and increase water intake while decreasing sugary drinks and caffeine, as well as being aware of all the additives in food, Peter said.

Its almost crazy what little things can do, she said.

The habits of her employees in their early to late 20s contrasted with my own personal lifestyle of a woman in her mid-50s, I watched too many young people struggle with sleep and other health issues.

Peter credited Freit-Hammes with instilling the value of helping employees become healthier and more productive, with fewer sick days, which Peter said is particularly important in service industries.

For me, it becomes second nature and part of who we are, Peter said.

The Insurance Center in Onalaska has incorporated a variety of simple measures such as healthy potlucks, a newsletter with exercise tips, Tasty Tuesdays once a month focusing on healthy foods and Workout Wednesdays with videos, yoga and other activities, said Kari Schaller, an administrative assistant in the centers Human Resources Department.

Passport to Wellness

The center, with about 130 employees in 13 locations, including 50 in Onalaska, has a Passport to Wellness program in which employees earn points for completing health challenges.

We have a stress challenge that encourages employees to figure out what causes stress and how to cope, she said. Our business is so sedentary, and employees are so busy they dont get up and move so the centers wellness efforts encourage exercise.

I am hoping to get more participation, but I think were on the right track, Schaller said.
These wombs had a great view.

Uteruses of all sizes and colors paraded in front the Supreme Court during last weeks arguments in the largest abortion case in a quarter-century.

There, facing the marble temple, were a large cardboard cutout of a uterus, a uterus painted on a banner with the Statue of Liberty on it, a uterus drawn with a mouth and lips, a two-foot uterus poster labeled MINE and a flag painted with a uterus and the words Come and Take It.

Handmade signs proclaimed Dont Booby Trap My Uterus, Uteruses before duderuses, No Uterus, No Opinion, and My Uterus is Not Public Property. Somebody drew a uterus where the snake goes on the Dont Tread on Me flag, and another woman captioned her uterus with the words Whats Mine is Not Yours.

The abundance of reproductive organs outside the court was a vivid reminder that Senate Republicans have birthed a whole new round of trouble for the Supreme Court. The once-hallowed court is already setting new lows in public confidence, and the court is about to become more politicized than ever.

After Justice Antonin Scalias death, the Senate majority declared that no replacement nominated by President Obama will be considered. This paralyzes the court for a year and  worse  essentially requires that the next justice be popularly elected in the presidential race. Let the people decide is how Mitch McConnell, the Senate GOP leader, puts it.

If last weeks argument was an indication, the Republicans appeared to have fired up the other side more than their own with this revival of the culture wars. About 80 percent of the few thousand people braving the cold and wind outside the court were abortion-rights supporters. Inside the courtroom, the liberal justices, who are now in a 4-to-4 tie with the conservatives, were unusually feisty as they considered abortion restrictions in Texas that cut the number of clinics nearly in half and the abortion capacity by about 80 percent.

They repeatedly noted the absurdity that procedures such as liposuction and colonoscopies, which are riskier than abortion, are not subject to the same requirements in Texas. They observed that under the law, 750,000 Texas women will live more than 200 miles from a clinic; before, only 10,000 did.

Justice Samuel Alito, most aggressive among the conservative justices in Scalias absence, tried to make the case that there is very little specific evidence about why clinics have closed since the law took effect, and he asserted that the closures may be due to other factors.

Like termites?

Justice Elena Kagan swatted that argument down by noting that on the very day one of the requirements took effect (requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a local hospital), 11 clinics shut down. And when the other requirement (requiring clinics to meet all requirements of surgical centers) took effect, over a dozen facilities closed, reopening when a lower court stayed the provision. Its almost like the perfect controlled experiment, she said.

But the details didnt particularly matter. There are four justices for abortion rights, three opposed, and Justice Anthony Kennedy in the middle, asking whether it might be helpful for this court to remand for further findings by lower courts  essentially punting the matter.

Punting this, and most everything else, might indeed be helpful to this court, now so polarized that arguments sound more like congressional debates or cable news shows. Underscoring the politicization, 163 members of Congress filed a brief on one side of the abortion case, and 174 on the other side.

Americans trust and confidence in the court, as high as 56 percent in the late 1980s, is down to 32 percent, according to Gallup. Disapproval of the court has jumped 21 points since 2000. With Senate Republicans now determined to have the ninth justice essentially elected by the people, the traditional incantation before each session  God save the United States and this honorable court  has never seemed more urgent.

Above the crowd of protesters, the American flag flew at half-staff for Scalia  but it might as well be for the high courts dignity.
The Republican Party is on the verge of being taken over by an egomaniac who appeals to the nations darkest impulses. Yet Donald Trumps foes are splintered, tactically but also philosophically.

It doesnt help that each of his three serious challengers is a flawed alternative. None is sufficiently dominant to force the others aside.

Sen. Ted Cruz has the most legitimate claim as a Trump-slayer. Hes now beaten him in four contests. Yet Cruz is so disliked by so many party leaders that they have refused to rally behind him. Indeed, many in the GOP view Cruz as being nearly as vulnerable to Hillary Clinton as Trump is. She took a large step toward securing the Democratic nomination with her seven victories over Bernie Sanders on Super Tuesday.

The Republican establishment plainly prefers Sen. Marco Rubio, but voters have not gone along. Rubio did manage to win the Minnesota caucuses. But he ran third in eight of the other 10 states that voted Tuesday and has lost 14 times since the nomination battle began.

Gov. John Kasich may well be the partys strongest potential general-election candidate. But his relative moderation has so far marginalized him in an increasingly right-wing party. Only in Vermont, one of the few states where a less strident brand of conservatism still plays well in the GOP, did Kasich put up a fierce challenge to Trump. Still, Kasich lost.

But the difficulty Republicans have in identifying a single candidate to take Trump down speaks to a deeper problem. Its leaders have yet to decide whether Trumps greatest sin is that he exploits bigotry or that he fails to bow to conservative ideological orthodoxy.

While some conservatives such as Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., have brought the two strands together, there is ambivalence about how to go after Trump because the party itself has often played at backlash politics around race and immigration  and because, throughout President Obamas tenure, it embraced Trump as an ally in stirring resentment on the far right. Mitt Romney, now one of Trumps leading antagonists, warmly welcomed Trumps endorsement in the 2012 presidential campaign.

Moreover, some of Trumps most extreme positions have won wide approval from the Republican rank-and-file. For example, exit polls reported by CNN and The Washington Post found broad backing for his temporary ban on Muslims from entering the U.S: It was favored by 78 percent of Republican primary voters in Alabama, 67 percent in Texas and 63 percent in Virginia.

Its true that anti-Trump Republicans found common ground in excoriating Trump for his equivocation in condemning the Ku Klux Klan and the racist leader David Duke. This party does not prey on peoples prejudices, insisted House Speaker Paul Ryan. In fact, the party has subtly and not so subtly played on racial resentment  birtherism, the claim that Obama is a Muslim, Ronald Reagans famous welfare queen reference  for decades. Trump is just cruder about it.

In any event, many Republicans dislike Trump primarily because they cant abide his flight from conservative orthodoxy. He has criticized the Iraq War and George W. Bushs foreign policy. He has attacked free trade. He opposes cuts in Social Security and Medicare. His vagueness on health care leaves open the possibility that he favors expansive government action to keep people, as he likes to put it, from dying in the streets.

If the main problem with Trump is that he is not conservative enough, Cruz is the obvious answer, and the Texan gave an effective speech last week listing all of Trumps apostasies. But the rejection of Cruz by the powers that be underscores an additional ambivalence. The party wants somehow to keep the angry Trump voters inside the tent while also trying to broaden its constituency. This is the appeal of Rubio, who is more willing than Cruz to move in several directions at once. But this flexibility is also Rubios vulnerability.

Its clear that a majority of Republicans prefer someone other than Trump. On Super Tuesday, he approached or broke 40 percent in only four states. Thats the establishments hope. It wants to deny Trump a delegate majority and to stop his nomination at the July convention.

But this strategy requires a philosophical and tactical unity of purpose that party leaders have, so far, been incapable of mustering. And blocking Trump now would enrage his army of followers and prove to them that the party is every bit as distant from their concerns as their hero has been saying.
One year after a Madison police officer fatally shot her 19-year-old son, Andrea Irwin is sleeping less but dreaming more. And the images she sees when she shuts her eyes, she said, invariably feature her slain son, Tony Robinson.

So I expect him to call me, or my phone will vibrate in the middle of the night, and I think its him, she said.

Her sons March 6 killing  ruled lawful last May  sparked weeks of peaceful protests and triggered renewed attention to area racial disparities in law enforcement, education, housing and employment.

As it approaches being a year, its starting to be a lot more emotional than it has been, the past few months, Irwin said. In the beginning, it was so crazy. It was very, very, very surreal. It was very hard for me to accept, and with so much that was going on, I really didnt have the time to sit down and take in what had happened.

Because Robinson was black and Matt Kenny, the officer who shot him, was white, the case also put Madison in a growing list of U.S. cities marked by such killings since the summer of 2014, when 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot to death by police in Ferguson, Missouri.

Irwin has drawn support from  and protested police shootings with  the mothers of both Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill man fatally shot by Milwaukee police in April 2014, and Justus Howell, 17, who died in a police shooting in Zion, Illinois, a month after Robinson was killed.

I very much understand that my son is part of a very large national conversation, Irwin said. I do pay attention to the fact that his name is now among many other names that are part of this struggle. I guess I would call it an epidemic, because it seems to be continuing.

A light extinguished

Robinson, a 2014 graduate of Sun Prairie High School, was killed around 6:30 p.m. on March 6, a Friday, in the cramped interior staircase of a rental home at 1125 Williamson St., where he been staying with friends. An independent inquiry by state investigators found Kenny, then 45, fired seven times in three seconds, striking Robinson, who was unarmed, in the torso, head and arm.

All the bullets hit the front of Robinsons body, at close range, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said, when he announced in May that Kennys use of deadly force was lawful.

Police said the 6-foot-4 Robinson had punched Kenny in the head and knocked him into a wall near the top of the stairs and then continued swinging, causing Kenny to fear he could be knocked down or knocked unconscious and lose his weapon.

Kenny had been sent to the house on reports from witnesses, including Robinsons friends, that he was running in traffic and behaving erratically.

While no weapon was seen, police received reports that he was battering people  a friend and strangers  after consuming hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Kenny said he entered the building  alone, gun drawn and within seconds of his arrival  because he heard what he thought were the sounds of a violent struggle and believed someone inside could need help. Police learned later that no one but Robinson had been there.

But its a rationale that still seems too simple to Robinsons family members, who filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and Kenny, seeking unspecified damages, in August. A trial is scheduled for next year.

They will argue that Robinson, because of his drug use, was in a mental health crisis that required officers to slow down and render aid, rather than confront him with lethal force. An internal review released in June found that Kenny correctly followed all departmental policies.

I just feel that, with (officers having) the knowledge that my son was unarmed and in need of help and on this psychedelic hallucinogen, Irwin said, having that knowledge prior to any interaction with him, I would have thought it would have ended differently.

Irwin also criticizes the states investigation as too quick.

You dont just take someones life and extinguish their light and stop their heart from beating and just walk away like its nothing, Irwin said. That to me is how it was made out to seem, as if my son just didnt matter.

Ozanne and others, including Madison Police Chief Mike Koval, have characterized Robinsons death as a personal and community tragedy, while supporting Kennys actions as lawful and reasonable under difficult circumstances.

Irwin stressed she didnt hate the police  as she says some vocal critics on social media have contended  either at the time of the shooting or anytime since, noting her family has always asked for peaceful protests.

It wasnt anger and hate that I felt when this happened, Irwin said. I was sad and I was disappointed and confused. I wasnt ready to jump up and go hurt someone or tear something up. I just sat there and cried, because I didnt understand why this had to happen.

We grew up together

During an interview also attended by Robinsons aunt, Lorien Carter, Irwin said over and over, in different ways, that her son was a good person. The oldest of her four children with Robinsons father, Tony Sr., he was energetic, kind and a good listener, she said.

He was one of those kids that bounced off the walls and wanted to do every sport, Irwin said.

He knew how to get on your nerves, Carter chimed in, producing a short, ragged laugh from Irwin.

He knew how to push my buttons, definitely, Irwin responded. (He) and I were very close. I was 17 when I had him. We grew up together.

Born and raised mostly on Madisons East Side, he went to live with his father in Sun Prairie when he was 16 and had only recently returned to Irwins house in the months before his death.

He was taking some time off, sometimes staying with his friends at the house on Willy Street, with a plan to start studying for a business degree this fall at Madison Area Technical College, his mother said.

Robinson had started to turn a corner, his aunt and mother said, from the biggest mistake of his life to that point: taking part in an armed robbery in April 2014.

He received three years probation after his guilty plea.

I just wanted him to be happy, Irwin said about the unmet promise of his life. I wanted him to fall in love, I wanted him to have babies. I wanted him to just, you know, experience everything. Whether he was rich, whether he wasnt, I just wanted him to be happy.

Leaving a positive legacy

Irwin is guardedly optimistic about some community developments since her sons death, especially about the Madison committee thats meeting now to exhaustively review police policies and practices, with MPDs support.

She and Carter also are encouraged by the rise of local activist groups such as the Justified Anger Coalition and Young, Gifted and Black, formed after Ferguson but infused with new momentum by Robinsons death.

If you look at the effect its had on the community, a lot more of the youth are involved, Carter said. They want to actively participate in whats going on.

Irwin, who is trained as a social worker, planned to continue her own participation in protest groups but also hoped to form a nonprofit group to provide services to troubled families.

With three other children to raise aged 16, 14 and 11  she said she needed to find a constructive way to fill the hole left in her life by Robinsons death while supporting her family.

I still want justice. I still want that accountability, Irwin said. But its more now of having to, somewhat, accept if that would never happen.
Many Dane County law enforcement agencies say they are reviewing and sometimes changing use-of-force policies and pumping up training in response to the fatal police shooting of unarmed black teen Tony Robinson last year in Madison and similar recent incidents around the nation.

Concern for officer safety and a growing body of research and recommendations from both peer and civilian-led study groups also are driving the push  here and across the country, police say  to reassess best practices and, in a sense, rediscover the merits of slowing down and de-escalating conflicts rather than running straight into them.

(We are) saying its actually OK to disengage, said Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney, who served on a community/police task force aimed at easing tensions between police and minority communities.

You dont always have to move forward with force, added Mahoney, who is on the board of the National Sheriffs Association, which also has been looking broadly at use-of-force issues. Its about protecting the public as well as the individual officer.

Other influential voices for change recently include the National Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Executive Research Forum, which issued a call for change in use-of-force training in September, and the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing, formed in December 2014 in response to public unrest after police killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City.

Really for all of policing, some closer looks were being taken at police tactics and community relations long before the incident in Madison, Fitchburg Police Lt. Chad Brecklin said. Locally, (the Robinson shooting) just drove the point home that if youre not paying attention, you should be paying attention.

Theres no question that within the last 12 to 18 months we have seen a long list of suggestions for criminal justice reform and law enforcement training review, agreed Madison Police Training Sgt. Tim Patton. He noted that all department heads developed action plans to respond to the Presidents Task Force recommendations, available for public review on the Departments website, among other work.

Were really in the midst of processing whats going on in the profession and whats going on in our city and county and state and looking for anywhere a change is warranted.

In the cities of Middleton and Fitchburg, police changed their policies after the Robinson shooting to allow an officer who is alone the option of using a Taser in situations requiring force, rather then continuing to mandate the potentially lethal force of drawing a gun.

Officers in those departments said the change, which also was one of the local task force recommendations, was not a criticism of Madison Officer Matt Kennys use of a gun rather than a Taser to defend himself in his solo confrontation with Robinson. Rather, they said, it was a recognition of the need for options that could de-escalate use of force.

We modified that to allow an officer to better use their discretion based on the circumstances, Brecklin said.

Madison police rules continue to bar the use of Tasers by any officer who must use force against a subject believed to be armed with a dangerous weapon when a backup officer with the ability to deliver deadly force isnt present. Kennys shooting of Robinson was judged lawful after an independent state investigation, and a departmental review ruled it in line with all Department rules and regulations.

Better or additional training for officers in dealing with mentally ill citizens is another major goal of reform efforts locally and nationally. Known as Crisis Intervention Training, recruits and some officers already get some of it, but advocates say more is needed.

It greatly reduces the use of force, if we know the reason someone isnt complying is not because theyre being belligerent but because theyre ill, said UW-Madison Police Chief Sue Riseling, who co-chaired the local task force. Thats a huge psychological shift for an officer. We generally want to help those who are ill and control those who are belligerent.

Madison Police Community Outreach Capt. Kristen Roman noted all Madison officers get training around de-escalation, cultural sensitivity and mental illness, starting with recruits, who spend their first few years as patrol officers and so typically will be first on the scene of any crisis.

Our philosophy is we need to have a trained, educated and compassionate patrol response, Roman said.

Beyond that, the Police Department has been among the leading agencies nationally in developing a specialized response for dealing proactively with mentally ill citizens and offenders. Last year, the Department created a five-officer team that handles mental health-related calls and follow-up exclusively, and in February, the Department became the first agency in Wisconsin to add a civilian mental health crisis specialist who works on-site with the team.

What were trying to do is connect people and divert them from a criminal response to the mental health arena, so they can get the services and support they need, Roman said. The addition (of the civilian worker) will allow for an even deeper understanding of the issues.

But learning to go slower and use less aggressive approaches can be a difficult sell to officers who must protect their own lives as well as members of the public. Lost sometimes in the tallies of people killed by police are the officers who die in the line of duty  sometimes even in random, ambush-style assassinations that were seen at least a half-dozen times in 2015.

To balance the risk thats associated with the profession versus being able to still be human and interact appropriately with the communities we serve is definitely a challenge, Brecklin said. Most of us have family that we want to go home to and have people that count on us, and we dont want to get injured or killed.

But ultimately we do have to react to the situation and the behaviors that are presented to us, Brecklin added. And if we are presented with a situation where an officer fears for their safety or the safety of someone else, they have an obligation to act in those situations.
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A piece of metal from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 may have been found in Mozambique.

The metal is white and about one meter long. It is being sent to Australia for testing.

The Australian agency supervising the search for the plane will examine the metal to determine where it came from.

An American beachcomber found the piece of metal and brought it to authorities in Mozambique.

The piece of metal, or debris, may be from an airplane part called a horizontal stabilizer. It is printed with the words no step and has a code on it that makes experts think it is from a Boeing 777. That is the same kind of plane that disappeared in 2014 with 239 people on board.

Computer models predicted that debris could wash-up in Mozambique.

If the metal turns out to be from Flight 370, it will be the second confirmed piece of debris from the plane. A piece of the wing, called a flaperon, was found on a French island in the Indian Ocean last summer.

The man who found the debris is from the state of Washington. He travels around looking for pieces of the plane. He said he traveled to a number of countries looking for parts of Flight 370.

The transport minister in Malaysia did not want to get too excited about the discovery. He asked people to wait for more information.

He says there will be a search if the piece of metal turns out to be from the Malaysian plane.

On March 8, the Malaysian authorities will release more information about the new debris and the search. March 8 is the two-year anniversary of the planes disappearance.

The plane was going to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur before it went off course over the Indian Ocean.

Im Anna Mateo.

Steve Herman reported on this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

Do you think the debris in Africa is part of the missing plane? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

debris  n. the pieces that are left after something has been destroyed

stabilizer  n. the part of an airplane's tail that cannot be moved

beachcomber  n. a person who walks along beaches looking for things (such as seashells or items that can be sold)


Europe could soon explode into uncontrollable and widespread violence because of the refugee crisis.

That warning comes from UNHCR, or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The agency reports that 24,000 refugees and migrants in Greece need shelter. This includes about 8,500 people near the border with Macedonia. It says there are shortages of food, shelter and water. It says the areas are unclean.

Vincent Cochetel is the top representative of UNHCR in Europe. He says migrants and refugees fleeing the Balkans are stopped at border crossings. He says they do not understand that they cannot flee to other countries.

Cochtel says those countries must first permit refugees to enter. Not all of the refugees will get permission, he says.

There is a lot of frustration building up, which may lead to acts of violence, he says.

A peaceful protest Monday near the Macedonian border became violent when police used tear gas to force refugees and migrants to move away from a border fence.

Almost 132,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea this year. Half of them are women or children. That is more than the number who made the dangerous journey in the first six months of 2015. Almost all of them have landed in Greece.

UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards says the European Union must move forward with the plan it agreed to last year to settle the refugees equally among its 28 members.

It should concern everyone that despite commitments to relocate 66,400 refugees from Greece, states have so far pledged only 1,539 spaces, and only 325 actual relocations have occurred, he said.

The UNHCR says Greece must quickly increase its ability to care for the large number of people that are entering the country. And it said the EU member states must work together more closely.

Separately, the American general who commands the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said violent extremists, criminals and foreign fighters are among the refugees who are entering Europe every day.

Air Force General Philip Breedlove spoke before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

He said terrorists are hiding among the refugees, increasing the possibility of attacks. He said the Islamic State terrorist group is, in his words, spreading like a cancer, threatening Europe and the United States.

He said the Russian and Syrian governments are using migration to weaken Europe. He said Syrian attacks on its civilians are a way to force them to flee and become a problem for other countries.

Breedlove said forcing people to flee to Europe helps Russia meet its goal of using nonmilitary efforts to weaken NATO and the European Union.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Lisa Schlein reported on this story from Geneva. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for VOA Learning English. He added information provided by the Associated Press. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

frustration  n. a feeling of anger or annoyance caused by being unable to do something; the state of being frustrated

tear gas  n. a gas that makes people unable to see by causing their eyes to be filled with tears and that is used especially by the police or military to move, control or separate large groups of people


Migrants should not travel to Europe, says European Council President Donald Tusk.

I want to appeal to all potential illegal, economic migrants wherever you are from, Tusk said. Do not come to Europe. Do not believe the smugglers. Do not risk your lives and your money; it is all for nothing.

The EU president said the number of migrants crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey remains too high. Migrant smuggling continues to be a major problem. Measures must be in place to stop the illegal movement.

Greece or any other European country will no longer be a transit country, he said.

Tusk praised Turkey for clamping down on illegal migration and the smugglers who transport them.

Tusk is on tour of nations have trouble dealing with the migrant issue.

Im Jim Dresbach.

Jim Dresbach wrote this story for Learning English. Information for his report came from three news agencies: AP, AFP and Reuters. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

migrant  n. a person who goes from one place to another, usually for economic reasons

smuggler  n. a person who moves someone or something from one country into another illegally and secretly

clamping down  v. to try harder to punish people who are doing something that is not legal or proper
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This article was originally published on 6 March. It is being updated in light of Arnab Goswami stepping down as editor-in-chief of Times Now.

If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.

 Hunter S Thompson

Over the past few years, many across the country have expressed growing concerns over the state of news broadcast, or rather the news debates on the national television.

The split screen with anxious and dazed faces, licking lips and drawing breathe just before another stream of insensible words are spat in the general direction of the red eye of the camera has become a norm rather than a morbid exception on the prime time news broadcasts.

Unflinching and relentless, the purpose of the TRP driven debates have for long been transformed from a showcase of diverse ideas and viewpoints into a brownie points contest where the only parameter for judgment is the decibel level.

In India, the phenomenon is relatively new. Although in this short span of time, the format has gained wide popularity and nervous acceptance. This is most evident in shows like Times Now's Newshour that has very recently experienced the exit of its talismanic editor-in-chief and aggressor-in-chief Arnab Goswami.

Indian news broadcast was never wrinkle free, far from it. But this new unwarranted aggression seeped into our collective nightmares fairly recently.

And this particular nightmare is a product from a foreign imagination. Ask around and the fingers point to the West.

In the ever wild pursuit of differentiating oneself, the Indian news channels took a cue from the States. Well, not just a cue, but the entire package from the likes of the Fox news, a bearer of ridicule itself.

But if yours is a quest to really trace the origins of this unnerving modern day spectacle, the very inception of it, it goes back to the year 1968, or so claims Morgan Neville and Robert Gordons documentary Best of Enemies.

The documentary, five years in the making, recounts the historic debates between William F Buckley and Gore Vidal in 1968.

'68 was the year of Presidential elections in the United States and with television now embedded in most households; the race was on to take the maddening campaign to the masses.

ABC, with the lowest ratings among the news networks, somehow managed to rope in two of the most intellectual minds of the generation for a series of debates. Although Buckley and Vidals reputations in political and social circles were well established, only few could have guessed what was in store in the coming days.

To put it plainly, Buckley and Vidal loathed each other. It would have been difficult to find two men so different from one another, although, one characteristic they did share was the pleasure they drew from being public figures. Being cool, comfortable and cocky on television came naturally. Vidal even famously said, Never lose an opportunity to have sex or be on television.

A writer and public intellectual, Vidal, represented the Left in the debate. Buckley, an author, commentator, founder of National Review magazine and a conservative, hated everything that the other stood for.

The celebrity intellectuals could hardly wait to take on one another.

What Best of Enemies has achieved, on objective parameters at least, is nothing short of a feat. The two directors have managed to gather some incredible footage from the 68 Campaign, when strung together, resulting in a 1 hour 27 minute documentary without a dull moment.

From Noam Chomsky to Christopher Hitchens, the documentary also features interviews from some the best minds of our generation. But nothing beats the sheer pleasure of watching Vidal and Buckley have a go at each other during the ten debates.

They dont make people like Gore Vidal and William F Buckley anymore, director Neville said in an interview, and perhaps rightly so. As you follow the two in the documentary, it soon becomes apparent that what they are fighting for is not just opposing political ideas but their personal ideologies themselves.

And perhaps this was the reason for what unfolded on 28 August, 1968.

The day has been marred by riots in Chicago after thousands of anti-war demonstrators gathered during the Democratic convention and the police clashed with them.

When the two men met that evening for the seventh debate, what unfolded was unlike anything seen before on prime-time American television.

Vidal batted for the protesters right to assembly, while Buckley bought up patriotism, lawlessness in the streets and Nazis.

Vidal snapped.

As far as Im concerned, the only pro- or crypto-Nazi I can think of is yourself.

Buckley shot back.

Now listen, you queer! Stop calling me a crypto-Nazi or Ill sock you in your goddamn face and youll stay plastered.

Lawsuits and counter-lawsuits followed.

This incident, the documentary argues, changed the landscape of news broadcast forever. It set the precedence and we are feeling the ripples to this date.

There would be thousands of phenomenon in the past, both cultural and political, which would factor into our obsession with screaming faces on the television every night, but this is as close as one could get to that one spark, a tangible point of no return.

The documentary is a brilliant study of how the concept of domino effect works over history and its often unpredictable consequences.

It ends with a video montage of contemporary news debates. As the clip unfolds, a sense of nausea creeps in. But it also leaves you with a sense of wonder as to how two men, battling it out for their personal ideologies 47 years ago can have such crippling effects at the other side of the planet.

Best of Enemies is now available on Netflix.
New Delhi: Following widespread concern over the proposed tax on withdrawal from the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) contributions, the government is contemplating to give relief to people but without a complete rollback, said informed sources.

According to sources, a meeting between the officials of Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the finance ministry and the labour ministry took place on late Thursday and discussed the EPF tax issue.

The RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which has also opposed the proposal and demanded a complete rollback, also said that government is considering their demand.

"We are talking to government representatives and they are considering our concern. We are in regular touch with them. We hope some announcement in a day or two," BMS general secretary Vijesh Upadhyay told IANS.

The BMS leaders have met Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, Power Minister Piyush Goyal and some other government representatives in this regard.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to make the announcement when he replies to the debate on the Budget in parliament.

In his budget speech on 29 February, Jaitley said that 60 percent of withdrawals from the provident fund accounts will be taxed on contributions to be made after April 1. The aim is to make India a more insured and pensioned society, he said.

IANS
Ahmedabad: Gujarat has been put on high alert following intelligence inputs that terrorists have sneaked

into the state, with raids being conducted at Kutch and other places, security beefed up at vital installations and sensitive areas and NSG teams on standby.

The leave of all police personnel, including officers, has been cancelled and the state government has increased security at all the main temples of the state for 'Maha Shivaratri' festival tomorrow.

A massive security operation has been launched and raids were conducted by a police team, led by South Kutch Superintendent of Police Makrand Chauhan, early this morning in Varnora village of Bhuj taluka in Kutch district bordering Pakistan, police sources said.

The Kutch police also raided Noorani Mahel hotel and Muslim Jamat Khana in Bhuj, they said.

"The state government received information from the central government yesterday that terrorists have entered Gujarat. We held a meeting where it was discussed that all measures will be taken to ensure no untoward incident takes place," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Rajni Patel said.

With 'Maha Shivaratri' festival tomorrow, the state government has also increased security at all the main temples. "Especially during Maha Shivratri, lakhs of pilgrims visit temples in Junagadh, Somnath and other temples. So we have issued high alert for security of these temples too," Patel said.

Two National Security Guard (NSG) teams comprising nearly 200 personnel have been sent from Delhi to Gujarat to meet any eventuality, official sources said. Policemen were seen patrolling the highways since early morning. Security of all the Air Force and Army bases has also been ramped up.

"The Centre has offered all help and NSG task-force has arrived here which is currently being briefed about the various (vital and sensitive) locations," he said.

"We have alerted coastal as well as border police near Kutch to take all necessary steps to beef-up security. In Kutch, we have asked the local police to remain in co-ordination with Border Security Force (BSF)," he said.

"Till now, we have not found any suspicious person. However, whatever information is received by us is serious and we are taking all necessary steps about it," Patel said.

State Director General of Police P C Thakur, who issued orders late last night cancelling leave of all policemen, said they were prepared to deal with any situation.

"We are on high alert and prepared to deal with any situation. We have started combing operations across various locations. We have also sensitised places that see high rate of footfall," Thakur said.

"We are taking all precautions. Security across coastal areas and other vital installations has been increased. If required, NSG team will be deployed as per their protocol," he said. On reports claiming that Pakistan alerted Indian authorities about the possible infiltration of terrorists in Gujarat, state Director General of Police (IB & CID) Pramod Kumar said the state Intelligence Bureau received information from the Central IB.

"We don't know anything about Pakistan's role in providing this information. We received this information from Central IB. I don't know anything more than that," said Kumar.

Tight vigil is being kept at railway stations and airports.

A Pakistani fishing boat was seized on Friday by a BSF patrol party after its occupants fled upon seeing the border security personnel in the Koteshwar creek area off the Kutch coast along the Indo-Pakistan border.

BSF officials had said that nothing suspicious was found in the boat.

PTI
Jaipur: Seven people have been arrested in connection with the burning alive of a 27-year-old woman allegedly by her family members for marrying a man from another caste eight years ago in Rajasthan's Dungarpur district, police said on Sunday.

According to police, the incident occurred on Friday over 530 km from Jaipur while Rama Kumwar was visiting her family to meet them along with her little daughter.

"The woman, Rama Kumwar, after marrying Prakash Sevak of another community had eloped from her village Pachlasa in Dungarpur district around eight years ago," a police official told IANS on Sunday.

"After living somewhere else for all these years she returned to her village along with her three-year-old daughter to meet her family and in-laws."

"Her brother Laxman Singh and other relatives who were still angry with her (Rama Kumwar), dragged her out of my house. They beat her up badly and burnt her alive. To destroy evidence, they cremated her late in the evening," Kalavati, mother-in-law of Rama Kunwar, said in her police complaint.

Kalavati also claimed to have been beaten up badly when she tried to save Rama Kumwar. "We have registered a case on her complaint and investigations are going on," the official said.

"We have so far arrested seven people including her brother Laxman Singh," he added.

IANS
Baton Rouge: Republican Ted Cruz posted two crucial wins over front-runner Donald Trump who also triumphed in two states in Sunday's multi-state vote while in the Democratic camp Bernie Sanders clawed his way back into the presidential contest with two victories over Hillary Clinton.

Clinton was jolted by Sanders in Kansas and Nebraska but the former secretary of state bounced back to easily win Louisiana, seen as the weekend's big prize.

In the Republican camp, Texas Senator Cruz scored decisive wins in the Kansas and Maine caucuses, demonstrating his enduring appeal among conservatives as he tried to reel Trump's significant lead in the Republican presidential race.

Trump, 69, contained Cruz's advances by winning in Louisiana and Kentucky.

But the Texas senator's wins were sure to energise the anti-Trump forces who are desperately trying to stop Trump's march to the nomination, and they left little doubt that Cruz, who has now captured six states, is their best hope.

However, with Sunday's result Trump and Clinton consolidated their lead in the race to the White House even as their rivals gave them a tough time by winning some key states in the multi-state 'Super Saturday' primaries.

Trump registered an impressive win in Louisiana, the home State of Indian-American Bobby Jindal, and had a narrow win in Kentucky over Cruz.

68-year-old Clinton, who seems set to be the first woman presidential nominee of a major political party, had a landslide win in Louisiana. But she lost to Senator Sanders in Kansas and Nebraska.

Senator Marco Rubio performed very poorly in all the four Republican primary states following which Trump asked him to drop out of the race.

"I have been in competition all of my life. There is nothing as exciting as this," Trump said and asked Rubio to drop out of the race following his poor performance.

"I would love to take on Ted (Cruz) one-o-one. I will win Ted one-o-one," Trump told reporters at a news conference in Palm Beach in Florida.

"Marco has to get out of the race," he said.

Trump also warned that the party establishment planning to have a third party run would be handing over the White House to the Democratic Party in a platter.

However, Cruz asserted that he is the only one who can defeat Trump and urged other candidates to drop out of the race.

"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D C, is utter terror at what we the people are doing together.

We saw on Tuesday, the Super Tuesday results that were extraordinary. And today on Super Saturday, we seem to be seeing a continuation of that very same pattern," Cruz told supporters at a rally in Idaho.

"What we're seeing is conservatives coming together," said Cruz who so far has won seven states to Trump's twelve.

PTI
Washington: A group of Sikhs and Muslims mostly from South Asian countries have joined the Donald Trump bandwagon in the US state of Maryland, asserting that the Republican presidential frontrunner is "not against" their communities.

Under the banner of "Sikh Americans for Trump" and "Muslim Americans for Trump" scores of Sikhs and Muslims held their first meeting in a suburb of Washington DC in Maryland, wherein a representative from the Trump campaign addressed them.

Organisers of the event  from both the Sikh and Muslim communities  argued that the view of Trump about minority community has been "twisted" and "taken out of context" by the mainstream media and claimed that the 69-year-old billionaire real estate magnet would create more jobs in the country which would benefit he minorities.

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"He (Trump) is not at all against the Sikhs or the Muslim community. What he says is given a spin. The mainstream media gives a spin. Because they are scared of him. He is not the status quo. He is not taking anybody's money," said Jasdip Singh, who helped organised the "Sikh Americans for Trump" in Maryland.

A prominent member of the Sikh community, Singh is Chairman of the Maryland Governor's Commission on South Asian Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Sikh Associations of Baltimore.

"When he talks about Muslims, he does not talk about all Muslims or American Muslims. He spoke in the context of the refugee crisis that was happening in Syria. We (Sikhs) agree with him. Muslim (Americans) agree with him that we should not bring people into this country before we can vet them. And this was a temporary measures proposed by him," Singh said.

"He is not against minorities. I have even heard that he is not good for India. I believe, he is very good for India. He has businesses in Pune and Mumbai. He understands all these countries and cultures better than any other candidates," said Singh, who in September led a delegation of Sikh leaders to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Silicon Valley.

"Trump built Tajmahal (Casino) in Atlantic City 25 years ago and brought a piece of India to the US and tried to bring things from India into Taj.

"So he has a very strong affinity and relationship with India. We should not listen to the spin that is coming from the media," Singh added.

Of all the presidential candidates, Trump is the only one who has achievements to show, argued Sajid Tarar, a Pakistani American, who helped organise the Muslim Americans for Trump.

"We believe, he has the ability and capacity to change America. He has built a huge empire. He is self-funding the campaign. There is no special interest behind him," Tarar said.

"There is a war going on against Trump. Every message and speech of his has been twisted," he said referring to the Trump's call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.

PTI
Manila: An American woman who visited the Philippines in January has tested positive for the Zika virus in the United States, the Philippines' top health official said Sunday.

Health Secretary Janette Garin said her department was coordinating with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to get more information about the woman and find out where she stayed during her 2-28 January visit to the Philippines.

The health department's spokesman, Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, said that the woman was apparently exhibiting the symptoms of Zika in the final days of her stay in the Philippines, but that she was not diagnosed with the virus until she returned to the US.

Garin said that if it is determined that the woman was infected in the Philippines, it would be only the second Zika case to be reported in the country, and stressed that there have been no reports of an outbreak. She said the public should not be alarmed but should take steps to prevent infection, including by destroying all breeding places of mosquitoes, which can spread Zika, dengue and other tropical diseases.

A 15-year-old boy got infected in Cebu city in the central Philippines in 2012, but recovered fully after three weeks of rest and treatment, according to the health department.

Philippine health officials have advised pregnant women to consider deferring nonessential travel to Zika-hit countries and worked to raise public awareness on how to fight infections, including by using insect repellents and wearing protective clothing.

AP
China plans to land a probe on Mars in 2021 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of founding of the ruling-Communist Party of China and a decade after its first failed mission in 2011, after which India, US, Russia and EU stole the march.

"China is likely to launch a Mars probe in 2020. After months of flying, the probe is expected to land in Mars at the 100th anniversary of the CPC. If successful, it will be a present from people working in the aerospace field," Ye Peijian, a top official of China's space programme, said.

"The probe is expected to reach Mars in 2021 after a flight of seven to ten months," Ye was quoted as saying by the official media Beijing.

The Communist Party, the sole governing party of China, was founded in 1921.

Ye said China has accumulated enough experience from its moon project.

"Our team accomplished the moon exploration project in 2013 as part of the Chang'e-3 mission," he said.

In November 2015, China unveiled a model of its orbiter and landing rover at the China International Industry Fair in Shanghai.

"Up till now we have made a breakthrough on the communication issue with a distance of 400 million kms. The main difficulty would be landing on Mars," Ye said.

China's earlier mission to send a probe to the Red Planet in a joint mission with Russia failed in 2011.

So far, only the US, the former Soviet Union, the European Space Agency and India have successfully carried out Mars exploration missions.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the main contractor of China's space missions, said yesterday that the Mars exploration is among the 10 major orders that Long March 5, the country's next-generation heavy lift rocket, has received so far.

Other orders include the Chang'e-5 lunar probe mission that is expected to bring back soil from the moon around 2017, and the much-anticipated space station's core module that will be launched around 2020.

The launch vehicle is slated to make a maiden flight later this year.

The size and structure of the Mars probe will be similar to Chang'e-3, China's first lunar lander that was launched in 2013, though there are many differences, Ye said.

"There are many challenges in front of us. But, I think it is likely we will send the probe to Mars given our all-out efforts, the know-how we gained from past missions and everybody's support," he said. PTI
Hilla: A truck bomb exploded at a crowded checkpoint outside the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, on Sunday, killing at least 47 people, officials and medical sources said.

Faleh al-Radhi, the head of the security committee at Babil provincial council, said "the attack was carried against a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Hilla."

A doctor at Hilla hospital put the number of people killed by the blast at 47, including around 20 members of the security forces, and said at least 72 people were also wounded.

Radhi and police officers confirmed the casualty toll, the heaviest from any car bomb attack in Iraq this year.

Officials said the vehicle was a truck packed with explosives and was detonated after being pulled over by checkpoint security as it tried to enter Hilla.

Pictures posted on social media showed vast destruction around the checkpoint, where cars are usually bumper-to-bumper at that time of day, queueing to be checked by security personnel.

A doctor at Hilla hospital said at least 11 of the wounded were in a very serious condition.

The Islamic State group, which carries out nearly all such attacks, has not had fixed positions south of Baghdad since security forces and allied militias began their fightback against the jihadists in late 2014.

A March 2014 suicide bombing at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Hilla, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital, killed 50 people and wounded more than 150.

When Iraqi forces began their counter-offensive against IS in late 2014, securing the Shiite shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, south of Baghdad, was a priority.

The jihadist group has been losing territory in Iraq for almost a year. In the most recent operation, Iraqi forces are retaking areas west of the city of Samarra.

In the cities the group retains control over, internal tension appears to be on the rise and the lack of supplies is taking its toll.

Observers have warned that, as their self-proclaimed "caliphate" shrinks towards extinction, IS fighters are likely to revert to their old guerrilla tactics and ramp up suicide car bomb attacks on civilian targets.

AFP
Washington: The US is set to deploy its nuclear-capable B-52 warplanes for the first time to bomb ISIS as part of efforts to ramp up campaign against terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

The B-52 Stratofortress could begin dropping bombs on the Islamic State group from April, the Air Force Times reported.

The bombers would be headed to the Central Command area of operations to replace the B-1 Lancers, the last of them returning in January, officials were quoted saying at an Air Force Association Conference.

The B-1s should return after they receive additional upgrades. However, it is not clear how many B-52s or the number of airmen, under Air Force Global Strike Command, will be deployed for the operation.

The aircraft, which had been used to drop unguided bombs in previous wars, including Afghanistan, can now be used to provide backup with the accuracy of precision-guided munitions.

If scheduled, it would be the first deployment for the bombers to fight Islamic State targets.

"We're going to keep the B-52 around. It provides some missions for us that are hard to replicate, primarily the range and payload the airplane provides," Lt Gen James 'Mike' Holmes, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, said last month.

B-52, nicknamed the "Big Ugly Fat Fella" or BUFF, has a payload capacity of 70,000 pounds, which includes "gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided (cruise) missiles and joint direct attack munitions".

The US decided to pull out B-1 bombers, one of the most dependable American weapons, from the battle against ISIS in Syria and Iraq for upgrades.

PTI
Australia's one-term Prime Minister above ... Events of interest from a libertarian/conservative perspective below
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has failed to endorse a pledge made by Attorney-General George Brandis to hold a same-sex marriage plebiscite, and change the Marriage Act, by the end of 2016.

Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Senator Brandis said the government would hold a plebiscite on same sex marriage before the end of the year if it won the federal election expected late this year.

And if there was support for it, Senator Brandis said,the Coalition government would quickly introduce changes to the Marriage Act that he expected would become law "by the end of the year".

Mr Turnbull's office, however, distanced itself from Brandis' comments that a plebiscite would be held by the end of the year.
Hello and welcome to something new from me. Every Monday to Friday I'll be delivering you with your personally-curated newsletter. Call it the double espresso of news - the morning news kickstart for busy people who want to know what they need to know before they get going.

I stayed up all night reading Nikki Savva's new book which is being launched in Canberra on Monday. The Road to Ruin has promised to lift the lid on the inner workings, or dysfunction of the Tony Abbott-Peta Credlin and it did not disappoint. It lays bare the breakdown of the relationships between Tony Abbott and Deputy Leader Julie Bishop, whom Peta Credlin is cited as calling "Lady MacBeth." Christopher Pyne used to be a confidante of the socially-conservative former PM, much to the astonishment of the party's right-wing MPs, but is also no longer on speaking terms with Mr Abbott rejecting peace offerings.

Most of the book focuses on "The Chief" with her former best friend and press office chief Jane McMillan revealing how the entire Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was held hostage to Credlin's volatile moods.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott and his then chief-of-staff Peta Credlin emerge from the lobby of Rupert Murdoch's apartment in Central Park West, New York after private dinner on Tuesday 10 June, 2014. Credit:Andrew Meares

The role she played in sidelining Margie Abbott is also revealed, along with a bizarre bum-slapping incident which reveals the nature of Abbott and Credlin's peculiar working relationship. Mr Abbott and Ms Credlin both told colleagues who warned them to address perceptions of an affair that there was no romantic involvement. They pair hit out at Savva and say they won't respond to "scurrilous gossip."

I daresay by the time Double Shot is dispatched on Tuesday, more than half of Canberra will have read Savva's book.
A man has been charged after he allegedly threw liquid chlorine in the face of his neighbour who had been playing in the backyard of his North Bondi house with his child, police say.

Police said the 45-year-old victim suffered permanent damage to his eyesight following the incident on Hastings Parade on Sunday afternoon.

The 31-year-old neighbour was arrested and charged.

Police believe there had been a dispute between the pair, with a neighbour complaining about excessive noise coming from one of the properties.
The bearded, gray-haired electrical engineer from the Iraqi city of Mosul looked distraught.

Will the Macedonians even let us pass, if they open the border, he asked sitting cross-legged in front of a small tent that he, his wife, son and daughter jokingly refer to as "home."

He has only just learned that the Macedonians, who are allowing only a daily trickle of refugees to cross the border, are turning back Iraqis and Syrians who have spent more than 30 days in Turkey or Greece, or any other country considered safe.

On Friday, Macedonian authorities allowed 180 refugees to enter out of the more than 13,000 refugees and migrants camped out by coils of razor-wire fencing, along rail tracks and in muddy fields. That is a decrease from the 280 the Macedonians accepted Thursday.

Variety of ethnic groups

According to U.N. officials and relief workers here, more than 70 percent of the asylum-seekers at Idomeni, a small village with a population of 154, are Syrians and Iraqis. The rest are Afghans and Pakistanis, or mainly economic migrants from North Africa.

WATCH: Related video of refugees at Greek camp

Ghanim and his family fled Mosul two years ago, a month after Islamic State militants overran the city and terrified locals with Draconian rules and the slaughter of opponents, Shiites and members of minority religious groups.

They lived in fear, avoiding the jihadists as best they could before fleeing to the Iraqi Kurdistan capital of Irbil.

Life was expensive in Irbil and with no job prospects they moved on to Turkey where they stayed for nine months as they raised money and plotted carefully their flight to Germany, where they have relatives.

Last month, they risked a dangerous Aegean Sea crossing, thinking that would be the worst part of their passage to Germany, only to arrive at Idomeni the day after Macedonia announced the closure of the border. They are fearful their dreams of a better, safer life will be dashed.

Stalled career dreams

Swinging between frustration and fear, Ghanims daughter Samar wails: What will become of us? The ambitious 20-year-old speaks four languages  including English  and is desperate to return to formal education, hoping one day to become a doctor.

I have lost two years, she frets as she chews on some bread and processed cheese. The worst part of the journey is right now  the sea-crossing was easy. I am really scared about what is happening, she adds with a frown.

Samar and her father arent the only refugees at Idomeni trying to keep up with changes in admittance rules Macedonia and other Balkan countries are coming up with on a daily basis and often not even announcing them, flouting efforts by Brussels to get European Union member states back to applying common rules.

Austrian restrictions

Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann remains insistent that his country will stay firm on border restrictions choking the flow of migrants along the Balkan route to West Europe that it imposed last month.

Austrias decision to allow only 3,200 asylum-seekers to pass through each day triggered the closing of borders in the Balkans  or severe clampdowns on the numbers that would be allowed to transit on their way to Germany and other northern European countries.

Refugees at Idomeni say the restrictions are surreal, considering none of them plans on staying in the Balkans or Austria. We just want to go Germany, Samar said.

In-mid February Balkan authorities started to reject, although not uniformly, Syrians and Iraqis who breached the 30-day rule, a policy agreed to at a February 18 meeting in the Croat capital of Zagreb between police officials from Croatia, Austria, Slovenia, Serbia and Macedonia  and approved apparently by their governments.

The rule change, Balkan officials said, is aimed at reducing to the greatest possible extent the migration flow along the Western Balkans.

It is a flow they say is causing chaos and they blame Greece for waving through refugees and migrants.

The 30-day rule change joins a series of other ones, sometimes agreed upon collectively by the EU, other times decided arbitrarily by individual states or groups of countries.

Special problems for Afghans

Twelve days ago, Afghans lost their war refugee status, being deemed instead economic migrants by the Macedonians. Aid groups complained that Macedonian border guards enforced that rule brutally, kicking Afghan refugees  women and children among them  for refusing to board buses that would return them to Athens.

Thousands of Afghans are now stranded in Greece  nearly a quarter of them estimated by humanitarian groups to be under the age of 18.

WATCH: Thousands of refugees stalled at Greece-Macedonia border

Among them a decision by Macedonian and other Balkan authorities last week that they will deny entry to Syrian and Iraqi asylum-seekers who say they want to reach Western Europe for any reason other than to escape war.

If they mention they want to complete their education or hope to reunite with family members or fled their countries to avoid military recruitment, they will be turned back. Aid workers warn refugees can easily be tricked into giving any of those reasons, even if they are ancillary ones.

On Saturday, and without any announcement, Macedonian officials told some refugees that Syrians from Damascus or Iraqis from Baghdad would also be blocked from journeying further.

No rationale for the change was offered, despite the fact the Damascus suburbs have been heavily hit in Syrias civil war and have seen some of the fiercest bombardments of the conflict, including chemical warfare attacks.

'Arbitrary, unilateral decisions'

The rule changes have provoked the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to condemn arbitrary, unilateral decisions by individual states threatening to cause serious humanitarian consequences for desperate refugees fleeing from war and persecution.

IRC and other humanitarian and international rights groups have urged European states to observe fair and thorough status determination procedures based on refugees individual circumstances.

That is not being done at Gevgelija, on the Macedonian side of the border opposite from Idomeni, say refugees and aid workers.

The few asylum-seekers being let across are receiving perfunctory 30-minute interviews by police officers from Austria and the Czech Republic assisted by Macedonian counterparts. Interpreters are present, but those 30 minutes will decide the likely lifetime fate of refugees with rejection, meaning immediate deportation to Greece.

Memories of homeland

Jalila, a 79-year-old Yazidi woman who brought with her on her epic journey a small bag of dirt from her farm near Iraqis Sinjar would certainly flunk an interview.

She said the only thing keeping her going is the prospect of being reunited with family members in Holland, including her daughter.

A granddaughter has come with her. She raises her arms to the sky cursing the Islamic State militants who forced her to flee.

As she sits awaiting her future on the Greek-Macedonian border she sheds tears for her past and for my beautiful farm. She points up at the olive trees on some nearby hills. Mine were better, she says.

Shifting refugee policies

The fate of many of the refugees may well be determined partly at a summit between EU and Turkish leaders in Brussels Monday.

EU leaders are hoping to persuade Turkey to do more to stem the flow of war refugees. If that doesnt happen, or Austria and its Balkan allies feel it wont happen, they are expected to push a substitute policy; sealing off Macedonias and Bulgarias borders completely with Greece, which would worsen the humanitarian crisis in Greece and upend German Chancellor Angela Merkels open-door policy.

But under domestic political pressure, even Merkels door isnt as open as it was last year.

She has said the buildup of refugees and migrants on the Greek-Macedonian border isn't the same as last September when she agreed to let in thousands of asylum-seekers who had piled up in Hungary.

Last week, Merkel said, There are accommodation possibilities ... in Greece, they should be used by the refugees and she stressed "there is not a right for a refugee to say, 'I want to get asylum in a particular country in the European Union. "

Refugees like Abdul from the Syrian city of Homs, who is at Idomeni with his wife and two boys aged 7 and 8, asks why Merkel told Syrians to come and promised a welcome. Why did they say we could come, then, if they dont want us?

They spent three months in Turkey trying to find a boat to cross the Aegean. God willing, they will let us pass, he says, as he smokes nervously.

Any decisions reached in Brussels Monday will then have to be approved at a mid-March summit featuring just EU leaders.

Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban, an outspoken critic of Europe admitting any more asylum-seekers, said on state radio Friday, We have nerve-racking weeks ahead.

They will be even more nerve-racking for the refugees.

Photo gallery: Idomeni, Greece, refugee camp
A suicide attack in the Iraqi city of Hilla on Sunday has killed at least 47 people and wounded scores of others.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombing.

A police official said the attacker drove an explosives-filled fuel truck into a security checkpoint about 115 kilometers south of Baghdad. The checkpoint was filled with dozens of cars awaiting entrance into the city.

Civilians and security personnel were among the dead. More than 40 people were wounded.

The militant group has been battling Iraq's government since overrunning several cities in 2014.

The Iraq Body Count project, which maintains a database of civilian deaths in Iraq since 2003, reports more than 2,000 civilians killed since the beginning of the year.
Former champion boxer turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya revealed an unusual inspiration for putting together his next major fight card.

Donald Trump.

The frontrunner for the Republican nomination for the presidency and wall-enthusiast has espoused some of the most extreme views ever seen on the national stage. And in matching up young superstars Canelo Alvarez versus Muslim Amir Khan for a fight on May 7th in Las Vegas, De La Hoya couldnt help but note the message it would send to Trump.

Via CNN:

I was watching Donald Trump speaking his nonsense, and I said to myself: Why dont I put a Muslim fighter and a Mexican fighter in the same ring and create a mega mega event on Cinco de Mayo week, just to show Trump. I thank Trump for giving me the inspiration to come up with this mega event  because were going to have millions of Muslims, millions of Mexicans, buying pay-per-view, and watching the fight live from Las Vegas.

Alvarez (46-1-1) vs Khan (31-3) will be the first major fight to take place in the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, before the UFC 200 PPV is scheduled to take place there in July.

Odds are that at some point in the lead-up to the fight there will be an uncomfortable moment when Trump brags about the size of his hands compared to De La Hoya.

[CNN]
Egypt has arrested six alleged Muslim Brotherhood members in connection with the killing of Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat last year and ordered their detention for 15 days, a judicial source and the state news agency said on Sunday.

Barakat, 64, was killed in a car bomb attack in Cairo in June 2015. He was the most senior state official to die at the hands of militants since the toppling of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. There was no confirmed claim of responsibility.

"The prosecution has accused the suspects of several crimes including premeditated murder of the late public prosecutor to carry out an act of terrorism, possessing and using explosives, and joining a terrorist group," MENA reported.

A judicial source told Reuters that six men had been detained but did not give details on their affiliation or charges they faced.

Judges and other senior officials have been targeted by radical Islamists opposed to President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and angered by prison and death sentences imposed on members of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and other government opponents.

The Egyptian judiciary says that it is independent of the government and military, but some judges have been accused of bias after handing down lengthy jail terms and mass death sentences.

The attack last June cast doubt on Egypt's ability to contain an Islamist insurgency that has been targeting higher-profile targets.

Egypt is grappling with a Sinai-based insurgency that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the Sisi, then military chief, ousted the Brotherhood's Morsi after mass protests against his rule. The Brotherhood was soon after banned and designated as a terrorist organization. The group says its peaceful and that it rejects violence.

The most active militant group is Sinai Province, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, the jihadist group that has seized control of significant areas of Iraq and Syria.
Benin began counting votes after an election Sunday to choose a successor to President Thomas Boni Yayi, who is stepping down after two terms, leaving 33 candidates to compete for power in the West African country.

Boni Yayi is leaving office after the legally mandated two terms, reinforcing Benin's reputation as a model of democracy on the troubled continent, where many leaders are revising their countries' constitution so they can remain in power.

He told reporters as he cast his ballot that he is leaving behind a unified Benin.

The candidates include Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, who is backed by Boni Yayi and the ruling party, and Patrice Talon, a wealthy businessman who made his fortune exporting cotton, Benin's major product. Zinsou has faced criticism for his ties to France, where he was born and has spent most of his life.

If no candidate wins a clear majority, a run-off election will be held in two weeks.

More than 4.7 million voters were expected at about 13,600 polling stations in Benin.
North Korea on Sunday denounced annual military drills between the United States and South Korea, scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Some 300,000 South Korean forces and 15,000 of their American counterparts are expected to take part in the yearly exercises, according to the South's Yonhap news agency. This would make 2016 the largest combined force to participate in the so-called Foal Eagle and Key Resolve exercises, Yonhap said.

Pyongyang regularly protests the drills, which they say are rehearsals for an impending war, and have recently stepped up its threats amid a period of increased tension on the peninsula.

On Sunday a statement read on the North's state-controlled KRT television station threatened retaliation.

"We have cutting-edge attack methods to beat up the U.S. mainland at anytime and from anywhere," the KRT news reader said. "Also we have diligently developed and deployed Juche (self-reliant) weapons in the era of the Workers' Party of Korea, which enables us to fire strong artilleries."

"If a war breaks out on the Korean peninsula, the U.S. will be held accountable for igniting the war by mobilizing their massive strategic means and war hardware here, regardless of who mounted a preemptive attack," the newsreader said.

On Friday, the North's state media said its leader, Kim Jong Un, had ordered its military to be in a "preemptive attack" mode, including the use of nuclear weapons, in the face of growing threats from its enemies.

The comments marked a further escalation of tension on the Korean peninsula after the U.N. Security Council imposed harsh new sanctions on the isolated state for its nuclear program.

Foal Eagle and Key Resolve are scheduled to last until April 30, according to Yonhap.
Slovakias leftist ruling party will begin negotiations Sunday with smaller political parties in an attempt to form a coalition government after losing its parliamentary majority in Saturday's elections.

With nearly all the votes counted, Prime Minister Robert Ficos Smer-Social Democracy party won nearly 30 percent of the vote, securing 49 seats in the 150-seat parliament, losing its secure majority of 83 seats in the previous government.

The pro-business Freedom and Solidarity party came in second with about 12 percent of the vote, securing 21 seats.

Fico campaigned on a strident anti-immigrant platform, aligning Bratislava with Poland and Hungary, who are opposed to a European Union plan to evenly distribute refugees who have poured into the continent fleeing Syria, Iraq and other war-ravaged countries, creating Europe's biggest migrant and humanitarian crisis since World War Two.

Fico's victory comes as Slovakia prepares to assume the EU's rotating presidency in July.

Among the smaller parties who won seats in Saturday's elections is the extreme right nationalist Our Slovakia, which took 8 percent of the vote.

Party leader Marian Kotelba is a neo-Nazi sympathizer who has expressed strident views against Slovakia's Roma minority.
The Republican nominating contest for president could be consolidating into a two-man race between businessman Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz. By gobbling up the lions share of delegates awarded state-by-state, Trump and Cruz are eclipsing two other rivals: Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Ohio governor John Kasich.

Rubio did pick up a victory Sunday in Puerto Rico's primary, only his second win of the 2016 cycle. For now he appears to pose no threat to Cruz or Trump.

Cruz beat expectations by winning nominating contests Saturday in Maine and Kansas, and finishing a close second to front-runner Donald Trump in Louisiana and Kentucky.

I am very encouraged because if we continue to unite we are going to win this nomination, said a jubilant Cruz.

Trump expressed no disappointment with the results.

I am very, very happy about it. Thank you Louisiana and thank you Kentucky, he said.

While Trump retains a lead in the delegates needed to win the Republican nomination, Cruz narrowed the gap by winning five states last week.

Squabble with Rubio

On Thursday, Trump and Rubio squabbled endlessly at the last Republican debate, often eliciting groans and boos from the audience. Cruz alternated between attacking Trump and attempting to stand above the fray.

Nominating Donald would be a disaster, Cruz said at the debate, which was televised on Fox News. If you dont want him as the nominee, then I ask you to stand with us as a broad coalition of people who believe in the Constitution, believe in freedom, and want to turn this country around.

Trump acknowledged Cruz's rise late Saturday and urged Rubio to drop out of the race.

"I would love to take on Ted one-on-one. That would be so much fun," he said.

If Cruz is emerging as the main alternative to Trump among Republicans, the Democratic front-runner, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, continued marching toward her party's nomination.

Her lone challenger, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, won the caucuses Sunday in Maine.

But that will have little effect on Clinton increasingly gearing her remarks to a general election audience.

Let us join hands, let us lift ourselves up, let us get going together. Let us make a difference, let us build tomorrow, Clinton said at a recent campaign stop.

Delegate race

Clinton has won most primaries to date in larger, delegate-rich states. But Bernie Sanders insists the race is not over.

We have come a very, very long way, closing the gap nationally with Secretary Clinton, Sanders said on ABCs This Week television program.

But it is the Republican contest that is generating more headlines. Some party elders, like 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, have pleaded with voters against backing Trump.

Here is what I know. Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud, Romney said last week.

Trump, meanwhile, continues to amass delegates while thumbing his nose at the Republican establishment and straying from traditional presidential themes.

Look at those hands. Are they small hands? Trump said at the Fox debate, responding to a jab days earlier from Rubio suggesting that the front-runner has small appendages.

On Tuesday, Michigan and Mississippi are holding both Republican and Democratic presidential primary elections, while Republicans are holding a primary in Idaho and caucuses in Hawaii.
TF Senior Center Plans Fundraising Breakfast

TWIN FALLS  The Twin Falls Senior Center will hold its monthly fundraising breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, March 12, at 530 Shoshone St. W.

The all-you-can-eat breakfast will include stuffed French toast, roasted red potatoes, biscuits and gravy, pastry tray, fruit and beverages.

Entertainment will be provided by Marla Garrett during breakfast. The Twin Falls First Baptist youth group will volunteer their time for the event.

Cost is $7 per person. Information: 208-734-5084.

U.S. Basic Military Training Graduates

U.S. Air Force Airman Dallon G. Black graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Black is the son of Cindy Shotswell and Craig Black and step-son of Dean Shotswell, all of Jerome, Idaho, and nephew of Connie Ripple and Sonia Fry of Twin Falls, Idaho. He is also the husband of Kala Black.

The airman graduated in 2010 from Canyon Ridge High School, Twin Falls, Idaho.

U.S. Army Pvt. Alisa Page has graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Jackson, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

Page is the daughter of Julie and Michael Frings of Spanaway, Wash., and granddaughter of Bonnie And Joseph Eyre of Jerome, Idaho.

She graduated in 2005 from Lincoln High School, Tacoma, Wash.

Blaine School District Presents Lecture on Internet Safety

HAILEY  Blaine County School District technology department is offering a presentation on internet safety at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 17, in the Queen of the Hills room at the Community Campus.

Peter Zimmerman will offer a public presentation discussing common threats and how the public can realistically raise the bar against hackers while enjoying the conveniences of online access. Zimmerman is an engineer with the Department of Defense specializing in security.

The event is free. Information: www.blaineschools.org.

Gooding Duplicate Bridge Results

February 5

1. Lorna Bard and Susan Faulkner; 2. Jodi Faulkner and Claire Major; 3. Bobette Plankey and Beverly Burns. Section B: 1. Kathie Boian and Sharon Peterson.

February 12

1. Susan Faulkner and Lorna Bard; 2. Kathy Rooney and Peter Cobb; 3. Edna Pierson and Joe Blackford. Section B: 1. Lucy Gustafson and Rosalie Eberhard.

February 19

1. Max Thompson and Riley Burton; 2. Sue Skinner and Claire Major; 3. Peter Cobb and Kathy Rooney. Section B: 1. Lucy Gustafson and Rosalie Eberhard.

February 26

1. Kathie Boian and Sharon Peterson; 2. Riley Burton and Edna Pierson.

Duplicate bridge is played every Friday at 1:00 at the Gooding Senior Center. For more information call Kathy Rooney at 934-9732.

The March 2016 meeting of the Twin Falls National Association of Employed or Retired Federal Employees Group will be held Monday March 14, 2016 at 11:30 AM at the Loong Hing Restaurtant, Kinberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho. The Speaker will be Tania from the Office of Aging. If you are a currently employed or retired from the Federal Government you are invited to attend this meeting and enjoy visiting with your peers and asking any questions regarding current benefits. If you have any questions please call 208-308-1670.

New Materials at Kimberly Public Library

ADULT FICTION

Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade

Brotherhood in Death by J. D. Robb

Breakdown by Jonathan Kellerman

NYPD Red 4 by James Patterson

Blue by Daniel Steel

Something Borrowed, Someone Dead by M. C. Beaton

A Separate Country by Robert Hicks

Counterplay by Robert K. Tanenbaum

The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe

A Devil is Waiting by Jack Higgins

Ice Fire by David Lyons

The Widow Waltz by Sally Koslow

Somerset by Leila Meacham

INSPIRATIONAL FICTION

Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl

Calico Spy by Margaret Brownley

Amish Sweethearts by Leslie Gould

Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey

Always Watching by Lynette Eason

Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist

Jolines Redemption by Vickie McConough

Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble

I Hope You Dance by Beth Moran

Keeper of the Stars by Robin Lee Hatcher

The Gift by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Youre the One That I Want by Susan May Warren

DVDs

Cheaper by the Dozen & Cheaper by the Dozen 2

Joy Ride

Blade II

Pavement

The Donor Party

The Longest Drive

8 Adventure Movies

Bad Company

The Golden Compass

Horatio Hornblower: The Adventure Continues

Monsters VS Aliens

LDS BOOKS

By the River by Jennie Hansen

Danger Ahead by Betsy Brannon Green

The Storm Descends by Gerald N. Lund

ADULT NON-FICTION

Reflections of the West by C. J. Hadley (Ed.)

Origami: Easy-to-Make Paper Creations by Gay Merrill Gross

Uncommon Valor by Dwight Jon Zimmerman & John D. Gresham

JUVENILE FICTION

The Conjurers Riddle by Andrea Cremer

Alpha Project by D. J. MacHale

Winter Turning by Tui T. Sutherland

Gifted by Stephanie Adams

Froggy Gets a Doggy by Jonathan London

Curious George: Gymnastics Fun edited by Leora Bernstein

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly! by Lucille Colandro

Elmos World: Love by Sesame Street

Eight Silly Monkeys by Steve Haskamp

My First Colors Board Book by DK Pub.

Lets Go to the Zoo! by Ellen Weiss

Shadow of the Shark by Mary Pope Osborne

Stars Above by Merissa Meyer

JUVENILE NON-FICTION

Colonial Times 1600  1700 by Joy Masoff

Destined to Live: A True Story of a Child in the Holocaust by Ruth Gruener

Bears: Monarchs of the Northern Wilderness by Wayne Lynch

CDs

Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham

Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman

The Bootlegger by Clive Cussler

The Girl in the Spiders Web by David Lagercrantz
Two

Number of parties participating  just the Republican and Constitution parties. The Idaho Democratic Party will make its presidential nominating decisions at county caucuses on March 22, where participants must sign a pledge saying theyre members of the Democratic Party.

Three

Number of candidates on the Constitution Party presidential ballot in Idaho: Scott Copeland and Patrick Ockander of Texas, and J.R. Myers of Alaska.

Eight

Time that polls open and close  theyre open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Thirteen

Number of candidates on the Republican Party ballot, even though some have dropped out of the race since they filed for the Idaho ballot. The choices, in alphabetical order: Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich, Peter Messina, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum and Donald Trump. The ones still actively campaigning are Cruz, Kasich, Rubio and Trump.

Number of GOP delegates at stake in the Idaho primary. But no candidate will get any delegates unless that candidate gets at least 20 percent of the vote. And if any candidate gets more than 50 percent, itll turn into a winner-take-all: That candidate gets all 32 delegates.

2,265

Number of Idaho voters registered as members of the Constitution Party of Idaho

298,211

Number of Idaho voters registered as members of the Idaho Republican Party

364,355

Number of Idaho voters registered as unaffiliated with any party

740,041

Number of Idaho voters potentially eligible to vote in the primary on Tuesday  but only if they choose to register at the polls as member of the Republican or Constitution party. That figure includes all Idaho registered voters, including the 70,549 registered as Democrats and the 4,661 registered members of the Libertarian Party. If they register as Republicans or Constitution Party members at the polls, that becomes their new party registration; itll be a matter of public record. And the overall number could actually be higher, because Idahos same-day registration law allows any citizen  even one whos never registered to vote  to register at the polls and vote on the spot. Voters who dont choose to affiliate with the GOP or Constitution Party could still cast ballots on nonpartisan school levies in some districts, including Lakeland and Kellogg.

25.3 percent

Percentage of Idahos registered voters who voted in the states last presidential primary, which was in 2008. In 2012, Idaho had no presidential primary, as both the Republican and Democratic parties used caucuses to make their presidential nominee selections.
BOISE  Several new public records exemptions are making their way through the Statehouse this year.

Most of these bills go through the House State Affairs Committee, which is more often in the headlines for the divisive social issues that go through it but which also takes up most legislation related to public records and election disclosure.

A bill to redact from election filings the cell phone numbers and email addresses of absentee voters, political candidates, campaign treasurers and lobbyists was printed in the committee in late February. A phone number, such as a home or business number, would remain publicly available when it comes to candidates, treasurers and lobbyists, but absentee voters contact information would be completely redacted.

The first version would have gone further, redacting any cell number even when that was the only number provided. The Newspaper Association of Idaho and the Idaho Press Club objected to this one, one of the objections being that a candidate for office should have a publicly available telephone number in his or her filings. That version was pulled due to what House State Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, called ghosts in the legislation  Statehouse talk for a bill that has run into opposition for mysterious reasons.

We listened to some of the concerns people had, and we think it addresses those concerns, deputy Secretary of State Tim Hurst said when introducing the second version. It incorporates the changes that were brought up.

Another new exemption making its way through the Legislature, brought by the Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association, would exempt from disclosure records relating to critical infrastructure such as schools, dams and cell towers, if they could, in the agencys judgment, endanger public safety. Its supporters said this new exemption would protect records and building plans that could be used by someone wishing to attack them.

Do we want to release information that could increase their vulnerabilities and increase the risk of a terrorist attack? asked floor sponsor Rep. Don Cheatham, R-Post Falls, during the debate.

It passed the House 63-4, with a handful of the Houses most conservative Republicans voting against it. However, the Senate State Affairs Committee held the bill after a lengthy hearing on Wednesday, intending to make the circumstances under which an agency can withhold records more narrow than the could be used to jeopardize persons or property in the original bill.

Rep. Caroline Troy, R-Genesee, is sponsoring a bill to exempt from disclosure the documents people must file with their county sheriff when buying weapons regulated under the National Firearms Act. It passed House State Affairs on a party-line vote. While one Democratic lawmaker said he had a problem in principle with creating too many public records exemptions, the debate focused as much on gun control as it did on the public records issue. The bills supporters said it would protect people who might own a fully automatic weapon, suppressor, sawed-off shotgun or other regulated item from potential burglars.

A bill to remove the requirement for a benefit corporation  a corporation that could pursue charitable goals rather than just maximizing profits  to file a copy of its report with the Secretary of States office has passed the House unanimously. The report would still be publicly available, but if the bill passes you would need to get the report from the corporation itself, rather than the state. The corporations would have to post them online if they have websites. The Senate State Affairs Committee approved the proposal Wednesday, sending it on to the full Senate.

Another records-related bill would allow cities to save certain non-historic records in digital form only. The current law requires them to keep paper copies. This one has been referred to the Houses amending order, to add some wording recommended by the Idaho State Historical Society to ensure preservation of records with historic value.

A couple of bills would increase disclosure in some areas, including one that would require employees of state government agencies and public educational institutions to report gifts to lawmakers and executive officials the same way lobbyists must now.

Hurst gave meals, entertainments and tickets to sports games as examples of gifts. They would have to be itemized individually if they are worth more than $105, but smaller amounts could be lumped together.

So if they give you a really good meal they have to report that; if they take you to McDonalds they dont, Hurst said.

The bill passed the House unanimously and is awaiting action in the Senate.

Another bill that would have increased disclosure was killed by the Senate State Affairs Committee over concerns about the burden of compliance on small cities and districts. The bill would have required campaign finance reports to be filed by everyone running for office (currently candidates in smaller cities and school districts are exempt) and by groups backing or opposing a bond or ballot measure.
TWIN FALLS  State and federal public records laws are intended to make information about the publics business readily available.

These laws protect citizens rights to monitor their governments actions, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden says in his Idaho Public Records Law Manual. However, governments must continually balance the rights to information against security and individuals rights to privacy.

Balance is achieved by exempting certain records.

Idahos public records laws generally apply to all state or local agencies, with exceptions. They do not apply to federal agencies, which fall under the Freedom of Information Act.

State and Local Records

Many state and local records are public by law, said Betsy Russell, president of Idahoans for Open Government and the Idaho Press Club. It says very strongly that everything is open unless there is a specific exemption.

A change IDOG and the Idaho Press Club pushed for in 2011 made the vast majority of public records free to the public, Russell said. It made it so the first 100 pages of copying or first two hours of labor are free.

Idahoans can make use of public records to find out whether there are sex offenders in the area, for instance, or what the city spends on street maintenance.

You can find out who voted which way among your local officials so you can decide on who youre going to vote for, Russell said.

Many agencies, she said, wont require you to file a written public records request. However, because some government entities require requests to be in writing, citizens should start by contacting the agency directly to find out.

By law, an agency may not ask you why you need the information. A representative may ask questions to assist you with your request or to narrow your search.

Wasdens manual (ag.idaho.gov/publications/legalManuals/PublicRecordsLaw.pdf) answers a lot of common questions about public records in Idaho, and it outlines exemptions to the law. Youll find links to the relevant Idaho laws, plus experts contact information, on the National Freedom of Information Coalitions Idaho website (nfoic.org/idaho-foi-resources).

Federal Records

The federal FOIA includes nine categories of exceptions, and Russell doesnt believe it is as user-friendly as state laws.

Often it requires longer waits and big fees, she said.

The Office of Government Information Services said FOIA applies to federal agencies of the executive branch and occasionally overlaps with other agencies such as joint task forces.

The agency has 20 working days to respond to a request, compliance team member Kate Gastner said. It can then ask for 10 additional days.

Fees depend on the category of the request: education, media or other.

Certain categories only pay for search and reproduction, but other categories dont have to pay at all, Gastner said.

Requesters can apply for a fee waiver.

All FOIA requests must be made in writing  such as fax, email or mail  so they can be documented, she said. Gastner said good communication between the requester and the agency will speed up the process.

Gastner recommends visiting the agencys website before you fill out a request. Some federal agencies post information online, such as the Transportation Security Administrations customer throughput reports.

Not all agencies are great about proactively posting records, she said.

The Office of Government Information Services can answer FOIA questions at 1-877-684-6448.
On Thursday, Feb. 25, Idahos first medical school was announced. It will be built with only private investment. The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine will be located in Meridian on the ISU Meridian campus. This school answers needs that have been identified in access to health care in Idaho, including addressing our physician shortage and medical education deficiencies, as well as providing a positive economic impact.

Physician Shortage

Idaho currently ranks 49th in the nation for physicians per capita. This problem will get significantly worse if we do not address it now. Forty-five percent of our Idaho physicians are 55-65 years of age. Though no one knows for sure when those physicians plan to retire, a large exodus from our physician population is likely. This would create a critical situation with our access to health care. As legislators, with two of us serving on the board of the Idaho Health Insurance Exchange, we see the struggles of Idahoans trying to meet the health care needs of their families while dealing with the added stresses to their budgets of increasing costs and expensive federal mandates. The problem is made worse by a shortage of doctors.

Medical Education Deficiencies

Because we havent had a medical school in Idaho, our students have had a much more difficult time getting into medical school than those from other states. Last year, 63 percent of our fully qualified Idaho students who applied to medical school did not get accepted. One hundred-seventeen Idaho students who wanted to further their education and wanted to become doctors were not given the opportunity to meet that goal. On average, over the past 10 years, about 69 percent of the fully qualified Idaho students did not get accepted to medical school.

Economic Needs

This school will have a positive impact on our economy. It has been proven that when a state has a medical school, you see additional economic growth with pharmaceutical companies, durable and non-durable medical equipment companies, medical technology companies, and increased opportunities for research in the health care industry. This will not only increase the number of jobs in our state, but more importantly, the number of high-paying jobs. There will be increased revenue to our state, because of this growth, which will help us meet the needs for education, transportation, corrections and other important state responsibilities.

Unfortunately, within hours of the announcement some special-interest voices began opposing having a medical school. Whenever we solve problems there are those who will complain and oppose the changes. But, our first priority must always be meeting the needs of Idahoans, regardless of the opposition.

Building a medical school in Idaho is a critical part of the solution, though not the only part. In 2022 we will need to have residencies available for graduates. ICOM has committed to put significant funds toward meeting this need. ICOM and its investors have committed to Idaho. We encourage our fellow legislators to join with us to build adequate residency programs in Idaho. With the commitment and investment of community and state leaders we will succeed in increasing the number of doctors in Idaho, increasing medical education opportunities for Idaho students and improving our economy.

We cannot take counsel from the fears of those who doubt. Now is the time to work and to build. Those who fail to try, fail every time. We are committed to not only stand up for Idaho, but to work for her bright future.

Sens. Marv Hagedorn and Jim Rice and Rep. Kelley Packer
Kit Metzger quickly swiped through the pictures on her iPhone, trying not to linger too long on the gruesome images.

Metzger, who heads the approximately 90,000-acre Flying M Ranch had just come inside after a day spent discussing prairie dogs and grassland restoration.

Now, she was talking about a different topic entirely.

The smartphone screen showed pictures of Metzgers cows, but some were barely recognizable with chunks of skin or other body parts removed. After being killed and mutilated, her animals had been left on the ranch.

From Internet searches of similar mutilations and discussions with the local livestock inspector, Metzger wonders whether the killings are somehow related to satanic or other sacrificial rituals.

I cant tie it to anything but thats a clue, she said.

Other ranchers in places like Colorado and Missouri have experienced similar livestock mutilations, but have been unable to come up with any sort of explanation. Theories about religious or even extraterrestrial connections were tossed around, but not proven. No arrests have been made.

ITS JUST REALLY STRANGE

Metzgers photographs show cattle with their eyeballs taken out, their ears or lips cut off and circular chunks sliced from their bodies where their inner organs were removed.

The cuts are clean and precise, as if made by a sharp scalpel, she said.

From her own research and analysis of the dead cows, Metzger said the killers appear to inject them with a painkiller, sedative or muscle relaxant-type drug that makes the animals go limp. Then they insert some sort of tube into the artery and wait until the cows hearts pump all of the blood out of their bodies. There is rarely any blood on the ground around the carcass, leading Metzger to believe the people are somehow collecting it. Those same techniques, including the draining of blood, have been found in cattle mutilation cases in New Mexico and Colorado.

Its just really strange she said.

The killings at Flying M Ranch have been going on for years  the first happened in the early 70s  and Metzger said she has tried everything to catch the perpetrators, but to no avail. She hopes that going public with the story will finally make the killers stop and leave her ranch alone.

This is getting to the point where its getting ridiculous, she said.

The killings always seem to happen around certain dates  mid-July, October and right around Easter, Metzger said.

Flying M has tried sending out ranch staff to watch over the cattle at night and set up cameras near water tanks and entryways into pastures. But most of the time they have only gotten images of headlights and havent been able to trace tire tracks on the ground, Metzger said. They have contacted officials with the Forest Service, the Coconino County Sheriff and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, who are all on the lookout.

Besides the strange and creepy nature of the cow deaths, they also have dealt a financial blow to the ranch. Metzger estimated that the four or five cows that tend to be killed in this way each year are worth about $16,000 to the ranch. If the cows were pregnant, thats thousands more that is lost. Plus, calves left alone will have problems developing without being on their mother for their first year, she said.

On top of that, its Flying Ms gentler cows that tend to become victims because people can more easily walk up to them and drug them, Metzger said, adding that several of their favorite cows have been killed.

So far, Flying Ms neighbor and fellow Diablo Trust member Bar T Bar Ranch hasnt experienced any similar cow killings, said Judy Prosser, the ranchs owner and president of the Diablo Trust. She guessed that it might be because her ranch is harder to access than Flying M.

ELK VICTIMS, TOO

Recently, the mutilations have been found among elk as well. Last August, officials with the Arizona Game and Fish Department came upon three dead elk near Flying M Ranch, northeast of Anderson Mesa. The animals lips and sexual organs had been cut out of them, said Larry Phoenix, Flagstaff field supervisor with the department. It looked like somebody had driven out cross country and then dumped the animals, where they were found by officials, he said.

It was something we hadnt seen in a really long time, said Phoenix, who has worked for the department in this region for about 20 years.

There isnt any evidence showing how the animals died, he said. The department looked into whether the killings could be related to Satan worship, but hasnt found any direct connection, Phoenix said.

Its just one of the possibilities based on the lips and the sexual parts being missing, but there is no hard evidence that leads us down that path, he said.

The case is still ongoing, he said.

As for what Flying M will do with Easter coming up later this month, well be on the lookout, Metzger said.
WASHINGTON (TNS)  When Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders face off Sunday night in Flint, Mich., the city itself will be part of the debate.

The lack of clean water in Flint, a financially struggling, predominantly black city, touches on many of the issues Democrats are campaigning on this year: income inequality, race relations, infrastructure investment and environmental regulation.

Clinton and Sanders have each visited the city already, solicited donations to help residents and urged Congress to send financial aid. They have opened campaign offices there and aired TV ads about the problems. Sanders has called for Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, to resign over the water crisis. The citys Democratic mayor is a Clinton supporter.

Every single American should be outraged, Clinton said in a recent debate. Weve had a city in the United States of America where the population, which is poor in many ways and majority African-American, has been drinking and bathing in lead-contaminated water  . If the kids in a rich suburb of Detroit had been drinking contaminated water and being bathed in it, there wouldve been action.

In so many ways, Flint is the perfect example of the need for the Democratic platform, said John Hudak, who studies campaigns at the Brookings Institution, a center-left policy research center. They can point to this and say heres everything we have been talking about.

Snyder, a Republican, is taking the brunt of the criticism for the water crisis, though the Obama administrations Environmental Protection Agency also gets some blame.

The solution proposed by the states Democratic U.S. senators would cost $600 billion. Thats prompted Republicans to slow the process as some question whether the problem is a federal or a state and local issue.

In one potential twist, though, Republican Donald Trump speaks often about rebuilding American infrastructure, and he laments that so much government money has been spent in the Middle East, much on a war that Clinton supported.

Weve spent $4 trillion trying to topple various people, Trump said in a debate Thursday. If we couldve spent that $4 trillion in the United States to fix our roads, our bridges and all of the other problems, our airports and all of the other problems weve had, we wouldve been a lot better off.

The problem started in April 2014, when government officials appointed by Snyder decided to switch the citys water source to the Flint River to save money. Corrosive water ate away at the pipes, causing lead to contaminate the water supply.

The city switched back to its original water supply, Lake Huron, a year and a half later. But it was too late.

Some blame the water for causing learning disabilities, problems with attention and fine motor coordination in children and even violent behavior. Others say it has led to miscarriages.

Some local, state and federal officials knew there were serious problems with Flints water long before they switched the source back to Lake Huron, according to recent reports. Snyder, who had appointed an emergency manager who approved of changing the water supply, has apologized.

Ronna Romney McDaniel, chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, faulted Democratic candidates for not reaching out to officials at every level, including Snyders office, to fully understand the issue and discuss solutions.

At the Republican debate Thursday, which took place 65 miles away in Detroit, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida praised Snyder for taking responsibility and blasted Democrats for making it a campaign issue.

This should not be a partisan issue, Rubio said. The way the Democrats have tried to turn this into a partisan issue, that somehow Republicans woke up in the morning and decided, Oh, its a good idea to poison some kids with lead. Its absurd. Its outrageous. It isnt true.

On Friday, Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, visited Flint to hear from families affected by the crisis.

UltraViolet, a national womens advocacy organization, took out full-page ads in three Michigan newspapers this week giving residents and businesses cut-out signs to put up in their homes and storefronts declaring, Governor Snyder Not Welcome.

I want Hillary, said Flint Mayor Karen Weaver. She has actually been the only, the only candidate, whether were talking Democratic or Republican, to reach out and talk with us about, What can I do? What kind of help do you need?

It was Sanders who first publicly called for Snyder to resign, and he restated that call at a debate in January. A man who acts that irresponsibly should not be in power, he said.
American secretary of State John Kerry with the Saudi Foreign Minister ( Image credits- VOA)









A major part of the current turmoil in the Middle East is the product of a regional power struggle between the Shiite and Sunni branches of Islam. Iran is the leader of the first faction and offers strong support to the Shiite-dominated government in neighboring Iraq. Tehran is also the principal patron of Bashar al-Assads coalition of religious minorities regime in Syria (which is led by Assads Alawites, a Shiite offshoot), and it is a backer of Shiite movements in Lebanon, Bahrain, and Yemen.





Although Turkey has played a significant role on behalf of Sunni causes in Syria and Iraq, as a non-Arab power (and with a history as the pre-twentieth century colonial master), Ankaras influence among Arab factions remains limited. Saudi Arabia, together with Qatar and other smaller Gulf allies, has been and remains the principal backer of Sunni causes against Shiite adversaries.









The United States has consistently tilted toward the Saudis. Even when Washingtons ally, the Shah, ruled Iran, one could notice at least a slight bias in favor of Riyadh. Once the Islamic Revolution engulfed Iran in 1979, U.S. hostility toward Tehran became consistent, persistent, and intense. At the same time, the strategic relationship between Washington and Riyadh deepened.





There are numerous reasons why Washington has little love for Tehran. Americans recall all too well the searing pictures of the U.S. diplomats who were held hostage at the end of Jimmy Carters administration. And Iran was implicated in attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, including the bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983 and the 1996 bombing of the Air Force quarters in the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. Instead of asking what U.S. troops were doing in such volatile combat zones that have little, if any relevance thing, to genuine American security interests, the American people have developed a visceral hatred of Iran. U.S. leaders have been equally hostile over the past three and a half decades. That official hostility has ebbed just slightly in light of the new agreement between the P5+1 powers and Iran concernin





Given the widespread negative perception of Iran, the unfriendly U.S. stance is understandable. Americans should have little reason to like Saudi Arabia either, but that is not reflected in the attitude of the political elites or in any aspect of U.S. policy. U.S. officials and prominent political figures from both parties routinely describe Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Gulf clients as friends of the United States. But Americans should take a closer look at the nature of their Saudi friends.





Despite Riyadhs important role in the global oil market, Saudi Arabias domestic behavior alone should probably disqualify the country as a friend of the United States. Riyadhs reputation as a chronic and horrific abuser of human rights is well documented. Indeed, even as Americans and other civilized populations justifiably condemned ISIS for its barbaric practice of beheadings, Americas Saudi ally executed more than 150 people in that fashion in 2015Riyadh is off to an even faster start in 2016, and many of the victims, such as the prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al Nimr, had apparently done nothing more than demonstrate against or publicly criticize the regime.





But in addition to its awful domestic conduct, Riyadh has consistently engaged in actions that undermine Americas security. As far back as the 1980s, when the United States and Saudi Arabia were supposedly on the same side, helping the Afghan mujahedeen resist the Soviet army of occupation, Saudi officials worked closely with Pakistans intelligence agency to direct the bulk of the financial and military aid to the most extreme Islamist forces. Many of them became cadres in a variety of terrorist organizations around the world once the war in Afghanistan ended.





Saudi Arabias support for extremists in Afghanistan was consistent with its overall policy. For decades, the Saudi government has funded the outreach program of the Wahhabi clergy and its fanatical message of hostility to secularism and Western values generally. Training centers (madrassas) have sprouted like poisonous religious mushrooms throughout much of the Muslim world, thanks to Saudi largesse. That campaign of indoctrination has had an enormous impact on at least the last two generations of Muslim youth. Given the pervasive program of Saudi-sponsored radicalism, it is no coincidence that sixteen of the nineteen hijackers on 9-11 were Saudi nationals.





One would think that given that track record, U.S. officials would be wary about supporting the initiatives of its Saudi ally. But such caution has not been evident. In 2011, Washington quietly endorsed the Saudi-led military intervention in Bahrain to keep the Sunni royal family in power. Yet that action constituted blatant interference in the internal affairs of another country and ran counter to strong evidence of what the majority of the population (Shiites without political rights) wanted.





U.S. involvement escalated with regard to Saudi Arabias more recent military intervention in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Shiite Houthis. In this case, the United States is apparently providing intelligence information and logistical support for the intervening forces. This action deepens U.S. meddling in a complex civil war, and arguably on the wrong side of that conflict.





Washington is now flirting with endorsing a Saudi (and Turkish) initiative that could prove even more damaging than the interventions in Bahrain and Yemen. Riyadh and Ankara have expressed their interest in sending ground troops into Syria. But having Saudi and Turkish troops operating in Syria, backing favored clients, complicates an already difficult situation. U.S. leaders exhibit a curious myopia if they do not see the underlying problems.





The reflex reaction in the United States since the overthrow of the Shah of Iran has been to assume that Iran is an implacable enemy and that Saudi Arabia is a crucial ally and friend. The reality is much more complex and disturbing. Iran, in its current form is a repressive quasi-theocracy, and it is certainly no friend of the United States. Despite the current agreement, Tehran may even still harbor nuclear ambitions.





Irans clerical regime considers America the Great Satan and often tries to undermine American interestsand that is likely to ease just slightly with the new mandate given to the moderate government of President Hassan Rouhani. But it is also true that Tehran and its Shiite allies in Iraq and Syria are the principal barriers to ISIS and its expansion. If Washington regards the defeat of ISIS as a high priority, simultaneously trying to undermine Iran makes little strategic sense. And one should not forget that Saudi Arabia has been instrumental in fostering the rise of ISIS and other Sunni extremist groups. Riyadh has undermined Americas security at least as much as Tehran has over the decades.





The bottom line is not especially comforting. The evidence indicates that Iran is bad, but Saudi Arabia is at least as badand may be even worsefrom the standpoint of American interests. The alliance with Saudi Arabia should appeal only to masochists.





About the author - Ted Galen Carpenter, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a contributing editor at The National Interest, is the author of ten books and more than 600 articles on international affairs. His latest book, coauthored with Malou Innocent, is Perilous Partners: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Americas Alliances with Authoritarian Regimes (2015).





 THE NATIONAL INTEREST ( ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)




Watch my new video and check out my poems at www.poetrypf.co.uk/ maryrobinsonpage.shtml and check out my poems at



My two new books - Trace and Alphabet Poems

Trace, my new collection, is published by Oversteps at 8. www.overstepsbooks.com

My pamphlet, Alphabet Poems, i s published by Mariscat Press at 6. www.mariscatpress.com

To buy: Contact me for signed, shiny new copies! LMERobinson then the usual 'at' gmail.com Or you can buy from the publishers' websites or order through your local indie bookshop. Copies in stock at Browsers Porthmadog, Bookends Carlisle, New Bookshop Cockermouth and Pwllheli bookshop.





TRACE





'This hugely enjoyable collection brings together thoughtful, beautifully observed poems which will repay reading and re-reading' (Helen Farish)





ALPHABET POEMS





Alphabet Poems consists of 26 poems, one for each letter of the English alphabet. The starting point for each poem is the shape of the capital letter. 'Sometimes,' says Mary Robinson, 'I go back to an earlier hieroglyph and its signification, sometimes I use my imagination.' The result is a wonderfully inventive sequence, casting new light on old forms.'





(on H) 'The poem hits deep, laying out the landscape of the heart' (Shalini Pattaburaman Sphinx OPOI)





THE ART OF GARDENING





"Mary Robinson's poems wear their learning lightly, but it is deeply there, in each one of these engaged and engaging poems". Antoinette Fawcett Comet volume 8: issue 3 July 2013.




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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (TNS)  Nearly as quickly as flakka burst onto South Floridas street-drug scene, the designer drug has faded from the local landscape.

Since cresting last summer and fall, flakka-related fatalities, emergency-room cases, arrests and admissions to drug treatment centers have significantly decreased, experts say and data show.

Nobody can deny we had a crisis on our hands, said Lt. Ozzy Tianga of the Broward County sheriffs office. By no means is it 100 percent gone, but the numbers speak for themselves. Weve been successful.

The county medical examiner hasnt seen a flakka-related death since Dec. 11. There had been 63 since September 2014.

Flakka-related hospital cases, which rose more than 300 a month in June through October, fell to 54 in December.

Admissions of flakka users to the Broward Addiction Recovery Center fell from a high of 50 in July to six in January.

Tallies of flakka-related incidents at the by the sheriffs office have trended downward since hitting a monthly high of 120 on Oct. 1. That number fell to 14 by Dec. 1.

Broward County in 2014 led the nation in flakka cases, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration statistics showed. Flakka cases in crime labs in Broward far outpaced all other major urban counties in the nation, according to the DEA.

So how did the dangerous drug decline so remarkably and so quickly?

Experts credit a ban of the drug in the overseas country that was the chief supplier combined with a focused local effort to eradicate it from the streets.

Our answer was not to arrest our way out of the problem, Tianga said, but to educate the community, show compassion to users and make flakka enforcement of dealers priority No. 1.

Clandestine labs in China manufactured the drug, chemically known as alpha-PVP, and flooded the local street-drug market in an online mail-order business.

The Chinese government on Oct. 1 restricted exportation of alpha-PVP and 115 other chemical substances. used to make synthetic drugs that had been found to have no known legitimate uses.

Chinas ban was followed in November by a visit to the communist nation by a delegation of Broward County law enforcement officials, including Tianga, to voice their support for the restrictions.

Undoubtedly, the major factor is the banning of alpha-PVP at its source in China, said Jim Hall, an epidemiologist at Nova Southeastern University and Browards flakka expert. However, the China ban is just part of the story.

Equally important in the downturn, said Hall, was the formation nearly 10 months ago of a 40-member Flakka Community Action Team, a joint effort between government agencies, law enforcement, first responders, religious leaders and the United Way of Broward Countys Commission on Substance Abuse.

The team made major efforts in reducing the demand side of the equation, Hall said. The team was effective in prevention, community education and treatment resources.

The next step is a statewide, broad-stroke ban of three primary categories of designer drugs, as recommended by a Broward grand jury in January.

A measure that would do that passed the state Legislature and is headed to Gov. Rick Scott for his signature. The state Senate unanimously approved it Friday; the House did the same Feb. 24.

In the past, lawmakers have had to tackle problematic designer drugs one chemical compound at a time. That led chemists to tweak compounds as soon as they were outlawed and hit the market with the next derivative.

Backed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, the proposed law would ban designer drugs according to their pharmaceutical action in the brain rather than their chemical structure.

Thats how we can ban substances even before they appear, Hall said.

The categories included in the ban include synthetic cathinones, of which flakka belongs, as well as synthetic opioids and synthetic cannabinoids.

The next front on the designer-drug battlefield has already revealed itself with the rise  locally and nationally  of heroin and its synthetic cousin, fentanyl.

An increase in heroin-fentanyl overdose deaths in October was noted by the Broward Medical Examiners Office. It now is in the process of creating a database to track the trend of such fatalities.

Flakka is gone  fentanyl is the next big thing, Chief Medical Examiner Craig Mallak wrote in an email. Had five (fatal overdoses) in one day.

While fentanyl and flakka are each very addictive, their high is radically different. Fentanyl, an opioid, is a heavy-duty painkiller. It triggers a sense of ultra-relaxed euphoria. Flakka, on the other hand, is a stimulant. It enhances alertness and energy. It also prompts a reaction called excited delirium, which combines aggression, delusions and hallucinations.
Treatment with omalizumab significantly decreases the number of colds in inner-city children with allergic asthma, researchers reported at a press conference today at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) 2016 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. Omalizumab, sold under the brand name Xolair, is an injectable antibody that can be used to treat asthma cases not controlled by inhaled corticosteroids.

These findings are a secondary result from the Preventative Omalizumab or Step-up Therapy for Severe Fall Exacerbations (PROSE) study conducted through the Inner-City Asthma Consortium (ICAC). ICAC is an asthma research program supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

In this randomized trial, researchers gave 478 children living in cities throughout the United States three types of asthma treatment during the fall, a season when colds are common and asthma symptoms tend to worsen. The control group received guidelines-based asthma care, while two additional groups received this care with additional treatment of either fluticasone or omalizumab. Fluticasone is an inhaled corticosteroid sold under the brand name Flovent. The children's caregivers then monitored them for cold symptoms, such as runny nose, cough and sore throat. Based on these reports, researchers identified a total of 1,034 symptomatic colds and found that children who received omalizumab experienced a 27 percent decrease in cold incidence compared to children receiving only guidelines-based asthma care. Children who received fluticasone did not experience a significant change in cold incidence.

This study builds upon previous ICAC studies that showed that long- and short-term treatment with omalizumab decreases seasonal asthma attacks in inner-city children 6 to 17 years of age. Researchers do not yet know how omalizumab decreases colds in this specific population. However, research shows that omalizumab targets and reduces levels of an antibody known as immunoglobulin E, or IgE. Data from previous studies indicate that lower IgE levels are associated with higher interferon responses, which are known to be important in protecting against viruses, such as those that cause cold symptoms.

Explore further New research on preventing fall asthma exacerbations
@MichaelAuslen

Speaking at a rally in Jacksonville on Saturday, Marco Rubio took down Donald Trump, accusing him of not being a true, lifelong conservative.

And he did it in the most Florida way possible: by comparing the Republican frontrunner to Charlie Crist.

Rubio harkened back to his 2010 U.S. Senate campaign, when he beat Crist  then the sitting governor and still a Republican.

I was arguing that the person running as a Republican was not a Republican. That the person masquerading as a conservative was not a conservative, he said. Its funny how history repeats itself.

Ragging on Crist for switching from Republican to Independent to Democrat, Rubio said, Now I hear hes a vegetarian. He keeps switching! Theres nothing wrong with being a  I dont want to lose the vegetarian vote.

Then, he said thats whats happening now. That the conservative movement is on the brink of being destroyed. What he didnt say was who was threatening conservatism, but he did drop some transparent hints.

People have a right to be angry, they have a right to be afraid.  That has never been the foundation of our movement.

Rubio hit Trump on policy, too.

"On health care, my plan is a lot more than just getting rid of the lines around the states. We have a real plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.

"The commander in chief cannot be a man who thinks nuclear triad is a rock band. That was a joke  not far though."

The rally came as polls show Rubio rising in his home state, where early voting has begun. Joined on stage by GOP officials -- Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, Florida Lt. Gov. (and would-be senator) Carlos Lopez-Cantera, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, state Reps. Janet Adkins and Lake Ray -- as well as a few bottles of water (he's getting over a sore throat), he walked through a short stump speech.

The remarks relied on common themes of his campaign: Ending policies of the Obama administration and restoring the American Dream. He also emphasized veterans and the armed forces in Jacksonville, a military town.

The crowd seemed to love it. Rubio riled up boos from the assembled pack for references to Crist and Hillary Clinton.

But what sounded like the loudest response was to another part-time Florida man: Donald Trump.
Florida lawmakers reached dozens of fine-print spending decisions Sunday as they rush toward Tuesday's deadline to finish work on a state budget.

The Legislature's two budget chairmen, Sen. Tom Lee and Rep. Richard Corcoran, rejected across-the-board pay increases for all state workers, but they did OK raises for select groups of employees, including $2,000 for forestry firefighters and $2,000 for certain groups of inspectors in DBPR, among others. They also rejected Gov. Rick Scott's plan for a performance based program of bonuses for state workers.

Scott's veto of the same firefighter pay raise last year touched off a furor with Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, and the governor has not said whether he would OK the raises this year.

With lawmakers holed up in the state Capitol, Scott was in Washington over the weekend at the annual Gridiron Dinner by the press corps in the nation's capital, where he sat at the table of the McClatchy Company, parent company of The Miami Herald.

The Legislature is giving Scott $1.8 million to competitively bid a contract for a new automated travel management system for all state agencies and the courts. Corcoran said the goal is for state employees' travel records to be online for citizens to see, as a way to "clean up state government and make it more accountable for the people,"

The budget also will include a $200,000 study of whether to move the 2nd District Court of Appeal from Lakeland to Tampa.

Lee said progress on budget talks slowed Saturday because of a "vendor fist fight" on a perennial big-dollar issue involving a contract for purchases of police radios. The Senate did not accept a House offer to spend another $7 million to replace radios under an existing state contract with Melbourne-based Harris Corp. that's due to expire in five years and is sure to be the subject of a fierce fight with Motorola and other firms. Separate budget language has a provision helpful to incumbent vendor Harris that requires the state, in evaluating bid proposals, to consider "any respondent's ability to leverage existing resources to the public's best interest." The Department of Management Services must give the Legislature 90-day progress reports on the progress of seeking new bids.

"We've worked out some language that we think is as competitively neutral as possible," Lee said, "but it took a good long while to get there."

Finally, this might have looked like the Legislature's idea of a cruel joke, but staff members say it was a "scrivener's error."

Budget documents show a whopping pay raise of $50,000 for all seven Supreme Court justices, to $212,200. But staffers clarified that it was a typo and that justices' salaries will stay the same for one more year, at $162,200. The Senate spent much of the past year publicly critical of the court for its decisions critical of lawmakers' redrawing of Senate and congressional districts.
WASHINGTON (TNS)  The Justice Departments legal offensive to force Apple to unlock the iPhone of San Bernardino, Calif., shooter Syed Farook can be traced to one reality: Apple simply offers far better encryption capabilities than its smartphone competitors.

If Farook used an Android phone, then it likely would not have disk encryption turned on at all, said Dan Guido, co-founder of the Trail of Bits information security consultancy.

Without such encryption all of the data from the phone would be immediately accessible without the passcode, Guido said.

The court fight between Apple and the FBI erupted not just because California terrorist Farook happened to use an iPhone, but also because Apple has taken mainstream digital security to an unprecedented level in the past two years.

The FBIs attempt to force Apple to unlock the phone used by Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people in the San Bernardino terror attack, has turned Silicon Valleys push for encryption into a national debate.

That debate, in turn, traces its origins to another major controversy  Edward Snowdens revelations in 2013 that the National Security Agency was collecting information on every cellphone in use in the United States and eavesdropping on Internet communications as well.

That made improving encryption  the process by which data are scrambled so they cant be read without the proper codes  a top priority for Silicon Valley.

Tech companies have become much more sensitive to whether they are perceived as being an advocate and protector of security post-Snowden, said Christopher Budd, global threat communications manager for security firm Trend Micro.

And Apple is winning the smartphone security race, Budd said.

Most security people I know have iPhones rather than Androids, he said.

While there might seem to be a lot of smartphones to choose from, the market fundamentally is Apple versus Googles Android. Eighty-three percent of smartphone users worldwide that have the Android operating system running are on smartphones that are nearly all made by companies other than Google. Samsung, Motorola, LG, Sony, HTC and Huawei produce a wide range of Android devices that vary in price and quality.

An unlocked iPhone 6S starts at $649 while a Motorola Moto G can be had for less than $200.

Android controls 51 percent of the U.S. market, where it is often a cheaper alternative to Apple. Forty-four percent of Americans use Apples iOS operating system, which runs only on the companys own devices.

Microsoft has 3 percent of the American market share. Blackberry, once the industry standard for digital security, is down to just 1.3 percent of the market.

If you walk into a Best Buy, most of the Android phones on the shelf will not be encrypted by default, said Chris Soghoian, principal technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union. If you walk into the store and come out with an Apple iPhone, the data on it is encrypted by default  with a key that Apple doesnt have  so Apple is not able to unlock for law enforcement, and a criminal or identity thief who steals your phone isnt able to get anything off of it.

Text messages between iPhones are also encrypted so Apple cant access them, Soghoian said. So are video or voice calls made using Apples FaceTime function.

Apple began encrypting FaceTime and iMessage in 2009. But the big leap came in September of 2014 when Apple announced that its iPhone operating system would have automatic encryption and the company itself could not access the data.

Once that happened, the conflict with law enforcement was inevitable.

How Apple made the leap is a tribute not just to engineering prowess but to the competition fostered by the very law Congress is now considering changing as a result of the San Bernardino phone. U.S. Rep. Robert Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican, takes credit for the enabling Apple to make those technological advances.

Over 15 years ago, I led congressional efforts to ensure strong encryption technologies and to ensure that the government could not automatically demand a back-door key to encryption technologies, Goodlatte said. This enabled the U.S. encryption market to thrive and produce effective encryption technologies for legitimate actors, rather than see the market head completely overseas to companies that do not have to comply with basic protections.
@PatriciaMazzei

Marco Rubio's campaign will hit Central and Southwest Florida on Monday and Tuesday as part of the senator's all-out effort to try to win the Republican presidential primary in his own state.

Rubio will hold rallies in Tampa and Sanford on Monday, and in Sarasota on Tuesday. He was in Jacksonville on Saturday before detouring to Puerto Rico, which holds its primary Sunday, and then heading to Idaho, where Republicans vote Tuesday.

Rubio's expected back in South Florida ahead of Thursday's debate at the University of Miami.
via @adamsmithtimes @MichaelAuslen

ORLANDO -- The chants filled the University of Central Florida arena Saturday before Donald Trump took the stage.

No show Marco Rubio! No show Marco Rubio!

The crowd and the Trump campaign aides egging them on were mocking Rubio for missing so many U.S. Senate votes and committee meetings while running for president, but they could just as easily been referring to Rubios invisible Florida campaign for most of the past year.

Only a few days ago  months after Donald Trump opened his first campaign offices in Florida  the Rubio campaign started opening offices outside his Miami-Dade home turf. Veteran Republican organizers, likewise, have only in recent days started seeing signs of Rubio reaching out to people who have not yet returned their mail ballot.

If we win Florida, its all over, Trump told a crowd of nearly 10,000 at UCF, and most political observers agree that at least for Rubio, it would be all over if he loses Florida on March 15.

Rubio has repeatedly predicted he will win his home state, even though he has not led a single poll of Florida Republicans in six months. Two recent polls have shown him trailing by as much as 20 percentage points.

Now, finally, Rubio is focused on Florida, scheduling campaign stops throughout the state, including Tampa on Monday and Sarasota on Tuesday, while his super PAC political committee is spending at least $6 million in TV ads mostly blasting Trump.

Saturday afternoon, while Trump was stirring up the troops in Orlando, Rubio was 140 miles away at a Jacksonville rally.

More here.
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New business

Sarah M.Y. Nelson has opened a counseling practice at 700 South Ave. W., Suite D. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor in the state of Montana with several years of experience providing individual therapy to children, teens, and adults. Specific areas of clinical interest include anxiety, depression, stress management, anger control, self-esteem, life transitions, trauma, grief and loss, relationship/family problems, domestic violence, and behavioral challenges. Also a national certified counselor, Nelson has specialized training in CBT oriented play and art therapy, mindfulness, and ecotherapy. Nelson received her masters degree in counseling psychology in 2012 from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She earned a B.A. in psychology with honors from the University of Montana in 2006. She can be reached at 552-9941 or smynelson@gmail.com.

New associates

Carol Sharkey-Blodgett has joined KPAX as interactive director. Since 2006, she has been the owner of Blodgett Marketing Group, publishing visitor and relocation guides for the Missoula and Flathead areas. Sharkey-Blodgett has experience in interactive marketing, sales and content and has worked with a number of traditional media companies, including the Missoulian newspaper, on multi-platform selling to local businesses.

Laurie Kohler has joined EXIT Realty as the office administrator. She has 29 years of real estate experience. She has served as office management, support, and assistant to many agents over the years.

Beth Cooper has joined EXIT Realty as a residential, investment, ranch and land agent. She has been doing real estate in Washington for over 30 years.

Melissa Winston has joined Montana based accounting firm of Junkermier, Clark, Campanella, Stevens, P.C. Winston's primary focus is in the tax. She received her Master of Accountancy degree from the University of Montana in 2015. She can be reached at 549-4148 or mwinston@jccscpa.com.

Wyatt Hatch, a recent graduate of Montana State University, was hired as a water resources engineer intern at Morrison-Maierle and Morrison-Maierle Systems. He will be assisting with all of the companys design procedures including those for the Stevensville Airport and a canal modeling for the East Fork Canal and Supply Diversion Improvement Project. Hatch worked as an intern for TD&H Engineering in Great Falls and Bozeman.

Brian Skeels has been hired as a computer technician at Morrison-Maierles Systems office in Missoula. In his new position, Skeels provides IT support for clients. Skeels holds a bachelors degree in computer science and previously worked for the May Tech Group before coming to Morrison-Maierle.

Appointed

Cher Shermer has been appointed treasurer for Soroptimist International of Missoula, and budget committee chairperson for the Soroptimist Spirit of Excellence Awards Banquet and Benefit. Shermer is a graduate of the University of Montana, and the owner of Stream Advertising. She joined Soroptimist International of Missoula in 2000.

Elected

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Montana announced the addition of new members to the board of directors. Mary Windecker; Bob Burns, Stockman Bank; Bruce Kramer, Consumer Direct; Michael Gray, G&G Advertising; Colette Davies, Davies Law Firm; Jared Brown, New York Life.

Montana Community Foundation announced several new officers and members on its board of directors. Area board members elected include Greg Hanson of Philipsburg, partner at Garlington, Lohn & Robinson Law Firm; Scott Pankratz, co-founder and executive director of Ecology Project International; Laura Brehm, philanthropy consultant with Brehm Consulting; Jeff Bretherton, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Area officer elected includes Dale Woolhiser, first vice president-investments with UBS Financial Missoula, vice chair.

Recognition

Frank Towsley is one of only 220 certified physician assistants nationally to earn a specialty credential called a certificate of added qualifications from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Towsley has worked as a certified PA at Mineral Community Hospital for seven years.

Greg Schmautz, a certified financial planner and financial adviser, has qualified for 2016 Waddell & Reeds annual Circle of Champions conference and has been named a recipient of the firms 2016 Crest Award, among the highest honors for its top financial advisers. Schmautz has been a professional in the financial services industry for 33 years, and counsels clients throughout the community on their long-term investment goals. He joined Waddell & Reed in 1982.

Paul Eichwald, certified wealth strategist, senior vice president and financial adviser, was named to D.A. Davidson Presidents Club.

EXIT Realty of Missoula announced the following awards for 2015: Kevin Bailey, regional award for franchisee of the year; Kim Brown, regional award for most improved agent. Missoula office awards included: Jolene Tatum, Esprit de Corps, "the EXIT spirit"; Carrie Brushia, quick start award, top producer/gross commissions and most closed ends; Kim Kaufman, top producer/volume of listings taken; Bob Olson, top recruiter; Kim Brown, most improved agent.

The Dram Shop has been recognized as the best beer bar in Montana in the annual Great American Beer Bars competition conducted by CraftBeer.com.

The Missoula Organization of Realtors announced award recipients for 2015. Mike Nugent, broker at Berkshire Hathaway Montana Home Services, Realtor of the year; Derek (DJ) Smith, agent at RE/MAX All-Stars, outstanding newcomer of the year. Emeritus awards, given to Realtors with at least 40 years of service, went to Don Sokoloski, Properties 2000, and Charles Hurt of Chuck Hurt Real Estate.

MOR Realtors' Choice Awards went to Anne Jablonski, Portico Real Estate, Realtors of the Year; Lynn Stenerson, First Interstate Bank,lender of the year; Duskie Gramm and Heidi Heitmann of Insured Titles, title professionals of the year; John Stordahl of Sterling Home Inspection, product or service provider of the year.

MOR leadership team members for 2016 are president Matt Rosbarsky, Clark Fork Realty; president-elect Lynnette Robinson, Red Carpet Realty and first vice president Melissa Mooney, Windermere.
I suppose some of the newspapers which carry this column still employ young people to deliver the news, but carriers are now mostly adults. I had two paper routes when I was a boy and was pleased to find this reminiscence by Thomas R. Smith, a Wisconsin poet. His most recent book is The Glory, published by Red Dragonfly Press.

The Paper Boy

My route lassos the outskirts,

the reclusive, the elderly, the rural 

the poor who clan in their tarpaper

islands, the old ginseng hunter

***

Albert Harm, who strings the "crow's

foot" to dry over his wood stove.

Shy eyes of fenced-in horses

follow me down the rutted dirt road.

***

At dusk, I pedal past white birches,

breathe the smoke of spring chimneys,

my heart working uphill toward someone

hungry for word from the world.

***

I am Mercury, bearing news, my wings

a single-speed maroon Schwinn bike.

I sear my bright path through the twilight

to the sick, the housebound, the lonely.

***

Messages delivered, wire basket empty,

I part the blue darkness toward supper,

confident I've earned this day's appetite,

stronger knowing I'll be needed tomorrow.

***

We do not accept unsolicited submissions. American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright  2015 by Thomas R. Smith, The Paper Boy, from The Glory, (Red Dragonfly Press, 2015). Poem reprinted by permission of Thomas R. Smith and the publisher. Introduction copyright  2015 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.
It was show-and-tell night at the Missoula Police Departments Citizens Law Enforcement Academy, and bomb technician Cpl. Paul Kelly made sure he brought the robots used by the explosive ordinance disposal team.

Its like a shotgun on steroids, he said, pointing out the percussion-actuated neutralizer.

The device fires a compressed stream of water that disrupts explosives and prevents them from blowing up. At its strongest setting, Kelly said the machine could shoot through a car.

Kelly was one of the presenters at Wednesdays class. The Citizens Law Enforcement Academy is an eight-week program designed to familiarize members of the public with the different divisions and roles of the Missoula Police Department.

Missoulas bomb team is one of only two in the state, with the other stationed in Billings. Helena also has a satellite team that falls under the jurisdiction of Missoula. That means Kelly and the other bomb technicians on the team respond to any situations that arise across all of western Montana.

On average, we respond to 34 calls per year, he said.

In addition to helping in situations where explosives are involved, Kelly said the EOD team also supports SWAT, and is able to send its bomb robots into situations that might not be safe for officers to go. He pointed out dents on one of the robots, called Andros F6, that had been made during a standoff situation in 2013. Kelly had been driving the robot remotely when a suspect shot at the machine, hitting it just below the camera.

I was a half a block away, and I ducked, he said.

All of the bomb technicians have a specialty, and Kellys is homemade explosives. One of the members of the class asked if his job is like a Hollywood movie, where he has to choose between cutting the red wire or the blue wire as a clock ticks toward zero.

Oh man, wouldnt that be nice if somebody put a timer on it? Kelly responded.

Det. Sean Manraksa spoke to the class about the police department's SWAT team. The squad is a volunteer position that includes officers from across the department. The only monetary compensation is about $40 a month in hazard pay, the detective said.

Saving a life is very important to all of us, he added.

About a year ago, Missoulas SWAT team added a pair of doctors to the squad. Manraksa said before the change, if there was a medical emergency the team would have to make the situation safe before doctors could be brought in. Now, Dr. Dan Braby and Dr. John Kirkeide train with the team, and deploy with them to perform time-critical functions like stopping bleeding and preserving the airway of a victim.

We also teach officers simple lifesaving techniques like how to apply a tourniquet and pack a wound, Braby said.

Manraksa ended his presentation by showing video from a tactical medical challenge in Florida where members of the Missoula SWAT team competed this February. He said they went as a way to figure out how they stacked up against tactical teams from across the country.

A lot of people didnt expect much of us, Manraksa said. We ended up getting second.

***

Detective Sgt. Jim Klawitter is the unit negotiator for the police department's tactical negotiation team. He said their longest standoff, a 1993 incident involving a man named Ivan Vilensky, lasted more than six days, with police and sheriffs negotiation teams working in shifts around the clock.

Klawitters team is dispatched every time SWAT is sent out to try to resolve a situation without the use of force. While a primary negotiator tries to keep a person on the phone line and talking, the detective said other members of the team are busy researching the individual, trying to gather information like hobbies, their childrens names, anything that could help.

If theyre talking to us, theyre not hurting someone else or each other, he said.
It's not surprising that the Zika virus surfaced in Iowa because of travel-related infections. ("Iowa sees 2 new travel-related cases of Zika virus," Missoulian, Feb. 27).

With modern air travel our world has grown smaller and we now need to treat disease globally. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been doing exactly that for 15 years. In the process, the Global Fund has helped strengthen the health care systems of many countries, so in the future they will be able to successfully deal with new problems.

Of course, the Global Fund will need continued support from America and its other donors, both public and private, to keep winning the battle against disease. As citizens we can help this succeed by asking our representatives and senators to make a robust pledge the Global Fund.

Willie Dickerson,

Snohomish, Washington
Elected officials are supposed to be for the people, not to go against the voters' wishes just to serve their own. This is what the court should be concerned with. Many people have medical conditions that they are successfully treating with medical marijuana obtained from a pharmacy. They have a medical card issued by the state. When the legislature or the courts shut down the pharmacies, there becomes no access to fill the prescription. Not everyone wants to take narcotic pain medicine for chronic pain. They are addicting and deadly, and once you start, there is never an end to it.
Numerous problems have been reported in western countries which are taking in refugees from the Middle East and predominantly Muslim counties, but so far in this country, at least, not much publicity has been generated about the child bride problem.

UNICEF has reported that as many as one-third of registered marriages among Syrian refugees in Jordan between January and March 2014 involved girls under 18, with some as young as 11. This is not all that unusual, as it must be remembered that Muhammad took a 9-year-old as one of his wives and that currently 15 million girls worldwide are forced into matrimony every year.

With Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock requesting Barack Obama to send us Middle Eastern refugees, what does he plan on doing when a married couple show up and the wife is under the age of 14 and pregnant? What if she is 11 years old and pregnant? Is the county attorney going to prosecute the husband under pedophilia laws? Is the marriage going to be ruled null and void? Are there state laws on the books that cover this situation? Remember, the marriage was legal in the country in which it was performed.

Whatever happens it is of no concern to our Democrat friends, as the husband, wife and soon-to-be-born child are all going to become a part of the massive social welfare system in Montana. They will be registered to vote and told they must vote for Democrats to assure their welfare checks keep coming in the mail. Democrat activists employed within the social welfare system will request absentee ballots for them and, when they arrive, complete the ballots for our non-English speaking refugees.

This all the more reason to vote if you are a Republican or Independent, as an election could easily be stolen by Democrat activists.

Norm Johnson,

Polson
DARBY  For the second time a little more than a week, a public body in Darby will host a special meeting to discuss a planned presentation on Islam by a longtime University of Montana professor.

The Darby School Board will hold a special board meeting Monday at 6 p.m. in the high school library to talk about a plan to host UM Professor Samir Bitar on Wednesday.

Bitar is the featured Humanities Montana speaker at the Darby Community Librarys Life-Long Learning Series on the same night.

The school district plans to have Bitar speak to high school social studies classes earlier in the day.

Last week, the library board held a special meeting about Bitars presentation after receiving about seven written complaints and some calls of opposition. After taking public comment, the library board voted to move forward with the presentation.

Darby School Superintendent Loyd Rennaker said some school board members have heard the same type of complaints and decided to allow the community a chance to voice its concerns or support.

Students are already required to have a permission slip signed by their parents or guardians to attend the class.

We saw the potential for controversy so we gave parents the opportunity to make the decision for their children, Rennaker said.

Bitar is a professor of Arabic languages and cultures at the University of Montana. A native Palestinian, Bitar moved to Montana when he was 16. He has been teaching at UM since 1999. He has a masters degree in linguistics, teaching methods and cultural geography. Bitar has trained members of the Montana National Guard in essential Arabic language and culture.

His talk at the library is titled Perspectives on Islam.

An informational blurb about the talk says: Life in Muslim societies is an intersection of religious, social, cultural, and political realities. Thus, for one to develop a well-rounded understanding of Muslims, their perspectives and aspirations, one must look at all the dimensions of Muslim life.

Bitar uses literature, film and other resources to familiarize audiences with the heritage of Islamic civilizations and the religion of Islam.

As the founder of UMs Arabic Program, Bitar said hes dedicated his life to being a lifelong learner and, more importantly, to passing on knowledge to others.

Bitar said people should come hear his presentation for information.

First of all, our current environment in the United States at large is, in an indirect way, asking us Americans to look at this issue to become informed, Bitar said. We live in a democratic pluralistic system and we all have to be active in order for it to work. In order for us to be active and participate, because democracy is a process, we have to participate to preserve our way of life. In order for us to be able to do that and contribute, we have to be informed.

Bitar said when people formulate opinions, those should be based on real, factual data.

No one can simply look the other way, it affects our daily life as Americans, and I believe education is important for every society, Bitar said. I wish to give back to Montana, my home. We have to overcome fear with love and we do that with knowledge because knowledge is light. Only light can overcome darkness. With love, we can obtain the highest in human existence.

I love teaching, he said. I love what I do.

Darby Community Public Library Director Wendy Campbell said Bitar will provide a unique educational opportunity.

The community program at the library begins at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Partial funding for the program comes from a legislative grant from the Montana Cultural Trust and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

***

Michelle McConnaha contributed to this report.
Boy A: Your stupid ears stick way out!

Boy B: You peed your pants in front of everybody!

Boy A: Youre gushing sweat! What a loser!

Boy C: Hey, come on. Dont be mean.

Boys A & B: SHUT UP, stupid head. Youre so lame, and you dont even know how to fight!

Boy C: But I was just trying to-

Boys A & B: Lets get im!

Id so hate to report that I heard this on my sons school playground back in the day. Id wonder where the teacher was, and how the little guys had learned such mean and hateful language  and worldview. In my grandmothers day, these kids would get their mouths scrubbed with soap.

Of course, Im not talking about kindergarten or even middle school here. Im paraphrasing people running for the office of President of the United States.

This years campaigning has brought the unimaginable, and its shocking citizens who have worked hard to teach children peaceable solutions to the worlds complexities.

You know something has drastically changed when a presidential candidate makes his mark  and gets votes  by embracing bigotry in many ways including demanding that all Muslims be expelled from this country, and when many candidates promise to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico that, if they had their druthers, would reach up to Heaven. (Well, maybe not that high: What might the Man of the House say?)

To counter the scaremongers popularity, other candidates are now embracing name-calling and increasingly lower blows.

Only eight years ago, presidential candidate Sen. John McCain preached respect. When a fan at a Minnesota town-hall meeting accused then-candidate Sen. Barack Obama of being an Arab, McCain took the microphone from her, denying that Obama was an Arab, saying, Hes a decent family man [and] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and thats what this campaigns all about.

McCain was booed.

I will be respectful, he added. I admire Senator Obama and his accomplishments, and I will respect him.

More boos.

Perhaps we were naive not to see the nasty scribbling the wall.

Flash forward to 2016, and the frontrunner of one of our political parties now gets away with mocking the same McCain for his prisoner of war status, saying he was hardly a war hero. McCain, a former Navy pilot, was a prisoner in a North Vietnamese prison for about five years, two in solitary confinement, and was tortured as a POW.

He was captured, criticized Donald Trump last July in Iowa. I like people who werent captured.

According to stories at the time, there were some scattered boos, but as we know, Trump is still getting lots of votes  and ink.

By the way, he uttered those demeaning words at a Family Leadership Summit. Thats not the kind of family leadership I endorsed for my children.

Here at home, local politics are heating up. Many of us baby boomers and some younger citizens sit in City Council Chambers seats for long hours to watch who votes which way, especially regarding proposed controversial developments. We observe the shifting political winds, and we take note, too, when there are attempts to silence public comments.

Still, were thankful we dont hear vile comments on one anothers appearance or character like in the national scene. Whether as teachers, parents, retirees, cops, plumbers, students, or others, we long for trustworthy leaders who wont call each other names, who wont disrespect each other, or us.

While many politicians on the campaign trail shift from entertaining to horrifying, those of us at home work to make our local world a better one. We do our part in supporting people who will not teach our communitys children to mock, belittle or abuse.

Respect. It goes a long way toward building bridges among people, and keeping the world a gentler place. Try it, guys. Even you may appreciate a gentler playground.

We can hope.








Just type in my name (Fager, Mary Lynn)





You can also mail checks/money orders to:





World Outreach Ministries

PO Box B

Marietta GA 30061

ATTN: Mary Lynn Fager #106





Checks should be made out to World Outreach with my name in the memo line

are tax deductible and may be made here:
Since the water problems were acknowledged by Gov. Rick Snyder in October, help has been heaped on Flint.

State and federal authorities have pledged millions of dollars for some types of help, including, lately, assistance for residents to pay their water bills, and private donors are promising millions more. Water bottles are handed out seemingly everywhere, including by Michigan National Guard members outside fire stations. Three warehouses here and another in Detroit are now stocked with water, officials say, and they must now figure out how to recycle so much plastic.

While there are some established organizations leading private charity efforts, including the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, there are also lesser known groups, with no central organization here to coordinate all the needs and avoid duplication, waste or fraud. Officials say there are at least 100 GoFundMe sites related to Flints water. At least two websites have received warnings from the Michigan attorney generals office, which has cautioned about fake Flint charity drives.

I hate to describe it as the Wild West, but it is a scenario in which I highly advise people who are donating to be very intentional, said Jamie Gaskin, chief executive of the United Way of Genesee County, which serves Flint.

As the months have gone by, sales at restaurants in Flint have dropped, even as eateries try to reassure customers: The giant sign outside Rallys promises Water Passed, and the 501 Bar & Grill has posted the state environmental agencys form prominently on its front door, noting that lead was not detected in tests there. Along the way, new concerns have cropped up about wear on equipment that came into contact with the contaminated water: refrigerators with water lines, dishwashers, water heaters, even fire trucks.
United Airlines said on Sunday that its president and chief executive, Oscar Munoz would return to the airline full time on March 14.

Mr. Munoz had a heart attack in October, shortly after being appointed chief executive, and had been on medical leave since. He had heart transplant surgery in early January. The airlines general counsel, Brett J. Hart, has been serving as acting chief.

Mr. Munoz has been taking part in major decisions across United as well as meeting with employees and shareholders during his recovery, United said.

He took over as Uniteds chief executive in September, aiming to build morale after years of strained labor relations. Mr. Munoz, a longtime railroad executive, replaced Jeff Smisek, who resigned in the face of an investigation into allegations that the airline had traded favors with the chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
If a university doesn't graduate as many students as it could, it might not get all the money that's on the table.

It's called "performance funding," and its creation in the Montana Legislature caused consternation among some educators and lawmakers. This week, the Montana Board of Regents talked about how it's been working out for the Montana University System to date.

"I think there will be years under this model not everyone gets full funding," said Commissioner Clay Christian. "I'm almost assured of that, but it still drives us the direction we need to go."

In a presentation, deputy commissioner for planning and analysis Tyler Trevor said the goal is to increase the number of degrees the system produces and raise the percentage of the population in Montana that has higher education.

In the past, from 1972 to 2014, enrollment was the only factor used to determine the amount of money going to each campus, he said.

The university system first instituted the performance model in 2015 and has tweaked it since, Trevor said. This fiscal year and next, he said, an estimated 8 percent of the state appropriation to higher education is based on performance, or some $15 million a year.

One major change is campuses no longer compete against each other for the pot of money, they compete against themselves, he said. In the past, if one campus didn't get all its money, the ones making progress would get those dollars.

Now, the university system holds onto the money from a campus that didn't make the grade in the hopes it will make a plan to improve and earn the money back, Trevor said.

"You can apply for a portion of these funds if you can give us an explanation and a plan of what you're going to do to increase these metrics," he said.

Campuses that succeed with the right mix of degrees, retention and, for the flagships, research expenditures, get the full amount of money they're eligible for based on their share of the average resident enrollment over three years.

This year, nearly every campus got 100 percent of the money for which it was eligible, with the University of Montana getting all of its $4.07 million and Montana State University in Bozeman getting its full $4.59 million, he said.

"I don't believe that's always going to be the case," Trevor said.

According to his presentation, Montana Tech in Butte is eligible for 85 percent of its allocation in 2017, and MSU-Billings earned back $760,706 from an earlier withholding. The regents met in Dillon, and the Montana University System provides live video-streaming of their meetings.

Regent Fran Albrecht of Missoula said campuses originally were worried about the model, and it's important for the public to know the metrics came out of much engagement with educators and discussion with faculty. Now that the model has been in place for a couple of years, she's interested in seeing the outcomes.

Albrecht herself wondered if the formula was too lenient in allowing campuses to earn back money they'd lost: "Are we really giving it the incentive that it needs to make sure we're making an impact in those areas?"

Trevor said he has considered the same question. The university system clearly doesn't want to harm institutions, he said, and he believes the metrics set a stringent enough standard and also put more focus on outcomes.

"If it's done anything, it's elevated the amount we talk about retention and completion," he said.

So far, feedback from legislators has been positive in that performance funding is helping public education serve the needs of Montanans, Commissioner Christian said. And he said Montana is focusing on student success with a model that may need tweaking, but other systems are still only studying the idea.

"There tends to be a great appreciation for the fact it's in place (here)," Christian said.

However, Christian said one valid concern raised by Chancellor Mark Nook of MSU-Billings is that withholding money could send campuses into a "death spiral."

According to MSU President Waded Cruzado, the best measure of the model's effectiveness is that department heads provide data about how well they're doing in terms of initiatives for student success. She said the model is an investment in the future.

"It's important to allow it some time to mature before we rush to tweak it or to implement additional changes," Cruzado said.

Regent Martha Sheehy also noted that any adjustments should be done carefully so the university system can compare numbers from year to year.

However, Sheehy said the model is critical for the regents. It demonstrates to the legislature that the university system is willing to be performance-driven, and it forces the board to commit to metrics and be held accountable, she said.

"I think this is one of our most important tools," Sheehy said.
The Egyptian interior minister said on Sunday that leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey and the group's Palestinian offshoot Hamas were behind the assassination of top prosecutor Hisham Barakat in June 2015.

Barakat died from injuries sustained in a Cairo bomb attack; the first successful assassination attempt against a state official since an upswing in militant violence following the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghafar said that Turkish-based leaders of the Brotherhood, from which Egypt's former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi hails, masterminded the assassination, while Hamas "provided training for militants to execute it and also took part in planning it."

"We intercepted electronic communications in a way that had never been done in the history of the Egyptian security apparatus," Abdel-Ghafar told a news conference.

"There is a major conspiracy targeting the Egyptian state It began a long while ago and included a number of militant attacks, including the assassination of prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat."

Abdel-Ghafar said that Hamas was not involved in the operation within Egypt, but planned and provided training for militants in Gaza.

Though Islamic State group affiliate Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claimed responsibility for a large number of militant attacks in Egypt over the past two years, no one has claimed responsibility for Barakat's assassination.

Abdel-Ghafar added that police had identified a number of apartments across the country where militants were manufacturing explosives.

"All of those arrested were referred to the prosecution... they all admitted to being Brotherhood members," Abdel-Ghafar said.

During the conference, a video was played showing testimonies of a group of people admitting to being involved in terror activities.
About Me Bagsy Born Beeston, Notts 1946, my family moved to Dorset 1959. Joined the Royal Navy age 15 years and 50 days serving 10 years. In frigates firstly then over 5 years in the Submarine Service as a Seaman/Diver, reaching the dizzy heights of Leading Seaman, before leaving to join the Merchant Service, working in Ocean Salvage and Harbour Tugs, passenger / cargo ships, trials vessels, etc. Qualified as Mate (Chief Officer) in 1976 and as Master (Captain) in 1978. For my final 20 years of 47 I worked in the Offshore Oil Industry initially on the drilling rig Stena Hunter, then the accommodation barge Borgland Dolphin and finally the Floating Production Platform Buchan Alpha. On the rigs I forged a number of long lasting friendships several of whom shared some of my extensive travels. Setting foot on Caymen, Bermuda, Bahamas and The Azores in March 2013 brought my countries / autonimous regions total to 148. The best, undoubtedly, was Antarctica, followed by Australia, Mongolia, Belize, Zimbabwe, China and Madagascar, in no particular order. Love to all our readers, your in my thoughts. Bagsy View my complete profile
The Alabama marriage mess gets messier (although in practice . . . perhaps not so much)

Marty Lederman
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
MTN said it is planning to list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, but will keep its primary listing on the JSE.

The Sunday Times quoted MTNs executive chairman Phuthuma Nhleko as saying that the company would keep its primary listing in SA.

According to the report, MTN has yet to decide whether this will be a listing of its Nigerian business or a secondary listing of the group on the Nigerian stock exchange.

Nhleko said the only hurdle was the ongoing challenge of the $3.9-billion fine in Nigeria  for not disconnecting unregistered SIM cards.

MTNs latest financial results show basic headline earnings per share (HEPS) declined by 51.4% to 746 cents.

The company said this drop was largely a result of the Nigerian regulatory fine provision (R9.29 billion), which had a 402 cents negative impact on HEPS.

Late last year, Nigerian regulators fined MTN for failing to disconnect 5.2 million unregistered subscribers.

MTN also recently dropped a Nigerian court challenge of the fine, and the company made a R3.8-billion good faith payment to Nigeria in a bid to reach a settlement.

The City Press reported that MTN is hoping that President Jacob Zumas visit to Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari can help to resolve the issue.

Nhleko said that he is not aware of any plans for Zuma to address the fine in his discussions with Buhari, but that it will be in everyones interest that the issue is resolved.

The full report is available in the Sunday Times of 6 March 2016.

MTN responds

MTN Groups Corporate Affairs Executive Chris Maroleng released the following statement regarding the report.

MTN concerned with accuracies reported in the media Johannesburg  Following the announcement of our Group full year financial results for the year ended 31 December 2015 on Thursday, 3 March, MTN is very concerned about the subsequent inaccurate media reporting on some of the topics discussed with members of the media at a press briefing held after the results presentation. The media session was addressed by Executive Chairman Phuthuma Nhleko and his senior leadership team. The team used the opportunity to address a number of topics, and engage members of the media on matters of interest to them. MTN is thus particularly perturbed that despite the extensive engagements in the day, the media coverage around our results has been characterised by grossly inaccurate media reports and misinformation. We are disturbed by this as the issues being misrepresented are very material to our operations and stakeholders. Of particular concern are reports attributed to our senior executives, purporting that MTN Group is planning to list in Nigeria. This is grossly inaccurate. The correct comment, as expressed by the Executive Chairman, is that MTN could consider listing the local operation, MTN Nigeria, not the Group. As a result, reports that MTN is considering a secondary listing in Nigeria are misleading. Furthermore, the listing of MTN Nigeria, as indicated in the media briefing, remains a consideration, it is not a planned listing, as suggested in some of the media reports. Also important to correct is that the current shareholding in MTN Nigeria available for Over-The-Counter (OTC) trading constitutes approximately 10% of MTN Nigeria. Also worrying are reports that MTN has $US22bn stuck in Nigeria. This is completely inaccurate. MTN Nigeria has the cash equivalent of approximately R24.6bn with some R26.2bn in debt implying a net debt position of R1.7bn. MTN remains available to engage on this and related issues with members of the media, and invites those seeking clarity on any issue concerning our operations to contact us.

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By

by Wallace Wyss

Of course there were a few Mustangs bodied in Italy. Shelby himself sent a couple Shelbys to Italy for Zagato to do, but mostly their contribution was in the roof style. Then Bertone did one designed by Giugiaro, that car supposedly stolen and its never been seen since.

But this particular one was the brainchild of Barney Clark, a legendary ad man and two partners, Robert Cumberford, a young automotive designer; and a car enthusiast named Jim Licata shipped a Mustang coupe with a 289. They chose a Mustang notchback to send over to Frank Reisners Construzione Automobili Intermeccanica in Turin, Italy, in March 1965.

It took Reisner almost a year to finish it. Basically what was added was a station wagon roof, a bottom-hinged tailgate, fully retractable rear windows, a relocated fuel filler, folding rear seats, and split taillights.

One wonders why Clark did it. I think its because he worked for Fords ad agency, J. Walter Thompson. I suspect it was to get more notoriety, I mean advertising copywriting is a tough game but if youre thought of as an innovator, you might get the plumb assignments. (that was my reasoning when I wrote Chevy ads and drove a Mercedes Gullwing to work).

Reportedly Robert Cumberford, the ex GM designer, was in on the design for the conversion of the car, the partners hoping to go into production of them if Ford didnt buy it outright. It could have been mass produced if Ford had wanted to compromise the Mustangs pony car image. But Ford was not in the habit of going to outside design firms for suggestions on how to design their next car.

Ford did make some clay models of Mustang wagons, which you see in various Mustang histories, so they had that arrow in their quiver, so to speak but never drew it out.

And, truth be told, the American public was almost totally unfamiliar with the idea of a shooting brake as in the Aston Martin shooting brake. Heres where the shooting comes from. Originally when those Astons were built it was supposedly so mLord could drive down the long driveway at his estate and get to where the grouse were and blow their little heads off with his matched set of Purdeys. And mLord, being a busy chap, had to get there fast, hence the Aston.

Now as far as brake I know enough about horses to know if you have one thats too damn rambunctious, one way to take the piss and vinegar out of him is hitch him to a heavy wagon and have him pull that around for awhile. Hence the combining of shooting and brake.

One reason this car has come into my sights again is that I am completing my fourth Incredible Barn Finds book for Enthusiast Books and have a space saved for coverage of this barn-find-waiting-to-be-found but need to know:

a.) What Barney sold it for or,

b.) What any subsequent owner advertised it for, maybe in Road & Track. I think if it went the first time for under $10,000 it was a bargain indeed as it would, if restored, sell for something like $250,000 today.

Of course there is the problem of replicas having been made and determining which one is the real one, but maybe Paula Reisner, the wife of the late builder, would probably confirm clues that separate the real one from the fakesters.

Look closely at that rear view picture. An orange New York plate. So someone was driving it as a daily driver, and Im sure that many that saw go by it figured, hey, its just Joe Blows Kustom (though when Clark drove it in Detroit, it caused a sensation because people thought it was a prototype)

Methinks its still out there. I live in hope. Any clues to its one-time selling price can be sent to me by email  click here

Let us know what you think in the Comments.

THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is a fine artist and writer based in Southern California. Some of his art can be seen on Facebook  click here.
With its airy design and proudly modernist lines, a major expansion planned for Napas Embassy Suites hotel looks nothing like the hotel that exists today.

That contrast is deliberate, its designer says  even more so because the hotel will make a visual statement to tourists passing through one of the citys busiest entryways.

This is a gateway project  fairly important, I would imagine, to the city as well as the hotel property, Geno Yun of the San Francisco architectural firm Gensler told city officials Thursday night during the hotel plans debut before the Planning Commission.

FelCor Lodging Trust, the hotels owner, seeks to add a freestanding three-story, 41,402-square-foot building with 54 rooms. The annex would occupy a triangle of land at California and First Street that is currently used for parking but commands a location within easy view of visitors entering the city from Highway 29 nearby.

That prominent location motivated Gensler to create a structure as boldly distinct as possible from the existing hotel, a 205-room facility with far more conventional stucco siding and tile roofing.

We designed this in such a way to be substantially different from the existing hotel, because we felt the presence of this building (at) the intersection of First and California was a very important aspect of why we would design it the way we did, Yun told commissioners.

The proposed Embassy Suites expansion features an L-shaped design that places the upper two floors  clad in dark-colored cement fiber panels  overhanging a ground floor with a porcelain-tile and cement finish. The short leg of the building, facing the current 205-room hotel, would feature dark-colored metal paneling and contain a large covered terrace to host weddings and other group events, as well as a three-story glass-front lobby with extensive night lighting.

Yuns design drew generally favorable reviews from city planners, especially for its placement where the greatest number of visitors are likely to see it.

As you move around the building, none of the sides are the same, said Commissioner Paul Kelley. We always talk about four-sided architecture, and (here) every side has a different element.  Im very excited to see this come forward.

Embassy Suites overhaul also would expand the existing hotel, adding 4,045 square feet to a ballroom at the north end. Other changes to the original building will include a redesigned lobby, removal of the interior atrium roof, and replacing the pool and landscaping within the interior courtyard.

Although the city approved the hotel expansion in 2002, the plan languished despite attempts to revive the project in 2006 and 2012. Rising interest from tourists and high occupancy rates at other Napa Valley luxury hotels finally led FelCor to go ahead with the annex, a spokesman said last month.
California has 743 people on death row  more than any other state. But although capital crimes have occurred in Napa, no one from Napa is on that list.

There haven't been any Napa County crimes that resulted in death sentences in three decades.

Napa County District Attorney Gary Lieberstein, who has been in office since 1999, hasn't sought the death penalty during his tenure. The most recent case in which Lieberstein chose not to seek capital punishment is the 2014 death of 3-year-old Kayleigh Slusher, whose mother and her boyfriend are standing trial for the girl's murder.

Instead of the death penalty, Lieberstein is seeking a life sentence without the possibility of parole for both Sara Lynn Krueger, 25, and Ryan Scott Warner, 28. A jury trial is scheduled for Sept. 19.

Due to a gag order on the case, Lieberstein did not explain his decision.

The last case tried in Napa County that reached the death penalty phase was in 2001 when a Placer County trial was moved to Napa. The defendant, Arturo Suarez, was found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder, including two young children. He was sentenced to death on March 8, 2002.

Suarez is one of two inmates tried in Napa who are currently on California's death row. The other inmate is Eric Houston who was found responsible for the 1992 Lindhurst High School shooting in Yuba County.

He was convicted in Napa County Superior Court of murdering three high school students and a teacher, Lieberstein said. The trial was moved to Napa from Yuba County due to pre-trial publicity.

Before making the decision to seek the death penalty I want to know everything about the crime and know everything about the person suspected of being responsible for the offense, Lieberstein said in 2006 when deciding whether or not to pursue the death penalty in the case against Eric Copple, accused of murdering two Napa women, Adriane Insogna and Leslie Mazzara.

He subsequently did not seek the death penalty, and Copple pleaded guilty in exchange for life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In my opinion, Copple was a cold-blooded murderer who deserved to die for his crimes, Lieberstein said in 2012. In the same interview, he also said that that sentence was appropriate and in line with what both victims families had wanted.

Lieberstein will have another opportunity to decide for or against the death penalty in an upcoming homicide case involving Adrian Madrigal.

Madrigal, 27, was arrested on June 23, 2013 on suspicion of killing Don Buffington, 62, during a robbery at the retirees residence on Hayes Street in Napa.

Madrigal is accused of murder with special allegations because he had been previously convicted of a serious felony in Napa.

Madrigal has a history of mental illness. In late 2011, he climbed a water tower on Coombs Street and stayed there for more than six hours and threw a can possibly filled with clay at an officer on the ground. He was initially deemed unfit to stand trial for the assault with a deadly weapon charge and was admitted to Napa State Hospital.

His preliminary hearing for Buffington's death is scheduled for Monday, but the DA's Office plans to move for a continuance, according to a court filing.

The death penalty across the country

In 2015, there were fewer new death sentences imposed and fewer executions across the U.S. compared with previous years, according to the Death Penalty Information Centers Year End Report on the Death Penalty. The center, based in Washington, D.C., is a national nonprofit that provides the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment as well as promotes informed discussion of the death penalty.

According to their report, in 2015 executions dropped to their lowest levels in 24 years, 93 percent of executions were concentrated in just four states and 16 percent of all new death sentences imposed in the country came from a single California county - Riverside.

It also showed that, based on public opinion polls, a majority of Americans prefer life without parole to the death penalty and that opposition to capital punishment polled higher in 2015 than any time since 1972.

This is not a punishment that is wildly popular and prosecutors, as elected officials, recognize that, said Elisabeth Semel, clinical professor of law and founding director of the Death Penalty Clinic at UC Berkeley. The focus of the clinics work is to represent individuals on direct appeal and in capital post-conviction proceedings.

Making the decision to ask for death is a heavy decision, Semel said. Prosecutors may feel pressured to seek the death penalty if the case is particularly high-profile or if the family or community calls for it, she said. Were there multiple victims, a child victim or a police officer?

What murder case isnt horrible? Semel said.

Prosecutors are always weighing the costs associated with the death penalty, said UC Berkeley's Semel. Not only does seeking the death penalty incur an immediate cost to the county and to taxpayers, but it also costs the state.

The death penalty in California

The death penalty has cost California more than $4 billion since 1978, or $308 million per execution, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

A death penalty prosecution costs up to 20 times as much as a life-without-parole case, according to a study by U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Arthur L. Alarcon and Loyola Law School Professor Paula M. Mitchell. Jury selection alone runs three to four weeks longer and costs $200,000 more than in life-without-parole cases, reported the study.

Housing inmates on death row also costs more than typical inmate housing. Compared to maximum security prisons where those sentenced to life without possibility of parole ordinarily serve their sentences, it costs an additional $90,000 a year to house a death row inmate, according to a 2008 report by the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice.

Theyre not just spending that money on food and games for the inmates  its all the salaries of the guards, said Ron Abernathy, Napa County public defender. Inmates on death row are housed in single cells, which adds to the cost.

The death penalty takes a long time

Its a very, very long process, Semel said. And with more individuals on death row in California than anywhere else in the country, courts are overburdened.

There is no quick death penalty case, Semel said. The average time it takes for a death sentence to be carried out in California is 20 years, she said. And by the time those 20 years have passed, the communities and families involved may have changed their views or passed away, she said.

Family members and survivors may also have to keep reliving the incident while this process drags on, Lieberstein said. It often takes many years for a convicted person to be assigned an attorney for the appellate review, and those reviews go directly to the California Supreme Court rather than the California Court of Appeal, he said.

Death penalty cases drag on for so long for many reasons, including a shortage of qualified lawyers, multiple appeals, overwhelming caseloads, and a lack of financial resources, officials said.

Lieberstein suggested that many delays are deliberate attempts to delay the court process indefinitely in order to ensure that an execution never takes place.

Handling a capital cases doesnt pay as well as some other cases and takes a lot of work. Its not only time consuming to represent these clients, but also emotionally draining, Abernathy said.

Reform or repeal?

When it comes to the death penalty, there are too many variables, according to Abernathy. There is no way to make the death penalty fair. An individuals punishment for a crime may depend on not only which state the crime was committed in, but also in which county.

Race is a big factor that distorts outcomes, Abernathy said.

If you are a minority who has killed a Caucasian, your chance of receiving the death sentence is significantly higher than if you are a Caucasian (who) killed someone of color, he said.

One reason why the death penalty is losing popularity is the number of recent exonerations. The basic reality of the death penalty system is that someone innocent is going to die. There is no way around that, Abernathy said.

Last year, six people on death row nationally were completely exonerated and 156 individuals have been exonerated since 1973, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Three of these were from California's death row.

San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos said that although he understands that some people are philosophically against the death penalty, he thinks that it is the only appropriate way to serve justice to the families of victims of particularly horrendous murders.

"Those of us who do this on a daily basis, who look into the eyes of the moms, the fathers and the loved ones, we support the death penalty," Ramos said. Ramos is the co-chairman of the coalition supporting Californians for Death Penalty Reform and Savings.

As district attorney, Lieberstein said it his job to uphold the laws of the state. The death penalty is reserved for the worst of the worst, he said, who comprise 2-3 percent of all death eligible cases statewide.

At the same time, Lieberstein said, "I believe that our death penalty system is flawed by its unwieldy lengthy process of long delays for appeals to be heard and that due process is denied for all involved, he said.

Voters may be able to make a choice between reform and repeal on this years November ballot. A proposed initiative, the Death Penalty Reform and Savings Act of 2016, would curtail the appeals process.

Another planned initiative, The Justice That Works Act of 2016, would seek to repeal the death penalty, including for those who are currently on death row.
Last week you had to basically be living under a rock not to have heard all the buzz about Little Big Towns song Girl Crush. Unfortunately, the hype wasnt because its an amazing song but rather it came about for a different, completely sad reason.

Word got out that a couple of radio stations (a couple, as in two) had pulled Girl Crush from rotation  or at least lowered the amount of plays the song was getting  due to complaints from close-minded listeners who thought it was a song about lesbianism and rather than jealousy, which is what its really about.

The misunderstood lyrics were:

I wanna taste her lips, yeah, cause they taste like you

I wanna drown myself in a bottle of her perfume

I want her long blonde hair, I want her magic touch

Yeah, cause maybe then youd want me just as much

I gotta girl crush, I gotta girl crush

Yep, if I was a homophobic nut Id probably have a problem with those lyrics, too. The problem was that people werent listening to the whole song to see that its actually about an ex-girlfriend wanting to know exactly what her exs new gal has that she doesnt have.

Well the original story that got people talking was a passionate plea by a Texas music director who wrote under the name TexMex on Gab friend, and occasional writer, Vickyes site For The Country Record. TexMex told how his station had had enough complaints about the song that his boss had decided to back off playing it.

I asked if they could just change the station for a bit and come back to us?? Nope! It was never my intent after fielding several complaints to take the song off the air. However, my boss thought we should move it back to a light rotation and out of medium, which for our station means 14 less spins per week. I fought for the song to stay put, but in the end he has the absolute final say, even though he agrees with me in principle.

And that was it. He told the story of his experience. He wrote the post as TexMex to protect his job. I have two people in radio who write for me on occasion who use names that arent their own for the exact same reason. Its not a huge secret that that sort of thing happens.

Well Vickye got lucky because the story got picked up by The Washington Post, who also spoke with a DJ in Boise, Alana Lynn from Wow 104.3, who had a similar experience with angry listeners. Then the story went viral in a big way and Vickyes site started getting namechecked by literally hundreds of news agencies and blogs talking about the Little Big Town controversy. That doesnt happen very often and its amazing when it does.

Unfortunately, like also tends to happen, with each retelling of Vickyes original story about one stations experience with angry listeners, the idea that Little Big Towns song was being forced off the air by homophobic radio listeners got bigger and bigger. By the end of the week, it sounded like Little Big Town was getting the Dixie Chicks treatment and were being boycotted nationwide. The band even reportedly recorded a commercial for stations to play before the song to help listeners understand the true meaning of the song.

Then something unexpected (but not really) happened. Billboard came out with an article about the story being overblown. Which it was. Not the original FTCR story, mind you, but what happened after the original story. Unfortunately, the Billboard writer decided to title her article Controversy Over Little Big Towns Girl Crush & Its Lesbian Theme Is Mostly Fabricated. She also seemed to question For The Country Records guest writers credentials, which, if you ask me, is just kind of rude.

In a widely circulated recent post on ForTheCountryRecord.com a blogger using the screen name TexMex  who purported to be a music director for a current country music radio station in Texas  wrote about listeners calling to complain about Girl Crush over what they mistakenly believed to be the songs lesbian theme.

The article then went on to point out that the song isnt really being hurt at all by whatever controversy there actually is.

Billboard checked in with a dozen prominent programmers from across the country and found most reporting few to no complaints about the song. Whatever complaints there are dont seem to be hurting the songs performance. Its bulleted at No. 32 on the April 4 Country Airplay chart after 15 weeks, well within the range of what would be considered a normal chart climb. (The singles just above and just below it on the chart are at 17 and 20 weeks, respectively.) Even more telling, on the chart dated April 4, Girl Crush received plays on 139 of the weeks 145 reporters, according to Nielsen Music.

So Billboard checked with a dozen programmers, which sounds great in theory. However, if you Google the number of country stations across the US you would find that there are around 1900 country music radio stations. When you think about that amount, a dozen programmers saying there isnt a problem doesnt sound so impressive.

That, however, isnt my problem with Billboards story. My problem comes from the fact that the articles writer said that the story is mostly fabricated, which its not. The story was never fabricated. It began with the story on Vickyes site of one radio station having difficulties with angry listeners and Wow 104.3s Alana Lynn recounting her own trouble with homophobic listeners to The Washington Post. But thats it. Two.

The rest of the storys sensationalism came from the breathless internet retelling.

See, the story isnt guilty of being fabricated, its guilty of being really bad at the telephone game, where each retelling got more dramatic and a whole lot worse than the original story ever meant it to be.

Like I said, by the end of the week, the internet pretty much had Little Big Town getting ran off the airwaves, but that wasnt what was happening at all.

Obviously.

But that wasnt For the Country Records fault, or even The Washington Posts, thats just the way the internet works. Theres nothing the internet loves more than a good dramatic story, especially when one aspect of that dramatic story is about people being homophobic.

Something else the internet loves? Blaming someone when they feel like theyve been duped. So when Billboard decided to say the story was fabricated (or mostly fabricated), and call into question FTCRs writers credentials, acting as though maybe TexMex was a fraud and not a music programmer at all (dont you know? All the cool kids are pretending to be radio programmers these days), guess who a large part of the internet decided was to blame.

Yep, For The Country Record.

Those who just a few days earlier were quoting Vickyes story were now shaking their heads, clucking their tongues, and excitedly writing about the story being fake.

Umm, again, no it wasnt. The story was blown into crazy proportions by the power of dramatic social media and breathless bloggers and reporters wanting to write about the homophobic ways of country music fans, but the original story was and still is just one persons experience with angry and misinformed radio listeners.

Period.

End of story.

Unfortunately, thats not the end of this story. See, once Vickye decided to take exception to Billboard writer Phyllis Starks portrayal of her original story as fabricated (whether that was the Starks intention or not), Phyllis decided to ignore her concerns. Rather than maybe having a conversation with Vickye about her being upset, Phyllis just deleted all comments on her story, including the one or two from Vickye asking her to clarify the whole fabricated thing.

Yep, the Billboard story, which came out on Friday and has now been linked to and talked about by hundreds of other sites, has not a single comment on it (at least it had none when I read it last a couple of hours ago).

Apparently the way Billboard handles people not agreeing with their reporting is to just ignore and delete their comments.

Odd way of doing things, but okay.

Ms. Stark then decided to comment on Twitter about how Vickye should just be happy with the publicity.

Apparently Vickye shouldnt be upset about feeling like shes being called a liar because shes getting a bunch of hits on her website.

And that, my friends, is a load of crap.

Back on Vickyes end, she decided to help combat the idea that story originator TexMex was a fake by outting him (with his permission, of course), in a new blog post.

I kept the OPs (original poster) anonymity because I respected what he had brought to the blog and didnt want his job to be threatened. But now our sites credibility is being threatened, and more and more outlets are talking about it potentially being fake. His name is Lee France. He is the music director for WACO 100 FM and KAGG-FM in Texas. Both are iHeartMedia stations. Now lets stop spreading shit about a blog that has done literally nothing wrong. Thanks.

Pretty sad that this is how it all turned out.

This is a story that deserved to go viral for what it was  a blog post about a few homophobic radio listeners causing problems for a really, really great song. It should have brought about a conversation about how people should take the time to actually listen to the lyrics of a song before passing judgement.

Funny enough, a story about people failing to listen to the words of a song turned into a story about people failing to listen to the words of a story.

So in the end, the internet did what the drama-hungry internet does and turned a good thing (like a story going viral) into a virtual nightmare.

Welcome to news 2015 style.
Already for many years I am interested in the work of Emmanuel Levinas. Especially in the question what his thoughts mean for trivial encounters, for example in organizations, but also at home or on the street. The research I did for my thesis, called 'The Shame of Reason' , focused on that question, as do the workshops 'Good Intentions and Illusions'
New York FREE Screening, SVA Theatre, on Sunday, March 13- 333 West 23 Street, NY, NY 10010. Doors open at 1 p.m.; the film begins 1:30 p.m.Destined to be among the great virtuosos of jazz,, an alto sax and flute master, was nearing the pinnacle of his meteoric rise when leukemia took him at the age of 40 in 1998. Fame and world recognition eluded him during his lifetime, despite the mark he left on jazz in the '80s and 90s. His passion for life and incandescent music remain unforgettable to fans who knew him and to musicians who played with him. Today, his music is inspiring a new generation of artists and musicians who have discovered him.Wow. Journalist and filmmaker Stephanie Castillo has accomplished a combination coup and tour de force with her documentary on the music and life of composersaxophonist-flautist Thomas Chapin (1957-1998)."Arteidolia Art MagazineDownBeat Magazine writer says: I was glad to be in attendance for such an inspired work.What stands out about Night Bird Song is that filmmaker Stephanie J. Castillo not only captured the depth and breadth of Chapins music (in varied contexts) and his dedication to music in general (not just jazz) but a sense of the person himself within a historical context. There are many complete performances as opposed to highlightsit makes for a lengthy movie but it never feels overlong. For anyone with an interest in creative music in the 80s- 90s, Night Bird Song is essential viewing. NY CITY JAZZ RECORDAdvance viewers who have watched Thomas Chapin, Night Bird Song say there is an immediate sense that Chapin made a profound difference in the lives of the people that knew and worked with him.A dynamic, powerful and engaging performer, he is painted in this intimate film as a musical explorer who pushed and transcended the boundaries of jazz and dissolved the distinctions between sound and music. Chapin left behind an avid group of worldwide fans and supporters, along with a collection of recordings that include original compositions with sounds as relevant today as they were when he first recorded them.In Night Bird Song, Castillo draws from her more than 40 on-camera interviews conducted with world renowned luminaries in the world of jazz and music, including jazz broadcaster Alex Dutilh of Radio France Musique; Paul H. Jeffrey, the late Professor Emeritus, who mentored Thomas while teaching respectively at Hartt School of Music and Rutgers Livingston College; Dr. Larry Ridley Chairman, Rutgers/Livingston Music Department; Mario Pavone, Thomas Chapin Trio bassist (also an Associate Producer on the film); fellow musicians, among them Peter McEachern, Bob Musso, Arthur Kell, Saul Rubin, Su Terry, Walter Thompson, and Pablo Aslan; jazz legends Ray Drummond and Kenny Barron; City Winerys Michael Dorf (also an Associate Producer on the film), a New York entrepreneur, impresario and philanthropist; music promoters Danny Melnick, Bruce Lee Gallanter and Joel Chriss; and writers/music critics Bob Blumenthal, Larry Blumenfeld, Frank Van Herk and Gene Seymour. The director also shares personal stories from Thomas Chapins family and friends, including Ted Chapin, Thomass brother; Terri Castillo Chapin, Thomass wife; and Gil Barretto, Thomass spiritual counselor.On various shoot locations, Castillos video photographers filmed on Canon FX Series cameras, shooting high-definition footage. The principal photography was done by New York City cinematographer Hugh Walsh. Over a two-year period, the film shoots took place in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Hartford, Phoenix, and Tucson and in Europe (France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands).When asked why she made the film, Castillo replies, After my research, I realized what an incredible opportunity I had to bring Thomass story and music to a world that might have never known him or might have forgotten him. I wanted to invite those who have never heard of Thomas Chapin to take the time to discover his genius, which came out through his music. I also wanted them to discover as I had in making this film the depth of talent, dedication and passion this man had about life and music. I was convinced his story would have the power to lift us all! And so in 2012, I set out to make it and to truly honor him, his music and his story, and to ensure his legacy.The forty-two interviews that made the final cut in the films 150-minute Showcase Version for premieres and showcases form the narrative backbone for films structure and are interwoven with a series of Thomas Chapin performance concerts from archived footage and audio recordings stored at Thomas Chapins archives at Duke University.Castillo also gathered performance footage from several jazz festivals, including the 1995 highly-acclaimed performance of the Thomas Chapin Trio at the Newport Jazz Festival; from various performance venues, including Michael Dorfs Knitting Factory; and from friends and fans who had videotaped live performances primarily in Connecticut.Castillo spent a year scripting the film with co-writer and co-producer Noel Sonny Izon, her long-time filmmaking partner. His prolific documentary work includes nationally televised programs produced mainly for PBS and for National Geographic Television.Castillo edited the film herself, ensconced for 8-months in the quiet haven of Belmont, Vermont. Her final post-work on graphics, titles and a stereo soundtrack was done by editors in Honolulu, Hawaii this past December.Alto saxophonist Thomas Chapin was born on March 9, 1957 and passed away Chapin died of leukemia in 1998 at age forty. Born in Manchester, Connecticut, he attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts where he studied classical music and jazz. He began his serious studies in the late 1970s, attending the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, studying with saxophonist Jackie MacLean In 1980 he graduated from Rutgers University where he studied with saxophonist Paul Jeffrey, pianist Kenny Barron and guitarist Ted Dunbar. From 1981 to 1986, he toured with the jazz grand masterand his big band as lead saxophonist and musical director. The New York Times said of Chapin, one of the more exuberant saxophonists and bandleaders in jazz and one of the few musicians to exist in both the worlds of the 'downtown' experimentalist scene, and mainstream jazz.Initially Chapin spent a good portion of his time performing and working with the important names in various factions of jazz. Aside from Hampton, he performed withand many more. For nearly 10 years, Chapin pursued his own music as band leader and composer, working with his various ensembles at festivals and clubs around the world. Chapins various bands and recording projects included work with The Thomas Chapin Trio, The Thomas Chapin Trio Plus Brass, Plus Strings, The Thomas Chapin Quartet, Spirits Rebellious (Brazilian group), ZASIS and Machine Gun. People that were lucky enough to have known him and/or attend one of his concerts were mesmerized by his inner and outer beauty and with his iridescent and inherent relationship to his instrument, through his body, mind and soul. You can still feel the impact the artist made on the lives of all that came in contact with him.Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor of The New York City Jazz Record, recalls, Thomas performing at Newport in 1995 That was a life highlight in music for me. Over 20 years ago and I vividly remember that set to this very day as still being one of the greatest Newport Jazz Festival sets Ive ever seen.The films title Night Bird Song is from a Thomas Chapin Trios signature tune inspired by the striking melodic turns of a birds song that Chapin heard while on a midnight walk. Composed and arranged by Chapin and his bassist, Mario Pavone, the title evokes the arc in his music career that reveals he was solidly rooted in tradition yet straining its boundaries at every turn. Jazz critic Larry Blumenfeld shares about the arc, The arc corresponds less to common categories of downtown," mainstream" and more to the flight paths of birds Chapin seemed to favor in song titles. With grace and individuality, Chapin took us to placeslofty and striking and sometimes dangerousthat forced a changeStephanie J. Castillo, a former newspaper journalist who wrote for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in the 1980s, is from Hawaii but has been fundraising and traveling full-time for four years to complete NIGHT BIRD SONG by the start of 2016. She heads a Hawaii-based production company ' Olena Productions with partners in Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Currently she is based in Brooklyn to set up the films premieres and screenings. She is available for interviews at [email protected] and welcomes reviews of the film from the press community. Her 30-year filmmaking career alone is worth a look, should any media be interested in doing a profile article.Thomas Chapin left us too soon. The free SVA screening and other pending screenings in NYC will be the stage for introducing Chapin to many who never had the chance to know him or to hear him play. Chapin was well known for being a bridge to both the uptown and the downtown scenes. Pending screenings will include uptown jazz venues in Manhattan and Queens where Chapin also lived and performed.Contact the films Associate Producer and films screening coordinator, Abby London-Crawford
The Latest on the 2016 presidential campaign, with voters in five states getting their say Saturday in nominating contests (all times Eastern Standard Time):

THE BASICS Ted Cruz won in Kansas and Maine Donald Trump captured Louisiana and Kentucky

Bernie Sanders notched wins in Nebraska and Kansas Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana





10:46 p.m.

Donald Trump has won the Republican presidential caucuses in Kentucky, adding to his victory earlier Saturday in Louisiana.

That's the 12th state win for the billionaire businessman, who aimed to extend his delegate lead over Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in Saturday's nominating contests.

Among his supporters in Kentucky was 57-year-old Karen Gallardo, a lifelong Republican who said she was proud to caucus for the real estate mogul.

She says, "It wasn't a close call."

She adds, "The reason I want Trump so bad is that I feel he has a vision, he knows the country. He is a successful businessman."

---

10:45 p.m.

Bernie Sanders has won two out of the three states where Democrats voted on Saturday. But that isn't translating into any gains for him in The Associated Press delegate count.

With 109 delegates at stake Saturday, Clinton is on track to win a majority of them, having gained at least 51 after her big win in Louisiana. Sanders picked up at least 45.

Democratic contests award delegates in proportion to the vote, so even the loser gets some. Clinton's substantial margin of victory in the bigger state of Louisiana withstood Sanders' wins in Kansas and Nebraska.

That means Clinton will maintain her substantial delegate lead.

Including superdelegates, she now has a total of least 1,117 delegates, compared to at least 477 for Sanders. It takes 2,383 delegates to win.

Clinton has won 11 of the 18 states that have voted in primaries and caucuses up to now, compared to seven for Sanders. Maine holds its caucus on Sunday.

---

10:14 p.m.

Donald Trump is awaiting the results of Kentucky's GOP caucuses before he speaks at an election night press conference.

The billionaire businessman confused those gathered at his Trump International Golf Club in Florida's West Palm Beach when he briefly walked in from the back of the room where reporters, club members and friends are gathered.

Flanked by Secret Service officers and in his entourage, Trump casually stopped in front of a bank of cameras and asked a Fox News reporter whether Kentucky had been called.

He tossed out one comment - "We won the big ones, folks" - before saying he'd be back and then left the room.

---

10:13 p.m.

Bernie Sanders' big win in Kansas is allowing him to pick up some ground in the delegate race.

With 33 delegates at stake, Sanders received 23, while Hillary Clinton won just 10.

For the night, Clinton has picked up at least 48 delegates to Sanders' 37. Sanders also won the Nebraska caucus, while Clinton won in Louisiana.

Two dozen delegates remain to be allocated, depending on Clinton's final margin of victory in Louisiana.

Still, her lead remains substantial when including superdelegates, the party officials who can support any candidate they wish.

She now has at least 1,114 delegates according to AP's count, compared to 469 for Sanders. It takes 2,383 delegates to win.

---

10 p.m.

Republican Marco Rubio is telling supporters at a campaign stop in Puerto Rico that he knew this would be the toughest stretch of his campaign for president.

Having lost in several states in Saturday's nominating contests, Rubio is looking to Puerto Rico for a victory on Sunday. So far, he has only one win out of 18 nominating contests.

Rubio says that the upcoming schedule of primaries is better for his campaign and that the states voting Saturday "have a certain profile" that benefits "other candidates."

The Florida senator says he still picked up delegates as part of the GOP's proportional distribution process and now looks forward to the winner-take-all phase of the race that begins March 15.

First up: His home state of Florida, where he again guaranteed victory - despite preference polls showing him trailing GOP front-runner Donald Trump.

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9:55 p.m.

Hillary Clinton says she is "thrilled" to add to her pledged delegate count on a night when she and Bernie Sanders both saw wins.

Speaking at a Democratic Party dinner in Detroit Saturday night, Clinton offered congratulations to Sanders, who won caucuses in Kansas and Nebraska, while Clinton won the Louisiana primary. She then quickly turned to the next contest: Michigan.

Clinton says, "And I can tell you this: We're going to work for every vote."

Clinton pointed to her plans to help grow jobs and put pressure on companies to keep jobs in the United States. She praised Detroit for making a "comeback" and stressed her commitment to Flint, which is struggling with lead-contaminated water. She says, "There are lots of Flints out there."

---

9:46 p.m.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders says in an interview with The Associated Press that his campaign is showing that it can win decisively over Hillary Clinton in a number of states, including victories in Kansas and Nebraska.

Sanders notes that the victories follow double-digit wins in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Colorado and Minnesota. He says the "political revolution" has always been about turning out large numbers of working people, young people and those who have not been involved in the political process. He says that is "bearing out" on Saturday.

The senator says there are "some very big states coming up" like New York, California, Oregon and Washington state. He says, "I think in all of those states, we've got a shot to win it." He says wins in those big states might persuade some superdelegates to switch their support from Clinton to Sanders in hopes of holding onto the White House.

--

9:41 p.m.

Bernie Sanders may have won Nebraska, but he won't be gaining ground in The Associated Press delegate count after Hillary Clinton's victory in Louisiana.

With 51 Louisiana delegates at stake, Clinton will gain more than half - at least 28.

That margin will make up for her loss to Sanders in Nebraska.

In that state, Sanders will pick up at least 14 and Clinton will receive at least 10.

Also voting on Saturday were Kansas Democrats. The party says Sanders won that caucus but hasn't released vote totals.

Including superdelegates, Clinton now has at least 1,104 delegates by the AP count. Sanders has at least 446. It takes 2,383 delegates to win.

---

9:22 p.m.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have won their respective presidential primary elections in Louisiana.

The victories in Louisiana were the 11th state wins for both candidates, the front-runners for the Democratic and Republican party nominations.

The come after their rivals, Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz, each notched wins on Saturday.

Cruz won the Republican caucuses in Maine and Kansas, while Sanders picked up a win in Nebraska. The Kansas Democratic Party said the Vermont senator also won its caucuses.

---

9:20 p.m.

Bernie Sanders' win in Nebraska means he will pick up more delegates than Hillary Clinton. But it won't dent the substantial lead Clinton has in the overall AP delegate count.

With 25 Nebraska delegates at stake, Sanders is assured of receiving at least 14. Clinton will pick up at least 10.

Also voting on Saturday were Democrats in Kansas and Louisiana. Up for grabs were a total of 109 delegates.

The Democratic Party in Kansas announced Sanders had won its caucus, but had not yet released vote totals.

Going into the weekend contests, Clinton had held a comfortable 198-delegate lead over Sanders, based on results from primaries and caucuses.

Clinton's lead is even greater when including superdelegates, the party officials who can support any candidate they wish.

Including results from Nebraska, she now has at least 1,076 delegates according to The Associated Press count, compared to 446 for Sanders. It takes 2,383 delegates to win.

---

9:15 p.m.

Ted Cruz is nibbling away at Donald Trump's lead in the race for delegates to the Republican National Convention this summer.

Cruz picked up 36 delegates by winning Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine on Saturday. Donald Trump won 18 delegates, Marco Rubio won six and John Kasich added three.

There are a total of 155 Republican delegates at stake Saturday in Kansas, Maine, Kentucky and Louisiana. No GOP delegates have yet been allocated in Kentucky or Louisiana.

In the overall race for delegates, Trump has 347 and Cruz has 267. Rubio has 116 delegates and Kasich has 28.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

---

9:04 p.m.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has won Nebraska's Democratic presidential caucus, defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The victory for Sanders on Saturday marks the second time Clinton has lost the Nebraska Democratic caucuses. In 2008, then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama defeated Clinton by a 2-to-1 ratio in the state.

Both Sanders and Clinton sent organizers to Nebraska and campaigned in the state, where Democrats often get little attention given the Republican Party's dominance.

Nebraska's Democratic caucuses were among contests held by one or both parties Saturday in five states.

Nebraska Republicans will vote for the GOP nominee in the state's May 10 primary.

---

8:48 p.m.

The Maine Republican Party says Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has beaten New York businessman Donald Trump in the state's Republican presidential caucuses.

The party made the announcement Saturday night. The Associated Press has not called the race in Maine as it waits for formal results from the state party.

The victory by Cruz comes as opponents of GOP front-runner Donald Trump try to stop his momentum after the billionaire businessman's strong showing on Super Tuesday.

Cruz came to the state on Friday to campaign at the University of Maine a day after Trump rallied supporters in Portland.

---

8:28 p.m.

The Kansas Democratic Party says Bernie Sanders has won its presidential caucuses.

The party made the announcement Saturday night, but did not release any vote count or results. The Associated Press has not called the race in Kansas as it waits for those results.

A pre-caucus rally Thursday for the Vermont senator in the liberal bastion of Lawrence drew several thousand people.

His backers overcame support for rival Hillary Clinton from former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and other Democratic establishment figures in the state.

---

8:20 p.m.

Turnout in Republican presidential caucuses in Kansas has exceeded the party's most optimistic predictions.

State GOP Executive Director Clay Barker says at least 73,000 people cast ballots in Saturday's caucuses. He says there are another 6,000 provisional ballots and 1,000 absentee ballots sent to voters but not yet collected.

That compares to about 30,000 people voting in the state's GOP caucuses in 2012 and about 20,000 voting in 2008.

The party had 60,000 ballots printed this year and then warned caucus sites to be prepared to print more.

---

8 p.m.

Ted Cruz won most of the delegates in the Kansas Republican caucuses, collecting at least 23. Donald Trump won at least nine delegates and Marco Rubio got at least five.

There are still three delegates to be allocated in Kansas.

There are a total of 155 delegates at stake in four states Saturday: Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maine. No GOP delegates have yet been allocated in any of the other states.

In the overall race for delegates, Trump has 338 and Cruz has 254. Marco Rubio has 115 delegates and John Kasich has 25.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

---

7:50 p.m.

By the time Ted Cruz took the stage for a campaign rally in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, he was already the winner of the Kansas caucuses. And he was in the mood to celebrate.

"And the scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is the utter terror at what we the people are doing together," Cruz told a crowd of about 1,600 people who packed into a county fairgrounds building.

Idaho votes on Tuesday, but Cruz was hoping to collect more victories on Saturday. He even got ahead of himself, telling the crowd "God bless Kansas and God bless Maine" - even though there is no winner yet in Maine.

Cruz told reporters after his speech that a win in the GOP nominating race by Donald Trump "in all likelihood" would lead to a Hillary Clinton presidency.

He says "65 to 70 percent of Republicans believe Donald Trump is not the best candidate to go head to head with Hillary Clinton."

-----

7:12 p.m.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he wants to loosen the laws that limit the use of torture if he's elected to the White House.

Speaking at a rally Saturday in Orlando, Florida, Trump says "we're going to have those laws broadened, because we are playing with two sets of rules -- their rules and our rules."

Trump adds, "We're going to stay within the law, but we're going to increase it."

Trump this week appeared to reverse his stance on the use of torture after he was criticized by top Republican national security experts. He had previously advocated killing the wives and children of violent Islamic extremists, as well as bringing back waterboarding, a practice discontinued by the Obama administration.

Trump said this week in a statement that he would "use every legal power ... to stop these terrorist enemies," but he vowed not to order military or other officials to violate international law.

---

6:03 p.m.

Ted Cruz will collect at least 17 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas, and Donald Trump will win at least six.

There are a total of 155 delegates at stake in four states Saturday: Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maine. No GOP delegates have yet been allocated in any of the other states.

In the overall race for delegates, Trump has 335 and Cruz has 248. Marco Rubio has 110 delegates and John Kasich has 25.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

---

5:58 p.m.

Two former Walt Disney World employees who say they lost their jobs and were forced to train foreign workers with H1-B visas are endorsing Donald Trump and slamming rival Marco Rubio.

The two spoke Saturday before a cheering crowd at Trump's rally in Orlando, Florida, home to Walt Disney World. Dena Moore and Leo Perrero say they feel "betrayed" by the Florida senator.

The two former technology employees at Walt Disney World are suing Disney and the outsourcing companies they say colluded to break the law and replace workers with cheaper immigrant labor. Disney has rejected their claims.

Perrero and Moore say their pleas for help to their home-state senator went unanswered.

Perrero says Rubio has betrayed American workers because he wants to expand the H1-B visa program. Rubio supports raising the number of highly skilled immigrants through the H1-B visa program from 65,000 to 110,000 annually.

In Thursday night's Republican debate, Trump retreated from a position paper on his website, saying he had swung in favor of more temporary H1-B visas. His stance against that had been one of the few specific policies he had laid out.

---

5:35 p.m.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has won the Republican presidential caucuses in Kansas, adding to his wins in Iowa, Alaska, Oklahoma and his home state of Texas.

Cruz's victory in Kansas is the first result on a day in which Republicans are voting or holding caucuses in four states.

Among his supporters in Kansas was a 52-year-old engineer at an aviation company, David Cox. He caucused for Cruz in Wichita and says he picked Cruz because he believes he "stands for strong morals, conservative values."

Cox says he initially favored Ben Carson for the GOP nomination, but switched his vote to Cruz after the retired neurosurgeon dropped out of the race this week.

---

5:30 p.m.

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio is playing up his support for military spending and veterans health care.

The approach makes plenty of sense in Jacksonville, Florida, a GOP stronghold with a military presence that rivals any American city. And Florida is Rubio's home state.

Rubio told more than a 1,000 supporters Saturday that "if there is a city that understands the importance of the military, it's right here in northeast Florida."

The senator also introduced his older brother, a Vietnam veteran who lives in the area. Rubio frequently tells of his brother injuring himself jumping from a plane during his military service and repeatedly struggling to navigate the federal bureaucracy for care.

Rubio is under tremendous pressure to defeat Donald Trump in Florida's March 15 primary and is expected to continue hammering the GOP front-runner as unfit to be commander-in-chief.

---

5 p.m.

Campaigning in his home state of Florida, Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio is reminding voters in Jacksonville that they've helped him as an underdog candidate before.

Behind in the delegate count to GOP front-runner Donald Trump, the Florida senator is under pressure to win the state's March 15 primary. The victor will claim all of the state's 99 delegates.

Rubio is a Miami native, and he reminded more than 1,000 supporters in Jacksonville on Saturday that when he ran for the Senate in 2010 "there was one other city that believed in me."

---

4:55 p.m.

Republican front-runner Donald Trump says he will clinch the GOP nomination if he wins Florida's March 15 primary.

He tells thousands of supporters in Orlando on Saturday that "if we win Florida, believe me, it's over."

Cheers erupted from the capacity-crowd inside the University of Central Florida campus arena. At one point, Trump got the crowd to raise their right hands and pledge to vote for him.

He delivered his speech the same day early voting began statewide in Florida. GOP voters have already mailed in more than 457,000 absentee ballots.

---

4:20 p.m.

Donald Trump is battling to pad his lead in the delegate count as four more states deliver verdicts on the fractious Republican race for president. Democrats in three states are choosing between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Saturday's GOP races in Maine, Kansas, Kentucky and Louisiana, and Democratic contests in Nebraska, Kansas and Louisiana, have been overshadowed by Super Tuesday contests in the rear-view mirror and critical contests to come.

But with front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday is worth fighting for.

In very early returns, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz led in Kansas.

---

4:10 p.m.

Republican presidential hopeful John Kasich has released his partial tax returns for the past several years, joining Sen. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz among the GOP candidates to make public such personal financial records.

The Ohio governor posted tax returns from 2008 to 2014 on his campaign website on Saturday.

The records show that in the past seven years, Kasich has paid roughly 31 percent of his income in federal taxes.

Like Rubio and Cruz, Kasich only released the first two pages of his federal 1040 form. Not included in the disclosure are other parts of his returns, including the documents that detail his deductions.

Those records would shed additional light on Kasich's charitable contributions, for example.

GOP front-runner Donald Trump has not release his personal tax records, citing an ongoing IRS audit of his returns dating back a dozen years.

---

2:40 p.m.

Donald Trump's rally in Florida has heard from a Texas woman whose 18-year-old son was killed by a classmate who was in the country illegally.

A tearful Laura Wilkerson told her story to a hushed crowd of thousands in Orlando.

Throughout her speech, the crowd chanted "Build That Wall!" and "Trump! Trump! Trump!"

Wilkerson praised the GOP front-runner and denounced Republican rival Marco Rubio, a Florida senator who faces Trump in the state's big March 15 primary.

She says Rubio "lied to every single Florida voter" when he pushed his comprehensive immigration bill in as part of the "Gang of Eight" in Congress. The bill would have provided a path to citizenship for people living in the country illegally. It passed the Senate and failed in the House.

---

2:30 p.m.

In Wichita, Kansas, turnout's been so heavy at the Republican presidential caucuses that some voters waited in lines outside one event center for more than two hours before they got in.

About 100 protesters congregated outside an earlier rally for GOP front-runner Donald Trump before the caucuses opened, but their numbers had thinned out by late morning to about a dozen. They waved signs saying, "Trump Makes America Hate Again" and "A Bridge Not a Wall."

Voters in Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine and Nebraska are holding presidential nomination contests Saturday.

---

1:45 p.m.

John Kasich is showing a rare quality in the 2016 presidential campaign: humility.

In a low-key campaign speech in Traverse City, Michigan, he said: "I'm not really worthy, to tell you the truth."

The contrast with cockier candidates could not have been greater. Supporters praise Kasich's authenticity and maturity. But some say his refusal to join the Republican melee is keeping him off center stage.

Susan Mendenhall is 62 and describes herself as a "one-woman media campaign" who posts information about the Ohio governor on social media. She says, "He's got to get his face out there somehow."

Twenty-six-year-old Kurtis Berry acknowledges Kasich is a longshot in the Republican race. But Berry says Kasich has a chance if, as he puts it, "people wake up and realize we can't have in essence a little kid being president." That's an apparent reference to his view that front-runner Donald Trump is childish.

---

1:40 p.m.

The review is in from Bernie Sanders. The Democratic presidential contender says the wild Republican debate Thursday night looked like a sixth-grade food fight.

Sanders is in Cleveland for an event at a historic black church. Speaking from his Cleveland campaign office, he said of the GOP debate: "I hope most sixth-graders understand we don't act like that."

---

1:20 p.m.

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio isn't tipping his hand on the prospect he'll get the endorsement of Jeb Bush before the March 15 primary in their home state of Florida.

Winning the state would be crucial for Rubio as he tries to chase down GOP front-runner Donald Trump. Florida will award all of its 99 delegates to the winner of its primary.

A former Florida governor, Bush remains an influential figure in state Republican circles. He's also a face of the GOP establishment and an unsuccessful candidate for president this year, making his potential support tricky for Rubio given how primary voters have embraced outsiders such as Trump.

Rubio said Saturday at conservative gathering in suburban Washington that he believes Bush was "the greatest governor in Florida history."

The Florida senator confirmed the two allies-turned-rivals have spoken since Bush ended his White House bid on Feb. 20, but he said he won't discuss private conversations he has with anyone.

---

1:15 p.m.

Marco Rubio is promising he would not nominate a Supreme Court justice in the final year of any four-year term he serves in the White House.

The Florida senator made the promise Saturday in response to a question at a gathering of conservative activists in the Washington suburbs.

As have his fellow Republican presidential candidates and many GOP senators, Rubio has argued that President Barack Obama shouldn't attempt to fill the seat vacated by the Feb. 13 death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Rubio says the Supreme Court can "function with eight justices." He adds, "There's no magic No. 9."

Rubio did not discuss the practical effects of 4-4 rulings from the court, which result in leaving the decisions of lower courts in place.

---

1:05 p.m.

It can be a dilemma for Donald Trump's rivals: Hit back or walk away.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sihk) says a sure way to grab the spotlight for his campaign would be to hurl insults at the Republican presidential front-runner.

But Kasich won't take the bait.

"I'm with Harry Potter - I'm not going to the dark side." That's what Kasich tells reporters after a rally in Traverse City, Michigan.

But Marco Rubio - who's called Trump a "con artist" - takes a different approach:

"Where I grew up, if someone keeps punching people in the face, eventually someone's going to have to stand up and punch them back."

The Florida senator got loud cheers from an audience at a conference of conservatives outside Washington.
Japan and U.S. will hold joint military exercises

France withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty

CNN: White House is in talks with Elon Musk to create satellite Internet service Starlink in Iran

Baku outraged by Iran's statements and frightened by IRGC military exercises

Who are main beneficiaries of 'Zangezur' corridor?: Another anonymous article by 'Haykakan Zhamanak' newspaper

Ankara decides to stand up for Riyadh amid deteriorating relations between Saudi Arabia and U.S.

French Foreign Minister considers it vital to keep lines of communication with Russia open

Pentagon refuses to give details of conversation between Austin and Shoigu

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin: Head of Caucasus Muslims Department again made slanderous and false statements

Erdogan denies using chemical weapons against Kurds and threatens those who dare to talk about it

Saudi Arabia and China will strengthen their ties in energy sector

Governor of Gegharkunik province receives representatives of OSCE fact-finding mission

Penny Mordaunt runs for Prime Minister of Great Britain

Sweden expects ratification of NATO membership application by Hungary and Turkey to be completed soon

European Union will allocate 1.5 billion euros per month to Kiev in 2023

An Israeli-built flight school opened in Greece

Russian Railways is negotiating with Azerbaijan and Iran to launch the Rasht-Astara route

Overchuk: Construction of road through Meghri, whose sovereignty is not in question, depends on Armenia's position

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Naribekyan participates in meeting of secretaries general of PACE parliaments

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Dollar, euro drop in Armenia

Iran consul general in Armenias Kapan: We do not accept any change of borders

Baza: Mobile military registration and enlistment offices will be removed on Russian-Georgian border

Iranian Consul: Countries of region do not need presence of foreign armed forces

Armenia FM: Iran consulate general in Kapan will be important for regional security

Iranian Consul General advises Kapan residents not to worry anymore: Iran is here for Armenian people

FM reaffirms Armenia plan to open consulate general in Irans Tabriz

Turkey to open consulate in occupied Armenian Shushi city of Artsakh

Turkish Ministry of Finance: Ankara can buy Russian oil without Western funding

Armenia Security Council chief briefs European Parliament rapporteur on recent Azerbaijan military aggression

British bookmakers name favorite for post of prime minister

Erdogan: Armenia-Azerbaijan relations progress will contribute to Armenia-Turkey relations normalization

Iranian Consulate General opens in Kapan

Erdogan: Turkey is looking for alternative to American F-16 fighters

Iran consul general: We are here for Armenian people

Turkey FM slams OSCE decision to send needs assessment mission to Armenia

Peskov reacts to Erdogan's words about Putin's softening on Ukraine negotiations

European Parliament rapporteur on Armenia visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

European Parliament rapporteur on Armenia to legislature speaker: Attack was from Azerbaijan, naturally

Armenia President to EEU PMs: We will manage to take another confident step by respecting mutual interests

EUSR Toivo Klaars exclusive interview with NEWS.am on EU Monitoring mission,Nagorno Karabakh future and violence videos

Explosions rock Ukraines Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia

President meets with newly formed Artsakh Public Council members

Armenia PM: We need understanding in price horizon, at least in medium term

Lawyer: 20 of fallen solders parents detained from Yerevan military pantheon are recognized as injured party

PM: Armenia trade with other EEU countries increased by 74%

France region to provide 300,000 to Armenias Syunik Province affected by Azerbaijan military aggression

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council extended meeting underway in Yerevan

MOD: Armenia did not fire at Azerbaijan positions, vehicle

MPs in Strasbourg, present threatening dangers: Armenia has powerful support in European Parliament

Years first snow falls in Armenias Shirak Province

World oil prices on the rise

Newspaper: Russia dismisses Armenia PM's news on Karabakh

Russia PM in Yerevan, to discuss with EEU colleagues single oil, natural gas markets formation

Newspaper: Why is Iran in hurry to open consulate in Armenias Syunik Province?

France, Spain, Portugal agree to build Barcelona-Marseille natural gas pipeline

Admiral: U.S. should now prepare for Chinese 'invasion' of Taiwan

Harutyunyan: I cannot imagine Artsakh's future without presence of Russia

Harutyunyan: Without questioning path of our independence, we must meet with Baku

Prime Minister of Finland does not think that Hungary and Turkey will block country's application for NATO membership

Iranian FM: U.S. made hasty statements in connection with protests

Former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim involved in car accident in Karabakh

Arayik Harutyunyan: Artsakh people's right to self-determination is non-negotiable

Iranian MFA calls it important to form platform with Armenia and India on North-South corridor

Details of EU monitoring mission in Armenia are known

Foreign Ministry: It seems Ankara is more interested in opening corridor through Armenia than Azerbaijan

Mirzoyan: Unexpected third countries support Azerbaijani interpretation of road to Nakhchivan

Foreign Ministry: Armenia, Iran and Bulgaria initial agreement on creation of Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor

Israeli Defense Minister to visit Ankara

Armenian Foreign Minister names main obstacle to solving problems with Azerbaijan

Erdogan once again raises issue of so-called 'Zangezur corridor'

Armenian and Iranian FMs to open Iranian Consulate General in Syunik province tomorrow

Abdollahian: Aliyev assured that he does not want border changes, Iran will prevent implementation of such idea

Iranian Foreign Minister in Yerevan supports '3+3' platform

Iranian Foreign Minister recalls Tehran's 'red lines' in regional issues

Mirzoyan: We highly appreciate Iran's principled position regarding territorial integrity of Armenia

UK imposes sanctions against Iran for alleged delivery of drones to Russia

Yerevan hosts meeting of Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in narrow composition

Armenian and Iranian Foreign Ministers meet in Yerevan in extended format

Charles Michel: EU energy deal possible, but difficult

Erdogan says Baku should demand 'compensation' from Yerevan

Pashinyan: EEU mechanisms are of great help, trade turnover between Armenia and Belarus has doubled

Yair Lapid: Russia-Iran relations are serious problem for Ukraine, Europe, and whole world

Amir-Abdollahian: Iran is against presence of foreigners in this region, both in Azerbaijan and Armenia

Pashinyan at EAEU meeting: Fundamental principles of world economic system in question

Iranian Foreign Minister's official visit to Yerevan begins

Macron says Germany should not isolate itself in Europe

EU begins deployment of mission on Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Trump's son made fun of Zelenskyy's ability to ask West for money

EU to provide emergency aid for Armenia residents affected by recent Azerbaijan military aggression

Azerbaijan army units fire at Armenia positions

Mikhail Mishustin arrives in Yerevan

EU approves new sanctions against Iran over alleged drone deliveries to Russia

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council meeting begins in Yerevan

Baku calls OSCE mission to assess situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border 'private visit'

On fourth day of IRGC military exercises on border with Azerbaijan, artillery destroys planned targets

Liz Truss quits as UK Prime Minister
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Prior to the two-day investors' meet that will see the participation of 12 countries, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said entrepreneurs had assured him of their keenness in investing in the state.

China, Czech Republic, Japan, Malawi, Mauritius, New Zealand, South Korea, Peru, Poland, Spain, Britain and Tunisia will participate as partner countries.

The event is being organised by the state government in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry.

--Indo-Asian News Service bc/vd

( 119 Words)

2016-03-06-20:29:32 (IANS)
Actor George Clooney has reportedly stepped up security to protect his mansion after his wife and lawyer Amal was sent death threats. The couple have taken drastic measures to protect their $10.7 million mansion in Berkshire, South England and have been advised not to travel without bodyguards, reports femalefirst.co.uk. The couple now is chauffeured to local restaurants just 300 yards away following worrying messages which the 38-year-old lawyer has received. It is supposedly in relation to her current case, which is seeing her represent jailed former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed. "Security isn't so much for him but for her. From George's point of view, the high-level legal work she does and the death threats she gets, it's quite serious, Grazia magazine quoted South Oxfordshire district councillor Paul Harrison -- who has been involved in negotiations to beef up surveillance at the Clooneys' home -- as saying. The Tomorrowland actor and his wife initially applied for permission to erect up to eight cameras on 6 metre poles in the grounds, plus another 10 fixed to the ground, but the plans were denied as the cameras would represent a potential infringement of the privacy of neighbouring properties, though a compromise has now been reached. --Indo-Asian News Service ks/ank ( 216 Words) 2016-03-06-04:19:32 (IANS)
The conference, hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra mahajan, is being attended by former President Pratibha Patil, Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Najma Heptullah and Maneka Gandhi, Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel, former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, among others.

President Pranab Mukherjee had yesterday pitched in for a revival of the Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, aimed at giving 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

"How can there be empowerment of women without proper representation," he said.

The President also lauded Prime Minister Modi for the "Beti bachao, beti padhao" initiative.

"The PM is giving more than an hour (to the inaugural function where he was not even scheduled to speak) without participating in it; that shows his total commitment," he said. (ANI)
Life remained affected for the fourth day today in Tral in south Kashmir district of Pulwama, where three local militants of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) were killed in an encounter during the night-long operation which ended on March 3 morning. Meanwhile, additional security forces and state police personnel had remained deployed to prevent any law and order problem today, the fourth day fateha of the slain militants. Though there was no strike call from any separatist organizations, business and other activities remained affected in Tral and adjoining areas and traffic also off the road for the fourth day today. However, private and some passenger vehicles were plying on different routes. However, majority of shops reopened at Awantipora and adjacent areas after remaining closed for three days. However, traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, passing through Awantipora, was plying normally though additional security forces had been deployed to foil any stone pelting incident. Three local HM militants were killed in an encounter during the intervening night of March 2 and 3.UNI BAS SV PM0956 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-623352.Xml
Joining hands ahead of elections in some northeastern states, the left parties have called for unity among themselves to stamp out corruption and communalism from the region. "The Left parties have shown the way in states like Kerala, West Bengal, Tripura, and other states could emulate them," Moirangthem Nara, secretary of the CPI's Manipur unit, said here at the first state-level meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the Left Parties on Saturday. He said the Left government in Tripura has shown that if there is political will, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, could also be lifted. "There is no crusader like Irom Sharmila in Tripura. The Left government has brought about a sea change and people are happy," Nara, a former minister of Manipur, said. Attended by the representatives of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Forward Block, Revolutionary Socialist Party and CPI-Marxist-Leninist, the Left parties' convention comes ahead of assembly elections in Assam in April and in Manipur early next year. Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura are also due for the assembly elections in 2018. Nara said the Left parties should particularly be concerned about Manipur where the Congress has "given a corrupt regime". "There is an urgent need for the Left parties to join hands in Manipur to save the state from the corrupt Congress party." He said the Manipur government has started talking about implementing the Food Security Act without creating conditions for it. "The Public Distribution System has been a failure in the state. There is apprehension among some sections that ministers, MLAs and hangers-on may get a free hand once the Food Security Act is implemented." Nara and other leaders also flagged the issue of communalism, observing that "there have been hundreds of communal clashes during the two years of BJP rule in the country". "The tribals and non-tribals should stay in communal harmony and all sections of people should stay together as equals," said the CPI leader. Another CPI leader, Moirangthem Ibohal, took a poor view of the Manipur budget for 2016-17. "It is like a project report of an NGO and is not in the interest of the state and the people." The CPI has been in a bad shape in Manipur for a long time. It has not been able to field candidates in several elections in the recent past. In the 2012 Manipur assembly elections, the CPI failed to win a single seat in the 60-member house. The party suffered a setback when veteran leader Ningthoujam Mangi, also a former minister of Manipur, resigned to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). --Indo-Asian News Service iboyaima/kb/vt ( 453 Words) 2016-03-06-12:57:31 (IANS)
The group comprises of students, activists, scholars, women,sexual minorities and human rights organisations, concerned with theissue of Palestine, according to the convenor of the group Rajesh Umadivi.

He said the struggle by the Palestinian people for theirhomeland, that had continued for many generations against theIsraeli occupation and apartheid, should immediately end.

As part of the programme will highlight apathy of the worldleaders on the issue. ''We will question the silence of the world tooppression by the powerful. Songs, poems, stories, open letters ofresistance, of protest, of justice, of compassion will be renderedas part of the programme, Mr Rajesh said in a statement here today.

The programme would condct 'Marmara' that offer a way to payattention to the 'murmurings. ''The great Sufi poet wrote flowersopening across the sky, breathing peace, sudden flames catching. Sothe supporters of Palestine people will gather to renew hopes for amore just and humane world,'' he added.UNI RS CS 1231

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0284-623574.Xml
Speaking in his valedictory address on the concluding day of the international conference on Rule of Law for Supporting the 2030 Development Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals, Rajnath said that the Centre has adopted a zero tolerance policy against hunger and that India will successfully end hunger by 2030.

The Home Minister also said that eradicating poverty is the greatest global challenge and top most priority for India.

He said that the government is exploring new ways to empower women by providing equal opportunity in political, economic and public life. (ANI)
Here are the top quotes:

1)I want to congratulate Sumitra Mahajan for having envisioned this programme, in addition to structural component of programmes like this, experiences shared during personal meets, over tea, meals are invaluable.

2)Those who are already strong and empowered do not need empowerment.

3)It is very important for us to understand ourselves which includes our strengths. This happens when we face the challenges.

4)When it comes to multi task activities, nobody can beat women. Such is the strength and we must be very proud of it.

5)We've had many foreign ministers but everybody knows about the outstanding work done by Sushma Swaraj.

6)Budgets and infrastructure don't only strengthen nations. Every citizen of India strengthens the nation and a mother strengthens a citizen.

7)Women can adapt better to technology. Through the Narendra Modi App and MyGov I have received so many enriching thoughts and views.

8)The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha should discuss at how we can make an e-platform for women to empower them.

9)I don't know if someone has done a survey yet, but I think success ratio of women who got opportunities compared to that of men, will be higher. (ANI)
Security was stepped up across Gujarat and four teams of National Security Guard also landed today following intelligence inputs regarding 10 terrorists sneaking in to the state from Pakistan through sea route, official sources said. A high-level security meet by the home department was held last evening and another in capital Gandhinagar today following the inputs that around 10 terrorists from a suicide squad of terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have entered the state most likely through sea route for a deadly terror strike in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Home department sources said that of the four NSG teams sent by the Centre, 3 have been kept at standby in Ahmedabad while one has been sent to the Somnath temple situated beside the Arabian sea in Gir in Somnath district, where a massive crowd is likely to gather during the coming Mahashivratri on March 7. High alert has been sounded all across the state. As many as five abandoned Pakistani boats in creek area close to Indo-Pak border in Kutch have been found in past three months. The last such boat was found yesterday. The possibility of the terrorists using these boats can not be ruled out, sources said. A joint meeting of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, BSF and Gujarat Police late in the evening yesterday at Gandhinagar reviewed the situation. All the Superintendents of Police from coastal districts were also asked to join the meeting through video conferencing, the sources said adding that the leaves of all the police officials have been cancelled. Security in all the cities of the state including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhuj and Porbandar was intensified with special focus on crowded places such as shopping malls, railway stations and bus stands. Plain clothed sleuths of intelligence wing were also deployed at sensitive points. Police today fired one round at a car which refused to stop at checking point at Mahudha in central Gujarat. A person sitting next to the driver was injured and taken to hospital. Ahmedabad Crime Branch and Anti Terror squad have formed teams following the terror alert before the Shivratri festival. Security around other temples including the Akshardham temple (which has once seen a terror attack), Ambaji temple, Dwarka has also been tightened. The Special Operations Group has reportedly nabbed two persons off Porbandar coast. One of them is believed to be a Canadian citizen. UNI RAJ ADG RP1435 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0352-623704.Xml
A seven-member delegation of police officials from Denmark would visiting Mumbai and interact with the officials involved in probing the Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks and counter terrorism skills used post 26/11 attacks.

The delegation is scheduled to visit the sites attacked in Mumbai apart from interacting with the police officials. The delegation is visiting to study the counter terrorism measures by the department, said an officer.

However, the visit of the Denmark delegation comes weeks after LeT operative David Headley deposed before the Mumbai court and revealed the roles of those involved in the Mumbai attacks.

Headley, an American terrorist of Pakistan origin and the spy who conspired with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in plotting the 2008 Mumbai attacks is currently lodged in a US prison had earlier revealed his plans to attack Denmark and was later assigned for the Denmark project.

In a related development, Jaipur Police officials yesterday met the Mumbai Crime Branch officials to understand the coordination and functioning of the department.

A team of the Jaipur Police led by DCP Vijay Thakur visited the Mumbai Police Commissionerate to understand the functioning of the Crime Branch specifically.

During their visit, both the city police shared various thing to curb the crime official said.UNI-AAA SV NS1445

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-622715.Xml
A one-member judicial commission, which probed into the clash between farmers and police at Tappal in Aligarh district in August 2010 during Mayawati regime in Uttar Pradesh, has blamed the farmers for the violence in which five people, including a policeman, were killed and several others were injured.The judicial probe headed by district judge( retd) R D Nimesh, appointed by the then BSP government, recommended stringent action against farmer leader Manveer Singh Teotia and even blamed him for the entire incident in which the farmers demanding more compensation on their land acquired for the Yamuna Expressway clashed with the police. The probe also recommended action against the other farmers who led the violence.The commission has recommended adequate compensation to the families of the deceased policeman Brajendra Singh and three others besides ex-gratia payment for policeman Lance Naik Raj Kumar who became permanently disabled.The report of the judicial commission was tabled in the state assembly today after around six years of the incident. However, the report of the judicial commission,will go against the decision of the Samajwadi Party government which in April 2012 had decided to withdraw criminal cases lodged against the farmers of Tappal involved in the violence.The Samajwadi party government at that time had said that the decision to withdraw the cases were done on a probe report of their government claiming that the `clash' was not an act of criminal violence because it occurred during an agitation against land acquisition, which means that farmers were fighting for the protection of their rights.Farmers were holding a non-stop demonstration at Jikarpur village of Tappal on August 14/15, 2010 opposing forcible acquisition of their land for township associated with Yamuna Expressway project. They were demanding high rate of compensation at par with what was paid to the farmers in Noida and employment opportunity for those who lose all their land. However, police tried to disburse the peaceful protesting farmers leading to clashes and police firing. The five people who died in the clash included three children who were caught in between stone pelting demonstrators and arms police personnel. The incident became a national issue overnight.The then Mayawati government later promised farmers to amend the land acquisition policy and increased the rate of compensation. It also promised to withdraw criminal cases lodged against 24 farmers including farmer leader Manveer Singh Teotia who participated in the agitation. While the first promises were met, the third one remained unfulfilled. In fact, officials allegedly used cases arm twist farmers later to sign the deal and put their leaders in jail. A similar clash between farmers and police took place on the same issue in May 2011 at Bhatta-Parsaul village, Gautam Buddhnagar district, in which four persons, including two policemen died.But a fresh probe was ordered soon after Samajwadi Party came to power which states that Aligarh district administration had framed farmers who were protesting peacefully but turned violent when the police force was used. The probe also revealed that the farmers were not given any opportunity to put their defence, which also amounts to violation of human and civil rights. Further, in all the cases the witness, petitioner and investigator are government officials, which appear to be one-sided.UNI MB AE BD1622 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-623779.Xml
A delegation of the Steel Authority of India Ltd led by its newly-appointed Chairman P K Singh today met Chief Minister Raghubar Das here and held discussions over the expansion of Bokaro Steel Plant and also deliberated on the option to set up a new plant in the vacant area. During the meeting Mr Das said his government would initiate all necessary steps for renewing the lease of iron ore mines in the state and directed the Additional Chief Secretary Industries and Mining Department to take further action in this regard. The Chief Minister also lauded the efforts of the company for taking various projects on a mission mode under its CSR initiative. He suggested that many of the companies have their iron ore mines in the West Singhbhum district so they should make special efforts for the development of the Kolhan region. "SAIL should also come forward and work in that direction," he said. The SAIL chairman expressed his interest that the company apart from undertaking expansion at the Bokaro facility also wanted to set up a new plant. He said despite the steel sector facing a meltdown various projects of the company under the CSR initiative are being carried out with full commitment. Mr Singh said SAIL wanted to establish a medical college, market and provide facilities for the slum dwellers on the vacant land of the Bokaro Steel Plant, however for that the state government needed to provide water and power at reasonable rates. He said the company has also prepared a plan to establish a centralised kitchen for mid day meals in the schools located at Bokaro and Maoharpur, apart from building a residential school for 1,000 tribal students and operate ITI in Kasmar block for skill development of the youth. During the meeting he also informed about the various problems plaguing the steel sector. Those present in the meeting included Principal Secretary of the CM Sanjay Kumar, K RavikumAr of the Industries Department and various other directors of SAIL. UNI AK PL AE AN1625 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-623807.Xml
An anonymous call stating thatbombs would exploded in two government hospitals turnedout to be a hoax. Police sources said the call was received at theGovernment General Hospital stating that bombs plantedin the premises and that of Chromepet Hospital would explode. Acting on information, police along with sniffer dogsand bomb detection and disposal squad personnel made athorough search of both the premises. However, no explosives were found and the call turnedout to be a hoax. Police were investigating to ascertain the personwho had made the prank call.UNI GV KVV ADB1735 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-623988.Xml
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India(CAG) has censured the Uttar Pradesh government for its inefficiency and insensitive attitude in implementation of the mid day meal (MDM) scheme for the state run primary school.CAG in its report for the year ending on March 31, 2015 said the MDM, a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 1995 to boost universalisation of primary education by increasing enrolment, retention and attendance and improving nutritional support to the children by providing cooked MDM to them failed to meet the objective as enrolment and attendance decreased during the five year period from 2010-15.The CAG report, was tabled in the state assembly here today said, ``despite implementation of the MDM, the enrolment of students in primary schools decreased from 1.59 crore in 2010-11 to 1.34 crore in 2014-15. The decrease was 1.55 per cent to over 7 per cent per year.During the audited period 2010-15, the state government spent Rs 7,227 crore on MDM. There was lack of proper financial management. The unspent balance at the end of the financial year increased significantly from Rs 337 crore in 2010-111 to Rs 599 crore in 2014-15.Despite improving nutritional level of children being one of the main objectives of the scheme, the state government did not conduct any baseline study to ascertain the nutrition level of the children in primary schools and upper primary schools and area specific nutritional deficiencies prevalent among children. Micro nutrient supplements were not provided to children in schools as per norms.The report said adequate health support was not provided to children. Physical verification of 603 selected schools in 21 districts revealed that health checkups were not conducted and health register/ cards were not maintained and weighing machines were not available and body mass index was not recorded.CAG also indicted the government for failing to lift the food grains for the MDM. Against the total allocation of 17 Lakh MT of food grains during the audited period of five years, the government lifted only 13 Lakh MT resulting in frequent disruption of supply of meals or local purchase of food grains.State government incurred total expenditure of Rs 724 crore during 2006-15 on construction of 1.13 Lakh kitchens cum stores. The audit revealed that the construction of the plinth was below specifications in large number of such stores and kitchen. They did not have proper doors, adequate lights, proper ventilation and proper facilities for drainage and waste disposal. The audit report said 21 per cent of the schools did not have kitchen-cum-store and 42 per cent did not have LPG connection for cooking MDM despite availability of funds.The government also flouted the Supreme Courts directive on MDM. Against the directive to provide 200 days in a year over 56,000 schools provided MDM for average of 102 days during the five year period, while 802 schools were yet to be covered under MDM. In 48 per cent schools, cooks were not imparted training in hygienic habits as required and community members and voluntary organisations were not involved in ensuring taste and quality of meals, safety and hygiene in preparation and adequacy of meal served.UNI MB AE GC1716 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-623868.Xml
Member of the Parliament Neiphiu Rio has advised educational institutions in Nagaland to consider technical education for the fact that jobs in the North East region by 2022 will require industrial standard education and not theory. Addressing as the Chief Guest in the silver Jubilee celebration of the North Town Higher Secondary School at Chumukedima, near Dimapur, Mr Rio credited the pioneers of the school saying that they started the institution with a vision to serve the society while devoting and sacrificing everything with a sole aim of providing quality education along with spiritual growth. Skill development is a must in any profession along with quality education, said the former Chief Minister of Nagaland. He said the Naga people form the most backward society in the country but is now becoming one of the most forward societies with the coming of Christianity and education in the state. You cannot be a casual person to compete in this competitive world, said Mr Rio while stating that the world no longer follows theoretical education but technical education.Mr Rio said mere qualification will not bring employment if one was not professionally skilled and technically trained. Calling education the most powerful weapon and educating the society the best investment, he advised the parents to mould and educate the children to bring them up as assets for the society. Also, describing that the only dream of parents was that their children secure government jobs, the chief guest said that such a mind block should be removed. Every job, be it private, self-employment or government jobs, are the same, he said. He reiterated that government jobs should in fact be the last option; the state sector has reached a point of saturation.Mr Rio also said one should be professionally educated and skilled in order to find employment in this competitive world. He said this while highlighting that by 2022, 2.6 million jobs would be created in the northeast region itself. More than 17 million youths will be seeking jobs but that only the skilled and technically-trained youths will find one, he said. Calling schooling as the most important part of ones life, the chief guest advised the parents and teachers to mould the students and shape them, teaching them the right habits. Bad habits, if not corrected, becomes a character that never changes, Mr Rio said. To all the students present, he said it is time to study hard and grow with integrity and live a disciplined life. UNI AS AD PY AE AN1913 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-624099.Xml
The Rengma Hoho today asked the Nagaland Government to initiate measures to restore the Rengma areas in Assam within the administrative control of the state.In a statement Rengma Hoho President Kenyuseng Tep said there is no dispute of administration or border within the territory, the land should be restored to the land owners as the land belongs to the Nagas. Our lands are being encroached by Assam Government and forcefully occupied by illegal infiltrators with their help, the Hoho alleged. It also expressed concern over the disturbing attitude of the state government that despite the Rengmas submitting enough documents on the issue, it remains in dyslexia.Bringing out what it termed as the fact of its history and territorial demarcations, the Rengma Hoho highlighted that the Rengma boundary lie with Assam in the East with Golaghat and West Naogaon districts. While clarifying that in no way is Rengmas land disputed between Assam and Nagaland, the Rengma Hoho also pointed out that there is no legal documents proving that Rengmas land is a disputed land between Assam and Nagaland. Our territories are geographically contiguous and are well defined. Our history is proved by our existence in the past and in the present which no authority can challenge, it maintained. Asking the Nagaland Government to restore their land, the Hoho asserted, We have every right to administer our own area, it said. UNI AS AD AE AS1932 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-624106.Xml
More than 2.45 lakh beneficiaries have been enrolled under the Sukanya Samriddhi Account scheme in Haryana during the first year after its launch. Stating this today, Haryana Women and Child Development Minister Kavita Jain said that the scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the Beti Bachao - Beti Padhao programme in Panipat on January 22, 2015. The scheme is aimed at addressing gender imbalance and discrimination against the girl child. She said that under this small savings scheme, parents or a legal guardian of a girl child may open a savings account of the child in any post office or authorised branches of banks. This account may be opened at any time between the birth of the girl child and until she attains the age of 10 years by paying Rs 1,000. The parent or guardian would have to deposit minimum Rs 1,000 and maximum Rs 1.50 lakh in a year. These deposits would be made until the child attains the age of 14 years, she added. The Minister said that the Government would provide interest at the rate of 9.2 per cent per annum for 2015-16. This is one of the highest rates of interest being offered by the Government on small savings schemes. Ms Jain said that the account would mature 21 years after its opening or at the time of marriage of the girl, whichever is earlier. The deposited money would then be refunded along with interest. After 21 years of opening of the account, in case Rs 1,000 is deposited every month, the maturity amount would be about Rs 6.16 lakh. In case Rs 1,000 is deposited every year, the maturity amount would be Rs 53,376 and in case Rs 1.5 lakh is deposited every year, the maturity amount would be more than Rs 80 lakh. She said that 50 per cent of the total amount deposited could be withdrawn after the child attains the age of 18 years, she added. She said that other benefits of the scheme included exemption on investments made under the scheme and eligibility for exemption under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Apart from this, the maturity amount would also be tax-free. The Minister urged the people to open accounts in their daughters name under the scheme to ensure better future for them.UNI DB AY AE VN1909 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-624052.Xml
A number of leading entrepreneurs from multi-national companies are also participating in this summit, a spokesman for industries department said here today.

He said these participating countries are Czech-Republic, Japan, Mauritius, New Zealand, People's Republic of China,Republic of Korea, Republic of Malawi,Republic of Peru, Republic of Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and Tunisian Republic.

He said Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would be the chief guest at the inaugural session.

Haryana Chief Minsiter Manohar Lal Khattar will deliver the key note address. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan will also address the inaugural session.

Captains of leading industries would also address the inaugural session.

Haryana Industries and Commerce Minister Capt Abhimanyu will make a presentation on Haryana.UNI DB AE VN1906

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-624073.Xml
Navapur police said two unidentified burglars aged 25 to 35 years broke into the house of Railway Station Master Prabhatkumar Nageshwar Singh (52) in Shrawan Patil Nagar. Inside the house they beat up the deceased Singh and his wife Saritabai when she attempted to stop them.

They mercilessly beat up the couple with iron rods and knives. The incident occurred between 0100 hrs to 0200 hrs.

Later neighbours and police arrived and took the injured couple to sub district hospital. From here Singh was shifted to General hospital in Nandurbar, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The complaint was filed by Saritabai Singh.

Investigating officer Asst Police Inspector D P Buwa said they had combed the entire area and sent teams to investigate the murder-robbery.

The body was handed to the family after autopsy for cremation, sources said.UNI RDS NP SHS BL2036

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-624266.Xml
An Indian mother superior of an old age home in Yemen, who had a narrow escape from gunmen on Friday, will be evacuated from the trouble-torn area.Official sources said here tonight that Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has managed to speak to Sister Sally of the Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity. The Indian Embassy officials from Djibouti established a contact with her after Mr Chandy spoke to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday. The officials are expected to reach there by tomorrow.However, she could not confirm the whereabouts of priest Tom Kuzhuvennal, who was also from Kerala and was kidnapped by the gunmen on that day.Four nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, including one from India, were among 15 people killed in the attack.UNI CR PY SHS 2207 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-624376.Xml
Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) received a shot in its arm on Sunday as it won 23 out of 28 local bodies seats in the legislative council. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won two seats, the Congress one and the Bharatiya Janata Party drew a duck. Two other seats were bagged by independent candidates. With Sunday's victory, the SP has gained a majority in the 100-member upper house. Seven SP candidates were declared elected unopposed. The Samajwadi Party (SP) claimed that the victory was "acceptance and endorsement" of the governance and developmental agenda pushed by the Akhilesh Yadav government in the state. SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said that the mood of the state showed that the party will romp back to power in the state assembly polls, slated for early 2017. The BJP, which was handed over a stunning defeat, however sought to downplay the victory of the ruling party, attributing it to muscle and money power. "The victory has very little meaning as it was won on basis of political power, muscle and money" said state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak. --Indo-Asian News Service md/vd ( 203 Words) 2016-03-06-22:53:31 (IANS)
Liquor Baron Vijay Mallya today issued a statement saying he is not a defaulter and there is no proof of misappropriation of funds by Kingfisher Airlines or himself. Mr Mallya further said his statement was distorted after quitting as the chairman of United Spirit Ltd (USL). His statement came after a huge outcry of reports of defaulting on State Banks of India's loan running into millions. On Friday, India's largest public lender SBI moved the Karnataka High Court seeking Mr Mallya's arrest, seizure of his passport and a full disclosure of his assets and liabilities.The plea by SBI came two days after it moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in Bengaluru seeking the same directives against Mr Mallya.''Personally, I am not a borrower or a judgement defaulter," he said. Last week, the Delhi High Court had refused to hear a plea by Mallya against SBI decision to name him wilful defaulter.Known for flamboyant attitude Mr Mallya was the owner of United Breweries Group as well as Kingfisher Airlines, ran into trouble after its company defaulted on bank loans. "I have neither the intention nor any reason to abscond.Over the years, I have built successful businesses in India and abroad. I am also honoured to be a member of the Rajya Sabha. I have been summoned before various investigative agencies and have duly attended and cooperated with each of them and will continue to do so," he added. UNI ABI PY SHS 2340 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-624428.Xml
US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz won nominating contests in Kansas and Maine , staking his claim to be the prime alternative for the Republicans bent on stopping front-runner Donald Trump.Trump won one state and led in partial results in another, taking another step toward the Republican nomination in the November 8 presidential election on a night when five US states voted in nominating contests.It was a bad night for the other Republican candidates, with US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich shut out in four Republican contests, falling behind Cruz in the battle to become the leader of the party's anti-Trump forces.Next up will be a crucial contest on Tuesday in the big industrial state of Michigan. Republicans in three other states, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii, also will vote on Tuesday.On the Democratic side, front-runner Hillary Clinton won in Louisiana, and her rival Bernie Sanders, a US senator from Vermont, won in Kansas and Nebraska in results that will not substantially change Clinton's big lead in delegates.Cruz, a first-term US senator from Texas who has promoted himself as more of a true conservative than Trump, also won a non-binding "straw poll" of activists earlier in the day at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, DC."The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, DC, is utter terror at what 'We the People' are doing together," Cruz told supporters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, after his early win in Kansas.Cruz, 45, has run as an outsider bent on shaking up the Republican establishment in Washington. A favorite of evangelicals, he has called for the United States to "carpet bomb" the Islamic State militant group and has pledged to eliminate the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service and four cabinet agencies and to enact a balanced budget amendment."What we're seeing is the public coming together, libertarians coming together, men and women who love the Constitution coming together and uniting and standing as one behind this campaign," Cruz said in Idaho.Trump still has a substantial lead in the delegates needed to secure the nomination at the Republican National Convention, but since winning seven of 11 contests on Super Tuesday he has come under withering fire from a Republican establishment worried he will lead the party to defeat in November's election.Mainstream Republicans have blanched at Trump's calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the United States.The four Republican contests on Saturday together account for just 155 delegates. The results in Maine gave Cruz 12 delegates and Trump nine. In Kansas, Cruz picked up 24 delegates while Trump gained nine.REPUBLICAN RACES NOT OPEN TO INDEPENDENTSThe races yesterday were open only to registered Republicans, excluding the independent and disaffected Democratic voters who have helped Trump's surge to the lead.Yesterday's contests were the first since retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson dropped from the race, after polling in the single-digits in most of the nominating contests. Carson had drawn support from evangelical voters, a group that has also been a stronghold of Cruz.At the Conservative Political Action Conference yesterday, Rubio criticized the media for fueling Trump's rise."I've been sitting here for five minutes and two of the three questions you've asked have been about Donald Trump," Rubio said during a question-and-answer session.Rubio, a frequent target of Trump's attacks, also said he "didn't get into this race to beat up on other candidates." But, he added, "If someone keeps punching people in the face, eventually someone's going to have to stand up and punch him back."At a rally in Rubio's home state on Saturday, Trump criticized his opponent, using a favorite nickname - "little Marco.""He's a nasty guy, said nasty things, and you know? We hit him hard. Little nasty guy," Trump told the cheering crowd.The anti-Trump forces have a short window to stop the caustic businessman, who ahead of yesterday had accumulated 319 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination at July's Republican national convention, outpacing Cruz, who had 226 delegates.On March 15, the delegate-rich states of Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina will vote. Both Florida and Ohio use the winner-take-all method to allocate Republican delegates, making the stakes in those two states particularly high.If Trump takes Florida and Ohio he would be nearly impossible to stop. There are a total of 358 delegates at stake in the five states voting March 15, including 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio.On the Democratic side, Clinton has opened up a big delegate lead and Sanders might have a tough time making up the difference. All states in the Democratic race award their delegates proportionally, meaning Clinton can keep piling up delegates even in states she loses.But Sanders made it clear he was not planning to end his White House quest anytime soon."We have the momentum. We have a path toward victory. Our campaign is just getting started," he said in a statement after his wins on Saturday.The three states holding Democratic contests on Saturday had a total of 109 delegates at stake. REUTERS JW PM0939 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-623356.Xml
Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz split victories in four nominating contests with front-runner Donald Trump, bolstering Cruz's argument that he represents the party's best chance to stop the brash New York billionaire.The results were a repudiation of a Republican establishment that has bristled at the prospect of either Cruz or Trump winning the party's nomination and has largely lined up behind US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who was shut out in all four contests."I think it's time that he dropped out of the race," Trump said of Rubio after the contests. "I want Ted one on one."Cruz won Kansas and Maine yesterday, while Trump won the bigger states of Louisiana and Kentucky, holding onto his lead in the race for the Republican nomination for the November 8 presidential election, even though Cruz captured more delegates yesterday.The next big contest, and a crucial one, will be Tuesday's primary in the industrial state of Michigan. Republicans in three other states, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii, also will vote on Tuesday. Puerto Rico Republicans will vote today.In the Democratic race, front-runner Hillary Clinton won in Louisiana, and her rival Bernie Sanders, a US senator from Vermont, won in Kansas and Nebraska, in results that did not substantially change Clinton's big delegate lead.Mainstream Republicans have blanched at Trump's calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the United States.But the party's establishment has not been much happier with Cruz, who has alienated many party leaders in Washington, than they have been with Trump."It looks like it will be the angry Trump voters against the purist conservative Cruz voters," said Washington-based Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. "The establishment is just being left out."A spokesman for Rubio, who spent the past week launching harsh personal attacks on Trump, said the senator would push on with an eye on the March 15 winner-take-all contest in Florida."After we win the Florida primary, the map, the momentum and the money is going to be on our side," spokesman Alex Conant said in a statement.Cruz, a first-term US senator from Texas who has promoted himself as more of a true conservative than Trump, said the results showed he was gaining momentum in the race to catch the real estate mogul."A HOWL FROM WASHINGTON""The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, DC, is utter terror at what 'We the People' are doing together," Cruz told supporters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, after his early win in Kansas.Cruz, 45, has run as an outsider bent on shaking up the Republican establishment in Washington. A favorite of evangelicals, he has called for the United States to "carpet bomb" the Islamic State militant group and has pledged to eliminate the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service and four cabinet agencies and to enact a balanced budget amendment."What we're seeing is the public coming together, libertarians coming together, men and women who love the Constitution coming together and uniting and standing as one behind this campaign," Cruz said in Idaho.Trump has a substantial lead in the delegates needed to secure the nomination at the Republican National Convention, but since winning seven of the 11 contests on Super Tuesday he has come under withering fire from a Republican establishment worried he will lead the party to defeat in November's election.But endorsements from establishment Republicans have failed to sway voters. Rubio won the backing of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback but still came in third there.The four Republican contests yesterday together accounted for just 155 delegates. Cruz won 64 delegates yesterday, while Trump took 49.The races yesterday were open only to registered Republicans, excluding the independent and disaffected Democratic voters who have helped Trump's surge to the lead.The anti-Trump forces have a short window to stop the caustic businessman, who ahead of yesterday had accumulated 319 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination at July's Republican national convention, outpacing Cruz, who had 226 delegates.On March 15, the delegate-rich states of Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina will vote. Both Florida and Ohio use the winner-take-all method to allocate Republican delegates, making the stakes in those states particularly high.If Trump takes both Florida and Ohio he would be nearly impossible to stop. There are a total of 358 delegates at stake in the five states voting March 15, including 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio.On the Democratic side, Clinton has opened up a big delegate lead and Sanders might have a tough time making up the difference. All states in the Democratic race award their delegates proportionally, meaning Clinton can keep piling up delegates even in states she loses.The three states holding Democratic contests yesterday had a total of 109 delegates at stake. The early estimates were that Clinton, who appeared headed to a smashing nearly 50-point win in Louisiana, had won at least 48 delegates on Tuesday and Sanders 37.But Sanders made it clear he was not planning to end his White House quest anytime soon."We have the momentum. We have a path toward victory. Our campaign is just getting started," he said in a statement after his wins yesterday. REUTERS JW PM1118 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-623440.Xml
Basit was addressing a function in Rajasthan's Jaipur city when the statement was made, dawn quoted Radio Pakistan as reporting.

Asserting that Kashmir was the root cause of all issues between the two nations, Basit said that an environment of cooperation must persist for resolution of disputes.

The Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries was supposed to take place last year but was deferred following a militant attack in the Pathankot air base in January this year.

The Pakistani authorities cracked down on militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) following India's accusation that the group was responsible for the attacks.

Soon after the Pathankot attack, Pakistan set up a six-member Special Investigation Team to follow up on the leads India had provided.

Pakistan has assured India full cooperation in investigation the matter.

Pakistan's adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, last week said that a team would visit India in the next few days to probe the Pathankot attack while expressing hope that the Foreign Secretary-level talks would be scheduled soon after. (ANI)
The peace talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban ran into trouble as the main faction of the insurgent group denied its plans to join the process besides questioning its efficacy. "We unequivocally state that the leader of Islamic Emirate has not authorised anyone to participate in this meeting," dawn quoted a statement by the Taliban as saying. The statement reiterated the conditions the group put forth to continue to peace dialogue like exit of foreign forces from Afghanistan, lifting of curbs on Taliban leaders and release of their prisoners from the Afghan jails. The decision ends hopes of reconciliation negotiation, a timeframe set by Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the US who are participating in the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) on Afghan reconciliation. This is the second time that QCG has missed the deadline. It had initially planned to open the talks in February. The reconciliation dialogue with the Taliban has been suspended since July last year. The intensification of operations by the Afghan forces, deployment of the US troops to the battlefield and their participation in air strikes and continuing night raids are a few factors for not carrying forward the negotiation. The Taliban's inflexibility on dialogue can cause problems for Pakistan. Afghanistan has for long been demanding that Pakistan should stop sheltering the militant group. The recent Strategic Dialogue with the US somehow concluded with a positive note after Pakistan accepted not to allow its land to the Taliban. (ANI)
Austria does not want to take part in any quota system for distributing refugees among European countries because it has done enough on its own, its defence minister was quoted as saying.The comments by Social Democrat Hans Peter Doskozil to the Oesterreich newspaper threaten to make even more complicated an emergency EU summit with Turkey on Monday on handling the worst refugee crisis in generations.Austria - the last stop before Germany, the top destination for migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond - has already come under fire from the European Commission and human rights groups for capping its intake of refugees.The Alpine republic of 8.5 million people got 90,000 asylum requests last year and has curtailed the number this year while imposing daily limits on the numbers it processes."We are taking the lion's share and taking in 37,500 asylum seekers this year alone. Now the others are called upon. Why should Austria take refugees from Greece? That would send the wrong signal," Doskozil was quoted as saying.He reiterated Vienna's call for a quota system, saying many countries that are net recipients of EU funding had to step up and do their share to resolve a difficult situation with thousands of people stranded on Greece's border with Macedonia.In a separate report, Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag said Switzerland was set to take in 600 asylum seekers from Greece who had been registered by Greek authorities and had a good chance of being allowed to stay in the neutral Alpine country.Although Switzerland is not an EU member, the Swiss government agreed last year to take in 1,500 asylum seekers under an EU relocation programme. REUTERS JW AS1418 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-623696.Xml
Armed men killed 12 people in villages in Central African Republic, local officials said today, in the first violence since Faustin-Archange Touadera was confirmed as president last Tuesday after an election many hoped would help end attacks.The attacks took place near the central town of Bambari and were likely linked to livestock rustling or an inter-ethnic dispute involving the Peuhl, or Fulani, ethnic group, the officials said.The violence did not appear directly connected to the political, communal and religious killings involving militia groups that since 2013 have left thousands dead, forced many more to flee their homes and left the northern half of the country effectively partitioned.In the latest attack late last night, six people were killed in three different villages, the authorities said."Three women from the same family had their throats slit six kilometres from the town," Amassaka Topi, a local counsellor and youth leader in Bambari told Reuters by telephone.The constitutional court confirmed former mathematics professor Touadera's victory on Tuesday following a run-off election on February 14., setting the stage for him to be sworn in later on March 25.Touadera has pledged to make peace and disarmament his priorities.Bambari has seen numerous attacks in the last year despite the presence of UN peacekeepers. The United Nations designated it a weapons-free zone last September, but the former rebel group called the Seleka and the anti-Balaka militia retain an armed presence in the town.The country suffered the worst crisis in its history in early 2013 when the mainly Muslim Seleka fighters toppled the then president. Christian so-called anti-Balaka militias responded by attacking the Muslim minority.REUTERS PY AS1847 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-624116.Xml
Greece could pay down its foreign debts by hosting deportation centres, giving Europe another option in tackling the migrant crisis, Czech President Milos Zeman said today.Zeman, speaking in a broadcast interview with Czech television channel Prima, said the idea came from one of his advisers and called it "an original idea that could kill two birds with one stone"."Detention centres would be built on Greek islands to where migrants from Europe would be deported ... and Greece would, by maintaining these detention centres, pay its otherwise uncollectible foreign debt," he said.The European Union is holding a summit with Turkey tomorrow on how to handle the migrant crisis. Germany has said that finding ways to help Greece, the main entry point for refugees into Europe, would be a priority.Zeman has limited policymaking power but has been outspoken on the migrant issue. He has said the integration of Muslim communities is "practically impossible" and called the influx an "organised invasion".The Greek foreign ministry declined to comment on Zeman's remarks today.Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, lashing out today at border restrictions that led to logjams, said Greece would press for solidarity with refugees and fair burden-sharing among European Union states at tomorrow's summit.Tsipras has accused Austria and Balkan countries of "ruining Europe" by slowing the flow of migrants and refugees heading north from Greece, where some 30,000 are now trapped, waiting for Macedonia to reopen its border so they can head to Germany."Europe is in a nervous crisis," Tsipras told his leftist Syriza party's central committee. "Will a Europe of fear and racism overtake a Europe of solidarity?"Central European leaders have been sceptical about Greece's ability to limit migrants, many of whom are fleeing war in Syria and elsewhere, and fear Turkey will not manage to stem the number of people crossing the Aegean Sea.They have said a back-up plan to provide help to Balkan countries along the migration route is important.REUTERS PY BL1857 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-624138.Xml
Egypt's prosecution ordered today six members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood accused of assassinating Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat in June to be detained for 15 days, state news agency MENA reported."The prosecution has accused the suspects of several crimes including premeditated murder of the late public prosecutor ... possessing and using explosives, and joining a terrorist group," MENA reported.A judicial source told Reuters earlier today of the six men's detention but did not give details on their affiliation or charges they faced.REUTERS PY AS1930 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-624188.Xml
"The two sides expressed an overall positive assessment of real progress in achieving a truce on Syrian soil, which is generally respected and has already led to a sharp decrease in the level of violence," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov and Kerry, on a phone call, stressed the need to prevent delay of intra-Syrian talks under the UN auspices, as well as to provide humanitarian aid to blocked areas in Syria, reports Xinhua.

"It is essential to ensure from the very beginning the participation (in the intra-Syrian negotiations), along with the delegation of the Syrian government, of a wide spectrum of all opposition forces, including Syrian Kurds," the ministry quoted Lavrov as saying.

The top diplomats confirmed that joint efforts would be paid by both countries' representatives in Geneva to ensure smooth work of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) task forces on humanitarian and ceasefire issues.

Lavrov and Kerry discussed a schedule of political contacts for the nearest future.

They also agreed to continue cooperate with all involved parties in order to find the ways to settle Yemeni conflict through political dialogue.

The Russia-US-backed cessation of hostilities plan has gone into effect at midnight last Friday in all Syrian cities. The truce has so far been largely adhered to despite sporadic violations.

Currently, a UN-mediated intra-Syrian talk was scheduled for March 9 in Geneva as a fresh diplomatic effort to politically settle the Syria crisis.

--Indo-Asian News Service pku

( 279 Words)

2016-03-07-01:03:46 (IANS)
By Roger Tagholm | Publishing Perspectives





Waterstones new Tottenham Court Road store in London features social space. Image: Roger Tagholm

If Amazon Were To Open Physical Bookshops

If the UK votes to leave the European Union this summer, it could make it easier for Amazon to open a chain of bookstores in the countryand that would wipe us out, says Waterstones Managing Director James Daunt.





He spoke to Publishing Perspectives in a wide-ranging interview that included the debate over Europe, the design of the chains new Tottenham Court Road store in central London and the differences between the UK and US book markets. As ever, Daunt came across as a devoted book enthusiast, passionate about physical bookselling and determined to continue the turnaround of the UKs leading specialist book chain (though he would balk at that last word):





If Amazon were to open physical bookshops, clearly that would be the end of usyoud have to hope the competition people would come to our aid. Please God, lets stay in Europefor a million reasons, and thats one of them.





As the debate rages nationally over whether the UK should leave Europe (it is dubbed Brexit) and Prime Minister David Cameron tours the country to persuade the British public to vote to remain in the EU in this Junes referendum, Daunt put his concern this way:

If you are within Europe, then the European competition guys have a voice and a say, and they may look rather askance at an individual company losing an enormous amount of money in order to push out its only other competitor. If youre not in Europe, then its a matter for the UK authorities. Who would you place your trust in?





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Johnson, Sills, and Stein differ on technology in classroom, Common Core as the March 15 winner is likely to face incumbent Democrat Atkinson

RALEIGH A teacher, a lawyer, and a doctor all say North Carolina needs a new leader in the state's highest elected position for education policy, and are laying claims to why they should be at the helm.GOP candidates Mark Johnson, Rosemary Fernandez Stein, and J. Wesley Sills are vying for State Superintendent of Public Instruction in the Republican primary on March 15.The superintendent oversees the state Department of Public Instruction, which carries out state and federal education policies. Republicans hold a majority on the State Board of Education.Henry Pankey, a former principal from Durham, is challenging incumbent Superintendent June Atkinson, who is seeking a fourth term, in the Democratic primary.One common thread among the Republican candidates is that they agree public schools should put more emphasis on teaching than testing."North Carolina parents, students, and teachers deserve a state superintendent who will focus more on supporting teaching instead of testing," said Johnson, a lawyer who is a member of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education.Johnson said one of his top priorities would include "reforming a system of overtesting created by June Atkinson," who, he said, is "unwilling to upset the status quo.""We need someone who listens to good local school leaders. They know what kind of training teachers need in the classrooms," said Johnson. He began his career as a public school teacher, and wants to make North Carolina schools "remarkable."In helping to close the achievement gap, and as part of her six-step plan, Stein, a pediatrician from Snow Camp, said she would scrap the state's "one-size-fits-all" Common Core standard.She would replace it withshe said.Sills said he believes in the mission of public education, and would work tirelessly to eliminate the endless bureaucratic policies that do not promote student learning.He said he would establish policies that make common sense.said Sills.Sills, a Harnett County high school social science teacher, said Common Core is not all bad, and it's already being re-tooled.he said.said Johnson.Johnson has more than $100,000 cash on hand, while Stein or Sills report less than $10,000 each. Stein and Sills say they are not concerned about fundraising at this time.Stein said she would work to implement a new plan to prepare children to be school-ready, meaning the child has been taught to sit still, pay attention, and respect authority.said Stein.Stein comes from a family of educators, and speaks French, Spanish, and English fluently.She said she intends to return North Carolina to an immersion-based English as a Second Language program to maximize the potential of children who arrive at schools without English fluency.Johnson said it's important that students are ready for the 21st century."While other Republican candidates are campaigning against Lt. Gov. Dan Forest's efforts to increase access to technology in the classroom, I agree with Dan Forest, and strongly support increasing smart, measured access to technology in our classrooms," he said.Stein said that technology is great, however, it does not replace basic instruction.Sills agrees. "I'm not anti-technology. "Technology is a tool. It's just a tool. It does not replace good old fashioned teaching," said Sills.Sills said technology is a money maker, and his concern is whether the North Carolina taxpayer will foot the bill for technology expensesaid Johnson.Johnson, Stein and Sills support vocational training classes in public schools.said Sills. "Not every kid should go to college. Not every kid can go to college."All three candidates agree parental involvement is important.said Stein.Sills was inspired by his mother, who taught kindergarten for 31 years. He graduated from UNC-Wilmington with a degree in political science, and spent much of his professional life working on yachts and sailing the world. He and his wife Laurie have a newborn daughter.Johnson and his wife Rachel have a 3-year-old daughter.Stein is married to a family doctor and they have a 16 year-old-daughter.
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It has been far too many years since the Woke theology interlaced its canons within the fabric of the Indoctrination Realm, so it is nigh time to ask: Does this Representative Republic continue, as a functioning society of a self-governed people, by contending with the unusual, self absorbed dictates of the Woke, and their vast array of Victimhood scenarios?

Yes, the Religion of Woke must continue; there are so many groups of underprivileged, underserved, a direct result of unrelenting Inequity; they deserve everything.

No; the Woke fools must be toppled from their self-anointed pedestal; a functioning society of a good Constitutional people cannot withstand this level of "existential" favoritism as it exists now.
By Dasha Afanasieva CESME, Turkey (Reuters) - As the European Union and Turkey focus on stemming the flow of Syrian refugees attempting perilous journeys across the Aegean sea to Greece, another migrant community whose numbers are also swelling says it is being overlooked. Largely denied the chance for legal resettlement in Europe and struggling to find work or support in Turkey, Afghans account for around a quarter of the migrants risking their lives in the small boats leaving Turkey's shore. Ahead of an emergency European Union summit with Turkey on Monday, the EU executive has announced the first payouts from a 3 billion euro ($3.3 billion) fund meant to help Turkey cope with an influx of more than 2.7 million Syrian refugees and encourage them to stay put. But while Afghans are unlikely to be prevented from using services such as medical centers and education facilities set up with European funds in Turkey, the fact they speak Pashto and Dari, rather than Arabic, risks excluding them from projects designed for Syrian refugees, aid workers warn. "The EU is not even discussing these issues and is exclusively focused on Syria," Kati Piri, the European Parliament's rapporteur for Turkey, told Reuters last month. "Even if the Syrian crisis would be solved tomorrow, there would still be a serious refugee crisis, with a large number of refugees in Turkey who don't have access to their rights." Afghan migrants in Turkey interviewed by Reuters said that over the past few years they had been denied interviews with U.N. refugee agency UNHCR that would formally determine their refugee status, a key step in the journey to being resettled. Polat Kizildag, program coordinator at ASAM, an organization which registers asylum seekers in Turkey, said they were generally told they were ineligible because Turkey was the third country on their journey and the expectation was that they apply for refugee status in their second, in many cases Iran. Human rights groups have said Iranian forces deport thousands of Afghans without giving them a chance to prove their asylum status and that they are pressured to leave the country. "We want to stay (in Turkey) but ... there is no support here. It's too expensive," said Najebullah, 45, a father of four originally from Kabul waiting in Cesme, on Turkey's Aegean coast, to make an illegal crossing to the Greek Island of Chios. "In Europe we will get work and they will help us," he said, echoing a commonly-held belief among the migrants flooding to Turkey's shore that once they arrive in Europe they will be more easily able to build a new life. Selin Unal, UNHCR spokeswoman in Turkey, said the most vulnerable, including Afghans, still received interviews, adding that close to 500 Afghans had been interviewed last year. She said the sheer numbers meant those most at risk were prioritized among UNHCR's active case load of some 254,000 non-Syrians. RESETTLEMENT WOES More than 63,000 Afghans came to Turkey last year, a sharp rise from 15,652 in 2014, according to ASAM, counting only those who registered. Some came directly from Afghanistan, others from Iran, where they had tried unsuccessfully to settle. Kirikkale, near Turkey's capital Ankara, is one of several satellite towns where registered Afghans are allowed to reside. Hakima Rezai, in her late thirties, said she was trying to get to Europe to be reunited with her four children, taken to Europe by sea by her brother-in-law almost a year ago. She said UNHCR - which declined to comment on individual cases - had told her they could not help. Rezai lives in a single room with a coal-burning stove and relies on the charity of neighbors. She does not receive the cash cards given to some Syrian refugees by international NGOs and their local partners to help meet basic living costs because there is no such scheme specifically set up for Afghans. "I cry every day," she said, showing the identity documents of her absent children. The exodus from Afghanistan has been prompted by an increasingly precarious security situation, with 11,000 civilians killed or injured in 2015, as well as widespread corruption undermining faith in the future and a war-ruined economy that cannot provide enough work for its population. Kabul and other Afghan cities have seen a spate of suicide bombings and other attacks as the Taliban has stepped up its insurgency following the withdrawal of international troops from most combat operations in 2014. The insurgents, driven from power by a U.S-led campaign in 2001, are seeking to reimpose hardline Islamist rule and are now in control or threatening around a third of the country. FALSE PERCEPTIONS According to the European Commission, 64,109 asylum requests were registered in Turkey in 2015, more than 11,000 of them from Afghan citizens, but only 459 were concluded, either by granting or rejecting refugee status. Some are still waiting in Turkey, but others are among the thousands to have crossed illegally to Europe. Under a law passed two years ago, Afghans and other refugees have access to healthcare in Turkey and Unal said the most vulnerable could also benefit from social security schemes. In January, Turkey also passed a new law to give refugees access to legal employment, a move praised by the European Union, although the program has not yet been rolled out. But many of the Afghan refugees, hampered in part by language difficulties, are unaware of their rights and rely on illegal labor such as fruit picking to survive. Birnur Esen, a psychologist who works for IMECE, an organization which collects and distributes clothes and other supplies to migrants rescued at sea, said convincing migrants to stay in Turkey meant improving their lives there and making them realize conditions in Europe would be just as difficult. That, she said, should be the focus of European efforts. "We are trying to change their mind," she said. "Europe must stand behind Turkey. It must say that if you stay in Turkey, we will improve your conditions." (Additional reporting by James Mackenzie in Kabul, Ayla Jean Yackley in Istanbul and Tom Miles in Geneva; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Janet McBride)
Santo Domingo (AFP) - A Dominican judge pushed back a preliminary hearing for Frenchman Christophe Naudin, who was extradited by Egypt over an alleged role in the escape of two pilots jailed in a drugs case dubbed "Air Cocaine."

The postponement until Tuesday was granted so that Naudin can appear before the judge with both an attorney and a translator. His attorney failed to appear on Saturday.

Naudin, a 53-year-old criminologist and aviation security expert who was arrested in Cairo on February 4, was sought by the Caribbean nation on suspicion of helping pilots Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odos flee to France in October after they had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking.

The pair, who maintain their innocence, were arrested in March 2013 as they were about to depart from Punta Cana in a private jet found to be carrying 680 kilos (1,500 pounds) of cocaine.

Convicted of drug trafficking in August, they were released pending appeal but barred from leaving the Caribbean nation.

They somehow managed to flee and return to France -- an escape that Dominican prosecutors allege Naudin facilitated.

Fauret and Odos fled back to France vowing to clear their names, but were rearrested in November near the French city of Lyon.

On February 11, an appeals court in the Dominican Republic upheld the 20-year prison sentences for the two pilots.

Paris has ruled out extraditing them.

The affair has prompted keen interest in France, after Interpol in November issued arrest warrants for Fauret and Odos, as well as a far-right member of the European Parliament accused of involvement.
Washington (AFP) - As Apple's legal battle with the FBI over encryption heads toward a showdown, there appears little hope for a compromise that would placate both sides and avert a divisive court decision.

The FBI is pressing Apple to develop a system that would allow the law enforcement agency to break into a locked iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, a demand the tech company claims would make all its devices vulnerable.

In an effort to break the deadlock, some US lawmakers are pushing for a panel of experts to study the issue of access to encrypted devices for law enforcement in order to find common ground.

Senator Mark Warner and Representative Mike McCaul on Monday proposed the creation of a 16-member "National Commission on Security and Technology Challenges."

But digital rights activists warn that the issue provides little middle ground -- that once law enforcement gains a "back door," there would be no way to close it.

"We are concerned that the commission may focus on short-sighted solutions involving mandated or compelled back doors," said Joseph Hall, chief technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology.

"Make no mistake, there can be no compromise on back doors. Strong encryption makes anyone who has a cell phone or who uses the Internet far more secure."

Kevin Bankston of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute expressed similar concerns.

"We've already had a wide range of blue ribbon expert panels consider the issue," he said.

"And all have concluded either that surveillance back doors are a dangerously bad idea, that law enforcement's concerns about 'going dark' are overblown, or both."

The debate had been simmering for years before the Apple-FBI row.

Last year, a panel led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists warned against "special access" for law enforcement, saying they pose "grave security risks" and "imperil innovation."

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- Opening up all data -

"I'm not sure there is much room for compromise from a technical perspective," said Stephen Wicker, a Cornell University professor of computer engineering who specializes in mobile computing security.

Opening the door to the FBI effectively makes any data on any mobile device available to the government, he said.

"This is data that was not available anywhere 10 years ago, it's a function of the smartphone," Wicker said.

"We as a country have to ask if we want to say that anything outside our personal human memory should be available to the federal government."

Apple has indicated it is ready for a "conversation" with law enforcement on the matter.

But FBI Director James Comey told a congressional panel that some answers are needed because "there are times when law enforcement saves our lives, rescues our children."

Asked about the rights envisioned by the framers of the US constitution, he said, "I also doubt that they imagined there would be any place in American life where law enforcement, with lawful authority, could not go."

A brief filed on behalf of law enforcement associations argued that because of Apple's new encryption, criminals "have now switched to the new iPhones as the device of choice for their criminal wrongdoing."

Ed Black, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which includes major technology firms but not Apple, said that although tech firms and law enforcement have had many battles, "there are many areas where we cooperate and where we find middle ground."

But Black said the tech sector is largely united in this case because the FBI wants Apple to create weaker software or introduce "malware" to be able to crack the locked iPhone.

"On this narrow specific issue of 'can companies be compelled to create malware,' I think there may not be an answer," he said.

- 'Going dark' fears -

Law enforcement fears about "going dark" in the face of new technology have been largely exaggerated, Black said.

While access to encrypted apps and smartphones is difficult and traditional wiretaps don't work on new technology, "there are a lot of other tools for law enforcement," he said.

"There is more information available in 2016 than in any year since the founding of the country."

Although law enforcement has growing expectations about using technology to thwart criminals, that type of power is too broad, Black added.

"If they are seeking a level of total surveillance capability, I don't see a compromise available," he said.

Wicker said that to give law enforcement access, Congress could in theory mandate that devices use automatic cloud backups that could not be disabled. But that would constitute a dramatic departure from current views about privacy.

"From an individual rights standpoint," he said, "that would take away control by the user of their personal information."
BANGUI (Reuters) - Armed men killed 12 people in villages in Central African Republic, local officials said on Sunday, in the first violence since Faustin-Archange Touadera was confirmed as president last Tuesday after an election many hoped would help end attacks. The attacks took place near the central town of Bambari and were likely linked to livestock rustling or an inter-ethnic dispute involving the Peuhl, or Fulani, ethnic group, the officials said. The violence did not appear directly connected to the political, communal and religious killings involving militia groups that since 2013 have left thousands dead, forced many more to flee their homes and left the northern half of the country effectively partitioned. In the latest attack late on Saturday, six people were killed in three different villages, the authorities said. "Three women from the same family had their throats slit six kilometres (four miles) from the town," Amassaka Topi, a local counsellor and youth leader in Bambari told Reuters by telephone. The constitutional court confirmed former mathematics professor Touadera's victory on Tuesday following a run-off election on Feb. 14., setting the stage for him to be sworn in later on March 25. Touadera has pledged to make peace and disarmament his priorities. Bambari has seen numerous attacks in the last year despite the presence of U.N. peacekeepers. The United Nations designated it a weapons-free zone last September, but the former rebel group called the Seleka and the anti-Balaka militia retain an armed presence in the town. The country suffered the worst crisis in its history in early 2013 when the mainly Muslim Seleka fighters toppled the then president. Christian so-called anti-Balaka militias responded by attacking the Muslim minority.. (Reporting by Crispin Dembassa-Kette; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Susan Thomas)
Arnold Schwarzenegger hasnt exactly joined the Dump Trump party, but today the former Governator officially endorsed Ohio governor John Kasich for the Republican presidential nomination  snubbing the man who inaugurated the Celebrity Apprentice gig that Schwarzenegger will assume this spring. I want John Kasich to be the next nominee of the Republicans and also to be the next president of the United States, said Schwarzenegger in a Snapchat video posted late this morning. He subsequently joined Kasich at a Columbus, Ohio campaign stop this afternoon.

Schwarzenegger, set to take over hosting duties in season 8 of NBCs Celebrity Apprentice, hasnt commented one way or the other on his predecessor. But his endorsement of Kasich comes as the Republican Party is having quite the panic attack over the specter of a Donald Trump-topped GOP ticket this fall. Indeed, Thursdays Republican Debate resembled a coordinated effort to kneecap Trump by focusing on his ego, his bankruptcies and shady business dealings, and even his genitals. Even so, the attack was undercut somewhat when each of the remaining republican contenders said they would still vote for Trump if he wins the nomination. Trump remains the front-runner in any case.

Celebrity Apprentice season 8 is set to air some time this spring.

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ZURICH (Reuters) - Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann has urged Germany to set a clear limit on the number of asylum seekers it will accept to help stem a mass influx of refugees that is severely testing European cohesion. The comments by the Social Democrat to the Kurier newspaper threaten to make even more complicated an emergency EU summit with Turkey on Monday on handling the worst refugee crisis in generations. Austria - the last stop before Germany, the top destination for migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond - has already come under fire from the European Commission and human rights groups for capping its own intake of refugees. "Germany too must give a number for the refugees it is prepared to take from the Syria and Turkey region. Germany must finally create clarity or else refugees will continue to head off in the direction of Germany," Faymann was quoted as saying. "If you take the Austrian guidelines, Germany could give its quota at around 400,000. As long as Germany does not say that, it is clear what will happen. The refugees will continue to believe that they will be waved through." In Berlin, a government spokesman declined to comment directly on Faymann, but referred to previous statements from Chancellor Angela Merkel in which she repeatedly rejected the introduction of such a national cap. In a newspaper interview, Merkel defended her decision to keep Germany's borders open and reaffirmed her push for a joint European solution, including strengthening the continent's external borders and cooperation with Turkey to stop refugees from traveling on to Europe. Austria, a country of 8.5 million people, got 90,000 asylum requests last year and has curtailed the number this year while imposing daily limits on the numbers it processes. Faymann said Monday's summit was set to decide three things: improving cooperation with Turkey to fight human smugglers and return rejected asylum seekers, ending a policy of waving through refugees, and agreeing on a system for EU members to absorb asylum seekers with the help of the U.N. refugee agency. In a separate newspaper interview, Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil said Austria did not want to take part in any quota system for distributing refugees among European countries because it had done enough on its own. "We are taking the lion's share and taking in 37,500 asylum seekers this year alone. Now the others are called upon. Why should Austria take refugees from Greece?" Doskozil told the Oesterreich newspaper. (Reporting by Michael Shields; Additional reporting by Michael Nienaber in Berlin; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
San Sebastian (Spain) (AFP) - Thousands of people in the heart of Spain's Basque country gave a hero's welcome on Saturday to a veteran separatist leader, following his release after more than six years behind bars.

A crowd of more than 10,000 gathered in the velodrome of the town of San Sebastian to give a tumultuous greeting to Arnaldo Otegi after his release last Tuesday.

"We are fighting for the liberty of this country and we will never stop," said Otegi, who has ambitions to become the next leader of the region.

The meeting was a display of Basque independence and culture, featuring songs, dances and the red, white and green of Basque flags.

Many of his supporters queued in pouring rain for hours. Some carried banners demanding the release of around 400 ETA members in jail in France and Spain.

There was also a scattering of Catalan flags, reflecting the separatist movement in Spain's other restive province, Catalonia.

A key figure in the Basque breakaway movement, Otegi, 57, has spent a total of 15 years in jail for separatist acts. But he is also credited with helping to swing the campaign away from the violence.

Otegi was jailed in 2011 for trying to resurrect the outlawed separatist party Batasuna.

The party had been banned in 2003 for being the "political wing" of ETA, blamed for more than 800 killings in its long campaign to create an independent homeland in the Basque country, which straddles part of northern Spain and southwestern France.

Batasuna re-emerged as a legal pro-independence party, Sortu, which campaigns for independence by democratic and non-peaceful means, and Otegi was elected as its secretary general in 2013 while he was still behind bars.

In the 1990s, he also became one of the first ETA members to call for disarmament, earning him comparisons to Gerry Adams, whose Sinn Fein party was once seen as the political voice of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

In 2006-2007, Otegi was one of the main architects of peace negotiations between ETA and the Spanish government.

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The talks broke down after a bombing at Madrid airport in December 2006 that left two dead, an attack carried out by ETA militants opposed to disarmament.

The government then adopted a hard line against ETA, arresting dozens of people with links to the group, including Otegi.

A month after Otegi was sentenced, a weakened ETA declared a "definitive end to armed activity". The group has yet to formally disband or disarm although its last deadly attack on Spanish territory was in August 2009.

Upon his release in his home town of Elgoibar, Otegi urged his supporters to emulate Catalonia, where a coalition of separatist parties won a regional election in September.

Otegi told The New York Times in a written statement from prison that he aims to become the next leader of Spain's Basque country, which will hold regional elections at the end of the year.

He added he will run in March for internal elections to choose candidates for EH Bildu, a pro-independence coalition party.
London (AFP) - The head of a major British business group resigned from his post on Sunday after publicly backing leaving the European Union, sparking a row over whether he had stepped down due to political pressure.

John Longworth stepped down as head of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) after he expressed support for Britain leaving the EU at the group's annual conference, despite the BCC's official stance of neutrality.

In a statement, BCC president Nora Senior said that "no politician or interest" had influenced Longworth's decision, saying that his expression of pro-Brexit views was "likely to create confusion" on the group's neutral stance.

Prime Minister David Cameron's office was forced to deny that it had leaned on the BCC to suspend Longworth following his remarks.

"We are clear no pressure was put on the BCC to suspend him," a Downing Street spokesman said.

But eurosceptic politicians dismissed the defence, claiming that Longworth had been a victim of "Project Fear" -- the nickname they have given the campaign to stay in the EU because of its focus on the security and economic risks of ending Britain's 43-year-old membership of the European bloc.

"Well done Downing Street. You got your man," wrote Douglas Carswell, an MP for the eurosceptic UK Independence Party, on Twitter.

"This is what Project Fear looks like. Nasty people in Number 10."

Earlier on Sunday, London mayor Boris Johnson, the leading advocate of the campaign for Britain to leave the EU, said that Longworth's suspension was "absolutely scandalous".

"It cannot be right that when someone has the guts to dissent from the establishment line, he or she is immediately crushed by the agents of Project Fear," Johnson said in a statement.

Cameron and Johnson are both members of the Conservative party but they have long been rivals, and the campaign for the June 23 referendum has pitted them head to head.

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The prime minister has accused Johnson of being motivated by a desire to one day replace him in Downing Street, but the mayor dismissed the allegation on Sunday as "cobblers".

"To the best of my knowledge there is not a single EU leader in the last 20 years who has had to step down as a result of a referendum, whether on Europe or not," Johnson said in a BBC interview.

Speaking to the same programme, German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble repeated the warning he issued to British business leaders this week that a Brexit would send shockwaves across the EU.

"For years we would have such insecurity that would be a poison to the economy in the UK, the European continent and for the global economy as well," he told the BBC, speaking in German.

However, Johnson said the referendum was "a golden opportunity to shrug off a regulatory, legislative burden that is profoundly undemocratic".

The mayor added: "This is like the jailer has accidentally left the door of the jail open and people can see the sunlit land beyond, and everybody is suddenly wrangling about the terrors of the world outside.

"Actually it would be wonderful."
It looks like Bubba Sparxxx has found the lady he was looking for. According to TMZ, the Ms. New Booty rapper, born Warren Anderson Mathis, announced his engagement to Katie Connors, who won the Miss Iowa title in 2010. The Georgia native began dating his fiancee two years ago and now plans to tie the knot on May 21. The happy couple will also host their ceremony at Andrew Jacksons Hermitage in Nashville, Tenn., which reportedly costs around $100,000.

Sparxxx has remained consistent in the music industry, recently dropping his current studio album, Made on McCosh Mill Road. But he made waves throughout the hip-hop realm with his 2001 debut project Dark Days, Bright Nights which boasted production from famed beatsmith, Timbaland. Check out photos of the happy couple, and a slimmed-down Sparxx below.

My  asked me to be his wife last night and I couldnt be more excited!!!! Its official WERE GETTING MARRIED!!! I love you so so much @bubbasparxxx  A photo posted by Katie Connors (@katieconnors2) on Mar 5, 2015 at 9:14am PST
BEIJING (Reuters) - China will never allow the tragedy of Taiwan being "split" off from the rest of the country to happen again, state media on Sunday quoted President Xi Jinping as saying, offering a strong warning to the island against any moves towards independence. China considers self-ruled and democratic Taiwan a wayward province, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. Defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 after the Chinese civil war. Beijing has repeatedly warned against any moves towards independence since January's landslide win by Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections. Meeting with Shanghai delegates to the annual meeting of parliament, Xi made apparent reference to the Qing dynasty's loss of Taiwan to Japan in 1895, who then ruled the island as a colony until the end of World War Two. "We will resolutely contain 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities in any form, safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and never allow the historical tragedy of the nation being split to happen again," Xi said. "This is the common wish and firm will of all Chinese people. It is also our solemn commitment and our responsibility to history and the people," he added. Tsai has said she would maintain peace with China, and Chinese state-run media have also noted her pledges to maintain the "status quo" with China. Without making direct mention of Tsai, who assumes office in May, Xi said Beijing's policy towards Taiwan was clear and consistent and "will not change along with the change in Taiwan's political situation". "Compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Strait are expecting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and we should not disappoint them," he added. Many in China are deeply suspicious of Tsai. Speaking on Sunday at a meeting on sidelines of parliament, Lin Xianshun, a Chinese military officer who defected from Taiwan in 1989, said she was a "schemer" who wanted to have the benefits of good economic ties with China at the same time as coveting Taiwan's independence. The past eight years have been marked by calm between China and Taiwan, after the election of the China-friendly Ma Ying-jeou as president in 2008 and his subsequent re-election. Ma signed a series of key economic deals with Beijing and held a landmark meeting with Xi in November in neutral Singapore. But a controversial trade pact has languished in the island's parliament after protests in 2014 over trade dealings with Beijing. Xi said both sides should deepen economic and social integration, and enhance the "sense of a community of common destiny." (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Benjamin Kang Lim; Editing by Kim Coghill)
DUBAI (Reuters) - A court in Iran has sentenced to death Iranian businessman Babak Zanjani and two accomplices for embezzlement, the judiciary said on Sunday, in a case widely watched due to the billionaire's prominent role in helping the government evade oil sanctions. The Islamic court convicted the defendants of "spreading corruption on earth", a capital offense, and ordered them to repay funds embezzled from, among others, state-run National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on live television. The defendants can appeal against the ruling. "The court of first instance ... sentenced the three defendants to death," Ejei said in a weekly news conference. The three were also ordered to pay a fine equivalent to one fourth of the sums they had laundered, he said. By his own account, Zanjani for years arranged billions of dollars of oil deals through a network of companies stretching from Turkey to Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. Zanjani amassed a fortune of $10 billion - along with debts of a similar scale, the tycoon once told an Iranian magazine. At the time of his arrest in Dec. 2013, a judicial spokesman said "he received funds from certain bodies ... and received oil and other shipments and now has not returned the funds". Prosecutors accused him of owing the government more than $2.7 billion for oil sold on behalf of the oil ministry. Iran emerged from years of economic isolation in January when world powers led by the United States and the European Union lifted crippling sanctions against Tehran in return for curbs on Tehran's nuclear ambitions. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom, Editing by William Maclean and Susan Thomas)
An ebullient Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas emerged from a solid showing against Donald Trump on Saturday in a handful of Republican primaries with a beefed up argument that it is time for rival Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida to exit the campaign.

We will continue to amass delegates, but what needs to happen is the field needs to continue to narrow, Cruz told reporters in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, last night after the returns had come in from four other states. As long as the field remains divided it gives Donald an advantage.

Related: Trumps Tax Cuts Would Add $24.5 Trillion to the Debt

Cruz whipped Trump in two GOP caucuses in Kansas and Maine, garnering more than four in ten Republicans in both of those contests, while making solid showings in losing efforts against the billionaire businessman in Kentucky and Louisiana. In both of those primaries, Cruz came within three to four percentage points of beating Trump.

Rubio, by contrast, came up empty handed once again, finishing third behind Trump and Cruz in three contests and an embarrassing fourth place finish behind a struggling Ohio Gov. John Kasich in Maine. In nearly 20 primary and caucus outings so far this year, the freshman senator from Florida has won only once  in Minnesotaand may be on course for a second victory on Sunday in Puerto Rico.

A new NBC News/Marist poll released Sunday shows Rubio also trailing badly in Tuesdays primary election in Michigan, with just 17 percent of the likely Republican vote to 41 percent for Trump and 22 percent for Cruz. The same poll shows former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton leading Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in the Democratic contest, 57 percent to 40 percent. Sanders beat Clinton on Saturday in Kansas and Nebraska caucuses, but Clinton won big in Louisianas primary and remains far ahead of Sanders in the delegate count.

Cruz and Trump both stepped up their pressure on Rubio to pull out of the race, although Cruz would have more to gain than Trump from narrowing the field further and consolidating conservative forces to try to slow Trumps march to the GOP presidential nomination.

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Related: Norquist Accuses Trump Naysayers of Whining, not Working

Cruz, whose campaign has now defeated Trump seven times, including a strong showing on Super Tuesday, warned in an interview with CBS News Face the Nation (taped on Friday) that Trumps nomination would spell the demise of the GOP. He said that he is beginning to pick up support from backers of other failed campaigns, including those of former Florida governor Jeb Bush, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who realize the high stakes for their party.

If Donald is nominated, it is a catastrophe, Cruz said. [Democrat Hillary Clinton] wins, we lose the Supreme Court for a generation, we lose the Bill of Rights and we lose the Senate.

Trump agrees that it is time for Rubio to drop out of the race and that I would love to take on Ted Cruz one on one and that it would be so much fun.

During a speech in West Palm Beach, Fla., last night, Trump said that Marco Rubio had a very, very bad night and personally Id call for him to drop out of the race, adding that I think its probably time.

But Rubio insists hes in the race to stay  or at least through the critical Florida GOP contest on March 15, when Rubio will wage a last stand in his home state against Trump. Trump is currently leading Rubio in Florida, and is determined to crush him in an escalating feud that has led to some of the most astounding and crude political rhetoric in memory.

Related: Sanders Tax Plan Soaks Everybody, With the Wealthiest Paying Millions More

Ive never based my campaign on one state, but I can tell you this: We will win the state of Florida, we will beat Donald Trump there the way we beat [former governor] Charlie Crist, Rubio told CNN in an interview that was taped on Friday. I have experience at beating people who dont say who they truly are.

If you had told me a year ago that the frontrunner at this stage of the Republican campaign would be a supporter of Planned Parenthood, who says he doesnt stand with Israel, who has a long record of supporting government-sponsored health care, I would say, On what planet would that be the Republican frontrunner? he said. But its happened, and I think we have to ask ourselves why would we allow that to happen.

In advance of yesterdays votes, Cruz reportedly focused his efforts on Kansas and Maine, which both held caucuses instead of primary votes and provided more fertile ground for Cruzs more sophisticated ground game and voter targeting system. In Maine, Cruz made a strong appeal to libertarian voters, hoping to attract former supporters of Rand Paul, according to The Washington Post. He shifted to more populist themes in Kansas, where he asserted that working-class voters and single mothers were struggling under the effects of Obamacare.

Related: At CPAC, Derision and Disappointment as Trump Bails Out

The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together, Cruz said last night while celebrating the primary and caucus results.

The four contests on Super Saturday accounted for 155 delegates. Cruz won 64 of them while Trump claimed 40 and Rubio just 13. Rubio was shut out in Louisiana and Maine, where he failed to reach the threshold to qualify. Trump is leading overall in the delegate count in his quest for a minimum of 1,237 needed to secure the partys nomination.

After the four contests Saturday, Trump appeared to be leading overall with 385 delegates to 298 for Cruz and 126 for Rubio. The Texas Republican says he is in the best position to overtake Trump or at least deny him the nomination outright before Republicans gather in Cleveland in July.

My focus is very simple, Cruz said. It is on winning 1,237 delegates to be the Republican nominee. We are on a path to do so.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Ted Cruz steamrolled over Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in the Kansas caucuses in heavy "Super Saturday" voting and racked up a win in Maine, signaling the fight isn't yet over for the GOP nomination.

Cruz walked away with 24 of 40 Kansas delegates to Trump's nine, while Marco Rubio scored six, leaving one for John Kasich.

"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is the utter terror at what we the people are doing together," Cruz told fans in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho after the Kansas win, per the Associated Press.

Kansas and Maine Republicans handed the gold to Cruz, the self-styled representative of the party's most conservative wing, as various factions of the GOP leadership tried to join forces to trip up Trump' in a sprint to the nomination.

Kansas is old-school Christian conservative & as deep red as it gets. Closed caucus. Results reflect where traditional party base is.

Trump carried Louisiana, adding to a string of victories in Southern states that began with his win in the Feb. 20 South Carolina primary  and demonstrating that not all voters are buying the anti-Trump pleas of party elders including Mitt Romney and John McCain.

@MittRomney was a disaster candidate who had no guts and choked! Romney is a total joke, and everyone knows it!

The billionaire frontrunner also pulled out a win after a tight race against Cruz in Kentucky, with the AP finally calling it for Trump at 10:46 p.m.

Trump campaigned in Florida on Saturday, gearing up for the March 15 vote in a state with 99 delegates.

So did Marco Rubio, the Florida senator who's been trying  with markedly limited success  to set himself up as the man to unify the party by both upholding conservative ideals and drawing newcomers to the GOP.

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Time to go, Marco? During a primary-night news conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said "it's time for Marco to [clear] the deck" and get out of the race after a series of disappointing finishes.



"Marco has to get out the race. Has to," said Trump, who's had increasingly bitter exchanges with Rubio, who had already headed to Puerto Rico ahead of Sunday's primary.

Speaking in San Juan, Puerto Rico @MarcoRubio says the "map only gets better for us" after today's contests. http://snpy.tv/1QVRitN

Trump also complimented Cruz on winning two states  although, in a backhanded allusion to the controversy over the Texan's birthplace, he added that Maine is "very close to Canada."

It takes a total of 1,237 delegates to capture the Republican nomination. As of Saturday night, Trump had at least 375 to Cruz's 291 in an AP tally.

Weekend at Bernie's: On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders won the Kansas caucuses, defeating national frontrunner Hillary Clinton according to an announcement by the Kansas Democratic Party on Facebook at 8:37 p.m.

"People used to ask, 'What's the matter with Kansas?' It turns out that there's nothing the matter with Kansas when you give people a clear choice and involve them in the democratic process," Sanders said in a campaign statement.

"We have a path toward victory. Our campaign is just getting started and we are going all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia."

Sanders, the Democratic socialist who's fired up legions of young voters, scored another win in the Nebraska caucuses.

Blue Bayou for Hillary: Clinton, who's been the main target of GOP attacks by those with an eye to November, scored an overwhelming win in the Louisiana caucuses, with the AP calling the race at 9:15 p.m.

"We're going to stand up to all those who put special interests ahead of America's interests," Clinton told supporters at a results-watch rally in Detroit.

She pointed to the tainted water scandal in Flint, Michigan as another case in which "poor people and people of color have been left behind"  a situation she said she'd strive to correct.

"I'm running for president to tear down all the barriers that stand in the way of every American. There is no barrier we can't tear down [if] we stand together," she said ahead of Michigan's Tuesday Democratic primary.

The Sanders wins help him, but he remains an underdog in the delegate fight with Clinton.

"Going into the weekend contests, Clinton had held a comfortable 198-delegate lead over Sanders, based on results from primaries and caucuses," the AP noted.

The Democratic nominee needs 2,383 delegates. As of Saturday, the AP count as published by the New York Times  including superdelegates  stood at 1.117 for Clinton to 477 for Sanders.

Fight to the finish: Prior to the weekend's contests, Trump had a strong Super Tuesday showing, scoring victories in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Vermont.

Cruz blocked Trump from a clean sweep, however, carrying the day in his home state of Texas and scoring victories in Oklahoma and Alaska.

Rubio won the Minnesota caucuses  his only victory of the entire cycle to date.

Cruz also ended up winner of the straw poll conducted at CPAC, an annual gathering of young conservative activists just outside Washington, D.C. Rubio made his pitch to the grassroots crowd there, but Trump skipped the event.

Full #CPAC2016 straw poll results: Cruz Rubio Trump Kasich #CPAC #washex2016 pic.twitter.com/6uHcaP1iao https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cc0RaZEXIAA1pbH.jpg:large

What's next? The candidates compete again on March 8 in Idaho, Hawaii, Michigan and Mississippi.

Then there's a volley of critical March 15 contests in states including Florida, Illinois and Ohio  the third of which is the best hope of a win for the fourth Republican still in his party's race, Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

First, Clinton will appear on Fox News Channel for the first time in two years Monday night when she and Sanders participate in a Democratic town hall at the Gem Theatre in Detroit.

On March 10, the Republican hopefuls head to Miami for a debate hosted by CNN.
PRAGUE (Reuters) - Greece could pay down its foreign debts by hosting deportation centers, giving Europe another option in tackling the migrant crisis, Czech President Milos Zeman said on Sunday. Zeman, speaking in a broadcast interview with Czech television channel Prima, said the idea came from one of his advisers and called it "an original idea that could kill two birds with one stone". "Detention centers would be built on Greek islands to where migrants from Europe would be deported ... and Greece would, by maintaining these detention centers, pay its otherwise uncollectible foreign debt," he said. The European Union is holding a summit with Turkey on Monday on how to handle the migrant crisis. Germany has said that finding ways to help Greece, the main entry point for refugees into Europe, would be a priority. Zeman has limited policymaking power but has been outspoken on the migrant issue. He has said the integration of Muslim communities is "practically impossible" and called the influx an "organized invasion". The Greek foreign ministry declined to comment on Zeman's remarks on Sunday. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, lashing out on Sunday at border restrictions that led to logjams, said Greece would press for solidarity with refugees and fair burden-sharing among European Union states at Monday's summit. Tsipras has accused Austria and Balkan countries of "ruining Europe" by slowing the flow of migrants and refugees heading north from Greece, where some 30,000 are now trapped, waiting for Macedonia to reopen its border so they can head to Germany. "Europe is in a nervous crisis," Tsipras told his leftist Syriza party's central committee. "Will a Europe of fear and racism overtake a Europe of solidarity?" Central European leaders have been skeptical about Greece's ability to limit migrants, many of whom are fleeing war in Syria and elsewhere, and fear Turkey will not manage to stem the number of people crossing the Aegean Sea. They have said a back-up plan to provide help to Balkan countries along the migration route is important. (Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
By Shu Zhang and Pete Sweeney

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Shanghai representative to the National People's Congress (NPC) on Sunday lambasted China's market regulators for igniting a stock crisis that is "destroying the Chinese middle class", a rare rebuke for authorities during their biggest annual event.

"The ten years of stock market development since 2007 is a decade of tears for Chinese investors," Fan Yun, a Shanghai businesswoman said during an open session at NPC in Beijing.

Fan, who has a reputation for being outspoken, laid into Chinese brokerages for failing to educate investors while also blaming regulators for failing to properly control the margin lending and alternative credit channels that helped inflate a stock bubble that is still deflating.

Views like Fan's are rarely expressed so baldly in official public forums, but they do reflect worries in Shanghai that the city's goal to become a global financial center to rival Hong Kong and New York by 2020 took a serious setback in 2015, thanks at least in part to clumsy central intervention by regulators in Beijing.

In the summer of 2015 China's stock indexes - which had exploded upwards over 150 percent in a year - began to correct sharply.

Despite concerns about over-valued shares, the central government ordered financial regulators into action and also formed a "national team" of institutional investors to take extreme measures to head off a further rout.

That culminated in a failed attempt to implement a "circuit breaker" mechanism which lasted only a week and was seen as contributing to the head stock regulator, Xiao Gang, losing his job.

Fan described the circuit breaker, which froze trading when indexes moved 7 percent in either direction, as a "crackpot idea".

At the time, Chinese officials said they were simply doing what any government would do, holding off a panic.

But stock indexes have given up all the brief gains they made, leaving both the national team and the retail investors who followed them under water.

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Last year, the stock market crash also led regulators to suppress trading in derivatives, futures and other sophisticated financial products Shanghai had hoped it could specialize in.

Shanghai officials have complained in the past that Beijing's policies have made it more difficult for Shanghai to become a true financial center.

Beijing has allowed the development of alternative markets in Shenzhen and now a popular over-the-counter growth board in Beijing, which has left the Shanghai bourse overloaded with "old economy" companies in traditional industries.

(Editing by Lincoln Feast)
Bogota (AFP) - The top leader of powerful Clan Usuga gang was killed in a police raid, authorities said Saturday, in another major blow to Colombia's most important gang.

"Body blow to the Clan Usaga gang. Alias Lorenzo taken out in Uraba. Top gang leader and drug trafficker," President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter.

Ruben Dario Avila, alias Lorenzo, was killed on Friday when police launched a raid on a ranch in Arboletes, Antioquia province, National Police Public Safety chief General Jorge Rodriguez told reporters.

The alleged drug "capo" was wanted on multiple homicide and conspiracy charges, Rodriguez said.

Last month two leaders of the gang were extradited to the US where they face drug trafficking charges in Florida, Colombian authorities said Wednesday.

Arley Usuga Torres, the nephew of gang leader Dairo "Otoniel" Usuga, and Hector Mario Urdinola Arbelaez, who ran the gang's operations in the western Colombia's Valle del Cauca, were turned over to US narcotics officers.

Authorities say Clan Usuga -- which emerged after the mass demobilization of right-wing paramilitaries a decade ago -- ships tons of cocaine from Colombia to Central America and the United States.

The South American country is the leading producer of coca, the raw material from which cocaine is processed.
Paris (AFP) - The chief financial officer of French energy giant EDF, Thomas Piquemal, has resigned over a disagreement about an ambitious project to build Britain's first new nuclear power plant in decades, a source close to the matter told AFP on Sunday.

"The chief financial officer presented his resignation last week to Jean-Bernard Levy (CEO) because of a disagreement over Hinkley Point," the source said, confirming a Bloomberg report.

The dispute centred around "the short-term feasibility" of a plan to build two new reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset, southwest England, the source told AFP.

According to the same source, Piquemal had not wanted to rush the project at a time when the company's union representatives are voicing increasing concern over the proposed plant's 18-billion ($25.8-billion, 23.6-million-euro) price tag.

EDF declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

The firm agreed in October to construct two European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) at Hinkley Point, a third-generation nuclear reactor design, with the state-run China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) taking a one-third stake.

But since then EDF has been putting off announcing a final investment decision on whether to go ahead with the plan, prompting speculation that the project could be delayed.

EDF said in a statement on Thursday that it was making "every effort" to reach a final investment decisions "in the near future".

Opponents have criticised the gigantic Hinkley Point scheme on strategic, environmental and technical grounds.

The British government says the plant is essential for meeting Britain's energy security, as most of the country's existing nuclear plants are due to close by 2023.

It said last month that "good progress" was being made.

French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron earlier this week defended the Hinkley Point plan, calling it a "very good investment" for EDF.

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EDF -- Electricite de France (EDF) -- is 84.5-percent owned by the French state. It is a major player in the British energy market through a subsidiary.

The company announced in January that it planned to cut five percent of its staff over the next three years -- meaning that some 3,500 jobs will go -- as it grapples to respond to increased competition and lower electricity prices.

The group said last month it was also slashing its dividend after unveiling sharply lower annual net profits of 1.19 billion euros, compared with 3.70 billion euros in 2014.
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has appointed a new head of its agriculture quarantine authority, the ministry of agriculture said on Sunday, replacing Saad Moussa, a figure who has been at the centre of a controversy over the country's wheat import requirements. As head of the agricultural quarantine agency Saad Moussa imposed a zero tolerance policy on ergot, a common grains fungus, a policy at odds with the ministry of agriculture and supply backing a more common international standard that allows trace levels. "Essam Fayed the minister of agriculture has appointed Ibrahim Ahmed Imbabi, head of the Plant Pathology Research Institute, to head the central administration of the agricultural quarantine authority," a statement from the ministry said. Many traders, who say guaranteeing zero ergot is impossible, have declined in recent months to make offers in state wheat tenders, saying it was too costly to risk having their shipments later turned away by Moussa's quarantine authority. The disrupted wheat tenders have raised the possibility of a shortage of grain which could pose a political problem for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the impoverished population relies on highly subsidised bread. The ministry said Imbabi's appointment was part of a plan to "restructure the ministry of agriculture and its various sectors, to develop and improve its performance". (Reporting by Ehab Farouk; Writing by Eric Knecht; Editing by Mark Potter and Susan Thomas)
(Reuters) - A Florida woman faces drunk-driving and other charges after plowing through the infield at the Daytona International Speedway and injuring four people, police said.

Abbie Kinney, 43, of Cocoa Beach, Florida, remained in jail on Sunday after she crashed her Toyota pickup into four people and six motor homes and vehicles in track's infield, where race fans were camping, early Saturday, according to a report by the Daytona Beach Police Department.

She told officers she had drunk three beers and "shouldn't have been driving," the report said.

Kinney was found at the wheel of her vehicle after the crash, which happened shortly after 2 a.m. ET, the report said. A breath test showed her blood-alcohol content at more than twice the legal limit for driving, the report said.

She faces charges of driving under the influence as well as alcohol-related injury of persons and property.

The crash happened in the Lake Lloyd area of the infield, a popular spot for pre-race camping by fans.

The racetrack was host to motorsports events over the weekend, including the Daytona Supercross by Honda, according to the track website.

The famed track hosted the Daytona 500 race on Feb. 21.

(Reporting by Karen Brooks; Editing by Alan Crosby)
Yangon (AFP) - Four more foreign banks have been given preliminary approval to operate in Myanmar, state media reported on Sunday, the latest government attempt to attract overseas investment to the emergent nation.

Myanmar's banking system was closed for decades to outside competition under junta rule, leaving the country laden with a creaking financial infrastructure and a populace deeply suspicious of banks.

But that has slowly begun to change since outright military rule gave way to a reformist government in 2011 that paved the way for last November's landmark elections.

The four new banks that have been given initial approval are Vietnam's Bank for Investment and Development, Taiwan's E.SUN Commercial Bank, South Korea's Shinhan Bank and the State Bank of India, the Global New Light of Myanmar said, quoting the Central Bank of Myanmar.

A total of 13 foreign banks have now been given permission to operate inside the Southeast Asian nation.

Most are still in the process of meeting regulations before opening branches but some are already up and running.

In April last year, Japan's Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) became the first foreign bank in decades to open a branch inside Myanmar.

Among other banks that have opened branches are Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) as well as Singapore's Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC).

Most of the foreign banks who have applied for licences hail from the Asia-Pacific region.

Myanmar's brutal military rulers nationalised all banks when they seized power in 1962 as they embarked on socialist policies that would send the economy into precipitous decline for nearly half a century.

Local people remain deeply reluctant to embrace the banking system and many deal only in cash.

Authorities have implemented sweeping political and economic changes in recent years that have seen most Western sanctions lifted, opening up the country to new streams of international investment.

Both the outgoing military backed government and Aung San Suu Kyi's incoming National League for Democracy have vowed to increase capital flows to local businesses and to spur investment.

The World Bank has said firms cite access to finance as the main obstacle to doing business in Myanmar.
Rome (AFP) - Two Italians kidnapped last July in Libya returned to Italy on Sunday to a mute homecoming, amid questions over why two others snatched with them were killed.

Gino Pollicardo, 55, and Filippo Calcagno, 65, were met by relieved relatives at Rome's Ciampino airport in the early hours and were whisked away to be debriefed by Italy's foreign ministry and intelligence services.

They were among four employees of Italian construction company Bonatti who were kidnapped in the Mellitah region west of Tripoli in July. Italian media reports suggested all four had been close to being freed, before plans went awry.

On Thursday, the day before Pollicardo and Calcagno's liberation, Italy said the other two, Salvatore Failla, 47, and Fausto Piano, 60, had likely been killed in clashes between jihadists and local militiamen.

"The Italian state has failed. The liberation of the two hostages was paid for with my husband's blood," Failla's widow Rosalba said Saturday, demanding her late husband's body be returned to Italy as soon as possible.

Italian media reports said Piano and Failla, who had been separated from Pollicardo and Calcagno, had been in an Islamic State group convoy that was attacked by militiamen from Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn), the armed wing of the non-recognised government based in Tripoli.

While the murders increased pressure in Italy for the country to send special forces to Libya, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi cautioned that any intervention would first need parliament's approval, and Rome would not be rushed -- a sentiment echoed Sunday by Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

"We need to avoid Libya sinking into chaos where tragic episodes like this one involving our hostages can proliferate," he said in an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore daily.

However, "it must be clear that there are no apparent shortcuts, muscular displays. It's true, time is short, but there is no quick war at our door.

"The government is aware of the errors of the past and is working to create the conditions for stability in Libya," he said.
Raleigh, N.C. In advance of spring when unpredictable weather tends to affect North Carolina, Governor Pat McCrory has declared March 6-12 Severe Weather Preparedness Week in North Carolina. He cautions North Carolinians to prepare for severe weather and urges residents to have an emergency supplies kit in their home.Governor McCrory said.Schools and government buildings statewide will hold tornado drills Wednesday, March 9, at 9:30 a.m. to practice their emergency plans. Test messages will be broadcast on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radios and the Emergency Alert System. All North Carolinians are encouraged to participate in the drill.In 2015, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued 25 tornado warnings for North Carolina and recorded nine tornadoes. There were 98 flash flood warnings issued last year and 133 incidents of flash flooding across the state. In addition, the NWS issued more than 528 severe thunderstorm warnings, and recorded more than 542 incidents of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and/or large hail. Combined, severe storms, flash flooding and tornadoes caused nearly $12.5 million in damages.While spring and late fall are typically peak tornado season, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can happen at any time of the year as much of the state saw first-hand when tornadoes touched down more than a week ago.Tornadoes usually form during heavy thunderstorms when warm, moist air collides with cold air. These storms can also produce large hail and strong, damaging winds.Emergency Management officials recommend having a weather radio that broadcasts NWS alerts when severe weather threatens. Many North Carolina tornado fatalities have occurred at night when people are asleep and less likely to receive a warning without a weather radio.Emergency officials recommend people use the following safety tips: Know the terms: WATCH means a tornado is possible. WARNING means a tornado has been spotted; take shelter immediately. Know where the nearest safe room is, such as a basement or interior room and away from windows, and go there immediately if you hear or see a tornado. If driving, you should leave your vehicle immediately to seek safety in an adequate structure. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle, and do not stop under an overpass or a bridge. If you are outdoors, and there is no shelter available, take cover in a low-lying flat area. Watch out for flying debris. Following a storm, wear sturdy shoes, long sleeves and gloves when walking on or near debris, and be aware of exposed nails and broken glass. Be aware of damaged power or gas lines and electrical systems that may cause fires, electrocution or explosions.To read Governor McCrory's proclamation, click here More information on tornadoes and overall emergency preparedness can be found in the ReadyNC mobile app and online at www.ReadyNC.org.Crystal Feldman
PARIS (Reuters) - France's prime minister, Manuel Valls, said on Sunday he will not commit blackmail by threatening to resign, as the government is facing opposition to pass the new labor reform. In an interview with French weekly newspaper Le Journal Du Dimanche (JDD), Valls said the reform is a "win-win" for both employers and employees and that he will try to convince the Socialists, Far Left and Green party members to vote for the bill. When asked about rumors that he could put at stake his title, Valls said: "I never did and I will not blackmail to resign". Rising unemployment, at an 18-year high of 10.6 percent, is a reminder to voters that President Francois Hollande failed to live up to promises to put the jobless rate on a convincingly downward path, which he set as a precondition for running in the next presidential election in 2017. The reform, which would put almost all aspects of the country's strictly codified labor relations up for negotiation between employers and unions, has widened divisions in the governing Socialist party. "We must enrich and complete this preliminary bill. But what would be terrible is the status quo," Valls told JDD. "I could have said there are 14 months left, I would slow down, take no risks ... It's not my vision of politics". France's government will present labor reforms two weeks later than planned, on March 24, following strong pressure from unions and within the governing Socialist party. Valls said there is room for negotiation with unions, which have asked for a stricter definition of redundancy plans. He said the draft bill must further emphasize that reform is primarily intended for small and medium-sized companies, where there is fear of hiring. "We want to ensure our social model and the rights of employees while giving more flexibility to companies," he told JDD. (Reporting by Maya Nikolaeva; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Paris (AFP) - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Sunday he would push ahead with a controversial labour reform bill, but promised "improvements" to the proposed text after meetings with union and business leaders.

Unveiled in mid-February and greeted with howls of protest from trade unions, the plans would make it easier for companies to lay off workers.

"We have to improve and complete this draft law. But what we cannot do is maintain the status quo," Valls said in an interview with the weekly newspaper Journal du Dimanche.

"(We) cannot stand still even for a second. This labour law means more transparency for businesses and more protection for employees," he said.

The prime minister will meet with business and union heads from Monday, while a number of organisations have called strikes for Wednesday and demonstrations later in the month to protest against the plans.

Valls faces strong opposition from the left wing of his own Socialist Party, while seven in 10 French are opposed to the changes, according to a poll. Another survey showed two-thirds of people believe there will be widespread protests if the law is pushed through.

The reforms are part of government efforts to combat record unemployment levels in a country where employers are loath to take on permanent workers, as letting them go can be near impossible.

But critics complain the measures would dismantle one of the key job guarantees for French employees.

Currently French companies have to justify in court plans to shed workers due to an economic downturn, a process they have complained makes it difficult and expensive to trim staff when the economy slows and ultimately makes them reluctant to hire.

Submission of the proposals to the cabinet has been postponed from March 9 to March 24 in order for a compromise to be reached, according to a government source.
A Georgia dad, set to go to trial in April on charges he intentionally left his toddler son to die in a hot car in 2014, has been newly indicted on charges he sexually exploited minors, authorities said Friday.



Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds announced the eight-count indictment against Justin Ross Harris. Harris was indicted by a Cobb grand jury on two counts of sexual exploitation of children and six counts of disseminating harmful material to minors, according to NBC News.



According to the network, "The indictment is stemming from an alleged exchange of lewd photos with two underage girls and sending nude photos to another underage girl, and then engaging in sexually explicit conversations with all three from January to May 2014."









Harris was previously indicted for malice murder, among other charges, in the death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.



Cooper died on June 18, 2014, after being left for hours in an SUV in the parking lot of Home Depot, where Harris worked, authorities have said.



Harris has maintained the death was an accident. But he was arrested the night of Cooper's death and has been held without bond in a Cobb jail ever since, according to the AJC.



Harris has pleaded not guilty to those charges, according to the paper. It was not immediately clear if he has entered a plea to the new charges.



 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.



In a statement Friday, Harris' attorney called the new indictment a "calculated maneuver to inflame public opinion" before jury selection in the murder trial, according to the AJC.



"After more than a 20-month investigation into every imaginable detail of Ross Harris' life, this new indictment alleges no acts of cruelty, no deprivation, no abuse, nor any neglect of Cooper," Maddox Kilgore said. "The content and timing of this indictment confirms the absence of such evidence, and it signals the state's desperation to convict Ross of the worst mistake any of us as parents could make."



(Neither Kilgore nor Reynolds's office responded to PEOPLE's request for comment.)



Speaking at a Friday news conference, Reynolds said that he would not be "trying the case through the media."



"The [new] indictment speaks for itself," he said.



According to the AJC, "Neither side denies Harris was actively engaged in sexual online chats with numerous women."



Harris will be tried separately on these new charges, according to the paper.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has rejected calls to give Greece more time to reach budget goals agreed with international lenders for its third bailout program as it grapples with the migrant crisis. Austria's recent imposition of border restrictions set off a domino effect in Europe that has left tens of thousands of migrants stranded in Greece, placing additional burdens on a country relying on an economic recovery after six years of recession. "The refugee issue and the aid program for Greece should not be mixed," a spokesman for German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told Reuters on Sunday when asked about European Parliament President Martin Schulz's suggestion that Greece be given more time to resolve its budget problems. The idea was also rejected by Manfred Weber, leader of the center-right European People's Party (EPP), the biggest bloc in the European Parliament. "Anyone who waters down the European stabilization policy in the migrant crisis plays with fire," Weber told several local newspapers. "The European debt rules must not be weakened. And this also applies for the reform conditions for Greece." Schulz, a leading member of Germany's co-governing Social Democrats, had argued that the migrant crisis was affecting Greece more than other EU countries because of its geographic location, causing additional budget problems. "Consequently, we have to show more flexibility in regard to the application of deficit criteria," Schulz said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said on Saturday that Greece needed to deliver quickly on its promise to provide accommodation for 50,000 refugees and the European Union should help Athens with the task. Euro zone finance ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday, with Greece expected to be the main topic on the agenda after negotiations have stalled between Athens and its creditors -- the euro zone, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. A first review of economic reforms under the bailout plan agreed last August, which Greece wants concluded fast to move on to debt-relief talks, has been held up by disagreement among the lenders over how much more Athens needs to save in public spending, notably on pensions. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by David Goodman)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Mar 6, 2016) - Department of Canadian Heritage

Stephane Lauzon, Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Persons with Disabilities, attended the final of the 25th edition of the International Gymnix today at the Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal. Mr. Lauzon attended on behalf of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. The Government of Canada, through Sport Canada's Hosting Program, provided $50,000 for this event, part of a total of $150,000 for gymnastics events being held in 2015-16 that will let Canadians compete at home against the world's best.

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#GoC, through @SportCanada_EN, supports @CDNGymnastics and @IntlGymnix #Gymnix2016 #RoadtoRio

Quick Facts

The international components of the event are the Junior Cup and Gymnix Challenge. The domestic component, the Gymnix Classic, is held at the same time and is for all national categories of gymnasts. Altogether, these events include more than 800 gymnasts.

Gymnastics Canada received more than $1.6 million in funding in 2015-16 through Sport Canada's Sport Support Program for sport-related programs and services for athletes.

Sport Canada's Athlete Assistance Program provided more than $270,000 to 26 women gymnasts to assist with their living and training expenses from March 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016.

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"As the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games draw closer, we are proud to help our Canadian high-performance athletes prepare by providing them with opportunities to face their international competitors right here in Canada. Our artistic gymnasts are sure to benefit from competing at the 25th edition of the International Gymnix. We hope that our athletes' accomplishments will inspire a new generation to compete in sport."

-The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

"For the past 25 years, the International Gymnix has provided a platform for Canada's top junior athletes in women's artistic gymnastics to measure themselves against some of the top talent in the world. The 25th edition will also see a senior component added, which will increase the number of nations participating in this great event! An event like this would not be possible without the continued support of valued partners such as the Government of Canada."

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-Peter Nicol, President/CEO, Gymnastics Canada

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Getting a job at Larry Flynt Publications is like going to topsy-turvy town when compared with the average American workplace.

Lets start with the release notifying you that youre going to be exposed to material sexual in nature. Then theres the said material sexual in nature. Not the soft-focus, modified lingerie ads that pass for whats trade in pioneering porn titles like Playboy these days, but more what porn panjandrum Larry Flynt originally named his flagship pub, Hustler, for: a streetwalking hooker and the ethos that is part and parcel of such a lifestyle. But with one small difference. Flynt, a Democrat  he came out in support of Hillary Clintons campaign last May  and a First Amendment advocate, has got shit stirring in his blood, so his publications have always been part postmodern meta and out-and-out filth.

Into which walked Allan MacDonell after having seen an ad in the Los Angeles Times for an assistant proofreader. He took a test, aced it, didnt get the job, and came back two more times before the copy chiefs staff hired him when the copy chief was out of pocket. MacDonell was in.

Probably drunk or high and definitely after having dropped out of college and cottoned to LA punk rock, MacDonell, ensconced in Larry Flynt Publications massive multistory tower, really wasnt there so much for the porn, even though that was the business. He was there more for the chance to fuck shit up. Well, that and the paycheck. Though bipolar, Flynt was sharp as a tack, so whether he was appearing in court in a diaper or running for office and submitting a campaign commercial with two people screwing in the background, he was the most dangerous kind of disrupter: one who didnt care what he had to do to disrupt.

Prisoner of x

Prisoner of X: 20 Years in the Hole at Hustler Magazine, by Allan MacDonell, recounts what could be the most colorful copyediting gig ever.

Source: Feral House

An almost punk-rock mission made to order for MacDonell, who orchestrated the fall of Republican Rep. and House Speaker-elect Bob Livingston in the middle of Livingstons trying to get President Bill Clinton impeached for the Monica Lewinsky affair. After that, and after spearheading Flynts $1 million offer to get more muck raked, as well as the First Amendment cases connected to cartoons about Moral Majority co-founder Jerry Falwells mother and a whole docket of fighting the law and winning, MacDonell ultimately came up against an immovable force: Larry Flynt himself.

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I got talked into standing up at an event for Larry, says MacDonell from his Los Angeles redoubt where he is now an editorial director at digital magazine The Kind, and encouraged to tell a joke. Like a roast. The tall and avuncular MacDonell, wearing heavy-framed glasses and as deadpan as all get-out, stood up and told a joke, one that hit the famous jokester a little too close to home. In short order, like usually happens only in the movies, MacDonell was out.

Which maybe wasnt as surprising as the fact that after 20 years at the flagship of filth that was Hustler and his rise to Flynts second-in-command, this weighed against him in his subsequent job hunt. I remember all of his great stories, says Feral House publisher Adam Parfrey. And it took as long as it took for me to get on the phone to make him an offer. Against the acknowledgment that the porn MacDonell did was, as he himself puts it, for truck drivers with 10th-grade educations, and hipsters, the memoir Prisoner of X: 20 Years in the Hole at Hustler Magazine seemed like a good idea. Even after the Onions A.V. Club savaged it as overwritten and under-funny.

A description that MacDonell and Parfrey laugh at now. As comedian and YouTube host Mean Dave sums it up nicely and tightly: How are you going to tell me that using naked-vagina-photo cash to bring down politicians who are trying to bring down other politicians for dealings with naked vaginas is a bad thing?

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By George Georgiopoulos ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece will press for solidarity with refugees and fair burden-sharing among European Union states at Monday's emergency EU summit with Turkey, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Sunday, lashing out at border restrictions that led to logjams. Tsipras has accused Austria and Balkan countries of "ruining Europe" by slowing the flow of migrants and refugees heading north from Greece, where some 30,000 are now trapped, waiting for Macedonia to reopen its border so they can head to Germany. With more arriving in the mainland from Greek islands close to Turkish shores, the numbers could swell by 100,000 by the end of this month, EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos projected on Saturday. "Europe is in a nervous crisis," Tsipras told his leftist Syriza party's central committee. "Will a Europe of fear and racism overtake a Europe of solidarity?" He said central European countries with serious demographic problems and low unemployment could benefit in the long term by taking in millions of refugees, but austerity policies have fed a far-right "monster" opposing the inflows. "Europe today is crushed amidst austerity and closed borders. It keeps its border open to austerity but closed for people fleeing war," Tsipras said. "Countries, with Austria in the front, want to impose the logic of fortress Europe." Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann has urged Germany to set a clear limit on the number of asylum seekers it will accept to help stem a mass influx of refugees that is severely testing European cohesion in the midst of the worst refugee crisis in generations. Tsipras told his party "unilateral" actions to close borders to refugees were condemned by all European institutions. "We are not pointing the finger to any other peoples or countries of Europe. We are against those who succumb to xenophobia and racism," Tsipras said. "We will continue to save lives ... and defend the human face of Europe." Tsipras heads to the summit after clinching a minimum of consensus from the political opposition which has been critical of his handling of the refugee crisis. He said Athens would push for solidarity with refugees, reduced flows from Turkey, a fair sharing of burdens and tackling smugglers. He would demand sanctions for member countries which violate the bloc's decisions. "With the border closed to refugees and flows to the islands continuing, it is clear that relocation to other countries is urgent and must start immediately in high numbers. We will pursue this at the summit," Tsipras said. (Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Stephen Powell)
Cairo (AFP) - Gunmen on Sunday shot dead two wounded members of Egypt's security forces in an ambulance after they had been injured by a bombing in the Sinai Peninsula, security officials said.

A medic in the ambulance was also killed in the ambush in the town of Sheikh Zuweid in North Sinai, where the jihadist Islamic State group is spearheading an insurgency.

Inside the ambulance were three security personnel who had been wounded just minutes previously in a blast targeting their armoured vehicle, a senior security officer in El-Arish told AFP.

"When the ambulance left the site of the blast with the wounded security members it came under attack from gunmen," the officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Two wounded security personnel and a medic were killed in the ambush," he said, without specifying whether the dead were in the police or army.

Mahmud Amer, head of the North Sinai ambulance service, confirmed the death of a medic in an attack in Sheikh Zuweid but did not elaborate.

No militant group has yet claimed responsibility for either the bomb attack or the subsequent ambush.

Jihadists from "Sinai Province", the Egypt's IS affiliate, are waging an insurgency in the restive peninsula that has killed hundreds of soldiers and police since the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

IS also claimed the October 31 downing of a Russian airliner carrying tourists over Sinai that killed all 224 people on board.

The group said it had smuggled a bomb on board at an airport in the south of the peninsula.

The Sinai jihadists pledged allegiance in November 2014 to IS, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria and also has a presence in conflict-ridden Libya.

Egypt's military, meanwhile, said in a statement on its Facebook page that in a separate incident on Sunday, "terrorists had opened fire on a group of security forces in Sheikh Zuweid, and in an ensuing gunfight five terrorists had been killed".
By Steve Quinn JUNEAU, Alaska, March 6 (Reuters) - Dee Dee Jonrowe, who will start the grueling Iditarod sled-dog race through Alaska's wilderness for the 34th time this year, has long been known as a survivor, having endured a deadly car crash, cancer, frostbite and numerous injuries on the trail. But her reputation for resolve has taken on fresh meaning with this year's nearly 1,000-mile (1,600 km) test of endurance, which comes just months after a wildfire destroyed her home in the town of Willow and the kennel where she housed her dog team. "This is the hardest year I've ever had - I mean the hardest," she said before setting out on Sunday from Willow, the official starting point of the Iditarod. "I lost everything. I've done a lot of crying this last year." Willow, a sprawling area about an 80-mile drive north of Anchorage, is the hub of Alaska's dog-sledding community. More than 1,000 sled dogs were evacuated by residents during wildfires that eventually scorched 7,220 acres and engulfed more than 50 structures, according to local government assessments. "My neighborhood was ground zero," Jonrowe said. "It was scary. It was, grab this dog, grab that dog, and doing it all over again," the veteran musher remembered, describing frantic efforts to save her team as the blaze approached her compound last summer. Jonrowe, 62, and her husband Mike were able to get all their working dogs to safety, according to her website, and they have since rebuilt their home of 35 years. Three other mushers also lost their homes to the wildfires only to return to Willow and resume training for this year's race. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which typically takes nine days or longer to complete, commemorates a 1925 rescue mission that delivered diphtheria serum by sled-dog relay to the Bering Sea coastal community of Nome. A ceremonial start was staged in Anchorage on Saturday. Jonrowe, who ran her first Iditarod in 1980 and missed only two races since then, was among the top 10 finishers on 16 occasions. She has also recorded the fastest time of any woman who has ever participated. She has compiled that record despite numerous setbacks, including breast cancer that was diagnosed in 2002. She had a double mastectomy and underwent chemotherapy to treat the disease, according to her website, but was able to keep racing. In October 1996, she was injured in a car accident that killed her grandmother and left her husband with lifelong injuries. But that didn't stop Jonrowe from participating in the Iditarod the following March. After last summer's fire, "it's been creepy training on trails I've been riding for 34 years," said Jonrowe, who typically logs 2,000 miles of training before a race. "They don't look anything like they used to. It's just a series of black holes." Even so, Jonrowe said there is no place else she'd rather be than in the race with her team of 16 dogs. "For me the Iditarod is still a celebration," she said. "It's the celebration of the culture of Alaska." (Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by Alan Crosby)
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Bratislava (AFP) - Leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico on Sunday put out feelers for forming a coalition after Slovakia's elections but admitted the task would be hard after a surge by smaller parties, including the far right, erased his working majority.

After dubbing the outcome of Saturday's vote a "big mishmash" of parties, Fico announced the start of exploratory talks with other mainstream parties about forming a coalition.

But the biggest centrist group said it would reject any teamup with Fico, a populist who campaigned on a fiercely anti-refugee platform.

"Today we begin the first preliminary negotiations" Fico said, vowing to "try to assemble a meaningful and stable government."

"It isn't going to be easy. We'll have to do everything to rule out the likelihood of early elections."

Full official results on Sunday showed Fico's Smer-Social Democrats (Smer-SD) party with 49 seats, down sharply from its comfortable 83-seat majority in the 150-member parliament.

The liberal Freedom and Solidarity SaS came second with 21 seats, followed by the conservative OLANO-NOVA which took 19 seats.

But two far-right nationalist groups made spectacular gains, giving them a potential role in determining the stability and lifespan of the future government.

The Slovak National Party (SNS) made it back into parliament after a four-year absence with 15 seats, while LS-Nase Slovensko (Our Slovakia) led by Marian Kotleba secured 14 seats to enter the assembly for the first time.

- Coalition tangle -

Analysts cautioned Fico would struggle to knit together a governing coalition, as a record total of eight parties breached a five-percent threshold to enter parliament.

"Fico will need at least two to three partners to form a coalition and a government," said analyst Abel Ravasz.

"The opposition can only form a government if it can gather six centrist and right parties in an alliance".

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Building a coalition "could take weeks, even months", political analyst Samuel Abraham told AFP, adding that for Fico to clinch his third term, he would likely "distance himself" from the far right and woo three or four centrist parties.

SaS leader Richard Sulik on Sunday ruled out a coalition with Fico and signalled his willingness to try to form a government should Fico fail.

"We'll see if Smer-SD is able to form a government. If it is, all is done. If not, it's our turn," Sulik told journalists.

He added: "When it comes to forming the government, we only rule out cooperation with the Smer-SD."

In 2010, Fico scored a hollow victory in elections when a gaggle of liberal centrists and moderate right-wingers teamed up to govern after he won but failed to form a coalition.

- Far-right reaction -

The rise of the far right has spurred dismay among mainstream parties and political commentators, as well as soul-searching about the cause of their success.

Slovakia is gearing up to take the helm of the EU from July -- a role that will put the health of its democracy in the world's spotlight.

"It will be a major disaster at the time when the Slovak Republic will preside over the European Union to have fascists in our parliament," Smer-SD MEP Monika Flasikova Benova said.

An anti-fascist protest organised on Facebook for Monday in Bratislava drew nearly 7,000 supporters in a matter of hours after being launched Sunday.

Abraham described Kotleba as "a neo-Nazi" but attributed the far-right success to the populist talk used by Fico on the campaign trail.

"Fico used nationalist rhetoric regarding migrants and this strengthened the extreme right in Slovakia," he said.

Fico vowed to "never bring even a single Muslim to Slovakia" and filed a lawsuit against an EU-wide plan to redistribute refugees across the bloc.

He starkly warned that "we have reached the point when... Greece is likely to be sacrificed for the sake of Schengen", referring to the 26-nation passport-free travel zone.

His anti-refugee stridency echoes those of other hardliners in the EU's poorer ex-communist east, including Czech President Milos Zeman, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and Poland's Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

All have shunned refugees as Europe grapples with its worst migration crisis since World War II.

Analyst Ravasz told AFP that Fico "lost a lot of momentum" as his unwavering anti-refugee drive overshadowed bread-and-butter issues like salary hikes for teachers and medical personnel in the eurozone country of 5.4 million.
Paris (AFP) - The Indians are not just coming -- they have arrived. Paris fashion week is more Indian than ever, with two designers from the subcontinent cementing their place at style's top table.

Rahul Mishra confirmed his reputation as one of fashion's rising stars with an autumn winter womenswear collection of great restraint and purity.

In contrast, the never less-than-spectacular Manish Arora bathed in the glory of being awarded one of France's highest honours by filling his catwalk with celebrity models that included the artist Sophie Calle.

The two designers could not be more different, yet both were as far from the subcontinental cliches of saris and sequins as you can imagine.

Arora, a Paris favourite who formerly headed the Paco Rabanne label, drew on Americana and Africa rather than India for his Wild West themed "Hell's Belles" show that he called "mad".

But its "Twin Peaks on Haribo" look went down a storm with his fans, who particularly loved the zany way he rebooted humble denim jackets and skirts with tribal embroidery and African wax print fabrics.

With his newly awarded Legion d'Honneur -- a kind of French knighthood -- in his pocket, the Mumbai-born designer cut loose with day-glo colours and prairie skirt combinations that were made to party.

"I am the first Indian creative to be rewarded for fashion and arts in France," he told reporters after the show. "It's exceptional, it took a long time to sink in. Trust the French to find you and tell you that you deserve it."

- 'Slow things down' -

The younger Mishra has also been feeling the love, even though his restrained palette never strayed much further than royal blue, black and cream, with a little bit of pale yellow creeping in at the end.

The 37-year-old designer, who won the prestigious International Woolmark Prize two years ago, told AFP that his new line was inspired by the unconditional love of his five-month-old daughter.

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And you could feel a warm glow in the room as models walked out at the Palais de Tokyo modern art gallery.

The style bible Vogue loved it, praising the collection as "a new level of accomplishment" and the most "streetwise... fresh and contemporary of Mishra's designs".

Vogue's legendary style guru Suzy Menkes had already pronounced herself a fan, saying "the delicacy of the knits, which were so fine that they could barely be identified as wool on the runway, was breathtaking."

Mishra -- who often quotes Gandhi -- has been praised for the way he has melded modern methods with India's amazing craft traditions.

He imports Merino wool from Australia which is then transformed by rural workers in remote corners of the country.

"The entire approach we follow is craft-based, village-based and sustainable, which can be credited to my humble upbringing," the science graduate from rural Uttar Pradesh told AFP.

"There is such craftmanship, money cannot make people work like that, it is done for the love of creating things like this," said Mishra, who called his show, "It Felt Love".

He said for him the magic is in the hidden artistry which the eye cannot see, picking up a sari T-shirt which was concealed by a dress to show the "hand embroidery and stitching done in the villages".

"When the world is ruled by machines we need to slow down things and create something with love and ideas. We need to soak into techniques," he added.

Mishra said he was trying to put poetry back into people's lives.

The collection's signature white and royal blue colours came from Chinese porcelain, he said, with some of the skirts cut from material normally used for elegant table cloths.

"It's all about things which touch the heart," he said. "We love sipping coffee or tea from a beautiful china cup. And it is the same for clothes. We don't create them just for functionality."
Aden (AFP) - An Indian priest missing after an attack on a care home run in Yemen is being held by the assailants, likely militants from the Islamic State group, officials said Sunday.

Yemeni authorities have blamed IS for the Friday attack on the refuge for the elderly operated by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in main southern city Aden.

"According to our information, the extremists who attacked the elderly care home in Aden have kidnapped priest Tom Uzhunnalil, a 56-year-old Indian, who was taken to an unknown location," a Yemeni security official told AFP.

"We are aware that no group has yet claimed the criminal attack... but information points to the involvement of Daesh," said the source, who asked to remain anonymous, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Gunmen stormed the refuge killing a Yemeni guard before tying up and shooting 15 other employees, officials said.

Four foreign nuns working as nurses were among those killed.

The Vatican missionary news agency Fides identified the nuns as two Rwandans, a Kenyan and an Indian, adding that the mother superior managed to hide and survive while an Indian priest was missing.

India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday tweeted: "Father Tom Uzhunnalil -- an Indian national has been abducted by terrorists in Yemen."

"Yemen is a conflict zone. We do not have (an) embassy there. But we will spare no efforts to rescue Father Tom Uzhunnalil," she wrote.

The internationally recognised government in war-torn Yemen is grappling with both an Iran-backed rebellion and a growing jihadist presence.

The Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has said Pope Francis "was shocked and profoundly saddened" to learn of "this act of senseless and diabolical violence."

Al-Qaeda and IS have stepped up attacks in Aden, targeting mainly loyalists and members of a Saudi-led coalition battling Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year.

Al-Qaeda distanced itself from the mass shooting Friday, saying it was not responsible.

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has declared Aden to be Yemen's temporary capital as Sanaa has been in the hands of rebels since September 2014.
Edda Ciano loved to wear a bikini top with a scarf wrapped around her waist when she visited the beach on Lipari, one of the spellbinding Aeolian islands off Sicily. She and her lover, Leonida Bongiorno, often lounged on the jet-black volcanic shore close to the main village. After laying in the sun, theyd both go for a swim, and when they returned to shore the handsome man held a towel in front of his 35-year-old lover as she changed.

Passers-by may have presumed they were a couple on holiday, but this was no vacation. Ciano, the daughter of Benito Mussolini, had been exiled to the island for two years following the death of her father in 1945. Shed been married, earlier, to Galeazzo Ciano, the foreign minister of fascist Italy, who was executed in 1944. Scandalously, Eddas next love reached way over the aisle: While on Lipari, she had an affair with Bongiorno, the local communist chief. This secret relationship had the nations most famous fascist woman canoodling with a man whod fought against her fathers regime and the Nazis.

She was a married widow, which to traditional Italians meant she was still married.

Italians prefer to dismiss anything linked to Il Duce or fascism. But in 2009, journalist and writer Marcello Sorgi, who often visits Lipari, discovered the lovers private letters and photos and unearthed their love story. His investigation culminated in the book Edda Ciano and the Communist. It was fascinating, discovering another, different Edda from the one handed down by history, Sorgi tells OZY, noting how Ciano landed on Lipari as a prisoner and suffered as a result of her poor living conditions there.

When Ciano met Bongiorno and fell in love, she began to recover her strength. Ciano had always been a strong woman who defied expectations  she wore trousers, smoked and drank like a man  and Sorgis book poignantly depicts a funny, highly cultured woman who spoke many languages. Little was known about the unconventional couple, according to Sorgi, because it was one of the biggest cases of historical censorship. While many islanders knew about the relationship, they were encouraged to keep quiet. Ciano was a married widow, which to traditional Italians meant she was still married. She was also the fascist Italian woman, says Sorgi, noting how it was taboo at the time to write about Italys dark past.

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Like most star-crossed lovers, Ciano and Bongiorno didnt end up together. When Italys new state granted amnesty to all political prisoners 10 months after her arrival, Ciano left to rejoin her children in the north. The former lovers stayed in touch via mail for a while, but Bongiorno eventually married a local island girl. Yet Cianos legacy is still felt on Lipari today. The relationship has been a moneymaker for the island, especially after Italys state television turned Sorgis book into a movie. Exploiting the love affair has boosted so-called cine-tourism to Lipari, with visitors touring the movies locations.

One of the Bongiorno family homes was turned into the picturesque Hotel Oriente, which includes a museum of the islands history. The hotel, now run by Bongiornos granddaughter, attracts guests looking to uncover this long-hidden chapter of Italys past. Nearby is Cianos Petite Malmaison, her nickname for the cozy apartment that Bongiorno put at her disposal to increase her comfort on the island.

Mayor Marco Giorgianni is happy the love story has helped revive tourism. All of Liparis hotels, he tells OZY, organize tours of Cianos former prison, her favorite beach and other places linked to the affair. And the island shows no signs of easing up. Weve just allocated some 1.4 million euros to restyle that beach where Edda and Leonida used to hang out, Giorgianni says.

Locals still have memories and tales of Cianos time on the island. Mimmo Belletti, 70, says he was christened by Mussolinis daughter. Apparently Edda was real fond of me, he says, noting how she liked his curly blond hair. She would often comment on what a lovely boy he was, Belletti says, and even offered to be his godmother.

Cianos former prison isle later became one of her favorite holiday spots, and Il Duces daughter returned to Lipari every summer until the mid-70s  lured, no doubt, by the memories of her stay and the melancholy of her lost love.

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(Reuters) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said on Sunday that he will no longer need treatment for melanoma, a type of skin cancer that had spread to his liver and brain, a spokeswoman said.

The 91-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner will continue to be observed by doctors, but will not need treatment with a promising immunotherapy drug that helps the body's immune system target cancer cells, said Deanna Congileo, spokeswoman for his nonprofit public policy center, the Carter Center.

Congileo told Reuters in an email that if doctors find that the former president's cancer returns, he will resume treatment at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute, where he received radiation and immunotherapy treatment from August 2015 through February, 2016. Doctors also surgically removed a portion of his liver where melanoma lesions were present.

The former president shared his news at a Sunday school class he teaches in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, Congileo said.

Carter started treatment in August for melanoma that had spread from his liver to his brain. In December, he said he was cancer-free but that he would continue to receive treatment.

At the time, Carter said he would continue to receive regular doses of pembrolizumab, a new treatment that is part of a promising class of drugs that harness the body's immune system to fight cancer. The immunotherapy is manufactured by Merck & Co under the brand name Keytruda.

While about 30 percent of patients treated with the drug experience significant shrinkage of their cancer, only approximately 5 percent experience complete remission, said Dr. Marc Ernstoff, director of the melanoma program at the Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Institute in Ohio who is familiar with the drug but has not been involved with Carter's care.

Carter, a Democrat, was elected president in 1976, and served only one term. He helped negotiate the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt.

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But his presidency was clouded by economic problems and the Iranian hostage crisis, and Carter lost his 1980 re-election bid to Republican Ronald Reagan.

He has since won worldwide acclaim as a humanitarian and advocate for democracy, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Rome (AFP) - Juventus stayed on course for a fifth straight Serie A title by maintaining their three-point lead with a 2-0 win at Atalanta on Sunday that saw Gianluigi Buffon reach 836 minutes without conceding a goal, a record in the three-points-for-a-win era.

Juve responded to Napoli drawing level at the top on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Chievo by taking their league unbeaten run to 17 wins in 18 and moving up to 64 points in Bergamo.

Andrea Barzagli's 24th minute tap in and a superb solo effort from youngster Mario Lemina were enough to beat a tough but blunt home side.

"There's still a long way to go because second and third are in touching distance. Last year we had a 14-point advantage but this year it's only three," said an unsatisfied coach Massimiliano Allegri to Mediaset.

Captain Buffon had to deal with very little at Atalanta and now is third in the all-time clean sheet list.

Against Sassuolo on Friday he can overtake Dino Zoff, who went 903 minutes without conceding for Juventus in 1972/73.

Buffon is also now within touching distance of the all-time record of 929 minutes established by AC Milan keeper Sebastiano Rossi in 1993/94.

"We're not even thinking about his record. What matters is making sure that we finish a point ahead of everyone else," insisted Allegri.

Inter Milan kept pace with the pack in the race for Champions League qualification after easily seeing off flatlining Palermo 3-1 to win for just the fourth time in 2016.

Adem Ljajic's low 11th minute strike, Mauro Icardi's deft 12th of the season 12 minutes later and a diving header from Ivan Perisic nine minutes after the break see Inter stay fifth on 51 points.

They are two behind Fiorentina and five behind third-placed Roma, who walloped Paulo Sousa's Viola 4-1 on Friday.

Palermo reacted well to going two down so early and pulled a goal back through a sliding Franco Vazquez finish on the stroke of half-time.

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But Giuseppe Iachini's side haven't won in seven and are now just a point above the relegation zone following Sunday's defeat and third-from-bottom Frosinone's 2-0 win over Udinese earlier in the day.

"We deserved to be three up at half-time, but made a silly mistake to let them back into the game. We have to improve on that," said Inter coach Roberto Mancini.

The win for Inter also sees them extend their lead on AC Milan to four points after their local rivals' own Champions League chances took a huge hit at Sassuolo.

Sinisa Mihajlovic's side fell 2-0 thanks to Alfred Duncan's first half piledriver and Nicola Sansone's well-worked fifth of the season 18 minutes before the end.

"We dominated the first half-hour, but as often happens we failed to turn that pressure into a goal," said Mihajlovic, who was sent off for dissent when referee Piero Giacomelli didn't stop the play when Andrea Bertolacci went down in the built up to Sansone's winner.

"We cannot keep creating four or five scoring opportunities only to concede the first shot on goal."

Genoa move level on 31 points with city rivals Sampdoria, who eased their own relegation fears with a 3-0 hammering of rock-bottom Verona on Saturday, while Carpi are six points from safety after their own goalless draw at Bologna.

Ciro Immobile missed a first half penalty as mid-table Torino drew 1-1 with Lazio in Sunday's early game.

Andrea Belotti had already opened the scoring for the home side with a 12th minute tap-in when Italy hopeful Immobile blasted over nine minutes later, and Lucas Biglia punished that miss with a spot-kick of his own in the 78th minute.
San Juan (AFP) - Florida Senator Marco Rubio won the Republican primary election in Puerto Rico on Sunday, in a White House race otherwise led by billionaire Donald Trump.

Rubio drew 71 percent of the vote, ahead of Trump (13 percent), ultraconservative Texas Senator Ted Cruz (eight percent) and Ohio Governor John Kasich (one percent), the electoral board said in announcing final results.

Residents of this US commonwealth in the Caribbean have American citizenship but cannot vote in the US presidential election if they are Puerto Rico residents. Still, they take part in the primary process.

Rubio's victory hands him the 23 party convention delegates in play.

His campaign was in need of some good news. The son of Cuban immigrants who grew up in Las Vegas and Florida has been struggling in the presidential race.

If confirmed, this would mark just the second outright win for Rubio, who also took Minnesota on Tuesday.

Trump has kept a firm grip on his lead in the Republican race, and called for Rubio to end his presidential bid.

Senator Ted Cruz has emerged as Trump's strongest challenger in weekend primaries with mixed outcomes.

Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, extended her frontrunner status in the Democratic contests, though Senator Bernie Sanders showed he is still in the race with a few victories.

Sanders was projected to win Maine's nominating contest.

Clinton and Sanders also faced off in a televised debate in Flint, Michigan just two days before a crucial primary in that delegate-rich northern industrial state.
Seoul (AFP) - North Korea threatened "indiscriminate" nuclear strikes against South Korea and the US mainland, as the two allies prepared to kick off large-scale joint military drills on Monday.

The threat to carry out what it described as a "pre-emptive nuclear strike of justice" was made in a statement by the North's powerful National Defence Commission, citing the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army (KPA).

It came just days after leader Kim Jong-Un ordered the country's nuclear arsenal to be placed on standby for use "at any moment," in response to tough new UN sanctions imposed over the North's fourth nuclear test in January and last month's long-range rocket launch.

Pyongyang has issued dire warnings of nuclear attack in the past, usually during periods of elevated military tensions on the divided Korean peninsula.

While the North is known to have a small stockpile of nuclear warheads, experts are divided about its ability to mount them on a working missile delivery system.

The National Defence Commission described the annual South Korea-US military exercises as "undisguised nuclear war drills" that threatened the North's national sovereignty, and vowed an all-out offensive in response to "even the slightest military action."

"The indiscriminate nuclear strike... will clearly show those keen on aggression and war, the military mettle of (North Korea)," said the statement published by the North's official KCNA news agency.

Under a military plan ratified by the North Korean leadership, any strike would not just target operational theatres on the Korean peninsula, but also US bases on the mainland and in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region.

- 'Flames and ashes" -

"If we push the buttons to annihilate the enemies even right now, all bases of provocations will be reduced to seas in flames and ashes in a moment," it added.

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Despite a pair of successful long-range rocket launches, North Korea is largely believed to be years away from developing a genuine inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland.

The annual exercises slated to begin Monday -- called "Foal Eagle" and "Key Resolve" -- last for weeks and involve tens of thousands of US and South Korean troops.

Pyongyang has long condemned the drills as provocative rehearsals for invasion, while Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature.

Tensions have surged on the Korean peninsula since the North's nuclear test on January 6 and February's rocket launch, which was seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.

A UN Security Council resolution adopted last week laid out the toughest sanctions imposed on Pyongyang to date over its nuclear weapons programme and will, if implemented effectively, apply significant economic pressure on Kim's regime.

It breaks new ground by targeting specific sectors key to the North Korean economy and seeking to undermine the North's use of, and access to, international transport systems.

Pyongyang has rejected the sanctions as "unfair, illicit and immoral" and vowed to keep building its nuclear arsenal.

The National Defence Commission said the US and its allies had failed to realise how the "outrageous" sanctions made "this land boil like a crucible of battle."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, offered condolences on the death of Nancy Reagan on Sunday, saying she "redefined the role" of first lady and became a strong advocate for Alzheimer's research.

"Nancy Reagan once wrote that nothing could prepare you for living in the White House," the Obamas wrote in a joint statement on Sunday after news of Reagan's death in California.

"She was right, of course. But we had a head start, because we were fortunate to benefit from her proud example, and her warm and generous advice.

"Our former first lady redefined the role in her time here. Later, in her long goodbye with President Reagan, she became a voice on behalf of millions of families going through the depleting, aching reality of Alzheimers, and took on a new role, as advocate, on behalf of treatments that hold the potential and the promise to improve and save lives.

"We offer our sincere condolences to their children, Patti, Ron, and Michael, and to their grandchildren. And we remain grateful for Nancy Reagan's life, thankful for her guidance, and prayerful that she and her beloved husband are together again."

(Reporting by Megan Cassella)
Nepal has extended the climbing permits of hundreds of mountaineers forced to abandon Everest after last year's massive earthquake, to try to lure tourists back to the Himalayas, an official said Tuesday.

Climbers, who paid $11,000 each for a permit last year, quit their expeditions in droves when the April quake triggered an avalanche on Everest base camp that killed 18 people.

The quake marked the second year with almost no summits on Everest after the deaths of 16 Nepali guides in an avalanche in 2014 sparked a shutdown of the world's highest peak.

"The government has decided to extend permits for two years in order to compensate those climbers who could not continue their expeditions due to the earthquake," said tourism department chief Gobinda Bahadur Karki.

Nearly 9,000 people lost their lives when the 7.8-magnitude quake ripped through Nepal, triggering avalanches and landslides that buried part of Everest base camp and destroyed the popular Langtang trekking route.

Following the disaster, Nepal is desperate to revive tourism including its mountaineering industry, key revenue-earners for the impoverished country that is home to eight of the world's 14 peaks over 8,000 metres.

"We hope the number of climbers will increase this year after the government's latest decision," Karki told AFP.

Industry insiders welcomed the move, but said the delay in making the decision had left operators with little time to organise expeditions.

Everest's two-month spring climbing season kicks off in April when weather conditions are deemed ideal for ascents.

"We are not happy that the government decided on this so late. Had the decision come earlier, expedition teams would have a little more time for preparations," said Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of Nepal's mountaineering association.

Kathmandu last year agreed to extend Everest climbing permits until 2019 for foreign mountaineers already holding one, following the 2014 shutdown of the 8,848-metre (29,035-foot) high peak.
Joe Dion was just 6 when his mother dressed him in a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt and brand-new sneakers. He walked a mile off the Kehewin Cree Nation reserve, where he was born in eastern Alberta, in a log cabin with 11 siblings, and was about to be shipped off to a special residential school for the descendants of Canadas indigenous people. But when the bus driver pulled up, he looked out at Joe and told him: Youre not going. To this day, Dion says, I have no idea why they didnt take me. Fortune, it turns out, smiled on him.

Today, Dion is CEO of Frog Lake Energy Resources Corp., the first oil company to be owned by Canadas First Nation people, specifically the Cree people of Frog Lake Reserve, near where Dion grew up. FLERC may seem like a minnow in the more than $30 billion-a-year Albertan oil industry, but the company has become a rare success story for a population that often struggles throughout North America. And it owes its start to Dion, a pioneer who step by step leveraged the treaties and constitutional rights of Canadas indigenous people to claim a piece of Albertas black gold  all the while parlaying an original $1.2 million investment 15 years ago into around $300 million in royalties for the community. Its the most successful oil company Ive seen for whats invested at the start, says John Zahary, the former CEO of much larger energy companies, including Petrovera Resources and Harvest Energy, who recently became FLERCs president.

But it doesnt take a Wall Street genius to know that big oil has become only a shadow of the J.R. Ewing days. In remarkably rapid fashion, the world has been cutting its energy needs or taking advantage of the shale boom. Today, oil is about one-third the price it was 18 months ago  and around half what it was last summer. Sure, Frog Lakes wells are still profitable enough to cover operating costs, FLERC says, but they arent enough to pay back all of the investments that got them started. Already, there have been layoffs. If youre Dion, now 67, or virtually anyone overseeing an oil empire, its time to reenvision the future.

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But how? How does an industry battered by natural forces and an impatient public struggle to survive  if not thrive? Certainly, Dion has a long history of being a fighter. Even as a kid, he recalls fistfights in school. I didnt like being called a savage or a red Indian, he says, or hearing a mocking war whoop. They didnt think we were smart. Today, he looks younger than his age, his full but graying hair swept straight back, a man who sets aside an hour before dawn for running and weight training. A fit 185 pounds, hes in his element wearing skinny jeans, pointy cowboy boots and multicolored shirts. And hes so driven that he has his wife, Ruth, take the wheel so he can continue doing business on his phone in the car. The new battle, it appears, does not faze him. The days of me feeling inferior are gone, he says.

oil art

We are in that car with Dion, taking a three-hour trip from Edmonton to Frog Lake, traversing flat plains covered by farms and cattle ranches, punctuated by the occasional oil well. As we drive by Kehewin Reserve, Dion points out the modest homes of his relatives. Dions own home is on his ranch, sitting in a grove of aspen trees in the hills just south of the reserve, and a monument to one of his great passions: hunting. (Hes got no fewer than a dozen rifles locked in one of his rooms.) Outside, theres a moose door knocker and welcome plaque, while the softly lit interior features a moose doormat, an imitation moose antler chandelier, moose table statues complete with sunglasses and various wooden moose toys hanging on the walls. Of course, Ruth cooks me moose (and elk) for dinner. Dion, whos constantly on the move, also owns a house in Vancouver, plus an apartment in Calgary, from where he can walk to FLERCs offices.

Frog Lake, Dion says, sits on about four billion barrels of bitumen, the thick stuff that doesnt gush out of the ground. While that sounds like a lot, only a small portion  maybe 5 percent  can be produced economically with todays technology. Dion basically invented FLERCs business model and has managed to pull in investors all the way from China, leaving the company debt-free and largely able to withstand todays collapse of oil prices. Rather than operate wells, FLERC co-invests with operating companies, leveraging its access to the reserve to open doors and smooth operations, sharing in the profits, which accrue back to its owners: Frog Lake First Nation. Although drilling has slowed, it hasnt stopped and most of the wells continue to pump away while fueling twice-a-year cash handouts to reserve residents. Its a low-risk, low-cost operation where a new horizontal well costs just over CAD$1 million (around U.S. $749,000), which takes just days to complete and an almost unheard of 14 days to get into production. All told today, 600 wells dot the landscape along with heavy tanker trucks and service vehicles, many of which are operated by reserve residents and come and go 24/7.

Were looking at getting into a casino, or finding other revenues Clifford Stanley, Frog Lake First Nations chief

For his daily eyes and ears on the reserve, Dion relies on Mel Abraham and Ruby Quinney. Abraham, a former police officer who returned home to the reserve, laughs about how hes now working side-by-side with his onetime childhood sweetheart, Quinney, who cooked up a lunch of wild duck soup and fried bread for our visit. He explains his job and how he helps Dion by pulling out a large map of the reserve and pointing to a proposed drilling site separated from the main road by a cluster of houses. Some residents dont want a well nearby or traffic next to their homes, despite improved roads. So begin the negotiations to find out what residents can put up with, and when its time to move a drill site, build a new access road or gently fend off expectations of a payoff. Its easy for me and Ruby to deal with it because were from the community, says Abraham.

As Abraham drives me around the reserve in a battered truck, he points out that all of the new and renovated houses within this community  about 300 of them  as well as the new arena, skating rink and powwow grounds were paid for by oil money. Its a big contrast with most First Nation housing elsewhere in Canada, which is generally in short supply, overcrowded and often dilapidated. Death rates from home fires are also 10 times higher than off reserves, according to a recent Canadian Senate report. Aside from housing, many First Nation communities continue to struggle with the fallout from the residential school system, blamed for some of todays broken families that battle with addiction, domestic violence and poverty.

oil art2

Of course, Dion knows full well that todays oil industry comes with its own problems. While the local environmental impact is far less than the infamous surface-mining tar-sands projects to the north, or carbon-intensive steam-injection plants in nearby Cold Lake, its still a dirty business from start to finish. Frog Lake produces a thick, carbon-dense oil thats been pilloried as the villain behind President Obamas recent cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which aimed to take Albertas black gold to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Then there are the financial issues here: Frog Lake First Nations chief, Clifford Stanley, says the community has had to cut spending and layoff some staff. And if the slump continues, they may turn to more conventional sources of income that many other First Nation communities have previously turned to, sometimes with controversy: Were looking at getting into a casino, or finding other revenues, says Stanley.

opec 1000

The Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries includes Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador and Angola.

Still, Stanleys an enthusiastic supporter of Dions biggest and most ambitious investment, which is just going into operation not on, but off, the reserve. Its the culmination of decades of work. After high school and a year of college, Dion returned to the Kehewin Reserve in 1970 to work for its chief, managing reserve business as chief administrator. He started a few businesses  weaving, fabricating sheet metal garages, a sawmill  before getting elected chief in 1974 and then spending two terms as the politically influential grand chief of Alberta. But Dions restless soul, plus debt, got the better of him and, in 1980, he left politics to become a consultant who negotiated oil-project deals. He also served as a lobbyist with Pierre Trudeaus government when it repatriated the Canadian constitution from Great Britain, ushering in a clause that affirmed treaty land rights of indigenous people. A landmark 2004 Supreme Court ruling upheld those rights, mandating that First Nation individuals must be consulted and appropriately accommodated before resource projects launch. We can stop projects, says Dion while looking over a map showing Frog Lakes traditional hunting, fishing and trapping area stretching hundreds of miles from the reserve.

We say to people: Go to school so you can earn $200,000 a year rather than $237 a month [in welfare] Joe Dion

Rather than stop development, though, as Wahgoshig First Nation did in Ontario when it obtained an injunction to halt a gold mine near its reserve a few years ago, Dion is looking for a piece of the action, even off the reserve. In August, FLERC plunked down $35 million to own the co-generation plant thats part of a $700 million steam-injection project operated and mostly owned by oil producer Pengrowth; that gives the company a guaranteed 15 percent payout thats not dependent on the price of oil. Also signed was a benefits agreement with the nation, which includes a stream of income from the oil, and an ambitious target of staffing the plant with 40 percent First Nation members within 10 years. Pengrowth executives say its cheaper, and better for community relations, if they can hire locals for these high-paying jobs. But it wont happen automatically. We say to people: Go to school so you can earn $200,000 a year rather than $237 a month [in welfare], says Dion.

Whats next? Its too late for politics  Dion already made a furtive effort to get back into that scene in 2004, even switching parties, but he failed. And he says, I think Ive made enough money. But he just cant resist securing that next deal. One project he doesnt want to unveil just yet is based on a new process technology, and where he hopes to see FLERCs logo  a stylized shield with a feather on a slant  across North America. I wonder how many projects over the years hes dreamed up that never launched, amidst the obvious successes. No matter  you cant count him out just yet.

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HOUSTON (Reuters) - One person was burned when a unit that makes diesel ruptured on Saturday morning in a ground-shaking blast at the Pasadena, Texas, refinery owned by Brazil's national oil company Petrobras, the company said.

Petrobras said in a statement the fire, which started around 10:15 a.m. CT, had been contained by mid-afternoon at the 100,000 barrel per day (bpd) Pasadena Refining System refinery.

The refinery has been linked to the corruption scandal that has engulfed the Brazilian government with accusations that a significant portion of the $1.2 billion Petrobras paid for the plant, first as a joint-venture and then under its sole ownership, was returned as kickbacks to Brazilian officials, according to legal proceedings in Brazil.

"The fire has been contained and the facility is in a safe condition," the company said. "Authorities have been notified and are supporting the response. Air monitoring has been conducted by Pasadena Refining and Harris County Pollution Control, with no indications of any off-site impacts."

At one point it was believed three people had been injured, but a final accounting of personnel at the Petrobras refinery revealed only one person was hurt, sources familiar with emergency operations at the plant said.

Petrobras said a unit operator from the refinery was taken to an area hospital, but has since been released.

The explosion caused extensive damage to a 35,000 bpd light cycle oil hydrotreater, also called a hydrogen desulfurization unit, which uses hydrogen to convert the oil into diesel and remove sulfur, the sources said.

The hydrotreater adjoins the refinery's 56,000 bpd gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit.

The sources said all other units at the refinery appeared to be unaffected by the explosion and fire.

Energy industry intelligence service Genscape said the hydrotreater stopped operating after the explosion and all other units remained in operation at the refinery.

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The explosion appeared to originate in the compressor of the hydrotreater, according to the sources.

A portion of the Houston Ship Channel was reopened at 12:45 p.m. CT after being shut for about three hours due to heavy black smoke from the blaze at the refinery, which is adjacent to the waterway, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Houston Chronicle reported that the refinery's operating permit under the Clean Air Act and issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has lapsed. The company is applying for a permit renewal.

Petrobras spokeswoman Sophie Gates denied the company lacks the proper permits to operate the refinery.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Alan Crosby and Matthew Lewis)
As the many state and local slogans proclaim, America started here in Delaware. The area is indeed very rich in history, much of which has been preserved for us to enjoy today. Trace the steps of our founding fathers in historic Philadelphia.



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Panasonic will broadcast worldwide via live stream the total eclipse on March 9 using nothing more than solar energy from its Power Supply Container, a standalone photovoltaic power package. In other words, using the sun to film the sun.

As Sumatra, Borneo and Sulawesi, Indonesia plunge into darkness during a rare total eclipse on March 9 (local time), Panasonic will deliver the live broadcast of the four-minute phenomenon from the eastern Indonesian island, Ternate through its portable Power Supply Container. The container was developed by Panasonic to create and store energy in order to supply energy to areas without electricity. The portable container creates energy during the day with 12 HIT solar panels with high conversion efficiency (3kW). The energy is then stored in 24 lead-acid batteries (17.2 kWh). The power containers are currently being used in schools on remote Indonesian islands to power IT equipment, air conditioners and LED lighting.



To capture the eclipse, 3 kW of energy generated by the solar modules and stored in the batteries will be relayed to a Panasonic LUMIX GH4 camera attached to a telescope. Solar energy will also be used to power other equipment deployed for the event including portable computers, editing material and internet connection technology.

Although this is not the first time Panasonic has broadcast a solar eclipse live, the previous two occasions used solar modules that required ground setup with the electronics brand noting that this time round the procedure will be streamlined by the portability of the Power Supply Container, its first use in such an endeavor.



The live broadcast of the eclipse will begin on March 8 at 8 pm UTC, 5 am March 9 local time in Ternate. The partial eclipse is set to begin March 8 at 23:36 UTC, with the total eclipse set to begin at 00:50 March 9 UTC.

It can be viewed on platforms including Ustream, YouTube Live and Periscope. Panasonic has set up a special web page with a countdown to the eclipse and further information along with a trailer on the upcoming live event: http://news.panasonic.com/global/eclipselive2016.html

Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/ahltwzTATjA
Paris (AFP) - Move over models of the moment Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner. The real star of Paris fashion week is a wise-cracking 94-year-old New Yorker.

"Someone once told me, 'You are not pretty, and you never will be,'" Iris Apfel joked to reporters as she was whisked with the occasional aid of a wheelchair between a reception in her honour and yet another catwalk show. "But it doesn't matter. You have something else -- you have style."

The flamboyant interior designer who was a fixture on front rows of Paris fashion shows for half a century is again the toast of the town.

Her very individual style is the subject an exhibition at the posh Parisian department store, Le Bon Marche, and she is the star of a new advertising campaign for the carmaker Citroen, as well as the face of the Australian label Blue Illusion's "Ageless" range.

A fashion institution immediately recognisable by her oversized owlish glasses, Apfel's fame spread beyond the style pages after the success of Albert Maysles' 2014 documentary about her, "Iris".

It helped to turn her into what she calls a "geriatric starlet", with everyone from Alexander Wang to rapper Kanye West declaring themselves fans of the world's chicest nonagenarian best known for her love of baubles.

In a year when mature women have been a common sight on the Paris catwalk, dominating the Undercover and Manish Arora shows, Apfel trailblazed for the much older woman.

- 'She's an inspiration' -

"She represents the epitome of style and elegance. She's perfection," American model Leigh Lezark told a French TV channel after meeting her at the Dries Van Noten show.

The Belgian designer was equally effusive, telling her that he was "thinking about you" when he was creating his much-praised collection.

"She is a idol and an infinite source of inspiration for me," he told Canal+. "I want everyone to live like her with grace and style. She wears the most amazing things. And she never wears the same thing twice."

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Never one to shy away from colour or unconventional silhouettes, Apfel urged young women at one gathering to abandon the modern "uniform of black tights or jeans with a sweater, boots and a leather bomber jacket."

Instead she told them to "dare to be different. Be yourselves, be individual.

"If you wear something and it doesn't work, don't worry," she quipped, "the style police are not going to arrest you."

Museums have been falling over themselves for years to get their hands on the huge collection of couture Apfel has amassed over nearly seven decades, filling two floors of her Park Avenue apartment with work by the great designers of the 20th century.

New York's Metropolitan Museum staged the first major retrospective of her wardrobe in 2005, with Apfel admitting she was as likely to pick up interesting jewellery in a Harlem junkshop as in Tiffany's.

The key to enjoying life, she said, was to never stop working. "I haven't," she told guests at a reception in her honour at the American embassy in Paris.

"If I sat down it would be a disaster... People just roll over. Life can be very grey. You have to look at the better side of it and do things that help you and the world," she added.

"Try new things. Don't let age and numbers frighten you. You have to find your own bliss, be as individual as you can, and don't go with the herd."
By Khalid Abdel Aziz KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Hassan al-Turabi, a prominent Sudanese politician considered by many to be the spiritual leader of the country's Islamists, has died at the age of 84, medical sources said on Saturday. A powerful establishment figure in the 1990s, Turabi became an influential opposition leader later in life, breaking ranks with President Omar al-Bashir and his ruling National Congress Party in 1999 to form an opposition group that would challenge his rule. Turabi was rushed to hospital on Saturday after suffering a heart attack, the sources said. In recent years he played a role in Bashir's attempts to bring sparring parties together through a national dialogue process called for in 2014 but which has seen little progress. Turabi's Popular Congress Party (PCP) was considered the most prominent opposition group participating while many others have boycotted the process. "Turabi's sudden absence from the political field will have a disruptive effect on the national dialogue that President Bashir has called for...With his death, the national dialogue has lost its biggest supporter," said Mohamed Latif, a Sudanese political analyst. Turabi published numerous books on Islamist thought and spearheaded the National Islamic Front, a group he formed in the 1970s to push for the Islamisation of the state. "Turabi's death will have serious repercussions for Islamists, as he is the thinker and godfather of the Sudanese Islamist movement," said Latif. Turabi was a close ally of President Bashir throughout the 1990s, serving as his foreign minister just after a 1989 military coup that brought Bashir to power. He was elected speaker of parliament in 1996. In 1999, following differences between him and Bashir, Turabi formed the PCP, taking on an opposition role that landed him in jail several times. Opposition groups accuse Bashir of jailing dissidents and censoring the media. Bashir has remained in power for more than a quarter of a century, weathering rebellions, economic crisis and an indictment by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of having orchestrated war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region. (Writing by Eric Knecht; Editing by Helen Popper and Jason Neely)
By John Whitesides and Amanda Becker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz split victories in four nominating contests with front-runner Donald Trump on Saturday, bolstering Cruz's argument that he represents the party's best chance to stop the brash New York billionaire. The results were a repudiation of a Republican establishment that has bristled at the prospect of either Cruz or Trump winning the party's nomination and has largely lined up behind U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who was shut out in all four contests. "I think it's time that he dropped out of the race," Trump said of Rubio after the contests. "I want Ted one on one." Cruz won Kansas and Maine on Saturday, while Trump won the bigger states of Louisiana and Kentucky, holding onto his lead in the race for the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election, even though Cruz captured more delegates on Saturday. The next big contest, and a crucial one, will be Tuesday's primary in the industrial state of Michigan. Republicans in three other states, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii, also will vote on Tuesday. Puerto Rico Republicans will vote on Sunday. In the Democratic race, front-runner Hillary Clinton won in Louisiana, and her rival Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, won in Kansas and Nebraska, in results that did not substantially change Clinton's big delegate lead. Mainstream Republicans have blanched at Trump's calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the United States. But the party's establishment has not been much happier with Cruz, who has alienated many party leaders in Washington. "It looks like it will be the angry Trump voters against the purist conservative Cruz voters," said Washington-based Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. "The establishment is just being left out." A spokesman for Rubio, who spent the past week launching harsh personal attacks on Trump, said the senator would push on with an eye on the March 15 contest in Florida. "After we win the Florida primary, the map, the momentum and the money is going to be on our side," spokesman Alex Conant said in a statement. Cruz, a first-term U.S. senator from Texas who has promoted himself as more of a true conservative than Trump, said the results showed he was gaining momentum in the race to catch the real estate mogul. Cruz, 45, has run as an outsider bent on shaking up the Republican establishment in Washington. A favorite of evangelicals, he has called for the United States to "carpet bomb" the Islamic State militant group and has pledged to eliminate the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service and four cabinet agencies and to enact a balanced budget amendment. "A HOWL FROM WASHINGTON" "The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what 'We the People' are doing together," Cruz told supporters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, after his early win in Kansas. "What we're seeing is the public coming together, libertarians coming together, men and women who love the Constitution coming together and uniting and standing as one behind this campaign," Cruz said. Trump, 69, has a substantial lead in the delegates needed to secure the nomination at the Republican National Convention, but since winning seven of the 11 contests on Super Tuesday he has come under withering fire from a Republican establishment worried he will lead the party to defeat in November's election. But endorsements from establishment Republicans have failed to sway voters. Rubio won the backing of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback but still came in third there. The four Republican contests on Saturday together accounted for just 155 delegates. Cruz won 64 delegates on Saturday, while Trump took 49. The races on Saturday were open only to registered Republicans, excluding the independent and disaffected Democratic voters who have helped Trump's surge to the lead. The anti-Trump forces have a short window to stop the caustic businessman, who ahead of Saturday had accumulated 319 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination at July's Republican national convention, outpacing Cruz, who had 226 delegates. On March 15, the delegate-rich states of Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina will vote. Both Florida and Ohio use the winner-take-all method to allocate Republican delegates, making the stakes in those states particularly high. All of the Republican contests on Saturday, and through March 14, award delegates proportionate to the popular vote, although some states set minimum thresholds to qualify for any delegates. If Trump takes both Florida and Ohio he would be nearly impossible to stop. There are a total of 358 delegates at stake in the five states voting March 15, including 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio. On the Democratic side, Clinton has opened up a big delegate lead and Sanders might have a tough time making up the difference. All states in the Democratic race award their delegates proportionally, meaning Clinton can keep piling up delegates even in states she loses. The three states holding Democratic contests on Saturday had a total of 109 delegates at stake. The early estimates were that Clinton, who appeared headed to a smashing nearly 50-point win in Louisiana, had won at least 48 delegates on Tuesday and Sanders 37. But Sanders made it clear he was not planning to end his White House quest anytime soon. "We have the momentum. We have a path toward victory. Our campaign is just getting started," he said in a statement after his wins on Saturday. (Additional reporting by Emily Flitter, Jonathan Allen and Alana Wise; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Leslie Adler)
By John Whitesides and Amanda Becker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz split victories in four nominating contests with front-runner Donald Trump on Saturday, bolstering Cruz's argument that he represents the party's best chance to stop the brash New York billionaire. The results were a repudiation of a Republican establishment that has bristled at the prospect of either Cruz or Trump winning the party's nomination and has largely lined up behind U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who was shut out in all four contests. "I think it's time that he dropped out of the race," Trump said of Rubio after the contests. "I want Ted one on one." Cruz won Kansas and Maine on Saturday, while Trump won the bigger states of Louisiana and Kentucky, holding onto his lead in the race for the Republican nomination for the November 8 presidential election, even though Cruz captured more delegates on Saturday. The next big contest, and a crucial one, will be Tuesday's primary in the industrial state of Michigan. Republicans in three other states, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii, also will vote on Tuesday. Puerto Rico Republicans will vote on Sunday. In the Democratic race, front-runner Hillary Clinton won in Louisiana, and her rival Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, won in Kansas and Nebraska, in results that did not substantially change Clinton's big delegate lead. Mainstream Republicans have blanched at Trump's calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the United States. But the party's establishment has not been much happier with Cruz, who has alienated many party leaders in Washington. "It looks like it will be the angry Trump voters against the purist conservative Cruz voters," said Washington-based Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. "The establishment is just being left out." A spokesman for Rubio, who spent the past week launching harsh personal attacks on Trump, said the senator would push on with an eye on the March 15 contest in Florida. "After we win the Florida primary, the map, the momentum and the money is going to be on our side," spokesman Alex Conant said in a statement. Cruz, a first-term U.S. senator from Texas who has promoted himself as more of a true conservative than Trump, said the results showed he was gaining momentum in the race to catch the real estate mogul. Cruz, 45, has run as an outsider bent on shaking up the Republican establishment in Washington. A favorite of evangelicals, he has called for the United States to "carpet bomb" the Islamic State militant group and has pledged to eliminate the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service and four cabinet agencies and to enact a balanced budget amendment. "A HOWL FROM WASHINGTON" "The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what 'We the People' are doing together," Cruz told supporters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, after his early win in Kansas. "What we're seeing is the public coming together, libertarians coming together, men and women who love the Constitution coming together and uniting and standing as one behind this campaign," Cruz said. Trump, 69, has a substantial lead in the delegates needed to secure the nomination at the Republican National Convention, but since winning seven of the 11 contests on Super Tuesday he has come under withering fire from a Republican establishment worried he will lead the party to defeat in November's election. [nL2N16C08F] But endorsements from establishment Republicans have failed to sway voters. Rubio won the backing of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback but still came in third there. The four Republican contests on Saturday together accounted for just 155 delegates. Cruz won 64 delegates on Saturday, while Trump took 49. The races on Saturday were open only to registered Republicans, excluding the independent and disaffected Democratic voters who have helped Trump's surge to the lead. The anti-Trump forces have a short window to stop the caustic businessman, who ahead of Saturday had accumulated 319 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination at July's Republican national convention, outpacing Cruz, who had 226 delegates. On March 15, the delegate-rich states of Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina will vote. Both Florida and Ohio use the winner-take-all method to allocate Republican delegates, making the stakes in those states particularly high. All of the Republican contests on Saturday, and through March 14, award delegates proportionate to the popular vote, although some states set minimum thresholds to qualify for any delegates. If Trump takes both Florida and Ohio he would be nearly impossible to stop. There are a total of 358 delegates at stake in the five states voting March 15, including 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio. On the Democratic side, Clinton has opened up a big delegate lead and Sanders might have a tough time making up the difference. All states in the Democratic race award their delegates proportionally, meaning Clinton can keep piling up delegates even in states she loses. The three states holding Democratic contests on Saturday had a total of 109 delegates at stake. The early estimates were that Clinton, who appeared headed to a smashing nearly 50-point win in Louisiana, had won at least 48 delegates on Tuesday and Sanders 37. But Sanders made it clear he was not planning to end his White House quest anytime soon. "We have the momentum. We have a path toward victory. Our campaign is just getting started," he said in a statement after his wins on Saturday. (Additional reporting by Emily Flitter, Jonathan Allen and Alana Wise; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Leslie Adler)
Some of Britain's film and music royalty attended Saturday's London wedding of 21st Century Fox and News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch and model/actress Jerry Hall.

Actor Michael Caine, musician Bob Geldof, former Rolling Stone member Bill Wyman, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and playwright Tom Stoppard were among those celebrating the church wedding of the 84-year-old mogul and 59-year-old Hall at St. Bride's, the traditional "journalists' church" on Fleet Street in the British capital.

Actors Richard E. Grant and "Dame Edna" Barry Humphries and big Time Warner shareholder Vivi Nevo were also among the guests, according to sources and Twitter photos.

Murdoch, wearing a navy blue suit and tan shoes, was seen arriving at the church shortly after 10:30 a.m. for his fourth marriage, accompanied by sons James and Lachlan, whose wives Kathryn and Sarah also attended. James is CEO of Fox, while Lachlan is co-chairman of Fox and News Corp. Their sister Elisabeth Murdoch also was in attendance, along with News Corp CEO Robert Thomson and his wife Ping and News UK CEO Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie.

Read More: Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall Wed in London

Also among the invited guests were the couple's 10 children. Murdoch, who was born in Australia but became a U.S. citizen in 1985, has six kids from his previous marriages; Texas-born Hall has four with ex-partner Mick Jagger. Hall arrived at the wedding with son James. Hall and Jagger had an unofficial private Hindu marriage ceremony in Indonesia in 1990, but during divorce proceedings in 1999, a British court declared it invalid.

The church and its venue have special significance for the media industry and Murdoch personally. Important for the mogul, the church contains a memorial plaque to his late father Keith. Of importance to the broader media industry, Fleet Street is known as the spiritual home of British journalism. Britain's newspaper industry was famously based on Fleet Street until Murdoch moved his printing presses to east London in the 1980s to fight the powerful printers' unions, with other print media companies soon following suit.

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With Murdoch's move back then widely considered to have triggered the fall of Fleet Street as London's media hub, some online commentators criticized that he got married there.

Murdoch and Hall had officially wed on Friday at Spencer House, an aristocratic palace built by ancestors of the late Princess Diana. That venue was also the location for Saturday's reception for the roughly 100 guests following the church wedding.

See More: #TBT: Jerry Hall's Style Through the Years
MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - Russia's embassy in Kiev sent a note of protest to Ukraine's foreign ministry on Sunday about attacks on the embassy's cars, the RIA news agency quoted embassy spokesman Oleg Grishin as saying. Grishin said three cars parked outside the embassy were "seriously damaged" overnight by a group of unidentified people who also threw flares and smoke flares to the embassy. Kiev police said it had started a criminal investigation into the case which it preliminarily described as hooliganism. "At night ... unidentified people started smashing parked cars, so a total of three vehicles were damaged: mirrors and the glass had been shattered," the police said in a statement. A video with a slogan "Freedom to Nadia Savchenko" and footage of few men smashing cars in darkness appeared on the Internet, while hundreds of people have massed near the embassy in Ukraines capital on Sunday with similar slogans. Protesters have urged Moscow to free Nadezhda (Nadia) Savchenko, a Ukrainian pilot on trial in Russia on charges of complicity in the killing of two Russian journalists. Savchenko, 34, was captured by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine in June 2014. She denies any wrongdoing. Last Thursday she went on hunger strike to protest against the length of what she said was an unjust legal process after the judge in her trial adjourned proceedings just as she was about to deliver her final speech. The helicopter pilot, who faces up to 25 years in jail if found guilty, has become a national hero for many in Ukraine who see her as a symbol of anti-Kremlin defiance. (Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Natalia Zinets; Editing by Mark Potter)
Ive been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for that. Sinc...

6 years ago
If youre a former English major, you probably often find yourself responding to assertions that your degree is not terribly relevant. You may often mount impassioned defenses on behalf of the increasingly persecuted liberal arts. These days, another group of students and faculty are finding themselves standing up for their disciplines and arguing something similar  that their field teaches foundational thought and critical thinking skills, that it deserves funding. These individuals, though, are scientists.

Those who stand upon this particular soapbox are not computer programmers or engineers or applied scientists. Rather, theyre the practitioners of theoretical and experimental physics or the researchers slogging away at basic science in a lab. Their work might take years, if ever, to touch industry, or it may instead inflect almost philosophical conversations. These are what John Dabiri, Stanford professor and former dean of students at Caltech, calls the liberal sciences, and, he says, a split is imminent between the career-focused applied types and those we imagine as bespectacled, soft-spoken theorists.

The divides, as Dabiri and others see them, are everywhere  from students choices of majors to curricula. At Caltech, all students take core classes, including math, physics, chemistry and biology, regardless of their startup dreams; the culture of the school, both former professors and students say, produces significant numbers of Ph.D.s and not as many startup-gunning dropouts. Splits are even likelier at smaller, Tier II and Tier III schools, where students prefer applied degrees that can serve a career quickly. And the view is perhaps most stark when it comes to funding: A 2015 MIT report titled The Future Postponed found that federal science funding had sunk from around 10 percent of the U.S. national budget in the late 60s to less than 4 percent today. The report cites major 2014 scientific breakthroughs, from the discovery of a new particle to the rise of a new supercomputer. None of those eureka moments, the report notes, happened in the U.S.

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Bunting thinks studying those liberal sciences makes you smarter, but, he adds, his work might be a waste of time for people who are dead set on working in industry.

Part of this is being driven by a new sense of urgency among young people who want to see the fruits of their labor faster, Dabiri says. Students vote with their feet. Its clear why  anyone with a laptop and some coding skills can launch an app these days, and dreams of becoming the next Zuck are perhaps more tempting than those of becoming the next CERN golden child. And, of course, as experts point out, theres a desire to make money along the way. Consider the internal struggle of Will Bunting, a Caltech grad in his first year of a physics Ph.D. at the University of Maryland. Buzzwords he drops regarding his work include black hole physics and quantum gravity, the usual. Bunting tells me that thanks to his fathers career in private wealth management, he thought about the finance route, but physics seduced him, even though its lower in practicality. He thinks studying those liberal sciences makes you smarter, but, he adds, his work might be a waste of time for people who are dead set on working in industry.

It wasnt always like this. A few decades ago, a group in California toiled away at Xeroxs Palo Alto Research Center, or PARC. There, inventors built the foundations of the computing revolution, probably creating trillions of dollars in value  but never owning the industry like a Microsoft or an IBM. Around the same time, the government poured funding into basic research at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Today, experts say, few opportunities like those exist. Meanwhile, if you walk the halls at Google or Palantir in Silicon Valley, youll encounter engineers who mused on computational chemistry in college, and programmers rushing to ship new products who spent their undergrad or even grad school days digging in on quantum physics. You may even find such types doing what Bunting skipped out on, using their advanced quant skills to ride the roller coaster of high frequency trading on Wall Street.

Not everyone thinks the divide is a bad thing, or even happening. Jeremy England, an MIT physicist, believes departments are simply evolving as we learn more about what background different sorts of work require. You dont need to learn physics to program, he says. It might be a sort of basic playground for stimulating smart thinking, England says, but he understands the rationale for chopping it from CS students requirements. Things are also shifting in other ways, as borders between disciplines fluctuate a bit  for example, England says, biologists are increasingly studying physics.

Still, the angst continues, appropriately enough for any campus problem. For the professors, theres the constant question of money: Dabiris own research on jellyfish and shrimp movements, which hes now applying to creating alternative energy solutions  and which won him a MacArthur Foundation genius grant  once landed on a list of frivolous spending, according to the government. And for the students, the age-old WTF-do-I-do-with-my-life question persists. Bunting tells me that he may, one day, go that route, toward industry. Jobs in academia are scarce, after all.

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Saint-Denis de la Reunion (AFP) - A resident on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion who last year found a wing fragment from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 said on Sunday he had come across a second possible piece from the missing plane.

Johnny Begue, who found the "flaperon" part while cleaning a beach last July, told AFP he handed over the new suspected object to police immediately after finding it last Thursday.

He said he was out jogging by the sea shore when he found the object measuring about 40 by 20 centimetres (15 by eight inches), which had a blue mark on the surface and was grey underneath.

Begue said it was of the same lightweight "honeycomb" construction as the flaperon piece.

The flaperon he found remains the only piece of debris identified with certainty as having come from the flight.

Begue said he has been combing the island's shores ever since.

"When there's bad weather is when you should look, when the sea tosses up a lot of stuff," he said.

Police have not contacted Begue since he handed over the new object on Thursday, he said.

The Gendarmerie Brigade for Air Transport -- the police unit which investigated the first find -- could not immediately be reached by AFP for comment.

MH370, a Boeing 777, was carrying 239 passengers and crew when it vanished on March 8, 2014, on an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Begue's reported find came three days after an American amateur investigator found suspected MH370 debris in Mozambique, some 2,100 kilometres (1,300 miles) west of Reunion.

That object, which is about a metre (3.25 feet) long, has been sent to Australia for expert analysis.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said last Wednesday that initial information indicated a "high possibility" it came from a Boeing 777.

An international team of investigators probing the loss of flight MH370 will issue a statement on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the plane's disappearance.

The unprecedented Australian-led hunt for wreckage from the flight is expected to finish its high-tech scanning of a designated swathe of seafloor in the remote Indian Ocean by July.

Australian, Malaysian and Chinese authorities plan to end the search -- projected to cost up to $130 million (120 million euros) -- at that point if no compelling new leads emerge.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former tennis world number one Maria Sharapova will be holding a news conference in Los Angeles on Monday to make "a major announcement", though no other details were given by her manager on Sunday. Sharapova's management company, IMG, declined to tell Reuters via email what topic had prompted the news conference but added: "It will be very big news." Monday's announcement will come just four days after Sharapova said she was withdrawing from this month's BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in California due to a persistent arm injury. The five-times grand slam champion has been troubled by her left forearm since the start of the year when she pulled out of an Australian Open warm-up tournament in Brisbane. Sharapova lost to Serena Williams in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January and has not competed since then. The 28-year-old Russian has suffered from assorted injuries over the past decade, and required shoulder surgery in 2008 that led to her being sidelined for nine months. Sharapova also missed the second half of the 2013 season because of a shoulder injury. Currently ranked seventh, Sharapova claimed her most recent grand slam crown at the 2014 French Open and has won 35 career titles on the WTA Tour. She has numerous business interests off the court, including a very successful apparel collection. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Larry Fine)
By Tatiana Jancarikova and Jan Lopatka BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico won Saturday's parliamentary election, nearly complete results showed, but gains by opposition parties including the far right will make it very hard if not impossible to form a new government. If Fico fails to put together a government led by his leftist Smer party, a group of center-right parties could try to form a broad but possibly unstable anti-Fico coalition, a repeat of the 2010 election. Fico, a leftist whose anti-immigration and socially conservative views are in line with neighbors Poland and Hungary, took 28.3 percent of the vote, far ahead of others but less than he had hoped for, results from 99.98 percent of voting districts showed. With euro zone member Slovakia due to take over the European Union's rotating presidency from July, giving it a bigger role in EU policy discussions over the bloc's migration crisis, the election is being watched closely in Brussels. Fico bet on a combination of popular welfare measures such as free train rides for students and pensioners and his opposition to accepting refugees to secure a third term, after ruling in 2006-2010 and 2012-2016. The results showed eight groups won seats in the new parliament, including four that were not in the outgoing one. Some factions rule out working with each other, especially with a far-right party that gained representation. Some analysts raised the prospect of a stalemate that could lead to a minority or temporary cabinet. Fico, who had hoped to rule with one smaller coalition partner, said building a new coalition in a highly fragmented parliament would take time and be tough, given the "very complicated" election results. "As the party that won the election we have the obligation to try build a meaningful and stable government," Fico told reporters. "It will not be easy, I am saying that very clearly." Fico, who dismisses multiculturalism as "a fiction", has pledged never to accept EU-agreed quotas on relocating refugees who have flooded into Greece and Italy from Syria and beyond. Slovakia has a tiny Muslim minority. It has not seen any large numbers of refugees pass through its territory. Opponents portray Fico as an inefficient and unsavoury populist who ignores the need to reform education and healthcare. However, most opposition parties in the predominantly Catholic country agree with Fico's hardline stance on migrants. Refusal to provide guarantees for a bailout of Greece brought down the previous center-right government in 2012. Both Smer-led and center-right coalitions face huge obstacles, because either would have to include the centrist Most-Hid party popular among the Hungarian minority as well as the mildly nationalist Slovak National Party. Most-Hid refuses to work with the nationalists, the party's chief Bela Bugar said, putting the faction that won just 6.5 percent in the position of a possible king-maker. "This will be a more difficult birth than this country has ever experienced," said Marian Lesko, a commentator at weekly Trend. FAR-RIGHT IN PARLIAMENT Slovakia is one of the euro zone's most financially sound states, popular with foreign investors, particularly car makers. But unemployment of more than 10 percent and vast regional differences in wealth, as well as corruption and low healthcare and education standards, have disappointed many voters. The dissatisfaction along with Fico's bet on immigration fears may have brought votes to protest parties. The far-right radical People's Party of central Slovak Governor Marian Kotleba won 8.0 percent, nearly three times more than predicted. Kotleba has in the past sported uniforms reminiscent of the Nazi-era Slovak state, and was investigated, but not found guilty of, spreading hatred toward the Roma minority. (Editing by Tom Brown, Matthew Lewis and Stephen Powell)
South Korea will soon announce its own tougher sanctions on North Korea, an official said Sunday, a move set to further heighten tensions as Seoul and Washington prepare to launch their largest joint military exercise.

The new measures -- following Wednesday's decision by the UN Security Council to slap unprecedented sanctions on the North -- will be announced this week, a Seoul government official said on condition of anonymity.

The Security Council announced its toughest sanctions yet to punish the North for its latest nuclear and missile tests in violation of UN resolutions.

The North responded within hours by test-firing rockets into the sea. Its leader Kim Jong-Un ordered the nation's nuclear arsenal to be readied for pre-emptive use at "any moment".

The Seoul official did not elaborate on the South's separate sanctions. Yonhap news agency said they would include banning any ships which have previously docked in the North from South Korean ports.

A group of North Korean individuals and organisations believed to be involved in weapons development will also be added to a blacklist, it said, citing a government source.

In February, in an unprecedentedly tough move, the South announced the total shutdown of a jointly-run industrial park in North Korea, saying Pyongyang had been using it to fund its nuclear weapons programmes.

On Monday South Korea and its close ally the US will begin their annual Key Resolve/Foal Eagle military drill.

This year's will be the largest-ever, with the US reportedly sending more than 15,000 troops -- four times as many as last year -- to the Key Resolve drill, which is largely a computer-simulated exercise.

Foal Eagle -- a field exercise also involving US strategic assets including a naval fleet led by an aircraft carrier and nuclear-powered submarines -- is also expected to be far bigger than before.

Seoul says the drills, which continue through April 30, are defensive in nature but Pyongyang has habitually slammed them as a preparation for war.

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Last month it warned it would attack the South and the US mainland in case of any armed provocation during the exercise.

On Sunday the North said the US would be to blame if war broke out.

"The US is working hard to turn the Korean Peninsula into the theatre of a war, not content with slapping its unreasonable 'sanctions' against the DPRK (North Korea) over its self-defensive H-bomb test and satellite launch for peaceful purposes," according to a statement by a foreign ministry spokesman.

"No one can vouch that the do-or-die confrontation between the DPRK and the US will not spill over to a global thermonuclear war," said the statement quoted by the North's official news agency.

In the first move to enforce the UN sanctions, a North Korean cargo ship is being detained by the Philippines, a close US ally.

Its 21 North Korean crew members remain on board the ship at Subic Bay while officials await the expected arrival of a UN team to inspect it.

The new UN sanctions requires states to inspect all cargo to and from North Korea.
Hilla (Iraq) (AFP) - A suicide truck bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State group killed 47 people at a crowded checkpoint south of Baghdad Sunday, the deadliest such attack in Iraq this year.

The massive blast completely destroyed the checkpoint manned by security forces guarding the northern entrance to Hilla, an area that had recently been spared such attacks.

"The suicide bomber used an explosives-laden truck, at a time when there was dense traffic," Faleh al-Radhi, the head of the security committee at Babil provincial council, said.

A doctor at Hilla hospital put the number of people killed by the blast at 47, including around 20 members of the security forces, and said at least 72 people were also wounded.

Radhi and police officers confirmed the casualty toll, the heaviest from any car bomb attack in Iraq this year.

The blast went off at around 1:00 pm (1000 GMT), a time of day when vehicles are usually bumper-to-bumper, waiting to be checked by security personnel.

An AFP photographer at the scene said that there was almost nothing left of the checkpoint.

He said one distraught man was asking rescuers, survivors and journalists to help him retrieve the body of his baby child from under the mangled wreckage of a car.

"When I got to the scene, there were people whose clothes were still on fire, they were screaming," said Hamza Kadhem, a 35-year-old labourer who was near when the blast went off.

The doctor at Hilla hospital said at least 11 of the wounded were in a very serious condition.

- Scenes of chaos -

Mohammed Jamal, a 27-year-old civil servant, was sitting in traffic when the explosion ripped through the lines of vehicles.

"My car windows just shattered with the blast," he told AFP from the emergency ward.

"After that, I can't remember much, I was lost in this chaos and found myself at Hilla hospital, I'm not sure how," he said.

Karim Sahi, 35, a taxi driver reached by phone, was also close to the checkpoint.

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"When we heard the blast, we rushed to the scene. There were bodies everywhere, people running in all directions, some just froze there, screaming," he said.

A March 2014 suicide bombing at the same checkpoint outside Hilla, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital, killed 50 people and wounded more than 150.

The Islamic State group has not had fixed positions south of Baghdad since security forces and allied militias began their fightback against the jihadists in late 2014.

When Iraqi forces began their counter-offensive against IS, securing the Shiite shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, south of Baghdad, was a priority.

The jihadist group has since been losing territory in Iraq. In the most recent operation, Iraqi forces have been retaking areas west of the city of Samarra and are continuing to advance.

In the cities IS retains control over, internal tension appears to be on the rise and the lack of supplies is taking its toll.

Observers have warned that, as its self-proclaimed "caliphate" shrinks towards extinction, IS will likely revert to its old guerrilla tactics and ramp up suicide car bomb attacks on civilian targets.

"The Rafidha (a derogatory term for Shiites) must understand that the battle has just begun and that the worst is yet to come," IS said as it claimed Sunday's bombing.

The attack on Hilla checkpoint was one of the deadliest bombings since a suicide explosion killed nearly 100 people in Diyala province, north of Baghdad, in July 2015.
A battering of attacks to stop GOP frontrunner Donald Trumps momentum was put to the test in a series of states on Saturday in the race for the Republican nomination, with rival Ted Cruz winning caucuses in Kansas and Maine.

Trump won Louisiana and Kentucky, but the results were narrower than polls had suggested.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary in Louisiana in what was projected to be a wide margin. Her rival Bernie Sanders won caucuses in Kansas and Nebraska, as his campaign tries to make inroads on Clintons lead in the delegate race for the party nomination.

Voters in Kansas and Louisiana were casting their lot for the respective Republican and Democratic nominations in what was being referred to as super Saturday. In addition, Republicans in Kentucky and Maine were holding caucuses, while Democrats were gathering in Nebraska for voting there.

While Cruz and Rubio have been attacking Trump on the campaign trail and in Thursdays debate in Detroit, this week has seen a more concerted effort on the part of establishment GOP figures to try to deny him the nomination. On Thursday, Mitt Romney, the partys 2012 nominee, made a scathing speech about Trump, calling him a phony and a fraud.

Hes playing members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat, Romney said.

Trump responded by calling Romney a failed candidate and said that Romney would have dropped to his knees to garner his endorsement in 2012.

On Saturday, Trump asked supporters at a rally in Orlando to raise their right hands and pledge to support him when Florida holds its primary on March 15.

But the efforts to stop Trump delivered mixed results on Saturday, and few bright spots for Rubio, who has tried to position himself as an establishment alternative who can unify the far right and moderates. Instead, it has been Cruz, who also has waged an anti-D.C., anti-establishment campaign, who has won the most races next to Trump. He called on other candidates to bow out to set up a two-man race for the nomination.

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Trump took aim not just at Rubio, but Fox News, which hosted the most recent debate.

@FoxNews is devastated that lightweight Senator Marco Rubio gout trounced tonight and is the big loser. I won the two big states, great! Trump wrote.

Clinton and Sanders have slammed the tenor of the Republican race, in what is evolving into a civil war over the partys future.

Clinton, speaking at a rally in Detroit, said that you just want to pull your hair out when you see the insult fest at the GOP debate.

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Washington (AFP) - Senators Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders scored key victories in the 2016 quest for the White House, but Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton remained their parties' frontrunners as the "Super Saturday" results came in.

Republican Trump and Democrat Clinton both won in the delegate-rich state of Louisiana, keeping them on top at a critical point in the US presidential race.

Results from votes in five states were split, but one element was clear: Republican Cruz boosted his claim as the most viable alternative to billionaire Trump after taking Kansas and Maine, and put poorly performing Senator Marco Rubio under pressure to turn his campaign around or bow out.

And Sanders's victories showed that the self-described Democratic Socialist can stay in the race despite the long odds of defeating Clinton.

Cruz and Sanders can also claim momentum as they head toward critical races in Michigan next Tuesday, and then winner-take-all races in the large states of Florida and Ohio on March 15.

"Thank you to Louisiana, and thank you to Kentucky," Trump said in Florida, minutes after he won in Kentucky, where he led Cruz by four percentage points.

The races were the first test of whether the Republican establishment's desperate effort led by 2012 nominee Mitt Romney to halt Trump is having any effect. Trump declared those efforts a failure, and called on Rubio, once seen as the best hope to defeat him, to quit.

"Marco Rubio had a very, very bad night. Personally I'd call for him to drop out of the race," Trump said.

"I would love to be able to take on Ted one on one," he added. "That will be easy."

Trump is well ahead in the all-important delegate count for Republicans, having now won 12 of the 19 states that have voted up to now.

-- 'Howl from Washington' --

But the strong showing by Cruz -- who won more delegates than Trump on Saturday -- indicates that the brash real estate mogul is not the inevitable nominee.

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Arch-conservative Texas senator Cruz performed beyond expectations in Kansas, where he earned 48.2 percent support, more than twice as Trump, who received 23.3 percent.

Third was Rubio at 16.7, followed by Ohio Governor John Kasich, who with a string of disappointing results must also considering his position.

It was a startling 13-point win for Cruz in the more moderate New England region of Maine.

Cruz exulted in his victories during a campaign rally in Idaho, which did not vote on Saturday.

"The scream you hear -- the howl that comes from Washington, DC -- is utter terror at what we the people are doing together," he said, adding that conservatives are "coming together... and standing as one behind this campaign."

The Republican race is down to four men: political outsiders Trump and Cruz, and more mainstream candidates Rubio and Kasich. Many in the Republican establishment are apoplectic over Trump's frontrunner status and would like to back a single opponent.

Cruz claims to be that man, and called on Rubio and Kasich to drop out. "The field needs to continue to narrow," Cruz told reporters late Saturday.

"If were divided, Donald wins," he warned.

Among Democrats, Sanders savored victories in Kansas and Nebraska, pushing his total to seven victories from 18 contests.

"We've got the momentum, the energy and the excitement that will take us all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia," Sanders said in a statement.

But Clinton decisively swept Louisiana, the weekend's big prize, with 59 Democratic delegates at stake compared to 37 for Kansas and 25 for Nebraska.

The former secretary of state dominated in Louisiana, a state with a substantial African-American vote.

Sanders did well in the other two states in part because of their large white populations, a demographic with which he does well.

Maine, also overwhelmingly white, holds its Democratic caucus Sunday.

-- A 'brokered' convention? --

Trump made waves when he cancelled a scheduled Saturday appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, opting instead to hold a rally in Wichita, Kansas.

Trump told the Wichita crowd that Romney, who on Thursday called Trump "a fraud," was a "loser" who should have defeated President Barack Obama.

"It's the establishment. The establishment is against us," Trump said.

Rubio issued a forceful repudiation of the frontrunner, bringing the house down at CPAC when he warned of a dire future for Republicans "if the conservative movement is hijacked by someone that's not a conservative."

There is a chance that no candidate will rack up the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination before the Republican convention in July.

That would mean a contested or "brokered" convention, a scenario that could turn chaotic, especially if establishment figures seek to prevent delegates from coalescing around Trump.

Including delegate results after final results Saturday, Trump leads the Republican field with 378 delegates, followed by Cruz with 295, Rubio with 123 and Kasich 34.
Politics

Quest for the White House: Frontrunners remain, but runner-ups not far behind

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton remained the frontrunners in the 2016 quest for the White House, but Senators Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders scored key victories in the latest contests. Republican Trump and Democrat Clinton both won in the delegate-rich state of Louisiana on Saturday, keeping them on top at a critical point in the U.S. presidential race. Results from votes in five states were split, but one element was clear: Republican Cruz boosted his claim as the most viable alternative to billionaire Trump after taking Kansas and Maine and put poorly performing Senator Marco Rubio under immense pressure to turn his campaign around or bow out. And two Sanders victories showed that the self-described Democratic Socialist can stay in the race despite the long odds of defeating Clinton.

Marco Rubio had a very, very bad night. Personally Id call for him to drop out of the race. I would love to be able to take on Ted one on one. That will be easy. Donald Trump

The races were the first test of whether the Republican establishments desperate effort to halt Trump, led this week by 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, is having any effect. Trump declared those efforts a failure, and called on Rubio, once seen as the best hope to defeat him, to quit.
By Ayla Jean Yackley and Nick Tattersall ISTANBUL (Reuters) - There will be no bargaining over a new constitution for Turkey which could enhance the powers of the president and the government will seek to put the matter to a referendum, the prime minister said on Sunday. The ruling AKP party will have the support of all its 317 deputies for a new charter and will look for an additional 13 votes from the opposition that are needed to take the draft to a referendum, Ahmet Davutoglu said in an interview with broadcaster A Haber. A cross-party commission charged with drafting a new constitution collapsed last month after the main opposition pulled out over attempts by the AKP to change Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system. "All 317 AK Party lawmakers will do what's necessary. The constitution is not up for bargaining, it's a matter of principles," Davutoglu said. "We will find the 330 (votes) and take it to a referendum. Our people will have a constitution embraced by all, and the (current) charter will be consigned." Senior AKP officials told Reuters last week that the party was working on its own proposals despite the opposition's resistance, plans which could hand President Tayyip Erdogan powers to draft legislation directly and pick ministers. The AKP has broad support for overhauling the constitution, which dates back to the period after the 1980 military coup and has been repeatedly amended. But there are wide divergences over what a new charter should look like. Erdogan wants the charter to transform the presidency from largely ceremonial to an executive post with expansive powers. IMMUNITY Davutoglu said parliament will begin debate on revoking the parliamentary immunity for lawmakers from the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which has Kurdish roots, after budget talks conclude on Wednesday. The Justice Ministry last week submitted a request for the assembly to scrap the protection from prosecution of five HDP lawmakers, including the HDP's co-leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, after repeated calls by Erdogan. The ultra-right Nationalist Movement Party, parliament's fourth-biggest grouping with 40 seats, has signalled its support for stripping Demirtas and the others of their immunity. Demirtas, who faces some 60 dossiers for things he has said, told reporters at a briefing the AKP was using the issue to tap nationalist support during a time of clashes between security forces and Kurdish militants in Turkey's restive southeast. "The government has raised the issue of our immunity before, but this time they appear serious," he said. "They want to scapegoat us. We don't want this to happen because not only will it hurt our party but all of Turkish society and its democracy." Even if parliament lifts the lawmakers' immunity, the HDP will retain its 59 seats until any prosecution is complete, which could take years, Demirtas said. He also reiterated the HDP's opposition to an executive presidency, saying it would make the government more autocratic. Opposition parties want the new charter to focus on minority rights and democratic freedoms and fear an executive presidency would consolidate too much power in the hands of one man. But Davutoglu said the AKP would prioritise such rights. "Issues that are inarguable are human rights and freedoms, a liberal constitutional framework, accountability and representational ability," he said. (Editing by Stephen Powell)
By Rozanna Latiff KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The families of passengers lost aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 say the two-year search for the missing aircraft must go on beyond a June deadline, as new hope emerged last week of resolving the aviation mystery. Debris found off the African coast rekindled hope for many, prompting relatives like Grace Subathirai Nathan to demand investigators go back over mistakes made early on. "A lot of it was based on calculations that had never been used before, where there's room for human error," Nathan said in an interview. Nathan's mother, Anne Daisy, was on board when MH370 disappeared on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, with 239 passengers and crew on board. Some 120,000 sq km (46,300 sq mi) of the sea floor is being scoured at an estimated cost of about A$170 million ($124.17 million). But no trace of the missing Boeing 777 has been found except for a wing part, known as a flaperon, which surfaced on Reunion island off Madagascar last July. Australia said in August that initial drift models of where debris from the jet might first wash up had incorrectly identified Indonesia as the most likely location. "If that could be wrong, what else could be wrong?" Nathan, a 28-year-old lawyer, said. A meeting set for June between Australia, Malaysia, and China will determine whether to extend the search. But families are calling for the search to continue after the discovery last week of a white, meter-long chunk of metal suspected to be from MH370 off the coast of Mozambique. Just as they prepare to mark the two-year anniversary of the jet's disappearance, the relatives are asking for efforts to focus on the southeast African coast. Voice370, a support group for MH370 next-of-kin, said last week in a statement that the claims of funds drying up was "unacceptable" as a reason for ending the investigation, which they say could benefit the broader industry and increase safety. BACK TO DRAWING BOARD On Sunday, scores of family and friends of those on board the plane gathered at a mall in Kuala Lumpur in a memorial seeking to "re-investigate, re-evaluate, re-start" the search. Accompanied by poignant musical and dance performances, the next-of-kin made an impassioned plea for search efforts to continue until the plane is found. "They can stop the search, but where do we stop the feeling of loss? We want them to try, if possible, to continue searching for MH370," said Jacquita Gonzales, the wife of MH370 in-flight supervisor Patrick Gomes. MH370 vanished from radar screens shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur, and investigators believe it was flown thousands of miles off course before eventually crashing into the ocean off Australia. A 584-page interim report into the disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER released on the first anniversary provided details on how radars tracked the plane going off course and issues concerning the battery of the flight data recorder's underwater locator beacon. However, it did not identify a definitive cause for the disappearance, adding there was nothing suspicious in the financial, medical or personal histories of pilots or crew. The next interim report will be released on Tuesday. "It is definitely their duty to continue to investigate this case, because until now they have not made any substantial progress," said Beijing resident Steve Wang, whose mother was on the flight. ($1 = 1.3691 Australian dollars) (Additional reporting by Joseph Sipalan in KUALA LUMPUR and Jessica Macy Yu in BEIJING; Editing by Praveen Menon and Christian Schmollinger)
By Lisa Barrington BEIRUT (Reuters) - A total of 135 people were killed in the first week of a partial truce in Syria in areas covered by the deal, a monitoring group said on Saturday, highlighting its fragile nature just days before the United Nations attempts to reconvene peace talks. U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura said the talks, originally due to begin on Monday in Geneva, would get off to a staggered start later in the week, with delegates arriving from Wednesday onwards. The U.N. said the delay was due to "logistical and technical reasons and also for the ceasefire to better settle down". "I see us beginning on (Thursday) March 10 when we will launch the process," de Mistura said in an interview with pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat. A pro-Damascus Lebanese TV channel, al-Mayadeen, reported from its own sources that talks had been moved to March 13. Reuters could not independently verify this. The five-year Syrian civil war has killed more than a quarter of a million people and created a massive refugee crisis in Lebanon, Turkey and the European Union. The partial truce, drawn up by Washington and Moscow, came into force a week ago and has slowed the pace of the war, although it does not include Islamic State militants or the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. The opposition is dissatisfied with the implementation of the deal and has yet to say whether it will attend the new talks. Fighting continues in many parts of Syria, and rebels say the Syrian government, backed by Russian air power and fighters from Iranian-backed Hezbollah, has kept up attacks on strategically important frontlines. Fighting has also continued between rebel groups and Kurdish-backed forces in north Aleppo, and between rebel groups and Islamic State. On Saturday Islamic State regained control of a border crossing with Iraq seized by a group of rebels on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Observatory said 135 people have been killed in areas covered by the 'cessation of hostilities' agreement since it came into force on Feb. 27. In areas not covered by the truce, 552 people were killed, said the Britain-based group, which tracks the conflict via sources on the ground. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a phone conversation late on Friday, called for a prompt start to the peace negotiations, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The two sides called to start the negotiations as soon as possible...between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the opposition, during which the Syrians themselves should determine the future of their country," the ministry said. ASSAD'S DEPARTURE Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, whose country backs the rebels, said on Saturday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must leave at the beginning of a political transition, not at the end. "For us it is very clear it's at the beginning of the process, not at the end of the process, it's not going to be 18 months," Jubeir said during a visit to France. Assad, however, enjoys firm backing from Iran and Russia and his military position has strengthened, especially since Russia entered the war by launching waves of air strikes last September. The United States and other Western governments that previously called for the president's early departure have quietly backed away from that demand. De Mistura attempted to convene peace talks in January, but these failed before they had even started in earnest. The new talks will be conducted indirectly, not face-to-face, he told Al Hayat. The fall-off in violence has made aid deliveries easier in some areas of the country, but de Mistura said the Syrian government should be processing aid faster. "Lorries are waiting for 36 hours," he said. "And medical aid must be allowed." On Wednesday the World Health Organization said Syrian officials had rejected the delivery of medical supplies, including trauma and burn kits and antibiotics, in a convoy to the besieged town of Moadamiya two days earlier. Syrian opposition coordinator Riad Hijab said on Friday conditions for talks were "not favourable" and medical and food supplies were being blocked despite the truce. On Saturday, the opposition Syrian National Coalition, which is part of the main Saudi-backed opposition High Negotiations Committee, said it had named a new president. Anas Abda will replace Khaled Khoja as head of the group, the SNC said in a statement on its Twitter account. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington in Beirut and Omar Fahmy in Cairo, Lidia Kelly in Moscow and Leigh Thomas in Paris; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Ros Russell)
Kiev (AFP) - Angry protesters threw stones and eggs at the Russian embassy in Kiev Sunday, breaking several of its windows, after earlier smashing cars and throwing smoke pellets as Ukrainians' anger boiled over at Moscow's refusal to free a hunger-striking pilot.

Hundreds of demonstrators rallied outside Moscow's diplomatic mission to demand the release of Nadiya Savchenko, a 34-year-old pilot who is on trial in Russia for the killing of two journalists.

Savchenko began a hunger strike on Thursday, rejecting both food and water, to protest delays in her controversial trial.

The protesters in Kiev also attached a makeshift gallows to the embassy fence, hanging an effigy of Russian President Vladimir Putin with a sign "murderer," an AFP correspondent reported.

Several embassy windows were broken during the protest.

"The situation is rather tense," Russian embassy spokesman Oleg Grishin told AFP.

The incident came after some 10 people attacked the mission overnight, smashing several cars, apparently with a hammer, officials said. Grishin said they had also thrown flares and smoke pellets.

- 'Hooliganism' probe -

Ukrainian police said a "hooliganism" probe had been opened over the nighttime attack.

Earlier Sunday more than a thousand people turned up on Kiev's iconic Maidan square, shaming Putin and praising the pilot.

Savchenko is demanding to be repatriated to Ukraine after a judge in the southern Russian town of Donetsk on Thursday unexpectedly postponed her final address to court as her trial nears its end.

Savchenko is seen by her compatriots as a symbol of resistance against the Kremlin, accused of fuelling a conflict in eastern Ukraine which has claimed more than 9,000 lives since April 2014.

Prosecutors argue that Savchenko was involved in the killing of two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine in 2014 in her capacity as a volunteer in a Ukrainian battalion.

She denies the charges and says she was kidnapped and smuggled into Russia.

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Her supporters are concerned that by refusing to drink water she may damage her health irreparably or not live long enough to attend the next hearing set for Wednesday.

At Sunday's gathering on Maidan square, some demonstrators held up the pilot's portrait, while others carried placards reading "Free Savchenko".

Savchenko's sister Vira, who attended the rally with their elderly mother, said it was hard for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to fight "such a mean enemy that is the Kremlin".

"Nadiya went all in. This is not a bluff and not a political project," she said about the hunger strike.

Viktoriya Ivanenko, a 33-year-old university lecturer at the rally, expressed fears that the aviator may die.

"For me Savchenko is the face of Ukraine's liberation struggle and resistance."

- 'Dry hunger strike' -

In Russia, one of Savchenko's lawyers, Nikolai Polozov, said she was in "satisfactory condition."

Writing on Facebook, he said she was being monitored and there was no need to force-feed her.

Refusing both food and water is known in Russia as a "dry hunger strike" and was a method of last resort for some Soviet dissidents under Communism.

Polozov said that Russian human rights ombudsman Ella Pamfilova had informed Savchenko's sister Vira of her condition after her representatives visited her in a detention centre.

Savchenko has fasted in the past to protest the accusations against her but has never before refused both food and water.

Irena Lesnevskaya, the founder of Russia's liberal REN TV channel, took to Facebook to urge Putin to release Savchenko ahead of March 8 when Russia and Ukraine celebrate Women's Day, a public holiday.

"Even if you consider a Ukrainian officer defending the sovereignty of her country an enemy, respect an enemy!" Lesnevskaya wrote.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined this week to comment on Savchenko's hunger strike, saying the issue was not on the Kremlin agenda.

The US State Department has reiterated its call for Savchenko to be released "immediately."
Algiers (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Sunday he has asked his envoy for Western Sahara to work to relaunch talks between Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front on the disputed desert territory.

The secretary general made the announcement in Algiers, the main supporter of the Polisario Front which is demanding Western Sahara's independence from Morocco, and also voiced concern over the situation in neighbouring Libya.

He told reporters he had asked special envoy Christopher Ross to resume visits to the region in a bid to relaunch talks between Rabat and the Polisario Front and seek an end to the 40-year conflict.

The United Nations has been trying to broker a Western Sahara settlement since 1991 after a ceasefire was reached to end a war that broke out when Morocco deployed its military in the former Spanish territory in 1975.

Local Sahrawi people are campaigning for the right to self-determination, but Morocco considers the territory as part of the kingdom and insists its sovereignty cannot be challenged.

Ban, who toured Burkina-Faso, Mauritania and a camp in Algeria for refugees from Western Sahara, said Morocco and the Polisario Front had failed to make "real progress" towards an "acceptable" solution.

He said he would soon call a meeting of donor nations and organisations to raise funds for the refugees -- around 200,000 of whom live in camps in Algeria.

On Saturday, Ban spoke of the plight of refugees as he began his visit to Algeria at Smara refugee camp near Tindouf, 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) west of Algiers, near the border with Morocco.

"What really moved and even saddened me was the anger," Ban told reporters after meeting with refugees and youth representatives at the camp.

"Many people expressed their anger, people who for more than 40 years have lived in the harshest conditions and who feel their plight and their cause have been forgotten by the world," he added.

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On Sunday in Algiers, he said the refugees in Tindouf had been "suffering for generations".

"I spoke with youths who have lost faith in the future... I am profoundly saddened by this human tragedy. The world cannot continue to neglect the Sahrawi people," said Ban.

"We must act."

On Saturday, the UN chief also met with the Polisario Front's secretary general Mohamed Abdelaziz and said he would spare no effort in trying to find a political solution.

Ban, while in Nouakchott on Friday, also called for Mauritania's help in the Western Sahara dispute.

During his tour, Ban voiced concern over a worsening "humanitarian crisis" in Libya, a country with rival administrations and where the Islamic State jihadist group is gaining influence on Europe's doorstep.

"We are getting alarming information from Libya concerning grave action that could constitute war crimes," he said in Algiers on Sunday.

"If there is no progress on the political level, the humanitarian crisis will worsen and security, including attacks by Daesh (IS), will spread," he said, speaking in French.
Paris (AFP) - Vivienne Westwood declared her husband Andreas Kronthaler "the world's greatest designer" as he emerged from her flamboyant shadow Saturday with his first solo Paris show.

The Austrian-born designer -- who says he suspects he is the basis for comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's 2009 fashion satire "Bruno" -- lived up to his larger-than-life reputation with a spectacular explosion of convention-defying decadence.

As guests cheered his chutzpah, Westwood confessed to reporters that Kronthaler -- who is 25 years her junior -- had long been the power behind the throne.

"Over the years he has taken over the experimental stuff and I have had to follow. He calls me his muse. I think it was time the public understood the truth of this," said the 74-year-old queen of the punk fashion revolution.

"I think he is the greatest designer in the world. He wouldn't like me to say that because he is always frightened. I have learnt so much from him," she added.

Kronthaler, who has worked closely with Westwood for years both as a model, stylist and muse, sent a dizzying array of disparate looks down the runway in the show billed as "Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood".

All were in one way or another gender bending, with priestly girls, men in gold lame dresses and snake-skin effect boots, and women in oversized Alpine jackets from his native Tyrol.

Some of his models looked like senators emerging from a Roman bathhouse in blood-red togas while others wore long trailing Tibetan monk's hats, but all -- male and female -- wore platform shoes and boots.

Kronthaler's solo debut came on the same day that former supermodel Jerry Hall married the octogenarian media mogul Rupert Murdoch in London wearing a comparatively restrained light blue Westwood dress.

And Westwood admitted that when she first met Kronthaler "he was too big, he needed pulling down with an anchor." He is a perfectionist, she said, "Every stitch is perfect, it has to be perfect for him."

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But Westwood insisted he was also a great innovator.

- 'Men should wear dresses' -

"Nobody has done what he has done and put a toga on top of pants," she said.

She said they would continue to design her main collections together as a couple, but that they were going to reduce their line, because it was "better for the environment... We have got too big already."

Westwood revealed she was really taken by Kronthaler's togas and male dresses, which she urged more men to wear. "Unisex is good for the environment." Couples would not "have to buy so many clothes", she insisted, if they only shared their wardrobes.

For all the affront of the show's title, "Sexercise", beyond the carnal colours it seemed more inspired by flowing religious robes than it was by lust.

Certainly Kronthaler and Westwood -- who fell madly in love when he was 22 and she 47 -- could not have been more demure in the video they posted on Twitter to introduce the show.

With Westwood sitting on his knee in the library of their Queen Anne home in London, she very graciously gave him all the creative credit. "You did it all," she said.

Elsewhere Paris fashion week hit its stride with the 1980s influence on the latest trends becoming more pronounced.

Japanese designers were the talk of the town, with five staging highly acclaimed shows within 48 hours led by Junya Watanabe, Yohji Yamamoto and Undercover's Jun Takahashi.
Staff and PTA members at New York City's P.S. 75 are dealing with a deluge of threatening phone calls, profanity-laden emails and violent social media posts after conservative bloggers published an article calling a student-made fundraising project an example of left-wing indoctrination.

The article, which appeared on Fox News host Sean Hannity's website, blasted the school for this student-produced mural of a U.S. flag overlaid with foreign ones, accompanied by the caption "We Pledge Allegiance To An International Flag."

Source: BiddingForGood

"It is widely accepted that American public schools are controlled by liberals," read the article, which was posted by Hannity's staff. "It seems like every day, we see new examples of American schoolchildren being indoctrinated with left-wing ideas."

"This latest example was brought to our attention by a concerned parent."

After noting that the flags on the project consist mainly of Spanish-speaking countries and Russia, the article concluded, "This is the type of globalist indoctrination we have come to expect from the public school system, but telling impressionably young American children that their loyalty should lie with some nebulous idea of a global community rather than their own nation is a new low."

The story was later picked up by other conservative outlets including BizPac Review, which called the assignment "lib indoctrination at its finest," and InfoWars.

On social media, aggrieved users suggested the school should be bombed, school staff shot and otherwise advocated violence in response to the story.

Source: Patricia Frisbie

Source: Patricia Frisbie

This school's principal should be fired! Outrageous! Students Taught To 'Pledge Allegiance To An International Flag' http://www.hannity.com/articles/election-493995/outrageous-public-school-students-taught-to-14451508/ ...

FUCKING COMMIES http://www.hannity.com/articles/election-493995/outrageous-public-school-students-taught-to-14451508/ ... via @seanhannity

This teacher should be fired immediately and then prosecuted under treason charges and then stripped of their US... http://fb.me/2bIwAOi9M

In one profanity-laden email, a harasser said the assignment was like "pedophilia" and called district staff "Fascists and Communists."

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Source: Patricia Frisbie

Before the posting was removed by P.S. 75's principal, it was accompanied by the caption, "The fun quote on the bottom is about unity and creating an environment in which everyone is welcome! 'We pledge allegiance to an International Flag!' Our dual language classroom strives to be a place that everyone feels welcome!"

Students at the school are taught in both English and Spanish.

The mural was intended to reflect the ethnic and national diversity of P.S. 75's students, Patricia Frisbie, donation chair and V.P. of fundraising for the PTA executive board, told Mic in a phone interview.

At first, they had no idea why the threats were coming in. But Frisbie said the school received numerous threatening phone calls, and the email account linked to the donation was receiving "very threatening and vile, profoundly disturbing" emails. The school's Facebook and Twitter accounts were similarly barraged.

"It's definitely ongoing and it's happening as we speak," Frisbie said. She added the school would be holding emergency meetings and contacting police for extra security on Monday and throughout the week.

Critics are "really blowing this out of context," Frisbie continued, saying she believed the outrage directed at P.S. 75 was connected to the harsh tone of national politics in 2016.

"These are a bunch of 5-year-olds getting together and making artwork expressing how they feel about school ... it definitely touched a nerve."
Another murder rocks Quare Rd

According to police, at about 1 pm, Stephen Sick Villaruel, 48, was working at Coppers Bar when a vehicle drove up to the bar, a gunman exited the vehicle, and shot the man several times about the body.

Villaruel, who had one arm, was an electrician by trade who was doing some repair work at the bar.

Police responded quickly to reports of the murder and two suspects were held. Police said Villaruel was not known to be involved in any criminal activity and so they had no motive as to the shooting.

However, some residents believed the murder was connected to the death of Seon Edwards who was gunned down while liming outside the same bar last Saturday, possibly a case of mistaken identity.

Edwards was buried yesterday.
7 Most Dangerous Cities in Asia Seven busy city in Asia offers a variety of temptations. You can eat it greedily in Taipei or become a dandy in Manila. These cities ca...

Top 10 Most Beautiful Women in the World 2011 FHM Version World's 10 Most Beautiful Women issued the following version of FHM magazine in 2011 in which the photographs of this beautiful woman h...
A rare albino whale named "Gallon of Milk" was spotted during a yearly whale census off Mexico's Pacific coast.

Counting the whales is a practice carried out annually by the National Protected Areas Commission, or Conanp.

Keen observers will notice a small gray calf alongside Gallon of Milk. The gene mutation albinism, which causes a lack of pigmentation in sufferers, is especially rare among marine mammals such as whales, though it is far more common in other types of mammals, as well as birds and reptiles. This is her first appearance in seven years.

It's safe to say this was a lucky sighting for Mexican conservation officials, since the extremely rare albino female whale had last been seen in 2009.

According to CONANP reports, 2,211 gray whales were spotted this year in the Ojo de Liebre lagoon from El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, which scientists have been observing for 20 years.

The bright white whale, which actually belongs to the gray whale species, or Eschrichtius robustus, has been given the nickname Gallon of Milk.

Monitoring annual gray whale populations - a highly endangered breed that migrates every year between feeding and breeding sites along the West Coast - ensures the species' long-term survival. These majestic creatures can live up to 70 years, and grow to weigh 40 tons and reach 50 feet in length.
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At a commemorative event Sunday in Kuala Lumpur to mark the second anniversary of the jet's March 8, 2014, disappearance, they released white balloons tagged with the names of everyone aboard the plane and the words: "MH370: Always remembered in our hearts". Gibson, who is from Seattle, said the debris is with civil aviation authorities in Mozambique, and that he expects it to be transferred to their Australian counterparts.

Authorities have said that the search will not be expanded in the absence of fresh clues.

The plane, which disappeared after inexplicably diverting from its planned Kuala Lumpur-Beijing route, had mostly Chinese, Malaysian and Australian passengers on board.

The debris will be tested by officials in Australia, with help from Malaysian authorities and representatives of manufacturer Boeing Co (BA.N). Last year, a piece of the plane's wing was found on the shore of Reunion island in the Indian Ocean.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai urged the families "regardless of nationality to file claims" under the Montreal Convention against Malaysia Airlines by March 8 to preserve their legal rights.

'Deadpool' on top in North America for second week

The inspirational " Risen " took home $4 million while " The Witch " ($3.2 million) and " Race " ($2.3 million) not far behind. Despite three new films opening in theaters, FOX's " Deadpool " remained at number for the second-week in a row.

Adding further intrigue to the mystery surrounding the missing jet, a New Zealand oceanographer who has experience in finding lost aircraft has claimed the doomed flight was being "deliberately flown" when it ended somewhere over the southern-Indian Ocean.

He then criticised the efforts of the Australian-led search efforts.

Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said the location of the debris matches investigators' drift modeling and would therefore confirm that search crews are looking in the right place for the main underwater wreckage.

He arrived in Mozambique on February 20 and spent his time sightseeing before deciding to look for possible plane debris a week later, when he hired a boat to go to the sandbank.

Gibson said in an interview with the AP on Thursday that he initially thought the piece that he and the boat operator found was from a small plane, and not from the missing airliner.

Who's Driving The GOP's Supreme Court Blockade?

The Reagan appointee was widely seen as the leading conservative voice on the nation's highest court. Constitution, the president nominates Supreme Court justices and the Senate must confirm them.

Gibson said he started actively searching for the plane in the past year, taking him to beaches in the Maldives, Mauritius, Cambodia, Myanmar and the French island of Reunion.

"The governments of Australia, Malaysia and Mozambique are working together to arrange for the debris to be brought to Australia for examination and analysis by investigators and specialists from around the world", the spokesperson said.

The search team has been operating on the theory that no one was steering the plane when it crashed, but some critics have argued there may have been someone controlling the plane at the end of its flight.

Gibson isn't the only one still searching.

Gibson said he has previously traveled to Siberia to investigate a meteor crash and Central America as a volunteer in archaeological expeditions to find out why the Mayan civilization collapsed.
1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.

Romans 10:9 Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Psalm 119:9,11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believes in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

John 1:1,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

John 20:30-31 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 4:14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

2 Chronicles 16:9a For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.

Psalm 37:3-7a Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned- every one- to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matthew 11:28-29 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Mark 8:36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Luke 12:15 And he said to them, Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for ones life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

John 10:9-10 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

1 Corinthians 15:3-6 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Galatians 2:21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
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Confira o preco do seguro para o Chevrolet Onix

Saiba quando voce gastaria com o seguro do carro mais vendido do Brasil
Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Former first lady Nancy Reagan has died at the age of 94, according to a Reagan family spokesperson. CBS News reports that her cause of death was congestive heart failure. The one-time actress married actor and future president Ronald Reagan in 1952 while they were both working in the movie industry. According to biographer Lou Cannon, she then played an instrumental behind-the-scenes role in her husbands political career and ascension to both governor of California, and ultimately president of the United States. She also remained her husbands staunchest defender as, and after, he succumbed to Alzheimers disease after leaving the White House.

As an influential first lady, the issue Mrs. Reagan primarily focused on during her husbands time in office was the prevention of drug use by young people, and she was responsible for the infamous Just Say No slogan and campaign in the 1980s. Her efforts also helped lead to the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which Mrs. Reagan considered a personal triumph. That still-controversial law enacted, among other things, mandatory minimum sentences for drug possession, including for marijuana and small amounts of crack cocaine. Reagan continued her anti-drug efforts through the Nancy Reagan Foundation after leaving the White House.

Though Mrs. Reagan generated some controversy during her time as first lady, particularly over her dabbling with astrology following the 1981 assassination attempt on her husband, as well as for her lavish redecorating of the White House during a deep recession, for the most part she was widely liked around the country, and according to Gallup was one of the ten most-admired women in America for the duration of Ronald Reagans presidency.

A breast-cancer survivor, Mrs. Reagan also used her fame to promote annual mammograms for women, but her most important postWhite House contribution was as a prominent advocate for research into a cure for Alzheimers disease. To that end, she helped form the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute, an affiliate of the Alzheimers Association, and also eventually broke from the Republican Party to endorse the use of stem cell research in efforts to combat the disease.

Mrs. Reagan will be buried next to her husband at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
Babak Zanjani Photo: Facebook

A billionaire Iranian businessman has been sentenced to death by Irans judiciary for allegedly embezzling billions of dollars in oil revenue. According to Reuters, Babak Zanjani and two accomplices were convicted of spreading corruption on earth, which is a capital offense in Iran. The charges of fraud and economic crimes against them stem from Zanjanis alleged withholding of billions of dollars in oil revenue while using a web of some 65 companies across five countries to facilitate the sale of Iranian oil during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Zanjani had also been blacklisted by the U.S. and E.U. for helping Iran avoid international sanctions during that time.

Zanjani, one of the richest men in Iran, has said he was worth some $13.5 billion  which if true would also make him of the 100 richest people in the world  though some reports indicate he has equal-sized debts as well. Zanjani, who was apparently well-known in Iran for showing off his wealth, was arrested in 2013 after Iranian president Hassan Rouhani ordered his government to fight high-level corruption  an issue he had campaigned on preceding the recent election. Rouhanis order was specifically targeted at figures who had taken advantage of economic sanctions under the previous government, according to the BBC. Zanjani later received a rare public trial.

In addition to being sentenced to die, the defendants were also ordered to repay the embezzled funds, and pay fines equaling roughly one-third of what they allegedly stole. (Prosecutors have said that Zanjani owes the government some $2.7 billion.) Zanjani denies the charges, and his lawyers plan to appeal the ruling.

In related news, the BBC reports that the first shipment of Iranian oil to an EU country since international sanctions were lifted arrived in Spain on Sunday.
The race has likely narrowed to just Trump and Cruz. Photo: Getty Images

This was supposed to be a pretty cut-and-dried primary/caucus day. It generally was so for Democrats, with Bernie Sanders winning two caucuses in states  Kansas and Nebraska  with small non-white voting populations, and Hillary Clinton winning another southern primary  Louisiana  in a state where African-Americans cast half or more of the Democratic vote. Sanders will almost certainly add another caucus win tomorrow in Maine.

The four Republican contests today were anything but cut-and-dried. Going into today the closed caucus in Kansas looked to be Ted Cruzs best chance for an upset win. He won with nearly half the total vote, more than doubling Trumps, and probably winning 24 of 40 delegates. While nobody had much of an advance handle on Maines caucus, it was figured, like the rest of New England, to be Trump Country with John Kasich perhaps giving him a battle. Instead, Cruz won there, too, with 46 percent of the vote; Kasich finished a weak third behind Cruz and Trump and Marco Rubio managed to miss the relatively low 10 percent threshold for winning any delegates. In Kentucky, another closed caucus state expected to have very low turnout, Cruz again gave expected winner Trump a run for his money, falling short but not by much. Kasich had a decent showing in Kentucky counties bordering Ohio.

The networks have, however, called the Louisiana primary for Trump on the basis of a huge lead in early votes. But there its clear late deciders are cutting sharply into his margin, perhaps because of what happened at Thursday nights raucous debate in Detroit. In contrast to earlier contests, however, late deciders are going overwhelmingly for Cruz rather than Rubio. In fact, its looking like Rubio will likely miss still another states minimum threshold (in this case 20 percent) for delegates.

So theres not much question Ted Cruz at least temporarily reversed Donald Trumps momentum today, though his near misses in Kentucky and Louisiana have to be agonizing. It is certainly a bittersweet outcome for the Republican establishment. Aside from firming up Cruzs position as the candidate in second place and rising, it showed his reach: The white evangelical share of Maines population is about 17 percent, and Louisianas is only 20 percent. And you have to wonder if Cruzs original plan of building a coalition of Christian conservatives and libertarians might have finally found some pay dirt in Maine and in Rand Pauls Kentucky.

The silver lining for Donald Trump is that the two candidates the establishment is pining for had worse days than he did, and there are still plenty of reasons to doubt Cruz can pull off victories nationwide. (Not surprisingly, Trump in his victory speech called for Rubio to drop out of the race and expressed an eagerness for a one on one race with Cruz.) On top of that, neither Mitt Romney nor Paul Ryan  possible convention saviors for the establishment  got a single vote so far as we know. Marco Rubio will probably avoid a completely dreadful weekend with a win in Puerto Ricos primary tomorrow. But the way things have been going for him lately, anything could happen.
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan has died at age 94, reportedly from congestive heart failure. Married to President Ronald Reagan, she was the conservative ideal of a supportive, devoted wife, a political force in her own right, and a fashion icon famous for wearing American designers, not to mention her signature Reagan red.

During her years as First Lady, Reagan was regularly voted one of the most-admired women in the country. She was known for her simple and elegant style, wearing designers like James Galanos and Carolina Herrera, and never making a single faux pas, according to Oscar de la Renta.

Thats confirmed by James Galanos, one of her favorite designers. She never went to the extreme, he told W in 2007. Nancys daytime clothes were very clean and classic, what I call very good American style, the shirtwaist dresses and wonderful Adolfo suits. These clothes were perfect for her lifestyle, and she knew exactly what she was doing.



In a 2007 exhibit at the Reagan Library, 80 of her outfits were put on display, all a uniform size 2. Reagan maintained a tiny figure throughout her life, and was rumored to have battled anorexia.

Reagan was a great believer in the value of entertaining at the White House, pursuing and maintaining friendships with powerful Democrats and foreign leaders alike. Critics didnt always take as well to the First Lady, branding her as extravagant. A $200,000 order of new china for the White House shortly after the Reagans were installed earned her a lot of scorn, as did her acceptance of expensive gowns as gifts. Reagan poked fun at her clotheshorse reputation in a 1982 roast, where she sang a parody of Second Hand Rose titled Second Hand Clothes.

Its important that a First Lady be fashionable and glamorous, because she represents the country and its style, said Carolina Herrera. Reagans support for American designers and American fashion earned her a lifetime achievement award from the CFDA in 1988. See photos of the First Ladys style throughout the years.
"Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee is back for another round, brought to you by Great Northern Distilling: grain to glass spirits, handmade in Wisconsin. The whole month of March, we're serving up intoxicatingly fun articles on bars and clubs  including guides, the latest trends, bar reviews, the results of our Best of Bars readers poll and more. Grab a designated driver and dive in!

When it comes to Irish pubs in Brew City, OnMilwaukee readers really love County Clare. The lower East Side hotel, bar and restaurant nabbed the title of best Irish bar for the umpteenth year in a row.

County Clare, 1234 N. Astor St., is a small inn that serves great authentic food, including Irish root soup, shepherd's pie and corned beef and cabbage. With plenty of space to dine, drink or lounge by the fireplace, County Clare rarely feels cramped (except, of course, on St. Patrick's Day).

For the first time, Mo's Irish Pub beat out Paddy's Pub for second place, and the OnMilwaukee editors  after much debate  finally decided on McBob's as their Irish bar favorite.

OnMilwaukee editors' pick: McBob's

Runners-up:

2. Mo's Irish Pub

3. Paddy's Pub

4. O'Lydia's

5. McBob's
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It's not news to anyone that American elections have become long, costly, complicated, time-consuming affairs. Each campaign begins the day after the previous election, swamping news cycles and distorting public dialog for two to four years.

Of all the activities involved in the ongoing drama of politics, one should be quite simple: The final, affirmative act of casting a vote. Instead, voting has become more and more difficult, more and more complicated, and more and more subject to counting error over the years.

Sarah Breitenbach of the Pew Charitable Trust's Stateline project reports on a developing backlash against the problems of fragile high-tech voting systems. After Florida's "hanging chad" debacle in 2000, most states and cities moved to new, theoretically easier to use, but technologically more complex, voting machines. Those machines came with their own problems, including very real fears that election results could be (and perhaps were) hacked and manipulated.

More than a decade later, after years of acrimonious debate, close elections turning on questionable vote counts, and concerns about close relationships between politicians and voting machine manufacturers, this generation of machines is on its last legs and the search is on for replacements.

In that search, election authorities seem to largely be looking to the past. "Optical mark recognition" technology -- the hand-marked "fill in the circle next to your choice" ballot familiar to every public school student since the 1960s -- turns out to still be cheaper, more reliable, easier for voters to figure out, and hopefully more secure and trustworthy.

In truth, voting could be made simpler still. Many countries, by no means all of them lagging the US tech-wise, still use their eyes to scan and their hands to count plain old-fashioned paper ballots. For that matter, it still happens that in parts of the US, as everyone who closely watched coverage of the Iowa caucuses on February 1 saw on their television screens.

In 1864, America conducted a presidential election in the midst of civil war. The polling places were crowded with soldiers furloughed so they could vote. The ballots weren't just hand-marked and hand-counted, but weren't even standardized or printed by the government . Voters could get ballots from their candidates or parties of choice, or hand-write their own. The results were reported by telegraph. And yet the results were known by midnight on Election Day.

Voting could, and should, be that simple again.
Sunnyside District

(Where is the Sunnyside? See map in new window!)

In the late 1880s San Franciscan Behrend Joost signed a contract to provide dredging services for a canal-cutting venture in Panama. The attempt failed (a successful Panama Canal wouldn't come until 1914), but Joost got out with a lot of money for his work before the enterprise collapsed.

German-born, Joost had come to San Francisco as a teenager and had been a grocer, hardware salesman and small-scale real estate investor before starting the California Dredging Company. He put his new fortune to work by investing in real estate west of Glen Canyon. Development plans in western San Francisco had to be tied to efficient transportation to and from downtown, so Joost and his co-investors made sure they had both sides covered by starting the city's first interurban electric streetcar line. The "San Francisco and San Mateo Railway" had its grand opening on April 27, 1892 and its route conveniently ran past Joost's major land investment, "Sunnyside". 1

The Sunnyside subdivision abutted Adolph Sutro's vast forest on the west, the city's jail on the south and a ridgeline on the north, beyond which lay the pastoral Glen Park canyon. Despite the comparative wilderness, Joost's company went to great pains to point out that Sunnyside was "NOT in the sand dunes," and was indeed the "creme de la creme of San Francisco subdivisions". 2

When Joost's "Sunny Side Land Company" bought the land from Leland Stanford the surrounding area was mostly vegetable fields. Surveyed in January 1890, the plat map for Sunnyside was filed with the Recorder's office in April 1891. An alphabetical order to the street names progressed east to west, from Acadia to Hamburg (which sadly was changed to Ridgewood in later years), while the north-south were named for individuals (including Joost himself).

At the corner of today's Monterey Boulevard and Circular Way stood the powerhouse for Joost's electric railway (see image). In July 1891 came the first lot sale and by the end of December thirty-two more had been made. 3

But sales went slowly and the railway, beset by safety and other issues, ended up being a money loser. Joost eventually sold out his interests, and by 1900, less than 5% of Sunnyside's 2,250 lots had been built on. 4

Sunnyside's best know landmark arose in the early 1900s, when W.A. Merralls built San Francisco's "other conservatory" (the one not in Golden Gate Park) just north of today's Monterey Avenue between Baden and Congo. The Sunnyside Conservatory is city landmark #78 and owned by the Recreation and Park Department, but has had plenty of ups and downs through the years. Dedicated neighbors have been working hard to get it restored. 5

The housing shortage created by the 1906 earthquake and fire gave Sunnyside a boost in population and interest. Real estate salesmen predicted that the neighborhood would "within a short time be one of the most densely populated additions of the city." Schools and new streetcar lines, including the "10 Sunnyside", came with the new homes going up. 6

Eventually the city's various building booms caught up to the sparsely settled neighborhood. The razing of Sutro's forest for Westwood Park and Westwood Highlands opened up a path west as "Sunnyside Boulevard" merged into Monterey Boulevard. The old Ingleside Jail became City College and the various vegetable fields faded under concrete and homes. New streetcar lines, including the 10 Sunnyside reached the neighborhood. The small Victorian cottages were joined by stucco homes of the 1920s and 1930s and utilitarian duplexes of the 1950s and 60s.

The Sunnyside still feels like a working-class neighborhood despite acting as a gateway to the tonier enclaves to the west, such St. Francis Wood and Sherwood Forest. Perhaps because of the topography, and the dead-end streets created by City College and Interstate 280, Sunnyside has always had an isolated feeling---next to everything, but not a part of it.

And despite Joost's hopeful name choice, there's usually more fog than sun in Sunnyside.

Click on any corner of the map to see a close-up in a new window.

More on the Sunnyside:

Historical Images of the Sunnyside District



Images: 1) SF & SM Railway Powerhouse, 1900 Sanborn map image. Click here to see larger version in new window; 2) Sunnyside plat map broadsheet, California State Library, Sutro branch.

Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places!
Dialogue between Afghan govt and Taliban on stand still

ISLAMABAD: Efforts for reviving the reconciliation dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban ran into trouble on Saturday with the main faction of the insurgent group denying it planned to join the process, besides questioning its efficacy.



We unequivocally state that the leader of Islamic Emirate has not authorised anyone to participate in this meeting, said a statement by the Taliban, who officially call themselves Islamic Emirate  the moniker they used during the period they ruled Afghanistan.



The statement further reiterated the conditions the group has been stating all along for entering the peace dialogue  exit of foreign forces from Afghanistan, lifting of curbs on Taliban leaders and release of Taliban prisoners from Afghan jails.



The insurgent group headed by Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, which issued the statement, is the dominant militant faction in the Afghan war theatre and is also recognised by the Afghan government as a legitimate interlocutor. The faction is represented by its Political Office in Doha (Qatar). Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif last month visited Doha for enlisting support of the Qatari leadership for the initiative.



The statement ended hopes of the reconciliation negotiations commencing in the first week of this month  a timeline set by the four countries  Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the US  participating in the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) on Afghan reconciliation.



This is the second time that QCG has missed the deadline. It had initially planned to open the talks in the last week of February.



The reconciliation dialogue with the Taliban has been suspended since July last year when it transpired ahead of the second round of the process being pursued then that the insurgent groups leader Mullah Omar had been dead for over two years.



The factors cited by the group now for not returning to the negotiation table include intensification of operations by Afghan forces, deployment of US troops to the battlefield and their participation in air strikes and continuing night raids.



Peace talks will be meaningless in the light of these developments, the Taliban insist.



Despite the setback, officials engaged in preparations for the meeting that Pakistan is to host say they are still optimistic about the process starting very soon.



A top security official saw the statement as a pressure tactic by the Taliban and said that the entire process would not fall apart because of it.



It is a typical pre-negotiations tactic for setting negotiation agenda. We can only hope that they move away from this stated position, he stressed.



The QCG had last month adopted a roadmap, which lays out the various stages and timelines for the process. The official believes the delay would not disturb the roadmap.



It is important to remember that the roadmap is not an end, only a means. It delineates the process, and there can be adjustments, improvements, retuning as we move ahead, he said.



The immediate objective before the QCG was to get the process started before the launch of annual spring offensive by the Taliban so that violence could be lowered.



Afghanistans ambassador to Pakistan Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal too is hopeful that the talks would get under way soon. He was quoted by the Voice of America as saying: There is a lot happening in the background. He explained that the planned starting date of the first week of March was indicative that plans are moving forward.



The Talibans inflexibility on dialogue can cause problems for Pakistan.



Afghanistan has long been demanding that Pakistan stop providing shelter to the Taliban. But it was the first time that the Pakistan government at the recently concluded round of Strategic Dialogue with the US accepted to not allow the Taliban to use its soil any further.
Dialogue the only way to improve ties between Pakistan and India: Pak High Commissioner

JAIPUR: Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit stressed the need for uninterrupted talks between Pakistan and India for peace and regional stability, Radio Pakistan reported.



Basit, while addressing a function in Jaipur, said dialogue is the only way to improve ties between Pakistan and India.



Citing Kashmir as the root cause of all issues between the two countries, he said an environment of cooperation must persist for resolution of disputes.



Talks between foreign secretaries were to take place after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'surprise' visit to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the occasion of his granddaughter's wedding last year, but were relegated to the back burner after a siege on India's Pathankot air base in January.



India claims the air base attackers had come from Pakistan and had "probably crossed the border adjacent to the Pathankot general area", according to Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.



Following Indian accusations that militant group Jaish-i-Mohammad was responsible for the attacks, Pakistani authorities cracked down on the group, sealing a Jaish-run seminary in Sialkot and taking group leader Masood Azhar into protective custody.



Since then, a First-Information Report has been registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department against the air base attackers and two Joint Investigation Teams were constituted to probe the attack.



Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz last week said that a Pakistani team will visit India "in the next few days" to investigate the Pathankot attack and expressed hope that the foreign secretary-level talks would be scheduled soon after.



He pointed out that since the attack, Pakistan had taken a number of important steps for resumption of the talks.



Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah earlier said the registration of an FIR should dispel misgivings other countries have regarding Pakistan's commitment towards eradicating terrorism, in what appeared to be a response to accusations by Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that Pakistan was not serious about the Pathankot probe.
Malindo Air to expand their flights

LAHORE: Malindo Air, which has started its direct flights to Lahore, plans to expand next to Islamabad and Karachi. CEO Chandran Rama Muthy said the airline would also consider increasing its flights to Lahore.



We have started our four-times weekly flights. We plan to increase them to daily flights, he said after arriving here on the hybrid airlines inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.



He said Pakistan International Airlines now offered twice weekly flights on the Kuala Lumpur-Lahore route.



Chandran said Malaysians and transiting passengers from other Malindo Air destinations such as Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand or China could now look forward to a seamless connectivity to Lahore via Kuala Lumpur.



This will contribute to our objective of hyping up KL International Airport (KLIA) as an important transit and tourism hub in the region.



Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, who was also on the inaugural flight, said more tourists from Pakistan were expected to visit Malaysia following the introduction of the direct flight.



He said no Malaysian airline flew to Pakistan since Malaysia Airlines stopped its flights to the country four years ago.



There are a lot of economic opportunities here that have not been explored by Malaysians, he said, pointing out that Axiata would be coming to Pakistan for a business venture.



According to Malaysian High Commissioner to Pakistan Datuk Hasrul Sani Mujtabar, about 80,000 people visit Malaysia annually.



Shaheen Foundation Air managing director Marshal Jamshed Khan said Allama Iqbal International Airport had more than 100 flights weekly.



Malindo Air is the only Malaysian-based airline to fly direct to Lahore from Kuala Lumpur. The flight departs from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA2) on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.



It departs from KLIA2 at 5.30pm, arriving at the Allama Iqbal International Airport at 8.15pm. The return flight departs from Lahore at 9.05pm and arrives at KLIA2 the next day at 5.50am. One-way fares start from RM759 for economy class and RM1,849 for business class.
Religious parties rejected women protection bill

ISLAMABAD: Mainstream religious parties belonging to all schools of thought on Saturday rejected the women protection bill recently passed by the Punjab assembly and termed the hanging of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseers assassin a judicial murder.



The announcement was made at the official residence of Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the Ministers Colony here. The meeting was attended by Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq, Awais Noorani, son of late Shah Ahmed Noorani and the leader of Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (JUP-N), Dr Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair (JUP-N), Allama Arif Wahidi of Islami Tehreek of Allama Sajid Naqvi and Allama Abdul Aziz Hanif of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadis led by Senator Prof Sajid Mir.



Announcing the decisions of the meeting, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the participants rejected the judicial murder of Mumtaz Qadri and called him a martyr.



The mainstream religious parties will meet in Mansoora, Lahore, on March 15 to discuss the next course of action against the conspiracies being hatched by the government, the JUI-F chief said. He added that there were chances of a nationwide agitation against the ill-intended moves of the government  similar to the one organised by religious groups in 1977.



We understand that the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri was based on a bad intent and it could be part of a conspiracy to abolish the blasphemy laws in Pakistan. But we will never tolerate this, he said, adding: All such attempts by previous governments had failed and this will also happen now.



The JUI chief said the meeting also noted with concerns that the women protection bill had been promulgated by Punjab only to destroy and distort the family system in the country.



We all have agreed that domestic violence and ill-treatment of women should end and we will welcome laws in this regard. But the clauses in this bill will eventually lead to the break-up of society, he added. This is not right in an Islamic country and many clauses in the Bill are contrary to Quran and Sunnah.



He said the representatives of all the religious groups had decided to resist these moves as they termed it conspiracies to make Pakistan a secular country. Allama Arif Wahidi said they considered Qadris execution and passing of the women protection bill as devious moves by the ruling party as both the actions were planned and carried out secretly.



The religious leaders also criticised Pemra and the government over the blackout of all the news related to Mumtaz Qadri by the media.



When asked why he was speaking against the government when his party, the JUI-F, was a coalition partner, Maulana Fazal said he believed in a true democracy.



This is the true spirit of democracy. We are with the government but we have our principles and will not be part of any illegal or un-Islamic act, he said.



About the allegations of former Karachi nazim Mustafa Kamal against the MQM chief, Maulana Fazal said, As far as anybodys connections with RAW etc., are concerned, it is not our responsibility to check or correct it. Such allegations are not new regarding MQM but the agencies should be asked why they have failed to cap the alleged RAW links.
From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
Guest Post By Connor Curran*

Palomer v. McDonald, 27 Vet. App. 245 (2015) and Palomer v. McDonald, ____ F.3d ____ (Fed. Cir. 2016)

The content here at Patently-O tends to focus on intellectual property law; however, occasionally contributors wish to divert attention to other realms (for a brief period only, of course). In the interest of full disclosure, this blogpost is one of those occasions.

Most readers should know that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) hears patent appeals, but some readers may be surprised when told that the CAFC also hears, inter alia, appeals from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC).[1]

Palomer v. McDonald, 27 Vet. App. 245 (2015) is a case that was recently decided by the CAVC, which held 2-1 in favor of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA).[2] Mr. Palomer appealed that decision to the CAFC, and the oral argument is scheduled for March 7, 2016. Professor Angela Drake  who runs the Veterans Appeals Clinic at the University of Missouri School of Law  will tell Mr. Palomers story at oral argument, but I wish to tell you his story today. Before that story can be fully understood though, we must first revisit some of our nations history.

On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese Navy initiated the Battle of Pearl Harbor  a battle that resulted in the deaths of 2,403 U.S. soldiers, the injury of another thousand-plus soldiers, and the sinking of 4 out of the 8 battleships operated by the U.S. at the time.[3] December 7th, 1941 was, in fact, a date which would live in infamy, as President Roosevelt prophetically proclaimed to Congress the very next day. But if December 7th is infamous because it marks the date that Japan broke the international rules of engagement, then the next day, December 8th, 1941, is infamous as well because it marks the date that Filipino soldiers put their lives on the line in reliance on a promise that, for many, remains unfulfilled to this day.

On December 8th, 1941, only hours after bombing Pearl Harbor, the Japanese commenced an invasion of the Philippines, then a U.S. territory. The Japanese met resistance from active infantry[4] and from guerilla soldiers; and from 1942-1945, among those guerillas was one Emilio Palomer, who served in the Walter Cushing Guerrillas.

In 1941, but prior to December 8th, President Roosevelt promised Philippine soldiers U.S. citizenship and full veterans benefits should they serve in the United States Army Forces Far East (USAFFE). This promise was wildly successful as a recruiting mechanism, although it would later become known as Roosevelts forgotten promise to Filipino soldiers, going unfulfilled for over half a century.

After WWII was over, Congress passed the Rescission Act of 1946, defining service by Filipino soldiers serving the USAFFE prior to 1946 as not . . . active . . . for the purposes of . . . conferring rights, privileges, or benefits upon any person.[5] It was not until 2009  over 60 years later  that Filipino soldiers, pursuant to the creation of the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund (FVECF), were allowed to lay claim to the benefits they had been promised and had earned.[6] But, at least for Mr. Palomer, Congress remembering Roosevelts broken promise in 2009 is not the same as keeping that promise  equating the two will depend upon the willingness of the CAFC to use its equitable powers to see to it that justice prevails.

Heres how Mr. Palomer ended up before the CAFC. Mr. Palomer filed a claim to receive benefits under the FVECF between 2009 and 2010, and submitted as proof of his service the following: his certificate of service from the Walter Cushing Guerillas, his Pledge Form, his Oath of Office, and a Confirmation of Officers and Enlisted Men Record. The Manila Regional Office (RO) denied his claim in 2010, relying solely upon the finding of the National Records Personnel Center (NPRC) concluding that he did not establish that his service in the Walter Cushing Guerillas was in the service of the United States Armed Forces.

Mr. Palomer appealed to the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA), who affirmed in 2013. Then, in Tagupa v. McDonald, 27 Vet. App. 95, 98 (2014), the CAVC held that an RO has to check with both the NPRC and the Department of the Army in verifying active service, thus an RO cannot rely on the conclusion of only one of those entities in denying a claim for lack of proof of active service in the United States Armed Forces. Accordingly, Mr. Palomer filed a Motion for Reconsideration, but it was sent 13 days late,[7] and ultimately denied. Mr. Palomer then filed a timely Notice of Appeal with the CAVC.

Before the CAVC, the VA moved to dismiss due to the Motion for Reconsideration being 13 days late. Mr. Palomer argued that equitable tolling should apply because, inter alia, he lives in the Phillipines and experiences a mail delay of 2-3 weeks; thus, he received his denial notice at least 13 days late which should make up for the fact that he filed his Motion for Reconsideration 13 days late. Additionally, Mr. Palomer is over 90 years of age and in deteriorating health when it comes to his eyesight and hearing; as such, he relies upon the translation of written communications via a third party.

The CAVC acknowledged that equitable tolling could apply, but found that Mr. Palomers circumstances did not allow for it. Specifically, they found that Mr. Palomer failed to show that an extraordinary circumstance was present, even though veterans who live in the United States do not ordinarily experience mail delays of 2-3 weeks and even though Mr. Palomer is an elderly WWII veteran who does not speak English and who cannot read without the aid of a translator. On top of that, the CAVC noted that:

[a]lthough the inefficiencies in the delivery of mail between the United States and the Philippines may be a circumstance beyond Mr. Palomers control, he fails to assert, let alone demonstrate, that he had an inadequate amount of time to consider his options and timely mail his request for reconsideration.[8]

This language is notable for two reasons. First, the CAVC admits that the mail delay is beyond Mr. Palomers control, which matters because the CAVC has held previously that a common factor in all decisions adopting extraordinary circumstances as a basis for equitable tolling is the requirement that the extraordinary circumstance be beyond the claimants control.[9] Second, the CAVC seems to reason that, even if an extraordinary circumstance was present, Mr. Palomer still lost because he could have overcome the extraordinary circumstance with diligence after the mailing delay.

Now that Mr. Palomer is before the CAFC, he asserts, inter alia, that the CAVC erred as to a matter of law in that the CAVC applied an improper standard of diligence. As Mr. Palomer contends, the CAVC, instead of requiring only that Mr. Palomer show that he was diligent during the period seeking to be tolled  the 2-3 week mailing delay  required that he show that he was diligent throughout the entire 120 day time limit. And indeed, the CAFC has held that the former approach, known as the stop-clock approach, is the correct standard of diligence.[11] So it seems as though the CAVC did err but, of course, we will have to wait and see whether the CAFC agrees.

For now, all there is to do is hope that the CAFC chooses justice over deference, because after 60 years of broken promises, it would certainly be unjust and inequitable for Mr. Palomers claim to the compensation he earned to be dismissed on a non-jurisdictional technicality of a filing being 13 days late  especially considering his extraordinary circumstances such as his age, deteriorating health, dependence upon a third party for translation of written communications, and the 14 day mailing delay that he experienced but that no veteran living in the United States would have encountered.

After all, it was because of where Mr. Palomer lived  in the Philippines during the Japanese invasion  that the promise of benefits compensation was first made to him; therefore, it should not be because of where he lives that said promise is allowed to continue to remain the very worst kind of promise, broken and unfulfilled.

= = = = = = = = = = =

Documents:

= = = = = = = = = = =

* Connor Curran is a 3L and member of the Veterans Clinic at the University of Missouri School of Law.

[1] The CAVC is an Article I tribunal created by Congress in 1988 to provide judicial review of the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA), which is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

[2] Judge Greenberg dissented against Chief Judge Kasold and Judge Shoelen.

[3] See http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/18arizona/18charts1.htm.

[4] Five months prior to the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, on July 26, 1941, President Roosevelt, suspicious of imminent war with Japan, created the United States Army Forces Far East (USAFFE) and issued a Presidential Order calling the Philippine Commonwealth Army into the service of the Armed Forces of the United States. See 6 Fed. Reg. 3825.

[5] See 38 U.S.C.  107.

[6] See American Recovery and Reinvestment Act  1002.

[7] 38 U.S.C.  7266(a) allows a person adversely affected by a decision of the BVA 120 days to file a notice of appeal with the CAVC.

[8] Palomer v. McDonald, 27 Vet. App. 245, 252 (2015).

[9] McCreary v. Nicholson, 19 Vet.App 324, 331 (2005).

[10] Mr. Palomer also contends that the CAVC erred in that it failed to find the mailing delay to be an extraordinary circumstance in contradiction of its precedent and that the CAVC erred in that it failed to find his deteriorating health to be an extraordinary circumstance in contradiction of its precedent.

[11] See Checo v. Shinseki, 748 F.3d 1373, 1378 (Fed. Cir. 2014).
Sigange is up at 5020 Centre Ave. ( map ) for Fudi Asian Mart, an Asian grocery coming soon to Shadyside. The location was formerly home t...
Apple says the FBI demand to allow the law enforcement agency to break into a locked iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers would make all its devices vulnerable

As Apple's legal battle with the FBI over encryption heads toward a showdown, there appears little hope for a compromise that would placate both sides and avert a divisive court decision.

The FBI is pressing Apple to develop a system that would allow the law enforcement agency to break into a locked iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, a demand the tech company claims would make all its devices vulnerable.

In an effort to break the deadlock, some US lawmakers are pushing for a panel of experts to study the issue of access to encrypted devices for law enforcement in order to find common ground.

Senator Mark Warner and Representative Mike McCaul on Monday proposed the creation of a 16-member "National Commission on Security and Technology Challenges."

But digital rights activists warn that the issue provides little middle groundthat once law enforcement gains a "back door," there would be no way to close it.

"We are concerned that the commission may focus on short-sighted solutions involving mandated or compelled back doors," said Joseph Hall, chief technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology.

"Make no mistake, there can be no compromise on back doors. Strong encryption makes anyone who has a cell phone or who uses the Internet far more secure."

FBI Director James Comey told a congressional panel that some answers are needed because "there are times when law enforcement saves our lives, rescues our children"

Kevin Bankston of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute expressed similar concerns.

"We've already had a wide range of blue ribbon expert panels consider the issue," he said.

"And all have concluded either that surveillance back doors are a dangerously bad idea, that law enforcement's concerns about 'going dark' are overblown, or both."

The debate had been simmering for years before the Apple-FBI row.

Last year, a panel led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists warned against "special access" for law enforcement, saying they pose "grave security risks" and "imperil innovation."

Opening up all data

"I'm not sure there is much room for compromise from a technical perspective," said Stephen Wicker, a Cornell University professor of computer engineering who specializes in mobile computing security.

Opening the door to the FBI effectively makes any data on any mobile device available to the government, he said.

"This is data that was not available anywhere 10 years ago, it's a function of the smartphone," Wicker said.

Apple has indicated it is ready for a "conversation" with law enforcement on the matter of encryption

"We as a country have to ask if we want to say that anything outside our personal human memory should be available to the federal government."

Apple has indicated it is ready for a "conversation" with law enforcement on the matter.

But FBI Director James Comey told a congressional panel that some answers are needed because "there are times when law enforcement saves our lives, rescues our children."

Asked about the rights envisioned by the framers of the US constitution, he said, "I also doubt that they imagined there would be any place in American life where law enforcement, with lawful authority, could not go."

A brief filed on behalf of law enforcement associations argued that because of Apple's new encryption, criminals "have now switched to the new iPhones as the device of choice for their criminal wrongdoing."

Ed Black, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which includes major technology firms but not Apple, said that although tech firms and law enforcement have had many battles, "there are many areas where we cooperate and where we find middle ground."

But Black said the tech sector is largely united in this case because the FBI wants Apple to create weaker software or introduce "malware" to be able to crack the locked iPhone.

"On this narrow specific issue of 'can companies be compelled to create malware,' I think there may not be an answer," he said.

'Going dark' fears

Law enforcement fears about "going dark" in the face of new technology have been largely exaggerated, Black said.

While access to encrypted apps and smartphones is difficult and traditional wiretaps don't work on new technology, "there are a lot of other tools for law enforcement," he said.

"There is more information available in 2016 than in any year since the founding of the country."

Although law enforcement has growing expectations about using technology to thwart criminals, that type of power is too broad, Black added.

"If they are seeking a level of total surveillance capability, I don't see a compromise available," he said.

Wicker said that to give law enforcement access, Congress could in theory mandate that devices use automatic cloud backups that could not be disabled. But that would constitute a dramatic departure from current views about privacy.

"From an individual rights standpoint," he said, "that would take away control by the user of their personal information."

Explore further Apple ready for encryption 'conversation': lawyer

 2016 AFP
In this Feb. 15, 2016 photo, a student demonstrates how emojis are used during a research session on the Kansas State University campus in Olathe, Kan. The Sensory and Consumer Research Center at Kansas State University-Olathe is developing a scientific methodology to measure children's responses to food using face emojis. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

The smiling, blissful and confused-looking emojis dotting the electronic landscape may hold the key to ferreting out grade-school children's true feelings about foods, Kansas researchers say, and could help schools across the nation cut down on lunchroom food waste.

Most school lunch programs in the U.S. already do taste tests, but their efforts pale in comparison to the scope of the research project at the Sensory and Consumer Research Center at Kansas State University Olathe, which is developing a scientific methodology to measure children's face-emoji responses to food. So far, kids in Kansas and Ghana have been the guinea pigs.

The goal is to create an "emoji ballot" that's "applicable internationally across cultures, across countries," said Marianne Swaney-Stueve, who manages the center. "And there really is no language barrier." The researchers also hope it will help schools pick foods that children will eat and help manufacturers make products that schools will want to buy.

Food waste has been more of an issue in the United States since new federal nutrition regulations were implemented in 2012 that mandated healthier products in school lunches. For example, more than 26 percent of the food budget at Boston's middle schools was discarded by students, according to a study cited by the nonprofit School Nutrition Association. If translated nationwide, that would be more than $1.23 billion of school food wasted each year.

In this Feb. 15, 2016 photo, a student demonstrates how emojis are used during a research session on the Kansas State University campus in Olathe, Kan. The Sensory and Consumer Research Center at Kansas State University Olathe is developing a scientific methodology to measure children's responses to food using face emojis. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Already, about three-quarters of U.S. school districts are doing taste tests with students and nearly all have implemented initiatives such as nutrition education or locally grown foods in an effort to make meals more appetizing, according to an association survey of 1,100 schools conducted last year.

"School nutrition professionals are always looking for new ideas to promote healthier choices to students ... to find ways to get more student feedback so they can develop kid-approved menus that are healthy and also appealing to students," association spokeswoman Diane Pratt-Heavner said.

Despite those efforts, government data shows more than 1 million fewer students are choosing school lunches.

The emoji methodology research, which began in 2014, first started with focus groups of children ages 7 to 11 in Olathe.

In this Feb. 15, 2016 photo, graduate research assistant Katy Gallo assists students at the research center on the Kansas State University campus in Olathe, Kan. The smiling, winking and crying emojis dotting the electronic landscape may hold the key to ferreting out grade-school children's true feelings about foods. Kansas researchers say that could help schools across the nation cut down on lunchroom food waste. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Children in the focus group tasted and rated three foods: plain oatmeal, pepperoni pizza Lunchables and Japanese Ramune soda. The premise was to have food that was boring, familiar and an "out-of-the-box" item that participants had not likely encounteredthe sweet, strawberry-flavored soda is packaged in a bottle with a marble that releases carbon dioxideto provide a baseline comparison for testing responses to other foods.

The Lunchables were well-liked, but the soda was "polarizing" because some thought it tasted like medicine, doctoral student Katy Gallo said. The children also rated the oatmeal disappointing because it lacked flavor, though some were hungry and ate all of it anyway.

Researchers used those results to determine which emojis and words the children used and which ones were confusing, then questioned them about their favorite foods and how those made them feel. They narrowed down students' choices to 28 face emojis and 28 words.

In a later taste test, researchers had the children emoji-rate other foods. They had particularly positive emoji responses, pointing to the grinning face, smiling face with smiling eyes or a smile with the tongue out, to the chocolate graham snacks, orange juice, white bread and white grapes. The least-liked food tested, earning a worried face, confused face or confounded face: fresh spinach.

In this Feb. 15, 2016 photo, a student demonstrates how emojis are used during a research session on the Kansas State University campus in Olathe, Kan. The Sensory and Consumer Research Center at Kansas State University Olathe is developing a scientific methodology to measure children's responses to food using face emojis. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Brenan Kuzmic, an 11-year-old, said the emojis made it easier for him to communicate. Chocolate graham snacks won a smiley face from him, while the fresh spinach earned just a "normal face," he said.

Similar polling was done with 12-year-old students at 10 schools in Accra, Ghana, to see if cultural differences existed in emoji use.

"They are at an age where they have opinions, and sometimes they don't feel like they are being heard," Gallo said of all the students. "And so they really appreciate being able to give that kind of feedback."

Researchers will return to Ghana for the next phase of testing this month, followed by similar taste tests in Olathe in May. They also plan to further narrow the number of emojis kids can choose.

The school lunch program at Ashburn, Virginia-based Loudoun County Public Schools, north of Washington, D.C., has used three emojisone with a big smile, another with a straight line for a mouth and one with a frownat taste parties for years, said Becky Domokos-Bays, supervisor of school nutrition services.

Domokos-Bays, who's also president-elect for the School Nutrition Association, was intrigued by the Kansas research, saying she would "absolutely" be interested in using that emoji methodology with her students.

"Our opinion doesn't count so much as theirs does," Domokos-Bays said. "Because they are the ones who are eating."

 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all ones lifetime...... Mark Twain




Two good items

And so Bavarian savings banks have had enough. The Frankfurter Algemeine has obtained a memo by the Association of Bavarian Savings Banks that openly encourages its member banks to stash cash in their own vaults rather than depositing it at the ECB and paying the penalty interest of 0.3% to the ECB on these deposits. The savings banks therefore are asking if it might be more economical for them to keep high cash values in their safes and not - as usual  store them at the ECB, the memo said.

Two encouraging items from Europe in the War on Savers: (1) At Yves Smith's blog, a commenter from Poland reports a set of refreshing facts that aren't getting into the normal "news". Poland, along with other ex-Soviet countries, is sticking firmly with paper rectangles. Most transactions are cash. Even checks are unpopular. Any bank in those countries that tried to place limits on cash transactions would get in real trouble,It's the old Baptists and Bootleggers routine, sort of inverted. Verifies my general notion that old-fashioned venal corruption is far better for ordinary people than high-minded ideological corruption. (2) Just outside the Soviet bloc, the banks in Bavaria have rebelled against NIRP, at least for their own transactions with the central bank.This won't necessarily transpose into interest for savers, but at least it's a semi-official recognition that ZIRP/NIRP is bad forNext day: It's fully official. A board member of Bundesbank has joined the call to halt anti-cash laws! Unfortunately there's nothing remotely encouraging in USA STRONG. All bad.

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Chairman of the Union, Alhaji Idris Hassan said any such information in the public that COCOBOD workers were threatening a revolt was untrue.

It would be recalled that the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) hinted creating unrests which could adversely affect the fortunes of cocoa production in the country.

According to the Union, the attitude and management style of the company is creating tension among employees, unions, as well as management staff, and this could soon trigger unrests.

Alhaji Hassan said workers of the company expressed surprise about the hint of unrest and sought for clarifications from the leadership of the Union.

There is no revolt or any intended strike in the company, there is sanity and workers are going on with their normal duties without fear or victimization, there is serious harmony among workers and management of the company he said.

He said there is no such wrangling in the company and that the issue emanated because the COCOBOD workers have plans of breaking away from the ICU and as a result, the Union brought these issues to create tension among workers.

Alhaji Hassan said the case is currently before the courts and assured all workers of the company that there is theoretical and practical labour harmony between the workers, leaders and management of COCOBOD.
The syllabus is said to be heavily concentrated on content knowledge, scientific concepts and theories with little or no attention being paid to scientific literacy that enabled students to cope with the applications of science to make informed judgment about scientific issues affecting their daily lives.

A Education Professor at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Professor Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, Department of Science and Mathematics Education, therefore admonished the curriculum developers to revisit the 2012 Primary and Junior High School (JHS) curriculum and address the issue of how much content was necessary at that level to be able to have an improved scientific literacy society.

Prof. Ghartey Ampiah was speaking on the topic "Pre-Tertiary Science Education in Ghana: Curriculum, Teaching, Resource and Students Performance" at an inaugural lecture organized by the UCC on Thursday.

He explained that with a loaded curriculum and unrealistic goals for children at the basic school level, the attempt to delineate what aspects of science were important to learn and what should be studied beyond basic science literacy would be beneficial to students, but this had proven elusive in Ghana.

According to him, pupils in primary schools, given their age, level of comprehension and the resources available for teaching them the subject, could not exhibit these skills and knowledge required by the syllabus.

Basic electronics was introduced in the 2012 MOE curriculum at the primary to JHS level. A tall order for JHS students that have no laboratories, no equipment for carrying out experiments to develop the 16 science process skills quoted by the curriculum.

The science curriculum also expects JHS students to experiment both to physically explore and discuss knowledge within their environment and in the laboratory to be able to contribute new scientific principles and ideas to the body of knowledge already existing in their culture. This is incredible, he stressed.

He stated that the content of science curriculum at the Basic school level have been changed four times from 1987 to 2007 but, the expectations of science curriculum balancing profile dimensions in the right proportions had since not been achieved .

The education professor argued that the philosophy of the curriculum developers on relative importance of the three profile dimensions did not match the structure of the curriculum and has therefore confused teachers as to where to lay the emphasis.

He said in doing so, the emphasis has tilted heavily towards the acquisition of knowledge and understanding instead of application, attitude and process skills.

A study conducted by the Institute of Education in 2015, showed that out of 2416 teacher trainees who took part in an untrained teacher education programme, 97 per cent of them failed in a test made up of primary, JHS and SHS content.

He said the analysis from the answers given clearly indicated that the teachers teaching the students at the basic school themselves have little or no knowledge on the subject.

He said the West African Examination Councils(WAEC) results for Integrated science for the past five years have shown disturbing trends but the underlying factors in the decline in general performance were not being addressed.

Prof. Ampiah emphasized that it was ironic because from his investigations, questions set for Primary, Junior and Senior High Schools were predominantly on knowing with a few on applying and reasoning.

He therefore recommended to WEAC and other examinable bodies, schools and colleges to raise the level of their questions for the students to incorporate higher order questions.

Prof. Domwini D. Kuupole, Vice Chancellor, UCC who chaired the programme stressed that it would take a collective responsibility to address the numerous challenges in relation to curriculum, teaching, resources and student performances.

He called on the Government and all stakeholders to invest in the human, material and logistics of science education to be able to develop as a nation.
Ibrahim Oniyide killed his mother by stabbing her with a kitchen knife and slashed her body with broken bottle.

According to reports the deceased identified as Tawa Oniyide rejected her son's eight month pregnant fiancee on the grounds that he should have introduced her earlier during the early stage of the pregnancy.

Ibrahim got furious over his mothers refusal to accept his future partner, he reportedly storm into the kitchen and grabbed the knife his mother was using to peel yam and stabbed her in different parts until he confirmed she was dead.

Ibrahim was arrested by the police after the incident and was charged before an Ebutte Magistrates Court for murder
According to the Service, about 50 to 70 cases are recorded among every 100,000 women in Ghana.

A health specialist with the GHS, Hajia Asana Sumani made this disclosure during a one-day forum on breast cancer examination.

The event was organised by the Department of Gender in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Tamale.

The event was to share experiences acquired on the breast and cervical cancers activities carried out after some selected 60 women groups leaders were trained on the disease last year.

Hajia Sumani stated that about 99 per cent of all cases of breast cancer in the country were women while the one per cent cases were men.

This phenomenon is very worrying and therefore needs a concerted effort in detecting and treating the disease early enough to save the lives of women, she said.

She also advised girls and women to also stop inserting foreign chemicals into their vagina, since these could cause cervical cancer.

She urged the women to educate their groups in the local way to create awareness on the effects and the prevention of the diseases.

The participants were also taken through breast examination for early detection of cases and also to show them how they could exam the breast themselves.

Hajia Sumani advised women to visit the hospital for breast examination every two years.
Here's what he said:

"At long last, the battle has ended!

And thus Ghana, your beloved country is free forever.

And yet again I want to take the opportunity to thank the chiefs and people of this country, the youth, the farmers, the women who have so nobly fought and won this battle.

Also I want to thank the valiant ex-service men who have so co-operated with me in this mighty task of freeing our country from foreign rule and imperialism.

And as I pointed out... I made it quite clear that from now on  today  we must change our attitudes, our minds, we must realise that from now on, we are no more a colonial but a free and independent people.

But also, as I pointed out, that also entails hard work.

Reshaping Ghana's destiny

I am depending upon the millions of the country, and the chiefs and people, to help me to reshape the destiny of this country.

We are prepared to pick it up and make it a nation that will be respected by every nation in the world.

We know we are going to have difficult beginnings, but again, I'm relying upon your support, I'm relying upon your hard work.

Seeing you in this it doesn't matter how far my eye goes, I can see that you are here in your millions and my last warning to you is that you are to stand firm behind us so that we can prove to the world that when the African is given a chance he can show the world that he is somebody!

We have awakened. We will not sleep anymore. Today, from now on, there is a new African in the world!

Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.

That new African is ready to fight his own battles and show that after all, the black man is capable of managing his own affairs.

We are going to demonstrate to the world, to the other nations, that we are prepared to lay our own foundation.

Our own African identity

As I said in the assembly just minutes ago, I made a point that we are going to create our own African personality and identity. It's the only way that we can show the world that we are ready for own own battles.

But today, may I call upon you all - that on this great day, let us all remember that nothing in the world can be done unless it's had the purport and support of God.

We have won the battle and we again re-dedicate ourselves ... Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.

Let us now fellow Ghanaians, let us now ask for God's blessing and for only two seconds in your thousands and millions, I want to ask you to pause only for one minute and give thanks to almighty God for having led us through our difficulties, imprisonments, hardships and suffering to have brought us to the end of our trouble today.

One minute silence.
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According to him, the successes and failures of this nation belong to all of us because this country belongs to all of us.

He made these remarks during his address at Ghanas 59 independence anniversary celebration at the Black Star Square in Accra.

In his address, he indicated that each Ghanaians can choose to play a role no matter how seemingly minor in moving our dear nation Ghana forward.

He however, advised that citizens must not invest themselves only in the successes chalked but also in the challenges because each of us is the face of Ghana.

Helpful political discussions

The President admitted that in as much the nation has seen an appreciable level of development, certainly there remains much more work to be done.

He acknowledged the differing political views of each citizen but stressed that political discussions must strengthen who we are as one nation and to find solutions to the challenges that face us.

President Mahama warned that Ghanaians must not encourage conversations and activities that discourage us, to divide us, to weaken our morale or limit our potential in this particular moment.

We cannot afford to cut off our nose to spite our face not when so many have sacrificed so much for us to succeed he added.

Keep the Black Star shining

In his address, President Mahama pointed out that every individual citizen is the face of Ghana and must therefore; work hard to keep the Black Star shining

The name Ghana means something to the world, it represents a kinship, a determination, a disposition, a resolve, it represents perseverance, it represents dignity, it represents integrity, he said.
Addressing the 59th Independence Day parade in Accra, President Kenyatta, he noted that in as much as African nations are working to develop the continent, a lot more can be done.

According to him, Africa is a making a deliberate shift to boost intra-Africa trade for the ultimate development of the whole continent in the spirit of pan-Africanism

He encouraged Ghana to continue to work together with his country, Kenya so as to enhance trade between the two countries which continues to record steady growth.
The country should have the grounds toward commemorating this special day especially when it has managed to deafen the alarming sounds of poor education caused by poor facilities and unavailability of basic requirement, a statement signed by NUGS Press and Information Secretary, Thomas Takyi-Bonsu said.

Below is the full statement from NUGS

59 YEARS WITHOUT BETTER EDUCATION FACILITIES AND ADEQUATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE YOUTH IS NOT WORTHY TO BE CELEBRATED

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) wish to pronounce that indeed it is important to remember the great day of Independence which is 6th March but not to celebrate it on the expense of poor education facilities and over 120,000 unemployed graduates.

Ghana is 59 years now after the declaration of independence by Kwame Nkrumah, which he further stated that The black man is capable of managing his own affairs meanwhile Ghana is still struggling to manage basic education. It is sad to see students sit on bare floor and others sit under trees for basic education whiles there are inadequate employment opportunities for the youth heretofore we spend billions of cedis to celebrate it.

Now, the question is, what have we to celebrate? Is it to again shower unfortunate praise on the devastating effects of poor education facilities and unemployment on the lives of the Ghanaians? Or to praise the economic hardship in the country which is collapsing businesses that have employed some youth?

With that, we even doubt Ghana can still boast of being the first African country to have independence, this is because Ghana has nothing to show off.

We are by this release advocating that in as much as it is good to remember our independence day, Ghana should invest the resources used in celebrating in better education which we believe is the best way in developing a nation. The country should have the grounds toward commemorating this special day especially when it has managed to deafen the alarming sounds of poor education caused by poor facilities and unavailability of basic requirement.

Education continues to be a right not a privilege.

Aluta Continua, Victoria ascerta!

Thank you.

SIGNED
He said other emerging markets were experiencing similar lower investment levels; stating that this is in particular to primary commodity exporting markets.

A statement issued by Mr Fidel Amoah, the Content Manager of Lamudi Ghana and copied to the Ghana News Agency, saidd Mr Martey believes that part of the reason is due to the decline in prices of Ghanas main commodities, especially crude oil.

The sharp decline in crude oil price saw investment slow down not only in the Ghanaian sector but other West African countries as well. As a result, it affected foreign employment levels in Ghana negatively, he said.

The Ghana Investment Promotion Center last month released results of FDI in 2015, indicating a 31 per cent decrease from 2014s US$3.4 billion.

Mr. Martey said apart from the adverse impact of the lower oil prices on capital investments by the foreign investors, the country had also increased its expenditure against expected crude oil revenue.

He said, however, the last two years has seen a dip in actual revenue, meaning an increase in debt finance indices and exchange rate pressures; stating that this he believes could also have been one of the reasons investors are averse to invest.

The countrys ability to refinance its debts has been negatively affected by the lower crude oil price.

One of the governments debt management strategies is the establishment of the sinking fund. Its source of funding is from excess crude oil revenue above the cap on the stabilization fund.

However, when you have a situation where crude oil price drops, revenue inflows to the sinking fund is affected. This would constrain the countrys progress towards managing and servicing its debts, he said.

The Economic Analyst also said that the countrys power challenges could be another leading reason why foreign investment in the country has reduced.

He said power cuts also raised the cost of doing business, serving as a disincentive for investors.

Other factors he attributed to the reduction in FDI were bureaucracy and the countrys tax regime.

He said these two factors affect the competitiveness and productivity of businesses operating within that environment.

He observed that the demand for luxury housing could be affected as a result of less influx of expatriates; domestic employment however increased by over 15 per cent according to GIPCs report.

Akua Nyame-Mensah, the Managing Director of property portal, Lamudi Ghana, said the domestic employment growth has created a great opportunity for real estate developers.

The focus for the Ghanaian real estate market is currently luxury housing. Though the reduction in expat employment may not affect real estate business drastically, it still would have some slight implications, she stated.

Meanwhile, the GIPC report indicates growth in local employment. This serves as a great opportunity for real estate developers to diversify and tailor their products to this segment of the Ghanaian population, she added.

Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets.

The fast-growing platform is currently available in 32 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with more than 800,000 real estate listings across its global network.

The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list properties online.
Independence, it denoted both political and economic freedom. On the eve of independence, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah delivered his famous speech which to this day is played especially on Independence Day celebrations. In the speech he declared "The black man is capable of managing his own affairs", and it was time to prove it to the rest of the world. 59 years down the development road what can we show in response to Nkrumahs mantra?

In my opinion, Ghana has done tremendously well in living up to the mantra, though we havent fully exploited our potential as a people, there is still much room for improvement. As we celebrate another year of independence and prosperity, we should always remember the words of Kwame Nkrumah to be an independent state.

Ghana has enjoyed enviable peace and stability; one of commendation for the good people of the country. Certainly it has not been all peaceful after independence, the nation has had its fair share of political instability; a result of coup detats.

However under the 4th republican dispensation which has lasted over 20 years now, we have seen the desired peace, religious and ethnic tolerance, as well as political stability with power changing from one political party to the other.

With the rule of law in place, that is ensuring the separation of powers, press freedom and decentralization, certainly this nation is on the right path and has really proven to the world that if given the chance we can also manage our affairs with or without the help of foreign involvements.

Ghana is indeed telling a story to the rest of the world that "We are capable of managing our own affairs" but has Ghana been independent after the 1966 coup which saw the overthrow of Dr Kwame Nkrumah by the likes of General A. A Afrifa, Major-Gen Ankrah and Colonel Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka?

Ghana became the first country in Africa to provide free education and medical care for her people. Two more universities, one at Cape Coast and the other in Kumasi were established to bring the total number of universities to three.

The well-planned network of roads, an international airport in Accra and one of the highest standard of living in Africa are achievements that the average Ghanaian could be proud of.

But more need to be done.

My beloved country after 59 years have been bedevilled with erratic power crisis popularly called 'Dumsor'.

Ghana is now a country at a high risk of debt distress.

Economy and oil sector

Governments have increased the debt stock from GH9.5 billion in 2008 to some GH99.0 billion currently.

In dollar terms, government has, therefore, borrowed some US$37 billion in 7 years! In contrast, President Kwame Nkrumah borrowed the equivalent of some $2.5 billion between 1957 and 1966 and President Kufuor borrowed some $5billion between 2001 and 2008. Reckless borrowing has led us to a debt stock that is 73% of GDP, which is beyond the threshold of debt sustainability.

The importance of natural resources to the growth of a countrys economy cannot be underestimated. Ghanas economy since independence has undoubtedly been supported partly by some of these natural resources.

We have depended heavily on donor partners like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and other international agencies to grow our economy.

Ghana's dream of joining the ranks of global oil exporting countries became a reality in December 2010 as the nation pumped her first oil at the Jubilee Oilfield at Cape Three Points in the Western Region. Is our oil discovery a blessing or a curse? This question has no answer. Where are the generated funds from the oil industry?

Agriculture and Industry

Agriculture and industry, which should be the key drivers of the economy, are doing very badly. Last year, agriculture as a sector grew by only 0.04%. This was because crops generally recorded negative growth of -1.7% and cocoa declined in growth from 4.3% in 2014 to 3.0% in 2015.

Corruption

The claim of the fight against corruption is further undermined by the fact that the Independent Governance Institutions mandated to perform this function have been starved of funds despite some efforts made to fight the canker.

Press freedom

Ghana has a vibrant press that plays a key role in political discourse and national identity. The news media have given voice to popular campaigns for independence, national unity, development, and democracy establishing a distinguished history of political activism for Ghanaian journalism.

Journalism plays a crucial role in contemporary processes of democracy in Ghana, providing a common sphere of dialogue among diverse political and economic interests as well as the voices of popular culture.

Independence Day should not only be seen as freedom from cruel political rule that was deemed slavery but freedom from the threats of extreme poverty and hunger and for that matter the need to ensure development.
CPP Chairman, Professor Edmund N. Delle expressed shock and total disappointment about the statement attributed to Mr Franklin Jantuah, a member of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumahs Cabinet.

The CPP abhors any form of discrimination either based on social class, political affiliation, health status, religious affinity, ethnic background. It is against the spirit and letter of the 1992 Constitution.

The CPP dissociates the leadership, the Party and the rank and file from the unfortunate statement of Mr Jantuah, Prof Delle stated.

The last surviving member of the Kwame Nkrumah administration, Mr Jantuah was alleged to have made derogatory remarks about Mr Greenstreet mainly due to his disability.

Prof Delle said the party was committed and pledged its total support for Mr Greenstreet in spite of the disability.

Mr Greenstreet who served two terms as the General Secretary of the Party has demonstrated his capacity and capability to withstand and overcome all obstacles.

We believe that the CPP delegates who elected Mr Greenstreet at the Partys December National Delegates Congress made the right choice, Mr Greenstreet is well prepared and psychologically ready to campaign across the country.

The party is solidly behind him to project the CPP agenda for victory, CPP alternative agenda for the Ghanaians to consider and elect the Party again to complete the unfinished agenda of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

Prof Delle noted that 59 years after Independence Ghanaians must acknowledge the critical role Persons with Disabilities can play in the nations social-economic development.

The CPP Chairman noted that building a sustainable, inclusive country for all requires the full engagement of people of all abilities; we must work together to transform the country.

He stressed that the CPP will continue to champion the voices of persons with disabilities; as we look ahead, we need to strengthen development policies and practices to ensure that accessibility is part of inclusive and sustainable development.

This requires improving our knowledge of the challenges facing all persons with disabilities  including through more robust, disaggregated data - and ensuring that they are empowered to create and use opportunities.

Together with persons with disabilities, we can move our nation forward by leaving no one behind.

Prof Delle called on the electorate not to look at Mr Greenstreet based on his disability but his capabilities as a person.
Speaking in Qatar during his recent trip, the President said the Nigerian currency, Naira, would not be devalued for the benefit of parents who have children studying outside the country.

In his words, We cannot devalue the Naira because some people have their children in schools abroad,

Speaking further, he said, 'We have to consider the consequences on the economy and Nigeria as a whole.
In a report by Daily Post after the President's interview with Al Jazeera television, he said, We are trying to recover such used for personal purposes. That is why we are prosecuting those who shared monies meant to procure hardware and software for the military."
Dickson noted that the multinational whose activities were largely responsible for degradation of the area had cashed in on weakness of those institutions to short change the region and Nigeria in general.

The governor spoke when he received the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who was in the Niger Delta for consultation ahead of the launch of Ogoniland cleanup by President Muhammadu Buhari.

``All of us must work to address the weakness inherent in our institutions in this country, the weaknesses which some of these oil majors are exploiting to create two standards.

``One for Nigeria and the Niger Delta, where they can pollute everyday and destroy everything and suffer no consequences at all.

``And the other, international standard, where when there was a spill in the Gulf of Mexico, British Petroleum (BP) pay billions of dollars and pounds, we have real challenge, he said.

``I am aware of the faction of the incidents attributable to what they called sabotage.

``But lets face the fact; who has the responsibility to protect pipelines and other facilities, who has the legal responsibility to prevent sabotage?

``Communities or those who own the licences, we have been making billions and trillions and yet the effect of sabotage is felt by innocent people, Dickson said.

He said that environmental pollution by oil companies began in Bayelsa, where crude oil was first discovered in Oloibiri in 1958, adding that the state ``is the epicentre of pollution.

``Let the truth be told, this state is the headquarters of pollution, this state is the epicentre of environmental degradation, in fact, what I called environmental terrorism.

``From 1958 till now, we have borne the brunt of providing revenue to sustain our nation.

``We are pleased and happy to do that but the other side of it is that that has also brought a lot of damage to our ecosystem.

``We commend the Federal Government for its resolve to begin the cleanup of Ogoniland, and also attempt a cleanup of the Niger Delta, he said.

Dickson described himself as a ``firm believer in the environment because it is the collective heritage for mankind.

He promised to collaborate with the Federal Government to clean up the Niger Delta.

``In this government, you are going to find a partner, a reliable partner that will work through these problems with you.

``The environment is so important to us both now and in the future, he said.

Earlier, Mohammed solicited the cooperation of the governor, people of Bayelsa and entire Niger Delta in effort to clean up the area, beginning with Ogoniland.
In an interview with Punch Newspaper, the scholar said, "We demanded that Yunusa Dahiru, the boyfriend with whom the girl eloped, should be arrested and prosecuted because the girl is a minor and a Christian."

Speaking further, he said, 'Attempting to marry off the girl without her parents permission is not only a breach of common law but also a violation of the Shariah provision on the need for the parents approval before nikah can be deemed valid.

'La nikah bila waliyyin is a basic condition before marriage can be conducted in Islam and Quran 4:25 lays emphasis on this same condition. Now, we cannot talk of forceful marriage in this case because both parents of Yunusa, the Shariah Council in Kano and even the Emir himself, His Eminence Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, refused to conduct the marriage on the basis that the girl is a Christian; she is underage and her parents had not given consent. So there was no marriage.'

Akintola further said, 'Where is the forceful marriage they keep talking about? But we in MURIC are displeased with the conduct of our Romeo (Yunusa) for two major reasons: One, he did not listen to his father who warned him not to bring the girl to Kano.

'Islam frowns heavily on disobedience to parents Quran 17:23; 31:14. Two, contrary to the provisions of Quran 17:32 which forbids fornication and adultery, he may have had carnal knowledge of the girl because it is now being rumoured that Juliet (Ese) is five months pregnant.

'MURIC is not going to say Yunusa is innocent just because he is a Muslim. Islam teaches justice and fairness. The religion or tribe of the parties involved does not matter.
Dr Salisu Kwayarbura, the Chief Medical Director, Borno State Hospitals Management Board, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Sunday.

``Before the peak of the insurgency, all the hospitals in the state were functional with the medical equipment in them intact.

``We had about 38 secondary health facilities in the state but 18 among them were completely destroyed.

The chief medical director expressed regrets that the destruction of the hospitals had caused serious setback to health care delivery to the people of the state.

He said the activities of the insurgents had also created additional burden on the state`s health facilities.
INEC officials expressed their displeasure in separate interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at designated PVCs distribution centres in Bwari on Sunday.

Mrs Chioma Ebere, a Principal Admin Officer with INEC, told NAN that the poor turnout could cause voter apathy.

Ebere said in spite of the voter education by the commission ahead of the council polls slated for March 19 the residents failed to turnout.

``We have done our own part by carrying out voter education to create relevant awareness.

``We have announced several times that the first three days of distribution and collection of PVCs will start at the various polling units.

``Subsequently, the fourth day will hold at the registration area or ward levels. So, they already know, we have even communicated through radio jingles and town criers.

``Although the exercise will end at the ward level on Thursday, March 10, I expect people to be more concerned about collection of their cards to ensure their right to vote, she said.

Mr Victor Ejale, an adhoc staff with INEC charged with distribution of PVCs, told NAN that the poor turnout of residents could be attributed to poor awareness creation.

Ejale, who is the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) Liaison Officer of Bwari, attributed the poor turnout to failure of community leaders to sensitise their subjects.

According to him, I observed the low turnout since Friday, it is caused by poor sensitisation by the council authorities, traditional rulers and political party stakeholders of the communities.

``Only 26 people have registered to collect their cards since March 4.

``It is disappointing, we urge the various party stalwarts, particularly chairmanship candidates to sensitise people more on the need to collect their cards, to promote democratic growth. Ejale said.

NAN reports that the distribution and collection of the PVCs in the FCT commenced on March 4 at polling units.

The exercise continues from March 7 to March 10 at the ward levels, while from March 14 to March 16, it will continue at INEC area council offices between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.
1. He became Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Chairman, Disciplinary Committee of the Abuja chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association in 2007.

2. In 2011, he was governorship aspirant in Kogi State on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change.

3. Between 2013 and 2014, he was deputy national legal adviser of the All Progressive Congress.

4. In 2015, he sought the Kogi State APC gubernatorial ticket at the partys primary election, losing to the late Abubakar Audu.

5. In the last quarter of 2015, he was appointed Minister of State for Labour.

6. Late Ocholi attended Ochaja Secondary School, and the University of Jos, where he studied Law.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, told newsmen at the National Hospital in Abuja that he was at the hospital to convey the Presidents condolences to the family, Kogi State and Nigerians.

``It is a great loss indeed, he said.

The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, described Ocholi as ``a man loved by many people in the state.

``He contributed his quota to (development) of society. We received the news which was shocking to everyone in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, and former Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Humphrey Aba, Sen. Dino Melaye (Kogi West), were at the hospital to sympathise with the family.

NAN reports that family members and a horde of sympathisers were at the venue.

NAN spoke to an eyewitness who said the accident occurred at Km57 on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway when the governors convoy was returning to Abuja on Sunday.

NAN reports that of the seven people involved in the accident, the minister, his wife and his second son died while four others were injured.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo gave the advice in Fadan Kagoma, Kaduna State during the 2016 Khituk Gwong Day where he was the Special Guest of Honour.

This is contained in a press release by the Vice Presidents spokesman, Laolu Akande in Abuja on Sunday.

Restating his clarion call for a New Tribe of Nigerians drawn from all faith, tribes and ethnicities to pull together, Osinbajo said there was need to separate light from darkness.

He said in too many instances leaders drawn from different areas of the nation's life had tried to use religion and ethnicity to cause division in a bid to attain political and other selfish ends.

"Sometimes political leaders use religion to divide, they use ethnicity to oppress the people", the VP said.

He said those Nigerians of the New Tribe are those who believe in truth, honesty and justice among other virtues that advance the right course for the country.

"This new Nigeria must be based on love for each other and must value integrity. It is indeed mandated in his own personal faith of Christianity to love everyone including "your enemy."

He said Christians should love those who hate them and despitefully use them, and also pray for their enemies.

According to him, those who have been stealing and looting from the nation's coffers are drawn from all ethnicity and faith, but are united in their quest to steal.

"When they are stealing the nation's money they are completely united", the Vice President noted.

Praising Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and Kpop Gwong, Paul Wyom, the main hosts of the Khituk Gwong Day celebrations, as good examples of the new Nigeria, Osinbajo said it was important that those who do good for the nation should also band together.

"Those who are determined to do good, we must encourage them and we must not allow any kind of division to blur our determination", he said.The VP also commended El-Rufai for completing road projects started by the former Kaduna State Governor, the late Patrick Yakowa.

Earlier, El-Rufai described the Vice President as "a true friend of Kaduna State in word and in deed," adding that he had visited Kaduna State thrice since the 2015 elections.

The Governor noted that the security situation in southern Kaduna had since improved, and promised that the state government would remain committed to the APC manifesto.
As head of the agricultural quarantine agency Saad Moussa imposed a zero tolerance policy on ergot, a common grains fungus, a policy at odds with the ministry of agriculture and supply backing a more common international standard that allows trace levels.

"Essam Fayed the minister of agriculture has appointed Ibrahim Ahmed Imbabi, head of the Plant Pathology Research Institute, to head the central administration of the agricultural quarantine authority," a statement from the ministry said.

Many traders, who say guaranteeing zero ergot is impossible, have declined in recent months to make offers in state wheat tenders, saying it was too costly to risk having their shipments later turned away by Moussa's quarantine authority.
Most of the nationals who came from Badagry, Ijanikin, Sango and other communities in Lagos, arrived at the polling centre as early 7:00 a.m. for accreditation.

Mr Joel Houndolo, an Elections Supervisor in Benins National Electoral Commission (CENA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the election that he was impressed with the peoples turnout.

``Even outside our country, we have here about 11,000 Beninese happily coming out in Lagos to participate in their nations Presidential election.

``This is the second time that we are having our elections in Nigeria, and we are very happy with the interest of the Beninese resident in Nigeria in taking part in our national elections from here.

``Let me also say that their interest in voting in our countrys election from here, also shows the peace they are enjoying in Lagos and across Nigeria, he said.

Houndolo said that the votes would be counted at the premises, before being forwarded `securely to Benins National Electoral Commission (CENA) for the general announcement of the results, with others from across the world.

Dr Faustin Kpanou, Consul-General of the Republic of Benin in Lagos, said that the conduct of the election in Nigeria was to further promote the existing cooperation between Benin Republic and Nigeria.

Kpanou commended the Federal Government, as well as the Lagos State Government for providing the consulate with 50 policemen, to ensure the peaceful conduct of the election in Lagos.

The consul-general said that his government and Beninese resident in Nigeria would continue to enjoy the friendship and neighbourliness currently existing between the two countries.

``We have decided to bring our democracy to the doorsteps of Nigeria and other countries, as a way of telling them that we will continue to be partners in progress.

``We need to know that we have the same culture, traditions and a lot to learn from ourselves politically, economically and otherwise.

``The peaceful and orderly conduct of our presidential election here in Lagos today is for us to know that we are neighbours and friends, he said.

A Beninese community leader in Lagos, Chief Albert Ayinde, shortly after casting his vote, told NAN that he was `really happy participating in his countrys election from Lagos.

He commended his government for making it possible for their nationals outside their country to determine who they wanted as their leader.

Another Beninese, Mermoz Lidehou, also express satisfaction at the peaceful conduct of the election, adding that it was his first experience to vote outside his country.

A NAN Correspondent, who monitored the election, reported that the election was conducted under heavy security presence, where eligible voters were requested to present their voters cards before entry into the premises.
The four were employees of Italian construction company Bonatti and were seized last July near the western Libyan city of Sabratha, near a compound owned by the energy group Eni.

Gino Pollicardo and Filippo Calcagno were transferred by helicopter to Tripoli from Sabratha at night and boarded an Italian plane, Libyan officials said.

According to a spokesman for Libyan security forces in Sabratha, fellow captives Salvatore Failla and Fausto Piano were shot dead by Islamic State militants shortly before Libyan forces attacked them on Wednesday.

The spokesman, Sabri Kshada, has said Pollicardo and Calcagno were released during a raid early on Friday.

However the exact circumstances of both the killings and the release remain unclear. The two freed hostages have made no comment.

Sabratha is one of several Libyan cities in which militants loyal to Islamic State have established a presence, taking advantage of the chaos that has plagued Libya since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an uprising five years ago.

Libya is a former Italian colony, and Rome is working with other Western powers and the United Nations to try to convince two rival Libyan governments to create a single, unity coalition and focus their energy on the fight against Islamic State.

Pollicardo and Calcagno were questioned by Libyan forces at Tripoli's Mitiga airport for about 45 minutes before departing for Italy and briefly appeared beside Ali Abu Zakouk, the foreign minister of Tripoli's self-declared government.
DES MOINES  Two school funding issues  imbalances in transportation costs and in per-pupil spending allowances  were deemed by state lawmakers worthy of extra attention prior to this years legislative session.

Yet upon their return to the Capitol this session, legislators have made little headway on either issue.

Rural public school districts across the state say their high transportation costs mean more money spent on buses and less on classroom programs and supplies. And districts statewide  Davenport has been most vocal on the issue  are limited by a school funding formula mechanism that forces them to spend less per pupil than other districts.

School officials and education advocates have pressed lawmakers to devise solutions, and those lawmakers created an interim study committee to investigate.

That committee met in December to hear from stakeholders, including school officials and state agencies. Committee members pledged to take the information gleaned back to their colleagues in the Capitol and discussed meeting again, but they did not.

The result this session has been a small flurry of bills, but none that mustered enough support to survive a legislative deadline. That made them technically ineligible for the remainder of the year, although there are maneuvers by which a bill can be resurrected.

Only one proposal to address the school funding issues remains eligible for consideration this year: to allow school districts to use money from their infrastructure sales tax to offset transportation costs or supplement per-pupil spending.

That proposal has been inserted into two separate pieces of legislation, one of which is the governors bill in which he proposes sharing future school infrastructure sales tax revenue with water-quality projects.

The proposal to use school infrastructure funds to alleviate the transportation and per-pupil spending issues will face critics who say it steals money from one need to fund another.

I think those face a tough, uphill battle, said Brad Hudson, a government relations specialist with the Iowa State Education Association.

In other words, legislative consensus on a solution to these issues has proved elusive thus far.

Rep. Phyllis Thede, D-Bettendorf, said she is frustrated at the inaction. She supported a proposal that would have addressed the per-pupil funding issue by providing a three-year window for districts to use money in their cash reserves to supplement per-pupil funding.

Opponents of that proposal said even though it did not allow districts to raise property taxes during the three-year window to offset the cash reserve spending, districts likely would be forced to raise property taxes down the road to refill those reserves.

Thede admitted the proposal was a temporary solution but said she thinks it would have helped districts until lawmakers could devise a long-term solution.

Now, were just not going to do anything. I think thats irresponsible, Thede said. We have a bill that at least would have taken a little bit of the pain and given us some time to work on this.  Were not doing that, though. We chose not to do it.

Thede represents a portion of the Quad-City area that has become the flash point in the per-pupil spending debate. Davenport schools Superintendent Art Tate has pledged to defy state law by covering the per-pupil spending difference in the 2017-2018 district budget with money from the districts reserve accounts. Such action, which Tate said is necessary to avoid further program and staff reductions, could result in the suspension of Tates education license.

Davenport is among the districts in the state allowed to spend the least amount per pupil. Those at the highest level spend $175 more per pupil. If Davenport were allowed to spend at the highest level, it would mean $2.8 million more in its budget.

Thede said some districts are at a tipping point. She said a math teacher told her that the teacher has 34 students in one class.

You cant, year after year, have that many kids in a classroom, Thede said. Theres going to be some kids who fall behind.

Transportation funding is similarly hampering many rural school districts. The average Iowa school district spends a little more than $300 per student on transportation, but some districts spend roughly triple that.

That money is going for buses and bus drivers, not for education, Hudson said.

Devoting new money to balance districts that spend more than the statewide average would cost the state $20 million to $30 million, according to state estimates.

Hudson, who has been involved with state government for three decades, said he thinks the root issue is inadequate general school funding, which has magnified the issues in these specific budget areas.

I think the biggest problem right now is (legislators) are saying their priority is education, but you look at one chamber that is cutting taxes like crazy (referring to the Republican-controlled House) and the other (the Democratic-controlled Senate) doesnt have revenues to do both, Hudson said. Ive never seen (legislators) put tax breaks before education until six years ago.  Never in my 30 years have I seen (education) pitted against tax issues like I have in the last four or five years.

Some Davenport-area legislators remain hopeful of resolution this year.

Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, said he hopes one of the proposals will be resurrected.

Smith had his own legislation, which would have allowed districts to make up per-pupil spending from just the interest on their cash reserves, but it did not survive the legislative deadline.

Were continuing to look for ways that take the bills that were proposed and get them passed, whether in an amendment form or in the standing (appropriation) bills, and get a short-term fix and a long-term fix done, Smith said. Im not giving up hope on this year. Were going to keep working on it and just keep going until we adjourn.
At the age of 19, she entered Sacred Heart Monastery, a Benedictine community in Yankton, but before professing nal vows, she discerned a call to the newly founded Valley of Our Lady Monastery (then known as St. Ida's convent. Living with the six Swiss foundresses, Mother Paula learned the Cistercian monastic way of life and helped the small community transition from a Swiss-based to an American-based culture.

She was elected in 1978 as the first American prioress of the monastery, a role she would ll until 2005. As the foundresses returned one by one to Switzerland, Mother Paula continued to form the new community in faith and religious obedience, guiding it skillfully through the turbulent years that followed Vatican Council ll. In the early 2000's, Mother Paula began noticeably to decline from Alzheimer's disease, a condition she learned to accept with grace and good humor. After resigning from the ofce of prioress, she continued to teach classes based on St. Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae; she never tired of reminding her students that All that really matters is that we get to heaven." And to the end, she persevered in teaching all her sisters how to abandon oneself completely to God.
SPEARFISH | William Sheridan Ohnemus Jr., 84, passed away on Friday, March 4, 2016, at the Fort Meade Veterans Medical Center.

Bill was born on Aug. 5, 1931, in Barrington, IL, to William Sheridan Ohnemus Sr. and Hildegarde (Herrmann) Ohnemus. He attended elementary school at St. Joseph Catholic School in Homewood, IL, through the eighth grade. In 1949, he graduated from Thorton Township High School in Harvey, IL.

He was enrolled at Black Hills Teachers College in Spearfish from 1949-1951. In December 1951, he enlisted in the US Navy and served on the USS Odax submarine for his entire four-year career, receiving an honorable discharge in 1955. He returned to Black Hills State College the fall of 1956, graduating in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree. While in college he participated in football and track, running on several winning relay teams.

In 1958, he married Patricia Lewis at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Spearfish. He taught math at Lead High School in 1958-59 and went to work for the Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Fish Hatcheries in 1959. His work as a Fisheries Biologist took the family to Michigan, New York, Iowa Nebraska, North Dakota and finally back to McNenny National Fish Hatchery in Spearfish. He loved raising fish and working with all of his co-workers. He retired from the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1983 and took a job as a maintenance man at St. Joseph Church for the next 11 years, finally retiring in 1994. He was a member of St. Joseph Church and a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus.

Bill had many hobbies throughout his lifetime, finishing gunstocks, riding and working on motorcycles, building furniture, making wooden bowls and playing golf. He is known for his quick wit and knowledge of just about anything and everything. He loved his family most of all. He loved to laugh and not be too serious.

Bill is survived by his wife, Patti; his daughter, Mary Ellen; sons, William (Lucy) and Daniel Patrick (Jeanne); his grandchildren, Tim, Rhianna, James, Aidan and Ceili Ohnemus; his sister, Rosemary (John) Brown; brother-in-law, Robert Lewis; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother and sister in-law, Robert and Marilyn Mundahl; and sister-in-law, Helen Lewis.

Vigil services will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, at St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Memorial Mass will be offered at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 11, at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established to benefit St. Joseph Catholic Church and Fort Meade Hospice.

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Service of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com.
Hardly a month goes by without a new article about how domestic sheep will destroy Montanas wildlife population and quite possibly the entire Western U.S. ecosystem unless they are eliminated.Over the past 40 years, domestic sheep have mostly disappeared from federal forest allotments in Montana, originally set up for multiple use. At the same time, demographic trends have seen a good portion of Montanas traditional winter ranges subdivided and paved over. Wildlife are now forced onto smaller areas of private land for their winter feed, increasing the tension between private landowners, sportsmen and women and FWP.Mounting bureaucratic regulations brought on by lawsuits, are forcing management decisions of our states wildlife into the hands of federal courts and away from local control. These regulations also make it difficult for ranchers to continue to graze their federal allotments. Good! some people will say. In the long term, the loss of grazing rights will exacerbate the subdivision of even more open rangeland as these family ranches become unsustainable.The current disputes over bighorn sheep are case in point. Montana has a Bighorn Conservation Strategy agreed upon by the state and interested parties. The plan calls for 5 new herds to be established over a 10 year period. The main issue in finding new ground for bighorn herds is private landowners near potential release sites are intimidated by future regulations that may be imposed on them.Groups are finding ways around the arduous task of listing species through the Endangered Species Act by using the minimum viable population clause in Forest Service policies. While bighorns are not a listed species and are still hunted across the west, lawsuits are driving single species management on federal lands. Ultimately the bighorn/domestic sheep conflict will be tame compared to the coming free ranging bison/cattle conflict.Montana needs to make a decision on whether to manage bighorn herds as a group or as isolated herds. Managing bighorns as a group, allowing population flow, and contact with domestic livestock, will ultimately evolve a robust, healthy gene pool across the bighorn population.We know from past sampling that current bighorn herds carry the Pasteurella bacteria. Even if all domestic sheep are removed from the state, Montana will continue to experience bighorn sheep die-offs. With disease vectors already in the population, all thats needed is an extremely severe winter like 2010 to weaken the herds and make them susceptible.The Sun River herd experienced a die-off that winter which reduced numbers from over 900 to under 500. This herd is struggling to regain its footing. However, those remaining will have been exposed and develop resistance to the pathogens. It is important to note there have been no domestic sheep grazing anywhere near the Sun River herd for several generations. Instances like this are never widely reported.The take home message here is coexist. Bighorn sheep and domestic sheep each play an important role in our Montana landscape. Bighorn sheep are part of our national heritage. They represent a time when the United States was truly wild. Ironically, it is domestic sheep providing a renewable, sustainable living for ranchers who will help preserve the open space necessary for Bighorn sheep to survive.
Cannabis advocate Tayln Lang believes the state legislatures efforts that essentially eliminated peoples ability to obtain medical marijuana will backfire.

We are the only state in the nation that had medical marijuana and lost it, Lang said. We are the only state thats moving backwards.

On Tuesday, Lang will be at Hamiltons Bitterroot Brewing to talk with people interested in the medical marijuana issue and the two voter initiatives that could put recreational marijuana on the ballot. The talk will get started at 6 p.m.

Last week, the Montana Supreme Court upheld provisions of a 2011 bill that placed severe restrictions on providers and physicians of medical marijuana.

The clampdown includes limiting providers to only three patients and doesnt allow them to advertise their product. It also triggers a state review of doctors who recommend medical marijuana to more than 25 people.

There are currently 13,000 medical marijuana patients in Montana and a little more than 400 providers, Lang said. Under the new rules, about 12,000 patients will no longer have a source for medical marijuana.

Those people are left to either figure out how to grow the plant themselves or find a new provider, Lang said. Since the providers are now limited to three patients, many of them will no longer be able to afford to remain in business.

They have basically killed medical marijuana in the state of Montana, Lang said.

That leaves people who depend on the drug to look to the black market or drive to Washington State, where its recreational use has been legalized.

And then they have to commit interstate drug trafficking to bring it back here, Lang said. Its a complete mess. Many of us feel the only way to safely protect medical marijuana access now is to fully legalize it and then go back to the legislature and ask to put medical marijuana back in place.

Lang will explain the two proposed initiatives to legalize marijuana at the Tuesday meeting.

The initiatives include CI-115 that would alter the states constitution by adding the words and marijuana to the section that makes alcohol legal.

The second initiative, I-178, would add regulations to the sale of recreational marijuana including a 20 percent tax that Lang said would add an estimated $37 million to the states general fund.

Lang will ask for volunteers willing to circulate petitions at the meeting.

This is a grassroots effort, he said. This is a group of citizens who have said enough is enough. I think the unintended consequence of the courts decision has been to really pour gasoline on the fire for the legalization of marijuana.

The group has until June 17 to obtain the necessary signatures to get the two initiatives on the ballot.
In her declining years, people would often find Nora Luby gazing up toward a large black and white photograph of Ravalli Countys namesake that hung on her wall.

For her, it was a picture filled with memories.

Nora Luby was born Nora Harneday on Jan. 4, 1853 in County Cork, Ireland. At the age of 20, she stepped onto a sailing ship and left her native country behind forever.

She was living in Chicago three years later when she met a fellow Irish native named James Luby. He must have told her stories about the beautiful Montana valley that he called home.

They fell in love, married and traveled back to Montana to start their lives together.

Throughout it all, the couples Catholic faith never faltered.

They settled first in Grantsdale. Every Saturday, they hitched up their buggy and made the long drive to Stevensville where Father Anthony Ravalli awaited at the St. Marys Mission to attend the Sunday Mass.

Father Ravalli provided them lodging for the night and often would give up his bed so Nora could have a good nights sleep. The couple became close friends with the missionary and eventually resettled to a homestead near Florence in the present-day Luby Lane area.

At times when they needed some cash, Father Ravalli would offer it in return for lard and butter.

In October 1884, Father Ravalli died. On the day of his funeral, the flags in Stevensville flew at half mast as both white and Indian remembered the mans big heart and his many accomplishments.

By 1900, the Luby family had grown to include seven children living on a prosperous farm.

James Luby died suddenly in 1901 from a heart attack. He was one of the first to be buried in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Florence.

His wife outlived him by 37 years.

When Nora Luby died in 1938, she was the last parishioner of Father Ravalli who still lived in the Bitterroot Valley.

The Luby family story is just one that Historic St. Marys Mission Director Colleen Meyer hopes will come alive for people in the days leading up to this years annual Founders Day Commemoration that will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the day the missionaries arrived in the Bitterroot Valley in response to repeated requests by Salish tribal leaders.

We have a lot of big plans and the excitement is already starting to build, Meyer said.

At this years celebration, Meyer said organizers want to honor the early pioneer families who settled the area around Stevensville.

We are reaching out in the community to families who did have ancestors living here in the 1800s, Meyer said. We want to hear their family stories and share those with our community.

The goal will be to put together display boards with family photographs and stories that people can view during the Founders Day Commemoration event.

We have a lot of things planned for this years Founders Day, Meyer said.

This year, the Montana Historical Society will hold its annual convention in Hamilton on the two days leading up to Founders Day.

They are going to close their event at our event on Saturday, Meyer said. Thats really exciting.

The annual reenactment of the missionaries arrival will include a new component that involves a ladies tea with a Salish woman and an early settler.

The two women will have a conversation about their friendship and relationship, Meyer said. And then well have Salish drumming and dancing as well as some other Salish demonstrations. We are also going to have a smudging ceremony by on the Salish tribal members.

There is a lot of interaction planned with the Salish Tribe this year, she said. We are very excited about that.

There is also a good possibility that ancestors of both Father Ravalli and Father DeSmet may attend the event.

At this point, Meyer said the mission and museum could use some additional volunteer help. Anyone interested in helping out can call Meyer at 777-5734.

Local families interested in taking part in the pioneer project can contact Linda Pfau at 369-0392.

Pfau and her brother, Bob Daniels, are great-great-grandchildren of James and Nora Luby.

They grew up seeing the very same portrait of Father Ravalli that Nora Luby loved hanging over the mantle in their second cousins home, Margaret Gow Cyr. Cyr lived on a portion of Luby Ranch in the Sweeney Creek area.

When Cyr died a little more than a decade ago, she donated the very rare portrait to Historic St. Marys Mission.

When we were kids, we didnt really know who that was hanging there on the wall, Daniels said. Or just how important it was.
A collaborative project between two valley schools and the community will go a long ways in reducing the number of escapees from the fairs sheep barn this year.

Welders at Florence-Carlton and Hamilton high schools were busy making sheep pens for the Ravalli County Fairgrounds this past week.

Weston Jones, metals teacher at Florence Carlton, said the project came about by discussing a need.

My son is in 4-H and has a sheep, Jones said. Three years ago the sheep supervisors Mary Koenen and Margaret Yuhas came to me and asked if I could help them to build metal pens.

Margaret Yuhas said todays sheep had outgrown the old pens.

Modern day lambs are taller and bigger and our pens were too small and too short for them, Yuhas said. We decided to replace them. We were able to raise money, which initially went for replacing the dirt floor with concrete.

Jones said collaboration went into the design of the pens.

I talked with Mary and Margaret about the changes they needed. They wanted the pens to be taller for fewer escapes, Jones said. Hamilton teacher Bret Holmes and I sent CAD drawings back and forth and collaborated. We made prototypes and modifications.

Jones said they had to decide what type of material, how to hook the pens together, if they need to be portable how to move them, or how to make them if they want to be permanently positioned.

Weston coordinated with and brought in the Hamilton kids, they took their welding classes, and as an outreach and community project built the pens, Yuhas said. They made 15 new pens for the sheep barn.

That initial project provided the momentum for the current project.

We are having another set of them done and that will finish off the pens in the main area of the sheep barns, Yuhas said.

Jones said he has 11 students working on the project.

Right now Florence-Carltons metals class and Hamiltons metals classes are in the process of constructing 35 pens, hinges and the brackets, Jones said. This is a bigger project than one school could take on.

Jones is working with Hamilton High School welding instructor Ryan Smith. Both schools are building the pens assembly-line style.

Each student has a different assigned task, Jones said. They are welding frames, putting the panels inside of frames, cutting metal for hinges, making hinges and pins. Weve been working for two and a half weeks and should have the pens completed in the next week. Then theyll be painted and installed.

Jones said the student welders are leaving a legacy.

Its a great opportunity for school and community to work together to accomplish something, Jones said. Twenty years from now the kids can go to the fair with their own kids and say hey, I helped build those.

Yuhas said the funding came from grants and fundraising.

The RAPP Foundation has been extremely generous, Yuhas said. The fairgrounds gave us money too. Having Weston do most of the work has been a huge savings for us.

The Ravalli County 4-H Advisory Council manages the funds raised for 4-H in the county. Private donors and fundraisers by 4-H members, parents and leaders have made this project possible with both in-kind and financial donations.

MSU Extension Agent Katelyn Andersen said the project is important.

Once again, it is through the support of our youth that we are able to leverage funds and in-kind donations to make a big project possible in our community, Andersen said. The Sheep Barn remodel has been a multi-year project to make the building safe and accessible for the public, 4-H members, and the animals.

Yuhas said it has been a great collaboration.

It has been neat to have all these people coming together, Yuhas said. We welcome people to come to the sheep barn at the fairgrounds and walk through the barn to see whats been done.
Masters Of War

Come you masters of war You that build all the guns You that build the death planes You that build all the bombs You that hide behind walls You that hide behind desks I just want you to know I can see through your masks. You that never done nothin' But build to destroy You play with my world Like it's your little toy You put a gun in my hand And you hide from my eyes And you turn and run farther When the fast bullets fly. Like Judas of old You lie and deceive A world war can be won You want me to believe But I see through your eyes And I see through your brain Like I see through the water That runs down my drain. You fasten all the triggers For the others to fire Then you set back and watch When the death count gets higher You hide in your mansion' As young people's blood Flows out of their bodies And is buried in the mud. You've thrown the worst fear That can ever be hurled Fear to bring children Into the world For threatening my baby Unborn and unnamed You ain't worth the blood That runs in your veins. How much do I know To talk out of turn You might say that I'm young You might say I'm unlearned But there's one thing I know Though I'm younger than you That even Jesus would never Forgive what you do. Let me ask you one question Is your money that good Will it buy you forgiveness Do you think that it could I think you will find When your death takes its toll All the money you made Will never buy back your soul. And I hope that you die And your death'll come soon I will follow your casket In the pale afternoon And I'll watch while you're lowered Down to your deathbed And I'll stand over your grave 'Til I'm sure that you're dead.------- Bob Dylan 1963
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Independent Commentary on Environmental and Natural Resource News

By Kurt Cobb
Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next.
Sagarmatha Network Pvt. Ltd. is the organization dedicated in the field of printing, publishing service since 2001. As part of media, we've been publishing Review Nepal, an English medium weekly registered at District Administration Office (DAO) Kathmandu with registration number 130-162-163 and reviewnepal.com as an online digital newspaper, with registration number 849-075-076 at Department of Informational and Broadcasting (DIB) from Kathmandu, Nepal since 2003.
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Experience suggests that Washington often says one thing and does another, using beautiful concepts as their brand of bullying and forcefully reshaping the meaning of those concepts. For example, Washington often talks about "rules," but the world has seen the US consistently commit the most brutal violations of the rules on which the United Nations system is based. The rules they talk about are actually a framework for protecting the interests of the US and its major allies. They are also a behavioral norm to force other countries to maximize those interests.
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Saudi warplanes bombs Khawlan

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SANA'A, Mar. 01 (Saba) - The Saudi-led coalition waged on Tuesday two air raids on Khawlan district in Sana'a province, a security official said.



The Saudi warplanes targeted al-Arqoob area, causing damage to agriculture lands. No human causalities were reported in the raids, the official added.



Last month, Aggression raids targeted Khawlan district many times. On February 15, the Saudi aggression bombed al-A'adi area in Khawlan with two raids, causing large damage to the agricultural lands in the area.



On February 24, the aggression waged two raids on the public road between Khawlan and Mareb province in al-Khayyam area in al-A'arosh.



HA/AF

Saba

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[01/March/2016]
(Likely to appear in Mainstream Weekly)

I am past the half-way mark between sixty years and seventy, but I did not until recently hear the expression "anti-national", which is now flying around like a swarm of maddened bees. Just what might it mean?

In accepted usage a anationala is a person who belongs to a nation, a citizen; but aanti-nationala has nothing to do with this. Would it not make a damn sight more sense to use aanti-nationa as an adjective and apply it to nouns like apersona and aactiona ? We could leave aan anti-nationala as a noun to those who must mess with grammar.

The Hindu Right and its flunkeys in the media have been using the expression. Any person who goes against the Hindu Right in any way is labelled aanti-nationala . In its meaninglessness the expression is like apseudo seculara , which until today has not been defined by those who fling it about with such abandon. It is no more than a term of abuse which has nothing to do with reality.

Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey write, aIt is becoming increasingly clear that anyone who dares to raise issues of freedom, justice and equality is seen as a threat.... Through contrived and planned campaigns, the BJP is doing its best to establish that being critical of its government is tantamount to being anti-nationala (http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/a-sinister-pattern-underway/article8314759.ece).

In the sentence quoted I would replace acritical of its governmenta with acritical of Modia . The prime minister is given to bellowing about conspiracies against him whenever anyone says anything remotely critical. He makes not the slightest effort to argue out the matter rationally. Those who oppose Modi are, in his mind, criminals by definition. This is exactly the approach of Modis followers. Leaders, it is said, lead by example. This leader shows the path and sits back in smug silence while his followers create mayhem of many kinds.

I would like to believe that aanti-nationala is no more than a meaningless term of abuse cooked up and flung by the Hindu Right; but I am unnerved by the fact that the expression has entered the mind of no less than a judge of a High Court.

Indira Jaising, in her aOpen Letter to Indiaas Judges On What Counts as aAnti-Nationalaa , makes it perfectly clear: aSurely, as judges, you all know that there is no such offence as an aanti-nationala act in any of the statute books in Indiaa (http://thewire.in/2016/03/04/an-open-letter-to-indias-judges-on-what-counts-as-anti-national-23764/).

It worries me that if one judge could hang a man by bowing to a acollective consciencea , a meaningless expression if ever there was one, another may well punish aanti-nationala acts by the aamputationa of students identified as agangrenousa , no doubt with patriotic film songs playing in the background.
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Do Kansas' drug-induced homicide laws actually help with fentanyl?

As drug overdoses related to fentanyl rise in Kansas, does a state law allowing drug dealers to effectively be charged with homicide have any impact?
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March 6, 2016

In praise of (impossible?) request tasking Government Accountability Office with accounting for "the cost of crime in the United States"

I was quite pleased to discover this notable press release from the House Judiciary Committee reporting on a notable letter sent by two Representatives to the Comptroller General. Here is the substantive heart of both the press release and the letter:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) have requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study the cost of crime in the United States to better inform members of the House Judiciary Committee as it continues its bipartisan criminal justice reform initiative. In 2014, there were nearly 1.2 million violent crimes and 8.3 million property crimes in the United States, generating substantial costs for Americans, communities, and the country. In a letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, Goodlatte and King request that the GAO study this issue and breakdown the cost of crime for federal, state, and local governments. Below is the text of the letter.... Dear Comptroller General Dodaro: In June of last year, the House Judiciary Committee launched a criminal justice reform initiative. Over the ensuing months, the Committee has addressed a variety of criminal justice issues through legislation. In order to assist our efforts in this endeavor, we are writing to you regarding our concerns about the cost of crime in the United States. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were an estimated 1,165,383 violent crimes and an estimated 8,277,829 property crimes in 2014. Undoubtedly, these and other crimes generate substantial costs to society at individual, community, and national levels. Accordingly, we seek the assistance of the Government Accountability Office in fully investigating the cost of crime in the United States. Specifically, we are interested in: The cost of Federal and State crimes to victims of crime: Total cost Cost by state The cost of crime to the United States economy and to state economies The cost of crime to Federal, State, and local governments The cost of crime, per year: Per type of criminal offense Average cost per criminal Average cost per victim The rate of recidivism of offenders who are released from terms of imprisonment, and the costs described under #1 through #3 for crimes committed by such offenders subsequent to their release We look forward to working with you so that GAO can expeditiously complete this important task.

I am already very excited to see what the GAO comes up with as it takes up this request to "study the cost of crime in the United States." Indeed, upon seeing this press release, I started thinking it was quite notable and somewhat curious that there apparently has not been any prior requests for the GAO to engaging in what I agree is an "important task."

That said, I think this task has to start with important and challenging questions that are integral to defining what kinds of "Crimes" and what kinds of "costs" are to be included in this study and its efforts at accounting. Notably, this letter references the "nearly 1.2 million violent crimes and 8.3 million property crimes in the United States" as reported by the FBI, but this accounting leaves out what would seem to be some of the most wide-spread significant crimes in America according to various measures of nationwide illegal behaviors each year, namely drunk driving (with over 100 million estimated yearly incidents) and marijuana trafficking (over 50 million estimated incidents). Should the GAO leave out drunk driving incidents unless one includes a physical harm to persons or property? Should the GAO leave out marijuana offenses altogether in its accounting even though roughly half of all drug arrests nationwide are for these offenses and those arrests have various obvious economic costs to governments?

Ultimately, though, the challenge of defining what "crimes" to consider pales in comparison to defining what "costs" to consider in this kind of study. The majority of violent crimes recorded by the FBI are aggravated assaults, which are "an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury." And these kinds of assaults seem to come in all shapes and sizes in 2014 according to FBI data: Of those reported to law enforcement, "26.9 percent were committed with personal weapons, such as hands, fists, or feet. Firearms were used in 22.5 percent of aggravated assaults, and knives or cutting instruments were used in 18.8 percent. Other weapons were used in 31.9 percent of aggravated assaults." Can GAO reasonably guess that the "costs" to a victim of being severely beaten by fists are less (or perhaps more) than the costs of being shot? Do these costs turn significantly on the nature of the victim based on their age, health, gender or professional activities? If such an assault requires a person to say in bed for a week to recover, should we say the "costs" of missed acitivities are the same or are different for, say, a sales clerk or a student or an unemployed person?

Critically, as the image reprinted here highlights, doing these calculations is possible if you make a lot of assumptions. Indeed, the Rand Corporation has run these numbers in the past, although many questions and concerns could obviously be raised about its accounting decisions.

March 6, 2016 at 04:14 PM | Permalink

Comments

Hi Doug--

You might be interested in this recent issue of Criminology and Public Policy, which talks a lot about the cost-of-crime literature. It's focused around an article by Dominguez and Raphael (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-9133.12148/abstract) but there are several responses. I would particularly commend Michael Tonry's response. Best, DB

Posted by: W. David Ball | Mar 6, 2016 4:52:32 PM

A solution for violent crime , albeit a tad harsh , + probably contra many provisions of our Bill of Rights:

 Convert violent criminals to Soylent Green tablets and feed the hungry 

DJB - Nemo Me Impune Lacessit 

Posted by: Docile Jim Brady  the Nemo Me  Impune Lacessit  in Oregon  | Mar 6, 2016 6:12:24 PM

Punishment should fit the crime so that the criminal and society see the cost. Petty theft: slice the forefinger. Theft over a hundred dollars value: cut off forefinger and thumb. Use of firearm: shoot the perp in the left arm and cut off the trigger finger. Rape: cut off the...

Posted by: BarkinDog | Mar 7, 2016 9:30:25 AM

Why isn't white collar crime included in the cost of "crime"?

Posted by: Paul | Mar 7, 2016 7:46:21 PM

Post a comment
We're streaming our service now! Join us for worship and a message from Ps @BrianCHouston at https://t.co/UD41BxjvCU pic.twitter.com/UcORbvSaUC  Hillsong Church (@hillsong) February 6, 2016

Now that the allegedly dystopian vision of San Francisco is all but complete, all we need is a Pentecostal megachurch to really cement the deal. Enter the Hillsong Church. The massive song-and-dance church is headquartered in Australia, with boutique congregations in France, England, South Africa, and Brazil. Now they could be coming for you, you heathens.

The basics: Hillsong Church was founded in Sydney, New South Wales in 1983 and is giant, theatrical, and influential in Pentecostal/Charismatic church circles. Best known for the music they produce, Hillsong-penned tunes are sung in other churches of varying denominations around the world. Being a Pentecostal church, yes, they do believe in such traditions as speaking in tongues and Gifts of the Spirit, but they're also comparatively progressive to their contemporaries. For example, they're have women in leadership positions and proudly count heaps of hipsters and young folks as part of their congregations. They also hold spectacular concerts every week. (The photo above looks like a revival of Starlight Express, which we mean in the most wonderful way possible.) Hillsong is also a champion of the pastor-turned-celebrity, with Carl Lentz being a notable example.

The church has also fallen to controversy. Pastor Frank Houston, father of Hillsong co-founder Brian Houston, confessed to sexually abusing children. Their stance on LGBT rights is curious. And, irresistibly, the church was accused of helping stack Australian Idol votes by encouraging members to vote for Christian contestants.

Now they want to come to San Francisco, a fresh territory busting at the seams with new money and young minds. The idea to set up shop in the city came to Hillsong Pastor Ben Houston while he was in West Hollywood "dreaming and strategizing" about where else in the West he could go. "San Francisco is an amazing city! And the surrounding areas of Oakland, San Jose and beyond all combine to create a city of millions of people filled with so much potential," says Houston."The Bay Area is similar to LA in that you see the full breadth and diversity of humanity."

But not everyone is having it. Christian Nate J. Lee tells Gospel Ministries why.

"There is a war going on here that can't be seen or understood through the eyes of a naive, idealistic pastor. So when Ben Houston shows up in his overly-produced video saying, 'San Francisco is a city where we see great potential,' it's painfully clear that he has no idea of the context onto which his words fall," stated Lee. "Guess who else saw 'great potential' in this city? The real estate agents, developers, and city officials who have destroyed neighborhoods, broken up families, and displaced poor people of color for their own idealized, dystopian visions for San Francisco."

Ouch.

But the realization of Hillsong SF remains a pipe dream for the megachurch. At least for now.

"As excited as I am about all that is ahead, I know that there is nothing that is going to be easy about this venture," says Hillsong pastor Ben Houston. "[San Francisco] is up there with the most expensive cities in the world. I sense that there could be a lot of spiritual opposition to The Church."
Bay Area Bernie bros turned even saltier after catching wind that San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee stumped for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Saturday. Up north for a Hillary In Washington event, the Seattle native said of the Democratic frontrunner, "She's shown time and time again, as she speaks we listen very carefully, that she already knows that mayors don't have time to debate."

Not exactly sure what he means, but Mayor Lee's successive #ImWithHer tweets, showing clear support for Clinton, have a bit more clarity. To wit: "Bellevue knows #HillaryClinton fights for working families & she will continue to in the White House" and "Tacoma is proud to stand with #HillaryClinton because she stands with our diverse American communities."

The mayor's support for Clinton is nothing new. In May of 2015, the Democratic presidential candidate took time off her fundraising-only visit in San Francisco to sip (and, one can only hope, spill the) tea with Mayor Lee at a Chinatown teahouse where they reportedly discussed housing and homelessness. Lee joins an elite team of other squeaky-clean mayors, like Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, gunning for Hillary in the Oval Office.

Washington state's Democratic caucuses begin March 26.
 A photo posted by ^Neeharika^ (@ineesta) on Mar 5, 2016 at 1:36pm PST

Saturday night's storm resulted in an El Nino-fueled hangover this morning. And there's more to come. Here are the most interesting mucked up things that happened overnight because water fell from the sky:

- Great Highway was closed early Saturday evening due to flooding. It has since reopened.

- Santa Cruz, which felt the brunt of the storm, saw the San Lorenzo River, Soquel Creek, and Corralitos Creek all reach flood levels, causing evacuations for folks on Porter Street along Soquel Creek, Felton Grove, and near Paradise Park next to the San Lorenzo River. According to KRON 4, "several county roads were closed due to mudslides, floods or downed trees."

- Per ABC 7, 320 flights out of SFO were delayed Saturday and 70 were canceled.

- Like a dry Riesling floods the liver of French Laundry patrons, rain deluged parts Napa and Yountville.

- Power went kaput in parts of Monterey County, Sacramento, and Half Moon Bay. It has since been restored. Well, more or less.

- A truly frightening moment happened shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday when a driver spun out of control on the 680. "It was a very scary moment. I had reflections of my life at one point," Jorge Gomez, the man who was driving the car, told ABC 7. Fortunately, only his car was damaged during the downpour.

Driver of this car wiped out NB680... hit another car & ended up facing wrong way in median. Everyone's OK. #rain pic.twitter.com/0nVPPkRwZG  Katie Marzullo (@KatieABC7) March 6, 2016

- As blankets of rain and massive wind gusts took down branches in Half Moon Bay, up north in Pacifica, a couple of flags warned boaters to get on land. "The first pennant is a small craft weather advisory," notes ABC 7. "The second is a gale force wind warning."

- This isn't the end of it, folks. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch and a wind advisory for SF and Monterey Bay areas for Sunday night.

- And now, set to John Lennon's "Imagine" as interpreted by Avril Lavigne, a moment of silence for the trees we lost during last night's storm.

Wow that storm in #SanFrancisco last night really did some damage! pic.twitter.com/4cWmWxTmhP  amatern (@amatern) March 6, 2016





thanks for taking care of this so quickly!!! #sfstorm #gonein15mins "Your welcome John! Thanks for the pic." pic.twitter.com/UD3pgE3deB  San Francisco Fire (@sffdpio) March 6, 2016







Large tree down, summit of Strawberry Hill, Golden Gate Park @richmondsfblog pic.twitter.com/NjxAoA0rig  Rick Prelinger (@footage) March 6, 2016







Strong winds and rain in SF tonight. Several trees down in one neighborhood. #ElNino pic.twitter.com/2rtzvJCubI  Christie Smith (@christies_nbc) March 6, 2016







Rest in peace, soldiers. A photo posted by Brock Keeling (@brockkeeling) on Mar 6, 2016 at 10:06am PST



* sob *
Breaking away from the Bay Area, let's talk about Hawaii, yes? Specifically: A ghostly, possibly new species of octopus was recently discovered near our fiftieth state, found around 2.5 miles deep in the briny ocean off of Necker Island. It was uncovered by Deep Discoverer, an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) on February 27.

The little octopod looks adorable or utterly terrifying, depending on your view, but more on that later. First, let's read what Michael Vecchione, of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, had to say about the discovery:

"As the ROV was traversing a flat area of rock interspersed with sediment at 4,290 meters, it came across a remarkable little octopod sitting on a flat rock dusted with a light coat of sediment. The appearance of this animal was unlike any published records and was the deepest observation ever for this type of cephalopod."

Why, just look at this thing in action:

Vecchione goes on to note that, in addition to its depth, its appearance stood out too. He says:

"A distinctive characteristic was that the suckers were in one, rather than two, series on each arm. This animal was particularly unusual because it lacked the pigment cells, called chromatophores, typical of most cephalopods, and it did not seem very muscular. This resulted in a ghostlike appearance, leading to a comment on social media that it should be called Casper, like the friendly cartoon ghost. It is almost certainly an undescribed species and may not belong to any described genus."

Sounds delicious. But looks scary. Don't know about you, but octopi seem downright terrifying, these ink-blasting tarantulas of the sea. SFist's Eve Batey disagrees, saying, "It looks adorable!" Different strokes.

Some other animals that are considered cute, but should be feared:
My musings, reflections on life here in Shiloh, Israel. Original, personal, spiritual and political. Peace, security and Israeli sovereignty. While not a "group blog," Shiloh Musings includes the voices of other Jews in The Land of Israel. **Copyright(C)BatyaMedad ** For permission to use these in publications of any sort, please contact me directly. Private accredited distribution encouraged. Thank you.
This blog is about the political struggle I am engaging in Singapore. The title "Singapore Alternatives" is chosen because my only political dream is to build a true alternative in Singapore. Alternative to PAP government, of course. As the Alternative, the political party must be able to have the visions and policy insights to lead Singapore. I will write on various policy views and personal beliefs that I think is crucial in building up the Alternative. All constructive comments are welcome.
125 years ago

WATER WORKS: For more than a week the people of Sioux City have been asking one another What ails the city water? City health officer Dr. George Schott has sent samples of the tainted water to the state chemist for analysis. In the meantime, a Journal reporter took a sample of the water to F.W. Lowder, of 112 Sixth street, a microscopist, who determined the water was contaminated with a fungus commonly found in stagnant water.

IN THE NEWS: The Sioux City Trap and Field club will hold a shooting match at Crescent park Thursday for the Le Grande trophy. At the city council meeting, Inspector Miller reported he had killed five animals kept for food purposes. One of the most elaborate dinners imaginable was served Sunday to guests of Mr. and Mrs. Desparois, at their hospitable home on Jackson street. Six courses were daintily served.

SNOW STORM: The northbound passenger train over the Sioux City and Pacific was an hour late Thursday evening. The cause of the delay was a heavy snow storm between Council Bluffs and Missouri Valley, and which was moving northward.

100 years ago

FEDS RAID: Two government inspectors, with the assistance of Sioux City police, arrested three men and one woman in connection with the alleged violation of the Harrison Drug Act. The inspectors, from Omaha, made the arrests at 912 Fifth street and at Fifth and Pierce streets. Two bottles of morphine and one bottle of cocaine were found.

ROTARIANS TREATED: Sioux City Rotarians and their wives were served a balanced dinner containing 1,492 calories by the domestic science classes of the high school. After the meal, the club adjourned to the auditorium where girls from the physical education department gave an exhibition.

BASKETBALL TOURNEY: Sioux City high school won the basketball championship of northwestern Iowa by defeating Whiting high school in the final game of the sectional tournament, held at Morning Side college. The score was 25 to 13. More than 1,000 persons witnessed the victory of the local quintet.

50 years ago

RESORT REMODELS: SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa  A $650,000 modernization program underway at Templar Park should result in one of the most up-to-date resorts in the middle west. Located on the west short of Big Spirit Lake, the updates include doubling the size of the rooms, adding private bathrooms, new landscaping, enlarging the marina and expanding the golf course to nine holes.

VIETNAM NEWS: A Marcus, Iowa, Marine who won the Navy-Marine Medal for heroism in 1963 has been reported killed in action in Viet Nam. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Kirchoff said they learned their son, Sgt. Wilbur (Billy) Kirchoff, 24, had been killed Sunday. Survivors also include his wife Judy and daughter Deanna. Capt. David Dryden, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Dryden of South Sioux City, has been presented with his second Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism while serving as a helicopter pilot in Viet Nam.

IN THE NEWS: Miss Terry Lehmann, a sophomore at East High School, won first place in the Young Americans Speak contest, speaking on Waste in Government. ...Miss Janis Mieras, 19, of Alta, Iowa, was named Miss Iowa 1966 as part of the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant during competition at Arnolds Park, Iowa.

25 years ago

TRADING CARDS: Operation Desert Storm trading cards hit the Sioux City market and have been selling fast and store owners are having problems keeping up with the demand. Earl Peterson of USA Coin Co. at Southern Hills Mall said he just received his third shipment. The cards feature photographs of such leaders as Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf and President Bush and such equipment and weapons as tanks, missiles and planes. The President Bush card is selling for $5. The 88-card set sells for as much as $100 to Iowa collectors.

NEW STORES: Little Chicago Deli is opening at the corner of Fourth and Pierce streets. Gallery Two is the newest art and framing store at Regency Mall in Sioux City on Sergeant Road.

BIG AUCTION: Hobby horses went for $800 and their carousel cousins for $1,200 as part of a large auction of the collection of Oscar Back and his late wife, Luella, of Sioux City. The antiques included china, 275 dolls, buggies and other items sold at the Howard Johnsons motel. One of the auctioneers, A.P. Idso, said it was the largest auction of its kind hes seen in many years.

These items were published in The Journal March 6-12, 1891, 1916, 1966 and 1991.
NEW YORK | Inside a crowded New York subway station, Abiodun Johnson tapped Esosa Ighodaro on the shoulder and told her that he liked her outfit.

Ighodaro thanked him, they exchanged names and phone numbers. Then six months later, they started a business together.

"We were total strangers," says Ighodaro, who along with Johnson co-owns CoSign, an app that lets users add links to Facebook and Twitter photos to the websites of stores where others can buy the items they're wearing.

Starting a business with someone you barely know may sound strange. But it's something more people seem to be doing these days.

And experts say it's not such an outlandish idea. In fact, at times, it can be a better option than going into business with friends or family since the high stress of running a business can strain those relationships.

No one broadly tracks who entrepreneurs are choosing to start businesses with. But experts say more people are opening up to the idea, partly because today's entrepreneurs have more opportunities to rub elbows with talented, like-minded strangers during networking functions and through social media.

Giancarlo Massaro and Steve Kovar connected more than a decade ago on a web forum. They kept in touch online for years and then in 2012, decided to go into business together  even though they'd never met.

They started ViralSweep, a business that helps companies run sweepstakes and marketing campaigns on online. Massaro and Kovar say their complimentary skills are what drove them to do business together. Kovar does ViralSweep's programming and web design and Massaro handles marketing and its clients.

To this day, Massaro and Kovar have only met in person twice. They live nearly 2,000 miles apart: Massaro in Cheshire, Connecticut, and Kovar in Austin, Texas. Massaro says the business relationship is calmer than a previous one he had with a brother he went into business with.

"We butted heads a lot more," says Massaro. "Arguing was natural. It's something we've done all our lives."

While some entrepreneurs are meeting at events and online, many strangers are connecting serendipitously and deciding to go into business together.

"Serious entrepreneurs are radar detectors for passion," says Dr. Shawn Clark, an entrepreneurship professor at Pennsylvania State University's Smeal College of Business. "They bond quickly with people who share that passion."

Still, some experts caution people not to rush in to anything too quickly.

Dr. Caroline Daniels, an entrepreneurship lecturer at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, has seen many entrepreneurs meet at accelerators and other mentorship programs that start a business and then break up. When adding someone new to a venture, she warns students to wait at least six months before giving them ownership in a business to see if they can add value.

"Serendipity works a certain amount of the time, but not always," Dr. Daniels says.

Raminta Lilaite and her business partners didn't waste any time starting their business after they met.

She found her business partners while on vacation in Mexico two years ago. She met Ruta Uleviciute at a friend's party and they hit it off. The next day, they met for lunch with their fiancees.

While eating, the four of them came up with the idea of creating a full-service real estate company that would help foreign investors find land to buy in Tulum, Mexico, hire contractors and deal with the entire process of building a home.

"A few weeks later, we were registering our company with a lawyer in Mexico," says Lilaite.

Shortly after that, Riviera Maya Property Consultants was born. Lilaite and Uleviciute say the arrangement works for them because each partner has a specific skill they can bring to the business, whether it's sales, architecture, project management or marketing.

Plus, Lilaite and her fiancee live mostly in New York and Milan, where they can find new clients for Riviera Maya Property Consultants, while Uleviciute and her fiancee live in Mexico and can oversee construction.

"We are a perfect foursome," Lilaite says.

When Ighodaro and Johnson met in a Times Square subway station, neither was looking for a business partner. Johnson had planned to move to New York and wanted to meet new friends. Ighodaro, he says, looked like someone "cool to know."

But they began to talk on the phone after meeting and came up with a business idea during one of their chats. Johnson told Ighodaro that he saw an actor wearing red shoes in a car commercial and couldn't figure out where to buy them. Ighodaro told him she had the same problem when she saw clothing or bags on social media that she wanted. CoSign was launched in 2014.

Johnson and Ighodaro say they like working together, even though family members were skeptical at first.

"It's great to have a partner who's there no matter what," says Ighodaro.
Editor's note: Every other Sunday through the conclusion of this year's session of the Iowa Legislature, our local lawmakers will share their Statehouse views.

Sen. Bill Anderson, R-Pierson

The income tax coupling saga continues in Des Moines. Early in the session Iowa House Republicans passed legislation which updates Iowa law to conform to federal Internal Revenue Code tax provisions - in particular, Section 179. The legislation could save Iowa taxpayers more than $90 million when they file their 2015 taxes. Essentially, Section 179 can be utilized to allow a business to depreciate the full purchase price of qualifying equipment and/or software purchased during the tax year. This means if you buy a piece of qualifying equipment, you can deduct or expense the full purchase price from your income. It's an incentive created by the government to encourage businesses to buy equipment and invest in themselves.

Over the past few weeks I have heard from tax professionals, farmers and small business owners from across my district about Section 179 expensing. They have stressed their desire to see the Senate follow the Iowa Houses lead and pass a bill to couple.

Iowans deserve answers. We need certainty in our tax code - now. I want to state again, I completely support our small business owners and farmers. The House bill is a common sense bill I support. I remain optimistic that the Senate will act resolving our differences on this issue. Coupling with Section 179 will keep Iowas economy strong.

Rep. David Dawson, D-Sioux City

I had the privilege of serving as the ranking member from the House on a bill providing for confidentiality of juvenile delinquency court records. The bill is designed to ensure that youthful violations do not follow a person for the rest of their lives. By keeping delinquency records confidential and not open to inspection on the Internet where court records are currently available, individuals will not face restrictions in education, housing and employment applications by those who may hold a minor youthful offense against them.

The bill provides that all juvenile court records would be confidential and unavailable to the public with the exception of forcible felonies, which includes murder, kidnapping, sexual abuse, robbery and burglary. All juvenile court records would still be available to law enforcement and similar state organizations.

The bill contains a process for an individual to petition the court to make a specific juvenile court record open to the public. The press advocated for this process to ensure the public could be informed about serious crimes of public interest. A judge must make the record public if the interest in making the record public outweighs the juveniles interest in keeping the record confidential. The court may also make juvenile court records public if the juvenile subsequently commits certain other serious crimes.

The bill, Senate File 2288, passed the Senate by a vote of 48-0 and passed the House by a vote of 97-1 and now goes to the governor for his consideration.

Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City

Beginning last year, the governor forged ahead with a plan to turn the state's Medicaid contracts over to private, out-of-state companies. With recent approval by the federal government, the contracts will go into place on April 1. The future of the program is now certain. So, it is important for the public and state government to focus on next steps.

The state has an obligation to provide oversight of these contracts, and the issue is not partisan. One in six Iowans receives Medicaid services. They are primarily children, seniors, disabled individuals and mothers. Oversight is equally important to hospitals, nursing homes and health providers. We've heard time and time again from businesses that certainty is an essential factor for their operation. Without oversight, their reimbursement and bottom line are not guaranteed. Finally, oversight is important to taxpayers. The $4.3 billion contract is the largest ever awarded by the state. Those are tax dollars paid by every working family in Iowa and, unfortunately, we need to keep these for-profit companies honest in their operation due to a track record of fraud and court filings in other states.

Again, oversight of the governor's plan is not a Democratic or Republican issue. Six Republicans joined Senate Democrats last week to support a bill with important oversight measures. The overall vote was 32-18. House Republicans need to take up the measure and provide input, as well. Taxpayers, businesses and residents are calling for it. As House Speaker Linda Upmeyer recently said, "The Legislature needs to do its job."

Rep. Ron Jorgensen, R-Sioux City

There are currently three separate bills in the House and Senate which deal with showing compassion for those in need. SF 2254 provides meaningful autism insurance coverage for Iowa families. A total of 43 states have passed similar legislation, which helps families pay for evidence-based treatments. The majority of children with autism who receive medically necessary treatment have experienced marked improvement.

The second bill, HF 2384, involves providing people with certain debilitating diseases access to cannabis oil (medical marijuana). The bill allows for the cultivation and distribution of cannabis oil for people suffering from epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and terminal cancer cases. I would also not have a problem supporting its use for other cancer cases or medical conditions such as Crohns Disease.

The third bill, SF 2198, is called the "Right to Try" bill. This bill allows terminally ill patients to receive non-FDA approved treatments. People in this condition should have the right to try something that's not approved yet to see if it can help them. Many people don't have the time to wait for the FDA approval process.

We are sent to Des Moines to solve problems, prudently manage the budget and hopefully make a positive difference in people's lives. If the above noted bills help improve a persons quality of life we should support them. We need to put ourselves in someone else's shoes. God help us if we don't show compassion for those in need. Passing these three bills will go a long way to helping people in need.
DES MOINES | Two school funding issues  imbalances in transportation costs and in per-pupil spending allowances  were deemed by state lawmakers worthy of extra attention prior to this years legislative session.

Yet upon their return to the Capitol this session, legislators have made precious little headway on either issue.

Rural public school districts across the state say their high transportation costs mean more money spent on buses and less on classroom programs and supplies. And districts statewide  Davenport has been most vocal on the issue  are limited by a school funding formula mechanism that forces them to spend less per pupil than other districts.

School officials and education advocates have pressed lawmakers to devise solutions, and those lawmakers created an interim study committee to investigate.

That committee met in December to hear from stakeholders, including school officials and state agencies. Committee members pledged to take the information gleaned back to their colleagues in the Capitol and discussed meeting again, but they did not.

The result this session has been a small flurry of bills, but none that mustered enough support to survive a legislative deadline. That made them technically ineligible for the remainder of the year, although there are maneuvers by which a bill can be resurrected.

Only one proposal to address the school funding issues remains eligible for consideration this year: to allow school districts to use money from their infrastructure sales tax to offset transportation costs or supplement per-pupil spending.

That proposal has been inserted into two separate pieces of legislation, one of which is the governors bill in which he proposes sharing future school infrastructure sales tax revenue with water-quality projects.

The proposal to use school infrastructure funds to alleviate the transportation and per-pupil spending issues will face critics who say it steals money from one need to fund another.

I think those face a tough, uphill battle, said Brad Hudson, a government relations specialist with the Iowa State Education Association.

In other words, legislative consensus on a solution to these issues has proved elusive thus far.

Rep. Phyllis Thede, D-Bettendorf, said she is frustrated at the inaction. She supported a proposal that would have addressed the per-pupil funding issue by providing a three-year window for districts to use money in their cash reserves to supplement per-pupil funding.

Opponents of that proposal said even though it did not allow districts to raise property taxes during the three-year window to offset the cash reserve spending, districts likely would be forced to raise property taxes down the road to refill those reserves.

Thede admitted the proposal was a temporary solution but said she thinks it would have helped districts until lawmakers could devise a long-term solution.

Now, were just not going to do anything. I think thats irresponsible, Thede said. We have a bill that at least would have taken a little bit of the pain and given us some time to work on this.  Were not doing that, though. We chose not to do it.

Thede represents a portion of the Quad-Cities area that has become the flash point in the per-pupil spending debate. Davenport schools Superintendent Art Tate has pledged to defy state law by covering the per-pupil spending difference in the 2017-2018 district budget with money from the districts reserve accounts. Such action, which Tate said is necessary to avoid further program and staff reductions, could result in the suspension of Tates education license.

Davenport is among the districts in the state allowed to spend the least amount per pupil. Those at the highest level spend $175 more per pupil. If Davenport was allowed to spend at the highest level, it would mean $2.8 million more in its budget.

Thede said some districts are at a tipping point. She said a math teacher told her that the teacher has 34 students in one class.

You cant, year after year, have that many kids in a classroom, Thede said. Theres going to be some kids who fall behind.

Transportation funding is similarly hampering many rural school districts. The average Iowa school district spends a little more than $300 per student on transportation, but some districts spend roughly triple that.

That money is going for buses and bus drivers, not for education, Hudson said.

Devoting new money to balance districts that spend more than the statewide average would cost the state $20 million to $30 million, according to state estimates.

Hudson, who has been involved with state government for three decades, said he thinks the root issue is inadequate general school funding, which has magnified the issues in these specific budget areas.

I think the biggest problem right now is (legislators) are saying their priority is education, but you look at one chamber that is cutting taxes like crazy (referring to the Republican-controlled House) and the other (the Democratic-controlled Senate) doesnt have revenues to do both, Hudson said. Ive never seen (legislators) put tax breaks before education until six years ago.  Never in my 30 years have I seen (education) pitted against tax issues like I have in the last four or five years.

Some Davenport-area legislators remain hopeful of resolution this year.

Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, said he hopes one of the proposals will be resurrected.

Smith had his own legislation, which would have allowed districts to make up per-pupil spending from just the interest on their cash reserves, but it did not survive the legislative deadline.

Were continuing to look for ways that take the bills that were proposed and get them passed, whether in an amendment form or in the standing (appropriation) bills, and get a short-term fix and a long-term fix done, Smith said. Im not giving up hope on this year. Were going to keep working on it and just keep going until we adjourn.
OMAHA | Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders rolled to victory Saturday in Nebraska's Democratic caucuses, defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with a wave of enthusiastic supporters.

The contest offered a rare chance for Nebraska Democrats to wield some influence in a presidential race and followed a Sanders victory in neighboring Kansas earlier in the evening. The Nebraska party switched from a May primary to an earlier caucus in 2008 to generate national attention and build its membership in the conservative state.

Among the new Democratic voters was 27-year-old Zac Walsh, a Sanders supporter from Bellevue who said he had never participated in a caucus before. Walsh said he picked Sanders because he views him as more consistent in his positions than Clinton.

"For the first time ever, it felt like I wasn't looking at the lesser of two evils," Walsh said.

Saturday's contest marked the second time that Clinton has lost Nebraska's Democratic caucuses. In 2008, then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama defeated Clinton.

Brent Crampton of Omaha showed up early Saturday to caucus after getting only three hours of sleep following his job as a club DJ.

"It was just too important to me to sleep in," said Crampton, 31. He's supported Sanders, but says he'll vote in November for Clinton if she is the nominee.

In Bellevue, caucus-goers filled the bleachers and an auditorium at Bryan High School for more than two hours. Patrick Newman, 23, of Bellevue, said he supported Sanders because he believes the Vermont senator has the most integrity in the Democratic field.

"He has that proven voter record of standing by his true core beliefs and not being beholden to money," Newman said outside the gymnasium. Asked whether he would support Clinton, Newman said, "If it's her versus somebody, I'll be voting for the lesser of two evils. With Bernie, I'm voting with my conscience, for someone with integrity."

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, says she supports former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton because of her promises to pursue equal pay for women and to prevent price gouging by pharmaceutical companies. Evans says she also hopes to see a woman in the Oval Office and said a White House that includes former President Bill Clinton is a bonus.

Charles Fisher, a 19-year-old University of Nebraska-Lincoln student from Bellevue, said he was caucusing for Sanders because of his promise to minimize the influence of money in politics.

Fisher criticized Clinton for flip-flopping on some issues, adding, "Bernie just seems a lot more stable."

No Democrats hold statewide office in Nebraska, and there's just one among the state's five-member congressional delegation.

But the move to an earlier caucus may have helped build enthusiasm, with both Sanders and Clinton visiting Nebraska in an effort to win the state's 25 delegates and its superdelegates. For the first time, caucus sites were established in all 93 of the state's counties.

Clinton came to Omaha in December, and the former first lady's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, and former President Bill Clinton made campaign appearances on her behalf in the days ahead of the caucus.

Sanders drew thousands of supporters to a University of Nebraska concert hall in downtown Lincoln on Thursday. So many people attended that some had to congregate outside and Sanders spoke both inside and outside the hall.
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Sage North America, has appointed Marc Scheipe as its new president.

Scheipe previously served as interim regional president for the U.K.-based business management software firm that targets small to medium-sized businesses, and will now assume the role of president on a permanent basis, reporting to CEO Stephen Kelly.

Speaking about the February 23 appointment, Kelly said:

We want to support the ambition of entrepreneurs across North America with brilliant technology, an enduring customer relationship and a thriving ecosystem of partners and accountants. Marcs leadership has driven great progress with that mission. He has inspiring energy and vision for how we can support businesses and also the communities we work in, and I am pleased to appoint him to the role.

Mr. Scheipe has been Chief Financial Officer for Sage North America and Interim President of Sage North America since October 8, 2015. In 2016, he led Sage through the first stages of its transformation program to improve efficiency and invest in core service and sales skills.

In December, during the annual results report for fiscal year 2015, Sage announced that strong performance from Sage 50 and payroll solutions for small businesses helped maintain growth in North America. Since the beginning of 2016, Scheipe has continued to lead Sage North America as the region hit financial targets and completed the first stages of its transformation.

At the time of his appointment, Sage Group plc, a supplier of both enterprise resource planning software and integrated accounting, payroll, asset management and payment systems to small businesses, said it had reached 250,000 customers on its cloud products in North America.

I am confident and excited to take on this position in North America, Scheipe said in his acceptance statements. As Sage continues to invest in future growth, I look forward to leading the journey toward innovation and success.

Mr. Scheipe boasts extensive experience as a business leader with more than 20 years of financial services experience focused on financial management, strategy development, process improvement and sales/operations leadership.

He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. While serving in the Navy, he attained the rank of lieutenant commander and held various roles in operations, training and maintenance during a 10 year military career.

Moreover, Scheipe is a TOPGUN graduate, Six Sigma Black Belt and FA-18 strike/fighter pilot with 1800 flight hours, 300+ aircraft landings and 36 combat missions over Iraq and Bosnia.
Chocolate Shake Man



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2869 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #75 on: March 04, 2016, 02:40:23 PM  Quote from: filledeplage on March 04, 2016, 12:38:37 PM



What is problematic is the wholesale unchecked border crossing, flowing into the US. One of the cornerstones of US immigration is the concept of "admitting and inspecting" and so, as in my grandparents cases, they came through Ellis Island, were quarantined, until cleared for health purposes, have papers processed, and were free to begin their lives. It was a process of accounting for those who came into the country. Some sections in Mexico are extremely dangerous. A young woman mayor was assassinated on the first day of office, not even a month ago. I cannot speak to the economic issues, but am shocked at the violence connected to the cartels infiltrating the US.



Health is a big issue. Zika is becoming a huge problem coming through South and Central America. What is also problematic are convicted felons who have been deported and return to what are called "sanctuary cities" to escape prosecution. I know of no country that would permit people to just decide to move to a new one, unchecked by any government authority. The US is very generous but we are in debt and cannot afford that much longer.



The VA health care positions of the candidates are interesting ones. Trump is one who is advocating providing insurance cards to all veterans whereby they could access medical care at hospitals of their choosing. I can get onboard with that position. That is not a GOP position. That is not a Democrat position. Both parties are vested in the keeping the unacceptable status quo. This would permit vets to access better levels of care, and not be "warehoused" in a VA hospital without care. One of my parents died in the VA system. You can rest assured that few elected officials would choose medical care at a VA facility.



If mainstream candidates who go-along-to-get along are elected it will be the same-old-same-old. The country needs to be shaken up. Only new people in power who have no or few ties to the old structure of power will be able to do that without push-back from lobbyists or powerful groups.



Both Sanders and Trump are effectively tapping into the collective rage of the US. Trump is a capitalist, first. At some point, he was allied to the Democrats. People change parties all the time, to run for office or move to establish residency to qualify to run for office. Bernie calls himself a socialist. Some find that troubling.



The US cannot fix everyone's problems or fight everyone's battles. JMHO



CSM - I know less about NAFTA than you. What I do know is that there are both Mexicans and Canadians who border-cross with permission, to work every day in the US as commuters.What is problematic is the wholesale unchecked border crossing, flowing into the US. One of the cornerstones of US immigration is the concept of "admitting and inspecting" and so, as in my grandparents cases, they came through Ellis Island, were quarantined, until cleared for health purposes, have papers processed, and were free to begin their lives. It was a process of accounting for those who came into the country. Some sections in Mexico are extremely dangerous. A young woman mayor was assassinated on the first day of office, not even a month ago. I cannot speak to the economic issues, but am shocked at the violence connected to the cartels infiltrating the US.Health is a big issue. Zika is becoming a huge problem coming through South and Central America. What is also problematic are convicted felons who have been deported and return to what are called "sanctuary cities" to escape prosecution. I know of no country that would permit people to just decide to move to a new one, unchecked by any government authority. The US is very generous but we are in debt and cannot afford that much longer.The VA health care positions of the candidates are interesting ones. Trump is one who is advocating providing insurance cards to all veterans whereby they could access medical care at hospitals of their choosing. I can get onboard with that position. That is not a GOP position. That is not a Democrat position. Both parties are vested in the keeping the unacceptable status quo. This would permit vets to access better levels of care, and not be "warehoused" in a VA hospital without care. One of my parents died in the VA system. You can rest assured that few elected officials would choose medical care at a VA facility.If mainstream candidates who go-along-to-get along are elected it will be the same-old-same-old. The country needs to be shaken up. Only new people in power who have no or few ties to the old structure of power will be able to do that without push-back from lobbyists or powerful groups.Both Sanders and Trump are effectively tapping into the collective rage of the US. Trump is a capitalist, first. At some point, he was allied to the Democrats. People change parties all the time, to run for office or move to establish residency to qualify to run for office. Bernie calls himself a socialist. Some find that troubling.The US cannot fix everyone's problems or fight everyone's battles. JMHO

Well, I suppose it's a matter of debate but I don't think that Trump's plan puts him significantly out of place within the status quo. According to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Trump "has not laid out specific policies" when dealing with what they consider to be "the most pressing issues facing veterans." Trump's plans though to fire the corrupt and incompetent VA executives that let our veterans down, aligns him precisely with Ted Cruz who "co-sponsored legislation to make it easier to fire VA senior management for mismanagement and performance failures."



In my previous post, I never suggested that the US should fix everyone's problems or fight everyone's battles. Instead, I suggested that the US should stop actively participating in the destruction and impoverishment of Mexico. This is not calling on the country to fix everyone's problems but instead is calling on the country to stop actively causing these problems. Like I said, the massive migration from Mexico occurred as NAFTA policies were instituted in the country and were having their effect. As long as this crucial element of the story is kept from the discussion, any discussion of fixing the so-called problem of migration is an insincere one. The rage that you speak of in this case is directed towards the wrong target, largely because the real issues have been silenced. As far as I can tell, Trump has only served to perpetuate the confusion on this issue, though I do credit him for calling for the end of NAFTA something that unsurprisingly has raised the ire of many, as witnessed by the Wall Street Journal's response.



As for the troubling nature of Bernie Sanders calling himself a socialist, I find it troubling myself because he isn't one. Well, I suppose it's a matter of debate but I don't think that Trump's plan puts him significantly out of place within the status quo. According to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Trump "has not laid out specific policies" when dealing with what they consider to be "the most pressing issues facing veterans." Trump's plans though to fire the corrupt and incompetent VA executives that let our veterans down, aligns him precisely with Ted Cruz who "co-sponsored legislation to make it easier to fire VA senior management for mismanagement and performance failures."In my previous post, I never suggested that the US should fix everyone's problems or fight everyone's battles. Instead, I suggested that the US should stop actively participating in the destruction and impoverishment of Mexico. This is not calling on the country to fix everyone's problems but instead is calling on the country to stop actively causing these problems. Like I said, the massive migration from Mexico occurred as NAFTA policies were instituted in the country and were having their effect. As long as this crucial element of the story is kept from the discussion, any discussion of fixing the so-called problem of migration is an insincere one. The rage that you speak of in this case is directed towards the wrong target, largely because the real issues have been silenced. As far as I can tell, Trump has only served to perpetuate the confusion on this issue, though I do credit him for calling for the end of NAFTA something that unsurprisingly has raised the ire of many, as witnessed by the Wall Street Journal's response.As for the troubling nature of Bernie Sanders calling himself a socialist, I find it troubling myself because he isn't one. Logged

filledeplage



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 3151 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #76 on: March 05, 2016, 05:22:02 AM  Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 04, 2016, 02:40:23 PM Quote from: filledeplage on March 04, 2016, 12:38:37 PM



What is problematic is the wholesale unchecked border crossing, flowing into the US. One of the cornerstones of US immigration is the concept of "admitting and inspecting" and so, as in my grandparents cases, they came through Ellis Island, were quarantined, until cleared for health purposes, have papers processed, and were free to begin their lives. It was a process of accounting for those who came into the country. Some sections in Mexico are extremely dangerous. A young woman mayor was assassinated on the first day of office, not even a month ago. I cannot speak to the economic issues, but am shocked at the violence connected to the cartels infiltrating the US.



Health is a big issue. Zika is becoming a huge problem coming through South and Central America. What is also problematic are convicted felons who have been deported and return to what are called "sanctuary cities" to escape prosecution. I know of no country that would permit people to just decide to move to a new one, unchecked by any government authority. The US is very generous but we are in debt and cannot afford that much longer.



The VA health care positions of the candidates are interesting ones. Trump is one who is advocating providing insurance cards to all veterans whereby they could access medical care at hospitals of their choosing. I can get onboard with that position. That is not a GOP position. That is not a Democrat position. Both parties are vested in the keeping the unacceptable status quo. This would permit vets to access better levels of care, and not be "warehoused" in a VA hospital without care. One of my parents died in the VA system. You can rest assured that few elected officials would choose medical care at a VA facility.



If mainstream candidates who go-along-to-get along are elected it will be the same-old-same-old. The country needs to be shaken up. Only new people in power who have no or few ties to the old structure of power will be able to do that without push-back from lobbyists or powerful groups.



Both Sanders and Trump are effectively tapping into the collective rage of the US. Trump is a capitalist, first. At some point, he was allied to the Democrats. People change parties all the time, to run for office or move to establish residency to qualify to run for office. Bernie calls himself a socialist. Some find that troubling.



The US cannot fix everyone's problems or fight everyone's battles. JMHO



CSM - I know less about NAFTA than you. What I do know is that there are both Mexicans and Canadians who border-cross with permission, to work every day in the US as commuters.What is problematic is the wholesale unchecked border crossing, flowing into the US. One of the cornerstones of US immigration is the concept of "admitting and inspecting" and so, as in my grandparents cases, they came through Ellis Island, were quarantined, until cleared for health purposes, have papers processed, and were free to begin their lives. It was a process of accounting for those who came into the country. Some sections in Mexico are extremely dangerous. A young woman mayor was assassinated on the first day of office, not even a month ago. I cannot speak to the economic issues, but am shocked at the violence connected to the cartels infiltrating the US.Health is a big issue. Zika is becoming a huge problem coming through South and Central America. What is also problematic are convicted felons who have been deported and return to what are called "sanctuary cities" to escape prosecution. I know of no country that would permit people to just decide to move to a new one, unchecked by any government authority. The US is very generous but we are in debt and cannot afford that much longer.The VA health care positions of the candidates are interesting ones. Trump is one who is advocating providing insurance cards to all veterans whereby they could access medical care at hospitals of their choosing. I can get onboard with that position. That is not a GOP position. That is not a Democrat position. Both parties are vested in the keeping the unacceptable status quo. This would permit vets to access better levels of care, and not be "warehoused" in a VA hospital without care. One of my parents died in the VA system. You can rest assured that few elected officials would choose medical care at a VA facility.If mainstream candidates who go-along-to-get along are elected it will be the same-old-same-old. The country needs to be shaken up. Only new people in power who have no or few ties to the old structure of power will be able to do that without push-back from lobbyists or powerful groups.Both Sanders and Trump are effectively tapping into the collective rage of the US. Trump is a capitalist, first. At some point, he was allied to the Democrats. People change parties all the time, to run for office or move to establish residency to qualify to run for office. Bernie calls himself a socialist. Some find that troubling.The US cannot fix everyone's problems or fight everyone's battles. JMHO

Well, I suppose it's a matter of debate but I don't think that Trump's plan puts him significantly out of place within the status quo. According to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Trump "has not laid out specific policies" when dealing with what they consider to be "the most pressing issues facing veterans." Trump's plans though to fire the corrupt and incompetent VA executives that let our veterans down, aligns him precisely with Ted Cruz who "co-sponsored legislation to make it easier to fire VA senior management for mismanagement and performance failures."



In my previous post, I never suggested that the US should fix everyone's problems or fight everyone's battles. Instead, I suggested that the US should stop actively participating in the destruction and impoverishment of Mexico. This is not calling on the country to fix everyone's problems but instead is calling on the country to stop actively causing these problems. Like I said, the massive migration from Mexico occurred as NAFTA policies were instituted in the country and were having their effect. As long as this crucial element of the story is kept from the discussion, any discussion of fixing the so-called problem of migration is an insincere one. The rage that you speak of in this case is directed towards the wrong target, largely because the real issues have been silenced. As far as I can tell, Trump has only served to perpetuate the confusion on this issue, though I do credit him for calling for the end of NAFTA something that unsurprisingly has raised the ire of many, as witnessed by the Wall Street Journal's response.



As for the troubling nature of Bernie Sanders calling himself a socialist, I find it troubling myself because he isn't one.

Well, I suppose it's a matter of debate but I don't think that Trump's plan puts him significantly out of place within the status quo. According to the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Trump "has not laid out specific policies" when dealing with what they consider to be "the most pressing issues facing veterans." Trump's plans though to fire the corrupt and incompetent VA executives that let our veterans down, aligns him precisely with Ted Cruz who "co-sponsored legislation to make it easier to fire VA senior management for mismanagement and performance failures."In my previous post, I never suggested that the US should fix everyone's problems or fight everyone's battles. Instead, I suggested that the US should stop actively participating in the destruction and impoverishment of Mexico. This is not calling on the country to fix everyone's problems but instead is calling on the country to stop actively causing these problems. Like I said, the massive migration from Mexico occurred as NAFTA policies were instituted in the country and were having their effect. As long as this crucial element of the story is kept from the discussion, any discussion of fixing the so-called problem of migration is an insincere one. The rage that you speak of in this case is directed towards the wrong target, largely because the real issues have been silenced. As far as I can tell, Trump has only served to perpetuate the confusion on this issue, though I do credit him for calling for the end of NAFTA something that unsurprisingly has raised the ire of many, as witnessed by the Wall Street Journal's response.As for the troubling nature of Bernie Sanders calling himself a socialist, I find it troubling myself because he isn't one.



The vet's first issue is extreme health care coming back from war. They have many issues that regular health care is ill abled to deal with never mind the VA which is still in the dark ages. That prospect of a health care insurance card would open the door to at least equal health care for returning vets. The health care system is spread out over large geographic regions which restricts family visitation as well as distance to travel that is unacceptable. Trump is the first to address that in that way. Trump does need to sit down and work out his positions on various aspects of not just the VA, but also ramp up his positions and plans for how he will address the myriad of problems any one of them who is elected will face. The lineup of candidates is down to 4 so the heat is on for his advisors to sit with him and come up with what will be a strategy that is doable and not just political rhetoric.



NAFTA has been around since Bill Clinton in 1994 even if it started with Bush 1. The draft was initialed in 1992 when Bush was in office as a lame duck, but finalized under Clinton, after he was in office for a year. "NAFTA means jobs. American jobs, and good-paying American jobs. If I did not believe that, I wouldn't support this agreement." (Bill Clinton) It eliminated tariffs on a half of Mexican imports and a third of US to Mexico exports. There does seem to be some side agreement on the environment. (I have little idea what that means and don't believe a word of this industry-driven climate change policy.) It was reported that a lot of plants from the US moved to Mexico which does not translate to US jobs but i was not an economics major.



There seems to be a decrease in corn farmer incomes. Corn, in general has decreased because of the high fructose corn syrup controversy for nutritional reasons. It is in virtually every food, and people want it eliminated for health reasons. The agricultural subsidies in general, in the US need to be looked at. I hope that happens regardless of who is in office next year.



Bernie calls himself a socialist. Do you think his ideology fits better with another political classification? CSM - The migration thing is not just Mexico. It is the migration from Central America as well. So, the issues are larger than just economic injustice. Many are political refugees, and some from the Middle East using the open border to gain access to the US.The vet's first issue is extreme health care coming back from war. They have many issues that regular health care is ill abled to deal with never mind the VA which is still in the dark ages. That prospect of a health care insurance card would open the door to at least equal health care for returning vets. The health care system is spread out over large geographic regions which restricts family visitation as well as distance to travel that is unacceptable. Trump is the first to address that in that way. Trump does need to sit down and work out his positions on various aspects of not just the VA, but also ramp up his positions and plans for how he will address the myriad of problems any one of them who is elected will face. The lineup of candidates is down to 4 so the heat is on for his advisors to sit with him and come up with what will be a strategy that is doable and not just political rhetoric.NAFTA has been around since Bill Clinton in 1994 even if it started with Bush 1. The draft was initialed in 1992 when Bush was in office as a lame duck, but finalized under Clinton, after he was in office for a year. "NAFTA means jobs. American jobs, and good-paying American jobs. If I did not believe that, I wouldn't support this agreement." (Bill Clinton) It eliminated tariffs on a half of Mexican imports and a third of US to Mexico exports. There does seem to be some side agreement on the environment. (I have little idea what that means and don't believe a word of this industry-driven climate change policy.) It was reported that a lot of plants from the US moved to Mexico which does not translate to US jobs but i was not an economics major.There seems to be a decrease in corn farmer incomes. Corn, in general has decreased because of the high fructose corn syrup controversy for nutritional reasons. It is in virtually every food, and people want it eliminated for health reasons. The agricultural subsidies in general, in the US need to be looked at. I hope that happens regardless of who is in office next year.Bernie calls himself a socialist. Do you think his ideology fits better with another political classification? Logged

Chocolate Shake Man



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2869 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #77 on: March 05, 2016, 05:47:03 AM  Quote from: filledeplage on March 05, 2016, 05:22:02 AM



The vet's first issue is extreme health care coming back from war. They have many issues that regular health care is ill abled to deal with never mind the VA which is still in the dark ages. That prospect of a health care insurance card would open the door to at least equal health care for returning vets. The health care system is spread out over large geographic regions which restricts family visitation as well as distance to travel that is unacceptable. Trump is the first to address that in that way. Trump does need to sit down and work out his positions on various aspects of not just the VA, but also ramp up his positions and plans for how he will address the myriad of problems any one of them who is elected will face. The lineup of candidates is down to 4 so the heat is on for his advisors to sit with him and come up with what will be a strategy that is doable and not just political rhetoric.



NAFTA has been around since Bill Clinton in 1994 even if it started with Bush 1. The draft was initialed in 1992 when Bush was in office as a lame duck, but finalized under Clinton, after he was in office for a year. "NAFTA means jobs. American jobs, and good-paying American jobs. If I did not believe that, I wouldn't support this agreement." (Bill Clinton) It eliminated tariffs on a half of Mexican imports and a third of US to Mexico exports. There does seem to be some side agreement on the environment. (I have little idea what that means and don't believe a word of this industry-driven climate change policy.) It was reported that a lot of plants from the US moved to Mexico which does not translate to US jobs but i was not an economics major.



There seems to be a decrease in corn farmer incomes. Corn, in general has decreased because of the high fructose corn syrup controversy for nutritional reasons. It is in virtually every food, and people want it eliminated for health reasons. The agricultural subsidies in general, in the US need to be looked at. I hope that happens regardless of who is in office next year.



Bernie calls himself a socialist. Do you think his ideology fits better with another political classification?

CSM - The migration thing is not just Mexico. It is the migration from Central America as well. So, the issues are larger than just economic injustice. Many are political refugees, and some from the Middle East using the open border to gain access to the US.The vet's first issue is extreme health care coming back from war. They have many issues that regular health care is ill abled to deal with never mind the VA which is still in the dark ages. That prospect of a health care insurance card would open the door to at least equal health care for returning vets. The health care system is spread out over large geographic regions which restricts family visitation as well as distance to travel that is unacceptable. Trump is the first to address that in that way. Trump does need to sit down and work out his positions on various aspects of not just the VA, but also ramp up his positions and plans for how he will address the myriad of problems any one of them who is elected will face. The lineup of candidates is down to 4 so the heat is on for his advisors to sit with him and come up with what will be a strategy that is doable and not just political rhetoric.NAFTA has been around since Bill Clinton in 1994 even if it started with Bush 1. The draft was initialed in 1992 when Bush was in office as a lame duck, but finalized under Clinton, after he was in office for a year. "NAFTA means jobs. American jobs, and good-paying American jobs. If I did not believe that, I wouldn't support this agreement." (Bill Clinton) It eliminated tariffs on a half of Mexican imports and a third of US to Mexico exports. There does seem to be some side agreement on the environment. (I have little idea what that means and don't believe a word of this industry-driven climate change policy.) It was reported that a lot of plants from the US moved to Mexico which does not translate to US jobs but i was not an economics major.There seems to be a decrease in corn farmer incomes. Corn, in general has decreased because of the high fructose corn syrup controversy for nutritional reasons. It is in virtually every food, and people want it eliminated for health reasons. The agricultural subsidies in general, in the US need to be looked at. I hope that happens regardless of who is in office next year.Bernie calls himself a socialist. Do you think his ideology fits better with another political classification?

Unfortunately, the US's destructive policies have probably been even more severe throughout Central America than they have in Mexico which have been terrible enough. This includes supporting terrorist campaigns or outright carrying out terrorism in countries like Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala, all leading targets of US intervention. So similarly repairing these countries that have been devastated as a result of these policies could go a long way in alleviating these concerns.



To repeat, when you are talking about the vet's important issues, I was quoting the conclusions reached by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who concluded that Trump "has not laid out specific policies" when dealing with what they consider to be "the most pressing issues facing veterans."



Yes, Bernie incorrectly calls himself a socialist. He's a pretty conventional moderate liberal. I addressed this issue above. You responded to that particular post by saying it was a "nuanced break-down of the ideology." Unfortunately, the US's destructive policies have probably been even more severe throughout Central America than they have in Mexico which have been terrible enough. This includes supporting terrorist campaigns or outright carrying out terrorism in countries like Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala, all leading targets of US intervention. So similarly repairing these countries that have been devastated as a result of these policies could go a long way in alleviating these concerns.To repeat, when you are talking about the vet's important issues, I was quoting the conclusions reached by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who concluded that Trump "has not laid out specific policies" when dealing with what they consider to be "the most pressing issues facing veterans."Yes, Bernie incorrectly calls himself a socialist. He's a pretty conventional moderate liberal. I addressed this issue above. You responded to that particular post by saying it was a "nuanced break-down of the ideology."  Last Edit: March 05, 2016, 06:13:17 AM by Chocolate Shake Man  Logged

filledeplage



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 3151 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #78 on: March 05, 2016, 06:17:53 AM  Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 05, 2016, 05:47:03 AM Quote from: filledeplage on March 05, 2016, 05:22:02 AM



The vet's first issue is extreme health care coming back from war. They have many issues that regular health care is ill abled to deal with never mind the VA which is still in the dark ages. That prospect of a health care insurance card would open the door to at least equal health care for returning vets. The health care system is spread out over large geographic regions which restricts family visitation as well as distance to travel that is unacceptable. Trump is the first to address that in that way. Trump does need to sit down and work out his positions on various aspects of not just the VA, but also ramp up his positions and plans for how he will address the myriad of problems any one of them who is elected will face. The lineup of candidates is down to 4 so the heat is on for his advisors to sit with him and come up with what will be a strategy that is doable and not just political rhetoric.



NAFTA has been around since Bill Clinton in 1994 even if it started with Bush 1. The draft was initialed in 1992 when Bush was in office as a lame duck, but finalized under Clinton, after he was in office for a year. "NAFTA means jobs. American jobs, and good-paying American jobs. If I did not believe that, I wouldn't support this agreement." (Bill Clinton) It eliminated tariffs on a half of Mexican imports and a third of US to Mexico exports. There does seem to be some side agreement on the environment. (I have little idea what that means and don't believe a word of this industry-driven climate change policy.) It was reported that a lot of plants from the US moved to Mexico which does not translate to US jobs but i was not an economics major.



There seems to be a decrease in corn farmer incomes. Corn, in general has decreased because of the high fructose corn syrup controversy for nutritional reasons. It is in virtually every food, and people want it eliminated for health reasons. The agricultural subsidies in general, in the US need to be looked at. I hope that happens regardless of who is in office next year.



Bernie calls himself a socialist. Do you think his ideology fits better with another political classification?

CSM - The migration thing is not just Mexico. It is the migration from Central America as well. So, the issues are larger than just economic injustice. Many are political refugees, and some from the Middle East using the open border to gain access to the US.The vet's first issue is extreme health care coming back from war. They have many issues that regular health care is ill abled to deal with never mind the VA which is still in the dark ages. That prospect of a health care insurance card would open the door to at least equal health care for returning vets. The health care system is spread out over large geographic regions which restricts family visitation as well as distance to travel that is unacceptable. Trump is the first to address that in that way. Trump does need to sit down and work out his positions on various aspects of not just the VA, but also ramp up his positions and plans for how he will address the myriad of problems any one of them who is elected will face. The lineup of candidates is down to 4 so the heat is on for his advisors to sit with him and come up with what will be a strategy that is doable and not just political rhetoric.NAFTA has been around since Bill Clinton in 1994 even if it started with Bush 1. The draft was initialed in 1992 when Bush was in office as a lame duck, but finalized under Clinton, after he was in office for a year. "NAFTA means jobs. American jobs, and good-paying American jobs. If I did not believe that, I wouldn't support this agreement." (Bill Clinton) It eliminated tariffs on a half of Mexican imports and a third of US to Mexico exports. There does seem to be some side agreement on the environment. (I have little idea what that means and don't believe a word of this industry-driven climate change policy.) It was reported that a lot of plants from the US moved to Mexico which does not translate to US jobs but i was not an economics major.There seems to be a decrease in corn farmer incomes. Corn, in general has decreased because of the high fructose corn syrup controversy for nutritional reasons. It is in virtually every food, and people want it eliminated for health reasons. The agricultural subsidies in general, in the US need to be looked at. I hope that happens regardless of who is in office next year.Bernie calls himself a socialist. Do you think his ideology fits better with another political classification?

Unfortunately, the US's destructive policies have probably been even more severe throughout Central American than they have in Mexico which have been terrible enough. This includes supporting terrorist campaigns or outright carrying out terrorism in countries like Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala, all leading targets of US intervention. So similarly repairing these countries that have been devastated as a result of these policies could go a long way in alleviating these concerns.



To repeat, when you are talking about the vet's important issues, I was quoting the conclusions reached by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who concluded that Trump "has not laid out specific policies" when dealing with what they consider to be "the most pressing issues facing veterans."



Yes, Bernie incorrectly calls himself a socialist. He's a pretty conventional moderate liberal. I addressed this issue above. You responded to that particular post by saying it was a "nuanced break-down of the ideology."

Unfortunately, the US's destructive policies have probably been even more severe throughout Central American than they have in Mexico which have been terrible enough. This includes supporting terrorist campaigns or outright carrying out terrorism in countries like Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala, all leading targets of US intervention. So similarly repairing these countries that have been devastated as a result of these policies could go a long way in alleviating these concerns.To repeat, when you are talking about the vet's important issues, I was quoting the conclusions reached by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America who concluded that Trump "has not laid out specific policies" when dealing with what they consider to be "the most pressing issues facing veterans."Yes, Bernie incorrectly calls himself a socialist. He's a pretty conventional moderate liberal. I addressed this issue above. You responded to that particular post by saying it was a "nuanced break-down of the ideology."



The vets issues, I am pretty familiar with with knowing many of these vets (regardless of a position of the group you mention) and their first gripe is the VA. If your body is in need, nothing else matters. Policy starts with basic needs. The quality of the care and ready-access is first.



Some travel out-of-state for care. That is unacceptable. Not getting a timely appointment is unacceptable. And many of the docs are working at the VA for school loan-forgiveness for medical school and are not in that specialty of caring for the very specific physical and emotional needs of returning vets. It is medical care, first, alright and so far, Trump has taken the bull by the horns. They should be cared for on the taxpayers dime and at a level equal to the care the congress members get. No questions asked.



Trump, as I suggested earlier, needs to sit down with his advisors and map out their strategies and policies so that he is ready to answer these hard questions when asked. The GOP is flipping out over someone they laughed at six months ago, (Trump) looking for a brokered convention. The "party is ov-a."



And the Democrats are doing no better with Clinton's IT guy getting immunity looking to do the same thing to screw Bernie out of the nomination. Judge Andrew Napolitano explained last night, that if someone is getting an immunity deal, then there is a sitting grand jury, assessing evidence already. So, this nonsense of Loretta Lynch saying she cannot comment, as to whether there is a grand jury investigation, as part of the political stonewalling, is just that, nonsense. CSM - A lot of these corporations are multi-national in nature. Few of the larger ones, are not even US-owned but many are offshore or designated elsewhere to avoid taxes. The US has these companies beyond their reach so I am unclear as to how policies can be forced upon those once US-owned corporations but who have outsourced a lot of their work so they cannot be under the jurisdiction of the US.The vets issues, I am pretty familiar with with knowing many of these vets (regardless of a position of the group you mention) and their first gripe is the VA. If your body is in need, nothing else matters. Policy starts with basic needs. The quality of the care and ready-access is first.Some travel out-of-state for care. That is unacceptable. Not getting a timely appointment is unacceptable. And many of the docs are working at the VA for school loan-forgiveness for medical school and are not in that specialty of caring for the very specific physical and emotional needs of returning vets. It is medical care, first, alright and so far, Trump has taken the bull by the horns. They should be cared for on the taxpayers dime and at a level equal to the care the congress members get. No questions asked.Trump, as I suggested earlier, needs to sit down with his advisors and map out their strategies and policies so that he is ready to answer these hard questions when asked. The GOP is flipping out over someone they laughed at six months ago, (Trump) looking for a brokered convention. The "party is ov-a."And the Democrats are doing no better with Clinton's IT guy getting immunity looking to do the same thing to screw Bernie out of the nomination. Judge Andrew Napolitano explained last night, that if someone is getting an immunity deal, then there is a sitting grand jury, assessing evidence already. So, this nonsense of Loretta Lynch saying she cannot comment, as to whether there is a grand jury investigation, as part of the political stonewalling, is just that, nonsense. Logged

Chocolate Shake Man



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2869 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #79 on: March 05, 2016, 06:34:38 AM  Quote from: filledeplage on March 05, 2016, 06:17:53 AM



The vets issues, I am pretty familiar with with knowing many of these vets (regardless of a position of the group you mention) and their first gripe is the VA. If your body is in need, nothing else matters. Policy starts with basic needs. The quality of the care and ready-access is first.



Some travel out-of-state for care. That is unacceptable. Not getting a timely appointment is unacceptable. And many of the docs are working at the VA for school loan-forgiveness for medical school and are not in that specialty of caring for the very specific physical and emotional needs of returning vets. It is medical care, first, alright and so far, Trump has taken the bull by the horns. They should be cared for on the taxpayers dime and at a level equal to the care the congress members get. No questions asked.



Trump, as I suggested earlier, needs to sit down with his advisors and map out their strategies and policies so that he is ready to answer these hard questions when asked. The GOP is flipping out over someone they laughed at six months ago, (Trump) looking for a brokered convention. The "party is ov-a."



And the Democrats are doing no better with Clinton's IT guy getting immunity looking to do the same thing to screw Bernie out of the nomination. Judge Andrew Napolitano explained last night, that if someone is getting an immunity deal, then there is a sitting grand jury, assessing evidence already. So, this nonsense of Loretta Lynch saying she cannot comment, as to whether there is a grand jury investigation, as part of the political stonewalling, is just that, nonsense.

CSM - A lot of these corporations are multi-national in nature. Few of the larger ones, are not even US-owned but many are offshore or designated elsewhere to avoid taxes. The US has these companies beyond their reach so I am unclear as to how policies can be forced upon those once US-owned corporations but who have outsourced a lot of their work so they cannot be under the jurisdiction of the US.The vets issues, I am pretty familiar with with knowing many of these vets (regardless of a position of the group you mention) and their first gripe is the VA. If your body is in need, nothing else matters. Policy starts with basic needs. The quality of the care and ready-access is first.Some travel out-of-state for care. That is unacceptable. Not getting a timely appointment is unacceptable. And many of the docs are working at the VA for school loan-forgiveness for medical school and are not in that specialty of caring for the very specific physical and emotional needs of returning vets. It is medical care, first, alright and so far, Trump has taken the bull by the horns. They should be cared for on the taxpayers dime and at a level equal to the care the congress members get. No questions asked.Trump, as I suggested earlier, needs to sit down with his advisors and map out their strategies and policies so that he is ready to answer these hard questions when asked. The GOP is flipping out over someone they laughed at six months ago, (Trump) looking for a brokered convention. The "party is ov-a."And the Democrats are doing no better with Clinton's IT guy getting immunity looking to do the same thing to screw Bernie out of the nomination. Judge Andrew Napolitano explained last night, that if someone is getting an immunity deal, then there is a sitting grand jury, assessing evidence already. So, this nonsense of Loretta Lynch saying she cannot comment, as to whether there is a grand jury investigation, as part of the political stonewalling, is just that, nonsense.

I didn't mention specific corporations so I'm not entirely sure what you mean in that paragraph. That said, NAFTA did make it easier for corporations to do things like outsource labor. The whole program is meant to increase profit to corporation owners at the expense of labour. The effects of it have been bad everywhere but they have been particularly devastating in Mexico and the US does have power over whether or not these policies continue.



As for the vet issue, again, I am drawing from the conclusions reached by a veterans organization rather than anecdotal evidence. People can decide for themselves what evidence is more convincing. I'm not suggesting that they don't believe the VA issue is important or even one of the most important issues. It's simply that solutions that Trump offers are not specific enough nor are they believed to be effectively solving the right problems. I didn't mention specific corporations so I'm not entirely sure what you mean in that paragraph. That said, NAFTA did make it easier for corporations to do things like outsource labor. The whole program is meant to increase profit to corporation owners at the expense of labour. The effects of it have been bad everywhere but they have been particularly devastating in Mexico and the US does have power over whether or not these policies continue.As for the vet issue, again, I am drawing from the conclusions reached by a veterans organization rather than anecdotal evidence. People can decide for themselves what evidence is more convincing. I'm not suggesting that they don't believe the VA issue is important or even one of the most important issues. It's simply that solutions that Trump offers are not specific enough nor are they believed to be effectively solving the right problems.  Last Edit: March 05, 2016, 07:49:08 AM by Chocolate Shake Man  Logged

filledeplage



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 3151 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #80 on: March 06, 2016, 07:06:51 AM  Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 05, 2016, 06:34:38 AM Quote from: filledeplage on March 05, 2016, 06:17:53 AM



The vets issues, I am pretty familiar with with knowing many of these vets (regardless of a position of the group you mention) and their first gripe is the VA. If your body is in need, nothing else matters. Policy starts with basic needs. The quality of the care and ready-access is first.



Some travel out-of-state for care. That is unacceptable. Not getting a timely appointment is unacceptable. And many of the docs are working at the VA for school loan-forgiveness for medical school and are not in that specialty of caring for the very specific physical and emotional needs of returning vets. It is medical care, first, alright and so far, Trump has taken the bull by the horns. They should be cared for on the taxpayers dime and at a level equal to the care the congress members get. No questions asked.



Trump, as I suggested earlier, needs to sit down with his advisors and map out their strategies and policies so that he is ready to answer these hard questions when asked. The GOP is flipping out over someone they laughed at six months ago, (Trump) looking for a brokered convention. The "party is ov-a."



And the Democrats are doing no better with Clinton's IT guy getting immunity looking to do the same thing to screw Bernie out of the nomination. Judge Andrew Napolitano explained last night, that if someone is getting an immunity deal, then there is a sitting grand jury, assessing evidence already. So, this nonsense of Loretta Lynch saying she cannot comment, as to whether there is a grand jury investigation, as part of the political stonewalling, is just that, nonsense.

CSM - A lot of these corporations are multi-national in nature. Few of the larger ones, are not even US-owned but many are offshore or designated elsewhere to avoid taxes. The US has these companies beyond their reach so I am unclear as to how policies can be forced upon those once US-owned corporations but who have outsourced a lot of their work so they cannot be under the jurisdiction of the US.The vets issues, I am pretty familiar with with knowing many of these vets (regardless of a position of the group you mention) and their first gripe is the VA. If your body is in need, nothing else matters. Policy starts with basic needs. The quality of the care and ready-access is first.Some travel out-of-state for care. That is unacceptable. Not getting a timely appointment is unacceptable. And many of the docs are working at the VA for school loan-forgiveness for medical school and are not in that specialty of caring for the very specific physical and emotional needs of returning vets. It is medical care, first, alright and so far, Trump has taken the bull by the horns. They should be cared for on the taxpayers dime and at a level equal to the care the congress members get. No questions asked.Trump, as I suggested earlier, needs to sit down with his advisors and map out their strategies and policies so that he is ready to answer these hard questions when asked. The GOP is flipping out over someone they laughed at six months ago, (Trump) looking for a brokered convention. The "party is ov-a."And the Democrats are doing no better with Clinton's IT guy getting immunity looking to do the same thing to screw Bernie out of the nomination. Judge Andrew Napolitano explained last night, that if someone is getting an immunity deal, then there is a sitting grand jury, assessing evidence already. So, this nonsense of Loretta Lynch saying she cannot comment, as to whether there is a grand jury investigation, as part of the political stonewalling, is just that, nonsense.

I didn't mention specific corporations so I'm not entirely sure what you mean in that paragraph. That said, NAFTA did make it easier for corporations to do things like outsource labor. The whole program is meant to increase profit to corporation owners at the expense of labour. The effects of it have been bad everywhere but they have been particularly devastating in Mexico and the US does have power over whether or not these policies continue.



As for the vet issue, again, I am drawing from the conclusions reached by a veterans organization rather than anecdotal evidence. People can decide for themselves what evidence is more convincing. I'm not suggesting that they don't believe the VA issue is important or even one of the most important issues. It's simply that solutions that Trump offers are not specific enough nor are they believed to be effectively solving the right problems.

I didn't mention specific corporations so I'm not entirely sure what you mean in that paragraph. That said, NAFTA did make it easier for corporations to do things like outsource labor. The whole program is meant to increase profit to corporation owners at the expense of labour. The effects of it have been bad everywhere but they have been particularly devastating in Mexico and the US does have power over whether or not these policies continue.As for the vet issue, again, I am drawing from the conclusions reached by a veterans organization rather than anecdotal evidence. People can decide for themselves what evidence is more convincing. I'm not suggesting that they don't believe the VA issue is important or even one of the most important issues. It's simply that solutions that Trump offers are not specific enough nor are they believed to be effectively solving the right problems.

CSM - just as an example, I will use Comcast, who is NBC (National Broadcasting) and General Electric. They are a multi-corps that are connected both media and industry. As far as labor, much of that has to do with whatever trade unions are involved. I don't think Comcast is union, at least in the US. Clinton (Hillary is alleging that she spoke out against NAFTA but her hubby signed off.) (That was on Huffington Post.) (Contrary to that, is ABC's coverage where she is said to have supported it.) It is hard to know all the effects, or how the treaty as applied in Mexico, but what is stopping the leaders of the three nations to sit down and perhaps modify or even call for revocation of the treaty? That has to come from the leaders of all the countries involved.



When the vets talk, I listen. Most don't choose the VA if they have an option and pay for outside insurance for better care if they are able. Many are not able and are at the mercy of the VA. It is that ability to use a universal medical card for insurance coverage anywhere that makes the difference in what can get them to return "whole" in society to make them productive. I know scores of vets through my kids and as former students. It is their chief complaint. That is just basic and essential and the govt. has failed them badly.



There are also vets who have had to pay for their own protective gear to be in combat. That is an outrage, while all these bureaucrats who work in this area of veterans affairs, are counting paper clips. A lot of these agencies need to be reviewed to assess whether they are doing their jobs, in a non-political fashion.

CSM - just as an example, I will use Comcast, who is NBC (National Broadcasting) and General Electric. They are a multi-corps that are connected both media and industry. As far as labor, much of that has to do with whatever trade unions are involved. I don't think Comcast is union, at least in the US. Clinton (Hillary is alleging that she spoke out against NAFTA but her hubby signed off.) (That was on Huffington Post.) (Contrary to that, is ABC's coverage where she is said to have supported it.) It is hard to know all the effects, or how the treaty as applied in Mexico, but what is stopping the leaders of the three nations to sit down and perhaps modify or even call for revocation of the treaty? That has to come from the leaders of all the countries involved.When the vets talk, I listen. Most don't choose the VA if they have an option and pay for outside insurance for better care if they are able. Many are not able and are at the mercy of the VA. It is that ability to use a universal medical card for insurance coverage anywhere that makes the difference in what can get them to return "whole" in society to make them productive. I know scores of vets through my kids and as former students. It is their chief complaint. That is just basic and essential and the govt. has failed them badly.There are also vets who have had to pay for their own protective gear to be in combat. That is an outrage, while all these bureaucrats who work in this area of veterans affairs, are counting paper clips. A lot of these agencies need to be reviewed to assess whether they are doing their jobs, in a non-political fashion. Logged

Chocolate Shake Man



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2869 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #81 on: March 06, 2016, 08:51:43 AM  What is stopping the three leaders is that they are, for the most part, always representatives of the elite sectors of the society who stand to benefit from these policies at the expense of the population. That we are forced to rely on these leaders to change anything is pretty good evidence of how democracy is severely malfunctioning in North America. Incidentally, a crucial part of NAFTA is that it worked to break down and undermine trade unions. I don't agree that it is "hard to know all the effects, or how the treaty as applied in Mexico." These things have been quite conclusively documented and studied. I'm confused as to why you bring up Clinton.  Last Edit: March 06, 2016, 08:52:56 AM by Chocolate Shake Man  Logged

filledeplage



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 3151 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #82 on: March 06, 2016, 09:08:16 AM  Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 06, 2016, 08:51:43 AM What is stopping the three leaders is that they are, for the most part, always representatives of the elite sectors of the society who stand to benefit from these policies at the expense of the population. That we are forced to rely on these leaders to change anything is pretty good evidence of how democracy is severely malfunctioning in North America. Incidentally, a crucial part of NAFTA is that it worked to break down and undermine trade unions. I don't agree that it is "hard to know all the effects, or how the treaty as applied in Mexico." These things have been quite conclusively documented and studied. I'm confused as to why you bring up Clinton.

Clinton is an issue because she is a Presidential candidate, and because she has been shown to have 2 positions on NAFTA. An election year is the perfect time to both raise the issue and to cause sunlight to fall upon it. Clinton is getting big union support so it is a huge issue and what you have said about union busting runs contrary to the support she is getting now.



Facebook pages or twitter accounts that are targeted to address the issues might be a good way to harness media on the issue to raise awareness. Studies can be linked and either validated or debunked and this is exactly the year to raise them. Clinton is an issue because she is a Presidential candidate, and because she has been shown to have 2 positions on NAFTA. An election year is the perfect time to both raise the issue and to cause sunlight to fall upon it. Clinton is getting big union support so it is a huge issue and what you have said about union busting runs contrary to the support she is getting now.Facebook pages or twitter accounts that are targeted to address the issues might be a good way to harness media on the issue to raise awareness. Studies can be linked and either validated or debunked and this is exactly the year to raise them. Logged

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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2869 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #83 on: March 06, 2016, 10:31:29 AM  Quote from: filledeplage on March 06, 2016, 09:08:16 AM Clinton is an issue because she is a Presidential candidate, and because she has been shown to have 2 positions on NAFTA. An election year is the perfect time to both raise the issue and to cause sunlight to fall upon it. Clinton is getting big union support so it is a huge issue and what you have said about union busting runs contrary to the support she is getting now.



Facebook pages or twitter accounts that are targeted to address the issues might be a good way to harness media on the issue to raise awareness. Studies can be linked and either validated or debunked and this is exactly the year to raise them.



Clinton has talked about pulling out of NAFTA but, as far as I'm concerned, I don't find the reasoning to be particularly convincing. The argument from the Democrats tend to be, "NAFTA hasn't been good for America so we will pull out." This ignores the fact that NAFTA has been devastating to Mexico and that the whole purpose of NAFTA was mostly to reform the Mexican economy so that it was friendly to American investment. Now that the money has been made and Mexico has been devastated, it is not a question of whether or not NAFTA should be terminated simply because of how well America is faring, though NAFTA's problematic impact on American jobs alone is bad enough.



To be honest, if it came down to Clinton and Trump, it would be a no-brainer for the labour unions to support Clinton, as it would for any working person. Republican policies like the kind that Trump is in favour of enacting (insofar as he has any clear policies) inevitably lead to the usual increase in levels of public debt. Clinton has talked about pulling out of NAFTA but, as far as I'm concerned, I don't find the reasoning to be particularly convincing. The argument from the Democrats tend to be, "NAFTA hasn't been good for America so we will pull out." This ignores the fact that NAFTA has been devastating to Mexico and that the whole purpose of NAFTA was mostly to reform the Mexican economy so that it was friendly to American investment. Now that the money has been made and Mexico has been devastated, it is not a question of whether or not NAFTA should be terminated simply because of how well America is faring, though NAFTA's problematic impact on American jobs alone is bad enough.To be honest, if it came down to Clinton and Trump, it would be a no-brainer for the labour unions to support Clinton, as it would for any working person. Republican policies like the kind that Trump is in favour of enacting (insofar as he has any clear policies) inevitably lead to the usual increase in levels of public debt.  Last Edit: March 06, 2016, 10:34:48 AM by Chocolate Shake Man  Logged

filledeplage



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 3151 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #84 on: March 06, 2016, 11:12:42 AM  Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 06, 2016, 10:31:29 AM Quote from: filledeplage on March 06, 2016, 09:08:16 AM Clinton is an issue because she is a Presidential candidate, and because she has been shown to have 2 positions on NAFTA. An election year is the perfect time to both raise the issue and to cause sunlight to fall upon it. Clinton is getting big union support so it is a huge issue and what you have said about union busting runs contrary to the support she is getting now.



Facebook pages or twitter accounts that are targeted to address the issues might be a good way to harness media on the issue to raise awareness. Studies can be linked and either validated or debunked and this is exactly the year to raise them.

Clinton has talked about pulling out of NAFTA but, as far as I'm concerned, I don't find the reasoning to be particularly convincing. The argument from the Democrats tend to be, "NAFTA hasn't been good for America so we will pull out." This ignores the fact that NAFTA has been devastating to Mexico and that the whole purpose of NAFTA was mostly to reform the Mexican economy so that it was friendly to American investment. Now that the money has been made and Mexico has been devastated, it is not a question of whether or not NAFTA should be terminated simply because of how well America is faring, though NAFTA's problematic impact on American jobs alone is bad enough.



To be honest, if it came down to Clinton and Trump, it would be a no-brainer for the labour unions to support Clinton, as it would for any working person. Republican policies like the kind that Trump is in favour of enacting (insofar as he has any clear policies) inevitably lead to the usual increase in levels of public debt.

Clinton has talked about pulling out of NAFTA but, as far as I'm concerned, I don't find the reasoning to be particularly convincing. The argument from the Democrats tend to be, "NAFTA hasn't been good for America so we will pull out." This ignores the fact that NAFTA has been devastating to Mexico and that the whole purpose of NAFTA was mostly to reform the Mexican economy so that it was friendly to American investment. Now that the money has been made and Mexico has been devastated, it is not a question of whether or not NAFTA should be terminated simply because of how well America is faring, though NAFTA's problematic impact on American jobs alone is bad enough.To be honest, if it came down to Clinton and Trump, it would be a no-brainer for the labour unions to support Clinton, as it would for any working person. Republican policies like the kind that Trump is in favour of enacting (insofar as he has any clear policies) inevitably lead to the usual increase in levels of public debt.



Absent repeal of NAFTA, or with the possible repeal, what do you think could be a solution? CSM - Political people can always craft a defense or pretext to repeal something. I was always under the impression that NAFTA was to benefit the 3 countries involved. People usually enact legislation or treaties for mutual or benefit between or among countries.Absent repeal of NAFTA, or with the possible repeal, what do you think could be a solution? Logged

Emily



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2021 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #85 on: March 06, 2016, 11:35:57 AM  Just thought I'd add, regarding Central America, CAFTA. And United Fruit. And the occupation in the 1930s.





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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2869 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #88 on: March 06, 2016, 12:10:36 PM  Quote from: filledeplage on March 06, 2016, 11:12:42 AM CSM - Political people can always craft a defense or pretext to repeal something. I was always under the impression that NAFTA was to benefit the 3 countries involved. People usually enact legislation or treaties for mutual or benefit between or among countries.



Absent repeal of NAFTA, or with the possible repeal, what do you think could be a solution?



Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.



A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour. Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.  Last Edit: March 06, 2016, 12:14:12 PM by Chocolate Shake Man  Logged

Emily



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2021 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #89 on: March 06, 2016, 12:18:33 PM  Quote from: filledeplage on March 06, 2016, 12:03:08 PM Quote from: Emily on March 06, 2016, 11:35:57 AM Just thought I'd add, regarding Central America, CAFTA. And United Fruit. And the occupation in the 1930s.

Emily - "Going forward" and using the leverage of the impending election, is there a beneficial solution that can be realized?

Emily - "Going forward" and using the leverage of the impending election, is there a beneficial solution that can be realized?

The US started with actual slaves and indentured servants and we still haven't gotten over our addiction to slave-wage labor. We've just moved it around. A complete overhaul of our labor policies and corporate welfare system, plus recognition of the autonomy of other countries and acting on the world stage as a member, not a dictator, would be good. Repealing NAFTA and CAFTA would be essential. Discontinuing our selfish, frankly a**holish attitude to the refugees from the economic (and health) devastation we've wreaked in other countries would be a start.The US started with actual slaves and indentured servants and we still haven't gotten over our addiction to slave-wage labor. We've just moved it around. Logged

Emily



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2021 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #90 on: March 06, 2016, 12:23:44 PM  Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 06, 2016, 12:10:36 PM Quote from: filledeplage on March 06, 2016, 11:12:42 AM CSM - Political people can always craft a defense or pretext to repeal something. I was always under the impression that NAFTA was to benefit the 3 countries involved. People usually enact legislation or treaties for mutual or benefit between or among countries.



Absent repeal of NAFTA, or with the possible repeal, what do you think could be a solution?



Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.



A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot. I like what you said about borders. I've always found it ironic that 'free world' governments exert control over where people can live and work.If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot. Logged

filledeplage



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 3151 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #91 on: March 07, 2016, 06:14:28 AM  Quote from: Emily on March 06, 2016, 12:23:44 PM Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 06, 2016, 12:10:36 PM Quote from: filledeplage on March 06, 2016, 11:12:42 AM CSM - Political people can always craft a defense or pretext to repeal something. I was always under the impression that NAFTA was to benefit the 3 countries involved. People usually enact legislation or treaties for mutual or benefit between or among countries.



Absent repeal of NAFTA, or with the possible repeal, what do you think could be a solution?



Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.



A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot.

I like what you said about borders. I've always found it ironic that 'free world' governments exert control over where people can live and work.If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot.



Or, set up a network, draft a position paper, and send it to the major candidates political directors, with the others all on "copy" as well as notables, such as senators and congress members and organizations, who have an interest in these issues, to engage a higher level of dialog and make it part of the election cycle. Then follow up with media.



It is time, paper, postage and follow-up phone calls to the respective parties.



We can talk about this until the cow-jumps-over-the-moon but action. Talk is cheap. Activists act.



There is no time like the present. The world is what it is. It is not the time to lament the old colonial empires unjust manner of land-conquest. Right now is a prime-time opportunity to make use of the election cycle to raise these issues to become a greater part of the discussion or create a dedicated Twitter site or Facebook page to raise awareness.Or, set up a network, draft a position paper, and send it to the major candidates political directors, with the others all on "copy" as well as notables, such as senators and congress members and organizations, who have an interest in these issues, to engage a higher level of dialog and make it part of the election cycle. Then follow up with media.It is time, paper, postage and follow-up phone calls to the respective parties.We can talk about this until the cow-jumps-over-the-moon but action. Talk is cheap. Activists act.There is no time like the present. Logged

Emily



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Posts: 2021





Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2021 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #92 on: March 07, 2016, 06:23:43 AM  Quote from: filledeplage on March 07, 2016, 06:14:28 AM Quote from: Emily on March 06, 2016, 12:23:44 PM Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 06, 2016, 12:10:36 PM Quote from: filledeplage on March 06, 2016, 11:12:42 AM CSM - Political people can always craft a defense or pretext to repeal something. I was always under the impression that NAFTA was to benefit the 3 countries involved. People usually enact legislation or treaties for mutual or benefit between or among countries.



Absent repeal of NAFTA, or with the possible repeal, what do you think could be a solution?



Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.



A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot.

I like what you said about borders. I've always found it ironic that 'free world' governments exert control over where people can live and work.If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot.



Or, set up a network, draft a position paper, and send it to the major candidates political directors, with the others all on "copy" as well as notables, such as senators and congress members and organizations, who have an interest in these issues, to engage a higher level of dialog and make it part of the election cycle. Then follow up with media.



It is time, paper, postage and follow-up phone calls to the respective parties.



We can talk about this until the cow-jumps-over-the-moon but action. Talk is cheap. Activists act.



There is no time like the present.

The world is what it is. It is not the time to lament the old colonial empires unjust manner of land-conquest. Right now is a prime-time opportunity to make use of the election cycle to raise these issues to become a greater part of the discussion or create a dedicated Twitter site or Facebook page to raise awareness.Or, set up a network, draft a position paper, and send it to the major candidates political directors, with the others all on "copy" as well as notables, such as senators and congress members and organizations, who have an interest in these issues, to engage a higher level of dialog and make it part of the election cycle. Then follow up with media.It is time, paper, postage and follow-up phone calls to the respective parties.We can talk about this until the cow-jumps-over-the-moon but action. Talk is cheap. Activists act.There is no time like the present. I don't think anyone was referring to anything but present day circumstances. I've worked on many campaigns, so appreciate that practical action is appropriate, though most often depressingly ineffective against ground-up brain washing. Logged

Chocolate Shake Man



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2869 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #93 on: March 07, 2016, 06:29:00 AM  Quote from: filledeplage on March 07, 2016, 06:14:28 AM Quote from: Emily on March 06, 2016, 12:23:44 PM Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 06, 2016, 12:10:36 PM Quote from: filledeplage on March 06, 2016, 11:12:42 AM CSM - Political people can always craft a defense or pretext to repeal something. I was always under the impression that NAFTA was to benefit the 3 countries involved. People usually enact legislation or treaties for mutual or benefit between or among countries.



Absent repeal of NAFTA, or with the possible repeal, what do you think could be a solution?



Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.



A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot.

I like what you said about borders. I've always found it ironic that 'free world' governments exert control over where people can live and work.If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot.



Or, set up a network, draft a position paper, and send it to the major candidates political directors, with the others all on "copy" as well as notables, such as senators and congress members and organizations, who have an interest in these issues, to engage a higher level of dialog and make it part of the election cycle. Then follow up with media.



It is time, paper, postage and follow-up phone calls to the respective parties.



We can talk about this until the cow-jumps-over-the-moon but action. Talk is cheap. Activists act.



There is no time like the present.

The world is what it is. It is not the time to lament the old colonial empires unjust manner of land-conquest. Right now is a prime-time opportunity to make use of the election cycle to raise these issues to become a greater part of the discussion or create a dedicated Twitter site or Facebook page to raise awareness.Or, set up a network, draft a position paper, and send it to the major candidates political directors, with the others all on "copy" as well as notables, such as senators and congress members and organizations, who have an interest in these issues, to engage a higher level of dialog and make it part of the election cycle. Then follow up with media.It is time, paper, postage and follow-up phone calls to the respective parties.We can talk about this until the cow-jumps-over-the-moon but action. Talk is cheap. Activists act.There is no time like the present.

Yes, as Emily said above, I was referring to present day circumstances. Yes, as Emily said above, I was referring to present day circumstances.  Last Edit: March 07, 2016, 06:30:06 AM by Chocolate Shake Man  Logged

filledeplage



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Posts: 3151





Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 3151 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #94 on: March 07, 2016, 06:30:14 AM  Quote from: Emily on March 07, 2016, 06:23:43 AM Quote from: filledeplage on March 07, 2016, 06:14:28 AM Quote from: Emily on March 06, 2016, 12:23:44 PM Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 06, 2016, 12:10:36 PM Quote from: filledeplage on March 06, 2016, 11:12:42 AM CSM - Political people can always craft a defense or pretext to repeal something. I was always under the impression that NAFTA was to benefit the 3 countries involved. People usually enact legislation or treaties for mutual or benefit between or among countries.



Absent repeal of NAFTA, or with the possible repeal, what do you think could be a solution?



Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.



A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

Initially, great efforts were made by the three countries to pass the the law without the populations being aware of it happening. Policies, when they are crafted by elite members of society, do not work to benefit that society, but to instead benefit the elite sectors that are crafting those policies in the first place. Obviously the elite figures in Mexico who were signing on NAFTA were only too happy with a policy designed largely for the purposes of making Mexico more open to American investment since that tends to lead to profits for elite sectors of the penetrated countries as well even as the countries plunge into poverty. Those have historically been the consequences of US policies in Central America, Haiti, South Korea, etc.A real solution would be to recognize that borders are by their nature illegitimate acts created by power centres, imposed arbitrarily and unnaturally and without any care about people and their culture, and are achieved and maintained only through violence and coercion. But in the meantime, repealing NAFTA and paying Mexico enormous reparations with the profits that were achieved through the exploitation of the country, would be a start. Then, once that's done, there can be an actual discussion of a free and fair trade system, rather than a system designed to increase profits at the expense of labour.

If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot.

I like what you said about borders. I've always found it ironic that 'free world' governments exert control over where people can live and work.If that were to happen, much of my above post would be rendered moot.



Or, set up a network, draft a position paper, and send it to the major candidates political directors, with the others all on "copy" as well as notables, such as senators and congress members and organizations, who have an interest in these issues, to engage a higher level of dialog and make it part of the election cycle. Then follow up with media.



It is time, paper, postage and follow-up phone calls to the respective parties.



We can talk about this until the cow-jumps-over-the-moon but action. Talk is cheap. Activists act.



There is no time like the present.

The world is what it is. It is not the time to lament the old colonial empires unjust manner of land-conquest. Right now is a prime-time opportunity to make use of the election cycle to raise these issues to become a greater part of the discussion or create a dedicated Twitter site or Facebook page to raise awareness.Or, set up a network, draft a position paper, and send it to the major candidates political directors, with the others all on "copy" as well as notables, such as senators and congress members and organizations, who have an interest in these issues, to engage a higher level of dialog and make it part of the election cycle. Then follow up with media.It is time, paper, postage and follow-up phone calls to the respective parties.We can talk about this until the cow-jumps-over-the-moon but action. Talk is cheap. Activists act.There is no time like the present.

I don't think anyone was referring to anything but present day circumstances. I've worked on many campaigns, so appreciate that practical action is appropriate, though most often depressingly ineffective against ground-up brain washing.



And, if you are the leader (or one of those who are like-minded) of the movement; you get to control it's path. You might not win on the first round, but you will, if you get the message out there and keep it out there. Emily - while activism is time-intensive and labor-intensive it is one of the few effective ways of combatting any issue whether a social issue or environmental issue. Your barometer is how the "other side" fights, to know how successful you are becoming. And the time is ripe to raise these issues. This year IS the grassroots non-conventional year to get a message out that you think is important.And, if you are the leader (or one of those who are like-minded) of the movement; you get to control it's path. You might not win on the first round, but you will, if you get the message out there and keep it out there. Logged

filledeplage



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 3151 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #96 on: March 07, 2016, 06:47:47 AM  Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 07, 2016, 06:39:04 AM In my opinion, though, there should not be a leader of grassroots movements who control its path.

CSM - absent leaders or a core group of concerned citizens, who know how to get a message out, there is no movement.



Someone/ or a core group needs to be at the helm to mobilize and organize.



Who you gonna call?



Even unions has a leaders. They started as grass-roots. CSM - absent leaders or a core group of concerned citizens, who know how to get a message out, there is no movement.Someone/ or a core group needs to be at the helm to mobilize and organize.Who you gonna call?Even unions has a leaders. They started as grass-roots. Logged

Chocolate Shake Man



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 2869 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #97 on: March 07, 2016, 07:00:37 AM  If they are going to be successful, grassroots movements need to be fully democratic in their structure. There should not be one person leading the way. Rather, there needs to be a constant mutual exchange of ideas. It's only because we are indoctrinated into thinking that we need to be led that we think that all movements require leaders. As far as I'm concerned, if we are to break away from ruling ideologies, we need to reconceive the way that people can organize.



Unions have leaders but good union leaders do not and should not control the path of the union. Logged

filledeplage



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Smiley Smile AssociatePosts: 3151 Re: Summer of Trump  Reply #98 on: March 07, 2016, 07:13:46 AM  Quote from: Chocolate Shake Man on March 07, 2016, 07:00:37 AM If they are going to be successful, grassroots movements need to be fully democratic in their structure. There should not be one person leading the way. Rather, there needs to be a constant mutual exchange of ideas. It's only because we are indoctrinated into thinking that we need to be led that we think that all movements require leaders. As far as I'm concerned, if we are to break away from ruling ideologies, we need to reconceive the way that people can organize.



Unions have leaders but good union leaders do not and should not control the path of the union.

CSM - As a practical matter, once the issues are worked out, someone/s will always emerge as a leader, regardless of how "democratic" the structure is or is not.



Someone has to be the spokesperson. I have been involved as a union member for several decades and also involved with matters that can become union-connected but not union-managed. Unions and their leaders can be influenced by the government, so they are not perfect.



The most expeditious way to some issue-raising is just plowing ahead with a position paper or some website to get the issue out there to see if there is interest sufficient to sustain an organization and movement. Building a network is hard work and after the "democratic" crowd leaves, there are often, only a few who are willing to do the actual work required.



This year, time is of the essence. CSM - As a practical matter, once the issues are worked out, someone/s will always emerge as a leader, regardless of how "democratic" the structure is or is not.Someone has to be the spokesperson. I have been involved as a union member for several decades and also involved with matters that can become union-connected but not union-managed. Unions and their leaders can be influenced by the government, so they are not perfect.The most expeditious way to some issue-raising is just plowing ahead with a position paper or some website to get the issue out there to see if there is interest sufficient to sustain an organization and movement. Building a network is hard work and after the "democratic" crowd leaves, there are often, only a few who are willing to do the actual work required.This year, time is of the essence. Logged
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WASHINGTON

(March 6, 2016)The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities., is being awarded aadvance acquisition contract for the procurement of long-lead parts and components for the manufacture and delivery of 24 Lot 14 AH-1Z new build aircraft in support of the H-1 upgrade program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (60 percent); and Amarillo, Texas (40 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2017. Fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $55,927,999 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The, is the contracting authority (N00019-16-C-0003)., is being awardedfor cost-plus-fixed-fee task order 1269 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0026) in support of the MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned aircraft systems. This test support effort for the MQ-8C includes software verification; software regression; cybersecurity; dynamic interface; and other requirements in preparation for, but not including, initial operational test and evaluation. The MQ-8B scope includes providing aircraft maintenance support for two government-owned MQ-8B test aircraft. Work will be performed in Point Mugu, California, and is expected to be completed in October 2016. Fiscal 2016 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,280,560 are being obligated at time of award; none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded amodification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm contract (N00019-15-C-0114) for recurring logistics sustainment services support for delivered F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-Department of Defense participants, and foreign military sales customers. Support to be provided includes ground maintenance activities; action request resolution; depot activation activities; Automatic Logistics Information System operations and maintenance; reliability, maintainability and health management implementation support; supply chain management; and activities to provide and support pilot and maintainer initial training. Work will be performed in Ft. Worth, Texas (46 percent); El Segundo, California (7 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (9 percent); Orlando, Florida (32 percent); and Greenville, South Carolina (6 percent). Work is expected to be completed in December 2016. Fiscal 2016 operation and maintenance funds (Air Force and Navy); fiscal 2015 and 2016 aircraft procurement funds (Air Force and Navy); international partner and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $646,571,536 will be obligated at time of award, of which $233,427,816 will expire this fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($372,107,211; 48 percent); Marine Corps ($181,292,120; 24 percent); Navy ($115,009,621; 15 percent); international partners ($93,092,756; 12 percent); and foreign military sales ($8,010,022, 1 percent). The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded amodification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive, firm target contract (N00019-14-C-0067) for the production and delivery of two full-rate production Lot III P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (80 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (3 percent); Greenlawn, New York (2.8 percent); Cambridge, United Kingdom (1.7 percent); North Amityville, New York (1.1 percent); Rockford, Illinois (0.9 percent); Rancho Santa Margarita, California (0.7 percent); Salt Lake City, Utah (0.6 percent); and various other locations within the continental U.S. (9.2 percent). Work is expected to be completed in February 2019. Fiscal 2014 and 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $138,130,910 will be obligated at time of award, $69,065,455 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awardedfor modification 0026 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive, firm target, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-13-C-9999) for non-recurring engineering, product support, engineering investigations, and software sustainment in support of the full-rate production Lot 4 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida (52 percent); Syracuse, New York (13.6 percent); St. Augustine, Florida (8.1 percent); Herndon, Virginia (5.2 percent); Greenlawn, New York (4.7 percent); Liverpool, New York (4.7 percent); Indianapolis, Indiana (2.9 percent); Woodland Hills, California (2.7 percent); El Segundo, California (2.3 percent); Menlo Park, California (1.5 percent); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (0.9 percent); and various locations within the U.S. (1.4 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2017. Fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $50,762,901 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awardedfor modification P00004 to a previously issued firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-15-D-0024) to exercise an option for night vision cueing and display system hardware, support equipment, non-recurring engineering, testing, and technical data for the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing system. Work will be performed in Merrimack, New Hampshire (79 percent); Wilsonville, Oregon (15 percent); Atlanta, Georgia (4 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2018. Fiscal 2015 and 2016 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $18,500,550 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awardedfor modification PO0022 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-12-C-2024) to exercise an option for the manufacture, test, delivery and support of 29 AN/ARQ-59 radio terminal Common Data Link Hawklink systems in support of the MH-60R aircraft. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah (60 percent); Atlanta, Georgia (14 percent); Mountain View, California (6 percent); Exeter, New Hampshire (2 percent); and Phoenix, Arizona; El Cajon, California; Oxnard, California; Salinas, California; Sunnyvale, California; Boise, Idaho; Derby, Kanas; Littleton, Massachusetts; Stow, Massachusetts; Minnetonka, Minnesota; Skokie, Illinois; Dover, New Hampshire; Bohemia, New York; York Haven, Pennsylvania; Providence, Rhode Island; Cedar Park, Texas; Ft. Worth, Texas; and Toronto, Canada (1 percent each), and is expected to be completed in October 2017. Fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $16,930,838 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awardedfor modification 0041 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-13-C-0004) to exercise an option for the installation of one Block I modification aircraft kit, to include the Internet Protocol Bandwidth Expansion and Very Low Terminal kits, on one E-6B aircraft. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (95 percent); and Richardson, Texas (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2017. Fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,201,304 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded anmodification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursement contract (N00421-15-C-0022) to exercise an option for organizational, selected intermediate and limited depot level aircraft maintenance, management, and logistics support services for the 44 F-5 F/N aircraft. Work will be performed in Key West, Florida (39 percent); Yuma, Arizona (32 percent); and Fallon, Nevada (29 percent); and is expected to be completed in June 2016. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Navy Reserve) funds in the amount of $8,491,857 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awardedfor modification P00022 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm target contract (N00019-14-C-0050) for integration of formation lighting into the VH-92A Integrated Air Vehicle in support of the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program. Efforts will include the design, development, qualification/certification, documentation, and integration of formation lights into six test aircraft, including spares support. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in October 2020. Funds are not being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on future modifications. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded amodification to exercise an option to delivery order 2063, which was previously issued against basic ordering agreement N00019-11-G-0001. This option provides for two flight critical engineering change proposals that will address fracture critical and maintenance critical areas in support of the F/A-18A-D service life extension program (Phase C2). Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in June 2017. Fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,085,765 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable contract for services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Ship and Air Integrated Warfare Department. Services will include rapid design, development, customization, manufacturing, fabrication, integration, test and evaluation, installation, certification, maintenance and upgrade, logistic, modernization, and life cycle support of new and/or existing shipboard and airborne systems. This work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (15 percent); and various locations inside and outside of the U.S. (85 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2017. Fiscal 2016 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $9,200,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c) (1). The, is the contracting activity (N00421-16-C-0032).
After the parliamentary elections, the Slovak political scene finds itself in a situation where practically nobody is able to form a government supported by a solid majority in the parliament without the votes of extremist parties. This is a result that few (if anyone) expected.

Marian Kotleba surprisingly made it to parliament on Saturday with his far right party. (Source: Sme)

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OF THE eight parties that made it to the parliament after Slovakias March 5 elections, two are considered highly non-standard and unlikely to be considered to have a part in any potential ruling coalition.

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The far-right Peoples Party  Our Slovakia (LSNS) of Marian Kotleba scored 8.1 percent in the elections and will have 14 seats in the new parliament, while the protest party of Boris Kollar, Sme Rodina (We are Family) gained 6.6 percent of the vote and will have 11 MPs in the new parliament. This stems from preliminary results released by the Statistics Office after more than 99 percent of the votes were counted on Sunday morning.

After Kotlebas 2013 victory in the regional governor vote, analysts warned that the top regional power will open up the public discourse to him and his associates. Some opined back then that he wont be able to carry out his promises and will disappoint his voters, but the parliamentary election results have proven that wrong.

Analysts are discussing a mixture of factors that strengthened the protest vote and brought extremists to parliament: one thing is that voters remain disappointed with the standard political parties, another thing is the hostile and fearful atmosphere that was fostered also by the campaign of some standard parties, mainly the ruling Smer with its anti-migrant rhetoric.

Smer introduced an atmosphere of fear and anger and then was unable to channel it, said political analyst Pavol Hardos during a debate in the editorial room of the Sme daily, to explain the result of Kotleba.

Hardos also noted that for Kotlebas result the factor of non-voters plays a role: people who normally wouldnt vote turned out to support him.

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First-time voters bring extremists in

Data of the exit poll for Radio Expres suggest that a large portion of Kotlebas vote came from young people, mainly first-time voters. According to the exit poll, almost 23 percent of first-time voters cast their ballot for Kotlebas party.

Observers expressed concerns about the fact that it is the people in their late teens and early twenties, todays secondary school students, who supported the far-right party. They point to the education system in the country as one of the factors that lead to this behaviour in young voters.

There is a lack of education at schools but also education at home, political analyst Pavol Bobos said during the election night.

Political analyst Aneta Vilagi noted that there has been no critical reflection of the wartime Slovak state. There are still people who remember that time and some of them admit that they were quite well off back then, economically, and this is what they tell their grandchildren, who in turn are unable to evaluate that information in the context of history data.

It makes sense to me that it clicks in their heads when they have nothing to confront it with, Vilagi said.

The reason also lies in the fact that first-time voters are normally not interested in things like family policies, pensions, or economics, and they react to simple messages that extremists are good at broadcasting.

When first-time voters vote for Kotleba, they are attracted by the ideology, the substitute, rather than real problems, because they dont know what to actually expect from a party, Vilagi said. Instant messages and slogans resonate with them, and serious politicians simply stand no chance to explain their policies in such instant manner, she explained. Young people simply need more experience in life to move away from their intuitive way of choosing a party.

Additionally, addressing first-time voters is even more cost-effective than with other groups. An online campaign on social networks suffices, as that is where this group [of voters] lives, Vilagi said.

A share in power?

Most parties who made it to parliament, including Smer and SNS, have made it clear that they wouldnt consider negotiating with either Kotleba or Kollar.

Id rather not be a chairman of SNS than cooperate with parties that belong to the last century, SNS Andrej Danko said as quoted by Sme.

Richard Sulik of SaS, the second strongest party after Smer with 20 seats in the house, excluded LSNS but also Smer from his coalition considerations.

It proves that standard parties have paid little attention to the will of voters, heres the result, he said as quoted by Sme.

According to Igor Matovic, whose OLaNO will have 19 MPs, the presence of fascists in the parliament forces other parties to behave responsibly.

The outgoing foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak who ran on the slate of Smer said that the non-standard parties will complicate the perception of Slovakia in Europe, TASR reported.

Frantisek Sebej of Most-Hid (11 MPs) pointed to the upcoming EU presidency.

People whom Kotleba and Kollar bring into the parliament are people who have neither education-, nor value-, nor intellectual equipment to be able to take part in such complicated political processes, Sebej said as quoted by TASR.

Kotleba satisfied but not surprised

Kotleba said for the Plus Jeden Den daily that he was satisfied with the results, but not surprised.

Kollar said he was scheduled to meet SaS Sulik and said that he wouldnt have a problem with anyone but extremists. He, however, earlier said that he was not willing to go to a ruling coalition because his party is too small and wouldnt have a say.

Id rather survive outside of that and gain greater power so that we can then decide more, Kollar said as quoted by Sme.

In an immediate reaction to the election results, a protest gathering was organised to take place in Bratislava on Monday, March 7.
Party of Robert Fico will struggle to form a new government.

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SEVERAL foreign media are pointing out the victory of extremist parties which made it to the parliament after March 5 parliamentary elections, stressing the difficulty Prime Minister Robert Ficos Smer will have to form a new government.

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Slovaks woke up to the post-election morning where there are no victors after the votes are counted, Lubos Palata wrote in his commentary for the Idnes.cz website. There are only losers.

Though the ruling Smer won the elections, it fell significantly compared with the pre-election polls predictions and harvested only less than 30 percent of the vote, Palata added.

Smer loses majority

Fico will need a coalition partner to return for a third term, according to the British BBC.

Gains by small parties, including an extreme right one, may produce a divided parliament with no clear path to forming a majority government, it wrote on its website.

Fico, who had hoped to rule with one smaller coalition partner, said building a new coalition in a highly fragmented parliament would take time and be tough, given the very complicated election results, as reported by the British Guardian.

If Fico fails to form a new cabinet, a group of centre-right parties could try to form a broad but possibly unstable anti-Fico coalition, a repeat of the 2010 elections, according to the Reuters newswire.

The media outlets also remind of Ficos anti-immigration rhetoric, comparing it with the views in Poland and Hungary. They also write that the country will take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in July.

With euro-zone member Slovakia due to take over the European Unions rotating presidency from July, giving it a bigger role in EU policy discussions over the blocs migration crisis, the election is being watched closely in Brussels, the Reuters newswire wrote.

Non-systemic parties in the house

Another strong moment highlighted by foreign media is the election result of Ludova Strana  Nase Slovensko (LSNS) led by Marian Kotleba and Sme rodina led by businessman Boris Kollar.

The BBCs Rob Cameron described Kotleba as an unrepentant admirer of Slovakias wartime existence as a Nazi puppet state, and until recently dressed in a uniform modelled on that states pro-Nazi militia.

Such a result may follow the fact that unemployment of more than 10 percent and vast regional differences in wealth, as well corruption and low health care and education standards, have disappointed many voters, Reuters wrote.

The results showed Ficos bet on immigration fears may have brought votes to others, Reuters added.

Palata writes in his opinion piece that some of these anti-systemic parties may have taken votes from Smer. He lists not only LSNS and Sme rodina, but also the Slovak National Party (SNS) which returned to the parliament after four years. According to him, it withdrew from its nationalist character only pro forma.

Hard to form coalition

Though two right-wing parties, Freedom and Solidarity of Richard Sulik and Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO-NOVA) of Igor Matovic each harvested more than 10 percent of the vote, neither of them can form a reasonable government, Palata comments.

Both parties were seemingly successful in criticising Smer during their campaign, so neither of them can afford to a form government with Fico. The same is true for Most-Hid, which cannot agree on ruling with Smer and SNS since it had warned against the latter making it to the house before the elections, Palata reminds.

Slovakia now has two possibilities: either the political parties for which cooperation is unimaginable at the moment will form a government or there will be a caretaker government led by President Andrej Kiska which would run the country during its presidency over the EU Council in the second half of the year.

And in one year new, early elections in which the voters would give new cards to Slovak politicians, Palata concluded.
Smer and Siet far below expectations, KDH out of parliament, far-right in.

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SLOVAKIAS voters presented politicians and observers with a major surprise in the March 5 parliamentary elections. With extremist parties making significant gains, there is little chance for a lasting government.

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The results of the elections, which came slower than usual due to technical problems at the Statistics Office, completely re-shuffled the situation on the Slovak political scene. The result of the ruling Smer, below 30 percent and well below expectations, was only one of the surprises. It was overshadowed by the high gain of the far-right Peoples Party  Our Slovakia (LSNS) led by known extremist Marian Kotleba (8 percent) and the protest party of businessman Boris Kollar (6.6 percent), who will occupy together 25 seats in the 150-member parliament.

Additionally, the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) dropped out of parliament for the first time in the 26 years, and the newcomer Siet of Radoslav Prochazka, which was considered a favourite for becoming the new leader of the centre-right, barely made it to parliament with just over 5 percent of the vote.

Most observers of the local political scene have been taken by surprise with the election results. They do not expect any stable government to arise from the mixture of parties that made it to parliament and talk about the possibility of a caretaker government for Slovakia that will run through the end of the year.

(Source: Statistics Office, Sme.sk)

Early elections in sight?

Most analysts agree that Slovakia will see new elections soon. A caretaker government could be appointed to handle Slovakias upcoming EU Council presidency in the second half of 2016 and early elections could take place after that, they suggest.

Fico, whose Smer gained the biggest portion of the vote, just over 28 percent, said he will try to avoid early elections. He said he feels the responsibility to put together a government, but admitted that it is not going to be easy and might take longer than usual.

Richard Sulik, whose Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) came in second with 12.1 percent of the vote, said he was also ready to try and put together a rightist, reform government if Smer fails to gain enough support for their option. After the election results got clearer as the night progressed, leaders of Ordinary People and Independent Personalities, and the NOVA movement (OLaNO-NOVA), Igor Matovic and Daniel Lipsic, who made it to the parliament with 11 percent of the votes, came to celebrate at SaS headquarters. They however refused to speculate about the possibilities for the next government.

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Five needed for centre-right coalition

Political analyst Kevin Deegan-Krause sees two alternatives based on the election math and a big mashup of five parties (SaS-OLaNO-Most-Siet-Sme Rodina) is one of them.

None of them was in the parliament before 2010, he noted.

Another option that would make 77 or 78 seats in the parliament is the government of Smer and the Slovak National Party (SNS) with the support of Kotleba.

But I dont know if the party could survive it, Deegan-Krause told The Slovak Spectator and explained that at this point, in Smer, some of the more western-oriented members could leave the party if it teamed up with far right extremists.

The thing is that Ficos got to be really weakened now, and even two or three defectors from Smer, (people like Lubos Blaha) could now tip the balance of parliament, Deegan-Krause said.

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Smer drops

Smers result is a big fall compared with its 44-percent victory from four years ago. Despite that, Fico stated that Smer is the most successful political project in the modern history of Slovakia. He however admitted they expected 4 or 5 percent more, but understands the result as the price for winning elections four consecutive times.

Fico labelled the results complicated but said that this proves that the political system is very much alive.

Smers votes most likely shifted to SNS, but Kollar and Kotleba might have profited from its loss, according to sociologist Pavel Haulik of the MVK polling agency.

Political analysts generally agree that Smers anti-migrant rhetoric in the campaign has backfired and aided extremists parties.

It is a result of Ficos discourse and that the opposition that was unable to oppose it, political analyst Pavol Hardos said.

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KDH out, Most barely in

The KDH has been around for 26 years and it is the first time now that it has dropped out of the parliament with just below 5 percent of the vote. Over the past four years, KDH has been deserted by its younger generation including Daniel Lipsic and Radoslav Prochazka, who have both made it to the parliament with their respective new parties.

KDH has relied too much on outdated topics and faces, Haulik told The Slovak Spectator.

The movement did not give an official statement to the final results at night. Deputy chair Pavol Zajac however listed the mistakes that the KDH made: the failed candidacy of Pavol Hrusovsky in the presidential elections, but also the controversial draft law proposing in vitro fertilisation to be a punishable crime that was filed in the parliament shortly before elections and that some of KDH MPs signed.

With KDH and the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) out of the parliament, Most-Hid (6.5 percent) remains the only one of the traditional right-leaning parties in the parliament. The chair of the party Bela Bugar was visibly disappointed with the results by the time 50 percent of the votes were counted.

What we can say is that citizens have already voted outside the system twice, meaning they did not vote for established parties, Bugar said.

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Prochazka far below expectations

The result of the newcomer Siet however came as a bigger surprise than the results of KDH and Most-Hid.

One of the reasons for the partys failure might have been that they did not form a strong opposition to Smer and that he was not very strong in televised debates, Prochazka told the journalists when votes from more than 42 percent of election precincts were counted.

Siet leaders will meet on March 7 to discuss the situation. Prochazka told journalists he is ready to resign as the partys chair. He refused to speculate about the future government, TASR wrote.

There were many undecided voters among Siet preferences and they seem to have changed their minds in the last moment, Haulik said.

Prochazka was not in the parliament, and many have forgotten about him, said political analyst Aneta Vilagi in post-election debate hosted by the Sme daily, when commenting on the poor results by Siet.
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It is a pleasure to watch how the children of yesterdays enemies celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Verdun together as it demonstrates the absurdity of war itself, French philosopher Jean-Claude Marot remarks

"We must face facts: the division of humanity against itself is not an accident," Marot writes at Boulevard Voltaire. "Humanity has the genius to invent the most absurd reasons to justify the barbarity directed against itself The Islamic State gives us the best example."

However, things have changed since the battle of Verdun. Back then through heroism and sacrifice soldiers expressed their love for their respective nations, while the Islamists today disguise their barbarism as heroism, making the former attractive by itself.
"I personally don't understand at all why the fourth (not first, second or third) nuclear test led to such a reaction in Washington," Lankov wrote, calling the second successful space rocket launch in a row a possible motivation.

No sympathizer of North Korea, Lankov, who studied in the country in the 1980s is now a professor at Seoul's Kookmin University, where he teaches North Korea topics.

However, the new sanctions could only push North Korea away from the market reforms that it pursued in previous years, which included the liberalization of agriculture, as well as profit-based management at the country's factories.

"Most likely, sanctions, even if they are not carried out very sincerely, will lead to the worsening of North Korea's economy. As a result, the noticeable economic improvement which was reached in the past seven to eight years (and the four years of Kim Jong Un's rule in particular) will be swept away by a powerful hurricane. Regular people will become worse off, possibly much worse off, and reforms would most likely be put on hold," Lankov wrote.

UN Sanctions previously failed to dislodge Iraq's Saddam Hussein, while bringing misery to much of the the country's population. In addition to UN sanctions, South Korea suspended an industrial zone which employed North Korean workers at South Korean companies, and was subsidized by the South Korean government.

The two experts agreed in that the deployment of the US' Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems to the region likely impacted the decision on sanctions. According to Foster-Carter, the system may still be deployed, even though China and Russia have granted a de facto concession by anonymously passing sanctions on North Korea.
"The question is, can Turkey increase its share on the African market at an extent that makes up for the regress in trade with neighbors and Russia?"

The figures, Cetingulec suggested, speak for themselves. "Turkey's trade volume with Nigeria, one of the stops on Erdogan's latest tour, stood at $426 million in the first 10 months of 2015. With the Ivory Coast and Ghana, the trade volumes were $390 and $399 million, respectively, for the whole year."

"Even a two-fold increase in trade with those countries would mean less than $3 billion in total, while trade with neighboring Iran alone was $25 billion off target last year. On the Iraqi and Russian markets, meanwhile, Turkey's exports were down by some $2 billion and $2.5 billion, respectively, in 2015. The downturn with Russia became even more pronounced this year, with the decline in exports worsening from 39% in 2015 to 60% in the first two months of the year."

At the same time, Cetingulec note, citing former Turkish treasury and foreign trade undersecretary Faik Oztrak, the technological sophistication of Turkish exports has been dropping, with the export of advanced goods in the manufacturing sector dropping from 6.2% in 2002 to 3.2% as of January 2016.

"In other words, Turkey is failing to export goods that are light in weight but heavy in value, which is forcing it to turn to markets where it can sell low-technology goods."

Even worse, the analyst recalled, Omer Cihad Vardan, the head of Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Council, recently "warned that competition was already heated on the African market. 'China, the United States and European countries have made great headway there. We must act very fast from now on,' he told reporters last week."
MOSCOW, March 6 (Sputnik)  German Chancellor Angela Merkel told German media that the Greek authorities should hurry up with providing the promised amount of proper accommodation places for refugees.

In October, Greece agreed for opening reception centers to host 30,000 refugees by the end of 2015, with the United Nations to help provide another 20,000 places.

"Initially, Greece should have created 50,000 accommodation places for refugees by the end of 2015.The arrears must be resolved just now at lightning speed because the Greek government has to guarantee [refugees] decent accommodation," Merkel told the German tabloid Bild am Sonntag on Saturday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann called on Germany to introduce a quota for admission of 400,000 refugees a year, local media reported.

On February 17, Austria announced that it was placing a daily limit of 3,200 on people entering its territory and that it would cap its acceptance of new asylum applications to 80 per day. The following day, police chiefs in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia announced an agreement to jointly profile and register refugees and asylum-seekers at the border between Macedonia and Greece.

"Germany must finally provide clarity, otherwise refugees will continue to move towards Germany. Considering the Austrian guideline, Germany could call a 400,000 refugees quota. As long as Germany does not do it, it is clear what will happened  the refugees will continue to believe that they will be let in," Faymann told the Austrian Kurier newspaper on Saturday.
"March 3 was a sobering moment for the Ukrainian regime. Kiev's European and international partners said everything they think about the Ukrainian authorities' policy," Mirzayan noted, in an article for Russian business magazine Expert.

Furthermore, Brussels' "decision, taken March 2, to suspend the introduction of a visa-free regime for Ukrainians, served as a kind of appetizer; according to European officials, Kiev had failed to fulfill its obligations in the fight against corruption. And the Europeans served the main course," in the form of Mr. Juncker's remarks, "the next day."

"The very public refusal to bring Ukraine into the EU is understandable," Mirzayan noted. "First of all, Europe is burdened by a series of internal problems, and intends to abandon expansion in the medium term in principle. Secondly, the Europeans have an extremely negative attitude toward Ukraine's candidacy. It's worth recalling that in the Netherlands, the referendum is not even about Ukraine's membership in the union, but just its European association, and as of today its citizens seem intent on saying 'no'."

"Juncker's remarks about NATO are even more interesting, and disturbing for Kiev," the journalist suggested. "Unlike the EU, the alliance is moving forward with its expansion, and doesn't have any equivalent to the EU's 'Maastricht criteria' (a series of economic indicators necessary for countries to join the Eurozone)."
Europe is now in the middle of a textbook crisis, which has all the signs of overthrowing the State, according to Polish political journalist Konrad Stachnio.

The textbook crisis, he explained in the article for the New Eastern Outlook website, consist of three phases: destabilization, the crisis itself and the so called normalization.

What is going on the continent right now, the journalist explains, has all the indications of ongoing destabilization phase.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Activists gathered in the British capital of London on Sunday to protest Turkeys campaign against the Kurdish minority militias.

"Stop Turkish State's War on Kurds" and "Break the Silence on Kurds," some of the placards carried by the protesters in images broadcast by the RT network read. Another sign read "ISIS [Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, outlawed in Russia] Made in Turkey."

The Kurds are Turkey's largest ethnic minority at around 14.7 million people and some 18 percent of the country's population.
According to Pinatel, who wrote a book on the subject, the US' strategy since 1991 has been to use NATO to divide Russia from the rest of Europe.

The recent rhetoric should be put in the context of the US Senate and the US' desire to strengthen its presence in the region, according to Admiral Alain Coldefy, research director at France's Institute of International Relations and Strategy (IRIS).

"[It] is in the form of a deployment of US forces "rotating" in Poland and in Europe in general added to a substantial increase in budgets. These statements are meant to reassure the Baltic states and Poland and US policy positions on Ukraine, and present Russian actions in a dangerous angle, which is not true," Coldefy told Atlantico.

The US command in Europe uses warlike rhetoric to project the image of a bellicose party, as a result of Russian successes in Syria, according to political scientist at the Institute of Advanced Studies of National Defense, Caroline Galacteros.

"This rising attitude of [NATO], added to its current reactivation of the civil war in Ukraine and posturing and growing military activities on its western flank to prepare to defend its members against purported Russian aggressive tendencies of are quite disturbing," Caroline Galacteros told Atlantico.

"It suggests that we are far from establishing serious Russian-American cooperation to in order finish off Daesh and its cousins of insurgent 'rebellion,'" she added.

Galacteros added that Merkel herself had decided to welcome migrants in act of "bewildering thoughtlessness," and without consulting other EU partners, making it appear as if she alone ran the EU and also sought political "image benefits."
"The consequences for Poland, and the entire region, would be grim," Rolicki noted. "We would not have joined NATO and the European Union. The West, despite all its love for uswould not be able to do so, because of the presence of Russian forces between the Oder and the Vistula. It's not even necessary to think about the hypothetical of Putin leaving Poland, for obvious reasons, because his philosophy is based on the axiom that 'what is Russian remains Russian, and what is not can become Russian'."

"Therefore, I believe that we, for the first time in our complex history, were able as a people to use this historical opportunity that fate had given us, and no one can take Walesa's merit away from him. If in his life he had not achieved anything else for Poland, his success in persuading Yeltsin alone has earned everlasting glory and a place in the national pantheon. He managed to achieve the impossible."

Unfortunately, Rolicki's argument that it was Lech Walesa who convinced Boris Yeltsin to withdraw Russian forces from Poland is a bit of an exaggeration, if not an outright lie. In the early 1990s, even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow had made several agreements, most famously the 'Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany', to begin withdrawing its forces from Eastern Europe. This process was accelerated by the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991 and the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of that year.
Finland and Sweden are in talks about deepening their bilateral military collaboration, and some politicians are encouraging a defense union that could be a springboard to NATO membership , Defense News reported on Friday.

According to Defense News, Swedish Armed Forces commander General Micael Byden said that the possibility of "friction and confrontation" between NATO forces and Russia in the Baltic Sea region is a key reason for proposals for the two countries to increase their collaboration.

Many of the politicians who are in favor of a defense union are also in favor of NATO membership, and see such a move as a step in that direction, Defense News reported.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) The EU leaders are expected to discuss with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu their cooperation on migration, focusing on a speedy implementation of the EU-Turkey action plan , according to the European Council website.

In order to prepare for the Monday meeting, European Council President Donald Tusk had travelled to several European capitals, including Vienna, Athens, Zagreb, to build a consensus on migration.

The meeting on Monday will be followed by a joint press point of Tusk and Davutoglu, and then continue with a working session focusing on the full application of the Schengen agreement and the reinforcement of humanitarian assistance to refugees arriving in the bloc.
In the longer term, the analyst grumbles, Russia is taking advantage of its operations in Syria to "distract" from "Russian actions in Ukraine," which ostensibly include support for the Donbass people's republics.

The "likely end result" of the Syrian campaign is for the West's anti-Russian sanctions to be lifted, "especially if Russia appears to be working alongside Western plans to tackle ISIS, and continues to succeed in its information campaign convincing the West that Ukraine is to blame for the failure to implement the Minsk protocols."

Ultimately, Giles suggested, "the agreement also furthers the Russian aim of being a power broker in the Middle East, and the long-cherished objective of recognition of Russian influence. Partnering with the United States to monitor the ceasefire chimes with Russia's yearning for its former role as the other superpower in a bipolar world. In this way, the plan can be seen in Moscow as a step toward reversing the 'historical anomaly' of reduced Russian global influence following the end of the Cold War."

Incidentally, in January, in an interview for the German newspaper Bild, the Russian president voiced exactly the opposite concept: that Russia has no claim to "the role of a superpower," and that "this role is very costly and it is meaningless." That, naturally, does not preclude Russia from taking its rightful place in the emerging multipolar world order, as the United States' influence declines, but nor does it mean that Moscow wants to duke it out with Washington for global hegemony.
Aid workers helping refugees at the makeshift camp outside the French town of Calais are raising the alarm on sexual abuse of children, reported the Belfast Telegraph . The workers report seven boys aged between 14 and 16 are getting medical treatment after possible sexual abuse.

In four cases, surgery was required. However, only one boy actually attended hospital while others feared repercussions or were too ashamed to admit being raped.

"These boys would have left their homes and their parents would have thought they were safe and that they were going to a better life, fleeing violence and they end up at 14 being raped in a refugee camp. That it is going on in Europe makes it even more unacceptable," a medical aid worker said.
Despite Davila discovering the unpleasant fact that her broadcasts led to her phones being illegally tapped, she continued on and aired a secretly made recording of a conversation about sexual experiences with then-senator Carlos Ferro. Ferro, who was deputy minister of the interior, had to resign after that.

The inspector general announced a formal investigation on the case, with police chief Rodolfo Palomino being the main suspect. Although his involvement in the prostitution network remains unproven so far, he had to resign from the police service as well.

R. Palomino: "Just as the attorney general's office has been investigating and thus far has not found evidence linking me (to the scandal), I'm sure the inspector general's office won't find anything either."

Unfortunately, her investigation cost Davila her job at La FM radio station. She is convinced that the president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos had to put pressure on the parent company to force Davila to abandon her job.

The scandal, however, brought in much deeper consequences. The Guardian cites a recent Gallup public opinion survey indicating that public approval of the police eroded from not too high point of 60 percent down to 46 percent in December 2015,.
"Amid the disturbing events in Iraq and Syria, the international community has faced difficulties in protecting sites of cultural heritage, UNESCO cannot fully safeguard these sites from destruction," Zhuravikhin stated. "People looked back at the past experience and found out that the Roerich Pact, adopted in 1935, is the only international treaty that calls for unconditional protection of cultural heritage."

He added that even the Hague Convention of 1954 that was based on the principles of the Roerich Pact has introduced the term of military necessity, in which case it becomes possible to bomb cultural objects.

"The Roerich Pact categorically denied such possibilities," Zhuravikhin stressed.

The International Center of the Roerichs brought more than 200 exhibits that include banners with Nicolas Roerichs sayings, photographs of documents, and copies of Roerichs pictures devoted to the pact and the protection of cultural heritage.

The exhibition is divided into several sections. The first section is dedicated to the origins of the Roerich Pact dating back to 1903-1904. Another section clarifies the symbol of the Banner of Peace, three red dots enclosed in a red circle on a white background.

"The Banner of Peace has the same meaning and function as the Red Cross flag that flies over hospitals and warns against bombing. Its second name is the Red Cross of Culture, and it is hung over cultural objects that cannot be bombed during war," Zhuravikhin explained.

"The ideas of the Roerich Pact are becoming increasingly popular. It is a universal treaty on effective protection of cultural heritage," the deputy director said. "We hope that the support for the Pact will only grow in the future."

The exhibition is open during the operating hours of the Russian Cultural Centre, but a prior appointment is needed, head of the center Oleg Zhiganov told Sputnik.

The International Center of the Roerichs plans to present the exhibition in Canada and other US cities in 2016.

The Roerich Pact was signed in the White House on April 15, 1935 by 21 countries in the presence of US President Franklin Roosevelt.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump along with other right-wing populist politicians poses a threat to peace, social cohesion, as well as economic development, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said in an interview published Sunday.

"Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen or Geert Wilders [the leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom]  all these right-wing populists are not only a threat to peace and social cohesion, but also for the economic development," Gabriel told the Welt an Sonntag.

According to Gabriel, right-wing populists promise their followers "a fairytale world," where the economy develops only within the limits of their own nation.
Caceres was a leader of COPINH, the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (Consejo Civico de Organizaciones Populares e Indigenas de Honduras), originally founded in 1993 to address the growing threats posed to indigenous Lenca communities, fight for their territorial rights and improve their livelihoods.

COPINH activity turned political around 2009, after the coup that led to President Zelaya's ouster. The new government accepted an intense industrialization program that created a demand for large amounts of cheap energy in Honduras. The government needed to construct hundreds of electric dams to support extensive mining operations across the country. All this construction subsequently led to destruction of indigenous Lenca communities. Lenca people have repeatedly come in conflict with the government, accusing it of cutting off the supply of water, food, medicine and of aggression against places of spiritual importance of Lenca people.
After Scott Zerons grand slam on Friday, driver Anthony Napolitano one-upped his youthful rival on Saturday (March 5) evening at The Meadowlands, winning five of the 13 races.

After a pillar-to-post win in the opener with Sweet Justice ($10.80, 1:55.2), the 34-year-old Napolitano prevailed with odds-on favourite Honey Im Home ($3.40, 1:52) in the third before back-to-back minor upsets in the seventh and eighth with K Slater ($19.80, 1:52.2) and K Lees Shakenbake ($15.80, 1:50.1) respectively. Napolitano closed the night on a winning note, teaming up with Alex Bullville ($5.20, 1:53.4) in the finale.

In the featured $25,000 Open Handicap Pace, Rockeyed Optimist ($3.00) lived up to odds-on billing, holding off a ferocious late rally from Dovuto Hanover for a 1:50.2 triumph.

The five-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding floated into midfield from his outside post in the sextet, settling four lengths behind early pacesetter Real Nice (Anthony Napolitano) through a :27 first quarter before Andy McCarthy brushed Rockeyed Optimist to the fore up the backstretch. Rockeyed Optimists lead was never in jeopardy until the final sixteenth, as 3-1 second choice Dovuto Hanover (Scott Zeron) surged off the cover of Take It Back Terry (Joe Bongiorno) to give chase. Rockeyed Optimist had enough left to hold sway, prevailing by a diminishing half length. Take It Back Terry, who flattened off the far turn, found more in the stretch, saving third.

Steve Elliott trains 17-time winner Rockeyed Optimist for Anthony Perretti, Virginia Berkner, the A And B Stable, and Joseph Battaglia. For Rockeyed Optimist, the win was his second in three starts this season.

Total handle for the 13-race card was $3,015,013, marking an increase of $41,167 over the corresponding Saturday in 2015 and the 10th program in the last 11 at The Meadowlands with over $3 million in betting turnover. Racing continues to be competitive in northern New Jersey, with 17 of 26 favourites defeated in the first weekend of March.

Heading to next Fridays (March 11) program, over $124,500 will carry over into the final-race 20-cent Jackpot High 5. Punters and horsemen alike are reminded that post time at The Meadowlands shifts to 7:15 p.m. Eastern effective next week.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)
First official trip - to Asia. We are so proud of you! Beauty, brains, compassion, talent, and the sweetest disposition.
The military government is increasingly hostile to any form of criticism. That can be seen by the growing number (nearly a hundred so far) of known (via speeches, Internet posts or published remarks) critics who have been arrested and held, often without being charged. The generals are increasingly criticized for these police state tactics but the most common criticism is about the refusal to name a date when elections and democracy will resume. Best estimate now is late 2017, maybe. There is growing foreign pressure from neighbors (except China) and the West. Worse since September 2015 the pro-democracy populists (the red shirts) have largely ceased demonstrations. The populists did so to demonstrate that there was no violent opposition to justify continued military rule. The red shirts are waiting for the military government to allow elections which is what Thai military governments all eventually do. The May 2014 coup came after months of political protests in the capital and those tensions remain but the army is definitely in control. Despite that the economy is not doing as well as people expect and the military government is blamed. In the past this sort of thing played a large role in persuading the generals to allow elections again and that seems to be happening again.

The Smugglers Are Suffering

There is growing evidence that some people smuggling continues via land routes into Malaysia. Although the security forces now monitor known smuggling routes (trails or dirt roads crossing the border in forested but thinly populated areas) there are so many of these routes that there are always some that smugglers can still get small groups of people across on. Despite this, there is now a lot less people smuggling and in large part because the numerous Thai smuggling gangs got the message in 2015; anything but people is tolerable and the pressure will ease off once the people smuggling stops. The gangs apparently decided to do what was best for business.

All this began in early 2015 when the security forces carried out a major crackdown on gangsters smuggling Burmese Moslems (and others) through Thailand to Malaysia. In the course 2015 some 2,300 illegal migrants were arrested (and many more turned back) in Thailand along with over a hundred of the smugglers. This forced the smugglers to seek another route. By early 2016 it appeared that the people smugglers had largely shut down the people smuggling operation because far fewer people were disappearing from refugee camps in Burma.

What triggered all this crackdown was the deaths, and bad publicity associated with the illegal migration of Rohingya Moslems from Burma and Bangladesh via Thailand. As of early 2015 thousands of Rohingya had gone missing after getting on boats to be taken south. People smugglers used boats and trucks to move these people south, often overland through Thailand or via Thai coastal waters. The Thai crackdown halted a very lucrative criminal enterprise for smugglers large fees to take people to Malaysia, Thailand, India or more distant points (like Indonesia). This had become big business and by late 2014 it was believed that up to 10,000 people a month were leaving with 75 percent coming from Burma. Security forces in Burma and Thailand were accused of working with the smugglers, usually in the form of taking bribes to allow the smuggler boats and trucks to pass without interference. Security forces were accused of sinking some boats because the smugglers refused to leave or pay. Others pointed out that smugglers tend to use poorly maintained boats, which are often overloaded and this leads to boats sinking, especially in bad weather or being stranded when engines fail.

A growing number of Rohingya who survived the trip reported that some smuggler gangs would use Thai transit camps to try and extort more cash from the families of some refugees and would torture or kill some refugees while doing this. Some of the bodies found in these camps showed signs of torture and other abuse. Most of the deaths were from disease or exhaustion. Because of international pressure the Thai government also cracked down on corrupt security personnel taking bribes from or otherwise cooperating with the smugglers. Over 200,000 Rohingya are believed to have fled Burma by sea since the anti-Moslem violence began there in 2012. At least 25,000 are believed to have gone south in the first three months of 2015 and that level of activity continued until May when the Thai crackdown took effect. Suddenly a lot fewer (soon over 80 percent fewer) Rohingya refugees were showing up at in Malaysia or Indonesia. All the countries surrounding the Bay of Bengal were now watching for boats engaged in people smuggling and that pretty much ruled out using large vessels anymore. At that point smugglers could only move a few people at a time on smaller vessels that could avoid or pass inspection. The drove the price of using people smugglers way up, to the point where most Rohingya could not afford it.

Peace Talks Sputter Forward

In the south the terms for the resumption of formal peace negotiations are still being worked out in Malaysia with Malaysian government help. A major point of contention is which southern political groups will be recognized as negotiators. Meanwhile the government monitors the mood down south and reports that the Moslem majority there is generally repelled by the actions of major Islamic terror groups like al Qaeda and ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). Very few, if any, Thai Moslems have joined ISIL although a few Malaysians Moslems have. Meanwhile the violence down south continues to decline. Islamic terrorist bombings were down 49 percent in 2015 compared to 2014. The 2015 bombing activity was 65 percent less than 2007, the peak year for violence in the Moslem south. The violence has been going on since 2004 and most Moslems in the south are fed up but there are still a few hard core violent separatists who keep at it. This is believed partly responsible for the recent increase in separatist violence down south.

March 4, 2016: In the south (Narathiwat province) Islamic terrorists used a roadside bomb to attack local defense volunteers escorting teachers to school. Two of the eight volunteers were wounded and the others opened fire on the Islamic terrorists who set off the bomb but did not hit any of them.

March 3, 2016: In the south (Yala province) Islamic terrorists killed a Buddhist civilian and in a separate incident killed an off-duty Moslem soldier.

March 2, 2016: In the south (Yala province) Islamic terrorists, in three separate incidents, killed two Moslem civilians and badly wounded a soldier.

February 27, 2016: In the south (Pattani province) Islamic terrorists stole a car, placed a bomb inside and then parked it near a police station. The bomb had a timer and when it went off wounding six policemen and a civilian.

February 17, 2016: Task Force (TF) 152 of the Chinese Navy reached Thailand and spent five days visiting and showing off the destroyer, frigate and replenishment ship that comprise task force. The sailors and 64 commandos assigned to the task force also got some shore leave. TF 152 has been on a world tour for nearly a year. First it spent four months with the international anti-piracy patrol off Somalia then proceeded around the world making stops in Africa, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and the Americas (including the United States). TF 152 visited Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Cambodia before returning to China.

February 14, 2016: In the south (Narathiwat province) armed men stopped a truck and killed one of the three men in the vehicle because he could not speak Malay (that is, he was not a southern Moslem). The other two men were left unharmed.

February 12, 2016: In the south (Pattani province) there were eight Islamic terrorist attacks; four small bombs went off in various places, a garage and a school were set on fire, a pro-government Moslem shot dead and a police checkpoint fired on. The only casualty was the murdered Moslem man. At the same time in nearby Yala province a remote controlled bomb killed two soldiers and wounded five others. This unusual amount of Islamic terrorist violence comes after a year of relative peace in the south. This was partly the result of Islamic terrorist leaders ordering their followers to only carry out attacks in response to any government actions that warrant it. In that case the retaliation should be as widespread as possible but also avoid harming any civilians. It is unclear what government action, if any, prompted this surge in violence.

February 10, 2016: In the south (Pattani province) troops, acting on a tip found and raided an Islamic terrorist camp. They encountered five armed men who briefly fired at them and then fled. Troops seized bomb making materials and documents that led to the arrest of a local man.

February 6, 2016: In the south (Yala province) a village leader accused of cooperating with Islamic terrorists was found shot dead. Locals believed he was murdered by a pro-government gunman.
In my youth when I achieved success, I began every day to spend money on luxury items, constantly drunk and flirting with girls. In communicating with the girls I did not even need to make an effort - they are like butterflies, constantly buzzing around me, there was no end of them. At that time, if you were even a little bit famous, you were sure to be invited to attend charity events. I once was asked, 'Jackie, the kids at the Children's hospital in Sandy Bay would very much like to see you'. I was invited several times, but I refused. Each evening I went out for a drink, and the next morning I could not get up. In the end, after numerous requests, I thought, okay, I will go once. I went in the evening, wearing sunglasses and not even knowing why I was going.



When I entered the hospital, I was shocked: I was very sick at heart at the sight of the sick kids. As soon as I arrived they rushed to hug me, surrounded me, touch me. They smelled strongly of drugs. At first I was a little scared, but eventually relented, I was so sorry for them. They said to me: "I like you so much! I adore you! I can touch you? ". I was very moved.



At this time, one of the hospital staff said: "Jackie did a lot of work yesterday. All night he worked on the set and did not have time to sleep, so he had to hide his eyes behind sunglasses so that you could not see how tired he was. Soon it will be time for Jackie to go back to shooting. Let us greet him warmly." Hearing these words, I wanted to sink into the ground. Yeah, of course, I did not have time to sleep, I thought. Just drinking all night. I was very ashamed.



The kids applauded and hospital officials added: "Jackie bought gifts for you!"



The children were delighted: "What kind of gifts?". I could not answer anything, because I have not bought any gifts yet my people did it for me. I felt guilty. And the children kept asking questions: "When you will come back to us."



I replied: "Perhaps at Christmas." After the visit, I was not myself for the next week, every day I was thinking of only one thing: why I'm such a bastard? That the same year, when Christmas came, I went to the hospital again, taking with me a mountain of gifts. The children were madly happy to see me. This time I knew without exception what all of the contents of the boxes were, which I had brought with me. I handed out the gifts and felt no less happy than those kids. Only on that day was I released remorse that had tormented me all the time since the first visit. Since then, I became involved in charity work.



I began to collect all the gifts that I sent by fans. I myself did not use them, and I donated them to nursing homes, in orphanages and other similar places. Once I wanted to decorate a huge outside wall to my office with paintings. I issued the call to my fans and asked them to draw and send me pictures. The main theme of which would be peace and love. Fans responded and began to send their works in a continuous flow. Then I proposed to build a school together. Some said that they are not as rich as I am. I thought that, even collecting one yuan at a time can slowly build a school. I again asked for help from the fans by offering to double the amount they donated. For example, if a fan donated one yuan - I added one more. A fan donated 1 million - I added another 1 million Then I began to receive money from all over the world in every different currency. Many sent money attached to A4 sheets - or in the form of a flower or some other beautiful applique or money attached to their drawings. It turned out to be very nice. I was sorry to take their money and spoil the drawings, so every dollar of those that are glued on paper, I began to replace their money, and then doubled the sum.



Those pictures, sent by the fans at my request, I stuck on the outside of the wall offices, and many have seen them. However, because of the rain patterns have been hit hard. I was very sorry, and I'm not going to stick them outside anymore, but instead I stick them on the walls of rooms or simply lay on the floor. Now in my museum, the JC Film Gallery and in my office, you can still see the pictures from the fans that I get and have carefully kept for many years.



Ever since I became seriously engaged in charity, this activity along with my experiences has taught me much and helped make it easier to look at a lot of things. Now I often wear the same clothes over and over again for different events and ceremonies, I stopped spending as much money on buying clothes as I did before. One day after attending a concert, I was dashing to the van, and someone said, "How is it that Jackie Chan was wearing the same clothes that he was wearing a year ago!" And I think it's better, it's all minor things, which do not need to be taken too seriously.



One day I went to Yunnan to help equip the region with water. There was no water, no food, no electricity, telephone did not work. But the children there looked happy, they are always smiling. On the way back I was thinking about what awaits them when it's cold. In the evening, during dinner with friends, someone began to complain that the food is tasteless, someone had insufficiently chilled soda, someone was going to change their car, or buy a new phone ... Residents of big cities can not live without luxuries; there is no shortage, and people are always dissatisfied with something. We have just enough and so, but our demands are constantly increasing. Residents of the city would have to visit, at least once, in the mountain areas and feel the "charm" of living there, maybe then they will learn to think and care for others. Moreover, all of these bandits, who are accustomed to stealing there, you need to send into exile on a desert island, as once upon a time they exiled criminals to Australia, and let them cultivate virgin land and build houses so that they had somewhere to direct their energies, that they idly spend in doing evil deeds.



Regarding charity, I have gained experience over time. One year when there was an earthquake in Yushu County I sent an aircraft laden humanitarian aid the next day, and I also went there, accompanied by my staff and the guys from the band "New Seven Little Fortunes". But when we arrived there, we just added people trouble. Military and rescue workers who were engaged in rescue of victims were forced to allocate people to me who would help me to distribute humanitarian aid, and the officials who supervised the rescue operation had to make time to meet me. The next day we put in the plane wounded who need to be transported for medical care, but at the last moment it turned out that the plane was overloaded and could not fly. Then I, along with my staff, got off the plane. While everyone was trying to stop me, I said: "On board the plane there will be no benefit to us, so we have to leave it." They objected that it was not known when the next flight would be. "This is nothing," I said, "We can wait, but the wounded cannot wait."



Since then, in the event of natural disasters, I first try to scout out the situation and make sure that I will not deliver further problems. Then after a time, when I am sure, I will go to the scene and deliver necessary humanitarian assistance. The last few years I am often abroad with charity work. Some accuse me that I am engaged in charity work in other countries when in my country so many people are in need of assistance. I have my own view on this issue. When I was a young man I found myself in the other countries, and there were always people who have helped me, in Thailand, and Japan, and in America. Love for people and good deeds have no national boundaries, and when I receive help, I want to respond in kind.



In addition, I consider charity as a way to establish diplomatic relations between the peoples of different countries. When something happens to you and someone comes from other countries to help you it's very impressive, is not it? Therefore, wherever there is a problem - whether it's tsunami in Indonesia, an earthquake in Japan or in China's Sichuan province - there is always going to be me. Let politicians deal with political issues, and let people forge relationships between people of other nations. Until now, many children from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Russia and other countries regularly send money for my foundation "Dragon's Heart" to help Chinese children.



Next to Indonesia, there is a country called East Timor. Once I was invited there as a peace ambassador, while there was a war between the two factions in the country. I wondered: "Is there any sense in my visit?" I was told, "We ourselves can not yet say for sure, but if you do not arrive, we definitely will not have any hope for peace." Six months later, their president has informed me in a letter that the war was over. I do not know whether it is my doing, but at least I did my part. In my youth, when I was making money, risking my life, I wanted to buy everything around, now that I am becoming older I would like to spend all my money on charity. Money is not the main thing in life; it is much more important to leave something behind in this world.



Extract from Jackie's book "Growing Older, Never Growing Up" about charity. I have posted this extract because charity is so inimical to Jackie's character, you can't hope to understand him, without understanding why he does charity work.
SEATTLE  The skies are about to get a lot more stylish  at least, on Alaska Airlines.

Fashion designer Luly Yang, whose international couture and ready-to-wear business is based in downtown Seattle, has a unique assignment: designing new uniforms for the entire Alaska workforce, from flight attendants to pilots to customer-service agents to maintenance technicians. The partnership with Alaska, announced in February, will be a two-year process, with the companys new look expected to debut in 2018.

Its such an amazing project for a designer to be commissioned to do, said Yang in an interview at her Seattle studio, where the vast skirts of her trademark formal and bridal gowns burst exuberantly from the racks. Its a long-term project, and its a challenging one because youre answering to many different needs. The uniform needs to of course reflect the brand.  [Alaska] has a certain persona and a certain personality, and you want that to come through.

You also want it to function for all the different work groups. The need they have for each garment is different. Thats why we spend months just listening, getting surveys, doing focus groups, before we even begin to decide what its going to look like.

Thats the phase Yang  and a local team hired specifically for this project  is now in: gathering information, about what Alaskas 12,000 employees like best and least about their current uniform, how they feel about individual pieces (for example, hats), how the specific needs of their jobs inform their clothing preferences. Theres long been a link between the fashion and aviation worlds. In the late 1960s, Emilio Pucci raised eyebrows by designing a wildly mod, neon-colored uniform line  complete with space-age bubble helmets, so as to preserve coiffures on a windy tarmac  for Braniff International Airways. More sedately, Pierre Balmain designed elegant print sarong dresses for Singapore Airlines in 1968, based on the traditional kebaya; those uniforms, largely unchanged, are still worn on the airline today.

Christian Lacroix created chic designs for Air France in 2005, still in use, and Vivienne Westwood went less classic for her sleek, blood-red uniforms for Virgin Airlines in 2013. And here in the U.S., designer Zac Posen was recently hired to spark up Delta Air Lines look; his designs will debut, like Yangs, in 2018.

According to Sangita Woerner, Alaskas vice president of marketing, this is the first time the company has partnered with a fashion designer. What Luly will bring to the table is those little design details that maybe a customer might not even notice, but a flight attendant will notice, she said. To create a sense of pride for what you put on every day.

For Yang, who specializes in custom couture creations and limited-edition ready-to-wear, this project means designing a complete line of clothing, with each employee group receiving a collection of separates. A female flight attendant, Yang said, might have a couple of dresses, trousers, a skirt, a couple of different kinds of blouses, maybe a knit cardigan or sweater. Quite a few pieces, different combinations.

As for fabrics, Yang and her group are looking at many different technical fabrics that would be good for breathability, for stretch, for longevity, for care  Its challenging because its not a fashion line where it comes in this season and out next. This has to last.

For color, Yang is guided by the recent Alaska redesign of its planes and logo, which features shades of blue, turquoise and pale green, but says shes not strictly restricted to those hues.

Its important that [the uniforms] look cohesive, with their new refreshed brand, she said. Some of the colors are beautiful graphically but you dont want to use too much of it on the garmentyou have to think about different complexions. Her goal: a system that looks good on most people. (Shell also be dealing with more sizes than a typical designer would offer: The womens range, said Woerner, is 0 to 28, and the line will also include maternity garments.)

Once the process of surveying the employees is complete, Yang and her team will move on to focus groups. Shes already getting plenty of feedback: After a recent Alaska flight, Yang was surrounded by flight attendants and pilots eager to make suggestions. (Among them: A pilot explained that the current uniform belt rubs uncomfortably against the five-point seat-belt harness; flight attendants suggested deeper pockets in their aprons, and more stretch in their trousers.) Every flight Im on, I have pages of notes! Yang said.

Then comes the actual design process: drawings, concepts, samples, testing. In a year or so, keep your eyes open when flying Alaska; you might see an employee road-testing new garments.

Though its just the beginning of a long project, Yang is clear on what the end of the road should be. Its my goal that [the employees] are proud to put [the uniform] on, that they want to wear it, and when they wear it they feel polished and professional and as if they represent the company in the best way possible, she said. I want them to look forward to putting it on in the morning.
The Kelso Rotary Clubs Honey Badgers finally claimed the title as this years winners of the Spell-ebration spelling bee Friday at the Kelso Theatre Pub. The Honey Badgers, comprising David Futcher, Lisa Nathan and Jeff Peterson, beat the reigning champs Longview Public Library staff 428.1. The bee, sponsored by Altrusa International Inc. of Cowlitz County and Windermere Real Estate, is in its eighth year and gives adult spellers a chance to show off their spelling skills while raising money for local charities. Altrusa will donate $500 to the Kelso Rotary Foundation in honor of the Honey Badgers win.
Sean Wilcox was 18 when he began working at McDonalds as a cook. At $7.50 an hour, he earned barely enough to cover the rent at the apartment he shared with three roommates.

Wilcox, 28, now works as a cook at Evergreen Pub & Cafe in Rainier and makes far more than he once did  but a new Oregon law will slowly add even more money to his paycheck.

This week Gov. Kate Brown signed a new law that will incrementally raise the states minimum wage from $9.25 to up to $14.25 in the greater Portland area by 2022. The wage will top off at $13.50 in mid-size counties like Columbia County and $12.50 in rural counties.

The law is the latest victory for a movement to raise the salaries of the nations lowest paid workers in effort to fight growing income inequality. In 2015, 14 cities, counties and states approved some variation of a $15 minimum wage though local laws, executive orders and other means, according to the National Employment Law Project. Seattle and SeaTac already are working toward an incremental rise to $15 minimum hourly wages. And this fall, voters in Washington likely will see an initiative that would boost the states minimum wage to $13.50 by 2020.

While many people have rallied around the Oregon law, workers and owners of small businesses in Columbia County are skeptical. They worry it could drive up prices and suppress job growth.

I disagree with it, Wilcox said. I would be a minimum wage employee under the new guidelines, and Ive been in the restaurant business for 10 years  its not like my boss can afford to give me a wage increase.

Wilcox, who right now makes slightly less than $13.50 an hour, said it will be tough for small businesses like Evergreen Pub & Cafe to raise the wages of longstanding employees like himself to exceed that of entry-level employees.

I consider myself a veteran, he said. Somebody that comes in here, Im going to have to train them.  For me to do that, Ill be making the same amount of money he is.

Yet proponents say the bill will boost purchasing power for low-income people, giving economies in non-urban counties a leg up.

Theres more than 100,000 people working day in and day out on minimum wage in Oregon. Even if youre working full time at the current minimum wage, youre lucky to bring home $20,000 a year and thats just not enough, said Heather Conroy, executive director of Service Employees International Union Local 503.

Theres no question regardless of what corner of the state you come from, we as state believe in the dignity of work and raising the wage helps to recognize that, she said.

Chris Dahlgren, owner of Discounts and Deals in Clatskanie, empathizes with the desire to help low-income people, but said hiking the minimum wage isnt the best solution.

Its nice to give minimum wage people a break. ... But its going to raise wages across the board, she said.

Dahlgren said her two part-time employees make more than Oregons state current $9.25 minimum wage, but less than $13.50. Its possible her workers salaries would have reached that amount anyway by 2022, but she worries that their annual raises will become less meaningful.

It means that costs are going to go up. Were going to be in the same boat we are now, but just at higher scale, she said.

Consumers will see an increase in prices as business owners attempt to offset the cost of paying workers higher wages, said Jamein Cunningham, assistant professor of economics at Portland State University. Businesses such as restaurants could be hurt most by the wage increase because demand is more likely to wane as prices rise, he said.

Viki Overbay, owner of Cornerstone Cafe in Rainier, said she predicts the restaurant will have to increase menu prices by at least 25 to 50 cents per item.

Restaurants already work on a very narrow profit margin, she said.

Overbay said that her cooks all make above minimum wage. Servers make minimum wage plus tips. Though she said she believes everyone deserves a living wage, she doesnt think its fair to pay a high school-age dishwasher the same wage as a longtime employee.

Everyone needs to have a living wage, she said. Someone whos entry level, they should have to work their way up. Businesses are not going to be able to raise everyone up to $16 or $17 just because someone came in at $13.

In SeaTac and Seattle, for example, workers who were already making more than minimum wage havent seen a big jump in salaries even after $15 wage laws were passed, said Bob Battles, government affairs director at Association of Washington Business.

Restaurants there have found find creative ways to cut costs by redesigning businesses or replacing cashiers with touch-screen kiosks.

The kiosk doesnt get sick, Battles said.

At Northwoods Inn in Clatskanie, manager Chrystal Boursaw said the new Oregon minimum wage will likely lead to the motel hiring fewer seasonal workers.

What it does for small businesses, you have to pull back on payroll, youll have to pull back on hours, youre going to have less employees, even in the busy time than you might otherwise, Boursaw said.

Small businesses concerns about the wage hike werent ignored, proponents said.

Rep. Brad Witt, D-Clatskanie, said the new bill is a compromise to the $15 minimum wage initiative that will be on the Oregon ballot this fall. Witt argued that lifting the purchasing power of Columbia Countys lowest paid workers will ultimately boost the struggling economy.

The ongoing economic slowness in much of rural Oregon is due to a lack of consumer demand and this a tremendous opportunity to give an increase in wages and therefore increased purchasing power to consumers, he said.

What economists find is that minimum wage workers tend to spend virtually all of their money, and that will then be money that goes back into local economies, Witt added.

Conroy argued that higher salaries would decrease workers reliance on public assistance. Businesses with low-paid workers are, in a sense, being subsidized by government aide programs for the poor, she said.

When youre working and you cant make ends meet, people turn to public assistance. ... I think we just have to remember we pay one way or another, Conroy said.
The annual Spell-ebration spelling bee took place Friday at the Kelso Theatre Pub. The bee, sponsored by Altrusa International Inc. of Cowlitz County and Windermere Real Estate, is in its eighth year and gives adult spellers a chance to show off their spelling skills while raising money for local charities.

Among the nights winners were the Kelso Rotary Clubs Honey Badgers and three Kelso High School students, who competed on the first-ever high school team. Altrusa donated $500 to the Kelso Rotary Foundation in honor of the Honey Badgers win. The three students each received $500 to use toward their college education.

Below is a full list of winners.First-ever high school team Winners

The Punions, sponsored by Kelso High School

McKenzie Hahn, Claire Cowan and Nina Willis each will receive a $500 scholarship toward their college education.

Grand Champions

The Honey Badgers, sponsored by Kelso Rotary Club

Participants David Futcher, Lisa Nation and Jeff Petersen won $500.00 for the Kelso Rotary Foundation

Second PlaceAdult Division

H.M.S., sponsored by Stageworks Northwest

Participants Leslie Slape, Jennifer Cheney and Scarlett Clark

Third PlaceAdult Division

Defending champions team 428.1, sponsored by Longview Public Library

Participants Chris Skaugset, Karen Straube and Jennifer King

Best Costume

Hab-Bee-tat, sponsored by Cowlitz Habitat for Humanity

Participants Heather Snyder, Darcie Chess and Dowayne Goodon
WASHINGTON  Asked to describe the current shape of the Middle East, a visiting Israeli official uses a Hebrew expression, gam vegam, which translates roughly to: Its going in both directions at once.

The shards of the Middle East mosaic are as sharp and dangerous as ever, but U.S., Israeli, and Arab officials say these pieces have been rearranged in the past few months  and may now fit together in different and often surprising ways. There are opportunities few observers would have expected, and also new perils. President Obama is often seen as a lame duck who is hobbling off the Middle East stage in his final 10 months as president. But the pace is likely to be set largely by Secretary of State John Kerry, a man who still has something to prove as a diplomat.

However the next months unfold, 2016 will shape the options for the next president. The departing Obama, who hoped to change the strategic balance in the Middle East, has partly done that  encouraging others to take a larger military role, for better or worse, but preserving U.S. diplomacy.

What are the new puzzle pieces? First, theres Syria, arguably Obamas greatest foreign policy failure. Despite a chorus of naysayers, Kerry has managed to cajole the various Syria antagonists  Russia, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the fractious opposition  into the same tent to work on details of a cease-fire.

This diplomatic process is fragile, and dependent on the goodwill of Russians and others who in the past have displayed only naked self-interest. But its not nothing. According to State Department estimates, relief convoys have reached 225,000 desperate Syrians in the past few weeks; the target is to provide aid to 1.7 million by the end of March.

The cease-fire process invites violations, because many of the more than 100 rebel groups that have accepted the truce are camped alongside excluded fighters from the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra. State Department officials describe this co-location of groups as marbling, and expect it will take weeks for fighters to vote with their feet which side of the line theyre on. This sorting will work only if theres some sign of progress toward an eventual political transition away from Assad.

Iran is the second puzzle piece that looks different than most would have predicted a few years ago. Obamas bet that Iran could be pressured into a meaningful nuclear deal by a global sanctions coalition has proved correct. Whats more, his hope that the Iran opening would strengthen pragmatic forces there also appears to have borne fruit after last Fridays elections.

State Department officials say its impossible now to calculate precisely what the political balance will be in the new parliament or the Assembly of Experts group that will choose Irans next leader. But its clear that the hard-liners have been weakened, and that President Hassan Rouhanis position is stronger. That was Obamas biggest strategic gamble; it appears to be paying off.

Saudi Arabia is also changing shape. Who would have predicted a few years ago that the decisive figure in this once-moribund, hyper-conservative monarchy would be a headstrong 30-year-old whose goal appears to be a Saudi version of the modernizing, relatively tolerant United Arab Emirates? But thats whats happening under Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The young Saudi has sometimes been more bold than wise, as in his war in Yemen, his decision to break diplomatic relations with Iran and his new effort to destabilize a Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon. But his role as a change agent is unmistakable. He wants to transition Saudi Arabia very quickly, said Adel Al Toraifi, the Saudi information minister, whos just 36 himself, in a visit to Washington last week.

The piece of the Middle East puzzle that seems most jagged right now is Turkey, only a decade ago the brightest spot in the region. President Recep Tayyip Erdogans power plays have shattered a once-promising reconciliation with the Kurds and undermined Turkish democracy. Turkey has managed simultaneously to worsen its relations with Russia, Israel, Iran and the U.S.  quite a feat. Veteran Turkey-watchers fear growing internal turmoil there.

As America has stepped back in the Middle East during Obamas presidency, Russia, Iran, the Islamic State and Saudi Arabia have stepped forward. This has brought many new dangers. But even though Americas military dominance has faded, its diplomatic role remains decisive  as the Syria and Iran talks show.

Fitting the altered pieces of the puzzle together brings many risks, but it does provide new openings. And its clear that even in its diminished role, the U.S. remains the indispensable stabilizing power, like it or not.
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BlackBerry is exploring alternatives to make working on BBM, its messaging platform, "more convenient and fun" to support users after rival WhatsApp announced to stop its support to Canadian firm's operating system from later this year.

WhatsApp, which has over a billion users globally, had earlier this week said it will end support for BlackBerry phones and those powered by Nokia's Symbian operating system later this year.

"BlackBerry is committed to our BlackBerry 10 operating system, and we work closely with developers to create and deploy solutions to bring apps to our consumer and enterprise fans. We continue to invest in the BlackBerry 10 platform and will introduce several key security updates this year," BlackBerry said in a statement.

It added that the company is "actively exploring alternatives for BlackBerry users once support of WhatsApp Messenger for BBOS and BlackBerry 10 ends in late 2016".

"Users of BlackBerry PRIV, which runs on Android, will not be impacted...While the app landscape continues to evolve, our commitment to BlackBerry10 and our developers is unwavering," it said.

BlackBerry, in its blog, said it is building more features into BBM, especially on the security front.

"We're evolving group and multi-person chats. We're making BBM Protected an even better messaging solution for security-conscious organisations. We're giving you ever more privacy and security by allowing you to control previews. We're also working to make BBM more convenient and more fun," it said.

Stating that messaging continues to be one of the most popular ways to communicate, BlackBerry said it will keep evolving the app and the services within it.

Once exclusive to BlackBerry devices, the company made BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) available on rival platforms of Android, iOS and Microsoft in 2013.

As of March 2014, it had about 85 million monthly users and around 113 million global registered users. The move was aimed at offering the struggling smartphone maker get newer avenues for monetisation.

WhatsApp said it had made the "tough decision" to end support for BlackBerry (including BlackBerry 10), Nokia S40, Nokia Symbian S60, Android 2.1, Android 2.2 and Windows Phone 7.1.

Citing the reason, the Facebook-owned company said when it was set up, about 70 per cent of smartphones sold were powered by operating systems offered by BlackBerry and Nokia.

However, mobile operating systems offered by Google, Apple and Microsoft account for 99.5 per cent of sales today.

WhatsApp, which competes with the likes of Hike, Viber and LINE as well, is very popular in emerging nations like Brazil, India and Russia.

PTI
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Google said Friday it would implement changes in how it applies the so-called right to be forgotten for online searches made in Europe.

The changes, to be implemented next week, would close a loophole that allowed Europeans to find deleted entries by using Google.com instead of the search page for their local country.

"Starting next week, in addition to our existing practice, we will also use geolocation signals (like IP addresses) to restrict access to the delisted URL on all Google Search domains, including google.com, when accessed from the country of the person requesting the removal," said a blog post from Google's global privacy counsel Peter Fleischer.

"We'll apply the change retrospectively, to all delistings that we have already done under the European Court ruling."

A European Court of Justice ruling in May 2014 recognizing the "right to be forgotten" opened the door for Google users to ask the search engine to remove results about them that are inaccurate or no longer relevant.

Google set up an online form that people in Europe can fill out to ask for information to be excluded from search results.

Now a part of the holding company Alphabet under a reorganization, Google's moves failed to satisfy some regulators, notably in France, because the users could get around the restriction.

Google has not changed search results in other areas such as the United States.

Up to now, Google had been deleting certain results from searches made on google.de, google.fr, google.co.uk and other domains within Europe.

"We're changing our approach as a result of specific discussions that we've had with EU data protection regulators in recent months," Fleischer said.

"We believe that this additional layer of delisting enables us to provide the enhanced protections that European regulators ask us for, while also upholding the rights of people in other countries to access lawfully published information."

Danny Sullivan, editor of the Search Engine Land blog, said the new practice is more complex but still could have loopholes.

"It's worldwide censorship for those within the country where the request was granted, in the sense that no matter what edition of Google they use, the removed listings will not show for the terms involved," Sullivan said in a blog post.

"Outside the EU, none of the censorship will be in place so it's not worldwide when considered that way. This will also be the case for anyone within the EU who manages to disguise their location, such as someone using a VPN."

In its most recent update last November, Google said it had complied with less than half of the 348,000 request to remove content in Europe. The largest number of requests came from France, with more than 73,000, followed by Germany with some 60,000.

Similar processes have been put in place by Microsoft's Bing search engine that also powers queries at Yahoo.

AFP
tech2 News Staff

The recently unveiled Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge at the Unpacked event will arrive in India on March 8, according to a report by The Times of India. The report also adds that Samsung plans to invest about Rs 100 crore on marketing the new flagship devices in the bid to outdo arch rival Apple. The Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are expected to go on sale from the third week of March. There is no word on the India pricing, but it is likely to match iPhone 6s models.

The pricing of Samsung models is speculated to start around Rs 45,000. The Times of India pegs prices between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000. (Also read: Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5 and others) Citing people related to the matter, an earlier report added that Samsung has planned additional consumer promotion as well.

It is also planning to cut down prices of some of its older models. On the other hand, the report adds that Apple has also planned something 'big'. It was just recently that Samsung announced Galaxy A5 and A7 2016 editions for the Indian market. On the other hand, Apple has planned a 4-inch iPhone model to be launched on March 21, and likely to hit emerging markets like China and India.

Unveiled recently at a pre-MWC2016 event, the S7 comes with a 5.1-inch super AMOLED dispay with 2550 x 1440 pixels. Although the US market would get the Snapdragon 820 variant, global markets would find their Galaxy S7 powered by a Samsung Exynos chipset instead. In this years version of its flagship, Samsung has bumped up the RAM to 4GB.

Similar to the Galaxy S7, its curved sibling also boasts of 4GB RAM. However, it comes with a 5.5-inch display with 2550 x 1440 pixels as compared to the 5.1-inch in the Samsung Galaxy S7. The devices in most others areas are identical spec-to-spec. The other difference being the 3600mAh battery in the S7 Edge compared to the 3000mAh battery in the S7.
Volleyball results from Thursday

Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, 8:34 a.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- The Almont varsity volleyball team beat Madison Heights Lamphere and New Lothrop in a triple header at Almont Thursday. Dryden beat Bay City All Saints...

Golf and tennis regional results

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, 5:41 p.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- Boys' high school tennis regionals and girls' golf regionals took place yesterday. Lapeer girls' golf placed 11th at the Div. 1 regional hosted by Oxford...

Friday night football scores

Friday, September 30, 2022 10:15 p.m.  LAPEER COUNTY  Lapeer beat Grand Blanc 39-17 at Lapeer to remain undefeated at 6-0. Almont upset Croswell-Lexington 37-26 North Branch routed Richmond 62-10 Imlay City/Dryden fell to Yale...

Summer sports camps/clinics

Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 4:40 p.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- Below is a list of the summer sports camps and clinics that will take place through early Aug. The regular sports update posting of high...
Afghan Taliban refuse peace talks with government

Afghan Taliban activists seen at a meeting near Pakistan border.

Dawn. com, Islamabad :Efforts for reviving the reconciliation dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban ran into trouble on Saturday with the main faction of the insurgent group denying it planned to join the process, besides questioning its efficacy."We unequivocally state that the leader of Islamic Emirate has not authorised anyone to participate in this meeting," said a statement by the Taliban, who officially call themselves 'Islamic Emirate' - the moniker they used during the period they ruled Afghanistan.The statement further reiterated the conditions the group has been stating all along for entering the peace dialogue - exit of foreign forces from Afghanistan, lifting of curbs on Taliban leaders and release of Taliban prisoners from Afghan jails.Surge in operations by Afghan forces and presence of US troops cited as reasons for the group's decisionThe insurgent group headed by Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, which issued the statement, is the dominant militant faction in the Afghan war theatre and is also recognised by the Afghan government as a 'legitimate interlocutor'. The faction is represented by its Political Office in Doha (Qatar). Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif last month visited Doha for enlisting support of the Qatari leadership for the initiative.The statement ended hopes of the reconciliation negotiations commencing in the first week of this month - a timeline set by the four countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the US - participating in the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) on Afghan reconciliation.This is the second time that QCG has missed the deadline. It had initially planned to open the talks in the last week of February.The reconciliation dialogue with the Taliban has been suspended since July last year when it transpired ahead of the second round of the process being pursued then that the insurgent group's leader Mullah Omar had been dead for over two years.The factors cited by the group now for not returning to the negotiation table include intensification of operations by Afghan forces, deployment of US troops to the battlefield and their participation in air strikes and continuing night raids."Peace talks will be meaningless in the light of these developments," the Taliban insist.
Tannery factories to be shifted by 31 March: Minister

Economic Reporter :

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan Sunday urged the tannery owners to shift their industrial units from the city's Hazaribagh area to the planned leather industrial estate at Savar by 31 March.

"The commission would not do anything if authorities concerned go for cutting gas, power and water connections from April 1," he said, while speaking at a view exchange meeting with tannery owners and workers at Hazaribagh.

Shajahan Khan, also chairman of River Protection Commission, said the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is committed to protect rivers, adding, "If you want to save the country, you have to protect rivers." Chairman of River Protection Commission Shajahan Khan, members of the Taskforce for River Protection, Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain and Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif visited the tannery area.



They also spoke in the view exchange meeting.

The government set up the industrial estate to keep the capital Dhaka's environment safe.




3 dacoits held

Chittagong Bureau :

Chittagong Metropolitan Police arrested three dacoits with fire arms and ammunitions from different area in the city on Friday night. Police recovered a single barrel guns, a pistol, four rounds of bullets, two daggers and different kinds of knives. The arrestees were identified as Arman alias Jishan, 28, Fazlul Karim,30,Mamun,26. Shahjahan Kabir, Officer in Charge of Chandgaon thana said police arrested them at Kuaish area in the city and Boalkhali upazila on Friday night . The arrestees are members of an organized dacoit gang in the city and its adjacent district, Shahjahan Kabir added. Police said the arrestees in primary interrogation confessed that they were taking preparation to commit a robbery in a office in the city. A case was filed in this connection.






Pedagogy training begins at DIU

Prof Dr Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Head, Quality Assurance Unit, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh addresses a training program on \"Pedagogy and Assessment Bloom\'s Taxonomy\" at Daffodil International University organized by Institutional Quality Assur

Campus Report :

A 2-day training program on "Pedagogy and Assessment Bloom's Taxonomy" began at Daffodil International University (DIU) organized by Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of DIU recently.

The inaugural session of the program was graced by the presence of Prof Dr Mesbahuddin Ahmed, Head, Quality Assurance Unit, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh as chief guest while Prof Dr Yousuf Mahbubul Islam, Vice Chancellor, DIU and Prof Dr M Abul Kashem, Quality Assurance Specialist, Quality Assurance Unit, HEQEP, UGC, Bangladesh were present as special guests. Prof Muhammad Mahboob Ali, PhD, Director, IQAC, DIU attended the program as session chair.

Voravate Chonlasin, Narumon Wangnai and Dr. Md. Zakir Hossain from AIT Extension, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand were present as Guest of Honour of the program. Prof Dr Md. Fokhray Hossain, Additional Director, IQAC, DIU was also present.

Chief Guest Dr Mesbahuddin Ahmed praised the initiative of DIU regarding pedagogy development through utilizing IQAC fund properly which is beneficial for the country. Special guests Prof Dr Yousuf Mahbubul Islam and Prof Dr M Abul Kashem underscored the need for pedagogy development and quality assurance of higher education of Bangladesh where IQAC can play a significant role.

Guest of Honour Voravate Chonlasin and Narumon Wangnai highlighted their international experiences regarding pedagogy development and significance to implement the same in Bangladesh. Dr Md. Zakir Hossain praised effort of the DIU for trying to develop its education at par global standard.

After the inaugural session of first day, there were a total of three input sessions namely: Outcome-Based Learning Techniques; Contents and strategies in preparing Self-Assessment Reports: cases Studies of universities in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, and Techniques and tools for peer evaluation. The resource persons from AIT, Thailand discussed on Lesson Planning; Student-centered Methods; Evaluation of learning; study reports on self assessment of universities of various countries; peer review techniques etc.

The second day of the program will be conducted by Prof Muhammad Mahboob Ali, PhD, Director, IQAC, DIU and Prof Dr Md. Fokhray Hossain, Additional Director, IQAC, DIU.

They will highlight issues like effective teaching-learning, lesson plan, learning diary, need of research etc. A total of 55 faculty members of DIU took part in the two-day long training program.
Japans Kato, US star Douglas win American Cup titles

AFP, New York :



Japan's Ryohei Kato and reigning Olympic women's all-around champion Gabrielle Douglas of the United States won titles Saturday at the American Cup invitational gymnastics meet in Newark, New Jersey.

Kato, who helped Japan to last year's world team title in Glasgow and 2012 Olympic silver in London, took the men's all-around crown with 88.931 points to edge American Donnell Whittenburg by .366 of a point with China's Sun Wei third on 87.665.

Kato had the top apparatus score only on the horizontal bar at 15.233 points but was second in pommel horse, still rings and floor exercise on his way to the all-around victory in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic tuneup.

"It was important to ride the momentum from worlds last year and put up a good showing," Kato said. "In my mind, the best competition is when everyone actually hits and then to see who comes out on top at the end. I didn't think I could come out on top."

On the women's side, Douglas led the way on 60.165 points with fellow American Maggie Nichols second on 59.699 and Canada's Elsabeth Black third on 57.132, 1.2 points ahead of Britain's Amy Tinkler in fourth.

Douglas won the vault, uneven bars and balance beam and placed second in the floor exercise.

"When the lights go on, I'm all in," said Douglas. "There's something that flips, clicks, and I'm so thankful to have that-click it on, click it off.

"I know in the bottom of my heart that I can do more and it's all about the right intentions. I think I'm in a very good spot right now, heading forward."
Foreign physicians without work permit

LARGE number of foreign physicians is working in medical colleges and clinics in Bangladesh without valid work permit laundering millions of taka each year. As per a vernacular daily with the mushrooming of private health facilities in the country, foreign physicians, particularly Indian physicians are overcrowding the private sector health organizations but most such practice and their remittance is remaining unreported to local administration and also to the higher revenue authorities of the government. Many of them are also not fairly goof doctors and deceiving aptients.

The problem is that we have many private hospitals and clinics, but we have not equally developed enough physicians and also quality physicians. Meanwhile the government is planning to set up two more medical universities and many fear that it may make the nation more dependent on foreign physicians if initiatives are not taken from beginning to develop competent manpower for them.

Indian physicians, among others, are practicing giving advertisement in local newspapers. Some of them are working in the name of technical collaboration and others simply as consultants breaking prevailing laws. The law said foreign doctors must have necessary registration from Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC). We have no objections if new technologies are introduced and training provided to our local doctors by foreign physicians. But the way they are exploiting the health service is a bizarre breach of law and quite harmful to the nation. It is not acceptable and discipline must be restored in this sector without delay.

Some high profile private hospitals in the country have engaged doctors without ensuring that they have proper registrations. Local regulation said foreign doctors and nurses should get registration from BMDC to work in the country. The attraction of most foreign doctors is not their experiences or academic qualifications but their name and identity as foreigners. Physicians from countries like India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, USA and Sweden are coming to Bangladesh under "Technology Transfer" agreement but most South Asians then remain here illegally. They get illegal jobs in medicare practice and mint illegal money.

Experts fear such practice is allowing foreign physicians to remain unaccountable to any authority for wrong treatment while restricting access to job opportunities for our young physicians who pass out every year but find it difficult to enter the healthcare sector. It is alleged that foreign physicians are often protected by local hospitals against wrong treatment. This is a chaotic situation in absence of proper monitoring and accountability; it can't go unabated. Indian physicians are also luring local patients to take treatment from Indian hospitals when Bangladesh has already good facilities for such patients. It is time the Health Ministry must act to stop all such loopholes.






Trump and Cruz seek `one-on-one` battle

US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has called for a "one-on-one" battle with Ted Cruz, urging other rivals to quit the nomination race.Mr Cruz also suggested it was time for other hopefuls, like Marco Rubio and John Kasich, to step aside.Mr Trump and Mr Cruz won two states each in Saturday's voting. In the Democratic race, Bernie Sanders took two states - but Hillary Clinton maintained her front-runner status after a big victory in Louisiana.Speaking after wins in the Republican Kentucky caucuses and Louisiana primary election, Mr Trump told a news conference: "I would love to take on Ted Cruz one on one.""Marco Rubio had a very very bad night and personally I call for him to drop out of the race. I think it's time now that he dropped out of the race. I really think so." Meanwhile, Texas Senator Mr Cruz - who won Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine - said he believed that "as long as the field remains divided, it gives Donald an advantage".Florida Senator Mr Rubio and Ohio Governor Mr Kasich have so far made no public comments on the issue.Mr Cruz now appears to be the only candidate who can stop Mr Trump, analysts say, after a week in which the Republican establishment did everything it could to attack Mr Trump, a New York tycoon.Observers also point out that Mr Cruz and Vermont Senator Mr Sanders - who beat Mrs Clinton in Kansas and Nebraska - both won in states holding caucuses but lost in the Louisiana primary elections, involving far more voters. They say that the Louisiana race also appears to have exposed Mr Sanders' lack of support among African-American voters. Mrs Clinton said she was thrilled to add to her delegate count.She said: "No matter who wins this Democratic nomination, I have not the slightest doubt that on our worst day we will be infinitely better than the Republicans on their best day."Although Donald Trump has surged to a sizeable lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, there were two significant areas in which he had underperformed. He tended to struggle in caucuses and in states where voting is limited to members of the Republican Party.Saturday's results confirmed that this will continue to be a challenge for the front-runner. He lost closed caucuses to Ted Cruz in Kansas and Maine, and posted a narrow win in Kentucky. He also edged Mr Cruz in Louisiana's closed primary. Although there aren't many caucuses left on the Republican calendar, most of the forthcoming primaries are closed - including the key vote in Florida in just over a week. Saturday night's showing helped buttress Mr Cruz's argument that he is the party's best hope to challenge Mr Trump, as Marco Rubio and John Kasich continue to lag far behind. If the Texas senator is to catch the New York billionaire, however, loyal Republican Party voters, particularly in Florida, will have to rally behind him in even greater numbers. It's a tall task - but not an impossible one, if the once-popular Mr Rubio continues to haemorrhage support.The Democratic results presented yet further evidence that Bernie Sanders can beat Hillary Clinton in smaller, more homogenous states, but she is likely to continue to extend her lead with big wins in Southern and ethnically diverse states, as she did in Louisiana on Saturday. The election itself, on 8 November, will see America vote for a successor to Barack Obama, a Democratic president standing down after two terms in office which have seen the Republicans take control of both houses of Congress.
Law Minister declines to comment on sub judice matter

Law Minister Anisul Huq has declined to comment on the food minister's demand that a new Appellate Division bench should rehear the appeal of condemned war criminal Mir Quasem Ali.

"I wasn't a small-time lawyer. I've handled many important cases. I never spoke on any sub judice matter when I was at the Bar. Even now I don't comment on sub judice matters," Huq told reporters on Sunday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appointed Huq, the chief state counsel in the Bangabandhu murder case, law minister in 2014 after forming a government for the second consecutive time. And Advocate Qamrul Islam, who was minister of state for law in the Awami League's 2009-14 term in office, became minister for food following the January 2014 election.

Qamrul on Saturday called for a re-hearing of Mir Quasem's appeal before a new bench that, in his view, should exclude Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha. "Through a comment of the chief justice in court, we have realised what verdict will be delivered in the case. We have realised that there is no scope for awarding the death penalty [to the convict]," Qamrul said. Media reports say Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque also demanded the chief justice withdraw his comments on the matter.

After their remarks, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on Sunday urged all to avoid making controversial remarks on Mir Quasem's appeal.

He asked them to be patient as the verdict on the appeal was due in two days. Earlier in the day, Anisul Huq declined to comment on the matter when he was confronted with queries from reporters after a programme.

He later told bdnews24.com: "The case is pending trial in court. I'm the law minister of Bangladesh. If I say anything on the matter, it will have an impact on the case."

"It can have an impact on the court. That's why comments cannot be made on any sub judice issue," he said.

Asked which law bars commenting on such issues, the minister said, "This is judicial compulsion. It is not only a convention or tradition, it is also incorporated in many judgments."

"Whenever a case goes to court, one must be silent because a single word might influence the trial."

Asked whether the food minister's remarks would influence the court, Huq said, "Please ask him the question."

The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Mir Quasem Ali, known as the financial backbone of the Jamaat-e-Islami, to death in November last year for crimes he committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

Ganajagaran Mancha, the movement demanding maximum punishment for all war criminals, has alleged that a 'conspiracy to save the Jamaat leader' was afoot. The top appeals court had recently found flaws with the handling of the war crimes cases, besides issues relating to progress made by the tribunal's investigating wing and the prosecution.

This is learnt to have made death penalty supporters think Mir Quasem would escape the gallows like another Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee. The attorney general, however, then had said the court's dissatisfaction would not reflect on the final verdict on Mir Quasem.
Mother Salma sent to jail

She gave confessional statement to killing son at Kishoreganj

Kishoreganj Correspondent :

Salma Begum, 30, the brutal killer mother of her minor son Mahatir Mohammad, gave confessional statement before the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Md. Shahadat Hossain in Kishoreganj on Sunday afternoon.

After the confessional statement, the court sent her to Kishoreganj District Jail.

Salma has slaughtered her one and a half year old son Mahatir Mohammad at Parabhanga village in Maria

Union under Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila last month. Mahatir was the youngest of the three sons.

Locals and police said Salma has been suffering from mental anxiety, psychological illness and family disorder.

On February 20, Salma went to her father's house at Parabhanga village in Sadar Upazila of the district. On the same day, she entered a room with her son and locked the door. She managed a machete and chopped her son's shoulder and finally, she slaughtered him to ensure the death.

Earlier, Mahatir's father Abul Kalam Azad lodged a case against his wife for the brutal killing of their minor son.
3 JMB men held with bombs in Bagmara

bdnews24.com :

Three activists of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) have been arrested with bombs in Rajshahi, says the Rapid Action Battalion.

The elite police unit claimed the men were planning a terror attack on Mar 7 (Monday), the day Bangladesh observes the 45th anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's historic Race Course address.

On this day in 1971, the Bangabandhu had appealed to all Bangalees to

join the independence struggle against Pakistan. The Rajshahi-based RAB unit said the men had been arrested early on Sunday morning from a village in the Bagmara Upazila. They had been identified as Amunir Rahman Supan, 35, Abu Sayeed Manik and PM Shahin Shah Tanin, said Assistant Superintendent of Police Alok Biswas.

The elite force had swung into action after the people of Purbaparha village informed it about the presence of three unfamiliar men in the area, said the RAB official. As many as 16 crude bombs, seven petrol bombs and jihadi literature were found on them, said Biswas.

"The initial interrogation has revealed that they are JMB activists, who were preparing a terror attack on programmes planned on the historic Mar 7." Rajshahi's Bagmara Upazila has been in the news of late because of militant activities.

A suicide bomber blew himself up at an Ahmadiyaa mosque in December, leaving 10 people injured.

In August 2015, RAB arrested a man, identified as Lutfur Rahman, claiming he was an adviser to top JMB leaders Shaykh Abdur Rahman and Siddikur Rahman, alias 'Bangla Bhai', hanged in 2007 for the murder of two judges in Jhalakathi. The law enforcers said Rahman was trying to reorganise the group in the Rajshahi region. The JMB had emerged in Bangladesh in the late 1990s under the leadership of Shaykh Abdur Rahman, a veteran of the Afghan war of the 80s.


3 killed, 12 hurt by sudden storm in Keraniganj, Dhamrai and Laxmipur

UNB, Dhaka - Three people were killed and 12 others were injured in three separate incidents in Keraniganj, Dhamrai and Laxmipur districts during a storm on Sunday evening. In Keraniganj, a minor girl was killed and 10 others were injured as a wall collapsed on a tin-shed house during a storm at Imambari. The deceased was identified as Riya Moni, 10. Officer-in-charge of South Keraniganj Model Police Station Monirul Islam said a portion of the wall fell on the house consisting of several rooms during the storm in the evening. Riya died on the spot and 10 other members of some tenant families suffered injuries. The injured were taken to Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital in the capital. In Dhamrai, a man was killed and two others were injured as an electric pole collapsed on them during the storm at Mangalbari in Dhamrai upazila in the evening. The deceased was identified as Ahmed Ali, 50, a resident of Mangalbari village. Officer-in-charge of Dhamrai Police Station Rizaul Hoque said an electric pole fell on the trio during the storm, leaving Ahmed dead on the spot and injured two others. The injured were whisked off to Dhamrai Upazila Health Complex, the OC added. In Laxmipur, an elderly man was killed as a tree collapsed on him during the storm at Keroa village in Raypura upazila in the night. The deceased was identified as Harun-or-Rashid, 50, son of late Kalim Ullah Master. Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Raypura upazila Shamrin Alam said the accident took place when Harun was returning home from Raypura amid storm around 9:30pm, leaving him injured on the spot. Later, he died on the way to hospital.
If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
Justice Joe Williams (left) and Sir Edward Taihukurei Durie (source: teara.govt.nz)

The Waitangi Tribunal has released a special edition of itsnewsletter marking the 40th anniversary of the Tribunals founding in 1975.The special edition features articles and interviews from thirty current and former participants in the Waitangi Tribunals process, including Tribunal members, iwi leaders, historians and lawyers.Contributors include former chairperson Sir Edward Taihukurei Durie, former chairperson Justice Joe Williams, the Minister of Maori Development the Honourable Te Ururoa Flavell, former Maori Party co-leader the Honourable Dame Tariana Turia, former chairperson of the Ngai Tahu Maori Trust Board Sir Tipene ORegan, and lawyer Annette Sykes.I was also asked to contribute and noted as part of my piece the importance of ensuring that the research commissioned for the Tribunal process is made accessible to iwi and the wider public. While the Tribunal's own reports eventually end up on its website, the thousand or more research reports commissioned by the claimants, Crown and Tribunal over the past few decades are usually much harder to access for those outside the claims process.It is time, I suggested, to give consideration to how these might be made more freely available, perhaps with an online digital repository backed up by hard copies at a suitable institution like the National Library.The special edition also includes a feature article from Tribunal member Dr Ann Parsonson on the history of the Waitangi Tribunal.Current chairperson Chief Judge Wilson Isaac writes in his introduction: As the Tribunal moves towards completing its inquiries into historical claims and addressing kaupapa (thematic) and contemporary claims, this edition ofhighlights the contribution the Tribunal has made towards restoring and sustaining the Treaty-based relationship between Maori and the Crown.
By AM Sunday, March 6, 2016 Share Tweet Share Share Email

If they dont like it, let them go back to Britain. Those were the words of the first member of the audience to speak in a recent joint RTE/BBC debate on the virtues of a United Ireland titled Irelands Call. Having looked forward to the debate and to the respective polls from each side of the border, with confidence it would illuminate that our One Ireland One Vote strategy presents the only credible means to achieve Irish Unity (because the British rushing to the ports of their own volition is unlikely anytime soon), no sooner had those words left her mouth than I cringed.Having said that, most other contributors from the audience were excellent and put forward a host of worthy arguments in favour, including that in a United Ireland unionists would hold 20 percent of the vote in an all-Ireland election, thus being well-positioned to share power in a prospective coalition government in a 32-County Republic. Given their centre-right politics its not something necessarily to be encouraged but nonetheless, it shows they might not have as much to fear from unity as they imagine. As expected though, given it was RTE hosting the debate, they laboured on the first womans point at the expense of the other contributions. To be honest though, the lady who made those unfortunate comments reflects a section of republicanism who frequent social media sites shouting slogans, which in itself is grand but needs something substantive behind it. You have an ideal; you want people to endorse and pro-actively subscribe to it; so you need to effectively sell it to people.One only has to look to Scotland, where for years various misconceptions were regurgitated that it couldnt possibly go it alone. They had nothing going for them and were welfare junkies to England. The Barnett formula, the mechanism whereby the UK Treasury allocates the level of public spending for Scotland, Wales and the North of Ireland, was constantly evoked as the epitome of why Scotland was a welfare-whore, unable to stand on its own two feet. Polls showed support between 25-30 percent at the start of the campaign for Scottish independence, but a small matter of facts almost scuppered the pro-Union argument.Debates on the streets, in town halls and on television dispelled urban myths that had been perpetuated for decades, as Scots learned that an independent Scotland would be per capita one of the richest in the world. Far from a welfare-junkie of England, Scotland spends 1200 more per head than the rest of the UK, affording citizens cheaper university education and free prescription drugs for all. At the same time it contributes 1700 more per head to the UK Exchequer than its other contributors, effectively losing out on 500 per person which could be spent on its own people. While it wasnt enough to take them over the line they made a remarkable comeback all the same, especially given the near-entire disdain of the mainstream media for the independence movement.And so to Ireland. At the time of partition the newly formed 26-county state was an economic basket case with an economy rooted in agriculture  partition having cut off the industrialised north-east, where standards of living had been comparative to anywhere in the United Kingdom, from the rest of the country. At the time it was an industrial powerhouse and yet today, almost a century on from partition, theyre 20 percent below the UK average. Over the same period standards of living on the other side of the border have increased twenty-fold (as compared to the Norths five). So when you couple what is an evident economic retraction in the North with how polarised society there has become, it is surely an irredeemable fact that partition has failed the people of the Six Counties on every level.In his paper Making the Economic Case for a United Ireland economist Michael Burke breaks it down into simple arithmetic. In 2013, the 26-county state produced $210 billion, with the six-county economy producing $50 billion over the same period. So in a unified all-Ireland economy the scope for a home market increases for the 26-counties by 25 percent and for the North by 400 percent. In the company I work for we dont do any business in the Six Counties. Its paying into two tax-codes for businesses and some, including the one I work for, dont feel its worth the hassle. Burke also argues that since the 26-counties removed itself from the domineering control of Britain it has integrated itself more into the world economy. The same cannot be said of the six-county economy and this is glaringly evident in its external sales (exports) which amounted to a paltry 14.3 billion per annum as compared terms to 89 billion in the 26-six counties.An important misconception tackled by Burke is the myth of the 10 billion sterling annual subvention from Britain, supposedly to keep the Six Counties afloat. Just as Scotlands Block Grant under Barnett didnt stack up under scrutiny, neither does the alleged subvention of 10 billion to the North. Burke, citing recent data from the ONS, showed that each household in the Six Counties (from a total number of 739,000) receives an extra 982 in state awards, including NHS contributions, than what they pay in taxes and rates, making the subvention approximately 700 million and not the 10 billion stated. If the latter were true it would make the Six Counties one of the richest states in the world on a per capita basis, whereas the economic data relating to its economy shows this is certainly not the case.The economic arguments for Irish Unity stack up then and can run concurrent with those relating to the undemocratic nature of partition of itself, imposed as it was under duress and against the wishes of the people. That said, we should not be waiting for the ghost of James Connolly to return and cant be living in the graveyards. While we have a great past littered with Martyrs that we rightly commemorate, we have to remember the past and not live in it. We need to live republicanism on our streets and in our communities, utilising modern forms of communication (such as social media) more intelligently, making our project and our ideas relevant to ordinary people on the street.In terms of polls, time and again they have proven favourable to our argument and yet some maintain the South doesnt want the North. All polls, even those designed to inhibit arguments for unity, indicate this to be false. I can say conclusively there has never been a poll in the 26-counties where a clear majority have not expressed their desire for reunification. In the Irelands Call programme, only 14 percent in the 26-counties said they didnt want to see a United Ireland in their lifetime  a remarkable figure in line with other similarly run polls. With dont knows excluded, only 40 percent in the North wanted to see a United Ireland in their lifetime, which although a disappointment is nevertheless encouraging given there has been no real debate on the matter. Just as in Scotland, once misconceptions are tackled in a meaningful debate we could see a swing in our favour.RTE, being RTE, tried to swing things in a negative direction, asking if people were to pay more taxes would they still want to see Irish Unity. They may as well have asked would they like a kick to the genitals. Its a negative question begging a negative answer, which they seemed to revel in. Interestingly, this was the only question were dont knows werent shown. Why not? The show also included polls on social issues, presenting near-identical numbers on either side of the border. Though it wasnt touched on, unsurprisingly, this indicates that despite partition and regardless of what side of the border people are on, no matter how the likes of RTE might try and implant partitionist mindsets, we remain a homogeneous people despite divisions carefully fostered by an alien government, as first made mention of in the 1916 Proclamation.Given the inherent media attitude to reunification and republicanism in general, it is important we make the argument for unity about more than the simple liberation of the North. Our effort must be to liberate the country as a whole. To realise the goals and ideals of Irish republicanism we must address the perception they relate only to freeing the Six Counties, projecting the reunification of this country as an island-wide project to transform the country as a whole. Without the strangling effect of the border, with an estimated boost of 36 billion accruing to an all-Ireland economy over 8 years following harmonisation of tax and the breaking down of trade barriers on the island (study by Dr Kury Hubner, University of British Colombia, November 2015), we would be well positioned to bring about a new and vibrant self-sustaining Ireland  not an extension of the 26-county entity I live in today.We are promoting something that deep down the vast majority on this island aspires to. But with that in mind, we might ask ourselves why is it republicanism can be seen in such a negative light. Is it because its proponents are not presenting the message correctly? Weve allowed ourselves to be pigeon-holed as angry, irrational, apolitical, anti-British reactionaries, with no argument to offer that would benefit wider society and the country as a whole. The antidote is to forward a coherent and transparent argument in favour of unity that can resonate with ordinary people. The information is there to be used and show how we could all live in a more prosperous country if we worked together within an all-Ireland framework, to the betterment of all of our people. The partition of what is a small island on the periphery of Europe has failed. It could never work to begin with, were too small an entity, and Ireland will never reach its full potential, economically, culturally and socially, until we end it.Nelson Mandela once said, let your choices be defined by your hopes and not your fears. As republicans we must give that hope to our people and we have the tools to do it. We know a majority on the island aspire to unity but we wont progress until we articulate the message better than we have thus far. This year of all years presents an opportunity to challenge the misconceptions, to present the argument for a new Ireland where the Proclamation exists as reality, not an afterthought from the past. Thats the best way to commemorate 1916 and the immortal words of Pearse at the GPO, which carry our hopes and aspirations for a free and better Ireland, for all of our people and for which we still strive to this day.
Now of course on the ship all the chairs were of the finest quality, and comfortable beyond compare. Staying at the BW in Brooklyn little did I know th...

3 days ago
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
COLUMBIA  Gaping potholes. Crumbling roadbeds. Washboard bridges.

The deterioration of South Carolinas highway system has angered drivers, mobilized coalitions of business and safety advocates, and concentrated the minds of lawmakers debating what to do and how quickly to it.

Roads in the Palmetto state, said one traffic safety advocate, have become non-forgiving. And people are mad as heck about it.

There are roads that are uneven, theres poor infrastructure, roads without shoulders, said Steve Phillips, the traffic safety manager and spokesman for AAA Carolinas. South Carolina is a tourism state. We have to put our best safety on our roadways.

Most visitors to South Carolinas tourist destinations like Myrtle Beach travel by car. Tourists, businesses and locals are all affected by the crumbling road conditions rampant across South Carolina.

Safety is important and good roads matter, said Dawn Dawson-House, communications director for the S.C. Department of Tourism. We pride ourselves in South Carolina on natural beauty, and the beauty of our cultural and historic significance, and so its important to us. We think the roads should be, likewise, in fine condition.

Tourism has been a significant part of South Carolinas economy, providing jobs to about 12 percent of the states workforce in the early 2000s.

Road safety has become a larger concern throughout the state with the more recent deterioration of road conditions from flooding in October 2015.

S.C. Chamber of Commerce President Tedd Pitts said there is a lot of work to be done to solve the road condition crisis in the state.

AAA spokesman Phillips said he wants the Legislature to find compromise in order to establish a long-term plan.

There is agreement that much work needs to be done on the bill to find an effective solution for South Carolinas roads.

The chamber has said we want at least $600 million of additional recurring revenue to go towards infrastructure. We want the agency reformed, we want governance model reformed and have the agency accountable to one person, the statewide elected CEO of South Carolina, whos the governor on that position, Pitts said.

It shouldnt be a debate every year. Phillips said. You cant play politics with safety.
Fortitude, an eagerness to learn new things and an appreciation for reading  those were some of the secrets to success shared by the three featured writers at the eighth annual Page Turner Book and Author Luncheon on March 1.

All shared their stories in delightfully humorous ways with the fiction and nonfiction lovers who gathered at Orangeburg Country Club for The Times and Democrats fundraiser for the Newspaper in Education program.

Southern fiction writer John Warley, womens fiction author Kim Boykin and political cartoonist, author, illustrator Kate Salley Palmer, an Orangeburg native, were the guest writers.

Boykin published her first novel at age 53 after learning almost everything about writing from her grandfather, an oral storyteller who was a master teacher of pacing and sensory detail.

I got lucky when I was 53. I published my first novel, and the thing about publishing a novel is that your editor always wants to know whats next, she said.

Boykins next novel, A Peach of a Pair, was initially supposed to be about two spinster sisters, Emily and Lurleen Eldridge, and the many storms their sisterhood had weathered over the years. But that plan soon changed when her editor was looking for a 20-something-year-old protagonist, the author said.

The thing about the way I write is that I get all these little seeds in my brain but basically, the story just comes from this ethereal place. I had already visited that ethereal place with Emily and Lurleen, Boykin said, noting that the story was based on the experience of her great-great aunt.

It was the 1940s, shes very sick and she got on a Greyhound bus in Southwest Georgia and went to Little Rock, Arkansas, to see a faith healer. Now in the 40s, women did not travel alone much and, if they did, you can imagine the bus is full of men.

So Aunt Mamie, who later murdered her husband  thats another book  went all the way to Little Rock, Arkansas, with a hat pin under each arm. If a man got too close to her, she would stick them with a hat pin. The hat pin is not in A Peach of a Pair, but I always loved the idea of it, Boykin said, drawing laughter from the audience.

Nettie Gilbert ended up being Boykins 20-year-old protagonist in the novel as she picks up the pieces of her life with the help of the Eldridge sisters after finding out her childhood sweetheart is marrying her own sister.

Nettie was initially just a literacy device so we could hear these two womens (the Eldridge sisters) stories, but now Netties got to be the protagonist. When youre got really big personalities telling the story, it was terrifying to think that poor Netties got to come in and take over the story. But take over the story she did, the writer said.

It took Boykin three weeks to finish her newly reconfigured book after being sidetracked by more than a few family issues, including her elderly fathers fall. She said she was determined to not let anyone down, including Aunt Mamie the murderer, but most importantly, herself.

Writing is the thing that belongs to me. Its the only thing Ive ever done. You know, I think as a mom you need something thats just yours.  I wrote the book in three weeks and started off saying, This is probably a piece of crap. My editor got back to me a few weeks later and said, This is the best thing youve ever written! Boykin said.

She said she appreciated all readers who read not just her books, but others.

Thank you for reading. We live in a world today where people overlook the importance of reading. But theres going to be writers out here (too). I guess the moral of the story is to keep listening to those voices and dont give up, Boykin said.

Warley said he certainly did not give up even after it took 18 years to publish his book, A Southern Girl. The novel was the first release from author Pat Conroys Story River Books. Warley and Conroy were classmates at The Citadel.

Set in Charleston, A Southern Girl is a novel inspired by the adoption of Warleys Korean daughter into his very conservative Southern family.

My parents were lovely people, but they were what we in the South call unreconstructed. If I brought a girl home in high school, mother would ask that most famous of Southern questions: Darlin, who are your people? Mother wasnt being polite  she wanted to know who your people were, Warley said.

He and his wife, Barbara, adopted their then-3-month-old daughter in 1979 and shortly afterward welcomed their own fourth and last child.

A lawyer by trade, Warley said his love of writing grew after he became increasingly disenchanted with his profession.

I had been one of those lawyers that was never overly enamored with my own profession. I was looking for a passion, and I found it in writing, he said.

His first novel was the genetic political thriller Bethesdas Child. Set in Washington, D.C. and California, Warley said the book, which took him a year to finish, was inspired by his interest in genetics, particularly a newspaper article which revealed that genetic researchers were getting closer to determining whether Abraham Lincoln had actually suffered from Marfans syndrome.

Something in that story triggered a story in my mind, he said.

Warley said hes particularly proud of the story that details his daughters acclimation into his family, which included his and his wifes three sons.

Im proud of the book. Its sold well. Its gotten great reviews, Im pleased to say. Audible (an Amazon company) just bought it for an audio book, which Im excited about, he said.

A Southern Girl would still be in a drawer if I had not gone to the Savannah Book Festival in 2012 and appeared with Pat Conroy at a joint presentation, Warley noted.

Making his first visit to Orangeburg for the Page Turner Luncheon, he has said he highly values the link between a writer and a reader. He said he was appreciative of the opportunity to attend the event.

Palmer, an Orangeburg native, began her career as an award-winning, nationally syndicated political cartoonist and is also an author and illustrator. She writes and illustrates childrens and non-fiction books and is currently working on a book about the Lady of Cofitachequi, a Native American from the Congaree area of South Carolina.

The audience included a table of her schoolmates from the former Orangeburg High School.

Gosh, I look out here and see all these people I know. These are people I have known since I was a child, especially you people over there, Salley said, looking at the ladies at the table. Yall behave. We were in Girl Scouts together and all this stuff. Geez, I dont even know what to say first.

Salley began her career as one of a very few female political cartoonists. She wrote a memoir titled Growing Up Cartoonist in the Baby Boom South in 2005.

I didnt find out until later that there are very few women political cartoonists, she said, noting that she was one of only two female cartoonists attending a 1976 convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists in Washington, D.C.

Palmers cartoons were nationally syndicated until 1985, by which time she had already left The Greenville News as a political cartoonist. She said she discovered picture books while hanging out with her friends who were teachers.

I would follow them around to childrens book stores. I could see books that looked as if they had been illustrated by political cartoonists. I went, Wow! I can draw pictures again. I could draw these funny pictures that maybe children would like, Palmer said.

Simon & Schuster published her first two picture books, A Gracious Plenty and How Many Feet in the Bed? After Simon & Shuster was sold and Palmers editor and art director left, she said she was back where she started. Her book A Gracious Plenty went out of print so she and her husband, Jim, got the rights back and republished it in soft cover.

She and Jim, a retired Clemson University professor, started Central, South Carolina-based publishing company Warbranch Press Inc. in 1998.

A Gracious Plenty, a family story about Kates great-aunt May Zeigler, was their first book. The couple then published The Pink House, a story about the Salley familys annual trip to Edisto Beach, South Carolina. Palmers next book, The Little Chairs, was published in 1999. It is based on true events concerning Palmers parents.

Palmer began writing nonfiction books in 2005. Almost Invisible  Black Patriots of the American Revolution and First South Carolinians, a book released in 2013 about South Carolinas Native Americans, are among her other nonfiction books.

Palmetto: Symbol of Courage is another nonfiction book she wrote after visiting schools, where many children were unaware that the Palmetto was the state tree.

I used to point to the Palmetto tree in The Pink House and ask the children, What kind of tree is that? and nobody knew, said Palmer, who also wrote the nonfiction book, Francis Marion and the Legend of the Swamp Fox.

My son James illustrated that book. I did this book because James actually wrote and illustrated a documentary for ETV called Chasing the Swamp Fox. When I saw it, I didnt understand any of it, said Palmer, who was determined to learn more about that part of history by researching it for her own book.

That is how I decided what nonfiction books to write. If I dont know anything about something, then I think, Maybe you should write a book about that so I can learn something, Palmer said.

She recently published an adult coloring book on the 2016 presidential race, which features caricatures of all the candidates  even the ones who have dropped out, along with a short biography on each of them.

Susan Webber, one of Palmers classmates, said she enjoyed hearing her friend speak during the luncheon.

Weve followed her career and remember her antics at school, Webber said, adding that the luncheon was a good venue through which to promote community and literacy.

Its fantastic. I loved the diversity of the crowd, she said.

Barbara Weaver, a library technical assistant at the Holly Hill Branch of the Orangeburg County Library, said she also enjoyed the luncheon.

Im an avid reader, and I found it a privilege to meet the three authors. I had already read one of Kims books and bought another one. I thought the food was excellent, Weaver said.

Orangeburg County Library Director Anna Zacherl said she enjoyed her first Page Turner Luncheon.

I thought it was absolutely magical. I know that my staff had a great time. It was really great to see so many Orangeburg residents come out and support an event so steeped in literacy and learning, she said. The writers were all really engaging and interesting.

Members of the Pierian Literary Club, a Denmark area book club founded more than 70 years ago, also attended. Pam Guess, Emily Guess and Kaki Williamson were among them.

Pam said, There was such a nice variety of authors. Each one kept you focused.

Emily said the club appreciated that the luncheon was held in support of Newspapers in Education.

At least half of our book club members are educators so thats very important to us, she said.
While the focus of debate about the judicial system is on Washington and the U.S. Supreme Court in the wake of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, South Carolina has its own battle brewing.

The two are related.

In Washington, senators who must provide advice and consent on a nominee to the high court are telling President Barack Obama that any nominee to replace Scalia will not be considered during this election year. The lawmakers contend the new justice will provide the swing vote on a court now divided 4-4 along liberal and conservative lines. They want the public to have a say on the nominee via the 2016 presidential election.

In South Carolina, the issue is Don Beatty, the South Carolina State University alumnus who is the longest-serving associate justice on the state Supreme Court. If precedent is followed, Beatty is in line to become chief justice when the Legislature votes in May. He would be the second African-American in modern times to hold the position.

But Beattys ascendance is in doubt. Legislative leaders are making no secret of their desire to find a candidate more in tune with the conservative leanings of the Republican-run General Assembly. And there is also the matter of Beattys nomination by President Barack Obama to a seat on the federal bench.

Lawmakers are concerned about two of Beattys opinions they say constitute judicial overreach. The two decisions have to do with consumers and with poor rural schoolchildren.

In a 3-2 pro-consumer decision, Beatty ruled auto dealers should have based vehicle closing fees to consumers on an actual cost of a vehicle during a sale.

And in a major decision decided 3-2 by the court, Beatty ruled the General Assembly must find a way to improve education for children in low-income rural school districts. The so-called Abbeville case angered lawmakers, who unsuccessfully challenged its validity.

Legislators reportedly have had no luck in recruiting the second-most-senior associate justice to seek the seat. And reports have it that the likes of Attorney General Alan Wilson and former Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell have said no to entering the race.

That leaves the legislative leadership in a quandary and also facing criticism that their opposition to Beatty as chief justice is racist. As much as his proponents can be expected to use that argument in pushing Beatty for the seat, the debate on the new justice, hopefully, will be cast in terms beyond black and white.

In the end, lawmakers must decide whether going all out in seeking someone they believe to be in tune with conservative positions is a sound approach.

The decision goes beyond the present. Just as with the Republicans and Democrats trading places in obstructing judicial appointments on the national level, depending upon which party is in control, state lawmakers must decide whether to further inject partisan politics into judicial selection by establishing an unwritten conservative litmus test.

Doing so sets a precedent, one that may not suit todays Republican majority should Democrats again one day control the Legislature.

And in the way of a reminder to lawmakers: The political persuasion of a justice is not always an indicator of how the jurist will stand on issues  and should not be. A Supreme Court justice should be no more a political tool of the Legislature than he or she is a de facto lawmaker.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump plays on racial fears and animosities in an ugly, deliberate and dangerous way. This dance with bigotry goes far beyond his temporary amnesia about David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan.

Trump speaks as if he considers whiteness the norm and sees people of color as somehow alien and suspect. He is the only major American political figure in many decades to display such an antediluvian worldview so openly. Trump doesnt tweet dog whistles, he blasts foghorns.

He brags about getting along famously with the blacks and the Hispanics. How long has it been since anyone in public life used such casually exclusionary language? There are about 40 million African-Americans and more than 55 million Hispanic-Americans, all of them reduced, by Trumps use of the definite article, to sidekick status  the good ones being, I suppose, a bunch of Sammy Davis Jrs. and Ricky Ricardos.

Trumps entire platform, such as it is, can be reduced to us vs. them. The overwhelmingly white, largely blue-collar crowds that fill his gargantuan rallies are buffeted by harsh economic realities and have good reason to be anxious about the future. Trump doesnt give them solutions, he gives them scapegoats.

Recall that he kicked off his campaign for president last year with an outrageous libel against undocumented migrants from Mexico: Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

In truth, immigrants are significantly LESS likely to commit crimes of any kind  including rape  than native-born Americans. But facts dont matter when Trump chooses to point a finger of blame. He even makes the preposterous and wholly unfounded charge that the government of Mexico is deliberately sending criminals, including sexual predators, into the United States.

To justify the big, beautiful wall he claims he will build along the border, Trump uses a resonant phrase: We either have a country, or we dont. Together with his campaign slogan  Make America Great Again  those words require a bit of unpacking.

The clear implication is that we once had a great country  but if all those Latinos are permitted to swarm in, we wont have our country at all. It will belong to the encroaching hordes. Never mind that the border is more secure than it has been in decades and illegal crossings have slowed to a trickle. Trumps goal is to create the impression that they are besieging us, and that he will put an end to it.

Perhaps this is what he truly believes. I recall something he said last September, in an interview with Bill OReilly of Fox News, and has since repeated: I was in Paris recently, and Paris doesnt look like Paris anymore.

What could Trump be talking about? The Eiffel Tower hasnt changed. Nor have the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre or the lovely Place des Vosges. But a visitor does share the boulevards with more dark-skinned people, mostly the sons and daughters of immigrants from former French colonies. Trump never spells this out, but Ive only heard him use the line in discussions about immigration.

Theres a history to consider. In 1989, Trump took out a full-page ad in four major New York newspapers to demand the return of the death penalty after five young black and Hispanic men were accused of raping and brutalizing a Central Park jogger. The men were convicted and sent to prison  but later exonerated by DNA evidence and released. Trump wrote an op-ed arguing the city should not compensate the men for their years of unjust imprisonment because, even if they did not commit the rape, they do not exactly have the pasts of angels.

Trump still cannot bring himself to acknowledge that President Barack Obama was born in the United States; once a birther, always a birther, I guess. A poll in September showed that two-thirds of Trumps supporters believe Obama is a Muslim; Trump does nothing whatsoever to disabuse them of that false notion.

Several recent polls have shown that a majority of Republicans, not just Trumpistas, support his idea of temporarily banning all foreign Muslims from entering the country. It would be impossible to implement such a policy  just as it would be impossible to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants. But actually doing these things is not the point. Activating populist anger against Muslims and Latinos seems to be what Trump is after.

There are just two possibilities: Either Trump is a bigot or he pretends to be one for political gain. Pick your poison.
I have never made it a policy to make this column a political one. Ive never shared my endorsement of candidates or participated in analyzing the process of a political campaign. Im not going to start today so you can breathe a sigh of relief. Politics is not my game.

I vote. I may have missed one vote in my lifetime, including local and state elections, since I gained the privilege of voting at age 18 in 1973. Its a privilege to live in a country where every individual of age can vote. Its also a responsibility. Sadly, and to the detriment of our country, far too many Americans have not taken this responsibility seriously.

Today, instead, Im going to hold up a mirror with the hope that readers will take a long, hard look at who is responsible, more than anyone else, for the state of America and the American political process in this day and time.

Voters today say they are angry. Take a look in the mirror.

According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, in South Carolina alone, voter turnout in presidential and general elections has been nothing more than pathetic. The facts are clear. American citizens who have the privilege and responsibility to vote do not, in fact, vote.

1992: 45 percent of eligible South Carolina voters participated. 1996: 40.99 percent. 2000: 46.63 percent. 2004: 51.39 percent. 2008: 57.67 percent. 2012: 54.71 percent.

The BPC was founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, George Mitchell and Howard Baker. Notice the crucial name in the organizations title: bipartisan. Two Democrats and two Republicans  working together toward the organizations stated vision: working to find actionable solutions to the nations key challenges.

Further, BPC states, While a healthy, civil debate among those with differing viewpoints is an essential component of our democracy, the current partisan tone in government is impeding progress.

When citizens do not vote, elected governments and their officials run amok. In the current political climate, partisanship is the devil that is running amok. Driven sometimes by only a little over half the electorate, elected officials take government in their hands and do pretty much what they want to do. After all, they may reason, most people just dont care what we do or how we do it. They dont even vote.

The result? Exactly what we are watching today. All of a sudden, voters are angry and they are turning out in droves to vote. Candidates talk about the disenfranchised, those who feel left out of the political process, those who have awakened to the realities of our country. Excuse me? These are folks who have sat back on their haunches while governing bodies have neglected to be responsible representatives and responsive to their electorate. So. We are where we are.

And people are angry? You should be. First, though, you should take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask yourself these questions. Have I learned about the issues? Have I examined the candidates positions? Have I followed my elected officials voting records? Have I ever contacted a representative for something other than a favor? Have I watched the debates (be careful on this one  on the Republican side, youll have to endure a circus that may entertain but fails to address any substantive issues)? Have I ever done more than complain? And most important of all  have I voted?

The answer to the last question, for far too many eligible voters, is no. Dont blame the system. Take a long, hard look in the mirror.
Bamberg Police Department

Two men were arrested on multiple charges on Feb. 25 after a traffic stop on Calhoun Street for a faulty headlight. Officers detected the odor of marijuana when they approached the vehicle and saw a marijuana roach in plain sight, according to the incident report.

While searching the vehicle, officers located a grinder, numerous pipes with marijuana residue in them, some shake (marijuana dust), a piece of marijuana, a Rock Island .45 caliber model 1911 pistol and numerous long guns. Neither man in the vehicle had a criminal history, and both were cooperative, the report states.

One of the men, a 19-year-old Heritage Highway resident, was charged with simple possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and possession of a concealed weapon. The other subject, a 23-year-old Norway man was charged with simple possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

A female passenger in the vehicle was not charged.

In other reports:

Police were dispatched to the Relax Inn on Main Highway at about 10:45 p.m. on Feb. 26 in reference to a domestic call in one of the rooms. Officers were met by 21-year-old Denmark man who said his girlfriend had broken the room window and destroyed the room. He told police that he had pushed the 20-year-old Denmark woman out of the room.

Officers noted alcohol spilled on the floor and an open alcoholic beverage on a stand. Furnishings in the room were turned over. Police located the woman coming out of another room holding a baby and interviewed her. She told the officers that a verbal argument between her and the man had turned physical. According to the report, the woman had a bruise on her arm and an injured lip.

Both the man and the woman were arrested and charged with fighting. The woman had someone come to pick up her baby.

Police were dispatched to the Bamberg Job Corps Center in reference to drug activity on Feb. 28. A BJC employee informed officers that drugs were discovered during a search of a students locker. The drugs consisted of two marijuana joints, a small amount of marijuana and some pills.

The 20-year-old male student (no hometown listed) was charged with simple possession of marijuana.

Police arrested a 22-year-old Branchville man who was found passed out in the cab of a truck with empty beer cans inside. Someone had called police when they saw a suspicious vehicle behind a home on Heritage Highway about 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 21. Police woke the man up and arrested him for disorderly conduct.

Police were alerted to a fight between a man and a woman in the road on U.S. 301 near EZ Shop #1 at about 9 p.m. on Feb. 19. Both individuals involved were placed under arrest. The 24-year-old Hartsville, man was charged with fighting, and the 46-year-old Society Hill woman was charged with open container and fighting.

An 18-year-old Denmark man was charged with simple possession of marijuana on Feb. 16 after being stopped on U.S. 78 for not wearing his seat belt.
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Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade has today met with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, who is on an official visit in Baku, to discuss prospects for cooperation between the two countries.





The prime ministers first had a private talk, and were then joined by their delegations for an expanded meeting.





Artur Rasizade said Azerbaijan and Hungary were friendly countries. He said Azerbaijan attached importance to cooperation with Hungary.





The Azerbaijani Premier also hailed the political and economic relations between the two countries.





Mr. Rasizade provided an insight into the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Armenia`s ongoing aggression policy. He noted that the dispute had not been solved because of Armenia`s non-constructive position. The Azerbaijani PM stressed that the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group had not yet yielded any results.





Viktor Orban said there was great potential and wide opportunities for expanding cooperation between the two countries.





The Hungarian PM described Azerbaijan as a stable and powerful country.





They also discussed the issues of cooperation in economic, investment making, transport, energy, humanitarian and other fields.





The meeting then featured a ceremony of signing bilateral documents between Azerbaijan and Hungary.





Azerbaijan's Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Salim Muslumov and Hungarian Minister of National Economy Mihaly Varga signed The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Hungary.





Azerbaijans Minister of Communications and High Technologies Ramin Quluzade and Hungarys Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto signed The Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of High Technologies Ecosystem between the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Hungary.

Acting Rector of Azerbaijan Medical University Sabir Aliyev and Rector of Semmelweis University of Hungary Agoston Szel signed The Memorandum of Understanding between Azerbaijan Medical University and Semmelweis University of Hungary.





Rector of Lankaran State University Asaf Isgandarov and Rector of Kaposvar University of Hungary Ferenc Szavai signed The Memorandum of Understanding between Lankaran State University and Kaposvar University.




Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban has completed his official visit to Azerbaijan.

A guard of honor was lined up for the Hungarian prime minister at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

Viktor Orban was seen off by Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Ismat Abasov and other officials.

****

16:55

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has hosted a dinner reception in honor of Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, who is on an official visit in the country.



Azerbaijans First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and spouse of Hungarian Prime Minister Aniko Levai attended the event.

****

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban have made statements for the press.

****

14:30

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, who is on an official visit in the country, held a one-on-one meeting.

Prime Minister Orban and his spouse Aniko Levai were welcomed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva.

Azerbaijans president, Hungarian prime minister and their wives posed for photographs, then the president and the prime minister held a private meeting.

They hailed the successful development of the bilateral relations in different areas, particularly in political and economic ones. The importance of the visit in expanding Azerbaijani-Hungarian relations was stressed during the meeting.

The sides pointed to good potential for developing the bilateral relations in different fields.

They also discussed a number of issues of mutual concern.

Following their private meeting, President Aliyev and Prime Minister Orban met in an expanded format and made speeches at the event.
The heads of Iran-Turkey Joint Commission have called for the expansion of bilateral ties between Tehran and Ankara saying differences over regional developments cannot harm friendly ties between two neighboring countries.

Both sides call for the expansion of bilateral ties, IRNA news agency quoted Irans Communications and Information Technology Minister Mahmoud Vaezi who is also head of Iran-Turkey Joint Commission as saying at a meeting with Turkish Development Minister Cevdet Yilmaz and Turkish head of the commission in Tehran.

The meeting between the heads of the joint-commission took place as part of the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglus official visit to Tehran aimed at maintaining bilateral ties.

Two neighboring countries of Iran and Turkey should keep the ties in the highest levels and prevent the political developments from harming the existing ties, Vaezi added.

Speaking about the necessity for mutual cooperation in tourism, customs, energy, banking and other sectors, Vaezi said that both countries should maintain their relations and support existing infrastructure and capacities.

In turn, describing ties between Iran and Turkey as deep, Cevdet Yilmaz said the temporary developments are not capable of having negative impact on the bonds.

A Turkish high-ranking economic and politic delegation headed by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in Tehrans Mehrabad Airport, last night.

Commentators believe the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglus ongoing visit to Tehran is aimed at maintaining and continuing trade ties between Tehran and Ankara.

Despite the outstanding disagreements between Tehran and Ankara over gas prices as well as differences over the Syrian crisis, Iran and Turkey appear reluctant to spoil the trade ties.

The trade turnover between the countries was $13.71 billion in 2014 and $9.76 billion in 2015.

Although the trade turnover dropped by 29 percent in 2015 compared to the preceding year, many observers believe that the decline came amid global economic crisis ruling out the role of the political and economic disagreements in the decline.

Over the past five and following the Syrian crisis, Tehran and Moscow have supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey is among Syrian presidents most outspoken critics.
Georgian authorities and the Russian energy giant Gazprom have formalized a new agreement allotting Tbilisi 10 percent out of overall supplies to neighboring Armenia in transit fees, Georgian Energy Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Kakha Kaladze said Saturday.

Georgia imports the majority of its gas from neighboring Azerbaijan. Although Tbilisi has not acquired gas from Russia since 2007, it gets 10 percent of Russian gas as a transit fee to Armenia.

"The agreement implies that we are still under the terms of the previous contract, and Georgia will receive 10 percent of the natural gas transit," Kaladze told reporters.

The latest deal was reached after months of regular negotiations following the expiration of a previous Gazprom-Georgia agreement on December 31, 2015.

The minister expressed hope that the new deal, in force until the end of 2016, would yield to monetary compensation at next stages of negotiation, a position that Tbilisi had lobbied for in lieu of a transit fee.
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Deloitte, a leading provider of provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services in the region, has created a free-of-charge bilingual online introductory guide about Value Added Tax (VAT).



The guide discusses, amongst other areas, the drivers for implementing tax reform in the Middle East, key VAT principles and specific business issues.



A general understanding of VAT and its likely impact on their businesses were also explained at recent seminars in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE held by Deloitte.



These seminars constitute the first of a series of seminars that will be held across the region.



More than two hundred and eighty business professionals attended the Deloitte seminars in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, chaired by Deloitte Indirect Tax specialists in the Middle East, Justin Whitehouse and Stuart Halstead.



VAT implementation will be a major business issue and businesses would be well advised to consider the impact it may have on short to medium term business plans. Moreover, they need to consider pricing and working capital issues, said Whitehouse.



VAT is simple conceptually but in practice very complex and we hope our training is a first, small step, to helping local businesses address the implications of VAT implementation on their businesses in the GCC, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Manchester Business School Middle East Centre (MBS) has inducted 70 new students onto its Global Part-time MBA programme, during the institutions January 2016 intake.



The new student cohort brings the total number of MBS part-time MBA students in the region close to 2,000. All the students are experienced and qualified working professionals, with around 10 per cent already holding a Masters degree and many in senior roles with leading multinational and regional organisations, said a statement.



MBS new cohort comprises students of 22 nationalities and around 55 per cent of the new students are resident in the UAE with the majority of the balance residing in other countries within the GCC, it added.



More than 20 per cent of the new students are women, which is one of the highest ratios of any intake since MBS opened its Middle East Centre in 2006. Around one third have more than 10 years of work experience and more than 10 per cent are sponsored by their employer, it said.



Randa Bessiso, director  Middle East, Manchester Business School, said: We are delighted to welcome our new students to one of the most successful and popular part-time MBA programmes in the region.



The MBA continues to be the most widely recognised business qualification and a pre-requisite in many organisations for people who aim to move into senior management; our MBA students also look for consultancy roles and even a career switch whilst others use their MBA to embark on new careers as entrepreneurs, he said.



Our career service supports students in preparing themselves for these changes. In this challenging regional economy, highly qualified working professionals are still committed to maintaining the momentum of their careers and this increasingly includes women - we are especially pleased to see so many well qualified business women in this new cohort, he added.



The new cohort gathered together in Dubai recently for induction sessions and their first MBA workshops, hosted at the Dubai Knowledge Village conference centre, said the statement.



The students broke the ice with their peers, and got their first taste of an assessed group exercise, working to analyse, critique and present on topics covered by the World Economic Forum, it added.  TradeArabia News Service
Egypt has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Toyota to establish a harbour for vehicles at the Suez Canal area, said a senior official in a report.



The move will make the zone an auto distribution centre, which could be a step to establish auto factories after the global economic recession ends, Ahmed Darwish, chairman of General Authority of Suez Canal Economic Zone, was quoted as saying in a Masress report.



The signing came days after President Abdel Fatah al Sisi visited Japan last week in which Egypt and Japan issued a joint communique under the title Cooperation towards a surge and new phase in bilateral relations, to mark Sisi's visit, it said.



He noted that talks are ongoing with Singapore Port Authority to be the operator of the second quay of containers in Eastern Port Said harbour.



Darwsih added that he hopes that the Eastern Port Said harbour will be the first one in the world within years.
South Korean steelmaker Posco, the world's sixth-biggest steel producer, has announced plans to help set up a $1.6-billion steel mill in southeastern Iran, a report said.



Posco said that it plans to take eight per cent of the project to build the 1.6-million-tonne steel plant with Iran's Pars Kohan Diarparsian Steel (PKP) in cooperation with its affiliates, added the Iran Daily News report.



The plant will be built in the port city of Chabahar in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, it said.



Posco aims to break ground on the plant next year, with a plan to add facilities producing cold-rolled and galvanized steel in 2019, added the report.



Iran is currently the largest steelmaker in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). Its steel output totaled 16.33 million tonnes in 2014, securing the country's place as the 15th largest producer in the world.



The country aims to more than triple its steel output to 55 million tonnes by 2025, hoping to reduce its imports of steel products such as auto sheets, added the report.
Pinar Food and Beverage Group is expected to increase its regional market share following the companys aggressive expansion plans.

The company aims to further widen the distribution network of its food products throughout the GCC countries.

The company has solidified the market leadership in the UAE and the rest of the GCC region for its popular Pinar labneh brand, according to a recent industry report. The AC Nielsen 2015 retail audit report revealed that the product accounted for 37 per cent in the UAE, 52 per cent in Kuwait and 28 per cent in Saudi Arabia in terms of value.

The groups sustained leadership is a concrete result of its continuous drive to introduce innovative food products to the GCC market and achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction across the region, it said.



Arda Cenk Tokbas, general manager, HDF FZCo, Pinars regional office, said: The regional food market, is rapidly rising simultaneous with its booming population. The company will capitalise on this growth by focusing in areas that will further solidify our leading industry position.



We are looking at further broadening our operations and market presence as a demonstration of our commitment to contribute to the GCCs further development. The move will also enable us to reach a wider number of households in the long term. Due to its strategic geographical location, the UAE has become an important key point for our strategic expansion plan, he added.



By early 2016, Pinar achieved another milestone after winning the Product of the Year award for the second consecutive year. The company garnered the highest votes from 3,600 GCC consumers surveyed by independent regional research company TNS.



Like last year, a committee comprising industry experts selected Pinar as one of the finalists this year. It was eventually adjudged the winner in the labneh category after earning the highest consumer votes in the attractiveness, satisfaction, and innovation criterias.



Tokbas said: The results of the TNS survey highly reflect our consumers trust and confidence in our brand.



It also demonstrates our commitment to continuously provide excellent products to our target market. We extend our gratitude to our loyal consumers for their unwavering support. Inspired by their loyalty, rest assured that we will continue to live up to our mission and deliver on our commitment, he added.  TradeArabia News Service


Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz split victories in four nominating contests with front-runner Donald Trump on Saturday, bolstering Cruz's argument that he represents the party's best chance to stop the brash New York billionaire.



The results were a repudiation of a Republican establishment that has bristled at the prospect of either Cruz or Trump winning the party's nomination and has largely lined up behind US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who was shut out in all four contests.



"I think it's time that he dropped out of the race," Trump said of Rubio after the contests. "I want Ted one on one."



Cruz won Kansas and Maine on Saturday, while Trump won the bigger states of Louisiana and Kentucky, holding onto his lead in the race for the Republican nomination for the November 8 presidential election, even though Cruz captured more delegates on Saturday.



The next big contest, and a crucial one, will be Tuesday's primary in the industrial state of Michigan. Republicans in three other states, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii, also will vote on Tuesday. Puerto Rico Republicans will vote on Sunday.



In the Democratic race, front-runner Hillary Clinton won in Louisiana, and her rival Bernie Sanders, a US senator from Vermont, won in Kansas and Nebraska, in results that did not substantially change Clinton's big delegate lead.



Mainstream Republicans have blanched at Trump's calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the US.



But the party's establishment has not been much happier with Cruz, who has alienated many party leaders in Washington.



"It looks like it will be the angry Trump voters against the purist conservative Cruz voters," said Washington-based Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. "The establishment is just being left out."



A spokesman for Rubio, who spent the past week launching harsh personal attacks on Trump, said the senator would push on with an eye on the March 15 contest in Florida.



"After we win the Florida primary, the map, the momentum and the money is going to be on our side," spokesman Alex Conant said in a statement.



Cruz, a first-term US senator from Texas who has promoted himself as more of a true conservative than Trump, said the results showed he was gaining momentum in the race to catch the real estate mogul.



Cruz, 45, has run as an outsider bent on shaking up the Republican establishment in Washington. A favourite of evangelicals, he has called for the US to "carpet bomb" the Islamic State militant group and has pledged to eliminate the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service and four cabinet agencies and to enact a balanced budget amendment. - Reuters
Driven by smart devices, mobile video and 4G networks, mobile data traffic in the Middle East and Africa region will have the worlds highest growth rate at 71 per cent from 2015 to 2020, a report said.



The adoption of mobile devices, increased mobile coverage, and demand for mobile content are driving user growth two times faster than the global population over the next five years, explained the Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast (2015 to 2020).



This surge of mobile users, smart devices, mobile video and 4G networks will increase mobile data traffic eight-fold over the next five years.



Since 2000, when the first camera phone was introduced, the number of mobile users has quintupled. By 2020, there will be 5.5 billion mobile users, representing 70 percent of the global population, according to the report.



Smart mobile devices and connections are projected to represent 72 percent of total mobile devices and connections by 2020up from 36 percent in 2015. Smart devices are forecasted to generate 98 percent of mobile data traffic by 2020. From an individual device perspective, smartphones are dominating mobile traffic.



They will account for 81 percent of total mobile traffic by 2020up from 76 percent in 2015. The proliferation of mobile phones, including phablets (a hybrid blend of smartphone and tablet features), is increasing so rapidly that more people will have mobile phones (5.4 billion) than electricity (5.3 billion), running water (3.5 billion) and cars (2.8 billion) by 2020.



Mobile video will have the highest growth rate of any mobile application. Consumer and business users demand for higher video resolution, more bandwidth, and processing speed will increase the use of 4G connected devices. 4G connectivity share is projected to surpass 2G by 2018 and 3G by 2020. 4G will represent more than 70 percent of all mobile traffic, and 4G connections will generate nearly six times more traffic per month than non-4G connections by 2020.



According to the 10th annual Cisco VNI report, the Middle East and Africa will see a growth rate of 71 per cent in mobile data traffic in the next five years. The number of mobile users will grow from 709 million in 2015 to 879 million in 2020 in the MEA region, said Andy MacDonald, vice president, Global Service Provider, Middle East, Africa & Russia, Cisco.



With the ever-increasing millions of people and things that are being connected in the region, mobility is the predominant medium thats enabling todays digitization transformation. Future mobile innovations in cellular, such as 5G, and Wi-Fi solutions will be needed to further address new scale requirements, security concerns, and user demands. IoT advancements will continue to fuel tangible benefits for people, businesses, and societies.



Mobile Data Traffic Projections and Trends :



Global mobile data traffic shows no signs of slowing down

 By 2020:

o Global mobile data traffic will reach 30.6 exabytes per monthup from 3.7 exabytes in 2015.

o Annual global mobile data traffic will reach 366.8 exabytesup from 44.2 exabytes in 2015.

 The forecast annual run rate of 366.8 exabytes of mobile data traffic for 2020 is equivalent to:

o 120X more than all global mobile traffic generated just 10 years ago in 2010.

o 81 trillion images (e.g., MMS or Instagram)28 daily images per person on earth for a year.

o 7 trillion video clips (e.g., YouTube)more than 2.5 daily video clips per person on earth for a year.



 From 2015 to 2020, global mobile data traffic will grow two times faster than global fixed IP traffic.



 In 2015, 51 percent of total mobile data traffic was offloaded; by 2020, 55 percent of total mobile data traffic will be offloaded.



 By 2020, over 75 percent of the worlds mobile data traffic will be video.



Mobile devices and connections are getting smarter



 There will be 11.6 billion mobile-ready devices/connectionsincluding 8.5 billion personal mobile devices and 3.1 billion M2M connections up from 7.9 billion total mobile-ready devices and M2M connections in 2015.



 Globally, 67 percent of mobile devices/connections will be 'smart' by 2020up from 36 percent in 2015.



 Globally, 98 percent of mobile data traffic will come from 'smart' devices/connections by 2020up from 89 percent in 2015.



 Smartphones, laptops, and tablets will drive about 92 percent of global mobile data traffic by 2020down from 94 percent in 2015. M2M traffic will represent 7 percent of global mobile data traffic by 2020up from 3 percent in 2015; while basic handsets will account for 1 percent of global mobile data traffic by 2020down from 3 percent in 2015.

 By 2020:

66 percent of mobile devices/connections will be IPv6-capableup from 36 percent in 2015.

IPv6 traffic will be 54 percent of total mobile data trafficup from 13 percent in 2015.



M2M connections and wearable devices continue to rise

M2M refers to applications that enable wireless and wired systems to communicate with other devices of the same ability (e.g., GPS/navigation, asset tracking, utility meters, security/surveillance video, healthcare monitoring, et al.). Wearable devices can be worn (e.g., smart watches and health monitors) and communicate to the network either directly via embedded cellular connectivity or through another device (primarily a smartphone) via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc. Wearable devices are a subset of the M2M category in the forecast.

 By 2020, M2M connections will represent 26.4 percent of mobile-connected devicesup from 7.7 percent in 2015.

 By 2020, M2M connections will generate 6.7 percent of total mobile trafficup from 2.7 percent in 2015.

 Global wearables will grow six-fold from 2015 to 2020.

 By 2020, there will be more than 600 million wearable devices in use, up from nearly 97 million in 2015.  TradeArabia News Service
Turkey and Iran, two countries on opposite sides of Syria's civil war, have agreed they must cooperate to end sectarian strife, including support for a fragile ceasefire, in the region after their leaders met in Tehran.



Iran, along with Russia, has stood by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the five-year war, providing him with military and financial support, while Turkey is his most outspoken critic and has backed opposition forces.



"We may have different views but we cannot change our history or our geography," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said. "It is extremely important for Turkey and Iran to develop some common perspectives in order to end our region's fight among brothers, to stop the ethnic and sectarian conflicts."



Iranian President Hassan Rouhani echoed the sentiment.



"We believe regional issues should only be resolved by the regional countries and nations. Iran and Turkey's cooperation would be constructive in bringing lasting peace to the region," he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA in a meeting Davutoglu.



"We have our differences on some regional issues, but we are determined to manage the differences to reach stability in the region ... Iran and Turkey would both benefit from regional security and stability," said Iranian Vice-President Eshagh Jahangiri, standing alongside Davutoglu in comments carried live by Turkey's NTV and Iran's Press TV.



The meeting, days before the planned resumption of Syrian peace talks in Geneva, also focused on a ceasefire that is largely holding in Turkey's war-torn neighbour.



"We believe staunching the bloodshed will establish an important basis for political negotiations. To this end, Turkey and Iran will, together and separately, undertake initiatives with the sides with which they have influence," Davutoglu told reporters after meeting Rouhani, who he said would visit Turkey.



TRADE POTENTIAL



Reaping trade benefits from the easing of international sanctions against Iran in January was also discussed.



The removal of the sanctions means the two neighbours can easily exceed their previous trade target of $30 billion annually, Davutoglu said.



"The main obstacle that prevented us from reaching our goal were the sanctions. Being free of those, means we can easily surpass our goal of $30 billion," Davutoglu said, adding he hoped to encourage mutual direct investment.



Trade between the two nations was $9.7 billion in 2015, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.



Turkey has trailed other European countries eager to tap into Iran's $400 billion economy after world powers, led by the United States, reached an agreement with Tehran last year that seeks to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.



Turkey mainly sells machinery, vehicles and iron and steel products to Iran. Oil and natural gas make up 90 percent of Iranian exports to Turkey, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.



Turkey will serve as a key transit route for Iranian energy supplies to Europe and wants to integrate high-speed rail projects to connect ports on its Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts with Iran, Davutoglu said.  Reuters
Transguard, a leading UAE-based business support services provider, has appointed Stephen Beesley as its new chief operating officer  managed services and Tim Mundell to take up the position of chief security officer.



Beesley previously held senior management positions with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Johnson Controls and Barclays Bank. He is responsible for leading the growth of the managed services division at Transguard and maintaining its market-leading position in single service excellence.



Prior to his appointment with Transguard, Mundell was director of C3 (Command/ Control/ Communications) managed services for Restrata, a UAE-based security systems integration company. Mundell attended the UKs world-renowned Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and served in the British Army as an infantry officer for 12 years.



Beesley and Mundell will join existing executives Tony Lloyd, chief financial officer; William Moroney, chief sales and marketing officer and Paul Everitt, chief operating officer- manpower services and report directly to Greg Ward, Transguards managing director.



Tim and Stephen bring with them sound technical expertise as well as a wealth of experience, which will be essential as we develop our business still further throughout the region over the coming years, said Ward.



Transguard is growing at a phenomenal rate. Over the last 9 months our head count has increased by 40 per cent to 42,000 employees and with our current financial year due to close at the end of March we are confident that our turnover will improve beyond the one billion dirhams we generated last year, Ward added.



To continue growing, it is imperative that we do not lose sight of our overall business strategy and our core aims and objectives. We need to become even more customer focused and we must optimise the quality of our operation and use our economies of scale to our competitive advantage.



To achieve that it was necessary to bolster the group executive team, which will enable all divisions of the company, to have a dedicated member of the senior management team, offering solutions and providing direction, concluded Ward.  TradeArabia News Service
The worlds first research facility to grow both food and fuel, using desert lands irrigated by seawater, began operations today on a two-hectare site in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



The facility, operated by Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, is funded by the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC), a group advancing the aviation industrys commitment to reduce its carbon emissions by developing a clean, sustainable and alternative fuel supply.



The research facility uses coastal seawater to raise fish and shrimp for food, whose nutrient-rich wastewater then fertilises plants rich in oils that can be harvested for aviation biofuel production. The salt-tolerant halophyte plants  whose commercial potential is relatively unexplored  thrive in arid, desert conditions and dont require fresh water or arable land to grow. In the last step of the system, wastewater is diverted into a cultivated mangrove forest, further removing nutrients and providing valuable carbon storage, before the naturally filtered and treated effluent is discharged back into the sea.



The goal of the research facility is to demonstrate the viability of an integrated bioenergy production system with respect to essential food and fuel production, suitable land use, reduced carbon emissions and wastewater clean-up. If the technology proves viable at this smaller-scale, further expansion will continue with the ultimate ambition to scale up to a 200-hectare demonstration site.



Research and innovation underpin the UAEs ability to overcome environmental and social challenges, such as food and water security, while protecting our ecosystems, from our coastlines to our deserts, said Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE minister of climate change and environment. This project will not only sustainably produce bioenergy, but also offer a pathway to grow our aquaculture industry, which supports food independence.



Today, the UAE imports roughly 90 percent of its food  at a cost, that if left unchecked, is predicted to increase 300 percent over the next decade. But the challenge of food security is also an unprecedented opportunity to advance ideas and innovations that are both sustainable and economically viable. The Masdar Institute, along with its partners, is doing just that, said a statement.



Energy, water and food security are key, interlinked needs for the UAE. Masdar Institute is committed to supporting the countrys strategic goals, and we are proud to be operating this research facility, which not only develops sustainable bioenergy and food to help fuel and diversify the UAE economy, but also serves as a training ground for a new generation of innovators, said Dr Behjat Al Yousuf, interim provost of Masdar Institute, a graduate research-based university in Abu Dhabi, and a founding member of the SBRC.



This project reinforces Masdar Citys burgeoning ecosystem of innovation and strengthens its collaborative links between industry, academia and government, said Dr Al Yousuf. The cutting-edge bioenergy facility also provides an example of how collaboration produces real and valuable outcomes, and will thus inspire and attract further research to Abu Dhabi.



Aquaculture  industrial fish or shellfish farming  is one of the worlds fastest expanding food sectors, with a current growth rate of about 6 percent a year. While aquaculture systems can reduce a nations dependence on foreign food and improve security, they pose environmental challenges due to the impact of nutrient-rich effluents flowing into the ocean. The SBRC tackles these concerns and is seeking to minimise the footprint of commercial farming practices.



Aquaculture systems are here to stay, said Dr Kevin Fitzsimmons, professor of environmental science at the University of Arizona and a globally recognized expert on aquaculture systems. As the planets population approaches 9 billion people, we must advance technologies that enable sustainable and manageable food production. The innovative facility in Abu Dhabi is a showcase of how cross-sector cooperation can lead to breakthrough research with the potential to deliver both food and aviation fuel  and do so in a sustainable, scalable way.



As the global community moves toward global targets to reduce emissions, aviation too is doing its part and making great progress. Sustainable aviation biofuel is poised to play an important role in meeting the aggressive emission reduction goals industry has set, said Marc Allen, president, Boeing International.



Were proud to be a part of the Abu Dhabi consortium establishing this new biofuel research facility. It shows real promise to transform coastal deserts into productive farmland supporting food security and cleaner skies.



Masdar Institute, together with Etihad Airways, Boeing and Honeywell UOP, were the founding members of SBRC. Takreer, the Abu Dhabi oil refining company, along with Safran and GE Aviation, have since joined the research group.



The goal of the research facility is to demonstrate the viability of an integrated bioenergy production system with respect to essential food and fuel production, suitable land use, reduced carbon emissions and wastewater clean-up. If the technology proves viable at this smaller-scale, further expansion will continue with the ultimate ambition to scale up to a 200-hectare demonstration site. - TradeArabia News Service


Work on a pipeline carrying oil from northern Iraq to Turkey should be complete "in a day or two", an industry source based in the Kurdistan region said on Sunday, with the outage now in its third week.



Flows through the pipeline, which carries around 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from fields in Iraq's Kurdistan region and Kirkuk to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, have been suspended since Feb. 17.



The Turkish energy ministry said on Feb. 27 it had begun work to repair the pipeline.



"They are working and should finish up in a day or two," said the source, who asked not be identified.



The pipeline runs through Turkey's restive southeast, which is engulfed in the worst violence since the 1990s after a two year-long ceasefire between the state and Kurdish militants broke down last July.



Turkey's energy ministry said flows were initially suspended due to temporary security measures, and that militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) had subsequently blown up the pipeline.



A spokesman for the PKK, which has waged a three-decade insurgency in the southeast, denied the group was responsible for the current outage and said the accusations were part of a smear campaign by Turkish intelligence services.



"Neither the guerrillas, nor the supporters of the PKK have done such a thing," Zagros Hiwa told Reuters on Sunday from the group's Qandil mountain stronghold in northern Iraq.



Hiwa said Turkish intelligence services sought to create tension between the PKK and the government of Iraq's Kurdistan region (KRG), which depends on revenues from its exports via the pipeline to survive.



The PKK, considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has in the past claimed responsibility for attacking the pipeline, condemning economic ties between the KRG and Ankara.



The outage, one of the longest in the past two years has deepened an economic crisis in the Kurdistan region, which has been hit hard by the global slump in oil prices and is unable to cover its own payroll.



A KRG source told Reuters last Wednesday the outage had already cost the region $200 million.- Reuters
Roisin Shorthall, leader of the Social Democrates celebrates winning her Dail (Parliamentary) seat with her husband Seamus O'Byrne and her grand nephew Daragh Baxter in the Dublin City count centre in Dublin city, Ireland, on February 27. Ireland's governing Fine Gael party says it's been a 'disappointing' election, and as the votes are being counted, there is a real possibility that it might have to find common ground with opposition Fianna Fail - even though both have ruled out a coalition.-epa
Hilton Worldwide and Hamad Abdulaziz Almousa Trading Group have signed a management agreement to open Embassy by Hilton Riyadh King Fahd Road, Saudi Arabia, introducing the upscale brand to the Middle East.



The hospitality chain also signed a management agreement to open DoubleTree by Hilton Dhahran  Al Qusur.



We have been looking for the right opportunity to debut Embassy by Hilton in the region and believe Riyadh makes for a great fit, said Carlos Khneisser, vice president of development, Middle East and North Africa, for Hilton Worldwide. Our strategy for growth continues to focus on quality projects, underpinned by strong brands and the best management expertise in the industry. With over 20 years of experience in Saudi Arabia, we are now operating or developing 38 properties with more than 85 per cent of our pipeline under construction  remarkable progress that puts us at the forefront of the industry.



Embassy by Hilton Riyadh King Fahd Road will feature 250 guest rooms and be conveniently located on King Fahd Road, in close proximity to the upcoming King Abdullah Financial District. Each of the hotels 43-sq-m rooms will feature a living room, bedroom and bathroom. Light, open and airy, the rooms have been designed with flexibility in mind, including movable partitions, providing openness or privacy as required for business and leisure travellers. In addition, Embassy by Hilton Riyadh King Fahd Road will offer a large multi-function meeting room with two conference rooms and a boardroom. The hotel will feature an all-day dining restaurant and lobby lounge. Other facilities include a spa, indoor pool, prayer room and salon.



Riyadh, traditionally a destination for business travellers, is increasingly popular with families staying for leisure purposes owing to its shopping malls, museums and historical sites. The capital city also expects to see its airports capacity raised from 14 million to 25 million passengers a year once planned expansions are complete , making it a hub for travel to Saudi Arabia.



The newly announced DoubleTree by Hilton Dhahran  Al Qusur will offer travellers easy access to the Dammam industrial area, the downtown Khobar district and the Kingdom of Bahrain which is within driving distance. The hotel will feature 189 guest rooms and offer a business centre, salon and two swimming pools. Guests will be able to choose from a selection of dining outlets including an all-day dining restaurant, speciality restaurant, cafe and lounge.



We are pleased to be continuing our partnership with Hilton Worldwide; in previous years we have signed agreements to open two hotels in Al Khobar, said Hamad Abdulaziz Almousa, the owner of Hamad Abdulaziz Almousa Trading Group. Embassy by Hilton is a firm favourite in the US and with this signing, we look forward to bringing the brand to the Middle East for the first time.



Hilton Worldwide currently has 10 hotels operating in Saudi Arabia and is set to more than triple its presence in the country with a further 28 hotels under development, including Conrad Makkah which is set to open in Spring 2016. In December 2015, Hilton Worldwide announced the arrival of Hampton by Hilton to Saudi Arabia, with the first property confirmed for Riyadh.



The previously signed DoubleTree by Hilton Al Khobar  Corniche has been replaced with the signing of a management agreement for Hilton Al Khobar Corniche, a 359 guest room hotel expected to open in 2017.  TradeArabia News Service
Jordans Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) reported a 6.5 per cent year-on-year rise in passenger numbers for the month of January, welcoming 567,823 passengers  its highest-ever passenger number for the month.



In the same period last year, the airport witnessed 567,823 passengers pass through its facility.



In addition to achieving a new passenger number benchmark for January, QAIA witnessed a notable year-on-year increase in aircraft movements (ACM), recording 5,898 ACM as opposed to 5,459 ACM in January 2015, rising 8.0 per cent. Cargo traffic numbers also climbed in comparison to last year, reaching 7,561 tons and registering a significant year-on-year growth of 10.8 per cent.



We are delighted with the airports performance in January, during which we witnessed remarkable year-on-year upsurges in passenger traffic, aircraft movements and handled cargo figures alike, said Airport International Group CEO, Kjeld Binger. As Jordans prime gateway to the world, we look forward to establishing new growth benchmarks and continuing to raise the bar with regards to customer service, contributing to the kingdoms economy as a whole by enhancing its ability to attract foreign direct investments and bolstering tourism to Jordan.  TradeArabia News Service
All told, the budget request was for $350,000.

It would have allowed the Department of Environmental Quality to hire a consultant to identify several strategies for complying with the Clean Power Plan, President Barack Obamas signature climate change initiative. And it was largely included in Wyomings fiscal blueprint because states had until September to file preliminary plans for complying with the strategy.

That deadline no longer exists  the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the rule until it can be reviewed by a lower court  and neither does the money. State lawmakers struck DEQs funding request for the Clean Power Plan from the final $3 billion budget and included a provision prohibiting the department from spending money to develop a compliance plan.

Coal interests applauded the move. It would be irresponsible to spend money on a plan that could be thrown out by the next president or struck down by the courts, they said.

Some legislators said the funding was no longer necessary. The deadline doesnt exist anymore, after all. Whats the need for the money?

And others criticized the decision, saying Wyoming missed an opportunity to prepare itself for a future where less of the country is reliant on coal power.

Such is the debate today in the countrys top coal-producing state, where about $1 billion in annual revenues are generated by removing the black mineral from the Earth.

To be sure, the budget provision does not halt all Clean Power Plan preparations. DEQ will be allowed to spend money to attend meetings and otherwise be informed about the plan. But exactly what that entails was not immediately clear in the wake of the budgets passage.

Rep. Norine Kasperik, a Gillette Republican who serves on the Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee, said planning would not stop.

Theyre going to meet and discuss with stakeholders on the issue, she said. Any more funding they need can be put back in next session. Its not going to be moving forward that quickly.

Gov. Matt Mead is an outspoken opponent of the rule, having instructed Wyomings attorney general to join the lawsuit that ultimately produced the stay. But he has also advocated for continued planning, as a way of being prepared and minimizing the costs to the state. In February, the governor told the Star-Tribune that coordination efforts would still progress but at a slower pace after the high courts ruling.

A Mead spokesman, in response to questions from the newspaper, issued a statement saying the governor is extremely concerned about the costs associated with the implementation of the plan. He did not answer several inquiries for information about how the state will proceed.

Wyoming should be planning for a world that uses less coal, but not on complying with federal rules, said State Sen. Michael Von Flatern, who chairs the Senate Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee. While the Clean Power Plan may be struck down or thrown out, many major states and power companies are already moving away from coal, he noted.

The Gillette Republican said he would have rather seen more efforts like the $15 million appropriated by the Legislature in 2014 for a test center that will study carbon sequestration.

We dont want to stick our head in the sand like Appalachia did in the 1970s, he said, referring to the effects of the Clean Air Act on eastern mining operations. Weve got a few grains of sand in our nose, no doubt. The money we would have spent on that, we should have been spending on research rather than applying with federal laws that come up.

The fundings removal from the budget drew the praise of the American Energy Alliance, an industry group. Wyoming would be particularly impacted by the rule as both the countrys leading coal-producing state and one heavily reliant on the fuel to generate its electricity, AEA President Thomas Pyle said.

Wyomings leaders have taken a significant step to protect their citizens from the presidents carbon rule and we encourage other states to follow suit, he said in a statement.

But others were less convinced. The Clean Power Plan specifically requests public input, noted Robert Godby, a professor of energy economics at the University of Wyoming. Other states, after holding conversations with utilities and the public, have come forward with suggestions on how to reduce the burden and cost to power companies and rate payers. Wyoming, by refusing to participate, has not come forward with any proposals that may reduce the impact to the state  to say nothing of a solution that may benefit it, Godby said.

Wyoming officials have yet to take the simplest step to reduce the burden: talk with other states about how they plan to approach the issue. A series of studies have concluded cross-state collaboration is the best way to keep costs down, he said.

The Clean Power Plan is a very difficult regulation to come to grips with respect to making a state implementation plan. There are a lot of things to consider, Godby said. There is a lot of legwork to be done and not a lot of shoulders to carry the load. Any way the state can expand the resources to come up with the right plan would be a good expenditure. We cant afford to make a mistake.
So when they butt-stroked me to the head from an AK-47 and I was bleeding down the side of my face and they threw me back in the cell I could
Family Stuff</&h1>

Fun stuff for the family to do.

Unitarian

Universalist events

The public is invited to attend the Unitarian Universalist Community of Casper services and other events at our new location, 1040 West 15th Street. Services are held Sundays at 10 a.m.

On March 13, guest speaker R.C. Johnson will present One Womans Use of Power to Build a Community, telling the story of R.C.s great-grandmother, Nellie Lockhart, one of Caspers early entrepreneurs. On March 20, guest speaker Dr. Tanis Lovercheck-Saunders will present Religious Justifications of Far Right Extremism. The annual Flower Communion will be held on March 27, and on April 3, Rev. Leslie Kee will speak about The Web of Creation.

The UU Casper meditation group meets Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., and the weekly coffee talk is held Tuesdays at 10 a.m. The next Care N Share potluck will be held on March 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants are asked to bring donations for the Wyoming Food for Thought Project.

For more information about these events or Unitarian Universalism, visit uucasper.org, email info@uucasper.org, visit us on Facebook, or call Laura Gossman at 259-4469.

Never Too Old

Book Club

A book discussion of young adult novel Dodger by Terry Pratchett will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at Metro Coffee Co. The Never Too Old Book Club, sponsored by the Natrona County Library, discusses young adult literature with adult appeal. The group is open to both teens and adults, with parent-teen pairs especially encouraged. Pick up your free copy of Dodger at the Librarys second floor reference desk. Please call 577-READ ext. 101 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Choral concert at CC

The Casper College choirs, under the direction of Dr. Zachary Vreeman, will present A Choral Feast: Songs About Food on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Wheeler Concert Hall.

The concert will feature Casper Colleges three choral groups: Collegiate Chorale, Womens Choir and Mens Choir. Special guest artists will include Casper College faculty: vocalists Kristen Lenth and Veronica Turner, clarinetist Dr. Joshua Mietz and percussionist Ron Coulter.

The evenings program will include pieces by Ralph Vaughn Williams, Carl Orff, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Dmitri Bortniansky, songs from Eat Your Vegetables! by John Muehleisen, and others including several pieces by Kevin Memley and Kurt Knecht, two composers who will be visiting campus this semester, said Vreeman. Of the concert selections, Vreeman said, Some of the music is fun, some serious, but all quite enjoyable.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, will also feature collaborative pianists Paula Flynn and Lynn Kahler. The Wheeler Concert Hall is located in the Music Building on the Casper College campus.

After School at the Library

Elementary-age students are invited to attend our weekly After School at the Library program at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Natrona County Library. This week, well learn watercolor techniques while creating personalized bookmarks to take home. All supplies provided. Call 577-READ ext. 122 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Kiwanis pancakes March 12

The 62nd annual Kiwanis Pancake Festival is 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, March 12, at the Casper College Tobin Dining Hall. Tickets are available from any Kiwanis member or at the door. Adults $6, students and seniors $4, kids 3 and under free. All the pancakes you can eat, along with eggs, sausage, juice and coffee. Contact any Kiwanis member for a chance to purchase a raffle ticket for a Jayco travel trailer from Stalkups RV.

Free gospel concert

Bring a friend and come and enjoy a free gospel concert at 7 p.m., on Saturday, March 12, at the Casper Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 2625 Casper Mountain Rd. The Wyoming Fiddlers will start things off, followed by the Sage Creek Gospel Band in concert. Dont miss this evening of fun and good music!

Easter goods at Methodist thrift

Easter goods and decor are on display at the First United Methodist thrift shop located at 611 W. Collins, one block west of the Natrona County high school football stadium.

All other merchandise, clothing, kitchen items, books, decorative knick knacks is drastically reduced in price for winter clearance.

Clearance prices will continue to drop gradually till all winter merchandise is gone. But dont wait, shop now because its going out the door fast.

We will close the week of April 4-9 to clean and re-stock with an all-new spring and summer inventory. Re-opening day is Monday, April 11.

Store hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Donations of clean usable merchandise are accepted during those hours.

The shop is staffed with friendly helpful volunteers. All proceeds from sales help support Interfaith and Holy Cross Brothers with their work in helping those in the community who need their services.

Take advantage of crazy prices for quality goods while contributing to the community.

For more information call 234-6611.

Road to

Resurrection

Road to Resurrection, an Easter family event, is set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 19, First Baptist Church, 514 S. Beech St.

Step back in time and follow Jesus footsteps through the week leading up to his death and resurrection.

RSVP preferred but not required: 234-6946.

Italian violinist

at symphony

Join the Wyoming Symphony orchestra for an epic celebration, with Epic 3rds!, Saturday, March 19 or Sunday, March 20, at Wheeler Concert Hall at Casper College. This concert features two of symphonic musics most famous masterpieces in what promises to be the most stirring performance of our season. Headlining this event is award-winning Deutsche Grammophon recording artist Francesca Dego, performing the virtuosic 3rd Concerto of Camille Saint-Saens, followed by the captivating drama of Johannes Brahms epic 3rd Symphony.

Reserve preferred seats by calling 266-1478 or in person at the office, 225 S. David St. Tickets are also available at Wind City Books, Hill Music Company and Wyoming Music. Discounts are available for students and seniors (65+). Visit www.wyomingsymphony.org for more information.

Lenten lecture

series at FUMC

First United Methodist Church, Casper will host a Lenten lecture series, Turning Points in Jesus Life, featuring Dr. James Fleming. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12, and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 13. Lunch included both days. Registration is $10. Fleming serves as director of Biblical Resource Study Center, an ecumenical organization serving Christians around the world. Fleming lived and worked in Israel from 1974 to 2006, where he founded and directed the World of the Bible Archeological Museum and Pilgrim Center in Jerusalem. He also taught at Hebrew University in Israel. Casper First United Methodist Church is located at 332 E. Second St., Casper. You can pre-register by calling 234-9385 or email the office at office@fumccasper.com.

Trinity Lutheran hosts midweek services

Trinity Lutheran Church, 1240 Missouri St., will have Midweek Lenten Services at 7 p.m. every Wednesday through March 16. Please call 234-0568 for more information.

Local artists at fort

Fort Caspar Museum has mounted a new exhibit of artwork depicting local settings as seen through the eyes Liz Rea and 11 other Casper artists. Titled Local Artists, Local History, it will be on view through April 16.

The exhibit was inspired by longtime Casper resident Rea, who combined her interests in architecture and painting to capture many of the citys older buildings  several just before they were demolished. In the case of the Henning Hotel, her 1973 sketch catches bricks tumbling from the roof as workers dismantle the once-grand establishment.

Also on view are works depicting Casper-area scenes from the museums own collection by Casper artists such as Bob Evans, Ruth Lin Hopkins, Tom Carrigen and Richard Eckhardt-Jacobi. Several depict Fort Caspar, including a detailed rendering of the fort buildings on an old glass jar by Russian-born Boris Bojarnow.

Fort Caspar Museums winter hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is $1.50 for adults; $1 for youth (ages 13-18 years); and free for children (12 years and younger). For more information, call the museum at 235-8462, or visit our website at www.fortcasparwyoming.com. Fort Caspar Museum is located at 4001 Fort Caspar Road.

Lent at St. Marks

The service schedule for St. Marks Episcopal Church during Lent on Wednesday includes 5:30 p.m. soup supper and fellowship followed by Lenten study for children, youth and adults at 6:15 p.m., and concluding with compline at 7:15 p.m.

On Fridays during Lent, Holy Eucharist will be celebrated at 7 a.m. at St. Marks.

For further information, call St. Marks at 234-0831.

Father-Son Duct Tape Duel

The 10th annual Father-Son Duct Tape Duel will be hosted from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Crest Hill Elementary School. Fathers, sons, grandfathers, grandsons, uncles and nephews of school-age boys from 4 years to 13 years are invited to participate.

Usable building materials will be donated by sponsors of the event: Pedens Inc., Whats In Store, S.A.M.E. Sportswear, Bush Wells Sporting Goods, Aaker Signs, Kistler Tent & Awning, Sutherlands, Prairie Pella of Wyoming, PPS Janitorial Services, Unique Reflections and Carpet One Commercial Flooring, Inc.

Tickets are $20 per two-person team. A meal will be served. Seating is limited, and there will be no tickets available at the door. Tickets must be purchased by March 16 and are available at Express Printing or at the office of Wyoming CARES.

The Father-Son Duct Tape Duel is a program of Wyoming CARES. Wyoming CARES is a 501(3) not-for-profit agency with a mission: to provide assistance to Wyoming residents in need.

For more information, contact the office of Wyoming CARES at 237-7035.

HPCC Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Highland Park Community Church would like to invite you to our annual community easter egg hunt at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 26. Please invite your friends and family and join us at either Fun Valley, Nancy English or Washington Park. Questions, call 265-4073.
The 2016 legislative session is quickly coming to an end. This session was a budget session where a shortfall of nearly $500 million was projected over the next two years due to lower mineral prices, and our legislators had to find money elsewhere. Thats basically about $500 per person per year to continue to fund our state programs. I am glad to see legislators plan to study our tax revenue stream in the interim. There is a need for us to reflect on the past and start planning for the future.

The legislative study will take the first steps to evaluate what Wyoming citizens want in the future and how to pay for it. I think a frank discussion with citizens will be a useful tool to communicate where the state is financially and also give legislators an idea of citizens appetite for state programs and the willingness to pay additional taxes if needed. Without a turnaround in energy prices, our state leaders will need to plan for a transition into the future.

Lower mineral prices means taxes collected on those minerals also goes down. However, on the opposite side of that equation, consumers of items like gasoline, diesel, oil and natural gas enjoy lower prices and should have extra money in their pockets due to lower prices. It will not cost you as much to fill up your truck, car or tractor or heat your house or business. Can this extra money in consumers and retailers pockets translate into possible taxes for legislators to use? I think we need to find out. Reductions in fuel prices are always identified by state economists as a reason to expect more tourists. Maybe that industry would be willing to take up some of the slack. Legislators should have that information.

It will be a difficult task, and legislators will likely have little support for decreasing state programs, employees or other tax supported jobs. Legislators will have to be creative on funding. Having those programs comes with a cost which we must all accept. The ability to pass these costs to others or another industry appears to be ending. If we want our lifestyle to continue, legislators need to ascertain whether we will embrace that responsibility. As you know, in 2014 the oil and gas industry paid roughly $3,766 per person in taxes and royalty. Coal paid about one half that amount. That equals $5,649 for every person in Wyoming that goes to offset taxes we would otherwise have had to pay to maintain the lifestyle which we have become accustomed. If revenue projections continue to forecast a shortfall, we as citizens will be asked to pay more of the load and legislators need to know where we stand.

Low oil and gas prices brought on by the Saudi desire to regain market share and President Barack Obamas clean air regulations taking effect on coal are the reasons behind the $500 million shortfall our Legislature experienced. What will happen over the next several years is uncertain but if federal and state agencies along with environmental groups are successful in moratoriums on new leasing, greater wildlife restrictions on drilling activity and a possible end to new leasing, I think there is a good chance our mineral tax revenues will decrease even more. The 2018 Legislature may have the unpopular task of raising taxes and/or curtailing state programs or employees. Its a good idea to make citizens aware of those possibilities so it does not come to anyones surprise if our lifestyle changes.

When the projected $500 million shortfall was identified, I have to admit I was disappointed not to hear more outrage by citizens and vocal support for the oil, gas and coal industries, especially from those who derive their livelihoods from the taxes and royalties on those minerals. Our state officials and the congressional delegation have had little effect making life any easier for those industries that are in a fight for their lives. If they dont prevail, many people will lose jobs and the state will lose valuable revenue. I am sorry to admit the lack of support is a decision made by officials and some citizens of Wyoming. I can accept that as long as everyone acknowledges the eventual outcome.

I urge the Wyoming Legislature to start the interim hearings as soon as possible and have frank discussions with Wyoming citizens on their lifestyle and the economy we have become accustomed to. What lengths each of us will sacrifice to maintain the current programs if mineral royalty and taxes fall short again. Having hearings in communities throughout the state asking hotel owners, recreational companies, accounting firms, insurance firms, law firms, agricultural businesses, car dealerships, etc. what additional taxes they could afford to pay for these amenities will be valuable information for Legislators.

My hope is we can identify other sectors of our economy that can be tapped to offset a reduction in mineral royalties and taxes. Keep in mind, oil, gas and coal companies pay 6 percent of their gross revenues to the state and 6.5 percent of their gross revenues to the county. Otherwise, people may be shocked if we wait until a crisis is upon us.

Every citizen needs to let legislators know if they will accept the responsibility of being a real Wyomingite. For many, that will be a new way to cowboy up.
I smile when I see mountaineer extraordinaire and outdoor adventure writer Mark Jenkins around town. My social schedule is immediately rewritten when I learn he is giving a public lecture. His latest talk, Burmas Resurrection: An Expedition Deep Into a Forbidden Land did not disappoint.

Mark talked to an SRO audience at the University of Wyoming about his latest big trip: an attempt to scale and confirm the elevation of Burmas highest peak, Hkakabo Razi (people, this is easy to pronounce: just leave off the H, and the rest sounds out like a second-grade vocabulary word).

Jenkins is arguably one of the coolest people in Wyoming. He seems to have a knack for thinking up amazing things to do with his time and The National Geographic Societys money. Hes genuinely interested in the people he encounters, sees through considerable B.S., is frank and fearless but uses his head and energizes everyone who hears him. I have perhaps only two things in common with this man: We are both alumni of the same department at UW and we have both pulled paychecks from NatGeo. Thats about where it ends, but hes definitely my Wyoming hometown hero.

Oddly enough on our satellite triangulated and hyper-documented 21st century planet, nobody really knows how tall Hkakabo Razi actually is. This was one of Jenkins objectives in climbing it. Inspired by a book written by a British explorer from the days of the Raj, Mark and two Wyoming buddies decided in the early 1990s to sneak into northern Burma and climb the mountain. They actually got quite far into a militarized area of Tibet in an attempt to reach the mountain before they were arrested and had to give up.

Much of Hkakabo Razi is a heaped-up pile of vertical slabs of rock. No face presents an obvious route to the summit, and what is not vertical on the upper reaches of the peak is glaciated. A Japanese mountaineer did summit in 1996 but didnt have the necessary gear to confirm Hkakabo Razis elevation. In a recent patriotic fiat, the Burmese government also sent an expedition, but its two leaders vanished before making it to the top. They have never been found, despite an expensive search.

Mark and his five 2014 team members are about as tough as they come. Even getting to a base camp in northern Burma requires several weeks of slogging through six-inch wide paths in the jungle, which is tediously mountainous itself. It is also full of leeches, poisonous snakes and thick, gooey mud. However, listening to Mark talk of 12-mile daily hauls through the understory (which even after the monsoon is virtually impenetrable) followed by swapping stories with villagers at night was thrilling.

Mark talks to people  which is key to what makes him a good writer and speaker. There are also no hospitals, no clinics and no doctors in northern Burma. Its a part of the world where, as one tribal elder told Mark, sick or injured people either get better on their own, or they die.

I thought about that phrase while listening to the account of the expeditions last days of climbing. About a weeks walk from the last village, they set up a base camp to attempt the summit. They were now in a completely different world  up on the rock faces and ice fields, and within sight of the summit. It had become a very cold, very vertical climb for the three men in the party, roped to each other  and nothing else  ready to leap off the opposite side of an arete to break a partners fall.

The photos Mark showed of their last day of the ascent made me queasy. They appeared to be taken from airplanes, not a human clinging with wind-stiffened fingers and crampons to the side of an ice-covered sheer vertical drop of close to a mile. With no more food, no more fuel, nearly frostbitten feet and darkness approaching, Mark, Cory and Renan decided to get better on their own and not die. They turned around.

Marks second expedition didnt make it to the summit of Hkakabo Razi, but all six of them did make it home alive. So many skilled mountaineers have not. Marks two Wyoming friends  the guys with whom he first tried to climb Hkakabo Razi  died before their time. Of course accidents can happen, and sometimes we are just lucky. There are not many old alpinists. However, if you stay for the questions and answers at Marks talks, you soon learn that the most important mountaineering skill is knowing when you have reached your limit, and the second is to force yourself to act on that decision.

Mark tells this directly to fresh-faced 20-year-olds in the audience. Knowing your limitations and being able to act on that knowledge means that you live to try again. I suppose this is true for many other things in life beside climbing the worlds tallest mountains.

You know a good storyteller when a tale of failure still leaves you breathless. I look forward to hearing about Jenkins trips firsthand for a long time. May he be one of those few remaining crusty old mountain climbers 25 years from now.
Compromise is critical in public land management.

Thats why we were glad to hear that Wyoming county commissioners plan to work with a broad array of interests to decide the futures of 45 Wilderness Study Areas around the state.

These commissioners, landowners, recreationists, conservationists, ranchers and energy interests are coming together to make their voices heard in the conversation about these federal land parcels. The group also has the early support of Wyomings federal congressional delegation.

The effort is called the Wyoming Public Lands Initiative, and it aims to find definite futures for these wild places.

In 1991, the Bureau of Land Management released its list of wilderness areas. This designation was a stopgap shield, intended to protect these places until a long-term purpose could be found for each. Today, however, these 45 spots  from the 487-acre Whiskey Mountain region near Dubois to the 82,584-acre Palisades Wilderness Study Area in the northwest part of the state  remain in limbo. Together, they account for about 700,000 acres of land within our borders.

The goal behind this collaborative effort is twofold: First, its important to lift these beautiful sites out of limbo and assign them permanent roles in our landscape. Second, if Wyoming fails to do this, the U.S. Congress could release all the land back to the land management agencies.

There are many possibilities for future use. The land could be preserved as highly restricted wilderness or used for recreation, energy development or other activities. Each site has its own characteristics; this doesnt have to be a one-size-fits-all solution.

One thing the initiative will not be, participants are careful to clarify, is an attempt by the state to take over federal lands. Even if each area was released back to its original management agency, they would still be under federal control. This hyperlocal effort aims to keep the lands public  a goal we support.

These stakeholders want to decide whats best for each parcel individually, now and in the future, and they know the best way to accomplish that is to really listen to each other  and hopefully come to a compromise that satisfies as many people as possible.

That might not always be easy, given the competing interests at the table. We all know that compromise seems more and more rare these days, and its commendable that these Wyoming residents and leaders have decided to overcome obstacles together and collaborate on a positive solution for these parcels of land.

The initiative affords us a great opportunity to have a say on the future of our landscape, and if the process and participants continue to be fair and open-minded, the results will be valuable. Ultimately, we hope that the U.S. Congress agrees and honors the collaborative solutions put forth by this group of passionate Wyomingites.
#AMVCAsoNaija should have been the in house hashtag leading into the just concluded Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.Not that all the other countries had been shunned, but because we are kind of used to the Nigerian thing at everything fronted as African.But it wasnt the case, yes, the show was in Nigeria and they led the nominations table considering the fact that they had almost three categories they were sure of winning in Best Igbo, Yoruba and West African film.Unlike the past years, the organizers had done their best to be more inclusive nominating films from South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda and of course Nigeria among others.This obviously meant that the winners list was rather diverse and to help promote the diversity, as if they were avoiding a similar backlash that befell them last year, pundits asking them to make the show a Nigerian Film Award where they invite Africa as witnesses.The Ayanda, a South African drama about a hipster trying to revive her late fathers car garage won numerous awards and so did Dry, a film about underage marriages.Malawi picked their very first AMVCA gong thanks to Joyce Mhango Chavulas Lilongwe. While accepting her award, Mhango noted that the nomination and now the award is a special moment for the countrys budding film industry.Uganda for the first time had more to hope for, House Arrest was a three time nominee in the Best East African Film, Best Lighting Design and Best African Film Overall for House Arrest, however, the film directed by Joseph Sebagala lost all these awards to other people.Not even Call 112, which was in the same East African category, could beat Kitendewalli.Dry, aptly the most relevant film of the night won the Best African Film Overall, it was rather hard predicting this since the competition was tight between the Best Director recipient Tell Me a Sweet Something and multiple award winning and global trotting Ayanda.The award show was also lightened by Ugandan comedian Salvado who we must agree is so good at raising at the occasion.
Slovakia

Exit poll: Leftist party leads, needs partners

BRATISLAVA  An exit poll indicates that the leftist ruling party is leading in the parliamentary election in Slovakia, but will need coalition partners to form a majority government.

The poll showed the Smer-Social Democracy of Prime Minister Robert Fico, which campaigned on an anti-migrant ticket, receiving 27.3 percent of the vote in Saturdays election and winning 45 seats in the 150-member parliament.

That represented a drop in support from the 2012 election when Smer took 44.4 percent and was able to govern alone.

A high number of nine parties, including one representing ethnic Hungarians and another led by a neo-Nazi leader, were projected to win parliamentary seats.

Analysts say Fico may have misjudged the public mood by focusing too much on Europes migration crisis and not enough on Slovakias own issues.

Greece

Governor wants state of emergency declared

IDOMENI  A regional governor called on the Greek government Saturday to declare a state of emergency for the area surrounding the Idomeni border crossing where thousands of migrants are stranded due to border restrictions along the route toward western Europe.

Some 13,000 to 14,000 people are trapped in Idomeni, while another 6,000 to 7,000 are being housed n refugee camps around the region, said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, governor of the Greek region of Central Macedonia. That means the area handles about 60 percent of the total number of migrants in the country.

Its a huge humanitarian crisis. I have asked the government to declare the area in a state of emergency, Tzitzikostas said during a visit to Idomeni to distribute aid. This cannot continue for much longer.

Sudan

Islamist figure, who helped coup, dies at 84

KHARTOUM, Sudan  Hassan al-Turabi, the Sudanese Islamist who played a key role in the 1989 coup that brought President Omar al-Bashir to power and who once hosted Osama bin Laden, died Saturday at the age of 84.

Al-Turabi championed radical Islam in the 1990s, inviting bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri to Sudan, which became a safe haven for jihadists. He once called the United States the incarnation of the devil and hailed bin Laden as a hero.

But Sudan expelled al-Qaida under U.S. and international pressure in 1996, and al-Turabi later remade himself as a mainstream politician.

Al-Bashir dismissed him as parliament speaker after he backed legislation aimed at curbing the presidents powers in 1999, and he went on to form the opposition Popular Congress Party and support rebels in southern Sudan and Darfur. Al-Turabi was jailed on a number of occasions and spent more than two years under house arrest from 2001 to 2003.

Syria

Main opposition group elects new leader

BEIRUT  The main Syrian opposition group Saturday elected a new leader as a Russian-American-brokered cease-fire entered its second week.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 135 people were killed during the first week of the truce in areas it affects. The deal excludes Islamic State and al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front.

The Britain-based observatory said those killed included 32 civilians, among them seven children. In areas not affected by the cease-fire, fighting continued and more than 500 were killed.

Meanwhile, the Istanbul-based National Coalition of Syrian Opposition and Revolutionary Forces elected Annas al-Abdah, a Western-backed moderate Islamist, as its new leader. The 49-year-old geologist replaces Khaled Khoja, who served for one year under a term limit.

Al-Abdah, who mainly lives in London, is the founder of the opposition Movement for Justice and Development. He is described by opposition figures as being a pragmatic Muslim.

Separately, nine Syrian refugees were killed while they were trying to smuggle themselves across the border into Turkey, activists said.
Cox Communications Southern Arizona: Cox is donating a $15,000 technology center, to be located downtown, to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson. The Cox Technology Center will be a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring Toward College and Career program.

Feed the Children: Feed the Children is providing more than 2,000 backpacks to Marana Unified School District, Amphitheater School District, Tucson Unified School District and Sunnyside Unified School District on Wednesday, March 9. The backpacks, containing school supplies and snacks, will be distributed throughout the school year to students experiencing hardship.

BRAKEmax: The company donated $3,000 to the 100 Club of Arizona in Tucson, benefiting first responders and their families.

The Rincon Optimist Club: The club, a chapter of the Optimists of Southern Arizona, will host its annual Youth Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, March 10, at the Forty Niner Country Club, to honor local students who have overcome challenges. Jim Click will be the guest speaker.
I miss from. You know, the word from. As in, I come from Alabama with my banjo on my knee. Or, as in James Jones novel, From Here to Eternity.

A rose by any other word might smell as sweet. But somehow, I come Alabama doesnt have quite the same rhythm. And would you read a book titled, Here to Eternity?

Precisely.

Yet here in America, we seem to have banished from from (there is no other preposition that will do here) the phrase, He graduated from high school.

Somehow, it is now the norm to declare, He graduated high school. As if any self-respecting high school graduate would have uttered such a thing, oh, 30 years ago. Or any high school English teacher would have passed such a student.

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word from derives from the Old English fram, which derives from Old High German, denoting departure or movement away in time or space.

Other definitions of from also abound, including to specify a starting point, an exclusion, or a source or origin.

But it is that first definition of departure that applies in this instance. You graduated from high school. You departed and/or moved away from it.

Even so, in the last few years, we seem to have moved away from from. Naturally, grammarians are all over the board on this, though most seem to stick with the fact that graduate is an intransitive verb, so it doesnt take an object.

OK, before we all start to nod off over all this, youve got to admit that for the last few years weve been seeing all sorts of publications using the phrase both ways, including this very newspaper.

So be it, though every time I read graduated high school, the little hairs on the back of my neck start to rise up. I also have to wonder if a little classism might not be involved here. Billy Bob may have graduated Butcher Holler High School, but surely Parker Hollingsworth the Third would have graduated from Harvard.

Thankfully, from seems to have been left at the wayside only when its used with that rite of passage known as graduation. Otherwise, we could be noticing its omission in all sorts of song and literature. Examples:

Do you come blank a land down under? Men at Work, Down Under.

The robbed that smiles steals something blank the thief. William Shakespeare, Othello.

If I can stop one heart blank breaking, then I shall not have lived in vain. Emily Dickinson.

Id rather learn blank one bird how to sing than to teach ten thousand stars how not to dance. e.e. cummings.

No matter what they take blank me, they cant take away my dignity. Whitney Houston, The Greatest Love of All.

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start blank. T.S. Eliot.

Just call on me and Ill send it along with love blank me to you. The Beatles, From Me to You.

Day is done. Gone the sun. Blank the lake. Blank the hill. Blank the sky. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh. Taps, anonymous.
Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor is not only one of the greatest stories of World War II but one of the greatest stories of the nation, says author James M. Scott.

The book gives new information on a story you might think you know, says Scott, who will be presenting at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 12, in the Star tent during the Tucson Festival of Books.

The scope and size of WWII is unimaginable, says Scott, a former reporter and investigative journalist who left the newspaper business in 2007.

WWII affected how we lived and it affected the nation as nothing ever has, he says. At its height the war consumed 96 cents of every federal dollar spent and more than 10 million men and women were in uniform.

While WWII attention is often focused on Europe, Scott hones in on the other side of the globe, the war in the Pacific.

In Target Tokyo Scott tackles the symbolism-rich Doolittle Raid, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered to boost morale, prove U.S. military prowess, and retaliate for the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The battleship USS Arizona sank with its crew onboard during the attack, and it remains a memorial in Pearl Harbor.

It is a powerful story of confidence  that the U.S. would survive  and it speaks to the bonds of war and of friendship, says Scott.

Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle led the daring bombing raid on April 18, 1942  80 airmen in an armada of 16 Army B-25s took off from the deck of aircraft carrier the USS Hornet for the long-range bombing attack on Tokyo.

Scotts deeply researched book  he spoke with survivors, read diaries and scoured dozens of archives that stretched to four continents  brings to light new details and information on crew training, the planes, the attack and the political complexities that followed the raid.

Of the 80 airmen, 73 survived the raid and its aftermath and returned to the U.S. Doolittle got his generals star and was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Doolittles Raiders, as the airmen came to be known, gathered annually to toast one another. At the 17th annual reunion held in Tucson in 1959, a civic booster group, the Sunshine Climate Club, presented the survivors with a set of 80 silver goblets.

Each goblet is engraved twice, explains Scott. The raiders name could be read if the goblet is right side up or upside down.

One of the two living group members, Richard E. Dick Cole, Doolittles copilot during the raid, built a portable display case to transport them. The Air Force Academy displayed goblets between reunions. In 2005, the surviving raiders decided to make the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, the goblets permanent home.

Scott says he likes stories of ordinary people in extraordinary situations.

Hes the author of The Attack on the Liberty: The Untold Story of Israels Deadly 1967 Assault on a U.S. Spy Ship, which won the 2010 Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Excellence in Naval Literature, and The War Below: The Story of Three Submarines That Battled Japan.
Chris Pizzello / The Associated Press 2009

Sonia Manzano, actriz y escritora de origen puertorriqueno, afamada por su papel de Maria en Plaza Sesamo, participa en el Festival del Libro en Tucson el 12 de marzo de 2016. En la imagen actua en Daytime Emmys en 2009.
beloved husband, dad, grandfather and great- grandfather, departed this world on February 26, 2016 into the loving arms of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Anne, in 2014 and son, Randy, in 1995. Charlie is survived by his sons, Joe (Linda), Brad (Karol) and David (Kathryn); daughter, Chris (Terry); daughter-in-law, Debbie (Dave) and by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. Born in Barnsdall, OK, on July 4, 1924, Charlie joined the Marines in 1942 and served in the Pacific during World War II. After leaving the service he came to Tucson, where he met Anne. Charlie was in the construction business, building, among other things, many swimming pools throughout the Tucson area. He will be remembered as a hard worker, with a great sense of humor, and we will miss the stories he told. The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff of the VA Hospital for the care they provided Charlie. Donations can be made to the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Voluntary Dept. 135, 3601 S. 6th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85723 or Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 830 N. 1st Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719. Services have been held. Arrangements by FUNERARIA DEL ANGEL SOUTH LAWN.
Animal advocates wishing to end live dog racing here have long pushed for Arizona lawmakers to stop giving Tucson Greyhound Park a tax break it has received for more than 20 years.

Those advocates could see an end to the tracks hardship tax credit this year in a bill that unanimously passed Arizonas House of Representatives Feb. 29 and is pending in the Senate. However, HB 2387 wont spell freedom for the nearly 500 dogs living and racing at the track.

If passed, the legislation will prevent the track from receiving the tax credit it has received since 1994. However, since that time, the track has accrued $4.5 million that it can use now and in the future.

Everyone thinks this is going to bring about big changes, but it doesnt affect the track operations, said Michael Racy, of Racy Associates Inc. and a lobbyist for the track. Nothing will change, live racing or the simulcast.

The hardship tax started after 1994, when casino gaming started taking profits from the states dog and horse tracks. To prevent further losses, Arizonas lawmakers created a tax exemption that allows the tracks special deductions and a hardship tax credit.

Whats needed to stop live dog racing in Tucson would be legislation that specifically outlaws it, said legislators Steve Farley and Bruce Wheeler, both Tucson Democrats. And theres not a bill pending that would do that.

Thats whats really sad about this, Farley said. Theyve backlogged unclaimed tax credit and can use it in future years.

The pending bill would at least stop that from continuing to increase, he said. We need to be working on a better way of ending dog racing now.

Wheeler drafted his own bill to end the hardship tax credit, but then deferred to the one thats active now, a similar one by Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, a Gilbert Republican.

I deferred to his bill since hes in the majority party and it has a better chance of passing, said Wheeler, who is opposed to dog racing as both a humane and an economic issue.

Its horrible. Not only is greyhound dog racing a horrible idea and an abuse of dogs, but to call it a sport is even adding more insult, he said.

State Rep. John Kavanagh, a Scottsdale Republican, also drafted a similar bill.

There are a lot of people who are not happy about the tax credit that goes to the Tucson greyhound track, he said. It just doesnt seem to be a good use of government funds.
Benson city leaders say a bill moving quickly through the Legislature gives too much power to a landowner seeking tax-exempt bond financing for a proposed 28,000-home master-planned community.

At least three Benson City Council members say HB 2568 would give Phoenix developer El Dorado Holdings Inc. decisive control over an improvement district to help fund public infrastructure in the Villages at Vigneto development. The project could bring 70,000 more people to the tiny town in Cochise County.

The bill passed the House of Representatives on Feb. 25 by a vote of 60-0 and is now in a Senate committee. It requires city and county governments to accept a landowners petition for whats known as a community facilities district  a mechanism to fund public infrastructure for a development by selling tax-exempt bonds  if the landowner has more than 600 acres.

It also gives more leverage to the landowner in deciding who will be appointed to the districts board of directors.

It takes power away from the local government and gives it to developers, Councilman Chris Moncada said.

The legislation, which amends a 1988 statute allowing for community facilities districts, comes as the Benson City Council wrangles with El Dorado over details of Vignetos proposed community facilities district, including the makeup of its board and staff. The parties havent yet finalized the agreement to form the district for Vigneto, a high-end community that would cover 12,000 acres southeast of Tucson.

Last summer, Councilman Jeff Cook said he feared El Dorado wanted to stack the districts board and staff with its allies. Under the new legislation, those fears seem more likely to come to fruition, he said. He believes El Dorado has been pushing the bill.

Weve been dealing in good faith with them and yet they do this, and thats shows me theyre dealing in bad faith, he said.

Mike Reinbold, a partner with El Dorado, said HB 2568 was not driven by the developers efforts to get an improvement district .

The process to amend this legislation began several years ago and is not based on Villages at Vigneto, Reinbold said in an email to the Star. His assistant said he did not have time for an interview last week.

It started with Tucson and Phoenix property owners, the email said. Its written to help property owners.

BENEFITS TO THE DISTRICT

Moncada sees the benefits of forming a community facilities district for Vigneto: The extra funding allows developers to pursue high-quality, instead of cookie-cutter, home designs and to add more amenities, which benefits the local population and tax base, he said. Preliminary plans for Vigneto include amenities like recreation centers, community parks and an extensive trail system.

But the districts board has a lot of responsibility, such as deciding how to allocate bond funding, how much in bonds should be sold and how much homeowners in the development will be taxed to pay back the bonds. Moncada believes elected officials need to have a say in those decisions.

The stakes are high: The bonds taken out for the community facilities district will likely be valued in the billions, Moncada said. If the district defaulted on the bonds, the city isnt liable for paying it back, but Benson would struggle to secure bond funding for future developments with that stain on its record, he said.

SPECIAL DISTRICTS

A community facilities district  a political subdivision that is separate from the local government  can sell tax-exempt bonds to fund infrastructure, like parks, water drainage and roads.

The developer fronts the money for the infrastructure, and once the project is underway, it begins selling bonds to get reimbursed for those expenses. The bonds are paid off over time by homebuyers or businesses, as individual lots are sold. Typically, the homebuyers agree to pay an additional property tax to help pay off the bonds.

Community facilities districts are underutilized in Arizona, and thats a turn-off to potential investors, said Priscilla Storm, vice president of Tucson developer Diamond Ventures, which supports the bill.

Mandating approval of the largest districts can be a strong economic development and job-creation tool and should make Arizona more competitive and effective in attracting investment to the state, she said.

Currently, the districts can be run by either a municipal board comprising the town council and mayor, or a private board appointed by the local government.

The bill eliminates the option for a municipal board. Instead, the districts five-person board would be a public-private hybrid, including two people appointed by the municipality, two appointed by the landowner and another chosen by the municipality from a list of four options provided by the landowner.

Cook said that arrangement gives the developers preferred board members a 3-2 majority on any vote.

They want the board under their complete control, Cook said. The two (members appointed by the government) become nothing more than spectators.

NO OVERSIGHT

El Dorado Holdings and Diamond Ventures are members of the Landowners for Arizonas Economic Development Coalition, which supports HB 2568.

Lobbyist Susie Stevens said during a House hearing that the coalitions 11 member companies represent more than 200,000 acres in Arizona.

In his email, Reinbold said HB 2568 brings Arizonas statutes on improvement districts closer in line with the rest of the nation.

Moncada disagrees. While other states allow for private or hybrid boards and can mandate local approval of those districts, he said those states often have state-level oversight of the districts, which isnt the case in Arizona.

There will be no oversight, he said. Youre talking about billions of dollars in bonds with nobody watching.

Storm said the bills supporters plan to add an amendment stipulating that the landowners board appointments will have no financial stake in the related development and must have expertise in law, finance, engineering and construction.

The long-term success and sustainability of these master plans is achieved through ongoing public-private collaboration, Storm said in an email. Nothing in HB 2568 is intended to change that.

Benson City Councilman Joe Konrad said he expects Benson can finalize its community facilities district before the bill could become law. But if not, he shares his colleagues worries about the city possibly being cut out of board decisions.

My job as a councilperson is to represent and ultimately protect the taxpayers in Benson, he said. Wed like to have a little more input on things.

Councilman Patrick Boyle did not respond to a request for comment.

CAMPAIGN DONATIONS

Benson City Councilman David Lambert said the fact that Arizona House Speaker David Gowan, a representative from Cochise County, is sponsoring the bill seems too convenient. He thinks Vignetos developer is a driver of the legislation.

If it was put together by anybody else in the state, Id say just a coincidence, he said. But the fact that Mr. Gowan is the one pushing this through, it makes it almost look like somebody approached him and is trying to get their way with this thing.

Gowan did not respond to requests for an interview.

Gowan, who announced in October his candidacy for U.S. Congressional District 1, has received financial support from developers and homebuilders in Arizona.

He received $9,100 in donations to his campaign from affiliates of Diamond Ventures, including a combined $5,400 from chairman Don Diamond and his wife, Joan, Federal Election Commission records show.

Storm, who contributed $500 to Gowans campaign, said it isnt surprising that the developer wants a familiar elected official bringing his knowledge of Southern Arizona to the national stage.

CD1 is a really large district, she said. Having someone (representing it) that understands Southern Arizona and understands the Tucson metro region would be beneficial.

TAX-EXEMPT BONDS

New proposed IRS rules could potentially cause trouble if Arizona community facilities districts create boards perceived as controlled by developers, instead of the local government.

The proposed rule requires that political subdivisions, like a community facilities district, be government controlled in order to sell bonds whose returns are tax-exempt.

If a majority of the district board appointments are influenced by a developer, that could conflict with the rule, Moncada said.

If IRS decides these are no longer tax-exempt, who pays taxes on those? Moncada said.

Dee Wisor, bond attorney with Butler Snow in Denver, said the hybrid boards created under HB 2568 could be a problem for the IRS. But theres more to determining whether a district is government controlled than the board composition; the IRS would also consider the governments decision-making authority in other aspects of the district.

Regardless, Wisor said, Benson probably wouldnt be on the hook if the IRS revoked the tax-exempt status of the Vignetos bonds.

Theyd go after the district, he said. It would be a highly unusual circumstance where theyd go back to the approving municipality.

Bond attorneys like Wisor are working overtime to reconfigure special taxing districts to get in compliance with the proposed rule, Wisor said.

The IRS has potentially adversely affected the tax-exempt status of billions in outstanding bonds with the regulations theyve proposed, he said.
The union representing Pima County sheriffs deputies is fighting a proposed pay plan it says was presented as a raise, but will actually cost employees money in the long run.

On Dec. 30, bureau chief Karl Woodridge sent an email to all commissioned personnel proposing an adjustment to the departments pay package. The email, which the Star obtained through a public-records request, included a ballot for employees to vote to accept or reject the proposal.

Fraternal Order of Police President Tyke Manoleas followed up with an email to employees, recommending they not sign the ballot.

As this ballot could be legal and binding, until we get further recommendations from our legal counsel, its not reasonable to sign one way or the other, he wrote.

Sgt. Kevin Kubitskey, president of the Pima County Deputy Sheriffs Association, which represents deputies, sergeants and corrections officers, said hes never seen a ballot attached to any type of proposal sent to department members.

Kubitskey has appeared before the Board of Supervisors many times in recent months to speak about the unions concerns with the plan.

The plan proposed a swap in the countys contribution to employees retirement plan for a pay raise, but will actually cost deputies money, Kubitskey said.

Currently, the county pays 3.65 percent into pensions, while the employee is responsible for 8 percent. The ballot asked for the employees consent to receive a 3.65 percent increase in pay, but they would contribute the full 11.65 percent to their retirement plan.

Kubitskey said while the proposal seemed reasonable at first, a breakdown of the numbers revealed that with the increased salaries, employees would pay more in taxes and lose money in the long run.

The proposed swap violates Arizona statutes, Kubitskey told supervisors in a recent meeting.

Emails obtained by the Star indicate the departments command staff was willing to seek approval for the transfer plan even though there was apparent widespread disapproval among deputies.

Sheriff Chris Nanos wrote in a Jan. 1 email to members of the command staff that he didnt understand why the deputies would be against the plan.

Chief Deputy Christopher Radtke recommended in an email that the department proceed with the plan, and if it was voted down, so be it. Woolridge indicated in an email the feedback hed received from employees indicated the vote wouldnt go well.

The unions attempts to discuss the issues with senior staff members were unsuccessful, resulting in an email from command staff, saying that the department was moving ahead with the plan without any explanation, according to an email Kubitskey wrote to Nanos in late January.

The topic of pay packages and the transfer plan was brought up during a two-hour meeting Nanos held with deputies on Feb. 26, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by the Star.

Nanos asked for the meeting, Kubitskey said, when asked how it came about. He wanted the opportunity to talk to the individual deputies before the upcoming (sheriffs) election.

During the first several minutes of the meeting, Nanos told attendees that his No. 1 goal is to increase deputy pay, but that he wasnt looking at the departments budget to come up with the money for pay increases.

Im not doing anything to save any money for you to get step raises, he said, according to the recording obtained by the Star. The only thing Im doing is working with the board and (county administrator) Chuck Huckelberry to get decompression.

Decompression is a plan that would adjust deputies pay to bring them up to the proper level of the departments pay scale, which would bring their pay more in line with other law-enforcement agencies. The Board of Supervisors had approved such adjustments before, but denied the unions request last summer for another departmental adjustment.

The letter Kubitskey sent Nanos indicates a deadline of Feb. 29 for the department or county to propose a reasonable pay package. Kubitskey said hes working with members of the Board of Supervisors and that the deputy union has extended the deadline to mid-March.

In response to the departments proposal, the union submitted its own pay proposal, asking for a 5 percent pay increase, instead of the 3.65.

The union has been fighting since last summer for the department and county to follow through on increases in salary, or step increases, that employees were promised years ago. The proposed transfer plan is independent of any other proposals related to an increase in pay, Woolridge wrote in the ballot.

Starting pay for deputies and corrections officers is $43,370 a year. The-top paying agency in the state, the Tempe Police Department, starts its officers at $56,742.

Nanos said hes been working with Huckelberry since last July, trying to figure out how to get decompression for the nearly 750 deputies and corrections officers who are eligible.

The way it is now, we have 10-year veterans making the same money as brand-new deputies, Nanos said. Thats wrong.

During those discussions, Huckelberry told him that the retirement contributions were hurting the county and that the transfer plan would help the countys budget out in the long run, easing the cost of decompression.

If it helps the county, and helps make my guys whole (in pay), then I agree with it, he said, explaining why the plan was proposed.

After the labor groups expressed their concerns, Nanos said he and the command staff met with the union heads to talk about what happened, but no agreement was made between the 3.65 proposed and the 5 percent the union proposed.

I said, Lets just take it off the table and do decompression, he said, stressing that the labor groups have told him for two years that decompression is their No. 1 concern.

After he made the decision to scrap the transfer plan, he learned from his finance staff that the cost of decompression would actually increase by roughly $700,000 without the transfer plan.

I told the group at the meeting (on Feb. 26), If you want your pay proposal instead of decompression, tell me, he said. But as long as they want decompression, I cant support their pay proposal.

Depending on the employees time of employment, each would receive between a 5 and 35 percent pay raise under decompression, though most would be in the 5 to 15 percent range, Nanos said.

In addition to decompression, hes also seeking a 2 percent raise for the 250 deputies and corrections officers who are already topped out on the pay scale.

Nanos says he knows the $7.4 million package will be a hard sell to the community because so many people are struggling financially.
Homicide detectives arrested a suspect Friday in connection with the shooting death of a man whose body was found in an east-side wash, the Pima County Sheriffs Department said.

Deputy Ryan Inglett, a department spokesman, gave the following account:

Vacciana Carvel Williams, 33, was arrested and faces charges in the death of Andrew Laffaite Johnson, also 33. He was found dead of gunshot wounds on Feb. 8, at the north end of Bowes Road, north of Snyder Road.

Detectives have learned that Johnson also went by the name Anthony Levi Smith and lived in Jamaica and the United Kingdom prior to moving to the United States.
University of Arizona President Ann Weaver Hart has accepted a $70,000 position on the board of a for-profit college firm thats being sued by the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly deceiving students.

A spokesman for Hart said her association with DeVry Education Group, parent firm of DeVry University, is a personal endeavor unrelated to her job as the UAs CEO.

Hart will receive $70,000 annually plus $100,000 a year in stock as a DeVry board member, according to corporate filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission website. Her UA pay package is worth $665,500 this year.

I will remain on the (DeVry) board for the same reasons I accepted the appointment  I believe my experience helping public university students achieve their academic goals will benefit DeVrys students, Hart told the Arizona Daily Star.

Her statement came as controversy engulfed another public educator who joined the DeVry board the same day Hart did but quit soon after.

University of California-Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi resigned her DeVry seat within days after critics said Katehi had tarnished her schools reputation by lending her name to a firm accused of misleading students about their career prospects.

The FTC announced Jan. 27 that it had filed suit against DeVry because the firm deceived consumers about the likelihood that students would find jobs in their fields of study, and would earn more than those graduating with bachelors degrees from other colleges or universities.

DeVry officials have denied wrongdoing and vowed to fight the federal enforcement action. The company has three locations in Arizona, all in the Phoenix area.

Hart and Katehi assumed their DeVry posts at a four-day meeting and board orientation session Feb. 15-18 in Florida. Katehi quit the board March 1.

UA spokesman Chris Sigurdson said Hart used personal time to attend the Florida event, and said DeVry paid her travel expenses. Its the first time since joining the UA in 2012 that Hart has received outside compensation, he said.

In her emailed statement to the Star on Wednesday, Hart said she accepted the DeVry position with the full knowledge and support of the Arizona Board of Regents leadership and general counsel.

Regents spokeswoman Sarah Harper said Hart did not seek regents permission because, unlike in California, Arizonas university presidents arent required to get permission for extracurricular ventures. They need only to provide notice and file financial disclosure statements about their activities. Hart complied, Harper said.

The California university system has a 10-page policy governing outside professional activities by senior management, which includes an application and approval process. Katehi, of UC-Davis, was found to have violated the policy by accepting her DeVry board seat without permission.

Arizonas rules say only that presidents must give their day jobs top priority, and that they can engage in outside activities as long as they dont interfere.

On Thursday and Friday, the Star requested copies of financial disclosure statements filed by Hart and the states other two university presidents. Harper said late Friday that more time would be needed to produce those documents.

Hart said a headhunter for DeVry first approached her last summer about joining the board. She said she vetted the company thoroughly before she agreed.

The federal investigation of DeVry definitely raised concerns for me, but not to the degree that it affected her decision, she said.

Other schools face accusations of using misleading job placement statistics, Hart said.

There have been stories and questions in recent years about claims made by not-for-profit colleges and universities, as well as by law schools and other professional schools, about employment rates of graduates. Debates rage currently about what employment in ones field of study means, and all of us must pay attention to the accuracy and clarity of these statements, she wrote.

Hart said she intends to serve as an advocate and influence for quality in the companys schools, and said she hasnt had any negative feedback at the UA over her DeVry appointment.

I have received only congratulations and expressions of interest in what can be learned and the influence such an opportunity makes possible, she said.

But Harts new job doesnt seem to be very well-known within the university. Lynn Nadel, the chair of UAs faculty, said he hadnt heard about it and couldnt comment without looking into the matter.

The companys news release on Harts appointment highlighted her status as a public educator.

Dr. Hart is currently the president of the University of Arizona and also holds an appointment as professor of educational policy studies and practice in the College of Education, it said, going on to list Harts achievements at the UA and other institutions at which she has worked.

Kevin Kinser, an associate professor at the State University of New York at Albany and an expert in the for-profit education industry, said firms like DeVry are eager to find public education leaders willing to join their boards.

Doing so can lend an air of prestige to such firms, while bringing fresh ideas from outside to counter the business-corporate mentality that tends to dominate, he said.

But in an era when the for-profit education industry in general is under a cloud, its not unusual for public university presidents who join forces to be criticized for making a deal with the devil, he said. Its not like joining the board of a charitable foundation. This is a sector that many people look at the same way as the pharmaceutical industry or big oil.

Ideally, outsiders like Hart can function as the conscience of the institution, Kinser said.

On the other hand, getting six figures for doing it may suggest some compromises to independence.
OPINION: "Pima Community College belongs to the entire Tucson community. The governing board is the communitys way to hold the college accountable and to steer the institution toward best serving the greatest number of people. Help secure the brightest future for our community college and join us in supporting Theresa Riel for the District 2 seat on the PCC Governing Board," writes Makyla Hays, president of the Pima Community College Education Association.
Help India!

By Irfan Engineer,

The Dr. M B Niyogi Committee Report on the Christian Missionary Activities Enquiry Committee[1] appointed by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, by Resolution No. 318-716-V-Con., dated the 14th April, 1954 was submitted to the Chief Secretary on 18th April, 1956 and it paved the way for legal restrictions on conversions[2]. Anti-conversion law of MP State  Madhya Pradesh Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam, 1968 can be partly attributed to the Report of the Niyogi Committee. Among the questionable recommendations of the Niyogi Committee were (5) Any attempt by force or fraud, or threats of illicit means or grants of financial or other aid, or by fraudulent means or promises, or by moral and material assistance, or by taking advantage of any persons inexperience or confidence, or by exploiting any persons necessity, spiritual (mental) weakness or thoughtlessness, or, in general, any attempt or effort (whether successful or not), directly or indirectly to penetrate into the religious conscience of persons (whether of age or underage) of another faith, for the purpose of consciously altering their religious conscience or faith, so as to agree with the ideas or convictions of the proselytizing party should be absolutely prohibited. And (10) Suitable control on conversions brought about through illegal means should be imposed. If necessary Legislative measures should be enacted. These recommendations were later reflected in the 1968 anti-conversion law, albeit in a much watered down form. As we shall see later, the Niyogi Committee, not only contributed in shaping the anti-conversion laws in India, it also gave flesh and blood to the Savarkars and Gowalkars unconvincing attitude towards the Christians. Needless to say that the recommendations of the Niyogi Committee were completely unconstitutional. The demands of the Hindu right wingers that were rejected in the Constituent Assemble Debates  namely, to drop the word propagate from the article on freedom of religion alongside right to freely profess and practice from that article and not to recognize even voluntary conversions of persons below the age of 18 with the consent of the parents of  was sought to be re-introduce through the recommendations of the Niyogi Committee and the anti-conversion laws. Mark the italic words above in the recommendation No. 5 (italics supplied)

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The Niyogi Committee discusses the background in which it was appointed by the State Govt. after going through the files made available to it. The Congress Party had committed itself to linguistic states. There were agitations all over the country to demand linguistic states. As the immediate cause which ultimately led to our appointment, states Niyogi Committee in II Chapter or Part I, Vol. I, was the activities of some Mission organizations in the recently Merged States of Raigarh, Udaipur, Jashpur and Surguja, it will be useful to describe the principal or [the] root causes of whatever trouble was reported in the integrated States soon after their merger on 1st January, 1948. In the adivasi (indigenous people) dominated districts, the adivasis were agitating for Jharkhand State, and if that was not possible to achieve, they wanted the districts falling in the Chhattisgarh region of the Madhya Pradesh state to be part of Bihar state. The Niyogi Committee perceived this as a Christian Conspiracy!! It states in Chapter II, part-I Vol. I,

At the All-India Adiwasis conference on 14th January, of 1948, called by Mr. Jaipal Singh, speeches after speeches were made narrating the disadvantages and worries associated with the merger of the States with Madhya Pradesh and the benefits accruing from their amalgamation with Bihar. Two Christians and a non-Christian were appointed propagandists to carry on pro-Bihar agitation. The Committee then lists instances of meetings organised by Christian priests in support of either merger with Bihar or creation of Jharkhand. The Committee nowhere enlightens us as to why it considers the demand for Jharkhand or merger with State of Bihar as a Christian demand rather than demands of the adivasis of the region, in which, Christians also participated along with the rest as advasis, and their participation was as adivasis rather than as Christians.

The Politicians in Bhopal considered this as anti-national and anti-state activity in any case. As the national leaders of the Indian National Congress Party had promised linguistic re-organisation of the states and the Constitution of India guaranteed the liberties available to the citizens under a liberal democracy, they were more open and tolerant to such agitations. The interests of the politicians sitting in Bhopal were under threat and therefore were extremely hostile to any demand merging the Chhattisgarh region of MP with Bihar or creation of Jharkhand state. However, the political space available to brand a movement that was demanding linguistic re-organisation of MP state as anti-national was extremely limited. As some of the leaders demanding Jharkhand were Christians, the Politicians in Bhopal could brand the entire movement as anti-national and a Christian conspiracy. Attempt was made to draw parallels between the Christian demand of Jharkhand with Muslim conspiracy to create Pakistan. With the hindsight, today we do have Jharkhand State, and it was created with full support of the BJP  the Hindu right wing political party, and nobody called it anti-national demand or a Christian conspiracy. Although the present boundaries of Jharkhand state are truncated from the state that the adivasis were agitating for, without the districts from the Chattisgarh region. The Niyogi Committee without any credible material concluded apriori the demand for Jharkhand State or merger of Chhattisgarh region with Bihar state as a conspiracy by Christians to maintain a toe hold in the newly formed state. Interestingly, the Niyogi Committee itself notes that the Christian demand of merger with Bihar was supported by the premier of Bihar (and he could neither be branded as anti-national nor part of conspiracy). The Resolution appointing the Niyogi Committee repeated the apprehensions of the Bhopal govt. The Resolution stated the cause behind appointment of the Niyogi Committee as Whereas representations have been made to Government from time to time that Christian Missionaries, either forcibly or through fraud and temptations of monetary and other gain, convert illiterate aboriginals and other backward people thereby offending the feelings of non-Christians; And whereas it has further been represented that Missions are utilised directly or indirectly for purposes of political or extra-religious objectives.

Guided by the files made available by the state Govt. of MP, and the rather vague terms of reference Niyogi (the Committee nowhere states the terms of reference in its report), formulated a questionnaire which was to be answered by several respondents. The Church enthusiastically participated initially in the Enquiry, however it withdrew after the Questionnaire was framed writing to the Committee that it will not be able to continue its participation in the Enquiry. The Questionnaire administered is also not made part of the otherwise extensive appendix. The only plausible cause of withdrawal of the church seems to have been that there must have been some prejudice in structuring the Questionnaire.

The Niyogi Committee then enlists the growing services of the Christian missionaries and the number of beneficiaries of these services in various districts of MP, particularly in the districts that it visited and studied  Viz. Raigarh, Surguja, Raipur, Bilaspur, Amravati, Nimar, Yeotmal, Akola, Buldana, Mandla, Jabalpur, Betul, Chhindwara and Balaghat. It gives instances of growing foreign aid to the institutions run by the missionaries (without comparing with similar institutions run by non-missionary organisations, if any). The services enlisted by the Niyogi Committee rendered in the aforesaid districts include Hospitals, educational institutions and orphanages. With growing foreign aid and growing coverage of the beneficiaries of these institutions, the Niyogi Committee without any material or substantial basis comes to the conclusion these institutions employ large army of pracharaks who indulge in conversions. For Niyogi Committee, it was sufficient that missionaries were indulging in proselytization and it did not feel any further need to examine whether the proselytization was by force, fraud or coercion or by free will, particularly where the adivasis are concerned. Running Hospitals, old age ashrams, educational institutions, orphanages and other such institutions was synonymous to conversions and conversions to Christianity was necessarily only due to the benefits that accrued from the institutions, or by fraud or by force. Interest free money lending is considered another tool for conversion by Christian missionaries based on an isolated deposition where the beneficiary said that he converted after getting the loan.

The Niyogi Committee further draws a dangerous conclusion, again without any basis that conversion to Christianity leads to shift in national loyalty. Savarkar and Golwalkar were proponents of this line of thinking. Niyogi Committee in recommendations says As conversion muddles the converts sense of unity and solidarity with his society, there is a danger of his loyalty to his country and State being undermined.

The Recommendations of the Niyogi Committee too are controversial and unconstitutional. It recommended that the Missionaries be asked to withdraw which is against the Art. 25 of the Constitution of India that not only accepts propagation of religion, it accepts rights even of foreign nationals to propagate their religion. It demand Indianization of Church and calls upon church to severe all its relations with any such body abroad. This demand was repeated by K. Sudarshan, the Sar Sangh Chalak after Kandhamal violence in 2007 and 2008.


Help India!

By Adnan Alavi,

Bollyood actor Emraan Hashmi has said that he was denied a flat at Pali Hills in Mumbai because of his religion. He says that he was advised to buy it in his wifes name [she is a Hindu].

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I have written several posts on this issue in the past couple of years. Yes, its a major problem but it becomes a news when a celebrity says it. Shabana Azami said it once and it had generated a big debate.

TV Actor Amir Khan [not the film star] had approached court when he was denied a house by a residential society. And now its Emraan Hashmi.

Frankly, he has fat pockets and can get a flat at ten other locations. His grievance is genuine but his victimhood may not elicit empathy*. However, it is a different matter that this is now a national problem and the real victims are poor and middle-class families. Not just Muslims, earlier it was the Sikh community that faced this problem [post 1984] and later other groups have also faced it.

Certain groups also try to keep Bengalis, Christians and other [non-vegetarians] out. There are prejudices in our society and there is no limit to that. Its not just minorities, its everybodyranging from a North Indian in Maharashtra to a South Indian in North, or the North Eastern girls in Delhi.

The only positive thing, which I can see in this controversy, is that the problem will get highlighted once again. But I dont expect the dumb politicians to do something about it. On NDTV, Rajiv Pratap Rudy was unwilling to listen. Salman Khurshid tried to tread middle path but had no solution. There was Shahid Siddiqui also on the panel but apart from the heated exchanges, nothing emerged of it.

What the government can do?

Personally I feel that the government can do a lot to change the situation. Cant they offer some privileges and concessions to such societies that will keep a few minorities (cultural and religious) as members. Besides, if government just offers 10% discount in registry or reduction in other taxes if the builder manages to have more than 10-20% people belonging to different communities. Thats my suggestion. Surely the experts can come up with more and much better ways.

It will stop the ghettoisation. And also lead to integration. There should be colonies where South Indians, Bengalis, Punjabis, Gujaratis live together along side. Unfortunately, there is a tendency that people tend to form their own ghettoessome do it willingly while others are forced to do it.

For example in most cities there is a trend that a community, say, Kayasthas would go for a colony where all Srivastavas, Saxenas, Nigams, Bhatnagars would live and also have a Chitragupta Mandir. Similarly, many of the Gujaratis, the Jains, the Telugus, the Punjabis also for same.

Muslims are probably the worst victim of this discrimination. But it is a problem that warrants action from the government, as well as the society. Unfortunately the celebrities are happy in their cocoon of comfort and when they get a feel of real life, they get hurt.

And when they speak up, it becomes an issue for a while. But after a couple of days of discussions on TV channels and editorials in newspapers, everybody will once again forget it. We, Indians, are known for the chalta hai attitude.

We dont want a Keralite!

A Malayali family was about to shift into their new house when they received a call. The lady who called up had the guts to ask the family, to find a house somewhere else. The Malayali Hindu family was flabbergasted. How can someone has the audacity.

But the lady on phone went on. We are veggies and came to know that you are going to occupy the house in our neighbourhood. So we thought that we should inform you and tell that you might find some other house.

This happend to my friend. His sister, who was naturally angry, blasted the lady. Incidentally, here the houses were located at a distance, as it was not a multi-storey building where flats are often too close.

Incidentally, the lady who made the phone call was Jain. So here it was a member of majority community ie Hindu Malayalis asked to remain out of a society. It is also an example of biases.

Now. Back to Emraan Hashmi*. Yes, he can afford to buy flats and pay huge rents. So he is probably not a sufferer in that sense. Because the real victim is the one who cant pay higher price and wonders whether he should take his family to footpath when he doesnt get a house on rent due to his religion.

They are the real sufferers. Well, at least eight out of ten persons will refuse to give their house to a Muslim. It has been a personal experience. If they are polite they will say that they cant accommodate a non-vegetarian. Some are direct and say it on your face.

You feel humiliated and rejected. For cine stars, this sort of rejection is rare and this hurts their ego. However, the communal division in cities has worsened in the last two decades and it needs to be tackled seriously.

Muslim Imran Hashmi

It may be harsh on Hashmi but someone may ask where was Mr Hashmi, when others were discriminated or persecuted in his own city and backyard. Others may include Muslims in Gujarat carnage. Wasnt he a Muslim then? Why he didnt speak for other victims.

The others would include Christians who were attacked in Orissa or say North Indians getting beaten up in Maharashtra and Dalits facing atrocities elsewhere. True, most of the people speak only when they face a problem, else they dont bother.

The problem lies in the fact that everybody would play victim but nobody would start or at least support a movement of civil rights. [Though this is ridiculous to expect someone to become an activist before raising an issue concerning himself, Celina Jaitley must be lauded for her conviction as she spoke for gays. All of us could well learn from her.]

Also, there is a right-wing line that if you speak of bias, you are playing the minority victim card. Thats also unfair. Everybody is entitled to raise their issues, especially when their fundamental rights are curbed.

There are some guys who dont like this issue raised at all by a Muslim. The plea is that, If there was a bias, how come he became a star. All these years his films were watched and he made moolah but never complained of it. The truth is that we are a complex societyliberal and conservative at the same time.

Muslims may be celebrated as heroes but perhaps, may not be fit for being next door neighbours or acceptable as a son-in-law [Horror!]. Again, its not for Muslims alone. Apart from castes and regions, [dark complexioned or non-English speakers, just to name a few] also face different sort of biases in various strata of society ranging from marriage to job.

The sufferers will continue to suffer and Indian cities will keep getting divided and demarcated among religious lines, unless we all realise, react and raise the issue forcing the government to take a serious note of it.

Hashmi has done well to approach the Minority Commission. People tend to be biased but institutional bias is criminal and against the spirit of constitution. We are a multi-cultural society and this is our greatest strength. Bigoted builders and communal colonisers must not be allowed to tamper with Indias social fabric.

Adnan Alavi blogs at http://www.anindianmuslim.com


Help India!

By Mohammad Shahanshah Ansari,

In a great development for PIL lodged in Supreme Court by Akhil Maharastra Khatik Samaj (AMKS) for inclusion of Dalit Muslims in Scheduled Caste category, the apex court last week ordered Union of India to file counter affidavit to the writ petition 13 of 2008 within the granted period of four weeks. Respondent(s) Additional Solicitor General Mr Mohan Parasaran from Union of India appeared before the Supreme Court to reply to the PIL on 31st July 2009, while Adv. Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed was present from the petitioners side. The petition was filed by AMKS on 25th January 2008 seeking inclusion of Dalit Muslims in the Scheduled Caste category. It is happening for the first time in last full one year that someone from Union of India has responded to this petition. It is a positive path breaking achievement for this case.

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Mr. Shamsuddin Shaikh, Chariman of Akhil Maharastra Khatik Samaj has said that they are fighting for Dalit Muslim rights for more than a decade and have now filed this petition in hope of seeking justice from the Honble Supreme Court. It is noteworthy that from 1935 to 1950 all Dalits irrespective of their religion were provided with reservations. However, on January 26, 1950 when constitution of India came into force an order was passed by then president of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad limiting the reservation to only Hindu Dalits, clearly prohibiting the provision of article 341 which states that all scheduled castes should be provided with reservation. The Presidential Order 1950 denies inclusion of Dalits of any community other than Hindu in the Scheduled Castes category. The third paragraph of the order says, notwithstanding anything contained in para 2, no person who professes a religion different from Hinduism shall be deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Castes. This part of the order runs contrary to the provisions of Articles 14 (equality before the law), 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion) and 25 (freedom to profess and practice any religion) of the same Constitution.







The situation clearly calls for the amendment of the Constitution of India, only then the Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians can be included among the scheduled castes. If it happens, it would not be the first time. The relevant part of the Constitution containing the order has already been amended twice: first in 1956 and second in 1990. Through these amendments, Sikhs and Buddhists respectively were included in the Scheduled Caste category and thus they were allowed to avail the benefits of reservation. Hence Dalit muslims should also be provided with the benefit of reservations and other privileges as scheduled castes as the presidential order of 1950 is unconstitutional. The only reason why Dalit belonging to other communities are progressing is due to reservation where as the condition of Dalit Muslims is turning worse day by day in the lack of same. Atrocities against Dalit Muslim is continuing even today.

Dalit Muslims deserve scheduled caste reservation as they are not only engaged in the same profession as Dalit Hindus but also undergo the same social discrimination as their counterpart Dalit Hindus. The status of Dalit Muslims which include Nutt, Bakkho, Khatik, Bhatiyara, Kunjra, Dhunia, Kalal, Dafali, Halakhor, Dhobi, Gorkan, Meershikar, Rangrz, Darji, Mochis, Mukris and Garudis etc. is turning worse day by day.

Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed, advocate in Supreme Court in the above case pointed towards Ranganath Mishra Commission Report which has also recommended SC status for Dalit Muslims. Keeping this recommendation in consideration Central Government should amend the self contrasting constitution and implement this recommendation without any further delay in interest of lakhs of discriminated and deprived people.

We hope that Union of India will take the objective of this case seriously and understand the suffering of all those 35 dalit Muslim castes among Muslims who are in no better condition than other Dalits and grant schedule caste status to this marginalised section of society.

[Photo: www.firozeshakir.com]
Help India!

By Dr. Mookhi Amir Ali,

If you want honey, it is said, do not kick the beehive. Kick the beehive is exactly what Emraan Hashmi did when he wanted a particular flat in a particular building. He was refused an NOC by the Housing Society without which the flat cannot be transferred to him. He had reasons to believe that he was denied the NOC because of his being a Muslim. He, in the company of Mahesh Bhatt in front of NDTV camera, went to town on secularism and communal virus etc. Unfortunately their eloquence sounded like the diatribe against majority community and an allegation against one community of persecuting the other.

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A complaint has been lodged against Emraan Hashmi under relevant sections. To add to his own woe, Emraan has no proof of being discriminated against on the basis of religion. Society has denied the charge. Emraan Hashmi has a lot to wriggle out from and he eventually will and put the episode behind him.

What he is not going to forget easily is the double whammy he received from Mumbai film industrys Khan duo; Shahrukh and Salman. They said what Emraan Hashmi is complaining about is something unheard of. It is strange coming from the Khans because they should surely know that there are others, like Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar in the industry, who have experienced the exclusion which Hashmi did. Perhaps the Khans mean to tell us that Muslims should not, forever, keep on whining and that they should ask themselves why it is happening and how to go about setting things right. The two Khans are intelligent people and the community is proud of them. Surely, they should know that if we remain in total denial of the problem, the problem is not going to run away.

The problem which Emraan claims to have faced is an age old problem in the city of Mumbai and elsewhere. Forty years ago my next door neighbour [Agarwal Saab, to me.] repeatedly got assurance from the builder/seller of the flat that there were no Muslims in the building before he bought and occupied the flat next to me, a Muslim. That my family and Agarwal Saabs family lived like one family for two decades and that, after forty long years, my child and his children exchange regular messages across continents is a different story.

Like Khans of Bollywood I have had an excellent experience from the Hindu community. Born and brought up in a place where there was no Muslim house within a kilometre, I have spent my childhood playing in Hindus houses. Almost all of my classmates, teachers, friends, colleagues and clients have been Hindus. I have lived for nearly forty years as the only Muslim in a housing society. My religion has been much respected by my Hindu neighbours as, indeed, I have respected theirs. My Hindu neighbours and Hindu colleagues would say sorry before taking their cup of tea to the lips in the month of Ramazan. I have been the permanent invitee to puja in all houses. Much loved and much accepted as their own by Hindus, I sing paeans to their tolerant spirit and their inclusiveness and large-heartedness and feel fortunate to be the citizen of the secular India.

However, it does not make sense to be in such a vehement denial of the realities which the wonderful young men Shahrukh and Salman apparently are. I was heartbroken when I went looking for a flat to buy, as my own building was being redeveloped. Emraan Hashmi was not given the NOC to buy the flat he wanted, but he was not told on his face that the reason for refusal was his faith. I was told so on my face. I saw to my dismay that there are many buildings in the suburbs of Mumbai that do not want a Muslim inmate. There are vast areas where groups of Housing Societies have jointly decided not to let a Muslim live in their locality. Local estate agents have been instructed not to bring in Muslim buyers. In one suburb an estate agent rattled the names of the buildings which were out of bound for Muslims. All this hurt me no end. I have not discussed this with any of my Hindu friends. I have felt embarrassed and humiliated to face the fact that my community is so expansively shunned. But unless the community continuously wants to wallow in the quagmire it is in, it must rise and face the facts, do some soul-searching, go into the reasons of their malady and do some course-correction. The likes of Shahrukh, Salman, Saif and Shabana should take the lead.

The following are a few lines from Dr. Rafiq Zakarias book Communal Rage in Secular India.

They should do some introspection and ask whether they have genuinely tried to contribute to the strengthening of Hindu-Muslim relations since Partition. The answer will be no. (Page 191)

Indian Muslims must open their eyes to the ground reality that an increasing number of Hindus have begun to hate them. (Page 193). This is not confined to a small section; it has infected the rich as much as the poor; men as much as women; the young as much as the old; even children are no longer free from it. (Page 201)

This is the ugly reality that Muslims have to face in todays India. They have to do their best to bring about a change in the hostile attitude of the communal Hindus towards them. This is as much in their interest as that of the nation. Muslims continue to live in a make-believe world of their own. [Page 202]

(The author is a social activist and freelance writer based in Mumbai)
Help India!

By Quamar Ashraf,

Vir Sanghvis article, The Curious Case of Indian Liberals in his Sundays Counterpoint column needs to be analyzed objectively. He has unjustifiably criticized liberals for their approach on issues that do not directly concern the subjectfreedom of expression.

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To put it precisely, the issue of women reservation bill or BJP love with Varun Gandhi is purely of political nature and should be viewed accordingly. Indeed, BJPs love with Varun Gandhi does not bar the party to oppose Emergency. A son may not necessarily buy the views of his father or vice versa.







Sanghvis condemnations of liberals for duality in view of Nepali and Bangladeshi migration workers too are equally ill-assessed. For, there are intrinsic differences between Bangladeshi migrants and Nepali migrants in the face of spate of terrorist strikes in the eastern region and other parts of India. Liberalism without logic and reason does not have any place in modern society. Individual freedom mustnt make one insensitive towards other individuals or groups. His idea of liberalism explicitly seeks complete freedom, to put it in another word, wilderness, at the cost of illogically hurting the sentiments of millions. Not possible in civilized world.

He has, however, rightly questioned the purpose of women reservation bill. For, if the purpose of the Bill is to provide adequate representation of women, then the focus should be laid on them only, and not on their castes. A woman from either backward caste or disadvantaged section is after all a woman which will only help the cause of womens empowerment. Rather, it would be beneficial for disadvantage groups as well as the women simultaneously. For, purpose of an action is judged by the intention.

But, unfortunately he ignored the same measure while dealing with M F Hussains nude painting of a Hindu deity or visual depiction of the last Prophet of Islam. Mixing these issues are not factually justified and should be viewed altogether differently. As far as nude depiction of a Hindu deity by Hussain is concerned, much of identity-politics is mixed. A Muslim painting a Hindu deity is one reason of the outburst. If the protest against the painting is really based on religious belief, then it must be substantiated with scriptures or sayings. But, I believe, even if the scriptures are silent, there has to be some decency in depiction of a woman, leave a deity alone. And the decency is decided by the collective conscience of a society. Hundreds of nude portrayals of Hindu deities are scattered, but they are the asset of history and should be perceived in the then socio-religious context. By and large in our social setting, nude depiction of any woman, for that matter, is perceived as bad. Indian constitution also approves of this, of course, with some ifs and buts. His suggestion that those hurt by Hussains painting should not watch is naive. After all, an art is not made to keep within the confinement of any boundary. This is greater damage to the art itself. And the painting of a Hindu deity was, I suppose, primarily made to communicate those who identify or linked themselves with it. However, as far as Islam is concerned, it is totally opposed to paintings of any living being. Thus, Hussains painting has nothing to do with Islam.

Further, Sanghvi goes on to raise a hypothetical situation about the visual depiction of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). The prophets ideology, or say Islam, is well-defined and documented. Without doubt, Islam is strictly opposed to Prophets visual depiction in any form and the Muslim world over adhered to it. Despite knowing the fact, if somebody does it, it is bound to hurt Muslims sentiment. First of all, visual representation of the Prophet is not possible. For, there are set of images of known personalities in peoples mind based on the imagination of the artists who paint them first. Nobody in recorded memory has ever seen Ram, but Hindus worship his idol perceiving Ram. In fact, it is an imagination of the first artist who made the sculptor/idol of Ram perceiving him like that.

Then, human beings innate desire to worship an image paved the way for idolatry which Islam strictly prohibits. So Muslims never felt the need for any picture as worshipping even the Prophet is not permitted. If one really wants to paint prophets picture, he can do it simply by inscribing prophets name on any picture sporting beard and turban. But this is not enough, I suppose.

There is certainly possibility of differences in human existence. But how the differences should be criticized and communicated has to be guarded by utter civility. The Danish cartoon missed it. No society, in modern times, can afford to close the door of criticism. But, equally, there is a set of language and manner to express differences. The modern civilized society approves of it, with a few aberrations. The case of Hindu-Muslim in the country going along for centuries with their quite separate religious identities is a unique example of mutual regard. One is totally opposed to idolatry, called as (butshikan, idol breaker) the other is idolater, called as (butparast, idol worshipper). Both are sensitive to each others feeling. The degree of sensitivity, however, determines the values of a society.

The cliche freedom of expression is too obscure to define. It can be plainly maintained that it must be guaranteed but not at the cost of questioning and obliterating the very existence of an individuals identity and his moral, social and political lineage. Even in modern world, every individual or group has his national heroes and symbols. Any criticism, let alone indecent one, of these symbolic icons can evoke unrest and mar relations.

(The author is a Delhi-based journalist)
Help India!

By Mubasshir Mushtaq,

The collective Muslim response to dropping of MCOCA against Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and company may have confused ordinary Indians but this response is a mirror image of decades of cries for justice. It encompasses and narrates the story of decades of bias, hate, neglect and subjugation openly practiced by communal forces and at times by the state apparatus directly. It captures the mood of a downtrodden and penniless Mussalman. There is indeed a sense of victimhood among Muslims, but too is not misplaced. Exaggeration of victimhood is a natural corollary to the events that unfolded on the night of Independence Day and continue to reoccur in various forms and manifestations till today.

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There was a time when riots were a means of terror. And this terror was being implemented with a sickening regularity. In the beginning, riots were sporadic, localized and controllable but this changed in post-Nehru era. As eminent historian Mushirul Hasan writes, Riots at Aligarh, Kanpur, Meerut, Moradabad in UP, Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, Baroda and Surat in Gujarat, were bloodier, more widespread, and extended over weeks and months. Post-Babri and Gujarat 2002 riots are the finest example of this phenomenon. What more, this phenomenon was being helped and abetted by the State governments. As India entered into internet and 247 eras, it became extremely difficult to engineer riots. (Gujarat genocide of 2002 is an exception but then it has been heavily documented. It is precisely for this reason that Narendra Modis role is being investigated).







The Muslim answer to the riots came in the form of serial bomb blasts. Dawood Ibrahim pioneered this trend at such a time when Muslim self-esteem was below the belt. He successfully channalised Muslim despair into violence which turned to be fatal for the community in the long-run. Dawoods one-single devilish idea has uncorked blocked arteries of Hindu fundamentalists! Bombs began to explode in Hindu as well as Muslim neighbourhood wearing the cloak of anonymity. Investigating agencies only gave a Muslim name to this anonymity and the Hindu remained anonymous till the Sadhvi episode. It was being implemented to redress a communitys grievance that it has been denied justice. Bomb-plotters of 1993 have been punished by Indias judicial system. Judiciary deserves a standing ovation for this feat. The culprits of 2003 twin blasts have been punished. But judiciary behaves like a toddler when it comes to punishing the rioters. A toddler cannot do anything without the help of his parents! (read executive). To an average Muslim, it is natural to ask: Is judiciary biased? Does it only favour the majority community?

The seeds of anger breed despair. And despair did begin to crawl in the Muslim mind. Despair can be a deadly weapon as senior journalist Shoma Chaudhury writes, When you lose faith that a system will protect and play fair by you, it breeds fatal recklessness. It makes you abdicate from the rules that cement human relations. Despair can turn you from citizen to perpetrator. From the hunted to the hunter.

Meanwhile the trend of exploding bomb was being implemented by Hindu zealots as well. The myth that bomb blasts are only a Muslim specialty was ripped apart only in 2008 when Hemant Karkares ATS decided to lift the curtain from the hidden Hindu fundamentalists. Anonymity finally got another name. The long list of deadly masterminds (Safdar Nagori, Maulana Haleem, Mufti Abu Bashr, Atif Ameen etc) got another names in the form Sadhvi and Colonel Purohit. Bomb blasts of Hyderabad, Delhi, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Malegaon 2006 had only the Muslim names. Malegaon 2008 revealed a Hindu name for the first time although the same set of elements have been targeting mosques and other places in the Marthwada region (Parbhani, Purna, Jalna, Nanded) since 2003.

There was a full stop to a long sentence of despair.

Muslims once again regained faith in Maharashtras premier terror agency. The one single act of arresting Sadhvi and the company began to erase decades of mistrust. Hate, revenge, bias and injustice began to evaporate from the Muslim mind and then came the first judicial jolt which paralysed the Muslim psyche. For the first time, Indian Muslims had got an opportunity to prove their innocence. To prove that bombs-making techniques are not taught in their madrasas and homes alone. Temples and Ashrams too have been used as a terror factory. They rightly raised the issue that there was not a single blast after the arrests of Sadhvi.

The first test of sincerity of ATS will be proved in Bombay High Court or Supreme Court of India. The real test of ATS will be the conviction of all the accused of Malegaon 2008 blast; be it under MCOCA or under Indian Penal Code (IPC). If the grave charges of the ATS is to be believed, all the accused can be easily convicted under IPC. Conviction and not the legislation will be the litmus test for the ATS. And even after all this, if ATS fails to convict the accused then they will be remembered as an anti-Muslim agency like Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) of yesterday years which has slaughtered many Muslims of UP in the riots of 70s and 80s. In his book, New Wave of Violence, C.F. Rustamji quotes a senior police official as: I have watched with dismay during the year 1982, the conversion of the Uttar Pradesh PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) from the model force that I worked with in the fifties to a unit which is feted by the Hindus and hated by the Muslims in the towns of Uttar Pradesh.

ATS cant afford to be compared to dreaded PAC. Krish Pal Raghuvanshi can still save his team and men-in-khaki from the bad name.

The seeds of anger and despair have been planted on the soil of Malegaon. It should not turn into a volcano.

[Photo: www.outlookindia.com]
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New Delhi : A court here on Saturday dropped charges against suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) bomb maker Abdul Karim Tunda in 1998 case under the Explosive Substance Act  the fourth case he was facing.

Tunda, one of the 20 terrorists whom India had asked Pakistan to hand over after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, was chargesheeted by Delhi Police in four cases and with Saturday courts order, he has been discharged in all.

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On April 23 last year, another Delhi court dropped charges against Tunda in connection with two separate blast cases  the October 28, 1997 blast in Karol Bagh and October 1, 1997 explosion in Sadar Bazar.

Another court on March 10 last year also discharged the Tunda, accused under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act, the Arms Act and for criminal conspiracy.

A sessions judge on Saturday discharged Tunda, accused of waging war against India under the Indian Penal Code and under the various provisions of Explosive Substance Act, observing that there lack of evidence to prove the allegations against him.

According to informed sources, two people were arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the case in 1998.

Police have also recovered explosive substances from the arrested accused.

Police has said that during investigation it was revealed that arrested accused were planning terror strikes in India to avenge the Babri Masjid demolition and Tunda was the mastermind of the plan.

Advocate M.S. Khan, defence counsel of Tunda told court that there is no evidence to bear out the allegations against his client and he was falsely implicated.

Though Tunda got relief in the fourth case, he has to remain in jail as he was named as an accused in 33 other bomb blast cases across India between 1994 and 1998, 22 of which occurred in Delhi.

However, Delhi Police has filed chargesheet against Tunda in only four cases and he gor relief in all four cases.

The detail order of the case will be released later.


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By TCN News

London: Casteism exists and flourishes not only in India but even in the Diaspora based in UK, where discrimination among Hindus and Sikhs is rampant and a hidden apartheid exists here as well, a meeting at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, revealed.

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The meeting was organised by South Asia Solidarity Group, CasteWatch UK and SOAS South Asian Diaspora Society, coinciding with the day of action in solidarity with students in India on March 2. The meeting was addressed by Sat Pal Muman, Chairperson, CasteWatch UK and Kavita Krishnan of the Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) and former Joint Secretary JNU Students Union.

In his shockingly revealing speech, Munan said that questions about ones caste are raised in factories where drinking fountains are segregated, in schools low caste children are bullied and in shops cashiers refuse to serve them while in jobs promotion is denied to them.

Munan said that it was after an intensive and long battle that Anti- Caste Discrimination was incorporated in Section 9(5) of the Equality Act 2010 but the Hindu right in UK has sabotaged its implementation.

According to Munan, caste supremacists have gone as far as targeting the MPs who support the implementation of the legislation and have succeeded in manipulating members of Parliament instilling in them the fear of losing votes.

Our war on Caste has brought these reactionaries together who want to continue to discriminate. I find it difficult to understand why Hindus, Sikhs and Jains in the guise of Dharmic communities are opposing our call to implement caste discrimination legislation, he said.

Citing the example of the fascist mind-set of caste supremacist Munan referred to a meeting in Leicester wherein Dr Prakash Shah, Reader in Culture and Law at Queen Mary University of London, called Dr Ambedkar an idiot while another person, Mr Gautam Sen, warned that Hindu groups would oppose the legislation to the last drop of our blood.

In her wide-ranging speech, Kavita Krishnan said that a new awakening is taking place in India and its impact was first noticed in the recent Bihar Assembly elections in which candidates who had made alliance with BJP in the past were shunned by the voters. The death of Rohith Vemula, she said, has exposed the systematic and institutionalised attempts to crush Dalit students in India and this assault has been intensified under the BJP government using groups like the ABVP.

Kavita said that the attempts to muzzle and annihilate the movement by JNU students, large number of whom are from Dalit and poor families, is part of the same systematic pattern which began with the banning of Ambedkarite students.

She added, This movement has now got a new energy and gone beyond being a student movement. It has also led to an inspiring coming together of multiple Ambedkarite and left perspectives. What we are witnessing now is an all out attack on the Constitution and an attempt to appropriate Ambedkar.

Kavita said that the insistence of Modi that he comes from low caste background is nothing but an attempt to divert public attention from his crimes committed during 2002 Gujarat Massacre. She said he is mischievously trying to appropriate Dr Ambedkar so much so that he penned an article in Gujarati about Golwalkar in which he lists some great men of India; and among them Ambedkar is described as a modern Manu, despite the fact that Ambedkar had recommended burning the Manusmriti.

In an expression of solidarity with JNU students participants in the packed hall posed together for a photograph with placards demanding the dropping of all sedition and other motivated charges against JNU students, scrapping of the colonial sedition law and the enactment of a Rohith Act to protect Dalit students.


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By Twocircles.net Staff Reporter

Delhi: If you think that the JNU case was an egg on the face of Delhi Police, what would you say if we tell you that a Special Judge in Delhi Court just discharged one of Indias most wanted men in the fourth and final case filed against him by the Delhi Police? Discharged means that the court sought it unfit, based on the charge sheet filed by the Special Cell of the Delhi, to even proceed to trial against Tunda in the case. And this, against a man who was one of the 20 terrorists India had asked Pakistan to hand over after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

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There have been many labels for Tunda, one worse than the other: he has been called the LeTs Walking Encyclopaedia he has been called the Bomb Expert and a variety of names deemed fit for the most notorious criminals. And so it seems even today, with all headlines bearing LeT bomber in its headline, with allegedly of course. But if one were to break down the whole process: from filing FIRs to the actual cases, the truth might be extremely different; and unpleasant for many.

MS Khan, the defence counsel, spoke to Twocircles at length over the most recent case. The earlier three casesthe Sadar Bazaar case, the Karol Bagh bombing, and the TADA caseall from the 90s, had already been quashed by the court. This now becomes the fourth and final case that Tunda has beaten before it reached even the trial. Delhi police had filed an FIR under the Explosives Act and for leading a terrorist conspiracy against India, but an additional sessions judge of Patiala House court noted that there was no prima facie evidence against him to proceed to trial.

But this is not the end: for the past 20 years or so, Tunda has been villanised to a point, where it is nearly impossible to even argue in his favour, and MS Khan experienced then when he took up Tundas cases after his arrest in 2013.

The only problem was that even Khan, his defence counsel, was initially unaware of how many cases had been lodged against Tunda. I had to file a special request with the Delhi Police, who, after much deliberation, revealed that Tundas name appears in a total of 33 FIRs across the country, with about 21 of them filed by the Delhi Police, he says. Of the 21 however, the Special Police was able to prepare a charge sheet in only four cases: all have now been dismissed.

But as is often the case with Muslims accused of terrorism, the word of the Police was taken as gospel never to be questioned. So, while India Today in 2013 told its readers about Tundas literary flair, another website One India offers a one-stop destination for all you want to know about Tunda. Except, maybe, explain if there is a chance that he is awaiting trial. But in what seems to be a growing trend, a Muslim accused is seen as a Muslim convicted, unless time proves otherwise.

Not that todays court decision makes any tangible difference to Tunda. He still has cases pending in Sonepat Blasts and another case in Ghaziabad, and will continue to remain in judicial custody. Khan added that the evidence produced by the Special Cell was so weak that it is unlikely that they would file an appeal against the present order.

But given the number of FIRs against Tunda, it is extremely possible that he may never be a free man.

Irrespective of that, the fact that today, the court refused to even entertain the appeal for a trial of Tunda is a damning evidence of the difference between what Delhi Police says, and actually proves.

Remember, Tunda, if media is to be believed, is one of the biggest threats to this countrys security. Google Abdul Karim Tunda arrested and from videos to articles, almost all echo what the Delhi Police has to say. In this video from ABP News, the Special Commissioner of Special Cell, Delhi Police, SN Srivastava, said that We have been told that he has association with Dawood. We are looking into the matter, and questioning is on. Based on this, and of course, anonymous sources, the 9-minute video does a brilliant job in disguising all anonymous source-based information as truth. He had been arrested and awaited trial, but on television, his trial had been completed. He was friends with all the top terrorists: Dawood Ibrahim, Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed, etcThere was nothing more to investigate.

Except the small matter of the legal processes that need to be followed. Which have now shown the truth, albeit something that will be, in all likelihood, ignored mostly by the Media?

India News went a bit further. It even reported, based on a source, of course, that Tunda has said ki Jail se Nikla to fir Dhamaake Karunga

What will happen to Tunda now? That remains to be seen. But the legal process has once again separated the myth from the truth. Not that it matters much in the present context.
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New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said a nation is always empowered by its women.

Nation is always empowered by its women. It is she who nurtures a citizen as a mother. These empowered citizens eventually make an empowered country, Modi said, addressing the National Women Legislators Conference in the central hall of Parliament.

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Women representatives from both the houses of parliament, state legislative assemblies and councils attended the two-day conference that concluded on Sunday.

The prime minister said the country must think beyond women development, and move towards women-led development.

The prime minister said multitasking, considered to be a very important element of modern day management, comes naturally to women.

Congratulating Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for her leadership and vision to organise the conference, the prime minister said in addition to the structured component of such events, experiences shared informally among delegates are also extremely enriching.

Women have higher success ratio despite the fewer opportunities they get in comparison to men. Women need to recognise themselves and their strength and feel confident about it, Modi said.

You will recognise your strength only when you encounter a challenge. So, our women must use the challenges they face to empower themselves, he added.

Women are better in adopting technologies than men. They are specially gifted by god in this aspect, Modi said.

The prime minister urged the women legislators to engage with their constituents using technology. He described his own experience in this regard, and spoke of the enriching thoughts and views he has been receiving through the MyGov platform and Narendra Modi App.
It is well established that erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share common pathophysiological mechanisms and often coincide. Despite this, there is paucity of data in regards to clear clinical guidelines detailing when and how to evaluate for ED in patients with known CVD, or vice versa. This systematic and comprehensive review discuss the role of cardiologists and urologists in the characterization of risk and management of CVD in the setting of ED, as well as contrasting the current evaluation of CVD and ED from the standpoint of published consensus statements, particularly, the 2012 Princeton III Consensus and the 2013 joint American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline statement.

In this systematic review, a detailed, comprehensive literature review was performed to identify all published peer-reviewed articles in the English language describing ED and CVD across various disciplines. The search was conducted using the MEDLINE database, the Cochrane Library Central Search, and the Web of Science. Initial search terms were ED and CVD. Search results were screened for appropriate studies with particular emphasis placed on clinical and experimental studies as well as review articles. Articles referenced were screened to maximize review and inclusion of pertinent data. All relevant studies collected were carefully examined to extract relevant data pertaining to ED and CVD for the period between 2000 and 2015.

Historically, the associated cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, should always be assessed in the setting of cardiovascular risk and disease. Furthermore, the 2012 Princeton III Consensus Conference expanded on the existing cardiovascular recommendations, proposing an approach to the evaluation and management of cardiovascular risk in young men with ED and no known history of diabetes, CVD, or coronary artery disease (CAD). The expert panel considered all men with ED who are older than 30 years to be at increased CVD risk and recommended a thorough noninvasive and, when indicated, invasive evaluation of CVD status. This recommendation indeed emphasizes that a question on ED should be included in all cardiovascular risk assessment and be incorporated into risk assessment guidelines. Adding to this, the assessment of testosterone levels and measures of abdominal visceral adiposity should be considered, even though their roles in development of CVD have not been firmly established

The urologists role is particularly critical in screening those high-risk patients (younger, moderate to severe ED, non-diabetics, no prior cardiovascular risks) and referring them to cardiology for further evaluation and assessment. The cardiologist is fundamental in determining and managing cardiovascular risk and disease. As ED is a disease of the endothelium and the vascular system and associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk, cardiologists must recognize the significance of ED and its potential sequelae, which has been highlighted in the 2012 Princeton III Consensus, recommending that a local policy for evaluation be established, which may include noninvasive evaluation including stress tests, biomarkers, and anatomical clarification.

In conclusion, several population-based studies have described a link between ED and CVD with similar pathophysiological sequelae of atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction. The link between ED and CVD may permit physicians, including urologists, to perform opportunistic screening and initiate secondary prophylaxis with regard to cardiovascular risk factors, particularly in young, non-diabetic men with ED.

Written by: Omer A. Raheem, MD, MSc Anat, MCh Urol, MRCS; and Tung-Chin Hsieh, MD; University of California, San Diego, Department of Urology, San Diego, CA, USA

Read the abstract
If you live in the Schinnen / Brunssum area you live close to one of the coolest cities in Europe. Maastricht is the oldest city in The Netherlands (Nijmegen makes a similar claim but it was uninhabited for a long time so Maastricht is at least the oldest continuously inhabited city). Maastricht suffered little damage during WWII and has, therefore, a very well preserved Centrum or Old Town section. The Wikipedia entry for Maastricht is pretty good so I'll forego the complete history. Maastricht History I go to Maastricht fairly often and it is a "Must see" place when people come to visit. Maastricht is divided by the Maas river and both parts of the city go back several hundred years. The original Roman garrison, protecting the bridge crossing the river, was established on the west side in 50 AD. Maastricht is easy to get to using A79 or A2. The Ring road system can be confusing so the best thing to do is use your GPS. The most central parking garage is the Vrijthof and the address there is: Vrijthof 100, 6211 LE Maastricht. This underground garage is under the Centrum but it is also expensive at 2.20 / 1 hour or 22.00 / day. There is slightly cheaper parking way outside the centrum. Go to this website to find other parking possibilities: Maastricht Parking There is no free parking in Maastricht but if you have the means you could park outside the city and bike in.Maastricht is a walker friendly city. Much of the old town center is closed to motor vehicles during the shopping hours. The walkways and roads are cobblestone, which might be difficult for small-wheeled strollers or high heels. There are dozens of places to eat and even though it is a tourist area the prices are not too bad. Of course that depends on your tastes. If you just need some nourishment (cheap food) look for one of the many bakeries that also makes sandwiches. Boterham is the generic word for a sandwich but what you'll see more often is broodjeham or broodjekaas. Ham is ham and kaas is cheese. What my wife and I did was order one of each and then swap a slice of ham and cheese from each so we both then had a ham&cheese sandwich. Hema stores usually have a cafe counter inside and they are usually very reasonable. Or maybe you want to act as a local and sit at an outside cafe and have a slice of vlaai and a coffee.There are several museums in Maastricht but I have not yet been to any, shame on me. But I have been in all the churches and those are well worth seeing if you are interested in gothic churches. Maastricht was once a fortified city and there are several places where you can see the remains of the defenses. The old town area was once inside a defensive wall and parts of that are still visible. This dates back to the 13th century. Unfortunately, Maastricht greatly expanded in the early 1900's and much of the old wall and the city gates were destroyed. There is only one gate left. Hells Gate is part of the original city wall, built after Henry I, Duke of Brabant, gave permission for its construction in April 1229. It is the only remaining city gate in Maastricht and the oldest city gate in the Netherlands. For about two centuries, the gate was part of the city's actual fortifications. It lost this function when the Nieuwstad (New City), the area south of the gate, was surrounded by a wall in the second half of the 15th century. It was then used for various purposes: a meeting place for the cloth fullers or walkers, an armory, a powder storehouse and a residence. This is located at St. Bernardusstraat 24b.On 25 June 1673, while preparing to storm the city, Captain-Lieutenant Charles de Batz de Castelmore, also known as Comte d'Artagnan, was killed by a musket shot outside Tongerse Poort. This event was immortalized in the Alexandre Dumas novel "The Vicomte de Bragelonne", part of the D'Artagnan Romances (the Three Musketeers). There is a monument to him near Waldeck Bastion.Fort Hooge (High Fort) is located on the edge of town offNOTE: I found this in my Drafts box, for some reason I never finished writing this post. So here it is, incomplete.
Xi vows to curb Taiwan secessionists Updated: 2016-03-06 08:18 By Wu Jiao(China Daily)

President Xi Jinping attends the panel discussion on the Government Work Report by lawmakers from the Shanghai delegation, March 5, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Beijing will "resolutely curb" secessionist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" in any form, and will never let the historic tragedy of "national separation" recur, President Xi Jinping said on Saturday.

He made the remarks when attending the panel discussion on the Government Work Report by lawmakers from the Shanghai delegation.

Shanghai, China's economic hub, is home to tens of thousands of Taiwan businesspeople and their families.

It is the first time Xi has made remarks on cross-Straits relations since Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, won a leadership election on the island in January. She is scheduled to take office in May.

"Our policy toward Taiwan has been consistent and clear and will not change because of political changes in Taiwan," Xi said.

He said the 1992 Consensus, which says both Taiwan and the mainland are parts of one China, explicitly defines the nature of the cross-Straits relationship and is crucial to the stable and long-term development of cross-Straits ties.

Only by acknowledging the 1992 Consensus, and accepting its core content, can the two sides have a common political foundation and maintain healthy interactions, according to Xi.

Xi made no direct mention of Tsai.

Thepast eight years, during which time Ma Ying-jeou has served as the island's leader, have been marked by smooth exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan.

"Compatriots across the Straits are very expectant about the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties, and we should not let them down," Xi said.

Premier Li Keqiang also said in the Government Work Report on Saturday that authorities on the mainland will uphold its policies toward Taiwan, oppose separatist activities, maintain the peaceful development of crossStraits relations and safeguard peace and stability of the Taiwan Straits.

"We will strive to make progress in cross-Straits economic integration. We will encourage cultural, educational, scientific and technological exchanges and help strengthen exchanges between ordinary people and the younger generation on both sides of the Straits," he said.

He added that, guided by the conviction that people on both sides of the Straits belong to one and the same family, the mainland will share with people in Taiwan both the responsibility of the Chinese nation and opportunities for development, and jointly build a cross-Straits community of common destiny.

Zhu Songling, director of the Institute of Cross-Straits Relations at Beijing Union University, said Xi's remarks reaffirmed the mainland leadership's determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They also reflected goodwill from Xi toward the people in Taiwan, he added.

Peng Yining contributed to this story.
Mohamed Noah performs Wing Tsun moves during a class at Egypt Wing Tsun Academy, Cairo, Egypt on March 1, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

"Wing Tsun started to become more popular in Egypt as it is a simple martial art for self-defense that requires neither effort nor physical strength," said trainer Mohamed Noah, or Sifu as his students call him, at the small Wing Tsun academy in Maadi district south of the capital Cairo.

Located in the first floor of a building in a quiet street, Egypt Wing Tsun Academy, the only officially certified Chinese academy for Wing Tsun in the Middle East, consists of a medium-sized parquet-floor hall with a wall-size mirror on top of which there is a portrait of Grandmaster Ip Man, Chinese Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee's teacher.
Body of captain retrieved from Indonesia's sunken ferry, death toll rises to 5 Updated: 2016-03-06 15:12 (Xinhua)

JAKARTA -- Rescuers on Sunday took the body of captain out from a ship that sank on Friday in Bali Strait, bringing the total casualty of the sea incident to 5, rescuer said.

"Today (Sunday) the body of the captain was found inside the ship in seabed. We have also discovered four other bodies," Head of Search and Rescue Office in Bali Didi Hanzar told Xinhua by phone from the scene.

The discovery led the authorities plan to terminate the search and rescue operation as all the people on board have been found, Mr. Hanzar added.

He said that 76 people have been evacuated in the Indonesia's ferry capsizal with dozens of them suffering from injury as they jumped into the waters.

"As all the victims have been found, the head of national search and rescue office plans to close the operation today (Sunday)," Hanzar said.

The head said that the ferry was over loaded and it should load 37 passengers and 14 crews, the fact that the rescuers have found 81 victims of the sea incident.

The Ferry, Rafelia II, was capsized when it was leaving Gilimanuk port in Bali for Ketapang port in East Java's Banyuwangi district.
Peruvian business leaders see trade with China growing Updated: 2016-03-07 04:50 By MAO PENGFEI in Mexico City(China Daily Latin America)

Trade between Peru and China has grown fourfold since diplomatic relations were established in 1971, and Peruvian business leaders say they are confident it will keep growing.

Trade was spurred by the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) signed in 2009 and the strengthening of ties with a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2013. Two-way trade is expected to total more than $16 billion for 2015.

China has overtaken the United States to become the South American country's largest trading partner, and while it is the leading buyer of Peruvian commodities, such as copper, iron and fishmeal, it is also purchasing nontraditional exports, especially agro-industrial products.

China is a new topic for us, said Julio Varilias, CEO of the Gandules Agro-Export Corporation. Since the signing and ratification of the FTA, China has become an important market for Peruvian exports, because of its size and large number of consumers. And Chinas domestic policies are changing.

Gandules, named after a type of pea, is recognized as a leader by the most important agro-industrial companies in Peru and supplies more than 40 countries. The privately owned company has been in the agribusiness for many years, and has an extensive production chain, including green pigeon peas, jalapenos, peppers, chilies, asparagus, sweet corn, beets, pineapples and table grapes.

How did the company gain access to the Chinese market?

We have been attending various trade shows in China, with the intention of seeking out a market, said Varilias. China is a very competitive country, producing and processing many foods, so to enter the Chinese market, you have to be very competitive.

The company is still expanding its market there, especially for fruits and peppers (brown pepper and chili), and Varilias recommends that Latin American countries really look to the Asian-Pacific nations, with China being a priority destination, for their exports.

Now we only export processed peppers and table grapes. But the national food industry is inspired to (export) other types of fruit, such as mangoes, citrus, avocado and asparagus, said Varilias. Everyone can succeed. Peruvian products are renowned for their high quality and taste, so I think thats something Peru has to exploit a lot.

Were there difficulties in accessing the Chinese market?

I think the requirements are quite similar in all countries ... food is very sensitive, very delicate; each country looks after its citizens and is therefore very demanding, Varilias said.

Perus National Agrarian Health Service (Senasa) obtained phytosanitary permits from Chinas General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) through direct discussions for shipments of food.

Interest in buying Perus agricultural and seafood products is evident from Chinese delegations that regularly attend Perus food-trade show Expoalimentaria, organized annually by the Association of Exporters (Adex).

But Varilias said there is a financial problem. There is no Chinese commercial bank in Peru to facilitate trade, so you have to go through foreign bank intermediaries that have direct transactions with China, Varilias said. The subsidiary of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Lima is doing notable work, but it still hasnt gotten the approval of the National Superintendency of Banking and Insurance (SBS) to operate as a commercial bank.

Perus imports from China are increasing annually, as demonstrated in store windows featuring everything from computers and communications technology to textiles and clothing, televisions, footwear, motor vehicles and many other items.

Executive Director Oscar Zevallos of Grupo Deltron, the countrys largest importers of Chinese goods, said: Our relationship with China dates back several years (and) we have a 25-year history in the national market.

Initially, we imported (electronic) components from the US, but as import volume grew, we began a direct relationship with China. We have direct Chinese suppliers, like Lenovo, said Zevallos.

Deltron imports laptops, tablets, accessories, motherboards, smartphones and other components from China. The company has its own brand, Advance, which is made in China with special requirements, and receives an average of 10 shipping containers weekly.

Zevallos said business diversified last year. We are bringing drones, smart-watches and scooters from China, and we are increasing other product lines, electronic toys, Zevallos said.

China is the main source of world production for goods, including high-tech products, he said. And thanks to fluid bilateral trade, underpinned by the FTA and the strategic partnership, tariffs are gradually coming down. In addition, items his company handles are exempt from tariffs, and as shipping volumes increase, freight rates decrease, it has become easier to send and receive goods.

Take the Lenovo brand, for example. We placed about 5,000 computers a month in the Peruvian market last year, said Zevallos.

The company has an office in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Shenzhen, in South Chinas Guangdong province, which makes it much easier to do business without intermediaries.

Deltron, he said, recently had about 400,000 500-page coloring books printed in China, as requested by the Ministry of Education for an online course in English taught at public schools. The company used Chinese publisher Best & Well, which completed the task in 45 days, explained Zevallos. It showed the publishers ability to stick to a schedule and provide high print quality at a favorable price.

Trade with China presents no problems, he said, because it is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and Chinas efforts to expand its free trade have generated new opportunities.

Varilias and Zevallos agree that, with China being a strategic partner for Peru and Latin America in general, the region should make the most of Chinese technology to promote innovation and productivity, boost trade and investment to strengthen competitiveness, and join regional chains by partnering with China in projects and joint ventures.


Ulbansawi Course



Nature has a soothing effect on someone's soul. It nourishes the deep, unknown feeling of being close to its endless beauty. I am a child of the green pasture. I always stand in awe of the magnificent things I see when I'm out in the wild. The mountains are one of the most beautiful and mysterious places on earth. It grows and changes each season.





When I got the chance to visit South Korea which boasts splendid arrays of beautiful mountains. I didn't thought twice of visiting one of the most visited mountain in the country. Mount Seoraksan is situated in Gangwon province in the Eastern Part of South Korea. It is also considered the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range. A national park located in the city of Sokcho which was also my next destination. The weather up in the mountains can change drastically, so better equip yourself with the right pair of winter hiking clothes. Let's go!





I booked ahead of time via email for a two-night hostel stay around the city area of Sokcho. A place nearby the mountain entrance of Mt. Seokraksan. The blog I've read was very confusing because it was pointing me to the Gangnam station instead of the Express Bus Terminal station. I should have figured it out on my own just based on the name itself, yet I didn't and went all the way to Gangnam station. The wrong turn took my precious lunch time, I had to give up a good Korean meal for a takeaway snack.





Make sure to pack enough supply of goodies for the bus trip unless you're planning to sleep the whole time. Passengers are allowed to eat inside the bus even in the train service in South Korea compared to Singapore where a lot of things are banned. I purchased a money T-card in the airport for all my transportation transactions yet the counter didn't accept my card when I purchased the bus ticket. I've even used that card when I was in Jeju Island, so better have enough won with you and try not to top up too much on your T-money card. (Transportation T-Money Card and Initial Top-up: 30,000 won- 60,000 won / 40 SGD-70 SGD). The staff counter didn't bother to explain instead she angrily pointed me to another counter to pay cash. I'm guessing they only accept cash, so I just let that pass.













Seoul to Sokcho

How to get there:

Express Bus Terminal Station. (Brown Line 9)

Ticket Fare: 18,500 won / 22 SGD / 16 USD

Travel Time: 3.5 hour ride





Sokcho to James Blue Hostel

How to get there:

a. Go to the right side of the Sok-cho intercity bus terminal then take the second right and walk along the street. Across the street is where you'll find the hostel. Try to ask around and say "Si-cheong" which means "City hall" in Korean, as the hostel is nearby the Sok-cho city hall too.





b. From express bus terminal. Take a cab to the hostel.









Check-in: James Blue Hostel 1 Night : 20,000 won Taxi Fare from Sokcho express bus terminal to James Hostel: 4,000-6,000 won



I arrived at night and the Taxi driver didn't know my hostel's location at first so he tried calling the hostel owner, James for direction, then he realized he knew the guy himself. We had a good laugh, he welcomes me to Korea and brought me safely to my hostel. So far for the past few days, I've stayed in Korea the locals I've met were really friendly and accommodating. I've also noticed that most of my fond encounters with Koreans were all in the countryside, the city is too crowded for some to be nice to each other especially for tourist. It was already late at night and the only available food outlet in the area was 7'11. This international convenient store is a lifesaver for all the tourist all over the world. A safe haven for shelter, inquiries, purchase food, medicine, and all kinds of necessities you forgot to pack on your trip.





7'11 Rice Meal: 2,000-4,000 won











I went to bed tired from the long bus ride, woke up late for breakfast, and left the guesthouse late as well. A great reminder of my laziness which I happily repeated over and over again. I left the guesthouse around 10:30 Am and immediately catch the bus to Mt. Seoraksan. I used my T-money card in all my bus and train trips in South Korea except for the bus ride to Sokcho. On my bus ride to Seoraksan, I meet 3 friendly Malaysian ladies, all of whom were teachers in Johor Bahru. We chitchat till we arrived at our stop. I like it when people are amused by me for traveling and climbing a mountain alone.





Mount Batur in Bali, Indonesia. I walked together with the Malaysian ladies, took photographs, and even hike together before we separate ways. They've even persuaded me to take the cable car however the trip was canceled due to strong winds. I was strongly advised not to go to Ulbansawi Peak. My desired trek for that day was to conquer Daecheongbong Peak however there's a certain period in Korea where all the mountain summit are prohibited to climb, it happened during my trip. It isn't really my first trek alone in a foreign country, I remembered my first climb was. I walked together with the Malaysian ladies, took photographs, and even hike together before we separate ways. They've even persuaded me to take the cable car however the trip was canceled due to strong winds. I was strongly advised not to go to Ulbansawi Peak. My desired trek for that day was to conquer Daecheongbong Peak however there's a certain period in Korea where all the mountain summit are prohibited to climb, it happened during my trip.









Mountain Not Access Period: Seasonal Forest Fire Watches by Park March 2 - May 15





Mount Seoraksan - Outer Seoraksan

Admission Fee: Adults 3,500 won

First Course: Mount Seoraksan Entrance to Heundeulbawi Rock then to Ulsanbawi peak

Total Climb Duration: 4 hours











I walked with my new found friends till the Sinheungsa Temple then a few metres away they let me go to my death wish. Proud and strong I walk my way up to the Heundeulbawi Rock then to Ulsanbawi peak. The wind was forceful and violent, a few climbers even turned back due to his force. Some Korean climbers motion me to turn back, pointing to the sky twirling their hands rapidly signaling the bad weather. I was stubborn and impulsive instead of stepping back for safety I continued climbing the metal stairs. My grip was holding on to the metal railing not just for support but for my dear life. The furious wind kept pushing me to the sides, one slip, and I say goodbye to the good life. I was intensely struggling that I can't even straighten my back yet I kept going up until I reached the top.



The funny thing is I still manage to get a picture of the view from the top. When I stepped on the peak's ultimate ground the wind immediately slammed and pinned me to the big rock. I was trapped in a small corner of the big rock for a few seconds. It was hard to keep my eyes open, my legs were dead tired and I thought that was it. Nah! not really that's too dramatic. But I was really scared and I prayed hard for strength to lift myself up from my misery. One step at a time. I cried. I just focus on getting down. Gripped the handrails hard so I won't lose my balance. When I got the chance to breathe, I cried, laughed and I thanked God with all my heart. I was alone up there. If I stayed longer there I could go into hypothermia. I also have the feeling that the wind might change course and this time around it will be pushing me off the cliff. It will take days for rescue. Knowing all these things could have happened to me at that very moment made me appreciate life more. I hope we don't neet to go through life-threatening situations to realize how precious our life is. I didn't go anywhere else afterward, I went to the bus stop and message my mum when got back in my guesthouse.











A life-changing experience. Being impulsive and reckless won't get you anywhere. During the climb, I thought of completing the climb no matter what happens despite the warnings from fellow climbers, because I thought to myself I'm such a loser for not reaching the summit of Mt. Hallasan in Jeju island so I can't afford another losing end again. Ego got in the way. Pride swallowed me whole and I've almost lost my life for that. It's really not about reaching the top, it's the experience.





The journey taught you more about yourself, your thoughts, and your physical being. You will learn things about your body like which part of the leg needs more work, or even things that makes you motivated and snacks that works for you. Simple things. Blinded with a thirst for achievement and self-pride. It's not actually a bad thing but when you know you're getting yourself on the edge with the dark knight might as well be rational and walk away with your head held up high.





Timeline-Ulbansawi Course: Left Guesthouse around 10:30 Am, cross the street behind James hostel and luckily catch Bus 7-1 bound for Sogongwon Bus stop, which is a stop located outside the Seoraksan National Park Entrance. Before 3:15 pm I was already in Sogongwon Bus stop and catch the bus right away back to the hostel.
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Its happening in Kigali, Rwanda at the great conference of the decade on ICT for Agriculture... 4-8 November, 2013... Have your say in how t...
00:43 Federal govt to increase fines for serious data breaches to a minimum of $50m The Federal government will increase the financial penalty for companies suffering serious data breaches at a minimum of $50 million - following...

00:28 Money showers onto a highway in Chile following a robbery A robbery in Chile has resulted with the thieves throwing the stolen bags of money out of their car window after being chased by police.

00:40 Lord help us: Mental acuity of Joe Biden is again under question Sky News host Cory Bernardi says the mental acuity of the most powerful man in the world, US President Joe Biden, is again under question....

01:14 All the rage: Protesters glue themselves to the floor at Volkswagen It all went bad after protesters glued themselves to the floor at Volkswagen in Germany, according to Sky News host Cory Bernardi.

08:24 Embarrassment: Joe Biden weakens America Fox News contributor Lara Trump says US President Joe Biden is an embarrassment for America and he weakens the country.
This blog reviews war movies with special emphasis on historical accuracy.
DES MOINES  Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey Thursday highlighted the important work of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardships Weights and Measures Bureau as part of Weights and Measures week, which concludes Monday.

Our Weights and Measures Bureau inspectors are on the front line of consumer protection, ensuring the accuracy of small devices, like gas pumps and counter scales, as well as large devices, such as truck scales, Northey said in a news release. Customers can have confidence that they are getting what they pay for at the pump and in the checkout lane at the grocery store thanks in part to these inspections.

There are more than 57,000 licensed commercial weighing and measuring devices in Iowa, with 11 inspectors throughout the state testing for precision annually. This includes approximately 39,000 gas pump meters and more than 16,000 scales, including 5,600 large truck, livestock, platform and railroad scales as well as 10,500 small counter scales, such as those at grocery stores, farmers markets and gold buyers.

The inspectors also conduct random inspections of package for net contents, price verification (scanner check), compressed natural gas (CNG) dispensers, test LP meters for accuracy and LP cylinders for accuracy and labeling, check oil labels to make sure they are following NIST HB 130 labeling requirements and sample oil to make sure they following the American Petroleum Institute (API) requirements and fuel quality testing.

The effect of small inaccuracies in transactions can be very profound. If every gas pump in Iowa was off by just one percent the effect could be a $40 million loss for consumers. And, if the large truck scales that are used for farmers selling grain were off by one percent, the cost to Iowans could be $140 million.

Weights and Measures Week is celebrated on March 1-7 each year to commemorate John Adams signing the first United States weights and measures law on March 2, 1799.
Two new associates have joined VGM Group Inc. MICHAEL CORMANEY is new to VGMs IT Department and previously was with EO Johnson. LIZZIE HAGUE is an University of Iowa Tippie College of Business graduate and joins VGMs Insurance division as a business development coordinator. She previously was with Grinnell Mutual.

LARRY FOX, president of Larry K. Fox & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., has been elected president of the Eastern Iowa Chapter of the Financial Planning Association for 2016. Other 2016 chapter officers and directors include Jordan Alborn, CFP, VP, financial advisor at FSB Premier Wealth Management, Waterloo, president elect/membership chairman; and Mark McCombs, CFP, MSFS, VP, financial advisor at LSB Financial Wealth Management, Cedar Falls, past president.

Invision staff recognized for years of service include BRIAN SANDERMAN, 20 years; BART ETHEREDGE, 15 years; TIM TURNIS and ZHIVKO RADEV, 10 years; and IVAN VALTCHEV, five years.

BILL McINTEE of Financial Decisions Group has earned the Chartered Financial Consultant professional designation from the American College.

CHIDI OJINNAKA, LISW has joined Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Iowa as a counselor at Covenant Clinic Psychiatry in Oelwein. Ojinnaka, of Independence, has a bachelors degree in psychology from Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, and a master of social work from the University of Nebraska Omaha. During his career, he has worked for Lutheran Social Services, Woodbury County Intra-Family Sexual Abuse Program and Backbone Area Counseling Center. He also owned and operated Chidi Ojinnaka Family Services Agency in Sioux City and the Counseling and Mediation Center in Independence.

ANDREW MILLS has joined United Equipment Accessories Inc. as an application design engineer. Mills has a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from Binghamton University with four years of experience working in manufacturing.

MICHELLE JUNGERS has been promoted to managing attorney of the Waterloo Regional Office of Iowa Legal Aid. Jungers is a 2007 graduate of William Mitchell College of Law and a 2004 graduate of Buena Vista University. She joined the staff of Iowa Legal Aid in August of 2007.

STEVE BURRELL has joined Farmers State Banks Cedar Falls Main Street office as a business development officer. Burrell, of New Hartford, has over 18 years in the real estate industry as a broker.

ERIC LANGKAMP has joined Far Reach in Cedar Falls as a software engineer. He previously was a software developer at Xpanxion in Ames. Langkamp attended Iowa State University and has more than four years of development experience.
Dog takes a drive

in Minnesota semi

MANKATO, Minn. (AP)  One dog apparently has learned a new trick: how to drive a semi-truck.

Customers at a Minnesota gas station saw a golden Labrador retriever appear to drive the semi across a road Friday.

Mankato police said the idling truck apparently was put into gear, then went through a parking lot, across the street and over a curb.

A passer-by discovered the dog sitting in the drivers seat when he jumped into the truck to stop it.

David Stegora was at the store when he heard the truck smash into a tree and a parked car. He couldnt see the driver, but saw the dog climb up near the drivers side.

Afghan Taliban reject peace talks

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The Taliban said Saturday they will not participate in a peace process with the Afghan government until foreign forces stop attacking their positions and leave the country.

A statement emailed to The Associated Press by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents reject peace talks and reports of their participation were rumors.

Face-to-face talks were expected to take place in Pakistan in early March, but Afghan officials said in recent days they have been postponed for at least a week. Senior government officials had characterized the meeting as the first real step in a peace process aimed at ending the war, now in its 15th year.

Turkish government seizes largest paper

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  The European Union is facing increasing pressure to speak out against the erosion of media freedom in Turkey following the forced take-over of the countrys largest-circulation newspaper, but few expect it to take a bold stance toward Ankara while trying to assure its help in dealing with the migration crisis.

Police used tear gas and water cannons late Friday to storm the headquarters of the Zaman newspaper and enforce the court-ordered seizure of the publication, which is linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdogans top foe, U.S.-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen.

On Saturday, hundreds of the papers supporters staged a second-day of protests outside the building, now surrounded by police fences.

Zoos care for more geriatric animals

CHICAGO (TNS)  Ramar the gorilla is on Celebrex. Hiss Majesty the caiman lizard has been fitted with a prosthesis, and Heidi the reindeer eats hay soaked in water.

Theyre geriatric animals at Brookfield Zoo, outside Chicago and Shedd Aquarium, and their population is increasing, a result of generally improving care for animals in mainstream zoos and aquariums across the country.

Those improvements have brought a new challenge: higher numbers of age-related health problems in animals. To address those maladies, zoos and aquariums are leaning on human health -care technology and tweaking traditional approaches. But the further animal care advances, the deeper zoos confront the ethical question of determining when to end an animals life.

Were not doing it to create longevity records, Bill Zeigler, senior vice president of animal programs at Brookfield, said of improving care for animals. Were doing it because were trying to create the best care and welfare.

Like medical care for humans, care for zoo animals has improved steadily for decades. And relatively new maladies veterinarians see resemble those seen by physicians treating people in their golden years.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Its a head-to-head race this year, but the rhetoric and arguments havent changed much since Monica Vernon and Pat Murphy competed for the Democratic Congressional nomination in Iowas 1st District in 2014.

Things are pretty much where they stood two years ago when Murphy topped a five-way field for the nomination in an open-seat race, according to Mike McLaughlin, campaign manager for Murphy, a former Iowa House speaker from Dubuque.

Vernon kicked off her campaign early  even before freshman Republican Rep. Rod Blum, who defeated Murphy, took office  and her campaign believes a slow-but-steady build-up has put her in a strong position for the primary election June 7.

Monicas very first calls when she announced were to the Democratic activists in all 20 counties of the Northeast Iowa district, her campaign manager Michelle Gajewski said. Shes spent the last two years getting to know people.

Vernon had 150 precinct captains actively promoting her candidacy throughout the 2016 caucus campaign.

Shes been doing the kind of work that needs to happen to reach the most number of people, Gajewski said.

At the heart of Murphys argument is that as a lifelong Democrat he is the strongest candidate to face Blum, McLaughlin said. First District voters know him from his time in the Iowa House and years of working for Democratic candidates.

He has a 26-year record in the district and lost just one election  in a really bad year for Democrats, McLaughlin said. He outperformed both 1st District Rep. Bruce Braley, who was running for an open U.S. Senate seat, and Vernon, who was longshot Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jack Hatchs running mate.

McLaughlin is quick to remind Democrats Vernon was a Republican who switched parties in 2009.

Although McLaughlin saw the caucuses as a two-edged sword that made it difficult for anyone other than the presidential hopefuls to get attention, it gave us an opportunity to introduce Vernon to her first Democratic caucus.

To drive home that difference between a lifelong Democrat and a six-year Democrat, Murphy released a history of all the Democrats he voted for and supported over the years.

Vernon will tell her own story, Gajewski said. After winning nearly a quarter of the vote in the 1st District five-way Democratic primary that included two other Linn County candidates, Vernon was the partys lieutenant governor candidate.

Thats why there is a growing movement of grassroots Democrats, union members and elected Democratic leaders from across Iowa strongly supporting Monica for Congress, Gajewski said.

Among those endorsements are Emilys List, several labor unions and members of Congress as well as Iowa elected officials, including several of Murphys former legislative colleagues. Shes particularly pleased with the endorsement of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees Red-to-Blue campaign. Typically, it targets a district, but in this case endorsed Vernon.

Murphy has endorsements, too  IBEW, Letter Carriers and Machinists locals, McLaughlin said, because people want to pick a winner and they want to pick a progressive.

Vernon is nothing if not a progressive, Gajewski said. More than that, Vernon gets things done.

From leading the charge to build the first homeless shelter for women and children in Cedar Rapids to her work on affordable housing for our seniors, Monica knows how to bring different groups to the table to get things done, she said.

McLaughlin counters with Murphys list of accomplishments in the Iowa House: raising the minimum wage; expanding preschool offerings; raising teacher pay; supporting alternative energy; blocking efforts to reverse same-sex marriage; expanding civil rights and protecting a womans right to choose.

Voters want someone they know, someone who has been fighting for them, he said. Pats the only one who has a portfolio of getting things done.

Gajewski said Democrats are eager to vote for a progressive to replace Rod Blum.

We expect the same dedicated Democrats to show up, McLaughlin said. They seem eager to participate.

A third candidate, Gary Kroeger of Cedar Falls recently dropped out and is setting his sights on incumbent Republican State Rep. Walt Rogers Iowa House seat.

Kroeger has endorsed Vernon.
its a blog about my life. I can tell whatever I want to
US and NATO Forces Are Butchering Civilians en Masse in Iraq and Syria... by Martin Berger, New Eastern Outlook : As its been recently noted, the latest mass-casualties inflicted by US and NATO airstrikes i...

Trump Warns Germany "Owes Vast Sums To US... Must Be Paid For Defense" " Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very ...

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[Evangelicals] can no longer count on government to support traditional Biblical values. Rev. Robert Jeffress Religious belief is without reason and without dignity, and its record is near-universally dreadful. Martin Amis, The Second Plane: 14 Responses to September 11

The separation of Church and State isnt exactly new ground for me, but at times I feel almost compelled to rebut those whose purpose in life appears to be making their God everyones government. The astonishing arrogance and disrespect aside, theres just so much wrong with the attitude of people like Jeffressand there are SO many intolerant theocrats just who share his views and aspirations.

To begin with, theres ample evidence in the words or writings of the Founding Fathers of the belief that the combination of God and government was nothing if not a recipe for disaster. Revisionist historians like David Barton aside, the original intent of the Founding Fathers was to create a firewall separating religion from governance. Zealots like Jeffress cant understand that their desire to turn America into a de facto theocracy is to flirt with disaster. One would need only to look at places like Iran, Pakistan, Somalia, and Saudi Arabia to understand the potential perils of combining God and government.

Ive written a lot about this in this past, so Ill spare my gentle reader any unnecessary regurgitations. Yall can google Jeffersons Letter to the Danbury Baptists, the Treaty of Tripoli, or review the 1st Amendments Establishment Clause. No, the words separation of Church and State dont appear in the Consitution, but theres ample source material and precedent to make the intentions of the Founding Fathers quite clear.

That there are those who would without so much as a second though dismantle the Constitution in order that they might replace it with a Christian theocracy should scare the Hell (pun fully intended) out of anyone who loves this country. America has survived and thrived for 240 years, in no small parts because weve assiduously maintained the firewall separating Church from State. We cannot allow those with an authoritarian, hyper-religious, intolerant agenda impose their will (and their version of God) on all Americans, the vast majority of whom dont share their values.

If you think Im being alarmist, come back and talk to me when we become a Christian version of Iran.
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If youre looking to try out an online casino, there are several things that will help you make a decision. Heres what you should look for when choosing an online casino

 Are they regulated? A lot of the larger ones have licenses issued by the authorities in their respective regions, so its worth checking this first.

 Do they offer games from different software providers? Some casinos just use one software provider and limit your selection. This is fine if you like playing those types of games but you may want to check other casinos as well.

 What does their payout percentage look like? The payout rate refers to how much money you can expect to win after every bet. A high payout rate means youll be able to play more often without having to worry about losing all your money. Its also important to know the minimum and maximum bets allowed on each game. If youre going to play roulette, for example, then you probably dont want a casino with a minimum bet of less than $2.50 or even lower than that.

The players used to play the game slot online in the land based casinos in the past time. But now with time after the invention of the online casinos players play the game slot online. Online platform provide the players with the convenience in playing and even better winning. Even after keeping a good percentage of the profits, they distribute good funds to players.

 How many games do they offer? There are lots of different types of games to choose from. Roulette, blackjack and poker are some of the most popular options, but you might find slots, video pokers, video bingo and others as well. You can usually filter these games down to only show the ones that interest you best, so make sure that your list isnt too long!

 Is there a bonus offer? Many online casinos offer free bonuses as part of their welcome package  which includes new players being awarded 100% up to $10 instantly, for example. These offers are great but not everyone has access to them all the time (and some require you to deposit real money). If youd prefer to avoid paying a fee, some casinos offer no-deposit bonuses where you can get a certain amount of funds before you need to put any actual money into the account. These are usually offered alongside welcome bonuses, so make sure you read both parts of the terms and conditions carefully before signing up.

 Does it offer live dealer games? Live dealers are much preferred by many over regular virtual versions, so it pays to check this option out too. Most online casinos now offer live dealer games in addition to their regular offerings, allowing you to experience the thrill of the real thing without needing to leave home.

Now that youve got an idea of what to look for when choosing an online casino, heres some tips for making the right choice

It really comes down to personal preference. No two people are exactly alike, so everyone has an opinion on what they like and dislike about each casino. That said, here are some things to consider in order to narrow down your choices

 Popularity. Check out reviews, forums and Facebook pages to see what other people think of the casino. Also, ask around at work or friends houses who they would recommend to you. You could always take a look at the casinos website too, to see what kind of information they provide about themselves.

 Reputation. Find out what the general public thinks about the casino. Check out any customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Amazon and Google Play to find out more. As far as gaming goes, you can also check out the Better Business Bureau to see whether there have been any complaints against the casino.

 Security. Make sure the casino uses SSL encryption to secure its transactions, meaning that your private data stays safe during transactions. Other than that, look for security seals on the site itself and verify that theyre legitimate. You can also check out the casinos privacy policy to see how they handle confidential information.

 Payment methods. Its good to have multiple payment options available, especially if you plan to play frequently. Its also nice to find a casino that accepts cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. If youre worried about safety, you can always opt for a credit card or PayPal instead.

With all those criteria in mind, heres our top picks

Betway:

Betway is a relatively new UK casino offering online gambling to residents of the United Kingdom and European Union. They offer hundreds of games across both land based and digital platforms, with plenty of top software providers like Net Entertainment, Microgaming and Yggdrasil Gaming Network. With a generous welcome offer that gives players 100% up to 100, you really cant go wrong with Betway.

Coral Casino:

Coral Casino is operated by the same company that runs the famous Caribbean casino, Grand Reef. Like many casinos, Coral Casino offers a wide variety of games, including plenty of video slots and table games. New players can benefit from a huge 100% match bonus up to 1000, while existing customers enjoy 25% cash back on deposits made within 48 hours of opening an account.

Ladbrokes Casino:

Ladbrokes Casino is owned by the same company as the famous bookmaker that started life in 1921. With more than 500 games from leading software providers such as Amaya, NetEnt and Microgaming, you wont be disappointed by the quality of the games here. New players get a 200% match bonus up to 500, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

Paddy Power Casino:

Paddy Power is another Irish-owned casino that operates throughout Europe. Not only does Paddy Power Casino offer traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette and slots, but it also provides a full range of sports betting, including football, tennis, boxing and horse racing. New players can receive a massive 100% match bonus up to 200, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

William Hill Casino:

William Hill Casino is one of the biggest names in the industry, operating in Europe, Asia and North America. Founded in 1984, this online casino has more than 400 games to choose from, including slots and table games, with a wide array of software providers like WagerLogic, Big Time Gaming and Rival.

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Ladbrokes Casino: 35% Cash Back on First 3 Deposits  Claim Now

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If youre interested in trying out an online casino but arent quite ready to commit to one, why not try out one of the many no deposit casinos weve reviewed? You can test drive various casinos completely risk-free, so you can feel confident about your choice before you make a single penny deposit.
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Canl bahisi populer klan ve heyecan katan en onemli ozellikle musabakann basladg ana dek bahis yapabilmedir. Canl bahis icerisinde yer alan secenekler kazanma sansnz da dogrudan arttrmaktadr. Ilk korneri kim kullanr, ilk tac, gol, sar kart, krmz kart gibi futbol musabakas icerisinde olabilecek hemen hemen her seye bahis yaplabilmektedir. Normal bahisegore de son derece yuksek oranda olmas avantajl yonlerini ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim dogru secenek ksa surede kazancl ckmanza etki edecektir.

Strateji ve dogru analizle 90 dakika gibi bir surede anaparanzkatlayabilirsiniz. Tabi bunu basarabilmek icin mutlaka musabakaya dair ayrntlar iyi degerlendirmek gerekir. Soz konusu musabakann detaylarn inceleyip, cezal, sakat oyuncu veya performans dusen takm oyunu gibi detaylar bilmek canl bahiste kazanc belirleyen onemli unsurdur. Guvenilir Canl bahis hem heyecanl zaman gecirmeyi hem de musabakalar takip ederken para kazanmay saglamaktadr.

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Bahislerinizi guvenilir sitelerden gerceklestirdiginiz zaman herhangi bir sekilde para cekme de sorun yasamazsnz. Guvenilir bahis siteleri tespit edip sonrasnda da uyelik islemlerini tamamlamanz gerekmektedir. Belirlenen uyelik sartlarn yerine getirip hesabnza da paray aktardktan sonra bahis islemlerini sorunsuz yapabilirsiniz. Peki, canl bahis nasl oynanr?

Oncelikle bahis konusunda mutlaka dogru site arastrmas yapmalsnz. Yapacagnz arastrma neticesinde buldugunuz site uzerinden canl bahisislemlerini gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Bunun icin uye olup, hesaba para atp, canl bahis bolumune girmelisiniz. Sonrasnda dahil olmak istediginiz musabakann saatini ogrenip, gerekli analizleri yapmalsnz. Tahminlerinizi belirledikten sonra karsnza ckacak olan bahis sayfasndan istediginiz hamleyi yapmalsnz. Bahis tutarn belirledikten sonra musabaka baslayacaktr.

Canl bahis diger normal bahis esaslarna gore farkllklar icermektedir. Bunlardan en onemlisi musabakann gidisatna gore islem yapabilir olmaktr.Ayrca musabakann 2. Yarsna gore hamle yapp ayr bir bahisin soz konusu olmas da ciddi avantajdr. Dogru hamle ile sizde istediginiz bahisi yapp kazanc elde edebilirsiniz. Nitekim canl olarak yapacagnz bahis icin mac oncesi raporlara gore hareket etmek onemlidir. Cunku takmlarn durumlarn analiz etmek tahmin gucunu arttracaktr. Misal tamnn en iyi oyuncusu sakat ya da kart cezals ise takmn performansnda dusus yasanacaktr. Buna ek olarak takmn deplasman performans ile evinde ki performans ayr olacaktr. Burada da takmn musabakay nerede yaptgna bakmak gerekir. Bu ayrntlar da iyice analiz ettikten sonra bahsinizi yapp kazanmann keyfini yasayabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri

Son derece yuksek getiriye sahip bahis sektoru uzun zamandr faaliyet gostermektedir. Cok ciddi rakamlarn soz konusu oldugu bu sektor zamanla sanal ortamlara donusmustur. Elbette guvenli ve bir o kadar da avantajl olan bu siteler cok yonlu frsatlar sunmaktadrlar. Canl iddaa siteleri gerek yeni uyelere gerekse de hali hazrdaki uyelerine bolca bonus frsatlar vermektedir. Yatracagnz tutara gore belirlenen bonuslar site icerisinde rahat hareket etmenizi de saglayacaktr.

Canl bahis sitelerini kullanmadan once mutlaka guvenli olup olmadgna goz atmalsnz. Zira baz kullanclar guvenli olmayan sitelerden yaptklar islemlerden dolay magdur olmaktadrlar. Nitekim guvenli ve sorunsuz hizmet sunan yurt ds site tercih etmek en dogru secenektir. Sektorde uzun yllar faaliyet gosteren siteleri tercih edebilirsiniz. Bu alanda yer alan yabanc siteler musteri memnuniyetine onem vermektedir. Oncelik site kullanclarn sorunsuz sekilde bahislerini yapabilir olmasn saglamaktr. Bahis sitelerinde amac hem daha fazla kullancya hizmet vermek hem de sektorde emin admlarla ilerlemek onceliklidir. Dogru site tercihi ile sizde canl bahislerinizi sorun yasamadan gerceklestirebilirsiniz. Sizler icin hazrlams oldugumuz canl bahis siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

Mobilbahis Tempobet Bets10 Bahigo 1xbahis Betboo Youwin Superbahis

Sralams oldugumuz bu siteler sektorde basarl islere imza atms sitelerdedir. Canl bahis konusunda beklentileri karslayacak olan bu siteler sizlere kolaylk sunmaktadrlar. Bol bonuslu secenekle de sizlere farkl bahis yonlerini sunacaklardr. Sistemsel etki icerisinde her zaman etkin sonuc alabilmek icin surekli olarak faaliyet icerisindedirler.

Canl Bahis Taktikleri

Bahis sektorunun en fazla dikkat edilmesi gereken hususu dogru taktik ve dogru tahmindir. Elbette dogru tahmini yapabilmek icin analizi cok iyi yapmak gerekir. Canl bahis taktikleri arasnda ilk sra analiz gelmektedir. Analiz yapamadgnz zaman basarl tahminlerde bulunmanz pek de mumkun degildir. Cunku bahiste onemli olan konu musabakann analizini cok iyi yaplmas gerektigidir. Canl bahisin ozelliklerini iyi bilmek ve nasl bir hamle yapacagnz bilmek gerekir. Ozellikle riskli maclarda yaplacak degerlendirmeler cok daha onemlidir.

Canl bahis yapacaklarn takip edecegi degerler takmlarn durumlar ile alakal olmaldr. Performans uzerine kurulu bahis sisteminde takm degerlendirmesine iyi bakmak gerekir. Iki takmn son 5 macta nasl bir sonuc ortaya koyduguna bakarak hareket etmek onemlidir. Ayrca hangi takm evinde daha iyi performans sergiliyor diye de ayrca bakmak gerekir.

Analizlerle alakal puan durumlarna da goz atmak cok onemlidir. Puan degerlendirmesinde oncelikle takmlarn ihtiyaclar ile dogru orantl hareket etmek gerekir. Cunku olusturulan performans takmn da durumunu ortaya koymaktadr. Nitekim istenilen sonucu elde edebilmek icin tum ayrntlar bilmek gerekir. Takm ici duzenden tutunda da takmn son durumuna kadar her ayrnt onemlidir. Iki takmn birbirleri arasnda ki sonuclar da incelemek gerekir. Burada dikkat edilecek detaylarn basnda maclarda kac gol oldugu ve gollerin hangi dakikalarda atldgdr. Cekismeli gecen musabakalarda bazen goller ilk yarda daha fazla olurken baz maclarda da ikinci yarda daha cok gol olmustur. Iki takm arasnda ki maclarda gollerin cogunlugu ilk yarda geliyorsa buna gore bahis yapabilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Bonuslar ve Kampanyalar

Bahis yapanlar veya yapmay dusununler sitelerin sunmus olduklar frsatlar merak etmektedirler. Cunku siteler daha fazla kullancya erismek icin her donem kampanyalar duzenleyerek kullanc odakl hamleler yapmaktadrlar. Canl bahis bonuslar ve kampanyalar oldukca populer olup, siteler bu konuda adeta birbirleri ile yarsmaktadrlar. Birbirinden farkl ozelliklere sahip olan kampanyalar size frsatlar sunmaktadr. Daha cok kazanma ihtimalinizi arttran bu bonuslar daha cesur olmanza da dogrudan etki edecektir. Nitekim bonuslar sitelerin cekiciligini ve avantajlarn arttrmaktadr. En cok kazandran canl bahis siteleri bedava bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin http://www.milano2018.com/canli-bahis-siteleri-2022/ linkinden yardm alabilirsiniz.

Hos geldin bonusu ile baslayan ve sonrasnda para yatrdkca bonus veren cok sayda site bulunmaktadr. Canl bahis bonusu veren siteler yeni uyelere sunduklar frsatlar farkl kampanyalarla mevcut uyelerine de sunmaktadrlar. Hali hazrda siteyi kullananlarn da bonus frsatlarndan yararlanmalar icin donemsel kampanyalar olusturmaktadrlar. Boylece baska sitelere gidisler olmayacag gibi site de daha keyifli zaman gecirmek mumkun klnmaktadr. Bu tur eklentiler yapan sitelerde musteri memnuniyeti daha fazladr.

Bahis siteleri ozellik ve uygulama bakmndan farkllklar bunyelerinde bulundurmaktadrlar. Verilen bonuslarn olusturulmas ve kullanclar aktarlmasnda yatrlan para miktarlar belirleyici olmaktadr. 1.000 TL yatran bir kullanc yuzde 20 bonus frsat olan bir kampanyadan 200 TL bonus kazanabilmektedir. Yatracag tutar 10.000 TL oldugunda bu bonustutar 2.000 TL olabilmektedir. Gerceklesen ve uygulanan esaslar tamamen donemsel olarak yaplan kampanyalarla alakaldr. Iyi Canl bahis siteleri bonuslar ve kampanyalar icin sitelerin vermis oldugu oranlar takip edebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Yatrma

Online Canl bahis yapacaklarn merak ettigi konulardan bir digeri de para yatrma islemleridir. Oldukca onemli olan bu konuda hata yapmamak cok onemlidir. Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemi sanlann aksine son derece basittir. Oldukca basit ve uygulama esas dogru etki olusturan bu yapda sizde islemi rahatca tamamlayabilirsiniz. Para yatrma konusunda su yolu izleyebilirsiniz.

Guvendiginiz ve herhangi bir sekilde aklnzda soru isareti kalmayan bahis sitesine uye olmanz gerekmektedir. Uyelik islemini sorunsuz sekilde tamamladktan sonra para yatrma islemine gecebilirsiniz.

Kullanacagnz siteye uye olduktan sonra karsnza kullanc ad ve sifresini gireceginiz yer gelecektir. Buraya giris yaptktan sonra site icerisine islemlere devam edebilirsiniz.

Sitede yer alan para yatrma sekmesine tklayp sonrasnda karsnza gelen sayfay inceleyebilirsiniz. Para yatrma bolumunde yer alan ksma ne kadar para yatracagnz yazp devam tusuna basmalsnz.

Yatrmak istediginiz tutar girip sonrasnda da devam tusuna bastktan sonra karsnza kart bilgilerinizi gireceginiz sayfa gelecektir. Kredi kart kullanarak para gondermek isteyenlerin tercih ettigi bu sayfa tum bilgiler girilip islem onaylanmaldr.

Canl bahis sitelerine para yatrma islemini gerceklestirmek icin hesaba havale secenegini de kullanabilirsiniz. Site icerisinde musteri hizmetleri ile iletisime gecerek banka hesap numaralarn ogrenebilirsiniz. Belirtilen IBAN numarasna istediginiz tutar havale edebilirsiniz. Havale ederken acklama ksmna yazlacak bilgilere dikkat etmelisiniz.

Kredi kart veya banka havalesi ile gerceklesen para yatrma islemi sonucunda site hesabnzdan bakiyenize bakabilirsiniz. Bakiyenize gore dilediginiz sekilde bahislerinizi gerceklestirebilirsiniz.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Para Cekme

Canl bahiste dogru hamleler ve dogru tahminler sonucunda kazandgnz bedeli geri almak isteyebilirsiniz. Kazanclarnz istediginiz banka hesabnza cekebilmek icin uymanz gereken kurallar soz konusudur. Oncelikle bahis sitelerinden para cekebilmeniz icin uye olurken dogru bilgi paylasmnda bulunmanz gerektigidir. Cunku canl bahis sitelerinden para cekme islemi icin kullanc hesab ile talep edilen banka hesap bilgilerinin ortusmesi gerekir. Yani uye olurken verilen bilgi ile banka hesab kime ait ise o bilgiler ayn olmaldr. Bu uygulama sitenin hem kullancsn hem de kendisini guvene alma politikasdr. Ayrca frsatclarn onune gecerek yeni bir uye olusumunun da onune gecmek amac gutmektedir. Uye olan kisi farkl para cekilme talebi verilen hesap farkl oldugunda para cekme islemi gerceklesmeyecektir.

Bahisleriniz sonucunda kazanc elde edebilir ve bu kazancnz da hakknz olarak almak isteyebilirsiniz. Burada son derece basit uygulama soz konusu olurken siteler aras farkl gorunumler soz konusu olabilir. Fakat yine de tum sitelerde uyenin site icerisinde para cekme bolumune girmesi yeterlidir. Burada cekilecek olan tutarn belirlenmesi ve hesap numarasnn girilmesi ile birlikte islem onay gerekecektir. Para cekme taleplerinde sizden gerekli bilgiler istenmekte ve havale islemi istenilen bilgiler esliginde yurutulmektedir. Dogru bilgi paylasmak sorunsuz para cekebilmeniz en onemli kuraldr. Istenilen bilgiler girildikten sonra site sorumlular gerekli kontrolleri yapp herhangi bir sorun yoksa ksa surede hesabnza gerekli paray aktaracaklardr.

Canl Bahis Sitelerinden Para Cekmek Icin Istenen Belgeler

Bahis sitelerine uye olduktan sonra baz kullanclar para cekme taleplerinin karslanmadg konusunda sikayetlerde bulunmuslardr. Bu sikayetlersektorde uzun zamandr bulunan guvenilir bahis siteleri de yer almaktadr. Fakat sikayetlerin dayanaklarna bakldgnda ise islerin tamamen farkl oldugu gorulmektedir. Yasanan bu durum kullanclarn hatal bilgi girmesi ve uyelik bilgileri ile banka bilgilerinin uyusmamas ile dogru orantldr. Birde canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler eksik ya da hatal olarak sunulmus olabilir. Ortaya ckan karsklar neticesinde para cekme talebinde bulunan kisi istedigini alamadg icin sikayetci olmaktadr. Oysa ki istenilen bilgiler dogru ve istenilen evraklar eksiksiz sunulsa para cekme islemi sorunsuz olacak.

Sitelerin para cekme konusunda dikkatli hareket etmesi hilelerin ve illegal faaliyetlerin onune gecmek adnadr. Cunku baz kullanclar farkl bilgiler vererek ikinci hesap acabilmektedirler. Bazen de bilincsizce hatal bilgi girilebilmektedir. Hatal islemlerin cozumu konusunda islem yaptgnz sitenin musteri temsilcileri ile gorusebilirsiniz. Talepleriniz dogrultusunda para cekme islemlerinde ki sorunlar giderilecektir. Canl bahis para cekmek icin istenen belgeler listesi su sekildedir;

Kullanc bilgileri ile banka bilgilerini karslastrmak icin kimlik fotokopisi

Banka hesap bilgileri

Ikametgah ve kisiye ait herhangi bir fatura.

Kacak Iddaa

Turkiyede dogrudan bahis yapmak icin resmi kanallar kullanlabilmektedir. Fakat tercih edilen ve oran olarak cok daha fazla frsatlar sunan kacar iddaasiteleri bulunmaktadr. Bu siteler kanunlara aykr sekilde yaplmakta olup, yasal bir dayanag yoktur. Elbette bu sitelerin kurulus merkezi Turkiye olmayp, ds ulkelerdedir ve faaliyetler belirlenen siteler uzerinden yaplmaktadr. Kacak Iddaa oldukca riskli olup, cok dikkatli olunmas gerekir.

Kacak Bahis

Kanunlar cercevesinde istediginiz gibi bahis yapamayabilirsiniz. Bahis yapabilmek icin ya kanuni olarak sorun olmayan ulke dsnda ki kumarhanelere gitmeniz veya kacak bahis sitelerinden islem yapabilirsiniz. Zira bu durum tehlikeli olsa da cok sayda site guvenli sekilde bu alanda hizmet vermektedir. Kacak bahiste oldukca fazla secenek bulunurken yuksek oranda kazanc sunuyor olmas da ragbeti arttryor.

Illegal Bahis

Bahisin bircok alanda yasak oldugu Turkiyede bu alanda cok sayda yabanc merkezli siteler hizmet vermektedir. Illegal bahis sektorunde faaliyet gosteren siteler guvenli hizmet anlays ile kullanclarna frsatlar sunmaktadr. Yurt ds merkezli bu siteler sorunsuz sekilde hizmetlerini surdururken bulunduklar ulkelerde kanunlara uygun sekildedir. Elbette faaliyet noktasnda bulunduklar ulkelerde sorun teskil etmese de Turkiyede faaliyet gostermeleri kanunin yasaklanmstr.

Yasads Bahis

Gerek olusturulan etkenler gerekse de ortaya konulan riskler yasads bahis de oldukca tehlikelidir. Kanunlarn mudahil olduklar bu alanlar da hem kullanclar hem de populer bahis yaptranlar tum riskleri goze almaktadrlar. Fakat yasaklardan uzak sekilde guvenli hizmet sunan siteler de bulunmaktadr. Takipler neticesinde kapatlan sitelerin muhakkak alternatifleri kurularak yollarna devam etmektedirler.

Canl Iddaa Siteleri Nelerdir?

Dunya genelinde kabul gormus cok sayda guvenli hizmet veren populer bahis siteleri bulunmaktadr. Elbette bu siteler dunyann bircok ulkesinde faaliyet gosterse de Turkiyede yasaktr. Sektorde yer alan cok sayda legal iddaa siteleri bulunmaktadr. Herhangi bir kanunsuzlugun olmadg bu sitelerden hzl ve guvenli islem yaplabilmektedir. Tabi bu sitelerde uygulanan oranlar yasal olmayan sitelere gore daha dusuktur. Illegal sitelerin tercih edilme sebeplerinin en onemli etkeni de olusturulan oranlardr. Peki, Iddaa siteleri nelerdir? Faaliyetleri ve uygulama esaslar nelerdir?

Turkiyede faaliyet gosteren yasal iddaa siteleri listesi su sekildedir;

Iddaa

Bilyoner

Tuttur

Birebin

Oley

Nesine

Misli

Iddaa

2004 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslayan Iddaa Spor toto tarafndan kurulmus olup, ilk etapta bayilik seklinde calsmaya baslamstr. Elbette zamanla gelisen teknolojiye ayak uydurarak internet uzerinde de populer bahis severlerin hizmetine sunulmustur. Kuruldugu donemde devletin resmi kurumu olarak faaliyet gosterirken gelinen yeni donemde ozellestirilmistir.

Bilyoner

Turkiyede faaliyetine 2006 ylnda baslayan Bilyoner ilk ozel yasal bahis sitesi olma ozelligine sahiptir. Guvenilir bahis siteleri Turkiyede bunlardr. Ksa surede populer olan site halen faaliyetlerini sorunsuz sekilde surdurmektedir.

Tuttur

Ksa surede adndan bahsettirmeyi basaran Tuttur 2009 ylnda faaliyetlere baslamstr. Guvenilir bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almstr. Gunumuze dek bircok alanda populer bahis yapanlara frsatlar sunarken avantajlar ile de begeni toplamstr.

Birebin

Kullanc odakl calsmalar surdurse de 2011 ylnda sektore giren Birebindiger sitelere gore daha az ragbet gormektedir. Bahis oynamak ise bu sitede oldukca kolaydr. Elbette farkl yaklasmlara sahip olmasndan dolay ilerleyen sureclerde adndan sklkla bahsettirecek gibi gorunuyor.

Oley

2009 ylnda Dogus yayn gruplarnn istiraki olarak kurulmus olup yasal olarak herhangi bir sorunu olmayan sitelerdendir. Bahis siteleri arasnda hzl cks yapms bir sitedir. Oley yapms oldugu yenilikler ile kullanclarn da dikkatini ksa surede cekmeyi basarmstr.

Nesine

Birbirini takip eden surecte Nesine de yine 2006 ylnda hizmet vermeye baslamstr. Yasal bahis siteleri arasnda yerini almay basaran firma ksa surede sevilen ve ragbet goren bir site olmustur.

Misli

2009 ylnda sektore cok hzl giris yapan Misli cok sayda reklam filmi ile on plana ckmay basarmstr. Internet uzerinden hem yasal hem de sorunsuz hizmet veren bahis sitelerinden bir tanesi olmustur.

Canl Bahis Siteleri Kayt ve Uyelik Islemleri

Her zaman populerligini koruyan ve surekli gelisim gosteren canl bahis gun gectikce daha da gucleniyor. Bahis oynamak icin ise sitelere uye olunmas gerekir. Yuksek getirisi ve begeni toplayan faaliyetleri ile cok sayda site bu alanda faaliyet gostermektedir. Elbette sorunsuz sekilde uye olmanz ve faaliyetler gostermeniz de oldukca kolaydr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri dakikalar icerisinde gerceklestirilecek yapya sahiptir.

Uye olacagnz siteyi belirledikten sonra siteye girmeniz gerekmektedir. Girdiginiz sitenin ana sayfasnda uye ol ya da kayt ol bolumu bulunacaktr. Siteler arasnda degiskenlik gosteren bu alanda temel unsurlar bulunmaktadr. Elbette farkllklar olsa da temelinde benzer bilgiler uye olmak isteyen kisilerden talep edilmektedir.

Uye ol bolumune tkladktan sonra karsnza uyelik bilgi formu ckacaktr. Bu formda sizin kim oldugunuzu ogrenmek ve sitenin guvenligini saglamak adna islemler yaplmaktadr. Uyelik formunda yer alan ad soyad bolumunu eksiksiz ve dogru sekilde doldurmalsnz. Sizden bu formda istenen bilgilerin tamamn girmeniz istenecektir. Istenen bilgiler mutlaka dogru ve eksiksiz sekilde olmaldr. Eksik veya hatal bilgi uyelik islemlerinde sorun teskil edebilir. Yine de yanls bilgi girisine ragmen uyelik islemleri tamamlanabilir. Fakat boyle bir yol izleyenler sonrasnda buyuk skntlarla karslasabilirler. Bu skntlarn basnda da para cekme islemlerinde yasanan sorunlardr.

Uyelik islemleri dikkatli ve ozenle doldurulmas gereken yapdadr. Canl bahis siteleri kayt ve uyelik islemleri gerceklestirilirken verilen bilgiler site yonetimi tarafndan muhafaza edilmektedir. Herhangi bir sekilde 3. Sahslarla paylaslmas gibi bir durum soz konusu degildir. Bu faaliyetleri surduren sitelerin guven unsurlar arasnda bu nokta onceliklidir.

Bahis sitelerine uye olurken hatal bilgi paylasmnda bulunmak size faydadan cok zarar verecektir. Diyelim ki bilgileri hatal girdiniz ve uyelik onayland. Uyelik tamamlandktan sonra siteye para yatrdnz ve kazanc elde ettiniz. Kazancnz sonrasnda hesabnza almak istediginizde karsnza banka bilgileri bolumu gelecektir. Para cekme talebi gerceklestikten sonra site uyelik bilgileri ile banka hesap bilgileri ortusmez ise paranz alamazsnz. Boyle bir durumla karslasmamak adna bu hususa ayrca dikkat etmelisiniz.
Mar 5, 2016 | By Tess

Gone are the days of flipping through the classified section in the newspaper to find suitable real estate, whether residential or commercial, as listings are now primarily posted online. Despite the change of medium, however, real estate listingsespecially for commercial, office propertieshave remained essentially the same as the small clippings that could be found in the paper, with few details and a limited search engine. Now, and some may say finally, the online real estate game for commercial properties has begun to change with startups like Jagonal incorporating high-tech elements such as 3D virtual tours into their listings, helping to connect the customer with the space they are looking at.

Jagonal, a Sydney, Australia based startup, was founded by Andrew Brown, Max Sim, and Serge Kotlyarov all of whom previously worked for REA Group, the Australia based global online real estate advertising company. Seeing that the company did not put much focus on marketing commercial properties, the three set out to find a solution. Brown explains, We knew there was a better way but we did not come up with the full solution until many years later. It all came together when Serge and I exited our respective startups. I had left REA to build a real estate CRM and Serge had left a fintech startup, which he left after finishing his MBA at London Business School. The time was right for a new startup in an industry which we really understood.

So far, the Jagonal search engine has over 4,000 buildings listed and offers detailed and varied search features, including not only things like location, size, and price, but also features such as office layout and style, views, office lighting, and on-site and local amenities such as bike racks, childcare, and dining, just to name a few. The real estate website also presents three different ways to search for an office space: from a checklist of criteria, a text box search, and most notably a 3D model of the city in Australia you are searching with all the listings on display. This last feature has been of particular interest to investors and businesspeople looking for property from overseas.

As mentioned, Jagonal has also integrated 3D virtual tours into their real estate platform and are hoping to change the the nature of real estate advertising through these technological advancements. The 3D digital models were made by inputting the buildings data, including such information as coordinates, size, and number of floors into the Jagonal 3D editor, which generates the models of the buildings. As youll notice in the photos, the real estate team has opted for a virtual rendering of the buildings and their surroundings rather than a photographic one, reportedly to keep their sites loading speed up.

Jagonal is not the only real estate company that has introduced 3D modeling and 3D technology into their practice, as the technology has gradually been gaining sway in not only the real estate industry, but also tourism and hospitality. Venue hire company iVvy has also been dabbling with 3D technologies and virtual reality tours to provide their clients with comprehensive and full online tours of their spaces, immersing them in the rental space.

Lauren Hall, CEO of iVvy explains, As we expand globally, the hospitality industry can now take their offering to customers anywhere in the world. In the age of connectivity, we are giving people the ability to make decisions about venues from any location, knowing that it is just as good as if they were on-site. This is the future of events and hospitality and we are proud to be catalysts of the change.

Jagonal, which launched in beta form last year, will be officially launching sometime this month. Ultimately the company wants to expand globally, and they are looking for investors to make this a possibility. As Brown says, The next 12 months will be about investing heavily in marketing, refining the product and replicating our success in Singapore and other markets.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Franklin Templeton Investments has just launched an investor education initiative across media. Conceptualized by Soho Square, Mumbai, the campaign is being released on TV and the digital medium with a round of press also planned. Timed to release during the India-Pakistan match at the Asia Cup, this campaign is positioned to talk to all those looking for an entry into the world of investments. Since this period also coincides with the Union Budget, it is expected that the ad will catch consumers in an apt frame of mind.



Juzer Tambawalla, Vice President and Head  Marketing & Communication, Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund:The objective of this campaign is to position the concept of Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) as an affordable yet attractive investment solution for the retail consumer. An SIP is the first step to investing in Mutual Funds and given that one can start with as little as Rs. 500 a month, its almost the cost of 2 movie tickets.



Anuraag Khandelwal, Executive Creative Director and Creative Head, Soho Square Mumbai:Each one of us knows the pain that EMIs bring at the start of every month. By positioning SIP like a Good EMI, we are pitching it as an EMI that ultimately comes back to you. This is why unlike other EMIs, this is one EMI that youll gladly pay for with a smile. The film is made in a way thatll make you go, 'Yeah, this is exactly what happens to me.

The campaign dramatizes this aspect and presents SIP as #TheGoodEMI which one can look forward to as an investment, not an instalment. This is a different way from the 'Happy families' or 'plan for the future' type of commercials, typical to this category.



The film is a dramatization of what happens to a regular middle-class working man on the first of every month. After a long day at work, he gets an SMS that says the words hes been waiting for, all month: Salary Credited. He then checks his wallet as it is now flush with cash and that brings joy to his face. Unfortunately for him, his joy is short-lived as a huge crowd of EMI-collectors descend on him like a pack of hungry wolves. We then go into an action-movie mode, as the poor guy is chased by Phone EMI, Personal loan EMI and Car EMI. With each EMI that hits, the guy loses more and more cash until he lands on the ground having lost most of his salary to these people. The only man helping him is the SIP guy, and the protagonist gladly pays his Good EMI with a smile, knowing that this is an investment not another instalment!



Link to Download  https://we.tl/31NH09ifuF

CREDITS:

Agency: Soho Square, Mumbai

Head of Office: Samrat Bedi

Creative

Executive Creative Director and Creative Head: Anuraag Khandelwal

Executive Creative Director and Creative Head: Satish deSa

Creative Director: Manu Gupta

Creative Controller: Pratik Kamat

Account Management

Senior Vice President: Mohit Ahuja

Account Director: Neville Suraliwala

Account Supervisor: Selvam Somasundaram

Account Planning

Senior Vice President: Shashank Lanjekar



Films

Film Supervisor: Shagun Dharia

Client: Franklin Templeton Investments

Vice President and Head  Marketing & Communication: Juzer Tambawalla

Assistant Vice President  Marketing & Communication: Balaji Vaidyanathan

Assistant Manager  Marketing & Communication: Anuradha Bhandari



Production House: Story-tellers

Director: Aakash Bhatia

Producer: Zina Khan

Post Producer: Prasad Shetty
Canadas first Sikh Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan now has a chicken burger named after him and it is called The Minister of National Deliciousness.

45-year-old Sajjan, who was in November named Canadas Minister of National Defence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus 30 member Liberal cabinet, stopped by a downtown Vancouver eatery to sample the burger named in his honour.

National Deliciousness indeed! Tried my namesake burger at #Vancouvers @TheCannibalCafe and was not disappointed, Sajjan tweeted after eating the burger.

Sajjan, who represents the Vancouver-South, was in town last week for the Liberal governments first ministers meeting, but made time to visit The Cannibal Cafe and try out his namesake burger The Minister of National Deliciousness.

I approve, Sajjan said after taking the first bite.

Its got pakoras on it. Who wouldve thought to put it into a burger? Now that  that makes sense, he was quoted as saying by CTV News.

The chicken burger also features a tandoori-spiced patty doused in butter chicken sauce and pressed yogurt with mint, cilantro and cucumbers.

It was introduced as Februarys Burger of the Month but the eaterys owner said it was so popular they added it to the regular menu.

Sajjan, who called the experience very humbling, also shook hands with the chef behind the burger, Zai Kitagawa, and signed off on a chalkboard featuring a drawing of him in sunglasses.

Kitagawa told reporters on Wednesday that he started thinking about the burger shortly after the ministers appointment.

If theres a man that a Canadian can be proud of, its definitely Mr Sajjan, he said. Sajjan is a combat veteran and has served in Bosnia and had three deployments to Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was born in India and moved to Canada with his family when he was five-years-old.

Since his appointment as Defence Minister, Sajjan has faced two incidents of apparent racism. Soon after his appointment in November, he faced racist remarks by a soldier on social media, prompting the Canadian Armed Forces to launch a probe.

In February, Sajjan was heckled in Parliament with an opposition member shouting that MPs needed an English-to- English translation as he spoke, an act dubbed as racist.
Hamid Dabholkar, son of slain anti-superstition activist Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, expressed unhappiness over investigators failure to zero in on the murderers of his father, CPI leader Govind Pansare and Kannada scholar M M Kalburgi.

Why is it so difficult to identify them? There are reports in media that these three rationalists were killed by the same set of weapons, (but) even then the investigating agencies were speculating about the motive, he said, speaking at Mumbai Collective: Celebrating Freedom and Pluralism, a two-day conclave here.

All three of them were working to propagate rationalism and constructive criticism of religion. They were labelled as traitors of religion by a particular organisation which has a history of resorting to violence to achieve their agenda.

The same organisation had put a red cross on Dabholkar and Pansares photographs (on its website). Still, two and a half years later, not a single arrest has been made, he said.

On one hand there is deep anguish of losing my beloved father, comrade Pansare and professor Kalburgi, and the insensitive delay in investigation, but on the other hand there is a definite ray of hope and feeling of solidarity when we see many youths and like-minded people coming together and supporting this cause, Hamid said.

Right from the day of assassination of Dabholkar (on August 20, 2013, in Pune), we were telling the agency that it is not a personal or property dispute. This is a planned assault on ideological framework and if you dont arrest the culprits there will be more murders. But sadly nobody paid heed. One and a half years later, Pansare was killed in Kolhapur and four months later Kalburgi in Dharwad, he said.

It was very much possible for the state government and the topmost (investigation) agency of this country like CBI to save the lives of these people, Hamid said.

Echoing the sentiment, Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of Govind Pansare, said, Arrest of one suspect (in Pansare case) has led to nothing We are struggling for justice three years after the (three) killings.
Five militants were killed in an exchange of fire with Egyptian army in the restive North Sinai province, army said.

The exchange of fire at Shiekh Zwayed city killed five militants, army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement.

Egypts North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.
After the intelligence input from Pakistans National Security Advisor (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua regarding a group of 10 terrorists belonging to Jaish e Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar e Toiba (LeT) entered Gujarat, two teams of the National Security Guards (NSG) have been deployed in Ahmedabad and security has been beefed up in the entire state.

The Gujarat administration tightened security across the state, especially along its coastal belt, following a note by national security adviser Ajit Doval about the possible infiltration.

The alert was sounded in Kutch district that shares both land and sea border with Pakistan.

State Home Minister Rajanikant Patel said, We had received inputs from the central government yesterday (Saturday) about terror suspects having entered the state.

We have issued a high alert, he said, and the security has been increased.

Intelligence agencies believe this infiltration is aimed at creating disturbances on or around Shivaratri which falls on Monday. Pakistans NSA has informed that these are fidayeen from the Lashkar-E-Taiba and Jaish-eMuhammed cadres.

Following Dovals communication to Gujarat, security has been stepped up at sensitive installations, places of worship and public places. This is the first time that Pakistan has shared such specific intelligence.

All security agencies in Gujarat have been placed on a state of high alert and despatched to specific locations which are vulnerable. The state director general of police P C Thakur convened an emergency meeting on the issue and alerts were sounded off in all major cities and districts.

Important monuments and pilgrimage centres like Somnath temple, Dwarka Temple, Akashardham, power plants, defence, dams like Sardar Sarovar Dam and security establishments have also been put on alert.

The warning from Pakistan comes after five abandoned Pakistani boats found in the past three months in Kutch.

An abandoned boat was found by a BSF patrolling team off Koteshwar coast in Kutch on Friday.

According to the input shared by Pakistans NSA, these 10 terrorists are suicide bombers from the Lashkar-E-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed outfits. Intelligence agencies believe that this infiltration is aimed at creating disturbances on or around Mahashivaratri which falls on Monday.

A plan of action was also decided in a high-level meeting of top cops of the state.

Earlier, on Saturday, Western Army Commander Lt Gen KJ Singh had disclosed in Pathankot on Saturday that there are some disturbing inputs about a terror attack in India aimed at creating the maximum media impact during the Shivratri festival and the ongoing Parliament session. He assured that steps have been taken to deal with it.
After Kanhaiya Kumar controversy and continuous attack on JNU, many literates and think tanks came forward, refuting the charges and allegations raised against University and its students. Even, some have gone to the extent of calling Hindu Rashtra perception of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat as an anti-national agenda. Meanwhile, many wanted to know about the term Hindu Rashtra means, as till today, only the RSS speaks about Hindu Rashtra but never feels to explains what it means. They cannot explain it, because it would be unacceptable to majority of Hindus, forget the Indian Muslims and Christians. The population of conservative Hindus are very much scanty than the population of Secular Hindu. Any theocratic state can be built only on the principle of exclusion. In Islamic States, the application of Shariah law for crimes is one part of the States theocratic face. Corporal punishment was the norm across the world in a time when there were no jails. And so beatings, amputations, stoning and beheadings may seem barbaric to us today, but it was a common in the world in 7th century AD.

In Pakistan, no Christian can become prime minister and no Sikh can become president according to the constitution. In this instance, the religious State expresses itself through its identification and treatment of minorities as being different from the general population, who are the ideal citizens. The exclusions came in with General Ayub Khan and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, but there is no Islamic state from Iran to Saudi Arabia, where this principle of exclusion of non-Muslims, has not become a founding principle. A few days ago, Nepals lawmakers voted against an amendment proposal in a draft of the countrys new constitution to declare the Himalayan nation a Hindu State. In Kathmandu, protestors demanding restoration of the monarchy and the status of Hindu Rashtra clashed with police. Many Nepals citizens believe that their kings were reincarnations of Shri Vishnu and they support the restoration of the monarchy. Nepal is a secular nation today by constitution, but it was a Hindu State for centuries until the abolition of the monarchy.

The introduction of the Hindu Rashtra has two aspects. The external aspect is what we believe in India and that is the RSS worldview. Its idea of Hindu Rashtra is developed to exclude Muslims and Christians from here. In Nepal, it was internal, meaning it was focussed on a Kshatriya king. That is what made it a Hindu State. Manusmriti also prescribes the position of other castes, not just the monarch. When Kshatriyas rule, Brahmins teach and Vaishyas trade. Shudras do the labour and the Untouchables are on the periphery. The castes cannot encroach on one anothers areas, and this is the ideal Hindu Rashtra according to our texts. The exclusion in this instance comes from denying groups of Hindus access to money, education and power. The Islamic State excludes the non-Muslim. The Hindu Rashtra first excludes the non-Hindu and then excludes even within. This is the only reason why the idea of Hindu Rashtra has not got popular in India.

The Constitution has assured to give place to every religions faith, and thats why Hindu Rashtra theory failed. If BJP and RSS turn it into a Hindu Rashtra by anyways, then not only Muslims and Christians but Dalits and Adivasis interests will not also be safe in this country.

Veer Savarkar was one of the first in the twentieth century to attempt a definitive description of the term Hindu in terms of what he called Hindutva meaning Hinduness. The coinage of the term Hindutva was an attempt by Savarkar who was an atheist and a rationalist, to de-link it from any religious connotations that had become attached to it. He defined the word Hindu as: He who considers India as both his Fatherland and Holyland. He thus defined Hindutva (Hindu-ness) or Hindu as different from Hinduism. This definition kept the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) outside its ambit and considered only native religious denominations as Hindu.

This distinction was emphasised on the basis of territorial loyalty rather than on the religious practices. Savarkar wrote Their [Muslims and Christians] holy land is far off in Arabia or Palestine. Their mythology and Godmen, ideas and heroes are not the children of this soil. Consequently their names and their outlook smack on foreign origin. Their love is divided. Savarkar, also defined the concept of Hindu Rashtra (translated as Hindu polity). The concept of Hindu Polity called for the protection of Hindu people and their culture and emphasised that political and economic systems should be based on native thought rather than on the concepts borrowed from the West. Like Savarkar many other Hindu leaders too advocated Hindu Rashtra. India to be declared as country of Hindu religion and whosoever is the citizen of this country should be called Hindu, irrespective of its own religious beliefs. Whatever is the debate, but this is impossible because India is not only divided on religious grounds but also in caste system. After this there will be next debate which caste will rule India, which will be bigger curse.
Professor Tony Dyson, the British creator of the Star Wars droid R2-D2, has been found dead at his home on the Maltese island of Gozo, police said on Friday.

Neighbours raised the alert on Thursday after noticing that the front door of the 68-year-olds apartment in Triq Zirzieb had been left open.

Police said they had opened an inquiry into the cause of death but that foul play had been ruled out.

Mr Dyson, who had lived in Malta since the early 1990s, also worked on a number of other Hollywood films including Superman 2and Moonraker.

He was nominated for an Emmy for his film special effects supervision.

Built by Mr Dyson, based on art work by Cocoon and E.T., the Extra-terrestrials Ralph McQuarrie, the R2-DT character appeared in all the Star Wars films.
Theres only one country in the Middle East that could produce a soldier like me.

In the last few weeks, students across the UK have been involved in Israeli Apartheid Week. Some have supported it. Others have opposed it. Invited by the Zionist Federation UK, last week I was able to attend campuses up and down the country specifically to address and counter some of the claims involved.

These fall into roughly three categories. First, that Israel is an inherently racist and therefore unacceptable country, comparable to Apartheid South Africa. Second, that its army defends this racist status with acts of illegal and immoral violence. And third, that the only solution to this problem is through the isolation tactics of boycotts.

Like many I met during my visit, I oppose these views. But perhaps more than most people on either side of the debate, I am better placed to argue against them. Because I am an Israeli, an Arab, and the highest ranked Muslim in the IDF.

Is Israel inherently racist, an apartheid state? Well, do you think that such a country would tolerate a person like myself getting to the position I am today? Forget for a second (BDS supporters would like you to forget permanently!) that 20 percent of Israelis are non-Jewish, have full rights, and are represented throughout society. Its one thing, after all, to have Arab politicians, Christian voters, and Muslim doctors  although we do have them, and quite a few at that.

But a non-Jewish army Major? Someone who has not only fought alongside Jewish soldiers, but now trains them too? Would a truly racist state allow me to play such an integral role in our nations defenses?

And while were on the subject of those defenses, let me tackle accusation two: that the Israel army is a particularly immoral one. I am not particularly religious, but as the Quran says, if anyone killed a person, it would be as if he killed the whole of mankind; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole of mankind.

I do not serve in the army to kill people  I serve in it to save people.

I do not serve in the army to kill people  I serve in it to save people. When Hamas fires rockets, or Fatah encourages stabbings, we are here to protect the lives of all Israeli citizens, Jewish and non-Jewish.

And so on to the last point  that the best way to resolve violence and conflict is through the kind of tactics advocated by the Boycotts movement. Namely, isolation and intimidation. For me, this is the most important issue, and the one which makes me shake my head with anger and sadness the most.

Like I said, I visited the UK to combat Israeli Apartheid Week, to challenge the lies and mistruths hurled at the country I am proud to call home. But what hurts me the most is not how unbelievable they are. The opposite, in fact. They are all too believable, and I should know  because I once believed them too.

I was raised to believe the worst things about Jews, and had I not eventually met and worked alongside them, I might still believe those things today.

The reality is that the town I grew up in did not recognize the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state. While Arabic is an official language, I did not learn Hebrew until I was 17. I was raised to believe the worst things about Jews, and had I not eventually met and worked alongside them, I might still believe those things today.

In my role as a soldier, I have met all kinds of people both in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Jews, Arabs, Religious, Secular, Left-wing and Right-wing. I have met Israelis who were prejudiced against me. But I have also met Palestinians who appreciate the work that I do to maintain some sort of peace and stability in the most dangerous part of the world.

Forget slogans and shouting. Peace  real peace  will only come when people talk to each other. Not necessarily agree  just agree to listen. But the irony of Israeli Apartheid Week is that it wants individuals to focus on differences, not similarities. Instead of building bridges between communities, it wants to build walls.

During my time in the UK, I spoke alongside a fellow soldier, a medic who has treated both Israeli soldiers and Palestinian terrorists without distinction. We were the Muslim who protects Jewish lives, and the Jew who saves Muslim lives. Theres only one country in the Middle East that could produce a couple like that  and it sure as hell isnt an apartheid state.

This article originally appeared in www.jewishnews.co.uk
Members of the Antioch Baptist Church in Ensley are rejoicing this morning after their pastor has left the church.

Last week, Pastor Willie Jackson did not show up for church services, and the congregation had to worship outside in the parking lot. Members of the church said that Jackson had been stealing money and acting like a "bully" since he arrived at Antioch Baptist three years ago.

Early last month, the congregation drafted a petition for Jackson to resign. He refused, and said he would sue all of the church members who signed the petition.

Yesterday, a church member drove by Antioch Baptist and saw a U-Haul truck in the parking lot. This person called other members of the congregation, and they gathered at the church.

Jackson's family was there, gathering his belongings and taking items that belonged to the church, Lisa Pickens said. Pickens, a member of Antioch Baptist, called Birmingham police. Jackson was not present.

Pickens said that Birmingham police could not stop the family from taking church items, because it was a "civil matter." They filed a report and stayed on the scene until the Jackson family was finished.

Pickens said that Jackson's family left the keys to the church, and the congregation was able to worship inside this morning. She said they are in the process of doing inventory to see what is missing from the church and its offices.

So far, the church copier, computer, and paperwork are missing.

Minnie Eatmon, another member of Antioch Baptist, noticed this morning that a set of plates and serving ware she bought the church was missing as well. She said the set had around 80 plates, silverware pieces, and glasses.

"We're doing inventory, and we're changing the locks as soon as possible," Pickens said.

While Jackson and his family allegedly stole from church members, the congregation is happy to have their church back.

"Our church family is scattered. Some haven't been showing up, some have left the church... but now we're closer than ever," Antioch Baptist spokesperson Ann Zellander said.

Eatmon also said that she was "embarrassed" to have Jackson as the pastor of her church. She said that friends and family from out of town called her throughout the week; "They said, 'Is that your church? Is that your pastor?'"

Zellander said that Jackson's family left behind bills for the church that haven't been paid, and that they are in the process of evaluating church finances.

Multiple church members present this morning said that they will require a background check for their next pastor.

"God is good. He's going to see us through," Zellander said.
More than four months after a fire closed the Birmingham Building Trades Towers, an apartment building for seniors near Five Points South, residents still haven't been allowed back in to retrieve their belongings.

Frank Buck, an attorney who is representing more than 80 clients from the building, recently ventured inside the building and found abandoned medical equipment, prescription drugs and even car keys left behind by former residents.

Alice Franks, a long-time resident, was one of the people who evacuated during the fire on Oct. 26, 2015. She and her neighbors had just the clothes on their backs, and haven't been allowed to retrieve equipment or other personal belongings left behind in the building.

"I told everybody to get their medicines started first," she said. "And to follow their doctors and get their health back."

Attorneys for property owner Emmanuel Ku declined to comment for this story.

Buck has filed a lawsuit against Ku and Arbour Valley Management, which managed the Trades Towers, alleging that his clients sustained injuries in the fire.

Franks lived on the 11th floor, and when the fire erupted, she raced from one end of the hallway to another, trying to find an exit. Then a police officer stopped her on the way out and sent her down another exit. Smoke inhalation sent her to the hospital for about 24 hours after the blaze, she said.

Franks said she hasn't even been allowed in the parking lot at the Towers. In early November, a woman who worked for the property management company told her they would be able to return to their apartments in three weeks.

Photographs from inside the building show that little work has been done in the lobby area. The area directly affected by the fire is scorched and gutted. Buck said the interior reeks from the smell of rotting food in abandoned refrigerators.

It was the third fire since the building was purchased by Ku in 2003 in an auction held by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The landlord, who has a history of housing code violations in New York, has been blocked in efforts to buy HUD properties in other states.

Residents have complained about conditions in the building, including lax security, frequent false fire alarms and bed bugs. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office has also investigated more than a dozen deaths in the building that involved residents who died alone in their apartments. Although most of them died from natural causes, many were not discovered for several days after they passed.

After the October fire, officials from the Birmingham Fire Department urged the owners of the Trades Towers to install a sprinkler system. The city cannot require the owners to install sprinklers because of the age of the building, according to a fire department spokesman.

"I'll tell you how bad it is," Buck said. "When most people left, they weren't even allowed to come back to get their car keys. So their car keys, all their medicine, their wallets, all these people own - it's all still in there."

Franks said she had to leave behind rented equipment for cable television. When she couldn't return it, her credit score took a hit, she said.

Buck said most of his clients have moved into new apartments and have no plans to return to the Trades Towers. But they still want to retrieve the clothes, furniture and other things they left behind.

It may be many months before the court renders a decision about the lawsuit Buck has filed, but in the meantime, he said he is still trying to help his clients.

"First and foremost, we're trying to get our clients' personal belongings," Buck said. "That's a starting point."
A pedestrian was killed yesterday in a single-vehicle crash in Chilton County, according to a release from Corporal Jesse Thornton of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Pedro Guzman, 56, of Montevallo, was killed at 7:30 p.m. last night when he was struck by a 2010 Chevrolet Transverse on Alabama 155 close to the mile marker 6.

The driver of the Transverse was not injured. A preliminary investigation has indicated that alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.

The Alabama State Troopers are investigating.
As the largest tornado research project to take place in the Deep South began last week, an awkward question lingered.

Is this group of dozens of scientists from around the country mobilized at the University of Alabama in Huntsville the only people in the state hoping for tornadoes?

"Yes and no," said Erik Rasmussen, the project coordinator for the $5 million study dubbed Vortex Southeast. "There isn't one of these researchers I've worked with for all these years who enjoy seeing that. It's always a thrill to view a tornado but the destruction is just not fun."

Still, Rasmussen said, "We need to have them."

And history indicates they will. Tornadoes for the last 10 springs have been confirmed in north Alabama, not to mention beyond region. And the study is not confined to north Alabama.

"If they come along, we'll sample them," said Kevin Knupp, the lead tornado researcher at UAH and director of SWIRLL - the Severe Weather Institute and Radar & Lightning Laboratories that is headquarters for Vortex Southeast.

"I don't want to be quoted as hoping for tornadoes," Knupp said.

"If we just have average conditions, we'll get a good sample. Some of the work we do, we don't need tornadoes to study the complexities (of the storm). We just need conditions that are close (producing tornadoes)."

Knupp said it's a feather in the weather research hat at UAH to serve as host for Vortex Southeast - a project that runs through April and involves researchers from six different divisions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the National Weather Service.

There are also researchers from NASA as well as the National Science Foundation, National Center for Atmospheric Research and 16 universities.

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, described the project as "preparing to head off a new frontier of exploring and researching these (tornado) many issues."

The bulk of tornado research has taken place in the Great Plains states. But tornadoes in Oklahoma are formed differently than those in Alabama, Rasmussen said, and understanding Deep South tornadoes is a critical component of the study.

"I think it's high time we paid attention to how things are different in other parts of the country," he said.

With the trees and hills of north Alabama, tracking tornadoes is far more difficult than in the vast expanses of the Great Plains.

Vortex Southeast will also continue Knupp's studies about topography and surface roughness being tornado catalysts.

"The big differences are our ability to observe in the plains," said Rasmussen, a researcher at the University of Oklahoma working with the National Severe Storms Laboratory. "It's pretty wide open. We've got all the roads we need to maneuver around storms and get within hundreds of yards of what we're trying to observe.

"When you're driving around this part of Alabama, you only have this much of the sky visible (as Rasmussen held his hands above his head about one foot apart). We don't really know what's coming. It's completely different. We really can't do storm chasing. We're going to try that a little bit. But by and large, we can't storm chase like we do in the plains."

Instead, the trust will be put in the array of instruments brought by the research universities participating in the study.

"The idea here is to put together a scientifically sound network of instruments, turn them all on and make darn sure they are collecting good data and let the storms move through," Rasmussen said. "We're going to learn a lot from that."

But as far as hoping for tornadoes, researchers know it's not really necessary in Alabama in the spring. Year after year, the storms come.

"We're looking at an active period in the middle of March," Knupp said. "There's potential to have a significant outbreak in the southeast so we're watching that."

Watching, but not hoping.
tuscumbia suspect.jpg

The Lawrence County, Tenn. Sheriff's Office said Benjamin Owen Young, 28, of Florence crashed a stolen vehicle into a Loretto police officer's patrol unit causing the suspect's vehicle to flip and come to a rest on its top. (Lawrence County Sheriff's Office)

A suspect in a Tuscumbia homicide was apprehended Friday night after a police pursuit that entered Tennessee and ended with him crashing his vehicle into a patrol car.

The Lawrence County, Tenn. Sheriff's Office said Benjamin Owen Young, 28, of Florence crashed a stolen vehicle into a Loretto police officer's patrol unit causing the suspect's vehicle to flip and come to a rest on its top.

The pursuit of the suspect began around Patton Island Bridge in the Muscle Shoals area and stretched into Tennessee via Chisolm Road/Highway 13 and eventually onto Highway 227 in Lawrence County, Tenn. at around 6:15 p.m.

Young was arrested and transported to the Lawrence County Detention Center where he is being held without bond for multiple charges including aggravated assault on a police officer, reckless endangerment, and evading arrest.

Police say Young was also operating a stolen vehicle out of Florence.

Young will be extradited to Lauderdale County where he will face murder charges in Tuscumbia.

It's unclear if Young is accused in the March 1 shooting that left one man dead and another injured at the Spring Creek Apartments on Timberlane Drive.
UNESCO estimates that more than 6,000 languages will become extinct if no efforts are made to preserve them.

Outside, it is raining. A hard, cold Northern California downpour.

But inside the wooden house, it is warm and cheerful with children singing.

I am listening to their voices speaking in an ancient Native American language that till recently was given up for dead. But now, the people here are determined to keep their language alive.

The dozen children in the room, ranging from three to six years old, are learning Hupa  or, as it is properly called, Hoohh Ch  on their redwood country reservation 500km north of San Francisco.

Teacher Ginger Rogers leads the kids in a song, and then at snack time she tells them the Hupa names for the treats they clamour for. The Hupa word for bananas, for example, translates to food that the monkey eats.

Hanging by a thread

Hupas very existence is hanging by a slender thread, says 40-year-old teacher Salish Jackson, who himself learned it by studying with a tribal elder.

There are three elder fluent speakers, theres a handful of people my age or older, that are language learners-slash-teachers, he said.

We have come to a level where we can teach and understand and have conversations.

The Hupa have lived in their stunningly beautiful homeland of forest, mist and mountain forever.

Ask a tribal member where the Hupa came from, and youll get a lecture denouncing anthropologists explanations that Native Americans originated with people who wandered across the Bering land bridge from Siberia around 16,000 years ago.

We have been here forever, since time immemorial, says tribal language restoration official Gordon Bussell.

We didnt come here from some other place. We came out of the earth, right here.

The Hupa had little contact with Europeans or white Americans till the mid 19th century, following the discovery of gold in California.

As prospectors and settlers poured, in the US government and the Hupa signed unequal treaties, taking away most of their land and leaving the Hupa with a small reservation of 19sq km.

READ MORE: Hupe  A language that refuses to die

In the early 20th century, the government embarked on a policy of Americanising natives across the US.

A key part of the calculated strategy of cultural destruction was to remove Indian children from their families and force them to attend harsh, military-style boarding schools.

In those schools Native American languages and traditions were banned.

Bussell says Hupa children were beaten for using their mother tongue.

You would actually get punished in the school and  in the community at times  get turned in. So the Indians had to go underground.

Against imposing odds, the 3,000-member tribe is taking practical steps to bring their language back to health.

READ MORE: A Native-American nation divided

Tribal school teachers are learning basic Hupa in order to teach it themselves in primary and high schools.

Eventually, there will be total immersion Hupa classes for children up to age six. Language teachers like Salish Jackson and Gordon Bussell are working closely with the remaining elders who speak Hupa most fluently.

Amid those deliberate efforts to stamp it out, followed and the onslaught of American culture, radio, television and other forms of English-only media, the Hupa language dwindled. And without the language, Bussell says, the Hupa world spun out of balance.

You lose a language and you lose a song, he said.

This is what keeps the world together, is our languages. This language doesnt just exist because of us. It actually exists in the air in the land, and its part of everything.

So when I talk the language, the land knows me. To lose your language is like losing the fingers on your hand. Then, your body is sick. And so now, the world is sick.

Outsiders are helping too. Students at the San Jose State University, under the direction of Professor Jeanine Pfeiffer, made an animated film of a Hupa legend, narrated by Hupa elder Verdena Parker and posted on YouTube.

Like many Native Americans, the Hupa suffer from poverty crime, alcoholism and drug abuse. Dilapidated trailer homes are scattered around the village of Hoopa Valley.

There is a small casino with slot machines, a gas station, and a single coffee and sandwich shop.

There are few economic opportunities for young people.

In mid-February the tribal council declared a state of emergency following a sharp spike in crime, including a stabbing death.

I spoke to Ryan Jackson, the Hupa Tribal Council Chairman.

The impacts of the boarding schools are still felt today, he said.

READ MORE: Native Americans rolling the dice on casinos

There are just so many feelings of despair  folks tend to find themselves in situations where there is no hope, and they just cant see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.

Bringing back the Hupa language and culture can help heal historic wounds and reduce social problems, Jackson says. Thats why the tribe has made language programs a top priority.

With the language comes the culture, with the language comes the tradition, with the language comes the history. This is something that is really vital to the survival of Hupa people.

Restoring the language wont be easy. For one thing, Hupa is an extraordinarily complex and difficult language.

In English, for example, you have three tenses  past, present, and future, said Jackson. In Hupa, we have nine.

Its a project that will span generations.

Back in teacher Ginger Rogers preschool Hupa class, the kids are learning some words about emotions.

She explains that the English phrase I want to give you a hug in Hupa means I want to place my spirit next to yours.

The goal is for children like these to speak Hupa fluently from an early age, and then, when they are older, to pass it on to their own children.

It is coming back, Bussell says, and utters a short prayer in Hupa.

The language is alive.

A language that refuses to die  and a people who have survived against the odds.
Going by recent results, battle for the partys presidential nomination could be between the two the party least wanted.

After Super Tuesday, there was Super Saturday.

Only it wasnt quite so super for Donald Trump. And for Marco Rubio, it was worse than a day stuck in the house in the middle of winter with pouring rain, screaming kids and nothing on the TV.

For Texas Senator Ted Cruz, it was his best day since his win in Iowa.

It is also a significant point in this election campaign.

Republican voters turned out for caucuses in Kansas, Maine and Kentucky while New Orleans held its primary.

Cruz won in the first two and came within five points of Trump in other two.





While the billionaire businessman claimed that this was a huge night for him, in the all-important delegate count, Cruz did much better.

He picked up 62 while Trump managed 49.

While it blunts Trumps momentum, it doesnt signal a collapse in support. But it does change the dynamics and the narrative for a while.

Rubio, though, had a very bad night. He has tried, with the backing of the Republican establishment, to insist he is the only real challenge to Trump.

The Florida senator has spent the last two weeks going after Trump strongly.

He has confronted him on the debate stage. He has ridiculed him on the campaign trail. And he has undermined him in interviews.

But the voters have clearly decided they dont like the tone of the attacks and it paints Republicans in a bad way. So theyve punished Rubio.

His campaign says they knew that Saturday would be rough. But the senator who keeps telling people what hell do on his first day in office, has still won just one state.

He is pinning his hopes on Florida which is a winner-takes-all state for delegates. But hes struggling there and a win is not guaranteed. Or, at this point, expected. Hes got to do much better soon.

If not, the Republican party is facing its worst-case scenario.

READ MORE: Ben Carson ends campaign, tells Republicans how to vote

For as much as it distrusts Trump, it dislikes Cruz just as much.

He has been anti-establishment since the moment he arrived in Washington.

He engineered a shutdown of the federal government, upset congressional leaders and is so disliked by his colleagues that he hasnt secured one endorsement from his fellow senators.

As one Republican told me, Cruz will always do whats best for Cruz. Hes been running for president since he arrived here.

The Texas senator is a strict conservative  both on fiscal and social issues. He believes his party has failed to reach the White House because previous candidates have not been right-wing enough.

His opponents says he has been running a campaign full of dirty tricks. There are also concerns his positions will alienate US political middle.

And if he were to win the partys nomination, he couldnt pivot to the centre as candidates usually do. There is a fear it could lead to a big Republican defeat.

With Rubio struggling and no obvious route to the nomination, it looks like the Republican battle is narrowing down to these two.

John Nichols, writing for The Nation, now suggests the Republicans face a choice between a narcissistic billionaire who keeps saying awful things and a narcissistic senator who keeps doing awful things.

The Republican field started with seventeen candidates. The party boasted of its deep bench, the outstanding experience on offer and the broad talents of those on show.

Now it could be a battle between the two they least wanted to be the standard-bearer in November.
Legal experts condemn compensation scheme for women who were crippled by Irish doctors during childbirth.

In the 20th century, symphysiotomy was practised only in Ireland.

Doctors across Europe knew what a caesarean section was, but the wards were also staffed by Catholic nuns.

It is widely suspected that, on the advice of the Church rather than best medical practice, doctors chose not to carry out c-sections over fears they would limit the number of babies women could have to two or three.

Instead, they would saw open their cartilage and pelvic bones to widen their birth canal. Symphysiotomy means the cutting of the joint of the pelvis, leading to its separation.





This allowed women to have nine or 10 babies, in line with Catholic orthodoxy, but it also often rendered them unable to walk or have sex. It often left them in chronic pain and made them either singularly or doubly incontinent, often for years afterwards.

Symphysiotomy has been compared to female genital mutilation and a form of torture. Its practice has been decried by the United Nations, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, and other human rights groups.

The only body that hasnt called for a full investigation and search for justice for the perpetrators has been the Irish government. In fact, its compensation scheme achieved the opposite.

It demanded that women, in return for receiving funds, signed a waiver agreeing they would take no legal action against doctors, hospitals, religious orders, government ministers or the state itself.

In return, women could expect to receive the equivalent of $54,000 for proof of an operation, double that if they could prove significant disability, and three times the amount in cases of exceptional suffering. (For most, the second and third categories were impossible to prove thanks to poor record-keeping by doctors.)

Now, the scheme is drawing to a close. The majority of the women received the lowest payout, usually accompanied by a letter from the administrator of the scheme advising them to spoil themselves with the proceeds.

As well as that, women whose children were injured in childbirth were offered nothing for their suffering.

The woman we interviewed gave birth to a boy with a brain injury resulting in cerebral palsy, apparently brought on by the decision of doctors not to perform a c-section but to wait and then perform a symphysiotomy after failing to deliver the baby by forceps.

Another woman previously interviewed had the bone version of symphysiotomy, pubiotomy, performed on her. In a subsequent labour, her babys head became impaled on her detached pelvic bone and died.

Such horrific stories are entirely common. But the compensation scheme specifically excludes injuries to babies.

The judge administrating the claims has always refused an interview. Her office said in a recent email that she found our coverage of the scheme lacking in objectivity.

What few public remarks have been made suggest the government believes the scheme is the best and fairest way of dealing with elderly women.

Yet it is accurate to say that the payment schedule offers no comparison with any other physical injury compensation scheme in Ireland.





A so-called Book of Quantum exists in lawyers offices. It dates to 2004.

Even back then, if you fell over a cable in the road and permanently damaged a knee or an ankle, you would easily get $70,000 or $80,000, as well as compensation for lost earnings. In 2016, the payouts would be higher still.

In other words, people who suffer accidents and are badly injured are likely to receive far more compensation than any of the symphysiotomy victims received for being deliberately sawn open by doctors in hospitals overseen by the Irish government.

One woman went to the High Court in Dublin before the scheme began, and ended up with more than $300,000. That is more than six times the baseline government offer.

By way of comparison, we asked a leading birth injury claims lawyer in London how much a symphysiotomy victim might receive in the UK.

Sanja Strkljevic pointed out that compensation claims in England and Wales are traditionally lower than in Ireland, but a woman who suffered a terrible injury during birth  which led to her becoming incontinent  would be able to claim far more than the amount offered in Ireland.

If the womans child was also injured because of negligence, then he or she would be entitled to a separate claim for long term medical and other support  a claim that could easily amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

So the question must be asked: Why is Irelands compensation offer so low?

One theory is when the scheme began, Ireland was in the middle of a massive austerity programme brought on by the banking crisis.

Others believe the intention of the low offer was to imply the suffering of the women was not particularly severe, to protect vested interests in the Catholic Church and medical establishment.

The judge overseeing the claims has said she is minded to shred the womens medical records at the closing of the scheme, unless women say they want them returned. Many of the victims and their families see this as a clear indication that the state wants to bury the entire affair.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has already classed symphysiotomy as a form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

It will soon deliver another report on Irelands human rights record. It is eagerly awaited by campaigners for the women.
How the search for a strong Chinese-American female pop-culture icon led to the rediscovery of a lost historic film.

It was an old box, tucked away and forgotten in an office cabinet, that caught Michelle Scotts eye.

She pulled it from its niche and eased it open, revealing a mess of slides, photographic negatives and portrait prints.

They were a photography students dream, and Scott dived right in.

Most of them were film, black-and-white darkroom, eight by 10, just gorgeous, she said, still enthusiastic.

Scott took her unearthed treasures up to the kitchen to search for some answers.

The box was clearly the property of her grandfather, Reynolds Rey Scott, a man she only known when she was a young child. But some of the photos suggested a different person to the one she recalled.

What I remember of him was that he was very old, she said with a laugh. He looked like Santa Claus a little bit, with the all-white hair and the white beard, and he had a cane. He pretty much kept to himself.

Michelles father joined her in the kitchen. She showed him the contents of the box and started to ask questions, the answers to which had implications far beyond their home in the American town of Cumming, Georgia.

Losing Kukan

Kukan was missing, and Kukan would probably never be found. That was the bitter reality Robin Lung was facing back in 2009.

The documentary, which had been so celebrated after its release in 1941, had simply vanished. It would be hard to profile the filmmaker if the film didnt exist.

Lung had become a documentary filmmaker in her own right, after switching careers in her early 40s, and had recently discovered the late Li Ling Ai, a Chinese-American filmmaker from Hawaii, just like herself.

It was a detective story that led Lung to the woman she hoped would become the subject of her latest profile.

She had been on the hunt for a strong, Asian pop-culture figure, the kind that had been absent from her own childhood.

There were many people in my everyday life who were admirable role models: teachers, politicians, doctors who were Asian women, Lung recalled.

But in popular culture, in movies and books, which I loved and consumed with a passion, those didnt feature any Asian women who were strong, career-type women.

In her home state of Hawaii, Lung was inspired to pursue stories of minority women that hadnt been given that much attention.

She participated in documentaries about Japanese-American politician Patsy Mink and Liliuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii. But as she sought new stories, cultural differences proved to be an impediment.

There is this sort of tradition in Asian cultures not to draw attention to oneself and not to brag about what your accomplishments are, Lung explained. People often felt like they didnt have worthy enough stories to merit someone making a film about them or writing a story about them.

In 2008, on the prowl for fresh ideas, Lung found herself devouring novels starring a spunky detective named Lily Wu. A strong Asian heroine, at last.

I really wanted to find a woman who embodied that same spirit, that really strong, ambitious, creative spirit that the Lily Wu character had, Lung said.

And she was in luck: author Juanita Sheridan hadnt simply invented Lily Wu. She based her characters on real-life people. Struck by a reference in Sheridans novels to an Asian female doctor, Lung researched to see if any such doctors existed during Sheridans lifetime.

Li Ling Ais mother fitted the description, and Li had devoted an entire book to her parents medical work and activism. When Lung read Lis biography on the books cover flap, she realised she might have found her Lily Wu.

Watch: Chinas Wanda goes to Hollywood

Here was a woman who flaunted her Chinese heritage with silk gowns and intricate hairstyles, a woman whose talents seemed boundless. She was a published playwright, a noted dancer, a theatre director, a relief worker and even a confidante for the oddity franchise, Ripleys Believe It Or Not.

There was a glint in Lis eye as she stared up from the cover flap. And Lung was particularly struck by a line in her author biography: something about how Li Ling Ai had co-produced an Oscar-winning documentary entitled Kukan.

The night that award was announced became known for one of the biggest snubs in Oscar history. Director Orson Welles masterpiece Citizen Kane lost in almost every major category to the now largely forgotten drama How Green Was My Valley.

A dare: Go where the real story is

But on that same night, on February 26, 1942, the Academy Awards made another historic decision. It awarded the first Oscars specifically for documentaries, a still evolving genre of cinema.

Fact and fiction were not so clearly defined back then. One of the top documentaries that year was written by the American novelist John Steinbeck. It depicted real-life Mexican villagers playing versions of themselves in a scripted drama.

There was another brand of documentary emerging, however, and it was rapidly gaining prestige. Kukan was part of a generation of war documentaries that sought to help American audiences understand the battles being fought overseas. World War II was well underway, and the US was wavering over whether to enter the fight.

This film is made at a time when documentary cinema was of great importance in the war mobilisation among the Allied Forces by Ying Qian, a Columbia University professor who specialises in documentaries about China

Kukan had a backstory as compelling as its onscreen material. When a young newspaperman named Rey Scott set out to interview a Chinese dancer named Li Ling Ai, she issued him a challenge.

Dont waste your time here on this stuff. Go where the real story is, Li said, according to a World-Telegram article printed about their meeting. News was trickling in that Shanghai had been shelled.

Li felt passionately that the attack on China merited more coverage. She had been forced to return home from Beijing because of the Japanese invasion, and her sister was still over there, helping with medical care. Theres a boat sailing on Friday. I dare you to take it.

Scenes of Chinese resistance

And with her help, he did.

Armed with a 16-millimetre Bolex camera, Scott travelled the length of China, capturing the fallout from the Japanese invasion.

He filmed scenes of resistance: Ethnic minorities uniting to fight; supply runners packing goatskin rafts; and factory workers dismantling their own workplace to save it from the Japanese.

He even managed to catch Chinas Nationalist leader, Chiang Kai-shek, in a casual moment playing checkers.

When bombs poured down on Chongqing, the Nationalists wartime capital, he was there to film the explosions.

Out of a blue sky roar the bombers, unloading their packages of death upon the riverside city, and then the yellow flames complete the terrible havoc as little men battle valiantly to check them, New York Times critic Bosley Crowther wrote.

He praised the film as crudely made but intensely interesting.

A golden era for documentary filmmaking Kukan was smuggled back to the United States, supposedly in bamboo poles, and there it was shown in some of the finest movie theatres on Broadway.

It even got a special White House screening.

The Oscars couldnt possibly ignore a film with so much momentum. Though there was no category for feature-length documentaries in 1942, Kukan and another wartime documentary both won special awards.

It was a golden era for documentary filmmaking, both in spite of the war and because of it. Columbia University professor Ying Qian said that governments came to rely on the genre for propaganda purposes, since its persuasive power is greater than fiction.

In some ways, this film Kukan was not a unique phenomenon. Many films were made at the time about the war and about the Chinese resistance, Qian said.

This film fits into this whole circulation of documentary filmmaking thats international, thats collaborative during the war. It really highlights the importance of war in the development of documentary.

Forgotten female filmmakers

But film reels are delicate, and after World War II, there was little incentive to keep Kukan intact. World politics had shifted. The relationship between China and the US eroded as the Cold War took hold.

There was no market for an indie film that glorified China, especially after its Communist Party came to power.

Over half a century later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences listed the film as lost.

Robin Lung had little hope of ever profiling the film and its makers.

A friend suggested that she pursue a documentary about Li Ling Ais parents, instead of trying to cobble one together about Li Ling Ai herself. But all the interviews she did inevitably turned to the late Chinese artist and the mysteries of her past.

Li was only credited as a technical adviser on the film, while the mustachioed rogue Rey Scott was proudly displayed on all of Kukans promotional material. But it was becoming clear to Lung that they were partners in this venture, and very likely co-producers.

I have no qualms about saying that she was a producer on the film, and a very strong producer, Lung said. I think that race and gender had everything to do with how she was treated.

Read: Rewriting the role of Chinese women

It is a sentiment echoed by Professor Ying Qian.

We dont know what kind of dynamics [Scott and Li] had, or what happened, but the fact that she wasnt highlighted probably had to do with the patriarchal structures in the film industry.

Qian believes that being trans-national may have also contributed to Lis diminished billing.

We think about films largely in national terms, she said, adding that other Chinese-American filmmakers, like Esther Eng, were similarly forgotten with the passage of time.

Lung was determined not to let the story of Li Ling Ai slip away. She kept pushing, asking more and more people about Li and Kukan.

Some history people say, Oh, lots of people didnt get credited for what they did. But that doesnt make it right, Lung said.

Finding Kukan

But as it turns out, Lung wasnt the only person rediscovering Li. On the opposite side of the country, at roughly the same time, Rey Scotts granddaughter Michelle had stumbled across her too.

Among the photographs she found in that old box was a portrait of Li, gazing coolly into the camera. Her hair was adorned with an ornate metal headdress, and in her hand she carried a fan.

Something drew me to her picture, and I just couldnt get away from it, Michelle remembered. I was inspired to make a portrait, even though I had no idea who she was at all.

Meanwhile, in 2009, Lung made a breakthrough. She had found a partial copy of Kukan in the US National Archives, but the situation wasnt ideal. Only a third of the movie was preserved, and she had to find the owners of the copyright  Rey Scotts heirs  in order to use the footage.

When Lung finally got in touch with Scotts sons, they offered her more than she imagined. They gave her what might be the last remaining copy of Kukan. It had been deteriorating in one of their basements for decades, a few steps away from where Michelle Scott found the box of photographs.

In my heart, I always wanted to do a documentary about Li Ling Ai, Lung said. When I actually discovered a copy of the film, I was all in for Li Ling Ai. I didnt turn back.

Preserving a communitys vanishing history

Finding Scotts descendants led Lung to another discovery. She came across a striking multimedia painting while researching Scotts family history online. The canvas was filled with orange and red acrylic, and its focal point was an enlarged, black-and-white photograph, depicting an Asian woman with a fan in hand and a headdress in her hair.

It was Michelle Scotts portrait of Li Ling Ai.

Lung wove the painting into her upcoming documentary, Finding Kukan, due to be released in autumn 2016. She hopes the film will motivate others to preserve their communitys vanishing history, as she and Michelle are doing with their work.

The point of the film is really to draw attention to all the history thats being lost constantly, Lung said. So thats something I hope to inspire other people to do.
While they leave war-torn Afghanistan in droves, Afghans are also being returned and deported in record numbers.

Kabul, Afghanistan  Sitting in an underground coffee shop in the heart of Kabul, Akhtar tried to describe the dreams and hopes he had held for the future, but was overcome with tears.

My parents had sent me here to get an education with a hundred hopes  he said as he buried his head in his hands, weeping.

He had big plans  with a visa in hand, he was about to take off for Iran the following week. Akhtar is educated, with a degree in economics and a job, but he said he had no choice but to leave everything behind.

He had travelled here from Ghazni Province, roughly 120km southwest of Kabul  a hub of Taliban activity. Back home, the Taliban had been hounding him for a while, Akhtar told. They gave him two options: work for them or get a job  not one involving the media or foreigners  and hand over his earnings.

Its a common and effective tactic, he said, adding that he worries for his family back home. Akhtar hadnt told his family he was leaving, afraid it would put them at risk. The 23-year-old was too concerned for his safety to reveal his real name.



Despite risks, Afghan refugees continue journey to Europe

The road ahead is treacherous. Akhtar wont stay in Tehran longer than a couple of days before heading for Europe. He hopes to make it to Germany where he has some friends and two cousins.

Hell have to pay thousands of dollars in borrowed funds to smugglers to reach Turkey. If he doesnt get deported from Iran or shot at the border, from Turkey hell have a deadly, watery traverse to Greece, during which over 400 people have already died this year alone.

Im worried, but Im not scared. The fear I feel here is far worse, said Akhtar.

There, I hope to grow, to continue my studies, even if they knock me back a couple of years. I want to work to help my family, he said.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Afghans make up the second-largest group of asylum seekers in Europe now  Syrians remain the largest.

Yet, there is no guarantee Akhtar will make it even as far as Turkey  roughly 3,000 Afghans leave for Turkey through Iran every day, of which 2,000 are sent back, according to Afghanistans Ministry of Refugees and Returnees (MoRR).

Im still a human being

Data from Afghanistans Directorate of Refugees and Repatriation indicates that a total of 544,016 Afghans returned voluntarily or were deported from Iran in 2015  a notable increase from 306,392 the previous year.

Mohammad was one among the thousands to be deported back to Afghanistan. He also did not want to use his full name for security reasons. The 28-year-old told Al Jazeera that he had been unemployed for nearly three years, and about six months ago, he had reached a point of desperation and decided to leave the country. He borrowed money from his brother in hopes of making it to Europe.

According to Afghanistans Central Statistics Organization, the unemployment rate in Afghanistan spiked by 15 percent between February 2015 and February 2016, raising the rate of the jobless to about 40 percent.

Mohammad, who is an artist by training, did not limit his job search to the arts, but despite his efforts, he was unable to find work like many young men of his age. He is left demoralised and disappointed. Ive studied and trained for years, and its all been for nothing. If I cant sell my paintings, whats the point? Without an income, its all a waste, said Mohammad.

He was first deported back to Afghanistan upon his first attempt to cross Iran, around five months ago. Three months ago, he returned to Iran by climbing over a border wall at Nimruz. He traversed Iran travelling in cramped vehicles driven by human smugglers, shoved in the undercarriage of a bus. He was even beaten by the smugglers. But, ultimately, the Iranian authorities arrested him and sent him back.

An Iranian cop would think nothing of kicking me and calling me a piece of Afghan filth, Mohammad said. He recognised that travelling illegally put him at some risk, But Im still a human being  he said. We may be Afghan, but even we know we have some rights in this world.



UN: More than 11,000 Afghans killed in 2015

His second attempt drove him mad and that he just cant face that again.

Im not going to try and leave again, Mohammad said.

Returning to an unsafe home

For many of those who do manage to reach Europe, the journey is often not worth the destination.

MoRR estimated that 145 Afghans voluntarily returned or were deported from European countries in 2015, with Sweden, Germany and Finland planning to deport more in the coming months. In fact, the IOM told Al Jazeera it assisted the return of 960 Afghans from Europe last year.

Returnees and potential returnees must surpass a complicated political arena. Afghanistan has said it will not accept deportees as they would be returning to places that are unsafe. As more European countries adopt harsher policies in dealing with the refugee crisis, the returnees are becoming a sticking issue between Afghanistan and EU governments, explained Laurence Hart, chief of IOMs mission in Afghanistan. The Afghan government has rejected numerous requests from European governments to deport Afghans.

As forced deportation is time-consuming, some European governments are looking to voluntary returns as a shortcut  incentivising asylum seekers to drop their applications and return.

The position of the Afghan government is one that accepts the return of its nationals, [as long as] theres a reintegration package attached to it  meaning financial support to start a business activity, Hart said.

Over the past 15 years, only 1,500 skilled Afghans qualified for such repatriation with the help of the IOM, which provides an internationally-funded repatriation package. The package is not necessarily in the form of cash, but could include logistical support and entrepreneurial advice for income-generating activities.

Most returnees go back because they did not qualify for refugee status and decide to return home rather than live abroad illegally. Afghans comprise the majority of those returning due to the conflicts afflicting the home countries of a large part of the other refugees in Europe.

Syria was a no-go for returnees, Iraq is patchy, but Afghanistan seems to be the perfect area for return, despite the fragile, conflict [-affected] environment, explained Hart.

Although Afghanistan is ranked as the worlds least peaceful nation on the Institute for Economics and Peaces Global Peace Index of 160 countries, there is a perception that Afghans are more qualified and can contribute to the rebuilding of their country, according to Hart.

An Afghan refugee in Europe: All I can do is pray

Better here than there

Policies that discourage asylum seekers from travelling to and settling in Europe do effectively encourage some refugees to return home.

Khaled Ghaznawi said it took him 45 days to reach Frankfurt from Kabul, and about 40 days to decide to leave and return home.

During his difficult journey, the engineering student walked 13 hours through the mountains in northern Iran to reach Turkey. There were 63 people on the first boat he got on trying to reach Greece across the sea.

We sank around 15 minutes into the trip and were rescued by the Turkish coastguard, the 28-year-old recalled. The second boat, an inflatable raft, carried 38 people. That one reached Greece. Ghaznawi then walked through Serbia and Austria before making it to Germany.

I paid three different smugglers  $500 to get from Kabul to Iran, $800 from Iran to Turkey, and then $1,000 to get to Greece, he told Al Jazeera.

But once in Frankfurt, Ghaznawi lost hope.

I found out that I might have to wait a year before I would be accepted and could start my life, he said, adding that he was housed in an old dining hall with 45 others on the outskirts of town and forbidden to enter the city centre.

It seems they want to discourage people from staying  My mistake was to go, and I corrected that by returning.

On February 24, Germany returned 125 Afghan asylum seekers, with Germanys interior ministry saying that they had no prospects to stay in Germany.

Three days later, Afghanistans Tolo News Agency reported that, according to the countrys ambassador to Germany, over 1,000 asylum seekers there are willing to return.

Ghaznawi voluntarily returned in December, giving up on a better education and better job prospects. He discourages people from more stable cities, such as Kabul, from going.

They give you no hope, said Ghaznawi.

However ruined the future here might be, its still better than being there.

Follow D. Parvaz on Twitter: @dparvaz
Women incarcerated in Catholic Church-run institutions and forced to work for free remember those who died in them.

Dublin, Ireland  As survivors of Irelands Magdalene laundries prepare for a national day of remembrance, many question the sincerity of the governments apology to women held against their will in the Catholic Church-run institutions.

These laundries  often described as prisons by the women who worked in them  were established in the 18th century for Irelands fallen women and remained in operation until 1996, when the last laundry closed.

An estimated 30,000 women and girls are thought to have been institutionalised for a myriad of reasons, from being bold to having a child out of wedlock. They were forced to work long hours in poor conditions for no pay.

A form of slavery

The religious orders, often working in conjunction with state institutions, benefitted from their cheap labour as they paid off their debt. For some, that took a lifetime. For many, it started as soon as they left the states industrial schools, from where they were directly sent to the laundries.

Today, survivors of the laundries are still waiting for compensation from the state three years after they were promised, among other things, special medical cards and a dedicated unit to help them access advice.

In 2011, groups advocating on behalf of survivors of the Magdalene laundries appealed to the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UNCAT). During the hearings that followed , the Irish state defended the laundries, claiming that most of the women entered voluntarily or with parental consent.

UNCAT recommended a full investigation into the laundries, which led to the 2013 McAleese report .

Making the Magdalene problem go away

After the publication of the report, Justice for Magdalenes (JFM), one of the groups representing the survivors, asked for a state apology from Prime Minister Enda Kenny. He refused .





The women, who describe working in the institutions as slavery reacted angrily. They were widely supported by the Irish public, whose faith in the Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of damning reports on child sex abuse by members of the clergy.

After a media frenzy and widespread condemnation, Kenny issued a choked emotional apology in the Irish parliament followed by the announcement of a new redress scheme to make amends for the states role in the hurt of these extraordinary women.

But three years have passed since the McAleese report and advocates for the survivors say the government has failed to deliver on its promises.

Claire McGettrick from JFM thinks Kennys apology was merely politically expedient.

I think there was a difference between the fifth of February, when the McAleese report was released, and the 19th of February, when Enda Kenny apologised. But it wasnt this road to Damascus moment, as portrayed in the media, she said.

It stemmed from immense public pressure. He knew politically he couldnt do anything but apologise  Something had to be done to make the Magdalene problem go away.

One long fight with the state

Justice John Quirke was tasked with devising recommendations on a redress scheme for women incarcerated in the laundries. His work culminated in the Quirke Report, which was published with a guide to measures for compensation, including the establishment of a dedicated unit to offer advice and support and the provision of a special medical card.

The government announced that it would implement the Quirke recommendations in full.

All the survivors in contact with us read the Quirke Report, especially the appendix that outlines their healthcare entitlements, said McGettrick.

There is one line in the report that says the scheme would have to be adapted as Magdalene survivors wouldnt require medicine for hepatitis C. However, the government used that line to fillet the whole scheme. Many women only signed the waiver [giving up any right to take action against the state] because they thought they would be able to access this card; some even accepted lower financial compensation.

The medical cards they received were standard ones that fell short of the enhanced cards recommended by the Quirke Report.

In addition to failing to implement Judge Quirkes recommendations, women were locked out of the scheme if they worked in training centres attached to the laundries.

READ MORE: Irish women sawn open during childbirth seek justice

Wendy Lyon, from KOD Lyons Solicitors, which represents survivors in Ireland, explained: A number of women have also been excluded from the scheme because of the path by which they entered the laundries.

These were mostly teenage girls who were sent to training centres like An Grianan, attached to the St Marys Refuge Laundry at High Park in Dublin. The government does not dispute that these women were forced to work in the laundries, but insists that they were not admitted to the laundries for the purposes of the scheme.

Their refusal literally turns on a particular definition of admitted which the government is insisting on, although it is not to be found anywhere in the terms of the scheme or the enabling legislation. This is despite the revelation last year of a memo that was sent in 2012 from the HSE [Health Service Executive] to a member of the McAleese Committee confirming that An Grianan and St Marys were one and the same thing.

When Al Jazeera contacted the Department of Justice, it said that despite the schemes failure to establish a dedicated unit it has nominated people within the department to assist survivors.

But representatives of the survivors say this is not good enough.

Last week, a woman spent 17 hours in a chair on a drip in an accident and emergency unit, unaware of her rights under the scheme. She signed up to the scheme and waived her right to sue the state, believing that she would receive a comprehensive healthcare package, and she now feels completely hoodwinked, said McGettrick, adding: For survivors, this has just been one long fight with the state.

The religious orders

The religious orders that ran the institutions have not contributed to the scheme, despite the fact that they were supposed to.

The Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Sisters of our Lady of Charity, The Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy and the Religious Sisters of Charity did issue apologies, however. But their wording did little to assuage the anger of the survivors. In what McGettrick refers to as their  statements of regret  rather than apologies, they used phrases such as it was regrettable that the Magdalene homes had to exist at all and claimed the laundries were part of the system and culture of the time.

The religious orders have failed to clarify why they did not contribute monetarily to the scheme and did not respond when contacted for comment by Al Jazeera.

So far, the scheme has failed to live up to expectations. And, as the Magdalene survivors and their supporters prepare to lay flowers on the graves of those who died in the laundries, questions remain about whether it ever will.

A survivors story  They stole my childhood

Elizabeth Coppin, 66

I was sent to an industrial school when I was two. The nuns stopped me from going to school when I was 12, and I was made to work in the kitchen.

One day when I was 14 years old, I was chopping the heads off fish in the kitchen when one of the nuns, Sister Enda, called me into the parlour. She was smiling and seemed happy. She showed me a suitcase and said, Now, my girl, youre always complaining that you do all the work around here. Well, I found you a job and remember it will be a long time before you get out.

After that I was taken in a taxi to a city a few hours away. Sister Enda said goodbye and told me to be a good girl. Despite all of the horrible things shed done to me, I had an urge to run after her. I think I knew that what was coming was much worse.

That was my first day in a laundry. I was only 14 and I was working every day in the washing room. Every night, we slept in small cells. The windows were locked and there were iron bars on them. You had a pot for your toilet and a small bowl with water to wash. Every night, the door was bolted from the outside. I used to hate that sound.

I worked from eight in the morning until six in the evening every day except Sunday. The work was awful. We had a huge spin dryer and we had to load all the wet sheets and towels in. We had all the state contracts from the hospitals and the army. I had to wear rubber boots when I was loading the machines. We had to carry loads of tangled, soaked sheets and they were so heavy.

One day I was doing the laundry and one of the nuns came down and accused me of stealing someones sweets. Two of the women dragged me up to a dark cell. I stayed in the dark, tiny room for three days and three nights.

I was so scared, but that was when I realised two things: No one was coming to help me and what

they were doing was wrong. I decided then to run away.

There were no bars on the windows at the front of the building, so me and another girl decided to jump out one of them when the nuns werent looking. We ran into the city. We had nothing; I had been in Catholic institutions since I was two. But we were good workers, so we managed to get a job working in a hospital that trained nurses. I was 17 by then.

READ MORE: Dead babies and Irelands dark past

We were happy. In that place no one locked my door at night; I was independent.

One day a man came. He was from the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. I thought he was a policeman  he was so horrible to me. That man brought me to another laundry. When he left, he said: You run away from this place and well put you someplace youll never get out of.

I thought I would be locked in there forever.

They cut my hair, put me in a uniform and renamed me Enda. It made me so angry to be called after the woman who abused me as a child, and I wouldnt answer to that name. I was there for five months, until one day a nun came and said: Youll be pleased to know thats the last time Ill call you Enda. Youre moving.

I was taken to the train station by a woman who had worked for the nuns for 50 years. She had been in an industrial school like me. When I asked her why she didnt run away, she looked very sad and said, Who would want me?

I kept telling her to leave, but it didnt matter. I think the nuns had broken her completely. After a year of working in the new laundry I was told I had a job in a hospital back in the town where I had been in the industrial school. I asked if Sister Enda knew. I was nervous.

The nuns said she did.

One day when I was scrubbing the floors in the hospital I looked up and saw Sister Enda. She said: Now arent you sorry you were so bold?

Years later when I got my records, their excuse for sending me to the laundries for five years of hard labour was she is so bold. They stole so much of my childhood for that reason.
Hundreds of thousands of people have lined the streets of Sydney for the annual gay Mardi Gras parade.

About 300,000 people turned out to watch more than 12,000 people march and more than 175 floats take part in the 38th annual parade.

The march kicked off with the Dykes on Bikes group revving their motorcycles through the streets.

Revellers dressed in glitter and sequins watched the parade participants who skipped, danced and twirled through the streets.

One float featured a group who marched in Sydneys first Mardi Gras, in 1978. On Friday, New South Wales police formally apologised to them after many were arrested and bashed by officers during the first march.

Other groups included representatives from the Australian navy, Australian Muslims, and organisations supporting people with disabilities.

For the first time, Australian Olympians and Paralympians had their own float, as well as a group from Australias National Rugby League.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten became the first leader of a major political party to march, alongside his deputy Tanya Plibersek.

He has promised to skip a plebiscite in Australia on same-sex marriage and introduce a bill to parliament within 100 days if his party wins the federal election.

Conservative Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who vowed to hold the plebiscite if his government is re-elected later this year, risked a political backlash by becoming the first sitting prime minister to attend the parade.
If the Afghan civil war worsens, Pakistans allies China and the US will lose faith in Islamabads intentions.

Ahmed Rashid is a journalist and the author of five books on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia.

The next round of four-party talks to be held in Islamabad on Monday could well be the last if Pakistan fails to deliver the Taliban to the table. According to a statement released by the Taliban on Saturday, the group is refusing to sit in for direct peace talks with the Afghan government in the framework of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) due to the deployment of US troops in Afghanistan and the ongoing air strikes.

China, the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan have held multiple rounds of talks, which have so far failed to convince the Taliban to take part and talk peace with the Kabul government.





If there is another failure, the consequences could be fearful for the entire region  Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will face a vicious political backlash at home, a stepped-up Taliban offensive in the spring that could capture a major province within weeks, and a collapse of international trust with Pakistan, which has played both sides in the Taliban game.

Domino effect

The Taliban have met with the Kabul regime only once  last July  but those talks quickly collapsed because news of the death of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar two years earlier was released.

ALSO READ: The Afghan battlefield has become more complicated

Since then, there have been several meetings of the QCG aiming to bring the Taliban into the peace talks. Instead, the Taliban have launched a wave of devastating and demoralising attacks on Afghan forces and civilians throughout the winter.

The crux of the crisis as far as Kabul and the international community are concerned is Pakistan's failure to put real pressure on the Taliban to reduce the level of violence and consider talks. by

Now, the Taliban are on the verge of capturing the southern province of Helmand  and if that falls, there could be a domino effect, which would see more southern provinces fall into their hands.

The crux of the crisis as far as Kabul and the international community are concerned is Pakistans failure to put real pressure on the Taliban to reduce the level of violence and consider talks. The Taliban leadership lives in Pakistan; its supplies and many of its recruits are generated from the 2.5 million Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan; and its fundraising, which includes control of the narcotics trade, is also partly generated through Pakistani militants.

Despite the claims of the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the army to be fighting all terrorist groups, the fact is that the Afghan Taliban have been left well alone in their Pakistani strongholds in Quetta and Peshawar since 2001, when they retreated into Pakistan after being defeated by the Americans.

Pakistani admissions

Recently, for the first time, a Pakistani official admitted as much in Washington.

We have some influence over them [Taliban] because their leadership is in Pakistan and they get some medical facilities, said Sartaj Aziz, Pakistans adviser on foreign affairs. Their families are here. We can use those levers to pressurise them to say, Come to the table.

Such admissions have been made in private before to the Americans and the Chinese, but never publicly. What is less certain is whether this signals that Pakistan will now put real pressure on the Taliban, such as cutting off Taliban supplies into Afghanistan or even giving the Taliban leadership a deadline to leave Pakistan, which would force them into talks with Kabul.

It is also unclear whether Azizs admission is a sign of Pakistans helplessness, frustration or even continued refusal to tackle the Taliban. Over the past few months, Pakistan has taken a belligerent line vis-a-vis Kabul, insisting that Kabul first capture hundreds of Pakistan Taliban hiding out in Afghanistans eastern provinces and regularly launching attacks from there on the Pakistan army.

However, the reality is that these provinces  Nangarhar, Kunar and Badakhshan  are barely under the control of the Afghan government.

Moreover, the Pakistan Taliban is being hosted by the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda. Without such hosting, the Pakistan Taliban could not survive on Afghan soil. Yet, until now, Pakistan has been satisfied as long as the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan remain dormant and do not attack Pakistani forces.

ALSO READ: Afghanistan and the Taliban need Pakistan for peace

A successful outcome in these talks would lead to a serious dialogue between the Taliban and Kabul, an eventual ceasefire and a detailed political roadmap as to how the Afghan Taliban could be integrated into the government. Such hopes have sustained the talks so far but will not for much longer if there are no results.

Afghanistan is facing a multidimensional civil war with the Afghan Taliban now being aided by groups such as al-Qaeda, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Chechens, and multiple Pakistani groups. Morale is low among Afghan officials, troops and commanders with many officials trying to secure deals with the Taliban.

ISIL recruitment

In the eastern provinces bordering Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan army are also separately fighting ISIL, which is trying to recruit from among dissatisfied Taliban members. ISIL also has a presence in Pakistan, which could increase if these talks fail to bring results.

If the civil war dramatically worsens, it would also force close allies of Pakistan, such as China and the US, to lose trust in Islamabads intentions. At stake for Pakistan is also a $46bn infrastructure investment by China over 10 years and continued International Monetary Fund and World Bank loans for its crisis-hit economy.

Another danger is that Ghani is fast loosing support at home from the majority of Afghans who are angry at his trust of Pakistan. If the talks fail to deliver, Ghani could face political threats undermining his presidency.

A new US commander, Lieutenant-General John Nicholson, has just taken over the command of 13,000 NATO forces, which include 9,800 US troops in Afghanistan.

He recently told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that the security situation in Afghanistan was deteriorating.

More US Special Forces, drones and aircraft have been deployed to southern Afghanistan, which faces the greatest Taliban threat.

ALSO READ: ISIL wont get very far in Afghanistan  for now

Pakistans army chief General Raheel Sharif has pledged to fight terrorism on all fronts, not to be selective towards groups the army once favoured, and to foster peace in Afghanistan. The army has already done much to reduce terrorism at home by going after terrorist groups in the south and north of the country, including the Pakistan Taliban.

Most Pakistanis want to believe General Sharif that the army is serious about eliminating all forms of terrorism. That must include getting rid of the Afghan Taliban and sending them back to Afghanistan as part of a peace plan. Success or failure of these talks could determine the future stability of South and Central Asia. The outcome will be critical.

Ahmed Rashid is the author of five books on Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia. His latest book is Pakistan on the Brink.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
In an increasingly volatile Turkey, the takeover of Zaman marks the latest blow in the battle between Erdogan and Gulen.

How fast the tide turns in Turkey.

Just over a week ago, journalists and free speech advocates here celebrated the release from jail of Can Dundar and Erdem Gul, the editor-in-chief and Ankara bureau chief, respectively, of the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet.

Turkeys Constitutional Court had ruled that their arrest had violated their rights as journalists. Many believed the decision would start to roll back a government crackdown on critical media that had expanded significantly in recent months. I think this is a very historic decision, Dundar said upon his release, adding that he was happy there were still judges in Turkey.

Some judges giveth; some taketh away. On March 4, a Turkish court approved a government takeover of Feza Media Group that oversees Zaman, Turkeys most widely circulated newspaper, Cihan, a leading news agency, and Todays Zaman, an English-language daily with international reach.

The takeover marks this governments biggest blow against media freedom, and yet another gut-punch in the long-running and deeply personal slugfest between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen.

An aging Islamic leader from Turkey living in self-imposed exile in rural Pennsylvania, Gulen oversees a vast, loosely affiliated organisation that runs thousands of schools, businesses, and media outlets around the world and had in recent decades placed many of its members in key positions in Turkeys police and judiciary.

Personal vendetta

The long and winding history of Erdogan and Gulen has been recounted elsewhere. Suffice it to say that the two are now a bit like Magneto and Professor Xavier of the X-Men films: terribly powerful allies-turned-arch-enemies, dealing body blows from above the fray as their underlings (read: Turkeys various institutions) sustain the damage.

Their falling out exploded into public view in December 2013, when Gulenists in the police and judiciary launched a vast corruption probe that implicated many top officials in the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government.

The takeover of Zaman seems less a sign that Turkey's government has little respect for media freedom - this had long been established - than yet more evidence that Erdogan will do anything he can to drive a stake into Gulen and his meddling 'parallel structure'. by

In response, Erdogan swore vengeance on the vast parallel structure that he believes seeks to topple the state. We will go after them in their lairs, he said after an election triumph in March 2014.

And so it has come to pass. After dismissing and reassigning tens of thousands of Gulen-linked police and justice officials, the AKP has taken aim at Gulen-linked media. Last October, the government snatched the reins of the Koza-Ipek Group, which runs the dailies Bugun and Millet and their sister TV stations.

Now comes Zaman, the jewel and centrepiece of the Gulenist media empire. It should be mentioned, however, that since the corruption scandal, Zaman had become vehemently and predictably anti-government, with nearly every story heaping criticism on Ankara.

No surprise, then, that it had long been in government crosshairs. Back in December 2014, police swarmed Zamans offices and detained editor-in-chief Ekrem Dumanli and 30 other journalists. They were later released. This time, the government went all the way.

By Friday evening, police had violently raided the Zaman offices and detained its managers. Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of the media advocacy group, Reporters Without Borders, called the takeover ideological and unlawful, adding: Erdogan is now moving from authoritarianism to all-out despotism.

In the days to come, most Feza journalists will likely be replaced with folks more willing to toe the government line, and Turkey will lose one of its few remaining critical voices (the transformation is moving quickly).

Unsurprising move

Why kill Zaman now? It goes back to the release of Dundar and Gul. In a recent column, Hilal Kaplan laid out the governments perspective: Dundar revealed himself as a Gulenist insider in late 2013, when he appeared to predict the coming corruption scandal.

He then proved this affiliation, Kaplan explains, with the Cumhuriyet story about trucks dispatched by Turkeys intelligence agency supposedly delivering weapons to jihadis (which is the article for which he and his colleague had been arrested).

OPINION: How Erdogan lost the liberals

Whether or not Dundar is Gulenist is immaterial here. What matters is that the government has seen it fit to lump him in with the nefarious coup plotters. Thus, his recent release from jail marked a victory for Gulen; Erdogan had to respond. I do not respect this ruling, the president said in response to the Constitutional Courts decision. Im not going to abide by it.

The takeover of Zaman seems less a sign that Turkeys government has little respect for media freedom  this had long been established  than yet more evidence that Erdogan will do anything he can to drive a stake into Gulen and his meddling parallel structure.

Next up might be Cumhuriyet, or even bigger prey. In her piece, Kaplan argues that, in calling for the release of Dundar and Gul, Turkeys highest court overstepped its bounds.

With this ruling, the Constitutional Court proved that it is not a legal and supra-political institution, but a structure that is ready to make political decisions when necessary  a structure that is far from supervision and accountability.

Going by his recent statements, Erdogan also sees the Constitutional Court as problematic, even unconstitutional. Perhaps it, too, is controlled by Pennsylvania and is in need of some discipline.

David Lepeska is a freelance journalist based in Istanbul. His work focuses on Turkey and the Middle East.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Last autumn, when I was in the United States, I asked a number of senior Republican Party figures about the possibility of Donald Trump winning the presidential nomination. All laughed out loud. It simply wont happen, they told me. The Republican Party machine would take care of him.

I doubt if they are laughing now. On Super Tuesday this week Trump won seven out of eleven states. The likelihood of Trump challenging for the White House seems less of a joke by the week.

All of us smart guys were blindsided by the rise of Donald Trump, the historian Garry Wills observed recently. For a long time pundits agreed that it could not happen, so it was not happening. And now that it has happened, Wills lamented, we have no good explanation of it.

It is not only Trump who has left the pundits perplexed. Populist and right-wing movements  from the UK Independence Party to the Front National in France to the Danish Peoples Party  are sweeping across Europe too.

Nor does the populist moment merely find expression on the right. Bernie Sanders is unlikely to win the Democratic Party nomination, but he has given Hillary Clinton a tougher fight than anyone expected.

In Britain, Jeremy Corbyn astonished most pundits by becoming leader of the Labour Party last year, a success that former Prime Minister Tony Blair finds particularly perplexing. Im not sure I fully understand politics right now, he told the Financial Times recently, adding that it might seem an odd thing to say when Ive spent my life in it.

But perhaps it is not such an odd thing to say. Perhaps it is because Blair has spent his whole life in politics that he finds the contemporary scene so baffling. The landscape of politics has, over the past two decades, been transformed, leaving many politicians and pundits without a map to guide them in the new terrain, and baffled as to the rules that now govern popular political behaviour.

Changing political landscape

The irony is that politicians such as Blair have played a major part in effecting this transformation. For much of the 20th century, the political landscape was defined by the ideological struggle between left and right.

In Europe, this expressed itself primarily through the contest between social democracy and conservatism. In the US, the ideological distinctions were far more fuzzy. Nevertheless, the battle between the Democrats and the Republicans expressed the same distinction.

OPINION: Super Tuesday and the triumph of Trump

Today, that broad ideological divide has largely dissolved. The political sphere has narrowed; politics has increasingly become more about technocratic management than about social change. The gap between voters and the elite has widened, fostering disenchantment with the very idea of politics.

One way in which people have felt this change is as a crisis of political representation, as a growing sense of being denied a voice, and of political institutions as being remote and corrupt.

In an age in which progressive social movements have largely crumbled, and in which people feel they have lost control of the forces that govern their lives, political anger often finds expression not through opposition to a particular policy or a government, but through a generalised hatred of everything and everyone in power. by

The sense of being politically abandoned has been most acute within sections of the traditional working class. Economic changes, from the decline of manufacturing industries to the imposition of austerity policies, have made life more precarious.

The weakening of trade unions has further marginalised working-class communities. In the past, the mainstream parties of the left seemed to provide the means to change society for the better and to achieve their hopes and aspirations. Few still feel that.

The dissolution of old means

The old political landscape left room for the protest vote. People often showed disenchantment with mainstream parties by voting for fringe parties or candidates as a means of temporarily expressing dissatisfaction with one of the main parties before returning to the fold. It was a way of sending a message but not of upsetting the system.

Today the protest vote is no longer about teaching the main parties a lesson. It is about disengagement from the whole political process. Voters are not saying I am voting for another party at this election to make you listen to me.

Increasingly many are saying, You will never listen to me, so there is no point in voting for you at all. The fringe party has taken centre stage. Hence the success of a figure such as Trump.

OPINION: Trump and Baghdadi

What drives the Trump phenomenon is not ideology but attitude. Populists draw support because of their seeming willingness to challenge the mainstream consensus, and to say things that others seem too scared to say.

That is why the more offensive Trump is, the higher his ratings. When he calls Mexican immigrants rapists, or demands a ban on Muslims entering the US, many of us hear the racism and the bigotry. Trump supporters hear someone speaking his mind and saying things that cannot normally be said.

OPINION: Why Muslim Americans should vote for Bernie Sanders

There is now a chasm between the attitudes of the grassroots in the Republican Party and the party establishment. Over the past week, a panicking party machine has wheeled out figures such as Mitt Romney and John McCain to denounce Trump. It is unlikely to have much effect.

What has drawn people to Trump is their anger with mainstream politicians. So, why should the views of mainstream politicians like Romney and McCain change their minds? The more that the party establishment attacks Trump, the more it is likely to solidify Trumps support.

What is true of the Republican Party is true, too, of politics more generally. The fundamental fautline in politics is no longer between left and right. It is rather between mainstream political institutions and a growing mass of people who feel alienated and politically voiceless. And that is why politics today appears so unpredictable.

In an age in which progressive social movements have largely crumbled, and in which people feel they have lost control of the forces that govern their lives, political anger often finds expression not through opposition to a particular policy or a government, but through a generalised hatred of everything and everyone in power.

Inchoately kicking out against the system can all too quickly mutate into indiscriminately striking out against the other, whether Mexicans or Muslims. This is particularly so as the same mainstream politicians who dismiss populists as bigots themselves often assiduously foster fears about immigration, hence increasing cynicism about mainstream politics while also making people more receptive to the anti-immigration rhetoric of the populists.

The challenge we face is this: We need to find a means of revitalising the democratic process, and of acknowledging the fears and anxieties of those who have rejected the mainstream, without either pandering to prejudices or dismissing them as just racists.

It is whether or not we are able to meet that challenge, rather than anything that Trump or Marine Le Pen may say, that will determine the future shape of politics on both sides of the Atlantic.

Kenan Malik is a London-based writer, lecturer and broadcaster. His latest book is The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History of Ethics. Previous books include: From Fatwa to Jihad, shortlisted for the 2010 George Orwell Prize. He writes at Pandaemonium: www.kenanmalik.wordpress.com.
Europe needs Turkey to stem the flow of refugees and migrants now  everything else can wait.

Ahead of Mondays meeting between the leaders of the European Union and Turkeys Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on the question of a deteriorating migrant crisis, a top Western politician said: I want to appeal to all potential illegal economic migrants wherever you are from: Do not come to Europe. Do not believe the smugglers. Do not risk your lives and your money. It is all for nothing.

What Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, the body bringing together the heads of state or governments of the EU member states, refrained from stressing was that most of these migrants and hundreds of thousands of refugees came to Europe through Turkey, thanks to smugglers operating there.





For Europeans, migration is not so much a financial issue, although there can be serious economic implications, as an International Monetary Fund paper found. It is primarily a political and cultural matter, now threatening to dismantle years of intra-European cooperation.

European consensus

As Tusk would add in his invitation to European leaders for the meeting with Turkey: [F]or the first time since the beginning of the migration crisis, I can see a European consensus emerging. It is a consensus around a comprehensive strategy that, if loyally implemented, can help stem the flows and tackle the crisis.

This cannot be done without Turkey, obviously. Otherwise, why call a special meeting?

ALSO READ: Stop gunboat humanitarianism

The latest UNHCR figures show that the flows of people making the hazardous sea-crossing across the Mediterranean to Europe are increasing. by

Already 140,000 made the journey this year, with 90 percent crossing from Turkey to the eastern Greek islands. Most are Syrians, Iraqis and Afghanis, with Syrian refugees benefitting from a privileged status in the EU.

The flows are much higher than equivalent ones during the same period last year which, in turn, were exponentially higher than the 2014 flows. In these last few months alone, over 400 people have died or have gone missing.

The current aspect of the crisis concerns more than 30,000 migrants and refugees stuck in Greece, with over 10,000 waiting at the northern border crossing with Macedonia, as a successive string of countries to the north refuse to let them pass through to Germany, the destination of choice.

The so-called wave through policy through the troubled Balkans and central Europe, instigated last summer after Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to welcome refugees into Germany, has collapsed.

Then again, only last May, in the aftermath of a tragic shipwreck off Italys Lampedusa Island, the EUs priority was confronting people-traffickers and stemming arrivals from Libya. In the months that followed, the Greek islands were overwhelmed by arrivals from Turkey.

In November, Paris suffered murderous attacks with hundreds of victims. Reportedly, one of the terrorists had with him a passport proving he had entered Europe through Turkey and Greece.

At the same time, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland enforced much stricter border controls. And Germany itself, after opening its doors, began to tacitly close them, leading to human bottlenecks from Austria southwards.

Since Greeces maritime border with Turkey is hard to patrol, never mind control, despite the best common European efforts, the only solutions under the prevailing political climate is to seal off Greeces land border with its northern neighbours and try make a deal with Turkey.

Migration policy failures

To mark this new state of affairs, Turkey just received the first $105m in educational and humanitarian aid for Syrian and other refugees on its territory, part of a promised $3.3bn. Negotiations to admitting Turkey to the EU with restart with vigour, too.

Greece, an EU member state, will be given $770m in emergency aid over three years with tough conditions attached as to its obligations to contain the flows of refugees and migrants through its territory, as part of the Europe-wide Schengen border agreement.

ALSO READ: Greece: The murky moat of Fortress Europe

One can understand that Libya essentially has become a failed state after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

As for Greece, its migration policy failures reflect the ongoing financial crisis and the initially liberal approach of a left-leaning government which came to power last year.

That is changing: Third country nationals classed as economic migrants are again being detained pending deportation, judging from International Organization for Migrations data  most to Turkey, presumably.

Those classed as refugees will have to apply for asylum in Greece and then wait for possible relocation to those countries willing or obliged to take them in.

But what about Turkey? Analysts, both from the pro-US conservative spectrum and the pro-BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) progressive one, talk of a Muslim invasion of Europe. They claim it has been instigated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following growing internal dissent, alongside his diplomatic failures regarding Syria and the wider Kurdish issue.

But as journalist Austin G Mackell notes in his analysis of the 2013 Gezi Park protests, it is naive to dismiss Erdogan as a manic despot when so much concurrently is at play. After all, he did win a landslide election with many Kurds voting for his party. For all the disdain in Europe, he simply is being as cynical and calculating as his counterparts.

So is the EU actually rewarding Turkey in order to absorb more refugees and, at the same time, deal with economic migrants in a more authoritarian way?

Moreover, while Turkeys role in the Syrian civil war has led to an intensification of the conflict, it is not acting alone. As the nature of a new NATO mission monitoring people-traffickers in the northern Aegean would indicate, the West values Turkey as an ally. For now.

Menelaos Tzafalias is a freelance journalist and producer based in Athens, Greece. He has worked as an associate producer on the documentary Palikari: Louis Tikas and the Ludlow Massacre, a story about migrants and labour relations in early 20th-century US.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Palestinian group denies it aided Muslim Brotherhood leaders in plotting 2015 car bombing which killed chief prosecutor.

Egypts interior ministry says the Muslim Brotherhood and the Palestinian group Hamas were behind the 2015 killing of Hisham Barakat, the chief prosecutor.

In a press conference in Cairo on Sunday, Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar, the interior minister, said the assassination was ordered by Turkey-based leaders from the Muslim Brotherhood group.

This plot was carried out on the orders of the Muslim Brotherhood  in close coordination with Hamas, which played a very important role in the assassination of the chief prosecutor from start to finish, he said.





This is a very big conspiracy that started a long time ago and continued, Abdel-Ghaffar said. He also accused Hamas of helping to provide training and explosives.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, swiftly rejected the accusations.

Egypt has detained 14 people who were suspected to be involved in the assassination, adding that all those arrested were trained in the Gaza Strip by Hamas.

Abdel-Ghaffar ended the press conference by showing a video that documents periods in Egyptian history where the Muslim Brotherhood was allegedly responsible for assassinations and violence.

The video also showed alleged suspects confessing their involvement with the group.

Barakat was killed in a car-bomb attack in Cairo last June. He was the most senior state official to die at the hands of armed groups since the toppling of Mohamed Morsi from the presidency in 2013.

READ MORE: Mass hunger strikes at Egypts infamous Scorpion prison

There was no confirmed claim of responsibility.

Gamal Heshmat, a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood in exile, dismissed the governments accusations as an ongoing effort by the Egyptian government to demonise the Brotherhood.





Their accusations do not contain any credibility; they only reflect failures of politics and security, he told Al Jazeera.

Judges and other senior officials have been targeted by armed groups opposed to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and angered by prison and death sentences imposed on members of the Muslim Brotherhood and other government opponents.

Barakats killing cast doubt on Egypts ability to contain a rise in violence targeting prominent government officials.

Egypt is battling fighters based in Sinai who have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since Sisi, then military chief, deposed Morsi after mass protests against his rule.

The Brotherhood was banned soon after and declared a terrorist organisation.
ISIL claims responsibility for attack on security checkpoint at Hilla, south of Baghdad, in continuing wave of violence.

A suicide bomber has killed at least 60 people and wounded dozens more by driving his explosives-laden fuel lorry into a security checkpoint south of Baghdad.

The suicide bomber attacked the checkpoint on Sunday on a strategic highway near Hilla, 90km from the Iraqi capital, reports said.

Another 70 people were wounded in the blast, police officials said.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on the website of the sympathetic Amaq news agency.





A martyrs operation with a truck bomb hit the Babylon Ruins checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, killing and wounding dozens, the statement said.

Al Jazeeras Jane Arraf, reporting from Baghdad, said: It was apparently a suicide bombing, at a checkpoint that is usually manned by Iraq soldiers and federal police forces. A long line of cars along that key road were also caught in the blast.

Hilla is the capital of Babylon province, a predominantly Shia region with some Sunni presence.

Its the largest bombing in the province to date, Falah al-Radhi, the head of the provincial security committee, told Reuters news agency.

The checkpoint, the nearby police station were destroyed as well as some houses and dozens of cars.

Among the dead were 39 civilians, while the rest were members of the security forces.

Attack in Anbar

A separate attack on Sunday killed several members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces in Khalidiya, near Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.

Iraqi soldiers, with the help of US-led coalition fighter jets, are trying to advance towards areas controlled by ISIL fighters around Ramadi.

OPINION: Diagnosing Iraqs problems

ISIL has carried out a number of deadly assaults against Iraqi security forces in recent days.

In the past week, a double bombing at a market in Baghdads Sadr City neighbourhood killed more than 70 people.

The following day a suicide attack at a funeral north of Baghdad killed about 30.
Vatican said 15 victims in Rome could not meet the pontiff as they didnt make request through proper channels.

Australian victims of child sex abuse by the Roman Catholic Church returned home disappointed on Sunday that they couldnt meet Pope Francis  and angry with evidence given by a senior Vatican official to an inquiry.

The Vatican said it didnt grant a meeting with the group of about 15 victims because they had not made their request through the proper channels while they were in Rome to observe Australian Cardinal George Pell testify.

The simple fact is its the popes loss, abuse survivor David Ridsdale told reporters at Melbourne airport regarding the lack of a meeting, according to the Australian Associated Press.



Vatican official denies covering up child abuse allegations

He missed out. Its not our loss.

Ridsdale was abused as a child by his uncle, Gerald Ridsdale, who was a priest.

He said the victims faxed their request to the Prefecture of the Papal Household on the advice of Pells staff.

They had travelled to Rome to observe Pell give evidence via a video link after a heart condition stopped the cardinal from travelling to Australia.

Pell was specifically asked about his knowledge of paedophile priests active in the city of Ballarat and surrounding regions. That included Ridsdale, who was convicted of 138 offences against more than 50 children in Australia.

Pell, 74, who is now the Vaticans treasurer, became the highest-ranking Vatican official to give testimony on the issue of systemic abuse within the church.

His evidence to the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse on cases involving hundreds of children from the 1960s to the 90s has taken on wider implications about the accountability of church leaders.

READ MORE: Australian cardinal: Church mucked up on sex abuse

While victims groups have rejected Pells responses as inadequate, Vatican chief spokesman Federico Lombardi released a statement supporting the cardinal.

Cardinal Pell must be accorded the appropriate acknowledgement for his dignified and coherent personal testimony  20 hours of dialogue with the Royal Commission  from which, yet again, there emerges an objective and lucid picture of the errors committed in many ecclesial environments, this time in Australia, during the past decades, Lombardi said.

Pell told the inquiry the church had made enormous mistakes and catastrophic choices by refusing to believe abused children, shuffling abusive priests from parish to parish, and over-relying on the counselling of priests to solve the problem.
Thirty-three candidates are standing in election to replace President Boni Yayi, who is stepping down after two terms.

Benins voters have gone to the polls to choose a new president, despite lingering concerns about the distribution of voter cards that have already forced the election to be postponed once.

Polling stations opened on Sunday in the tiny West African nation of 4.7 million people. The first results are expected within 72 hours of the vote.

President Thomas Boni Yayi, who was elected with 75 percent of the vote in 2006, but later tainted by corruption allegations and economic mismanagement, is stepping down after serving a maximum two five-year terms.

Voters will choose between a record 33 candidates to replace him, including a former prime minister and two of the countrys most powerful businessmen.

Key issues in the election include job creation, tackling corruption, improving health and education and boosting the nations economy. According to the World Bank, 36 percent of people in Benin live below the poverty line.

The frontrunner is Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, who is standing for the ruling Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) party.

The 61-year-old already has the support of two opposition parties and the current president, Boni Yayi. But critics may hold his French connections against him, calling him an outsider parachuted in by former colonial power France.

READ MORE: Frances evolving African diplomacy

People say Im white, an interloper, a foreigner, a Frenchman, a colonialist, Zinsou told the AFP news agency. But theres perhaps 10 percent of people who act like that. For 90 percent of people, obviously Im different but that creates a certain interest.

Other top candidates include cotton magnate Patrice Talon, regarded by many as Benins richest man; businessman Sebastien Alavon, who made his fortune in the food industry; former premier Pascal Koupaki; and Abdoulaye Bio Tchane, a former Africa director of the International Monetary Fund.

Marie Elise Gbedo, a 62-year-old lawyer in her fourth attempt to contest for the countrys top seat, is one of two female candidates.

Benin has not seen the levels of political tension that have plagued other recent elections across the continent, including in Burundi and Rwanda where leaders have tested constitutional limits to stand for a third term.

READ MORE: Rwandan president to run for third term in office

But there are concerns that frustrations could rise because of delays in the production and distribution of voter cards. The first round of the elections had been due to take place on February 28 but was rescheduled.

With so many candidates, political analysts predict no decisive result on Sunday and believe whoever wins in the northern region will determine the overall result.
The Sudanese politician is being remembered as a visionary and a rock for Muslims here and everywhere.

Khartoum  In October 1964, thousands of Sudanese took to the streets to protest against the rule of then-President Ibrahim Abboud. One person stood out among the crowd: a young man who had just graduated from Sorbonne with a PhD in law.

That man was Hassan al-Turabi. Born in 1932, he was a man with a mission, dedicated to promoting a political agenda based on Islamic teachings.

In the more than five decades that followed that October protest, Turabi, who died in hospital on Saturday at the age of 84, became a crucial figure in the Sudanese political scene.

READ MORE: Sudans opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi dies

In January 2014, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir launched a project to bring the various elements of Sudans political scene together in a comprehensive national dialogue.

Turabi and his party, the Popular Congress Party (PCP), joined the process after a long and bitter rivalry with Bashirs ruling National Congress Party (NCP).

Yousif Aljlal, the managing editor of Assaiha newspaper and a political analyst, said this was not a novel move by Turabi. Turabi had been controversial all his life, but one of the things that set him apart was his ability to act, not just react, Aljlal said.

After the 1989 coup detat that brought Bashir to power in the east African country, many described Turabi as the spiritual leader and godfather of the coup.

His book on politics and governance from an Islamic point of view changed many of the orthodox understandings of practicing Islam in government, and his students, disciples and readers drew from that. by Abu Bakr Abd al-Raziq, leading member of the PCP

Turabi had indeed played many roles in Sudanese political circles, but one of the great things he cemented was espousing the theory and practice of the Islamist trend in Sudanese and international politics, said Abu Bakr Abd al-Raziq, a leading member of the PCP.

His book on politics and governance from an Islamic point of view changed many of the orthodox understandings of practicing Islam in government, and his students, disciples and readers drew from that, he added.

Abd Alhafeez al-Hassan, a relative of Turabi, concurred: Our understanding of what we can do, and most importantly who we are, became clearer as we read the Sheikhs books.

To many of his party members and followers, Turabi was the Sheikh, a title symbolising their reverence for him.

I am his nephew, but I was also his student. It was he who always gave me enough support despite being busy, Hassan said.

His books are like those of Imam al-Ghazali, Abd al-Raziq added. They made people think of what Islam is, and how comprehensive it is in our lives. His book The Renewal of Islamic Thought certainly created a wide echo across the Islamic world.

In 1999, Turabi had a falling out with Bashir that led to a bitter confrontation and hostility between the newly born PCP and Bashirs ruling NCP.

Turabi himself was imprisoned and released in the years that followed, and his party was suspected by the government of attempting a coup in 2004.

Turabi was one of  if not the only  Sudanese politician who spent lengthy periods of imprisonment at a time. During [former President Jaafar] Nimeiris rule, he was imprisoned for seven years at one stretch, and he came out of jail and convinced his jailer, Nimeiri, of adopting an Islamist agenda that led to the Sharia laws of 1983 and the appointment of Turabi himself in the government, Aljlal said.

Whether you agreed or disagreed with the man, he always had the ability to rally people around him and proved time and again what a shrewd politician he was. And he always managed to centre himself in the middle of events.

OPINION: Sudans opposition  Same faces, same broken promises

Abd Deng Niyal, the PCPs candidate for presidency in the 2010 election and a leading member of the party, says Turabis impact was not limited to Sudan.

He was a rock for Muslims here and everywhere. He was a political legend, Niyal said, wiping tears from his eyes. He was a man whose legacy is beyond repeating.

Ahmed Aldefena, a member of the newly formed opposition, Future Forces for Change Alliance, which comprised 41 parties, including former Islamists, said that while people may disagree with his methods, Turabi was a leader.

At a recent visit to his home, Turabis eldest son, Isam, appeared composed but declined to speak.

Hassan, Turabis nephew, intervened, noting: There is nothing one can say in a few sentences that can capture the Sheikhs legacy. People are still shaken, and the only thing in my mind now is how those of us left behind will carry the torch and continue his work.
ISILs strategic attacks near Baghdad aim to keep security forces stretched to delay Mosul operation, officials say.

The military operation to retake Iraqs second-largest city from ISIL is months away, or longer, military officials say, despite repeated claims by its prime minister that the armed group will be ousted from Mosul by years end.

Iraqi and US-led coalition officials estimate eight to 12 brigades, or an estimated 24,000 to 36,000 troops, will be needed to push the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group out of the city.

So far, 2,000 to 3,000 Iraqi troops have been deployed at Makhmour base, the likely staging ground for a Mosul assault, located 67km southeast of the city.

We are all trained, qualified and ready for battle, but this force is not enough to retake Mosul, Iraqi Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed al-Wagaa, stationed at Makhmour, told The Associated Press. The battle for Mosul is going to take a long time.



Civilians flee Ramadi as ISIL hits back at Iraqi forces

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has repeatedly vowed that ISILs biggest stronghold in the country will be recaptured this year.

But ISIL fighters are launching a diversion campaign of bloody suicide attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere. Their aim is to force Iraqs already overburdened security forces to spread even thinner to protect the capital and other cities, rather than prepare the Mosul operation.

Iraqs answer to that has been to plan to build a wall around the capital. Meanwhile, security forces are struggling to protect pockets of territory that have been recaptured.

Mosul will be very complicated, it will be a mix of forces and it will be very important to ensure its well planned, said US envoy Brett McGurk.

American Army Colonel Christopher Garver, a spokesman for the coalition, put it more bluntly. The forces that are going to conduct that assault into the city, theyre not in place yet, he said.

The northern city of Mosul, once home to more than a million people, was the biggest prize captured by ISIL when it swept over much of Iraqs north and west in the summer of 2014 and declared a caliphate across those lands and the ones it captured in Syria.

While Iraqi forces have clawed back some territory in the past year, retaking Mosul is considered crucial for breaking ISILs back in the country. Estimates of the number of fighters in Mosul vary from a few thousand to not more than 10,000, according to the coalition.

The US-led coalition began a training programme in December 2014, but so far only 18,500 soldiers and security forces have been trained in courses, which last about seven weeks. Analysts question whether such a crash course is adequate preparation.

READ MORE: UN: Destruction of Ramadi worse than anywhere in Iraq

Under political pressure to show victory, Abadi has repeatedly vowed to liberate Mosul this year. But US Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told Congress last month, Im not as optimistic.

Stewart said they may be able to begin isolation operations around the city, but securing or taking Mosul is an extensive operation and not something I see in the next year or so.

Iraqs most battle-tested military units are scattered, helping hold various front lines against ISIL in the countrys central and western provinces, or tied down controlling retaken cities and towns.

In Ramadi, capital of western Anbar province, a counterterrorism commander said his unit has to remain there because local police forces cant maintain control. He spoke on condition of anonymity because hes not authorised to talk to the press.

You cant just pick up and leave, Garver said. Without proper forces in place, Daesh comes back in and seizes terrain that you just spent months taking from them, he said, using an alternative Arabic name for ISIL.

The armed group has stepped up insurgent-style attacks on Baghdad and other areas removed from front-line fighting. Over the past week a double bombing at a market in Baghdads Sadr city killed more than 70.

The following day a suicide attack at a funeral north of Baghdad killed about 30 people.

READ MORE: ISIL bombings near Baghdad kill scores of Iraqis

The attacks likely aim at delaying deployment of troops to Makhmour or along the Euphrates River valley for the Mosul assault by forcing the military to move its best forces to protect the capital, said Patrick Martin, an Iraq analyst at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

So far the attacks havent slowed deployments north. But if it becomes really bad and multiple attacks like these happen in the near future, [the militarys] calculus will probably have to shift, Martin said.

Last month security officials announced work had begun on a 280km wall around Baghdad that would reduce attacks inside the city. The Interior Ministry said it would be a combination of tightened checkpoints, trenches, and blast walls completely surrounding the Iraqi capital.

The military must also clear ISIL fighters from more than 100km of territory to ensure reliable supply lines between Makhmour and Baghdad, said a Baghdad-based military commander overseeing preparations for the Mosul offensive. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to brief the press.

Politics have also complicated planning efforts, as Shia militias demand that they participate.

No one has the right to prevent us from participating in the liberation of the city of Mosul, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the head of the government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), mostly made up of Shia militia, said at a Thursday press conference.

Shia fighters  some of the most effective ground forces against ISIL  led the fight to retake the mainly Sunni city of Tikrit  and were accused of human rights violations in the process.
Truck loaded with explosives injures 60 other security forces and civilians in latest brazen assault.

A suicide bomber driving a truck attacked a security checkpoint on a strategic highway south of Iraqs capital on Sunday killing at least 60 people.

Another 60 were wounded in the massive blast near the city of Hilla, police officials said.

Al Jazeeras Jane Arraf said Hilla is about 90km south of Baghdad.

It was apparently a suicide bombing that occurred at a checkpoint that is usually manned by Iraq soldiers and federal police forces. A long line of cars along that key road were also caught in the blast, Arraf said.

It wasnt immediately clear who launched the suicide attack.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group has recently carried out a string of deadly assaults against Iraqi security forces.

Over the past week, a double bombing at a market in Baghdads Sadr city killed more than 70 people. The following day a suicide attack at a funeral north of Baghdad killed about 30.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group has been defeated in eastern Afghanistan, where it had taken over some remote districts.

Afghan forces had dislodged ISIL loyalists from regions of Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan, said Ghani on Sunday, speaking at the opening of parliament.

He also said Afghanistan will be a graveyard for ISIL.

Afghan forces have claimed victory following a 21-day operation in the Achin and Shinwar districts of Nangarhar, claiming to have killed at least 200 ISIL affiliates.

ISIL has had a presence in Afghanistan for more than a year. Officials have said most fighters calling themselves ISIL are disaffected Taliban members.

According to US Army General John Campbell, who leads the international forces in Afghanistan, there were between 1,000 and 3,000 ISIL fighters in the country.

READ MORE: ISIL hits Afghan airwaves to drum up support

The armed group recently launched a radio station with a one-hour-long Voice of Caliphate broadcast in Pashto language in Nangarhars Achin district.

Last year, ISIL beheaded a group of ethnic Hazara people  four men, two women and a child  with razor wire after abducting them in Ghazni city. Their bodies were later found in Arghandab district of Zabul province.

The violence prompted mass protests in the country. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in the capital, Kabul, urging the government to take action against rising violence against Afghan civilians.
Tragedy strikes as EU leaders prepare to discuss situation on the Greece-Macedonia border where thousands are stranded.

In the latest humanitarian disaster to strike refugees trying to get to Europe, at least 25 people are reported to have drowned off the Turkish coast while trying to reach Greece.

The coastguard launched a search-and-rescue mission for other people believed to be missing from the accident near the Turkish town of Didim.

At least 15 people were rescued and brought to land in the care of emergency aid workers.

Sundays incident came as European Union leaders prepared to meet to discuss the mounting refugee crisis on the Greek-Macedonia border, where about 13,000 people are living in precarious conditions as they wait for authorities to let them into Macedonia so they can move towards Western Europe.





The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said a humanitarian crisis was quickly unfolding at the border, with refugees living in makeshift camps and in the open, as authorities allow only 250 a day to pass through.

Its a wake-up call for the EU leaders, because this is a humanitarian crisis, the UNHCRs Babar Baloch said.

He said the situation at the border could not persist for long.

The situation is rapidly deteriorating, with more people arriving daily, observers said.

Al Jazeeras Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from the Idomeni refugee centre on the Greek side of the border, said the bottleneck occurred suddenly and that Greek authorities were trying to open a reception centre to address the growing needs.

Baloch said about 55 percent of the people at the Idomeni camp  which was designed for 2,000 people  are women and children.

People have taken to camping in the open in nearby fields. Many of the children are reportedly suffering from respiratory diseases.

The EU has planned a crisis summit in Brussels with Turkey on Monday to discuss the refugee issue.

Many of the asylum seekers fleeing conflict in the Middle East first head to Turkey, from where they move on to Greece before hoping to make the trip further into Europe.

EU leaders will hope to persuade Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkeys prime minister, to slow the flow of people and take back thousands who do not qualify for asylum.

They will also be looking at how to seal the Balkans route and boost aid to Greece in an attempt to restore unity among the 28 member nations.

READ MORE: Greece refugee crisis  Border area at breaking point

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, governor of Greeces Central Macedonia province, called on the government on Saturday to declare a state of emergency for the area surrounding the Idomeni border crossing.

Its a huge humanitarian crisis. I have asked the government to declare the area in a state of emergency, Tzitzikostas said during a visit to Idomeni to distribute aid to the Red Cross and other non-governmental organisations.

This cannot continue for much longer.

Reporting from Idomeni on Saturday, Al Jazeeras Abdel-Hamid said: Once [the emergency] is in place  and that will not be before Monday  it would mean there is a release of emergency funds, first 200,000 euros, to help out in this camp, provide more tents, food, blankets and facilities. There is no running water here.
Anti-refugee Smer party captures most votes but will be hard-pressed to form a government as the EU looks on.

Slovakias Prime Minister Robert Fico won parliamentary elections on Sunday, but opposition parties  including those on the far-right  will complicate the formation of a new government.

Fico, a leftist whose anti-immigration views are in line with neighbours Poland and Hungary, took 28.3 percent of the vote, far ahead of others but less than the 35 percent predicted in opinion surveys.



Refugee crisis takes centre stage in Slovakia election

With eurozone member Slovakia set to take over the European Unions rotating presidency from July, giving it a bigger role in EU policy discussions over the blocs refugee crisis, the election is being watched closely in Brussels.

Fico bet on a combination of popular welfare measures, such as free train rides for students and pensioners, to secure a third term after ruling from 2006-2010 and 2012-2016.

Fico, who had hoped to rule with one smaller coalition partner, said building a new coalition in a highly fragmented parliament would take time and be tough, given the very complicated election results.

As the party that won the election, we have the obligation to try build a meaningful and stable government, Fico told reporters. It will not be easy, I am saying that very clearly.

Fico, who dismisses multiculturalism as a fiction, has pledged never to accept EU-agreed quotas on relocating refugees who have flooded into Greece, Turkey, and Italy from Syria and beyond.

Slovakia has not seen any large numbers of refugees pass through its territory.

Opponents portray Fico as an inefficient and unsavory populist who ignores the need to reform education and healthcare. However, most opposition parties in the predominantly Catholic country agree with Ficos hardline stance on refugees.

If Fico fails to put together a government, a group of centre-right parties could try to form a broad but possibly unstable anti-Fico coalition, a repeat of the 2010 election.

Any centre-right coalition would include the libertarian Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, which held second place in the partial results with 11.5 percent of the vote.

Ficos strongly anti-refugee policies echo those of other hardliners in the EUs poorer ex-communist east, including Czech President Milos Zeman, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban, and Polands Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

All have shunned refugees as Europe grapples with its worst migration and humanitarian crisis since World War II.

Most opposition parties agree with Ficos views that Muslims cannot integrate into predominantly Catholic Slovakia and pose a security threat, although they use less aggressive language.
Treatment centres planned where teenagers will read, play games and interact without their smartphones and computers.

Muju, South Korea  The South Korean government is planning to create treatment centres where youngsters will be forced to live without their mobile phones and computers.

A rural school in the country is enrolling teenagers every few weeks where their phones and laptops are taken away and they are encouraged to read, play games and interact in the real world.

While theyre here, they get to experience the fact that they can live without their smartphones. We believe this can give them the ability to exercise self-control, Shim Yong-Chool, the centres director, told Al Jazeera.

Boys and girls are divided in separate groups and the treatment sessions last up to four weeks. The participants are encouraged to think about potential careers and to plan their future actively.

Yoon Jang-Won, 16, told Al Jazeera that he was spending at least 12 hours every day on his phone before coming to the centre.

When I am about to sleep, I feel like I want to use the phone, he said.

Its about time to use the phone, I want to do it. Such thoughts occur to me. But, as we all live together here, I can manage without it. Its okay.
More than 70 rockets and mortar shells fired on citys frequently targeted Kurdish residential quarter, reports say.

At least nine civilians have been killed and dozens more wounded after mortar rounds and rockets were fired on a mainly Kurdish residential quarter in the northern city of Aleppo, according to the Syrian Kurdish YPG group.

State-run news agency SANA said Sundays attack, which wounded at least 40 people, occurred in Sheikh Maqsoud, which has been subjected to shelling for days.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group monitoring the war, said more than 70 rockets and mortar shells were fired by armed groups, including al-Nusra Front.





At least 135 people have been killed since a US and Russia-backed Syria ceasefire started a week ago.

Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group are excluded from the truce.

The ceasefire has brought a sharp drop in violence to much of Syria despite sporadic violations and mutual accusations of breaches.

Global foreign ministers  having cautiously praised real progress of the ceasefire  have said the focus is on convincing all parties to return to planned UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland.

READ MORE: Why Aleppo matters

We want a speedy resumption of the negotiations in Geneva, but two conditions must be fulfilled: access for all Syrians to humanitarian aid, and full respect of the ceasefire, Jean-Marc Ayrault, French foreign minister, said at a meeting in Paris last Friday held to discuss the truce.

Rapid advances by the Syrian army and its allies in the Aleppo countryside early last month allowed them to cut vital supplies lines by rebels into Aleppo city from Turkey.

The YPG also made advances in that area in the wake of the progress by the government forces.
Texas senator splits Saturdays contests with frontrunner, while Sanders beats Clinton in two states in Democratic race.

US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has won nominating contests in Kansas and Maine, denting frontrunner Donald Trumps momentum and bolstering Cruzs case that he is the best alternative for those bent on stopping the billionaire businessman.

On the Democratic side, frontrunner Hillary Clinton won in Louisiana, while her rival Bernie Sanders, a US senator from Vermont, won in Kansas and Nebraska.

Five states were holding nominating contests on Saturday as Trump and Clinton looked to strengthen their leads in the battle to pick nominees for the November 8 presidential election to succeed President Barack Obama.





Trump won in Louisiana and Kentucky. The results were bad news for the remaining two Republican candidates, Marco Rubio, a US senator from Florida, and Ohio Governor John Kasich, who trailed in all four contests.

The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, DC, is utter terror at what We the People are doing together, Cruz told supporters in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, after his win in Kansas.

Cruz, a US senator from Texas who has promoted himself to voters as a true conservative, in contrast to Trump, also won a nonbinding straw poll of activists at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington.

What we saw in Kansas is a manifestation of a real shift in momentum, Cruz told reporters in Idaho.

In the overall race for Republican delegates, Trump leads with at least 375 and Cruz has at least 291. Rubio has 123 delegates and Kasich has 33. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

The races on Saturday were open only to registered Republicans, excluding the independent and disaffected Democratic voters who have helped Trumps surge to the lead.

Al Jazeeras Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from Washington, DC, said that even though Cruz had made an apparent breakthrough, Trump had still won Louisiana, the largest state voting on Saturday.

Saturdays contests were the first since retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson dropped from the race, after polling in the single-digits in most of the nominating contests. Carson had drawn support from evangelical voters, a group that has also been a stronghold of Cruz.

Since winning seven of 11 contests on Super Tuesday, Trump has come under withering fire from a Republican establishment worried he will lead the party to a resounding defeat in Novembers election.

Mainstream Republicans have blanched at Trumps calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants, and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the US.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, called Trump a phony and a fraud who was playing American voters for suckers, and 2008 nominee John McCain, a US senator from Arizona, said Trumps foreign policy views were uninformed and dangerous.

On the Democratic side, Clinton has opened up a big delegate lead and Sanders might have a tough time making up the difference. All states in the Democratic race award their delegates proportionally, meaning Clinton can keep piling up delegates even in states she loses.

Clinton has at least 1,117 delegates to Sanders 477, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

The three states holding Democratic contests on Saturday had a total of 109 delegates at stake.

Sanders might have rejuvenated his campaign after upsetting Clinton in two of the three states that voted, showing that while he trails Clinton in the delegate count needed to secure the nomination, he still has wide support, said Al Jazeeras Elizondo.

In this most unpredictable election season, voters continue to surprise  sending a message that they are not ready for any candidate in either party to run away with the nomination just yet.
Pro-government slant marks newspapers first edition since judicial intervention which set off two days of protests.

Turkeys largest-circulation newspaper has adopted a pro-government line in its first edition since a court ordered it to be seized in a controversial decision.

Al Jazeeras Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from Istanbul, said the Turkish-language Zaman had changed its editorial tone drastically.

The top story on Sunday described how President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended a ceremony marking a key phase in the construction of a bridge across the Bosphorus in Istanbul.

If anyone was wondering if there were going to be serious changes to the tone or editorial stance of Zaman, well they got their answer on Sunday morning, he said.

This used to be an opposition paper but Sundays edition carried pro-government stories across its front page.

Zamans website was offline, with a message that read: We will provide you, our readers, with a better quality and more objective service as soon as possible.

The website of the English-language Todays Zaman, which was also confiscated, featured stories about the takeover and the European Unions critical response but had not been updated since Saturday.

Police stormed the offices on Friday to enforce a court decision to place it and its sister outlets under the management of trustees.

The court appointed an administrator to run Zaman, Todays Zaman and the Cihan agency.

The step prompted two days of protests which riot police dispersed using tear gas and water cannon.

About 50 people stood outside of the papers Istanbul offices again on Sunday to protest against the takeover, witnesses said.

The atmosphere was calm, however.

New administrator

Employees returned to the newsroom on Saturday to work under the new administrator, but Abdulhamit Bilici, Zamans editor-in-chief, and Bulent Kenes, a columnist, were fired and escorted from the premises, said Sevgi Akarcesme, top editor at Todays Zaman.

Rights groups and European officials have criticised the takeover, saying it infringed on press freedom in Turkey, an EU candidate country.





En route to Brussels to attend an EU meeting, Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkeys prime minister, rejected that charge, saying a legal process was under way to investigate illicit financing of a terrorist organisation and that there had been no political interference.

Zaman was linked to Erdogans rival, the US-based Muslim leader Fethullah Gulen. Its takeover is part of a wider state crackdown on his religious movement.

The court ruling came at the request of a prosecutor investigating Gulen on terrorism charges, state media said.

Prosecutors have accused Zaman and its affiliates of praising and helping what they called a terrorist organisation.

Erdogan and Davutoglu accuse Gulen of plotting to topple their government in 2013 after police suspected of belonging to the religious movement leaked a corruption investigation into Erdogans family and ministers.

Erdogan accuses Gulen of building a network of supporters in the judiciary, police and media.

Gulen has denied the allegations.

OPINION: Another dark day for Turkish media

There is some obvious evidence that they [Gulen and Zaman] are linked to many international organisations, Yasin Aktay, a member of Turkeys ruling AK party, told Al Jazeera.

And Zaman newspapers and others are part of this coordination with this apparatus.

Aktay rejected allegations about media intolerance on the part of the Turkish government.

There is no intolerance in Turkey about media criticism. [Theres] probably more than 60 or 70 percent of the media in Turkey against the government and the government is tolerating them, he said.
Residents of Toas endure water and power shortages as part of decline in quality of life due to deteriorating economy.

Toas  This western island is a microcosm of the problems facing Venezuela, which is undergoing a recession made worse by the sharp drop in global oil prices.

The island is facing acute water shortage and has no electricity.

Criminals vandalised the installation of a desalinisation plant that could have offered the island a brief respite.

Dario Diaz, a retired teacher, told Al Jazeera that there has been no water supply for four days.

They stopped water supply on Friday, Saturday, Sunday until today. There are some trucks now but it might not be enough for everyone, she said.

A group of people in Toas has blocked a road to protest the decline in their quality of life.

Before, we had water, we had boats that worked. This so-called progress is only taking us backwards, Neilly Chacin, a Taos resident, told Al Jazeera.

Analysts have warned that the collapse in public services, like those on Toas, could increase the threat of social unrest as Venezuelas economic crisis deepens.
The UN envoy to Syria is trying to bring the warring parties together to reach a political settlement.

Staffan de Mistura is building on the fragile ceasefire to lay the groundwork for negotiations in Geneva soon.

A partial truce, drawn up by the United States and Russia, is now into its second week and has slowed the pace of the war.

The ceasefire does not include ISIL and al-Nusra Front fighters.

At least 135 people have been killed since the ceasefire started but it has enabled many civilians to receive badly needed aid.

The Syrian opposition says it is dissatisfied with the implementation of the truce agreement and has yet to say whether it will attend the new talks.

Saudi Arabia has reiterated its position on Bashar al-Assad, saying that the Syrian president has to leave at the beginning of the talks, not the end.

So, will talks take place? And can a ceasefire hold in the future?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan

Guests:

Vladimir Mikheev, independent analyst with the Troika Report Project.

Julien Barnes-Dacey, Senior Policy Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme for the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Monzer Akbik, member of the Syrian National Coalition.




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AFTER 5 YEARS, WE'RE STILL LIED TO ABOUT IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Next week is the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. And it is likely that sometime in the next couple of weeks, the 4,000th American soldier will die in Iraq. [MORE] Momentum

OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - It's 1931, and a 14-year-old girl is standing alone on a stage. She's small and lively with dark curly hair, widespread hazel eyes, slender wrists and an open, eager face filled with the wonder of performing. Her name is Rose, and one day she will be my mother. But now she is performing an Eugene O'Neill monologue called "Before Breakfast" for a ladies' club in a wealthy suburb of Long Island. [MORE] One Woman's World

COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I'm not sure but I think I may be socially incorrect. [MORE] On Native Ground

ENOUGH FOR A WAR, NOT FOR A PEOPLE by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Last week, the National Governors Assn. met in Washington, D.C. One of the tasks the NGA had on its agenda was to ask President Bush to increase federal spending on roads, bridges and other public works projects as a way to stimulate the economy. He rejected their pleas out of hand, claiming that infrastructure projects wouldn't offer any short-term economic boost. [MORE] Brasch Words

BEWARE THE SELF-REVERENTIAL PRESS by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Shortly before the primary votes this past week, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter called Sen. Barack Obama's surge to the Democratic nomination "inevitable." It also called for Hillary Clinton to "start her campaign for Senate majority leader." [MORE] Constance

A CONVERSATION WITH MY CAT Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- Normally, when the cat starts his evening rant of meowing continuously until he makes his point, I just take it as long as I can, pick him up, and put him in the garage for the night. He doesn't want to go, but the meowing stops and I don't care if he likes it or not. [MORE] Momentum

OUT OF STRUGGLE, ART by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Here we are again at the crossroads of art and social change, having the opportunity to watch good and great films about the lives of women in support of the Women's Crisis Center. [MORE] Campaign 2008

HOW TO PREDICT SUPER TUESDAY II WINNERS? ONLINE SEARCH by Jay Bhatti NEW YORK, March 4, 2008, 7:00PM ET -- With the outcomes of the Texas, Vermont, Ohio and Rhode Island primaries to be decided tonight, how possible is it that online searching can predict who will win tonight's primaries? [MORE] One Woman's World

DON'T VOTE; IT ENCOURAGES THEM by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Call me angry and disgusted but don't call me un-American because I won't be voting come November. [MORE] On Native Ground

BUSH AND THE KEYBOARD COMMANDOS by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- As the days tick down toward the eventual departure of President George W. Bush from the White House, it's a hopeful sign that most Americans are no longer moved by his Administration's constant exploitation of terrorism for political gain. [MORE] Momentum

WHICH AMERICA DO YOU LIVE IN? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- It's a little confusing. [MORE] Make My Dat

THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] On Native Ground

FIDEL RETIRES: NOW THE COLD WAR IS REALLY OVER by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Maybe now, we can finally say the Cold War is over. [MORE] Make My Dat

THE LAWYER THAT ATE NEW YORK by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- I used to know a guy who, quite literally, didn't get hyperbole. He didn't understand exaggeration. As a result, he missed most jokes that came his way. [MORE] One Woman's World

POLITICS IS NO PARTY by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Are you having a hard time focusing your eyes? Do you have faint red spots all over your body? Is there a ringing in your ears and do you see wavy lines when you look at your television set? Do your hands shake when you try to hold a cup of coffee? And have you recently been forgetting what day of the week it is - or what year? [MORE] Make My Day

FOR BETTER OR WORSE ... A LOT WORSE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- "Marriage: It's Only Going to Get Worse." [MORE] Constance

YOU CALL THESE RIGHTS? by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- When you express an opinion you hope to persuade others to your point of view. It doesn't always happen but still, opinion writers try. [MORE] Momentum

THE BRIDGE WOMAN by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - Out there in America - yes, still - is a generation of women who were born in the 1940s, raised in the 1950s, and who came to radical consciousness in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I am one of them. Hillary Clinton is one of them. [MORE] On Native Ground

OBAMA AND MY GENERATION by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- I originally planned on voting for Dennis Kucinich in the Vermont Primary on March 4. [MORE] The Willies:

WARNING: THIS MEDICATION MAY MURDER YOUR FRIENDS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla. -- You've heard the warnings, haven't you? Stop Prozac and you may take a shotgun, an Uzi or an AK-47 and mow down your family and friends, or even a whole classroom full of your fellow students. You didn't? Well, that warning is not on the bottle, but like countless mass-murder incidents before it, Friday's shootings at Northern Illinois University, as well as the Virginia Tech shootings that killed 32 last year, was probably precipitated by the effect of stopping medications that suppress anger and other powerful emotions but do not relieve the underlying cause. Isn't it time we started warning people - or stopped prescribing these medicines? [MORE] One Woman's World

DON'T KNOCK ON MY DOOR by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- I wish I could feel delight in my poet's mansion being like Grand Central Station all the time, but I can't. And I wish my place was such a place that someone would one day write: "Her door was always open and she always made you feel all fuzzy and warm in her presence. She could make a cup of coffee seem like a banquet." [MORE] Reporting: Panama

PANAMA'S VIOLENT LABOR UNREST INTENSIFIES Mark Scheinbaum PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb, 15, 2008 -- After just one day of relative calm, wildcat construction strikes by some members of Panama's largest union flared up again Friday morning, four days after a police sniper shot one worker. More than 140 demonstrators have been injured and at least 500 arrested, authorities say. [MORE] Brasch Words

TO STIMULATE ECONOMY, BUY A CHINESE-MADE U.S. FLAG by Walter Brasch BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Walking down Main Street, pushing a grocery cart loaded with clothes, toys, and appliances was Marshbaum. Fastened to the right front corner of the cart was an American flag tied onto a three-foot ruler. [MORE] Make My Day

THE TOOTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- To commemorate the death of noted shark exploder Roy Scheider, and the "Jaws" movies that resulted in Erik never setting foot in the ocean again, we are reprinting this column from 2003. Shark Experts 0, Sharks 1 [MORE] Momentum

THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENT by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. - As I write this, it's raining ice. Maybe a half a foot of snow and ice has already landed up here in the woods of Dummerston. Our cars are encased in it, and the door to the house is blocked. The satellite dish that brings in our Internet service quit about 20 minutes ago - frozen solid. [MORE] The Willies

AMERICA TO HILLARY: GET OUT! by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 13, 2008 -- Sen. Hillary Clinton has adopted the Rudy Giuliani strategy, and it's working - for Sen. Barack Obama. It turns out to be the strategy all Democrats are seeking - an exit strategy. But it's not for Iraq. It's for her exit from the race for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. [MORE] Constance

CONFESSIONS OF A DISAPPOINTED VOTER by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- A week ago at just about this time, I completed an article and was about to submit it as scheduled to The American Reporter. I was feeling rather elated, ready to show up on Super Tuesday morning, firmly touch the X next to Rudy Giuliani's name and get on with my day. He was my choice; he would get my vote. [MORE] Reporting: Florida

SIERRA CLUB SET TO SUSPEND FLA. CHAPTER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 10, 2008 -- The national Sierra Club is set to suspend its Florida chapter after years of divisive infighting, the president of the national club told Florida members in a letter delivered to some this weekend. It is the first time in its 116-year history that such a step has been considered by the club, according to news reports. [MORE] One Woman's World

PLANT A NEW WORLD THIS SPRING by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- For a little while, the men will just have to toss and turn in their fear-free-women beds. For a small space of time Hillary Clinton will just have to trudge on toward the White House without my faint applause in the background. [MORE] On Native Ground

VERMONT AND THE 5 STAGES OF CONSERVATIVE GRIEF by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- First, Vermont tried to convince the nation to impeach President Bush and Vice President Cheney. [MORE] Make My Day

REBEL WITHOUT A TONGUE by Erik Deckers INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Kids' brains work in amazing ways. At times, they can grasp complex concepts and make impressive discoveries. Other times, you have to wonder how we ever survived as a species. [MORE] The Willies

FOR DEMOCRATS, NOW IT'S ABOUT RACE, INCOME AND GENDER by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Feb. 6, 2008 -- It's not a good time to be a Democrat. As the Super Tuesday results demonstrated, the presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has divided the partly along clear racial, income and gender lines - the very distinctions the party has sought to erase in principle but has emphasized in its pursuit of diversity. [MORE] Momentum

SUPER TUESDAY BLUES by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt. -- Super Tuesday has come and gone and I still can't get excited about the upcoming presidential elections. [MORE] The Willies

ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY, YOUR PUSH IS NEEDED by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Feb. 5. 2008 -- I'm expecting a sea change tonight. I believe that for the first time in this nation's history we will once and forever banish racism as the deciding factor in the destiny of African-Americans, and indeed adopt diversity as our path to the future. [MORE] Campaign 2008

AT 88, EVERY VOTE REALLY COUNTS by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 5, 2008 -- Pearl Turner will caucus for Mitt Romney tonight in Denver. [MORE] One Woman's World

STAND BY YOUR WOMAN by Elizabeth T. Andrews CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- The black vote. The gay vote. The fundamentalist vote. The Hispanic vote. [MORE] An AR Special

SUSPECTS IN BENAZIR ASSASSINATION HAVE TIES TO MUSHARRAF by Ahmar Mustikhan WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When Gordon Brown this past Monday feted coup-leader-turned-President Pervez Musharraf at 10 Downing Street, Britain's new prime minister probably didn't ask the Pakistani dictator a question that is now on many minds: Did you order the murder of Benazir Bhutto? [MORE] Momentum

TO THE VERMONT DELEGATION: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US LATELY? by Joyce Marcel DUMMERSTON, Vt.  Back when President George W. Bush and Dick Vice President Dick Cheney were building up to their loathsome war in Iraq, very few people were brave enough to call the bullies' bluff. [MORE] On Native Ground

IF BUSH HAS HIS WAY, WE'LL NEVER LEAVE IRAQ by Randolph T. Holhut DUMMERSTON, Vt. - In his final State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President Bush cautioned against accelerating U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq, saying that it would endanger the process that has been made over the past year. [MORE] Campaign 2008

CLASH OF COMMENTS AND PROTESTORS AT CLINTON, OBAMA RALLIES IN DENVER by Ted Manna DENVER, Feb. 1, 2008 -- At least four presidential campaigns of both partiers rolled into in Denver this week ahead of the Feb. 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries in 22 states, but it was the Democratic presidential contenders who drew the big crowds and duked it out Wednesday. If sheer numbers are any indication, Sen. Barack Obama - preceded by a buoyant and beautiful Caroline Kennedy - won the round handily. He is the overwhelming favorite to win the Colorado primary next Tuesday. [MORE] The Willies

WHY THE FLORIDA PRIMARY STINKS by Joe Shea BRADENTON, Fla., Jan. 30, 2008 -- I was with my wife and daughter driving the back way from Miami home to Bradenton when we stopped at a McDonald's in Clewiston, the only big town along the vast shore of Lake Okeechobee, the state's precious freshwater reservoir. The McDonald's had three televisions at a central seating area, each tuned to a different network, and our table was in front of CNN as the very first election results started to pour in around 7:30PM. With them, almost as counterpoint, suddenly came such an overwhelming odor of cow plop that my wife started to throw up as we all ran to the parking lot. [MORE] Passings: Suharto

DEATH OF A KEMUSU THUG by Andreas Harsono JAKARTA - A few minutes after hearing that former president Suharto had died in his hospital bed, Marco, a militia leader in downtown Jakarta, raced to Suhartos house, wearing his jungle camouflage and began guarding the Suhartos residence on Cendana Street. [MORE] Constance

I REMEMBER YOU by Constance Daley ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga.. -- It seems to be more often lately that the sentiment is spoken but it's always been out there: "You never get over the death of your child." This is true. But the heartfelt expressions come from some who cannot fathom the notion of losing a child; their own child is who is in their mind, not another mother's child. [MORE]
To the best of my ability, here is the list, after the jump. Complete Listing of Italian DOCG Wines (as of May 2008): 41 Abruzzo (1) M...
Shmuel Ben David Sam Vaknin is an authority on the subject of narcissism, having written the widely read and very favorably reviewed book, Malignant Self Love: Narcissism Revisited and Narcissistic and Psychopathic Leaders. He may be described as a polymath, with extraordinary expertise (and experience) in abnormal psychology, and with focuses including temporal physics and politics (See his Web site, YouTube site, and Wikipedia bio).

Some see Donald Trump's behavior in the media and become concerned. I recently had the opportunity to discuss him with Sam Vaknin.

AW: Psychiatrists are generally precluded from publicly discussing their opinions or findings concerning individuals' mental illnesses. But Dr. Vaknin, your expertise comes by over twenty years of focused study of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) free of such inhibition.

You have related grave concerns about one of our Republican presidential candidates. I think anyone might connect narcissism with Donald Trump as a fairly obvious and perhaps innocuous trait. But you mean something else.

Vaknin: I do. I was the first to introduce pathological narcissism into the terms of the political debate with my July 2008 essay where I suggested that Obama may be a narcissist. Obama is intelligent and prosocial. Trump clams to be the former, but he is definitely not the latter. I regard him as much more of a menace than Obama ever was to the future of the USA and, by extension, the world. I am shocked that -- despite an increasing awareness of the dangers of narcissism in the media and in the public -- Trump is still making any headway in this election cycle.

AW: What is NPD and how "malignant," as your book title implies, is it?

Vaknin: The latest, fifth, edition (2013) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) -- the classificatory bible of psychology in North America -- has done an excellent job of revamping the definition of NPD by introducing a dimensional description of the disorder. But, the diagnostic criteria from the previous, fourth, edition of the DSM are more accessible to laymen. So, here they are, updated with the latest knowledge we have about this pernicious disorder. You can easily see Trump writ large in each and every one of the nine criteria .

The narcissist ...

Feels grandiose and self-important (e.g., exaggerates accomplishments, talents, skills, contacts, and personality traits to the point of lying, demands to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)

Is obsessed with fantasies of unlimited success, fame, fearsome power or omnipotence, unequaled brilliance (the cerebral narcissist), bodily beauty or sexual performance (the somatic narcissist), or ideal, everlasting, all-conquering love or passion

Firmly convinced that he or she is unique and, being special, can only be understood by, should only be treated by, or associate with, other special or unique, or high-status people (or institutions)

Requires excessive admiration, adulation, attention and affirmation  or, failing that, wishes to be feared and to be notorious (Narcissistic Supply)

Feels entitled. Demands automatic and full compliance with his or her unreasonable expectations for special and favorable priority treatment

Is "interpersonally exploitative," i.e., uses others to achieve his or her own ends

Devoid of empathy. Is unable or unwilling to identify with, acknowledge, or accept the feelings, needs, preferences, priorities, and choices of others

Constantly envious of others and seeks to hurt or destroy the objects of his or her frustration. Suffers from persecutory (paranoid) delusions as he or she believes that they feel the same about him or her and are likely to act similarly

Behaves arrogantly and haughtily. Feels superior, omnipotent, omniscient, invincible, immune, "above the law," and omnipresent (magical thinking). Rages when frustrated, contradicted, or confronted by people he or she considers inferior to him or her and unworthy

AW: How likely do you believe it is that Donald Trump has NPD, and why? Can you surmise how far up or down the NPD scale he may be?

Vaknin: I have watched 600 hours of video of Trump. Here are my preliminary clinical observations:

Trump confabulates a lot and has grandiose fantasies, which he has come to believe in, thus partially and intermittently losing touch with reality (delusionally "failing the reality test").

Trump is hypervigilant to the point of paranoia, besieged by conjured enemies and imaginary slights to his person, appearance, or accomplishments. He reacts aggressively and vindictively to such perceived narcissistic injuries and humiliations. His is a siege mentality.

Trump is a compulsive attention-seeker and will go to any extreme to obtain it.

Trump is counterdependent: he abhors authority, rules, traditions, and "The Establishment" and rebels against them vociferously and ostentatiously. He is manifestly defiant and abrasive.

Trump talks about himself in the third person ("Trump will do this") and often uses the royal "we" to refer to himself. His first person pronoun density (the number of times he uses "I," "me," and "myself" in a conversation or in interviews) is the highest I have ever heard from any politician, Obama included.

Trump places a premium on appearances rather than on substance.

Trump is highly somatic and hypochondriac as he emphasizes the way he dresses and refrains from damaging his shrine-like body by consuming substances like alcohol or nicotine. He is self-worshiping and painfully self-conscious.

Trump is disproportionately aggressive, hypersensitive, and defensive, faking superiority which, in all probability is compensatory: it masks a deep and unsettling sense of inferiority and extreme awareness of and an agonizing dependence upon what other people think of him ("thin skin").

Trump lacks empathy and clearly enjoys embarrassing and hurting other people gratuitously. Such antisocial misconduct makes him feel (and, in his mind, actually renders him) all-powerful and God-like ("omnipotent").

Trump has an inordinately developed "cold empathy": the kind of an "x-ray vision" that allows him to immediately spot the vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and chinks in the armor of his interlocutors, adversaries, partners, and enemies and to leverage this knowledge to his benefit by penetrating their defenses. He therefore resonates powerfully and intimately with the hidden hopes, dreams, fantasies, delusions, and negative emotions (rage, hatred, fear) of his "constituencies." He is a consummate predator.

To my mind, Trump is the most perfect example I have ever come across of a malignant and, probably, psychopathic narcissist. Of course, he cannot be fully and assuredly diagnosed this way. Only a qualified mental health diagnostician can determine whether someone suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) and this, following lengthy tests and personal interviews. But the overwhelming preponderance of presenting symptoms and visual and textual evidence for tentative profiling is definitely there.

AW: Mr. Trump is renowned for his personal attacks through mass media including his Twitter account. He has recently threatened two other wealthy men with reprisals for behavior he purports to be against him: Tom Ricketts (also, Ricketts' family) allegedly for "secretly" spending money in opposition to his political ambitions, and also Jeff Bezos, whose Washington Post has editorialized against his candidacy. He also threatened to sue Ted Cruz for his ad about Trump's varying positions on abortion. Is such behavior likely to be a trait of NPD?

Also, one doesn't usually associate narcissism with violence, but Trump has apparently come out for ordering our military and/or intelligence personnel to murder the families of terrorist combatants, also to torture supposed terrorists in ways "a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding." These are regarded as war crimes. Does this suggest problems in his make-up beyond NPD?

Vaknin: All narcissists lack emotional empathy and are, to some extent, anti-social. Many narcissists are somewhat psychopathic and, therefore, sadistically prone to violence . They get a high and derive an almost sexual gratification from wielding power and inflicting pain and humiliation on others. It sustains their grandiose fantasy of omnipotence (that they are Godlike, all-powerful). That's why many narcissists are litigious, threaten "their enemies" incessantly, seek to embarrass and humiliate them in public, stalk them, and harass them recurrently. Narcissists have a black and white view of the world: if you are not 100% with me, you are 110% the enemy (this is known as "splitting" in the psychological jargon). Trump strikes me as this type of narcissist.

AW: Is it your considered opinion that Donald Trump would represent a significant danger were he to become president of the United States of America and if so, how?

Vaknin: You just have to look at Trump's business history to extrapolate America's future under a President Trump. Narcissists are unstable and go through repeated cycles of self-destruction (with other people usually paying the heft of the price). Narcissists tend to be divisive, vindictive, confrontational, aggressive, hate-filled, raging, incoherent, judgment-impaired, and irrational. Narcissists are junkies: they are addicted to attention (" Narcissistic Supply ") and will go to any extreme to secure it. Narcissists are liars, confabulators, and miserable failures (although some of them, like Trump, are geniuses at disguising the fact that they are, in fact, losers). Is this the kind of person you want in the White House?

Arlen Williams publishes and edits GulagBound.com; Twitter: @ArlenWms.
The Netanyahu-led Government of Israel is often labeled "right wing." But is it, really?

The right in Israel rejects the creation of a Palestinian state, whether or not demilitarized, and supports settlement construction in Area C of Judea and Samaria as defined by the Oslo Accords. Israels current government does neither.

But it does say that now is not the time to create a Palestinian state. Big deal, so does the opposition party Zionist Union led by Isaac Herzog.

The key difference between the actions of the current government and the Unilateral Separation Plan of the Zionist Union is that the latter wants to build a barrier around the settlement blocks and to divide Jerusalem with a barrier in order to separate the Arabs from the Jews.

Both want to keep the IDF in place. Both are against building outside of the settlement blocs and both want the approval of the US to building inside the settlement blocs.

Yair Lapid, head of Yesh Atid, says Israel Must Accept Arab Peace Initiative as Basis for Talks

Israel's master strategy needs to be moving toward a regional arrangement that will enable a full normalization of relations with the Arab states and the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel.

Although the title to this article referred to the Arab Peace Initiative, Lapid himself referred to the Saudi Peace Plan, which differs from the Arab Peace Initiative in that it does not stress the right of return for Palestinians refugees.

Thus opposition leaders, Lapid and Herzog, are prepared to negotiate based on the 67 lines plus swaps, but not now. The same goes for Netanyahu.

Lapid recently said, It was clear the Left would not be in power for the next 30 years. Accordingly Lapid presents himself as a centrist.

I come from a home with the legacy of the nationalist camp, he said, noting that his father, former minister Yosef Tommy Lapid, was a follower of former Prime Minister Menachem Begin. I am enthusiastically in favor of annexing the Golan. My principle says maximum Jews on maximum land with maximum security and with minimum Palestinians.

Thus both Herzog and Lapid are pushing for separation. So is Netanyahu, who keeps saying he is against a bi-national state.

On the question of the current terror attacks Lapid said on Walla News on October 11th, whoever takes out a knife or a screwdriver -- should be shot dead. That puts him to the right of Netanyahu.

Lapid, who is positioning himself to challenge Netanyahu for the premiership, has also made moves to reconcile with Shas and UTJ saying only that he will work to convince them that it is in their interest to teach their children math and English. Thus he is paving the way for them to be in his coalition.

Lapid has yet to support the NGO bill but he did announce his intention to introduce a Bill that would prevent Israeli nonprofits that vilify the state from being funded by organizations that support a boycott of Israel. He went on to single out Breaking the Silence.

Criticism builds us as a society, but there is a fundamental difference between criticism and vilifying officers and IDF soldiers abroad. That is not criticism, but undermining the foundations of the state. Organizations like Breaking the Silence have crossed the red line from criticism into subversion.

This places him again to the right of Netanyahu, who has yet to make this distinction.

Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beiteinu (Our Israel Home), has positioned himself to the right of Netanyahu on all things. For instance, he is for capital punishment for terrorists, for allowing hunger strikers to die in prison, for destroying Hamas, for not releasing terrorist prisoners, for killing on the spot any terrorist who comes to kill a Jew, for enabling the Knesset to over-rule the Supreme Court and so on. He complains that Netanyahu gave away Hebron and supported Sharons disengagement until the last moment. He, on the other hand, opposed it and was kicked out of the government for so doing.

As for his trial balloon floated a number of years ago about swapping the area known as the Triangle -- which encompasses Palestinian villages like Umm al-Fahm and Taibeh -- in exchange for parts of Judea and Samaria, I am advised that he has moved on from that suggestion.

When Isaac Herzog delivered his speech calling for separation, he burnished his security credentials by going to the right of the current government in its treatment of Hamas. He went on to say,

They will have no immunity and for every attack theyll pay a heavy price. This wont mean dummy bombings of empty areas. Well employ an effective iron fist and shut down their radio and TV stations. After that they wont have internet or mobile phone services. They wont be able to transmit instructions to terrorists. Well take harsh and severe steps, including ones directed at their leaders.

As for the terror tunnels Hamas is building, he said,

The political leadership must provide a clear public answer to the citizens. [It must] stop hesitating. They must instruct the IDF to bomb the tunnels and destroy this threat.

In response to this, Haaretz published an article titled, Herzog passes Netanyahu on the right.

Back to our so-called right-wing government.

Bayit Yehudit (Jewish Home), the most right-wing party in the government is no longer demanding a lifting of the building freeze, thought it would like it lifted.

Its leader, Naftali Bennett, in his capacity of Minister of Education, has been working to improve Arab education, so much so, that Haaretz published an article last June, calling him an Unlikely Champion of Arab Education. Shortly thereafter he announced that Arab children would start to learn Hebrew in kindergarten saying, "Improvement of Hebrew among Arab students will result in their ability to more easily integrate into the Israeli workforce, and economy and society at large." In December he announced the creation of the first dedicated academic college for Arab Israelis, saying, There is no doubt that the Arab public lacks an academic institution of excellence, which is suited to the demand and will advance equality within Israeli society. and further, The aim of establishing a college, over and above the equality issue, is to prevent Arab citizens from studying in institutions in Arab countries or in Hebron.

This is beyond my comprehension. Israel has a serious problem with Arab resistance, which takes the form of daily riots and terrorist acts. This resistance is promoted by the Palestinian Authority, the Arab schools and the Mosques. Why would Israel want to add to this indoctrination by creating an Arab University? The entrance requirements to Israels Universities is the same for Jews and Arabs. In fact 20% of the Hebrew University students are Arab, the same percentage as in the population itself.

So Bennett not only wants to position himself and his party as a bridge between the religious and the secular, but also between the Arabs and the Jews.

Bennett, at least, is pushing the Zionist enterprise in other ways.

He is dedicated to inculcating traditional religious-Zionist values in the nations youth. To this end he has revised the civics text book by adding these values and announced that this year would be the year of United Jerusalem. The left is outraged. It wants the text book to stress democratic values rather than Zionist values.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, also of Jewish Home, is doing her part to push for legislation which strengthens Israel as a Jewish state, such as the NGO Transparency Bill which applies solely to non-profits that receive more than half their funding from foreign governments, the Nation-state Bill, which would enshrine as a Basic Law the concept that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and sets out that all Israeli law must be interpreted according to this principle, the Bill to allow 90 MKs to suspend a fellow lawmaker for inappropriate behavior, and two Bills; one bill to allow the Knesset to override a court decision striking down its legislation, and the other to change the judicial selection process by diluting the power of sitting Supreme Court justices on the panel.

She is meeting great resistance but is undaunted. Obviously many in the so-called right-wing government are either against this legislation or in favor of watering it down. Accordingly, the government is not as right wing as the right want it to be.

Herzog says the Jewish nation-state bill puts the country at risk of losing its character as a "democratic and egalitarian" country.

While Lapid, Herzog and Lieberman keep pushing for separation, the government keeps pushing for integration. You would think its the other way around. In this vein the government is doubling work permits for Arabs, investing NIS 15 billion in Arab municipalities, is releasing NIS 500 million to the PA of the taxes collected by Israel for them but withheld until now.

As far back as June of last year Evelyn Gordon wrote Israels Hardline Government Unveils Major Benefits for Israeli Arabs, in which she described revolutionary moves by the government to improve Arab housing and to boost funding for Arab schools by a billion shekels (about $260 million) over 5 years.

Could it be that Netanyahu and Bennett are looking to garner Arab votes for their parties? Or have they simply accepted the idea that we are doomed to live together and might as well make the best of it.

During the last Gaza war, Netanyahu rejected ceasefires proposed by Pres Obama which involved enabling a role for Qatar and Turkey, two arch enemies of Israel, choosing instead to combine with Egypt in pushing for the ceasefire they both wanted. Turkey, at the moment has no diplomatic relations with Israel and is a supporter of Hamas, which is dedicated to destroying Israel and killing all Jews.

Nevertheless, Israel subsequently gave Qatar a role in Gaza to manage the reconstruction of Gaza and is currently negotiating with Turkey to afford them a role in Gaza, too. Turkey wants the blockade lifted and a port to be approved. It also wants to be contracted to build the port. Although the government denies that they are in discussions for a port, its denials are not credible. Surprisingly, Minister Uri Ariel, also of Jewish Home, is in favor of building such a port, arguing we must give them economic freedom but not military freedom. Bennett is vehemently opposed.

This government is also wobbly on the EU. The EU is actively working against any right wing policies regarding Judea and Samaria. They went so far as to require all products produced by Jews in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to be labeled accordingly. Israel retaliated by shutting them out of any peace process, but this hardline was quickly abandoned for a small concession.

The EU continues to finance illegal Arab construction in Area C, to finance an illegal road through Area C to the Dead Sea and to finance subversive NGOs. (The Oslo Accords created Area C and gave Israel full jurisdiction over it.) Our so-called right-wing government accepts this with hardly a whimper.

Obviously the governments policy is to manage the status quo by taking small steps toward accommodation. It wants to lessen the friction and to enable both sides accept the other. It believes that, sometime way in the future, the two-state solution will come into being. Either that or that the terms of Oslo will become permanent.

Critics complain that Netanyahu is all reaction and no action.

Perhaps the governments action or lack of it is more sinister than that.

David Bedein accuses Israel of being complicit in the EU take-over of Judea and Samaria. According to him, Israel made a quiet agreement with the EU in 2005 to permit the EU to take-over Judea and Samaria. What you see now is proof of the pudding.

A real rightwing government would be basing its policies on ultimately extending Israeli sovereignty to all or part of the Judea and Samaria. The current government offers no sign of that. Quite the opposite.
Four years after opposition from residents and a lawsuit forced the withdrawal of plans for a multi-purpose Islamic center in rural San Martin, California, the proposal is back, tripled in size and with a burial center double the original capacity. The Southern Valley Islamic Center (SVIC) again calls its center Cordoba, a reference to the so-called Golden Age of Islam, after 8th-century Islamic invaders converted the Spanish city into a center for religious learning under Islamic rule for two centuries, restricting others to second-class status. Like those invaders from another age, the Cordoba Center may well be part of a larger plan to usurp American values and lifestyle and replace them with Muslim ideology and culture.

As I reported here in 2012, the SVIC proposal included a prayer hall, community center, cemetery and play area on a 15-acre parcel in the unincorporated town of San Martin, population 7,500, known for producing garlic, mushrooms and wine. In 2013, the SVIC withdrew their proposal and relinquished a Santa Clara County permit after a lawsuit was filed by a local group, the Peoples Coalition for Government Accountability. The coalitions suit against the county, the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission sought to stop planning and construction on the center for a rigorous and thorough environmental impact review.

At the time, residents were concerned that failed soil-percolation tests made the site susceptible to poor drainage and flooding and that decaying human remains would pollute the local water supply. They worried about the impact of increased traffic in their pastoral oasis as well as noise from dawn-to-dusk calls to prayer. Anxious about decreased quality of life, they sought a full discussion of issues that had received short shrift during permit review.

Further, they felt that with no significant Muslim population in the surrounding area and several mosques nearby, the large-scale Islamic center failed to meet the countys requirement that projects be kept to a size, scale and intensity that serves local needs. The county general plan requirements were created to minimize impacts from outside the community.

But today, four years later, different rules apply. Santa Clara County rescinded its local use" policy and now evaluates projects based on size, scale and intensity compared to similar buildings -- in this case churches -- in the general vicinity. The SVIC has revived the Cordoba Center, bringing it back with a proposed, 8,938-square foot mosque, up from the original 5,000-square feet, and a 14,548-square-foot community building, up from the original 2,800 square feet.

On Feb. 25, the first informational and planning advisory meeting drew over 300 area residents who heard presentations by the project manager and architect. The Cordoba Center development team likened the project to other local houses of worship. They displayed renderings of the proposed mosque, ancillary buildings, cemetery and landscaping and said 300 people would use it weekly and up to 500 during holidays, an almost four-fold increase from SVICs 2012 usage estimates. To allay community concerns, they explained plans for site drainage, wastewater removal, and aesthetic considerations. A Planning Committee representative said a 9- to 18-month environmental impact study would be required before any approvals.

During public comments, largely in opposition to the project, residents expressed concern over environmental impacts and doubted that the number of worshippers at the site could be policed to comply with stated usage. They also worried about the noise level. Calls to prayer occur five times daily, from around 6:00 a.m. to around 10 p.m. Only a handful of residents expressed concerns about the supremacist nature of Islam, which, in fact, may be the most important objection against the center.

Four members of the clergy in a stark display of ignorance of Islamic doctrine waxed enthusiastic about the proposed religious center as a welcome addition to the local faith community. One priest, clearly unfamiliar with the Koran and its pervasive mandate of enmity for non-Muslims, noted that Islamic concepts of love of G-d and love of neighbor were identical to those of his faith. Despite the reality that Christians are being persecuted and their houses of worship are being destroyed throughout the Middle East and North Africa, none of the Christian clergy made any connections between this reality and Islamic doctrine nor voiced any concerns about Christian oppression under Muslim rule. Another member of the clergy proclaimed his solidarity with his Muslim brothers and sisters, even though throughout much of the Islamic world, fellowship with non-Muslims is non-existent, even verboten, and Christians are unable to build or repair churches, pray or even celebrate holidays.

In coming to its final determination on the Cordoba Center, the Santa Clara County Planning Commission will focus only on environmental impacts. However, the presence of a mosque potentially promoting a jihad-centric theo-political ideology in the area raises legitimate, national security concerns.

According to terrorism expert, author and investigative journalist Dr. J. Michael Waller, the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), a Muslim Brotherhood affiliate and unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism funding trial in America, controls most of the mosques in the United States.

An organ of ISNA, NAIT finances, owns, and otherwise subsidizes the construction of mosques and is reported to own between 50 and 79 percent of the mosques on the North American continent, Waller explained before the Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security on October 14, 2003.

In its planning document, Explanatory Memorandum On the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America, published in 1991, the Muslim Brotherhood lists NAIT in A List of our Organizations and the Organizations of our Friends. In it the historical stages of Islamic activism for civilizational jihad, including the proliferation of mosques and Islamic centers, are delineated. They are part of

a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and sabotaging its miserable house by their hands and the hands of believers so that it is eliminated and G-d's religion is made victorious over all other religions.

In 2006, Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom released a report revealing that over 80% of American mosques have been radicalized by Saudi money -- between $70-80 billion worldwide over three decades -- and influence. Researchers found that the vast majority of American mosques espouse radical hate ideology  teaching Muslims that it is a religious obligation to hate Jews and Christians, condemn democracy as un-Islamic and engage in stealth jihad to infiltrate American institutions and amass power.

Further, the existence and prevalence of mosques within the United States that have harbored and trained terrorists, as well as raised money for terrorist groups and activities, underscores the conclusions of the Freedom House study and bolsters the concern over existing and future mosques and the threat they bring to Americans.

The Center for Security Policy (CSP), a Washington, D.C. national security think tank, recently conducted a survey of American Muslims and found that 51% agreed that Muslims should be able to choose to be governed by shariah rather than the Constitution. Close to 25% stated that they believe that it is legitimate to use violence to punish those who offend Islam, including offences such as depicting Mohammed. Nearly one-fifth of American Muslims surveyed felt that the use of violence was justified in order to make shariah the law of the land in the United States.

These are worrisome findings, given the U.S. liberal refugee resettlement policy, asylum and other immigration programs and Obamas plans for bringing thousands of additional Syrian refugees into the country. They are especially dangerous now in light of the outrages committed by increasing numbers of welfare-dependent migrants flooding Europe. Furthermore, nearly 1,000 American Muslims are currently being investigated by the FBI as individuals known to support ISIS.

The truth is that Islam is unlike other religions and a mosque is not like a church or synagogue. The question that needs to be answered in communities like San Martin is: Does this project represent a benign construction of a house of worship or yet another orchestrated effort to oust traditional American values and replace them with Islamic practices, laws, and beliefs? To believe the latter is neither evidence of bigotry nor misguided caution, but a reasoned response to stated Islamic goals and past Islamic actions.
When Donald Trump began his presidential campaign with what was considered incendiary comments: When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best... they're sending people that have lots of problems and that he would complete the United States-Mexico border fence and make Mexico pay for it.

After my five years with the U.S. Border Patrol stationed along the southwest border, I learned much regarding the efforts to solve the 2,000-mile-long border fence and illegal border crossing interface. The United States and Mexico share several significant natural barriers, hundreds of miles of treacherous open desert, from California to Texas, and several impenetrable and unscalable canyons of the Rio Grande River valley. When you exclude the impassable areas of the border as a conduit for illegal border crossings, you can focus on those areas that require additional man-made barriers and law enforcement deterrents.

During the mid-1990s, several efforts to restore the integrity and safety to the nation's busiest borders were enacted. Operation Gatekeeper was one of the first deterrent measures designed to halt illegal border crossings near San Diego, California. Operation Hold the Line deployed four hundred Border Patrol Agents every 100 yards from one side of El Paso to the other, in order to prevent illegal immigration. Operation Safeguard assigned more agents in the Tucson, Arizona Sector with a new fence constructed near Nogales. The effect of more Border Patrol Agents coupled with strategic fencing significantly reduced illegal entries as well as reduced the local crime rate.

During 2011, the Department of Homeland Security canceled the $1 billion Boeing project to build a technology-based virtual fence across the Southwest border -- primarily cameras and sensors on towers. When Mexican nationals used high-power rifles to attack the electronics atop the virtual fence the program was deemed ineffective and too costly.

Another element of the virtual fence was marketed as a high-tech solution, deploying mobile surveillance systems and unmanned drones. A recent DHS OIG report highlighted U.S. Customs and Border Protections "Unmanned Aircraft System Program Does Not Achieve Intended Results or Recognize All Costs of Operations". In fact, all of the unmanned systems purchased for the CBP Air have been loaned to the U.S. Coast Guard.

In my November 2011 Article, "$32,000 Per Illegal Alien?" I calculated the average cost of apprehending a single illegal alien using aviation assets, by type of aircraft. As the former director of the Border Patrols national aircraft maintenance program, I determined the average cost of apprehending a single illegal alien, using a fixed-wing aircraft was about $20; the cost of apprehending a single illegal alien using a $1M helicopter was almost $220. It was a shock to me that Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine had spent (at the time) over $240 million for several unmanned systems which were credited with apprehending more than 7,500 people since they were deployed six years ago. I asked the question, can it really be true the average cost to apprehend a single illegal alien using the CBP Air and Marines unarmed and unmanned aerial systems was $32,000 per illegal alien? After the failure of the virtual fencing strategy, the failure of drones patrolling the border wasnt a total surprise to me, but, having those drones pushed to support the U.S. Coast Guard was.

That is because to move people or narcotics across the border illegal aliens and drug smugglers dont cross the most inhospitable parts of deserts nor do they attempt to scale the unscalable canyon walls of the Rio Grande. Thats not where anyone needs to build a wall or erect fencing. Ask a Border Patrol Agent if and where a wall needs to be built; not a politician driven by a fifteen-second sound bite.

All across Europe countries are reintroducing border controls to counter the effect of Islamic refugees from North Africa and the Middle East. With new fencing and many more new border guards, the most adversely affected countries are beginning to see their efforts to stem the tide of refugees or the invasion of terrorists comingled with those seeking asylum or fleeing the effects of war in their home country.

Virtual fencing strategies, whether towers on the ground or high-flying patrolling unmanned drones, dont work for simple reasons -- they are inefficient, uneconomical, and grossly ineffective. Strategic blockade attempts -- difficult-to-breach-walls near ports of entry, such as the 14-mile wall from the Pacific Ocean to Otey Mesa in Southern California (and Operations Hold the Line and Safeguard) -- are efficient, economical, and very effective. They are only as good as the strength and height of the wall, as well as the significant deterrent of many law enforcement officers on the ground to apprehend those that think the road to success is to use a taller ladder to get over the man-made barrier.

A good wall or fencing strategy defeats halfhearted measures, such as the poor fencing efforts found in southern Arizonas border towns. These inevitably fail to deter a border crosser primarily due to poor construction. For over 20 years, there has been numerous videographic evidence of border crossers negotiating porous and cheap expeditious fencing -- they go under, through, or over fencing that wouldnt slow down an eight-year-old with a broken leg. Today, primarily in Arizona, New Mexico and in some European countries, poorly designed or maintained fencing are being overrun by illegal aliens and refugees, and can be found on television specials or on the Internet. Noteworthy and rarely, in these cases, are there sufficient border guards to ensure deterrence. A flimsy wall cannot hold back a horde.

To stop the flow requires a fundamental shift in ideology in policing illegal immigration. Strategic and impenetrable fencing augmented by more border control agents, in high-intensity drug trafficking areas, especially those focused on intercepting and preventing illegal entries at the border, have proven to be the correct solution in stemming the flow of illegals and contraband, and for Europe, undesirable refugees. Pictures of frustrated refugees on one side of a heavily protected and sturdy fence with numerous border guards on the other epitomizes the deterrent and collaborative effect of fencing and enforcement. If the cops go home, the illegals will defeat the fence. If the border agents are resilient and maintain their presence and vigilance, the refugees go somewhere else.

Policies focused on finding and deporting illegal immigrants who had already crossed the border have been negated by this administration and other Democratic administrations. There may be a few intrepid individuals that succeed in defeating Mother Natures barriers. I was in a Marine Corps Search and Rescue unit in Yuma, Arizona in the late 70s; it was not uncommon for us to find in the desert the remains of illegal border crossers. Some will always try their luck, to go around the border fence that stops in the middle of the desert.

The Clinton administration withheld operations and maintenance funding for the Border Patrol as a way to remove Border Patrol agents from the field in order to facilitate greater illegal crossings. In 1995, President Clinton wouldnt say, Dont do your job and look the other way. We had Border Patrol agents who would buy gas with their own money to take a USBP vehicle to go to work and chase illegal aliens. My favorite anecdote was that it was so bad under the IN&S and President Clinton that some agents siphoned gas from the seized cars of drug smugglers so they could interdict and apprehend illegal aliens. At that time, the Border Patrol still apprehended a million illegal aliens annually -- and deported them -- while reporting at least two million illegal aliens got away.

The Obama administration has told U.S. Border Patrol Agents to not do their job, to not interdict illegal aliens crossing the border, that if they didnt like the policy that they could find another line of work. This policy obviously and effectively removes border guards from the strategic fencing in those cities and ports of entry, as well as those who would patrol the border. Any fencing was rendered immaterial by the direction of the president to stand down. Also, the policy has effectively grounded every Border Patrol pilot.

The presidential candidates have recently advocated for up to 20,000 additional Border Patrol Agents in addition to a Southern wall or more robust strategic fencing. A headline: "Border Crime Taking a Toll on Residents in Southwest New Mexico, Arizona". Residents have said state Highway 80 has become a favorite for Mexican cartel drug runners who manage to navigate out of the Peloncillo Mountains along the Arizona-New Mexico border. They want an even more increased presence from the U.S. Border Patrol.

America needs several walls along the Southwest border as well as a policy of enforcing the immigration laws already on the books. When the Border Patrol is able to do their jobs, they apprehended and deported a million illegal aliens annually; actions that werent hard or unreasonable. Its the law.

Ask a Border Patrol Agent where a wall needs to be built and how to prevent illegal immigration -- not a politician.

Mark A. Hewitt was with the U.S. Border Patrol for five years. He recounts some of his experiences with the Border Patrol in his espionage thrillers, Special Access and Shoot Down.
See also: Anti-Semitism at Oberlin 2  the Trustee Speaks Up



Everyone, especially those in the academic world and the leaders of the African-American community in the United States, must stop tolerating the intolerable. Those leaders should make their voices heard on this issue. The precious principle of free speech does not and must not justify expressions of hatred, discrimination, racism, or the virus of anti-Semitism.

The latest problem on this issue comes from Oberlin College, the small private, highly rated liberal arts institution in Ohio. Oberlin, founded in 1833 by Presbyterian ministers who were advocates of the anti-slavery and abolition cause, has a great history of which it can be justly proud. From its beginning it has been one of the countrys major educational institutions devoted to progressive causes. It was the first college to admit African-Americans, in 1844, and to grant degrees to women, in 1862. In recent times it has adopted a liberal attitude to sexuality, proving free or discounted condoms to the student body, and allowing students to room with students of any gender.

Understandably, the Oberlin student body, in addition to enjoying the Conservatory of Music, the oldest operating one in the country, is more attracted to political science than to science, mathematics, or engineering. It was therefore only a little surprising that in May 2015 the students exhibited their political engagement by taking over the college administration building to protest an increase in tuition fees.

But it is much more surprising and disturbing that Oberlin should be a locale for expositions of ignorance, bigotry, hatred, and anti-Semitism. In November 2015 the Black Students Union complained of the cultural appropriation of ethnic foods and cultural insensitivity in the dining hall, which in fact specialized in General Tsos chicken, a dish created in the United States. With the same kind of twisted logic, the active pro-Palestinian students linked the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions of Israel movement to that of Black Lives Matter.

Those pro-Palestinian students went further by building an apartheid wall in front of the college library, while they or others painted Nazi swastikas on the Jewish Center and Jewish fraternities on campus.

Bigotry and prejudice, not to mention abysmal display of ignorance, at Oberlin reached an all-time low with messages emanating from a faculty member named Joy Karega (Joilynn Karega-Mason), an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition. Her publications appear rather sparse, apart from her work project, presumably based on her dissertation at the University of Louisville in 2014 on the Black Liberation Front Movement International, an organization at Michigan State University. Nevertheless, the Black Students Union demanded she be given tenure.

It is difficult to know the full extent of her fulminations because she has recently restricted access to her posts on social media accounts. But enough is known to warrant raising the question of how she could have been appointed to and now maintained at a prestigious college like Oberlin.

Some of Karegas posts on Facebook are known. She informed us a number of times in January and February 2016 that Israel was behind the major terrorist attacks in the world, including 9/11 in the United States, carried out by Israelis and Zionist Jews, and the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris. The Israeli Mossad, helped by the CIA, had created ISIS, the Islamic Caliphate, to initiate the attacks and unleashed them on France.

Karega had already posted a graphic showing an ISIS militant, with a Star of David tattoo and letters JSIL (a Jewish version of ISIS) on his arm, taking off a mask of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The text stated, France wants to Free Palestine? Time for a false flag. She also told us that Jews controlled President Barack Obama, and that Jacob Rothschild controls your government.

It is particularly disconcerting that in all this, and presumably for protection of her academic career in spite of her virulent anti-Semitism, she played the race card. In barely comprehensible language in a message of February 26, 2016 she played her hand. She told us that she had a lot to say about the kinds of intimidation and silencing tactics that are rhetorically enacted in digital space and how common it is for Black women who are early in their career on the tenure track as part of the professoriate, to be the prime targets for these kinds of activities and practices.

So far this statement, one that can be reasonably regarded as a form of blackmail, has prevented any intimidation and silencing tactics. The president of Oberlin, Marvin Krislov, has explained he is a practicing Jew, grandson of an Orthodox rabbi, and had lost some of his family in the Holocaust. As a political scientist with a law degree and as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford, Krislov could not understand how anyone could question the existence and horrors of the Holocaust.

After Karega had been criticized, Krislov defended the principles of academic freedom and freedom of speech as meaningful responses to prejudice. He therefore has made no response to Karegas actions that he said were in accord with the colleges mission. Everyone can agree that academic freedom is indispensable to, indeed the buttress of, higher education. Free inquiry is expected to promote expansion of knowledge. Krislov explained that freedom of expression enables Oberlins faculty and students to think deeply about and to engage in frank, open discussion of ideas that some may find deeply offensive.

With due respect, this is an inadequate and incorrect position. What is missing in Krislovs defense of Karega are two things. In spite of his avowed Jewishness he seemed to have made no attempt to condemn the evil anti-Semitism of so many of her statements. Similarly, he ignored her willful and deliberate distortion of facts about who was responsible for terrorist acts. It is irresponsible to attribute open discussion of ideas to Karegas ignorant version of the massacres of 9/11 and Charlie Hebdo.

President Krislovs position is unfortunately symptomatic of the liberal tendency to be tolerant of the intolerant, especially when expressed by or supposed to be on behalf of an ethnic minority. The academic discipline does depend on honest and true discussion of ideas. It should exclude virulent prejudice, bigotry, and anti-Semitism. Oberlin College knows better and should act accordingly. So should also the well-known African-American leaders who should make their voice heard and ensure that their own cause is not besmirched by anti-Semitism.
I saw America that night, folks  the America I grew up with in Pumphrey, Maryland, a black suburban community outside Baltimore. The unspoken philosophy of our tiny all black community was education, hard work, respect for elders and God. Pumphrey birthed numerous successful blacks. My sister-in-law's brother Butch Keaser from Pumphrey was the first black wrestler to win an Olympic medal.

We kept score at sporting events in Pumphrey. There were winners and losers. Such is real life. Rev. Lemon was pastor of the Baptist church. My dad, Rev. Lloyd E. Marcus, was pastor of the Methodist church. Pete was my mom's homosexual hairdresser. Mom and Pete were good friends. Pete would never think of demanding that my mom approve of his homosexual lifestyle. Dad treated everyone with respect. Local drunkards, we called "wine-os" were guardians of my four younger siblings and me. A wine-o would say, "Hey, that's Rev. Moccasin's (Marcus) kid, don't mess with him!"

Last night at the Ted Cruz rally in Louisiana with 2,500 people, I felt as though I was at a community event in Pumphrey 40 years ago  a revival meeting of traditional American principles and values.

A local pastor opened the rally with a prayer, ending it with "In Jesus's name, amen." Folks, that is becoming unheard of in today's America. My wife Mary noticed that when the audience said the Pledge of Allegiance, four kids around 9 and younger placed their hands over their hearts and knew all the words.

Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson took to the stage, placed his Bible on the podium, and spoke boldly regarding his faith and the cultural rot that is destroying our country. Robertson cited that according to the CDC over 100 million Americans have sexually transmitted diseases.

Folks, I realized that even I have been trained by the left regarding what Christians are allowed to say publicly. Hearing Phil talk so freely about old-fashioned principles and values with clear boundaries of right and wrong was almost shocking. It heightened my respect for Ted Cruz for having Phil as his opening act. I thought, surely the mainstream media is going to rip Cruz a new one for all this morality and God talk.

Cruz's bold, unapologetic commitment to restoring the principles and values of my "Pumphrey" America, reinforced my commitment to do everything in my power to put this remarkable man of God, character, and our Constitution into the Oval Office. This is it, folks. Cruz is our one last chance, for Lord knows how long, to take back our country.

With a rock-solid record of keeping his word, Cruz vows not to compromise or negotiate away our religious liberty or betray the Constitution.

Our Conservative Campaign Committee team has been following the Cruz campaign from state to state beginning in Iowa. Yes, as chairman of CCC, I would like to take credit for Cruz's victory. However, the truth is patriots coming together across America made it happen.

After traveling and waving signs on street corners all day, our team was pretty dead when we arrived at the Cruz rally in Mandeville, Louisiana. However, the crowd's electrifying enthusiasm for Cruz energized us. My wife Mary and I stood for three hours at the front of the packed gymnasium holding our famous six-foot "Ted Cruz: Conservative Hero" banner. And ladies, Mary was wearing heels.

Our Conservative Campaign Committee team is headed to Mississippi to help secure a victory for Cruz in the March 8 primary. Folks, it is not an exaggeration to say if Cruz is not elected, we could lose the America we grew up with for many, many years and possibly forever. We must get this done. Take back America for our kids and grandkids  an America where God is not chased out, hard work is expected and respected, right is right and wrong is wrong. My Pumphrey America.
Since Donald Trump is running as a Big Rorschach Blot, the biggest question is what he would (try to) do as president. So far, his main goal has been to make Donald Trump a household name, in politics, not just in TV and expensive real estate. Name recognition is the first step, and in that respect The Don has been a spectacular success. However, P.R. can win elections, but it tells us nothing about performance in office.

On the plus side, Trump has issued sensible policy proposals, and on Obama's foreign policy mess he is being advised by Senator Jeff Sessions. Rudy Giuliani is also an active adviser, which is very good news. Larry Kudlow loves Trump's tax plan.

If "people are policy," that is all good news. But we have learned not to trust any politician, and conservatives must never let up on pressuring the establishment. Even reformers tend to turn into tenured elites. We can't just work on elections when the whole culture needs to be reconquered.

Now we are told by the Washington Post that "psychologists and massage therapists" are seeing a flood of panicky Trumpophobes. This comes from a WaPo fluff reporter named Paul Schwartzman, whose other contributions include stories on global warming ("unseasonably mild weather in Washington"), snow plowing in D.C., and rumors about GOP non-starters. For his Scary Don story, Mr. Schwartzman talked with a psychologist named Alison Howard, who specializes in literally every psychological ache and pain, including disorders for which there is no known treatment, like Weltschmerz. Whether she also gives massages is not stated.

So Paul calls Alison, and together they discover that in recent days, at least two patients have invoked the Republican "front-runner" to explain their troubles.

This must be a powerful Volksbewegung, like the Visigoths at the gates of Rome.

Conservatives have been panic-stricken about real blunders, like losing the Jihad War, for almost eight years of Obama, plus eight years of the ultra-corrupt Clintons. Now Hillary promises another eight years of reruns, if she can stay ahead of the sheriff's posse. In the last year of Obama every federal building in D.C. has been turned into a fortress, now a reality of everyday life in the capital. The city streets have been turned into a huge maze, designed to confuse potential terrorists as well as your average citizen. Traffic cameras photograph your license plates wherever you go. Last year, part of downtown Baltimore was burned down in race riots, and the DOJ persuaded the cops to retreat and let the city burn.

But the Washington Post is worried about Trump the Cookie Monster.

As for rampant Trumphobia in D.C., I have only one comment: hooray!

And yes, I still hope for a Trump-Cruz ticket.
Anyone who does not believe in the Biblical principle of "sowing and reaping"  which is known as 'karma' in certain circles  should have a chat with aging 1980s pop icon Madonna.

It seems the Diva of Debauchery is reaping the harvest of heartache that she has so diligently sown for almost thirty years. Ms. Ciccone has negatively etched vulgar lyrics and images into the impressionable minds of children; purposely tainted the innocent; and, like a parasite, burrowed into the psyche and spirit of an entire generation.

It was Madonna who spent the greater part of the 1980s, and most of the '90s, expressing her sexuality at the expense of America's children. When not parading around naked in pornographic picture books, Madonna Louise Ciccone defiled young minds by blaspheming via Christian symbols and extolling the merits of losing one's virginity.

As we all know, "what goes around comes around," so it should be no surprise that the female exhibitionist who robbed millions of their innocence is currently being bitten by a very different, but equally painful, kind of karma.

A little background: In 1986, Madonna married actor Sean Penn, and then she divorced him in 1989. Since then, every five years or so, Madonna assumes a new identity.

In the 1990s, Madonna went through a Hispanic spell. That was when she morphed into Eva Peron, mated with a Cuban actor Carlos Leon, and gave birth to his now 19-year-old daughter Lourdes.

Soon after, Madonna abandoned her Evita image and became enamored with English accents.

In 2000, she married Guy Ritchie, an English filmmaker ten years her junior with whom she had a male child she named Rocco. Madonna relocated to London, where she refurbished her persona from sleazy pop star to a lady of the English manor. She became best friends with one-time Londoner, who also play-acts being British, Gwyneth Paltrow; feasted on haggis; wore riding chaps around the house; and wrote British-themed children's books.

When Madonna's marriage to Guy Ritchie fell apart in 2008, the "English Roses" author returned to New York City with her children, Lourdes, Rocco, and David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie, the first of two children she adopted during her Malawi phase.

Before long, and instead of aging gracefully, the self-absorbed attention-seeker resumed begging for validation and, in the process, forgot that she's a mother.

Here's where the karma comes in.

Trying to shield her own children from what she subjected a generation to in the 1980s and '90s, Madge banned from her home magazines, television, and picture books featuring nude women hitchhiking.

The problem for Madonna's brood is that mom just can't control her impulses  she is still Madonna.

For example, in 2015, she showed up at the Grammy Award Show with her exposed derriere covered in fishnet held up in a Givenchy couture butt bra. Then, at the Brit Awards, while trying to assume the image of a Spanish matador, the former English lady tripped over her cape and took a tumble on stage.

Meanwhile, Ma-Donna repeatedly embarrassed her 15-year-old son with topless pictures of herself and humiliated her teenage daughter Lourdes by insisting on exposing her behind at red carpet events like the Vanity Fair Oscar party. Moreover, the word is out that Menopausal Madge's refusal to tone down the explicit actions and lyrics continually "horrifies" her teenage children.

Then, in a shameful example of an unquenchable pursuit of attention at a child's expense, Ma-Donna mocked her son Rocco on Instagram. First she posted a picture of the boy with his hair in pigtails, and then she called attention to the size of his penis.

In response, Rocco made a radical choice that millions of children mesmerized by Madonna's three-decade long antics were deprived of. In the middle of a tour she dragged her son around on, "Old Granny's" "trophy" boy packed his bags and went to live in London with his father Guy.

Ironic, isn't it? Rocco does not want to be subjected to continued embarrassment or abuse, so the woman who brainwashed, and continues to try to brainwash, young people accuses Guy Ritchie of trying to brainwash the boy.

The upshot to this fiasco is that Madonna is now embroiled in a custody battle in London's High Court. The woman who debauched millions of children claims that son Rocco, now living a happy, "stable life" in England with Guy Ritchie and his wife Jacqui Ainsley, has been illegally retained by his father.

Madonna's lawyer, Eleanor Alter, argues on her client's behalf that Guy choosing not to return Rocco to the loving arms of his lascivious mother was a "reckless move in teaching him responsibility." After all, everyone knows that the epitome of teaching children responsibility is when a 56-year-old mother of four is so desperate for attention that she exposes her breasts and implies that her son has #nosausage.

So, in the end, what is the moral of Madonna's "sowing and reaping" tale of woe?

Madonna will likely lose custody of a son who moved to another country to get as far away from her as possible and refuses to come home. And so, as the woman who for 30-plus years has influenced millions of children to rebel and disregarded the wishes of their parents loses control of her own child, one can't help but wonder if Madonna likes how it feels.
In recent days, there has been published speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been deliberately creating conditions in Syria that are so intolerable that people have no choice but to try and reach the sanctuary of Europe - specifically, Germany.

The civil war and the resulting refugee crisis has become a "weapon" to destablize Europe. As far was we know, there is no direct evidence to believe that Putin has engineered the crisis for this purpose.

However, NATO analysts are now saying that Russia is stoking opposition in Germany to Chancellor Angela Merkel's policies hoping to engineer her ouster.

Guardian:

Russia is trying to topple Angela Merkel by waging an information war designed to stir up anger in Germany over refugees, Natos most senior expert on strategic communications has claimed. The attempt to provoke the removal of the German leader, who has been a strong supporter of sanctions against Vladimir Putins regime, is said to have been identified by Nato analysts. Janis Sarts, director of Natos Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, based in Riga, Latvia, told the Observer that Russia had a track record of funding extremist forces in Europe, and that he believed there was now evidence ofRussia agitating in Germany against Merkel. Insisting that he could talk only as an expert, and not as a spokesman for Nato, Sarts said: [Russia] is establishing a network that can be controlled. You can use it as they have tried to do in Germany, combined with the legitimate issue of refugees, to undercut political processes in a very serious way. Angela Merkel has been a very adamant supporter of continued sanctions against Russia If it was just punishment, that would be OK  but it is testing whether they can build on pre-existing problems and create a momentum where there is political change in Germany. I think they test whether they can  in such a big country, with not so many vulnerabilities in normal times  actually create a circumstance through their influence where there is a change of top leadership. They are using Russian speakers, social media, trying to build on the existing faultlines. Use the far right narrative and exploit that. Sarts, who has access to intelligence briefings, added: In general terms, you can trace Russian funding to the extreme forces in Europe. Either left or right  as long as they are extreme, they are good to come into the Russian picture as of possible use in their tactics.

These tactics are nothing new, having been used frequently during the cold war. But the sophistication of modern communications, as well as the targeting of a NATO country, sets this effort apart from past attempts at destablization.

The Soviets targeted the periphery of NATO for destablization - Turkey, Greece and Italy. Now Putin is trying his hand at upending Germany - a cornerstone of NATO and European stability. If he is successful, the EU will be in disarray and free Putin's hand in the Ukraine and possibily the Baltics.

Make no mistake; Putin is playing the long game here. He is playing chess while Obama and the Europeans are playing checkers. He is outhinking, outmanuevering his opponents at almost every turn.

And they appear powerless to stop him.
(ANSA) - Rome, March 4 - Italy's two remaining hostages in Libya, Gino Pollicardo and Filippo Calcagno, have been freed, their families confirmed Friday.

"It's over," said Gino Pollicardo Jr.

Wife Ema Pollicardo said she went "mad with joy" upon hearing her husband's voice on the phone for the first time since his abduction 288 days ago.

"Hearing Gino's voice was an incredible feeling," she said tearfully, adding that she also felt "infinite sadness" for his two colleagues and fellow hostages who were killed in unclear circumstances on Wednesday.

Calcagno's son Gianluca told journalists outside their home in the Sicilian town of Piazza Armerina that his dad told his family "I'm well, don't worry, we're safe" after being picked up by Libyan police.

The two employees of Parma-based Bonatti oil construction firm were abducted along with two other colleagues last July 20 near a facility of the Mellitah Oil & Gas Company, a partner of Italian energy giant ENI.

They are in the hands of local police and will be moved to a secure zone where they will be picked up by Italian agents who will take them back to Italy, intelligence sources said. They were reportedly freed from a house in the city of Sabratha after they broke down the front door and local fighters came to their aid after being tipped off by neighbors. The area in the northwestern corner of Libya has seen fierce fighting between jihadists from the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) terror group and Sabratha's local forces. Sabratha military council chief Altaher Algrabli told ANSA Friday the two hostages were freed in a raid that caused nine fatalities, including two female suicide bombers.

Meanwhile the slaying in Sabratha late Wednesday of the other two abducted Bonatti workers, Fausto Piano and Salvatore Failla, appears to have set the stage for an Italian military commitment in Libya. Unites States Ambassador to Rome John Pillips said Italy could deploy "up to 5,000" soldiers in the event of military intervention in the North African country.

Sabratha municipal council head Hussein al-Zawadi said earlier in the day that Piano and Failla were killed in clashes between ISIS militants and troops loyal to Tripoli together with allied militia.

Also on Friday, a lawyer for the Failla family said his clients want to know why their loved one was killed just 24 hours before his two fellow hostages were freed. "After so many silences, secrets and mysteries, the Failla family demands explanations," said lawyer Francesco Caroleo Grimaldi. He added the hostages' employer, the Bonatti company, must be held accountable "for lack of security for the four technicians, who had no protection". "It is a fact that the four had to travel from Tunis to the compound where they were supposed to work with no armed escort and no protection," Caroleo Grimaldi said. He also called "disturbing" unconfirmed reports that Failla and Piano had been shot execution-style in the back of the head.


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The brand from California used to be just a newcomer that focused on an unusual niche, electric roadsters. Nobody gave Tesla much credit in the auto industry, but Elon Musk's ideas proved successful and made the brand a strong competitor to traditional brands like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.Audi wants to take inspiration from Tesla's risk taking and the company's new technical boss, Stefan Knirsch, is the voice that admits the Ingolstadt-based brand's new plans.The German company's official explained that Tesla has an astounding pace when it comes to bringing new products to market, and the Audi brand envisions a more agile way of operating in the future.Audi's plans are mirrored by Matthias Muller, Volkswagen Group's boss, who stated that the corporation should think more like Tesla.As Stefan Knirsch explained in an interview with the Brits at Autocar , the idea behind these statements is that Audi should behave more like Tesla and other Silicon Valley companies act: fast-moving, risk-taking, and innovative.

However, Knirsch believes that Tesla's involvement in the car business has made the American firm behave in a more conventional manner lately, as it has to focus on cost-cutting, expanding production, investing in manufacturing facilities, and focusing on profits.

From this standpoint, Audi's new technical boss considers that Tesla has made a shift in the way it thinks, but Tesla's first steps in the car business are those that inspired the German brand to develop new products and change its strategy.

EV

Audi wants to build a family car that will provide a 500 kilometer (310 miles) range, will be charged in only 15 minutes, and will not cost more than its conventionally-engined equivalent. The new vehicle from Audi will be made after the German brand heavily invests in electric vehicles and autonomous cars, but it is unclear whether the new model will be anor an FCV.
6 March 2016 14:00 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade has today met with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, who is on an official visit in Baku, to discuss prospects for cooperation between the two countries.

The prime ministers first had a private talk, and were then joined by their delegations for an expanded meeting.

Artur Rasizade said Azerbaijan and Hungary were friendly countries. He said Azerbaijan attached importance to cooperation with Hungary.

The Azerbaijani Premier also hailed the political and economic relations between the two countries.

Mr. Rasizade provided an insight into the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Armenia`s ongoing aggression policy. He noted that the dispute had not been solved because of Armenia`s non-constructive position. The Azerbaijani PM stressed that the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group had not yet yielded any results.

Viktor Orban said there was great potential and wide opportunities for expanding cooperation between the two countries.

The Hungarian PM described Azerbaijan as a stable and powerful country.

They also discussed the issues of cooperation in economic, investment making, transport, energy, humanitarian and other fields.

The meeting then featured a ceremony of signing bilateral documents between Azerbaijan and Hungary.

Azerbaijan's Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Salim Muslumov and Hungarian Minister of National Economy Mihaly Varga signed The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Hungary.

Azerbaijans Minister of Communications and High Technologies Ramin Quluzade and Hungarys Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto signed The Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of High Technologies Ecosystem between the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Hungary.

Acting Rector of Azerbaijan Medical University Sabir Aliyev and Rector of Semmelweis University of Hungary Agoston Szel signed The Memorandum of Understanding between Azerbaijan Medical University and Semmelweis University of Hungary.

Rector of Lankaran State University Asaf Isgandarov and Rector of Kaposvar University of Hungary Ferenc Szavai signed The Memorandum of Understanding between Lankaran State University and Kaposvar University, Azertac state news agency reported.

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6 March 2016 16:29 (UTC+04:00)

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, who is on an official visit in the country, held a one-on-one meeting.

Prime Minister Orban and his spouse Aniko Levai were welcomed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his spouse Mehriban Aliyeva.

Azerbaijans president, Hungarian prime minister and their wives posed for photographs, then the president and the prime minister held a private meeting.

They hailed the successful development of the bilateral relations in different areas, particularly in political and economic ones. The importance of the visit in expanding Azerbaijani-Hungarian relations was stressed during the meeting.

The sides pointed to good potential for developing the bilateral relations in different fields.

They also discussed a number of issues of mutual concern.

Following their private meeting, President Aliyev and Prime Minister Orban met in an expanded format and made speeches at the event.

Later, President Aliyev and Prime Minister Orban have made statements for the press.

On the same day, President Aliyev has hosted a dinner reception in honor of Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, who is on an official visit in the country.

First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and spouse of Hungarian Prime Minister Aniko Levai attended the event.

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6 March 2016 12:23 (UTC+04:00)

Iran and Turkey, the Middle Easts two powerful players, share very close economic ties despite taking part in opposing political blocs.

Tehran and Ankara are already clashing over a number of issues, in particular their supporting opposing sides in the Syrian crisis. However, both sides are determined not to allow the political tensions to affect their economic goals.

The two countries have targeted to increase their trade volume to $30 billion, something that has not been realized so far. They also have signed a preferential trade agreement with a hope to pave way for a hike in bilateral trade.

The trade turnover between the two countries was $13.71 billion in 2014 and $9.76 billion in 2015. Although the trade turnover dropped by 29 percent in 2015 compared to the preceding year, many observers believe that the decline came amid global economic crisis ruling out the role of the political disagreements.

Amid all these developments, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited Tehran March 5 to discuss mutual relations with Iranian officials.

Given that political differences between Tehran and Ankara on regional matters, in particular on Syria and Yemen, are so deep that they can hardly be settled, the economic issues and saving the falling trade turnover should be considered the main purpose of Davutoglus visit to Tehran.

Davutoglu was accompanied by ministers of economy, customs and trade, energy, transport, communications and development  which is indicative of the economic weight of the visit.

The expected increase in trade volume has failed to come true so far due to sanctions on Tehran and the two parties have postponed the $30 billion trade goal several times.

Irans First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, after his meeting with Davutoglu, outlined a two-year timeframe for upping the trade turnover from its current $10 billion.

While Turkish exporters and industrialists hope that the removal of sanctions on Tehran will contribute to an 8 to 10 percent increase in Turkish exports to Iran in 2016, the latest statistic data by Turkish Statistical Institute indicate that mutual trade in January fell by 44 percent and stood at $624 million.

As Iran exports mainly raw materials to Turkey, including crude oil and gas, sharp fall in oil prices in global markets has led to decrease in trade value.

Non-oil products share less than 20 percent of the Islamic Republics export to the neighboring country.

Turkey faced substantial losses due to declining exports to Iran during the sanctions period and now is determined to return to Irans attractive market, to recover the pre-sanctions trade level.

In 2012, when the embargo was imposed against Iran, the volume of trade between Tehran and Ankara was standing at $22 billion, with $9.9 billion in exports and $11.9 billion in imports.

Iranian market promises a huge opportunity to Turkey in various sectors, including tourism, automotive industry, clothing, textiles, machinery, chemistry, petrochemistry and energy industry, as well as banking, telecommunications and transportation.

And apparently Turkey is not going to lose this tempting market for political disputes.

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Send us, in up to 350 words, the story of how your family came to Kern County. Please include a photo of yourself and if you have one, a historical photo of family members who first came here. Email your submissions to Christine Bedell at cbedell@bakersfield.com or mail them to her at P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA, 93302. Questions? 395-7417.
The St. Petersburg Police Department has teamed up with a local youth program, "Men in the Making," to educate at-risk youth and help combat recent violence in the city.

The program began in 2011 after a teenager shot and killed Officer David Crawford.

On Saturday, 45 young men from all over Pinellas County met with law enforcement officers and got a firsthand look at the tools and equipment they use every day to fight crime and keep the community safe.

Dominic Rosado, 16, has been a part of the program for five years and said it's helped give him some stability.

"It has provided me with not one father figure role model. It's provided me with many, and it's really been instrumental in my growth and development," Rosado said.

Kenny Irby, St. Petersburg's community intervention director, said the need for engagement is always there. He doesn't want to see young men end up in jail, in danger or killed.

"Our goal is to help these young men really visualize opportunities for their lives," Irby said.

City leaders said one of the first steps to success is building relationships with those who serve and protect.

"Relationship building is extremely important, and from a law enforcement perspective, it's not very easy to build relationships when there's a problem," Assistant Police Chief Luke Williams said.

Many of the young men said getting to know police officers has inspired their futures and they want to encourage any teen who may be troubled to come together for their community.

"United we stand, divided we fall," Rosado said. "We need to come together and make this a better community for ourselves  for the future generation. And we just need to be a team."
A car crashed into the side of a law office building in Tampa.

It happened overnight at the Parwani Law office just off US-301 and Alambra Avenue.



The car that crashed into the building was a green Honda with an Ohio license plate. It sustained front and top damage.

According to deputies, the driver of the car was taken to the hospital and is expected to be fine.

The owner of the law firm says the crash will have a big impact on the firm.

The building has been deemed structurally unsafe, said Ricky Parwani, owner of the law firm. My employees arent going to be able to work in there and we will have to take care of clients continuously, we will probably work through the other building and make sure everythings ready to go.

Code enforcement officials are conducting a structure evaluation.

Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office is investigating what caused the crash.

Check back for updates. This is a developing story.
One of the oldest churches in Clearwater is celebrating 150 years.

Calvary Baptist Church was founded in March of 1866, said Pastor William Rice.

As best we can tell its the first church in Clearwater, Rice said. At least the first Baptist church in Pinellas, one of the first churches in the area.

The church founded as Midway Baptist Church and eventually became Calvary Baptist in the 1920s. Many Florida families grew up in this church, including Leigh Anna Mullett and her husband Kyle.

I was born and raised in this church, she said. My mom was a member here, started over 56 years ago. My grandfather was actually Minister of Education in the 60s.

Leigh Anna and Kyle met while attending Calvary Christian High School  a high school ran by Calvary Baptist. They married in the church, just like Leigh Annas parents. The couple sings during the service, and Kyle plays the acoustic guitar.

They hope to raise their future children in the church.

Its a huge honor to just know everyone thats gone before us, including my family, Leigh Anna said. We get to be a part of such a wonderful thing, wonderful legacy and hope to continue that in the next 150 years.

Pastor Rice also grew up in the church. He said the church has been able to grow and flourish with the evolving community  and thats key to the churchs longevity.

Church is the one organization thats founded for people who arent here, Rice said. It exists for people who arent in the building, who are outside. To me, as long as a church stays focused on carrying its message to people on the outside and to serving the needs to the community on the outside, it stays relevant, vibrant, and needed.

Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos declared March 25 Calvary Church Day in Clearwater.
The cameras that followed Nicole Schroeder around for a week captured the emotional toll of working with young, first-time mothers struggling to make it on their own.

Schroeder, a nurse in the Port Arthur Health Department's Nurse-Family Partnership program, is featured in a short video segment released this week called "Lone Star Nurse." The short documentary is part of a new video series by The New Yorker.

Schroeder, 38, is one of four nurses in the Port Arthur program, which serves 105 low-income, first-time mothers by teaching them health and developmental skills.

The documentary, which is about 13 minutes, opens with Schroeder in her Beaumont home getting ready for the day with her two teenaged children.

Her daughter helps Schroeder put on her make-up. Her son goes over his responsibility for dinner - turning on the slow cooker.

Schroeder's morning spent mothering is predictive of the day before her - teaching young moms how to do the same.

Schroeder currently has 26 clients.

The Nurse-Family Partnership program is a national service set up in 43 states.

The Port Arthur programs serves about 100 families, but nurses often take on extra cases throughout Jefferson, Hardin, Orange and Chambers counties.

Pregnant women are eligible for the program up until their 28th week of pregnancy and have to qualify for Medicaid or Nutrition Services for Women, Infants and Children.

After more than two years with clients and their babies, the relationship is supposed to stop by the baby's second birthday.

Karla Quigley, the program's supervisor, said parameters are established on the first visit - the nurses won't give clients rides or go to their baby showers. Those rules don't stop them from getting attached.

In perhaps the most emotional moment in the documentary, Shroeder sat on a couch across from a young woman and told her it was OK for her baby to see her cry.

The conversation ended with Schroeder hugging the tearful woman and telling her how far she's come.

The woman seen with Schroeder is Monique Washington, a 21-year-old mother whose parents died before her 18th birthday.

Washington's 1-year-old son, Kyrian, will turn 2 in September, so her visits with Schroeder are becoming less frequent.

When they first met, Schroeder said Washington seemed scared and unwilling to say when she needed help.

Schroeder said she was surprised when she learned that Washington, at eight months pregnant, was walking two miles to work and then walking home in the dark.

Washington lost her job when Kyrian was born because she couldn't find affordable childcare.

In the documentary, Schroeder talked to Washington about setting a goal of putting in five job applications a day.

Since the filming of the documentary, Washington got a job at Great American Cookies inside Parkdale Mall.

"I know I didn't put any of the job applications in, but when Monique called about her job, I felt like we won," Schroeder said.

Schroeder worked as an ER nurse for two years and felt a desire to become closer to her patients.

She said she went through a teen pregnancy without the support of her parents, so when she saw the advertisement for a job at Nurse-Family Partnership it felt right.

"I thought, 'I'm going to get this job. That's my job,'" she said.

The time spent with clients is what attracts nurses to this position, Quigley said.

Quigley sees five clients in addition to her role as supervisor, though it's not part of her job description.

The waiting list is long and the need in Southeast Texas is high, she said.

Quigley is hoping to expand the program to serve at least 300 families.

MHeath@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/mheath31
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One person was injured when an explosion at a Pasadena refinery sent plumes of smoke into the air and first responders scrambling to the scene Saturday morning.

The fire started at the Pasadena Refinery System plant at 10:15 AM at the hydrogen desulfurization unit. Mark Berlinger, health and safety manager for the company, said the fire was contained and the facility was in a "safe condition."

The company and Harris County Pollution Control did air monitoring and found "no indications of any off-site impacts," according to Berlinger.

The Houston Ship Channel closed briefly as Coast Guard hazmat teams also investigated the scene for any impact from possible chemical release in the air or any impact on the waterways. It has since reopened.

The injured worker was taken to the hospital for flash burns to his hand. Berlinger said the worker was responsive at the scene and talking to co-workers.

Officials abruptly ended the press conference after four minutes and refused to answer questions about how many workers were in the area at the time of the incident or whether the fire was preceded by an explosion. They also did not address questions about neighbors' concerns regarding the plant's operations or the facility's expired Title 5 permit.

The company has a long history of safety and pollution violations, including a previous December 2011 explosion and $1.1 million in fines since 2010 from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

"Everybody knows that place is a ticking time bomb," said Mike Boydston, a 16-year veteran of the industrial east side, who works at the nearby Kinder Morgan tank farm. "I mean, look at it. I quit going in there. I refuse."

He first visited the refinery in 2000, and said it was poorly maintained then.

He was outside at the time of Saturday's incident, but didn't hear or see an explosion. He also questioned police reports that the fire was not chemically related. He called his boss and said he didn't feel comfortable returning to work until they knew more about the situation.

Max Rivera, who has lived in the adjacent neighborhood for seven years, heard the explosion at about 9:30 a.m. and came outside to see what was happening and take a few pictures. He said it was powerful enough to shake his house.

"This right here is just one of the big things that happened but y'all aren't seeing the little things that happen around here that's on a constant basis. You can constantly smell the chemicals in there at night. Their alarms are steadily going off. It's crazy. I'm worried about it because I stay right here in this neighborhood."

Police stopped blocking Red Bluff around noon, but emergency vehicles were still active in the area.

The company has been under fire for years for a series of issues. A key federal operating permit lapsed in 2014. The plant is technically operating illegally without that permit.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the company $14,000 for the December 2011 explosion.

It's had seven emission events reported to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality since last October. The company had 60 such events since 2005.

"Other facilities and refineries don't have this type of event with this regularity," said Adrian Shelley of Air Alliance Houston. "It's indicative of a place with abnormal operations."

Shelley said the company has had numerous problems with two specific units at the refinery: one unit that refines heavier parts of crude oil and a sulfur recovery unit.

Saturday's fire started when workers were starting a compressor and hydrogen was released and diesel fuel in the apparatus caught fire. Officials did not offer further details about the cause.

Intermittent smoke seen throughout the morning was caused by workers clearing nearby lines with inert nitrogen gas and were not indications of the fire flaring up, Berlinger said.

The site has also been the subject of a major scandal in Brazil. According to a previous Houston Chronicle investigation: "Brazilian officials are investigating allegations that Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras - overpaid hundreds of millions of dollars for the Pasadena refinery and funneled money into a massive kickback scheme that's led to dozens of convictions and arrests and fueled calls for the impeachment of the country's President Dilma Rousseff, who chaired the company until 2010."

Read more about the scandal in Mihir Zaveri and Susan Carroll's report on HoustonChronicle.com.
A Groves man died late Friday after he drove against oncoming traffic near Silsbee and struck a Dodge head-on, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

At about 10:35 p.m., Owens Harvard, 36, drove his Jeep across the center line of Texas 327 into the eastbound traffic lane where he collided with the 2014 Dogde, Trooper Stephanie Davis said.
Jack Black and Kate Hudson have promised that the third instalment of the Kung Fu Panda movies will serve up "a combination of delicious treats" for cinema-goers this spring.

Speaking from the red carpet of Kung Fu Panda 3's European premiere in London, the stars described how the film's panda hero, Po (Black), faces his toughest challenge yet against evil water buffalo Kai (JK Simmons).

"He's from another dimension," said Black. "And he's angry, he's petty, he's jealous ..."

"And he's insecure," said Hudson. "That's the magic ingredient - his insecurity."

Hundreds of fans had lined up in a sunny but freezing Leicester Square to get a glimpse of two actors on Mothering Sunday.

Asked if they got chance to improvise their lines in the recording studio, it seems Black's flare for comedic timing does not get in the way of professionalism.

"I mean you always give them what they wrote down," he said. "But then you always take a couple of liberties and do a couple of takes just for 'shigs', as they say."

"I threw a couple of flavour crystals," admitted Hudson. "Not too many. Only sound flavour cystals."

According to directors Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Yuh Nelson, working with a cast that also includes Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman and Jackie Chan, makes it easy in the editing suite.

"You get to work with them so early in the process that they become partners in creating these characters," said Carloni. "There's no doubt that Po is Jack Black, but also with new characters like Mei Mei, it was really thanks to Kate Hudson that she came to be the way she is."

"Kate brings a confidence and charm," agreed Nelson. "She was actually dancing around in the studio when we recorded her."

DreamWorks chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg saluted the crowds who had waited in the cold, adding: "The UK has always been one of the best places in the world for DreamWorks and for our movies. Coming here is an honour and a privilege."

And for anyone who is already thinking about the next animated picture to watch out for, Katzenberg spoke of a busy schedule ahead.

"We have a movie coming out in October called Trolls with Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick and the whole team that made the original Shrek movie series. You remember the creatures with all the hair? Well, here they come."
Belfast Telegraph owner Independent News & Media (INM) has reported strong profit growth in the past year boosted by increased digital advertising revenues against a backdrop of cost control.

The Dublin-based company posted pre-tax profits of 37.4m (29m) in the year ended December 2015, up 19.4% and enhanced by a 41.7% hike in digital advertising revenues to 12.5m (9.7m).

In the same period the company - which also owns Sunday Life, Irish Independent, Sunday Independent and The Herald - cut interest costs significantly while a focus on cost management meant an improved operating margin.

The company reported revenues of 321.2m (249m), up by just under 1%, while growth in total advertising sales was 2.8m (2.2m), up 3.4%. There was also a 5% increase in distribution revenues.

Robert Pitt, group chief executive officer, said: "The group delivered a strong performance in 2015 considering the strong headwinds the sector is experiencing."

He added that the strengthening economy created a positive environment for improved business, while consumer sentiment buoyed advertising in particular.

"Driven by digital, increases were recorded in overall group revenues and the company ended the year with a strong balance sheet, significantly improved profit before tax and strong cash flow," he said.

However, he added that the print publishing industry continued to encounter challenging conditions as it faced rapid structural change - the need to invest in and improve the quality of the offer was paramount and INM was creating the conditions to do that.

"This strategy will support both INM and its business partners; INM's market out-performance is keeping the newspaper category alive for both publishers and retail channels. These results have been achieved through the hard work and commitment of our employees, for which we are very grateful," he said.

In the Republic INM accounts for more than 50% of the quality daily market and more than 65% of the quality Sunday market. The Belfast Telegraph continues to hold a strong No.1 position within the local daily newspaper market in Northern Ireland, and Sunday Life has increased circulation market share, performing ahead of local competitors. In January this year Belfasttelegraph.co.uk website received around 3.3m unique page impressions.

INM Ltd in Northern Ireland recently announced the acquisition of four magazines formerly belonging to Greer Publications: Hospitality Review, Ulster Grocer, Northern Woman and Ulster Business.
Police and ATO search teams as they remove bomb making materials from Carnfunnock park. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

A fishing stool left as a marker at the scene of the explosives find. ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Scene of the find at Carnfunnock Country Park. Photo by Kevin Scott / Presseye)

Carnfunnock Country Park has been reopened after a quantity of explosives and bomb-making components were uncovered in a 'significant terrorist hide' on Sunday, police have confirmed.

The deadly find was hidden in a number of small plastic barrels which had been buried in a wooded area, according to the PSNI.

Meanwhile, police are currently at the scene of a security alert in the Gelvin Gardens area of Londonderry following the discovery of a suspicious object.

The security alert at Carnfunnock Country Park, near Larne has ended and the park has been re-opened.

A number of items have been taken away for forensic examination.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson described the discovery as "disgraceful" and vowed that terrorism would never win.

He wrote on Twitter: 'Terrorism will never win. The community in Larne and across NI will be rightly appalled. Disgraceful'.

A member of the public alerted the police to the suspicious object at the country park near Larne, Co Antrim on Saturday afternoon.

The PSNI announced on the discovery of the explosives and partially constructed devices on its Twitter feed just after 1pm on Sunday.

Detective Chief Inspector Gillian Kearney from Serious Crime Branch said it was unclear which terror group the items belonged to.

Police uncover significant terrorist hide containing bomb making components and explosives at Carnfunnock Country Park, near Larne.  PSNI (@PoliceServiceNI) March 6, 2016

"All of these items will be subjected to a detailed forensic examination.

"Until this has been completed, it is too early to link these items to any particular grouping, but we are following a number of lines of inquiry.

I would ask the public to remain vigilant, wherever they are and whatever they are doing. If people report suspicious activity to police, we will act on it to keep people safe.

"We apologise that the park will remain closed for some time while a full clearance operation is carried out, but I hope people will understand the need to put public safety first.

This is the latest discovery of explosives over the weekend, after police also discovered two viable explosive devices near homes in west Belfast.

The ongoing security alert at Carnfunnock Country Park has closed the popular family destination to the public on Mother's Day.

The PSNI issued a brief statement just before 11am on Sunday that the Ballygally beauty spot was closed "due to an ongoing security alert" until further notice.

Read more:
Dissident republicans are mounting a "serious and sustained escalation" of violence to mark the Easter Rising centenary, the police officers' representative body has warned.

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland expressed concern after a series of terror-linked incidents in recent days.

On Friday a prison officer was badly injured when a bomb exploded under his van in east Belfast. On Saturday two viable explosive devices were found in west Belfast while on Sunday in Larne, Co Antrim, police recovered a terrorist weapons haul buried in a forest park.

Police commanders in Northern Ireland have also warned that dissident extremists are intent on killing security force members as a perverse way of commemorating the landmark republican anniversary at the end of the month.

Federation chairman Mark Lindsay voiced similar concerns on Sunday.

"There are murderous republican gangs who think the best way to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising is to visit misery on the family of a police officer and society," he said.

"They are aggressively targeting officers, prison officers and soldiers in a worrying escalation. For them, success is measured in casualty numbers and anguish.

"Their cause is worthless and pointless. They are a throwback in time, relying on outdated rhetoric in their attempts to justify everything this entire community doesn't want.

"The irony is that most of them cannot remember the days of the troubles when the entire community was blighted by terrorism. They may belong to a bygone age, but they remain a dangerous band."

Mr Lindsay urged officers to take extra precautions.

"The threat level is at the highest it has been for quite some time and, for that reason, I am today issuing an urgent appeal to all police officers to heighten alert levels and double-check their personal security arrangements," he said.

"On or off duty, the men, women, mothers and fathers who tackle this threat head-on are the targets of these hideous murder gangs, and must exercise extra vigilance at this worrying time.

"We also call on individuals who would seek to support these terrorists to think how far we've moved on as a society, and where these groupings would have us return to in pursuit of their objectives."
The Belfast street where a prison officer was injured in a blast on Friday morning

Three men and one woman have been arrested in connection with a bomb attack on a prison officer in Northern Ireland.

The 52-year-old prison officer, a married father of three, required surgery after an explosive device detonated under the van he was driving on Friday morning. His condition was described as stable.

A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: "Detectives investigating the attempted murder of a prison officer in Belfast on Friday, 4 March have arrested three men and one woman."

The explosion happened in the Hillsborough Drive area off the Woodstock Road, a predominantly unionist/loyalist area in the east of the city, just after 7am.

The senior prison officer had just left home to drive to work.

The victim is a long-serving officer based at Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre in south Belfast and works as a trainer for new recruits to the NI Prison Service.

Following the attack, police commanders expressed fears it may be the first of a number of dissident republican murder bids launched to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising.

Meanwhile, in separate incidents on Saturday, officers found two viable explosive devices in residential streets in west Belfast.

A security alert sparked by what police called a "suspicious object" in Glencolin Walk lasted several hours, ending shortly before 10pm.

Earlier, homeowners were evacuated as specialist officers removed another bomb from Ramoan Drive for further examination.

The first alert was declared over at around 3pm.
Ten antique rifles dating back to the UVF's 1914 gunrunning operation in Larne are to go on display after they were discovered in an old locker in a Belfast Orange hall.

The pre-First World War rifles were unearthed - greased and bandaged with linen - in an old room on the fourth floor of the Orange hall at Clifton Street in north Belfast.

Curator Ron McDowell said the Austrian-made Steyr rifles were part of the 25,000 cache smuggled into Larne from the German Empire by the UVF aboard the Clyde Valley as part of its gunrunning at the height of the Home Rule crisis.

"When one particular locker was opened, it was a bit of astonishment for us all when we found these old period pieces lying in a really damp and dingy place," Mr McDowell explained.

"The first thing that goes through your mind is: 'I'm going to jail and I'm never going to see my wife and kids again'."

Mr McDowell said the police were contacted immediately following the discovery of the guns in a little-used part of the building.

After being examined by experts the 10 rifles were returned as they do not require a firearms licence due to their age and the lack of ammunition available for them.

"They are an obsolete calibre, effectively a big stick," Mr McDowell said.

"Their make is a 1904 Steyr and they all have a little UVF stamp on them, which was used at the time to identify them.

"The original guns were brought in from Germany and were bought from an arms dealer called Danny Sparrow.

"He was Jewish and he later died in the concentration camps.

"The man that landed them, Fred Crawford, was a member of this hall."

Most of the Clyde Valley cache was stored in a central depot as the Home Rule row simmered.

They were then put into storage in late 1914 after Britain went to war with the same German Empire the UVF got its guns from.

They were distributed to the Home Guard during the Second World War, and at the end of that conflict most were sold on to Ethiopia.
Homeowners were allowed back to their houses after police removed a 'viable device' from a Belfast street

Police have found a second viable explosive device in a residential street in west Belfast.

A security alert sparked by what police called a "suspicious object" in Glencolin Walk ended shortly before 10pm after several hours.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) tweeted: "Security alert at Glencolin Walk, Belfast has ended. Suspicious object declared viable device. Glen Road has been reopened."

Earlier, homeowners were evacuated as specialist officers removed another "viable device" from Ramoan Drive.

Inspector Mark Cavanagh said: "ATO (a mmunition technical officers) examined a suspicious object and declared it a viable device. It has been taken away for further examination. "

The first alert was declared over at around 3pm.

Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey condemned those behind the scares, which come a day after a prison guard was injured in a bomb attack in the east of the city.

He said: "Devices were left close to two homes in west Belfast over the last 24 hours.

"I condemn unreservedly the people behind these attacks who have succeeded only in putting the lives of local people at risk and bringing disruption to the community.

"It's understood these attacks are linked to a despicable attempt at extortion by a criminal gang masquerading as Republicans.

"These people should end their criminality now and get off the backs of the community."

A 52-year-old prison officer, a married father of three, required surgery after an explosive device detonated under the van he was driving to work on Friday morning. His condition is described as stable.

Police commanders have expressed fears it may be the first of a number of dissident republican murder bids launched to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising.

PSNI assistant chief constable Stephen Martin said he was extremely concerned about an upsurge in dissident activity ahead of the forthcoming 100th anniversary of the republican rebellion against British rule in Dublin.
An Ulster Unionist has become the first female councillor to sit on the board of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners for 30 years.

Sonia Copeland - who is serving her first term on Belfast City Council - assumed the prestigious role at the beginning of last month.

The 57-year-old former policewoman said she was "thrilled" to have been chosen as her party's representative on the board, which is responsible for the management of the Port of Belfast.

The port reported an increased turnover of 52.6m with an operating profit of 27.8m last year.

Mrs Copeland, who represents the Titanic ward, said she was unfazed at being a woman in what is often perceived to be a man's world.

"It's probably not daunting for me because I worked in a male-dominated environment for 12 years when I was in the police," she explained.

"It's all about being able to stand up for yourself and not letting people bully you because you're a woman. I actually set boundaries right away because when one of the councillors asked me about making coffee I replied: 'I may be a woman but I'm not your coffee maker'."

Mrs Copeland told how she took medical retirement from the RUC in 1987 after being injured on duty, and she explained how those injuries still affected her today.

"I was restraining a girl who was experiencing a nervous breakdown when I hurt my back and lower leg, which meant I had to have my kneecap removed, but the surgery wasn't successful and that has left me disabled," she said.

"I can walk about, but I am prone to just falling down if I move my knee in the wrong direction. It's difficult because there are things that I can't do, such as stairs." A trained counsellor currently working for two charities, Mrs Copeland said she felt she had acquired the tools required to do an excellent job as a public representative.

It is not entirely unfamiliar territory, as her husband is former MLA Michael Copeland (62), who recently retired because of mental health issues. Mrs Copeland also told of her battle with cancer and how it affected her decision to go into counselling and, ultimately, local politics.

"In November 1989, when my daughter was two-and-a-half and my son was five months old, I was diagnosed with breast cancer," she said."I had to have a mastectomy and then reconstructive surgery a number of years later. The prognosis that I was given at the time wasn't great, and that's probably why I've gone into working with cancer patients and their families.

"I've got a real passion for helping people. If I can change one simple thing to make someone's life better, then I'll have done my job."
Facebook will pay more tax on UK business - seen here the company's boss Mark Zuckerberg

Tax justice campaigners have called for an overhaul of Britain's corporation tax system, after Facebook announced voluntary changes which are likely to lead to the social media giant paying millions of pounds more to HM Revenue and Customs.

From April, the company will end the practice of routing sales from major UK companies through Ireland, where they were liable to corporation tax at the lower rates charged in the Republic.

Facebook was widely criticised after paying just 4,327 in UK corporation tax in 2014, while more than doubling its UK staff share bonus pot to 35.4 million. Corporation tax is charged at 20% on taxable profits, but Facebook's accounts showed a loss of 28.5 million for the year in Britain, under an arrangement which treated the UK operations revenues as a payment from Facebook Ireland for services.

The total corporation tax bill for the company - which has global profits of more than 1 billion every three months - amounted to less than a worker on the average wage would pay in income tax and national insurance. And a Freedom of Information request from Channel 4 News showed that it was less than a sixth of the 27,000 paid by HMRC for ads on the site urging people to pay their taxes.

The Treasury said it was clear that the new 25% diverted profits tax introduced by Chancellor George Osborne was having an impact.

A Treasury spokesman said: " The Chancellor introduced the world's first diverted profits tax to ensure multinationals change their behaviour, rather than artificially shifting profits out of the UK. We can see it is already starting to have an impact."

The tax targets multinational enterprises which enter into "contrived" arrangements to avoid a taxable presence in the UK and is applicable to profits arising after April 1 2015. HMRC will shortly begin assessments of companies' liabilities for the first year of the tax, though it is not yet known whether any of Facebook's activities during the current tax year will be deemed to fall under its provisions.

Facebook played down suggestions that it was responding to public and political anger over its tax arrangements, insisting that the new set-up was designed to improve "transparency".

In a statement, a Facebook spokesman said: "On Monday we will start notifying large UK customers that from the start of April they will receive invoices from Facebook UK and not Facebook Ireland. What this means in practice is that UK sales made directly by our UK team will be booked in the UK, not Ireland. Facebook UK will then record the revenue from these sales.

"In light of changes to tax law in the UK, we felt this change would provide transparency to Facebook's operations in the UK. The new structure is easier to understand and clearly recognises the value our UK organisation adds to our sales through our highly skilled and growing UK sales team."

There was no guidance from Facebook on how much additional revenue from advertisers can be expected to be routed through the UK or how much more tax the company will pay to HM Revenue & Customs as a result of the move.

The scale of any additional payment will not become apparent until HMRC assesses its corporation tax liabilities in 2017. Smaller advertisers who book advertising space online will continue to receive invoices from the Republic.

Alex Cobham, director of research at the Tax Justice Network, said that Facebook's announcement "raises more questions than answers" and had simply confirmed that international corporation tax rules were "a mess".

"Facebook's decision to allocate UK sales to major advertisers to its UK operation for tax purposes suggests that HMRC is completely unable to enforce corporate tax on major multinationals," said Mr Cobham.

"Multinationals must be taxed on a unitary basis, recognising that they maximise profits at the global level and then apportioning those global profits between countries according to where the real economic activity takes place. Pretending that an entity like Facebook UK is operating independently from the rest of Facebook, maximising UK profit on its own, is absurd."

The chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, Jonathan Isaby, said: "The fact that Facebook has taken a voluntary decision to change its structure so it pays more corporation tax just goes to show how absurd the system has become.

"The out-dated tax system is simply not suitable for the modern, global economy and leaves the tax liabilities of multinationals open to honest dispute. Instead of announcing another round of ineffectual 'clampdowns' at the Budget, the Chancellor should rethink corporation tax in its entirety."

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Facebook's announcement meant " little or no real substantive change at this time".

"This Government must wake up to the scale of the corporate tax abuse scandal in the UK," said Mr McDonnell. "The truth is that the Chancellor has allowed a situation where some companies feel they can pay what they want when they want.

"It's time George Osborne pushed ahead with full country-by-country reporting so that we can finally get to the bottom of what is owed to taxpayers."

Liberal Democrat economics spokeswoman Baroness Kramer called for a "fundamental rethink of this discredited system" of corporation tax.

A spokesman for HMRC said: "We do not comment on individual taxpayers. But HMRC ensures that all multinationals pay the tax due under UK law and we do not settle for a penny less.

"We will closely examine any business's structure on behalf of the British public to make absolutely sure they pay all the tax due to the UK and the new diverted profits tax will ensure the UK gets its fair share of tax from a multinational's profits by making them restructure to stop shifting profits overseas."

The chairwoman of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Meg Hillier, said that multinational companies were not "passive subjects of international tax rules".

"They choose how to structure their tax affairs and must acknowledge responsibility for those choices," said Ms Hillier. "In some cases this involves using complicated tax structures specifically designed to minimise their tax bills."

The PAC has repeatedly raised concerns about the effectiveness of HMRC in securing a fair deal for taxpayers from multinational companies, most recently in a report into Google's 130 million settlement to cover corporation tax for a 10-year period.

"The work of the Public Accounts Committee and continuing high levels of public anger about the behaviour of some corporations have done much to move these issues up the political agenda and we will see the effects of Facebook's new arrangements in due course," said Ms Hillier.

"We remain concerned that in the balance of power between corporations and HMRC, corporations have more weight.

"Our committee would reiterate its call for HMRC to take a lead in reforming international tax rules and to work with overseas tax authorities to secure lasting change in the international tax system."

Andrew Watters, tax specialist at law firm Thomas Eggar, said: "The decision to restructure their business model so as to pay more tax in the UK comes not from legal necessity but from the fear of bad publicity. That decision may have been influenced by conversations with high-profile clients who saw potential reputational. damage to themselves and wanted to make out cheques to a UK company for services provided to them in the UK.

"It is a triumph for the HMRC trident policy of more complex legislation, harsher penalties when a taxpayer gets it wrong, and appeals to the court of public opinion to encourage more generous giving via taxation."
Police seal off a large area after a device exploded under a car in east Belfast, leaving a man injured

Security services on both sides of the border have been on high alert over a threatened hijacking of Ireland's centenary commemorations by dissident republicans.

In the last two months the danger has been warned of at least twice by experienced officers.

The big concern is that terrorist splinter groups will attempt a spectacular as the Republic honours those who fought and died in the 1916 Easter Rising - a bloody rebellion against Britain which the dissidents claim to keep alive.

Among these small but lethal renegade groups are the Continuity IRA, the Real IRA, "new" IRA and Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH).

While an attack on the Republic's soil is virtually unheard of, any one of these closely monitored hardcore factions would look upon preparations to mark the Rising on Sunday March 27 as fertile ground to justify murder.

It would also garner huge publicity with an estimated 250,000 people lining the streets of Dublin and an international audience for the biggest commemoration the Irish state has ever seen.

President Michael D Higgins will lead a series of events over several hours from honouring the executed rebel leaders such as Patrick Pearse and James Connolly in Kilmainham Gaol to the raising of the Tricolour and reading the Proclamation at the GPO on O'Connell Street.

Dissident terrorist numbers are small but in the ceasefire era they have routinely attracted disaffected youth in disadvantaged estates in Northern Ireland.

One of the Republic's most senior police officers, Assistant Garda Commissioner John O'Mahoney, warned in January that the threat of an attack around the period of commemorations was "very much in mind".

A similar assessment was made by PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr a year earlier and only weeks ago the Police Federation for Northern Ireland expressed the same fears after shots were fired at officers in Lurgan, Co Armagh.

There has also been repeated disruption to the Dublin-Belfast rail line in recent months.

It would not be the first time that dissidents tried to use historically significant events to launch a spectacular.

During the Queen's visit to Ireland in 2011, what the Real IRA called the "final insult", a number of suspects were arrested and a pipe bomb was found on a bus bound for Dublin on the first day of the trip.

A number of people are awaiting trial in the Special Criminal Court in Dublin in relation to incidents.
An aide to Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has been suspended over a series of offensive messages posted on social media.

Shueb Salar, a parliamentary assistant to the former minister, posted a string of messages on Twitter containing abusive language about women and homosexuals.

A spokeswoman for the mayoral hopeful said they were "serious issues" and Mr Salar had been suspended from Mr Khan's parliamentary office pending an investigation.

In one message, posted in May 2012, Mr Salar said "currently hating on all you faggots who have finished uni" adding "lucky c****".

A post from June 2012 read "f*** all you hoes" while a message from April 2012 suggested that the way to "treat a lady" was to "buy her a nice iron and extend the kitchen for her".

Mr Salar started working for Mr Khan in his Westminster office in November 2014, after the offensive messages had been put on social media.

But Cabinet minister Chris Grayling questioned Mr Khan's judgment in employing someone who had published the comments.

The Commons Leader said: "'These comments have absolutely no place in modern society.

"They raise serious questions about the judgement of Sadiq Khan who chose to employ this man despite his views being public, on a Twitter account followed by Khan himself.

"The mayor of London makes a large number of decisions about who to hire and how to spend public funds: his record shows Sadiq Khan can't make those decisions in a way that stands up for Londoners."

Mr Khan is the bookies' favourite to win the May 5 election and see off the challenge of his Tory rival Zac Goldsmith.

A spokeswoman for Mr Khan said: "Clearly these are serious issues. Shueb Salar has been suspended from Sadiq Khan's parliamentary office pending an investigation."
Matthew Garnett, who will be moved to a specialist facility after more than 150,000 people signed a petition (Robin Garnett/PA)

An autistic teenager will be moved to a specialist facility after more than 150,000 people backed a petition by his parents to end his six-month "jail sentence" in a psychiatric ward.

Matthew Garnett, 15, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act to a psychiatric intensive care unit - usually for short-term emergency admissions - in September last year after attacking members of his family.

NHS England has confirmed the teenager will now be moved to St Andrew's Healthcare in Northampton, which specialises in treating patients with autism, within weeks.

His father Robin Garnett, 48, welcomed the move but said the family wanted to see "words become actions".

His son's stay at the NHS ward, in Woking, Surrey, was expected to be temporary but s ix months later, Matthew is still "languishing" in the unit, which Mr Garnett said even staff accept is "not the right place for him".

As for the teenager himself, Mr Garnett said: "He thinks he's in prison and he is being punished for attacking us."

Matthew's move has been held up as other patients await transfers out of the specialist facility.

His mother Isabelle, 47, said her son, who has ADHD and learning difficulties, also has "complex and yet unassessed mental health difficulties" that needed investigation.

Writing on petition website Change.org, Mrs Garnett said: "F or the last six months, he has been denied this, trapped, alone, in a place unequipped to look after him.

"We were told this was temporary and that within six weeks he would receive an autism-specific assessment, treatment and care. Half a year later he has not been moved. What I was promised would be a six week pit stop has become a six month jail sentence."

She added because her son had mental health problems rather than a physical illness, she felt his case had been "swept under the carpet".

Matthew was sectioned, with the family's agreement, after his violent outbursts "escalated in severity" until, on September 4, police were called following an attack on his father.

Mr Garnett told the Press Association: "He's never been able to control his emotions - he's kind of like a toddler.

"The police were amazing. We called them three or four times and they have always been uniformly brilliant, recognising it's a mental health issue not a criminal thing.

"We were desperate he did not get taken into some hideous criminal process but it was clearly not safe for him to be in the house with his family - we were not offered any other route to go."

The couple, from south London, petitioned Alistair Burt, minister for community and social care, and NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens and launched a social media campaign using the hashtag makeroomformatthew.

The response had been "overwhelming and humbling", Mr Garnett, who works for the Discovery Network, said.

The family hope he will one day be able to return home and receive treatment in the community but Mr Garnett said he feared it was "just the start" and there were hundreds more families going through similar experiences.

A spokesman for NHS England said: "We have every sympathy for Matthew and his family and we understand that this has been a very difficult time.

"It has been confirmed that Matthew will be moved to St Andrew's, where he will be able to receive the specialist care that he needs. We anticipate that this will happen in a matter of weeks but cannot confirm an admission date at this point."
The leader of one of the UK's biggest business groups has resigned after expressing his support for a British exit from the European Union.

John Longworth quit as the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) following the controversy over his suggestion the UK could have a "brighter" future outside the EU.

Downing Street has strenuously denied claims from Brexit campaigners that it put pressure on the BCC to act following Mr Longworth's comments at the group's annual conference on Thursday.

But Ukip MP Douglas Carswell responded to the announcement by tweeting: "Well done Downing Street. You got your man."

He added: "This is what Project Fear looks like. Nasty people in Number 10."

The BCC's president, Nora Senior, i nsisted that "no politician or interest group" had any influence on the initial decision of the BCC's board to suspend Mr Longworth and there were "no external factors" in his subsequent decision to quit.

Ms Senior said the BCC's "neutrality in the referendum debate reflects the real divisions that exist in business communities across the UK".

She added: "John Longworth and the BCC board recognise that John's personal view on the referendum is likely to create confusion regarding the BCC's neutral stance going forward.

"In light of this, John has taken the decision to step down as director general and his resignation has been accepted by the board with effect from March 6 2016.

"No politician or interest group had any influence on the BCC Board decision to suspend Mr Longworth. His subsequent resignation was agreed mutually between Mr Longworth and the BCC Board, and there were no external factors involved."

She added: "All representatives of the BCC have the right to personal and political views on the key issues of the day. However, they are not expected to articulate these views while acting in their professional capacity, as their views could be misconstrued as representing the position of the organisation as a whole."

Brexit-backing London Mayor Boris Johnson earlier expressed his support for Mr Longworth as he suggested leaving the EU would be like escaping from jail.

Mr Johnson claimed the business leader had been "crushed by the agents of Project Fear".

On BBC One's Andrew Marr Show Mr Johnson hit out at the negative approach of the Remain camp.

"This is like the jailer has accidentally left the door of the jail open and people can see the sunlit land beyond," he said.

"And everybody is suddenly wrangling about the terrors of the world outside. Actually it would be wonderful.

"It would be a huge weight lifted from British business."

He added: "It is very sad that someone like John Longworth, who shares my view, who has great experience of British business and industry, should have paid quite a heavy price, it seems, for sharing that optimistic view."

Former cabinet minister Liam Fox suggested he could ask questions in Parliament to find out if ministers had any role.

The senior Tory told BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics: "I want an explanation as to what happened and I want to know if any part of Government - not just Number 10, any part of Government - was involved in putting pressure on the BCC to drop John Longworth because I think that is inappropriate and I think if we don't get enough explanation we'll have to get a better one on the floor of the House of Commons."

Both Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor George Osborne spoke at the BCC conference where Mr Longworth made his controversial speech.

A Number 10 spokesman said: "Given that 60% of BCC members say they want to stay in the EU, No 10 was surprised to see the director general of the organisation come out for Brexit.

"We are clear no pressure was put on the BCC to suspend him. Of course No 10 talks to business organisations regularly - but, to be clear: no pressure was applied. This decision is entirely a matter for the BCC."

Tory MP Conor Burns told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: "I think it's a little bit of an overreaction. I think what he was saying is what a lot of people in small business are saying, in fact a lot of people in domestic business are saying.

"It's worth remembering that only 6% of UK firms export into the EU area so I think his view was a moderate and legitimate one and I'm sorry they have reacted in the way they have."
Emergency services at the scene in Sutton Coldfield after a 40-year-old pregnant woman was stabbed (Joseph Rigby/PA)

The family of a pregnant stabbing victim have praised the "fearlessness" of passers-by who intervened.

Police have charged a man with two counts of attempted murder and one of attempted child destruction in connection with the attack in Sutton Coldfield on Friday afternoon.

The 40-year-old woman is in a stable condition and her baby girl continues to do well, West Midlands Police said.

Passers-by flagged down officers in Trinity Hill after the incident in the busy town centre, and police said several members of the public attempted to intervene, two of whom were treated for minor injuries.

The victim was airlifted from the scene by air ambulance at around 4pm and her unborn child was later delivered safely.

Her family said: "We'd all like to express our heartfelt thanks to everybody who helped her on Friday afternoon. Your fearlessness and selfless actions saved both their lives and we are overwhelmingly grateful to you all.

"We have no further comment to make and we'd ask you to respect our privacy at this difficult time."

Babur Karamat Raja, 41, from Sutton Coldfield, has also been charged with assault and possession of a knife in a public place.

He will appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Officers continue to appeal for witnesses with any information to contact Detective Inspector Ian Ingram on 101.
At least two ministers are considering whether to resign over plans to relax Sunday trading laws

George Osborne faces a major Tory rebellion over plans to relax Sunday trading laws in England and Wales.

Dozens of Conservative backbenchers are expected to oppose the change and reports suggested the Prime Minister could face the prospect of ministers resigning in order to join the revolt.

The Chancellor announced plans to shake-up Sunday trading laws in his first Budget after being returned to office last year, but faces a potential defeat over the plans just a week before his next set-piece financial statement.

The Government has a slender working majority of 17 so is vulnerable to any rebellion if opposition MPs unite against it.

Labour's leadership has urged the SNP not to back the plans to relax Sunday shopping laws.

Jeremy Corbyn and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale penned a joint letter calling on First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon to rule out her 54 MPs supporting the move.

Under the Government's plans, contained in Business Secretary Sajid Javid's Enterprise Bill, local authorities would be given the power to extend Sunday opening hours.

But Tory David Burrowes is spearheading an attempt to remove the measure from the Bill, which will be debated by MPs on Wednesday.

The Enfield Southgate MP claimed that ministers and parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) were prepared to join the revolt or abstain unless the Government watered down the plans.

He said: "There are 23 Conservatives who have signed up to stop the Government's plan to deregulate Sunday trading for large shops and more lined up to oppose or abstain including ministers and PPSs.

"Government should recognise the strength of opposition for a plan that was not in our manifesto and should at least agree a compromise which restricts deregulation to tourist zones."

The Sunday Telegraph reported that at least two ministers were considering whether to quit in order to vote against the Sunday trading extension.

The legislation was originally opposed by the SNP, the third biggest party in the Commons, but it has since welcomed additional protections for employees brought forward by the UK Government.

In the letter to Ms Sturgeon, Mr Corbyn and Ms Dugdale said Labour was "strongly opposed" to the Bill, which would "lead to the gradual erosion and diminution of workers' pay and rights across the UK".

The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) says a third of Scottish shop workers employed by large retailers receive premium payments worth 1,400 a year.

Usdaw general secretary John Hannett added: "Retailers have previously reduced or removed Sunday premiums to offset the costs of opening stores for longer.

"If that happens again in UK-wide companies, Scottish shop workers will pay the price of longer opening hours in England and Wales."

Hannah Bardell MP, the SNP's business spokeswoman, said: "Our initial concern and opposition was primarily around the potential knock-on impact to Scottish workers of any changes in England and Wales to Sunday trading.

"The SNP welcome the provision for additional employee protections that the UK Government has brought forward in new schedule 1 of the Enterprise Bill, which amends the Employment Rights Act to amongst other provisions protect any worker from being forced into working on a Sunday.

"Without the strong and principled action of the SNP, such protections may never have materialised."

The proposals have also been criticised as "inordinately complex" by employment law specialist John Bowers QC in a written opinion for The Christian Institute, which is opposed to the extension of trading hours.

A spokesman for the institute said: "The Conservatives have been making flimsy claims about added employment protections for Scottish workers.

"But one of the most pre-eminent employment QCs in the country has advised these so-called protections are seriously flawed and highly complex.

"They offer no real protections for Christians who do not wish to work on a Sunday or people who want to keep Sunday as a family day. The promises are nothing more than a mirage."

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said the move would offer people, particularly those working six days a week, greater flexibility to shop when they choose.

He told Sky News's Murnaghan programme: "We want to make sure that we give more consumers the flexibility and the freedom on Sundays to do what's right for them, what they want to do.

"Particularly if they are professionals and other professions, teachers, nurses, people like that, doctors particularly if they are working six days a week, having that more flexibility at weekends as well to choose when they shop, but ultimately what we're really doing is devolving the power, so that power, that decision will rest with local communities."
File photo dated 05/07/13 of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, as an investigation by the BBC using the Freedom of Information Act has show in a string of emails an apparent attempt to cover up the fact Hunt was briefed on a study of weekend death data ahead of its publication.

The UK should be the most dementia-friendly country in the world by 2020, the Health Secretary has said.

Jeremy Hunt said the Government wanted to boost the numbers of people with dementia getting a diagnosis, raise awareness of the condition and encourage more research.

Under new plans, if a pilot scheme proves successful, everyone aged 40 and over will be given information about dementia and memory problems when they have their free NHS health check with their GP.

Current information on which regions are good at diagnosing dementia will be strengthened with Ofsted-style ratings, enabling people to make more meaningful comparisons about the quality of dementia care in their area.

There is a new aim for 10% of all people diagnosed with dementia to take part in research, while the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will include standards of dementia care in their inspections.

Mr Hunt also said seven-day services will also improve for dementia patients in hospitals, with patients in high dependency care seen and reviewed by a consultant twice a day, every day of the week, by 2020.

He said: " A dementia diagnosis can bring fear and heartache, but I want Britain to be the best place in the world to live well with dementia. Last parliament we made massive strides on diagnosis rates and research - the global race is now on to find a cure for dementia and I want the UK to win it.

"This Parliament I want us to make big progress on the quality of care and treatment.

"Hospitals can be frightening and confusing places for people with dementia, so our new plan will guarantee them safer seven day hospital care, as well as tackling unacceptable variations in quality across England through transparent Ofsted-style ratings."

Dementia affects 850,000 people in the UK, resulting in the loss of brain cells. The most common type is Alzheimer's disease.

Early symptoms include problems with memory and thinking. As the disease progresses, people can experience difficulty with walking, balance and swallowing.

Last year, the Alzheimer's Research UK charity warned of a "looming national health crisis" as the population ages - getting older is the biggest risk factor for dementia.

It said o ne in three people born in 2015 will develop dementia. Calculations showed 27% of boys born in 2015 will develop the condition in their lifetime, alongside 37% of girls.

The Government has doubled research funding to 60m a year and invested 150m to develop a national Dementia Research Institute to drive forward new treatments.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, said: "We applaud the Government's firm commitment to make the UK the most dementia friendly place in the world.

"Until recently, people with dementia were effectively cast out from society, but the tide is now turning. There are now nearly 1.5 million dementia friends helping to drive this change, and communities up and down the country are working to make streets, towns and cities more inclusive.

"But still many people with dementia face stigma and a health and care system that simply does not work for them - resulting in emergency hospital admissions, extended stays and desperate loneliness.

"We look forward to leading the continued transformation of society and investment in research so that, by 2020, people with dementia get the support they need every day of the year - whether that be at home, in residential care, hospital or in the wider community."

David Mayhew, the Prime Minister's dementia envoy and chairman of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "The UK is leading the way in the fight against dementia, and this blueprint once again shows real leadership from the UK Government in its efforts to tackle the condition."
A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. Pacemaker

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. PA

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. PA

A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. PA

A fire engine was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim

The scene on the Glenarm Road in Larne where a fire engine which had been stolen from the town's fire station during the night crashed into a number of cars and houses. 5 March 16 - Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.

Two men aged 66 and 19 are being questioned by police about the theft of a fire engine. Above: The scene on the Glenarm Road in Larne where a fire engine which had been stolen from the town's fire station during the night crashed into a number of cars and houses. 5 March 16 - Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.

A teenager and a pensioner have been charged by police after a fire engine was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses.

The 66-year-old man has been charged with five offences, including burglary and aggravated vehicle taking causing damage to property.

The 19-year-old faces charges including burglary and dangerous driving.

There were no reported injuries from the incident happened in Larne, Co Antrim in the early hours of Saturday.

Expand Close A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. PA PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp A fire engine that was stolen from a station and driven into nearby cars and houses in Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim. PA

Both men are due to appear at Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Group commander Kevin O'Neill from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue and Service (NIFRS) said: "At approximately 04:30 this morning Larne station was broken into and a fire engine was stolen.

"Subsequently this fire engine was driven into a number of cars and houses in the Larne area."

He said the station was damaged in the break-in and the NIFRS was working to ensure services were maintained in Larne.

A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said two men were arrested on Saturday and are currently being questioned in custody.

DUP MLA Gordon Lyons said that the theft of a fire engine was an appalling act that had put lives at risk.

Larne resident tells @PA he thought it was a bomb,looked out & couldn't figure out how fire brigade arrived so quick pic.twitter.com/al6YJpcdMg  David Young (@DavidYoungPA) March 5, 2016

The East Antrim MLA said: "Breaking into a fire station and stealing a fire engine shows a clear disregard for the people of Larne and those who serve in the fire service. But to drive it around the town and create mayhem along the way demonstrates just how low some people are prepared to stoop.

"I am thankful that no one was hurt or killed, however, this was an extremely stupid and dangerous thing to do.

"As a result, the scene on the Glenarm Road this morning looks like something out of an action film and the people responsible have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Expand Close The scene on the Glenarm Road in Larne where a fire engine which had been stolen from the town's fire station during the night crashed into a number of cars and houses. 5 March 16 - Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye. / Facebook

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"They need to understand the consequences and seriousness of their actions and I hope that the police ensure that happens."
Jane Sutton is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to continue her son's fundraising legacy

The mother of the late charity campaigner Stephen Sutton is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to continue her son's fundraising legacy.

Jane Sutton said she would undertake the challenge in early October, and proceeds from the climb will go towards the charity that helped Stephen through his illness, Teenage Cancer Trust.

Stephen Sutton was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 15 in 2010. He died three and a half years later in May 2014, after his "bucket list" campaign went viral, and overwhelming public support raised millions of pounds for the charity.

A memorial service at Lichfield Cathedral was attended by more than 10,000 and he was posthumously recognised for his activism with awards including an MBE and an honorary doctorate from Coventry University.

Speaking on Mother's Day, Mrs Sutton said that Stephen's enthusiasm for life had influenced her decision to commit to the trek.

"I thought about it for all of five minutes," said Mrs Sutton. "I followed Stephen's advice to seize every opportunity and take on the challenge. I find it amazing the knock-on effect of taking part in one activity and how that opens the door to another opportunity."

Stephen's campaign has continued to generate donations, which now stand at over 5.5 million.

Mrs Sutton has also taken up the mantle of updating Stephen's original campaign page on Facebook, Stephen's Story.

"I didn't use social media prior to Stephen passing away. If I wanted to contact a friend, I'd pick up the phone or text them. But the reaction to Stephen's passing was astonishing and so positive, so I felt compelled to continue his blog."

Stephen continued to take part in fundraising events until just three days before his death. The campaign received accolades from a host of high-profile celebrities and MPs, including actor Benedict Cumberbatch, and Prime Minister David Cameron.

Teenage Cancer Trust's director of fundraising and marketing, Kate Collins, hailed Mrs Sutton as "every bit as inspiring as her son".

She said: "She shows such incredible determination and hasn't stopped spreading Stephen's unique message of positivity."

Jane Sutton is expected to start her climb in early October and hopes to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro on October 9.

Those wishing to donate can visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/climbkilimanjaro or text STEPHEN to 70500 to give 5 towards the challenge.
Energy giant npower has come under attack for dealing a "devastating blow" to its workers with plans to axe up to 2,500 jobs.

The grim news is set to be announced in the next few days by the German-owned company.

The job cuts represent around a fifth of npower's 11,500-strong UK workforce, and are expected to hit areas including the north of England.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "These huge job losses will come as a devastating blow to the workforce.

"Npower has been in trouble for some time thanks to poor decision-making at the very top, and workers are now paying the price. The company's failure to invest properly in new systems has left it with one of the worst customer service records in the business.

"The news suggests that npower's German owner isn't terribly committed to its UK operations. Cutting a fifth of the workforce will leave the already struggling business in an even worse state. Now months of uncertainly lie ahead for a workforce whose morale is already at rock bottom."

Eamon O'Hearn, of the GMB union, said: "Many hard-working staff have already been outsourced and so any further job losses for directly and indirectly employed staff would be another kick in the teeth for communities.

"It also makes a mockery of George Osborne's rhetoric about a northern powerhouse if an energy company can't maintain jobs in the region."

The firm's German owners RWE revealed last month it will slump into the red after taking a 2.1 billion euro (1.6 billion) hit on its UK and German power stations.

It said a series of writedowns on its power stations and lower energy prices would lead the group to post an annual loss of around 200 million euro (155 million) when it reports its results. Analysts had expected a 2015 net profit of 1.2 billion euro (0.93bn).

Npower, which has 4.9 million accounts, has major plants in the UK including Pembroke and Aberthaw in Wales and Staythorpe in Nottinghamshire.

Along with other Big Six suppliers, the firm announced a 5.2% price cut to its standard domestic gas tariff that would affect 1.2 million customers.

Oil and gas prices have tumbled over the last 18 months as global growth slows. Brent crude is some 70% lower than its peak in the summer of 2014.

The firm's power station at Didcot in Oxfordshire collapsed last month as it was being prepared for demolition, killing one worker, with three still missing.

Unite union national officer Kevin Coyne said: "These reports of job losses will be deeply unsettling for npower staff. These are people with bills to pay and mouths to feed and deserve better than finding out via leaks to the media that they could be out of a job next week.

"It is an inexcusable way for the company to treat a loyal workforce which has worked hard to turn npower's record on customer service around in the last year.

"We will be demanding urgent answers and assurances from npower over the coming days as we seek to protect as many jobs as possible."

Shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy said: "This is terrible news for npower workers and another blow for the energy industry after so many North Sea and solar job losses."
A sick and frail 92-year-old widow, who was threatened with deportation, says she is "overwhelmed" to be allowed to stay in Britain.

Myrtle Cothill feared she would be sent back to her native South Africa despite suffering from heart problems, losing her eyesight, being unable to walk unaided and having to be looked after by her daughter, Mary Wills, in Poole, Dorset.

She had been ordered to leave Britain and was even been booked on to a flight to Johannesburg in February, despite having no family to care for her there.

On hearing she had been granted limited leave to remain in the UK, Mrs Cothill told ITV News: "I am feeling very happy, overwhelmed. It is unbelievable."

She said it was like going "from darkness to lightness, from night to day".

Mrs Cothill's lawyers presented medical evidence about the state of her health and she has now been told she can stay. She will have no recourse to public funds, including the NHS.

Immigration minister James Brokenshire said: "Last month Mrs Cothill's family were given the opportunity to provide further evidence about her health and fitness to travel.

"I asked that this evidence be carefully considered as a fresh application under the rules. In the light of this assessment, I have decided that Mrs Cothill should be granted limited leave to remain in the UK with her family given the compassionate and exceptional circumstances of this case."

Mrs Cothill's health deteriorated after she came to Britain in February 2014 on a six-month visa.

Mrs Wills lives with her husband David, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and has heart problems.

She could not travel to South Africa to look after her mother there because they have no right to live in the country, and her husband's health would not allow it.

The case attracted a huge amount of public support on social media, with more than 75,000 people signing a petition calling for her to be allowed to stay.

Mrs Cothill said: "I feel like a weight has been lifted off me. I want to thank everyone who has supported me and God bless them all. It has made such a tremendous difference to me."

Mrs Wills said: "Words cannot explain how I am feeling. I am overwhelmed. It is the best Mother's Day present we could have hoped for."

Her lawyer Jan Doerfel said the stress of the situation had left Mrs Cothill suffering from severe anxiety and depression and that doctors had given her just months to live if she was deported.

Doctors who examined Mrs Cothill said there was a considerable risk of mortality within the first three months of her return due to her physical and mental frailty, advanced age and emotional and physical dependency on her daughter for the provision of food, medication and self-care.

Mr Doerfel said: "It has been a heartbreaking situation. It would have been a permanent loss of her daughter, a permanent separation and there was an increased risk of her dying within three months of returning to South Africa."

Mrs Cothill and her family have been under "incredible stress" since September 2014 when she was refused leave to stay with her daughter.

Fearing she could be parted from her only daughter Mrs Cothill began her legal battles to stay. Mr Doerfel said "not surprisingly, this has taken a toll on Myrtle's heath".

The family are calling for a change in the law because immigration rules which do not allow relatives to look after vulnerable loved ones are causing "untold suffering" to many people.
At least 25 people have drowned off the Turkish coast while trying to reach Greece, as Macedonian authorities imposed further restrictions on refugees trying to cross the Greek border.

The Turkish coast guard launched a search-and-rescue mission for other migrants believed to be missing from the accident, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The coast guard rescued 15 other migrants off the Aegean Sea resort of Didim, it added.

The dead included three children, according to the private Dogan news agency.

Meanwhile, Greek police officials said Macedonian authorities are only allowing those from cities they consider to be at war to cross the Idomeni border crossing from Greece. That means people from cities such as Aleppo in Syria, for example, can enter, but those from the Syrian capital of Damascus or the Iraqi capital of Baghdad are being stopped.

The developments come a day ahead of a summit between the European Union and Turkey to discuss the crisis.

Nearly all refugees and other migrants who enter the EU have been doing so by taking small inflatable dinghies from the Turkish coast to the nearby Greek islands. With thousands of miles of coastline, Greece says it cannot staunch the flow unless Turkey stops the boats from leaving its shores.

Athens has also criticised Europe for not sticking to agreements to take in refugees in a relocation scheme that never really got off the ground.

"While Idomeni is closed for refugees and the flows from the islands, from the Turkish shores to the islands, remain, it must be perfectly clear that the immediate start of a reliable process of relocation of refugees from our country to other countries of the European Union is a matter of complete urgency," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in a speech to his party on Sunday.

"And this is exactly what we will seek in the summit on Monday. Not just the wording that this is urgent, but that it will begin immediately and with a large number."

While thousands arrive in Greece's main port of Piraeus from the islands, about 13,000-14,000 people remain stranded in Idomeni, with more arriving each day. The refugee camp has overflowed, with thousands pitching tents among the railway tracks and in adjacent fields.

The rate at which refugees are being allowed to cross had already been reduced to a trickle, with sometimes only a few dozen, or even nobody, being allowed to cross. Greek police said 240 people crossed between 6am on Saturday and the same time on Sunday morning.

The camp is beginning to take on a form of semi-permanence, with people realising they will be spending at the very least several days in the fields. As morning broke, women swept the earth outside their tents with makeshift brooms made of twigs and leaves. Men stamped on branches pulled off trees nearby to use as firewood for small campfires to boil tea and cook.

Throughout Sunday morning, dozens of local Greeks arrived in cars packed with clothes and food donations to distribute to the refugees. Many were mobbed as they arrived at the first tents, with men, women and children scrambling to receive whatever handouts they could.

The sheer numbers have overwhelmed the Greek authorities. Massive queues of hundreds of people form from early in the morning, with people waiting for hours for a lunchtime sandwich.

While Greek officials have tried to discourage more people from arriving, and no longer allow buses to drive to the Idomeni border, hundreds continue to arrive each day, walking more than 10 miles (15km) from a nearby petrol station where the United Nations refugee agency has set up large tents.

"We have been here five days, or six. Who remembers the days anymore," said Narjes al Shalaby, 27, from Damascus in Syria, travelling with her mother and two daughters, five-year-old Maria and 10-year-old Bara'a. Her husband and third daughter are already in Germany.

"All we do here is sleep, wake up, sleep. We get hungry, we wait in the queue for two hours for a sandwich, we come back, we sleep some more," said Narjes, who worries about her daughters.

"She's grown up sooner that she should have," she says of Maria, who is sleeping in the back of the family's small tent. "She's aged."
Ted Cruz waves to the crowd at the Republican caucus in Wichita, Kansas (AP)

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each captured two victories in Saturday's four-state round of voting in the Republican race for the White House.

It is fresh evidence that there is no quick end in sight to the bitter contest, and both men suggested other rivals should now quit.

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders won in Nebraska and Kansas, while frontrunner Hillary Clinton took Louisiana, another divided verdict from the American people.

Mr Cruz, a Texas senator, claimed Kansas and Maine, and declared it "a manifestation of a real shift in momentum".

Billionaire Mr Trump, still the frontrunner in the hunt for delegates, took Louisiana and Kentucky.

In the overall race for Republican delegates, Mr Trump led with at least 375 and Mr Cruz had at least 291. Marco Rubio had 123 delegates and John Kasich had 33. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Mrs Clinton had at least 1,117 delegates to Mr Sanders' 477, including superdelegates - members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice.

It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination, and there were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Mr Cruz, a favourite of the tea party movement, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy.

With the Republican race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Mr Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance.

Party leaders - including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Senator John McCain - are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the Republican ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the real estate tycoon marvelled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Mr Rubio, a Florida senator, came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race.

Mr Cruz suggested it was time for other Republican candidates to quit the race so that he could go one-on-one with Mr Trump.

Mr Trump said it was "probably time" for Mr Rubio to drop out, after he finished no better than third in any of the four states.

In Maine, Mr Cruz won by a comfortable margin over Mr Trump.

On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Mr Sanders won by a solid margin in Nebraska, and Kansas gave him a seventh victory so far in the nominating season.

Mrs Clinton, who has been doing well with African-American voters, had an easy win in Louisiana.

With Mr Trump yet to win states by the margins he will need in order to secure the nomination before the Republican convention, every one of the 155 delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

It was anger that propelled many of Mr Trump's voters to the polls. "It's my opportunity to revolt," said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because "he's not bought and paid for".

Overall, Mr Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturday's voting. Mr Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Mr Rubio and Ohio governor John Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.
Nancy Reagan, the wife of the former US president Ronald Reagan, with British prime minister Margaret Thatcher at Number 10, Downing Street on July 22, 1986. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan has died at the age of 94.

The former actress and widow of President Ronald Reagan passed away on Sunday.

Born in New York City, she embarked on a career as an actress in the 1940s and appeared on Broadway in 1946 musical Lute Song, alongside Mary Martin and a young Yul Brynner.

She relocated to California, where she signed a deal with MGM Studios and went on to score roles in films like The Doctor and the Girl, Shadow on the Wall, and Night Into Morning.

Nancy famously enjoyed romances with actors including Clark Gable, Robert Stack and Peter Lawford, before meeting Ronald in 1949, when he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild.

They wed on 4 March, 1952, when fellow actors William Holden and Brenda Marshall served as best man and matron of honour, respectively.

Nancy's other film credits included Donovan's Brain and Hellcats of the Navy, while she also appeared on TV in episodes of The Tall Man and Wagon Train.

She retired from the screen in 1962 to focus on raising the couple's two children, actress/author Patti Davis and radio host Ron Reagan, and became First Lady of California when Ronald was elected Governor in 1967.

They later moved into the White House in 1981, when Ronald became the 40th President of the United States.

In her role as First Lady, Nancy became a leading force in the fight against substance abuse, founding the Just Say No drug awareness campaign. She continued her charity work into old age, most notably working to support embryonic stem cell research.

After leaving the White House in 1989, the couple retired to their estate in Bel Air, Los Angeles, where Nancy subsequently spent her time caring for Ronald, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994. He died in 2004, aged 93.
A large crowd in Honduras accompanied the body of Berta Caceres to its final resting place amid calls for justice over the killing of the indigenous leader and environmental activist.

Many of those carrying her coffin on their shoulders through the dusty streets of La Esperanza were Lenca indigenous people for whose rights she had fought.

Drummers pounded out Afro-Honduran rhythms as mourners chanted "the struggle goes on and on" and "Berta Caceres is present, today and forever".

The crowd marched more than six miles from her mother's home to a chapel where a Mass was celebrated in her memory, and to the cemetery in La Esperanza.

Her four daughters and her ex-husband were among the procession.

"Forgive me, Bertita," said Salvador Zuniga, Ms Caceres' former husband. "Forgive me for not understanding your greatness."

The previous evening, Austra Flores said she hoped her daughter's murder will not go unpunished and that international attention will pressure Honduran authorities to find those responsible.

Ms Caceres, 45, who was awarded the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her role in fighting a dam project, had complained of death threats from police, the army and landowners' groups.

She was murdered early on Thursday by gunmen who broke into her home and shot her four times.

"My mother died because she defended the land and rivers of her country," her daughter Olivia said.

Mexican human rights activist Gustavo Castro Soto was also wounded in the attack.

After gunfire grazed his cheek and left hand, he pretended to be dead as he lay on the floor so the assailants would not finish him off. He is considered a protected witness whose testimony is key to solving the killing.

The authorities say two suspects have been detained for questioning, including a neighbourhood private security guard. They have not revealed what role they may have played in the killing.

President Juan Orlando Hernandez says the authorities are investigating Ms Caceres' murder with assistance from the United States.

"We have asked for a rapid and exhaustive investigation so the full weight of the law is applied to those responsible," US ambassador James Nealon told reporters at the funeral.

Foreign minister Arturo Corrales told diplomats on Friday that justice would be done, saying that "there is abundant information to solve the case".

According to the Goldman Environmental Prize, Ms Caceres "waged a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world's largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam".

It said the project threatened to "cut off the supply of water, food and medicine for hundreds of Lenca people and violate their right to sustainably manage and live off their land".
Egyptian police officers stand guard at the site of a bombing that killed Egypt's top prosecutor, Hisham Barakat, in Cairo (AP)

A bombing which killed Egypt's chief prosecutor last year was carried out by members of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood who had been trained in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, officials have said.

Egyptian Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar said dozens of people have been detained in connection with the killing of 65-year-old Hisham Barakat in Cairo last June, the first assassination of a senior Egyptian official in 25 years.

"Hamas trained, prepared, and oversaw the implementation" of the attack, said Mr Abdel-Ghaffar in an address broadcast by state and private media, which also aired confessions by some of the alleged perpetrators.

There have been no credible claims of responsibility for the attack. The Brotherhood denied any involvement. Hamas could not immediately be reached for comment.

Egypt has seen a wave of attacks mainly targeting security forces since the 2013 military overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi, who hailed from the Brotherhood. The government has blamed most of the violence on the Brotherhood - including attacks claimed by more extreme groups - and has branded it a terrorist group.

Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood, but has denied carrying out attacks outside Israel and the Palestinian territories. The Egyptian government says insurgents have used tunnels between Hamas-ruled Gaza and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to smuggle in arms.

Mr Barakat was killed by a large car bomb outside his home on June 29. He had led the prosecution of Muslim Brotherhood members, including Morsi, who was Egypt's first freely elected president but faced mass protests after a divisive year in power.

The government responded to the assassination by pushing through a wide-ranging anti-terrorism law which broadened the definition of terrorism, gave police greater powers of arrest, and tightened restrictions on free speech.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied the accusations, saying they are "baseless and are not in harmony with the efforts being exerted to develop the relationship between Hamas and Cairo".
Egypt's government has cracked down on dissent

Egypt's chief prosecutor has ordered the detention of six people suspected of involvement in the assassination of his predecessor last year.

In a Sunday statement, Nabil Sadek's office ordered the six, who were arrested a day earlier, to be held for 15 days pending investigation.

Most are students at Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's pre-eminent institution for religious learning.

A car bomb killed Hisham Barakat, who oversaw cases against thousands of Islamists, on June 29 as he left his home.

It was the first assassination of a senior Egyptian official in 25 years.

The government responded by pushing through a wide-ranging anti-terrorism law that broadened the definition of terrorism, gave police greater powers of arrest, and tightened restrictions on free speech.
At least 31 people have died in a truck blast in Iraq

At least 47 people were killed when a suicide bomber rammed a fuel truck laden with explosives into a security checkpoint south of Baghdad, officials said.

Dozens of others were injured in the blast, the latest episode in an increase in violence in the war-ravaged country.

No-one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State group. IS and other Sunni militants frequently use car bombs and suicide attacks to target public areas and government buildings in their bid to undermine confidence in the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.

Thirty-nine of the dead were 39 civilians, while the rest were members of the security forces.

The attacker struck shortly after noon when the checkpoint at one of the entrances to the city of Hillah was crowded with dozens of cars, a police officer said.

He added that up to 65 other people were wounded and nearly 50 cars were damaged. Hillah is about 60 miles (95km) south of the capital.

A medical official confirmed the casualty figures.

Iraq has seen a spike in violence in the past month with suicide attacks in and outside Baghdad, all claimed by the Islamic State group, killing more than 170 people. IS controls large swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria and has declared an Islamic "caliphate" on the territory it holds.

According to United Nations figures, at least 670 Iraqis were killed last month due to ongoing violence, of whom about two-thirds were civilians.
One of the biggest and most pointless arguments made by Islam-haters is that Muslims oppose freedom of expression.

Today we get artists, musicians, etc. trying to be as offensive as possible, who cry out that conservative elements of the public or Muslims are repressive and toxic to liberty as soon as they show any sign of anger at being barraged with offensive images. The best examples are published by Charlie Hebdo.

I consider artists and protesters who set out to offend members of the public, to be hypocrites. They want the right to offend everyone but they simultaneously dont want anyone to be allowed to offend them or their work. They want to discriminate against and hurt others e.g. Muslims or Catholics, but put on a whiny display if anyone discriminates against them or hurts them. They insinuate that others are too sensitive and that others need to relax, but actually they are the ones who need to relax.

As I have already argued in the past, even the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo actually didnt actually infringe on Charlie Hebdos freedom. It simply showed that if you offend people, they can react violently. This has been known for thousands of years and only an imbecile or wingebag would find it extraordinary. Ill say it again. Freedom of speech/expression laws say nothing about protecting publications like Charlie Hebdo from being attacked by terrorists or angry members of the public. Such special protection for offensive publications is anti-freedom, because it privileges the hated few to offend everyone while enjoying heavy police and government protection from reprisals.

Freedom of speech or expression, as best captured in the First Amendment of the US Constitution, guarantees freedom to express oneself without reprisals by the government, and freedom to believe whatever one wishes without reprisals from the government. Seen in this light, the war on terror waged by western governments (including in France where Charlie Hebdo was fiercely protected to an extent that eight-year old kids who refused to support Charlie Hebdo were summarily detained and questioned) is actually a bigger attack on freedom of expression than the actual terrorism itself.

In many cases within the west, terrorism is only angry members of the public (quite often Muslims, whose lands are occupied, divided and bombed constantly so they feel a need to retaliate) committing murder because of a sense of outrage. It is not a foreign threat, it is not a totalitarian state invading the west to take peoples freedoms away. The laws one needs to apply to prevent this are simply the laws against murder, and have nothing to do with freedom of speech or constitutions in any sense. Any conversation about freedom of speech over what happened at Charlie Hebdo is therefore pointless nonsense, a spectacle created by people who dont even know what they are talking about or are trying to frame this as a clash of civilisations to be resolved by western superiority and conquest.

Freedom of speech, as I recently pointed out in a tweet, is absolutely nothing to do with protecting artists from reprisals by random members of the public. Someone who uses their freedom of speech is merely exercising a right that the government gave them. No government ever said it would provide security to artists so that they cannot be booed, pelted or even stabbed by their audience. Of course, if someone is killed in a violent incident it will necessarily involve the government because it is murder, but thats irrelevant to freedom of speech or the idiotic narrative of west-vs-Islam.

In all human interaction, people are normally expected to show a measure of restraint and attempt to minimise offense. People who dont do this will eventually end up being punched in the face or found dead in a hole somewhere at some point, even in the freest society imaginable. Such events, while unfortunate, have nothing to do with an attack on freedom of speech and everything to do with stupidity and lack of vision on the part of the person who ends up dead rather than the actual murderer.

People should not be offensive. They should censor themselves for their own safety from everybody else, as the vast majority of people wisely do. No set of laws will ever be able to protect each individual from everybody else. People are expected to protect themselves, partly by not making enemies and offending everyone they walk past. Publications like Charlie Hebdo or the worse Vive Charlie publication created in its honour are not expanding the boundaries of freedom, but restricting them. They expect vast and powerful governments to shield and protect them from their audiences and allow them to offend everyone without reprisals.

The best thing for freedom would be to treat artists as being no different than anyone else who opens their mouth or writes something. If artists are killed for offending people, you should call them idiots, just as you would call any prankster an idiot for insulting the wrong person and getting beaten up or killed as a result.

Alternatively, a world where all reprisals are fiercely prevented and Charlie Hebdo feels safe will be a world in chains, with significantly hampered freedoms. There would be security guards and cameras posted everywhere. It will be a world where schoolchildren are monitored for any sign of radicalism or offense taken to Charlie Hebdo images, and while Charlie Hebdo is allowed to offend and criticise everyone, criticism of Charlie Hebdo itself is banned.

It isnt freedom for there to be a tiny privileged few being protected by security forces, while they offend and chastise a billion powerless and oppressed peoples religious sensibilities.
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Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia




BEIJING (PTI): China on Saturday increased its defence spending by 7.6 per cent to US$ 146 billion, making it almost four times more than India's defence budget despite being the Communist giant's lowest hike in six years.



Amid raging disputes in the South China Sea and deepening tensions with the US, the government, in a budget report presented to the national legislature annual session in Beijing, said it plans to raise the 2016 defence budget by 7.6 per cent to 954 billion yuan (about US$ 146 billion).



The single digit increase is the lowest in six years.



Last year, China increased the defence budget by 10.1 per cent to 886.9 billion yuan, which in dollar terms amounted to US$ 145 billion with prevailing exchange rate.



The Chinese currency has depreciated in the past few months after last year's nearly four per cent devaluation. As a result, this year's budget in dollar terms amounted less despite a 67.1 billion yuan increase.



China is the world's second largest economy and also the second largest defence spender. The US is the world's largest economy and the largest defence spender. The United States' proposed defence budget this year stood at US$ 534 billion.



This year's new increase will do little to close that gap, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.



China's military expenditure had seen a five-year run of double-digit increases between 2011 and 2015.



The budget report did not offer further breakdown of the figure nor explained the rationale behind the abated growth, although some officials and military experts have pointed to China's economic slowdown, the report said.



The slowdown remained a dominant theme as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who presented a work report to this year's inaugural session of the National People's Congress (NPC), on Saturday lowered this year's GDP target to 6.5 per cent saying that the economy was facing headwinds.



The 2.3 million strong People's Liberation Army, (PLA), the largest in the world is also poised to cut three lakh troops. The cut, announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September last year, might have also helped drive down the defence budget growth figure.



While China weighed its military spending, comparing itself with the US, from India's point of view the gap with its largest neighbour amounted to nearly four-fold.



This year's India's defence budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposes a 9.7 per cent increase amounting to Rs. 2.58 lakh crore. This in dollar terms works out to about US$ 40 billion. It virtually remained the same at last year's levels due to depreciation of the rupee.



Commenting on the single digit increase of the defence budget, the state run Global Times said, "For many Chinese, the first response was a bit of disappointment. But we believe the decision has its reasons. The Chinese economy has been under grave downward pressure."






NEW DELHI (PTI): India has dismissed the possibility of joint maritime patrolling with other countries in the Asia Pacific region, days after a top American military commander hoped it will happen in the near future.



Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that India is in for joint military exercise but not for joint patrolling.



"As of now, India has never participated in joint patrolling. But we do participate in joint exercise. So the question of joint patrolling at this stage does not arise," he said addressing reporters at South Block on Friday.



He was asked a question on the remarks made by Chief of US Pacific Command Admiral Harry Harris. The American commander had pitched for a quad-lateral security dialogue among India, Japan, Australia and the US even as he hoped joint patrolling in the Asia Pacific region will happen in the future.



Harris had hoped that in "not too distant future", American and Indian Navy vessels steaming together will become "a common and welcome sight" throughout Indo-Asia-Pacific waters.



"I don't respond to what the US Admiral has said. Our viewpoint will come to you if we at all consider any such thing from our side. It may be his calibrated thinking," Parrikar said.



He said that the government and the Defence Ministry will take all decisions in the interest of the country.



While the US is keen that India joins them in joint patrolling, the Indian government is conscious of not drawing itself into a tussle between the US and China.



Meanwhile, asked if India would sign the long-pending Logistics Support Agreement with the US, the minister said that anything that will be done would be in the interest of the country.



"It has to benefit the nation on various counts. We definitely would say that this government is very active on almost everything. We don't like to unnecessarily delay things. So we definitely do paper work, discussions are going on many things," Parrikar said.



Defence sources have told PTI that India and the US could sign a key military logistics agreement as top officials from the two sides meet in New Delhi in April to look at ways to deepen the bilateral ties in the critical sector.



They have said one of the key areas of focus during the visit of US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter to India in April will be three contentious agreements that Washington has been pushing for long.



Known as the "foundational agreements", these pacts are -- Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA).



"Discussions are on. Logistics agreement, tweaked as per India's interests, is doable and may be signed. However, some more discussions are to be held on BECA," the sources have said, adding that CISMOA needs detailed discussions and clarifications.


Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/03/2016 (2422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA  Saskatchewans Opposition is promising to end ambulance fees for patients transferred between facilities.

NDP Leader Cam Broten also promises the party will scrap a per-kilometre rate for ambulances if it wins next months provincial election.

Broten made the pledges during a campaign-style announcement in Regina on Saturday morning.

The party says Saskatchewan is the only province to charge for medically necessary ambulance transfers between health facilities and is one of only two provinces that doesnt cap ambulance fees.

It says the per-kilometre fee disproportionately affects rural residents who must be transferred to city hospitals for care.

Rural and Remote Health Minister Greg Ottenbreit, meanwhile, says the SaskParty stands proudly by its record on healthcare, which he says is a stark contrast to that of the previous NDP government.

Ottenbreit reassured residents of the Craik area, where a town hall-style meeting on rural health was held Saturday, about the future of the communitys health facility. He said there were never plans to remove a full-time doctor and he turned the tables back on the NDP.

You cant blame communities when they have that fear and theyve seen, maybe, facilities under the previous government anyway, closing, Ottenbreit told CKRM radio.

The provincial election writ hasnt officially been dropped but the vote will be held April 4.

Broten says healthcare and government spending will be very important issues in the coming election.

The NDP estimates scrapping the ambulance fees will cost around $63 million over four years.

This election is about priorities, its about priorities. Promising excellent health care without a price tag for families is one of mine, Broten said.

(CKRM)
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/03/2016 (2422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG  School trustees are spending millions of dollars in local taxes to fund daily full-day kindergarten  even though the province steadfastly refuses to endorse or pay for the program.

The province does not track how many schools have FDK.

But the Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine has full-day kindergarten in all its 21 elementary schools, and there are at least 44 public schools in Winnipeg and Brandon in which FDK is either operating or is being proposed in draft budgets for September.

File photo Brandon School Division board of trustees chair Mark Sefton makes a point during a meeting in December.

Each year, more schools introduce a full day of kindergarten  the provincial government funds only the traditional half-day of kindergarten classes.

Winnipeg School Divisions draft budget calls for four more schools in September, and Louis Riel School Division is close to approving a pilot project in eight classrooms  in spite of both boards draft budgets hovering around a five per cent increase in local property taxes.

WSD already has nine schools with FDK, Pembina Trails has three, Brandon six (14 classes), and St. James-Assiniboia six schools.

St. James-Assiniboia decided a decade ago that it would concentrate all its provincial grant for at-risk students to give children in its lowest-income neighbourhoods a full day of kindergarten.

Elsewhere, trustees are using school taxes. WSD board chair Mark Wasyliw said his division calculates it costs $50,000 a year for each school.

Pembina Trails Supt. Ted Fransen says that the program gives disadvantaged kids the boost they need to be ready for Grade 1.

Generally, FDK kids are ready for Grade 1 by the end of the year. They are more socialized. Behavioural issues are reduced because children have more time to become familiar with school expectations. Oral language skills improve over the year as do literacy and numeracy skills. These positive results are to be expected given the fact theyre at school twice as long as they normally would be.

The need for full-day kindergarten is largely determined by socio-economic factors within the community served by the school, Fransen said.

The DSFM has five Winnipeg schools with 239 children in FDK, funding the program with both property taxes and with its special allocation of federal funding for minority language programming, Supt. Alain Laberge said from Lorette.

Louis Riel S.D. is eager to give it a try, said Supt. Duane Brothers, who pointed out that the eight classrooms would be chosen based on socioeconomic need and available space.

We have it in our draft to have a pilot in September. Weve done a lot of research out of Ontario, weve been to a couple of schools in Pembina Trails. We see it as something that would really benefit our young learners, he said.

Brandon school board chair Mark Sefton said his board plans to add three schools in September at a cost of $230,000.

It has the most positive impact on meeting the current and future learning needs of our students, he said.

In St. James-Assiniboia, said a senior official, Our studies showed definite gains in terms of student learning in addition to increased social competency for those that attended FDK. It is important to note that we also found that it was critical for the students to have literacy-rich, developmentally appropriate instruction for early childhood in these classrooms in order for the gains to be sustained over time.

Park West S.D. CEO and Supt. Tim Mendel said from Birtle that his division uses only certified teachers in its fledgling program, in which eight schools have a full day of kindergarten every second day in the first semester, then a daily full day in the second term.

Theres no full day kindergarten in River East Transcona, or in Seven Oaks, where Supt. Brian OLeary noted that we dont have the physical space and likely not the financial resources to contemplate the option. We have parent/caregiver and child literacy programming in all our schools as a response to the need for early years programming.

Meanwhile, said Wasyliw, Weve targeted FDK in schools with high needs and students from low socio-economic backgrounds as a tool to combat the effects of the achievement gap between high needs students and their counterparts in the WSD.

Research I have reviewed from other jurisdictions shows it is an effective tool to catch children up who come into the system behind their peers, due largely to socio-economic reasons, Wasyliw said. It allows for special needs or learning disabilities to be detected early and strategies put in place to counter act their effects. It enhances social competence and communication skills.

Some of our students come to our schools knowing 30 words of English and remain behind their peers their entire academic career. This program helps catch them up. Language development is a key factor in academic success. At-risk youth may not come from homes where these skills are being developed and this extra programming gives them the support they need, Wasyliw said.

 Winnipeg Free Press
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/03/2016 (2422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Progressive Conservative government will put an end to spotlight hunting in the province, the partys critic for Conservation and Water Stewardship said Friday.

Speaking from the Manitoba Wildlife Federations annual general meeting in Brandon yesterday, Shannon Martin said the practice of hunting at night using a spotlight is dangerous.

This is an issue of safety and conservation, said Martin, who represents the Morris constituency.

Progressive Conservative MLA Shannon Martin.

A Tory government will work with stakeholders, including indigenous hunters, to ban the practice and consider increasing resources to the department to enforce existing rules.

Martin said the NDP government has dragged its feet on the file and that Saskatchewan has deemed spotlight hunting a dangerous practice for close to two decades.

Nothing on this file has been done, and were going to end that, he said.

Chief Conservation Officer Jack Harrigan said Manitoba took a different approach than Saskatchewan at the time, bringing in legislation that created punitive fines and measures against spotlight hunters deemed to be taking part in dangerous or illegal activities.

More than 50 vehicles have been seized from spotlight hunters since 1994.

The penalty was a deterrent, and we thought we had fixed the problem, but what weve seen in the past year is a slight increase in complaints in night hunting, Harrigan said.

Some of that uptick might be traced to fact hunters know its extremely difficult for conservation officers to make a case against them. Evidence and eyewitness reports can often be discounted if charges end up in court.

Harrigan believes its time to start consultations with First Nations hunters in the province for conservation and safety reasons.

Its a big issue, he said. I dont agree with night hunting. Its dangerous to discharge a firearm  It can potentially be dangerous at any time, but at night you can only really see everything within the beam of light and very little outside of it.

Knowing your backstop is a hallmark of safe hunting, and Harrigan said thats almost impossible at night.

Ultimately, the issue will need to be a priority for policy makers for those consultations to move forward.

In 2006, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that First Nations hunters have a right to harvest at any time  day or night  throughout the year.

While thats true, it only applies to Crown land or private land where permission has been granted. Harrigan said a lot of problems arise when hunters are on Crown land but animals are standing on private land. He said hunters have become more mobile and weapons have evolved to the point where its possible to harvest an animal so quick that its often not reported until the following day, when its too late.

In January 2010, Ramie Fontaine shot and killed Jason Guimond while hunting near Sagkeeng First Nation. Fontaine mistook Guimond for a moose and fatally shot him while using a spotlight. Fontaine got 13 months in jail for the incident.

Manitoba Wildlife Federation director Rob Olson said he hopes it doesnt take another death for the government and stakeholders to understand that spotlight hunting is a dangerous practice.

Its getting worse  more aggressive and more intense, Olson said.

If the province isnt going to outright ban hunting at night, Olson said he would at least like to see clearly defined areas where it is permittable. Remote areas up north, where hunters use moonlight to stalk their prey, might make sense, according to Olson.

For safety and conservation reasons, however, he would like to see spotlight hunting banned.

Its not a sustainable hunting practice for moose, Olson said. Moose are in decline in every area of the province where there are roads.

He compared moose to the canary in the coal mine, serving as a warning for wildlife management across the board. Olson said due to the declining moose population in the province that hunters are already shifting their attention to elk or moving further afield, such as Saskatchewan, to hunt the large animal.

Aboriginals in Saskatchewan need those moose to hunt, Olson said.

Lets put the resource first. I think the consultations will go well, but the government has to do the work.

A call to the Southern Chiefs Organization wasnt returned by press time.

 ctweed@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @CharlesTweed
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/03/2016 (2422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The call is out for volunteers to help with the second city-wide audit of Brandons homeless situation.

Last year, volunteers scoured the city on Jan. 21 and found 117 people to be homeless. This year, project co-ordinator Mark Anderson said the Point-in-Time Count will go ahead on Wednesday, April 13.

We went a little later in the spring to try and offset least years count which was a colder count in January  which shows kind of starker needs or realities. Moving up a few months, were hoping, will give us another glimpse into the community as to what is happening seasonally, Anderson said.

The Wheat Citys count will be one of at least 30 communities across Canada, part of the national Homelessness Partnering Strategy, which provides an estimated $441,000 for Brandon projects annually until 2019.

For a 12-hour period starting at 11 a.m. on April 13, volunteers will walk through designated areas and set up in relevant agencies and organizations in Brandon, which is identified as a designated city that received federal funding for the count.

The dataset is all anonymous, so theres no identifiers or population indicators. That data is sent back to Ottawa which they use in their aggregate, their national picture. Locally, we use it to determine whether were moving forward or not in terms of assisting folks  and thats part of the Housing First project, Anderson said.

Brandon will need at least 60 volunteers, but Anderson is hoping for at least 80 to come out for a one- to three-hour shift.

Of the 117 counted last year, a third were women and a fifth had children with them under the age of five. Nearly half (47 per cent) were under the age of 30.

Our local numbers drive local programming and show us priority and need areas for the different groups that are involved, Anderson said.

The first glance at this years figures should be available near the end of April.

We do our initial summary release and that happens fairly quickly  about two weeks. Then theres a fuller, more academic response thats generated from that and thats a multi-page document (that takes about) four to six weeks, he said.

To register or for more information, email Anderson at info@imatter-bdn.ca or visit imatter-bdn.ca.

 tbateman@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @tombatemann
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2016 (2421 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASHINGTON  A veteran of the Obama White House who specialized in international outreach says Canadas rookie prime minister has an extremely rare opportunity for a foreign leader: the chance to be heard by Americans.

Brett Bruen shared some thoughts in advance of Justin Trudeaus red-carpet visit this week, based on his own career as a U.S. diplomat who until recently was the White House director of global engagement.

He said foreign leaders are forever struggling to get American attention  for themselves, but more importantly for the priorities that matter to them and their citizens.

In this Nov. 19, 2015 file photo, President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stand up following their bilateral meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila, Philippines. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Susan Walsh

Its incredibly challenging, Bruen said in an interview.

Washington receives a staggering number of high-profile visits  last year the Chinese president was overshadowed by another guest arriving the same week, Pope Francis.

Bruen said Canadas new leader has an opportunity to be heard amid that noise.

Trudeau has become a minor U.S. celebrity  with profiles in Vogue magazine, the style and review sections of the New York Times, in the Washington Post this week and CBSs 60 Minutes on Sunday. The 60 Minutes piece among other things touched on Trudeaus childhood at the side of his father Pierre Trudeau, his much publicized charity boxing match with Sen. Patrick Brazeau, his governments move to accept more Syrian refugees and the decision to pull fighter jets out of the fight against the Islamic State.

Bruen said Trudeau could capitalize by doing more unconventional media. He suggested reaching Americans who dont follow the news  in places as unusual as sitcom appearances.

Establish him as an American celebrity Thats one of the unique opportunities offered by his prime ministership, said Bruen, who left the White House last year and now advises clients at Global Situation Room.

Heres someone whos young, dynamic, whos piqued the interest certainly of pundits and observers. Now you want to go capture the interest of the man or woman on the street wholl say, Yeah, I know Prime Minister Trudeau. When he speaks about immigration issues or climate change or trade, Im going to pay closer attention, because hes someone that I see regularly.

That level of attention can be a double-edged sword.

The risk-reward potential was evident last week, in two headlines in the U.S. congressional newspaper, The Hill. One may have been intended as a compliment: Canadian Obama to visit White House. But there were some less-than-flattering responses to, Canadas prime minister to Americans: Pay more attention to the world.

Whats beyond dispute is how rare all of this is for a Canadian leader.

Its in some ways a throwback to another era.

The Canadian Press examined American news coverage of every prime ministerial visit to the U.S. since 1933 and found two clear, long-term trendlines: Far fewer bilateral meetings with visiting Canadian leaders, and a huge drop in the level of attention American media pay to them.

Canadian prime ministers used to visit often, sometimes multiple times per year. American newspaper writers would run long stories in prominent places on even the non-answers of the famously tight-lipped Mackenzie King.

Not only did prime ministers address Congress. So did governor-general Vincent Massey, in 1954, and it got big front-page treatment in the New York Times  an almost unthinkable scenario today.

The big shift started in the 1950s, as jet travel took leaders to more distant destinations and new international organizations replaced one-on-one meetings.

A former Canadian ambassador to Washington said Trudeau has a chance to reverse some of that. He predicted more attention to this state-level visit than the last one, which he helped organize in 1997.

Were under the radar most of the time, Raymond Chretien said.

With the U.S., theres more interest in the countries that represent a threat. If Ayatollah Khamenei was coming to Washington, that would get more media attention than a Canadian prime minister.

I think there will be a lot more media attention this time than the last (state dinner in 1997)  because its a new government, a new prime minister, very young, who has a name that resonates with people. Americans remember his dad.
A terrorist weapons haul has been discovered in a forest park in the North.

Bomb-making parts and explosives were recovered from Carnfunnock Country Park, near Larne, Co Antrim.

The discovery came after a member of the public reported a suspicious object to police yesterday afternoon.

A number of small plastic barrels were subsequently found buried in a wooded area.

Police said the barrels contained a significant number of bomb-making components, including partially constructed devices and a small quantity of explosives.

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Gillian Kearney said it was unclear which terror group the items belonged to.

"All of these items will be subjected to a detailed forensic examination," she said.

"Until this has been completed, it is too early to link these items to any particular grouping, but we are following a number of lines of inquiry.

"I would ask the public to remain vigilant, wherever they are and whatever they are doing. If people report suspicious activity to police, we will act on it to keep people safe.

"We apologise that the park will remain closed for some time while a full clearance operation is carried out, but I hope people will understand the need to put public safety first."

The discovery came just over 24 hours after a prison officer was badly injured when a dissident republican car bomb detonated under his van in Belfast.

The 52-year-old father of three required surgery after the blast in the east of the city.

Police have warned that dissidents are planning a surge of violence in the run-up to the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Stormont Justice Minister David Ford condemned those who left the weapons.

"Those responsible for leaving these munitions have no regard for human life and are motivated by a need to create fear and disruption in our community," he said.

"Thankfully, due to the swift actions of the public and the professionalism and expertise of security forces, a potentially serious incident has been averted. I commend all involved for their vigilance."
The Taoiseach Enda Kenny is being urged to contact the President of Egypt to secure the release of Ibrahim Halawa.

The 20-year-old Dubliner's trial is due to take place today, it will be the 13th time Ibrahim is set to appear before the Egyptian courts.
A man has been charged with illegally boarding a plane at Heathrow Airport.

The Metropolitan Police were called to the London airport at around 11.40am on Saturday.

Louis Pedro Verdasca dos Santos Costa, 38, of Stonehill Road, Hounslow, has been charged with unlawfully being airside, and of unlawfully being on an aircraft.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "He has been remanded into custody at a west London police station and will appear at court at the earliest opportunity next week."

Heathrow Airport and British Airways have been asked for comment.
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9.40am: Two lanes of Northbourne Avenue are still blocked following a crash between a cyclist and a car at the intersection with Wakefield Avenue. Although police say that one should be clearing up soon there may still be some traffic congestion.

9.06am: Two southbound lanes are blocked outside the ABC in Dickson after a car hit a cyclist on Northbourne Avenue. A man in his 20s has been taken to Canberra Hospital.

8.45am: Apparently a two-car crash is still impacting Anthony Rolfe Drive, just outside Bunnings Gungahlin.

8.42am: We're just getting reports that a cyclist was hit by a car turning left on the intersection of Northbourne Avenue and Macarthur/Wakefield Avenue in Dickson southbound. Emergency services are on the scene.

8.18am: Police say they're still waiting on tow trucks to arrive at a two-vehicle crash on Anthony Rolfe Drive, just outside Bunnings Gungahlin.

7.56am: Police are advising motorists to steer clear of a crash on Anthony Rolfe Drive, just outside Bunnings Gungahlin. Two cars were blocking the road.

7.41am: A two-vehicle crash outside Bunnings Gungahlin is blocking traffic on Anthony Rolfe Avenue.

7.36am: Looks like there;s been a crash near Bunnings in Gungahlin on Franz Bormann Close and Anthony Rolfe Avenue. Emergency services are there.

If you see any accidents or have any info on the morning commute, let us know whenever it is safe to do so. Email morningblog@canberratimes.com.au or tweet us @canberratimes.



Enlighten festival has a number of events on this week - it runs until Saturday March 12.

The Night Noodle Markets is on every evening this week until March 13.

The 27th Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is back at Palace Electric Cinemas with 48 flicks from March 3-29.

The Australian War Memorial's Voices from the Front exhibition continues, telling the stories from the First World War through the letters and diaries of those who served. More details here.

See 2015's best political cartoons at the Behind the Lines exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.

Touch or click through for more Pat Campbell

Today: Sunny. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the evening then becoming light in the late evening. Max 34.

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. Light winds. Min 15, max 33.
A little bit of luck, a little bit of foresight, and a lot of frames.

That's how Canberran Ian Houghton managed to snag this dramatic image of lightning streaking down over Black Mountain this year.

Summer photocomp winner Ian Houghton of McKellar. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Mr Houghton's photo took out this year's Canberra Times summer photo competition, earning him a $500 prize for his efforts.

"I was down near the War Memorial taking photos of the poppies and everything inside. Saw a bit of lightning in the background so when I finished I went up the top near Ainslie and tried to take a few lightning shots, which I've never done before," Mr Houghton said.
As he approaches his 93rd birthday, you could forgive pokie legend Len Ainsworth for wanting to cash in his $473 million jackpot at Ainsworth Game Technology (AGI) and spread the wealth to charitable causes.

If only his fellow shareholders were a bit more understanding about the need to let Lenny sell out at a handsome premium to the current share price, and accept their lot as minority investors in a gaming outfit controlled by a bunch of Austrians.

If it is any consolation, consider the plight of Lenny's children who are marooned on their $1.2 billion stake in the pokie czar's original enterprise, Aristocrat Leisure.

When Len had his near death experience, some time ago now, he bequeathed his Aristocrat shares to his children. But the self-described "benevolent despot" put in a kicker.
Woolworths' newly promoted chief Brad Banducci will not get embroiled in the exit from Masters Home Improvement, ensuring an unwavering focus on the grocery business and repairing Australia's biggest supermarket chain.

Speaking to investors following the release of their $972.7 million half-year loss, Woolworths' chief financial officer David Marr is believed to have said Mr Banducci would be "deliberately" kept out of the Masters negotiations.

The decision to quarantine the new chief executive from the hardware business and the protracted negotiations to buy out the 33.3 per cent Lowe's stake in the Masters chain has been welcomed by analysts, who see it as a sign of Woolworths' commitment to get the supermarkets humming again.

"It's clear to me that the future of Woolworths is food and liquor," one market watcher said.
The Attorney-General's department continues to "finalise" its review of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act. Rarely has a finalisation process taken so long to finalise.

The department has been "finalising" this review for some months now, a review which was supposed to have been put before parliament last year; indeed this is a review of laws which were originally supposed to have passed into statute eight long years ago.

Tighter controls on laundered money could slow surging property prices

Had these laws been enacted for real estate agents, as well as lawyers and accountants as was intended, they may have stemmed the flow of Chinese money into Sydney and Melbourne property markets. Housing might have been more affordable for first home buyers. The market distortion which is the metropolitan real estate bubble might have been tempered.

Now the dithering looks set to continue. It may be too late. House prices have run too high and the government is loath to frustrate the flow of the Chinese billions in case the property bubble is pricked.
The cardinal might also be tempted by the prospect of a peaceful retirement and given his unpopularity in Australia he could head for an English parish in Oxford, the place where he studied as a young priest and is known to be fond of.

But hastening Pell's departure may not be the only outcome of the royal commission. By having such a senior church figure cross-examined in Rome, the clerical sex abuse cover up has been placed firmly on the Vatican's doorstep. In the past the commission would have been viewed as an Australian matter taking place at a comfortable distance of 16,000 kilometres away.

The truth is that there are some in Rome whose approach to abuse would not come out well under a cross-examination from Ms Furness. A few weeks before the cardinal took the stand, it emerged that newly ordained bishops had been told at a Vatican training course that they are not obliged to report allegations to statutory authorities. Similarly, in Italy, the hierarchy's own guidelines say they not compelled to report.

Another defensive approach to the matter was taken last week by Cardinal Gerhard Muller, in charge of the Holy See's doctrinal office, who said that the majority of priests had been "bitterly wronged" by generalisations about abuse. Speaking to a German newspaper he went on to say that the phrase "hush up" was being used far too freely in relation to bishops.

Too many senior people in Vatican positions still don't "get it" when it comes to abuse, often seeing the matter through a strict legal prism or believing the crisis has been whipped up by the media. The needs of victims, meanwhile, seem very low on the priority list.
Things are bad when an early double-dissolution election offers the best chance for voters to get a reasonable standard of government. Things were bad under Tony Abbott and are still bad under Malcolm Turnbull: worse than anyone imagined, on policy, communication and personnel grounds.

The Herald believes governments should as a rule run to their full term so as to reflect the will of the people who elected them. In this case, though, we make an exception because this Prime Minister has not yet put his case to the electors. We cannot discern any cohesive economic and reform agenda from the Coalition. Nor can we see how Mr Turnbull can operate while being undermined by the Abbott camp.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

True, the logistics for a double-dissolution election on July 2 are difficult. Extra Senate sittings will be required to seek passage  or rather blockage  of the building watchdog legislation. But other triggers exist as well. Calling the early poll by May 11 also poses problems for money bills and the opposition's budget in reply speech. These can be overcome for the sake of better government.

Firstly, the opportunity beckons to have an upper house that reflects voter intention, rather than one elected by dodgy rules that benefited micro-parties. Now the rules are being changed with the support of the Greens and independent Nick Xenophon but notably not Labor. What a sad indictment it was on Saturday when the micro-parties met with so-called preference whisperer Glenn Druery in a self-professed "war room" to deal with the risk of democratic Senate elections. The new rules will strip Mr Druery and his ilk of much of their unearned power. If the micro-party candidates cannot campaign and argue for policy to attract votes, then they should not be elected. A double-dissolution election would also avoid the likelihood of three years of Senate wrecking by the micro-party senators who will remain should only half the Senate be up for election this year.
However, he was uncharacteristically upstaged by Labor leader Bill Shorten, who became the first leader of a either of the two major political party to actually march.

It was a historic event in that it was the first time a sitting PM attended: Malcolm Turnbull popped along , as he often does since the event is held in his electorate, despite reportedly being warned that attending would be "dangerous" by conservative members of his party. You know, because gay people um, spit venom? Exude a poisonous mist?

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and wife Lucy greet revellers on Oxford Street at for Mardi Gras, ahead of not doing anything serious about marriage equality.

Sydney turned out in force for the annual celebration of LGBTI pride, possibly because it's one of the few events that locals can attend without being gently patted on their head and told to run along home by the state government's lockout laws.

He didn't miss the opportunity to call out the PM over his government's deliberate foot-dragging on same-sex marriage. "Marriage quality is a simple, overdue change to Australian law that could be made a reality today if Malcolm Turnbull would just grant his MPs a free vote," he said, adding that Labor would bring the matter to a vote within 100 days of winning power.

The government, however, are still determined to hold their expensive, socially divisive and legislatively non-binding plebiscite on the matter, despite their own MPs and senators making clear they have no intention of respecting the result if they don't like it. George Brandis reiterated that we could be spending $160 million on the national opinion poll as soon as this year, if the Coalition are returned to power. So yay?

And while last week featured the sight of the out and proud new Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman delivering his maiden speech in Parliament and declaring his support for marriage equality (pointedly adding that "too many are prepared to peddle prejudice Coming out remains hard for many people - and believe me, I know what that's like") his party is still perfectly prepared to deny him equal civil rights.

As The Weekly accurately pointed out, the debate over Safe Schools has demonstrated that our elected representatives struggle to talk about gay people with the slightest respect - with Cory Bernardi even blithely declaring on Sky News that the Safe Schools programme for bullied LGBTI kids should be scrapped because, among other things, kids could always rely on teachers and chaplains, just in time for Cardinal George Pell to explain how he wasn't very interested in the "sad story" being told to him about children being abused by paedophile members of his clergy working in Catholic schools. Timing truly is everything, Cozza.

Meanwhile there's another issue about which the government and Labor aren't even bothering to pay lip service, despite being related to the rights of gay people: where we're choosing to imprison them.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has ignored repeated peace offerings by senior colleagues Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne since his downfall as leader, a new book claims, in further signs of damaging disunity within the government just months out from a federal election.

The book by political commentator Niki Savva, The Road to Ruin, How Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin destroyed their own government, also alleges Mr Abbott slapped the buttocks of his chief of staff Peta Credlin, not realising a minister witnessed the behaviour. Fairfax Media has independently verified this account.

Mr Abbott and Ms Credlin both deny any romantic involvement. They have accused Savva of unethical journalism, complaining she did not put any claims to them before publishing.

There have been growing signs that the relationship between Mr Abbott and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is deteriorating, including last week when Mr Abbott said he was "flabbergasted" by what he saw as a late delivery timeline for a future submarine fleet.
Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield has acknowledged some areas of Canberra's south have poor internet access, but has not included them on the NBN priority list.

In a letter to Canberra MP Gai Brodtmann, Mr Fifield said it was not possible or commercially viable to prioritise all areas of poor connectivity in Australia at the same time.

Communicatios Minister Mitch Fifield acknowledged the poor connectivity in suburbs such as Theodore but said the government would not alter the rollout plan. Credit:Andrew Meares

More than 770 Tuggeranong residents presented Mr Fifield with a petition in December complaining about a digital divide, with only Wanniassa and Kambah listed for NBN in the next three years.

Gungahlin was granted early access to the NBN by the former federal Labor government because of the inferior telecommunications infrastructure installed when the suburb was built.
Trust Melbourne to turn on the mother of Indian summers during a winter fashion festival.

With kilometres of lace, leather and other cooler-climate fabrics due to head down the catwalk over the next week for the 20th Melbourne Fashion Festival, winter was the furthest thing on anyone's mind as 500 fashion industry heavyweights, designers, media and "influencers", and more than a few beautiful people gathered at Government House under summery skies on Sunday afternoon for the official launch.

Over the next seven days the Melbourne Museum precinct will be transformed into a fashionista's wonderland, with parades, a plaza of bars, beauty pop-ups and exhibitions, and a full cultural program.

The catwalk shows begin on Monday night with David Jones, where Jesinta Campbell will take her first steps in Melbourne for the department store since signing on as a full-time ambassador last month.
Australia will be well represented at this week's Paris Fashion Week shows with Kym Ellery set to showcase her second on schedule collection while several Aussies are set to be VIP guests sitting front row at some of the most sought-after fashion events in Europe.

Francesca Packer, James' 21-year-old niece, will attend the Louis Vuitton show as a guest of the fashion house and will be accompanied by her publicist, and avid fashion fan, Roxy Jacenko.

Francesca Packer Barham is becoming one of our best fashion curators, she'll be front row at the Louis Vuitton show in Paris this week.

While Jacenko wouldn't be drawn on the perks of the trip, being invited by a major fashion house to attend the international shows suggests they are both big-spending fans of the brand. Let's just say if Louis Vuitton had a Woolies-style Everyday Rewards program, both would already have the full deck of those Disney collector cards by now.
Commonwealth Bank is under fire over the handling of mental health claims in its insurance arm that saw even one of its own star employees battling for compensation.

Former Commonwealth customer services representative Matthew Attwater, 32, won a top award from the bank in 2010 for his performance at work.

Matt Attwater is a former CBA employee who battled for three years to get an insurance payout from CommInsure.

But he was told to "ill-health retire" in 2013 as he struggled to cope with the aftermath of a vicious attack in which he was beaten and his beloved dog was decapitated.

The bank's psychiatrist found Mr Attwater was suffering from "severe" post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses.
A second Aboriginal health service in western Sydney is on the brink of closure, after the collapse of the Aboriginal medical service in NSW last year.

The Nepean Aboriginal Health Service was set up in Penrith as a bulk-billing practice and registered charity by former employees of the Western Sydney Aboriginal Medical Service, which went into liquidation with debts of $4 million last year.

Western Sydney Aboriginal Medical Service nurse unit manager John Gallagher, before the Mt Druitt service lost community control. Credit:Nick Moir

But public officer Dea Thiele, who poured $500,000 of her personal superannuation into the Nepean service, conceded on Thursday that it had run out of money less than four months after it started accepting patients.

She had been unable to secure any government grants during that time, and the service will close within the week without a lifeline.
A major supplier to supermarket giant Woolworths paid workers a pittance for working 72-hour weeks and threatened they would be replaced by machines if they joined a union.

The allegations, included in signed statements from workers provided to Fairfax Media, are the latest in a string of exploitation cases involving suppliers to Coles and Woolworths.

Sana Ullah says he was underpaid and exploited as a worker on a farm that supplied carrots to Woolworths. Credit:Simon Schluter

They involve allegations of unlawful conduct and serious breaches of Woolworths' own ethical sourcing policy.

Sana Ullah, a former worker at carrot producer Zerella, told Fairfax Media he did not receive a cent of overtime despite working regular 12-hour shifts until 5am packing carrots.
The fight to build a private hospital next to Royal Prince Alfred has been "going on longer than the Trojan War", a judge wryly commented in one of dozens of judgments handed down in the extraordinary legal battle between a medical entrepreneur and public health bureaucrats.

Last week, the mammoth case took another turn when a court found a development application (DA) granted almost 20 years ago is still valid, meaning Dr Thomas Wenkart has jumped another hurdle in his long-held dream of a five-star facility next door to one of Australia's most prestigious teaching hospitals.

The private hospital site at Camperdown bounded by Carillion Avenue and New Hospital Road. Credit:Dallas Kilponen

Sydney Local Health District had argued the approval to build Prince Alfred Private Hospital granted by the City of Sydney Council in 1997 had lapsed since nothing had been done on the site since the developer was evicted in March 2000.

But the Supreme Court disagreed, finding the demolition of existing buildings, bulk excavation and earth works carried out by Dr Wenkart's Macquarie International Health on the land behind the decommissioned King George V Memorial Hospital at a cost of $6.3 million prior to eviction means consent did not lapse.
Queensland black lung disease sufferers, mining and health experts will all give evidence Monday morning to a powerful Senate committee investigating the recent re-emergence of the disease in Queensland after 30 years.

Black lung disease is the term used to describe coal workers' pneumoconiosis, which is caused by prolonged exposure to coal dust.

Ipswich black lung sufferer Percy Verrall is dealing with the health effects of a lifetime working in underground coal mines. Mr Verrell gives evidence on Monday to a federal health inquiry. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Queensland is the only state where black lung has re-emerged, despite extensive coal mining in New South Wales and Victoria, as well as Queensland.

It was eliminated from Queensland for 30 years until September 2015, when it was reported in a few paragraphs in an annual report from the Queensland Mines Inspectorate.
Fraser Island's tourism industry was proof that North Stradbroke Island could successfully transition from sand mining to tourism, Queensland's deputy premier Jackie Trad said on Sunday.

The Queensland Government on Sunday rejected claims by North Stradbroke sand miner Sibelco that it will take 40 years for the impact of halting sandmining on the island to be balanced.

Proposed Toondah Harbour Cleveland. Credit:Toondah Harbour artists impressio

"We know that when Fraser Island stopped sand mining, as well as stopped timber harvesting, there was a transition process," Ms Trad said.

"But now it is one of the most iconic venues, places, for people to holiday in Queensland. Fraser Island today - you wouldn't imagine it being mined, sand mined or timber felled."
"It takes a long time for the saucepan of water to equilibriate to the flame that is under it," he said. "The climate of the earth is controlled by the oceans, it is not controlled by the land; it is the oceans that are the big guys," he said. "They have the thermal inertia. The land doesn't have any thermal inertia and the atmosphere has next to none, he said. "The oceans have got it all. We have put in this blanket of warning from carbon dioxide and they oceans are gradually responding to it. "And the lag time is 20 or 30 years.

"So we won't see the results of today's carbon dioxide levels for another 20 to 30 years." A school teacher nicknamed a younger John Veron, "Charlie" after the father of evolution, Charles Darwin, because he asked so many questions. Dr Veron on Sunday backed a $300,000 television commercial produced by the conservation activist group, GetUp, which argues coal should be left in the ground, the Adani Group's Carmichael coal mine in central Queensland should be rejected and Australia should move immediately to renewable energy. Dr Veron likens the impact of rising carbon emissions from automobiles and coal mining on the world's weather to an emerging 'environmental war' for the Great Barrier Reef.

He says he has researched rising carbon emissions now found in the atmosphere and is pessimistic about the impact, likening it to the learning of the impact of WWII before it started. "They know what is going to happen and they see little 'short-term fixes' here and there and complaints and they scream 'this is going to happen," Dr Veron said. "I know what the science says and the science is not wrong. The science has been right on the mark. Climate change is the first big thing that has been controlled by science  most 'wars' have been controlled by people and politics, but this is controlled by science. "And the science is incredibly right." The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority reported ocean temperature increases of 2.5 degrees above the summer average while investigating coral bleaches.

"The next few weeks will be critical in terms of this bleaching event," Queensland's Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles said. "I am crossing my fingers that we will not see any broad-scale bleaching events like those that endangered the Reef in 1998 and 2002, and an intense event in the southern part of the Reef in 2006," he said. Dr 'Charlie' Veron says most of Queensland's inshore reefs are sub-standard barren and overseas tourists are questioning where our Great Barrier Reef is going. "When I first worked on the Great Barrier Reef, inshore fringing reefs were very interesting. In fact I described a lot of the new species from that work. And now most of them are all gone," he said. The television advertisement has been funded by GetUp and the Australian Marine Conservation Society, and features Whitsunday tall ship tourist operator, Lindsay Simpson.

"As a tourism operator I see the delight in people's faces and is nothing like picking people up at the end of the day when they tell about the magical world they have seen under the water," Ms Simpson said. "And we are the custodians of this and we have to do something," she said. "This coral bleaching is the major concerns and it is definitely related to global warming." Tourism linked to the Great Barrier Reef generates $6 billion and 70,000 tourism jobs. Imogen Zethoven, AMCS's Barrier Reef campaign director said the weather patterns in Queensland had changed in the past decade.
Then it was delayed while the government and the Opposition remained deadlocked over a permanent chair for the CCC parliamentary oversight committee, which was broken when Mr Seeney moved to the Ethics Committee and LNP MP Trevor Watts was appointed to the role last month.

Since then, it was delayed while a permanent chair for the Crime and Corruption Commission was found, which was overcome when Alan MacSporran was appointed to the job in September last year.

The inquiry was a key commitment made independent MP Peter Wellington while the Palaszczuk Government was seeking his support in the State's hung parliament.

It's the one inquiry the Palaszczuk Government has been slow to implement, but more than a year on from making the promise, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the inquiry into political donations in Queensland could go ahead.

Since then, the government has not said whether it would ask its members on the PCCC to ask the corruption watchdog to consider an inquiry, or what form it would take, or even what entities or time period it would cover.

The LNP has previously said it would have no issue with an inquiry into political donations, as long as it also took into account union donations and administrations prior to the Newman Government.

The government has not given any indication of what the potential terms of reference could look like, but on on Sunday, Ms Trad said the path had been cleared for the inquiry to move forward.

"I think it has been articulated very clear that while the chair of the PCCC was an issue that still needed to be resolved, then we couldn't proceed with the donation inquiry," she said.

"Now that Jeff Seeney is abandoning Lawrence Springborg and moving to the federal arena, he is no longer a contender for the chair of the PCCC and we do have an LNP member who will be chairing the PCCC and that inquiry can go ahead.
A Redlands City councillor caught with personal sex tapes and pornographic images on his ratepayer-funded laptop has defended storing the content the device, saying he is guilty only of being "red-blooded".

Division 2 councillor Craig Ogilvie, who is seeking re-election at the local government polls on March 19, also said he had not done anything wrong and the public revelation of the material on his computer was akin to being "slut-shamed".

Speaking with 612 ABC Brisbane breakfast host Spencer Howson on Monday morning, Mr Ogilvie admitted to storing personal sex tapes and pornographic material on his council-supplied devices, but refuted allegations he had also stored covert pictures taken of women in bikinis on the municipality's beaches.

"I think I'm guilty if anything of being red-blooded, and maybe more red-blooded than some, I don't know, I don't think so but certainly not guilty of any improper or illegal behaviour," he said.
Police are hunting two men after shots were fired into the ceiling of a home south-west of Brisbane on Sunday night.

Two men went to the home in Redbank, east of Ipswich, about 8pm, where a fight erupted with the home's occupants.

Shots were fired into the ceiling of a home near Ipswich on Sunday night. Credit:Nine News

Police said several people suffered minor injuries in the fight, before a gun was fired twice into the ceiling.

The two men then fled the scene.
The health of more than 1600 students at Strathmore Secondary College may be at risk from the CityLink-Tulla Widening project in what experts call a "failure of duty of care".

Medical and air quality experts have cast doubt on the methodology used to to predict pollution levels beside Transurban's toll road, with particular concerns about the impact of traffic on an huge new bridge to be built five metres from classrooms and along the school's oval.

Exhausted: Strathmore school councillor Jim Kounetas is concerned about the air quality modeling done for the CityLink and its impact on school students like his son Sebastian who suffers chronic asthma. Credit:Justin McManus

Assessment undertaken for Transurban's project by technical consultancy Aecom found air quality would remain within acceptable levels, despite a 30 per cent increase in traffic volumes on the freeway and 79 per cent on the exit ramp beside the northern suburbs school. As a result, no pollution mitigation measures were recommended.

However, experts said the "macro" modelling, based on average speeds of 80km/h over peak and non-peak periods, failed to model the "micro" exposures of some communities. Nor did it account for the stop-start nature of traffic on the new bridge, or on the freeway after the project's introduction of traffic metering.
Police are searching for three teenagers after a 13-year-old boy was racially taunted and assaulted on a suburban bus last month.

Harjeet Singh was riding a bus home from school on Tuesday, February 23 when the group racially abused him, elbowed him and tried to pull his turban off.

Harjeet Singh was left shocked and scared after he was racially vilified on a suburban bus. Credit:7 News Melbourne

The Doncaster Secondary College student is now too scared to travel to and from school alone.

Police have released CCTV images captured on the bus of three teens they want to speak to.
India's state airline Air India is operating what it claims to be the world's longest flight staffed only by women, flying from New Delhi to San Francisco to mark International Women's Day.

A team of four pilots and 10 cabin crew were on board the Boeing 777-LR that departed Delhi early on Sunday, airline spokesman G Prasada Rao said.

All-women team: Air India is attempting to set a world record for International Women's Day. Credit:Twitter/Air India

The non-stop flight will cover some 12,300 kilometres in around 16 hours. It will return on International Women's Day on March 8.

The entire flight operation  including check-in, ground handling and traffic control  will be handled by women.
Mexico City: The once-secretive Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has launched a public relations blitz, calling on his lawyers and even his common-law wife to keep his name in the news.

Emma Coronel, mother of Guzman's twin four-year-old daughters, has given unprecedented media interviews, issuing dire warnings about his health and pressuring the government to improve the conditions he endures his third time behind bars.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is made to face the press as he is escorted by Mexican soldiers and marines in Mexico City in January following his recapture six months after escaping from a maximum security prison. Credit:AP

His lawyers have gathered the media at Mexico's supreme court and outside the White House in Washington. On Friday, one of Guzman's lawyers called a news conference outside the maximum-security Altiplano prison where he's being held, and which he escaped from through a mile-long tunnel in July.

Wearing an "Extradition Never!!!" sweat shirt emblazoned with a photo of his client, attorney Jose Luis Gonzalez Meza said he planned to begin a hunger strike  water and juice allowed. He called on Mexicans to join him.
New York: An underwater research craft has spotted a "ghostlike" octopus that appears to belong to a previously unknown species.

The discovery on the ocean floor near Hawaii highlights how little is known about the deep sea, a United States zoologist said on Saturday.

The milky white creature, nicknamed "Casper the Friendly Ghost" by Twitter users, was caught on cameras mounted on the craft as it explored the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 4290 metres last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.

Describing the animal as an incirrate octopod, one of two main groupings of octopods, NOAA said it was the first time an incirrate was spotted so deep in the ocean.
Beijing: A woman from the central Chinese city of Xian has died in an elevator of the apartment building where she was living after remaining trapped in it for more than a month.

The police found the woman's body, which had begun decomposing, on March 1, and launched an investigation, news portal NetEase reported on Sunday.

"The scene was inhumane. We think she starved to death in there," one of the residents, Xiao Lin, told reporters.

Two Chinese maintenance workers face charges over the death of the 43-year-old woman, identified only by her surname Wu.
Aden: Gunmen who killed at least 15 people in an old people's home in Yemen last week also kidnapped an Indian priest, officials said on Sunday, as Pope Francis condemned the "indifference" of the world's reaction to it.

No one has claimed responsibility for Friday's attack in which four gunmen posing as relatives of one of the residents of the home burst in, killing four Indian nuns, two Yemeni staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard.

A man in the elderly care home that was attacked by gunmen in the port city of Aden on Friday. Credit:Wael Qubady

Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter that an Indian national identified as Father Tom Uzhunnalil had been "abducted by terrorists in Yemen".
Istanbul: Turkish police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters outside the country's biggest newspaper after authorities have seized control of it in a crackdown on a religious group whose leader the government accuses of treason.

A court on Friday appointed an administrator to run the flagship Zaman, English language Today's Zaman and Cihan agency, linked to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who, President Tayyip Erdogan said, was plotting a coup.

People run as riot police use tear gas and water cannons to disperse a crowd who are showing their support for the Zaman newspaper in Istanbul. Credit:AP

Rights groups and European officials have condemned the takeover, viewing it as proof that Turkey's government silences dissident views.

Other media outlets affiliated with Mr Gulen's movement were taken over in October.
Berlin: German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has branded leading US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump a threat to peace and prosperity, while Chancellor Angela Merkel said it had always been a pleasure to work with Democrat Hillary Clinton.

The comments by Mr Gabriel, Germany's Vice-Chancellor and leader of the Social Democrats, are the clearest sign yet that ruling politicians in Europe are increasingly worried about the outcome of the US presidential elections.

"Whether Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen or Geert Wilders  all these right-wing populists are not only a threat to peace and social cohesion, but also to economic development," Mr Gabriel told Welt am Sonntag newspaper in an interview published on Sunday.
Washington: The intensifying legal battle over encryption between Apple and the Justice Department has all but obscured another more subtle division, the one inside the Obama administration itself.

Driven by competing and sometimes clashing interests about privacy, national security and the economy, some of the president's most senior aides are staking out a variety of positions on the issue.

Defence Secretary Ash Carter believes it would be better to work out the encryption debate, rather than have a law written. Credit:AP

The White House denies there is disagreement over the effort to force Apple to break into the phone used by one of the terrorists in the San Bernardino, California, shootings, but the differences on how to deal with the broader questions raised by encryption have become increasingly apparent.

The FBI wants the ability to break into smartphones and computers for investigations. The Pentagon and intelligence officials worry that the same techniques could be used by foreign powers or hackers to drain data from phones used by the United States government, and that countries like China will demand the same access provided to US law enforcement officials.
Phillies win pivotal NLCS Game 3 behind Segura's clutch hit

Kyle Schwarber hit a leadoff homer in the first inning and Jean Segura's two-run single led the Phillies over the Padres in Game 3.
Over 160 people celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Friends of Burnham-On-Sea Hospital at a special event last night (Saturday).

The event, held at the Oaktree Arena, was well supported by the groups members and followers, many of whom wore gold and yellow in line with the golden anniversary theme.

Vice-Chairman Bernard Spilsbury told Burnham-On-Sea.com: 50 years is a special milestone for us and it was great to have so many supporters along to celebrate it. The event has been sold out for months.

He said that the Friends of Burnham Hospital, a registered charity, was formed in 1966 to support the towns War Memorial Hospital.

Although there have been many changes in the NHS and the role of our hospital during our 50 years, we pride ourselves in maintaining our primary objectives to provide funds to supplement the resources of the hospital, for the benefit of patients and staff, explained Bernard.

We also provide a link between the hospital and the local community, and since our inception we have raised in excess of 2million.

Bernard, pictured above with his wife, added: Some of the projects weve funded include a new annexe in 1997, and we also gave 310,000 towards a major refurbishment in 2009-2010 when every part of the hospital was upgraded.

No less important to users has been the provision of electronic beds and matresses, ward equipment, furniture, resources for patients and the refurbishment of the staff room.

To mark the 50th anniversary, the Friends is redesiging and resurfacing the hospitals courtyard this year to create a multi-use area. The new facilities are due to be opened in the Spring.

Saturdays celebration is expected to have raised further funds for the Friends, to help the hospital in the years to come.
PLAYING TO THE EDGE

American Intelligence in the Age of Terror

Michael V Hayden

Penguin Press

448 pages; $30



According to Michael V Hayden, President George W Bush personally intervened in 2005 to try to stop The New York Times from publishing an explosive scoop.

In one of his book's most memorable moments, the paper's Washington bureau chief, Philip Taubman; the executive editor, Bill Keller; and the publisher, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr, met with Mr Bush in the Oval Office to hear his objections to The Times's running a story about Stellarwind, a top-secret National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance programme. For several years, the programme had been sweeping up data without obtaining a warrant.

The president argued that exposing Stellarwind would invite another 9/11-style attack.

The story ran. No attack came. The sky did not fall. And herein lies my primary objection to this book. During the Bush years, Mr Hayden ran the NSA, served briefly as deputy director of National Intelligence, and then directed the CIA, but his assessment of the more controversial programmes he administered seems to ignore what happened after he left office in 2009.

We actually have more perspective now, and it turns out that pulling some of these programmes back from the edge has not resulted in more terror attacks in the US on the scale of September 11. On the other hand, the excesses have done profound and lasting damage.

Mr Hayden seems oblivious to this. He has written an occasionally engaging book about matters - moral, legal and technological - that are very complex, but he shows little interest in examining them. Throughout he is breezy and unapologetic. Branded as an arch-villain of the Bush era, Mr Hayden is determined here to show he was not just a successful military officer, but a good man, religious, a loving husband, someone who believes in the rule of law and constitutional limits, and a regular guy.

If the Bush administration overstepped privacy laws and basic decency, it did so only after careful in-house legal consideration and congressional oversight. White House legal memos and congressional briefings will hardly calm angry critics, but, in fairness, security officials felt a responsibility to protect the nation after September 11.

But we survey the same ground today better informed. Al Qaeda, as it was 20 years ago, no longer exists, thanks in part to Mr Hayden's efforts. Osama bin Laden is dead. We still face isolated, random acts of mass murder, but of a kind committed more by the lone killer than by organised terrorists.

Here and there Mr Hayden does a good job of making his case. He is particularly strong on NSA data collection. The word "warrantless," for instance. Collecting telecom data without a court warrant does not mean such collection is entirely "unwarranted," as in, unjustifiable.

Spectacular revelations about surveillance practices, like those leaked by Chelsea Manning and Edward J Snowden, spurred fears of a creeping Orwellian state, even though the vast stores of material outed seemed mostly to show ordinary government officials working hard, and even intelligently, at their jobs. Mr Hayden argues convincingly that he and others in the Bush administration had no interest in listening to your phone calls, unless you were chatting regularly with a known terrorist overseas.

But what he doesn't do in this book is take stock of how other measures stand up in retrospect. A good example is torture. Mr Hayden took over the CIA after authorisation of coercive interrogation tactics were withdrawn, but he remains a defender. He sees coercion simply as a useful intelligence-gathering tool, and I tend to agree, which doesn't mean it should be American policy.

This is not just a moral concern. The photos taken at Abu Ghraib, for instance, were arguably the single worst setback to the American military effort there. The fallout was bad enough for Mr Bush himself to abandon his support.

Mr Hayden reserves polite but withering scorn for President Barack Obama over many things, for hypocrisy (adopting many of the practices he criticised while campaigning); for the Iran deal (though he concedes that the president did not have "a lot of better choices"); but mostly for the decision to release the Bush administration "torture memos," the legal justifications for authorising coercive interrogation. Mr Hayden sees this as a shocking betrayal of the loyal officers inside the CIA who carried out orders. hE engages here in awkward hyperbole, quoting a veteran CIA officer as saying the release of those memos "hit the agency like a car bomb in the driveway."



Again, the sky has not fallen. To my knowledge, no CIA employee has been prosecuted or reprimanded.

Yet, Mr Hayden feels Mr Obama had not fully thought the thing through. He says he told the former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, "any future president who would want to resurrect the techniques had better practice up because he would have to administer them himself."



In other words, no agency officer in the future would dare.

Which seems to me precisely what Mr Obama had in mind.

2016 The New York Times News Service

Mark Bowden is the author of Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
The big ticket acquisitions in the cement sector, announced recently by UltraTech, Reliance Cement and the imminent sale by Lafarge, will depend on a crucial amendment to the law on transfer of mines.

At present, the Mines & Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2015, or the MMDR Act, does not allow the transfer of limestone mines to new owners of cement  unless the mines were granted through auctions.

The have appealed to the government to allow the transfer of mines, and are expecting an amendment to the Act in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament.

In case the amendment is not passed, the would have to seek alternative routes.

Aditya Birla Groups UltraTech Cement is in the process of acquiring the entire 22.4 million tonne cement capacity of Noida-based Jaiprakash Associates, or Jaypee. According to sources, UltraTech Cement will pay Rs 17,000 crore for the deal.

An UltraTech official said, if the amendment is not made, Jaypee will carve out a separate entity that will own the groups other businesses, such as hotels, construction and real estate. The residual company left behind will own the assets that UltraTech is acquiring.

When UltraTech completes the acquisition, it will also get the mining rights, under the current Act.

Earlier, the company did not acquire Jaypees cement units in Madhya Pradesh, as the Rs 5,500-crore deal would be considered a partial sale  and prevent the transfer of mining rights.

CONCRETE TROUBLE

Some big buyouts in the cement sector hinge on an amendment of the Mines & Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957: UltraTech Cement is acquiring the entire 22.4-million-tonne cement capacity of Noida-based Jaiprakash Associates

capacity of Noida-based Jaiprakash Associates To meet the Competition Commission of India guidelines after the global merger between Lafarge and Holcim, the former is now planning to sell all its assets in India. The Piramal group, the JSW group and KKR are in the race to buy the assets HURDLE: The MMDR Act does not allow transfer of mines other than those acquired through auction. The companies have appealed to the government to change the law

Seeking comments from the people on the proposed amendments of the MMDR Act in January, the government said the transfer of captive mining leases, not granted through auction, would help banks and financial institutions to liquidate stressed assets when a company or its captive mining lease is mortgaged.

The transfer provisions will also allow mergers and acquisitions of companies and facilitate the ease of doing business. It will also help improve profitability and decrease costs of those firms that are dependent on the supply of mineral ore from captive leases.

The Jaypee group and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group-owned Reliance Infrastructure were selling their cement units to retire their debts.

Earlier, Lafarge did not sell its 5.15 mtpa assets in east India to Birla Corporation, citing the same provisions in the MMDR Act.

To meet the Competition Commission of India guidelines after the global merger between Lafarge and Holcim, the former is now planning to sell all its assets in India.

The Piramal group, the JSW group and the KKR are in the race to buy the assets.

One of the reasons that prompted the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to amend the MMDR Act last year was transparent auction of natural resources.
Trent Hypermarket, a joint venture (JV) between Tata's Trent and UK's giant Tesco, is shifting gears after a decade of cautious and calibrated expansion.

During the next financial year, the chain is looking to open 20-30 stores across Maharashtra and Karnataka, the two states which permitted foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand at the time the JV was formed, a source told Business Standard.

This is the most store openings ever planned in a year during its history. The expansion could require a capex of Rs 100 crore.

The planned store openings are equal or more than the number of stores it currently operates. At present, the chain has 22 stores across Star Bazaar, Star Daily and Star Market brands.

The first Star Bazaar was opened in 2004 in Ahmedabad but the real expansion started after 2009. In March 2014, Tata-owned Trent and Tesco signed an agreement for an equal JV.

The new stores are being planned in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru, among other cities in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

An email sent to Trent Hypermarket did not elicit any response.

Though the Noel Tata-led Trent focused on profitability since inception, now they are planning to leverage their strengths in the back-end and experience in the front-end, the source said.

"They have distribution centres and supply chains in place in these states and it is easy for them to scale up," said the source.

Trent Hypermarket, posted a marginal decline in sales at Rs 790 crore during FY15, compared to Rs 795 crore a year earlier. Its loss before interest and tax narrowed to Rs 55 crore in FY15, from Rs 61.8 crore in the previous year. The numbers were not comparable as Trent Hypermarket transferred four operating stores to another company to meet foreign investment regulations.

"They are doing many things to achieve faster profitability," the source said.

In a marked departure, the stores would not have storage facilities in them, saving the chain additional lease rents and replenish stock on the shelves on a daily basis as and when required, the sources said.

"This would improve freshness of products. They have spruced up the entire supply chain to meet the new requirement," the source said.

The source added the stores are designed to break even faster. "Earlier, the stores used to take five to six years to break even. Now they are breaking even in 18 to 20 months," the source said. The source said the chain has adopted a new strategy to keep only products whose margins are higher than the lease rents per sq ft.

"If a plastic bucket costs Rs 50 and the lease rent is Rs 60 sq ft, they would not keep it. If a customer asks for it, it would be supplied from a bigger store," he said. Most of the stores are planned as standalone structures not inside malls which have higher lease rents, he said.

Star Bazaar are 50,000 sqft hypermarket stores, Star Daily is 2,000-5,000 sq ft express stores and Star Market is 5,000 to 15,000 sq ft.
Veteran industrialist Adi Godrej is a man whose views are much sought after. As chairman of the 119-year-old Godrej Group, the 73-year-old has seen India during the licence-raj days as well as its emergence after liberalisation in the 1990s. He speaks to Viveat Susan Pinto about what he would have liked the Budget to have done, how its rural and agri push benefits his group; and the acquisition strategy of group . Edited excerpts:



How does the just-announced Budget benefit your group?



Two in particular stand to gain from this rural and agri push, Godrej Consumer and Godrej Agrovet. The projects the government has taken up as part of this push are very sensible and I see tangible benefits accruing to rural consumers as a result. The momentum coming out of this should benefit operating in this space. This includes two of our group as well. Apart from this, some provisions announced in the real estate sector such as those for affordable housing, exemptions for rental income taxation, housing finance deductions and no dividend distribution tax on Real Estate Investment Trusts are good. It has a positive rub-off on businesses operating in the space, including ours (Godrej Properties) as well.

Is there anything the Budget missed? Is there something you would like to tell the finance minister and Prime Minister?



While it was not expected that the finance minister would make any announcements on the goods & services tax (GST) in the Budget, since it is in Parliament, I would like to tell the PM to find some way of passing GST. It will push our economy into double-digit growth, which is what our country needs at this point. Everything else will, then, fall into place, which includes getting private-sector investments going.

During your group's 118-year celebration last year, you had identified certain pillars that would drive group revenue. Are you satisfied with the way they are headed?



The consumer goods market has slowed, so businesses operating there such as fast-moving consumer goods and consumer durables have felt the heat. But, our properties business is doing well. Our total bookings have doubled this year over last year. Defence and aerospace show huge potential thanks to the government's Make in India push. While we have been making (our products) in India for decades now, the emphasis this government is giving to Make in India will boost local manufacturing further.

I am also of the view that agri-products have huge scope in the country. The pillars we've identified can take us forward.

While acquisitions are something that the Godrej Group has executed successfully in the past few years, will you go back to doing JVs like you did in the 1990s and first decade of the current millennium?



It depends on the circumstances and the opportunities at hand. There is nothing we say we won't do. But, JVs seem unlikely at this point.
Tata Marcopolo Motors, a joint venture between and Marcopolo of Brazil, will resume production of buses and small trucks from Monday, after workers committed they would not disrupt production at its Dharwad factory, biggest industrial unit in north Karnataka.

The factory has been shut since February 6 after the management said it feared damage to property following a workers' strike which the company termed 'illegal'. In talks steered by the state labour department between the management and union leaders, a deal was stuck on Saturday, with Tata Marcopolo saying it would open the factory if workers committed that they would not disrupt production and maintain quality of products.

"In view of the larger interest of all the company's stakeholders, the management of Tata Marcopolo Motors has taken a pragmatic view of the situation and decided to lift the lockout," a spokesperson said in an email response.

The Karnataka government has promised protection to employees who rejoin work and ensure the factory resumes production, an official said. "We have been told to sign an undertaking that we will maintain discipline, ensure quality and peaceful operation of the factory," said Abhishek Desai, president, Tata Marcopolo Workers Association.

In the legislative assembly, the opposition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party had raised the issue, accusing the government of not doing enough to maintain peaceful industrial relations in the state.

Last week, additional Chief Secretary (labour) P B Ramamurthy had said the government was keen on resolving the issue. "Conciliation is the only way to go. It will be resolved with mutual agreements," he said. A note to employees by Tata Marcopolo says that suspended employees would not be taken back to work till an inquiry was completed.

Krantikari Kamgar Union, an external union not affiliated to Tata Marcopolo, had sought reinstatement of a few workers dismissed for indiscipline. The union had also held a rally in Hubbali-Dharwad last month seeking local support for their cause. However, the union was not involved in the talks.

Tata Marcopolo Employees Union, which is affiliated to the company, is opposed to the strike.

"We strive to carry out peaceful business in a congenial environment maintaining the highest standards of safety, discipline, productivity and quality to fulfil our commitment to well-being of all the stakeholders," said in the response.
The is likely to address anomalies arising out of a Budget proposal to impose a six per cent equalisation levy on advertisement revenues received by digital companies such as Google and Facebook.

The issue arises because the levy was proposed in the Budget as part of the finance Bill and not as income tax. As such, the companies getting the brunt of the levy would not be able to take the benefit of tax treaties to avoid double taxation in their home countries, explained Neeru Ahuja, partner with Deloitte Haskins & Sells.

Even with the countries with which India does not have a double taxation avoidance agreement, credit could be given in the home country, had the levy come as part of the Income Tax Act, she said.

The Finance Bill provides a special Chapter VIII to deal with the new levy.

The memorandum explaining the provisions of the Bill said, "To address these challenges (from digital companies), it is proposed to insert a new chapter titled 'Equalisation Levy' in the Finance Bill, to provide for an equalisation levy of six per cent of the amount of consideration for specified services received or receivable by a non-resident not having permanent establishment in India, from a resident in India who carries out business or profession, or from a non-resident having permanent establishment in India."



The services specified include online advertisements, provision for digital advertising space or any other facility or service for the purpose of online advertisements.

The move is expected to hit not only Google, Facebook, Yahoo and others, but also many digital services and start-ups that rely heavily on digital advertising. "We are considering the request to clarify the position in this regard," said a official.

DOUBLE TAXATION DILEMMA The is likely to address the anomalies arising out of a Budget proposal to impose 6% equalisation levy on advertisement revenues received by digital companies such as Google and Facebook

The issue arises because the levy was proposed in the Budget as a part of the Finance Bill and not as income tax

As such, the companies bearing the brunt of the levy would not be able to enjoy the benefit of tax treaties to avoid double taxation in their home countries, said Neeru Ahuja, partner at Deloitte Haskins & Sells

Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) is between two nations and aims to avoid or eliminate double taxation of the same income in two countries

It is yet to be seen if the clarification will come as part of the reply to the Finance Bill, which happens only after the recess of the Budget session or as part of the rules to be notified later. The Budget proposed such a levy after the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has recommended it, in Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project under Action Plan 1.

As such, there is no plan to take away the levy. In fact, India is the first country to impose the levy following OECD recommendations. While OECD had proposed the tax as indirect tax such as value added tax or goods and services tax, India imposed it as direct tax.

The Budget said the digital economy was growing at 10 per cent per year, significantly faster than the global economy as a whole.

"These new business models have created new tax challenges. The typical direct tax issues relating to e-commerce are the difficulties of characterising the nature of payment and establishing a nexus or link between a taxable transaction, activity and a taxing jurisdiction, the difficulty of locating the transaction, activity and identifying the taxpayer," it said.

However, the Budget spared those companies that received such income up to Rs 1 lakh a year from this levy.
While welcoming the government's proposal of reviewing the medium-term fiscal framework, Rathin Roy, director, NIPFP said that it was a relief that the finance minister has chosen to stick to the targets



The assurance that the central government would stick to the target of 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product in 2016-17 is a big relief, said economists at a post-Budget conference organised by five leading think-tanks in Delhi.

But, concerns were raised about the manner the target is to be achieved. Particularly worrying is the government's over-reliance on non-tax revenues - it hopes to mop up roughly Rs 1.6 lakh crore through disinvestment and spectrum auctions. Concerns were also raised about the lack of a clear framework for the social sector.

The post-Budget conference was organised by the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), International Council of Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), India Development Foundation (IDF), National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP).

While welcoming the government's proposal of reviewing the medium-term fiscal framework, Rathin Roy, director, NIPFP said that it was a relief that the finance minister has chosen to stick to the targets. More so, given the government essentially borrows for funding consumption rather than investment.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president, CPR, was sceptical about the underlying message. Mehta argued that there is an inherent contradiction at the heart of the debate over fiscal deficit. If the economy is truly growing at 7-7.5 per cent annually, why is there a need to push public investments? Mehta contends there is no acknowledgement by the government of the deep hole we are in, which is ironically spelt out in the Economic Survey.

On the state of the political economy, in a searing indictment, Mehta said that its original pact with the "right" that they focus on cultural issues, while the government focuses on economic issues has given way to a new situation where it seems that the government will invest all political capital it has left on fighting cultural battles.

On the other hand, Roy and other panelists argued that several unglamorous but important reforms have been initiated by the government, which have received little attention. Prominent among them are simplifying business processes and simplifying and rationalising taxes.

But Roy worried that the share of subsidies in government expenditure has not fallen despite a fall in crude oil prices. On the issue of pruning government expenditure, it is perplexing that reports of the Expenditure Management Commission, which was supposed to lay down the road map for rationalising government expenditure, have not been placed in public domain.

While much has been written about the increase in allocations to agriculture, Shekhar Shah, director-general, NCAER, contends that the interest subvention scheme is essentially a transfer from the ministry of finance to the ministry of agriculture. He also questioned whether the benefits of the scheme were percolating to those who needed it the most.

On the issue of social sector spending, S K Shanthi, director, IDF bemoaned the government's lack of focus. According to her calculations, the increase in social sector has been minuscule, to the tune of 0.3 per cent of the gross domestic product in the recent Budget. Mehta also expressed concerns about the complete absence of a framework regarding the social sector. Shah too questioned the government's strategy of rolling out insurance schemes arguing that there are flaws in insurance markets, particularly in agriculture, even in the most developed economies.

While one could argue that with the 14th Finance Commission increasing the states' share in the divisible pool to 42 per cent, states are free to spend as they choose, Shanthi argued that it is difficult to say whether the increase in untied funds had led to states spending more on social sector.
There is going to be some upside to government finances quite early in 2016-17, making the financial year's challenging fiscal deficit target a tad easier to meet. The finance ministry plans to retire about Rs 30,000 crore of government debt ahead of schedule to take advantage of the current market conditions.

This is in addition to Rs 31,000 crore of sovereign debt that the government has planned to raise through public sector organisations, but kept them out of its books, for now.

According to Budget 2016-17, a fat amount of government debt papers - Rs 50,463 crore - will come up for redemption in April. However, instead of waiting till then, the government will redeem two-thirds of that before maturity date.

Taking advantage of the government's strong cash balance position this year, unlike last year, the finance ministry has already done some prepayment in February before the Budget. This pace will now accelerate.

Earlier redemptions free the government from its obligation to pay interest on those papers. Even when reissued with papers of longer duration, the combined effect will lower the total interest bill of the government for 2016-17 from the Budget Estimate of Rs 4,92,670 crore.

The government could get an upside of close to Rs 7,000 crore from the prepayments, says an investment analyst.

The space to juggle with the papers has expanded since the yields on government papers (which run opposite to the price of those papers) have come down. "Since the papers were due for redemption in April, the prepayment cost we will pay will be quite low," said a source familiar with the developments.

The finance ministry plans to work out its borrowing calendar for the first half of the next financial year after taking into account the larger redemption. The source said the higher redemptions will not be a damper for the debt markets.

The Budget Estimates have made a provision of Rs 17,821 crore in 2015-16 "for switching of securities from the outstanding stock of 2016-17". But, the rise of demand in the market for the suddenly elusive government paper has encouraged the finance ministry to be a bit bolder, early on.

Pushing some of the redemption to this month will also free up more space in the redemption calendar for next year. This gambit was not possible last year as the profile of government securities coming up for maturity in 2015-16 was tilted to later months. The biggest block of papers due for redemption was, then, in June. In 2016-17, it will be April. Every year, the finance ministry retires a pre-announced sum of papers and replaces them with new papers of either similar or longer term securities.

On the investment planned to be routed through public sector undertakings, the source said keeping them out of the books of finance ministry has lowered the aggregate level of borrowing. At the same time, "the government has promised bear the repayment and interest servicing obligations for them, except in the case of the National Highways Authority of India". This innovation in Budget 2016-17 basically offers an almost sovereign support to those papers and will reduce the cost of raising the money for public-sector enterprises.

Apart from these, the finance ministry has taken other measures to keep fiscal deficit at 3.5 per cent of the GDP (gross domestic product) in 2016-17. The source cited above described these as 'safety nets' in the receipts budget, much like the early redemption plans for government papers.

"The full extent of those safety margins has not been factored in the Budget Estimates," the source added.

CENTRE'S DEBT WISH
Jalandhar-based Capital Local Area Bank (CLAB) is set to become Indias first small area finance bank (SFB) by flagging-off its operations on April 13, 2016.

CLAB is the first among the 10 applicants to get final licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The lender is currently active as local area bank.

The small bank will launch operations under a new name  Capital Small Finance Bank Limited and its launch will coincide with the auspicious festival of Baisakhi (the beginning of rabi harvest that gives a major boost to rural spending) in Punjab.

RBI had given its nod for setting up small finance banks on November 27, 2014. Apart from CLABL, the others who have received RBIs approval to start SFB include Au Financiers, and eight microfinance institutions, including Janalakshmi Financial Services.

Sarvjit Singh Samra, managing director of CLAB, told Business Standard that the transition from local area bank to small area finance bank would be smooth as the bank had been into lending to the small-ticket borrowers for the past 15 years.

We will embark on the new journey with the only difference of having a freedom to open branches anywhere in India. He said the bank would grow its business from Rs 3,000 crore as on March 31, 2016 to Rs 11,800 crore by March 2021.

The target is to increase the branch network from 49 to 216. Earlier, our operations were restricted to only five districts of Punjab. After getting RBIs licence, the geographical barriers would be removed.



Till now, CLABs focus has been to address the gap between demand and access to institutional credit for Punjabs small borrowers in agriculture and retail segments. Repayments without any defaults from these segments have helped the bank flourish in a short span of time.

The bank had a net worth of Rs 116.68 crore as on December 31, 2015, and is projected to touch Rs 120 crore by March 31, 2016. This is against the minimum requirement of Rs 100 crore of net worth laid down by RBI for the small finance bank.

We will focus on Punjab in the first year. In the second year, we plan to expand to Haryana and Rajasthan and thereafter, to other northern states such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi, said Samra.

Since we have already invested in the technology required to meet the challenges in retail banking, our investments to support the expansion would be modest. We might hire 200 persons in the first year to add to the existing 700 employees and well source them locally. Customers connect to the local staff spontaneously and this helps in rapid growth of business.



CLAB has been able to maintain current and savings account ratio of 35 per cent, keeping the cost of funds low for the bank. CLAB earned a gross profit of Rs 16 crore and a net profit of Rs 9.9 crore during April-December 2015-16.

CLAB was launched in January 2000 and started its operations from Nakodar in Jalandhar district. While the Doaba belt of Punjab is known for its affluent client base as a large number of people from these pockets are settled in different parts of the world, CLAB has been to exploit the small-ticket loan segment.

Nearly 60 per cent of the loan portfolio of the bank consists of lending of under Rs 25 lakh. Retail borrowers, especially traders, are the key customer base and they have immaculate repayment record, says Samra, adding that the bank will continue to cater to small borrowers.

We have in the past and will in future, too, exceed the threshold limit of 50 per cent of total lending to small-ticket borrowers of less than Rs 25 lakh.
Manipur Councillors call on Dr Jitendra Singh . .

A delegation of Manipur Councillors representing the six Autonomous District Councils of the State called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and sought his intervention regarding the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission award pertaining to the hill areas of Manipur. .

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The delegation comprising Chairmen of the six Autonomous District Councils of Chandel, Churachandpur, Sadar Hills, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul presented a memorandum to Dr Jitendra Singh wherein they submitted that, according to them, the hill districts of Manipur, along with the areas under Schedule-VI in the neighbouring North-Eastern States, had been excluded from the purview of the award of the Seventh Pay Commission. .

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They quoted the 14th Finance Commission recommendation which stated that areas under Schedule-VI in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Assam, the areas in the hill districts of Manipur, rural areas of Nagaland and Mizoram will remain outside the ambit of the measures we have recommended for Panchayats and Municipalities". .

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The memorandum further stated that the five hill districts of Manipur are divided into six Autonomous District Councils which do not fall under Schedule-VI of the Constitution of India. However, they said, during the 13th Finance Commission recommendations, allocations under local bodies had been made to the autonomous district bodies of Manipur, which are constituted under a Central Government Act. .

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Stressing that Manipur is a very resource-deficit State without any funding support from other sources, the memorandum said, it is difficult for district councils to function without special help from the Centre. The memorandum urged the Union Government to consider a larger, sustained and more effective direct intervention for upgradation of administration as well as development of the areas covered under the provision of Article-275(1) in order to bring such areas at par with other areas. .

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Dr Jitendra Singh gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured them that their issues will be taken up with the Ministry of Finance and the other concerned quarters. .

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The intensifying legal battle over encryption between Apple and the Justice Department has all but obscured another more subtle division, the one inside the Obama administration itself.

Driven by competing and sometimes clashing interests about privacy, national security and the economy, some of the president's most senior aides are staking out a variety of positions on the issue.

The White House denies there is disagreement over the effort to force Apple to break into the phone used by one of the terrorists in the San Bernardino, California, shootings, but the differences on how to deal with the broader questions raised by encryption have become increasingly apparent.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation wants the ability to break into smartphones and computers for investigations. The Pentagon and intelligence officials worry that the same techniques could be used by foreign powers or hackers to drain data from phones used by the United States government, and that countries like China will demand the same access provided to American law enforcement officials.

The conflicting positions were on display last week. On Tuesday, James B Comey Jr, the director of the FBI, testified in Congress about the need for some kind of government action - he avoided the word "legislation" because the White House has specifically said it is not seeking that now - that would guarantee access to law enforcement, no matter how encryption technology evolves.

Less than a day later, Defense Secretary Ashton B Carter, talking to technologists at an annual computer security conference in San Francisco, struck a very different tone. "Data security, including encryption, is absolutely essential" to the Pentagon, he said. "None of our stuff works unless it's connected." He also warned against a legislative solution.

A law "written in an atmosphere of anger or grief," he said, is "not likely to be the right answer." Later he drove home the point, saying "it would be better to work this out rather than have a law written." And throughout his talk, Carter made it clear that he is more interested in securing data than prying into it.

Administration officials insist the comments do not reflect serious internal disagreements about policy. They say, for example, that the Justice Department and FBI also support strong encryption - with limits - while the heads of the intelligence agencies, responsible for securing government communications, understand the stresses on those investigating serious crimes.

In a statement, the White House said on Friday that "our policy on encryption is clear." But the policy it described delineated the differing positions rather than resolving them. "The United States government firmly supports the development and robust adoption of strong encryption, which is a key tool to secure commerce and trade, safeguard private information, promote free expression and association. At the same time, encryption poses a grave challenge for our national security and law enforcement professionals."



But officials from the National Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon describe meetings in the White House Situation Room that go over the same territory, and in the end cannot find a middle ground. The arguments were touched off two and a half years ago, with the revelations by Edward J Snowden, the NSA contractor, that the agency had gone to some lengths to undercut encryption.

There was evidence - none confirmed, or discussed by the Obama administration - that the NSA had gained access to the unencrypted communications of servers around the world owned by Google and others to tap into foreign communications. There were suggestions that it had also tampered with the products of a foreign manufacturer of SIM cards, which go into every mobile telephone, to make it easier to intercept calls and emails.

The issues were taken up by a presidential commission that included legal scholars and intelligence experts, like Michael J Morell, the former deputy director of the CIA, and Richard A Clarke, a former senior national security official in the Clinton and Bush administrations who now works in cybersecurity. Their conclusion was unambiguous in opposing the building of so-called back doors for encrypted devices. The panel told President Obama that the US government should "not in any way subvert, undermine, weaken or make vulnerable generally available commercial software," and it urged more companies to adapt such systems. Last month, Admiral Michael S Rogers, commander of the United States Cyber Command - the Pentagon's digital arm, which both protects the Defense Department's networks and conducts offensive action - as well as director of the NSA, echoed that view in remarks to the Atlantic Council.

The view of Admiral Rogers, many experts say, may be affected by the fact that his agency has the best code-cracking capabilities in the world, and he does not need to make public what systems he is already inside. Because he cracks the codes of foreign adversaries (and more than a few allies), he does not need a warrant, as Comey does. And his agency's less publicised job is securing the government's most vital secrets.

With more and more government communications relying on mobile devices, including a so-called hardened version of the iPhone and the iPad, the NSA is also not interested in advertising to the world ways in which those devices can be defeated.

So far Obama has fully backed legal efforts by the FBI to force Apple to help authorities unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino terrorist, who was killed in the attack. But he has rarely spoken about the broader questions, and when asked recently, a senior administration official said the White House still does not favour legislation to solve the issue.

The encryption issue seems particularly acute at the State Department and the Commerce Department, both of which have their own sets of concerns.

One of Hillary Clinton's favourite pilot programmes as secretary of state, accelerated during the 2011 Arab Spring crisis, was to equip dissidents and activists around the world with the "Internet in a suitcase," devices to help communicate and evade censorship.

But the system relies on encrypted conversations, to keep them away from Chinese state security or Egypt's brutal internal police. Any effort to force Apple to break that encryption, several American officials said - insisting on anonymity because the administration is still debating these issues - would be replicated from Beijing to Cairo.

Commerce Department officials have made the point that if Congress ultimately mandates that all encrypted products must be accessible to investigators, it will be a boon to foreign producers of encryption hardware and software. And there are a lot of them.

Bruce Schneier, a cybersecurity expert, published a study recently that said there were "at least 865 hardware or software products incorporating encryption from 55 different countries." After the United States, Germany tops the list with 112. Most products, Schneier said recently, "are as good as what you would find in the United States."



But so far users are not flocking to them in mass numbers for a simple reason: For novices, they can be hard to use.

Apple's design is of particular concern to the FBI because the encryption is automatic; users do not have to do a thing to make it work. As a recent Harvard study about the problem of "going dark" - when law enforcement can no longer get access to evidence because of technological advances - pointed out, the more times users have to manipulate the programs, the greater the opportunity for error.

Which is exactly what the FBI is hoping for.

2016 The New York Times News Service
The US Commerce Department is set to place export restrictions on Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp for allegedly violating US export controls on Iran, according to documents seen by Reuters.

The restrictions will make it difficult for the company to acquire US products by requiring ZTE's suppliers to apply for an export licence before shipping any American-made equipment or parts to ZTE. According to a Commerce Department notice that will be published next week in the US Federal Register, the licence applications generally will be denied.

The restrictions will take effect Tuesday, Reuters has learned, and apply to any company worldwide that wants to ship US-made products to ZTE Corp in China. Those companies are not the target of the export curbs on ZTE.

"This is a significant new burden on trade with ZTE," a senior official at the Commerce Department told Reuters. The official declined to comment on whether the US government might take further action against ZTE.

The Shenzhen-based company said on Sunday it was communicating aggressively with all parties after media reports that the company faces US export restrictions.

The Commerce Department investigated ZTE for alleged export-control violations following reports by Reuters in 2012 that the company had signed contracts to ship millions of dollars worth of hardware and software from some of America's best-known tech firms to Iran's largest telecom carrier, Telecommunication Co of Iran (TCI), and a unit of the consortium that controls it.

The US product makers - which included Microsoft Corp, IBM, Oracle Corp and Dell Inc - have all said they were not aware of the Iranian contracts. It is not clear if any of these companies still do business with ZTE.

Washington has long banned the sale of US-made tech products to Iran. The Commerce Department's investigation focused on whether ZTE had acquired American products through front companies and then shipped them to Iran, a violation of US sanctions.

Commerce Department investigators obtained internal ZTE documents - some marked by the company "Top Secret" - outlining an alleged sanctions-busting scheme. Reuters reviewed some of the documents.

The senior Commerce Department official declined to comment on whether ZTE had carried through with the alleged scheme.

The day after the first Reuters article was published in March 2012, a ZTE spokesman said the company would "curtail" its business in Iran. The company later issued a statement saying: "ZTE no longer seeks new customers in Iran and limits business activities with existing customers."



What effect the new export restrictions will have on ZTE's current global business is not clear.

One undated internal ZTE document obtained by Commerce Department investigators and reviewed by Reuters states: "Our company has many technologies and components that came from suppliers in the US." It also states: "Lots of chips or software used in the products of our company is from US suppliers."



One of ZTE's websites also states that several major US tech companies, including Microsoft, Intel Corp, IBM and Honeywell International Inc, are "key strategic partners of ZTE". The terms of the partnerships are not described.

A spokeswoman for Microsoft said the company had a licensing agreement with ZTE but could not confirm if the Chinese company purchases other products, such as software. The other US companies did not respond to requests for immediate comment.

The undated internal ZTE document also describes a proposal overseen by the company's legal department that describes ways to export American products subject to US sanctions by using shell companies to avoid getting caught.

"The biggest advantage" of one method is that it will make it "harder for the US government to trace it or investigate the real flow of the controlled commodities," the document states.

In its planned action against ZTE, the Commerce Department cites the proposal, stating that the company "planned and organised a scheme to establish, control, and use a series of 'detached' companies to illicitly re-export controlled items to Iran in violation of U.S. export control laws." It is not clear if the alleged scheme was carried through.

Another internal ZTE document from August 2011 that discusses "U.S. export control risks" facing the company allegedly was signed by several top ZTE officials, including Shi Lirong, its president.

The document, marked by the company "Top Secret" and "No spreading abroad without permission of ZTE", begins "Dear company leaders".

It states that ZTE "has on-going projects in all five major embargoed countries - Iran, Sudan, North Korea, Syria, and Cuba.

All of these projects depend on U.S.-procured items to some extent, so export control obstacles have arisen." The document goes on to cite "other risks" to ZTE, including its operations in the United States. "R&D employees at the U.S.

Research Centers often travel between China and the U.S., carrying R&D data," it states, in an apparent reference to research and development. "This already severely violates the law." The document does not specify what law may have been violated.

The company "needs to take preventative measures immediately, otherwise will face the risk of being investigated anytime," the document states.

The document also states that ZTE's Iran project "can potentially put us at risk of being put on the Blacklist by the U.S. If on the Blacklist, our company may face the risk of losing the supply chain of U.S. products." ZTE Corp is one of the world's largest telecom equipment makers with operations in 160 countries, according to its website. It also is a major manufacturer of mobile handsets.

Founded in 1985, its shares trade on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges.

Besides ZTE, the export curbs will apply to two of its Chinese affiliates, ZTE Kangxun Telecommunications Ltd and Beijing 8-Star, and an Iranian company, ZTE Parsian.

UNDER PRESSURE
BSE-listed hotel company EIH has decided to close down its 51-year-old iconic property, The Oberoi, New Delhi, for a two-year period beginning April 1, 2016, for renovation. For group, this property is its only top-class revenue earner and closing it down for two years is a big gamble: In two years, it runs the risk of losing many of its die-hard customers to rivals. Are there any precedents? What should the be wary about while taking this risk? Can it woo customers back when it is ready to open again? Our panel of experts discusses the pitfalls of the move and offers some tips to manage the transition.

An iconic brand can afford to take a break: Tista Sen





An iconic brand like The Oberoi can afford to take a break and take the knock. Like other iconic brands such as The Taj and Nike, The Oberoi is a brand that people will not forget in a hurry. As it takes a two-year break it needs to communicate smartly with loyalists. From advertising and branding perspective, it needs to give the news a positive flip. It has to be loud and clear and tell people that they are sorry for not being available but will be back with a bang. They have to impress upon customers that the brand that they patronise so lovingly will reward them handsomely for their patience.

In any business, two years of hiatus is a long time. Having said that, the loyalists would surely come back to The Oberoi. However, they may lose a few customers in the process - those who, having experienced other hotels, may like the experience and decide not to come back.

The Oberoi will have to take this gamble. It will be worthwhile for The Oberoi to tell people that work is in progress and the brand will be back with an improved version. The Raffles in Singapore is a good example. A truly iconic residence, they shut down for two years while they went through extensive renovation. Their patrons were not disappointed. They opened their doors to their loyal clientele and gained many more followers. Luxury brands do not need to keep re-inventing. They create imagery and an equity that is impossible to erase.

For The Oberoi, New Delhi, to take a hiatus for two years only to come back after the refurbishment adds to its mystique and allure. Loyal patrons are brand loyal and while you may flirt with a similar brand, eventually your heart beats for just one.

Tista Sen

National creative director, J Walter Thompson India

A bold move with eye on future growth

Many iconic properties around the world have embarked upon renovations and have come back as modern icons - from The Plaza Hotel in New York, which renovated in 2005 and took about three years, to The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection hotel in San Francisco which opened last year after extensive refurbishment. Hotels have to and should re-invent themselves, just as brands do, to make themselves relevant and contemporary, meeting the changing needs of modern travellers.

Sudeep Jain

VP, acquisitions and development, South Asia, Starwood Hotels and Resorts

Take the customer along as you change

Being in existence for a long period, the property needs to be refurbished to provide a contemporary feel while maintaining the old charm and heritage values. In any case, The Oberoi has some distinct qualities that gives it an advantage.

The location is its biggest advantage. Central Delhi does not have many refined luxury hotels... you can count them: The Leela Palace, The Imperial while the Taj Palace and some others are quite early in the city. The proximity to Lutyens Delhi and its history is a definite advantage. There is a lack of such international standard luxury hotels in and around central Delhi, which makes it an eminent choice. Besides, refined F&B is another opportunity, which can help build monetisable occasions including Delhi elite's appetite for marriages.

The immediate relaunch task would be to regain the old and current loyal customers, while communicating its luxury quotient. We would recommend to apply a learning, which many modern service brands have successfully implemented: consumer participation in modernisation and revival of a brand. This would instill pride and inspire the current customers to get involved in recreating the brand with a modern luxury touch. Ideally, social listening and identifying the culture and luxury influencers would help it identify the gaps and opportunities to re-engineer the appraisal of this "regal" luxury hotel.

The Oberoi should significantly invest on a market-specific loyalty programme and embrace exclusive customer relationship .

V Narayanan

Chief growth officer, Motivator

Managing employees and vendors are key challenges:

The Oberoi's move to close its property for two years is a bold move and speaks of its unflinching commitment to offering superior customer experience. The move signifies the hotel's focus on improving its business as well as clientele in one of the most important business hubs, Delhi, in the face of growing competition.

Even though the firm stands to lose significant revenue, the move will give it an opportunity to realign itself to changing market realities. The must have drawn a contingency plan to deal with the loss of revenue possibly by boosting business from other cities. Besides dealing with revenue loss, the organisation runs several other risks as it prepares for renovation. The first risk is associated with employee management. For two long years, the management has to engage and compensate employees suitably. The second challenge is to do with logistics. In hospitality, strong logistics supply and strong vendor relationships are crucial to business operations. Once The Oberoi closes down for two years, it will be difficult for the management to hold on to these two sets of stakeholders.

From a brand perspective, it will be challenging for The Oberoi to come back to the market because two years is a long time in any brand's history. The management will have to treat its comeback on the lines of a product launch. Post-renovation, it will be a fresh start for the brand. For a brand to be successful in a customer-service-led industry like hospitality, it has to satisfy the psychological needs of customers. For that, the hotel will have to stay alive to local competition as well as to the changing economic and social environment.

Vrushank Shah

Senior lecturer for strategic management, ITM IHM
Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, has stressed that there should be uninterrupted talks between the two Asian neighbours for peace and regional stability.

Basit was addressing a function in Rajasthan's Jaipur city when the statement was made, dawn quoted Radio Pakistan as reporting.

Asserting that Kashmir was the root cause of all issues between the two nations, Basit said that an environment of cooperation must persist for resolution of disputes.

The Foreign Secretary-level talks between the two countries was supposed to take place last year but was deferred following a militant attack in the Pathankot air base in January this year.

The Pakistani authorities cracked down on militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) following India's accusation that the group was responsible for the attacks.

Soon after the Pathankot attack, Pakistan set up a six-member Special Investigation Team to follow up on the leads India had provided.

Pakistan has assured India full cooperation in investigation the matter.

Pakistan's adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, last week said that a team would visit India in the next few days to probe the Pathankot attack while expressing hope that the Foreign Secretary-level talks would be scheduled soon after.
Andhra Pradesh Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Babu on Sunday dubbed the allegation made against his son, who has been booked for eve-teasing, as 'false, fabricated and politically motivated'.

Kishore Babu said it is a conspiracy hatched by YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and his party against his son Susheel.

"The allegations against my son (Susheel) are false, fabricated and politically motivated. If you (Jaganmohan Reddy) want to politically fight me, fight me directly. Not indirectly at the cost of career and life of my son, who is innocent," Kishore Babu told ANI here.

"This kind of political vendetta and political conspiracy should not involve innocent people," he added.

Susheel was earlier in the day arrested by the Hyderabad Police after he surrendered in the Jubilee Hills Police Station for allegedly stalking a woman in Banjara Hills area.

The Hyderabad Police had yesterday served notice under Section 41 A of Code of Criminal Procedure to Susheel for allegedly misbehaving with a woman.

The incident took place on Thursday evening in the posh Banjara Hills neighbourhood when Susheel sitting in his car allegedly intercepted a woman, held her hand and tried to drag her inside.

"They held my hand and asked me to get into the car, I somehow escaped and complained to my husband who recognized them and made the locals beat him up. Then we complained to the police after which I came to know that he is the son of a minister," the complainant said.

The woman said the driver passed lewd comments and both of them asked her to sit in the car.
Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Sunday assured the people that there was nothing to worry, adding the state government is taking appropriate security measures to ensure safety for the people in the wake of report that around ten terrorists have entered the state.

"There is nothing to worry about. We are taking appropriate security measures to ensure," Patel said in the capital on the sidelines of the two-day Conference of Women Legislators.

The Gujarat administration has tightened security across the state, especially along its coastal belt, following a note by Security Adviser Ajit Doval about the possible infiltration.

The alert was sounded in Kutch district that shares both land and sea border with Pakistan.

Meanwhile, A.K. Jadeja, IG, Gujarat Police, said that all the security forces including the BSF, police, coast guard and others are working on the inputs to identify people who have entered illegally either by land or sea.

"We have received inputs from the Intelligence Bureau that around 8-10 terrorists of LeT or JeM have entered Gujarat. The BSF, Police, Coast Guard and other agencies are working on the inputs to identify people who entered illegally either by land or sea," Jadeja said.

Four National Security Guard (NSG) squads have been rushed to Gujarat following the input by Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval that 10 terrorists had entered the state to carry out strikes.

The Pakistan's NSA informed that these are fidayeen from the Lashkar-E-Taiba and Jaish-e Muhammed cadres.

The NSG teams are on standby and a high-level alert has been sounded across the state.

Important monuments and pilgrimage centres like Somnath temple, Dwarka Temple, Akashardham, power plants, defence, dams like Sardar Sarovar Dam and security establishments have also been put on alert.

The warning from Pakistan comes after five abandoned Pakistani boats found in the past three months in Kutch.

An abandoned boat was found by a BSF patrolling team off Koteshwar coast in Kutch on Friday.
Following intelligence by Pakistan Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval of terrorist infiltration into Gujarat, four Security Guard (NSG) teams have been deployed across the state and are in standby.

"We got the input yesterday after which all the police across Gujarat was alerted. There are continuous combing operations and several check posts have been set up. We are searching for suspects involved in different activities and every possible protective measure is being taken," Gujarat Director General of Police PC Thakur told the media here.

He added that four NSG teams have been deployed in the team so far in which three squads are in Ahmedabad and one in Somnath.

Appealing to the people of Gujarat that they should not panic, Thakur assured that the security forces are ready to counter the situation.

Earlier, the Pakistan's NSA informed that these are fidayeen from the Lashkar-E-Taiba and Jaish-e Muhammed cadres.

The NSG teams are on standby and a high-level alert has been sounded across the state.

Important monuments and pilgrimage centres like Somnath temple, Dwarka Temple, Akashardham, power plants, defence, dams like Sardar Sarovar Dam and security establishments have also been put on alert.

The warning from Pakistan comes after five abandoned Pakistani boats found in the past three months in Kutch.

An abandoned boat was found by a BSF patrolling team off Koteshwar coast in Kutch on Friday.

Meanwhile, another suspicious boat has been found near Porbandar today and two foreign nationals have been arrested in the matter.
In separate incidents on Saturday night, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 29 Indian fishermen and impounded their three boats.

According to officials of the Indian Consulate in Jaffna, 20 fishermen were arrested and their three boats were impounded held by the Island Navy near Puttalam in Palk Bay late last night on the charges of violating the maritime boundary and poaching into the Lankan waters. Another boat with nine fishermen was caught near Mannar in a separate incident.

The Sri Lanka Government said that the arrested fishermen along with the fishing vessels have been handed over to the officials of the Department of Fisheries at Thalaimannar and Kalpitiya Police for legal action. The fishermen will be produced before the Puttalam and Mannar Magistrates tomorrow for further legal action.

With the latest arrests, there are 64 Indian fishermen and 84 Indian boats in Sri Lankan custody now.
Two Security Guard (NSG) squads have been rushed to Gujarat following the input by Pakistan Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval that 10 terrorists had entered the state to carry out strikes.

The Pakistan's NSA informed that these are fidayeen from the Lashkar-E-Taiba and Jaish-e Muhammed cadres.

The NSG teams are on standby and a high-level alert has been sounded across the state.

Important monuments and pilgrimage centres like Somnath temple, Dwarka Temple, Akashardham, power plants, defence, dams like Sardar Sarovar Dam and security establishments have also been put on alert.

The warning from Pakistan comes after five abandoned Pakistani boats found in the past three months in Kutch.

An abandoned boat was found by a BSF patrolling team off Koteshwar coast in Kutch on Friday.

(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.)
Shahid Kapoor, who has been busy shooting in Arunachal Pradesh for his upcoming flick 'Rangoon,' seems to be super impressed with the state.

Recently the 35-year-old actor shared an Instagram video showing the crowd's cheer and excitement for the 'Haider' star. Captioning the video Shahid wrote, "So much love. thank you Arunachal."

Two days ago, Sasha with his Rangoon co-star Kangana Ranaut, was spotted at the Mumbai airport on their way back to the city, donning head-turning chic clothes, says a leading web-magazine.

Mira Rajput was also seen in a super stylish printed shorts and a long shirt.seems she was there to receive her hubby.aww!

End of the last month, pictures of Shahid-Kangana from the set of 'Rangoon' were also out where there duo were seen posing for a selfie with a fan girl.

Shahid, who will play a soldier, was seen in his moustache look, while Kangana was looking simply glamorous in her new hairdo.

Saif Ali Khan, Kangana Ranaut and Shahid Kapoor starrer 'Rangoon,' a love story set during the World War 2, gathered a lot of attention since the director Vishal Bhardwaj announced the film's strong star cast. The film is slated to release this September.
India and Bangladesh will soon be signing the Teesta water-sharing treaty as the agreement has reached its final destination, said Bangladeshi official.

"We are confident that it will be signed soon. The agreement is ready. The ball is on India's court now," daily star quoted Gowher Rizvi, the international affairs adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as saying.

Rizvi was addressing a panel discussion on the last day of the two-day Bangladesh-India Friendship Dialogue held here.

Drafted in 2010, the Teesta treaty was supposed to be signed between the two countries in September 2011. However, it was shelved in the last hour following protest from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

India shares cordial relationship with Bangladesh and both countries have been looking to book trade and security along the border with special emphasis in fighting human trafficking.

The two neighbours signed the historic land boundary agreement last year to simplify their 4,000-km border and to clarify the identities of 52,000 living in enclaves.
Bollywood's dimpled beauty Preity Zinta, who recently tied the knot to boyfriend Gene Goodenough in an intimate ceremony in Los Angeles, has now finally spilled the beans on her secretive marriage.

The 41-year-old actress recently penned an emotional post along with Goodenoug's pic on her Facebook and Twitter handle, writing "I was holding on the " Miss Tag" rather seriously till now, until I met someone " Goodenough" to give it up for ?? So now I join the Married Club folks .Thank you all for your good wishes & for all your love?? Love you all Ting !Let the Goodenough jokes begin."

Gene, who is senior Vice President of finance at a noted organization, reportedly met the 'Veer-Zaara' actress when she was in the US.

According to sources, Preity will reportedly be holding a grand reception in Mumbai very soon with some of Bollywood's biggest stars in attendance.

The wedding was graced with the presence of friends Sussane Khan and Surily Goel.
Commenting on the Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission report on the that was submitted to Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik on Wednesday, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Sunday said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav should squarely be held responsible for this heinous crime.

"I think the responsibility is of that of the one who is heading the government and that is the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Akhilesh Yadav is the Chief Minister, so he should be squarely held responsible for this heinous crime and for not having been able to handle this problem carefully," said BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria.

"As far as the Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission report on the is considered, it is a well-known fact that this was the most heinous crime in the post-independent India, where over one lakh people were rendered homeless, dozens of people lost their lives, many-many women were raped and children killed," said Bhadoria.

"Number two, there are some people holding positions of responsibility in the government, and that is the constitutional responsibility, and therefore responsibilities should be fixed as far as they are concerned," he added.

The BSP leader further said the people of Uttar Pradesh will in the coming days decide themselves as to who is responsible and who is not, adding those who are responsible will not be able to go scot-free.

The Uttar Pradesh government had set up a one-man inquiry commission under Justice (Retired) Vishnu Sahai to look into administrative lapses in controlling the violence and role played by media as well as politicians in flaring up the riots.

The commission submitted the 775-page report comprising six volumes to the governor on Wednesday.
Jharkhand Police on Sunday confirmed that a trader from Ranchi abducted earlier this week has been killed.

The body of Raju Mandal was found on Saturday at Chatra district. He was abducted from Ranchi on February 29.

The abductors had reportedly demanded Rs.1 crore for ransom. The body was identified by a relative on Saturday night.

According to police, he was shot dead.

Mandal was a marble and tiles trader. Ranchi police had launched an operation to rescue him.

"This is an unfortunate incident. The state government should provide security to the traders," said Ravi Bhatt, member of Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
The Indian government will shift, out of Yemen, the Indian mother superior of an aid home in Aden where four nuns including were killed and an Indian priest kidnapped in an attack by gunmen on Friday, said Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy.

Speaking to IANS, Chandy said that after he spoke to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday night, Indian embassy officials from Djibouti have established contacts with Sister Sally, the mother superior of the old age home run by the Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, who hails from Kerala.

"I managed to speak to Sally a while ago and she said that she has been contacted by Indian embassy officials from Djibouti who are expected to come to take her with them on Monday. In her place (Yemen), there is no Indian embassy or any officials.

"She said that things are not that smooth where she is and there is no information about the priest Tom Kuzhuvennal, who hails from Kottayam district and was taken away by these unidentified gunmen," he said.

Chandy added that Sally was lucky to escape the attackers as she, along with a few locals, saved herself by hiding when these gunmen created mayhem.

He said that according to reports that he got, these gunmen tied the arms and hands of the priest and took him with them.

"She also said that there is no information about the priest," said Chandy.

In the gunfire, four nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, including one from India, were killed. The Indian nun has been identified as Sister M. Anseleme, 57, from Jharkhand. Of the other three nuns, two were from Rwanda and another from Kenya.

The home, set up by Mother Teresa in 1992, houses 61 elderly destitutes and the Kerala priest had come to the home from an insecure place in Yemen.

An official attached to Chandy's office, who is in constant touch with the convent and with Keralites in and around the place, told IANS that he has been told that things are fluid there.

It has now been established that that these unidentified gunmen belonged to the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) group.
will celebrate International Women's Day on Tuesday by flying 20 all women domestic flights.

" will be be flying 20 all women domestic flights on March 8 to commemorate International Women's Day. The details regarding their routes and timings are expected to be disclosed by Monday evening," Saurabh Gupta, airline's public relations officer, told IANS on Sunday.

International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 every year.

has already created a record by flying the world's longest all-women operated flight on Sunday. The airline's San Francisco-bound AI 173 took off from New Delhi on Sunday morning; it will return to the national capital on Tuesday.

"The national carrier (Air India) supports the cause of women in every area," Harpreet Singh Dey, president of the Indian Women Pilots' Association, said.

Air India celebrates International Women's Day every year by deploying women crew on its select international and domestic routes.

The New Delhi-San Francisco flight -- the world's longest non-stop flight operated by women -- had women handling all operations from cockpit crew to cabin crew, check-in staff, doctor, customer care staff, entire ground handling staff from operator to technician, engineer and flight dispatcher and trimmer.

Air India has 3765 women employees, including women pilots, cabin crew, engineers, technicians, doctors, security personnel and executives.
National carrier Air India will celebrate the International Women's Day on Tuesday by operating 20 domestic flights manned by all-women crew.

"Air India will fly 20 domestic flights with all-women crew on March 8 to observe the International Women's Day. The details regarding their routes and timings are expected to be disclosed by Monday evening," an airline official told IANS on Sunday.

Air India has already created a record by flying the world's longest flight operated by an all-women crew on Sunday. The airline's San Francisco-bound AI 173 took off from New Delhi on Sunday morning and will return to the national capital on Tuesday.

"The national carrier supports the cause of women in every area," Harpreet Singh Dey, president of the Indian Women Pilots' Association, said.

Air India celebrates the Day every year by deploying women crew on its select international and domestic routes.

The New Delhi-San Francisco flight saw women handling all operations ranging from cockpit to cabin crew, check-in staff, doctor, customer care staff, entire ground handling staff from operators to technicians, engineers and flight dispatchers and trimmers.

Air India has 3,765 women employees, including women pilots, cabin crew, engineers, technicians, doctors, security personnel and executives.
BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday said that he wants the party to emerge as a key force in the electoral battle in south India.

Addressing a public meeting in Rajamahendravaram, as Rajahmundry is now called, he said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should spread to all regions of the country.

"Modiji has given slogan of Congress-free country. If we have to free the country from Congress, we have to ensure that be it north, south, west and everywhere region, the BJP flag should fly high and 'vande mataram' slogan is sung," he said.

In Andhra Pradesh, where BJP is a partner in Telugu Desam Party-led government, this was the first public meeting of BJP after state's bifurcation.

He asked BJP workers to take the party to every village and booth in the state and strengthen the organisation. "Those who say that BJP is a party of the north should know that the party unit in Andhra Pradesh is the strongest in the country," he said.

He claimed that the BJP which started with 11 only members, is today the largest party in the world with 11 crore strong membership.

The BJP chief said that though there are NDA governments at both the centre and in the state, their political rivals are making a false propaganda that the BJP-led government at the Centre is not extending necessary support to Andhra Pradesh.

During the last one-and-half years, Modi government has given schemes worth Rs.1.40 lakh crore to Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Stating that Polavaram project is the lifeline of the state, the BJP leader said it was Modi government which is making it a reality by merging seven 'mandals' (of Telangana) with Andhra Pradesh.

He said the state was selected under the project to ensure 24x7 electricity in every village. Listing out the initiatives, he said national highway works worth Rs. 65,000 crore were sanctioned for the state.

Shah said Kakinada and Visakhapatnam were selected under smart cities project while the central government also released Rs.1,500 crore as initial assistance for development of new state capital Amaravati.

He said an industrial park at a cost of Rs.22,000 crore will come up in the state. HPCL refinery in Visakhapatnam will be built at a cost of Rs.25,000.

He said it would take seven days for him to read the entire list of works sanctioned for the state during last one-and-half years.

Shah challenged Congress party to explain to people what it did for Andhra Pradesh during last 60 years. He alleged that the Congress insulted the state and this forced N. T. Rama Rao to launch the TDP for self-respect of Telugus.

Interestingly, NTR's daughter and former central minister D. Purandareswari was translating Shah's speech in Telugu.

She quit Congress party to join BJP on the eve of 2014 elections.
Standing behind West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh who has threatened to "chop off" pro-Pakistan sloganeers, union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Sunday said the prevailing situation in the state has made nationalists agitate.

"BJP's soul is nationalism and integrity of the country and no individual would accept any statement made against the country. On hearing such slogans, BJP people get charged up and that anguish gets reflected.

"It is desirable that political leaders exercise refrain while expressing their sentiments, but so far as Ghosh's sentiments are concerned, we are with him. Although there are always a different way of putting things," Rudy told media persons here.

"Political leaders should exercise restraint but the situation in Bengal is such that it will make anyone agitate. Language establishes dignity and is very important, but the situation on the ground warrants that the BJP takes a positive lead as far as of change in Bengal is concerned," said the union minister of state for parliamentary affairs.

Addressing a party gathering in Birbhum district, Ghosh on Wednesday said: "Anyone who raises slogans of 'Pakistan Zindabad' will be chopped by six inches from top."

Again on Friday, Ghosh prescribed a "thrashing with shoes" to "cure" Jadavpur University students who allegedly had raised pro-Pakistan slogans.

Rudy also hit out at the Trinamool and the communists for political violence in West Bengal and called for the Election Commission to take cognisance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent comments.

During a TV interview, Banerjee had said the central security forces would provide security only during the polls and people would have to depend upon her administration for the rest of the year.

"Bengal has a history of political violence with the communists, the Trinamool and the Congress being accused for it, so I think the EC should take cognisance of the chief minister's comments and ensure all measures for free and fair polls," said Rudy.

He also exuded confidence of BJP's success in the coming polls.

"Nobody had thought that we would form government in Jammu and Kashmir, but we did. So it will not be surprising if we come to power in Bengal. Even if we don't come to power, our performance should be such that it is the BJP which will decide who should form the government here," added Rudy.
Security forces were thrown into a tizzy on Sunday afternoon after a phone call - which later turned out to be a hoax - regarding the presence of a bomb on an Air India flight from Delhi to Moscow via Goa.

A thorough search was conducted of Air India Flight AI-156 carrying 89 passengers, including four foreigners, once the plane had landed in Goa.

"A person who identified himself as Videsh Singh called the Calangute police saying he was informed by one 'Rajan' that there was a bomb aboard AI-156, which was due to land in Goa at 2 p.m.," a senior police official said requesting anonymity.

After the plane landed at Goa's Dabolim International Airport, personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force and Goa Police's bomb disposal squad conducted a thorough check but found nothing dangerous.

The official said the police were so far unable to trace the person who had called up.
Following intelligence agencies' inputs about infiltration of 10 suspected terrorists into Gujarat, Delhi was also put on high alert on Sunday as a precautionary measure, police officials said.

"Delhi has always been on high alert. But the recent intelligence alert about the entry of some suspected terrorists in Gujarat is really a serious issue following which a prompt message was circulated to step up security," said a police officer on condition of anonymity.

The officer said that all the station house officers (SHOs) of over 180 police stations in Delhi have been asked to enhance security at busy markets, vulnerable places and vital installations falling in their jurisdiction.

Security has also been tightened at railway stations, Inter State Bus Depots (ISBTs), borders and airport, the officer added.

Delhi along with all metro cities was reportedly put on high alert just hours after intelligence inputs about the infiltration of 10 suspected terrorists into Gujarat to carry out attacks against high-value targets.

Minutes after the alert, security across Gujarat was intensified and leaves of all police personnel were cancelled.

Two NSG teams, comprising nearly 200 personnel, were sent to Ahmedabad by the central government on the request of the Gujarat government.

The agencies suspect that the infiltrators belong to Pakistan as a fishing boat of the neighbouring country was seized by an Indian Border Security Force patrol team on Friday. Its occupants fled upon seeing them in the Koteshwar creek area off the Kutch coast along the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat.
Financial matters pertaining to her family put fashion designer Shipra Malik under stress and she went missing from her home in Noida on February 29, a senior police official said on Sunday.

"Financial matters with the family of her in-laws was the main reason Shipra fled her family," SP City Dinesh Yadav said.

Residents of Hisawda village in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh - the native village of Shipra's father-in-law Virendra Malik - said that the latter had sold his ancestral agricultural property to settle his son Chetan (Shipra's husband) and her in their respective businesses.

However, after opening a restaurant in Meerut and later shifting to Noida to open another restaurant in Sector 18, Chetan switched over to the real estate business. However, a downturn in real estate soon after led to financial issues cropping up in the Malik family.

This allegedly forced Shipra to run away from her house. Shipra's husband Chetan had filed a complaint with Noida Police after she went missing.

On March 4, Shipra, 29, had knocked on a villager's door in Sultanpur in Gurgaon district of Haryana and told him she had been kidnapped but later abandoned by her kidnappers.

"She was crying and afraid but said she did not want police help," Rakesh Kumar, sarpanch (village headman) of Sultanpur, had told IANS.

Shipra said she had been kidnapped from a market in Noida in Uttar Pradesh on February 29, but could not say where she was kept blindfolded. She told the villagers she did not want police help.

A Gurgaon Police team later took the young woman to Farukh Nagar police station. She was reunited with her family there.
Former US first lady Nancy Reagan passed away at the age of 94 in her Los Angeles home on Sunday, her office said.

A statement issued by her office said the former first lady died of congestive heart failure, and she would be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California next to her husband, Ronald Wilson Reagan, who died in June, 2004.

"Prior to the funeral service, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to pay their respects at the library," Xinhua quoted the statement.

The White House, in a statement in the wake of Nancy's death, praised her on Sunday for her role in advancing Alzheimer's research.

After her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, Nancy Reagan became an advocate for Alzheimer's research.

Born in New York City, Nancy Reagan came to fame in the 1940s and 1950s during her acting career in Hollywood.

During Reagan's presidency from 1981 to 1989, the former first lady was well-known for her clout with her husband and for bringing a lavish lifestyle to the White House in a time of recession, making her one of the most influential and controversial first ladies in the US history.

During her White House years, Reagan's most famous initiative was a major anti-drug campaign known as "Just say no".
Two teams of the National Security Guards (NSG) landed in Gujarat on Sunday following a high alert sounded by the central government amid reports that 10 terrorists from Jash-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba have entered the coastal state.

"The Gujarat Police are on alert. The state government had asked the Centre to send NSG teams, which have also arrived," the state's Home Minister Rajanikant Patel told reporters here.

He said, "We have issued high alert and beefed up security at all key installations."

The state government was galvanized into action, stepping up security across Gujarat, especially the coastal borders with Pakistan, after a note sent by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval about the suspected infiltration of fidayeens (suicide attackers).

Ajit Doval's note came after Pakistan's National Security Adviser Nasir Janjua called him up and confided in him that 10 terrorists from the two Pakistan-based outfits have entered Gujarat, according to official sources.

The officials said police stations have been asked to carry out combing operations at hotels and guest houses. Forces have been moved around shopping malls, cinema halls and bus stands. And security personnel on leave have been called back from their furlough.

Besides Kutch district, which shares land and maritime borders with Pakistan, heavy patrolling and checking has begun along Gujarat's border with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Important monuments, pilgrimage centres like the ancient Somnath and Dwarka temples, and Akashardham temple in Gandhinagar which had come under terrorist attack on September 24, 2002, as well as power plants, dams, defence and security establishments have been put on alert.

The central agencies are investigating the discovery of five abandoned fishing boats near Sir Creek on the Kutch coast over the last three months, including one found by a Border Security Force (BSF) patrol on Friday.

The boat found on Friday is 20 feet long and 10 feet wide. Some ration, water jugs, fishing nets, crabs, diesel and mattresses were found on board.

Meanwhile, Gujarat's Additional Chief Secretary (Home) P.K. Taneja held a meeting with the top officials of the armed forces, police, Intelligence Bureau and paramilitary forces.
The first "Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit-2016" will kick off here on Monday, less than a fortnight after the state was rocked by a series of violent protests by the Jat community agitating for quotas.

Prior to the two-day investors' meet that will see the participation of 12 countries, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said entrepreneurs had assured him of their keenness in investing in the state.

China, Czech Republic, Japan, Malawi, Mauritius, New Zealand, South Korea, Peru, Poland, Spain, Britain and Tunisia will participate as partner countries.

The event is being organised by the state government in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry.
India won the Asia Cup, outclassing Bangladesh by eight wickets in the final at the Sher-e-Bangladesh National Stadium here on Sunday evening.

Delhi lads Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli led the charge with a 94-run partnership as India overhauled the 121-run target in 13.5 overs.

Dhawan, who has been a flop throughout the tournament, finally found his touch when it mattered most, with 60 runs scored off 44 balls with nine boundaries and a six.

Kohli remained unbeaten on 41 runs off 28 balls with five boundaries.

Al-Amin Hossain gave Bangladesh some early hope by dismissing Rohit Sharma early. But that was one of the few moments of joy that the Bangladesh players and the capacity home crowd could find as India emerged as the champions of Asia with seven balls and eight wickets to spare.

Earlier, Bangladesh posted a competitive total of 120/5 thanks to some lower order fireworks by Mohammad Mahmudullah.

Walking in with Bangladesh in trouble at 75/5, the right-hander proceeded to hit two boundaries and an equal number of sixes in his 13-ball innings to remain unbeaten on 33.

Sabbir Rahman gave him crucial support from the other end with 32 runs from 29 balls. The duo produced a 45-run partnership to help the hosts to a competitive total.
Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) newly appointed Chairman P.K. Singh on Sunday met Chief Minister Raghubar Das and discussed the expansion of Bokaro steel plant.

"The SAIL chairman told Das that the company wants to set up new plants on available vacant land," an official release said here.

The SAIL chief said that the company also wished to open a new medical college on its vacant land and develop a special work plan for slums.

The chief minister assured that his government was taking all necessary steps for the renewal of lease of iron ore mines in the state.

Das praised SAIL for its commendable work under corporate social responsibility.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry on Sunday praised the "real progress" in ensuring a cessation of hostilities in Syria.

"The two sides expressed an overall positive assessment of real progress in achieving a truce on Syrian soil, which is generally respected and has already led to a sharp decrease in the level of violence," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov and Kerry, on a phone call, stressed the need to prevent delay of intra-Syrian talks under the UN auspices, as well as to provide humanitarian aid to blocked areas in Syria, reports Xinhua.

"It is essential to ensure from the very beginning the participation (in the intra-Syrian negotiations), along with the delegation of the Syrian government, of a wide spectrum of all opposition forces, including Syrian Kurds," the ministry quoted Lavrov as saying.

The top diplomats confirmed that joint efforts would be paid by both countries' representatives in Geneva to ensure smooth work of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) task forces on humanitarian and ceasefire issues.

Lavrov and Kerry discussed a schedule of political contacts for the nearest future.

They also agreed to continue cooperate with all involved parties in order to find the ways to settle Yemeni conflict through political dialogue.

The Russia-US-backed cessation of hostilities plan has gone into effect at midnight last Friday in all Syrian cities. The truce has so far been largely adhered to despite sporadic violations.

Currently, a UN-mediated intra-Syrian talk was scheduled for March 9 in Geneva as a fresh diplomatic effort to politically settle the Syria crisis.
Joining hands ahead of elections in some northeastern states, the left parties have called for unity among themselves to stamp out corruption and communalism from the region.

"The Left parties have shown the way in states like Kerala, West Bengal, Tripura, and other states could emulate them," Moirangthem Nara, secretary of the CPI's Manipur unit, said here at the first state-level meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the Left Parties on Saturday.

He said the Left government in Tripura has shown that if there is political will, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, could also be lifted.

"There is no crusader like Irom Sharmila in Tripura. The Left government has brought about a sea change and people are happy," Nara, a former minister of Manipur, said.

Attended by the representatives of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Forward Block, Revolutionary Socialist Party and CPI-Marxist-Leninist, the Left parties' convention comes ahead of assembly elections in Assam in April and in Manipur early next year.

Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura are also due for the assembly elections in 2018.

Nara said the Left parties should particularly be concerned about Manipur where the Congress has "given a corrupt regime".

"There is an urgent need for the Left parties to join hands in Manipur to save the state from the corrupt Congress party."

He said the Manipur government has started talking about implementing the Food Security Act without creating conditions for it.

"The Public Distribution System has been a failure in the state. There is apprehension among some sections that ministers, MLAs and hangers-on may get a free hand once the Food Security Act is implemented."

Nara and other leaders also flagged the issue of communalism, observing that "there have been hundreds of communal clashes during the two years of BJP rule in the country".

"The tribals and non-tribals should stay in communal harmony and all sections of people should stay together as equals," said the CPI leader.

Another CPI leader, Moirangthem Ibohal, took a poor view of the Manipur budget for 2016-17. "It is like a project report of an NGO and is not in the interest of the state and the people."

The CPI has been in a bad shape in Manipur for a long time. It has not been able to field candidates in several elections in the recent past.

In the 2012 Manipur assembly elections, the CPI failed to win a single seat in the 60-member house.

The party suffered a setback when veteran leader Ningthoujam Mangi, also a former minister of Manipur, resigned to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Pop star Madonna, who is in the midst of a custody battle with her ex, Guy Ritchie, over their son, Rocco Ritchie; was overcome with emotions while dedicating a song to the 15-year-old during her worldwide Revel Heart tour performance here.

She performed for a sold-out crowd at the Vector Arena here and dedicated "La Vie en Rose" to her eldest son.

"That is my son, who I mentioned earlier. He is actually 15 and it's true, there is no love stronger than a mother for her son," Madonna is seen as saying, in a video obtained by TMZ.

"And, if I talk about him too much, I might cry. But I would like to dedicate this song to him. It's a love song for a man, but I know he'll be one, one day. I hope he hears this somewhere and knows how much I miss him."

Earlier this week, a New York Supreme Court judge urged Madonna and Guy to come to an agreement to end their custody battle out of court.

It was ruled back in December that Rocco was to be returned to his mother in New York, after he moved to London in mid-2015 and began attending school there. However, Guy's attorney claims that Rocco does not want to move back to the Big Apple.
A man was detained after he was found moving suspiciously around the Panagarh air force station in West Bengal's Burdwan district, an air force officer said.

"According to locals, two people were moving around the IAF station suspiciously. While one person was apprehended and handed over to the police, the search is on for the other," said the officer.

"Police who are interrogating the suspect, however, are not sure if there was a second person too ," added the officer.

Meanwhile, in another incident outside the IAF station, three people sustained injuries and several vehicles caused fire while an empty oil tanker caught fire while it was being welded.

"It seems some of the inflammable liquid was still inside the tanker. The flickers from the welding torch caused a fire in the tanker which speared to other vehicles parked nearby. Four fire engines were pressed into service and the fire has been extinguished," said a police officer.
Rising incidents of theft and chain snatching in Jharkhand's capital city have left the residents a worried lot.

On Saturday, there were four incidents of theft in four flats and snatching of chains of women besides Rs.6.50 lakh being looted from a trader. All incidents occurred in broad daylight.

Miscreants raided four flats in the city's Shanti Enclave apartment complex and took away jewellery worth of Rs.8 lakhs.

The criminals also looted Rs.6.50 lakhs from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Latehar district president Lal Motinath Sahdeo in the city's Pandara locality. He was robbed as he withdrew cash from his bank and was heading towards a company.

On Thursday, there were three incidents of theft in Ranchi's Bariatu locality, with the thieves managing to escape with jewellery and cash worth lakhs of rupees in broad daylight.

Though a total of 20 theft and robbery cases have been reported in the last two months in Ranchi, police have failed to crack any case.

At many places, women say they have stopped wearing gold chains, fearing snatching.

"In some cases young boys are involved in theft and chain snatching incidents. There are a few biker gangs who are involved in chain snatching. We will soon crack all the cases. In some cases, theft took place after rendering the residents unconscious," a police official told IANS.

Ranchi police has made a public appeal for installing CCTV cameras for safety.

"The women in our locality have stopped wearing gold chains. There is hardly any woman whose gold chain may not have been snatched," Poonam Gupta, a resident of Anantpur told IANS.

In Jharkhand, there were 10,154 cases of theft reported in 2015.
Researchers have warned that immersion in virtual reality (VR) can cause behavioural changes in consumers that may last even after they leave the virtual environment.

The technological capacity for generating virtual worlds from home computers will soon be widely available to the general public, as special head-mounted displays are brought to market that create the illusion of being immersed in virtual three-dimensional worlds.

But citing recent studies, Michael Madary and Thomas Metzinger from Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany said that VR may create vast opportunities for psychological manipulation - a risk that has received far less attention so far.

"These studies suggest that VR poses risks that are novel, that go beyond the risks of traditional psychological experiments in isolated environments, and that go beyond the risks of existing media technology for the general public," the researchers wrote in a recently published article in the journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI.

Based on their analysis of the risks, both researchers offered concrete recommendations for the use of VR.

For example, in experimental work developing new clinical applications, researchers should be careful not to create false hopes in patients. They should repeatedly remind them of the merely experimental nature of the research.

Madary and Metzinger also noted that a code of ethical conduct, however important it may be, can never function as a substitute for ethical reasoning itself on the part of researchers.

They warned about content such as violence and pornography, where the advanced technology may increase the risk of psychological trauma.

"Users should be clearly informed of these dangers, as well as risks of hallucinations, personality changes, and the powerful unconscious influence of advertising in VR," they said.
For Mohiniyattam exponent Methil Devika, performing at Khajuraho "which has so much divine energy" was like a dream come true and she was overwhelmed by the experience.

Devika, who performed at the 42nd edition of the Khajuraho dance festival, says that it was a divine experience.

"While performing, I experienced potent divine energy here," says the danseuse, who is a recipient of Devadasi National Award, Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi award.

Organised by Madhya Pradesh's culture department, the Khajuraho festival, held February 20-26, brought together some of the renowned artistes from different classical dance forms like Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi.

The artiste, who enticed the audience by her unconventional take on Mohiniyattam, feels that one is blessed to perform in front of the Chitragupta Temple dedicated to Surya, the Hindu sun god, and the Vishwanatha Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

"If earlier, Khajuraho was all about splendour, dance, and publicity, now I see it in a different light. One has to be blessed to perform here. The energy is tremendous," said Devika, who is also trained in Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.

She feels that Khajuraho has a prominent place in promoting classical dances.

"Khajuraho is on the top of the list of every artiste. When Khajuraho gives you the chance, you know that you are there. There are very few stages in India which are as significant as this. The festival not only promotes the venue, but also inculcates a desire amongst dancers to vie for excellence," she said.

Watching Devika's 40-minutes rendition was a different experience as she uses the stage for inducing new styles. She said that she thrives to bring a new connotation to Mohiniyattam, which means "dance of the enchantress" and has the "lasya" as its predominant move.

"As a dancer, I believe that one needs to revive the art form. One should explore further within the grammar. For me, lasya only means a solo art form, an art form which can tell the stories of love. I want to define enchantment as the enchantment of one's own soul," she said.

The danseuse, who is in quest to redefine the concept of lasya, began her rendition with an invocatory piece on Shivshakti from Soundarya Lahari.

As she continued with padam composed by Swati Tirunal portraying the unconsumated love of the nayika on account of her Lord Vishnu, audience were in for a mesmerising experience. Whether it was the roudram in her tribute to goddess Mahakali or Tandav by Lord Shiva, Devika has attempted a deviation from usual style.

"For me, it is all about exploring the potential of an art form. I find Mahakali enchanting because she has the power to destroy the evil," said Devika adding that art has to benefit society.

She also believes that whether it's contemporary or folk dance, it has to elevate the masses.

"Contemporary dance means taking a dance back to the roots. If I learn martial art tomorrow, I can do contemporary Mohiniyattam. It's all about tapping the potential of an art form to heal or inducing a style," said Devika, who is also a dance research scholar.

(Preetha Nair was in Khajuraho at the invitation of Madhya Pradesh's culture department. She can be contacted at preetha.n@ians.in)
The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday arrested 29 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

The navy said it assisted the Sri Lanka Coast Guard in arresting the fishermen at two locations in the north and north-western seas, Xinhua news agency reported.

The navy also seized a trawler and three small boats.

Indian fishermen have been arrested over the past few years for poaching in Sri Lankan waters and both countries are still struggling to resolve the issue.

Indian media reports last week quoted Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as saying she had held consultations with top Sri Lankan leadership to resolve the issue of fishermen from India.

Last week, fishermen in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu staged protests demanding the immediate release of fellow fishermen from Sri Lankan jails.
"I have got RTGS of Rs.10 lakh in my account. With this amount I cannot even get my mall cleaned, leave alone rebuilding the entire thing. All my hard work of so many years has been reduced to rubble," Suresh Sharma, the owner of Rohtak's burnt down RN Mall, rued.

Sharma, like scores of others whose shops, business establishments and institutions were looted and completely burnt down in the mindless arson by Jat protesters in last month's violent agitation for reservation, says that non-Jat community businessmen are uncertain whether they want to re-build their establishments in Haryana or move out to other places.

Rohtak's only McDonald's outlet, which Sharma brought here almost 18 months ago after a lot of effort, has been charred along with the multiplex cinema halls, high-end gyms and other showrooms in the RN Mall. The mall's staff, numbering over 100, stare at a jobless future.

"My estimated loss in the Mall alone is over Rs.7 crore. Even I am jobless as of today. So is all my staff. We don't even know where the money for re-building the whole thing will come from. The interim relief is hardly of any use. The government should compensate the whole loss immediately as the police and administration failed to provide security for our establishments," Sharma told IANS.

"I don't understand how the Khattar government is going ahead with the 'Happening Haryana' investors' summit when the existing ones have suffered losses of hundreds of crores. Who will invest in a state where such lawlessness prevails?" he said.

The protesters even set the RN Engineering College, owned by Sharma and his family, at Makroli Kalan near here. "They took away all computers and other equipment and burnt down the building. The loss at the college is around Rs.4 crore," Sharma said.

The arsonists specifically targeted establishments owned by people from non-Jat communities like Punjabis, Sainis, Brahmins and others, local traders point out.

The BJP government in Haryana, led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, having failed to contain the violence, is trying to give an impression that it will compensate all losses suffered by people. Much of this is being done ahead of the March 7-8 'Happening Haryana Global Investors' Summit' being held in Gurgaon.

"Haryana government has so far released an interim assistance of Rs 20,04,75,291 (Rs 20.04 crore) to 1,537 persons whose properties were damaged in the recent agitation in the state," an official claimed in Chandigarh.

Among the sufferers of the violence is the family of Haryana's Finance and Industries Minister Abhimanyu Sindhu.

The minister's house was set on fire continuously for three days. Nearly a dozen cars, including high-end luxury ones, were burnt down. His family members had to take refuge in a neighbour's house to save themselves and were later airlifted in a chartered helicopter.

Indus Public School, a big private school owned by his family, in which his wife Ekta Sindhu is the chairperson, was set ablaze, along with 18 school buses.

The Sindhu family is reported to have made a claim of Rs. 25 crore to the Haryana government for the losses suffered by it in the agitation.

Three other prominent schools (Scholars Rosery School, Pathania School and Shriram Global School) in and around Rohtak were also ransacked and burnt down by the protesters. Studies of nearly 15,000 students have been affected by the closure of schools.

Trade and industry body Assocham has projected the loss in the violence at around Rs 20,000 crore.
The National Conference of Women Legislators on Sunday adopted a resolution to work for transparent, accountable and inclusive governance and to contribute the task of building a 'Resurgent India'.

The resolution was adopted by conference participants in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and former president Pratibha Patil.

The resolution, adopted at the valedictory function of the two-day conference, also said that the participants would strive for social and financial inclusion to ensure equal opportunities to all.

The resolution further said: "...will promote grass-root entrepreneurship, and improve the skill levels of the workforce, promote increased role of women in financial decision-making and fostering financial literacy among the masses."

"Engage with elected women representatives at the municipal and panchayat levels regularly as bridges of constructive dialogue between and among the people, the states and the Union," the resolution added.
Conflict is rife between taxpayers and tax collectors. The issue of too many litigations has attracted the attention of the public, analysts and also the government. In Budget 2016-17, the finance minister has specifically said the thrust of his tax proposals falls in nine categories one of which is "reducing litigation and providing certainty in taxation". The FM has further said that "Litigation is a scourge for a tax-friendly regime and creates an environment of distrust in addition to increasing the compliance cost of the tax payers and administrative cost for revenue".
While presenting the Union Budget for 2016-17, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced "measures for moving towards a pensioned society." Towards this goal, he proposed that 60 per cent of the corpus created by new contributions to recognised provident funds would be taxed, if it is not re-invested in an annuity product. This has created a tremendous backlash from the target group of some seven million employee provident fund members in the private sector. A panicked government started issuing contradictory clarifications, but by the weekend, nothing was clear. On Sunday, a leading newspaper speculated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the FM to hold back this Budget proposal.
While speculation is rife about a tie-up between the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for the Assembly polls in West Bengal, the two parties are rivals in Kerala, which also goes to polls. But now, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has threatened to travel to Kerala to expose the nexus between the two parties. Let them think about Kerala first, she said. I have decided to go to Kerala and expose the nexus between them. In Kerala it will be a one-day poll; in West Bengal the polls will be held in six phases this year.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys announcement on Saturday that the government is considering setting up an expert committee on public sector bank (PSB) consolidation has raised hopes for concrete action on an issue that has been discussed and debated for many years. Certainly, there is a strong case, in theory, for merging some of the PSBs, which are still very small compared to their global peers  Indias largest bank, State Bank of India, ranks only 67th among global banks. ICICI Bank is the only other Indian bank that features among the top 200 banks in the world in terms of assets. A growing economy of the size of India needs a less fragmented domestic banking industry. So Mr Jaitley is right when he said at the concluding session of Gyan Sangam II, a two-day conclave of PSB chiefs and government policymakers, that what India needed was stronger banks and not lots of banks.
With reference to the report, "CBI chief raps banks over defaulters, bad loans" (March 3), Anil Sinha's remarks are directed at the authorities concerned so that they look into the present state of the Indian polity and the world economy.

The surge in non-performing assets at public and private sector banks has many aspects. First, the government's well-intended plan to boost infrastructure went awry due to the derailment of power projects in which banks had large stakes. Second, the past decade saw companies in emerging markets led by China grow by leaps and bounds, resulting in over-leveraging by banks. Third, in the boom period, some companies siphoned off a part of the finance into real estate.

With the slowdown in China now, the world economy is affected and so is India's. Lack of liquid assets means companies cannot pay their dues to the banks.

The Central Bureau of Investigation can check corruption in the public sector, but inadequate manpower, lengthy legal processes and political influence have helped increase wilful defaults of huge loans.

Chandra Prakash, Mumbai

Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201  E-mail: letters@bsmail.in All letters must have a postal address and telephone number
With reference to the editorial, "A law for Aadhaar" (March 5), the government's move to provide statutory backing to Aadhaar cards should be welcomed, more so because it aims to eliminate the scope of leakage in disbursing subsidies - by way of impersonation or duplication of identities - and leads to better targeting. I agree with the editorial that the government should not have taken the Money Bill route to enact it, as this makes it needlessly controversial.

Aadhaar was introduced with the objective of building a nationwide database of all citizens. Perhaps, the possibility of using these cards for targeting and regulating subsidies was not visualised at that time.

Regarding the government's attempt to have built-in measures to protect the privacy of individuals by not allowing the data collected to be accessed wrongly or misused is supplemented by the fact that access to Aadhaar data would be allowed only at a high level in the government. However, exceptional cases may necessitate judicial intervention and the police or the national security agencies may seek access to the biometric and geographical data of certain individuals in the interests of the nation.

Why can't we take a cue from the US whose laws provide its national security agencies access to the entire database of every American citizen, including the President of the country? Why do Indians always seek the enforcement of their fundamental rights but seldom talk about performing their duties towards their motherland? A nation is supreme and ranks above all other interests.



S Kumar, New Delhi

Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201  E-mail: letters@bsmail.in All letters must have a postal address and telephone number
After Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar made azadi  freedom from ignorance, poverty, corruption and so on  the focal point of his speech post his release from jail, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has decided to leverage the topic while it is still hot. He has demanded azadi from the interference of Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung as well as the Centre in the functioning of his government. While Kumar reiterated he wanted freedom in India, not freedom from India, Kejriwal has interpreted azadi as that which enables people to take decisions freely and politics that is devoid of arrogance.
In October last year, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), as part of the pre-Budget exercise, set up a committee of senior officials, industry representatives and tax experts to look at various issues related to taxation of e-commerce transactions. One of the recommendations of the committee, taking a leaf out of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) action plan prepared by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, was to charge an equalisation levy on e-commerce transactions.
The government Bill to give statutory status to Aadhaar, the citizen identification system, is in the Lok Sabha agenda this week. It was introduced on Thursday.

The government has planned a heavy financial and legislative agenda for the week. Parliament convenes on Tuesday, with Monday being a holiday for Shivaratri. There are only seven working days before Parliament goes into a month's recess, on March 17.

The government wants to take up 12 Bills, seven in the Lok Sabha and five in the Rajya Sabha. On Friday, minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told the Rajya Sabha they'd also like to see progress on the pending Real Estate (Development & Regulation) Bill. However, passage of this and the constitutional amendment on a national goods and services tax (GST) won't happen in that House, where the ruling alliance is in a minority, if opposition parties don't go along.

The Congress party wants amendments in the GST Bill and this is likely to be taken up in the Rajya Sabha only after Parliament reconvenes after the recess, on April 25.

This lack of numbers in the Rajya Sabha is also why the government has said it is classifying the proposed Aadhaar law as a money Bill. The latter need only be passed by the Lok Sabha for enactment. The House is slated to take it up on Tuesday and the Congress has already said it will contest the classification, noting it is similar to the one introduced during its government in end-2010, as a non-money Bill.

By the rule, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha will decide if a Bill can be classified as a money one or not.

During the first two weeks of the ongoing session, both Houses passed the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, giving voting rights to people who became Indian citizens after the exchange of border areas between India and Bangladesh. The Rajya Sabha passed two Bills earlier passed by the Lok Sabha -- the High Court and Supreme Court (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill and the Carriage by Air (Amendment) Bill.

The Houses also discussed the controversial happenings at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi and the University of Hyderabad. The Rajya Sabha also took up two calling attention motions on alleged breakdown of law and order in Delhi and the comments against minorities attributed to minister of state for human resource development Ram Shankar Katheria.

The Lok Sabha adopted a motion of thanks to the President for his address to both Houses at a joint sitting; discussion on this is in progress in the Rajya Sabha. The opposition leader in the latter, Ghulam Nabi Azad, has said they're likely to push for an amendment to the official motion.

BILLS LIKELY TO BE TAKEN UP IN LS

Enemy Property (Amendment & Validation) Bill, 2016, to replace an Ordinance

Two Appropriation Bills relating to Demands for Grants on Account (Railways) for 2016-17 and Supplementary Demands for Grants (Railways) for 2015-16, on conclusion of ongoing discussion

Two Appropriation Bills relating to Demands for Grants on Account (General) for 2016-17 and Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2015-16 (after initiation and conclusion of discussion)

Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016

Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2016

BILLS LIKELY TO BE TAKEN UP IN RS
Kanhaiya Kumar, the recently bailed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union president, returned to a hero's welcome to his alma mater on Thursday. In a speech that was televised live and enthralled many, Kumar said to his fellow students that there wouldn't be any witch-hunt of supporters of the rival Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on campus. "One hunts only those who are worthy of being hunted," Kumar said sarcastically.

Kumar had spent nearly a fortnight in police and judicial custody - mostly thanks to yet another example of ABVP's new-found aggression on university campuses across the country. It was the ABVP members in JNU who had alerted a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP of the "anti-national" slogans raised at an event on the campus on February 9, which started a chain of events that led to him being jailed. Kumar, 28, must have seethed inside but that was the only statement in a nearly hour-long speech which betrayed his anger.

But, this anger burns on either side. In the case of ABVP, even its former activists, several of whom are ministers in the BJP-led government at the Centre, continue to nurse reverses that the students union has suffered at the hands of the Leftist students' unions. "People have forgotten how our leader, P Muralidhar Rao (currently a BJP general secretary), was nearly killed by Naxals," a minister, who was with ABVP in the mid-1980s, retorted when asked if the government could have handled the JNU issue better. Rao was a student leader at the Osmania University in Hyderabad and claims to have weaned away a "large number of youth from the violent politics of leftwing extremism in Telangana". He was attacked in 1986, but after the situation became difficult for Rao thereafter in Andhra Pradesh, the ABVP sent him to Rajasthan.

Former ABVP activists, particularly some of the old-timers who are now associated with its parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, cite many instances of their workers being killed or beaten up by Leftist rivals in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. In the past one year, ABVP has sought to settle scores themselves with anyone it believes to have "insulted" the Hindu religion or spoken against the Narendra Modi government. Wherever it couldn't, the students union has approached the government at the Centre for help.

From Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP President Amit Shah, many leaders started their political careers with the ABVP. Then, several ministers have as their assistants people, who, until a few years ago, were with ABVP. A sympathetic ear of the ruling party at the Centre and in several states has helped ABVP not only add to its number of workers (see chart) but also push the RSS-BJP brand of cultural nationalism in universities and colleges across the country.

But, there have been mishaps along the way; the starkest being the suicide of Rohith Vemula, a 26-year-old Dalit student of Hyderabad Central University. It has been difficult for the Narendra Modi-led government to counter Opposition allegations on the role of its ministers in having driven Vemula to suicide on January 17. About a month after Vemula's suicide, the government flexed its muscles to arrest slogan-shouting students of JNU.

In their minds, the BJP leaders and ministers in the government - something they do share with journalists in off-the-record conversations - are trying to settle historical scores by supporting ABVP in taking on outfits like the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students Federation (AISF), and gradually weeding out from university campuses those who disagree with the Sangh Parivar's ideology.

For ABVP, some universities more than others - both Hyderabad Central University and JNU - have proved difficult in establishing its sway. A former JNU student, currently serving as a mid-level bureaucrat with the Uttarakhand government, says the primary reason for this is ABVP's inability to address the issue of caste and its linear understanding of India's diversity.

The bureaucrat recounts an incident from 1998. The university was then mulling increasing of reservations in admissions, which would have increased to above 90 per cent if the proposal were to be accepted by the students. The SFI and AISF supported the proposal, but ABVP and Freethinkers were opposed to it, and so were a majority of the students. A students' meeting was organised to discuss the issue.

"The Left students' unions found themselves isolated. ABVP was sensing victory and the possibility of finding more supporters among the students. Just then, a member of the Left unions went up on stage to deliver a speech on how Lord Rama would ill-treat his wife and children, and how he was anti-Dalit," the bureaucrat, then an ABVP sympathiser, reminisces. His ABVP friends forgot all about the issue at hand, and with it the opportunity to find new supporters, to get into what ended into a heated exchange betraying their deep-seated upper caste biases.

This inability to negotiate the issue of caste, particularly reaching out to the Dalits, has remained a stumbling block for ABVP in universities that have had a tradition of lower castes asserting themselves. In the aftermath of Kumar's arrest in JNU, three ABVP members quit the outfit, complaining as much about its "Manuwadi" or Brahminical ideology. All three hailed from other backward classes/Dalit families.

This lack of empathy towards Dalits made BJP leaders tie themselves in knots in the aftermath of Vemula's suicide. Their questioning Vemula's Dalit identity and trying to doubt his mental balance not just left many of their own Dalit MPs and leaders livid, but it also laid waste nearly two years' of efforts by Prime Minister Modi to appropriate the legacy of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar. While the PM has continued to publicly support his ministers who intervened in the Vemula issue, Modi is said to be extremely upset at the turn of events.

After the JNU row, the Sangh Parivar has tried to take the debate towards the binary of nationalism and anti-nationalism, while the Opposition is not letting it forget its Achilles heel - the suicide of Vemula and the role of its ministers in that. While the PM continues to reach out to Dalits, the rest of the BJP leadership continues to paint a picture of how these Dalit students are standing with the enemies of India - Islamists, Christian missionaries and communists - all of whom need to be severely dealt with.

ABVP's aggressive campus politics, seen for the first time when some associated with it allegedly beat to death H S Sabharwal, a professor at Madhav College in Ujjain in 2006, is likely to continue. Campus violence by those alleged to be with the students' union has been frequent in BJP-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the past few years. Since 2014, its campaigns against beef eating, or anything it considers anti-Hindu and anti-national, have been frequent in colleges and universities of India.

For the present, ABVP is likely to keep the pot simmering on the issue of nationalism. It is the fight for occupying the mind space of India's next generation and ABVP, with the support of a friendly government at the Centre and the simplicity of its message, is ahead of its rivals.

TRACKING THE ABVP'S TUMULTOUS JOURNEY
After having failed to win back voters with its campaign on the long-running Saradha chit fund scam, the Left Front in this state has taken up the issue of industrialisation from where it had left off in the previous Assembly election.

"Our main issue is obviously lack of industrialisation. We have got a huge response from people in our Singur to Salboni protest march on the issue," says Nirupam Sen, industry minister when the Left was in power.

In mid-January, prominent Left leaders -Sen, from chief minister Budhhadeb Bhattacharjee, Politburo member Biman Bose, opposition leader in the legislative assembly Surjya Kanta Mishra - flagged off a padayatra from Singur in Hooghli district, site of a much-reported land acquisition controversy for a Tata car factory that is held to have contributed the Left rout in the 2011 Assembly poll. The padayatra covered seven South Bengal districts and ended at Salboni in West Medinipur.

It was Bhattacharjee and Sen's first visit to Singur since the 2011 rout. Both were strong advocates of industrialisation when in the government but not everyone within their party had supported their stand.

"The problem is, Bhattacharjee was almost apologetic about his fight for industrialisation," a Kolkata-based industrialist said. In 2008, Bhattacharjee courted trouble when he had famously blamed his own party for the negative image of the state, at a meeting of the business chamber Assocham. "I am against bandhs. Unfortunately, I belong to a party which calls bandhs", he had said, drawing flak from all quarters - allies, the opposition and his party, above all.

The change was manifest in the big annual rally of the CPI(M). In 2014, before the Lok Sabha elections, party leaders spoke in different voices. Biman Bose mentioned the needless 'festivals' organised by the state government, Prakash Karat on the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) communal agenda, Surjya Kanta Mishra labelled the Mamata Banerjee government anti-people, anti-development and corrupt. Bhattacharjee stuck to industrialisation.

Saradha, the chit fund scam that erupted in the Mamata regime, became a hot issue for the 2014 Lok Sabha election, courtesy the BJP. The campaign didn't do anything for the Left, whose vote share fell from 41 per cent in the 2009 elections to 29-30 per cent. Now, the Left has again sought refuge in industrialisation. At the December rally, almost all leaders spoke in one voice, talking about unemployment, development and industrialisation.

"Everything stems from lack of industrialisation. The extortion, the suffering of the people, lawlessness, it's all due to lack of industrialisation," CPI(M) senior Mohammed Salim stated.

Wrong policies of the state government - of keeping away from land acquisition for industries, of empowering local satraps, its stance on special economic zones - had cost industry heavily, he said.

A section of the CPI(M) is hoping for an alliance with the Congress party to cash on whatever sentiment there is against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Whether it will happen is not clear.

"We have an agreement at the grassroots level to oust the TMC," said Salim.

A recent opinion poll by C-Voter and telecast by India TV has given the Left 114 seats in the coming elections, in the 294-member Assembly, up from 61 in 2011. The CPI(M), however, is not sticking out its neck to make a guess. The worst is over is all it's saying right now.
Authorities say that assailants armed with AK-47 assault rifles burst into a pool hall in Honduras' capital and opened fire, killing at least 12 people and wounding three others.

Police spokesman Edgardo Barahona said at least three of the five attackers were wearing police uniforms and bullet-proof vests in yesterday's attack in Tegucigalpa's violent northern 1 de Diciembre neighborhood. The victims ranged in age from 19 to 30.

Police said the pool hall was controlled by the Barrio 18 gang and there were about 30 people in it at the time. No arrests have been made.

The massacre took place a year after a similar shooting in a nearby pool hall left five people dead.

Honduras is plagued by gang and cartel violence, and has among world's highest murder rates.
At least 18 people drowned off the Turkish coast while trying to reach Greece today, while Macedonian authorities imposed further restrictions on refugees trying to cross the Greek border.

The Turkish coast guard launched a search-and-rescue mission for other migrants believed to be missing from the accident, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The coast guard rescued 15 other migrants off the Aegean Sea resort of Didim, it added.

The dead included three children, according to private Dogan agency.

Meanwhile, Greek police officials said Macedonian authorities are only allowing those from cities they consider to be at war to cross the Idomeni border crossing from Greece.

That means people from cities such as Aleppo in Syria, for example, can enter, but those from the Syrian capital of Damascus or the Iraqi capital of Baghdad are being stopped.

The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak on the record.

The developments come a day ahead of a summit between the European Union and Turkey to discuss the crisis.

Nearly all refugees and other migrants who enter the EU have been doing so by taking small inflatable dinghies from the Turkish coast to the nearby Greek islands. With thousands of kilometres of coastline, Greece says it cannot staunch the flow unless Turkey stops the boats from leaving its shores.

Athens has also criticized Europe for not sticking to agreements to take in refugees in a relocation scheme that never really got off the ground.

"While Idomeni is closed for refugees and the flows from the islands, from the Turkish shores to the islands, remain, it must be perfectly clear that the immediate start of a reliable process of relocation of refugees from our country to other countries of the European Union is a matter of complete urgency," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Sunday during a speech to his party.

"And this is exactly what we will seek in the summit on Monday. Not just the wording that this is urgent, but that it will begin immediately and with a large number," Tsipras said.

While thousands arrive in Greece's main port of Piraeus from the islands, about 13,000-14,000 people remain stranded in Idomeni, with more arriving each day. The refugee camp has overflowed, with thousands pitching tents among the railway tracks and in adjacent fields.

The rate at which refugees are being allowed to cross had already been reduced to a trickle, with sometimes only a few dozen, or even nobody, being allowed to cross. Greek police said 240 people crossed between 6 am yesterday and the same time this morning.
A 300-strong African delegation, including veteran freedom fighter and Nelson Mandela confidante Ahmed Kathrada, will join the three-day World Culture Festival being hosted in New Delhi this month.

Organised by The Art of Living, a UN-accredited global NGO headed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, WCF aims to be the first such historic gathering to celebrate peaceful co-existence and unity in diversity as it brings together people from different cultures, nations, and faiths as a one-world family in a resounding message of peace.

"We are a part of one humanity and we express ourselves differently through music, art and food. Celebrating our diverse cultures binds us together and expands our perspectives," Shankar said.

"The WCF emphasises co-existence, demonstrating the power of peace by bringing millions of people together. It is an opportunity for world leaders from cultural, social, political, business fields to come together torekindle human values in the pursuit of happiness and peace," he added.

The WCF, which is being hosted from March 11-13, will feature a diverse program of cultural performances, addresses by dignitaries, an interfaith meet and platforms for leadership discussions.

Through the presentation of traditional and country- specific dance, music, art and costumes from around the world, the festival aims to foster a deeper mutual understanding between people of different faiths, nationalities and backgrounds, an important concern of the Art of Living.

Among the confirmed speakers are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Pranab Mukherjee and a host of global leaders.

The Africandelegation comprises over 300 people from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Togo and Mauritius.

"We are honoured to have Mr Ahmed Kathrada joining us as a Guest of Honour at the event. Poor health has not enabled His Eminence Archbishop Desmond Tutu to join us, but he has posted a special message for the WCF," said a spokesman for the South African organising team, Elisha Sirkissoon.

"South Africa together with our other African countries will be performing at the opening ceremony. The South African production 'African Beats' presents the miracle of our democracy through song and dance," added Sirkissoon.

Part of the delegation includes twoyouth from Soweto who have never travelled outside of South Africa but have been active volunteers with the Art of Living's community projects.
At least 47 Malaysians, including nine women and eight children, are involved with the Islamic state terror group in Syria and Iraq, a top police official has said.

Police Special Branch director Mohamad Fuzi said they comprised 30 men, nine women and eight children.

"Of the72 linked to the militant group, 18 were reportedly killed in Syria while seven others died as suicide bombers last year," Fuzi said.

"Some of those involved in militant activities were arrested and charged in court," he told Bernama agency.

Fuzi said the police has taken measures to curb the spread of ISIS ideology by collaborating with the Immigration Department, KL International Airport (KLIA) and Interpol to monitor the country's entry points.

"If they ISIS militants return to their country of origin via KLIA, they will be arrested immediately, and if they use other means, the police have the mechanism to detect them," he added.

Malaysia is a multi ethnic Muslim majority country.
The Women and Child Development Ministry has decided to launch 5-6 One Stop Crisis Centres every month to help women victims of violence.

Three such centres will be launched on International Women's Day on March 8, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said. There are six such centres in the country.

"The One Stop Centres for providing safety to women affected by violence will be significantly expanded this year. We are launching three more One Stop Crisis Centres in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Foundation stone will also be laid in Nagaland," Gandhi said.

"We will come up with five to six centres every month this year," she said.

Currently six One Stop Centres are functional in Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Vijayawada City (Andhra Pradesh), Karnal (Haryana), Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Chandigarh.

The ministry has also released funds to more than 30 states for building the facility.

Initially, these centres were proposed to be established at 660 locations covering all the districts across the country.

After receiving feedback from public and stakeholders and inter-ministerial consultations, it was decided to build them in a phased manner.

"The scheme envisages establishment of one centre in each State/UT in the first phase and further expansion depends upon the performance of these centres," a senior ministry official said.

"The centres are at the nascent stage of operationalization at the field level. The One Stop Centre Scheme is being monitored by the Ministry on a regular basis," the official said.

The centres will extend medical help, counselling, legal and police assistance to women in distress, while ensuring anonymity of the victim.

The facility was one of the key recommendations of Justice J S Verma committee that was set up in the aftermath of the public uproar against the December 16 gangrape in Delhi.
Five militants were killed in an exchange of fire with Egyptian army in the restive North Sinai province, army said today.

The exchange of fire at Shiekh Zwayed city killed five militants, army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement.

Egypt's North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.
In a goodwill gesture, Pakistan today released 87 Indian fishermen arrested for allegedly violating its territorial waters and would free 86 others later this month.

The fishermen, who had been languishing in prison for the last two and half years, were released from Landhi Jail and will be handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border.

Faisal Edhi, who heads private charity the Edhi Foundation, arranged the train journey for the fishermen today and gave them gifts and some cash.

Jail superintendent of Landhi Jail Shakir Shah told PTI that 86 more Indian fishermen would be released on March 20.

He said a total of around 536 Indian fishermen were in jail, serving varying terms for violation of Pakistani territorial waters.

Fishermen are frequently arrested along with their boats by both India and Pakistan as the maritime border in the Arabian Sea is poorly defined, and many fishing boats lack the technology needed to be certain of their precise location.

Some of them spend years in jail before being repatriated.

In the past the two nations have released each other's fishermen as goodwill gestures.

Although in December, India and Pakistan had agreed to revive the dialogue process when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Islamabad for a summit, but the same month 66 Indian fishermen were arrested by Pakistan.

In January, another 45 Indian fishermen were arrested for allegedly violating Pakistan's territorial waters .
Afghan officials voiced optimism today that Taliban peace talks would resume "within weeks" even after the insurgents rebuffed calls for dialogue, with analysts dismissing their seemingly tough stance as a bargaining ploy.

Talks brokered by a four-country group were expected to start in early March, but the Taliban on Saturday stressed longstanding preconditions for dialogue including the departure of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday said he was "hopeful" about peace talks aimed at ending the Taliban's 14-year insurgency, imploring the militant group to join the negotiating table.

"I say to the Taliban that you face a big historic test -- either you stand with your countrymen or with the opposition," Ghani said in an address to the Afghan parliament.

"Peace is the only way forward."



Delegates from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States met in Kabul late February for a fourth round of talks aimed at reviving the nascent peace process, which stalled last summer.

The Taliban, who have stepped up their nationwide insurgency, on Saturday bluntly rejected their overtures, saying "talks will yield no results".

But a senior Afghan presidential palace official brushed aside the statement, insisting that the peace process would resume.

"The process may be delayed but the Taliban will show up for talks -- this we are sure of," the official told AFP.

"Their tough talk is just public posturing and aimed at their own hardline commanders who aren't ready to see their leaders joining the negotiating table."



An official from the High Peace Council, the government body responsible for negotiating with the insurgents said the Taliban were "within the sphere of influence" of the four-nation group.

"We are optimistic that direct talks between the government and the Taliban will begin within weeks," he told AFP.

A historic first round of Taliban talks took place in Pakistan last July, but came to a standstill after the insurgents confirmed longtime leader Mullah Omar's death, which had been kept secret for two years.

"The Taliban want to negotiate from a position of strength in order to extract more concessions," Kabul-based analyst Mia Gul Waseeq told AFP.

"I am optimistic that the talks will happen but whether they will achieve anything is another question.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says the Islamic State group has been defeated in eastern Afghanistan, where it had taken over some remote districts.

Speaking at the opening of parliament today, Ghani said Afghan forces had dislodged Islamic State loyalists from regions of Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan.

He says Afghanistan will be a "graveyard" for IS.

IS has had a presence in Afghanistan for more than a year. Officials have said most militants calling themselves IS are disaffected Taliban fighters.

Afghan forces have claimed victory following a 21-day operation in the Achin and Shinwar districts of Nangarhar, claiming at least 200 militants killed.


An aircraft in Goa after a threat call, which claimed that a bomb was planted in the flight, was thoroughly checked on Sunday but it later turned out to be hoax, officials said.

"Calangute police received a call about a bomb planted in the flight AI516 flying from Delhi to Goa," a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official told PTI."After receiving the call upon the flight's take-off, police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), AAI officials and the bomb disposal squad were summoned," he said.

"The plane, which was carrying 89 passengers and 7 crew members, upon landing at Vasco at 2 PM, was moved towards the Indian Navy apron, and checked thoroughly for the presence of a bomb," he said.

However, the plane was cleared for further operations as the call turned out to be a hoax, he said.

Meanwhile, minutes after the incident, an unclaimed baggage found outside a terminal caused panic for a few minutes at the airport.

"The baggage, belonging to a Go Air passenger who had arrived from Mumbai, was found abandoned on a trolley," a senior AAI official said.

"Immediately, bomb disposal squad and dog squad were summoned and the baggage was checked. However, the owner turned up in the meantime and claimed it," he said.
An Air India aircraft was today thoroughly checked for a bomb here after a threat call was received by police, which claimed that a bomb was planted in the flight but it later turned out to be hoax, officials said.

"Calangute police received a call about a bomb planted in the flight AI516 flying from Delhi to Goa," a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official told PTI.

"After receiving the call upon the flight's take-off, police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), AAI officials and the bomb disposal squad were summoned," he said.

"The plane, which was carrying 89 passengers and 7 crew members, upon landing at Vasco at 2 PM, was moved towards the Indian Navy apron, and checked thoroughly for the presence of a bomb," he said.

However, the plane was cleared for further operations as the call turned out to be a hoax, he said.

Meanwhile, minutes after the incident, an unclaimed baggage found outside a terminal caused panic for a few minutes at the airport.

"The baggage, belonging to a Go Air passenger who had arrived from Mumbai, was found abandoned on a trolley," a senior AAI official said.

"Immediately, bomb disposal squad and dog squad were summoned and the baggage was checked. However, the owner turned up in the meantime and claimed it," he said.
An Town Panchayat Councillor and his son were today allegedly hacked to death by a group of unknown assailants at their house near here, police said.

Nattarasankottai town panchayat councillor Nagarajan (50) and his son Vignesh (21) died on the spot when the gang of armed persons attacked them.

Nagarajan's wife was injured in bid to stop the gang from attacking her husband and son.

She was admitted to a government hospital here and later referred to Madurai government hospital. Her condition was stated to be critical, police said.

However, the councillor's daughter, who has a three-month-old baby, was spared by the gang.

Special teams have been formed to nab the perpetrators who were yet to be identified.

Police said they were investigating whether previous enmity or some other dispute was the motive behind the murders.
An American woman who visited the Philippines in January has tested positive for the in the United States, the Philippines' top health official said today.

Health Secretary Janette Garin said her department was coordinating with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to get more information about the woman and find out where she stayed during her January 2-28 visit to the Philippines.

The health department's spokesman, Dr Lyndon Lee Suy, said that the woman was apparently exhibiting the symptoms of Zika in the final days of her stay in the Philippines, but that she was not diagnosed with the virus until she returned to the US.

Garin said that if it is determined that the woman was infected in the Philippines, it would be only the second Zika case to be reported in the country, and stressed that there have been no reports of an outbreak.

She said the public should not be alarmed but should take steps to prevent infection, including by destroying all breeding places of mosquitoes, which can spread Zika, dengue and other tropical diseases.

A 15-year-old boy got infected in Cebu city in the central Philippines in 2012, but recovered fully after three weeks of rest and treatment, according to the health department.

Philippine health officials have advised pregnant women to consider deferring nonessential travel to Zika-hit countries and worked to raise public awareness on how to fight infections, including by using insect repellents and wearing protective clothing.
BJP president Amit Shah today snubbed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for "faulting" the Centre over "meagre" financial allocations to the state even as he sought his cooperation in development of AP in next five years "like never before".

"Some people have launched a misinformation campaign that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre did not render any financial assistance to Andhra Pradesh.

"Since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, the Centre had sanctioned schemes worth Rs 1.40 lakh crore to AP. If someone thinks funds will be given in one go, they are only misleading the people," the BJP chief said without taking any name.

Shah addressed a huge public meeting organised by the BJP's state unit in the Arts College grounds here this evening.

The meeting was organised in a bid to counter the campaign against the Narendra Modi government over financial assistance to AP in the backdrop of apparent strain in the relationship between the BJP and the TDP.

"If I start reading out the list, I will not be talking about any other thing for a week. The list is that long," Shah remarked, referring to the Rs 1.40 lakh crore financial package the Centre granted the state since June 2014.

On the occasion, the BJP president mentioned certain important allocations to AP like Rs 65,000 crore for development of national highways and other major roads in the state.

He also mentioned allocation of Rs 22,000 crore for an industrial park, Rs 3650 crore for setting up a Naval Air Station in Vizianagaram, Rs 3266 crore for a missile manufacturing unit, Rs 3000 crore for a Kribhco fertiliser plant, Rs 1500 crore for inland waterways, 1.93 lakh houses under the 'Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana' and various national educational institutes like IIT, IIM, AIIMS, etc.

"AP has been chosen as the first state to implement the pilot project for 24x7 electricity supply. By 2019, all villages in the state will get three-phase quality power supply," Shah added.

Terming the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project as the "lifeline of AP", Shah said the Central government will do everything to complete it.

"Polavaram would have become impossible had the Centre not amended the Act and transferred seven mandals from Telangana to AP, post-bifurcation. Amending the Act was the first thing Narendra Modi (did) because of which Polavaram has become possible. It was, in fact, the NDA government that declared Polavaram as a national project," Shah said.

Stating that Centre is conscious of the issues like



Polavaram and setting up of a new railway zone at Visakhapatnam, the BJP chief assured Chandrababu that everything would be taken care of.

"You are our partner (in NDA). Let us work together and develop AP in five years like it never happened before," Shah told Chandrababu.

Challenging the Congress to list out what it did for AP in the last 60 years, the BJP chief said the grand old party only forced the state chief ministers to "carry footwear and touch the feet" (of high command leaders).

"The Congress has only insulted Andhra Pradesh. It was then that late N T Rama Rao launched the Telugu Desam Party to protect the Telugu self-respect," Shah said evoking applause from the crowd.

"I assure and promise you that as long as Narendra Modi government is in power, AP's prestige will only increase. Nobody will be able to demean it," he said.

The BJP chief exhorted his rank and file to ensure their flag flew high in this part of the country.

"They say we are just a north (Indian) party. But AP proves we are strong even in this part of the country. We should emerge stronger in all southern states. Our flag should fly high in all directions and only then we will realise the dream of Congress-mukt Bharat," Shah said, adding that the BJP which was born with just 11 members, now is a 11 crore-strong force.

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, state health minister Kamineni Srinivas, BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh, AP unit president and MP Kambhampati Hari Babu, MP Gokaraju Ganga Raju and other leaders attended.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is set to begin shooting for Shoojit Sircar's production venture, whose working title is "Eve".

The 73-year-old actor, who last worked with Sircar in "Piku," will commence the work from tomorrow in the capital.

"So Shoojit produced film starts in Delhi by tomorrow and as is wont the anxiety has begun. Always without fail it arrives in throngs of apprehension," Bachchan wrote in his blog.

To be directed by National Award-winner Aniruddha Roy Chowdhary, the film also stars "Baby" actress Taapsee Pannu.

This is Bachchan's third outing with Shoojit after "Shoebite" and "Piku".

While "Shoebite" is yet to see the light of day, Bachchan earned numerous best actor awards for his performance of a cranky ageing father in last year's "Piku". Both the movies were directed by Shoojit.
With a major part of the upcoming Bollywood thriller "Te3n" being shot in West Bengal, the Amitabh Bachchan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer will soon be used by the state government to attract tourists.

The producers of the film recently approached the tourism department with a proposal of co-branding with "Te3n".

"We will partner with the film but the manner in which we will be associated is being worked out. Our advertising and marketing agency O&M is having talks with the producers," A R Bardhan, principal secretary, West Bengal tourism department, told PTI.

He said since the film is a thriller so they want a deal with the producers that West Bengal Tourism gets a credit in the trailer.

"We may even have a Bengal tourism advertisement along with the film trailer because we are soon launching our TV commercial with Shahrukh Khan. We would want that TVC along with the trailer of the film," the official said.

Although a number of hit Hindi films have been shot in the city even in recent years, but this would be for the first time that Bengal tourism will get promoted through a Bollywood film.

Branded as 'Experience Bengal - Sweetest Part of India', the state tourism has rolled out a fresh advertising and marketing campaign. A new TVC, with SRK as brand ambassador, will be rolled out later this month.

Produced by Sujoy Ghosh and directed by debutant Ribhu Dasgupta, "Te3n" will release next year.

It also stars Vidya Balan, who calls Kolkata her second home, in a special appearance. It was shot in different parts of the city including the Raj-era Writers Buildings.

Bollywood has been romancing the varied colours of the 'City of Joy' in a number of films. In 2012 the superhit mystery "Kahaani" starring Vidya Balan brought to limelight the myriad colours and vibrancy of colonial Kolkata.

In the same year, Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor's romantic-comedy-drama film "Barfi!" presented the beauty of the little explored parts of the city and the mystic charm of the hills of Darjeeling.

More recently, Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone's father-daughter tale of "Piku" was also shot in the city.
Archaeologists have discovered an ancient burial ground that once held more than 100 tombs dating as far back as 4,000 years near the Palestinian town of Bethlehem.

Though the necropolis has been partly destroyed by looting and construction, researchers were able to identify at least 30 tombs.

Located on the side of a hill, the archaeological site - now called Khalet al-Jam'a - was likely a burial ground for a nearby settlement.

Archaeologists found that the cemetery covered more than seven acres and originally contained more than 100 tombs in use between roughly 2200 BC and 650 BC.

"The site's long-lasting utilisation, over a millennium and a half or more, and the large number of tombs, suggest that Khalet al-Jam'a was the necropolis of a major settlement in the area, possibly a town," said Lorenzo Nigro from Sapienza University of Rome.

The finds from the necropolis indicate that the settlement was a wealthy place, with access to trade routes, 'Live Science' reported.

"Typical pieces of the burial sets are finely executed carinated bowls, small shouldered jars/bowls with everted rim(s), one-spouted lamps, huge and well-refined Canaanite jars with two or four handles, as well as bronze daggers and spearheads," said Nigro.

The necropolis of Khalet al-Jam'a is mainly characterised by shaft tombs with single or multiple rock-cut chambers, researchers said.
Police today arrested Ravela Susheel, son of Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Babu, and his driver for allegedly misbehaving with a 20-year-old teacher.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Banjara Hills Division) D Uday Kumar Reddy told PTI that Susheel and the driver, Ramesh, appeared before police in the early hours today after notices were served to them and were arrested following their examination.

The duo will be produced before a magistrate, the ACP said.

They were yesterday booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of IPC.

The complainant had alleged that a car with 'MLA' sticker followed her when she was passing through Road No.13 while on her way to school on Thursday evening.

The driver of the car and another occupant, who were drunk, passed remarks and asked her to come inside the car while one person with a tattoo on his hand tried to pull her inside the vehicle, she had alleged.

When there was an attempt to pull her inside the vehicle, the woman raised an alarm following which her husband, who was nearby, and some locals gathered at the spot and beat up Susheel and Ramesh.

On Friday, the woman also claimed to have identified the photo of the minister's son as the one who held her hand and tried to pull her inside the car.

While Susheel claimed innocence and alleged that the case was "politically motivated", his father said police probe will reveal the truth and he will "not interfere" in the matter.
The second of five "missing" Hong Kong booksellers who was detained on the mainland returned to the city today, authorities said, in a case that has triggered fears of increasing Chinese interference in the semi-autonomous region.

Cheung Chi Ping's return to Hong Kong comes a week after he appeared on Chinese television with four of his colleagues, where some admitted to smuggling illicit literature into the mainland. Cheung had been missing since October.

"Hong Kong Police Force met with Cheung Chi Ping who has returned to Hong Kong from the mainland," the statement issued by Hong Kong's police said.

During the meeting, Cheung requested to have his missing persons case closed and requested his case to be dropped.

"He refused to disclose other details," the statement added.

His return to Hong Kong follows fellow bookseller Lui Por's arrival in the city Friday. Chinese media said last week Cheung, Lui and colleague Lam Wing Kee would all be released on bail. However, authorities have not been able to confirm when Lam will return to Hong Kong.

The five booksellers from Hong Kong's Mighty Current publishing house, known for its salacious titles critical of Beijing, went missing last year, only to turn up in mainland China.

One who apparently disappeared from Hong Kong, Lee Bo, appeared on television last week and insisted he had not been abducted by mainland authorities.

In the Phoenix TV interview, Lee said he had "resorted to illegal immigration" to get to the mainland as he did not want to draw attention to his visit and that he made the trip so he could cooperate in an investigation.

The other four booksellers, who are under criminal investigation on the mainland, also appeared on Phoenix last week, admitting to smuggling illicit books into China in sombre, sometimes tearful interviews.

The cases have heightened fears of increasing mainland Chinese interference in Hong Kong and sparked international condemnation.

Britain had said the disappearance of Lee, a British citizen, was a "serious breach" of an agreement signed with Beijing before the city was handed back to China in 1997 which protects its freedoms for 50 years.
Vice President Hamid Ansari along with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor E S L Narasimhan today visited the historic Quli Qutb Shahi Tombs complex here and enquired about the architecture and significance of the monuments.

Ansari asked the Telangana government and Aga Khan foundation to explore the possibility of attracting tourists to this spot as these structures do not find required recognition on tourism map, an official release said.

A project for restoration of the over 400-year-old tombs complex started in 2013 after the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) signed a memorandum of understanding with Telangana state department of archaeology and museums.

AKTC Project Director Ratish Nanda said there exist 75 structures, including 23 mosques spread over in 108 acres of land.

These monuments are popularly known as seven tombs and built in Iranian architecture style. The restoration works taken up by AKTC at a cost of Rs 100 crore would be completed in a span of 10 years, he added.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Md Mahamood Ali, Tourism Secretary B Venkatesham and other senior officials were also present.

Ansari, who was on two-day visit to Hyderabad had arrived yesterday and addressed the national seminar on 'Public Investment and Subsidies on Agriculture and Upliftment of Agrarian Economy'. He left for Delhi later today.
Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Babu's son Ravela Susheel was today arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a young woman teacher, triggering demands by the opposition that he be sacked.

Kishore Babu on his part alleged a "political conspiracy" by opposition YSR Congress leader Jaganmohan Reddy behind the arrest of Susheel, who was held along with his driver. He rejected the allegations against his son as "false and fabricated".

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Banjara Hills Division) D Uday Kumar Reddy told PTI that Susheel and the driver, Ramesh, appeared before police in the early hours of today after notices were served to them and were arrested following their examination.

They were yesterday booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of IPC.

The complainant had alleged that a car with 'MLA' sticker followed her when she was passing through Road No.13 while on her way to school on Thursday evening.

The driver of the car and another occupant, who were drunk, passed remarks and asked her to come inside the car while one person with a tattoo on his hand tried to pull her inside the vehicle, she had alleged.

When there was an attempt to pull her inside the vehicle, the woman raised an alarm following which her husband, who was nearby, and some locals gathered at the spot and beat up Susheel and Ramesh.

On Friday, the woman also claimed to have identified the photo of the minister's son as the one who held her hand and tried to pull her inside the car.

While Susheel claimed innocence and alleged that the case was "politically motivated", his father said police probe will reveal the truth and he will "not interfere" in the matter.

Hitting out at Kishore Babu, YSR Congress Party's Deputy Floor Leader U Kalpana said, "Even as the minister's son was caught on camera misbehaving with a woman, the minister tried to blame it on Leader of Opposition (Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy) for the incident. We demand the minister should be dropped from the Cabinet and let law take its own course.

"The allegations against my son are false...They are fabricated, they are politically motivated, concocted. It is nothing but a conspiracy being hatched by Jaganmohan Reddy and his party," Kishore Babu alleged.

"He is innocent and he will come out clean," Kishore Babu told mediapersons.

"I'm telling Jagamohan Reddy...Politically fight with Kishore Babu, but don't fight indirectly...Involving with the career of my son," he said.

The misbehaviour was well recorded and the AP government has been trying to wriggle out of the situation by levelling baseless allegations and putting up concocted versions that the footage was morphed, which shows the sick mind of TDP government and leaders, she alleged, in a release.

"We demand immediate action against the minister and an assurance from the government for women's safety ahead of the International Women's Day," she said.
Kashmiri Pandits, political leaders, members of civil society and security forces and citizens today gathered at Tawi Ghat here to pay tributes to the security personnel who laid down their lives in various encounters with terrorists in the Kashmir Valley.

"The memorial ceremony was organised to pay tributes to the security force personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty while protecting motherland in terror-hit Jammu and Kashmir," Chairman of All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC), an organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Vinod Pandit said.

He also brought with him as "a symbol of sacrifice of security personnel" the soil from the encounter site in South Kashmir's Pulwama district, where two army captains were martyred.

APMCC national spokesperson King Bharati said the soil was the symbol of sacrifice of our security forces and sends message across the nation that Indians were united and shows our gratitude to the families of the martyrs.

Bharati said the soil would be taken to Amar Jawan Jyoti in Delhi and a sapling will be planted there as remembrance of the sacrifices of security forces.
The army will conduct three recruitment rallies in Jammu and Kashmir between April and August this year, a defense spokesperson said today.

The rallies for recruitment into all categories of the army will be held in in Sunjuwan in Jammu, Bandipora in Kashmir and Drass in Ladakh in the coming months, he said.

"The tentative dates for Sunjuwan recruitment rally for all candidates from all districts is April 2 to April 18," he said.

At Bandipora, the schedule is planned from July 11 to July 18 for all districts except Leh and Kargil.

At Drass, the rally for the candidates from Leh and Kargil has been scheduled from August 22 August 25.

The spokesperson said aspirants must apply online on the website 'http://www.Joinindianarmy.Nic.In' for taking part in the recruitment drive.

(REOPENS NRG 19)



Meanwhile, Lt Gen Dua met Governor N N Vohra here and briefed him about the security situation in the Valley.

"Lt Gen Dua, General officer Commanding of 15 Corps, met Vohra at the Raj Bhavan and briefed him about the security situation in the Valley in the wake of the terror attacks at Uri, Baramulla and Langate," an official spokesman said.
Arunachal Pradesh Governor J P Rajkhowa has called upon the newly inducted ministers to eradicate corruption and make the state corruption-free.

Interacting with the newly inducted ministers led by Chief Minister Kalikho Pul at Raj Bhawan on Saturday, the governor urged them to provide a transparent and people-oriented government, an official release said here today.

Rajkhowa advised them to focus on roads and said that "only through roads, Arunachal Pradesh can develop."



The chief minister had briefed the governor on the priorities of the government, particularly critical service sectors like roads, law and order, health and education, the release said.
Amid a raging debate on nationalism in the wake of the JNU row, noted historian Romila Thapar today said efforts are being made to "obfuscate" the existing definition of nationalism, which is based on "reliable history" and not just on "anyone's fantasy about the past."



"Today efforts are being made to obfuascate the existing definition of nationalism. The nationalism draws on reliable history and not just on anyone's fantasy about the past.

"Critical enquiry as we all know is essential to the advancing of knowledge, it is expected of the university to critically enquire into what public may claim this knowledge to be," she said in her address to the students at JNU.

"Nationalism draws on the identity of a citizen which is pre-eminent but cannot be an identity claimed as superior by any single group, it has to include equality of all the equal rights of citizens. Incisive debates on this are part of the nationalist enterprise which is part of the ongoing enterprise of the relationship between history and nationalism and universities are obvious place for such debate," she said.

Thapar's lecture titled "History and Nationalism: Then and now" was part of the "nationalism teaching" series which are being conducted at JNU which is caught in a row over a February 9 event.

The classes are being held at the varsity's administration block.

"Nationalism doesn't exist on one identity, it is all inclusive. National history of course has its moments of joy, it goes to the past and golden age and utopian age but whatever national identities superseded existing identities, if it is inclusive it is generally much healthier but if it pretends to be much exclusive then it could be a disaster," she said.

Thapar, an Emeritus Professor at JNU, referred to herself as "dinosaurs of JNU" talking about how she joined university in 1970.

"Various theories have been put about origin of Aryans. Max Mueller said they came for central Asia. Dayanand Saraswati said they came from Tibet. Tilak as we all know was much more adventurous and suggested the Arctic regions. When it became fashionable in the 1920s to talk about Aryans being indigenous to India. It was little embarrassing to have Tilak talking about Arctic circle and someone had the bright idea of saying that in those days in Vedic times, the north pole was actually located in Bihar," she said, with a touch of humour.

Thapar has been maintaining that the current nationalism at JNU over an event against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in 2013, will not have an impact on the varsity's future as there is lot of intellectual support for the institution from across the globe.

Thapar also said that even though she was "deeply



depressed" since the last one month over "attempts at breaking JNU" she was feeling much better now.

Tracing the early history of nationalism, Thapar went on to differentiate between inclusive and exclusive nationalism by giving examples of African nationalism and German Nationalism during the 1930s respectively.

"Nationalism has a lot to do with understanding your society and finding your identity as member if that society. History is essential to a national ideology, but it has to be a shared history. It cannot be a history based on one identity, but has to be all inclusive.

Stressing on the fact that colonial rulers were responsible for creating a narrative of Hindu-Muslim nation, Thapar said, "colonial scholarship talked about Hindu nation and Muslim nation and talked about how the two were permanently hostile to each other and required British to keep peace.

"Interpretation of history came to be based on the two-nation theory and from this perspective Hindu, Muslim antagonism became a given."



The theory of an Aryan race, she said, was also useful in projecting that India had a single history, one that she added, posed problems to it's believers when the Indus Valley Civilisation was discovered.

"It was anti-colonial nationalism which first claimed Indian nationalism. The primary identity was Indian, an overarching identity where everyone was equal with equal rights. This was new," she said.

The historian then went on to describe how nationalism and communalism became important concepts for the Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha which still used concepts like two-nation theory.
The Big Five software exporters -- TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL and Cognizant -- together added net 24 per cent fewer employees in 2015 at 77,265, thanks to their automation drive.

The massive plunge in net additions was led by the US-listed, Chennai-based Cognizant Technologies (down 74.6 per cent from 2014) and HCL Technologies (down 71 per cent) which have been very keenly focusing on improving utilisation rates through automation, says a report by city-based brokerage Centrum Broking.

"Software vendors across the pack are focusing on automation and we believe that FY16 will be an inflection point.

"We see rapid scope for vendors improving efficiencies through expanding automation across multiple projects and service lines owing to sheer competitive pressure.

"The result is that these five have net added 24 per cent fewer employees in 2015," the report notes.

This came at a time when these companies' combined dollar revenue grew 9.8 per cent.

The report also notes that the drop would have been much higher had it not been for Infosys, which made a staggering 111.4 per cent net addition at 23,745 in the year.

But this is understandable due to the massive attrition the company was facing in the past many years.

Against the hiring spree by Infosys, market leader TCS saw its net additions dip by 6.6 per cent at 26,066.

While Cognizant saw a massive 74. 6 per cent plunge in net employee additions at 10,200, HCL saw the same dipping by 71 per cent to 3,456 in 2015.

At the end of December 2015, these five had a headcount of 1.34 million.

These are vocal about improving delivery efficiency and revenue productivity using automation as their revenue per reported employee stands at $45,000-52,000 per year, which is lower than their global peers.

Riding on automation, Infosys has given a guidance to take this to USD 80,000 per annum by 2020, says the report.

Even though each of these companies have their own automation platforms -- Infosys has Infosys Automation Platform, Wipro has Holmes, HCL Tech operates Dry Ice, and TCS has Ignio -- their focus on this line of business has seen emergence of many independent players offering automation services or virtual engineers.

Companies offering such services include IPSoft, Blue Prism, Genfour and Automation Anywhere.

The report notes that though Infosys and Wipro are the most vocal on "freeing up resources" across their IMS/BPO service lines, they have shown relatively higher net employee addition in 2015.

The report also notes that FY16 could be a year of transition in the sector on the automation front and tangible benefits can flow down from FY17 as vendors are focusing on re-training the freed up resources from the traditional service lines.

On the revenue side, the report predicts that the focus on automation will ease pressure on wage hikes.

"With automation enabling improved delivery efficiency and productivity, the IT sector could be facing a scenario of lower net additions in FY17/FY18," it said.
Bureaucrats from both the Centre and states will be conferred Prime Minister's award for excellence in implementing NDA government's priority programmes like 'Swachh Bharat Mission' and 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana'.

The awards will be presented to the officers on April 21, observed as Civil Services' Day, for their contribution to effective implementation of the government's key initiatives.

The central government usually gives away "Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration" on the Civil Services Day.

The award, which carries a citation and cash prize, is to recognise and reward the extraordinary and innovative works done by officers of the central and state governments. All officers of central and state governments, individually or as a group or as organisations are eligible for consideration.

However, from this year onwards, the civil servants will get Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Implementation of Priority Programme--Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Gramin), Swachh Vidyalaya, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and Soil Health Card.

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh said it is necessary to encourage bureaucrats doing good work as the effective implementation of the government's key initiatives by them is essential for good governance.

"All programmes like Clean India Mission, especially for rural areas, Jan Dhan Yojana for financial inclusion and Clean Schools are very important to ensure welfare of common people and country. That is why bureaucrats are being encouraged to ensure their effective implementation and their good work can be awarded.

"Their way of implementing these programmes can also act as guidance for other states and union territories to implement other pro-people measures," he told PTI.

Singh said the government is taking various measures to ensure maximum governance. "We are encouraging bureaucrats to try innovative ideas by use of information technology to ensure that benefits of social welfare schemes and other economic measures reach even poorest of the poor man," the Minister said.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Gramin) is to bring about an improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas, by promoting cleanliness, hygiene and eliminating open defecation in rural areas.

Whereas, Swachh Vidyalaya mission is aimed at ensuring separate toilets in every school for boys and girls. The objective of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana is to provide weaker sections and low income groups access to various financial services like savings bank account, need based credit, remittances facility, insurance and pension.

The Soil Health Card scheme is meant to give each farmer the soil nutrient status of his holding and advise him on the dosage of fertilisers, besides information on soil modification for long-term improved soil health.
Tunisia's trade union federation, a joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, said today that Bahrain denied entry to two of its members in a row over Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah.

The two Tunisians, Noureddine Taboubi and Abdelkrim Jrad, planned to take part in a congress of Bahraini trade unions but were denied entry yesterday, the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) said.

Sami Tahri, the UGTT spokesman, told Mosaique FM radio that the two were banned "because of the UGTT's rejection of Hezbollah's classification as a terrorist organisation".

The ban was "undemocratic" and "contrary to international law", he said, adding that "there are always countries which are against any free and independent positions".

Last Thursday, the UGTT and another member of Tunisia's Nobel Prize winning quartet condemned a decision by Arab states in the Gulf to blacklist Hezbollah as a "terrorist" organisation.

The move by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), led by Saudi Arabia, formed part of "an offensive by foreign and other regional forces to divide the Arab world and destroy its forces", the UGTT said.

The head of the Tunisian Order of Lawyers, also a member of the Nobel quartet, called on all "forces in Tunisia and in the Arab world to exert pressure on governments to reconsider their decision".
Gurgaon-based Baxi will start services in Noida and Ghaziabad in the next few weeks as it expands operations and tap into the booming on-demand motorbike taxi segment.

The company, which offers about 3,000 rides a day, is operational in Gurgaon and Faridabad in Haryana.

"Before commencing operations in Gurgaon, we met the authorities and after certain changes were brought in, making motorbike taxis legitimate, we started operations there. Similarly, we have had discussions with the authorities for offering services in Noida," Baxi co-founder Ashutosh Johri told PTI.

He added the company expects to start services in Noida later this month, followed by Ghaziabad.

"There were no rules for two-wheelers under the Motor Vehicles Act, and therefore, we had to get it modified to ensure that there are no regulatory fallouts," Johri said.

Like Ola and Uber, Baxi allows users to get rides but on motorbikes. It offers rides at base fare of Rs 10, followed by Rs 4 per km and Rs 1 per minute of ride time charges.

"We are already doing about 3,000 rides daily in Gurgaon and Faridabad. Noida alone should be about 3,500 rides a day but getting to that scale may take a bit of time as it takes some time for riders and consumers to get used to the concept," he said.

The company had received about USD 1.5 million funding last year from investors including HT Media, Manish Kheterpal (WaterBridge Ventures), Alok Mittal (Indifi Technologies) and Puneet Dalmia (Managing Director of Dalmia Bharat Group).

"About 250 bikes are operating in Gurgaon and Faridabad under Baxi. We expect to have about 150 bikes when we have Noida operations," he said.

Johri added the company aims to create self-employment opportunity for about a lakh people in the state.

Asked about Ola and Uber entering motorbike taxi space in India, Johri said it is a validation of their model.

"Motorbike taxis is an established model in markets like Vietnam, sub-Saharan Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, the emerging nations. Entry of players like Ola and Uber in this space shows that this category has immense scope of growth," he said.

Last week, taxi aggregators Uber and Ola launched their bike taxis in Bengaluru on pilot basis.

However, the Regional Transport Authority has termed this service illegal and has asked public not to use it.

The transportation space is witnessing intense competition as the private equity-backed firms are offering discounted rides and investing heavily in getting more drivers on board.

While Ola and Uber face competition against players like Meru, entry into the bike taxi segment pitches them against new start-ups like Baxi, N.O.W and Rideji.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today said the present regime at the Centre would resemble "Hitler's fascism model" if a parallel is drawn with history, even as he accused and RSS of manufacturing the debate on nationalism to serve their agenda of "Hindu" rashtra.

"An aggressive nationalism debate has been manufactured by the and RSS so that they can force their agenda on the nation. They want to convert a democratic, republic and a secular country into a Hindu rashtra," he told reporters here.

The senior Left leader alleged that nationalistic feelings of people are being misused.

"If a parallel were to be drawn of the present government with history, the present regime resembles (Adolf) Hitler's fascism model," he said.

Yechury said the patriotism debate was manufactured for specific reasons as "the government is unable to handle the massive expectations people had. Also, people are grappling with financial stress of which the government can do nothing about".

He alleged the government intends to let private banks take over their public sector counterparts who, as per conservative estimates, have lost around Rs 6 lakh crore due to non-payment of loans.

"There has been a 26% rise in farmers' suicides during two years of Modi's rule. (Crude) oil rates have fallen drastically but consumers have not benefited. There is frustration among people. The government is scared that all this does not transform into an agitation and thus this nationalism debate is created," he said.

Replying to a query, he said if Jawaharlal Nehru University is compared with its peers, "its contribution in IAS, IFS, IPS is large and people's money is being used properly".

"You will find a JNU product everywhere. So there is no wastage of taxpayers' money. JNU students are also soldiers who are fighting for a better India," he said referring to the criticism of the university and its students by the right-wing parties.

Meanwhile, CPI leader D Raja who was also present at the press conference, said that like the British era, the BJP's era too will end.

"India is a secular democratic republic. Those who are saying this is a Hindu rashtra are saying anti-unconstitutional (things). As British raj had ended, BJP's Raj (rule) will also end. I have visited the borders. Officers from dalit community are guarding them and here you are troubling dalits," he alleged.

"The JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar is the final product of 'Make in India' campaign and there are thousands of such Kanhaiyas' in the making," Raja added.
An explosion ripped through a passenger bus on the outskirts of the Guatemalan capital today, killing one person and seriously wounding 17 more, authorities said.

Firefighters' spokesman Mario Utum confirmed that one person died and said emergency workers have tended to victims with second- and third-degree burns.

Interior Minister Francisco Rivas said the blast is being investigated as an attack and the incident appears similar to a 2010 gang assault on a bus that left nine dead, but there was no immediate indication of possible suspects or motive.

Bus companies and taxi drivers are often extorted by gangs in Guatemala and risk being attacked if they don't pay up. Rivas said the owners of the bus had not reported receiving threats, however.

The vehicle was carrying dozens of people between San Jose Pinula and Palencia, just to the east of Guatemala City, at the time of the explosion.

Photographs distributed by emergency agencies showed people with burns covering nearly their entire bodies and the bus with a gaping hole at the back end.
Egypt today accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood of being involved in the assassination of its chief prosecutor, the first top Egyptian official to be murdered in 25 years.

Egyptian Interior Minister Magdy Abdul Ghaffar said that Muslim Brotherhood collaborated with Hamas to kill former general prosecutor Hisham Barakat in a car bomb last June.

Barakatm, 65, died hours after the powerful bomb hit his convoy in Cairo on June 29 in east Cairo.

"This plot was carried out on the orders of the Muslim Brotherhood... In close coordination with Hamas, which played a very important role in the assassination of the chief prosecutor from start to finish," Ghaffar told reporters.

In a televised address, Ghaffar said Hamas trained Brotherhood members in the Gaza Strip to carry out the plot. "Hamas trained, prepared, and oversaw the implementation," of the assassination, he said.

Fourteen Brotherhood members took part in killing Barakat and a group of 48 members planned for the plot, and they were arrested, Ghaffar said.

"Hamas played a very big role in last year's assassination of Egyptian chief prosecutor Hesham Barakat. Elements from Hamas took part through planning and training," he added.

Barakat, who oversaw cases against thousands of Islamists, was killed in the blast as he left his home. It was the first assassination of a senior Egyptian official in 25 years.

The assassination, which has never been owned by any group, came as a blow to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former army chief who overthrew Islamist president Mohammad Morsi and won 2014 elections pledging to wipe out militants.

The Brotherhood, Egypt's main opposition movement for decades, was blacklisted as a "terrorist group" in December 2013.
BSP and BJP today walked out of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly over the murder of a youth in Sultanpur district and alleged misuse of government machinery in Council Elections.

During Zero Hour, BSP members demanded discussion on the murder 30-year-old Uma Shankar Maurya, who was a witness in the killing of his brother last year.

Maurya was shot dead allegedly by two unidentified assailants on March 3.

Leader of Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya said the Chief Minister had assured Rs 5 lakh compensation for the kin of the victim but the money is yet to be handed over.

He said, after the murder of his brother last year, Uma Shankar had demanded an arms license which was denied.

Maurya said no arrest has been made so far and there was resentment among the people.

The BSP members came into the Well and raised slogans.

In response, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan said a High Court restriction allows licences to be issued only to shooters who have won medals.

He said the government would look into the matter and if there is any provision, it would be considered.

Dissatisfied with the reply, the BSP members walked out.

The BJP members however continued to raise the issue of misuse of government machinery in Council Elections.

They alleged that on the last day of nomination for Bareilly-Rampur seat, officers were sent by a helicopter with a fresh authority letter, which was a violation of the model code of conduct.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, "If there was any violation, we are ready to face any action."



Taking a dig at BJP, he said the party suffered heavy defeat in Rampur and helicopters were not in the voters list.

Dissatisfied with the reply, the BJP members too walked out of the House.

Also, the Congress members staged a dharna in the Well demanding release of MLA Ajai Rai. When after repeated requests they did not return to bench, the House was adjourned for 10 minutes.

The dharna continued when the House reassembled. Later, the House was adjourned till Tuesday.
Regions of Syria covered by a UN-brokered ceasefire today enjoyed the "calmest day" since the truce started, a monitor said, as Moscow and Washington cautioned against any delay in resuming peace talks.

"Sunday was the calmest day since the ceasefire came into effect" on February 27, Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP.

He said the exceptions were dozens of rockets fired by Al-Nusra Front, a jihadist group excluded from the truce, and other rebel factions at Kurdish forces in the far north of the city of Aleppo.

The violence killed three people, according to both the Observatory and the Kurds.

Heavy bombardment also struck territory held by Al-Nusra and the Islamic State group, another jihadist faction not covered by the truce.

Abdel Rahman said the average number of civilian deaths a day has fallen by 90 percent since the ceasefire came into force nine days ago, with an 80 percent decline among soldiers and rebel forces.

In Moscow, the defence ministry reported 15 ceasefire violations during the previous 24 hours, compared with nine on yesterday and 27 the day before.

Four people were wounded in shelling by unidentified forces of residential areas and loyalist positions in the Damascus area, it said.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has said that peace talks between rebels and the Syrian regime are to resume on March 10.

Russia's foreign ministry said US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a telephone call today welcomed "the sharp decline in violence" and warned against "any delay in starting the process" of negotiations.

Since the failure of a first round of peace talks in 2014, the main sticking point in the negotiations has been the fate of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.

He has refused to step down since peaceful protests in early 2011 developed into a multi-faceted war that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions more.
Global hospitality major Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is looking at tier II and III cities for expansion and is targetting 170 properties in the country by 2020.

"Our target of 170 hotels by 2020 is well on track. We have 45 hotels in pipeline across the country. This year, the momentum is strong and we are expecting open eight hotels.

"We are also looking to sign 14 properties. Most of these are in tier II and III cities," Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, South Asia CEO, Raj Rana told PTI here.

The properties will be mainly under 'Country Inns and Suites By Carlson' and 'Park Inn by Radisson' brands.

The company is looking to expand these brands as they can be set up faster with low cost of construction and have higher margins of profit, he said.

The global hospitality group is looking at cities where there are no international brands, especially in industrial towns, tourist destinations and economic zones.

"Once we set up in a city, we will also explore to expand to nearby destinations. We are also looking at properties in leisure destinations," he added.

The company is also planning to expand in the National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru, state capitals, eastern region and the north east.

"We have set up a property in Guwahati and have signed up one property in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. We are keen on locations in Manipur and Meghalaya.

"We are looking to add more properties in Nepal as well. We also want to strengthen our presence in the NCR and Bengaluru is definitely in our map," he said.

Carlson Rezidor, which has six brands in India, is also looking at bringing its luxury brand Quorvus Collection to select locations in the country.

"We are exploring opportunities to introduce our luxury brand Quorvus Collection in India. However, it will be only for select destinations for very high end properties or palace hotels," he said.

Carlson Rezidor's other global brands include Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza and Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

The hospitality major has 1,400 hotels across the world.
An unidentified gang looted



Rs two lakh and gold ornaments weighing 30 sovereigns from an industrialist's house near Tirupur, after tying up the owner, early today.

Police said the gang reportedly gained entry through the rear door and tied up industrialist Sathyaprabhu with a rope and took away the cash and valuables kept in an almirah in the house at Kuppuchipalayam.

The gang fled in a car parked outside the house, belonging to the victim.

Police are on the lookout for the suspects.
Canada's first Sikh Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan now has a chicken burger named after him and it is called 'The Minister of National Deliciousness'.

45-year-old Sajjan, who was in November named Canada's Minister of National Defence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 30-member Liberal cabinet, stopped by a downtown Vancouver eatery to sample the burger named in his honour.

"National Deliciousness indeed! Tried my namesake burger at #Vancouver's @TheCannibalCafe and was not disappointed," Sajjan tweeted after eating the burger.

Sajjan, who represents the Vancouver-South, was in town last week for the Liberal government's first ministers meeting, but made time to visit 'The Cannibal Cafe' and try out his namesake burger 'The Minister of National Deliciousness'.

"I approve," Sajjan said after taking the first bite.

"It's got pakoras on it. Who would've thought to put it into a burger? Now that -- that makes sense," he was quoted as saying by CTV .

The chicken burger also features a tandoori-spiced patty doused in butter chicken sauce and pressed yogurt with mint, cilantro and cucumbers.

It was introduced as February's 'Burger of the Month' but the eatery's owner said it was so popular they added it to the regular menu.

Sajjan, who called the experience "very humbling", also shook hands with the chef behind the burger, Zai Kitagawa, and signed off on a chalkboard featuring a drawing of him in sunglasses.

Kitagawa told reporters on Wednesday that he started thinking about the burger shortly after the minister's appointment.

"If there's a man that a Canadian can be proud of, it's definitely Mr Sajjan," he said.

Sajjan is a combat veteran and has served in Bosnia and had three deployments to Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was born in India and moved to Canada with his family when he was five-years-old.

Since his appointment as Defence Minister, Sajjan has faced two incidents of apparent racism.

Soon after his appointment in November, he faced racist remarks by a soldier on social media, prompting the Canadian Armed Forces to launch a probe.

Last month, Sajjan was heckled in Parliament with an opposition member shouting that MPs needed an "English-to- English" translation as he spoke, an act dubbed as "racist".
today said its foreign reserves, the world's largest, declined by about half a trillion dollars last year which largely went to its citizens and companies.

"China's foreign reserves declined by about half a trillion US dollars in 2015," central bank deputy governor Yi Gang said today.

"Mainly, the reserves went to Chinese citizens and companies," he told the media here replying to the public concerns over the dip in the reserves.

Banks increased their stack of greenbacks by around $100 billion and corporate debts denominated in US dollar dropped by around 100 billion, Yi said.

Corporate and individual outbound payments in foreign currencies surpassed inbound payments by $240 billion last year, Yi said.

Major outbound payments include tourism, education and consumption expenditures.

Plus, the US dollar appreciated against other currencies last year, Yi was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.

"By and large, the majority of foreign reserve losses can be explained by the gains made by citizens and companies," Yi said.

has the world's largest foreign exchanges amounting to about $3.23trillion over half of which were invested in US bonds.

Yi was replying to a questionabout China's foreign reserves twice at a press conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, of which he is a member.

China's foreign reserves are diversified, he said, reflecting China's trade, investment and payment structures.

Moreover, follows the standards set by the Monetary Fund when calculating foreign reserves, Yi said, stressing that assets that lack in liquidity were not included.
The Chinesegovernment will launch a campaign to address the emerging practice of sharing and hosting pornography throughcloud storage services.

The National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publication saidwebsite administrators, police, as well as industrial and publication authorities will tighten supervision of cloud storage enterprises, and hold them accountable for the security of their services.

The office released details on six cases whichinvolved individuals profiting from the sale of account names and passwords to cloud storage hosting pornography.

In one case, a court in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, sentenced one Liu Hangjie to three years plus six months in prison for selling access to pornography hosted on a cloud storage site.

Liu was selling individual accounts that had access to over 10,000 pornographic video clips.

Cloud storage services used by criminals include those run by Internet security firm, Qihoo 360, and online video website LeTV, the Xinhua report said.
With China fixing 6.5-7% as its GDP target for this year, the Communist giant's top economic planner on Sunday ruled out a "hard landing" for the world's second largest economy, but said that uncertainty and global instability do pose a risk to growth.

The is so resilient with relatively strong abilities to resist risks, said Xu Shaoshi, head of the National Development and Reform Commission  the main planning body of China, on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session.

"We are capable of keeping economic growth at rates within a reasonable range," Xu said. "We are confident of achieving that end," he added.

In his work report on Saturday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang set the target of 6.5% to 7% this year. Last year, the slipped below 7% to 6.9%, the lowest in 26 years, casting doubts about whether China could revert to 7% in the near future due to continued slowdown of its main sectors of growth  coal, steel, manufacturing  and structural adjustment along with fragile global recovery.

Xu said China's economic growth remains relatively fast among major world economies. The 6.9% growth was hard won given the sluggish global recovery.

China accounted for a quarter of the world's economic growth in 2014, Xu was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.

But China must not underestimate risks this year, he said, due to slow-recovering world economy, dipping prices in bulk commodities and geopolitical risks.

Domestic situations, including slowing growth, dropping prices of industrial goods, and declining corporate profits and fiscal revenue, has called for high alert, he said.

The government has a broad enough tool kit for the and is doing research to prepare more policy measures, he said.

"There was a rumour that China's stock and foreign exchange markets' turbulence in January contributed to the chaos in the United States and Europe," he said.

"China is unable to produce such a spillover," he added.

From February 8 through 12, big drops were witnessed in US and European stock markets, as well as bulk commodities such as crude oil, but the Chinese were celebrating Spring Festival while the financial markets were being closed, he said.

Unlike previous years when investment was a major contributor to growth, consumption accounted for 66.4% and investment only 10%, he said.

Services, rather than agriculture and industry, now account for more than half of the GDP, he said.
Like their counterparts in Maharashtra, personnel posted at police stations in Delhi will now get leave for their wedding anniversary and the birthdays of their children, a move aimed at helping them beat stress.

"The move came after senior officials took note of the level of stress which personnel posted at police stations have to bear," said a senior police official.

"These personnel's absence from various social and family functions only serves to heighten the stress levels," the official said, adding that a circular in this regard was issued this week.

"It is directed that all the police personnel working at police stations may be given leave/off on the days of their marriage anniversary and birthdays of their children. Only in exceptional circumstances the leave/off may be refused after approval of the concerned SDPO," the circular said.

The circular was first issued in Delhi Police's outer district on Thursday before being sent to the remaining ones.

Police sources said the initiative was taken keeping in mind the increasing numbers of suicide cases with regard to police officials, many a time attributed to work stress.

In Delhi Police, any investigating officer, who could be in the rank of a constable to an inspector, depending on the matter being dealt with, has 80-100 cases in hand at any point of time, the senior official said.

In August 2014, Maharashtra Police had issued a similar circular, sanctioning cops deployed at police stations leaves on marriage anniversary and their own birthdays.
In view of the terror threat across Gujarat, the Gir-Somnath district administration has decided to postpone a cultural event scheduled in the famous Somnath temple premises for the Maha Shivrati festival tomorrow.

Confirming the developments, Gir-Somnath District Collector Ajay Kumar said that the decision has been taken for the safety of citizens amid reports of a possible terror strike in Gujarat, including at Somnath temple.

"The cultural programme was scheduled to be held in Somnath temple premises today and tomorrow. However, we have decided to postpone it looking at terror alert given by police. We will announce the new dates later," he said.

Among other leaders, local MLA and state Civil Aviation Minister Jasa Barad was also scheduled to attend the programme, he said.

"Barad was among the dignitaries invited for the programme. Since a large number of people were expected to come to the cultural event, it may have caused security problem for the police. Thus, the event is cancelled as of now. It will be organised afterwards," the Collector said.

State DGP PC Thakur had earlier announced that out of four teams of NSG which arrived in Gujarat yesterday, one has been sent to Somnath to beef-up security.

At present, a large number of local policemen as well as from the State Reserve Police (SRP) have been deployed in and outside the famous temple.

"After the terror alert was sounded, we have deployed more than 250 police personnel at the Somnath temple. We have formed different teams to check all kinds of movements near the temple," Gir-Somnath's Superintendent of Police (SP) A M Muniya said.
Hamid Dabholkar, son of slain anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, today expressed unhappiness vover investigators' failure to zero in on the murderers of his father, CPI leader Govind Pansare and Kannada scholar M M Kalburgi.

"Why is it so difficult to identify them? There are reports in media that these three rationalists were killed by the same set of weapons, (but) even then the investigating agencies were speculating about the motive," he said, speaking at 'Mumbai Collective: Celebrating Freedom and Pluralism', a two-day conclave here.

"All three of them were working to propagate rationalism and constructive criticism of religion. They were labelled as traitors of religion by a particular organisation which has a history of resorting to violence to achieve their agenda.

"The same organisation had put a red cross on Dabholkar and Pansare's photographs (on its website). Still, two and a half years later, not a single arrest has been made," he said.

"On one hand there is deep anguish of losing my beloved father, comrade Pansare and professor Kalburgi, and the insensitive delay in investigation, but on the other hand there is a definite ray of hope and feeling of solidarity when we see many youths and like-minded people coming together and supporting this cause," Hamid said.

"Right from the day of assassination of Dabholkar (on August 20, 2013, in Pune), we were telling the agency that it is not a personal or property dispute. This is a planned assault on ideological framework and if you don't arrest the culprits there will be more murders. But sadly nobody paid heed. One and a half years later, Pansare was killed in Kolhapur and four months later Kalburgi in Dharwad," he said.

"It was very much possible for the state government and the topmost (investigation) agency of this country like CBI to save the lives of these people," Hamid said.

Echoing the sentiment, Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of Govind Pansare, said, "Arrest of one suspect (in Pansare case) has led to nothing... We are struggling for justice three years after the (three) killings.
Debating in JNU is like an "anti- ageing treatment" as the institution was set up decades back with an idea of producing students who can question the established truth, noted Historian Harbans Mukhia today said.

"Debating in JNU is like an anti-ageing treatment as the institution was set up decades back with an idea of producing students who can question the established truth. After teaching history for 44 years, when I went to take my last lecture I prepared for three hours. That is the intensity of questions in JNU students that you just can't go unprepared," Mukhia said while addressing the students at the varsity.

He along with Romila Thapar took a lecture on "History and Nationalism: Then and now" which was 14th in the "nationalism teaching" series which are being conducted at JNU which is caught in a row over the February 9 event.

The classes are being held at the varsity's administration block which has been venue of the protest ever since students union President Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested in a sedition case over the event.

"Questioning someone's idea of nationalism, doesn't make you anti-national, questioning someone's view on patriotism doesn't make you anti-patriot," he said.

"Nationalism is still a debatable concept even in advanced nations of the world. It is not a settled concept and it is our duty to question it," he added.

Warning against the habit to "essentialise" things, Mukhia said, "Whenever we talk of Kanhaiya, we tend to essentialise him as a Hindu boy above being anything else. Umar Khalid has been declaring from house tops that he is an atheist but we connect every dot with him being a Muslim because of his name."



"When allegations were being made that Khalid had links with Jaish-e-Mohammad, his sister had clarified that he had no links even with Mohammad forget being with Jaish-e-Mohammad. But this is how we tend to essentialise everything in the society," he added.

Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid are JNU students who, along with four others, have been booked in a sedition case over an event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Mukhia, a Professor of Medieval Indian history, also



spoke about how the colonial history looked at 'essentializing' identities of rulers and Kingdoms to Hindus and Muslims and thereby providing 'a distorted and false picture of Indian history'.

"Indian historians also adopted this, but things began to change in 1950s and 60s. Suddenly there was a wave of change when historians started talking of not just class but community and colonial legacy began to give way. In 1980s and 90s, a fascinating new world had opened. But the RSS and BJP want us to forget all this, and go back to James Mills (British historian) and view it as only a Hindu and Muslim thing," Mukhia said.

The historian added that JNU was a place that was set up to questioned established notions and that 'questioning nationalism doesn't make one anti national' but helps in understanding it better.

The classes, moderated by JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar, also saw activist Teesta Setalvad addressing students.

Saying that JNU had become a 'beacon of hope' for students across the country, Teesta Setalvad called for creating a 'coalition' to defeat the RSS and right wing agenda.

"They want 15 years so they can make a India a Hindu Rashtra. It may be difficult, problematic or complex, we will have to come together to create groups to fight this agenda," Setalvad said,



She also took a dig at the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) saying, "Jaise Jamiat-e-Taliba chalta tha Pakistan mein, waise ABVP chalta hai yahan."



The activist also lauded the teachers at JNU adding, "If the administration in HCU had been as sensitive and supportive of the students as in JNU, and paid attention to the letter he wrote in December, perhaps, he would have been here".
Delhi was today put on high alert after Police received inputs that 10 suspected LeT and JeM terrorists believed to have entered India from Pakistan through Gujarat may have sneaked into the capital for an attack even as four elite NSG teams were rushed to the western state.On the eve of 'Maha Shivratri' festival, Gujarat as well as other metros and Jammu and Kashmir were also on high alert with raids conducted at Kutch and other places, security being beefed up at vital installations, sensitive areas and at all main temples including the famous Somnath temple where a NSG team has been deployed.The Gir-Somnath district authorities have postponed tomorrow's cultural event at Somnath temple owing to the .In Kolkata, security has been stepped up at NSC Bose International Airport after an e-mail threat that it would be blown up within 24 hours, airport officials said.The e-mail came in the airport manager's ID early today and it was claimed to have been sent from Germany, they said.In the capital, security was beefed up at vital installations, important buildings and crowded places after Delhi Police received inputs about a potential terror strike in the city. A constant vigil was maintained near prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges.A police source said the input specifically mentions about 10 militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfits having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi.The Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi Police have been briefed about the input separately, so that activities of gangs operating in and around the city and elements with suspected terror links can be monitored.The police are also ensuring that CCTV cameras at all places with high footfall, like popular markets in the city and metro stations are functional. Patrolling across the city has been intensified.

Heavy security was also put into force at important Shiv temples in Uttar Pradesh and special security checks were in place at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

Special vigil was being maintained on big and small temples in places like Kanpur, Agra, Lucknow, Faizabad, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh and other important places, the official said.

Police was also keeping a close eye on the 'kanwarias' (devotees who carry holy Ganges water and walk bare foot to offer it to Shivlinga's) as there was an apprehension that they may be targeted by terror outfits.

Security has been ramped up at major religious sites in Gujarat like Somnath Temple and Akshardham and in metro cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.Vital installations across the metros like railway stations and airports are also being secured.An Advisory has been issued to enhance security at all strategic locations, sensitive industrial sites and religious places in Gujarat after intelligence inputs suggested that the terrorists have entered the state taking the sea route, official sources said.Gujarat DGP P C Thakur held a meeting with NSG officials in Gandhinagar and announced that one team will be sent to step up security at Somnath temple in Gir-Somnath district.

Thakur issued orders late last night cancelling leave of all policemen. "Four teams of NSG reached here(Gandhinagar) last night. Out of these, three will remain here, while one team will go to Somnath," he said. The size of each team could vary between 50 to 90 personnel.
BJP president Amit Shah today tore into Congress over disruptions in Parliament and asked the opposition party to desist from using Parliament as a platform to settle "political scores" instead of a forum to discuss issues concerning development of country.

"If you want to play politics, choose a state (for electoral fight). BJP is ready to pick up the challenge," Shah said, addressing a huge public meeting organised by the state BJP unit in the Arts College grounds here this evening.

"Is Parliament for debates or slogan-shouting? Is it for development or to settle political scores," the BJP chief said.

"If you have to settle political scores, jump into the electoral battlefield. BJP workers don't fear anyone. Do do haath kar lenge (lets fight)," Shah said.

He asked Congress to let Parliament be a forum for development, "one that leads the country on the path to progress".

"Let Parliament be a forum that enhances the country's prestige," Shah added.

Lashing out in particular at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for calling the sloganeering in JNU as "freedom of speech", Shah asked the crowd could slogans like "Bharat tere tukde honge...Bharat teri barbaadi tak jung jaari rahegi..." be called freedom of speech.

"Is it freedom of speech or anti-national," he asked.

"One of the biggest achievements of the NDA government was to fully secure the borders of the country. Today, no one can dare to behead our soldiers (on the borders) and carry them away. They know it is Narendra Modi government...NDA government...That is ruling India," the BJP chief said.

Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu, AP state unit BJP president and MP Kambhampati Hari Babu, former Union minister Daggubati Purandeswari and others were present.

"BJP is in politics for a different purpose...Our



leadership in the past decided to leave power but not our principles," Shah said.

The Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the BJP were founded to provide an alternative political ideology to the country as the policies started by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were not in the interest of the country and were influenced by western thoughts, he said.

He also referred to the times when Jan Sangh merged with Janata Party for "saving democracy" in the country after Emergency and how its leadership quit power for their ideology and principles and did not think twice to give away power and form BJP this day in 1980.

Shah expressed satisfaction with the party's growth to "11 crore members" and asked party workers to ensure that these people turn into active members in the party to ensure that "BJP's graph rises the same way as it is rising now".

He also asked them to take initiatives of the government to the common man, especially poor, and utilise this power to help improve their lives.

"When the party is in power, a sense of lethargy sets in. But it is the duty of the organiser to take the government's policies to the people and bring the problems of people to the government.

"Our government has enumerated schemes for the downtrodden to reach out to the poorest of the poor and take the country forward. BJP workers should try and light a lamp in the lives of the poorest by ensuring they benefit from such schemes and take their problems to the government," he asked workers.

He also urged party workers to help in the government schemes, especially the 'Namami Gange', 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' and 'Toilet in every household' schemes.

He noted that the BJP-led central government is moving forward while keeping the principle of 'Ekatm Manav vad' (Integral Humanism) as its central point and believed in 'Sabka saath, Sabka vikas'.

"Narendra Modi is the world's most popular leader. There is no doubt about that. For the first time there is a government at the Centre that is making policies and taking decisions for the welfare of the poor and deprived," he said



Shah also asked partymen to strengthen booth-level units and keep them alive and activated "as the strength of the party lies in the polling booth".
The top leader of powerful Clan Usuga gang was killed in a police raid, authorities have said, in another major blow to Colombia's most important gang.

"Body blow to the Clan Usaga gang. Alias Lorenzo taken out in Uraba. Top gang leader and drug trafficker," President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter yesterday.

Ruben Dario Avila, alias Lorenzo, was killed on Friday when police launched a raid on a ranch in Arboletes, Antioquia province, National Police Public Safety chief General Jorge Rodriguez told reporters.

The alleged drug "capo" was wanted on multiple homicide and conspiracy charges, Rodriguez said.

Last month two leaders of the gang were extradited to the US where they face drug trafficking charges in Florida, Colombian authorities said Wednesday.

Arley Usuga Torres, the nephew of gang leader Dairo "Otoniel" Usuga, and Hector Mario Urdinola Arbelaez, who ran the gang's operations in the western Colombia's Valle del Cauca, were turned over to US narcotics officers.

Authorities say Clan Usuga - which emerged after the mass demobilization of right-wing paramilitaries a decade - ships tons of cocaine from Colombia to Central America and the United States.

The South American country is the leading producer of coca, the raw material from which cocaine is processed.
Indicating the severity of global economic environment, exports to as many as 19 out of India's top 25 destinations have seen a sharp dip, with Malaysia alone recording a plunge of about 90 per cent.

Export Promotion Council (EEPC) said that decline in the growth of exports to key destinations has fallen by more than 50 per cent in January.

exports plummeted 28 per cent in January to $4.82 billion from $6.70 billion in the year-ago period.

"The exports are getting quite bad. Look at Malaysia, one of the top 25 destinations for our exports. For January the shipments there plummeted to $78.22 million from $830.88 million a year ago. When close to a billion dollar disappears from a single market in just one of the sectors, the depth of the problems can be gauged," EEPC Chairman T S Bhasin said.

Engineering exports to UAE, the second largest market destination after the US, dropped by more than half to $484.12 million in January, EEPC said in a release.

Similar is the case in other important destinations including the Middle East and West Asia region.

"The worst thing is that such a drop has come about on a low base created by almost a similar drop in the same month last year," Bhasin said.

China which was considered an engine of global economic growth and a major consumer of the global metals and products gave Indian engineering exporters a much lower market at $124 million in January, as against $195 million a year ago.

In the products category, a major fall was witnessed in iron and steel which dropped by almost 50 per cent to $355 million from $709 million y-o-y.

Likewise, the fall in copper and products was over 47 per cent from $306 million to $160 million, EEPC India said.

India's overall exports dipped for the 14th month in a row, down 13.6 per cent in January to $21 billion due to fall in shipments of petroleum and engineering goods, although trade deficit showed improvement.
The Delhi government has asked all private schools in the national capital to ensure their students do not bunk classes and is also contemplating action against teachers whose pupils are found playing truant.

From increasing the height of boundary walls and installing CCTV cameras to taking attendance of the students at least twice a day, the government has come up with a list of 14 suggestions to check bunking.

"Of late, it has been observed that some students try to bunk classes simply to enjoy roaming in public places, parks, roads, etc. Innocent students do not realise that by bunking classes, they are not only causing loss to their studies but also endangering their own lives," the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in a letter to school principals.

"It is all the more important for teachers and heads to ensure that no student leaves the premises before the school is closed. Once a student has come to school, the class teacher, subject teachers, the PET and the head of the school must ensure he/she does not leave the premises till the last period is over," it added.

Directing principals and vice-principals to make frequent rounds of classrooms and school premises, DoE said, "The department is contemplating strict action against those teachers and heads of schools whose students are found roaming out of school after having got their attendance marked.

"The heads must ensure that all teachers reach classes within two-three minutes of the ringing of bells. No leniency in this regard can be justified. If a student is found absent from the class (after having been present in the assembly), his/her parents must be called to school promptly through written notice or phone calls."



The parents should be advised to ensure that their wards remain in the school throughout the day and not bunk classes, the circular added.
Greece is likely to receive another 100,000 migrants by the end of the month, Europe's migration commissioner has warned, two days ahead of an EU-Turkey summit seen as the only viable solution to the crisis.

As EU members continued to bicker, Dimitris Avramopoulos, in charge of migration at the powerful Brussels executive, pointed to upcoming measures, including an overhaul of asylum rules, to help ease tensions.

"Hundreds are arriving on a daily basis and Greece is expected to receive another 100,000 by the end of the month," Avramopoulos told a conference in Athens yesterday.

Greece lies at the heart of Europe's greatest migration crisis in six decades after a series of border restrictions on the migrant trail from Austria to Macedonia caused a bottleneck on its soil.

Over 30,000 refugees and migrants are now trapped in the country, desperate to head northwards, especially to Germany and Scandinavia.

"In a few weeks," the EU will announce a revision of its asylum regulations to ensure a "fairer distribution of the burden and the responsibility," Avramopoulous told the conference.

The huge influx of refugees and migrants has caused major divisions within the EU, although European President Donald Tusk on Friday struck an upbeat note about Monday's summit in Brussels, which will include Turkey.

European leaders are expected to use the summit to press Ankara to take back more economic migrants from Greece and reduce the flow of people across the Aegean Sea.

Finger-pointing continued within the 28-nation EU bloc yesterday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel - a key player in the drama - said Greece should have been quicker in preparing to host 50,000 people under an agreement with the European Union in October.

"Greece should have created 50,000 accommodation places for refugees by the end of 2015," Merkel told Bild newspaper in an interview to appear today.

"This delay must be addressed as soon as possible as the Greek government must provide decent lodgings" to asylum claimants, she said.

Germany's neighbour, Austria, meanwhile, reiterated its call for Berlin to establish an annual quota of refugees.

Last year, 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany under Merkel's liberal asylum policy - a flood that other countries have said is just not sustainable.

"Germany, for its part, has to determine a figure for the number of refugees which can be accepted, which it is willing to go and pick up in the Syria and Turkey region," Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said in an interview in the daily Kurier.
European Union (EU) leaders will be looking to boost aid to Greece as the Balkan migrant route is effectively sealed, using today's summit as an attempt to restore unity among the 28 member nations after months of increasing bickering and go-it-alone policies, according to a draft statement.

The leaders will also try to persuade Turkey's prime minister to slow the flow of migrants travelling to Europe and take back thousands who don't qualify for asylum.

In a draft summit statement produced yesterday and seen by The Associated Press, the EU leaders will conclude that "irregular flows of migrants along the Western Balkans route are coming to an end; this route is now closed." Because of this, the statement added that "the EU will stand by Greece in this difficult moment and will do its utmost to help manage the situation".

"This is a collective EU responsibility requiring fast and efficient mobilisation," it said in a clear commitment to end the bickering. It said that aid to Greece should centre on urgent humanitarian aid as well as managing its borders and making sure that migrants not in need of protections are quickly returned to Turkey.

The statement will be assessed by the 28 leaders after they have met with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Late last evening, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Premier Mark Rutte met with Davutoglu to prepare for the summit.

At least 25 migrants drowned off the Turkish coast while trying to reach Greece yesterday, Turkey's state-run news agency reported. The coast guard launched a search-and-rescue mission for other migrants believed to be missing in the disaster.

Ankara is central to easing Europe's refugee pressures. More than 2,000 people arrive daily from Turkey to Greece, where many have been stranded as countries on the main migrant route through the Balkans are aiming to stop them moving north.

The bloc has offered several sweeteners to get Turkish authorities to crack down on migrant movements. Some 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) will be made available for Syrian refugees. Turkey's long-coveted EU membership process is being sped up, as are moves to ease EU visa requirements. Summit meetings like these are also part of the package.

Ahead of the summit, the European Commission trumpeted the availability of tens of millions of euros to help Syrian school children and provide food aid. It said that a new "road map" on visa liberalisation for Turkey had also been submitted.
The family and colleagues of a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran nine years ago while on a CIA mission expressed anger and disappointment at a rally that he wasn't part of a January prisoner exchange with Tehran.

Several hundred people attended the rally yesterday for Robert Levinson, 67, who disappeared from Iran's Kish Island in March 2007.

A 2013 Associated Press investigation revealed that the married father of seven was working for the CIA on an unauthorised intelligence-gathering mission to glean information about Iran's nuclear program.

If Levinson remains alive, he has been held captive longer than any American longer than then-AP journalist Terry Anderson, who was held more than six years in Beirut in the 1980s.

Unlike Anderson, Levinson's whereabouts and captors remain a mystery. US officials believe the Iranian government was behind his disappearance. It has denied that.

The case drew renewed attention in January when Levinson was not part of a prisoner swap between the US and Iranian governments that freed four other Americans who had been in Iran's custody.

Levinson's family insists he is still alive, even with health issues including diabetes, gout and high blood pressure. They last received video and photos of him about five years ago.

Stephanie Levinson Curry, his second-oldest child, said her autistic 9-year-old son Ryan cried for days when the other American captives were released, but not his grandfather.

The rally's stage was decorated with nine chained and padlocked glass cookie jars filled with yellow rocks, each one representing a day Levinson has been held captive. The crowd held yellow signs showing the social media hashtag "whataboutbob."



"Bob Levinson has been deprived of being a grandfather, a job that he would love so much," Curry said. "We worry all the time about what he is thinking while he is alone in his cell.

Even prisoners in jail get to see their families, write them letters and call them. Bob Levinson has none of that." Retired FBI agent Ellen Glasser harshly criticized the Obama administration for not demanding that Iran release Levinson or, at least, turn over information about his whereabouts.

The FBI says it still investigates every lead and remains committed to finding Levinson. A USD 5 million reward for information leading to his whereabouts remains in effect.

"The failure to push publicly and hard for answers about Bob was an outrage," Glasser said. "A rare opportunity was squandered when we had the most possible leverage to bring him home.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan enjoys a great fan base in Middle East and his popularity in the region became topic of discussion at the seminar hosted by Egypt-India Friendship Association (EIFA).

A collaboration between EIFA and Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), the cultural wing of the Embassy of India in Cairo, the seminar was held following the release of 50-year-old actor's film "Dilwale" in Egypt.

Moderated by Nadia Jardini, the head of EIFA the discussion focused on SRK's latest movie and how it attracted audiences in the country from different background and ages.

Well-known Egyptian film critic Magda Khirallah, who was the speaker at the seminar, spoke about the status of cinema in Egypt in comparison to India.

"As a critic I follow Indian movies as well as other movies of different countries. My relation with the Indian cinema started with one of the early movies which is "Sangam." This movie achieved great success in Egypt when it was screened," Khirallah said.

"Amitabh Bachchan's movies also had great audiences. I remember when Bachchan came to his first visit to Egypt there were many fans went crazy for him. Now, I can see the great popularity of the mega star Shah Rukh Khan," he added.

The critic said, Egyptian filmmakers fear that the popularity of Indian movies could affect the business of local films, and sighted it as the main reason for small representation of Indian cinema here.

"'Dilwale' is a well made movie as it gather all the elements that can create a successful film from action to music to artistic scenes and beautiful landscapes," she said.

"Dilwale," a 2015 Indian romantic-action comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty, was released in Egypt last year in December.

The film also stars Kajol, Varun Dhawan, and Kriti Sanon in lead roles, with Johnny Lever and Varun Sharma in supporting roles.

A clip for the master-scenes of the film, edited by Shah Rukh Khan Egypt Fan Club, was also screened during the seminar.

A large number of fans of the superstar attended the event and participated in the competition held at the end of the event by EIFA.
The Justice Nimesh Commission report today held peasant leader Manveer Singh Tewatia and demonstrating farmers responsible for violence at Tappal in Aligarh in 2010 that claimed the lives of five persons, including a soldier.

The report, tabled in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, said the violence was trigerred by demonstrating farmers, who were demanding higher compensation for their land acquired to develop modern city along the Yamuna Expressway on the lines of Noida.

Subedar Brijendra Singh was killed in the violence on August 14-15 and Lance Naik Raj Kumar was left disabled, whereas several other policemen were injured, the report said.

Similarly, farmers Dharmendra, Prashant and Mihit had succumbed to injuries caused during the violence.

It, however, said it could not be known who among the demonstrators caused death and injuries.

The report gave clean chit to the local administration stating that a major incident was avoided due to its prompt action. "The action taken by the local administration was justified and right," it said.

The report recommended action against Tewatia and other demonstrators besides adequate compensation to the kin of Singh and Kumar.

It said farmers Dharmendra, Prashant and Mohit should also be given adequate financial assistance.

The one-member judicial commission was constituted by the Governor to probe the cause of the incident, role of the local administration and persons responsible.
Members of the National Fish Workers Forum (NFF) will lay siege to the Parliament on March 10, in support of the fishermen's charter of demands, including a separate ministry for fisheries.

Fishermen from all the coastal states and delegates of inland fishermen would participate in a demonstration and lay siege to Parliament, NFF Chairman M Illango said in a release here today.

The protest was aimed at urging the government to form a separate ministry for development of fisheries and welfare of fishermen, grant of Scheduled Tribes status and supply of kerosene and diesel to them at cost price among other demands, Ilango, a former MLA of Puducherry, said.
Amid growing clamour to remove him as the Madhya Pradesh Congress chief, Arun Yadav today said he is focused on his job and will continue with 'Janvishwas Padyatra', covering every constituency of the state, to "expose BJP's tall claims".

"I have completed seven phases of Janvishwas Padyatra and the remaining three are underway. I am focused on my job and exposing BJP government's tall development claims by touring villages on foot," Yadav told PTI from Shamsabad in Vidisha, home district of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

He claimed that people in Vidisha are afraid of BJP leaders' clout in the area, especially corruption.

"They are crying for basic facilities like power, water and roads and are forced to migrate to Bhopal and Indore for livelihood. The government has totally ignored them which is a matter of serious concern," Yadav alleged.

"After traversing through villages like Sherpura, Peepli, Vishwakhedi, Bandia, Rampur, Karrakhedi and Moodra and on the basis of my interaction with the villagers, I am of the opinion that people in Chouhan's home district are craving for 'BJP se Azadi' (independence from BJP)," he claimed.

A section of Congress leaders, including in-charge Leader of Opposition Bala Bachchan and former Union Minister Aslam Sher Khan, have openly demanded to replace Yadav with senior leader Kamal Nath.

Khan had also announced to float a parallel body projecting Nath as its Chief Ministerial candidate in case Congress failed to do so in next few months.

Yadav, the only Congress leader after former Chief



Minister late D P Mishra to cover the Assembly constituencies on foot, said he will cover all the 230 constituencies of the state as a part of his 'Janvishwas Padyatra'.

Launched on October 18, 2015, the 'Padyatra' has so far covered Anuppur, Ujjain, Mandla, Shahdol, Raisen, Balaghat, Tikamgarh districts under seven phases and will cover Vidisha, Bhopal, Umaria, Damoh and Panna in the remaining three.

A total of 23 Assembly constituencies, including nine ST and three SC, have been covered far.

Asked about the current state of affairs in the state Congress, party MLA Jaivardhan Singh said, "Arun Yadav was made the state party president by top Congress leadership. As long as he is there, I am with him and would continue to work for strengthening the party."



The son of Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh also said, "It is for the party leadership to take a call on the issue of replacing Yadav. I am with anyone whom the party appoints as the state president.
The national capital was today put on high alert and security was beefed up at vital installations, important buildings and crowded places after Delhi Police received inputs about a potential terror strike in the city by 10 suspected LeT and JeM militants who are learnt to have entered India through Gujarat.

In view of the input, Delhi Police today heightened its vigil near iconic buildings and military installations in the national capital and security arrangements were stepped up near prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges in the city, a police source said.

He further said, the input specifically mentions about 10 militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfits having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi.

The Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi Police have been briefed about the input separately, so that activities of gangs operating in and around the city and elements with suspected terror links can be monitored.

The police are also ensuring that CCTV cameras at all places with high footfall, like popular markets in the city and metro stations are functional. Patrolling across the city has been intensified, the source added.

A high alert was sounded in Gujarat yesterday after Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua communicated to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval about the terrorist infiltration.

Four National Security Guard (NSG) teams were rushed to Gujarat following the input.
A former Congress MLA and two of his associates were today detained in Bhubaneswar in connection with the bomb explosion case in the house of a corporator here on February 29 last.

A special police team from Berhampur picked up Ramesh Jena, along with two corporators of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC), from an apartment at Khandagiri area in Bhubaneswar, a police officer said.

Police raided the house of Jena in the apartment to nab one of the accused persons who had allegedly exploded bomb in the house of Ranjit Nayak, a Congress corporator in BMC on February 29. The accused Bapi alias Prem Panda was in the house along with Jena, he said.

One gun, several ammunition and two motorbikes were seized from them.

"We are quizzing Jena about his involvement in bombing case and the reason to provide shelter to the accused person in this case," said SP (Berhampur) Sarthak Sarangi.
Nancy Reagan, the helpmate, backstage adviser and fierce protector of Ronald Reagan in his journey from actor to president - and finally during his 10- year battle with Alzheimer's disease - has died. She was 94.

The former first lady died today at her home in Bel-Air, California, of congestive heart failure, assistant Allison Borio told The Associated Press.

Her best-known project as first lady was the "Just Say No" campaign to help kids and teens stay off drugs.

When she swept into the White House in 1981, the former Hollywood actress partial to designer gowns and pricey china was widely dismissed as a pre-feminist throwback, concerned only with fashion, decorating and entertaining.

By the time she moved out eight years later, Mrs Reagan was fending off accusations that she was a behind-the-scenes "dragon lady" wielding unchecked power over the Reagan administration - and doing it based on astrology to boot.

All along she maintained that her only mission was to back her "Ronnie" and strengthen his presidency.

Mrs Reagan carried that charge through the rest of her days. She served as a full-time caretaker as Alzheimer's melted away her husband's memory. After his death in June 2004 she dedicated herself to tending his legacy, especially at his presidential library in California, where he had served as governor.

She also championed Alzheimer's patients, raising millions of dollars for research and breaking with fellow conservative Republicans to advocate for stem cell studies.

Her dignity and perseverance in these post-White House roles helped smooth over the public's fickle perceptions of the former first lady.

The Reagans' mutual devotion over 52 years of marriage was legendary. They were forever holding hands. She watched his political speeches with a look of such steady adoration it was dubbed "the gaze."



He called her "Mommy," and penned a lifetime of gushing love notes. She saved these letters, published them as a book, and found them a comfort when he could no longer remember her.

In announcing his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 1994, Reagan wrote, "I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience." Ten years later, as his body lay in state in the US Capitol, Mrs Reagan caressed and gently kissed the flag-draped casket.

As the newly arrived first lady, Mrs Reagan raised more than USD 800,000 from private donors to redo the White House family quarters and to buy a USD 200,000 set of china bordered in red, her signature colour.

She was criticised for financing these pet projects with donations from millionaires who might seek influence with the government, and for accepting gifts and loans of dresses worth thousands of dollars from top designers. Her lavish lifestyle - in the midst of a recession and with her husband's administration cutting spending on the needy - inspired the mocking moniker "Queen Nancy.
Four more foreign banks have been given preliminary approval to operate in Myanmar, state media reported today, the latest government attempt to attract overseas investment to the emergent nation.

Myanmar's banking system was closed for decades to outside competition under junta rule, leaving the country laden with a creaking financial infrastructure and a populace deeply suspicious of banks.

But that has slowly begun to change since outright military rule gave way to a reformist government in 2011 that paved the way for last November's landmark elections.

The four new banks that have been given initial approval are Vietnam's Bank for Investment and Development, Taiwan's E.SUN Commercial Bank, South Korea's Shinhan Bank and the State Bank of India, the Global New Light of Myanmar said, quoting the Central Bank of Myanmar.

A total of 13 foreign banks have now been given permission to operate inside the Southeast Asian nation.

Most are still in the process of meeting regulations before opening branches but some are already up and running.

In April last year, Japan's Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) became the first foreign bank in decades to open a branch inside Myanmar.

Among other banks that have opened branches are Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) as well as Singapore's Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC).

Most of the foreign banks who have applied for licences hail from the Asia-Pacific region.

Myanmar's brutal military rulers nationalised all banks when they seized power in 1962 as they embarked on socialist policies that would send the economy into precipitous decline for nearly half a century.

Local people remain deeply reluctant to embrace the banking system and many deal only in cash.

Authorities have implemented sweeping political and economic changes in recent years that have seen most Western sanctions lifted, opening up the country to new streams of international investment.

Both the outgoing military backed government and Aung San Suu Kyi's incoming National League for Democracy have vowed to increase capital flows to local businesses and to spur investment.

The World Bank has said firms cite access to finance as the main obstacle to doing business in Myanmar.
President Francois Hollande has awarded the Legion d'Honneur, France's highest honour, to visiting Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the president's office confirmed today.

The office had released no statement on the visit, which took place yesterday, but it was reported by the Saudi agency SPA, which said Nayef was cited for his "efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremism".

A Hollande aide said Nayef, who is the Saudi interior minister, received the honour as a "foreign individual, a common protocol practice", noting that Hollande himself received Saudi Arabia's top honour during one of his visits there.

Bilateral ties are strong, sealed by major arms deals as well as Riyadh's participation in the fight against the Islamic State group.

But of the bestowal of the Legion d'Honneur on Nayef sparked harsh criticism on social media from opponents to the death penalty, many tweeting using the hashtag "#honte" (#shame).

Saudi Arabia today carried out its 70th execution so far this year, beheading a man convicted of murder.

On January 2, 47 were executed for "terrorism", including Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, a driving force behind protests that began in 2011 among the kingdom's minority Shiites.

Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword.
France is to close down its oldest nuclear power plant, at the centre of a row with neighbouring Germany and Switzerland, by the end of this year, a green minister said today.

"The timeline is one the president has repeated to me several times, it's 2016," said Emmanuelle Cosse, who was named to President Francois Hollande's cabinet last month, referring to the Fassenheim plant.

Cosse was speaking to French media after a row sparked Friday when Germany demanded that France close down Fassenheim following reports that a 2014 incident there was worse than earlier portrayed.

France's Nuclear Safety Agency said that safety at the plant was "overall satisfactory" but that the government's energy policy "could lead to different choices" regarding the facility, which is near the German and Swiss borders.

It said there was "no need" to shut the plant from a nuclear safety point of view.

France has promised to cut reliance on nuclear energy from more than 75 percent to 50 percent by shutting 24 reactors by 2025, while stepping up reliance on renewable energy.

Fessenheim, located on a seismic fault line, has worried French, German and Swiss environmentalists for years.

In September, Hollande said Fessenheim, in operation since 1977, would not be shut this year, contrary to a 2012 campaign promise, because of delays in completion of a new plant in northern Flamanville.

Today, Cosse said that to reach its target, the government would have "to close other nuclear plants, other reactors, obviously, over several years."



Hollande named Cosse, a member of the French Greens Party (EELV), housing minister as part of a reshuffle seen as a bid to broaden his appeal ahead of a re-election bid next year.
Two Italians kidnapped last July in Libya returned to Italy on Sunday to a mute homecoming, amid questions over why two others snatched with them were killed.

Gino Pollicardo, 55, and Filippo Calcagno, 65, were met by relieved relatives at Rome's Ciampino airport in the early hours and were whisked away to be debriefed by Italy's foreign ministry and intelligence services.

They were among four employees of Italian construction company Bonatti who were kidnapped in the Mellitah region west of Tripoli in July. Italian media reports suggested all four had been close to being freed, before plans went awry.

On Thursday, the day before Pollicardo and Calcagno's liberation, Italy said the other two, Salvatore Failla, 47, and Fausto Piano, 60, had likely been killed in clashes between jihadists and local militiamen.

"The Italian state has failed. The liberation of the two hostages was paid for with my husband's blood," Failla's widow Rosalba said Saturday, demanding her late husband's body be returned to Italy as soon as possible.

Italian media reports said Piano and Failla, who had been separated from Pollicardo and Calcagno, had been in an Islamic State group convoy that was attacked by militiamen from Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn), the armed wing of the non-recognised government based in Tripoli.

While the murders increased pressure in Italy for the country to send special forces to Libya, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi cautioned that any intervention would first need parliament's approval, and Rome would not be rushed -- a sentiment echoed Sunday by Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

"We need to avoid Libya sinking into chaos where tragic episodes like this one involving our hostages can proliferate," he said in an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore daily.

However, "it must be clear that there are no apparent shortcuts, muscular displays. It's true, time is short, but there is no quick war at our door.

"The government is aware of the errors of the past and is working to create the conditions for stability in Libya," he said.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has greeted people ahead of Mahashivratri, which is celebrated by Kashmiri Pandits as Hairath.

In his message, the Governor said this festival symbolises the values of piety, devotion, brotherhood and harmony, which are the hallmarks of our glorious cultural ethos.

Wishing the people a happy Mahashivratri, he prayed for peace, progress and prosperity in the state.
Commerce Ministry is working on a proposal to constitute a group of young officers who will be trained specifically for complex trade negotiations, including WTO and free trade pacts.

The officers from Indian Trade Service (ITS) and Indian Economic Service (IES) are expected to be included in the country's trade negotiation team.

"Several countries have a strong team for such negotiations. We now need to pick up young officers and give them exposure and training and make them understand the intricacies of entire negotiating process," a senior official of the Commerce Ministry told PTI.

The official added, "We would like to see a mechanism under which the young officers from services like ITS and IES are trained and inducted for global trade talks".

The ministry is discussing the issue at the level of the Prime Minister's Office and guidelines for the same are expected to be prepared soon.

Currently, India does not have a dedicated team of officers for international trade related negotiations as often the officials involved in the process are transferred after completion of their tenure.

Countries like Japan, the UK and US have big negotiating teams, while Indian contingent sometimes have only two officials for negotiating a particular aspect of a trade agreement, another source said.

Citing the example of the ongoing negotiations for the mega trade deal - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the source added that the negotiating team of Asean (Association of South East Asian Nations) is much bigger than that of India.

Trade experts said that this a welcome move and would help in strengthening the negotiating position of India.

"This is a very good step. This will provide the much needed continuity, which is what most of the major economies have been doing. This step will help safeguard India's interests better," said Biswajit Dhar, a trade expert and Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The Commerce Ministry is also looking at panel of trade lawyers who can be roped in depending on trade disputes and negotiations.
The HRD ministry is actively working on the contours of a Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA), which has been proposed with the aim of funding infrastructure creation at top educational institutions like the IITs and IIMs.

Senior officials said deliberations are on and is likely to be formed as a company under Section 8 of the Companies Act. It will be chaired by the higher education secretary.

Since it is going to be a non-banking financial company, the CEO would have to be a professional, most likely from the banking sector, while the Board would be a mix of donors and institutions chosen on a rotation basis, said an official.

In his budget speech last month, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the government would set up with an initial base of Rs 1,000 crore and the organisation will leverage funds from the market and supplement that with donations from corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to meet infrastructure requirements of the country's top educational institutions.

Sources said it is aimed that from an initial corpus of Rs 1,000 crore, the fund, over the next five years, would grow to over Rs 20,000 crore through leveraging of the markets and CSR contributions.

It will provide interest-free loans to higher educational institutions for constructing new campuses, expanding or renovating existing infrastructure and creating state-of-the-art laboratories.

It is proposed that all central and state higher educational institutions be made eligible for joining as members of HEFA, subject to certain conditions, an official said.

"HEFA is a novel idea that can provide a huge boost to Indian institutions. However, the modalities have to be worked out and the final approvals would come from the Union Cabinet itself," said a senior official.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Sunday demanded the "urgent" relocation of thousands of refugees to other EU countries, as neighbouring Macedonia further tightened a border blockade trapping them in his country.

He made the call on the eve of a crucial EU-Turkey migration summit in Brussels tomorrow.

"The immediate start of a reliable procedure to relocate refugees from our country to other EU states is an absolute emergency," Tsipras told leaders of his leftist Syriza party.

"This is what we'll pursue on Monday," he added.

Greece is at the heart of Europe's greatest migration crisis since World War II after a series of border restrictions on the migrant trail from Austria to Macedonia caused a bottleneck on its soil.

EU leaders will push Turkey at a summit in Brussels tomorrow to agree to "large-scale" deportations of economic migrants from Greece, which is bracing for a fresh surge of migrant and refugee arrivals by the end of March.

The Greek government today said there were over 33,000 refugees and migrants in the country including over 6,000 on the islands facing Turkey.

It added that over 17,000 extra places would be created in relocation camps over the coming week.

Tsipras said the upheaval was due to "senseless interventions" and "contribution to imperialist conflict" by Western states  an apparent reference to the 2003 Iraq war and its repercussions.

And he attacked other EU states and fellow Balkan countries who had failed to apply EU decisions on how to manage the problem.

"We are the only country to has applied decisions and responsibilities jointly undertaken by countries on the Balkan route in October," he said.

"We will continue to give what little we have to...Hunted and persecuted people who need it. But it is self-evident that a small country like Greece cannot shoulder all of Europe's burden in this crisis," Tsipras added.

Macedonia further tightened its controls today, only allowing around 160 people through, a daily number that has gradually fallen during the week.

Today, a Doctors Without Borders source at the border said Skopje was only allowing access to Syrians and Iraqis from areas directly affected by conflict. For example, Damascus and Baghdad were considered safe areas, the source said.

A Greek police source said the practice had begun earlier this week.
With a view to curbing cheating during the Haryana School Education Board Examinations, the state government has sought the help of newly-elected educated and young members of Panchayati Raj institutions.

Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said in an official release today he has directed the district education officers to constitute committees of newly-elected members of PRIs and intellectuals who would be present outside the examination centres and make people aware of the evils of cheating.

The Board examinations commence on March 8.
Information and Broadcasting secretary Sunil Arora today said the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune should strengthen its activities and improve its functioning to become an "Institute of Excellence" in the country.

Arora said this during his visit to the institute.

Arora planted a sapling at the Kothrud site of FTII where 32 new staff quarters are being constructed. He also visited the legendary Prabhat Studios at the Law College campus of FTII, and met the Dean (Films), Dean (Television) and the faculty members as well as the staff.

FTII should strengthen its activities and improve its functioning to become an Institute of Excellence in the country, he was quoted as saying by an official release.

The institute was in the thick of controversy for much of the last year because of the students' protest against the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman.

FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe and Dean (Films) Dr Kedar Awati apprised Arora of details of the activities conducted by the Institute in the past four months.

In the morning, he attended the condolence meeting at the National Film Archives of India in the city over the demise of renowned film archivist and former NFAI Director P K Nair.

Noted film-maker, actor Amol Palekar was also present at the condolence meeting.
Swedish furniture retailing giant will open its first store in India at Hyderabad in the second half of 2017 even as it scouts for more sites in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The company, which received government approval in 2013 for its Rs 10,500 crore proposal to open retail stores under 100 per cent FDI, plans to open 25 stores by 2025 in nine Indian cities.

"We will open our first store in Hyderabad in later half of 2017. Digging for construction of our first store in India started this week," Asia Pacific Retail President Mikael Palmquist told PTI.

IKEA's first store in Hyderabad will be a massive 4 lakh square feet in size and will include all features of a global store, including restaurant and play and development area, he added.

In July last year, the company had announced purchase of 13 acre land close to the IT hub in Hyderabad's HITEC city.

Bullish on the Indian market, Palmquist said IKEA expects its stores in the country to be among "the most visited stores in the world" and hence the company has prepared for it by planning bigger restaurants and more seating capacity to suit high visitation stores.

Elaborating on IKEA's expansion plans in India, he said: "After Hyderabad, in the first phase of growth, we plan to open stores in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. We are searching for land in these cities. We want to open more than one stores in locations where our stores come up."



The company said that it will showcase its products from its global portfolio in India based on the taste and requirements of the regions where its stores are located.

On the pace of expansion in India, Palmquist said compared to China where it has been there for 15 years and opening at a rate of 3 stores a year only now, here IKEA will be looking at a much faster growth.

"In India I want us to be there earlier, within five years, we should have capability to open three stores a year to hit the 25 (stores)," he added.

When asked about the concerns IKEA had with respect to sourcing norms, Palmquist said: "Start date has changed from first investment from date of store opening."



In November last year IKEA had sought relaxation from the government for five years over mandatory 30 per cent local sourcing norms from opening of its first store in India rather than first investment.

The company said it needs some time "to build a sustainable and long-term sourcing solutions" to source raw material, find local entrepreneurs and to create industrial set ups.

"If we were to open our first store today, our sourcing from India would be less than 5 per cent. Main challenges in meeting sourcing norms is availability of raw material and identifying right entrepreneurs we can work with."



At present, IKEA sources products worth Euro 300 million for its global operations from India.

Palmquist said there is a need for harmonisation of laws related to composition of raw materials in India with Europe so that more exports can happen from here.
India is the next critical player for South African coal mining giant Exxaro as it seeks to expand its markets, hoping to export as much as 15 million tonnes of coal to India this year.

Exxaro sees the reduction of India's coal imports from Indonesia as an opportunity to increase business with India.

"(The Indian market is) not sourcing as much coal from Indonesia as they used to because of the price impact and the tax in place by the government of India, so they prefer to take South African coal due to quality and the ash level," Exxaro's executive head of carbon operations Nombasa Tsengwa told the weekly Sunday Times.

CEO-designate of Exxaro, Mxolosi Mgojo said this was in line with the company's new strategy of market diversification and market optimisation rather than relying on a dependence on one or two main big customer.

"We have to actively go and pursue new markets with new products," Mgojo said, adding that Exxaro's diversification plans provided some protection from China's low demand for coal, which had left some of its competitors struggling because of their reliance on China.

Exxaro hopes to export 15 million tonnes of coal to India this year, Tsengwa said.

Exxaros' move follows comments at a coal conference in Cape Town last month by Arun Maheshwari, senior vice president commercial for Indian firm JSW Steel, that coal exports from South Africa to India were "definitely on a growth path".

South African mining companies' coal exports to India in 2015 reached a record 75.4 million tonnes, up from 30 million tonnes in 2014 in the wake of the India's reduced reliance on Indonesian coal.

Exxaro remained confident about its future, despite the global downturn which has seen some mining competitors, such as Anglo-American, selling its coal assets amid global oversupply and the price of coal being at a seven-year low.

Exxaro said it had also developed a strong relationship with its Pakistani customers in recent years in support of their plans to build cement plants in the country.
India is keen on ramping up economic cooperation with Egypt, focussing on trade and investment, the Indian envoy at Cairo has said while underlining the need for "transparency and predictability" to woo more Indian businesses to this key Middle East country.

"Trade between India and Egypt increased by about 60% over the last five years and this is really remarkable because you will notice that trade between many other countries has actually stagnated or even gone down and global trade itself is stagnating so this is a remarkable development," India's Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya told PTI.

With the participation of about 20 leading Indian companies, the third round of the Egyptian-Indian Business Council will be heldon March 10 to discuss ways of boosting cooperation and investments between both countries especially in the fields of chemicals, leather, furniture and medicine.

The round will be held on the sidelines of the joint trade committee, which will begin its meeting on March 9.

Speaking about economic cooperation opportunities between India and Egypt, Bhattacharyya said economic issues should be viewed in totality.

"For us it means that we must have more trade, we must have more investment flows, we must have more technology flows, we must have greater cooperation in developing skills and sharing each other's experience and we will continue to work on all these together," Bhattacharyya said.

"Along with a joint trade committee we have also a meeting with a joint business council, which will look at the possibilities of investments in different parts of Egypt including the Suez Canal Zone," he said.

"Business will always flow where there is an opportunity for profit and if you can provide an environment for profit business will come," Bhattacharyya said.

However, there are also at the same time several macro issues that every business propositions will look at, he said.

"These are particularly pertaining to the foreign exchange situation, the ease of repatriation, the regulations on the investment laws and their implementation. So once there is transparency and predictability on these fronts and they are implemented in an easy manner there will be great opportunities," Bhattacharyya said.

"I have travelled to many of the governorates of Egypt. Two-thirds of Indian investments are already along the Suez Canal in other words Indian investors had long ago realised the huge potential of the Sue Canal area as a hub and I've been to Port Said and Ismalia and Ain Soukhna, where there are Indian investments and I found that the local authorities over there have been very very helpful in many instances to Indian investors," he added.

Bhattacharyya said the joint trade committee will discuss different issues including ways to increase trade between both countries.

"I think the potential is much greater because there are other countries in the region around Egypt who have much higher trade with India so what is it that prevents us from having even greater trade," he added.

The envoy said that in order to enhance trading cooperation between the two countries, a number of things need to be looked at.

"I think we need to look at the tariff structure, also we need to look at are there any barriers to trade, we also need to see as to how we can promote complementarities; for instance agriculture products have been increasing in Egypt's exports to India we are buying much more of agriculture products from Egypt may be this is an area in which the growth can be even greater," he said.

"On investments, I think the picture, in a sense, is very good because we have about 50 Indian enterprises in Egypt with a total investment of about USD 3 billion and if you look at it in terms of the non-hydrocarbon sector it is a very large investment," the Ambassador said.
The Indians are not just coming -- they have arrived. Paris fashion week is more Indian than ever, with two designers from the subcontinent cementing their place at style's top table.

Rahul Mishra confirmed his reputation as one of fashion's rising stars with an autumn winter womenswear collection of great restraint and purity.

In contrast, the never less-than-spectacular Manish Arora bathed in the glory of being awarded one of France's highest honours by filling his catwalk with celebrity models that included the artist Sophie Calle.

The two designers could not be more different, yet both were as far from the subcontinental cliches of saris and sequins as you can imagine.

Arora, a Paris favourite who formerly headed the Paco Rabanne label, drew on Americana and Africa rather than India for his Wild West themed "Hell's Belles" show that he called "mad".

But its "Twin Peaks on Haribo" look went down a storm with his fans, who particularly loved the zany way he rebooted humble denim jackets and skirts with tribal embroidery and African wax print fabrics.

With his newly awarded Legion d'Honneur -- a kind of French knighthood -- in his pocket, the Mumbai-born designer cut loose with day-glo colours and prairie skirt combinations that were made to party.

"I am the first Indian creative to be rewarded for fashion and arts in France," he told reporters after the show. "It's exceptional, it took a long time to sink in. Trust the French to find you and tell you that you deserve it."



The younger Mishra has also been feeling the love, even though his restrained palette never strayed much further than royal blue, black and cream, with a little bit of pale yellow creeping in at the end.

The 37-year-old designer, who won the prestigious International Woolmark Prize two years ago, told AFP that his new line was inspired by the unconditional love of his five-month-old daughter.

And you could feel a warm glow in the room as models walked out at the Palais de Tokyo modern art gallery.

The style bible Vogue loved it, praising the collection as "a new level of accomplishment" and the most "streetwise... fresh and contemporary of Mishra's designs".

Vogue's legendary style guru Suzy Menkes had already pronounced herself a fan, saying "the delicacy of the knits, which were so fine that they could barely be identified as wool on the runway, was breathtaking.
Bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, who was once asked by a young boy in Mumbai selling pirated books if he wanted the latest Archer novel, says the Indian government needs to do something about pirating.

"While I'm aware of the tremendous support I receive in India for my books, the government still needs to do something about pirating," the 75-year-old author says.

"Here's a classic example - they're even putting my name on books that I didn't write," he said in a post on his blog.

The example he cites is of a pirated version of "Passenger to Frankfurt" in which the author's name is wrongly mentioned as Archer's.

"Passenger to Frankfurt" is a spy novel penned by Agatha Christie.

The pirated book's cover more mistakes.

It says "Passenger to Frankfurt" is the next part of Archer's "First Among The Equal".

Whereas Archer's 1984 novel following the careers and personal lives of four fictional British politicians was named "First Among Equals" and not "First Among The Equal".

Last year, he also expressed his anger over some Bollywood producers "stealing" his work without making any compensation.

According to him, his novel "Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less" was made into the rom-com "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl" and "Kane and Abel" into "Khudgarz" without his permission.

"I am naturally unhappy that Bollywood producers steal my work and make no attempt to make any compensation. It's very disappointing that the Indian government allow them to get away with it. They should of course contact my agent, Jonathan Lloyd at Curtis Brown in London," Archer had told PTI.

Archer had recently come out with the penultimate book of his popular "Clifton Chronicles".

Called "Cometh the Hour", six of its chapters are set in Mumbai. The book's cover has a couple riding a motorcycle with the Gateway of India at the background.

"As six chapters of the book are set in Bombay, we decided to give the Indians an exclusive jacket cover, which I hope my Indian readers will like," the author says.

The seventh and final volume of "Clifton Chronicles" series will hit the book stands in November. The title of the book is "This Was a Man" and will be published by Pan Macmillan India.
An Indian priest missing after an attack on a care home run in Yemen is being held by the assailants, likely militants from the Islamic State group, officials said today.

Yemeni authorities have blamed IS for the Friday attack on the refuge for the elderly operated by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in main southern city Aden.

"According to our information, the extremists who attacked the elderly care home in Aden have kidnapped priest Tom Uzhunnalil, a 56-year-old Indian, who was taken to an unknown location," a Yemeni security official told AFP.

"We are aware that no group has yet claimed the criminal attack but information points to the involvement of Daesh," said the source, who asked to remain anonymous, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Gunmen stormed the refuge killing a Yemeni guard before tying up and shooting 15 other employees, officials said.

Four foreign nuns working as nurses were among those killed.

The Vatican missionary news agency Fides identified the nuns as two Rwandans, a Kenyan and an Indian, adding that the mother superior managed to hide and survive while an Indian priest was missing.

The internationally recognised government in war-torn Yemen is grappling with both an Iran-backed rebellion and a growing jihadist presence.

The Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has said Pope Francis "was shocked and profoundly saddened" to learn of "this act of senseless and diabolical violence."



Al-Qaeda and IS have stepped up attacks in Aden, targeting mainly loyalists and members of a Saudi-led coalition battling Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year.
Iran has sentenced billionaire tycoon Babak Zanjani, reportedly one of the country's richest men, to death, convicting him of corruption after a long trial on accusations he fraudulently pocketed USD 2.8 billion.

A justice official announced the punishment today, noting that Zanjani, who became notorious for finding ways to channel hard currency from oil sales during the sanctions-ridden era of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from 2005 to 2013, could appeal.

Zanjani rose to prominence after sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic's banks as punishment for its nuclear programme hit the country's finances hard.

Having taken commissions, he said he was at all times working with the knowledge and backing of Ahmadinejad's government and he boasted in media interviews of his skills and wealth amassed by managing to subvert the banking restrictions.

He said he did so using a web of companies in various countries including the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Malaysia, selling millions of barrels of Iranian oil.

But he was arrested in December 2013, three months after current President Hassan Rouhani took office, having pledged to crack down on corruption.

Zanjani, 41, was convicted of fraud and economic crimes and must repay money to the state as well as face the death penalty, judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejeie said.

The trial was public, a rarity for such a major case in Iran, and two other accused were also convicted of "corruption on earth", the most serious offence in the Islamic republic, meaning they too will face the death penalty.

"The preliminary court has sentenced these three defendants to be executed, as well as paying restitution to the plaintiff," said Mohseni-Ejeie, adding this was the oil ministry.

They must also pay a "fine equal to one fourth of the money that was laundered", the spokesman said, without specifying the sum.

Zanjani had denied wrongdoing, insisting the only reason the money had not been paid to the oil ministry was that sanctions had prevented a planned transfer from taking place. That claim was disputed in court.

The case follows repeated declarations from Rouhani's government that corruption and the payment of illegal commissions thrived under Ahmadinejad's rule. Other trials are ongoing.
Iran is dispatching its Central Bank Vice Governor Gholamali Kamyab to India this month after the Persian Gulf nation's efforts to get nearly $6 billion of past dues from refiners like Essar hit roadblock over differences over foreign exchange rate.

With US lifting sanctions, Iran wants its past dues to be cleared. But differences have now cropped up over foreign exchange rate, sources privy to the development said.

Iran sold oil to refiners like Essar Oil and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) in US dollar per barrel. 45% of the oil bill was paid in rupees in a UCO Bank account while the rest 55% was to be cleared whenever banking channels open.

Now with lifting of sanctions, Iran has presented its unpaid bill. But Essar Oil and other refiners want to pay Iran at the exchange rate prevalent at the time of buying crude oil in the last three years, sources said.

Rupee to a US dollar was under 55 in February 2013 when the 45:55 payment system became operational. Rupee to a US dollar is at 67 now.

Ideally, if refiners had kept dollar equivalent to their purchase in separate account over the years they could have readily paid Iran now. But for a barrel of oil they bought in February 2013 at say $80, they would now have to pay Rs 5,360 instead of Rs 4,400 then.

Sources said Iran wants its dollar dues in full without factoring in the exchange rate. Refiners like Essar Oil on the other hand want to pay rupee equivalent of the purchase at current rate.

Tehran has told India that the three-year old mechanism of paying 45% of oil import bill in rupees and keeping the remaining 55% pending for payment channels to clear, has come to an end.

It will be opening or re-activating euro accounts with Indian banks and would like to have the past money transferred from refiners into these accounts.

The Persian Gulf nation is talking to State Bank of India for the purpose and has also opened an account with IDBI.

Also, it wants settlement with India through the Asian Currency Union (ACU) and has written to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in this respect, they said.

National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) would ask buyers of crude in India to open Letters of Credit (LCs) in favour of Central Bank of Iran with SBI as was the case in past, sources said adding settlement could be done through the ACU and IDBI would be used for the purpose.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says that both Iran and Turkey support the current Syrian cease-fire and the preservation of Syria's territorial integrity.

Today, a report by the government-owned IRAN daily quotes Rouhani as saying, "There is no difference" between the two countries regarding stopping the war and "providing relief assistance to displaced people."



His remarks came during a meeting with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu ahead of talks between the Syrian government and opposition later this month.

Turkey is a leading backer of the rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. Iran, along with Russia, has strongly backed Assad.
A section of traders in Haryana, who suffered financial losses during the Jat quota agitation, today termed the interim compensation package released by the state government as "insufficient" and demanded higher damages.

"The initial relief being given by the state government was insufficient for affected shop owners and traders. If the state government did not release sufficient amount of relief, then there will be a strong resentment against it," District president of Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal (Rohtak) Gulshan Dang said.

Traders claimed that the government was providing compensation of 25 per cent (if the loss is less than Rs 5 lakh), Rs 2 lakh (if loss between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, Rs 5 lakh (if loss between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore) and Rs 10 lakh (if loss is between Rs 1 crore and Rs 10 crore).

"Out of total financial loss of Rs 10.25 crore, I have been paid just Rs 10 lakh by state government through RTGS so far which is not even sufficient to clean the area where the damage took place," Suresh Sharma, owner of one of Rohtak's famous mall said.

Though Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has assured him to fully compensate for loss, Sharma sought higher amount of compensation which could enable to him rebuild his venture and pay off its debt.

"I told CM that our properties were completely destroyed during Jat agitation and we cannot stand without government support," he said.

"If we did not get support from the government, then only suicide will be left as last option with us," Sharma rued.

Sharma said that protestors had burnt down RN Mall which was built one and half year ago. The mall had cinemas, gym, shops including McDonald's outlet, he said adding that the estimated loss in the mall was Rs 7 crore.

Besides, he suffered a financial loss of over Rs 3 crore after a mob damaged his RN Engineering college located at Gohana road.

Traders had put the number of damaged shops and commercial establishments at more than 600 with estimated loss of Rs 1,000 crore alone in Rohtak- one of the worst-affected districts in the state.

Notably, Haryana government has so far released an interim assistance of over Rs 20 crore (Rs 20,04,75,291) to 1,537 people whose properties were damaged in the recent Jat quota agitation in the state.

Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana government had announced that those who suffered property loss during Jat stir could claim up to 25 per cent as interim relief immediately on the basis of self-assessment of damage.
Actor John Stamos has started dating again.

The 52-year-old "Fuller House" actor said he has a special lady in his life after years of bachelorhood, reported E! online.

"The View" panelist Joy Behar asked him if he likes his women submissive or dominant? To which Stamos replied, "I just like my women, either way.

There's this girl I'm dating," he added.

Back in September, the "Grandfathered" actor said that he was eager to settle down and have kids soon.
Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy Sunday said that JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was an "aberration" and not a hero, while asserting that the Left parties were taking refuge in universities, media and NGOs.

"Left parties have disintegrated in most parts of the world. They have no place in the political scene and as such are moving to the media, universities and NGOs," Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship & Parliamentary Affairs Rudy said.

"It is through these that they are trying to influence the minds of the people," he said.

"Kanhaiya is an aberration," he said when asked whether Kanhaiya had become a hero with the Left parties planning to make him campaign for their candidates in the coming Assembly polls in West Bengal.

He said that no right-thinking person who believed in nationalism would tolerate the acts and speeches of the JNUSU leader.

Asked if the NDA government at the Centre was mulling any change in laws pertaining to sedition, he said,"There are already enough laws in the country and the final interpretation of these are with the judiciary."



Referring to the JNU issue, where some student leaders, including Kanhaiya Kumar, were arrested for allegedly raising anti- slogans at a meeting in JNU campus, the minister said, "The question of tolerance should not be mixed up with anti- acts, there cannot be any compromise when actions are seditious."
The Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers Association (KCMA) has urged Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to roll back the 5% Customs duty imposed on raw in the .

"The duty would sound the death-knell for the cashew processing in the country," KCMA president Bola Rahul Kamath said in a memorandum to the finance minister..

Read our full coverage on Union Budget 2016



He said cashew growers would now have to face a total of 9.55% cess due to the levy of 5% basic Customs duty on the cost, insurance and freight value on imported raw cashew nuts, besides a special additional duty of 4% and an education cess of 3%.

The memorandum pointed out that a majority of the 4,000 cashew processing units in 14 states of the country, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, are in micro, small and medium scale sectors.

The units employ 4,00,000 women, most of them in rural areas.

The KCMA president warned that the government's move would result in the closure of all tiny and small industries in the country, which are today the highest employment generators.

The memorandum said the biggest competitor to India in the sector is Vietnam, which had automated its processing, thus increasing the capacity.

"They are not able to compete with Indians due to our ability to realise better on combination sales, domestic as well as exports. Any drop in the international rate of seeds will help Vietnam mop up the seeds, taking away India's share of the overseas market," it said.

Kamath also cautioned that the duty would encourage unethical practices as the fears that the imports might come in with heavy under-invoicing or false declarations to avoid duty.

"This will result in imports getting to unethical traders and may have serious implications for the industry," he added.
Seeking to end the growing gang wars, Sri Lankan police today re-introduced war-time era security road blocks and random checks of vehicles here in the country's capital city.

The police operation would cover the 102 police stations in the Western Province here. They have been asked to erect snap blocks, a common practice during the island's separatist war that ended nearly seven years ago, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said.

"The objective is to prevent serious crime and drug smuggling as well as to catch those committing serious crime," the spokesman said.

He said there was a surge in drug smuggling and shootings that prompted the authorities to take extraordinary measures.

The Inspector General NK Ilangakoon has appointed his senior deputy inspector general, Pujitha Jayasundera to head the operation.

There have been as many as five shootouts between underworld gangs here during the last three days.

In the first incident, a prison department vehicle was fired at injuring a key murder case suspect who has been hospitalised with critical injuries.

Two suspects were shot in front of a court premises and another underworld figure was shot when he was being transported in a prison bus from Courts to prison recently. A pregnant woman was injured in a shooting near the main prison here yesterday.

Additionally 10 Divisional Enforcement Teams will be deployed to each police division headed by a Police Inspector. These teams will gather intelligence and respond immediately to crimes.

The new measures brought back memories of war-time Colombo when the city witnessed frequent stops for security checks.

At least 100,000 people were killed in the 37-year separatist war which ended after a major offensive by the military.
Throwing a spanner to the proposed alliance of the Left and Congress in West Bengal Assembly election, CPI National Secretary Amarjeet Kaur on Sunday said there would be "no" such tie-up in the state.

"As of now, we'll not have any alliance with Congress in West Bengal and there is no possibility of having direct alliance with Congress in future too," Kaur told reporters here.

Kaur, however, said all those parties which wanted to uproot Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should take a call as which side they wanted to be.

Stating that there would be direct fight between TMC and Left Front in West Bengal, she claimed that ruling TMC's popularity graph had declined and people of West Bengal were angry with the excesses of the TMC government.

In Kerala too, there would be direct fight between Left Democratic Front and Congress-led United Democratic Front so there was no question of having any alliance with Congress in West Bengal, she said.
A 41-year-old man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder for stabbing a pregnant woman in the UK.

Babur Karamat Raja from Sutton Coldfield is accused of attacking the 40-year-old in Sutton Coldfield on Friday.

The British man's origin is unknown and is likely to be revealed during his trial.

He has also been charged with assault, attempt child destruction and possession of a knife.

Raja is due to appear before Birmingham magistrates tomorrow.

Police said the woman is in a stable condition in hospital and her baby girl - born following the alleged attack - continues to do well.

The victim's family praised five men who went to her aid before paramedics arrived.

In a statement released by police, they said: "We'd all like to express our heartfelt thanks to everybody who helped her on Friday afternoon.

"Your fearlessness and selfless actions saved both their lives and we are overwhelmingly grateful to you all.
A delegation of Manipur councillors representing six Autonomous District Councils today called on Union minister Jitendra Singh and sought his intervention regarding the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission pertaining to the hill areas of the state.

The delegation comprising chairmen of the six Councils -- Chandel, Churachandpur, Sadar Hills, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul -- also presented a memorandum to Singh, an official release said.

They quoted the 14th Finance Commission recommendation which states that "areas under Schedule VI in Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Assam, the areas in the hill districts of Manipur, rural areas of Nagaland and Mizoram will remain outside the ambit of the measures we have recommended for panchayats and municipalities".

The memorandum further said the five hill districts of Manipur are divided into six Autonomous District Councils which do not fall under Schedule VI of the Constitution, according to an official statement.

However, they said, during the 13th Finance Commission recommendations, allocations under local bodies had been made to the autonomous district bodies of Manipur, which are constituted under a Central Government Act.

Stressing that Manipur is a very resource-deficit state without any funding support from other sources, the memorandum said, it is difficult for district councils to function without special help from the Centre.

The memorandum urged the Union government to consider a larger, sustained and more effective direct intervention for upgrading of administration as well as development of the areas in order to bring them at par with other.

Singh gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured them that their issues will be taken up with the Ministry of Finance and the other concerned quarters, it said.
Veteran Bollywood actor-filmmaker Manoj Kumar is working on his next directorial venture which would be based on Aryabhata, the famous mathematician from the classical age.

"I'm going to return as a director soon. I am working on a film on Aryabhata. It is an interesting story to tell viewers about his contribution," Kumar told PTI.

"We have been working on the film for a very long time. Since three years we are working on script, as it is a difficult subject to deal with," the 78-year-old writer -producer said.

Aryabhata was the first of the major mathematician- astronomers from the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy.

Manoj Kumar is scouting for newcomers for the film.

"We are working with Kishore Namit Kapoor (Indian actor, author and film-acting trainer) who has trained some of the most prominent film actors like Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra. He will help us with it (casting)," he said.

Kumar made his official debut as a director with "Upkar" in 1967 and his last directorial venture was "Jai Hind" in 1999.

Best known for his patriotic films "Purab Aur Paschim", "Upkar" and "Kranti", Manoj Kumar was on Friday chosen for the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award, the highest official recognition in Indian cinema.
Scores of people held placards and marched the streets of London, demanding the extradition of an Indian man wanted in the UK for over five years on charges of rape, murder, and a string of other sexual assault cases.

New Delhi-based Aman Vyas, the son of a wealthy Indian businessmen, is suspected by Scotland Yard of a string of late-night attacks in north-east London over five years ago when he was in the UK on a student visa.

The 31-year-old has been on bail since 2011.

Opposition Labour party MP Stella Creasy, who led the march yesterday, has also written to Indian high commissioner to the UK Navtej Sarna demanding Vyas' extradition to face the British court.

"It's worrying about whether they [the Indian authorities] are serious about dealing with this issue," Creasy told 'The Times'.

The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has authorised charges over the alleged murder and rape of 35-year-old Michelle Samaraweera, who was attacked and strangled in 2009 after she went out to buy milk while staying with her boyfriend in Walthamstow, north-east London.

The CPS has also authorised charges against Vyas over three allegations of rapes in the two months before Samaraweera's murder and the Metropolitan Police are investigating whether he is responsible for five other sex attacks.

"Officers are working with the Indian authorities," the Met Police said.

According to 'The Times', an application by lawyers for Vyas to dismiss the case against him was rejected by an Indian judge in 2012 but delays have meant that the British authorities have been unable so far to extradite him.

Vyas now has bail until next month.

He was on a student visa in Britain when the alleged attacks took place.

He was arrested in July 2011 boarding a plane at Delhi airport that was bound for Auckland, New Zealand and was granted bail in November 2011.

The family of Samaraweera said it was "disgusting" that they had had to wait so long for justice.

Ann Chandradasa, 44, one of the victim's three sisters, said:"We just want to see justice done. I just want him back.
Against the backdrop of the JNU row, noted lawyer Mihir Desai today said even if JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar had shouted slogans against the government, he cannot be charged with "sedition" as per the Supreme Court's past rulings.

"The Kanhaiya episode is a repetition of 'Gandhian blunder' by (Prime Minister) Modi-ji, Amit Shah and Smriti Irani," Desai said, speaking on 'Sedition and the Spectre of the anti national' during a two-day conclave on 'Celebrating pluralism and freedom' here.

"Gandhiji was also arrested under this law by the British government who thought they could propagate their ideas this way. But this was their biggest blunder....Lokmanya Tilak had been arrested under this law in 1897 when he had written against the government's handling of plague (epidemic) in Bombay Province," he said.

In the pre-independence era, one could be charged with sedition for spreading 'disaffection' against the government, but the law had now changed, he said.

"The Supreme Court, while passing the judgement in Kedarnath case in 1962, had said that this law needs to be seen in a diluted manner. According to the Supreme Court, a person can be charged with sedition if spreading disaffection against the government leads to violence and public disorder," he said.

Therefore, as in the cartoonist Asim Trivedi's case who was also charged with sedition, he expected the courts to grant bail to Kanhaiya the next day, Desai said.

"This was not a case whether he shouted slogans or not. Even if he did, it did not amount to sedition. We may disagree with him but unless it caused violence, it was not sedition," the senior counsel, who has represented some of the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots, said.

"Section 124 (A) (sedition) of IPC has to go, like the section 377 (which makes homosexuality an offence) which should be abolished. The UK government has abolished both but we haven't," he added.
Prime Minister is God's gift to India, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said today.

He also attacked the Congress, saying the party of Mahatma Gandhi should be "embarrassed" at its vice president Rahul Gandhi's stand on the JNU row.

In his address to a convention of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, where leader after leader showered enconiums on Modi and attacked Congress, Chouhan said the Prime Minister had become the "most popular leader in the world" and was working to make India a strong and prosperous country.

"He is a man of ideas and has the strong will to execute them. Wherever in the world he goes, people chant Modi! Modi! He is the God's divine gift to India. He will make India 'vishwa guru' by 2022," he said amid cheers from the audience.

Hitting out at the opposition party over the JNU row, he said, "Congress, the party of Mahatma Gandhi, should be embarrassed. Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed."



It was, however, his state's development under him that was the focus of Chouhan's speech as he reeled out a number of welfare schemes he had launched for weaker sections and the poor.

Attacking Congress, Chouhan said it had no right to talk about the poor as it "sucked their blood" when in power and claimed BJP was the most pro-poor party.

Speaking about the his government's successes, the third-term Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh said, the state has been clocking over 10% growth for the last eight years and 20% of agricultural growth for over four years.

He said the money transfer scheme for newly-born baby girls had resulted in improved sex ratio. "I had decided that daughters should become a boon not curse for their families."



Against the 50% reservation for women, they were elected to 56% of seats in local bodies, he said.

Maintaining that he believed in social justice through distributing wealth among those with "empty hands", he said if there is one party for the poor, it is BJP.

Union ministers Sanjeev Balyan and Dharmendra Pradhan also spoke earlier in the day.

Balyan, among the younger names in the government and party's Jat face in Uttar Pradesh, said youth should be given more responsibilities in the UP Assembly poll scheduled for early next year as only they can take on the current state government of "thieves".
With a view to participate in the government's mission of housing for all by 2022, modular buildings company Modulex plans to set up four factories in India over the next five years.

The UK-based Red Ribbon Asset Management incubated firm is already setting up one factory in Pune and is now looking at expanding its manufacturing base across the country, with one facility each in the north, east and south, Modulex UK Chairman Suchit Punnose told PTI.

"The major challenge facing the construction industry here is lack of skilled labour, construction cost, time overruns and low value addition, productivity and quality.

"Our full fit-out steel modular technology to construct buildings will help bridge the demand-supply gap in the construction sector," he said.

Red Ribbon has set up an Indian subsidiary, Modulex India, which has invested Rs 100 crore to set up the first factory in Pune, which will be operational in 2017.

"Given the government's initiative of make in India, the country now has the potential to become a great manufacturing hub and through Modulex we hope to bring in highly advanced and sophisticated technologies from the developed part of the world and apply it here," Punnose said.

He said the company will further invest Rs 300 crore for setting up the other three factories over the next five years.

Punnose further said the company will be looking at projects from diverse sectors like hospitality, education, health, residential and defence.
The shifts on board the ship are punishing: 12 hours on, 12 hours off, seven days a week, for a month straight though pingpong and poker during the downtime help break up the monotony.

But for the American man who designed a sonar device being used in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, spending nearly six months at sea searching for the plane was something of an honor.

With that honor has come the weight of responsibility for the families of the 239 people on board the vanished plane still desperate for answers. Now, with the search of a remote patch of ocean off Australia's west coast drawing to a close and the plane's wreckage proving stubbornly elusive, Jay Larsen is among those feeling the pressure.

"I think there is some tension building as the end of the job comes nearer," says Larsen, whose Whitefish, Montana-based company built one of the devices scanning a mountainous stretch of seabed where the plane is believed to have crashed nearly two years ago. "Everybody wants to find this thing, including us."



Larsen has been involved with the hunt from the beginning, when marine services contractor Phoenix International Holdings hired his deep-water search and survey company, Hydrospheric Solutions, to provide the sonar equipment used on board the search vessel GO Phoenix. The Malaysian-contracted vessel participated in eight months of the hunt until June last year.

Most recently, Larsen and his team flew to Singapore to load their sonar device onto a Chinese ship, the Dong Hai Jiu 101, which has just joined three other vessels scouring the southern Indian Ocean for the plane. He then traveled on board the Dong Hai to the west Australian city of Fremantle, and, after ensuring the sonar and his team were ready to go, bid them adieu last month as they set out for the search zone 1,800 kilometers to the southwest.

Larsen's company has a crew of eight people on the Chinese ship who are tasked with running the sonar system or "flying the fish," as he puts it. That "fish" is actually a 6-metre long, 1.5-metre wide, 3.5-ton bright yellow behemoth called the SLH ProSAS-60, which is dragged slowly behind the ship by a cable.

The device hovers just above the seabed as it scans a patch of ocean floor 2 kilometers wide, sending data to computers on board that process the information into images.

The black-and-white, near-photo-quality pictures that pop up on the screen resemble the surface of the moon.

The imagery, produced by synthetic aperture sonar, is higher quality than conventional sonar, Larsen says, giving him confidence that his team won't miss the debris field if they drift over it.
The one-man judicial commission of inquiry that went into the 2013 Muzaffarnagar communal riots has concluded intelligence failure and laxity on the part of police led to the violence that left 62 people dead but is silent on the role of the Akhilesh Yadav government in the conflagration.

The Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission, whose 700-page report was tabled in the state assembly today, also accused the media of putting out exaggerated reports and spreading rumours that fuelled violence.

Referring to the case lodged against BJP MLA Sangeet Som and 229 others in connection with uploading "objectionable" video on YouTube, the commission said it was of the view that under article 20(2) of the Constitution, which says no person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once, no other penal action could be taken against them.

Similarly, penal action could not be taken against the then BSP MP Qadir Rana and others for using objectionable language at Fakkarshah crossing on August 30, 2013, it said.

BJP has, meanwhile rejected the Sahai panel report as "incomplete" and demanded a CBI inquiry into the riots.

"The inquiry report tabled in the Assembly is a mix of of several semi-truths," BJP Legislature Party Leader Suresh Khanna said in a statement issued here.

He alleged that it was one-sided and did not highlight real culprits, reason, cause of provocation and how it spread.

UP Minister Azam Khan also targeted the media for the riots, saying "Media had a big role in over-exaggerating the riots. In America you can't show dead bodies and bloodshed."



The commission said polarisation along communal lines following the murder of two young men by a youth from minority community in Kawal town on August 27, 2013, was the trigger behind the riots.

It said failure of the intelligence unit was an important reason behind the violence.

The panel said the riots took place as the the then Inspector of intelligence unit Prabal Pratap Singh failed to give exact figure of people going to attend a Mahapanchayat at Mandaur. The Hindus, particularly Jats, returning from the Mahapanchayat were allegedly attacked by the minorities, fuelling tensions further.

The proceedings of the Mahapanchayat were not recorded and there was laxity on the part of the then SSP Subhash Chandra Dubey, due to which violence spread to Saharanpur, Shamli, Baghpat and Meerut, the panel said. Apart from the killing of 62 people, the riots saw thousands rendered homeless in these districts.

The panel also agreed with the suspension of the then Senior Superintendent of Police Dubey and departmental action against him. It questioned the then District Magistrate Kushal Raj Sharma's decision of not videographing the proceedings at Mahapanchayat.

Though the report did not mention anything against the Akhilesh Yadav government, leaders of opposition parties said the Chief Minister cannot escape the blame as law and order was a state subject.

The Commission said transfer of the then DM Surendra



Singh, who was replaced by Sharma, and SSP Manjil Saini before the riots led to resentment among members of the Jat community.

Besides, the release of 14 people arrested in connection with the Kawal incident sent a message that the government was favouring a particular community.

A video on social media showing some people being beaten up in a Taliban-held area was falsely claimed to be related to the Kawal incident, a major contributor to the communal frenzy. Inflammatory speeches by leaders of both the communities were among the major reasons behind the riots, it said.

Reacting to the report, Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, "The report is blaming the Centre that we didn't give intelligence (inputs). Our home minister at that time had again and again said we provided information. The UP government can't run away from its responsibility."



BSP's Sudhindra Bhadoria said, "The are the most unfortunate incident after Independence. The CM is responsible for this...Since it happened under Akhilesh Yadav.
Police in Myanmar seized more than USD 30 million worth of heroin and methamphetamine, a senior investigator said today, a bust that highlights the country's continued role as a major global drugs manufacturer.

Myanmar sits at the heart of the infamous "Golden Triangle", which also covers parts of Thailand and Laos, and has been a hotbed of narcotics production for decades despite repeated government vows to tackle the scourge.

"It's worth about 37 billion kyats (USD 30 million)," a senior police official of the anti-drugs squad in Naypyidaw told AFP on condition of anonymity. "This is the biggest seizure of 2016."



Police found a smorgasbord of narcotics in a container vehicle on an industrial zone in Mandalay including 82 kilograms of methamphetamine, 24 kilograms of heroin, 6.8 million stimulant tablets and 15 kilograms of opium.

The official said the main suspect was still not apprehended.

Myanmar has struggled to stem the tide of narcotics from its remote and violence-scarred border regions despite political reforms that saw Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party win historic elections in November.

The impoverished nation remains the world's second largest opium producer after Afghanistan while cartels increasingly churn out methamphetamine tablets.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has said methamphetamine dominates the global market for synthetic drugs and is expanding significantly in Southeast and East Asia.

"It's scary as drugs trafficking has been increasing and spreading around the country," the senior drugs investigator in Naypyidaw told AFP.

Last July Myanmar has seized more than $100 million worth stimulant tablets from a private container vehicle in northern Yangon.

Last month clashes broke out in remote northern Kachin state between local farmers and Christian anti-drug vigilantes who were trying to destroy poppy fields.

Both ethnic militias and the Myanmar military or its allies have tapped the lucrative multi-billion dollar trade to finance their long-running wars.
leader and former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia today accused the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of "selectively targeting" people who do not agree with its "ideology".

NDA government is selectively targeting people who don't agree with its ideology and thought, alleged Scindia.

"The entire central government, it seems, is opposed to young people on JNU issue. If the government cracks a whip in such a fashion on them (young people), how they will find a way out to move ahead," the chief whip in the Lok Sabha told reporters here.

Scindia demanded that the Centre should take action against people who chanted "anti-national" slogans rather than implicating innocent persons and sending them to jail.

Criticising the NDA government, he said it has literally "banned" the freedom of expression and is taking action against innocent people and asked is this not injustice.

Why the government has failed to arrest people who raised anti- slogans in the JNU campus. I demand that the government should arrest them as soon as possible, he added.

Asked to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent veiled attack on Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Parliament, he said Modi's comment was actually aimed at his party and (the) Cabinet which has failed to deliver in last two years.

"All know their performance," Scindia added.

"Some people age but their understanding does not grow. Hence they take time to understand," Modi had said, without naming anyone.
Turkey today laid the last section of a USD 3 billion bridge spanning the Bosphorous strait linking Europe and Asia for the third time.

It is a key part of a major project for Istanbul that includes a new airport and a canal linking the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara to bypass the Bosphorus, relieving pressure on the vessel-clogged waterway.

Critics have blasted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's grandiose projects as wildly excessive and damaging to the environment.

But Erdogan hailed the "star project," at a ceremony attended by several ministers, saying: "Those who think big realise big projects. That's how we set out the road."



The bridge is named after the Ottoman Sultan Selim I, known as Selim the Grim, who ruled from 1512 to 1520 and conquered swathes of Islam's heartland in the Middle East.

But the 16th century sultan, blamed by some for massacring religious minorities, is a controversial figure and the name has enraged many Turks.

Erdogan defended the name. "We will link Europe with Asia with the Sultan Selim Bridge and this will be our most important message to the world," he said at the ceremony.

The crossing will be open for public use by the end of August, officials said. Heavy trucks will be allowed to cross the bridge, to relieve traffic congestion in the city of 16 million people.

The bridge, which is almost 60 metres wide, will have eight road lanes and two rail tracks, said Transport Minister Binali Yildirim.

There are already two other bridges across the Bosphorus: the First Bosphorus Bridge, which opened in 1973, and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, which was completed in 1988.
With merely 0.7 per cent of the Right To Information (RTI) applications being rejected, the Nagaland Information Commission (NIC) has been rated as "one of the best" Commissions in the entire country.

This was revealed by Nagaland Chief Information Commissioner, Bukchem Phom while addressing the decade celebration of RTI Act in the state on the theme 'RTI: Trust Through Transparency' in Kohima yesterday.

Recounting the activities of the Commission in the last 10 years, Phom said the Information Commission in the state has been working under the policy of 'Trust through Transparency' and has involved NGOs such as Nagaland Voluntary Consumers Society to undertake a study on how RTI has impacted Nagaland.

Of the total number of 92 public authorities audited, he said two were described as 'highly transparent', 45 as 'reasonably transparent', 43 as'limited transparency' and two with 'poor level of transparency', he said.

Nagaland State Commission along with Chhattisgarh has conducted gender break-up records and also the economic profile of applicants through the RTI applicants, he said.

As transparency regulator in the state, he said the Commission has been conscientiously enforcing the Act in its entirety in letter and spirit, without fear and favour.

The CIC said a total of 186 hearings have been held in



last five years by the Commission.

There are, however, some pending cases, because of the "deliberate failure" on the part of the Public Information Officers and Appellate Authorities as well as information seekers to comply with the decisions of the Commission making it difficult to close, the CIC said.

As per law, defaulting PIOs and deemed-PIOs were penalised in 36 cases for not furnishing information to the seekers within the stipulated time, he said, adding, the accumulated amount of penalties realised from such defaulting officers was Rs 5,70,750.

The CIC said in the last 10 years the total applications recieved under RTI were 16,026.

He stated that 69 percent of the appeals received by the Commission were against inaction and 32 percent were against unsatisfactory decision.

Expressing concern over instances of malafide and frivolous RTI applications by misuse of the RTI Act and without social or public interest causes, he reminded the public to be responsible users of the law.

Gracing the occasion as chief guest, Chief Minister T R Zeliang said RTI Act has been hailed as landmark legislation with the objective to bring about transparency in all public offices and thereby, reduce corruption and also empowerment of the common people.

"The real purpose of the RTI Act will be served when the working of the public offices are systematized, better system of record keeping and their retrieval are introduced, when there are more transparency in the decision making processes," he said.

However, cautioning against misuse of RTI Act by people with ulterior motives, the chief minister urged the Commission to distinguish genuine and non-genuine information seekers.

Zeliang also released the '10th Anniversary Souvenir', 'The Impact of RTI in Nagaland during the last 10 years' and 'The Audit of Proactive Disclosures of Public Authorities in the state for 2015-2016' (showing level of transparency) on the occasion.
Pakistan has asked India to send all the 24 Indian witnesses to depose before the anti-terrorism court holding the Mumbai attack trial, the chief prosecutor in the high-profile case said today.

"The foreign ministry has written to the Indian government asking it to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court in the Mumbai attack case," Prosecution Chief Chaudhry Azhar told PTI.

Read more from our special coverage on "26/11 CASE" 26/11 case: Headleys cross-examination may run for 4 days, says court

He said that the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad has already completed recording the statements of all Pakistani witnesses in the case, which has been underway in the country for more than six years.

"Now the ball is in India's court. The Indian government should send all Indian witnesses of the Mumbai case to Pakistan to record their statements so that the trial could further move ahead," said Azhar, who is also a special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Last month, the court, which is holding the trial of the seven accused, including Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had ordered the FIA to present all 24 Indian witnesses in court to record their statements.

It had also ordered to bring back to Pakistan the boats used by Ajmal Kasab and other militants on the grounds that it is case property and should be duly examined.

The 8-member Pakistani judicial commission had visited India on behalf of the Pakistani anti-terrorism court (ATC).

The statements of the Indian witnesses were supposed to be used as evidence in the trial.

However, Lakhvi's lawyer had challenged the commission's proceedings because Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S S Shinde did not let its members cross-examine witnesses.

The trial court here subsequently declared the proceedings of the commission illegal.

Pakistani authorities have arrested seven LeT members involved with the planning of the 2008 Mumbai attack.

Apart from Lakhvi, other arrested LeT men are Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum. A trial is underway against them at the ATC since 2009.

Lakhvi, 55, secured bail in December 2014 and was subsequently released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the government's order to detain him under a public security act.

The six other accused are lodged in the Adiala Jail for over six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in which 166 people were killed.
An association of ex-paramilitary forces officials has decided to hold a protest march to Parliament and launch an indefinite 'dharna' on March 15 to press for one rank, one pension (OROP) and other service benefits as granted by the government to ex-servicemen recently.

"The association issued a one-month notice to the government on February 10 in this regard," Secretary General of Confederation of Ex-Paramilitary Forces Welfare Association, P S Nair, said in a statement, adding the indefinite dharna will be held at Jantar Mantar.

The association claims to have support of paramilitary forces' veterans from across the country and had also staged protests last year demanding and other service benefits for the personnel of these forces which include those from the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Sashastra Seema Bal.

The over 8 lakh-strong paramilitary forces, also called the Central Armed Police Forces, are deployed to guard various Indian borders and carry out a variety of internal security duties, including conducting anti-Naxal operations, guarding VVIPs and securing vital installations like civil airports and agencies working in the nuclear power and aerospace domain.
A wave of peace and development will sweep across the naxal-hit region of Chhattisgarh in three years time, Chief Minister Raman Singh asserted today as he announced massive infrastructural push in the state.

He said more than 1000 km of railway lines will be laid and over Rs 42000 crore spent on road construction im the coming years.

"What is called naxal areas... In the next three years there will be a wave of peace and development," the third-term chief minister told a BJYM convention, called 'India First'.

Speaking about the national politics, he said it has been polarised with BJP on the one side as Congress used to be earlier and all opposition parties on the other.

He also attacked Congress over the JNU row.

Heaping praise on the budget citing its "pro-poor and pro-farmers" schemes as he asked party workers to study them in detail and take them to the masses.

Chhattisgarh had seen a lot of development and per capita annual income had gone upto Rs 70000 due to industrialisation and other developmental and welfare works, he said.

Against the national average of per capita electricity consumption of 600 unit, it was 1560 unit in the state, he said.
BJP West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh today stoked a controversy by allegedly saying that "anybody ranting Pakistan Zindabad do not have any place in the country".

"Anybody ranting Pakistan Zindabad do not have any place in this country," he said.

"We know whatever treatment is required for such elements and BJP will never compromise on nationalism plank," Ghosh alleged while speaking at workers' meeting at Gopiballabhpur village in West Midnapore district.

He said that the party would wish to field candidates in all the seats in the coming assembly polls.

"We will give nominations to some who belong to our party, some celebrities from outside and some sympathizers from other parties. We will choose people from all these three categories and pit them in winnable seats for BJP, but wish to contest from all constituencies as well," Ghosh said.

Ghosh described ruling Trinamool Congress as a party, "filled with anti-socials and aiding terrorists."



"One of the TMC student activists had been accused of having links with SIMI in past while the party has been soft towards rapists making women of this state feel insecure. In Pingla there had been a bomb blast at a TMC leader's house but it was passed off as fire at a cracker unit in connivance with state police. This shows the state of affairs in TMC-run Bengal," he said.
The Supreme Court has held that a DGP has the power to appoint a superior police officer to investigate a criminal case registered outside his territorial jurisdiction.

A bench comprising justices Ranjana Gogoi and Prafulla C Pant set aside a Kerala High Court order which held that state police chief cannot appoint any officer beyond the territorial jurisdiction to probe a criminal case on account constraints in section 36 (powers of superior officers of police) of CrPC.

"We do not see how Section 36 in CrPC in any way, can debar the exercise of powers by the state police chief to appoint any superior officer who, in his opinion, would be competent and fit to investigate a particular case keeping in view the circumstances thereof.

"Section 36 of CrPC does not fetter the jurisdiction of the state police chief to pass such an order based on his satisfaction," the bench said.

It said the said power will be subject to the condition that such superior officer would be competent to exercise powers within the territorial/local limits of his jurisdiction.

The bench, however, clarified the power of the state police chief will be amenable to the judicial process on grounds of mala fide or as being without justification and reasonable cause.

The court's order came while deciding the appeals moved by Kerala and complainant P B Sourabhan against high court order.

Two criminal cases arising out of matrimonial disputes were lodged in Kerala and in one of the case the Sourabhan was a complainant while in other he was accused.

Sourabhan made a representation to the state police chief requesting appointment of a superior officer for probing both the case and a senior police officer was appointed to probe the cases which was later challenged.
Pope Francis says the four nuns killed in an attack on a home for the elderly in Yemen are modern-day martyrs and victims of indifference.

Francis told the faithful today that the nuns "gave their blood for the Church" and that they were not only victims of the attackers but also of "this indifference of globalization."



The nuns were among 16 people killed Friday by gunmen who stormed a retirement home run by a charity established by Mother Teresa.

The pope also praised an ecumenical project to fly refugees to Europe as "a concrete sign of the commitment for peace and life." Around 100 refugees arrived in Rome last month, the first wave of the planned transfer of 1,000 particularly vulnerable refugees from camps in Lebanon, Morocco and Ethiopia.
Former Sri Lankan president today cautioned the government on entering into the proposed Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India saying it should take the nation into confidence before signing the deal.

In a statement, Rajapaksa said that not enough information has been made available by the government on the proposed pact.

"The government has indicated that they intend to sign an Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement with India this month. Neither the Parliament, nor the general public have been officially informed about the contents of this proposed agreement" he said.

"We gather that the proposed ETCA is not a detailed document but only a framework agreement which would leave the specific details on the trade in goods and services and investment to be worked out later," the statement said.

He warned that government should not rush into signing open agreementswhile leaving the specifics to be worked out later.

"It is important that Sri Lanka should have a robust trade relationship with India. A trade agreement should be entered into only after a proper study of the possible problems and impediments that could arise. We must learn from our experiences with the 1998 Free Trade Agreement with India which ran into many problems in implementation," he said.

Issues such as ports of entry, product certification, mutual recognition of standards, Indian state laws governing trade and the caps imposed on certain export items from Sri Lanka all became issues that prevented Sri Lanka from achieving its full export potential to the Indian market, the statement added.

Rajapaksa's comments came as the Indian High Commissioner here had expressed his surprise at the reaction of the opposition and Rajapaksa to the proposed ETCA.

Sri Lankan trade unions and professional groups have expressed vehement opposition to the deal saying it would endanger the employment opportunities for Sri Lankans.
Saudi Arabia executed a citizen convicted of murder today, bringing to 70 the number of people it has put to death this year.

Alaa al-Zahrani was found guilty of killing fellow Saudi Abdullah al-Sumairi with a rock to the head, the interior ministry said.

He was put to death in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, said a ministry statement carried by the official SPA agency.

The 70 executions so far this year include 47 death sentences for "terrorism" carried out in a single day on January 2.

Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, most of them for drug trafficking or murder, according to an AFP count.

Amnesty International says the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year was the highest for two decades.

However, the tally was far behind those of China and Iran.

The kingdom has a strict Islamic legal code under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death.
State Bank of India is among the four new foreign that have been given preliminary approval to open 100 per cent-owned branches in Myanmar, the latest move by the Southeast Asian nation to woo investment to the country long ruled by the military and hit by Western sanctions.

The other three new that have been given initial approval by the Central Bank of Myanmar are Vietnams Bank for Investment and Development, Taiwan's E.SUN Commercial Bank and South Koreas Shinhan Bank.

After due consideration, the Licensing Committee has decided to grant preliminary approval to prepare for commencement of banking operations in Myanmar to four Foreign Banks," the apex bank said.

The Central Bank of Myanmar said the preliminary approval is valid for 12 months during which the successful applicants will have to fulfil commitments made, take all necessary measures to ensure functional banking operation from day one of business and will have to comply with requirements laid down by the Central bank of Myanmar.

"Upon fulfilment of the above-stated requirements the Central Bank of Myanmar will grant the final license (to the winners) to operate in Myanmar," the announcement said.

This is the second time Myanmar has allowed foreign to open 100-per cent-owned branches inside the country in more than five decades following permits to nine foreign banks in October last year to operate in the country.

In April last year, Japan's Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ became the first foreign bank in decades to open a branch in Myanmar.

Myanmar's powerful military nationalised all banks when it seized power in 1962. Since 2011, authorities have launched political and economic reforms, prompting the West to lift most of the sanctions.

Both the outgoing military-backed government and Nobel Laureate and Aung San Suu Kyi's incoming National League for Democracy have promised to allow enhanced capital flows to spur investment and promote economic growth.

The State Bank of India is India's largest bank and it has branches in major world capitals and leading cities.
A resident on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion who last year found a wing fragment from Malaysia Airlines flight said today he had come across a second possible piece from the missing plane.

Johnny Begue, who found the "flaperon" part while cleaning a beach last July, said he handed over the new suspected object to police immediately after finding it last Thursday.

He said he was out jogging by the sea shore when he found the object measuring about 40 by 20 centimetres, which had a blue mark on the surface and was grey underneath.

Begue said it was of the same lightweight "honeycomb" construction as the flaperon piece.

The flaperon he found remains the only piece of debris identified with certainty as having come from the flight.

Begue said he has been combing the island's shores ever since.

"When there's bad weather is when you should look, when the sea tosses up a lot of stuff," he said.

Police have not contacted Begue since he handed over the new object on Thursday, he said.

The Gendarmerie Brigade for Air Transport -- the police unit which investigated the first find -- could not immediately be reached by AFP for comment.

MH370, a Boeing 777, was carrying 239 passengers and crew when it vanished on March 8, 2014, on an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Begue's reported find came three days after an American amateur investigator found suspected debris in Mozambique, some 2,100 kilometres west of Reunion.

That object, which is about a metre long, has been sent to Australia for expert analysis.

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said last Wednesday that initial information indicated a "high possibility" it came from a Boeing 777.

An team of investigators probing the loss of flight will issue a statement on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the plane's disappearance.

The unprecedented Australian-led hunt for wreckage from the flight is expected to finish its high-tech scanning of a designated swathe of seafloor in the remote Indian Ocean by July.

Australian, Malaysian and Chinese authorities plan to end the search -- projected to cost up to USD 130 million at that point if no compelling new leads emerge.
A group of Sikhs and Muslims mostly from South Asian countries have joined the bandwagon in the US state of Maryland, asserting that the Republican presidential frontrunner is "not against" their communities.

Under the banner of "Sikh Americans for Trump" and "Muslim Americans for Trump" scores of Sikhs and Muslims held their first meeting in a suburb of Washington DC in Maryland, wherein a representative from the Trump campaign addressed them.

Organisers of the event - from both the Sikh and Muslim communities - argued that the view of Trump about minority community has been "twisted" and "taken out of context" by the mainstream media and claimed that the 69-year-old billionaire real estate magnet would create more jobs in the country which would benefit he minorities.

"He (Trump) is not at all against the Sikhs or the Muslim community. What he says is given spin. The mainstream media gives a spin. Because they are scared of him. He is not the status quo. He is not taking anybody's money," said Jasdip Singh, who helped organised the "Sikh Americans for Trump" in Maryland.

A prominent member of the Sikh community, Singh is Chairman of the Maryland Governor's Commission on South Asian Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Sikh Associations of Baltimore.

"When he talks about Muslims, he does not talk about all Muslims or American Muslims. He spoke in the context of the refugee crisis that was happening in Syria. We (Sikhs) agree with him. Muslim (Americans) agree with him that we should not bring people into this country before we can vet them. And this was a temporary measures proposed by him," Singh said.

"He is not against minorities. I have even heard that he is not good for India. I believe, he is very good for India. He has businesses in Pune and Mumbai. He understands all these countries and cultures better than any other candidates," said Singh, who in September led a delegation of Sikh leaders to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Silicon Valley.

"Trump built Tajmahal (Casino) in Atlantic City 25 years ago and brought a piece of India to the US and tried to bring things from India into Taj.

"So he has a very strong affinity and relationship with India. We should not listen to the spin that is coming from the media," Singh added.

Of all the presidential candidates, Trump is the only one who has achievements to show, argued Sajid Tarar, a Pakistani American, who helped organise the Muslim Americans for Trump.

"We believe, he has the ability and capacity to change America. He has built a huge empire. He is self-funding the campaign. There is no special interest behind him," Tarar said.

"There is a war going on against Trump. Every message and speech of his has been twisted," he said referring to the Trump's call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.
Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh today blamed the Akhilesh Yadav government for the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots that left 62 people dead after a judicial panel that went into it concluded intelligence failure and police laxity fuelled the conflagration.

BJP rejected the Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission report, which was tabled in the state assembly today, as "incomplete" and demanded a CBI inquiry into the riots.

BJP legislature party leader Suresh Khanna said: "The inquiry report is a mix of of several semi-truths. It is one-sided and does not highlight the real culprits, reasons, causes of provocation and how it spread."



"The SP government shifted the blame onto BJP and our seven senior leaders were detained without any reason. The real picture would have emerged if the commission had probed the incident thoroughly," he said in a statement.

The government failed to take prompt action and the intelligence system failed, he said, adding the situation got out of control due to "ministers' intervention".

Congress' Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, "The report is blaming the Centre that we didn't give intelligence (inputs). Our home minister at that time had again and again said we provided information. The UP government cannot run away from its responsibilty."



BSP's Sudhindra Bhadoria said the riots are the most "unfortunate" incident after Independence. "The CM is responsible for this...Since it happened under Akhilesh Yadav," he said.

Senior SP leader Azam Khan, however, sought to put the blame at the media's door, saying it "over-exaggerated" the incident.

"In America, you can't show dead bodies and bloodshed," he said.
A Sri Lankan refugee at a camp in Uchapatti here allegedly committed suicide today after his request to not mark his hospitalised son as "absent" during an inspection were turned down by an official.

Raveendran (48) requested a retired Revenue Inspector, who had gone there to take a roll call, that his son has been hospitalised and not be marked "absent" as he would not be able to get refugee rations for him, the officials said.

Despite his plea and producing the medical chit as proof, the official allegedly marked his son 'absent', they said.

Ravindran then climbed a nearby high tension tower and electrocuted himself by touching a wire, they said, adding the other refugees then allegedly thrashed the retired official.

A police team led by Superintendent of Police P Vijayendra rushed to the spot. He held an initial inquiry into the incident and managed to rescue the official, officials said.

The refugees later staged a demonstration, demanding action against official responsible for the suicide of the man.

Meanwhile, leader of fringe Tamil outfit Tamizhar Peravai P Nedumaran demanded a probe into the death of the refugee and that some relief be given to his family.

He also demanded that action must be taken against the officials who "harass" refugees in the camp by conducting frequent inspections.
A truck bomb exploded at a crowded checkpoint outside the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, today, killing at least 47 people, officials and medical sources said.

Faleh al-Radhi, the head of the security committee at Babil provincial council, said "the attack was carried against a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Hilla."



A doctor at Hilla hospital put the number of people killed by the blast at 47, including around 20 members of the security forces, and said at least 72 people were also wounded.

Radhi and police officers confirmed the casualty toll, the heaviest from any car bomb attack in Iraq this year.

Officials said the vehicle was a truck packed with explosives and was detonated after being pulled over by checkpoint security as it tried to enter Hilla.

Pictures posted on social media showed vast destruction around the checkpoint, where cars are usually bumper-to-bumper at that time of day, queueing to be checked by security personnel.

A doctor at Hilla hospital said at least 11 of the wounded were in a very serious condition.

The Islamic State group, which carries out nearly all such attacks, has not had fixed positions south of Baghdad since security forces and allied militias began their fightback against the jihadists in late 2014.

A March 2014 suicide bombing at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Hilla, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital, killed 50 people and wounded more than 150.

When Iraqi forces began their counter-offensive against IS in late 2014, securing the Shiite shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, south of Baghdad, was a priority.

The jihadist group has been losing territory in Iraq for almost a year. In the most recent operation, Iraqi forces are retaking areas west of the city of Samarra.

In the cities the group retains control over, internal tension appears to be on the rise and the lack of supplies is taking its toll.

Observers have warned that, as their self-proclaimed "caliphate" shrinks towards extinction, IS fighters are likely to revert to their old guerrilla tactics and ramp up suicide car bomb attacks on civilian targets.
A rocket and mortar barrage struck a government-controlled neighborhood in Syria's northern city of Aleppo today, killing 13 civilians and wounding 40, the government and an opposition group said.

State-run agency SANA said the attack by "terrorists" occurred in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud, which has been subjected to insurgent shelling for days despite a shaky US and Russian-brokered cease-fire that took effect February 27.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition group that monitors the conflict, said more than 70 rockets and mortar shells were fired at Sheikh Maqsoud and reported nine civilians killed, including four children, and 30 wounded.

The Observatory said the shells were fired by insurgents, including the al-Qaida branch in Syria known as the Nusra Front. That group and its rival, the Islamic State group, are excluded from the cease-fire.

The cease-fire has brought a sharp drop in violence to much of Syria and has largely held despite sporadic violations and mutual accusations of breaches. The US and Russia are now looking to convince the two sides to return to UN-brokered peace negotiations in Geneva next week.

In a telephone conversation today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry gave "an overall positive assessment of the progress toward securing the cease-fire in Syria, which is being generally observed and already has led to a sharp decrease in the level of violence," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Although much less aid than anticipated has gone into besieged areas since the cease-fire started, the diplomats noted "significant improvement" in humanitarian access.

They stressed the need to avoid delaying the start of the Geneva negotiations.
A jewellers' association here today temporarily called off its strike following the Centre's assurance that it will review the Budget proposal to impose 1 per cent excise duty on gold ornaments.

"We have temporarily called off our strike after Finance Minister and government officials agreed to review the matter...," Madras Jewellers and Diamond Merchants Association President Jayantilal Challani told PTI.

Gold and diamond traders had earlier gone on a three-day strike on March 2, which was later extended till March 7.

Around 36,0000 jewellery showrooms were shut in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and 12 lakh employees were participating in the strike, the association said.

He said about Rs 2,000 crore worth of business had been affected due to the strike in the region.

Challani said gold traders will meet in Mumbai tomorrow and decide on the future course of action.

"Since we have decided to temporarily call off the strike, all the showrooms will be opening immediately. Tomorrow there is a meeting of the association members in Mumbai. We will be deciding our next course of action in that meeting," he said.

All India Gem and Jewellery Trade Federation's Regional Chairman Anantha Padmanabhan said , "Tomorrow's meeting will be on how to take the issue forward and what would be our strategy if the government continues to be firm on its stand."



In Union Budget 2016-17, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had proposed 1 per cent excise duty (without CENVAT credit) or 12.5 per cent (with CENVAT credit) on non-silver jewellery.
Four Security Guard teams have been roped in to beef up security at vital installations, including Somnath temple, in where alert has been sounded ahead of 'Maha Shivratri' festival tomorrow.

DGP P C Thakur held a meeting with NSG officials in Gandhinagar today and announced that one team will be sent to step up security at Somnath temple in Gir-Somnath district.

"Four teams of NSG reached here last night. Out of these, three will remain here, while one team will go to Somnath, which is one of the most important pilgrimage places in Gujarat," he said.

According to the DGP, there are three major pilgrimage spots in the state which attract maximum number of devotees on the occasion of Maha Shivratri, to be celebrated tomorrow.

"Whatever information about terror strike is received by us is authentic and verified. There are three main pilgrimage places in Gujarat, including Somnath, Nageshwar Jyotirling in Dwarka and Bhavnath in Junagadh. We have already asked local police to beef security at these places," he said.

Thakur said the state police is leaving no stone unturned to protect the people and foil any attempt by terrorists.

"Looking at the Maha Shivratri celebrations, which attract lakhs of people at these places, we have started combing operations, setting up check-posts and intense searches for any suspects. Large number of policemen and SRP have been deployed at these temples," he said.

was today on high alert following intelligence inputs that terrorists have sneaked into the state.
Gujarat was today on high alert following intelligence inputs that terrorists have sneaked into the state, with raids being conducted at Kutch and other places, security beefed up at vital installations and sensitive areas and NSG teams on standby.

The leave of all police personnel, including officers, has been cancelled and the state government has increased security at all the main temples of the state for 'Maha Shivaratri' festival tomorrow.

A massive security operation has been launched and raids were conducted by a police team, led by South Kutch Superintendent of Police Makrand Chauhan, early this morning in Varnora village of Bhuj taluka in Kutch district bordering Pakistan, police sources said.

The Kutch police also raided Noorani Mahel hotel and Muslim Jamat Khana in Bhuj, they said.

"The state government received a serious information from central government yesterday that terrorists have entered Gujarat. We held a meeting where it was discussed that all measures will be taken to ensure no untoward incident takes place," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Rajni Patel said.

With 'Maha Shivaratri' festival tomorrow, the state government has also increased security at all the main temples.

"Especially during Maha Shivratri, lakhs of pilgrims visit temples in Junagadh, Somnath and other temples. So we have issued high alert for security of these temples too," Patel said.

Two National Security Guard (NSG) teams comprising nearly 200 personnel have been sent from Delhi to Gujarat to meet any eventuality, official sources said.

Policemen were seen patrolling the highways since early morning. Security of all the Air Force and Army bases has also been ramped up.

"The Centre has offered all help and NSG task-force has arrived here which is currently being briefed about the various (vital and sensitive) locations," he said.

"We have alerted coastal as well as border police near Kutch to take all necessary steps to beef-up security. In Kutch, we have asked the local police to remain in co-ordination with Border Security Force (BSF)," he said.

"Till now, we have not found any suspicious person. However, whatever information is received by us is serious and we are taking all necessary steps about it," Patel said.

State Director General of Police P C Thakur, who issued orders late last night cancelling leave of all policemen, said they were prepared to deal with any situation.

"We are on high alert and prepared to deal with any situation. We have started combing operations across various locations. We have also sensitised places that see high rate of footfall," Thakur said.

"We are taking all precautions. Security across coastal areas and other vital installations has been increased. If required, NSG team will be deployed as per their protocol," he said.

On reports claiming that Pakistan alerted Indian



authorities about the possible infiltration of terrorists in Gujarat, state Director General of Police (IB & CID) Pramod Kumar said the state Intelligence Bureau received information from the Central IB.

"We don't know anything about Pakistan's role in providing this information. We received this information from Central IB. I don't know anything more than that," said Kumar.

Tight vigil is being kept at railway stations and airports.

Notably, a Pakistani fishing boat was seized on Friday by a BSF patrol party after its occupants fled upon seeing the border security personnel in the Koteshwar creek area off the Kutch coast along the Indo-Pakistan border.

BSF officials had said that nothing suspicious was found in the boat.
The Indian Coast Guard has enhanced surveillance along the West coast, more specifically in the seas off Gujarat, following inputs that 10 suspected LeT and JeM terrorists could have entered India from Pakistan to launch an attack.

"We have enhanced our air and sea surveillance following the security threat. Our surveillance is always 24x7, but since the input has come directly from the NSA, we are more cautious," said a senior Coast Guard official.

The Coast Guard has not only pressed more ships into the sea for surveillance, but also increased the sorties of its planes for aerial vigil.

Ten Pakistani terrorists involved in 26/11 Mumbai attack had landed from Karachi via sea.

A high alert was sounded in Gujarat yesterday after Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua communicated to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval about the terrorist infiltration.

Four National Security Guard (NSG) teams were rushed to Gujarat following the input which mentions about 10 militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi.
Republican Ted Cruz posted two crucial wins over front-runner Donald Trump who also triumphed in two states in today's multi-state vote while in the Democratic camp clawed his way back into the presidential contest with two victories over Hillary Clinton.

Clinton was jolted by Sanders in Kansas and Nebraska but the former secretary of state bounced back to easily win Louisiana, seen as the weekend's big prize.

In the Republican camp, Texas Senator Cruz scored decisive wins in the Kansas and Maine caucuses, demonstrating his enduring appeal among conservatives as he tried to reel Trump's significant lead in the Republican presidential race.

Trump, 69, contained Cruz's advances by winning in Louisiana and Kentucky.

But the Texas senator's wins were sure to energise the anti-Trump forces who are desperately trying to stop Trump's march to the nomination, and they left little doubt that Cruz, who has now captured six states, is their best hope.

However, with today's result Trump and Clinton consolidated their lead in the race to the White House even as their rivals gave them a tough time by winning some key states in the multi-state 'Super Saturday' primaries.

Trump registered an impressive win in Louisiana, the home State of Indian-American Bobby Jindal, and had a narrow win in Kentucky over Cruz.

68-year-old Clinton, who seems set to be the first woman presidential nominee of a major political party, had a landslide win in Louisiana. But she lost to Senator Sanders in Kansas and Nebraska.

Senator Marco Rubio performed very poorly in all the four Republican primary states following which Trump asked him to drop out of the race.

"I have been in competition all of my life. There is nothing as exciting as this," Trump said and asked Rubio to drop out of the race following his poor performance.

"I would love to take on Ted (Cruz) one-o-one. I will win Ted one-o-one," Trump told reporters at a news conference in Palm Beach in Florida.

"Marco has to get out of the race," he said.

Trump also warned that the party establishment planning to have a third party run would be handing over the White House to the Democratic Party in a platter.

However, Cruz asserted that he is the only one who can defeat Trump and urged other candidates to drop out of the race.

"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D C, is utter terror at what we the people are doing together. We saw on Tuesday, the Super Tuesday results that were extraordinary. And today on Super Saturday, we seem to be seeing a continuation of that very same pattern," Cruz told supporters at a rally in Idaho.

"What we're seeing is conservatives coming together," said Cruz who so far has won seven states to Trump's twelve.
The first two-day 'Happening 2016' will kick off in Gurgaon on Monday, which will see participation from 12 countries.

Besides several Union ministers, a number of leading entrepreneurs and MNCs will take part, a spokesman of the Haryana Industries Department said here today.

The summit comes close on the heels of the Jat quota agitation in Haryana, in which 30 people were killed and property worth crores of rupees was destroyed.

The state government had put to rest speculation that the Summit will be postponed in view of the "prevailing atmosphere" of the state, with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar hailing the "inherent resilience" of Haryana for the decision to continue with the summit despite "difficult times".

The participating countries are Czech-Republic, Japan, Mauritius, New Zealand, China, Korea, Malawi, Peru, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and Tunisia.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be the chief guest at the inaugural session while Khattar will deliver the keynote address.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan will address the inaugural session.

"Also, captains of the industry will address the inaugural session," the spokesman said, adding that Haryana Industries and Commerce Minister Abhimanyu will make a presentation on Haryana.

Out of total 10 parallel sectoral sessions, seven will be organised on the first day of the summit on Monday.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will participate in the first session on 'Make in Haryana: Manufacturing Competitiveness', which focuses on automotive, defence manufacturing, the railways, aerospace and ease of doing business.

The second session on 'Investment and Business Opportunities in Sunrise Sectors' will be addressed by Union minister Jitendra Singh.
Nepal police today arrested two persons here for illegally carrying Indian currency worth Rs 513,000 here.

The accused have been identified as Surendra Kumar Mahato and Ajay Kumar Mahato who were heading towards Janakpur Airport.

According to Nepal police sources, the duo were arrested from Janaki Chowk, Janakpur in Southern Nepal as they could not disclose the source of the foreign currency.

They have also recovered an ATM card of Nepal SBI Bank and eight other ATM cards of different commercial banks.

The accused have been taken into custody and the investigation is underway.

The Indian bank notes were handed over to the Revenue Investigation Department.
Eight people including two security personnel and five militants were killed in an exchange of fire, followed by a bomb attack on a military convoy, in Egypt's restive North Sinai province today.

The exchange of fire at Shiekh Zwayed city killed five militants, army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement.

The firing was followed by a road side bomb attack on a military convoy in the same city in late afternoon, that killed two security personnel and injured one another, police officials said.

A medical staff was later killed while trying to transfer the injured, when unknown militants opened fire on the ambulance, the officials said.

"When the ambulance rushed to the place of the explosion, it was targeted by militants who opened fire on it killing the first-aid man," they said.

Security forces have cordoned off the area and were looking for the attackers.

Egypt's North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January, 2011, revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.
The Russian embassy in Kiev was pelted with eggs and stones, cars were smashed and hundreds took to the streets today as Ukrainians' anger boiled over at Moscow's refusal to free a hunger-striking pilot.

Hundreds of Ukrainian protesters gathered outside the Russian embassy in Kiev to demand the release of Nadiya Savchenko, a 34-year-old pilot who is on trial in Russia for murder.

The protesters also burnt a Russian flag and attached a makeshift gallows to the embassy fence, hanging an effigy of Russian President Vladimir Putin with a sign "murderer," an AFP correspondent reported.

Several embassy windows were broken during the protest.

"The situation is rather tense," Oleg Grishin, spokesman for the Russian embassy, told AFP.

He said the embassy was now working under a "special regime."



The incident came after around 10 people attacked the mission overnight yesterday smashing several cars, apparently with a hammer, officials said.

Grishin said they had thrown flares and smoke pellets at the embassy.

Ukrainian police said a "hooliganism" probe was opened over the nighttime attack.

The protesters gathered outside the embassy after more than a thousand people earlier today turned up on Kiev's iconic Maidan square, demanding that Russia release the hunger-striking pilot.

Savchenko announced she was going on hunger strike on Thursday, rejecting both food and water, to protest delays in her controversial murder trial in Russia.

She is demanding to be repatriated to Ukraine after a judge in the southern Russian town of Donetsk on Thursday unexpectedly postponed her final address to court as her trial over the 2014 killing of two Russian journalists in east Ukraine nears an end.

In Moscow, one of Savchenko's lawyers, Nikolai Polozov, said today that she was in "satisfactory condition."



Two journalists from Russian public broadcaster VGTRK -- Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin -- died in shelling on June 17, 2014, in Ukraine's Lugansk region.

Russian prosecutors say Savchenko was involved in the killing in her capacity as a volunteer in a Ukrainian battalion.

She denies the charges and says she was kidnapped and smuggled into Russia.
The US is set to deploy its nuclear-capable B-52 warplanes for the first time to bomb as part of efforts to ramp up campaign against terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

The B-52 Stratofortress could begin dropping bombs on the Islamic State group from April, the Air Force Times reported.

The bombers would be headed to the Central Command area of operations to replace the B-1 Lancers, the last of them returning in January, officials were quoted saying at an Air Force Association Conference.

The B-1s should return after they receive additional upgrades.

However, it is not clear how many B-52s or the number of airmen, under Air Force Global Strike Command, will be deployed for the potential operation.

The aircraft, which had been used to drop unguided bombs in previous wars, including Afghanistan, can now be used to provide backup with the accuracy of precision-guided munitions.

If scheduled, it would be the first deployment for the bombers to fight Islamic State targets.

"We're going to keep the B-52 around. It provides some missions for us that are hard to replicate, primarily the range and payload the airplane provides," Lt Gen James 'Mike' Holmes, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, said last month.

B-52, nicknamed the "Big Ugly Fat Fella" or BUFF, has a payload capacity of 70,000 pounds, which includes "gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided (cruise) missiles and joint direct attack munitions".

The US decided to pull out B-1 bombers, one of the most dependable American weapons, from the battle against in Syria and Iraq for upgrades.
Senior Sudanese officials joined some 3,000 mourners today at the funeral of veteran Islamist leader Hassan Turabi, an ally turned outspoken critic of the regime.

Police were out in force as Turabi's shrouded body was laid to rest in the Burri cemetery in the east of the capital.

Mourners from his Popular Congress Party, many of them wearing traditional robes and turbans, paraded banners bearing his photograph and paying tribute to his life.

First Vice President Bakri Hassan Saleh was among several members of the government who attended the ceremony but President Omar al-Bashir was absent after flying out to Jakarta for an Islamic summit that opens tomorrow.

Bashir visited Turabi's family last evening to offer his condolences on the 84-year-old's death from a heart attack earlier in the day.

The two men were once close allies. Turabi was a leading force behind the 1989 coup that brought Bashir to power, ushering in an Islamist regime that hosted Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from 1992 to 1996.

A power struggle between them saw Turabi dismissed from the ruling National Congress Party leadership a decade after the coup. He later formed his own party.

Turabi was the only Sudanese politician to support a warrant issued for Bashir's arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the regime's conduct of the conflict in Darfur.

He was detained several times over a career spanning four decades, including in January 2009 two days after urging Bashir to give himself up to the ICC.

An ideologue with influence beyond Sudan's borders, Turabi was one of the driving forces behind the introduction of Islamic sharia law in Sudan in 1983, which sparked a devastating 22-year civil war with the mainly Christian south that cost an estimated two million lives and led to its secession.
To train farmers and office-bearers of pani panchayats about optimum use of water and land resources, the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) will open its second campus at Jeypore in Koraput district of Odisha.

At present, the WALMI has only one campus in Cuttack.

"Jeypore campus will work as a branch of the main campus. We are hopeful of starting the institute from April," said Akshay Kumar Banerjee, Chief Construction Engineer of Upper Kolab Project, Bariniput.

The authorities have started renovating old buildings belonging to the water resources department at Jeypore to be used as training hall and hostel for farmers at the time of their training.

Once the institute starts functioning it will be of great help to farmers as they will be imparted training on various issues related to water and land management.

At present, farmers are sent to Cuttack for training and they often express their unwillingness to travel such a long distance, Banerjee said.

Officials said the institute will provide consultancy services to farmers, publish literature, hold seminars and workshops related to water management and land development. The institute will go a long way in studying and experimenting with organizational and procedural changes for effective management of irrigated agriculture, he said.

Farmers of the region have hailed the government's decision. "By getting proper training on better management of water and land we can increase our yield," Krushna Behera, a farmer of Phampuni village, said.
As the JNU row fuelled a debate, predecessors of Kanhaiya Kumar in the JNUSU president's post, too, had joined the protest against the sedition case filed over an event on its campus, saying they will oppose any bid to brand the varsity as 'anti-national'.

While academicians and students across the country came out in support of the protesting JNU students, those who held the post of the JNU students' union president before Kanhaiya, led the ongoing student movement.

Sucheta De, who was the JNUSU President in 2012, said, "It is in the JNU culture. Me and Kanhaiya belong to different parties, but this agitation was against the attack on students and their freedom of speech."



De, who is a PhD scholar, said the protest was against "the branding of the entire university as anti-national".

Two-time JNUSU President Rohit (2002-2004), who now teaches at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, was among those who were attacked at the Patiala House court complex on February 15 when he had gone there to attend the hearing in Kanhaiya's sedition case.

"When I graduated from being a student to a professor at the same university, I had thought my days of marching on the streets and being beaten by police were over. Little did I know I would be confronted with all of that again," he said.

According to V Lenin Kumar, JNUSU president in 2013 and a PhD scholar at present, "The government chose the wrong university this time. We as student leaders have fought for some issue or the other cutting across party lines, be it Lyngdoh committee recommendations or payment of contractual workers. Kanhaiya's arrest was just one of them".

Ashutosh Kumar, Kanhaiya's immediate predecessor, is also among the six students who have been charged with sedition over an event on the JNU campus to protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He has been questioned twice by police in connection with the row.

Mona Das (2004), Sandeep Singh (2007), Akbar Chowdhary (2013), Dhananjay Tripathi (2006) are also among former JNUSU presidents who are present on campus and have joined the agitation.

Kanhaiya, who walked out of Tihar on bail last week, said, "I was inside jail; whatever I got to know was from media reports, but I was confident that students will all get together to fight against this crackdown. It is in JNU's DNA to make everyone's headache its own".

Amit Sen Gupta, who was the president of JNUSU in 1989, last week resigned from Indian Institute of Mass Communication alleging he was being targeted for his support to the students movement at JNU, FTII and Hyderabad Central University.
Work is on to meet the government's target of electrifying every village in the country a year before the 2018 deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal said here.

The minister asserted that there is no dearth of power and coal in the country.

"No power plant in the country has to temporarily shut down for dearth of coal which shows that there is no shortage. We can now supply any amount of power to any state on demand," he said.

The minister was addressing a meeting of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha last evening.

Referring to the Narenda Modi government's pledge to electrify all villages by 2018. He said, "We have decided to fulfill it at least a year ahead of the deadline."



Goyal said, "So far 38 per cent of the work has been done as 6,114 villages have been electrified."



Batting for increased use of LED, he said, "It is being made available to common man at Rs74 against its earlier market price of Rs 450 since transparency has been maintained in bidding etc.

"Our target is to ensure LED in every house of the country by 2019 by pressing sale of 77 crore bulbs. It would also save 2.5 crore units of power," he asserted.

The minister spoke on welfare schemes initiated by Modi government and asked activists of BJYM to make the rural people aware about them.

Environment Minister Prakash Javedkar alleged that various projects, including those related to defence, were held up during UPAregime due to delay in green nod.

"Road construction in the border areas was held up owing to environmental clearance. I have not only given green signal to this scheme but have told services chiefs that now environmental clearance would not be required for defence schemes,"Javedkar said.

The minister attacked the Congress, saying a new challenge to maintain healthy tradition of parliamentary system has now come up due to the conduct of opposition pary which is "creating hurdles as it sees no scope to come back to power".

"Since Congress looted the country for 60 years, it has to remain in 'exile' at least for 14 years," he said.

Union Minister for small enterprise Kalraj Mishra advised activists not to be deterred by criticism.

"Take a lesson from Prime Minister Modi, who is working hard to overcome poverty and unemployment without bothering about criticism," he added.

"The day is not for off when India would become 'maha shakti' (super power).Even the US President has said that Modi is a man of action," he said.

Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani claimed that the facility to defence personnel forgetting higher education through Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was withdrawn by Congress Government.

"Now we have cleared the facility and degrees to 45 Air Force and 3.73 lakh Army personnel were awarded," she said.

She also spoke of providing free NCERT books up to class 12 in Hindi, English and Urdu languages through eebsite.
JD(U) general secretary K C Tyagi today said his party, along with other Opposition parties, will raise the case of Students' Union president Richa Singh in Parliament as well as seek the President's intervention in the matter.

"Union HRD Ministry wants to impose the RSS agenda on the educational institutions, leading to spread of discontentment among the students. We will approach the President as well as raise the issue in Parliament along with major Opposition parties," he told PTI here.

Singh, who met Tyagi to garner support for her, has alleged that the university is "mentally torturing" her for the last six months after she had stopped BJP MP Yogi Adityanath's entry into the varsity.

Tyagi alleged that it is a "deep-rooted conspiracy" of the BJP to place ABVP among the students and remove the non-BJP faction from the unions.

"We all know what happened to Rohith Vemula of Hyderabad University, Kanhaiya Kumar of JNU. We will never allow same to happen with Richa," he said.

After meeting Tyagi, Singh said she had received positive response from him and will approach other MPs personally or through email to urge them to raise the issue in and outside Parliament.

Singh claimed that she had written to Union HRD Ministry several times about the harassment but "did not get any response".

"After Hyderabad University and JNU, the is the target. I have written five letters complaining about the harassment to Union HRD Ministry but all the efforts turned futile," she alleged.

Singh said such "harassment" would discourage the women to take such posts in the 128-year-old university.

"On one hand, the government is going to celebrate women's day on March 8, has announced schemes for empowernment of women and on other hand, no action is being taken when a women is being mentally tortured," she alleged.

She said ABVP had won four seats in the panel in the varsity polls and alleged, "It is the plan to remove her and install the ABVP as the President".

A PhD scholar, she was admitted in 2013-14 in the varsity's Globalisation and Development Studies Centre.
India will spare no efforts to rescue father Tom Uzhunnalil, who has gone missing in Yemen after the Islamic State militant group attacked a care home run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.

"Yemen is a conflict zone. We do not have Embassy there. But we will spare no efforts to rescue Father Tom Uzhunnalil," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

The Minister noted that though there was Indian Embassy in Yemen, there was a camp office in Djibouti. She also corrected the number of Indians killed in the attack from four to one.

Gunmen stormed the refuge for the elderly on Friday, killing a Yemeni guard before tying up and shooting 15 other employees.

Four foreign nuns, including an Indian, working as nurses were among those killed.
In a case of honour killing, a 30-year-old woman was burnt alive in public by her brother and other relatives in Dungarpur district when she came to meet her family for the first time since her marriage with a man of another caste eight years ago, police said today.

Rama Kunwar, who eloped with Prakash Sevak eight years ago, was set ablaze on Friday in Pachlasa village by her brother and cousins who did not approve of the alliance, they said.

Police said the couple was living somewhere else and had come to their village for the first time after marriage to meet parents and in-laws.

"They beat her, dragged her out of the house to the road and burnt her alive when the woman's husband was not present," they said, adding that the last rites were also conducted the same night.

Police said they have arrested seven persons, including brother Laxman Singh, while efforts are on to apprehend other accused.
Justice B Kemal Pasha of the Kerala High Court today exhorted women to come forward and fight for their rights in society.

Inaugurating a seminar on "Protecting Women from Domestic Violence"he said, "Though the Holy Quran says that only the bridegroom should provide 'Mahr' to marry a girl, it does not happen in our country as womanhood was weak."



Talking about the social evil, dowry, he noted that it could be eradicated only by creating awareness among the public.

"Our mindset should change. Women should come forward to boycott thedemand for dowry in marriage," he said.

Justice Pasha also asked religious heads to go for self-introspection before making judgements on sensitive issues.

"Religious heads should go for a self-introspection on whether they are eligible to pronounce a verdict or not," he said.

On giving divorce by pronouncing triple "Talaq", Justice Pasha said, "Both the husband and wife are human beings. There should be enough time for them to come to a conclusion."



"All laws insist on dignified life and our constitution also gives protection to allthrough Articles 14 and 21."



"Protection of women from domestic violence will be meaningful only if several points,including the rights of a woman on her husband's propertyare properly defined," he said.

"If she is married to a person, it is an implied contract to provide her safety and security," he added.
A youth, who was moving around suspiciously near the Panagarh Air Force base station, was today nabbed by villagers and handed over to the police.

"The villagers near air force station Panagarh found two persons moving around suspiciously. One person has been handed over to the police but the search is on for the second person," a Defence official said.

Around the same time, a few vehicles near the same village caught fire at a petrol pump for which the air force had to rush its fire tenders to douse the blaze.

"It is clarified that no incident has taken place inside the air force station. The identity of the apprehend person is being ascertained by the police," the official said.

Located around 150 km away from here, Panagarh base has recently been refurbished so that all kinds of aircraft in the inventory of IAF can be flown from there.
Virtual reality (VR) is becoming increasingly popular but choices in India are very limited. Joining the bandwagon is LeEco's 3D Helmet. The Helmet can be paired with any smartphone as long as it has a USB Type-C port which gives it an advantage over the Samsung Gear VR headset, as the latter only supports four phones.

A standalone VR headset, the Helmet has its own 5.5-inch 2K display unlike the Samsung Gear VR and has a 70-degree field of view. The headset has adjustable straps at the top and on the side which provides for a snug fit. There are six buttons on the right side of the headset - a power button, buttons for volume and brightness adjustment, and a Mode button which switches between 2D and 3D.

The headset has an adjustment wheel at the top and two adjustable sliders at the bottom, which can be used for Myopia and IPD adjustment so that the user doesn't need to wear glasses or contacts while using the headset. There is also a 3.55-mm headphone jack at the bottom.

Setting up the 3D Helmet is easy. It has a physical cable with two ends - one to be connected to a power source and other to a smartphone that supports a USB Type-C port. After the headset is powered on, one gets the option to adjust one's vision with the aforementioned sliders and adjustment wheels. Once set up, the headset displays the smartphone's content.

Both the headset and the phone heat up quite fast and even though it's not advisable to use it beyond two hours, I couldn't continue for more than an hour because of the heating issues.

However, there is a downside to this headset. The Samsung Gear VR uses the smartphone's battery as its power source but the 3D Helmet has to be powered externally. The power cord that it comes with isn't that long and if the power socket is not near enough, you find yourself perched precariously on the couch tilting your head at odd angles trying to use the headset. So, if one doesn't own a power bank, the headset becomes quite difficult to use. Also, it doesn't come with a touchpad unlike the Samsung VR, which restricts the usage of the 3D Helmet to just watching videos.

The headset hasn't been commercially launched yet so it's difficult to say which segment it will fall under. However, the attractive price tag that the Samsung Gear VR comes with might just overshadow this one.
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Global Industrial opens local office

Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting Feb. 25 for Global Industrial Hygiene & Safety, officials said.

The company, which is at 730-A Diamond Cut Drive, has been established in Beaumont and Deer Park. Providing long distance learning through online services, Global Industrial Hygiene & Safety offers flexible consulting and teaching opportunities for employees working in the industrial field to maintain a safe environment in the workplace and community. Information: http://ihs-cs.com/ or CorpusChristiChamber.org

Results Companies expands

The Results Companies is celebrating the expansion of its Corpus Christi contact center located at 400 Mann St., official said.

The ribbon-cutting and celebration planned for Saturday marked the second expansion of The Results Companies' Texas call center operations, increasing the company's ability to accommodate continued growth needs for exceptional customer service, retention and sales operations.

The center's expansion added over 5,000 square feet, officials said. The Results Companies has contributed toward the beautification of downtown Corpus Christi as well as volunteer and charitable work with organizations such as Mission 911, Habitat for Humanity, Dress for Success and others, officials said. The expansion will generate an additional 200 jobs over the next several months. Information: TheResultsCompanies.com/Jobs.

Aveda Institute to host open house

Aveda Institute Corpus Christi opened a new 8,000 square foot location in Six Points at 1110 Ayers St., officials said.

AICC will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 12. Officials said the relocation to Six Points has many benefits for the Institute including a convenient location for students who travel from the surrounding areas of Portland, Victoria and the Valley. The institute previously operated out of La Palmera mall since June 25, 2010, and has graduated 400 stylists and aestheticians to date.

The majority of these graduates now have careers covering the full spectrum of beauty, design, film and photography. The employment percentage of graduates is high and many graduates have opened their own salons/spas or found employment with professional salons/spas across the Coastal Bend, officials said.

Compiled by Natalia Contreras
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TUESDAY

Learn financial transactions 101

A seminar for entrepreneurs who whish to get knowledge on financial transactions will be offered from 2-5 p.m. at the Del Mar College Center for Economic Development, 3209 S. Staples St., CED 118. Topics include balance sheets, profit and loss of income statements, cash flow statements, double entry accounting and more. Free. Information: www.seminarscc.com

Kingsville to have contracting seminar

A business registration for government contracting seminar is from 1-3 p.m. at Kingsville Community Federal Credit Union, 605 E. Caesar Ave., Kingsville. The seminar will provide guidance to establish business credentials and enhancing business profiles on various governmental search engines. Free. Information and registration: 361-879-0017, Ext. 301 or 303 or email elizabeth.soliz@sba.gov.

THURSDAY

WIC celebration continues Thursday

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) will celebrate Women in Construction (WIC) all week. NAWIC's mission is to enhance the success of women in the construction industry. The focus of WIC Week is to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry.

A Dress for Success Clothing donation will be 11:30 a.m. Thursday at 4639 Corona Drive.

SBA to host exporting forum

The U.S. Commercial Service in partnership with the Small Business Administration will host a free Meeting the Challenges and Seizing the Opportunities in Exporting forum in Corpus Christi from 10 to 12:30 p.m. at 10201 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite. 100. The businesses can learn how to open their doors to global markets, what it takes to do to business in Mexico and the type of financing available to exporters through the U.S. Small Business Administration and Export-Import Bank, as well as others. Information: 361-879-0017 or at debbie.fernandez@sba.gov.

FRIDAY

Business financial aid seminar offered

The Small Business Administration will offer a seminar on financial assistance to start or expand a business from 9-10:30 a.m. at the SBA office, 2820 S. Padre Island Drive, Suite 108. SBA Guaranty Loan Programs can be an option to take care of financial needs, including working capital, land and building purchase, equipment, inventory and leasehold improvements. Information on government contracting and business consulting services will be provided. Information: 879-0017, ext. 301 or elizabeth.soliz@sba.go

LATER

Casino night to benefit reading rally

The Corpus Christi chapter of the Executive Women International announced the 2016 annual fundraiser, Casino Night, from 6:30-10 p.m. April 14 at the Holiday Inn Downtown Marina. Organizers are currently accepting sponsorship opportunities ranging from $1,000 to $3,000. Underwriting of this event helps support EWI's Annual Reading Rally (helping the YWCA's YTeens) & Women in Transition Scholarship Fund. Information: 361-215-2817 or 512-786-1624.

Compiled by Natalia Contreras
Why is Trump coming to Robstown? Here's what political experts think.

Trump will appear at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds on Saturday to "advance the MAGA agenda," according to his Save America PAC.
Sometimes truth is so much stranger than fiction that it turns into satire. Case in point: Travis County's newly elected Republican Party chairman, Robert Morrow.

Morrow is a 51-year-old self-employed investor and JFK assassination conspiracy theorist who ran an ad in an Austin publication in 2011 asking strippers to disclose their sexual experiences with then-Gov. Rick Perry. The ad also asked gay people to quit covering for Perry.

The ad did not ask strippers or gay people to quit covering for LBJ in the Kennedy assassination. (Sometimes pointing out glaring omissions helps one accept satirical reality.)

But that's 2011 news. The 2016 news is that the Travis County Republican chairman-elect regularly tweets comments about Perry's and Hillary Clinton's sexual orientation, Bush family criminal behavior and other assorted subjects. Morrow's Twitter feed also includes numerous soft-porn photos of silicone-enhanced women.

Morrow is guilty of behavior in general that "would get most children spanked, for good reason," according to one county GOP precinct chair who also says Morrow is unfit to be party chairman.

Funny he should say that. Party members are looking frantically into how they can remove Morrow, pressure him to resign or, failing that, dissolve and start anew without him.

This is not a unanimous effort. The guy did, after all, win the election, which means not only that somebody voted for him, but a majority did - 55 percent of those who bothered to vote for a Republican party chair.

And as surely as the Travis County GOP establishment is looking into undoing that mandate, some members of that voting majority stand ready to defend it.

"The reason the Republican party has not grown is because of those idiots," an anti-establishment, pro-Morrow precinct chairman told the Texas Tribune. "Just because Robert Morrow is whacked out a little bit, you have to look at the other side of the book."

What does this situation sound eerily like? What whacked-out candidate comes to mind?

Establishing further the Trump-ness of Travis County's situation, the deposed county chairman, James Dickey, knew all about Morrow's proclivities and tweets but chose not to act upon them. Being on Twitter, it was easy enough to find. If there's anything redeeming about Morrow, it's that he doesn't conceal or apologize for who he is or what he does.

I should know. In 2011 when he ran that ad, we criticized his tactics in an editorial. So he called me and told me all the things he knew to be true but couldn't confirm firsthand, and how he came to know them. A lot of his information came directly from strippers, and there was a reason for that.

"I'll admit it," he said, "I like strippers."

Having seen Morrow's explicit Twitter feed, having read accounts of the party chairmanship dust-up in the Texas Tribune, Austin American-Statesman and elsewhere, and having seen him quoted by the Tribune that those who want to depose him can go do something to themselves that starts with the letter "f," I don't think my disclosure of our conversation violates a confidence or reveals anything not already known about him.

Nevertheless, everything about Morrow is coming out now in a torrent - now that it's too late to prevent his election. Sound familiar?

The Travis County Republican Party story is full of salacious, disgusting material that I'm not sure is fit for a family publication. While it's not an exact replica of what is happening to the party at the national level with Donald Trump, it's close enough. The Morrow story, like the Trump story, can't and shouldn't be ignored.

I don't disagree with any of the bad things Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and John McCain say about Trump. But if they don't want Trump they had better figure out how to beat him according to the rules. If Trump, like Morrow, wins enough votes, the party should do the honorable thing, follow its own rules rather than try to rewrite them or interpret them creatively, and honor its people's decision to nominate a dishonorable candidate. A party that shows no faith in the system has no business expecting the people to have faith in the party.
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By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times

The Port of Corpus Christi will receive a share of $20 million from the Texas Transportation Commission for road improvements along the Joe Fulton International Trade Corridor.

Corpus Christi's port was one of nine Texas ports the commission funded this year. It will get $3.3 million.

The award is timely for the nation's fifth-largest port based on tonnage.

It's on the cusp of a major uptick in road traffic.

M&G Resins USA, an Italian company, is just months from opening a 412-acre, $1 billion polyethylene terephthalate resin-processing plant on the Nueces Bay shoreline. The port plans to widen a portion of the corridor where it connects with Mike Carrell Road, and to add turning lanes.

Doing so is a step toward making it safer to drive and improving access to the facility, said John P. LaRue, executive director for Corpus Christi's port.

"These are significant safety projects that we have to undertake," said LaRue, who also chairs the state Port Authority Advisory Committee.

The transportation commission announced the funding on Tuesday.

Road improvement is just the latest in a series of recent projects that either are planned or have been carried out along the port's Inner Harbor in anticipation of M&G's arrival:

ADDED RAILROAD

The port is in the second and final phase of an ambitious expansion of its Nueces River Rail Yard. The plan involves creating eight unit train sidings and providing rail storage for up to 1,247 railcars. The price tag for the second phase was about $28 million, $22 million of which was paid with a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation's Mobility Fund. The rest was covered by port authority reserves.

The first phase cost $18 million and called for nearly 2 miles of rail, four parallel tracks, an additional track for parking locomotives and about 14,000 track feet, enough storage for 200 rail cars. It wrapped up last year.

The port authority last month inked an agreement granting M&G railcar storage space close to its plant.

NEW DOCK

In June, Houston-based Gravity Midstream Corpus Christi LLC purchased a 44-acre crude oil logistics terminal in the Tule Lake Turning Basin that once belonged to Trigeant Ltd. for $100 million. Trigeant, a fuel and asphalt refiner, filed bankruptcy in December 2013.

The terminal is located across the turning basin from M&G.

Gravity is converting Trigeant's crude processing unit into a condensate stabilizer or condensate splitter, where it hopes to process up to 100,000 barrels of product daily. That project is on pace to be completed by the end of the year.

When completed, M&G's plant will be the world's largest single-line producer of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, and purified terephthalic acid, or PTA.

Both are materials that are used to make plastics.

Marco Ghisolfi, CEO of parent company M&G Chemicals, announced in January plans to increase the capacity of the Corpus Christi facility to 1.1 million tons of PET annually. The move came after M&G increased PET capacity at its facilities in Mexico and Brazil 30 percent.

LaRue said the port authority will discuss - and likely vote on - a proposed agreement later this month to establish a water line extension from the port's bulk terminal to the M&G plant. That agreement would involve four entities - the port, the city, M&G and Quintana Corpus Christi Infrastructure LLC.

Quintana, a Houston company, has been working with Castleton Commodities International LLC on a project along the Inner Harbor to build a condensate splitter facility to receive light crude oil and produce naphtha, jet fuel, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas and other products.

The M&G plant is expected to create 250 permanent jobs and 700 indirect jobs.

Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam
Contributed photo Corpus Christi Police are searching for a man who is suspected of stealing a cellphone from another shopper's cart on Feb. 2. Police are circulating the images that employees provided of the suspect from surveillance video footage.

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By Esther Hackleman, Esther.M.Hackleman@caller.com

Corpus Christi Police are searching for a man who is suspected of stealing a cellphone from another shopper's cart on Feb. 2 at a home improvement store at the 5041 block of South Padre Island Drive.

The customer at first didn't realize his phone was missing but said a man wearing glasses, a pink polo shirt and black pants took his phone when he wasn't looking.

The suspect, who was approximately 20 to 30 years old, then left the store in the front passenger seat of a gray Chrysler 300 traveling east toward Staples Street on South Padre Island Drive.

Police are circulating the images that employees provided of the suspect from surveillance video footage.

Residents who may have information on the suspect can call Crime Stoppers at 361-888-8477 or submit the tip online at www.888TIPS.com.

Twitter: @Caller_Esther
GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold (center) looks at the late Republican primary poll returns with his family and supporters Tuesday at Brewster Street Ice House. It wasn't until late on primary election night that the three-term congressman nailed down the competitive race.

SHARE GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Congressman Blake Farenthold smiles as supporters cheer him on before doing an interview Tuesday at Brewster Street Ice House. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Congressman Blake Farenthold speaks with GOP challenger Gregg Deeb who called to concede Tuesday at Brewster Street Ice House. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES Gregg Deeb, Republican candidate for Congress, and members of his campaign watch as early voting numbers come in Tuesday. Gregg Deeb, Republican candidate for Congress, holds a campaign sign outside the Schlitterbahn polling location Tuesday. COURTNEY SACCO/ CALLER-TIMES

By Matt Woolbright of the Caller-Times

A couple hours before polls closed on Super Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold was full of confidence.

Farenthold, a three-term Republican incumbent, and some on his campaign team thought the 2016 primary race against little-known challenger Gregg Deeb would be over as soon as the early voting returns were released. The congressman thought he'd jump out to a 15-to-20 percent lead in Nueces County and easily maintain the margin all night.

None of that happened.

Farenthold led by just 7.5 percent among early voters, and his lead in greater Corpus Christi, the district's main population center, shrank as the day's votes were tallied.

"I was expecting (Farenthold) to win by 10 (percent) or so, but the distribution of votes was clearly different from what I expected," said Mike Bergsma, the Nueces County Republican Party chairman. "I was expecting Blake to run up votes here and struggle elsewhere, but the opposite happened."

In the end, Farenthold's lead in Nueces County dropped to about 4.5 percent, and he instead had to rely on big wins in Bastrop, Wharton and Victoria counties to advance to the November general election where he'll face Democrat Raul Barrera.

Farenthold lost 45 of 127 precincts in his home county of Nueces, and he lost Lavaca and Matagorda counties.

Farenthold's narrow victory in Nueces County led county commissioner Mike Pusley, a well-connected and engaged member of local Republican circles, to conclude the incumbent has work to do at home.

"If I were in Blake's shoes, I would say, 'Here in Nueces County I've got a little mending to do, and I've got to figure out what I need to do to mend those fences,'" Pusley said.

When all the votes were recorded, Farenthold had won 11 of the 13 counties in the district and bested Deeb by about 9,200 votes.

Still, Farenthold's support of 56 percent - in terms of the percentage of votes received - was the second-lowest among Texas Republican incumbents seeking re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, and his margin of victory over the second-place candidate was the lowest of those 14 races.

A spokeswoman for Farenthold said he would not comment on his election performance before reviewing the results in detail.

Cal Jillson, a professor of political science at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said the race may have come down to money and name recognition, and not Farenthold's congressional record.

"Blake Farenthold is not your classic congressman - he's ... a little disheveled, not really commanding and not particularly articulate. He's also capable of getting himself into difficulties," Jillson said. "He has been in the position now for several terms, but he doesn't dominate his district like other political figures."

The 27th Congressional District leans Republican so Farenthold shouldn't face as difficult time holding on to his seat in the fall.

In the primary, he carried the rural parts of Nueces County and Corpus Christi's northwest corridor. Some of Farenthold's biggest wins in those places came from voters who cast ballots at River Hill Baptist Church and Magee Elementary School. He also did well along Ocean Drive - especially in his neighborhood precinct, 65 - and in much of the older Southside neighborhoods north of Saratoga and west of Everhart Road. Those are all bastions of traditional Republicans, Bergsma said.

But Farenthold struggled in other Republican strongholds, like Padre Island and the newer Southside neighborhoods south of Saratoga Boulevard. Deeb and Farenthold split the Island precincts, but Farenthold's win in the southern precinct was narrow while Deeb's win among voters who cast their ballots inside Schlitterbahn was his largest margin of the night. Deeb also carried the Port Aransas precinct.

"Every congressional election is a referendum on the incumbent. If you've done your work and you're well liked, you probably don't face a strong challenger," Jillson said. "If you're not doing those things and appear to be holding your district tenuously, you get stronger challengers coming out of the woodwork, and that's what happened here."

As a family man, successful business owner, active churchgoer and retired lieutenant colonel, Deeb looked the portrait of a major Corpus Christi Republican candidate.

Mike Johnson, chair of the Republican Party in Lavaca County, one of two counties Deeb won, said some voters expressed dissatisfaction with Washington and wanted to see a change.

Deeb won supporters during repeated visits to the county, he said.

"Folks were very impressed with Deeb," Johnson said. "It was just a close race."

In Wharton County, where Farenthold scored his biggest victory, county Republican Party chairman Don Middlebrooks said Deeb's strengths weren't enough to overpower the sitting congressman.

"Deeb did very well, I think, with the real politically active crowd, but when it comes to the general voter incumbency is in their minds," said Middlebrooks, who ran against Farenthold in 2012. "I think it's really how many times they see the name unless there's a negative connotation to it."

As with most newcomers to politics, Deeb's biggest weaknesses were a lack of name recognition and campaign money to do anything about it.

A challenger needs about $700,000 to have a bona fide shot at unseating an incumbent, Jillson said. As of Feb. 10, the most recent date available for campaign finance expenditures, Deeb had spent under $116,000. Farenthold spent about $562,000 by that time, and political activists noted an increase in Farenthold ads just before the March 1 election.

The fact a candidate with little name recognition who was outfunded at least five-to-one secured as many votes as Deeb did opens the door to future challenges, Jillson concluded.

"It's one of the districts that is most competitive, and since Farenthold isn't an overwhelmingly strong candidate it looks like he's struggling to control the real population center of the district," he said.

The vote distribution in Nueces County likely came down to voter ages and how much "sticking with their guy" meant, Pusley and Bergsma said.

"On the Southside and the Island there seems to be younger couples and new subdivisions, and those are nontraditional places where incumbency doesn't really mean that much," Pusley said. "Those are the show-me areas where your more traditional Republicans are in the northwest area, which is where Blake did well."

The northwest precincts, comprised of Calallen, Annaville, Tuloso-Midway and other neighborhoods where Nueces County tea party's influence is strongest, nearly unanimously supported Farenthold in the primary. Those areas are part of the Farenthold base that pushed him into office in 2010.

Bergsma, unlike Pusley, doesn't believe the closer-than-expected margin is an indictment on Farenthold's performance, but rather a by-product of an angry electorate with misplaced frustration.

"I don't think the problems were as much with Blake as they were with Congress not doing things people wanted, like repealing Obamacare, and Deeb hit that hard," Bergsma said. "But how much can Blake really do about that? This year was hard for the incumbent."

Voters LeRoy and Rosie Torres weren't happy with Farenthold's performance. They said they reached out to Farenthold's office for help on a veterans issues, but didn't get much satisfaction.

The Torres family began supporting Deeb about a month before the election and spent Tuesday at Flour Bluff High School urging voters to back the challenger. Their issues with Farenthold started years ago when they approached the congressman looking for help with Veterans Affairs treating a lung condition LeRoy Torres developed while serving in the Middle East, and the frustration grew when Farenthold declined to co-sponsor or help with a related-bill that eventually became law, Rosie Torres explained.

"When you experience a hardship like the Vietnam veterans faced with Agent Orange and you don't have the support of your congressman, it's a huge issue," she said. "You still need the help, and now you have to go to other congressmen who don't represent you for help."

Farenthold campaigned on his team of "red tape cutters" dedicated to veterans and other constituent needs - a strong suit of his office, Bergsma said. Still, some veterans remained frustrated about the local VA clinic's continuing shortcomings.

Deeb campaigned heavily on high-level reform within Veterans Affairs. He questioned whether Farenthold was a leader capable of helping to end gridlock in Congress.

Taking a break from removing his signs from around the district Thursday, Deeb took to the Starbucks on the corner of South Padre Island Drive and South Staples Street - a precinct he won two days before - to talk about the race and what the numbers meant here.

Deeb thought he'd do better in the northern parts of the district that reaches Bastrop County, but he wasn't surprised by the results around Corpus Christi.

"I didn't run because I had anything personal against Blake Farenthold - this was always about solving problems that aren't being fixed," Deeb said. "And that's probably what the voters saw too - at least 44 percent did."

And finding the root of that issue is fairly simple for Deeb, who campaigned on the need for "real leadership" in Congress.

"Those issues aren't going to go away, especially with (U.S. House of Representatives Speaker) Paul Ryan and political action committees giving hundreds of thousands to keep their guy in place," Deeb said.

He declined to say if he started campaigning too late or didn't get involved with local politics soon enough or if he didn't put enough weight on the campaign's financial needs (his first fundraiser wasn't until December).

"It was a function of time," Deeb said of his loss. "It just wasn't enough. We didn't touch the 38,000 or so people we needed to."

But other Republican leaders in the district think those were some of the biggest weaknesses of Deeb's campaign, particularly because Deeb was facing a household name like Farenthold.

"If you took a Republican in Nueces County and you run him or her against an incumbent it can make a big difference," Pusley said. "(Deeb) just showed up one day and said, 'I'm running.' There's something to be said for paying your dues."

Twitter: @reportermatt
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Congratulations, Nueces County voters, for turning out for Tuesday's primary election in more than twice the number of the 2012 primary, the most recent presidential race and therefore the best basis for comparison.

Being one of the Super Tuesday states this year made a difference. In 2012, Texas' primary was in May - late enough to dilute the voting power of the nation's second-largest state. The presidential candidates didn't bother to invest much money or time here. It was a recipe for discouraging turnout.

But that's all behind us so let's celebrate our whopping turnout, which was - what? Only 27 percent?

That's right: 73 percent of eligible voters didn't bother to vote despite the numerous enticements in both major parties' ballots. Congratulations, Republicans. The primary turnout was 55 percent Republican, 45 percent Democrat. That is not a meaningless statistic. If the trend holds in the general election, the countywide local offices up for election are likely to go Republican.

The Republicans had the more heavily contested presidential primary plus the added motivational factor of polarizing attention-getter Donald Trump to entice them to vote. They also had a hot congressional race in District 27 between victorious incumbent Blake Farenthold and first-time challenger Gregg Deeb.

But the Democrats had interesting, hot contests at the local level that should have driven turnout.

The Precinct 3 County Commissioner seat, up for grabs after 24 years of ownership by departing incumbent Oscar Ortiz, drew six candidates including former Judge John Martinez and Corpus Christi ISD trustee and former city councilman John Marez. Marez will face first-place finisher Joe A. Gonzalez in the May 24 runoff.

The district attorney and sheriff's races also should have driven more Democratic turnout. Defense lawyer Mark Gonzalez unseated incumbent District Attorney Mark Skurka in a race with a bitter attack tone. Gonzalez will face uncontested Republican James Gardner in the Nov. 8 general election. Former sheriff Larry Olivarez defeated police officer and former deputy Jose Olivares for the right to challenge Republican incumbent Jim Kaelin.

Where, again, was the other 73 percent? The higher the turnout, the more truly representative the outcome. The reverse also is true, unfortunately.

Just to clear up common misconceptions and encourage turnout for the runoff, which, again, is May 24: Eligible voters who did not vote in the primary can vote in the runoff. Those who voted in the primary can't cross party lines in the runoff.

County Commissioner Precinct 3 residents who voted Democratic and all eligible voters in precinct who didn't vote in the primary can vote in the commissioner runoff.

And there are runoffs for statewide office in both parties. Both parties will choose a Railroad Commission nominee in the runoff. Republicans also have two runoffs for Court of Criminal Appeals.

We will make our recommendations in the runoffs by or before May 16, when early voting begins.

Everyone's vote counts the same. But two testimonials that popped up in the Caller-Times' Election Day Twitter feed counted more in our hearts - one from a young person who said she didn't let a bad cold stop her from voting, and urged others to vote, and another from a man who didn't let extensive cancer-related surgery stop him. The young woman, had she been born 100 years earlier, wouldn't have been allowed to vote in the 1916 election. Voting in 2016 is easy even when it's hard.

So remember these dates: primary runoff early voting May 16-20; primary runoff May 24; last day to register in time to vote in the general election, Oct. 11; general election early voting Oct. 24-Nov. 4; general election Nov. 8. Please vote.
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Jennifer Ellis, newly elected Nueces County Democrat Chair

Michael Bergsma, newly re-elected Nueces County Republican Chair

Big kudos to election workers

While we will disagree on most things political, one thing we agree on is our deepest heartfelt thanks to the folks who worked during early voting and on Election Day as election judges and clerks. Election Day was a 13-hour or longer day for them and the task they perform is both tedious and complicated. Their willingness to step up and do this hard work is America at its best and we all should thank these workers when you vote. We should also thank the Nueces County workers at the elections office who put in horrendous hours working to put on the election. Finally, thanks to the voters for stepping up and making their voice heard. Now make sure to vote in the primary runoffs on May 24.
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Russell Boening, Texas Farm Bureau president

Farm bureau fought for ag users, not Dow

In your Feb. 24 editorial ("State should set better priorities for water rights") on Texas Farm Bureau's successful court victory in Texas Farm Bureau v. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) you stated that Texas Farm Bureau "fought for Dow" when bringing the legal challenge. This is not true and it shows the editorial board misunderstood our purpose for the case. Texas Farm Bureau, along with several farmers, sued TCEQ when a priority call by Dow made TCEQ cut off water rights to over 700 junior water users, most of whom were farmers.

However, the order made an exception for other junior users to continue pumping. Texas Farm Bureau successfully argued that TCEQ violated the Texas Water Code by not complying with prior appropriation. While TCEQ has the power to issue a priority call and curtail junior users, they cannot "cherry pick" certain types of junior users to whom the order would not apply. In other words, TCEQ cannot treat agriculture differently than other users by allowing junior water rights holders to continue getting water while senior agriculture rights are shut off, violating vested property rights.

Cities like Corpus Christi have several options to increase its water supply. One of those is increased conservation efforts, as much of Texas agriculture has done. Purchasing or leasing water rights is another. The Texas Water Code already allows junior water rights holders to purchase water from more senior water rights holders. Water rights are vested property rights and an entity wanting more water should pay for it instead of just trying to take it away. Otherwise it is a taking without compensation.

Dow was able to get their water, but other select junior rights holders were not. Texas Farm Bureau filed suit to protect agriculture users. While TCEQ has the authority to manage the state's water resources, the courts recognized that their authority does not exceed what statutorily has been granted to them. Texas Farm Bureau works hard to protect the property rights of farmers and ranchers against governmental overreach.
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Fairfax Media reports that there are serious questions still unanswered relating to the death of Australian adman Neil Lawrence (left), who died in the Maldives on July 14 last year.

According to the Fairfax Media report, for his family, who live in Sydney, the death was the start of an agonising journey of grief and anger as they tried to find out how and why Neil died.
The winner and runner-up of the Classic Men's Racewear had a little less to do with putting together their outfits than the women, both choosing them entirely from store mannequins. But the judges were just as impressed.
As part of its ambitious plan to replace 1288 public housing units with the demolition of the Allawah, Currong and Bega apartments in the city, the swathe of public housing in Northbourne Avenue, the Stuart, Red Hill and Gowrie Court flats, and Strathgordon Court, the government is building and buying around the city.
Public open spaces were increasingly important as the city expanded, especially because of the dwindling space for backyards and the growth in townhouse and apartment living. But because the city had no strategy to determine where parks should be and to identify parks that were no longer functioning, new suburbs were being development with insufficient parks, and big areas of open space were being maintained in areas of dwindling population, Dr MacKenzie said.
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"Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart" by Claire Harman is a biography of the author of "Jane Eyre" and other classics, which corrects the record of Charlotte Bronte as an edifying Victorian martyr. (National Portrait Gallery London / Getty-AFP)

April 21 marks the 200th anniversary of Charlotte Bronte's birth and is the occasion for the publication of another biography of a writer who has captured readers' imagination quite as much as her most famous creations  and for good reason.

Bronte's life was filled with enough domestic drama, passion, romantic suffering and melancholy circumstance for any fictional character. Indeed, Bronte's first biographer, Elizabeth Gaskell, created a version that was essentially fiction, glossing over her subject's turbulent sexual yearning to present an edifying Victorian martyr, a woman surrounded by madness and death. Since then, there have been countless other versions, Freudian, Marxist, paternalistic and feminist among them.

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And now here is Claire Harman's "Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart," a well-researched, wonderfully lucid, pleasingly written treatment of a most extraordinary woman.

Harman's biography does not, unsurprisingly, alter the well-known outlines of Charlotte Bronte's life. She was the third of the six children born to a clergyman, Patrick Bronte, and his wife, Maria, who died when Charlotte was 5. That death was followed less than four years later by those of her two elder sisters, leaving Charlotte, her brother, Branwell, and sisters Emily and Anne living with their self-absorbed father in the gloom and chill of Haworth parsonage next to a graveyard and the "brown and purple sweeps" of the Yorkshire moors. Here the Bronte siblings, all indefatigable scribblers, created a fantastical literary universe which, in the sisters' case, evolved into published works under the names Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Meanwhile their brother, "perfectly cast in the part of the undiscovered genius  as long as the discovery didn't take too long," became addicted to opium and drink, turning, alternately, to rampaging brute and pathetic invalid. With the publication of "Jane Eyre," Charlotte's fame, as Currer Bell, was secured, but tragedy followed as her sisters and brother died within little more than eight months of each other. Charlotte gradually emerged from anonymity, published "Shirley" and "Villette," married, but died 11 months later, a few months into a pregnancy.

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What makes this biography such a rewarding work is the poise and easy confidence with which Harman summons character and creative imagination, not only Charlotte's, but her sisters' too, showing, most crucially, how Charlotte's reading of their work unleashed a bold, hitherto absent "emotional force" in her own writing. Harmon follows the storms of passion that tore through the dreary parsonage at Haworth: Charlotte's fierce literary ambition; her deep-rooted attachment to Anne and Emily; her devastating grief at their deaths; her growing disgust with her dissipated, wastrel brother; her thralldom to her selfish, self-regarding father; and her anguished, humiliating passion for the Belgian schoolmaster, Constantin Heger, which found literary form in "The Professor," and, more piercingly and successfully, in "Villette."

Harman moves Charlotte's life and her writing along together with assurance, demonstrating the influence of one upon the other without a lot of heavy lifting. She also shows what a revolutionary writer Charlotte actually was in "Jane Eyre," with its first-person narrator and unholy passion, and, even more, in "Villette," which, "forged from such personal and painful material, reached psychological depths never attempted in fiction before and became, unwittingly, a landmark in the depiction of states of mind and self-perception, a thoroughly, peculiarly and disturbingly Modernist novel."

Harman is sympathetic to Charlotte  who is not?  but, socially awkward, intolerant, and frankly quite crabby, she was, without doubt, a difficult person. Harman, for instance, brings an astute, somewhat dismayed eye to Charlotte's later, increasingly demanding infatuation for Charles Smith, one of her publishers, a young man who liked her as a friend, but who became distant  possibly appalled  once he picked up on her sentiments. Still, Harman shows how this disappointment led to Charlotte's accepting the marriage proposal of her father's curate, the devoted Arthur Bell Nicholls (an offer which her jealous, self-serving father referred to as "dangerous designs")and notes how Charlotte's feelings for Nicholls evolved into real love.

Harman's tart, understated wit and gift for quotation shine throughout, as, for instance, the Rev. Patrick Bronte's version of a love poem: "But hark, fair maid! Whate'er they say/ You're but a breathing mass of clay/ Fast ripening for the grave." She is also generous with incident and telling details, among them Charlotte's unsuccessful attempt at improving her appearance with a hairpiece ("a wad of brown merino wool") and her high-handedness with an unmarried friend once she herself had become a wife. Who can say at this point which is the best biography of Charlotte Bronte, but Harman's is among them and perhaps the most engaging of all.

Katherine A. Powers received the 2013 Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing from the National Book Critics Circle. She is the editor of "Suitable Accommodations: The Letters of J. F. Powers, 19421963."

"Charlotte Bronte: A Fiery Heart"

By Claire Harman, Knopf, 462 pages, $30
Scientists say they have discovered what might be a new species of octopus while searching the Pacific Ocean floor near the Hawaiian Islands. (NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Hohonu Moana 2016 via AP)

HONOLULU  Scientists say they have discovered what might be a new species of octopus while searching the Pacific Ocean floor near the Hawaiian Islands.

On Feb. 27, a team found a small light-colored octopus at a depth of about 2.5 miles in the ocean near Necker Island, said Michael Vecchione of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The octopus did not have fins and all of its suckers were in one row on each arm, Vecchione said.

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The octopus "did not seem very muscular" and was light colored, he said.

"This resulted in a ghostlike appearance, leading to a comment on social media that it should be called Casper, like the friendly cartoon ghost. It is almost certainly an undescribed species ..., " he said in the statement posted on Wednesday on the NOAA website.

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It's unusual to find an octopus without fins so deep in the ocean, said Vecchione, who noted that the previous depths at which an octopus without fins was found were all less than 4,000 meters, or 2.5 miles.

Two scientists he has consulted "agreed that this is something unusual and is a depth record ...," said Vecchione, who is with NOAA's National Systematics Laboratory.

The octopus was discovered during a search of the ocean floor by a remotely operated vehicle from NOAA's Okeanos Explorer, he said.

Associated Press
Megan Reed could be heard on Chicago's radio airwaves for more than 20 years. (Provided by family)

Megan Reed brought warmth and professionalism to her work as a radio personality on Chicago's airwaves for more than two decades.

"Meg showed this amazing amount of talent and empathy and involvement with her listeners," said Mark Edwards, WLIT-FM's program director from 1990 until 1999. "She really built the bond with her listeners, which very few people could have, and she was able to learn and grow and become a superstar air personality."

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Reed, 52, died of complications from breast cancer Feb. 14 at her Hinsdale home, said her husband, Steve Casey.

Born Megan Louise Reed in St. Charles, Reed was interested in radio from a very young age. She graduated from Batavia High School, then earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Iowa State University in 1986.

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During college, Reed worked for a public radio station in Ames, Iowa, and also was an intern at WXRT-FM in Chicago. After graduating, she took a job at WAUR-FM in Aurora, which soon changed its call letters to WYSY-FM.

In 1989, WLIT-FM's then-program director, Jack Taddeo, hired Reed to be an evening personality. She then moved to the afternoon drive shift and quickly began attracting high ratings.

"At music-intensive stations like ours, people don't really want to hear the DJ talk too much," Reed told the Tribune in 1993. "It's difficult when you only have a few seconds to talk. But I have the advantage of being on in the afternoon when there's a lot to talk about  the traffic, things going on in the area, the music. It's just that you have to figure out how to say it in a very short time."

Reed was on the air when news broke that U.S. warplanes were dropping bombs on Baghdad in January 1991 during the first Gulf War.

"You never really think about having to go on the air and say, 'We're at war.' To know that many of your listeners are hearing about it first from you, that's a big responsibility. But boy  what an adrenaline rush!" she told the Tribune in 1993.

Former WXRT-FM music director John Farneda worked with Reed in a Downers Grove record store in the early 1980s and recalled how Reed's sunny personality was the genuine article.

"She could just glide into a room and light it up with a smile. And her voice was what was most captivating," he said. "It was warm and comforting, and it was like a blanket you wanted to wrap around you."

For several years in the early and mid-1990s, Reed taught introductory broadcasting at Columbia College Chicago.

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In 2001, Reed left WLIT and spent the next four years as a stay-at-home mom with her three children. In 2005, she returned to Chicago's airwaves, hosting middays on WILV-FM, which in 2015 gained the new call letters WSHE-FM.

Susan Wiencek, the news and public affairs manager for WSHE and for WTMX-FM, recalled Reed as "always the calm voice in the chaotic world of radio."

"She was always the calm one," said Wiencek, who also had worked with Reed at WAUR and WYSY. "She had this beautiful voice, and she was also very poised and statuesque. She was so tall and graceful and was a beautiful girl all around."

Barry James, who was WILV's program director and general manager from 2007 until 2013, said Reed's true gift was opening up her persona to her listeners. He said that while that was not a natural instinct for her, it helped her establish a stronger bond with her audience.

"Her years at WLIT made her a name, but her years at (WILV) made her a personality," he said. "What was really magical about her was that people felt her, and how many people do you really feel on the radio?"

Reed's husband said she felt at home in the radio industry.

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"She loved the idea that she had gotten into a business that she'd had so much love for," he said. "And the pride that she was in this third-largest radio market and her connection with listeners really brought her a lot of joy."

In late September 2014, Reed was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer and she left her job. The cancer already had spread to her brain, and she underwent brain surgery in October 2014.

Reed also is survived by a daughter, Shannon Casey; sons, Declan and Matthew Casey; her mother, Cynthia Reed; and a brother, Casey Reed.

Services were held.

Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
The St. Charles Police Department once again is hosting its annual Citizens Police Academy March 22 through May 19.

The Citizens Police Academy is meant to give residents and business owners a better understanding of how the St. Charles Police Department operates. Participants will get to meet officers face-to-face and discover what daily life is like for them. Some of the areas covered in the program are criminal and narcotics investigations, arrest and search procedures, courts, traffic stops, the police dog unit, SWAT team and crime scene processing, among others.

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When possible, the curriculum makes use of both classroom instruction and outside demonstrations. Students may get an opportunity to do the activity being demonstrated, such as processing a "crime scene" for fingerprints or getting a radar reading on a moving vehicle.

The class will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays for nine weeks. Most of the classes are held in the St. Charles Police Department training room at 211 N. Riverside Ave. The last class is a graduation ceremony which will include congratulations from the chief of police and the mayor.

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Applications can be picked up at the front lobby of the Police Department, 211 N. Riverside Ave., or downloaded from the city website at www.stcharlesil.gov. Once the application has been completed, it can be dropped off, mailed or e-mailed to the St. Charles Police Department in care of Officer Bill Tynan at 211 N. Riverside Ave., St. Charles, IL 60174, or btynan@stcharlesil.gov. All applications are subject to approval, and include a background check.

The class is open and free of charge only to residents living in the city limits of St. Charles, property and business owners and their employees and approved St. Charles high school juniors and seniors. The last day to submit an application is March 14.

For more information, contact Tynan at 630-443-3847, or btynan@stcharlesil.gov.
Taipei health authority said Saturday that 21 tourists from a mainland tour group fell sick and were hospitalized following a meal in a Taipei restaurant.

The 40-people group from Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, started the Taiwan tour on Feb. 26. They had lunch in the restaurant on Thursday and 21 of them suffered from vomiting, diarrhea and headache Thursday evening. On Friday morning they were sent to a local hospital.

"They were diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis," the hospital said, adding that only an 88-year-old had relatively serious symptoms and accepted transfusion. All members of the tour group returned to the mainland Friday afternoon.

Taipei health authority said in a statement that they had collected samples of food, utensils and restaurant environment for analysis. A hygienic check unveiled many problems, including scattering food materials, cockroaches, dirty fans and floors and a moldy ceiling.

The authority ordered a shutdown of the restaurant for three days and a thorough overhaul to rectify the problems. The owner may face a fine between 60,000 and 200 million new Taiwan dollars if failing to correct.

The mainland is the largest source of tourists for Taiwan. Last year, tourists from the mainland accounted for 40 percent in Taiwan's total.
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In India's western state of Gujarat, 310 lions have died in the last five years, authorities said Saturday.

The figures about deaths of Asiatic lions were given by the state's Forest Minister Mangubhai Patel in a written reply during an ongoing session of the Assembly.

"The minister stated 310 lions including cubs, as well as 547 leopards died due to natural or unnatural causes in the last five years (as on March 2015)," the official said.

The causes of unnatural deaths stated by minister in his reply include falling into open wells, being hit by trains or vehicles and electrocution.

Patel said various measures were being taken to save these wild cats.

Gujarat's Gir in India is the last abode of Asiatic lions. In 2015, census carried out by state's wildlife officials found 523 lions in Gir and its periphery.

In 2000, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added the Asiatic lion to the list of critically endangered species.

The Gujarat wildlife department says it was struggling hard to increase the number of big cats.
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Terrorists are crossing into Syria from Turkey, Syria's state news agency SANA said Saturday, releasing a video footage proving its claims.

The 20-second video, taken from what appeared to be Satellite images, showed a number of vehicles entering a sub-route surrounded by thick trees, likely a wood in northern Syria.

"Terrorists are crossing border from Turkey into Syria," said SANA, with no further details.

The video came amid the high tension in northern Syria, while the Turkish forces were said to have shelled the YPG positions near Syria's al-Qamishli province on Saturday.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Saturday that Turkey continues to shell Kurdish forces in Syria, hampering their operations against the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, and funneling supplies to the militant-controlled areas at the border.

In a statement released Saturday, the YPG said "Turkish army shelled our positions seven times during February."

Turkish attacks with heavy artillery also affected civilians, leaving two dead, according to the statement.

The Kurds, the Syrian government and Russia have been accusing Turkey of supporting the Nusra Front, which is excluded, along with the Islamic State (IS), from the ongoing truce in Syria.
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Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh has concluded his two-day state visit to Rwanda with a stance on strong bilateral relations between the two countries.

The North East Africa nation leader was hosted by the Rwanda President Paul Kagame to a State Banquet on Friday evening, and later on Saturday afternoon, the two leaders addressed a joint press conference.

"We share a lot with Rwanda in terms of advancing economic opportunities for our people. My visit to Rwanda aims to further cement our relations with Rwanda," said Guelleh while addressing the press.

He noted that his country is engaged with Rwanda to create exchange opportunities through trade economic zones that will benefit citizens of both countries.

During his visit, Guelleh toured the Kigali special economic zone, where he visited two factories, including Strawtec Building Solutions, which produces building materials for sustainable structures.

"Our ties are not just of partnership, you are our brothers and sisters. Rwanda is keen to develop opportunities to deepen integration in Eastern Africa, of which Djibouti is an integral part," Kagame said.

He thanked the government of Djibouti for offering 20 hectare plot of land designated as a strategic port zone to Rwanda. Rwanda plans to develop and operate the piece of land at the port of Djibouti as strategic base for its imports and exports.

"We would like to leverage our mutual advantages. Our two countries enjoy unique cordial relations and we shall continue to strengthen it for the betterment of our people," Rwanda president noted.

Rwanda has also designated a plot of land in the Kigali Special Economic industrial zone, to Djibouti within the spirit of reciprocity.

Djibouti ports are strategically located at the crossroads of one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, linking Europe, the Far East, the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf.
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A Myanmar Arakan ethnic armed group, the Arakan Army (AA), has ambushed the government troop over this week for two times, resulting in some casualties to the government side, official media reported Sunday.

The government troops were attacked when carrying security work to workers building a border fence along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.

After the fighting on Tuesday and Thursday, the AA retreated beyond the border, the report said, adding that the government troops will negotiate with the other side of the country about the issue through diplomatic means.

According to the report, AA started in March last year to conduct operation in some areas in order to establish their strongholds in Paletwa and Kyauktaw but withdrew from the areas later after engagement with the government troops.

Latest clashes between the two sides occurred for 15 times in December/January in the Ranchaung-RuChaung area of Kyauktaw, Rakhine state.

AA is among those remaining groups not included in the nationwide ceasefire deal between the government and eight ethnic armed groups on Oct. 15 last year. Enditem
BEIJING -- China is highly concerned about frequent trade investigations by the United States into Chinese high-end steel products, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Saturday in a statement.

On Friday, the US Department of Commerce launched an anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigation into stainless steel products imported from China.

Similar probes into high-end steel products have caused significant impact on the interests of Chinese firms. China is gravely concerned about it, the statement said.

Though the World Trade Organization (WTO) allows its members to conduct trade remedy investigations, the WTO rules must be strictly followed and legitimate rights of concerned parties must be fully guaranteed, said the statement.

China hopes the United States will correct past practices that had violated the WTO rules and conduct investigations in an objective and fair way, it said.

The ministry said steel overcapacity is a global problem that needs to be solved with coordinated efforts from all sides. China has already taken substantial measures to curb excess capacity.

The ministry called for dialogues and negotiations as a solution to trade frictions. It also vowed to protect the legitimate rights of Chinese firms, according to the statement.
President Xi warns against "Taiwan independence" in any form (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-03-06 07:07:51

Chinese President Xi Jinping joins a group deliberation of deputies from Shanghai to the annual session of the National People's Congress in Beijing, March 5, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping on Saturday warned against "Taiwan independence," saying that national secession should not be repeated.

"We will resolutely contain 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities in any form," said Xi when joining a group of lawmakers from Shanghai on the first day of the national legislature's annual session.

"We will safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and never allow the historical tragedy of national secession to happen again," Xi said.

"This is the common wish and firm will of all Chinese people. It is also our solemn commitment and our responsibility to history and the people," he said.

"Our policy toward Taiwan is clear and consistent, and it will not change along with the change in Taiwan's political situation," Xi told the legislators.

Tsai Ing-wen, candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won Taiwan's leadership election in January. Tsai defeated Eric Chu, candidate of the Kuomintang (KMT), the party which has ruled Taiwan for the past eight years.

"Compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Straits are expecting the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and we should not disappoint them," he said.

"We will adhere to the 1992 Consensus as a political foundation, and continuously advance the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties," said the president.

Only by accepting the 1992 Consensus and recognizing its core implications can the two sides have a common political foundation and maintain good interactions, Xi said.

The 1992 Consensus clearly defines the nature of cross-Straits ties, and is the basis for the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties in the long run.

Xi said the results of the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties should be safeguarded by compatriots from both sides. Realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation also needs the concerted efforts of people across the Straits.

The Chinese mainland will further promote cross-Straits cooperation and exchanges in all fields, deepen economic and social integration, and enhance the sense of a community of common destiny, the president said.

Fan Yun, deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature, and chairman of a Shanghai-based consulting firm, told Xinhua that in recent years Taiwanese companies have benefited from the rapid development of the Chinese mainland. As an entrepreneur, she believed that she has the commitment to tightening economic relations between the mainland and Taiwan.

Chen Weiwen, a national legislator and head of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League Guangdong Provincial Committee, said Xi's remarks reiterate the Chinese mainland's bottom line. It is also a stern warning against the Taiwan independence activists.

"The essence of the 1992 Consensus is recognizing the one-China principle and denying the rhetoric saying that each side of the Taiwan Straits is a country," Chen said.

"The president's remarks showed that the ultimate goal of peaceful development of cross-Straits ties is to achieve peaceful reunification of the two sides," Kong Lingzhi, an NPC deputy from Jilin Province, with Taiwan as his native place of origin.

The NPC and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, the top political advisory body, are now on their annual sessions, with legislators and political advisors discussing major state affairs.
Deficit increase doesn't signal strong stimulus: official (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-03-06 07:21:08

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a government work report during the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 5, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - China's higher fiscal deficit rate budgeted for 2016 should not be considered strong stimulus, and the country still has ample policy tools to arrest downward economic pressure, a senior official of China's Cabinet research office said Saturday.

A 3-percent deficit-to-GDP ratio is within a safe margin and is still relatively low compared with that of many developed countries, which set the ratio well above 3 percent, said Huang Shouhong, deputy director of the State Council Research Office at a news conference.

China will increase deficit-to-GDP ratio to 3 percent this year from 2.3 percent last year, and cut taxes across the board, Premier Li Keqiang said Saturday at the annual parliamentary session.

The expansion is mainly aimed at reducing costs for firms, and should not be interpreted as strong stimulus, Huang said.

For the past few years, the government has refrained from using mass quantitative easing to battle the economic slowdown but rather has pushed structural reforms, which proved successful in reinvigorating the economy.

"The Chinese government still has enough innovative policy tools to battle the downward pressure," Huang said. "With enough weapons and bullets, we can fire whenever we need."
Xi vows to curb Taiwan secessionists By Wu Jiao (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-06 08:18:05

President Xi Jinping attends the panel discussion on the Government Work Report by lawmakers from the Shanghai delegation, March 5, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Beijing will "resolutely curb" secessionist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" in any form, and will never let the historic tragedy of "national separation" recur, President Xi Jinping said on Saturday.

He made the remarks when attending the panel discussion on the Government Work Report by lawmakers from the Shanghai delegation.

Shanghai, China's economic hub, is home to tens of thousands of Taiwan businesspeople and their families.

It is the first time Xi has made remarks on cross-Straits relations since Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, won a leadership election on the island in January. She is scheduled to take office in May.

"Our policy toward Taiwan has been consistent and clear and will not change because of political changes in Taiwan," Xi said.

He said the 1992 Consensus, which says both Taiwan and the mainland are parts of one China, explicitly defines the nature of the cross-Straits relationship and is crucial to the stable and long-term development of cross-Straits ties.

Only by acknowledging the 1992 Consensus, and accepting its core content, can the two sides have a common political foundation and maintain healthy interactions, according to Xi.

Xi made no direct mention of Tsai.

Thepast eight years, during which time Ma Ying-jeou has served as the island's leader, have been marked by smooth exchanges between the mainland and Taiwan.

"Compatriots across the Straits are very expectant about the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties, and we should not let them down," Xi said.

Premier Li Keqiang also said in the Government Work Report on Saturday that authorities on the mainland will uphold its policies toward Taiwan, oppose separatist activities, maintain the peaceful development of crossStraits relations and safeguard peace and stability of the Taiwan Straits.

"We will strive to make progress in cross-Straits economic integration. We will encourage cultural, educational, scientific and technological exchanges and help strengthen exchanges between ordinary people and the younger generation on both sides of the Straits," he said.

He added that, guided by the conviction that people on both sides of the Straits belong to one and the same family, the mainland will share with people in Taiwan both the responsibility of the Chinese nation and opportunities for development, and jointly build a cross-Straits community of common destiny.

Zhu Songling, director of the Institute of Cross-Straits Relations at Beijing Union University, said Xi's remarks reaffirmed the mainland leadership's determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They also reflected goodwill from Xi toward the people in Taiwan, he added.

Peng Yining contributed to this story.
China ratchets up anti-pollution effort By Zheng Jinran (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-06 08:18:36

Environmental protection is important to public health and economic development, premier says

Pedestrians cross the road in Zhongguancun, Beijing, during a smoggy day in December.[Photo/China Daily]

China will intensify its efforts to reduce pollution, Premier Li Keqiang said in his annual Government Work Report on Saturday, citing as an example ambitious targets in fighting smog that will increase the number of days with good air quality.

"Pollution control and environmental protection are important to people's health and the sustainable development of the nation. Sowemust work hard to move forward," he said.

Lower emissions of major water and air pollutants have been targeted, cutting them by 2 to 3 percent this year. This will help reduce the concentration in the air of PM2.5, particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter that is hazardous to health.

The PM2.5 concentration declined in China from 72 micrograms per cubicmeter in 2013 to 55 in 2015, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The central government has further tightened restrictions on vehicle emissions, and another 3.8 million outdated or high-emission vehicles will be taken off the road this year.

The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), the national road map for social and economic development, is setting targets to raise the percentage of days with good air quality to 80 by 2020, from 76.7 percent lastyear.

The central government is emphasizing that all companies in major polluting industries - such as steel, cement making, papermaking and printing - meet the national emission standards.

Lu Lunyan, Climate and Energy Program director, the WWF China, said, "I am pleased to see the government's endeavors in environmental protection," adding that such measures, paired with the government campaign to phase out outdated and excessive capacity in the industrial production, could efficiently reduce polluting emissions.

Ren Wenwei, director of the Yangtze program (footprint) of WWF China, applauded the annual report and the national road map because they stipulate binding targets and various efforts to reduce pollution, "Such restrictions have previously and will even more so now force many companies to stop polluting and upgrade their technology,"Ren said.

Additionally, he said, the top leadership's attention to improving the environment is benefiting the quality of China's economic structure, which is transforming to a focus on services industries.

Zhao Kezhi, top leader of Hebei, a province with heavy air pollution, voiced full support for the tighter emissions restrictions and the government's efforts to fuel economic growth through environmental protection.
Overseas views on NPC & CPPCC: Bonuses from China Premier Li's work report (english.cntv.cn) Updated: 2016-03-06 20:44:17

The annual meetings - NPC (National People's Congress) and CPPCC (China People's Consultative Conference) - have placed China in the world's headlines yet again. Expert observers are searching for clues on how Beijing would craft its first year development for the 13th five-year plan.

The government's work report, which was presented by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on March 5, has outlined guidelines for this year governments' work, and providing bonuses for China and world's long-term development. China's top leaders have a clear and objective understanding of the nation's current situation.

Beijing has acknowledged that "downward pressure on the economy is growing," but the central government has a strong will to stabilize the national economy. Considering the economic volume of China's economy, fighting against wider domestic market fluctuations can reduce risks for China and the world economy.

Premier Li reiterated that Beijing would move forward on domestic reforms and continue to open up. The nation will not give up on long-term structural reforms just for a short-term stimulus.

China's top leaders' remain determined to pursue further reforms, responding directly to some political observers and investors' concerns over Beijing's true stance on reform.

Li lowered the annual gross domestic product (GDP) target from 6.5 to 7 percent for 2016 from 7 percent last year, which strikes a balance between long-term reforms and meeting Chinese people expectations for higher standards of living.

According to Li's work report, the key step for striking a balance is for Supply-side Reform, which includes improving the quality of supply, reducing overcapacity due to so-called "zombie" industries, shrinking bloated industries from steel to cement to aluminum in which supply exceeds demand, an awaited shake-up of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), removing administrative controls and encouraging innovation.

China's steel production has amounted to more than double the combined production of Japan, India, US and Russia, which are the four next highest-ranking producers in the world. Steel overcapacity has gotten untethered from real market demand.

Considering that SOEs currently accounts for roughly one-quarter of 2015 industrial revenues, but only yielded one-sixth of industrial profits, reforms on SOEs are deemed as the deep water zone of reforms in order to boost their efficiency.

As part of sweeping reforms, Beijing has pledged to press ahead with market-oriented reforms that will include opening up the telecoms, petroleum and public utilities industries.

Generous budget allocations for laid-off workers' compensation signal that stepping up on structural adjustments targeted for SOEs are for real.

Li announced a bigger fiscal deficit target, pursuing a more proactive fiscal policy with a deficit of 2.18 trillion yuan ($335.38 billion), 560 billion more than that of last year and accounting for 3 percent of GDP, which indicates Beijing is trying to create a strong social welfare network to cushion negative impact.

But in regards to propping up faltering state firms, the Chinese government does not intend to continue making all out efforts to rescue them.

In pushing a shift of China's economy toward entrepreneur-driven model from investment and smokestack industries driven model, Li promised that Beijing would channel funds to support infrastructure and tax deductions for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), especially for research organizations, universities and setting up hatching centers for startups.

Li's government work report offers bonuses for China and the world's long-term development. We should stay objective and support China's endeavor to pursue further reforms.

The real risk lies in China's giving up its effort to transform its growth model, feeling thwarted by difficulties and pressures. That's what we really need to worry about.

The author is Yu Xiang, Ph.D, Harvard University Visiting Scholar, Research Fellow and Director of Division of American Economic Studies at the Institute of American Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations(CICIR).
China's foreign reserve flight went to citizens and companies: Central bank (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-03-06 22:14:02

Yi Gang, a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, answers questions during a press conference on the supply-side structural reform in Beijing on Sunday. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- China's significant foreign reserves reduction largely went to its citizens and companies, central bank deputy governor Yi Gang said at a press conference Sunday.

"China's foreign reserves declined by about half a trillion US dollars in 2015," said Yi. "Mainly, the reserves went to Chinese citizens and companies."

Last year, deposits of US dollars within China increased by tens of billions. Banks increased their stack of greenbacks by around 100 billion, and corporate debts denominated in US dollar dropped by around 100 billion, said Yi.

Corporate and individual outbound payments in foreign currencies surpassed inbound payments by $240 billion last year, Yi said.

Major outbound payments include tourism, education and consumption expenditures.

Plus, the US dollar appreciated against other currencies last year, Yi added.

"By and large, the majority of foreign reserve losses can be explained by the gains made by citizens and companies," Yi said.

Yi was asked about China's foreign reserves twice at a press conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, of which he is a member.

China's foreign reserves are diversified, he said, reflecting China's trade, investment and payment structures.

Moreover, China follows the standards set by the International Monetary Fund when calculating foreign reserves, Yi said, stressing that assets that lack in liquidity were not included.
Premier: No giving up on growth By ZHANG YUE (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-07 02:33:46

Li tells deputies that GDP will not be pursued single-mindedly ring

Premier Li Keqiang talks with Yuan Jinghua, head of a special education school in Shandong province and a NPC deputy, after attending a panel discussion with deputies from the province on Sunday. Yuan presented Li with an album of paintings by her pupils. Wu Zhiyi / China Daily

China will not abandon its ambitions for growth, although it will not pursue GDP single-mindedly, Premier Li Keqiang told lawmakers at the National People's Congress on Sunday.

Li joined a panel discussion of deputies from Shandong, one of the country's three most powerful and diverse provincial economies.

The province reported GDP of 6.3 trillion yuan ($966 billion) last year, nearly one-10th of national GDP. The other two key provincial-level powerhouses are Guangdong and Jiangsu.

The premier praised Shan-dong for setting its growth target this year at between 7.5 and 8 percent, one percentage point higher than the national target range.

He hailed Shandong for its "courage" in playing a more important role in leading economic growth among provinces in northern China. Some of these provinces, plagued by a lack of diversity and by overcapacity in uncompetitive manufacturing, are facing a tough task in catching up with the rest of the nation.

"It will be hard to keep enough jobs and protect people's livelihoods without adequate and reasonable economic growth," Li said.

With some provinces having a hard time in meeting the nation's average target growth range, Shandong should be playing a pioneering role.

It was the fourth time that Li, who is also an NPC deputy for Shandong, had sat down with representatives from the province's NPC delegation since 2013.

Ouyang Hui, an economic specialist at a research institute affiliated to the National Development and Reform Commission, said, "I think the central government considered (the issue) thoroughly when setting the national economic development target range at between 6.5 and 7 percent for 2016.

"Some provinces in western and northern China will face ... comparatively heavy pressure in their economic transitions because they have depended on certain local resources for too long, such as coal mining and steel making.

"It may be hard for them to meet the nation's average growth target in the coming year," he said.

"As a result, provinces such as Shandong, which have been making faster progress, can share more of the nation's growth burden."

Shandong's growth target range for this year was set in January by the provincial people's congress, after it achieved year-on-year GDP growth of 8 percent last year, compared with national GDP growth of 6.9 percent.

Regions south of the Yellow River have experienced better momentum and performances in nurturing new industries, while regions north of the river are not doing so well in this respect.

Li said he hopes that Shandong can set a good example for other provinces in the north in nurturing new economic driving forces.
Nuclear power projects move one step closer By LYU CHANG (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-07 02:44:30

China will carry out early-stage work on inland nuclear power plants and approve construction of some new coastal nuclear projects, according to a draft outline of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20).

Under the draft, which was submitted to the National People's Congress for examination on Saturday, construction of a reprocessing facility for used nuclear fuel will be speeded up.

Liu Wei, general manager of China Nuclear Power Engineering Co, said, "The problem of inland nuclear power plants is not about technology or safety features, it is more an issue of public acceptance."

He said it is important to educate more people to make them understand that nuclear power is a safe source of energy, as the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan changed public attitudes toward nuclear energy.

Nur Bekri, head of the National Energy Administration, said, "China needs to develop its nuclear industry, especially in coastal areas, but there is no clear time frame for inland nuclear power projects."

He was commenting during the annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

China suspended its nuclear program after the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011, but resumed construction of coastal nuclear plants a year later. Nuclear power construction has remained on a fast track since then.

But the country suspended all inland nuclear projects until last year, citing higher risks in inland regions.

Under the draft plan, China  the world's largest energy consumer  will start building a pilot project for the Shandong Rongcheng nuclear power project, which uses the CAP1400 nuclear reactor, the country's indigenous nuclear technology. The Sanmen and Haiyang nuclear power plants, in Zhejiang and Shandong provinces respectively, will also be completed within the next five years.

The country has embarked on a huge nuclear program in recent years as it seeks to replace coal-fired power stations to combat air pollution.

Cui Jia contributed to this story.
Minister: China can absorb laid-off labor By Xin Zhiming (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-07 06:53:04

A worker at a steel company in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, in January 2015. The steel sector will reduce capacity by 100 to 150 million metric tons in five years, according to China's top economic planner.[Photo by Si Wei/China Daily] Cutting excess capacity can help countries in Belt and Road Initiative, head of NDRC says

China will not have another layoff wave as it reduces overcapacity in such sectors as steel and coal mining, Xu Shaoshi, minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Sunday.

The Chinese economy has become more resilient and is able to create more jobs to absorb laid-off workers, Xu said at a news conference on the sidelines of two sessions, the annual meetings of legislators and policy advisers.

"We will strengthen our efforts to reduce overcapacity," he said, citing Hebei and Heilongjiang provinces as areas that "have maintained social stability while pushing corporate restructuring".

The steel sector will reduce capacity by 100 to 150 million metric tons in five years, and the coal mining sector will cut capacity by 500 million tons, with another 500 million tons to be restructured in three to five years, he said.

Researchers estimate that about 3 million workers could be laid off in the coming two to three years if current capacity is reduced by 30 percent in targeted sectors such as steel, coal mining and cement.

Xu said there will not be a second round of massive layoffs this time.

China's State-owned enterprise restructuring in the 1990s put tens of millions out of work.

Given the country's massive economic scale, it has become more capable of creating jobs, which will help absorb unemployed workers, he said. The improved economic structure will also help absorb redundant workers, he said, with tertiary industries having a larger share of the economy. Tertiary industriesthe segment of the economy that provides services to consumers, such as financial institutions, schools and restaurantsgenerally accommodate more jobs.

Moreover, as new enterprises crop up thanks to China's favorable policies encouraging business startups, there will be more new jobs, and easier cross-regional labor flows and the use of online job fairs will help laid-off workers find work, he said.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said 100 billion yuan ($15.3 billion) will be allocated to cushion the effect of job losses on families and society.

Xu said China's reduction of overcapacity will help countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Some of them are industrializing and urbanizing, and they need to build more infrastructure and upgrade industrial structures. That's where Chinese enterprises can help, he said.
Diplomacy the key for peaceful coexistence By Zhang Yunbi (China Daily) Updated: 2016-03-07 07:00:07

Experts are convinced that China will assume a leading role in ensuring peace and stability in its own "backyard". Zhang Yunbi reports.

Senior diplomats and veteran policy experts believe that one of the most demanding tasks for Chinese diplomacy this year will be to ensure stability in China's neighborhood.

The challenge comes amid destabilizing factors that are putting increasing pressure on China's national security interests, including the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and tensions in the South China Sea.

The experts are also looking forward to a range of Chinese initiatives as well as global events hosted by the country, including the G20 leaders' summit in September.

Cheng Yonghua, a political adviser and China's ambassador to Japan, said: "With an eye on the security and stability of the neighborhood, I think we should make further efforts to safeguard the stable circumstances around our country."

Another goal will be to ensure that "China's domestic development and construction can proceed as planned", he added.

Zhang Yunling, a political adviser and a senior researcher in Asia-Pacific studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said neighboring areas to the west and north of China have been tranquil overall this year, while challenges are mainly seen as being related to the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea.

Construction work on China's islands and the deployment of defense facilities in the South China Sea have drawn fierce criticism and even military provocation from the United States, according to Zhang.

Washington is using provocation and demonstrations of power to deter Beijing from stepping up a lawful buildup in the South China Sea, and "the biggest challenge for China this year is to stabilize the situation despite US intimidation", he said.

Zhang suggested that China reinforce its ties with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, because they are reliable. He also said that Beijing's related policy-making should be "clear-headed".

With reference to the Korean Peninsula, Zhang said China's latest support for sanctions after a recent UN Security Council resolution "will pay off, and restrain Pyongyang's nuclear program", and "it is possible to avoid major conflicts on the peninsula".

Beijing should step up communications with all parties concerned to ensure the resolution works effectively. Although major turmoil seems unlikely right now, a contingency plan should be prepared, Zhang added.

Wu Enyuan, a political adviser and former director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at CASS, observed that most of the nearby challengesincluding those related to the peninsula and maritime issuesare directly or indirectly connected to the US "pivot to Asia" strategy.

"In the long-term, the USno matter who wins the presidencywill not give up its strategy of containing China by stirring up maritime problems, but it's unlikely that we will see a major conflict between China and the US," Wu said.

He suggested that China should continue its dialogue with the US because "the space for cooperation between the two major countries is still large".

Zhang said that even in the event of potential conflict with her neighbors, China should boost efforts to tackle problems effectively.

Wu echoed that view, saying China is "a controllable factor which will, and should, serve as a key stabilizer of the region", and the country should avoid distractions or excessive concerns about doomsday scenarios.

Hosting the G20

With regard to this year's diplomatic highlights, Chinese policy insiders are looking to the G20 Summit, which will be held in Hangzhou, the capital of East China's Zhejiang province, in September.

Zhai Jun, China's ambassador to France, said that as host, China will be expected to "play an important role, given the current situation".

China is expected to "nurture consensus, coordinate joint efforts in tackling the sluggish global economic situation, and usher in new growth", he said.

"These days, interests are interwoven among all the countries. If one suffers (from critical conditions) the rest will also be affected. There is mounting consensus in this regard, and it is time for the countries to sit at the table to see which policies should be adjusted", he added.

Wu Enyuan, the scholar with CASS, said China's hosting of the G20 summit is recognition of the country's status in the global economic picture, and the nation should "take the chance to make its philosophy and initiatives better heard by the world".

Contact the writer at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
MOSCOW -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry on Sunday,during a phone conversation, praised the "real progress" in ensuring a cessation of hostilities in Syria.

"The two sides expressed an overall positive assessment of real progress in achieving a truce on Syrian soil, which is generally respected and has already led to a sharp decrease in the level of violence," Russian Foreign Ministry said in an online statement.

Lavrov and Kerry stressed the need to prevent delay of intra-Syrian talks under UN auspices, as well as to provide humanitarian aid to blocked areas in Syria.

"It is essential to ensure from the very beginning the participation (in the intra-Syrian negotiations), along with the delegation of the Syrian government, of a wide spectrum of all opposition forces, including Syrian Kurds," the ministry quoted Lavrov as saying.

The top diplomats confirmed that joint efforts would be paid by both countries' representatives in Geneva to ensure smooth work of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) task forces on humanitarian and ceasefire issues.

Lavrov and Kerry discussed a schedule of political contacts for the nearest future.

They also agreed to continue cooperate with all involved parties in order to find the ways to settle Yemeni conflict through political dialogue.

The Russia-US-backed cessation of hostilities plan has gone into effect at midnight last Friday in all Syrian cities. The truce has so far been largely adhered to despite sporadic violations.
(Photo : Getty Image) Huawei plans to open a new research and development center in Bellevue, Washington.

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Huawei Technologies is heading west. The company has announced that its plan to open a new research and development center this month in Bellevue, Washington, which will employ as much as 100 workers.



Huawei vice president of external affairs William Plummer said the research and development office of Huawei Technologies based in North America will hire up to 100 people by 2017. The soon-to-be Huawei's satellite will be located at the heart of Bellevue's business center, the Plaza Center Bellevue. The leased office is on the fifth floor and spans up to 11,000 square feet.



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Broderick Group senior vice president Grant Yerke suggests that the current office may not be enough to accomodate a hundred employees.



Bellevue, which is more or less 12 miles east of Seattle, is a strategic location as the Greater Seattle area is a hot spot for tech firms and home to some notable tech giants like Expedia, Microsoft and T-Mobile. Aside from that, Greater Seattle's healthy environment, pool of talent for tech firm developments and relatively cheaper costs that Northern California's Silicon Valley are other perks.



The CEO of adSage Zhaohui Tang believes that the company chose the city as it is also the home of cloud computing technology development. On the other hand, the president of the Association of Technology and Innovation president Bill Liu thinks the company would benefit from its move to Seattle as Bellevue is crowded with talented programmers and developers.



Meanwhile, the city of Bellevue has expressed its excitement over Huawei's decision to establish a center in the area, according to Bellevue's economic development director James Henderson.



Of Huawei's 150,000 workers worldwide, 70,000 are working in R&D. During the CES 2016, Huawei anticipated to become the biggest smartphone maker in the world, outranking Apple in two to three years and Samsung by 2021.



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TagsHuaweo, Smartphone, Bellevue, Seattle, Tech Firms
(Photo : Getty Images) Chinese telecom company ZTE Corp has been penalized with export restrictions by U.S. Commerce Department for allegedly violating U.S. export controls on Iran.

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Chinese telecom company ZTE Corp has been penalized with export restrictions by the U.S. Commerce Department for allegedly violating America's export controls on Iran.



According to Reuters, due to these restrictions, ZTE will now have to apply for export license before shipping any America-made equipment or parts. These restrictions will also apply to company that wants to ship U.S. made products to ZTE Corp in China. The export restrictions will be effective from Tuesday, March 7.



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U.S. Commerce Department officials have reportedly got hold of important internal documents from ZTE, which reveals that the company was well aware of the risk of export violation.



The document also reveals that the company's legal department was asked to come up with ways to export products included in the U.S. sanctions against Iran through shell/forward companies.



Speaking on the issue, a senior U.S. official told Reuters that "This is a significant new burden on trade with ZTE". The official did not disclose whether the U.S. Commerce Department plans to take further action against the Chinese company.



ZTE Corp has not issued any official statement on this issue.



Citing security reasons, the U.S. government has for a long time put a ban on the sale and exportation of U.S. made tech products to Iran. For many decades now, the U.S. and Iran have shared political tensions over nuclear weapons and other political issues. Despite the deal with Tehran, Washington is yet to ease some of its sanctions against the former.



ZTE Corp Faced Investigation in 2012 by U.S. Commerce Department



This is not the first time that ZTE Corp has come under the scanner for allegedly violating U.S. export controls on Iran.



In 2012, U.S. Commerce Department launched an investigation into ZTE's activities after Reuters reported that the company had signed contracts to ship millions of dollars worth of hardware to many Iranian companies, including Iran's largest telecom company Telecommunication Co of Iran (TCI).



The report claimed that, as per the contract, the softwares of many tech firms like Microsoft, IBM, Dell Inc, Oracle Corp were supposed to be shipped to Iran.



Officials from the U.S. Commerce Department reportedly obtained some of ZTE's crucial internal documents during their investigation. Some of the documents titled 'top secrets' allegedly revealed sanctions-busting scheme.



The U.S. Commerce Department did not disclose whether ZTE had carried out these schemes.



ZTE issued an official statement a day after the Reuters reports was published: "ZTE no longer seeks new customers in Iran and limits business activities with existing customer," the statement said.



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A Chinese man takes a picture of himself in a mirror as he waits for the elevator in a luxury hotel in Beijing, China. The area is the financial centre of China's capital city. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

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A Chinese woman who went missing since January 30 was found dead inside an elevator that was temporarily shut down for maintenance work in a residential building in Beijing.



The rotting body of the 43-year-old woman was found in an elevator in Xian City. The said elevator was shut down on January 30 by two maintenance workers who were assigned to check on a glitch.



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The two maintenance workers have already been detained pending a thorough investigation. Authorities said the death of the woman was caused by the gross negligence on the part of the two workers.



Based on data released by the Gaoling district government, the two maintenance workers, who have not been identified, were tasked to check on a glitch on the said elevator.



Without checking if someone was still inside the elevator, the two maintenance workers allegedly cut off the elevator's power supply on January 30.



Another maintenance crew returned to check and to repair the elevator on March 1. It was then that they found a female corpse, according to the government. It was not known why it took one month for maintenance workers to check and make the necessary repairs on the elevator.



The woman was immediately identified as a resident of the building who was living by herself. Her identity was not divulged by authorities.



Initially, the police said there were no signs of foul play but they have concluded that the death of the woman was due to the gross negligence on the part of the maintenance workers.



The Gaoling district government said the two maintenance workers are facing a case of involuntary manslaughter.



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(Photo : Reuters) Researchers at a Hong Kong university have developed a cloud-based Artificial Intelligence technology named 'Zara the Supergirl.'

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A team of researchers and computer engineering scientists from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed a cloud-based artificial intelligent machine, called "Zara the Supergirl", which is capable of interacting with humans by recognizing their emotions.



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The artificial intelligence technology, which was unveiled at the World Economic Forum in China in 2015, was developed as part of the scientific efforts to create sophisticated machines that will be able to communicate and converse naturally with humans.



Professor Pascale Fung of HKUST said that robots capable of interacting with humans need to have their own individual personalities for proper communication to take place.



Zara the Supergirl can recognize human emotions by reading facial expressions and voice tone, according to Nikkei Asia. She can initiate conversations with people by asking certain questions.



According to Fung, Zara has the ability to converse in Chinese and English, and will soon be able to converse in French as well. Today, she exists only in the cloud, however, the team is planning to give her a material body sometime within two years.



In addition to robots, major tech companies such as Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and Baidu, Inc. have turned towards artificial intelligence (AI) in order to improve their own technologies.



In 2014, Google announced its partnership with leading experts from the University of Oxford in England to expand its research in the areas of voice and visual recognition. In the same year, Baidu announced it is using deep learning algorithm, which is a subfield of AI, in order to improve its search engine technology.



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TagsZara the Supergirl Artificial Intelligence HKUST China March 2016, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Artificial Intelligence Robots
Senator Ted Cruz, Republican presidential candidate from Texas, said that legality of same-sex marriage and adoption laws needs to be left to the states.

He was responding to a question by moderator Bret Baier at a GOP debate in Michigan, where he shared the podium with other GOP presidential hopefuls Donald Trump, Ohio Governor John Kasich, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

Cruz said that issues such as gay marriage should be handled at the state level, and that federal government and the Supreme Court must not override the states' laws.

"Well, listen, adoption is decided at the state level and I am a believer in the 10th Amendment in the Constitution, I would leave the question of marriage to the states, I would leave the question of adoption to the states," said Cruz.

"That's the way it has been for two centuries of our nation's history until five unelected judges in an illegitimate and wrong decision decided to seize the authority over marriage and wrongfully tear down the marriage laws of all 50 states," Cruz added.

The debate lasted two hours, and matters concerning religious liberty and Second Amendment were also discussed.

Kasich, who was previously a supporter of anti-discrimination law as against freedom of religious people to deny services to any customers on the basis of their background, changed his stance at the debate.

"If you go to a photographer to take pictures at your wedding, and he says, I'd rather not do it, find another photographer, don't sue them in court," Kasich said. "You know what, the problem is in our country - in our country, we need to learn to respect each other and be a little bit more tolerant for one another."

During the debate, Cruz and Rubio seemed to come out against Trump, while Kasich hinted that he was acting like an adult.

This was the first debate following the Super Tuesday primaries, during which Trump won over the most delegates including at Tennessee, Georgia, Vermont, Alabama, Virginia, Arkansas, and Massachusetts.
UNC excavation crew in Galilee region of Israel uncover first known depictions of biblical heroines An excavation team in Israel has discovered the first known depiction of two biblical heroines from the Old Testament.

World to reach 8 billion people in November, India to unseat China as most populous in 2023: UN By Nov. 15, the worlds population is projected to reach 8 billion, and by 2023, India is projected to surpass China as the worlds most populous country, according to a new report from the United Nations.

Single, non-religious young adults are most unhappy Americans post-COVID-19: report Young adults under 35 who are single and non-religious report the highest levels of unhappiness since the COVID-19 pandemic began and since 1972, when the General Social Survey began measuring levels of happiness among Americans, a new analysis from the Institute of Family Studies suggests.
Actor George Clooney urges U.S. to adopt Germany's open-door policy on migrants

American actor and film director George Clooney suggested last week that U.S. President Barack Obama should emulate German Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door policy on migrants fleeing war and deprivation in the Middle East and Africa.

Clooney made the suggestion after a private meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin to discuss the crisis in Syria, the European efforts to stem it, and what Hollywood could do to help. He was joined by his wife Amal, a human rights lawyer, and former British foreign secretary David Miliband, who now heads the International Rescue Committee (IRC), according to reports.

The actor claimed that the U.S. "is not doing enough" to help alleviate the crisis in Syria even though the Obama administration has vowed to accept 10,000 asylum seekers from Syria this year and "many more" in 2017.

"The United States needs to do more as we know; 10,000 refugees a year is not enough, that's clear," Clooney said, according to WND.

Clooney was also in Berlin for a film festival premiering his latest movie, "Hail Caesar!" After his meet with Merkel, mediamen asked him questions including on how he felt about the German leader's open-door policy to which he responded that he "absolutely agrees" with it.

Miliband said they discussed what countries can do to solve "what is a global problem, not just a Syrian problem or a German issue."

He also said Merkel "showed very strong leadership and example not just to Europe, but globally."

However, reports of rapes and sexual assaults by Muslim migrants continue to pile up across Germany despite the near total blackout of media coverage since the New Year's Eve assaults on more than 500 German women in Cologne, according to reports.

The latest of these cases involve three teenage girls who were sexually harassed by up to 30 male Muslim migrants at the Sophienhof mall in the city of Kiel last week.

Interior Minister Stefan Studt was "deeply concerned" about the events in Sophienhof as he vowed to investigate the attacks to the full extent of the law and "do everything possible to prevent them from continuing."

Nearly half or more of the migrants who have flooded into Europe over the past two years are Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, Pakistanis and North Africans.
Clinton or Trump for president? Christian voters may soon face moral dilemma, says Southern Baptist's Albert Mohler

Christian voters in the United States could find themselves facing a moral dilemma in November in case they will have to choose between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to govern the world's strongest nation for the next four years.

This huge dilemma is looming even larger as the two candidates continue to gather steam that could climax in a November 2016 U.S. presidential showdown.

With this in mind, Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, is urging Christians to prayerfully consider how to approach this "unusual challenge," The Gospel Herald reported.

During a podcast briefing on March 2, Mohler said the likely contest pitting Clinton against Trump "is going to raise a host of new worldview issues with incredible urgency for confessing Christians."

He said "at the very least this is going to require of conservative Christians in America a fundamental rethinking of what we believe about the purpose of government and the character of political leadership."

Mohler said Christians must consider which of the two candidates exhibit "biblical fidelity and gospel faithfulness."

Trump has been labelled as a "fake Christian" by some religious leaders while Clinton has also drawn criticism for her support of abortion and same-sex marriage, two issues that go against biblical teachings.

"We're going to have to spend a great deal of time thinking and praying together about what faithfulness will look like in a way we never have before in terms of recent American presidential cycles; indeed, in a way that has never been true in this sense before in American political history," he said. "We're also about to find out if biblically minded Christians in this country are up to that task."

Mohler noted that the November election could see an "unusual challenge" since Clinton is running as a "Democrat of Democrats" while Trump has been widely criticised for his failure to show the true ideals of the Republican Party.

"The impending crisis in the Republican Party is one of basic conviction, vision and partisan identity," Mohler said, the Baptist News reported. "The Republican Party is going to have to face some very difficult questions about what exactly it intends to represent in the fall campaign if Donald Trump is the standard-bearer for that party."

Russell Moore, another prominent Christian leader, is strongly against Trump and has criticised evangelical leaders who support him despite the latter's penchant for using profanities aside from other character issues.

Moore, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, has also condemned other evangelical leaders for "looking the other way" in regards to Trump.

"Why are many evangelical leaders, including some who pontificate on nearly everything else, scared silent as evangelicalism is associated with everything from authoritarianism and bigotry to violations of religious freedom?" he asked. "How can they look the other way in silence when politicians praise Planned Parenthood and demur about white supremacists and neo-Nazis?"
How a village on a mountain became a city on a hill

Robert Glover has a vision to see a million children moved from institutional care into families. I'm normally sceptical about huge numerical targets but Glover is over a third of the way there already. An estimated 300,000 children in countries like China and Thailand have been taken out of orphanages and placed into the care of local families. He and his team at Care for Children achieved this by entering highly strategic and effective partnerships with national and local governments to train orphanage staff, repurpose their buildings, and move towards family-based care in their local communities. Leaving his career as a Social Worker in the UK to move to China with his wife, Elizabeth, and their six children in 1998, Glover has been spreading his vision for 17 years. I met him at a global consultation that in Thailand on caring for vulnerable children in order to pass on the wisdom he had picked up through his life's work.

One of Glover's favorite stories is the huge impact of a small Chinese village called Yang Jia where 53 families have fostered 166 children! As if that is not remarkable enough, all of these children had complex special needs.

Through Home for Good we have been working hard to find foster carers and adopters in the UK. Many Christians have told me that they would love to foster but they can't afford it, don't have enough room in their homes or haven't got the time. All of which are totally understandable reasons. Almost all of the children in foster care in the UK have experienced neglect or abuse and need foster parents who will make space in their homes and lives to put them first, understanding that it is a costly exercise emotionally and practically with only a small remuneration to help cover expenses. I hope that Glover's story from China will set a new challenge to all of us:

Last September Glover took American author and preacher Francis Chan to China to see the remarkable Yang Jia village in the mountains near Kunming. Chan was visibly moved by the trip and commented: "I have been a lot of places around the world and I don't know that I have met a more beautiful group of people." 99 per cent of the village is Christian and the villagers talk about the children they have taken in from the orphanage as a gift from God. Glover describes Yang Jia as a city on a hill not a village on a mountain - he has seen the effect it has had like a lamp on a stand that shows something of the glory of God to the watching nations.

The hospitality of Yang Jia demonstrates three things for me:

Firstly, the value of family care trumps institutional care. No matter how good an orphanage is it cannot give the same love and care that a family can provide. I am yet to meet a young person who has told me that they would prefer to have grown up in an orphanage. Well-meaning Christians are still building orphanages around the world but the best research points to the superiority of family-based care like fostering and adoption.

Secondly, family care trumps the popular model of children's villages. Maybe you have seen initiatives to look after orphaned or vulnerable children in compounds where foster or housemothers are paid to look after them on the campus as a job. At the end of their shifts they go home to their own families. Yang Jia is not that model. It is a normal village where normal families have expressed an exceptional level of hospitality. The children in Yang Jia receive unconditional love and attention as full members of genuine families and as part of a wider ordinary community. This makes transition to adult life a lot easier, and gives these children much better training should they go on to have families of their own, because they have had family life modeled to them. In other countries the scale of the AIDS epidemic or poverty is so widespread that it may seem that family-based care is not possible. However Yang Jia village is an example of a place that challenges that view by the sheer numbers involved. Even with only 53 families they have expanded their homes rather than set up structures and systems that are really just another form of institutional care.

Thirdly, Yang Jia village offers a powerful alternative to transnational adoption. These children are not being removed from the culture in which they have grown, from the possibility of contact with extended family, or even the possibility of family reunification in the future. As they grow up in separate families, but in the same community, these children have a shared history which is a valuable asset as they grow older and learn to make sense of their life stories. The foster families too, with their shared joys and challenges, can encourage and support one another. Through this model of local fostering and adoption there is every reason to expect better long-term outcomes for children.

Robert Glover is an impressive man. Helping to change the orphanages of China has been his life's work and my prayer is that his story can inspire us to change the lives of children in institutions around the world. I share his vision that one day no child would have to grow up in an orphanage or children's village but would instead know the care and attention of their own loving family.

Dr Krish Kandiah is a Contributing Editor to Christian Today and founder and director of Home for Good.
ISIS 'spreading like cancer' among refugees and planning terrorist attacks, top NATO commander warns

There has been much talk about whether or not European countries and the United States should accept more refugees from war-torn areas in the Middle East, primarily due to fears that some of them may be covert terrorists.

It turns out those security fears are well-founded, based on recent pronouncements made by the Supreme Allied Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

In his testimony to the Senate armed services committee earlier this week, NATO Supreme Allied Commander and U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove warned that migrant populations from the Middle East and north Africa are "masking the movement" of terrorists and criminals.

The ranking military official even went as far as saying that the jihadist organisation Islamic State (ISIS) is "spreading like a cancer" among refugees.

He further warned that the ISIS is already "threatening European nations and our own" by "taking advantage of paths of least resistance," which was through strengthening its force in migrant populations.

Breedlove likewise accused Russia of "wildly" exacerbating the problem by unilaterally launching a bombing campaign in Syria, in support of the war-torn nation's autocratic leader, Bashar al-Assad.

The NATO commander said Russia's airstrikes in Syria, which has already killed some 1,000 people including children, are forcing more people from the Middle Eastern country to flee for their lives and try to find refuge in Europe no matter how difficult and perilous that may be.

Asked by the media if he has data to support the claims he made before Congress, Breedlove just replied: "I can't give you a number on the estimate of the flow."

"I'm not going to talk to you about intelligence," he further said, warning that "many [countries] are saying they see planning happening" for a terrorist attack.
Many Christian churches in U.S. want to help refugees but fear doing so  survey

A new survey indicated that many Christian churches in the United States are more than willing to lend a helping hand on refugees but at the same time are afraid to risk engaging them.

The telephone survey of about 1, 000 Protestant pastors conducted by LifeWay Research showed that 44 percent of church congregations have "a sense of fear about global refugees coming to the United States.''

By contrast, only 27 percent of the church congregations have gotten themselves involved in helping the refugees.

Although 98 percent of the pastors said they are "at least somewhat informed about the Syrian refugee crisis,'' just 35 percent have addressed the issue from the pulpit.

The survey showed that the respondents mostly agree that "Christians have a responsibility to care sacrificially for the refugees and foreigners'' with more than eight in 10 (86 percent) agreeing on the matter, according to the report.

But the survey showed some disconnect in agreeing that churches need to do more. One in five pastors in the U.S. said their church is helping refugees overseas and one in three have addressed the Syrian refugee crisis from the pulpit.

Only 8 percent of the pastors consider it a privilege to care for refugees.

The survey sponsored by the humanitarian organisations World Relief and World Vision last January also indicated that two-thirds (67 percent) of the respondents believe that the United States can balance national security interests with compassion when assisting refugees. About 28 percent are sceptical. Six percent said they are not sure.

There are some 20 million refugees in the world, including 4 million from Syria, according to World Relief reports.

ISIS spreading like cancer, says NATO official

As fear arises among Christian churches, a NATO official is warning that the Islamic State (ISIS) is spreading like cancer among refugees.

"Refugees from the Middle East and north Africa are masking the movement'' of terrorists and criminals,'' U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove said in testimony to the Senate armed services committee.

He cautioned that the ISIS is "taking advantage of paths of least resistance, threatening European nations and our own.''

Earlier, the ISIS has boasted to flood Europe with as many as 500,000 refugees. Just recently in Lebanon, the education minister disclosed there were 20,000 jihadis among the refugees in camps, and 80 percent of migrants who recently arrived in Europe claiming to be fleeing the war in Syria turned out not to have come from Syria at all.

An ISIS operative has been quoted by some papers as saying that the reason many are claiming to be Syrians and streaming into Europe and to the U.S. was because they have a purpose.

"It's our dream that there should be a caliphate not only in Syria but in all the world, and we will have it soon, inshallah. These Muslims were going to Europe in the service of that caliphate. They are going like refugees... but they were going with the plan of sowing blood and mayhem on European streets,'' the ISIS agent reportedly said.

Moreover, Breedlove also blamed Russia's bombing campaign in Syria in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for having "wildly exacerbated the problem.''
Massive power outage hits Syria after rocket attack despite ceasefire agreement

A massive power outage hit Syria on Thursday following a rocket attack that took place despite a ceasefire agreement between the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebel forces.

The Syrian government was earlier cited as saying that power had been cut in all provinces and that teams were trying to determine the cause. TV reports later announced that power was being restored.

Internet services that went down in an unrelated outage have already been restored, according to local media, WND reported.

Officials had said that a well-placed rocket attack in the western Syrian city of Hama was responsible for knocking out all power across the war-torn country.

The massive blackout was later accompanied by an outage that took down Internet services across Syria.

The crisis in electrical grid comes just days after an alleged two-week truce between the Assad regime and various Islamic groups.

"We have said that we are ready to stop military operations, but the issue relates to more important factors ... such as preventing terrorists from using it to improve their positions," Assad told Spanish newspaper El Pais in a recent interview, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, U.N.'s special envoy Staffan de Mistura said despite incidents in the provinces of Homs, Hama, Latakia and Damascus, violence in Syria had been gradually reduced, BBC reported.

He noted that while success is not guaranteed, "progress is visible.''

Both the opposition and the government have accused each other of violating the cessation of hostilities agreement brokered by the U.S. and Russia, which does not include the extremist groups Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Nusra Front, reports said.

Mistura said he planned to reconvene talks aimed at ending the five-year conflict in Syria this Wednesday.

Progress has likewise been made in getting aid to besieged areas of Syria, said U.N. humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland.

He said it is likely that there would be further attempts to air-drop aid over the eastern city of Deir al-Zour, where 200,000 people are surrounded by ISIS militants, within days or weeks.

Roughly 250,000 people have died during Syria's civil war, which has also contributed to Europe's refugee crisis and the rise of the ISIS.
Twin 'Super Saturday' wins energise Cruz as he cuts Trump's lead in delegate count; Rubio, Kasich asked to quit

Top Republican presidential rivals Donald Trump and Ted Cruz scored two victories each on "Super Saturday" with Trump winning in the Louisiana primary and Kentucky caucuses while Cruz emerging as clear winner in the Maine and Kansas caucuses.

The other two Republican candidatesMarco Rubio and John Kasichfared badly, bolstering Cruz's argument that he is the main alternative to Trump for the party's presidential nomination, Newsmax reported.

Indeed, Cruz scooped more delegates than Trump in Saturday's races, getting 64 delegates from Kansas and Maine while Trump got 49 delegates from Kentucky and Louisiana. Trump still leads in the total delegate count with 378 to Cruz's 295. Rubio is far behind at 123 while Kasich only has 34, according to the New York Times.

A candidate has to get 1,237 delegates to win the Republican presidential nomination outright.

In the Democratic race, front-runner Hillary Clinton scored a huge primary victory in delegate-rich Louisiana, winning 71 percent of the vote to Bernie Sanders' 23 percent. As a result, Clinton got 55 new delegates, raising her total to 1,121.

Sanders defeated Clinton in two statesKansas and Nebraskabut the twin victories only netted him 47 new delegates, increasing his total to 479.

A candidate needs to get 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic presidential nomination outright.

Cruz defeated Trump in Kansas, getting 48 percent of the votes to the billionaire's 23 percent.

The Texas senator also defeated Trump in Maine, winning 46 percent to Trump's 33 percent.

Trump defeated Cruz in Kentucky, winning 36 percent to the Texas senator's 32 percent.

The real estate mogul also defeated Cruz in Louisiana, 42 percent to his rival's 38 percent.

Trump had won 10 of the first 15 contests before Saturday to emerge as the clear Republican front-runner.

However, Cruz contended that his victories on Saturday and his wins in four other states earlier show that he can beat Trump in a head-to-head fight.

"What we saw on Super Tuesday is what we're seeing today, which is that there is only one candidate who can and has beaten Donald Trump repeatedly," Cruz said in a speech on Saturday in Boise, Idaho. "We're going to win the nomination."

Trump also relished the thought of taking Cruz one-on-one. "I would love to take on Ted one-on-one," he said as he also called on Rubio to drop out of the race.

Rubio's distant third-place finish in Kansas, where he only got 17 percent of the votes, was particularly hard to swallow since he held three rallies there on Friday and had the backing of Governor Sam Brownback. It was worse in Maine where Rubio placed fourth and last, getting only 8 percent of the votes.

Rubio's only win came in the March 1 Minnesota caucuses. However, the Florida senator told reporters that he's prepared for a protracted nomination fight and that he "feels good" about the calendar from Saturday onward.

Meanwhile, Kasich said he hopes for a strong showing in Michigan, a state neighboring Ohio, where he is the sitting governor. Kasich has said he'll drop out of the race if he loses in Ohio but will be ready for a convention fight if he wins.
U.S. nuns ask: Why are big corporations, military exempted from Obamacare contraception mandate but not us?

The health insurance plans of one of three Americans are not covered by the Obamacare's contraception mandate including those offered by big corporations like Exxon, Pepsi and Visa. However, the U.S. government is asking a group of nuns to adhere to the Obamacare contraception mandate despite their religious objections. How come?

That's the question being asked by the Little Sisters of the Poor, a group of nuns who are fighting the contraception mandate in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Citing U.S. government statistics, the Little Sisters of the Poor said almost 100 million Americans don't have plans that must comply with the mandate.

"That is over one-third of all Americans under age 65," it said.

The nuns said New York City and the U.S. military are exempted from the mandate but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is forcing them to violate their faith or pay annual fines.

The U.S. government said the big corporations can access contraception through other means, CBN News reported, and that's what the nuns are asking.

"But it (the government) then bizarrely argues that exempting the Little Sisters and letting the nuns' employees get contraceptives the same way would pose a serious threat to the government's goal of providing universal free access to contraception and early-term pharmaceutical abortion, thus harming the 'harmonious functioning of a society like ours,'" according to the Becket Fund, which is representing the nuns.

Under the HHS guidelines, those with religious objections to contraception mandate can opt out by filling out a form to say that they object to the mandate. A third-party administrator will then provide the access to contraceptives to the employee.

But the nuns say filling out the form already make them complicit in providing abortifacients to their workers, which violate their religious beliefs.

The nuns said the government could achieve its goals if it provides the services through healthcare exchanges for everyone instead of forcing religious health insurance plans to offer services that violate their faith.

According to the Becket Fund, the nuns have received widespread support in the case including from religious leaders of different faiths and over 200 Democratic and Republican members of Congress.
The body of an unidentified man was found in a torched pickup truck in southeast Houston late Saturday night.

The Houston Fire Department responded to reports of a fire at around 11:45 p.m. in an open field off South Acres Drive near Cullen Boulevard. Upon arrival, they found a Toyota pickup truck completely engulfed in flames, said C.R. Hogue of the Houston Police Department's homicide unit.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
EXCLUSIVE: Acting Legend Brian Dennehy Talks New Terrence Malick Film, 'Knight of Cups'

An interview is a complicated, intoxicating beast. You rarely ever know who will be presented in front of you. Sure, you know their name, seen their film, read their book or listened to their CD, but these are flesh and blood human beings we are talking about. They are only predictable in their unpredictability. I knew deep down in my bones my newest interviewee, Brian Dennehy, would, well, be Brian Dennehy. Star of stage and screen, Mr. Dennehy could be anyway he wants to be, and who could blame him? He's Brian Dennehy. He has chased Rambo, wandered through a Peter Greenaway film, found the fountain of youth in Cocoon and its sequel.

I could go on for days. Mr. Dennehy has a new picture out called Knight of Cups in which he plays the father of mega-star Christian Bale. The film was written and directed by Terrence Malick. Mr. Dennehy stopped by Classicalite to talk about the work of art Terrence Malick has created. It is a highlight of my career that I got to chat with Brian and talk cinema, as Mr.Dennehy is a warm and gracious man.

He is very Brian Dennehy.

Classicalite - Reading your biography, I was surprised to find out you started out as a stockbroker. Why did you decide to become an actor?

Brian Dennehy - (laughs) Well, I was a stockbroker for all of six months and I don't think I even sold one stock. As for acting, like most people in this business, it's always something I wanted to do. I came from a very different environment. My father was a hard-working Irish Catholic and I was always kind of expected to go to law school. When I got out of the Marine Corp, I decided I didn't want to do that. I wanted to do this and eventually, in maybe 3 or 4 years, I began to get cast in things and, eventually everything worked out.

Classicalite - What are the biggest do's and don'ts you would give to a young person who approached you for advice?

Brian Dennehy - Take every job that is offered to you. Do something different. Make something special out of it. Don't just expect that they are going to come to you with the right part at the right time and the right place. Do as much as you can and do it wherever you have to do it, even if it is in some craphole theater in the middle of nowhere. Do you much as you can, because you always learn something, even if it's a terrible movie. Maybe, somebody will see you and give you something a little bit better. That's the way it worked out for me. I never turned anything down. I really don't turn anything down today.

Classicalite - Practice makes perfect. Brian Dennehy - You want to be seen. You have to learn how to do it. You can't be taught how to do it, but you can learn how, by doing. Classicalite - What goes into your decision-making process when accepting a role? Do you just take everything? Brian Dennehy - Yeah, not everything. There are some things I won't do. If the timing is right and price is right, then I am game for most things. These days, at my advanced age, I never turn anything down, that's because I don't get offered as much as I used to. When you get old, there aren't that many parts because there aren't that many people who are alive at that age. So, who the hell wants to see you? Classicalite - Hey, everyone wants to see Brian Dennehy I would hope. Brian Dennehy - Not everyone. Enough to pay the bills. Classicalite - Talk about Knight of Cups and how you became involved in it? Brian Dennehy - I heard from Terrence (Director and Writer Terrence Malick). He wanted me to be a part of the cast and I was delighted to be asked. Amazing actors, the whole bunch of them. I had a great time. I didn't know it at the time, but we embarked on this very creative, collaborative effort. Terrence will essentially turn the camera on and tell the actor, "You know the scene. Say what you want, make it happen." Doing this, he shot a lot of film, did a lot of sound and he has a lot of material at the end where he can cut together the kind of film he wants to make. He's a real interesting guy, real intellectual, genuine intellectual. He knows what he's doing and that's not true for a whole helluva lot of people in Hollywood, that's for sure. Classicalite - You were quoted in the press release that Terrence Malick is one of the last of the truly poetic directors. Is that a detriment of Hollywood that they aren't producing ones like him anymore? Brian Dennehy - Well, i think it depends on the director. Spielberg can make any picture he wants. He just has to announce it. To his credit, one of the last pictures he made was Lincoln, which was a brilliant film with a great script and a tremendous central performance. Terrence, in his own way, can do the same. He has people who will fund him. The way he makes pictures is a very different kind of way. He always brings his vision to bear on the screen. Terrence makes his own movies, the way he wants to make them and that's very satisfying for an actor to be working with someone who is doing the film he is wants to make and wants you to help him achieve that. Classicalite - Was it difficult adjusting to his style of, as you call it, "start the camera and go"? Brian Dennehy - No, god knows I've been in several improv classes over the years. It is very similar to that, except there is a very unobtrusive camera there recording it and he's either going to use it or get rid of it. It is all part of the process, to see what you can do, what you can come up with. It's a very interesting way of working. It's time consuming. it's not expensive, hardly any money. Some basic locations that I'm sure weren't very expensive to make available, hardly any lighting and one camera. He makes pictures for not a lot of money and, what makes them interesting is the intellectual content and demands to the viewer to try to understand the points he is trying to make. He shoots a lot of film, takes a lot of sound and laboriously puts them together. Classicalite - Talk about the two actors who played your sons, Wes Bentley and Christian Bale. Brian Dennehy - We did a couple of days of a lot of improv. Christian is a huge star and deserves to be. Already won an Oscar. Probably going to win a lot more. Very hard working and very serious about it and Wes is the same way. The three of us felt really lucky to be there. We very quickly picked up on the technique involved and the characters involved and were able to improv around those techniques and characters very successfully. For people who are good and talented like this cast was, top to bottom, it's not that complicated. It certainly helps having done a lot of theater. The people i worked with had no problem picking up the style of the picture and making it work. Classicalite - if you had to sell this picture to an audience, what would you say? BrIan Dennehy - Answer the question, how intelligent are you? How demanding are you of intelligence on screen? Do you demand a lot, expect a lot? If you go to the movies to have fun, you want to see something blown up or somebody get laid, you won't like this movie. If, on the other hand, you want your brain stimulated or provoked in a way you've probably never had it done before, then go see this picture, you'll like it. Thank you, Brian Dennehy. And my dearest Little Fische. She rocks as much as Brian Dennehy.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsBrian Dennehy, Knight of Cups, Classicalite Exclusive, Terrence Malick, Screen Legend, EXCLUSIVE, Classicalite Q&A
Movie Phantom Gerard Butler Almost Shot & Killed By Blank on London Has Fallen Set

Phantom of the Opera film actor Gerard Butler was really close to being on next years In Memoriam at the Oscar ceremonies. Butler recently revealed that he was nearly shot and killed by a blank bullet on the set of this Olympus has Fallen sequel, London Has Fallen.

Recently, Gerard Butler released a statement to the press about how he narrowly escaped an on set death, saying (via http://economictimes.indiatimes.com)

"I actually almost got shot in the face this one day at shoot, by a blank. It was a mistake as he was supposed to be firing at the dummy and when we turned he still had an extra bullet in his gun and he fired right past me. It was like a blast and a punch in the face but thank god, I was fine."

We here at Classicalite are currently glad that Gerard Butler was unharmed.

Safety on film sets is in no way guaranteed.

In 2014 Sarah Jones, a regular crew member on The Vampire Diaries, was struck and killed by a train on the set of Midnight Rider.

TVD Executive Producer Caroline Dries opened up to Hollywood Life about Sarahs death and the call for more safety measures:

Yes, [the cast and crew] would like to have her name at the Oscars In Memoriam section. But more so, [the campaign] is about awareness about Sarah specifically and also, more awareness about set safety. [It's about] having the leadership roles on set really step up and say no. What we said to the crew the day after we learned [about Sarah's death] was no shot will ever be as important as you, as your friends, as your family as you are as people. This is not the end of the world. This job will never be the end of the world. You are always the most important person; the most important thing.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsMovie, Phantom of the Opera, Gerard Butler, shot Killed Blank Bullet, London Has Fallen
Tony Winner BD Wong Talks Doctor Hugo Strange on Foxs Gotham

Tony Award winner B.D. Wong (M. Butterfly, Youre a Good Man Charlie Brown) recently joined the cast of Foxs Batman prequel series Gotham. On the series, Wong plays the twisted Doctor Hugo Strange. Now, Wong is giving a look into the mind of the powerful Bat-Villain.

Recently, B.D. Wong spoke to The Hollywood Reporter where he got inside the twisted brain of Doctor Hugo Strange:

I see him as someone sophisticated, not an average, scrappy villain, but someone who's intellectually superior and articulate, and in some ways elegant. His obsession with psychiatry and the human brain leads him to behavior and choices and activities that lead him to feel better than other people. He has a God complex.

Strange certainly isnt your typical flashy villain. Wong went on to discuss Stranges need for control:

He's not a showboater. The thing that is a really huge thing for him -- in his behavior, but also every other choice that he makes -- is control. He loves controlling people, he loves manipulating the human brain and messing with people and seeing if he can use his knowledge to actually change a person. But he's also a very controlled person himself, so control is a recurring theme with him. I think his behavior is informed by a desire for control.

Gotham airs Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. eastern on Fox.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsTony Winner, BD Wong, M Butterfly, Doctor Hugo Strange, DC Comics, FOX, Gotham
Weekly Reprise: American Psycho London Recording & UK Kinky Boots Live Albums Coming

We here at Classicalite understand that the week can be long and sometime some stories go unread. That is why we have devised the Weekly Reprise to keep you up to date on all the latest buzz. Show-Tune junkies get ready for next fix. It was recently announced that the London cast recording of American Psycho the Musical will be released alongside the shows Broadway debut. Starring Doctor Whos Matt Smith and featuring music by Spring Awakenings own Duncan Sheik, this blood soaked ode to the 80s is a must grab. Speaking of must. Sony Masterworks is gearing up to release a live audio recording of the UKs production of Kinky Boots.

Recently, Spring Awakening vet and American Psycho cast member Jennifer Damiano spoke to Broadway World about Duncan Sheik music:

Well I think, for one thing, Duncans music... he has a really special way of making stories that you think wouldn't work as musicals work. His music just kind of makes sense with the story. I think he's really good at doing that, obviously with Spring Awakening, and this piece as well. But, yeah, it's kind of amazing what they've done. It just, for some crazy reason, makes sense this way. It's very watchable for anybody that might think it isn't.

American Psycho begins previews on March 24, 2016 and will officially opening date set for April 20, 2016. American Psycho the Musical will be performed at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre located at 236 West 45th Street. Tickets are on sale now at http://americanpsychothemusical.com.

American Psycho the Original London Cast Recording will be released on March 25, one day after Broadway previews begin.

Sony Masterworks will soon be serving up a live audio recording of Kinky Boots rom the London's Adelphi Theatre,starring Killian Donnelly as Charlie and Matt Henry as Lola.

The live recording of the Grammy Award winning show will be available for pre-order on March 11 will be released on April 1.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsWeekly Reprise, American Psycho the Musical, London, Cast, Recording, uk, Kinky Boots, Live, Album
Akron police 3

Akron detectives are investigating after a 26-year-old man was found shot to death Friday night in his parked car.

(File photo)

AKRON, Ohio - Akron police are investigating after a 26-year-old man was found shot to death Friday night in his car.

Officers responded about 11 p.m. Friday to the 1200 block of Onondago Avenue in the city's Goodyear Heights neighborhood, Lt. Rick Edwards said Saturday.

The victim was found shot multiple times inside of his gold 1999 Chevy Malibu parked in a driveway. First responders pronounced the man dead at the scene, Edward said.

The man's identity will be released once family notifications are complete. The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy, Edwards said.

Police do not have any suspects in the shooting. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Akron police detective bureau at 330-375-2490.
3.5.16 Columbus child death scene

Columbus police responded to a shooting about 4 p.m. Friday at an Express Mart on the 900 block of East 5th Avenue. Three people were shot, including a 7-year-old boy who died at an area hospital.

(Columbus police)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - An 18-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a Friday afternoon shooting that killed one 7-year-old boy and injured two more people.

Marctarius Grace, 18, is scheduled to appear for arraignment 9 a.m. Monday in Franklin County Municipal Court, court records show. He faces one count of murder.

Columbus police were dispatched about 4 p.m. Friday to the Express Mart on the 900 block of East 5th Avenue, Columbus police said. Officers found three people - a 5-year-old boy, 7-year-old boy, and a 19-year-old man - shot in a car.

The 7-year-old boy, Deonte Fisher, was pronounced dead at an area hospital, police said. The other child and the man were in stable condition at a hospital as of Friday night.

Grace is accused of firing multiple rounds at the car. A motive for the shooting is still unknown, police said.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
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A group of teenage boys carjacked a woman on Cleveland's East Side and led police on a chase Friday night, police said.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A group of teenagers carjacked a woman Friday in the 3000 block of East 116th Street, and two of the boys took off in her 2009 Mercury Milan around 10 p.m., police reported Saturday.

The other boys involved in the carjacking were driving a stolen 2016 Ford Escape.

Officers spotted the Ford Escape around 1 a.m. on Colfax Road, where a short chase began. The chase ended at Wade Oval, where two boys were arrested.

Police are still are searching for two juveniles and the 2009 Mercury Milan, license plate No. GLT4055. The teenagers are believed to be armed, police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Police had been looking for the Ford Escape in connection with the March 1 robbery of a Case Western University student at gunpoint. Police are also looking for the vehicle in connection with crimes in Cleveland Heights, police said.

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The Pickaway County Sheriff's Office says Jeffrey Gullett of Piketon was killed Friday afternoon when he was hit by the train just west of U.S. Route 23, near Circleville, Ohio.

(Pickaway County Sheriff's Office/Twitter)

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio -- Despite the train's horn sounding, a man failed to move off railroad tracks before he was fatally struck, a central Ohio sheriff said Saturday.



Jeffrey Gullett, 38, of Piketon was killed Friday afternoon when he was hit by the train just west of U.S. Route 23, near Circleville, the Pickaway County Sheriff's Office said.



The train's conductor reported that Gullett had been seated on the southbound tracks and appeared to be listening to a cellphone. The conductor told authorities that the man never moved from the tracks when the train's horn sounded repeatedly.

Sheriff Robert Radcliff told the Columbus Dispatch that Gullett had earlier called for a ride from a relative, who was on her way.



The sheriff said the Pickaway County coroner has requested an autopsy and the case remains under investigation.
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be coming to Cleveland next weekend, her campaign confirmed on Saturday evening.

(Matt Rourke, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will appear twice in Cleveland next week as Ohio's March 15 primary approaches, according to her presidential campaign.

Clinton has scheduled a rally in Cleveland at an unspecified location on Tuesday, her campaign announced in a news release Saturday evening. Doors for the rally open at 7 p.m.

Then on Saturday, Clinton will appear at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood, according to campaign spokesman Yianni Varonis. He had no further details, including a start time.

But the Rev. Jawanza Colvin, the church's senior pastor, told cleveland.com on Saturday that Clinton would appear as part of an African-American town hall series organized by the Community Coalition Concerned for Black Life, a group of local religious leaders, activists and others.

Clinton would be the second Democratic presidential candidate to appear at the church in just one week. Colvin on Saturday moderated a town hall discussion featuring Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. During the event, Sanders addressed issues including jobs, poverty, education, voter ID laws, police-community relations, criminal-sentencing reform and gun violence.

Colvin said the town halls are meant to press candidates to address urban issues, and to help voters get educated about the candidates. The coalition also has invited Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich to appear, he said.

Clinton last appeared in Cleveland in late August, when she visited Case Western Reserve University for a morning rally. Her and former President Bill Clinton's daughter, Chelsea Clinton, traveled to Cleveland on Feb. 15 to stump on her behalf.

Clinton is the early delegate leader in the Democratic primary contest, and is considered the race's frontrunner. A Feb. 23 Quinnipiac University poll of likely Ohio voters showed Clinton leading Sanders 55 percent to 40 percent. Among black Ohio voters, Clinton led Sanders 71 percent to 26 percent, the poll found.

Cleveland.com reporter Jeremy Pelzer contributed to this report
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Ohio Gov. John Kasich's presidential campaign fired deputy digital director Blake Waggoner on Saturday after learning that Waggoner was charged with domestic violence last November in Washington, D.C.

(File)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Gov. John Kasich's presidential campaign announced Saturday it has fired its deputy digital director after learning he was charged with domestic violence.

Washington, D.C., police arrested Blake Waggoner, 30, on Nov. 12, 2015 after a woman accused him of choking her and punching her in the back, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, which first reported the story. Police were told the woman, who was not identified, was "screaming repeatedly 'get off me,'" according to the newspaper.

Waggoner was charged with simple assault domestic violence, a misdemeanor, according to D.C. Superior Court records. While he initially pleaded not guilty, court records show, in December he was enrolled in diversion, a program under which certain first-time offenders can have their case dismissed if they perform community service or other requirements.

Waggoner, who also served as director of rapid response for "Kasich for America,' was hired by the governor's campaign the same month as his arrest. He was fired on Saturday shortly after an Enquirer reporter asked the campaign about his actions.

"Obviously, this kind of behavior is abhorrent and completely unacceptable," said Beth Hansen, Kasich's campaign manager, in a statement. "We were unaware of the incident concerning Blake, and he is no longer an employee of the campaign."
Locals and tourist walk through the grounds of the National Palace of Culture on January 31, 2016 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Getty Images

Already at the heart of one migration crisis, Greece is struggling with another that has gone largely unnoticed, but may create new headaches for the country's battered economy. Debt troubles and the resulting political and economic turmoil has prompted a growing number of Greek companies to migrate operations to neighboring countries such as Bulgaria and Cyprus, where taxes are a fraction of what they are in Greece. The shift has exacerbated what was already a common occurrence in the Hellenic Republic: Tax evasion, which government officials estimate costs the economy $20 billion in annual revenue. Thanks to an attractive tax regime, Bulgaria has emerged as the European Union's very own version of America's Delaware, a haven for companies looking to play tax arbitrage. With a corporate tax rate of 10 percent, low incorporation costs and a glide path for foreign companies to set up shop, scores of Greek companies are seeking shelter in Bulgaria. The country's tax rate is even more generous than the 12.5 percent seen in Ireland  also a draw for multinational corporations looking to elude the grasp of the tax man. According to Bulgaria's Registry Agency, almost 14,400 Greek companies registered there by the end of 2014. Provisional data also shows that an additional 4,500 Greek-owned companies were founded in Bulgaria in 2015  a stunning average rate of 12 companies a day. Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce director Gabriela Dimitrova told CNBC that Greece currently tops the list of the countries with foreign companies registered in Bulgaria, with those numbers "constantly growing." Read MoreWhy 2016 could bring a new Greek crisis

Greece's tax avoidance problem

For the Hellenic Republic, at least part of its problem appears to be efforts to comply with the terms of its financial bailout. International creditors have demanded Greece end widespread tax avoidance. A European Commission source told CNBC that officials are working with Greece to ensure corporate taxation that is effective, limits uncertainty, and contains no distortions. At the same time, technical assistance is being provided to address the issue of income shifting across borders, the source added. Nikos Siakantaris, a managing partner at Greek tax firm UnityFour Private Consulting House, explained that Greek business migration to Bulgaria initially started in the last decade. At first, factories from Northern Greece moved there to take advantage of the reduced labor cost. Later, however, business migration transformed into full fledged tax flight, which has accelerated in the past couple years due to Greece's economic crisis. Capital controls imposed in 2015 accelerated the effect of companies seeking shelter, Siakantaris added. "It is noticeable that we are receiving numerous daily requests from either individuals or legal entities that wish to relocate for tax purposes to countries with lower tax rates, compared to the Greek ones," Siakantaris said. This flight of Greek companies to Bulgaria is possible thanks to the European Union's (EU) free movement of capital and labor, which many companies exploit to seek lower tax rates.


Less than half of American businesses have adopted the credit card chip technology that was all the rage in the fall of 2015.

Only 37 percent of businesses are currently able to accept chip-enabled credit and debit cards, according to a survey by The Strawhecker Group. TSG's sample included 92 payment service providers that service more than 3.9 million merchants, or about 50 percent of the U.S. card-accepting market.

Chip cards, also known as EMV cards (for Europay, MasterCard and Visa ), are touted for safety and improved security over traditional cards. Retailers, credit card companies and merchants were supposed to adopt the new technology by Oct. 1, 2015, or face penalties. Missing the deadline made U.S. card-accepting merchants liable for fraudulent transactions.

Read More MasterCard to replace passwords with selfies



In September, 27 percent of merchants supported the new EMV cards, with an expectation of it rising to 44 percent by December. That has not happened four months after the deadline.

TSG found that the three big hurdles slowing EMV implementation are payment processor readiness, gateway readiness and technical staff resource availability.
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Former first lady Nancy Reagan has died, according to a spokeswoman with the Reagan Library. She was 94. The cause of death was congestive heart failure, according to her rep Joanne Drake. "Mrs. Reagan will be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, next to her husband, Ronald Wilson Reagan, who died on June 5, 2004," Drake wrote in a statement. "Prior to the funeral service, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to pay their respects at the Library." "It is a very sad day," former Ronald Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein told NBC News. "Every time she was in the room, he was better, and every time he was in the room she was better. She brought a sense of class and dignity and elegance that everybody admired."

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Her step-son Michael Reagan posted on Facebook: "She is once again with the man she loved. God Bless."

Barbara Bush, another former first lady, said in a statement: "Nancy Reagan was totally devoted to President Reagan, and we take comfort that they will be reunited once more. George and I send our prayers and condolences to her family." In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Reagan asked that contributions be made to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation at www.reaganlibrary.com, Drake said.
The Memphis City Council last week adopted a resolution asking the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to delay the mass relocation of families in the rundown Tulane and Warren Apartments.

HUD, last month, announced that some 450 families would be relocated from the complexes because the owner, Global Ministries Foundation, founded by the Rev. Richard Hamlet, failed to make repairs and provide quality housing. HUD also ended its housing assistance payment contract with GMF.

To put it more strongly, city code inspectors found many of the units in the apartments uninhabitable and others in bad need of repair.

The Warren apartments off Elvis Presley Boulevard just north of Interstate 240 has a persistent crime problem. To a lesser extent, so does the Tulane apartments at Tulane Road and Shelby Drive in Whitehaven.

What has been happening at those the apartments mocks the purpose of HUD's rent assistance programs, which are supposed to provide safe affordable housing for the poor and low-income while providing an opportunity to improve their lives.

Council members expressed the same concerns I did in this space last Sunday. Where are these people going to go? Who is going to really make sure these families do not use their rent vouchers to end up in apartment complexes as bad as or worse than the Tulane and Warren? HUD or Memphis Housing Authority, which will handle vouchers for HUD?

The issue is made more complicated because about 380 families in Foote Homes are about to be uprooted as part of the city's South City Transformation Plan. South City involves the city and MHA leveraging a $30 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant with public and private funds to demolish and rebuild Foote Homes, and redevelop the surrounding neighborhood.

MHA does not have the vacancies in its other redeveloped complexes to house the Foote, Warren and Tulane families.

The Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis, since 2004, has partnered with the city and MHA in securing HUD Hope 6 grants to revitalize the old Lamar Terrace project into University Place and the old Dixie Homes project into Legends Park.

A big part of the partnership involved providing comprehensive, personalized case management services for families from the targeted Hope 6 communities, including helping families prepare to return to the new MHA developments.

MHA has been criticized because not all of the residents who were relocated were allowed back into the new developments. Some did not want to come back. Others did not want to make the lifestyle change commitment that would allow them to come back.

Robert Lipscomb, the former city director of Housing and Community Development and former MHA executive director, who engineered the Hope 6 make overs, answered critics by saying the key point of the redevelopments was to change the dynamics of people's lives toward positive outcomes. That cannot happen if the people, whose actions made public housing enclaves of poverty, crime and hopelessness, are unwilling to change.

I know that sounds harsh, but the reality is that actions of some families  not all  in the Warren and Tulane apartments, and the old MHA projects, contributed to the crime and dire living conditions. But that does not absolve GMF from its negligence.

Ruby Bright is the Women's Foundation executive director and chief administrative officer.

She said the experience the foundation has gained from its work with the city and MHA has prepared the foundation to launch a major poverty reduction effort in the 38126 ZIP code, one of the poorest in Memphis. Bright's group will take what they have learned from the foundation's job training, education and family support services to place a sharp focus on the Foote Homes families.

"We want to take what we have learned over the past 13 years with the (MHA) partnership ... and the South City revitalization to see if we can break the cycle of poverty," Bright said, adding the HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant, unlike Hope 6, will provide more services to help the foundation's effort.

Bright also made this key point. "We want to walk with them (families), not carry them."

You cannot help people who are not willing to help themselves. People have to take some responsibility for making their lives better, including taking advantage of programs that provide them with the support needed to make the change.

Granted, given the city's 30 percent poverty rate, there are not enough of those programs. But an easy way to start is with young children  doing things that will help them succeed in school, for example, like reading to them at an early age.

Many of the families in these apartments are caught up in a cycle of generational poverty  fueled by bad choices, children raising children, low-education attainment and low-wage employment, and a public assistance system that seems designed more to help families subsist rather than to climb out of poverty.

Some families or members of those families managed to escape. The Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis hopes their efforts in 38126 will help more of those families climb the ladder to a better life.
February 25, 2016 - Carnes Elementary School students walk past a boarded up house on their way home after school. A few blocks away Earnest Williams, 27, was arrested for standing on a front porch in the 800 block of Faxon for a charge that falls under a nuisance abatement order involving the 47 Neighborhood Crips/Dixie Homes Murda gang. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)

By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal

A lawyer for a 27-year-old Memphis man charged with standing on a front porch and associating with gang members is challenging the constitutionality of a gang injunction against him.

Earnest Williams was served an injunction that prohibits members of the Dixie Homes Murda Gang/47 Neighborhood Crips from associating with each other in public inside a court-ordered "safety zone" near the Medical District. He was arrested May 6 after detectives responded to a complaint of gang activity inside the zone.

Assistant Public Defender Barbara Sidelnik has filed a motion to dismiss the injunction against Williams arguing the injunction is unconstitutional, overly broad and vague.

Part of the injunction prohibits members of the gang from "standing, sitting, walking, driving, gathering, or appearing anywhere in public view or anyplace accessible to the public" with each other, with an exception for attending class in a school, on school business and inside a place of worship.

Sidelnik argues that the order involves conduct protected by the Constitution and "creates a direct and substantial burden on intimate associations, especially as applied to (Williams), whose brother is also enjoined under the same order."

Sidelnik wrote that the order would "extend to hanging out with one's cousin on the porch of one's home, to chatting with one's father in one's living room, and even to sleeping in one's bedroom with one's spouse, assuming the room is visible from a public place such as the street."

Sidelnik is also challenging a provision of the injunction that calls for members of the gang to stay away from guns and dangerous weapons. She wrote that the provision infringes "on an individual's freedom of association under the First Amendment. ... One could be totally prohibited from associating with any family member, be they a member of a gang or not, who lawfully possesses a firearm."

A court date in the matter is set for April, and the state is challenging Sidelnik's motion.

Williams, who declined to comment for this story, was arrested after detectives responded to a complaint of gang activity in the area of Faxon and Dunlap near Thomas and Jackson. A sergeant had received "multiple complaints" of a "high volume of criminal gang activity regarding members of the 47 Neighborhood Crips/Dixie Homes Murda Gang" in the area, according to a court document.

Detectives observed Williams standing on a front porch in the 800 block of Faxon with three other men, including Steve Nelson who is alleged to have a leadership role in the gang. Two people were standing across the street. They were "associating" with each other in public while in the safety zone in violation of the injunction, according to an affidavit.

Violating the injunction is a C misdemeanor punishable by 30 days in jail, a maximum $50 fine, or both.

The Tennessee legislature included gangs in the state's nuisance statute in 2009. The state's first gang injunction was issued in March 2013 in Davidson County. Memphis' first injunction was ordered in September 2013 against the Riverside Rolling 90's following an investigation by the Multi-Agency Gang Unit.

The gang unit, comprised of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Shelby County District Attorney General's Office, Shelby County Sheriff's Office and the Memphis Police Department, formed in 2012 to combat street gang crime.

Thirty-six arrests have been made for violations of safety zone injunctions in Memphis, said Vince Higgins, communications director for Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich.

There are six safety zones: Riverside, Dixie Homes, Greenbriar, Ridgecrest and two in Binghamton.

The order involving Williams' case covers an area bounded by Jackson to the north, Thomas to the west, Poplar to the south and Interstate 40/240 to the east.

"Gangs work in numbers as we know," Weirich said at the announcement of the Dixie Homes Murda Gang/47 NHC injunction, which Environmental Court Judge Larry Potter ordered Oct. 6, 2014. "They get strength from one another. And what this gang injunction will hopefully do is weaken that strength and weaken that power and send them away."

Josh Spickler, executive director of the legal advocacy group Just City, which formed in Memphis in 2015, said the injunctions give police "license to over-police communities that already see a heavy law enforcement presence."

"These zones have the effect of straining already difficult relationships between the protectors and those they are charged with protecting," he said. "They can create situations in which family members are unable to be together outside of their home. They can create situations like this one, where someone is arrested for simply being on a front porch."

Assistant District Attorney Colin Campbell defended the injunction order saying in court documents that it is not overly broad and that these gang relationships are not protected by the Constitution.

"While there are certain family members in the same gang, their coming together to engage in criminal activity does not equate to an intimate association," he wrote.

Campbell argued the order is "narrowly tailored to meet a compelling state interest in protecting neighborhoods."

The safety zone includes a lodging facility for families with sick children and an elementary school. It is near medical facilities and children's health care providers.

The state alleged in a 2014 petition that the Dixie Homes Murda Gang/47 Neighborhood Crips is a violent gang with ties to a California gang called the 47 NHC.

"A member imported the gang from California to Memphis and made its area of operation the old Dixie Homes housing project off of Poplar Avenue," the state alleged. The Dixie Homes housing project is gone and Legends Park opened in its place in 2010.

The group began calling itself the Dixie Homes Music Group in 2003 and Dixie Homes Murda Gang in 2011, according to the petition.

Marquavious Houston, who joined the 47 NHC at age 17 according to the state, was convicted of murder in the killing of Marco Blockmon on Jan. 17, 2011. Blockmon was traveling in a Ford Crown Victoria on Decatur near J.W. Williams when he was shot to death.

The murder, committed with Christopher Swift who was also convicted, "was a main contributing factor in the gang's name change from 'Music Gang' to 'Murda Gang,'" the state alleged.

The petition alleged illegal drug sales by the gang in public view and within 1000 feet of an elementary school.

"Despite the concerted efforts of law enforcement, the illegal activities of DHMG/47 NHC continue unabated," the state said.

Members of the gang are initiated by being beaten in "brutal attacks" that "occur on children as young as 15 who seek membership in the gang," the state said.

"Residents and other citizens in the area have voiced their safety concerns to officers of the Multi-Agency Gang Unit," the state said. "Many of these individuals feel unsafe in the neighborhood and try to remain inside. Members of the public reported frequently seeing shootings, fighting, drug sales and gambling."

People interviewed recently on Mosby near Dunlap described the injunction as unfair and as causing stereotyping and profiling. They instead called for programs to keep children out of trouble.

Marta "Mar-tay" Taylor, 31, said the community is extremely close-knit.

"You all are trying to eradicate a whole community instead of trying to work with a community," Taylor said.

"All they are worried about is a conviction," he said. "They are trying to help themselves really. They're making the community poorer and poorer."

"They need to put some money into the community," said 24-year-old Will Lewis.

"Stop profiling," Taylor added. "See what this community is all about."

The charge against Williams was initially dismissed in November after Sidelnik filed a motion arguing that he was not properly served notice of the injunction.

Williams was immediately served again.

After the constitutional issues are argued in court, the state would have to prove his membership in the gang.

Safety Zone rules On Oct. 6, 2014, Environmental Court Judge Larry Potter set up a safety zone where members of the Dixie Homes Murda Gang/47 Neighborhood Crips are restricted from associating with each other in public. Other rules of the injunction include: Do not intimidate.

No dangerous weapons.

No graffiti tools or graffiti.

Do not sell, possess or use illegal drugs.

Do not act as a lookout to warn about police approaching.

Do not possess alcohol in public.

Do not trespass.

Do not force people into the gang.

Do not force people to stay in the gang.

Obey the law.
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By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal

The driver of a vehicle that flipped and landed upside down in water died Saturday afternoon in the two-vehicle crash at Interstate 55 and Third Street, police said.

Eric L. Stephens, 20, was identified as the victim. Police said emergency workers attempted to rescue him, but he died a short time later.

According to Memphis police, Stephens' vehicle entered I-55 eastbound from S. Third at high speed. His vehicle struck a second vehicle, also eastbound in the center lane. After striking the second vehicle from the rear, Stephens' vehicle swerved and hit the guard rail twice before traveling into the median and over the dirt embankment. The vehicle came to rest in a creek underneath the interstate.

No one else was reported injured.
March 1, 2016 - Polling Judge George Keistler tears voting stickers off a roll as Memphians start lining up at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church to cast their Super Tuesday ballot. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)



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By Michael Collins of The Commercial Appeal

WASHINGTON - The candidates campaigned. The voters voted.

And with Super Tuesday behind us, Tennessee's influence in the 2016 presidential election is pretty much over.

"That's the last we'll see of the presidential race," said Vanderbilt University political scientist Bruce Oppenheimer, who studies elections.

Barring some dramatic, unforeseen turn of events, Republican-red Tennessee will be safe territory for the GOP nominee this fall and will be largely forgotten as the candidates fight it out in battleground states like Ohio, Florida and Virginia.

"The way our system is set up, the presidential election is fought out in a handful of states. Tennessee is not one of them," said Anthony Nownes, a political scientist at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Tennessee Republicans will send 58 delegates to the party's national convention in Cleveland in July. If there is a fight for delegates - as some party insiders looking to take down Donald Trump are banking on - the state could play a role in picking the party's nominee.

Otherwise, "we've had our input," Oppenheimer said.

Tennessee got its share of attention leading up to last week's Super Tuesday primaries.

All of the major candidates, except for Democrat Bernie Sanders, campaigned in the state in the final stretch before voters went to the polls.

Trump told a crowd inside a Millington Regional Jetport hangar that he's "got to win" Tennessee's primary. He did - by 14 points.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton appeared at church services in Memphis, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida campaigned in Knoxville, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich spoke at the Knox County Republican Party's annual Lincoln Day dinner.

On the airwaves, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was dominant. Cruz and his "super PAC" spent more than $1 million on television advertising in Tennessee, with some of it devoted to attacking Trump.

Oppenheimer said Tennessee voters should not expect an onslaught of advertising in the fall, since the candidates will be focused elsewhere.

"We've seen all of the ads that we're going to see," he said.

Tennesseans shouldn't expect to see any more of the candidates either, unless they swing through the state to raise money, Nownes said.

"By and large, I think they're done," he said. "Moving forward for the next couple of months, they are going to focus most of their attention on the primaries and caucuses that have not been held yet. And in the general election, they're going to focus on the battleground states and pretty much ignore Tennessee like they have in past elections."

Tennesseans may not have much clout in the presidential race going forward, but they certainly made their voices heard. A record 1.22 million voted in the state's primary, topping the previous presidential primary record of 1.17 million set in 2008.

Possibly the biggest takeaway from last Tuesday's results: Trump's commanding victory - he carried 94 of the state's 95 counties - is further evidence that tough days may lie ahead for the state's moderate Republicans, Oppenheimer said.

Trump carried the day even though Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander both threw their support to Rubio, who came in third.

"If there's a message here," Oppenheimer said, "it's that the more moderate part of the Republican Party in Tennessee is going to have a hard time winning statewide primaries."

Michael Collins is The Commercial Appeal's Washington correspondent. His weekly Tennessee in D.C. column highlights Volunteer State lawmakers, causes and connections. Contact him at 202-408-2711 or michael.collins@jmg.com.
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By Ron Maxey of The Commercial Appeal

Mississippi voters get their turn at this year's presidential sweepstakes Tuesday, when the state joins Michigan, Idaho and Hawaii in primary action.

The two "M" states - Mississippi and Michigan - will hold primary elections for both Democrats and Republicans. Idaho will hold a Republican primary, and Hawaii will have precinct caucuses.

Locally, Mississippi voters will make party selections from a field that became a bit clearer after last week's March 1 Super Tuesday primaries, in which neighboring Tennessee and Arkansas participated. Another neighbor, Louisiana, held its primary Saturday, and voters there chose Trump and Clinton. Kansas, Kentucky, Maine and Nebraska all held caucuses Saturday.

On the Republican side, the Mississippi ballot lists 13 candidates but nine are out of the race. Those still waging active campaigns are Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich.

The Democratic ballot lists five contenders, but Martin O'Malley has suspended his campaign. Other candidates are Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Roque 'Rocky' De La Fuente and Willie Wilson.

Wilson's name was added after the state Supreme Court ordered Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann's office to do so. Wilson was originally left off because the state Democratic Party contended he did not submit enough signatures to get on the ballot. Ballots to military personnel stationed overseas were mailed already without Wilson's name.

The only other item on Tuesday's ballot for DeSoto County and other North Mississippi voters is the First Congressional District primary. On the Republican side, incumbent Trent Kelly faces a challenge from Paul Clever. Jacob Owens is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

A little more than 500 absentee ballots - about an average number for a primary, according to the DeSoto County Circuit Clerk's office - were cast as of late last week. Absentee voting ended Saturday. Mississippi does not have early voting, but those over 65 and older and others who affirm they will be away on election day can cast absentee ballots ahead of time.

Joe Nosef, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, said last month in Southaven he thought not being part of the Super Tuesday primary might actually work to the advantage of Mississippi voters by giving them a clearer picture of the realistic options in candidates.

He may have been right.

Since his comments, Trump has solidified his surprising ascent with a strong March 1 showing, and only three contenders remain to challenge him after Ben Carson ended his campaign last week, saying he will lead a Christian voter group.

A number of prominent mainstream Republicans, including 2008 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, have begun to coalesce in opposition to Trump in recent days; it remains to be seen what impact that will have on Mississippi voters, who were drawn to the front-runner's message in significant numbers during a Gulf Coast stop earlier. Trump makes a second Mississippi appearance Monday in Madison. Cruz also is scheduled to appear in the state Monday.

On the other side, Clinton has pulled away from Sanders and regained her early appearance as the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Rickey Cole, the state's Democratic Party chairman, said he doesn't like the way the primary system's is set up and would like to regionalize primaries, better consolidating the candidate selection process.

"I'm not a big fan of the way we have it now, with so much influence on (earlier primaries in) Iowa and New Hampshire," Cole said.

Future primaries could look a bit different for Mississippi voters under election law reforms pushed by Hosemann. Legislators in the House last week approved bills permitting online voter registration and a form of early voting, in which ballots could be cast by anyone up to 14 days before the election date at their local circuit clerk's office.

The measures still must be approved by the Senate, where similar legislation died last week when senators failed to act before a Thursday deadline.

The House bills did not include some of Hosemann's proposals, including moving the state's presidential primary up a week to the first Tuesday of March.
Photo illustration by John Sale/The Commercial Appeal A Clinton versus Trump campaign could get ugly, further polarizing an already angry electorate.

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By Dan Balz, Washington Post

Super Tuesday victories by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton put the nation on a path toward an ugly and contentious general election, pitting a pair of major-party presidential candidates saddled with vulnerabilities in a contest that will be decided by a fearful and angry electorate divided along racial, cultural and ideological lines.

A Trump-Clinton general election would represent the continuation of a decade or more of politics marked by gridlock in Washington, distrust of institutions and leaders, and political discourse that has been on a downward spiral. Whoever wins in November would face the enormously difficult task of trying to bring the country together in the hope of being able to govern effectively.

Trump would lead a Republican Party ruptured and with at least a portion of its followers dispirited by his nomination. He also would face resistance from legions of other voters who consider his nativist message bigoted and repellent.

Clinton would enjoy a more united Democratic Party, although not all would be enthusiastic about her candidacy. Democratic turnout in the primaries has been much lower than it was in 2008, a possible warning sign of less energy behind the party's nominee in the fall. Beyond her party, Clinton remains a sharply polarizing figure who engenders distrust, even anger, from her opponents.

For millions of voters, the motivating emotions in such a race would be largely negative - driven by stop-Trump or stop-Clinton sentiments as well as fears that the other party's candidate might prevail and general distress over the state of the country. What the presidential campaign has shown is that positive messages and uplifting visions have barely resonated with the voters. The odds suggest that the general election would be an extension of that pattern.

It has not come to that point yet. Clinton must keep at least a partial eye on Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as she steadily accumulates the delegates needed to win the nomination. Trump, for all his success Tuesday, still remains far short of a majority of the delegates needed to secure the GOP nomination, leaving anti-Trump forces within the party clinging to the hope they can derail him before he can attain the number he needs.

The spectacle of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., using his megaphone on the morning of Super Tuesday to reaffirm that the Republicans are the party of Abraham Lincoln, not bigotry or white supremacy, said everything about what Trump's candidacy has done to the party he seeks to lead.

Ryan is among those preaching the gospel of positive ideas over personal insults as the GOP's route to winning the White House. So far, he and others who share his views have been fighting a rear-guard action against the grass-roots forces angry with leaders in Washington and drawn to Trump's populist message.

Clinton faces nothing like that resistance within the Democratic Party. Sanders has talked of carrying his anti-establishment message into the spring and possibly later. But Clinton is on a clear path to victory and, as she showed on Tuesday night, is already looking toward the general election.

Among her challenges will be her image among skeptical independents and even Republicans turned off by Trump before the fall race begins in earnest. Since her thumping victory in South Carolina last weekend, her message has been focused increasingly on Trump, as she tries to position herself as the more optimistic and empathetic of the two.

What the country needs is "love and kindness," she said again Tuesday night, not anger and insults. Playing off the New York billionaire's pledge to "make America great, again," Clinton said the United States already is a great country, and long has been one. What's needed, she argues, is to make it "whole."

Trump mocked that aspiration, although the sentiment might be shared by many voters after a year of poisonous political rhetoric. In recent days, the GOP race has descended into a trough of petty insults and vulgarities that most people consider unbecoming of the highest office in the land.

Whether Clinton is the candidate who can make the case that as president she could unite the country is a far different question. Other than President Obama, no Democrat inflames the opposition more than she does. Republicans have not forgotten that, in an early Democratic debate, Clinton said that among the enemies she has made about which she is most proud are Republicans.

A Pew Research poll in January asked Americans to rate the prospects of leading presidential candidates. The question was whether they would make good or bad presidents. For Clinton, 35 percent offered a positive response while 44 percent were negative. Just 11 percent said she would make a great president, while 28 percent said she would be terrible.

For Trump, about 3 in 10 gave him positive ratings, compared with about half with a negative view. Those who said he would be a great president totaled 11 percent, the same as for Clinton. But 38 percent said he would be terrible, 10 points higher than for the former secretary of state.

A recent CNN/ORC poll found that just 37 percent of registered voters have a favorable impression of Trump, compared with 60 percent who view him unfavorably. For Clinton, it was 42 favorable to 55 percent unfavorable.

Clinton's weaknesses have been evident throughout the campaign - a lack of trust from voters, many of whom question her honesty. Her candidacy remains clouded by an FBI investigation of the use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. Trump's weaknesses are even more glaring, as the turmoil inside the Republican Party highlights.

The attack lines for a Trump-Clinton general election are already obvious and will become sharper. Trump's failure to denounce the Ku Klux Klan last weekend is only one statement that could come at him. The criticisms launched by Marco Rubio in the closing days before Super Tuesday - that Trump is an unprincipled "con man" who has exaggerated his business acumen and who has no grasp of policy issues - only hint at what the Democrats would throw at him.

Trump said Tuesday night that he would be a "unifier" as the GOP nominee but he also signaled his intention to talk almost exclusively about Clinton in the general election. Given his style of campaigning, the attacks on her would be even more personal and relentless, aimed not only at her honesty and her handling of the email issue, but also at her husband's past dalliances, at the Obama record overseas and her complicity in that record during her tenure as secretary of state.

That's a recipe for a general election largely bereft of aspirational campaigning, more negative by far than the campaign of 2012 in which Obama and the Democrats pounded Republican nominee Mitt Romney as an out-of-touch plutocrat and the Republicans hammered Obama as a president who was trying to take the country far to the left.

That campaign left the nation deeply divided, and the past three years have done little to change the environment. The fall campaign has not fully taken shape. But everything to this point suggest that's where this crucial contest could be heading.
ADVANCE FOR USE SATURDAY, FEB. 6, 2016 AT 8 A.M. EST AND THEREAFTER; THIS STORY MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST OR POSTED ONLINE BEFORE SATURDAY, FEB. 6, 2016 AT 8 A.M. EST - FILE - A customer looks at a pistol at a vendor's display at a gun show held by Florida Gun Shows in Miami on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016. States enter data into the national background check system about people who are convicted of crimes that disqualify them from buying guns. That information turns up when licensed dealers conduct background checks and has resulted in more than 120,000 applicants being denied since 1998 for having misdemeanor domestic violence convictions. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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By Iain Overton, Los Angeles Times

Americans love guns. And Americans hate anyone who dares to criticize their infatuation.

The first truth is rooted in America's almost unique constitutional right to bear arms - a legal and cultural paradigm that allows its citizens to own more than 300 million guns. This is roughly twice as many firearms per capita than there were in 1968, so it's a growing love affair.

It's also a painful one - according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 1.4 million Americans were killed or injured by guns between 2001 and 2013.

The second truth is, perhaps, best proved by the outcry after British journalist Piers Morgan condemned America's gun culture. More than 100,000 people signed a petition in 2012 called "Deport British Citizen Piers Morgan for Attacking 2nd Amendment."

But more foreigners should be speaking out about America's deadly relationship with the gun. The right to bear arms, and the sheer number of firearms bought and sold in this country every year as a result, have undeniable global implications. For a start, Americans in effect support the world's gun economy. In addition to the 8.6 million guns made in the U.S. in 2012, 4.8 million more were imported from overseas. The U.S. import volume of foreign guns more than tripled between 2003 and 2012.

More insidious, though, is how the licit U.S. gun industry affects the illicit Latin American gun market. The ease with which guns can be bought in the U.S., and the fact that many sales may be conducted without background checks, has deep consequences.

The majority of guns found in Mexico and Central America are from the United States. It is estimated that more than 250,000 guns flow south of the border into Mexico - a country with just one official gun retailer - every year. Roughly 45 percent of U.S. firearms licensees are believed to rely on Mexican trade for their survival. To the north, Canada estimates that 50 percent of the guns used in crime in Ottawa were smuggled across the border.

In 2014, El Salvador had almost 4,000 killings, a rate of about 62 homicides per 100,000 (in the U.S. it is about 4 per 100,000). Most of these slayings were committed with guns - and about 50 percent of guns traced in El Salvador that year came from the United States. The lifting of the federal assault weapons ban in the U.S. in 2004 resulted in more than 2,600 estimated additional homicides in Mexico.

Even as the Second Amendment contributes to rising crime in nearby countries, it also validates the concept of governing with guns, both at home and abroad. The U.S. government has, in one decade - between 2006 and 2016 - spent more than $6 billion on small arms alone. That figure reflects a wider trigger-happy reality in which about 250,000 bullets were fired by U.S. troops in Iraq for every rebel killed.

Such governmental largesse has consequences. The Pentagon acknowledges that it has lost track of about 190,000 rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces. And 43 percent of the 747,000 weapons given to the Afghan National Army could not be accounted for. Without question, U.S. government-funded arms have ended up in the hands of Islamic State militants. And ammunition magazines identical to those given to Afghan government forces by the U.S. military have been found on dead Taliban fighters.

But the Second Amendment isn't just upholding the worldwide gun market, fueling smuggling networks and inadvertently arming terrorist groups. America's passion for guns also inhibits effective global gun control treaties.

The multilateral Arms Trade Treaty would, among other things, have prohibited the U.S. from transferring arms to states that might use them in genocide or crimes against humanity. Although the U.S. signed the treaty in 2013, Congress refused to ratify it, in large part because the National Rifle Association claimed it would curtail Americans' right to bear arms. Amnesty International insisted that wasn't true, but lawmakers listened to their favorite lobby.

The U.S. is also to blame for watering down the United Nations' 2001 Program of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Then-Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton ensured the program made no mention of the civilian possession of arms nor the need for laws to control them in the final document.

It is not just the United States that deserves criticism. Russian and Chinese state arms manufacturers have caused untold harm, as have private manufacturers in the European Union. But Russia and China don't pretend to be fully functioning democracies, and the EU's gun makers have limited sway politically. America, on the other hand, legitimizes and embraces political donations from gun manufacturers. (All but three of the 45 senators who torpedoed gun control measures in Congress in 2013 accepted donations from gun lobbyists.) And it fails to stem the flow of illegal guns to the drug gangs of Latin America.

America's gun control debate has now hit the political mainstream: President Barack Obama makes a point of speaking out after mass shootings. That discourse should acknowledge that measured gun control will not just affect Americans, but could also benefit the entire world.

Iain Overton is author of "The Way of the Gun: A Bloody Journey Into the World of Firearms."
Sharon Guindon (left), mother of Prince William County, Va., police officer Ashley Guindon, is comforted by a Prince William County officer after funeral services for Officer Guindon Tuesday in Woodbridge, Va. Cliff Owen Associated Press

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By Petula Dvorak, Washington Post

The risks are real and the threats are much more complex than most people want to acknowledge.

Every time cops like Ashley Guindon put on their badges and head out to work, the criminals they encounter are only one small part of their difficult, dangerous jobs.

Nearly 1 million men and women in blue put their lives in jeopardy every day because they are too often the ones fighting the war on so many social issues that the rest of the nation refuses to properly address: domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, poverty and gun control.

This was how Guindon - a 28-year-old Marine Corps Reserve veteran, double-degree college graduate in aeronautics and forensics, and newly sworn-in police officer - was killed Feb. 27 on her first shift as a Prince William County, Virginia, police officer.

She was an ideal rookie - smart, tough, well-educated and with enough opportunity in other career fields that a life on the beat had to be chosen out of conviction and passion for the work.

She had perspective, having recently worked as part of the unit at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling that dealt with returning the remains of fallen Marines to their families. She is the daughter of a sergeant who killed himself the day after he returned home from the war in Iraq in 2004.

But it was in a quiet suburb in Northern Virginia on a domestic disturbance call that she met her own death.

Army Sgt. Ronald Hamilton, 32, had been fighting all day with his wife, Crystal, who finally called 911, police said.

Guindon got the call. And when she arrived at the Hamiltons' door, Crystal Hamilton was dead and Ronald Hamilton allegedly opened fire. Guindon was killed and two other officers, Jesse Hempen, 31, and David McKeown, 33, were injured.

Blue blood was spilled here because of something folks don't like to talk about, something that is politicized, marginalized and too often dismissed as a social issue: domestic violence.

The story wasn't too different a couple of weeks ago in Abington, Maryland, where David Evans, who has a long history of mental illness - and who is suspected of shooting his ex-wife years ago - allegedly killed two Harford County Sheriff's deputies inside a Panera Bread. And it all apparently began with mental illness and access to guns.

A police officer is killed in the line of duty about every 2 days in the United States, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Last year, 124 officers were killed, 42 of them by gunfire, 52 in traffic accidents and 24 died of work-related heart attacks, according to the fund.

Nine of the officers killed last year were women, which was more than double the four female officers killed in 2014.

This year has been a deadly one for police officers, with 11 killed. At this time in 2015, only one had fallen in the line of duty.

Who kills police? The FBI data on law enforcement officer deaths shows that between 2004 and 2013, white males were the most frequent killers of cops.

It's no secret that police work is dangerous, and these men and women clearly put their lives in peril every day. But anyone discussing #BlueLivesMatter has to acknowledge where nearly all the risks to police officers come from.

Supporting police is about far more than a Facebook post, a tweet or a slogan. It means taking a serious look at the threats they confront daily and coming up with real solutions to minimize them.

It may not fit into a tough-guy meme to say that true reform of our mental health system saves police lives, but it would. So would better drug treatment.

And taking on domestic violence on behalf of police officers doesn't sound sexy, but seven cops were killed last year responding to such calls.

Want to talk guns?

The states ranked among the highest for gun owners by Guns & Ammo magazine - Georgia, Louisiana and Texas - also had the highest rates of officer deaths.

It's no mystery why police officers are vocal about the recent legislation passed in Texas allowing guns on university campuses. They are afraid for their lives, too.

We ask cops every day to be social workers, marriage counselors, psychiatrists, negotiators, teachers and friends. And yet, too often, the same people who ask this of police balk when asked to support the other people who are trying to do those jobs.

Ashley Guindon was an accomplished, thoughtful woman. And an appropriate way to honor her sacrifice is to acknowledge that the work of law enforcement officers is nuanced, complex and requires an American partnership that's much deeper than simply taking sides along a thin blue line.
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With the city already facing a host of financial issues, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, who took office 66 days ago, delivered more disturbing budget news to the City Council Tuesday.

He said he recently found that five projects will cost the city nearly $136.3 million in capital budget dollars over the next five years, tightening capital spending that should stay within $70 million per year to keep the city's debt service in check.

The city takes out debt to fund its annual capital budget, which covers, among other things, the city's paving, body cameras, equipment and development projects.

And even though projects are the result of commitments made by his predecessors, it will be illustrative to see how Strickland, who served as the council's chairman and chairman of its Budget Committee, juggles running a city on a tight budget while considering investments that can help move it forward.

It is safe to speculate that it is quite different being the city's top executive trying to balance the city's finances as a opposed to being a fiscally conservative councilman, who sometimes challenged his predecessors' spending priorities.

The biggest part project, Strickland told the council, will be $60 million the city will have to spend over the next three years to replace the radio systems used by police, fire and Public Works.

He also learned that the city will, over the next five years, have to spend $30 million to match a federal grant for the "South City" redevelopment of Foote Homes, $25 million for critical Memphis Area Transit Authority bus repairs, $15 million on FedExForum improvements and $6.28 million for police dash and body cameras.

That boils down to nearly $25.4 million next fiscal year, then more than $40 million in the fiscal years that end in 2018 and 2019, and more than $15 million a year in fiscal years that end in 2020 and 2021.

Over the last several years, local governments across the country have had to change their radio systems, especially public safety agencies, to make communication among themselves easier.

So, in way, Memphis is a bit behind the curve on that front.

The HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant and the city's investment will be used to attract some $220 million in private investment that not only will redevelop Foote, but will also make major improvements to the surrounding neighborhood.

It is an investment that can be major weapon in the city's fight against poverty and blight.

The mayor has made reducing crime and doing the basics of government "brilliantly" priorities for his administration .

As a result of cuts in benefits for city employees and retirees in 2014, however, the city has been bleeding police officers, and Thomas Malone, head of the fire fighters union, warned that other cities are recruiting Memphis fighter fighters.

City budget deliberations are expected to begin in April for the 2016-2017 budget year that begins July 1, and it will be interesting to see what Strickland proposes and what the council has an appetite for.

Several of the council's African-American members have not been shy about looking unfavorably on capital projects that do not benefit the city's poorer neighborhoods.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for the mayor and council is finding ways to move the entire city forward, especially its distressed neighborhoods, within budget realities.
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By Justin Owen and Hedy Weinberg, Special to Viewpoint

In 2012, George Reby, a professional insurance adjuster, had $22,000 in cash seized by Tennessee law enforcement.

The seizing officer admitted Reby "hadn't committed a criminal law." But since "he couldn't prove (the cash) was legitimate," the officer confiscated his money anyway without a hint of actual evidence.

Reby was never arrested or formally charged with any crime. After four months, he was able to retrieve his cash, but only after signing a waiver agreeing not to sue the state for seizing his money. George Reby is but one of many innocent people caught up in our state's unfair and broken civil asset forfeiture system.

Civil asset forfeiture gives law enforcement the power to steal property from someone who has not been convicted of a crime. In fact, law enforcement never even has to allege that the property is related to a crime at all; they merely have to suspect it. Indeed, in Tennessee every year, law enforcement agents seize millions of dollars from civilians during traffic stops, simply by asserting (without proof) that they believe the money is connected to some illegal activity. Oftentimes they seize the property without ever pursuing criminal charges against the property owner.

Originally intended to target drug kingpins, the current civil asset forfeiture system actually harms innocent people. While some asset forfeitures are legitimately connected to criminal activity, many others are not.

In fact, 87 percent of federal forfeiture proceedings between 1997 and 2013 were civil cases, not criminal. The median forfeiture amount in Tennessee is $502 - hardly a "kingpin" level haul. And there's no research indicating that asset forfeiture reduces crime. To the contrary, when law enforcement is chasing dollars and not bad guys, they aren't serving the public interest. This contravenes the stated purpose of asset forfeiture.

Meanwhile, the deck is unfairly stacked against the innocent property owners caught up in this broken system, who essentially bear the cost of going to court and the burden of proving their innocence.

Pursuing a hearing is difficult and oftentimes innocent property owners decide not to contest forfeitures, because the costs of taking time off from work and paying a lawyer to challenge the forfeiture would exceed the value of the property at stake.

Law enforcement has a strong incentive to use - and even abuse - civil asset forfeiture, because 100 percent of the proceeds from this practice go right back into their budgets. Currently, there is no requirement in our state to collect or report data on the use of forfeiture or its proceeds. While it is important for law enforcement to have adequate resources to protect public safety, these resources should not be obtained on the backs of innocent people.

Legislators and organizations from across the political spectrum - including the ACLU of Tennessee and the Beacon Center of Tennessee - are demanding meaningful reform of the civil asset forfeiture system. We support reforms that would require seizures be tied to an arrest or conviction, place seized assets into a general fund rather than law enforcement coffers and require mandatory reporting to identify the extent of and prevalence of seizures.

These reforms would disrupt the profit incentive and ensure that forfeiture is used as it was intended - to target criminals, not innocent civilians.

Tennesseans and tourists alike have a right to travel about our state free from the threat of their property being confiscated to fund police operations. And law enforcement should expect that we fund their departments sufficiently through the proper budgeting process, rather than encouraging them to fund their operations by seizing property.

Civil asset forfeiture reform will free law enforcement officers to make decisions based on what is best for the community rather than their budgets. And that's a win for everyone.

Justin Owen is president and chief executive officer of the Beacon Center of Tennessee. Hedy Weinberg is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.
Boris Grdanosski/Associated Press An Afghan refugee sits in the rain waiting for a permission to cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia in northern Macedonia.

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By Fred Hiatt, Washington Post

ADASEVCI, Serbia  It is hard to watch the desperate, dignified families huddling at the phone-charging stations in the government shelter in this Balkan village as the clownish spectacle of a presidential campaign unfolds at home.

Foot soldiers of misery, they tumble out of buses and their first request is not for water, food or diapers. They have been on the move for weeks, in some cases months, and they need to connect - with relatives they've left behind and may never see again, with comrades who can relay rumors on the dangers of the road ahead.

They are fleeing the wreckage of entire countries. A million have washed into Europe in the past year, and another million are on the threshold. The continent's leaders see the migration as their starkest test since World War II. Many despair at the absence of U.S. leadership and the rise of Russian meddling.

Whatever your politics, you cannot fail to grasp that the problems are serious, and any remedies complex and elusive. Meanwhile, the Republican presidential debates unfold like some game of playground taunting, with real problems, to the extent they are discussed at all, presented as easily solved.

Donald Trump vows to "knock out ISIS." His strategy? "We will, believe me. We will."

I tagged along to Adasevci with a congressional delegation led by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. The Serbian government was eager to show it is handling the migrants humanely.

Migrants enter Serbia from Macedonia to the south, having walked, driven and sailed hundreds of miles. They ride an all-day bus northwest to this roadside motel converted into a shelter. Eventually they board a train for points north.

But as prosperous countries to the north grow less welcoming, the peaceful progression across borders will begin collapsing in on itself, like passenger cars on a crashing train. Sweden lowered the gate first, followed by Austria. Germany cannot be far behind.

"The basic question is, which country turns into a parking lot for refugees?" Ivan Krastev, the head of a Bulgarian think tank, told the New York Times.

Sensing Europe's intended answer, the prime minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, vowed, "We will not accept turning the country into a permanent warehouse of souls."

As long as the Islamic State is rampaging, the Taliban is gaining ground, civil wars are consuming Iraq and Syria and Libya and Yemen, refugees will flow. Serbia can't fix the problems. The United States can't either, alone, but without U.S. leadership, they will metastasize.

President Barack Obama acted as though pulling back would end the conflict. "The tide of war is receding," he proclaimed as he announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Now Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz assures Americans that we can bomb the Islamic State into oblivion, while Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders promises to outsource the heavy lifting to a mythical coalition of Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

In fact, there are no answers without patient U.S. commitment, diplomatic and economic and military, through international institutions when possible. Such efforts will fail sometimes, at which point the only option will be to regroup and try again. None of which makes for appetizing sound bites.
23 May 2022

- Understand the French healthcare system, how you access it and how you are reimbursed - Useful if you are new to the French healthcare system or want a more in-depth understanding - Reader question and answer section Aimed at non-French nationals living here, the guide gives an overview of what you are (and are not) covered for. There is also information for second-home owners and regular visitors.
Whatever your view on George Osbornes push for an extension of Sunday trading, its manner can scarcely have been more likely to alienate Conservative MPs. It was not in last Mays Conservative Manifesto. Indeed, David Cameron gave indications to the contrary. I can assure you that we have no current plans to relax the Sunday trading laws, We believe that the current system provides a reasonable balance, he said. The plans not been debated in the Lords. But the last Government pledged that Parliament as a whole would have the opportunity to consider any changes. Responses to a consultation have not been published. The committee of the Bill to which the proposals were tacked on did not, as Michael Trend wrote recently on this site, include any of the Conservatives who are known to oppose the measure, which seems to be a necessity, as otherwise the Government wouldnt have a majority.

The consequences of these sleights-of-hand now include two Ministers threatening to resign, PPSs following their lead, and rebellion from up to 50 Tory MPs  enough to defeat the Government if the SNP decide to turn out. The deadly interplay between the Governments programme and the EU referendum is again at work. And the tempers of pro-Brexit MPs will not be cooled by claims, backed by Boris Johnson in todays Sunday Telegraph, that Downing Street was behind the silencing of John Longworth, the Leave-backing Director-General of the British Chambers of Commerce.

There is the best of the Chancellor and there is the worst of him. The best includes his intricate consultation over pensions reform, crafted to pave the way for radical reform of the system. The worst includes his obsessive urge to tamper with Britains Sunday trading settlement, for which Ministers have no mandate and which his colleagues are simply lumped with: to Sajid Javid and his team falls the task of dealing with the proposals in the Commons this Wednesday. One of the consequences is that all too often Osbornes colleagues no longer give him the benefit of the doubt. This distrust was a contributor to the withdrawal of those pension plans, which could have included fairer incentives to save. The indefatigable David Burrowes has tabled an amendment to the Sunday trading proposals. David Burrowes and Caroline Spelman are proposing compromises. Ministers should find one, and quickly.
After JNU, BJPs Next Target Is Allahabad University

By Shubhda Chaudhary

06 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

What prompted Rohith Vemula, a Dalit PhD Candidate to commit suicide in Hyderabad University? How did JNUSU President feel when he was rebuked by the lawyers, charged under the draconian laws of sedition and criminal conspiracy without any evidence? How did DSUs Umar Khalid feel when within ten days, his identity was reduced to being a Muslim, so aptly a terrorist just because he chose to voice his dissent? All these students faced treacherous amount of vitriolic attack on their identity, individuality and ideology. The high-handed manner in which the current fascist regime is functioning, they were victims of a totalitarian system, in which they were reduced, rebuked and harassed, causing tremendous amount of personal agony.

But on one hand, if we are rejoicing over the interim bail of Kanhaiya, BJPs next victim Richa Singh, the Allahabad University students union president, is being harassed and perhaps, on the brink of facing expulsion. Richa, the first ever woman president of the University since Independence is facing the flak, but why? Her first sin was that she launched a massive agitation against the entry of Yogi Adityanath, BJP's Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur in November 2015 to inaugurate a new building in Allahabad University. So, that is where it all started. The ABVP, which has been finding it tough to come to terms with a female winning the post of president, has been up in arms against her right from day one when she got elected.

In January, the university cancelled permission for a seminar that she had organised on campus after ABVP members protested her decision to invite Siddharth Varadarajan, former editor of The Hindu, as chief guest. Varadrajan was called a Maoist sympathiser and anti-national.

I was attacked the next day. Many men, mostly from ABVP, stormed into the hostels and started calling us names. The proctor was standing there frozen, watching the tamasha while ABVP went on verbally abusing us, Singh recalls. In spite of her being the President, she was not answered by the VC RL Hangloo to probe the incident to probe the incident, even though she wrote him four letters.

There is no space for a neutral woman in politics. Either she has to be yielding like Smriti Irani or be autocratic like Mayawati or Mamta Banerjee, Singh says. The message to me in the first few months is clear: as a woman you can come out of your home, you can even go to work, but you are definitely not allowed to claim power.

On 4th March, the same VC has set up an internal committee to probe the validity of her admission in 2013-14. My centre of studies is Institute of Inter Disciplinary Studies (IIDS), but they never consulted my dean. Cherry on the top, I havent been even given a notice and it's flashing in every local newspaper, exclaims Singh.

According to Singh, the probe has been brought in by Rajnish Singh, an affiliate of ABVP union. Our V-C never set up an internal enquiry on his own proctor. The proctor has been accused of IPC 354 but his position is still retained. The OSG of the university has a case of sexual harassment and Dalit atrocity registered against him, but he is safe. It's all about pushing me on the ground and ceasing my power, Singh adds.

On top of that, she has also accused the Universitys VC of forwarding a letter that claims she is a Maoist. The letter, originally written by another student, questions Singh's timing of entering and leaving the university's premises.

The inquiry against Richa Singh following a complaint by a rival (Rajneesh Kumar, an unsucessful rival candidate in the union elections) that she was granted admission as a research scholar to a seat earmarked for a candidate from the reserved category. While the report concludes that Singhs seat  one of two available that year for a PhD in Globalisation and Development Studies at the Faculty of Arts  should have gone to a reserved candidate, it makes clear that the mistake was committed by university staff involved in the selection process. According to a university official, if the V-C decides to scrap one of the two admissions, Richa would lose her seat because she was placed at second position on merit.

This puts my academic career under threat. I am depressed. The university is harassing me. And Im beginning to wonder how bad it must have been for Rohith Vemula, Ms. Singh told.

Singh has written many times to Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on the repeated harassment by the administration and the alleged inaction against ABVP students who, she alleges, sexually and physically intimidated her. But she has received no response so far.

They are questioning my admission two years after I was admitted. Why was no question raised during the scrutiny of papers in the election, Ms. Singh asked.

A senior professor, who is aware of the case details, supported Ms. Singhs cause and said on the condition of anonymity: Why is the VC acting merely on the complaint of an M.A. student who has nothing to do with the department? It is a clear case of settling scores.

Ms. Singh said it was a scheme to disturb her and reflected the patriarchal attitude of the administration and the ABVP, who are not ready to accept a woman as student union president.

In the patriarchal pastures of the Hindi-belt, student netagiri follows the trajectory of mainstream politics: submerged in money power, caste equations and muscle-flexing; candidates openly flaunt party colours with little regard for norms. A culture of kattas (country-made pistol) and crude bombs, and incidents of attacking rivals and teachers, with the invocation of the Gangster Act is a common phenomenon.

An M.Phil. gold medallist, Singh has been involved in activism since 2008 when she founded the Stri Mukti Sangathan for womens welfare. In 2012, she founded the Students Friends Union, a portal to help students find accommodation and books, in a city where students, especially outstation scholars, jostle for living space. In 2015, she decided to contest the student union elections independently. It was more of an experiment, she says.

Amid all the glory and celebration, however, the road has had a steep learning curve. She says she is often subjected to personal and sexist remarks. I am made to feel like a woman, something I did not feel in the 27 years of my life.

Usually student leaders become inaccessible as they go on to pursue their political dreams  Allahabad University is home to some of the tallest leaders in Indian politics  Chandra Shekhar, V.P. Singh, N.D. Tiwari, Shankar Dayal Sharma, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, Madan Lal Khurana, Janeshwar Mishra, G.B. Pant are part of that illustrious brigade.

We are ordinary students. Toh waise hi hamara load kam hi lete hai (The babus dont give much weight to our voice since we dont bear any political affiliation), Singh says.

Swaraj Abhiyan, a group formed by civil society leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, on Saturday condemned the harassment of Allahabad University students' union president Richa Singh, alleging it pointed to a clear design of stifling the freedom of expression and muzzling of democratic rights of thinking individuals.

In a statement, the Swaraj Abhiyan said the harassment of Singh is unfortunately, not a one-off case. A clear design of stifling the freedom of expression and muzzling democratic rights of thinking individuals can be seen. Be it the case of Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad or Kanhaiya Kumar in JNU, a clear pattern of furthering a dirty political agenda in educational institutions has come to the fore.

Swaraj Abhiyan has condemned this high-handed attitude and warned the Allahabad University administration as well as the Central government against any undemocratic and unconstitutional steps in the campus. Richa Singh has written a letter to the President of India complaining against the harassment by Allahabad University on the behest of ABVP and the ruling party.

It is quite treacherous how BJPs student wing ABVP has mustered indomitable and audacious courage after the party has come into power in 2014. The victimization of institutional bodies, along with berating and rebuking the students has become a convention. In the case of Richa, it is a shame that in spite of India treading towards woman emancipation, a female is being reduced to her identity just because she opposes dominant politics. Her entire career can be jeopardized with one decision and the silence of the echelons of power. She needs our solidarity and support just as much as Kanhaiya Kumar or Rohith Vemula did.

Shubhda Chaudhary is a PhD Scholar at JNU. She can be reached at shubhda.chaudhary@gmail.com




A Church Vandalised In Raipur And Believers Assaulted

By Chhattisgarh Nagrik Samyukta Sangarsh Samiti

06 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Chhattisgarh Nagrik Samyukta Sangarsh Samiti strongly condemns the vandalisation of Church and subsequent assault on the church members in Kachana near Raipur city, Chhatisgarh. The attack happened around 11 am today (March 6, 2016) allegedly by members of Bajrang Dal. The Pastor Ankush Bareyekar approached the Vidhan Sabha thana where the police after a long delay registered the FIR.

According to Bareyekars complaint to the thana incharge, around 11 am while the members were having a worship in the church  commonly known as Maseeh Satsang Samooh  about 30-40 people forcefully entered shouting Jai Shri Ram, assaulted the church members and vandalised the church property including chairs, table, fans, etc. Apart from this, the pulpit was also smashed off by the hooligans.

In this unexpected attack, several people including women and children have sustained serious injuries. Those seriously injured are Hem Kumar, Sanjay, Dinu Rakesh, Lakeshwar Manju and Bimla, while others have sustained minor injuries. While one of the woman members was attacked, attempts were made to disrobe her by tearing her cloths. This is not only a matter of molestation rather it is a serious matter of sexual assault. There are reports that a five year old mentally challenged child was thrown down to the ground.

Police personnel were reluctant to accept and register it as a matter of communal attack on Christian minority by the fringe elements. According to Arun Pannalal, this is the fourth one in a series of attacks in the past one month on Christian minorities in Chhattisgarh. The other ones were in Pithora (Mahasamund district), Abhanpur (Raipur district) and Korba. While in Pithora the FIR was very weak, no FIR has been filed in the Abhanpur incident till date. In Korba where the church was attacked, instead of providing protection to the victims, an FIR was filed against the pastor of the church. There are not

isolated cases in the state. In the past there have been a number of incidences where the constitutional right to freedom of religion has been interrupted, particularly by the communal Hindutva forces. The police and administration under the pretext of avoiding communal conflict always sides with such anti-Constitutional elements and framed the victims as the perpetuators.

The current case of the church in Kachana is another clear instance to threaten, intimidate and construct the fear psyche amongst the minority people. CNSSS calls upon the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Dr. Raman Singh and demands for safety of Minorities in the State.

CNSSS demands for 

1. Immediate arrest of the criminal perpetuators in this case. Since the vehicles have been seized by the police, it should not be a difficult task for police to trace the culprits.

2. Provide protection to the victims.

3. All attempts to frame the Christian believers in fabricated cases should come to an end.

4. Compensate the damages done to the church.

5. Provide free medical aid to the injured.

6. Create an atmosphere where communities with differing faith and religions enjoy the freedom of faith and religion without fear, terror and pressure from majority groups.

CNSSS would conduct a detailed fact finding investigation soon and come up with a report. There would be a press conference tomorrow after which a strong protest would also take place.

On behalf of the CNSSS

Dr. Goldy M. George

Sakir Qureshi

Vishnu Baghel

Durga

Deepika

Akhilesh Edgar

Dharamraj Mahapatra

(Members of the Working Committee of CNSSS)






The Discontents Of A Seditious Nation

By Karen Gabriel & P K Vijayan

06 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

What is the relation between the charges of 'sedition' and being 'anti-national'? These are taken as almost synonymous terms, but in actual fact, bear a less than tenuous relation. The law on sedition, i.e., Section 124A of the IPC, reads as follows:

Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in India, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.

Explanation 1.The expression disaffection includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity. Explanation 2.Comments expressing disapprobation of the measures of the Government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means, without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section. Explanation 3.Comments expressing disapprobation of the administrative or other action of the Government without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section.

Remarkably, this law, which is invoked in all alleged cases of sedition and/or of being anti-national, nowhere makes actual reference to either of these terms. Indeed, the wording of this Section is a delight for any government, since it explicitly protects the government established by law in India and not either the nation as a whole or even the state in its entirety  just the government of the day. Thus, any criticism of the government of the day, or of its measures, or of its administrative or other action, that may be perceived to excite, or attempt to excite, hatred, contempt or disaffection towards the government, can attract this law.



The law in this instance is not just an ass, it is a particularly retarded version of the ass. It is ridiculous in the Indian context to expect that simple criticism of governmental measures and actions will be sufficient to ensure their withdrawal or rectification (and rightly so, since no single opinion should determine public policy). Actual rectification requires the building of a critical mass of public opinion against the impugned measures and actions  the explicit rousing of disaffection for them, if not hatred and contempt  in order for the government to even bother to take notice. But any such mobilization of disaffection stands in immediate danger of attracting Section 124A. In other words, the very provisions of our system that provide us the democratic means to influence and shape policy, are rendered illegal under this Section.



It is true that various Supreme Court judgments have specified the purview and applicability of this Section to only those cases where it can be shown that the alleged offender had incited or sought to incite violence, through his or her criticism. But even with these stipulations, this particularly diabolical section of the IPC leaves much room for interpretation. For starters, the Section itself stands unaltered in the IPC, which allows charges to be filed and arrests to be made under it, even in the obvious absence of any incitement to violence. That question  of whether or not there was incitement to violence  is then left to be sorted out through arguments in court  and till then, those charged or arrested are at the mercy of the state, for the duration of the case.



And even then there may be no relief: as has been happening increasingly, the luminaries of the lower courts are only too happy to oblige the government of the day, and find such accused guilty, so that they can rest assured in the confines of whichever jails they happen to be sent to, that they will have to languish there till the matter reaches the Supreme Court, before they can expect to be cleared of the charge. Often even bail is denied to such seditious individuals, for fear that they might spread the infection of their seditiousness  or perhaps, as exemplary deterrent.



This is one of the reasons why this Section has been invoked increasingly in recent times: it permits the state to initiate legal and detentive action against all accused under this section, regardless of any evidence against them, and leaves it to them to prove they are innocent of any attempt to incite violence. This inversion of the dictum, 'innocent until proven guilty', was in fact explicitly articulated by the former Delhi Police Commissioner, BS Bassi, when he said it was up to the arrested JNU students arrested and charged with sedition, to prove their innocence.



One of these students, Kanhaiya Kumar, has been released on bail, probably because of the enormous public pressure. But it seems unlikely that the other two students, Anirban Bhattacharya and Umar Khalid, will be granted this benefit, for the simple reason that one of them is a Muslim, and the other is associated with him politically. Being Muslim is apparently particularly damning proof of sedition these days, even superceding the more legal requirement of proof of inciting violence. But the fact that both Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya were left of the left in their political leanings may, in the current profoundly rightwing climate, prove to be sufficient grounds to keep these two young students incarcerated indefinitely.



This is the only conceivable real explanation for the denial of bail to Dr SAR Geelani, the Delhi University professor arrested on identical charges of sedition as Kanhaiya Kumar, Anirban Bhattacharya and Umar Khalid. The stated explanation was, 'Since the applicant/accused, along with 20-25 youths, were raising anti-national slogans...it can be inferred...that they intended to bring the Government of India into contempt with a likelihood of eruption of violence and public disorder.'



It must be remembered that Geelani had been arrested for convening an event at the Press Club of India on the anniversary of the hanging of Afzal Guru. Even if the Court wanted to doubt Geelani's statement that he did not himself raise anti-national slogans, it had to have been aware that, within such an institutional environment, sloganeering was even less likely to erupt into 'violence and public disorder' than the open-air JNU event. It is telling that Geelani was also charged with Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC. The police evidently realized that the charge of sedition alone would be difficult to uphold, and needed to bolster it with the (albeit equally baseless) charges of criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly.



That apart, a crucial point here is that there is no law in India that either specifies what 'anti-national' means, or in what ways it constitutes a crime, or what penalties it must attract. This is because, strictly speaking, being anti-national does not mean going against the nation per se, but against being a particular kind of national  i.e., it means going against a particular kind of nationalism. Geelani's real 'crime' was that he, like Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and the other JNU students, dared to question the rabid, bloodthirsty jingoism that passed for the 'conscience of the nation', to satisfy which Afzal Guru had to be hanged. It is a sign of the pervasiveness of this nationalism in our times that not even the judiciary  with notable exceptions like Justices Markandey Katju, A P Shah and Kurian Joseph  is able to distinguish anymore between government and state, state and nation, nation and national, and national and nationalism. Which is why criticism of this nationalism is perceived as criticism of the nation itself, thereby of the government, and hence seditious. Which is why, today, being 'anti-national' has become a crime without a law that spells out its criminality.



We need to ask whose nation it is that the dominant nationalisms of our day espouse. It is not the imagination of the nation of the Rohit Vemulas and Umar Khalids of India; it is not the imagination of the nation of the north-eastern students who are assaulted (sexually and otherwise) on the streets of the capital and elsewhere; or of the farmers who commit suicide because they are irredeemably in debt; or of the adivasis who are hunted out of their homelands because big corporates want the land and the mineral wealth they are sitting on; or of the dalits who are beaten and lynched and subjected to humiliations of every kind, on a daily basis, across the country; or of the Kashmiri mothers whose sons are lined up and shot by the Indian army; or of their sisters who are raped and killed by the same army; or of the activists arrested for sedition because they protested against nuclear power at Koodankulam; or of the Muslims who live in constant fear of becoming the victims of imminent communal conflagration; or of the Muslims and Christians who are persecuted into converting back into Hinduism in the ghar wapsi program; or of the workers in automobile factories in Gurgaon who are lathi-charged by the police for going on strike; or of the academics and students who question the basis on which the government commits legally sanctioned murder; or of the vast millions who have been living below the poverty line for decades, the victims of the 'progress' of the upper-caste, upper-class, Hindu majoritarian 'nation' imagined by calibrated shades of Hindutvavaadis. These constitute the seditious nation of discontents that are being branded anti-nationals, because they dare to speak a different idea of the nation.



The sedition law should have been struck down long ago, on the very simple grounds that no single government, of whatever political hue, can or indeed should claim such absolute safeguards from criticism, whether or not such criticism may be apprehended to lead to disorder and violence. If the judiciary had properly discerned the distinction between government and state, state and nation, and nation and nationalism, the fundamentally undemocratic protection that the sedition law affords the government in power would have immediately stood revealed, and contained.



There are enough and more provisions in the Indian legal system to deal with apprehensions of violence and disorder per se; there is no legal need to specify the source, as criticism of the government, in order for those provisions to become applicable. In other words, criticism of the government should be allowed, regardless of any apprehensions that it may lead to violence, because the state is already well equipped to deal, both preemptively and punitively, with such putative and actual violence. The real apprehension is what is increasingly coming true: that successive governments will use even the apprehension of violence to clamp down with an increasingly militarized hand  with the possible support of the judiciary and shamefully aberrant lawyers  on any kind of criticism. This is one of the defining qualities of fascism, and India today is being increasingly defined by this very quality.

Karen Gabriel (Marie Curie International Senior Research Fellow, and Assoc Prof, St Stephen's College, DU); and P K Vijayan (Asst Prof, Hindu College, DU)






U.S. Supplies ISIS Through Turkey





By Eric Zuesse 06 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org





Zaman, was Cumhuriyet, reported that Zaman's separate news-service to other news-media, Cihan News Agency, has now also been disabled on the Internet. (Anyone who goes to the site obtains On Friday, March 4th, the leading opposition newspaper in Turkey,, was taken over by the Government ; and on March 5th, one of the other opposition newspapers,, reported that's separate news-service to other news-media, Cihan News Agency, has now also been disabled on the Internet. (Anyone who goes to the site obtains an error-message .)





The Turkish Government is trying to prevent the Turkish public from knowing that Turkey has been serving as the transit-route by which the U.S. government and its allied Arab oil monarchies (especially Saudi Arabia and Qatar) have been supplying foreign jihadists and weapons (largely U.S. but paid for with Saudi funds) into Syria to oust Bashar al-Assad from power.





Zaman's editor has been imprisoned for publishing such prohibited truths, but somehow his newspaper continued reporting on a court case in which Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan is accused of breaking Turkish law by aiding terrorists. That continued resistance by the newspaper might be a reason why the Turkish Government has now (as of Friday March 4th) shut it down.





Cumhuriyet, headlined, On March 1st,, headlined, Former Justice Minister of Turkey: Erdogan Will Stand Trial, and reported that, "Former Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk, said that Erdogan's actions 'do not comply with the decision of the Constitutional Court.' He criticized [Erdogan] by saying 'One day this matter must be settled by the judiciary'.









In May, the outlet [Cumhuriyet] published photos of weapons it said were then transferred to Syria by Turkey's intelligence agency. The articles, published on Cumhuriyet's front page in May, claimed that Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) is smuggling weapons in trucks into Syria and was caught doing so twice in 2014. The trucks were allegedly stopped and searched by police, with photos and videos of their contents obtained by Cumhuriyet.

According to the paper, the trucks were carrying six steel containers, with 1,000 artillery shells, 50,000 machine gun rounds, 30,000 heavy machine gun rounds and 1,000 mortar shells. The arms were reportedly delivered to extremist groups fighting against the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad, whom Ankara wants ousted from power.





The Erdogan government alleged the weapons were "aid to Syrian ethnic Turkmen tribespeople and labeled their interception by local police an act of treason' and espionage'.





Turkey is a NATO member, and the famous investigative reporter Seymour Hersh had revealed in the 6 April 2014 London Review of Books , that on 20 June 2013  just a few months prior to the sarin gas attack that Obama blamed on Assad and used as his excuse to invade Syria  the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency reported that America's allies in overthrowing Bashar al-Assad were engaged in the most advanced sarin plot since al-Qaida's pre-9/11 effort, but the U.S. Director of National Intelligence denied that it was true. One U.S. ally there was Al Qaeda in Syria, known in Syria as Al Nusra, (Nusra and Erdogan wanted this gas-attack to provide the excuse that Obama had set as his red line to overthrow Assad  a chemical-weapons attack in Syria .) However, Hersh reported, "Last May, more than ten members of the al-Nusra Front were arrested in southern Turkey with what local police told the press were two kilograms of sarin. All of that had occurred prior to the 21 August 2013 sarin gas attack.





Hersh went on:





The officer ultimately responsible for the planning and execution of the attack [U.S. bombing of Syria] was General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs. From the beginning of the crisis, the former intelligence official said, the joint chiefs had been sceptical of the administration's argument that it had the facts to back up its belief in Assad's guilt. They pressed the DIA and other agencies for more substantial evidence. There was no way they thought Syria would use nerve gas at that stage, because Assad was winning the war,' the former intelligence official said. Dempsey had irritated many in the Obama administration by repeatedly warning Congress over the summer of the danger of American military involvement in Syria.





London Review of Books, Hersh subsequently reported that, rather than go ahead with an operation that the Joint Chiefs considered fraudulent, they sabotaged Obama's policy. On 2 January 2016, Hersh headlined in the Military to Military, and he explained how and why they had done this:





The Joint Chiefs felt that a direct challenge to Obama's policy would have had a zero chance of success.' So in the autumn of 2013 they decided to take steps against the extremists without going through political channels, by providing US intelligence to the militaries of other nations, on the understanding that it would be passed on to the Syrian army and used against the common enemy, Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State. General Dempsey and his colleagues on the Joint Chiefs of Staff kept their dissent out of bureaucratic channels, and survived in office. General Michael Flynn did not. Flynn incurred the wrath of the White House by insisting on telling the truth about Syria,' said Patrick Lang, a retired army colonel who served for nearly a decade as the chief Middle East civilian intelligence officer for the DIA. He thought truth was the best thing and they shoved him out. He wouldn't shut up.'





Obama couldn't be swayed that the enemy were Al Qaeda and other jihadists instead of Assad  that overthrowing him was his top priority. However, Hersh said in his 6 April 2014 article, that Obama had to backtrack at the last moment anyway, because British intelligence reported to David Cameron that the sarin used in the attack didn't come from Syria  that it had been imported; this implied that it was a set-up job in order to justify' invading. Cameron didn't want to be just another Tony Blair. Obama couldn't get his necessary-for-appearances'-sake public cover for an invasion, Britain, as his predecessor had done regarding Iraq. Hersh went on, in that 2014 article:





Obama's move for congressional approval quickly became a dead end. Congress was not going to let this go by,' the former intelligence official said. Congress made it known that, unlike the authorisation for the Iraq war, there would be substantive hearings.' At this point, there was a sense of desperation in the White House, the former intelligence official said.





Obama, in other words, was now trapped. He couldn't fire all of his Joint Chiefs  at least not right away; it would be embarrassing, how could he explain it? And the Republicans were eager to expose his Administration's disarray on the matter. So: the story was passed around that Secretary of State John Kerry got Russia to get Assad to eliminate his sarin stocks. Russia's leader Vladimir Putin was happy to help Obama avoid invading his Syrian ally. That was how the news' organizations reported the backtrack  as a rare instance of U.S.-Russian cooperation: good news for everybody. But for Obama, it was actually the way out of a desperately embarrassing situation. And he never gave up his goal of switching Syria from the secular Assad to a failed state whose crucial oil-pipeline routes would be in friendly' (to Saudi Arabia and Qatar) jihadist Sunni-ruled areas of Syria, so that our' Arab allies' (the jihadist-financiing nations , as even Kerry's predecessor Hillary Clinton had known them to be ) can grab the world's largest energy-market, Europe, away from Russia.





Hersh, in his 2014 article, continued:





The full extent of US co-operation with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in assisting the rebel opposition in Syria has yet to come to light. The Obama administration has never publicly admitted to its role in creating what the CIA calls a rat line', a back channel highway into Syria. The rat line, authorised in early 2012, was used to funnel weapons and ammunition from Libya via southern Turkey and across the Syrian border to the opposition. Many of those in Syria who ultimately received the weapons were jihadists, some of them affiliated with al-Qaida. (The DNI spokesperson said: The idea that the United States was providing weapons from Libya to anyone is false.')





He closed:





Barring a major change in policy by Obama, Turkey's meddling in the Syrian civil war is likely to go on. I asked my colleagues if there was any way to stop Erdogan's continued support for the rebels, especially now that it's going so wrong,' the former intelligence official told me. The answer was: We're screwed. We could go public if it was somebody other than Erdogan, but Turkey is a special case. They're a Nato ally.'





only those People. The rest are now just for extras in crowd-scenes, at political campaign events  and their mass-mind-control is done by their media, our' free press' (who don't report this reality), in our' There is simply too much evidence proving that Erdogan is supporting ISIS and other terrorist groups in Syria . This is the reality of NATO: conquering Russia, first by switching its allies (such as Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, etc.), is the assignment, regardless of the public's safety. Even if the U.S. weren't backing jihadists directly (which we are), we're backing them by having jihadist governments such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia and Qatar as allies  instead of as enemies. Our' oil companies and mega-banks are in bed with them, and their top stockholders and executives, and their lobbyists, control the people who control the U.S. Government. The U.S. Constitution's We, the People  has becomethose People. The rest are now just for extras in crowd-scenes, at political campaign events  and their mass-mind-control is done by their media, our' free press' (who don't report this reality), in our' democracy'





Erdogan is profoundly angry at the unsteady support he has been receiving from the U.S. government in their joint efforts to eliminate Bashar al-Assad. However, apparently, Obama doesn't feel that the U.S. is yet ready for a nuclear war to be sparked between NATO and Russia  Obama thinks that doing it now would be premature. Color revolutions' and Arab Spring' and Maidan demonstrations', and other populist covers for coups (taking advantage of the local political opposition, which exists in any country), are a far safer way to gradually strip Russia of its allies and turn them into yet-more enemies of Russia  and, only then, can the rip-cord finally be pulled, and Russia be forced to either submit or else die (even if the rest of the world might die also). The U.S. has been doing this boil-the-frog-slowly routine ever since U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush laid the foundation for it in 1990





paymasters, of course.) As John Kerry recently said, when responding to aid workers at a donor conference for anti-Assad forces, What do you want me to do? Go to war with Russia? Is that what you want? Clearly, Erdogan is lots more eager for that than Obama is. Perhaps Erdogan thinks that Putin would just back down. American Presidents, however, aren't so desperate that they feel they need to do it during their own Administration; they can afford to wait until the time is right, even if the plaudits will then go to some future President. Their paymasters will be duly appreciative of the contributions that each one of them has made toward the final U.S.' victory. (Victory for the, of course.)





So, the American government's charade goes on. But already an MIT analysis  the Lloyd-Postal report  on the sarin attack that occurred 21 August 2013, stated unequivocally that the Obama Administration was lying through its teeth about the matter. They provided excruciating detail showing why the US Government's interpretation of the technical intelligence it gathered prior to and after the August 21 attack CANNOT POSSIBLY BE CORRECT. (That's a tactful, yet passionate, way of saying: Obama and his Administration were trying to lie this country into invading Syria.) Yet, Western news-media still simply ignore the evidence (they can do that in this dictatorship), and report that Assad's forces were behind the sarin attack. It's still the official reason why we're at war against Assad . Was even George W. Bush worse than this?





Seymour Hersh had tried to get his news-reports on these matters published by what had been his regular publisher, the New Yorker, which turned them down; and he tried other U.S. outlets as well, but wasn't successful in finding any that would pay his regular charges  and he had already spent much in order to research these matters. Finally, he obtained a suitable outlet, in the LRB. This is why his recent reports are being published abroad.





Anyone who wishes to know more about what motivates the U.S. government regarding Syria should read the astoundingly brilliant article by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., published on an obscure environmental website, February 25th, Syria: Another Pipeline War. He tells so much suppressed history there, it's flabbergasting to see it all brought together into one flowing historical narrative  and my checking of the few sources that I hadn't previously known of indicates that his standards for quality-of-evidence that he builds his narrative on are as rigorous and high as mine are  which is rare. I very much respect that. Every high school student should read his article in order to understand how corrupt the U.S. is at its highest levels. The article is a masterpiece of historical writing. But even a masterpiece can have a flaw: his article plays down the role that leading Democrats after Reagan have been playing in GHW Bush's long war to conquer Russia. We're still in the post-Reagan era, just as, between FDR and Reagan, we had been in the post-FDR era. Obama is as rabid a Russia-hater as practically anyone except John McCain would be. If a piece of historical writing is going to be partisan (as almost all are), at least this one is partisan on the less-unacceptable side.





if anyone does. Maybe he could win by acclamation, if he wouldn't be knocked-off first. But if the idea of writing in his name goes around like wildfire in the weeks before the November 8th general election, then who knows what would happen? Certainly, if Hillary is on the ballot as the Democratic' nominee, I won't vote for her, though I'm a lifelong Democrat. And I don't want to be forced to vote for Trump (since he's almost totally unpredictable  which still isn't as bad as Hillary). (Besides: Hillary should be in prison for her destruction of crucial public records  State Department emails  to hide her crimes; and The Donald should be in prison for his fake Trump University' commercial fraud. But the corrupt Obama won't allow any such prosecutions.) And there's such beautiful irony here: I might write RFK Jr.'s name onto the Presidential line of my ballot in November. There's someone with favorable name-recognition, who clearly has the integrity and depth, and knowledge, to deal with the rot that has overtaken America,. Maybe he could win by acclamation, if he wouldn't be knocked-off first. But if the idea of writing in his name goes around like wildfire in the weeks before the November 8th general election, then who knows what would happen? Certainly, if Hillary is on the ballot as the Democratic' nominee, I won't vote for her, though I'm a lifelong Democrat. And I don't want to be forced to vote for Trump (since he's almost totally unpredictable  which still isn't as bad as Hillary). (Besides: Hillary should be in prison for her destruction of crucial public records  State Department emails  to hide her crimes; and The Donald should be in prison for his fake Trump University' commercial fraud. But the corrupt Obama won't allow any such prosecutions.) And there's such beautiful irony here: Trump: If Elected, I'll Prosecute Hillary. It's so much like Ukraine! (Cast Hillary as Tymoshenko, and Trump as Yanukovych  and I'd vote then for Trump, so as to avoid the near-certainty of disaster .)





But no intelligent American can be justified in simply not voting for President. That would be outrageously irresponsible. I won't ever do that. Every intelligent and caring person must vote for President  not leave that responsibility to others (which would be unpatriotic  plus wrong and callous  for any well-informed voter). The anyone but ___ non-voters are mere fools and frauds. They simply don't care enough about the country to do their most-basic civic duty, which is to become informed and then to vote for someone on that basis (though never as a protest vote'  the nation is too important for any mere protest'  but only as a real vote, for someone who has an authentic chance of winning the election). Any mere throw-away vote' is like a non-vote.





That article by Kennedy should be linked to by all of his supporters: it tells more about the man than any number of campaign speeches possibly could. It proves that he's fit for the job, if anyone is. That's one person who doesn't need to campaign for the job. He's an outsider whose knowledge and understanding of the subject is probably among the best there is, and whose heart is unquestionably in the right place  which would be a refreshing and radical change, a change that's of a kind needed now more than ever in the U.S.





But anyway: RFK Jr.'s article is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the horrendous war in Syria. My article here is just a warm-up to it  and, I hope, a totally non-partisan one.














Throughout the Tri-State, there is a distinct lack of natural trout fishing sites. While northern Illinois and Indiana have some marginal areas, the best prospects are in eastern Kentucky.

Without a doubt, the headwaters and creeks of Lake Cumberland are premier places to fish for at least three different species of trout. While rainbows dominate the waters, brown trout also exist in good numbers. A third species, brook trout, are few and far between but the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife is taking steps to bring brookie numbers back.

Brook trout aren't Kentucky natives, but in the mid-1800s attempts were made to get them started. It took illegal stockings of Pennsylvania's brook trout in the late 1950s to establish this unique fishery.

But it was boom and bust, and bookies were almost nonexistent by 2000. Today, Cumberland's Parched Corn Creek is getting supplemental brook trout stockings and anglers pursuing them must observe "catch and release" management guidelines.

Why the bookies boomed and busted is a combination of too many being taken out and global warming, creating near fatal water temperatures.

Brook trout thrive in icy rivulets, and Parched Corn Creek has the right habitat. But don't expect to catch pound size brookies just yet. Current stockings are 3 inches long and these battling bantams grow relatively slowly.

To legally catch brook trout, anglers are restricted to using single hook artificial lures. If all goes well, these recently stocked trout eventually will grow to being a pound or more, giving Kentucky trout seekers another species to pursue in Lake Cumberland's headwaters.

Read the story of how brook trout came to Kentucky in the winter issue of Kentucky Afield magazine.

To learn how to successfully fly fish, join the Ohio Valley Fly Rod Club.

The club will host its annual banquet March 12 at Rookies, 117 Second St., Henderson, Kentucky.

Social hour begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7. After the meal are raffles and prizes and a program by Arkansas fly-tying expert Teresa Van Winkle.

Van Winkle is affiliated with MAKO Fly Fishers. Her resume includes guiding Wounded Warriors in weeklong fishing events, commercially tying flies, plus making videos about fly fishing.

Attend OVFRC's event to learn more about various aspects of fly fishing and meet area fly fishermen willing to share their knowledge.

The cost is $25 per person. Club dues (if you choose to join) are $25 for individuals or $30 per family.

To make banquet reservations and menu choices, contact Larry Bundy at 270-827-5305 or email him at lbundy@roadrunner.com or Dennis Martin at dmartin4015@gmail.com.
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It's often said that newspapers are the first drafts of history. What we're reading in this paper today will be fodder for our grandchildren's history books (and subsequent quizzes!) somewhere down the line.

This may be one reason kids sometimes rely on us for history lessons. My young cousin once asked her father what life was like in cave man days. But another reason they may want to consult us involves the things history books leave out.

I've discovered this while researching material for the Courier & Press's "Time to Remember" column. I especially enjoy doing that when I come across major events, like the two world wars that pervaded the early 20th Century.

The first was going on 100 years ago, and you might think the newspapers then would have been full of anxiety about the odds of U.S. involvement in Europe's troubles. The war was reported on each day, to be sure, but what I hadn't realized was that the real battle scare facing Americans in 1916 concerned not Europe, but Mexico.

That country south of our border had been in political upheaval since 1910. While the U.S. never actually declared war against Mexico, it did try to protect its interests by capturing the port at Vera Cruz. And when revolutionary leader Pancho Villa made raids into New Mexico and killed American citizens, President Wilson sent forces after him commanded by none other than General John J. Pershing.

"Black Jack" Pershing? I thought he was our big hero in the European war. Yes, that's what he's remembered for, but often forgotten is the real fear Americans had back then of all-out war with Mexico.

Speaking of World War I, it's clear to most of us that the big enemy we eventually helped defeat in that conflict was Germany, right? Yet you would not know this from reading the Courier's 1916 accounts. It was not at all clear then which side we would support if and when the need arose, and sentiment here for Germany was very high.

Strong German heritage in Southwestern Indiana and elsewhere in the U.S. led many to sympathize with the Vaterland. It took a lot of coaxing from the Wilson administration, admittedly aided by German blunders like the sinking of the Lusitania, to bring us in on the side of the Allies in 1917.

Speaking of Allies and world wars, we all know that during the second such conflict in the 1940s we teamed up with, among others, the Russians, to fight against the Nazis. Yet I at least was blandly unaware that when that conflict erupted in 1939, the Soviet Union was allied with the Germans. Josef Stalin helped Adolf Hitler carve up Poland, for example, and the two countries signed a series of nonaggression pacts.

Hitler's major mistake was to turn his back on Stalin and invade Russia in June 1941. Only then did the Soviets switch sides and line up with the British, the Free French and (after December 7) ourselves to bring about Germany's ultimate defeat.

History books are valuable, but they tend to recall only parts of the story. To get the complete lowdown, you still can't beat those perennial first drafts, the newspapers.

Email John Gottcent at

jandjgott@gmail.com.
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NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP)  A central Indiana compounding pharmacy is recalling a narcotic painkiller after three newborns were sickened by a "super-potent" intravenous form of the drug the company distributed.



The Indianapolis Star reports that Pharmakon Pharmaceuticals issued a voluntary recall for an intravenous form of morphine sulfate on Feb. 11 after lab results showed that it was too powerful for safe use.



The Food and Drug Administration says three infants suffered "serious adverse events" to the painkiller, which can lead to breathing problems, coma or even death if injected in too high a dose.



Pharmakon says it distributed a "super-potent" form of the painkiller to a medical facility in Indiana and one in Illinois.



Pharamakon attorney Elizabeth Prokopik said the Noblesville company is working with the FDA and cannot comment on the incident.
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As any homeowner could tell you, there always is a price in delayed maintenance. A small tear in a shingle results in a tiny leak in a roof that can work itself into the dry wall and, eventually, turn into a messy - and expensive - repair job.

That's exactly where the city of Evansville finds itself - multiplied by many millions - as it reaches an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Justice and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to finally tackle problems with the city's sewer system infrastructure.

The hoped-for result - in 24.5 years - is upgrades to the system and implementation of policies that will dramatically reduce water pollution to comply with the Clean Water Act, launched in 1972 as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act before being updated in 1977 and, again, in 1987.

By 2040, Evansville Water and Sewer Utility officials believe, "Renew Evansville" will have reduced the number of combined sewer overflow events, which send polluted water into the Ohio River, to no more than four per year from the current average of around 50 per year.

It will come at a hefty cost.

Some communication between the City and EPA was launched in 2004. In 2009, according to Courier & Press archives, the city was talking about a $120 million project. By 2012, it was $227 million. As the EPA played hardball, Evansville came up to $540 million; the EPA countered with $916 million.

Now, it's $729 million.

Officials say that much of the cost comes from dealing with century-old pipes and technology currently in place. They note that Evansville isn't the only city affected; hundreds nationwide, many in the Midwest and Northeast, are under EPA orders, including Fort Wayne ($240 million on top of previous work), South Bend ($600 million), Louisville ($800 million) and Indianapolis ($1.8 billion).

The good news, officials say, is that at project's end, and during the process, Evansville will be doing its part to ensure clean drinking water for decades to come. The bad, of course, is that the work must be paid for.

Local sewer rates (which are based on water usage, a separate charge on your bill) have increased nearly 50 percent in the past two years. Officials acknowledge that there won't be many years during the improvement process when rates won't increase.

It will be a burden on Vanderburgh County citizens, particularly those with low or fixed incomes. It will make things more difficult financially for all of us and our children and grandchildren.

It's going to be painful, but that is the cost of modernization - and procrastination.
In 2013, that YouTube video of a guy ordering a 40-shot espresso went viral. The total cost of the drink was $47.30, because it also included bananas, strawberry, matcha powder, and pumpkin spice. If you think that sounds absolutely disgusting, you are not alone. Andrew knew there must be a way to get an even more expensive but still tolerable drink.

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Of course, like the guy before him, Andrew wouldn't actually be paying for the giant beverage. Andrew was a member of Starbuck's loyalty program, which meant he got a free drink for every 12 he bought. Now, most people would go in and just order the most expensive thing on the actual menu, but that wasn't required. Basically, a "drink" was defined as anything the people behind the counter were willing to serve him. In the end, he was going to get himself more than $50 of free coffee.

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"Just to the halfway mark, please. I still want to be able to submerge myself in it."

Andrew put thought into his goal. While other people trying to beat the record messed up by bringing in fishbowls, he brought in a 128-ounce clear glass vase that was still ostensibly a drinking glass. He also made sure to tell the baristas exactly what his plans were and get them excited about it. Soon, everyone was doing the math to figure out how to break the $50 barrier.
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Contestants pose for the judges during the auditions for the first Miss Trans Israel beauty pageant in Tel Aviv, Thursday, March 3, 2016 (AP Photo/Ariel Shalit)





Auditions for the first ever Israeli transgender beauty pageant, Miss Trans Israel, took place in Tel Aviv this past week. Around thirty transwomen went to the auditions, organized by

Israela Stephanie Lev

. The pageant will be held on May 28, according to the pageant's Facebook page.

Abu Hanna

Jossy Yendall

Jai Dara Latto

Rachael Bailey





Lev said living as a transwoman in Israel had been terrible in the past, but that now things were improving.Definitely we are achieving, enlightening the people to accept and empower transsexuals, she told the Associated Press.Contestants such as, a 21-year-old whose family is Catholic Arab took part in the pageant.She said her family is supportive of her, and that she can sing, dance and play the trumpet.I have something to give the people, Hanna said, going on to say We are normal people. This is normal.A pageant final will take place in May, and the winner is to represent Israel at the Miss Trans Star international pageant.The Trans Star pageant will take place this summer in Spain.Campaigners earlier this year criticized a transgender beauty pageant which offers the winner gender reassignment surgery. The Miss Gay and Ms Transsexual Australia 2016 pageant was branded irresponsible by campaigners.A finalist in the Miss Galaxy beauty pageant contest also in January spoke out  to claim she was disqualified for being trans.Jossy29-year-oldsays she was elated to find out that she had made it through to the final of the UK competition.However, she told ITV she was shocked to be told by organizers that she had been dropped from the contest because shes not biologically female.The winner of the Miss Transgender UK pageant was last month stripped of her crown for not being full-time transgender, the organizer has claimed.The pageant launched for the first time last year  but attracted controversy for offering all-expenses-paid gender reassignment surgery in India as a prize.Scottish trans womanwas initially named the winner of the contest  but organizerhit out at her this week, amid coverage of Latto going on a charity hike.Source: Pink News, 3/4/2016***The first paragraph was modified to correct Pink News' statement that the pageant took place, which is false. The pageant will take place on May 28.
Melbourne-headquartered Identity Solutions has helped Bakers Delight franchisees save up to $500,000 over nine months after switching to Okta's identity management solution.

Competition and consumer laws meant individual bakeries were unable to run important systems on-premises. The switch allowed Bakers Delight's 700 bakeries in Australia, New Zealand and Canada to access central systems for recipe updates, supplier's information and housekeeping matters, as well as the back end of point-of-sale and retail systems.

Deploying Okta has driven franchisees to order supplies online, which helped achieve the half-million dollar saving.

Identity Solutions director Victoria Krol told CRN: Since the switch, Bakers Delight has achieved a 50 percent increase in services used by all franchisees.

Franchisees accessing the Bakers Delight system more regularly has also led to a decrease in password resets.

Krol said the Okta system has helped the franchisor achieve a 10 percent reduction in service calls made to the company in recent months.

To be successful and to grow their business, Bakers Delight needed to continuously improve their operations, ensure they can efficiently collaborate with the network of franchise operators and equip themselves and franchisees with right tools.

Bakers Delight IT plays an important role in supporting the business. In late 2014, Bakers Delight IT began the selection process through an open tender for a modern, secure, user and device friendly solution that would provide and support franchisees seamless access to the Bakers Delight portal, applications and web resources, added Krol.

The aim is to reduce calls to service desks by 50 percent, said CIO Joanne Stubbs.

"Without Okta, no franchisee would log on to the system alone, despite knowing the benefits and cost savings, and wouldn't have done it unless it was made easy," said Stubbs.
Receivers Ferrier Hodgson have begun advertising the immediate sale of the intellectual property of Dick Smith, including the retailers customer database.

Ferrier Hodgsons campaign stated it is looking for expressions of interest in the sale of branding and trademarks, websites and domain names, as well as the retailer's customer database.

A spokesperson for Ferrier Hodgson told CRN that the recievers would contact all individuals on the database ahead of a sale, and will be given the opportunity to elect whether or not their information is included.

"While a potential sale may include customer information (amongst other things), the form and substance of any such sale that may take place is yet to be determined," they said.

"The receivers are aware of their obligations under the privacy legislation in Australia and New Zealand regarding the use and disclosure of personal information.

"Any sale which may take place in the future would not be in breach of those obligations".

According to Dick Smiths privacy policy, the information Dick Smith collects under the Privacy Act 1988 can includes names, addresses, contact details, age, gender and signature of its customers. It also stores details about proof of ID such as drivers licence, passport numbers, and customers social media identities.

Acting Australian Information Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim released a statement on the issue: "Businesses engaged in the selling and purchasing of customer databases need to be mindful of their obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). I would strongly encourage any business considering this step to ensure that they seek legal advice before engaging in these types of transactions."

New Zealand privacy commissioner John Edwards also released on a statement: Due to a stream of enquiries from the public to our office, we have been in touch with the legal advisers of the receivers of Dick Smith Electronics.

We have received assurances that the receivers are aware of and will comply with their obligations under the New Zealand and Australian Privacy Acts.

Ferrier Hodgson was appointed as the receiver of Dick Smith by secured creditors when the company went into administration on 5 January.

The company was wound up on 25 February when the receivers failed to find a suitable buyer.

Ferrier Hodgson's ad placed in the Australian Financial Review on 2 March.

This story has been updated to include the statement from Ferrier Hodgson's spokesperson.
Apple customers were targeted by hackers over the weekend in the first campaign against Macintosh computers using a pernicious type of software known as ransomware, researchers with Palo Alto Networks told Reuters on Sunday.

Ransomware, one of the fastest-growing types of cyber threats, encrypts data on infected machines, then typically asks users to pay ransoms in hard-to-trace digital currencies to get an electronic key so they can retrieve their data.

Security experts estimate that ransoms total hundreds of millions of dollars a year from such cyber criminals, who typically target users of Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Palo Alto threat intelligence director Ryan Olson said the "KeRanger" malware, which appeared on Friday, was the first functioning ransomware attacking Apple's Mac computers.

"This is the first one in the wild that is definitely functional, encrypts your files and seeks a ransom," Olson said in a telephone interview.

An Apple representative said the company had taken steps over the weekend to prevent attacks by revoking a digital certificate from a legitimate Apple developer that enabled the rogue software to install on Macs. The representative said he could not immediately provide other details.

The malware is programmed to encrypt files on an infected personal computer three days after the original infection, according to Olson.

That means that if Apple's steps prove ineffective in neutralising malware that has already infected Macs, the earliest victims will have their files encrypted on Monday, three days after the malicious program first appeared on the Tranmission website, he said.

The Transmission site offers the open source software that was infected with the ransomware.

Palo Alto said it planned to release a blog advising Mac users on ways to check to see if they were infected with the virus and steps they can take to protect against it harming their data, Olson said.

Transmission is one of the most popular Mac applications used to download software, videos, music and other data through the BitTorrent peer-to-peer information sharing network, according to Olson.

Representatives with Transmission could not be reached immediately for comment.

The project's website, www.transmissionbt.com, on Sunday carried a warning saying that version 2.90 of its Mac software had been infected with malware.

It advised users to immediately upgrade to version 2.91 of the software, which was available on its website, or delete the malicious one.

It also provided technical information on how users could check to see if they were affected.

By Jim Finkle. Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe
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BRIDGEPORT - In the age of digital downloads, cloud storage and exponentially evolving hardware, it is easy to build a music library that would take a lifetime to listen to. But sometimes, if someone absolutely needs that one record in that one place, the only way to get it is on vinyl.

That is part of the reason why hundreds of music lovers and collectors flooded to the tables of dozens of vendors to pore over thousands of records at Reads ArtSpace Saturday, flocking to WPKN-FMs Music Mash 2016. Some were there for the bargains, some to hang with friends and some to keep alive the commerce of music.

Rick Omonte, who lives in New Haven but has an extended family in Peru, brings vinyl back and forth whenever he visits, about once a year.

The stuff thats really hard for me to get is easy for them to get, and vice versa, Omonte said. Like Boston and Journey.  I go down there and I trade these records for the rarest folkloric, the rarest Cumbia.

On Saturday Omonte picked up several 45-RPM vinyl records  music he had never heard before, but from record labels he said he trusted, Karen and Discolando. He also DJd part of the event.

Omonte also plays in a band, The Mountain Movers, with Ross Menze, a professional cook who, along with his friend Dave Coon, set up a vendor table and sold records Saturday.

Collecting music, there are limitations. You may or may not find a record; you may or not be able to afford it, said Coon, a professional architect. You have to be a collector. Not everybody collects things.  Theres a satisfaction, I think, in collecting anything where the quantity is limited.

Two such records are Spectrum Suite and Christening for Listening, new-age albums from Steven Halpern. Amazon and Barnes and Noble list cheaper used CD versions of Spectrum Suite, but the original pressings  that Halpern apparently put out himself  cost $300 or more, a far cry from the two-for-$5 records more common at the Mash.

Coon said he got his records form his massage therapist.

I dont know what to do with them; theyre rare as hens teeth, he said. There are like none for sale, and the one or two copies that are for sale are like $350, $375. Nobodys going to pay that for them, but thats what theyre worth.

Meanwhile, a vinyl renaissance  devotees say the medium has a warmer sound  has driven entrepreneurs to scramble to find record-pressing equipment and convince others to fabricate entirely new hardware.

The marketplace is demanding more and more vinyl, so the manufacturers will fill that void by making more machines, Coon said. People were going all over the globe finding record-pressing machines.

Sales of LPs hit a new record last year, with almost 12 million records changing hands, according to consumer data clearinghouse, Neilsen. That benchmark also marks a decade of nonstop growth in vinyl sales.

Jim Martin, who plays in a band called the Chem-Trails, picked up a sack full of records Saturday, adding to an already sizable vinyl collection. He said he listens to CDs and digital, as well, but prefers old-fashioned records.

Im a vinyl guy. I mean, Ive been collecting records since Im a kid and Im 50 now, he said. Maybe its my age group. My parents collected vinyl. And they got divorced, and their collection went to hell.

Martin conceded that vinyl collections can be cumbersome.

The one thing about vinyl is how much room it takes up. If youre a person whos more transient and moves around a lot, its probably not for you, he said. He is married and has owned his home for years, but when I was younger and single, I knew who my real friends were on moving day.

Steven di Costanzo, the general manager of WPKN and organizer of the Mash, said the event has grown significantly over last year, and that he hopes to turn it into a two-day affair in the future.

He said the vibe of the expo matched the feel of the radio station.

This is the way it feels at WPKN: good music, great records, di Costanzo said. It really is a very eclectic mix of people.
HARTFORD - The Kent-based Schaghticoke Indian tribe plans to sue the state in an effort to block the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegan Indians from jointly building a new casino in the Hartford area.

Schaghticoke Chief Richard Velky said on Monday he will file the lawsuit in U. S. District Court in Hartford. The suit will contend that a state law passed last year allowing a third Connecticut casino is unconstitutional because it excluded other tribes from competing for the casino, he said.

Without any competitive bidding or gaming study, Connecticut shut out [the Schaghticokes] and awarded to one pair of native American tribes the exclusive ability to develop a highly-valuable commercial enterprise, Velky said  Under the Equal Protection clauses of both the federal and state constitutions, [the Schaghticokes] should have the same right to pursue this economic opportunity as anyone else.

The General Assembly passed the bill in an effort to protect Foxwoods, owned by the Peqouts, and the Mohegan Sun from competition from a mega casino and resort being built by MGM Resorts International in Springfield, Mass. MGM has already sued Connecticut on similar grounds as the planned Schaghticoke lawsuit.

The Peqout and Mohegan tribes - both federally recognized - were empowered under the legislation to build a small casino in the state off reservation land, and have concentrated on the Hartford area along I-91. The prime sites now under discussion are Windsor Locks, East Hartford and Hartford.

Over the years, the Schaghticokes have failed years to gain federal recognition and the permission to operate a casino on tribal land that comes with the designation. The tribe has a state recognized reservation in Kent.

MGM recently began asking residents to fill out a form posted on Facebook to tell their legislators they want a comprehensive study of the proposed new casino, including a look at the economic benefits and whether there is a market for the facility, before anything is built.

The Vegas-based casino mogul has also released a study that says a third casino in southwestern Connecticut, such as Bridgeport, would generate more revenue and create more jobs than one closer to Springfield.
Its no secret that state Democrats are at war with the State Elections Enforcement Commission. The SEEC and the Democratic State Central Committee are battling in Superior Court over a subpoena that the elections regulators want to use to probe the Democrats use of about $300,000 from its federal account, which was transferred in the final weeks of Gov. Dannel P. Malloys 2014 re-election campaign for mailings. Since the federal account includes millions of dollars from state contractors who are prohibited from directly contributing to statewide and General Assembly races, theres a chance that at some point in the future, the SEEC could find impropriety and order Malloy to return the $6.5 million in state funding he and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman received for their campaign.

Coincidentally, Malloy, who cut the SEECs budget by more than 7 percent last year, wants to slash another 5.75 this year. If the reduction makes it through the General Assembly, it will amount to a $449,900 reduction over two years, leaving the watchdog agency with about $80,000, above salaries, to run its many investigations, such as the one that led to another conviction of Ernest E. Newton II of Bridgeport, the former state senator who completed a federal prison sentence for corruption, then was sentenced to six months in prison last year for campaign-finance violations. According to court records, hes scheduled for trial on April 13 for larceny and violating campaign finance laws in his failed attempt to run again for the General Assembly in 2012.

Michael Brandi, the executive director of the SEEC, told lawmakers recently that hes down to 35 employees and the $80,000 is a pittance. We cant continue to run the agency on that, Brandi said. Were getting to the breaking point. Once again, whats the price of democracy? Is that a trick question.

 kdixon@ctpost.com

A heavy lift

Its cliche for politicians to say they run a lean campaign operation, but 1984 Olympian August Wolf is taking it literally.

Couch potatoes need not apply to work for Wolf, the lone Republican running for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut against first-term U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Not that one would expect less from the 6-foot-6-inch former athlete, who finished just off the podium in the shot put during the Los Angeles Summer Games.

A recently leaked staff memo written by Wolfs one-time campaign manager, Tom Daly, shed light on what it takes to be part of Wolfs team. Its a sharp contrast from the fast food culture that permeates politics and policy making, from the campaign trail to the Capitol.

Gym time  remember we are all going to get in shape on this campaign as opposed to normal campaigns where you usually eat pizza, gain weight and sit at a desk, Daly wrote last September. If you need a gym membership we will provide it, otherwise twice a week take a long lunch or leave 1 hour early and hit the gym. I got a monster workout in on the weights in the front room. Im still sore and will be doing it regularly.

Wolfs Stamford campaign headquarters has a set of weights, according to one former staffer.

He had all sorts of crazy rules, said Michael Napoli, Wolfs former field director.

Fight against cuts to breast-cancer screening

The Public Health Committee last week heard testimony on a bill that might lead to the restoration of funding to last years $3 million cut from radiology and imaging services for Medicaid patients on access to care. The cuts are impacting poor and minority women. Jacqueline Roberts, executive director of Nubian Sisters, a Bridgeport-based nonprofit, was among those telling lawmakers.

Second-chance majority leader

With the growing national awareness of juvenile crime and their still-growing brains, Gov. Malloy wants to raise the age for those considered juveniles to 20, up from 18. It was just a few years ago when 16-year-olds were considered adults in the eyes of the law. One of the people who will be figuring out this issue, as the General Assembly grinds toward its May 4 deadline, is Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk. So he recently spent a couple hours in the Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire. He took along the police chiefs of Darien and Norwalk.

I thought it was right and appropriate for me to take a tour of a prison, but do it in a way relevant to the work were doing in Connecticut, Duff said in an interview last week.

They toured the shops and the school, taking the opportunity to interview many of the inmates in the Level 4, secured facility.

The school system throughout the Department of Correction in the largest in the state, he said, noting that the prisoners can ear GEDs, high school diplomas and certificates, all at the cost of $60,000 per kid, per year, for taxpayers. He said forward-thinking Correction Commissioner Scott Semple has started a new program that allows inmates with earned good-behavior credits, a change to spend time with retired racing greyhounds.

One of the kids really turned himself around when the dogs came, Duff said, adding that a lot of factors, including post traumatic stress, result in the youngsters committing the serious crimes that land them at Manson. I think its important to get out of the Capitol and see whats going on, Duff said.

 kdixon@ctpost.com
High-end lodgings have flaunted wellness programs for years -- health food on speed dial at the Trump Chicago, say, and power naps stimulated by wave technology at Miami Edition. But for those of us who pay our own bills, Id like to see health not so much an afterthought, says Jayne McAllister, author of Mile High & Healthy. Were in luck: Budget-friendly hotels are catching up.

Location: Norwalk, Conn.; Rockville, Md.; two in New York. Seattle, Miami and Omaha are coming soon.

Rates: Starting at $199

Health boost: Its the first major hotel brand built around wellness. Each room has a fitness zone -- with cork flooring and exercise equipment -- for in-room workouts, and the beds are covered in breathable eucalyptus linens. Order room service: The menu is a kale-fest.

Biz extras: Free wi-fi, ample electrical outlets and ergonomic room desks.

Guilty pleasure: Cocktails and parfaits at the lobby restaurant.

MGM Grands Stay Well Rooms

Location: Las Vegas

Rates: Starting at $185

Health boost: The 14th floor of the MGM Grand features extra soundproofing, purified and humidified air, filtered tap water, blue lighting (said to counter jet lag), an alarm clock that simulates dawn with nature sounds and increasing light and a vitamin-C-infused shower that filters out chlorine.

Biz extras: The Stay Well Lounge offers a similarly freshened meeting space on the floor.

Guilty pleasure: The casino below, plus 29 restaurants and bars.

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

Location: 63 locations across the U.S.

Rates: Starting at $237

Health boost: Varies per location. Seattles Alexis Hotel has a new CrossFit gym with a rock-climbing wall, monkey bars and more. Hotel Vintage Portland in Oregon holds weekly pickup games with its bellman, a former semi-pro player. At the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, Mass., kayaks come comp.

Biz extras: Need a workout buddy in D.C.? Call the GM! The Monacos manager bikes with guests; the Carlyles prefers running.

Guilty pleasure: Complimentary wine hour daily.

Westin Hotels & Resorts

Location: More than 250 locations globally.

Rates: Starting at $179

Health boost: Its new Sleep Well Menu provides herbal tea, plus snacks with vitamins and minerals said to aid rest and recovery. Coming in June: lavender sleep balm, to be applied to pulse points for calming aromatherapy.

Biz extras: No room in your roll-aboard for sneakers or workout clothing? Rent New Balance gear for $5 (and keep the socks).

Guilty pleasure: Follow the bacon aroma to the breakfast buffet.

Related:

Can Your Hotel Make You Healthier?

The Four Seasons Amman Prides Itself On Genuine Hospitality

The Big Climb. What Led To The Success Of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group?



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
BRIDGEPORT  Corrinna Martin doesnt want to read this news story.

The West Haven woman would rather remember her vivacious, college-student daughter as she was the last time she saw her. Not as the remains police found in the Trumbull woods.

Martin will likely be sitting on a bench outside the Main Street courtroom when the jury hears that evidence on Tuesday  the same spot where she sat for several weeks last March until she heard a jury had deadlocked in the case.

Now a new jury of 12 is being asked to decide whether Jermaine Richards, a private-duty nurse, murdered 20-year-old Alyssiah Marie Wiley and dismembered her body.

My baby is gone, I know what happened; I just dont understand how 12 intelligent people can see the same thing I see without arriving at a verdict, Martin lamented after the first jury deadlocked.

Wiley, a sophomore at Eastern Connecticut State University, was last seen on video from a surveillance camera outside her dormitory on April 19, 2013, getting into Richards car.

Twenty-seven days later, after a statewide search and appeals by her mother on television, Wileys grisly partial remains were found in a wooded area at the end of Quarry Road in Trumbull.

Prosecutors Joseph Corradino and Ann Lawlor contended during the first trial that Richards, 33, who had been dating Wiley, killed her after she broke up with him.

On the afternoon of April 19, Wiley texted friends she had broken up with Richards and was on her way back to campus. Her-cut up body parts were found less than 2 miles from Richards home.

The prosecution painted Richards as a vain and obsessive Lothario who stuffed newspapers in his boots to make himself appear taller and while dating Wiley was also seeing three other girls.

The prosecutors declined comment for this story, as did Richards lawyers, Richard Silverstein and Leo Ahern.

Richards did not testify during the first trial, but he told police at the time he had dropped Wiley off near campus later on the night in question.

Judge Robin Pavia has told the jury the trial could last three weeks.
If the prevailing political winds favor Donald Trump in the Republican presidential race, then Connecticut is a micro-climate  averse to the anti-establishment and politically incorrect phenomenon gripping the GOP.

Few party leaders in the state have publicly endorsed the bombastic real estate mogul, despite Trumps early string of GOP primary victories stretching from New Hampshire and Vermont to South Carolina and Virginia.
Somerset jury finds two of three defendants guilty of murder

Now in its fifth day of testimony and seventh day overall, the double murder trial taking place in Somerset County is now over. The jury decided.
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Seventy-five years ago, the peoples of Europe were slaughtering each other in a conflict that laid bare our Continent.

Britain and our allies emerged victorious, but to do so everyone, including politicians from opposing parties, had to pull in the same direction.

That included our grandfathers. Winston Churchill energetically assumed the leadership of the coalition government, and as his Home Secretary, Churchill chose Labours Herbert Morrison.

Sir Nicholas Soames, pictured left, and Lord Mandelson, right, grandsons of Sir Winston Churchill and Herbert Morrison respectively, are campaigning for Britain to stay in the EU

They were from very different backgrounds and, in private, clashed in their views of how Britains economy and society should be organised in the future.

While their thinking informed and inspired our politics, they differed in their attitudes to Europe.

Churchill spoke in 1946 about the need for the nations of Europe to all pull together and pool the luck and the comradeship, inspiring a generation of pro-Europeans.

Yet Morrison rejected the emerging European Community, saying the Durham miners would never wear it.

But a decade ahead, when the growing shared economic strength of our continental neighbours started to present us with new opportunities, Conservative and Labour governments realised we should not turn our backs on Europe.

In their different ways, they highlighted two strands of the argument for Britains place in Europe.

The need for European countries to club together to face common challenges, and pure British economic self-interest.

These both lead us to agree that Britain is stronger, safer and better off in Europe.

Like our grandfathers before us, Europes future and Britains place within it has brought us together. We believe it transcends other differences and we want to explain why.

Herbert Morrison, left, and Winston Churchill, centre, pictured with Anthony Eden, right, in 1951

Both Churchill and Morrison believed that European unity was vital in order to put centuries of bloody conflict behind us.

When the Russians drew down the Iron Curtain on a broken and suffering Eastern Europe, they were all the more determined to make sure this unity was firmly rooted in the strong institutions, the ones that preceded the present-day European Union.

When the Berlin Wall fell at the end of the 1980s, those countries and their great capitals  Warsaw, Prague, Berlin, Bucharest and Sofia  were released from the grip of a ruthless Soviet machine.

They stampeded to be a part of the European Union  an organisation based on trade, trust and co-operation.

Europe today is as unrecognisable from 1989 as it is from 1945. It is easy to take Europes peace for granted.

Younger readers will find it hard to envisage the Europe for which so many gave their lives and in the shadow of whose divisions we grew up and in which one of us soldiered.

But in just a couple of generations, Europe created something remarkable which has effectively rebuilt the Continent, bringing freedom, security and prosperity from which Britain benefits greatly.

In the last couple of decades, Europe has gone on to create the biggest and most powerful single market in the world  one of 500 million people  in which business is growing by freely trading goods, supplying services and moving capital across the EU.

Uniquely, not only have border tariffs been eliminated, but a single system of regulation has been created to replace the 28 different national sets of rules and standards which used to present endless barriers to trade and doing business in Europe.

Prime Minister David Cameron, right, and London Mayor Boris Johnson, left, are on opposite sides of the issue

Britains economy is now completely integrated to this European system, our economy reshaped around the opportunities offered by Europes single market.

As a result, it is estimated the UK economy is a tenth larger than if the European market had not been created.

It is not just large businesses that benefit. Tens of thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises freely export to Europe.

British businesses also benefit from the EUs international clout to negotiate preferential free trade agreements with other countries.

Sixty per cent of Britains exports are covered by these privileged arrangements.

If Britain leaves the EU we will not only cease to have unhindered access to Europes single market, but we will also cease to be covered by Europes global trade deals, with a resulting substantial loss of trade, investment and jobs in Britain.

Being in Europe also strengthens our national security, facilitating intelligence-sharing and cross-border policing.

Alongside our membership of the UN Security Council and Nato, being in Europe is a force multiplier for Britains leadership in the world.

We are better placed to fight terrorism, climate change and sources of global instability by acting within stronger international partnerships.

This is not to mention the opportunities free movement in Europe provides for travel, study and the sharing of expertise in fields such as science and medical research.

There is no point in pretending that the European Union does not face many major challenges.

The current refugee crisis, larger than any seen since the end of the Second World War, is one which has made the EU look reactive and ineffective.

In other ways, too, the EU has got to run itself differently. Doing less better, doing it more transparently, and expanding the ability of national governments to keep a check on it are all important advances.

Thats why the reforms that the Prime Minister, David Cameron, negotiated in Europe are so important.

He delivered for Britain by being at the top table, just like his predecessors, Margaret Thatcher and John Major, did.

Sir Nicholas and Lord Mandelson said both Margaret Thatcher and John Major, pictured, benefited from Britain being 'at the top table' in the EU

Of course, these reforms will be belittled by Mr Camerons opponents, including those in his own party.

But they will reassure others with genuine doubts about the EUs direction by taking Britain out of ever closer union; making our immigration fairer by removing the right to immediate access to benefits; and ensuring we are protected from discrimination by the eurozone.

There is a clear vision for Britain within Europe that is uniquely British: making the most of our economic partnership while protecting our interests and identity.

Leave campaigners provide no real idea of what Out looks like. They claim that Britain could retain its place in the EUs free trade single market while ignoring EU rules, no longer paying into the EU budget and ending free movement of people.

No other country has such a deal and this has now been exposed as a fantasy by the French and German governments, which will make no such exception for Britain.

Britain can either be in the EUs free trade single market, with the regulatory influence and full market access this brings  or we can have zero influence and watch as money flows out of Britain financial sector.

Europes situation today is very different from what it was like in our grandfathers time but Britain has the same priorities  prosperity, security and a strong place in the world. We both believe that these priorities are served by staying in the EU.

After the referendum we will resume our disagreement on other matters, just as our grandfathers did after the war.

Herbert Morrison, after all, masterminded Labours Election victory over Winston Churchill in 1945, before Churchill got his revenge over Labour in 1951.
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, pictured, has called for Britain to leave the EU

Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has called for Britain to leave the autocratic and anti-democratic European Union.

Making a dramatic call for Brexit, the Oscar-winning dramatist likened the EU to the Austro-Hungarian empire, the collapse of which plunged the continent into the First World War.

The Tory peer said: I believe we should be out. Its about philosophy, its about democracy, its about democracy versus autocracy, all of those issues.

Its not just that I think they are important  because they are  but I think its the wrong direction.

History has for hundreds of years been moving towards government that is answerable to the people and suddenly we have done an about-turn and weve gone back to the Austro-Hungarian empire. I dont think thats the right direction.

Fellowes also dismissed claims that a vote in favour of Brexit would plunge Britain into economic chaos.

He said people are over-anxious, adding: I think the issue is not really an economic one. I doubt very much that our economy would change either way, to be honest.

Fellowess comparison with the Austro-Hungarian empire, which spanned several current central and Eastern European states from 1867 to 1918, will be highly controversial.

The many different peoples under the rule of the Habsburg dynasty had little in common, causing bitter internal divisions.

Ethnic minorities were brutally suppressed, giving rise to powerful independence movements, which would play a pivotal role in history.

When a Bosnian Serb nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, it triggered the events of the First World War and the ultimate downfall of the empire.

Downton Abbey covered this period, with Matthew Crawley, played by Dan Stevens, shown enduring life in the trenches.

Historian Andrew Roberts endorsed Fellowess comparison of the EU to the autocratic empire, saying: For centuries, the direction of travel was in favour of more democracy and representative government.

'But the European Union cant be accountable because the elected MEPs have no real control over the Commission.

Roberts, a long-standing Tory supporter, joked: If anything I think he is being unfair on the Austro-Hungarian empire, which was a far more successful political union than people often give it credit for.

Lord Fellowes compared the organisation to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the collapse of which helped bring about the First World War, pictured as depicted in Downton Abbey

And he added: Unlike the EU in the 1990s, it was not responsible for the deaths of more than 200,000 people in the Balkans.

However, leading historian Sir Richard Evans cautioned: The comparison works up to a point. The Austro-Hungarian empire was divided into two equal halves, but was basically ruled from Vienna.

'Individual countries didnt have much say, whereas 28 individual nations in the EU ultimately call the shots, given that the real decisions are made by the Council of Ministers, and not the Commission or the Parliament.

The Cambridge professor, who describes himself as passionately pro-European, added: You could draw parallels in terms of the cohesion of the empire being undermined by growing nationalism in the subject nationalities.
Former Home Secretary David Blunkett, pictured, has blasted London Mayor Boris Johnson for his 'change of heart' over Brexit

I was not surprised when I heard reports that the media scrum awaiting Boris Johnsons Brexit announcement had been engineered by his team.

The long wait before he declared whether he was In or Out, including flirtation with both sides, was all designed to draw maximum attention to this master of self-promotion.

Over the past few years, Boris has  by his own admission  been veering all over the place on EU membership.

Hes described himself as a pro-European and talked about the good things that have come from the single market. And yet now hes the leading voice of the Leave campaign.

Can this, I wonder, have anything to do with an anticipated vacancy at the top of his party in the next couple of years?

EU membership is the biggest decision Britain will make in a generation. Its not the time to put career over country or self-interest over national interest.

If Boris is to demonstrate any sincerity, he has to account for his dramatic change of heart. He must answer some basic questions which Leavers currently duck by shouting scare stories.

First, does he think a vote to leave would mean we would be out of the EU for ever?

When he announced his position, Boris put forward a bizarre idea that we could vote for Brexit and yet the Government could ignore this and return emboldened to the EU negotiating table.

Last weekend he said out is out, and that the outcome of the vote in June is a binding decision. So which is it?

Second, Boris should come clean on his position on the Prime Ministers reforms. At the end of last year, Boris outlined his tests for the renegotiation  free trade, independent monetary and fiscal policy, less bureaucracy, more competition and being friends.

By my measure, David Cameron has achieved real change in all these areas. Boris has repeatedly said he would support Britain remaining in a reformed Europe.

But now reform has been achieved, he has done a U-turn without spelling out what additional reform he really wants.

Third, does he acknowledge the huge economic benefits Britain gains from access to the single market and the risks to business of turning our back on this?

More than three million British jobs are linked to it. The CBI estimates that being in Europe is worth around 3,000 per year to every family in the UK.

But what does Boris think? Does he accept that being outside the single market could lead to new tariffs, no access to the EU financial services market and no influence on EU regulations our trading businesses would be forced to accept?

Mr Johnson, pictured, admitted he has been 'veering all over the place' on the EU over the past few years

Fourth, does he stand by his comments that Britain would face penalties if we turned our back on Europe?

The idea we would be able to keep all the best aspects of being part of the EU, but not compromise on anything, is simply not realistic.

And after the comments last week from the French President, I dont doubt that the current arrangement allowing UK border controls to be based in Calais would be up for debate.

As the Minister who negotiated this deal in the first place, I know it was made possible by being a partner in Europe, not an observer on the edge of the Continent.
It's Julian Fellowes' hotly anticipated follow-up to Downton Abbey offering all his hallmarks of lavish costumes, stately homes - and some very glamorous stars.

Prince Harry's ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas is making her TV debut as an heiress, while builder's daughter Stefanie Martin is playing heroine Mary Thorne - a role expected to catapult her from obscurity into stardom.

They're both relative unknowns in their field, who look equally at home in period costume and on the red carpet, with looks that wouldn't be out of place in Hollywood. But who will win the viewers' hearts?

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Prince Harry's ex Cressida Bonas plays Patience Oriel in ITV drama Doctor Thorne airing on Sunday

Stefanie Martin barely left RADA before being cast as Mary Thorne in the new Sunday night costume drama

Fellowes is famed for making household names out of actors at the start of their careers - and Stefanie revealed at a press conference last week that she had just 3 in her pocket when she got the call from ITV.

Previously unknown actors including Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt and Dan Stevens have won awards and roles in Hollywood blockbusters thanks to the fame they achieved in the show created by Julian Fellowes.

And in their own ways, both Stefanie and Cressida are equally new to the machinery of a TV series but when it comes to the limelight, one of them already has a headstart.

Cressida, 27, who plays Patience and Oriel, friend and confidante to one of the main protagonists in the drama which begins tonight, is quite used to top tier friends and family.

Privately-educated Cressida, who is good friends with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, may not have to flex her acting muscles too hard as her character is described in the 1858 novel as a 'very pretty girl... belonging to a good family'.

But tonight's broadcast will be the first time that many Brits will have seen the 27-year-old in action on our screens after she gave up her relationship with the fifth in line to the throne to pursue her career.

Cressida Bonas (left) and Stefani Martini (right) bring a double dose of glamour to ITV's adapation of Doctor Thorne alongside veteran performers Tom Hollander and Rebecca Front

Stefanie and Harry with established actors Tom Hollander as Doctor Thorne and Rebecca Front as Lady Arabella Gresham

But it's just the start in her burgeoning acting career and later this year Cressida will also make her Hollywood debut in film Tulip Fever alongside Judi Dench, Alicia Vikander and Cara Delevingne.

After receiving rave reviews for her performance treading the boards in the one-woman play An Evening With Lucian Freud last year, Cressida's latest ventures could finally put her on the map as a thespian, rather than simply as a notch on a royal bedpost.

Since ending her two-year relationship with the prince, Cressida has also become the face of Mulberry's spring/summer 2015 collection and stole the show in a blue sequin mini-dress appearing on the Dior FROW in Cannes last May.

But while all eyes may be on her at red carpet events, she's not the main star of Doctor Thorne.

That honour goes to RADA graduate Stefanie, an unknown actress from North Somerset who was delighted to land the part having only graduated last summer.

She said: 'My agent phoned to tell me when I was in a coffee shop with my boyfriend. I had 3 in my bank account that day.

The actress plays a 'very pretty girl... belonging to a good family' in the Julian Fellowes adaptation of Anthony Trollope's Victorian novel

'I remember going in, trying to get a coffee, having my card declined and thinking, "I can't even buy a coffee. How am I going to get home? I've only got 3."

'Then I got the phone call and it was completely surreal... It's lovely how that one phone call can completely change your life.'

Stefanie doesn't come from a thespian family - her father works in construction and her mother in HR - so said it took them a while to process the news that she was going to star in such an anticipated prime time show.

She said: 'When I rang to tell them I'd got the part my dad was busy, so he just said, "OK, that's good news, bye." Then rang me the next day when he'd actually processed it and said, "That's amazing." And my mum was really happy for me.'

Meanwhile, her love interest in the drama, Frank Gresham, is also played by an unknown - young Australian actor Harry Richardson.

Cressida, pictured right with co-stars Rebecca Front, left and Gwyneth Keyworth, is said to have ended her two-year relationship with Prince Harry to pursue her acting career

Cressida plays a friend and confidante to the main character in the three part drama

He graduated from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth in 2014 and had been 'bouncing around chasing jobs ever since'.

He said he was 'over the moon' to get the part in Doctor Thorne, auditioning when he was in London visiting family and he nearly missed his flight home in order to read for the role.

'On my last night in London I got an email from my agent, with the script for Doctor Thorne, asking me to attend an audition in the morning before my flight back to Australia.

'Knowing it was Julian Fellowes and Trollope I knew I had to do it!' he recalled. 'I read the scripts overnight, attended the audition in the morning and then made it to Heathrow for my flight with just an hour to spare.'

The 27-year-old will make her debut in a primetime TV show following rave reviews of her theatre performances

Unknown actors Harry Richardson and Stefanie Martini will play the lead roles in Doctor Thorne

After flying home, he then returned for a second audition where he was given the part.

Mark Redhead, executive producer of Doctor Thorne, predicts big things for the show's young cast.

He said: 'Harry paid for himself to come over from Australia to the UK for the audition. That's bold. To say, "I really want to go for this role."

'He is like an artists vision of a young romantic hero. And Stefanie, who had just left RADA, is, like Harry, also a wonderful actor. I'm sure both of them are going to have massive careers.'

Mark Redhead, executive producer of Doctor Thorne, predicts Harry and Stefanie will have 'massive careers' after getting their big breaks on the show

Stefanie's father works in her construction and her mother in HR, she said they were delighted when she was cast in Doctor Thorne

Doctor Thorne is a three-part drama adapted from Julian's favourite Trollope novel and he hopes viewers will take it to their hearts, like they did Downton Abbey, which ended last year.

However, he said on This Morning last week that is hard to predict what will be a hit show, and often it just comes down to 'luck'.

Talking to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, he said: 'We were lucky to have a hit. No one knows why. There's no science behind it. It's luck. One hopes for luck, but you cannot expect it.'

He added of his latest work: 'It's a charming love story for spring and really deals with social disruption. People coming up and people coming down. I love Trollope's writing.'

Doctor Thorne begins on ITV, Sunday at 9pm

Julian Fellowes' Downton Abbey made the cast including Dan Stevens and Michelle Dockery household names
When Caitriona Palmer decided to track down the mother who gave her up for adoption as a baby, her two greatest fears were that she would be dead or wouldn't want to meet her.

But in a new memoir she describes in heartbreaking details the complication she had never expected - that her mother would want to keep her a secret.

An Affair With My Mother describes how Caitriona, 43, from Dublin, Ireland, was forced to have clandestine meetings in hotels and exchange furtive letters with her mother over the course of more than a decade, as she was too scared to reveal her daughter's existence.

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Caitriona Palmer, 43, from Dublin, Ireland has written a memoir about how she met her birth mother who insisted they keep their relationship a secret. The mother-of-three, pictured with her children Liam, Nessa and Caoimhe started to feel angry about the arrangement when she became a mum herself

At first, delighted to be reunited with her mother, Caitriona went along with keeping their relationship a secret.

The mother-of-three, who was living abroad at the time of their reunion told FEMAIL: 'I was coming over to Ireland to meet her, which enhanced the furtiveness of the affair.

'It was a very exciting time, like being in the first flush of love. I think we were both in love.'

But 15 years on from their first meeting Caitriona's birth mother, whose name she has changed to Sarah in the book to protect her privacy, is still not willing to bring their relationship out into the open.

An Affair With My Mother describes how Caitriona was forced to have clandestine meetings and exchange furtive letters with her mother over the course of more than a decade, as she was too scared to reveal her daughter's existence

Caitriona was six years old when she first found out she was adopted.

'I remember that moment very vividly. I can almost reach out and touch the memory,' she said.

'I always had an inkling I was special. My parents always told me that. I was officially told I was adopted on my sixth birthday in 1977.

'We were making the bed and my mother said she had something to tell me. We sat down on the bed and she reminded me it was my birthday and said she needed me to remember someone very special who was my birth mother.

As a child Caitriona's parents told her she was special and when she was six years old, on her birthday, her mother revealed she had been adopted

'Her exact words were: "We chose you especially to come and live with us, but before you were born another mammy carried you in her tummy."

'She wanted me to remember this woman on my birthday and always pray for her. It came as a real shock to be told I was not of my parents.

'I was very intensely upset and wanted to cry, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings so I suppressed my emotions in that moment.

'But from that day on I would say I was grieving and I felt incomplete. I felt there was a missing part of me, and it formed my identity.'

As she grew older, Caitriona did her best to suppress her feelings.

Liam, left, and Mary, right, adopted Caitriona from a Dublin baby home. Her birth mother never revealed to anyone that she'd had a child even when she got married

There was still huge stigma surrounding unmarried mothers in Ireland when Caitriona's mother fell pregnant. So she gave up her job and fled to Dublin where a Catholic agency put her up in the home of a young married couple. There, she hid away until Caitriona, pictured as a child, was born in April 1972

'I was one of these immensely positive and cheerful people,' she recalled. 'I spoke about being adopted frequently and maintained that it didn't affect me.

'In my early 20s, living abroad, I felt a greater sense of loss. At 24 I started making tentative steps towards contact, but I pulled back.

'At 27 I was living in Bosnia working with an NGO exhuming mass graves. I was surrounded by dead bodies and grieving relatives. Now it seems silly but the "aha moment" occurred there.

'I am careful not to equate what I was feeling with what these families were going through, but watching them trying to find their missing relatives made me realise I had to find that missing part of my DNA and that life is incredibly short.'

Caitriona got in touch with a Dublin-based agency and expected it to take quite a while to find her mother.

It took them just weeks to track her down in July 1999, but Caitriona didn't meet her until December that year.

'It allowed us to exchange letters and get to know each other,' she said.

In the meantime, she formed a picture in her head of what her mother would be like, which she says is quite common in adopted children.

'At one point I thought she was Mary Robinson, the president of Ireland, because I loved her. In my mind she was this incredibly successful and extroverted character.

Caitriona, pictured on her Communion Day, said she spent her whole life grieving for her mother and felt like something was missing, even though she pretended that she had no issues about being adopted

But when they eventually met for the first time in December that year, Sarah did not conform to the image she had in her mind.

She wrote in her book: I can remember still, with great clarity, the terror of meeting, Sarah, for the first time  the nausea, scanning the room for a wastebasket in case my stomach failed me, the sound of her footsteps as she approached the door.

'I remember, too, the intensity of our embrace, the cloying scent of her perfume, the softness of her velvety cheek, the scratchiness of her fake fur against my face.

For Sarah, the secret was now so toxic, so enormous and all-encompassing that revealing it threatened to destroy her world.

'My first impression was that the coat made her look cheap, nothing like the goddess who had dominated my dreams. I smiled and soothed her tears. As I held her trembling frame, I felt like the parent in the room.'

Caitriona recalled: 'I was totally numb and in shock. The bonding came later for me.'

Meeting her mother learned that her mother had come from a small town in Ireland where she was working as a teacher.

When she fell pregnant, her boyfriend offered no support. There was still huge stigma surrounding unmarried mothers in Ireland at the time.

So she gave up her job and fled to Dublin where a Catholic agency put her up in the home of a young married couple. There, she hid away until Caitriona was born in April 1972.

Two days later she was given to a baby home in Dublin and returned home, never telling anyone about the child she gave up for adoption.

Even the man she married didn't know about it, and nor did the children they had together.

'For Sarah, the secret was now so toxic, so enormous and all-encompassing that revealing it threatened to destroy her world.

The author says she still hopes that she will have an open relationship with her mother in the future

She was terrified that her husband would leave her, that her children would shun her,' Caitriona explained.

'At our second meeting, she asked that I co-operate in hiding my existence  temporarily  from her family. I was eager to please and afraid of losing Sarah, so I agreed.'

But it wasn't a scenario that Caitriona had prepared herself for.

THE DAY CAITRIONA'S MOTHER PRETENDED SHE DIDN'T EXIST Dublin is not a big city, and the risk of being discovered hung over every meeting. One afternoon, as we were approaching one another in the lobby, Sarah breezed straight past me and into the embrace of a woman behind me. I stood frozen in shock. It took several seconds to compute what had just happened. In my pleasure to see Sarah, I had not realised that her smile had been directed, not at me, but at the stranger over my shoulder, and that, in the presence of someone she knew, I had become suddenly invisible. My heart racing, I ducked behind a nearby pillar, waiting until the chatter subsided. A feeling of tightness began to spread across my chest, forcing me to take short, shallow breaths. My own mother had blanked me in broad daylight. I was six years old all over again, a bastard child lurking in shame. When the woman walked away, I came out from behind the pillar. There was no mention of who the woman was. We stood in silence while the maitre d went to find a table. I couldnt remember ever feeling so small, so unlovable, so completely inconsequential. Advertisement

'I imagined a whole family grieving my loss and a reunion with aunts and uncles and everyone celebrating my return.

'I imagined two worst case scenarios - that she was dead or that she wouldn't want to meet me. I never considered that she had kept me a secret.

Caitriona came home two or three times a year to see her mother and in the meantime they communicated by letter.

'We would meet at the Westbury, in the centre of Dublin. In previous years, for a birthday treat, I had taken my adopted mother to the hotel for afternoon tea.

'Now, in what felt like an act of treachery, I began arranging assignations there with my other mother. It felt like I was having an affair.

'It may seem peculiar or creepy to compare my relationship with my birth mother to an extramarital affair, but it is the only analogy that works. In my mind, Sarah was the married lover, I was her compliant mistress.

'She was very clear what the rules were. I could not call her at home. I didn't even have her address. I relied on a social worker to pass the letters on to her.

'She would call me from a pay phone and I could hear the traffic outside and the coins dropping in.'

'Everyone on my side knew about her. Everyone thought it was the most unusual thing they had ever heard.

Caitriona started to feel angry, but she kept her feelings hidden from Sarah.

'Primarily, I did not want to lose her. And it's not in my nature to be demanding or confrontational. I've never been good at standing up for myself.

'So I was massively deferential to her and kept assuring her it was not a problem. But my patience started to run out when I had children.

Caitriona, pictured with her brother David, told all her friends and family about meeting her birth mother even though Sarah kept her existence a secret

'If I was not good enough to be brought out into the open then surely they would dilute the secret. But that did not happen.'

Now not only was Sarah denying her daughter, it felt like she was denying her grandson too.

Caitriona advised her mother to see a therapist to deal with the issues that were holding her back from revealing her daughter to the family.

The book is described by Caitriona as a 'love letter' to her mother

At one point they did briefly cut off contact, but then Sarah experienced a family crisis and Caitriona wanted to support her so they resumed the relationship.

She did, however, confess that she wanted another way to be in touch, so Sarah agreed they could exchange emails and text.

When Caitriona asked her permission to write the book, Sarah agreed as long as she wasn't identified.

'After I got the book deal she was very supportive and we kept texting. But the last time I heard from her was Christmas 2014.

'I've been sending texts since then, but she doesn't reply. We never had an argument, but I think it's terribly difficult for her.

'I don't think her silence is malicious. I just think she is terrified. It makes this part of telling the story terribly difficult. I don't want to hurt her. I see the book as a love letter to her.

'I believe in love and compassion. My dad read my book and wrote me an email how proud they were and how compassionate it was.'

Caitriona believes her fear is a result of the way unmarried mothers were treated in Ireland and the shame and stigma surrounding it.

'They were punished for falling pregnant outside of marriage. I believe her actions are a result. Even now, she fears she will lose everything .'

Despite the silence from Sarah, Caitriona still hopes that one day they will be reunited and that she will no longer be a secret.

'I always hope for that,' she revealed. 'I believe in maternal love and the bottomless depths. I remain optimistic but I have to move forward with my life.
She was accused of being all beauty and no brains when she appeared on The Apprentice, but Leah Totton silenced her critics as she opened the second offering in her beauty empire.

The 28-year-old, who came first in the BBC One show in 2013, was all smiles as she cut the ribbon to officially mark the launch her new Dr. Leah Cosmetic Skin Clinic in Loughton, Essex, on Friday with mentor Lord Alan Sugar at her side.

Lord Alan Sugar invested 250,000 in Leah's business after she won Series Nine three years ago, aged just 24, despite people labelling her showdown with finalist Luisa Zissman the 'battle of the bimbos'.

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Lord Sugar was on hand to help Apprentice winner Leah open her newest clinic in Loughton, Essex

Leah (front row, third right) appeared on Series Nine of The Apprentice, beating Luisa Zissman to the top spot

She has since proved a divisive figure with some leading cosmetic surgeons claiming her level of experience when she launched her business was 'inadequate'.

But Leah, a former doctor, went on to open a successful clinic in Moorgate, central London.

The beauty entrepreneur took to Twitter to write: 'Exciting morning at launch of our NEW Dr Leah Clinic in Loughton, Essex', alongside a smiling selfie.

The new clinic offers a mind-boggling array of skin treatments, from hair transplants and skin peels to laser treatment and lip enhancements, going up to a price of 1,450.

Leah opened her first clinic after receiving 25,000 in investment from Lord Sugar, and has now opened a second

An industry expert predicted Leah's business could be on track to make its first million in the coming years

CV: Dr Leah Totton 1988: Born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland 2011: Graduated as a physician from University of East Anglia, Norwich, and registered with the General Medical Council 2013: Won the 250,000 prize on BBC's The Apprentice, becoming business partners with Lord Sugar 2014: Opened the Dr Leah Clinic in Moorgate, in the City of London 2016: Opening new clinic in Loughton, Essex Advertisement

It will also offer customers an 'exclusive' fat-busting treatment, which Leah claims is a world first, according to the Londonderry Sentinel.

Earlier this year, industry experts predicted Leah's business was well on its way to making her first million, after figures revealed it had 439,000 in cash in its coffers, up from 190,000 in 2014.

In a recent interview with MailOnline, Leah shared her advice for starting a business and pitching to her investors.

She said: 'I think when you have an idea and you feel passionate about it that it's a unique skill to be able to get that passion across and make others see your vision.

'Now we have been going for a few years people pitch to us and I'm on the other side of the fence. It's something where when someone pitches to you and you think "I can really see how this is going to work", and others not so much.'

Leah went head-to-head with Luisa Zissman in the 2013 finals, which was dubbed 'the battle of the bimbos'

Leah during filming of The Apprentice in 2013. She has since gone on to launch two beauty clinics

She also claimed there was a need for tighter legislation around the cosmetics industry, saying: 'I think there is a huge need for regulation in the entire cosmetic surgery sector.

'I don't think one change would help - it's a drop in the ocean. The whole sector needs to be overhauled.

'I think the main thing is patient safety over and above profitability. As things stand, it's currently legal for a lay person to obtain dermal filler and administer it.

Recent figures revealed Leah's business had 439,000 in cash in its coffers, up from 190,000 in 2014

Leah's new clinic in Loughton, Essex, will be the second in her beauty empire

'As a prominent doctor in the sector, people come to me and I see a lot of things that have not been done by reputable pharmaceutical companies.

'It's the outcome for patients, who tend to be younger, more vulnerable and driven by price, that matters. The lack of regulation is a bigger problem than people are willing to talk about.'
A pair of New York comedians and roommates are planning to open a museum dedicated to the Olsen twins.

The Brooklyn-based pair of best friends and roommates Matt Harkins and Viviana Olen, who previously brought the city the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan 1994 museum, are currently working on a new exhibit all about Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

The concept began as a joke between the pair, but eventually others began to take an interest - including artists offering to donate works to the proposed museum.

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Honored: Ashley Olsen (left) and Mary-Kate Olsen (right) are to be the subject of a new museum exhibit

Subject: The centerpiece of the museum will be the exhibit entitled Olsen Twins Hiding from the Papparazzi, featuring the sisters shielding their faces from unwelcome photographers

The brains: Roommates and comedians Matt Harkins and Viviana Olen are curating the proposed exhibit

Unlike the duo's last effort, the new gallery will not be housed in the long hallway of their very own Brooklyn apartment, but they are rather planning to rent out a proper storefront.

Among the sights to see in the museum will be an exhibit entitled Olsen Twins Hiding from the Papparazzi, featuring a retrospective look at the fashion designers' attempts to shield themselves from the media, including some artistic renderings by Chicago artist Laura Collins.

In a video included in the Kickstarter campaign for the museum, the pair present a hilarious makeshift model of the proposed museum.

Across the back wall of the exhibit is a large selection of images of the twins hiding behind designer bags, over-sized sunglasses and even their own hands.

Back in the day: The exhibit will also feature artistic renderings of the former actresses (pictured in 2004's New York Minute)

All around: A painting of Lisa Vanderpump holding a swan will be seen next to a stump on which patrons can sit and reflect aloud into a live stream

'No, thank you!' In the corner of the museum there will be a phone that rings and on the other line the person answering will be offered a role on Fuller House. 'You will turn it down,' Matt instructs

Poking fun: The twins famously passed on participating in the Netflix original reboot of Full House

Aside from that, there are extra paintings done by Laura Collins including one showing Lisa Vanderpump holding a swan, which could be viewed from the 'Lisa Vanderpump confessional stump', which the curators claim is where patrons can sit and reflect aloud in front of a live stream.

In the corner of the room, there will be a lonely black telephone which will ring while people are viewing the exhibit and those that pick it up will be offered a role on the Netflix original series Fuller House. 'You will turn it down,' Matt instructs in the introductory video.

Despite the tongue-in-cheek aspect of the idea, the pair insist that it is 'not a joke'.

'We've spent the last year running tours in our hallway museum and have taken what we promised to do seriously,' the pair told Dazed.

'But we are comedians so we try to make things as fun as we can. Our main initiative with this was to show Laura Collins' art, and our role as curators is to present it in the most inviting and interesting way possible.'

Besties: Viviana and Matt previously hosted a Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan 1994 exhibit in the hallway of their New York apartment

Making their mark: The curators explained that they believe the Olsen twins are icons for building a fashion empire and 'when they are in the press it's because they were smoking at the Met Gala or something'

A strange homage: A giant bowl of cigarettes is to be placed on a table in the center of the room, supposedly as a sculpture inspired by Mary-Kate's marriage to Olivier Sarkozy

A few of their favorite things: The exhibit will also include giant reproductions of a Blackberry phone, a purse and a latte

They also added why they believe the twins to be important pop culture icons: 'They've built a fashion empire, they've become really amazing business women and when they are in the press it's because they were smoking in the bathroom at the Met Gala or something. I mean, how cool is that?'

Paintings of Kylie Jenner and Kim Richards will also be included in the museum for viewer's enjoyment as well as giant reproductions of the twins' favorite Starbucks latte, blackberry phone and a purse.

Lastly, there will be a 'large scale sculptural interpretation of a table at Mary-Kate's wedding to the brother of the president of France', which includes a giant bowl full of cigarettes - which the curators insist is 'not for sale' - as were rumored to have been placed on the tables at her wedding to Olivier Sarkozy.

So far the Kickstarter campaign has raised in excess of $3,000 of its $9,500 goal, which will go towards rental space, printing magazines and hosting events.
I'm struggling to cope with my wife's illness

My wife has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The oncologist said that the breast cancer is now in her bones, the treatment is not working and that she may have less than a year to live. She is only 43 and the news is devastating. We have two children aged eight and ten and I know I need to stay strong for my wife and for them. I worry about how the children will deal with the news and I am struggling with my own feelings, too. I know the children will need help but I dont know how to approach the subject or if I should talk to them about it at all. I dont know where to turn.

I am so very sorry. I totally understand you wanting to protect your children but its important that they are told. They need to know that their mummy is ill and be made to feel that they are part of what the whole family is going through. This will allow for trust and openness and help them to express their thoughts and feelings. It is important that they ask questions and communicate their fears because if they dont it could create a damaging circle of silence. Even very young children can pick up tension within the family. If they ask if mummy is dying then gently explain that sadly this is something that is probably going to happen at some point and give them lots of reassurance about how much you both love them. You, your wife and your children may need further help  if so contact Marie Curie (0800 090 2309, mariecurie.org.uk/help) and Breast Cancer Care (0808 800 6000, breastcancercare.org.uk), which both provide care and support for people who are terminally ill and their families. For as long as your wife is able to, try to do things as a couple and particularly as a family so the children can enjoy a normal life as far as possible and have fun and happy memories to treasure. Encourage them to talk about all of this to both of you whenever they want to. Hopefully the extended family can support you as well. This is a tragic situation  all my thoughts are with you.

Should I tell her how I feel?

Two months ago I met a girl online. After a few conversations we met and there was an obvious spark. I never told her how I felt, as I didnt want to make the mistake of saying anything too soon. Then a couple of weeks later she sent me a text saying that she only saw me as a friend and was sorry she had led me on. I felt massively hurt that she did it by text but I didnt say anything. Then I saw her when I went to a club. I couldnt even look at her, let alone talk to her. I am joining the army in two weeks and having this woman in my head is a real burden. I fear it could make me fail in my career and ruin everything I have worked so hard for. I want her to know how I feel. Should I do this before I go away, wait until I get back in four months or just do nothing?

The wise thing would be to leave this in the past and concentrate on the job you have always wanted to do. In your exciting new career you will meet lots of new people, including other potential girlfriends. I think she probably just did not return your feelings and though you felt a spark, she didnt in the same way. Or she might have met another man on the dating site. This is hard, I know, but dont let it affect your career  it really is not worth it. You have not known her very long and although it feels quite raw at the moment, in time you will not feel as strongly about her. If a relationship is ultimately not going to work, it is better for it to end earlier rather than later, so try to accept her decision.

I want to end our friendship

I am 15 and have made friends with a girl who I thought was nice, but I was wrong. She is really controlling and always trying to make me dump my best mate. If I want to see my boyfriend she tells me that I cant see him. She has started hitting me really hard  my arms are all bruised and she wont stop when I ask her. She just treats me like dirt. I am her only real friend. I recently found out that there is a problem with her brain but I am not sure what. Every night I cry and feel sick. I want to end the friendship but I dont want to hurt her. What should I do?

You are obviously a very kind person but you have to think of yourself and end the friendship. The way she is treating you is awful. Hitting you is totally unacceptable and you could end up seriously hurt. Talk to your parents and a teacher at school or the head of pastoral care. You are being bullied and you need help and support. She sounds quite disturbed or damaged but you cant be responsible for her. Tell her you no longer want to be friends but do this with support from a teacher or school counsellor and ask your best friend and your boyfriend to support you, too. For further help, contact Get Connected (getconnected.org.uk), which has a helpline for young people under the age of 25 (0808 808 4994).

If you have a problem, write to Zelda West-Meads at: YOU, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS, or email z.west-meads@you.co.uk
Food products from Japan that run the risk of being contaminated by radioactive substance will now get an easy route into India as the Centre has decided to stop scanning these items.

Even five years after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, reports indicate that food products from Japan carry the risk of radioactive contamination that can lead to various forms of cancer.

Several other countries are still following a strict mechanism to keep a check on Japanese food imports, but the Indian government feels otherwise.

While India has decided to stop scanning Japanese food imports, the US, Germany, Turkey, Russia, and Australia still scan all products coming in from Japan. (File picture)

The imports division of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Union Health Ministry has recently issued an order saying: The advisory dated 15.03.2011 issued regarding monitoring of food articles imported from Japan for radioactive contamination, issued earlier as a temporary measure in 2011, is hereby withdrawn.

The order has been conveyed to the customs department and the food safety commissioners of all states.

However, the abrupt end to the practice has alarmed experts.

The Indian government should not have stopped the screening because the kind of nuclear disaster that happened in Japan can still have its effects. Five years is not enough time to decide that food products from Japan are free from radiation and will be safe in the future, said a senior radiation oncologist based in a government hospital in Delhi.

Items like sea food, vegetable seeds, confectionery, fruits and vegetables are imported to India from Japan.

Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), FSSAI, told Mail Today that the screening of food items was unnecessarily delaying the process of imports from Japan.

All the food products from Japan were under strict surveillance for the past five years for any radioactive contamination. However, no food product was found to be contaminated with any radioactive substance. So, we decided to stop the monitoring because it is not relevant anymore, Agarwal said.

The move by the Indian government can be seen as an attempt to bolster the already strong business and cultural ties with Japan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Japan in 2014 and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe returned the favour with a Delhi visit in 2015 - putting in place a new chapter of Indo-Japan ties.

The decision to stop scanning food items from Japan comes even as the United States Food and Drug Administration continues to monitor Japanese food imports for any likely radioactive presence.

Along similar lines, countries like Germany, Turkey and Russia also scan all imports from Japan.

Countries like US, Netherlands, the EU, Australia which imports automobiles from Japan, also keeps a strict check on radiation and also keep a check on vessels and containers from Japan for any radioactive contamination.

In March 2015, radiation was found in sample of green tea imported from Japan to the US.

A study by Stanford University and Stony Brook University on radioactive levels in the Pacific Ocean found high levels of radioactive contamination in Bluefin tuna caught off the shores of California.

Recently, a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the US stated that freshwater fish and ocean bottom dwellers around Fukushima are at a higher risk of radioactive contamination compared to most other types of ocean fish in the same area.

In 2011, a massive earthquake in Japan lead to radioactive leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants.

Radioactive isotopes were released from the reactor containment vessels and discharged into the sea.

Trace quantities of radioactive particles from the incident, including iodine-131 and caesium-134/137, have since been detected around the world.

Caesium-137 has a half-life of about 30.17 years and if enters human body it can cause cellular damage and potentially lead to cancer.
Safdarjung Hospital, one of the biggest central government-run medical institutions in the Capital, will give preference to VVIPs over thousands of "ordinary" patients, who wait for hours in the hope of quality medical treatment.

Giving a boost to VIP culture, the hospital administration urged doctors to attend to patients referred by the office of the medical superintendent on a priority basis as they include VVIPs referred by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Members of Parliament, bureaucrats, and ex-ministers.

When contacted, a health ministry official promised swift action.

The medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital says the order was an internal one and will not affect the general patients who visit the hospital daily

The ministry will ask the hospitals administration to withdraw the order, a senior official from the ministry told Mail Today.

Doctors are requested to attend to VVIP patients, referred from the medical superintendents office on a priority basis and report back to the undersigned immediately, stated the order dated March 2.

Mail Today has a copy of the order.

Dr AK Rai, medical superintendent of Safdarjung hospital told Mail Today that no patient will be forced to suffer due to the order.

We have not asked doctors to neglect any patient. All we have asked them to do is to give priority to VVIP patients. This was an internal order.

The order has been issued order to all the heads of the departments and unit incharges.

While a central government hospital is promoting the VVIP culture in the hospital, the Delhi government is trying hard to get rid of the same in medical institutions.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain recently had expressed his willingness on converting special wards into general wards.

Senior doctors at the hospital said the directive will have a direct impact on general patients visiting the hospital.

The hospital roughly has a footfall of 8,000-10,000 patients on any given day.

Calling chaos People queue up at the outpatient department since morning and wait for their turn. They create a ruckus if we give any special treatment to some patients and break the queue, another doctor from the hospital said.

According to the doctors, the hospital treats around 15- 20 VVIP and VIP patients from various parts of the country.

From bureaucrats to top officials in health and family welfare department, every one approaches the hospital for better treatment.

This is the first time that such order has come out in writing. Generally, this is an unwritten rule which everyone follows. But this time, they have made it official. Now, we will have to somehow focus more on the VVIP patients if we get a choice, a senior doctor from the hospital told Mail Today.

A tiff between the medical superintendent and some senior doctors of the hospital is said to be the trigger for this order.

Various doctors do not treat the patients referred by the medical superintendent due to which the MS was being questioned and pulled up regularly. He has officially communicated to the doctors to follow his orders, a senior doctor from the hospital said.

This is not the first time the hospital is in the news for wrong reasons.

Recently, the hospital faced a shortage of Carm machines in the emergency department due to which patients were referred to other hospitals.

Last year in November, the hospitals radiotherapy department was shut after the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) issued a notice to the hospital.
Jat leaders in Haryana demanding backward class reservation have threatened to resume the violent agitation if Haryana government does not meet their demands.

In a meeting of Jat leaders from across the state in Sonipat district on Saturday, it was decided that the community will hit the streets again if the state government does not act.

Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha president Hawa Singh Sangwan also said that Jat community will not sit silently if their demands were not met.

Jat community members held a meeting in Sonipat district of Haryana to decide on another agitation

During the recent Jat agitation, there were sectarian clashes reported from the state in which 30 people were killed and public and private property worth Rs10,000 crore was damaged.

The agitators had also damaged canals supplying water to Delhi resulting in a massive water shortage in the Capital.

There were reports of women being raped in Murthal, but the allegations have not been substantiated till now.

Haryana government released an interim assistance of Rs 20 crore to 1,537 people whose properties were damaged in the recent agitation.

The Haryana government, however, said that it will introduce reservation bills to Jat, Sikh Jat, Bishnoi, Tyagi and Ror community in next session starting March 14.

A five member committee has already been constituted to prepare a draft of the bill to grant reservation under the ambit of the Constitution. The presidents of all registered political parties were asked to send the names of their representatives for the committee to pass the draft of the new bill, an official statement by the government said.

During the recent Jat stir, 30 people were killed and public and private properties worth Rs 10,000 crore was damaged

According to the government, the people associated with the agitation and others could submit their suggestions in this regard to the committees, so that their suggestions could be incorporated while drafting the bill.

The issue of Jat reservation is not new in the state. Three commissions were constituted after Mandal commission and all of them had recognised the Jat community as a backward class in Haryana. We had submitted a memorandum to former PM VP Singh in 1990, requesting him to include Jats in the OBC quota. We have since been struggling for a reservation but governments under different political parties have not implemented it. If the Khattar government does not meet our demand, we would intensify our protest, said Yudhveer Singh, national secretary of Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha.

Initially, we were protesting in peaceful manner. BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini had made objectionable remarks against the community which led to unrest among the people. He is responsible for provoking the Jats in the state,  Singh alleged.

Jat leaders have consistently tried to spread their stir to Punjab.

Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha representatives recently met Congress leader Capt Amarinder Singh in Patiala.

Haryana government has so far released an interim assistance of Rs 20 crore to 1,537 people whose properties were damaged in the recent agitation.

Haryana is not ready for another agitation

By Manjeet Sehgal

Haryana,which failed to gauge the anger of Jat community before it put the state on fire, appears to be ill-prepared to deal with another Jat agitation.

The Army has been removed from most of the towns, which witnessed the fury of the communitys agitation.

Only a few contingent of paramilitary forces are posted in certain areas.

The Army has been removed from most of the towns which witnessed the fury of the Jat communitys agitation.

The state government, which despite the enforcement of prohibitory and shoot-at-sight orders hesitated to take action against the Jats, is hell bent to persuade them again.

The video footage aired on news channels and being shared on social media clearly shows how the protesters were let lose to indulge in arson and loot.

While the deployment of the Army and paramilitary forces proved futile, the police, lower rank officers in particular, allegedly did not take on the protesters as they were from the same community.

State police chief YP Singhal was heard making ridiculous statements like: The state police is short of tear gas shells and instead of acting against the protesters, the police is trying to cool the tempers of the community.

Sources say the Jat community may plan another agitation as they want a quota under OBC category and not under economically weaker section category.

The state government is in a fix as it neither wants to annoy the Jats nor the non-Jats who have objected to the demand.

What is evident is that if the Jats returned to the railway tracks and highways, the agitation may assume dangerous proportions as non-Jats, who were at the receiving end during the 10-day agitation, are also up in arms against the perpetrators.

The agitation may lead to clashes between the Jats and non-Jats.

We have decided to boycott the Jat candidates in future elections. This time we will not sit idle if our homes and properties are targeted in the name of agitation, a non-Jat leader told Mail Today.

While the state government is not in a mood to annoy Jats, the community leaders are making different voices to vent their anger and desire.

As different factions of Jats have different leaders it may not be possible to bring them under one roof.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday said that the state government would introduce a new Bill in the Vidhan Sabha Session beginning March 14 to grant reservation to five communities namely Jat, Jat Sikh, Tyagi, Bishnoi and Ror.

A five-member committee had already been constituted under the chairmanship of the chief secretary to prepare draft of the Bill to grant reservation under the ambit of the Constitution. An all-party committee was also being constituted to give suggestions for drafting the Bill. The presidents of all registered political parties have been asked to send names of their representatives to the government for this committee."

He said that in case the all-party committee was able to draft the new Bill unanimously, it would be passed in the Vidhan Sabha without any discussion.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday made a strong pitch for reviving the Constitution amendment Bill to give 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and in state Assemblies.

How can there be empowerment of women without their representation in public office, asked Mukherjee as he inaugurated the first-ever National Conference of Women Legislators.

Mukherjee said the country has not been able to achieve more than 12 per cent representation for women out of the total membership of Parliament, which is a sad commentary on us.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the first-ever National Conference of women Legislators

An attitudinal change is necessary, the President added.

The meet with the theme, Role of Women Legislators in Nation Building, has been organised by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

It is being attended by women MPs and MLAs from across the country besides Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (left) and BJP MP Riti Pathak (right) take a selfie at the conference

Recalling the efforts put in under the previous UPA government to pass the womens reservation Bill, Mukherjee said: Even the legislation was passed with two-thirds majority in one of the Houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha); the other House has not yet approved it.

He said Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has rightly spoken about the need for commitment from the political parties in actual action, not in words, not in resolutions in this regard.

Mukherjee said unless there is reservation, it is too much to expect that political parties will start giving one-third of tickets to women candidates.

To expect that everybody will fall in line is too much and normally does not happen, he said at the first-of-its-kind conference.

Lauding the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inaugural session, Mukherjee hailed him for giving the slogan: beti bachao, beti padhao immediately after assuming power.

The Prime Minister of India is giving more than an hour (to the session) without participating in it; that shows his total commitment to what he preaches and what he believes in, he said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she had seen that women MPs often ignore financial matters.

It is also expected that they speak on women issues, she added.

This gives an impression that they are lagging behind. I am not saying they should not speak on womens issues, but they should also show similar interest in financial and other matters of national importance, she said.

We should strive to bring women issues in science and technology as well. Once I came across a problem of women-friendly tools. There are many women labourers, but never has the thought occurred to anybody to design tools according to their needs, she said.
Gwyneth Paltrow put her Hollywood career on the back burner after launching her Goop.com blog in 2008

Movie star-turned-lifestyle mogul Gwyneth Paltrow has no immediate plans to return to acting full-time.

The Shakespeare In Love star put her Hollywood career on the back burner after launching her Goop.com blog in 2008.

The newsletter, in which Gwyneth shares her food, travel and lifestyle tips, has since transformed into a hugely successful brand, with the company expanding to include clothing, stationery, publishing, and a newly-unveiled skincare range.

The mother-of-two admits she has been putting all her effort into staying on top of the business, and she thrives on the challenging nature of her new line of work.

Its been a very steep learning curve, (but) I really love doing it, she told US breakfast show Today.

Im very energised by it, (its) very challenging. Its very exciting.

Its my 24/7 focus right now, she added, revealing she is completely hands on with every aspect of the company.

Gwyneths Goop dedication means she has little time to take on new film roles and for now, shes more than happy to keep it that way.

-contactmusic.com

Hulu adds one more to kitty

Hulu is continuing to bulk up its film library, this time with documentary He Named Me Malala.

The streamer has inked a deal with National Geographic Channel to become the exclusive subscription-video home for the film from Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth).

The documentary, which offers an intimate look at the life of Malala Yousafzai, will become available on Hulu this summer after its TV premiere on National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Mundo.

Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban at the age of 15 in Pakistan.

-hollywoodreporter.com

Long-term stress erodes memory

Sustained stress erodes memory, and the immune system plays a key role in the cognitive impairment, according to a new study from researchers at The Ohio State University.

The work in mice could one day lead to treatment for repeated, long-term mental assault such as that sustained by bullying victims, soldiers and those who report to beastly bosses, the researchers say.

This (the condition in mice) is chronic stress. Its not just the stress of giving a talk or meeting someone new, said lead researcher Jonathan Godbout, associate professor of neuroscience at Ohio State.
Alleged LeT operative Syed Abdul Karim aka Tunda is let off in all the four court cases

One of Delhi Polices prized catches in the war against terror, Abdul Karim, better known as Tunda among secret intelligence circles, is proving to be an embarrassment for ace investigators in the force.

Said to be a Laskhar-e- Taiba (LeT) operative, 74-year-old Tunda has been let off by courts in all four cases in which charge sheets were filed against him by the elite special cell - the anti terror unit of the Delhi Police.

A Delhi court on Saturday dropped the charges against Tunda in a case where he was accused of helping Pakistani and Bangladeshi terrorists sneak into India in 1997 and being the mastermind behind various bomb blasts across the country.

Tunda is also facing trial in other cities like Ghaziabad and Rohtak.

His name was included in the list of the 20 most wanted terrorists that India had asked Pakistan to hand over to them after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Along with Tunda the court also dropped charges against three others, Bashiruddin, Mohd Zakaria (Tundas father-in-law) and Allaudin, stating that there was no prima facie evidence against the three men.

The special cell of Delhi Police had filed the charge sheet against the accused for the alleged offences punishable under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 121 (waging war against the country), 121A (conspiring to commit certain offences against the state) and also under the provisions of the Explosives Substance Act, Foreigners Act and the Arms Act.

At the time of his arrest in August 2013 from Banbasa in UP near the Nepal border after inputs from intelligence agencies, Tunda faced terror charges in 33 cases across country.

At the time of his arrest police had found him in possession of a Pakistani passport issued on 23 January 2013.

While this is the fourth instance where the Delhi Police failed to build a case against Tunda, last year the alleged LeT-suspect was let off in three other terror cases.

Counsel for Tunda, MS Khan said: Our submissions to the court were that the prosecution was relying on conviction of the 20 persons arrested who confessed to have been allegedly motivated by Tunda to get revenge for the demolition of Babri Masjid.

We told the court that the confession of an accused or his co-accused while in police custody is not admissible as evidence in court. It cannot even be considered at the point of filing charges. There is no material to substantiate the framing of charges, he explained.

The polices claim that Tunda facilitated the training and infiltration of Pakistani terrorists through Bangladesh with the help of the other three co-accused, Bashiruddin, Mohd Zakaria and Allaudin, seems to have fallen flat allowing the court to drop the charges against Tunda.

Tunda came under the police radar after the Mumbai serial bombings in 1993.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has promised to spare no effort to rescue Father Tom Uzhunnalil

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has always shown a proactive approach towards the issue of people stuck in conflict zones.

"India will spare no efforts to rescue Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who has gone missing in Yemen after the Islamic State militant group attacked a care home run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.

"Yemen is a conflict zone. We do not have an Embassy there. But we will spare no efforts to rescue him," Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

Babus to get PM awards

Bureaucrats from both the Centre and the states will be awarded the Prime Ministers award for excellence.

The awards recognise those involved with implementation of the governments priority programmes such as the Swachh Bharat Mission and Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.

The awards will be presented to the officers on April 21, the Civil Services Day for their contribution in the effective roll-out of the key initiatives.

The Prime Ministers award for excellence, which carries a citation and a cash prize, recognises the extraordinary works done by officers of the central and state governments.

Chouhan sings Modi's song

PM Narendra Modi is Gods gift to India, according to Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

PM Narendra Modi is Gods gift to India, according to Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

He also said the Congress should be embarrassed for Rahul Gandhis stand on the JNU row.

In his address to a convention of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Chouhan said the PM had become the most popular leader in the world and was working to make India a strong and prosperous country.

Hamid Ansari's heritage walk

Vice president Hamid Ansari recently visited the historic Quli Qutb Shahi Tomb complex in Hyderabad.

Ansari asked the Telangana government and the Aga Khan Foundation to explore the possibility of attracting tourists to the spot as these structures do not find required recognition on the map.

A project for restoration of the over 400-yearold tomb complex started in 2013.

Left gets Right bashing in WB

Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy has claimed that Left parties have no place in the political scene

In the run-up to the West Bengal Assembly polls, Union ministers have started visiting the state.

Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy was in the state on Sunday, where he said JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was an aberration and not a hero, while asserting that the Left parties were taking refuge in universities, media and NGOs.

Left parties have disintegrated in most parts of the world. They have no place in the political scene and as such are moving to the media, universities and NGOs, Rudy said.




Laura Beth Hesse, 33, of Nevada accused of stabbing her dog to death was arrested on Tuesday

A northern Nevada woman stabbed her dog to death to avoid paying veterinarian fees for the animal to be euthanized, authorities said.

Laura Beth Hesse, 30, of Stead was arrested on Tuesday in connection to an investigation that stemmed from the discovery of a dead dog in a dumpster, the Washoe County Sheriff's office said.

Authorities said Hesse was also found driving under the influence and had at the time of her arrest left at home a young child and methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

She faces a charge for the malicious torture, maiming or killing of an animal, as well as child neglect, driving under the influence and drug possession.

On February 3, Reno police found Hesse's female Boxer wrapped in a towel inside a dumpster with multiple stab wounds and blunt force head trauma, authorities said.

Police notified Washoe County Regional Animal Services which identified Hesse as the owner of the dog, according to a news release.

Through an investigation by the sheriff's office, they said they uncovered evidence to support arresting her on charges for killing her dog as a means to save on the fees necessary to have the animal euthanized by a vet.

On Tuesday, detectives were conducting an operation in relation to the investigation when they saw Hesse leave a home on Zeolite Drive and get into car.

Authorities said she ran a nearby stop sign before she was pulled over by a deputy who found her to be driving under the influence. She was then taken into custody.

Authorities said Reno police found Hesse's female Boxer wrapped in a towel inside a dumpster behind a business on the 13000 block of Stead Boulevard (pictured) with multiple stab wounds and blunt force head trauma

During the traffic stop, deputies saw a small child leave the Zeolite Drive residence through an open door who then wandered the neighborhood, authorities said.

Attempts to contact someone inside the home were met with no response and deputies observed controlled substances within the home before obtaining a search warrant.

Authorities said methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia were discovered in a search of the house.
It is the first day of voting since Mitt Romney's attack on Trump, and he seems to have had an effect

Ted Cruz launched a spectacular comeback on Super Saturday, crushing Donald Trump in two states while the tycoon only narrowly won in two others where he was projected to be well ahead.

Cruz won Kansas with 48 per cent to Trump's 23 per cent and Maine by 46 per cent to Trump's 33 - and although he'd always been predicted to do well in the Midwest, his victory in the North East is a surprise.

Meanwhile, Trump won with a slim majority of three per cent in Louisiana and four per cent in Kentucky - both states where he had been polling well.

It was a terrible night for Marco Rubio, who came third in all races except Maine where he finished dead last.

Both Trump and Cruz called for him to drop out of the race following his abysmal performance.

Trump said: 'I think Marco Rubio had a very bad night and personally I'd call for him to drop out of the race. I think it's time.'

While Cruz added: 'People recognize that if we're divided Donald wins, and if Donald wins, Hillary wins.'

'The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington DC, is utter terror at what we the people are doing together,' he added after his Kansas victory in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Saturday was the first round of votes and primaries since Mitt Romney made a dramatic intervention in the race for the Republican nomination, urging this party not to make Trump the nominee.

And it seems he's made a difference, narrowing Trump's lead and giving Cruz a boost. The GOP establishment's preferred candidate Rubio, however, seems beyond help.

Scroll down for video

Ted Cruz, pictured at a rally Saturday in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, crushed Trump in Kansas and Maine and said in his victory speech it would be a disgrace if the billionaire were the GOP's presidential nominee

Earlier on Saturday, Cruz also won in Kansas with 48.15 per cent of the votes, ahead of Trump (23.34 per cent), Rubio (16.67 per cent) and Kasich (10.66 per cent)

Cruz defeated Trump in Maine, securing 45.84 per cent of the votes during his second victory of the day. The billionaire followed with 32.55 per cent. Kasich was third with 12.17 per cent, and Rubio was fourth with eight per cent

The tycoon also won in Louisiana, with just a three per cent lead on Cruz. Trump had been leading for most of the night but Cruz caught up with him. Rubio was third with 11 per cent and Kasich followed at six per cent

Trump won Kentucky just four per cent ahead of Cruz. The tycoon had 36 per cent of votes while the Texas senator had 32 per cent. Rubio followed far behind at 16 per cent, followed by Kasich at 14 per cent

Donald Trump, pictured arriving for a press conference at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, after the vote on Saturday, didn't do was well as expected in Louisiana and Kentucky, where he beat Cruz with only a short lead

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Trump had dominated the race in Louisiana for most of the night and was 10 per cent ahead of Cruz at times.

But his lead shrunk as time went on, and he won with 41 per cent of votes - not that far from Cruz's 38 per cent.

Trump's performance in Kentucky looked less certain as he was neck and neck with Cruz for most of the vote - even delaying his final speech until he heard the state's official results.

Both states were a bust for Rubio, who came out third with 16 per cent of votes in Kentucky and 11 per cent in Louisiana.

Trump said in his victory speech he was 'very happy' about his victories in Louisiana and Kentucky.

He made light of his losses in Kansas and Maine, calling them 'a strong second' and saying he hadn't spent much time campaigning there anyway.

Cruz crushed Trump in both states, emerging with a 13 per cent lead on the tycoon in Maine and 25 per cent in Kansas.

This came even though Maine governor Paul LePage endorsed Trump last month, saying the billionaire wanted to 'make America great again' and was 'the only one doing that right now'.

More than 18,600 Republican voters turned out to pick their nominee in Maine, the state's Republican Party chairman Richard Bennett said as he announced the results on Saturday night.

Rubio did poorly in Kansas, finishing with 17 per cent of the votes, but performed even worse in Maine, finishing last with only eight per cent.

A high turnout was seen in Kansas, with dozens of county locations exceeding 2012 voter turnout by four or five times, said Kansas GOP chairman Kelly Arnold.

'Its been an amazing night. I've been in competitions all my life and there is nothing so exciting as this stuff,' Trump said during his victory speech in West Palm Beach, Florida.

'I want to congratulate Ted on Maine and Kansas. He should do well in Maine because it's really close to Canada, lets face it,' the tycoon quipped, alluding to Cruz's former Canadian citizenship, which he has renounced.

Trump then said Rubio had a 'very, very bad night' and called for him to drop out of the race.

'I'd love to take on Ted one on one. That would be so much fun. I want Ted one on one,' Trump said.

'The biggest story in all of politics isnt what's happening tonight but the tremendous outpouring of voters coming to the Republican party,' he continued. 'Millions and millions of people are coming in and voting and theyve never seen anything like this before.

'What's happening is a movement and I'm very honored to say that if I werent involved it wouldnt be happening.

'I'm kidding. Not really but I'll say I'm kidding because I want them to say I'm a nice person'

Trump's speech also hit out at the establishment.

'The establishment is very unhappy with the way things are going - although I used to be part of the establishment. Seven months ago I was, but now I'm not.'

He then said the establishment wanted a candidate who needed money and thus could be 'controlled'.

'I'm self-funding, I'm not under control and I'm going to do what's right for the American people.'

Cruz, pictured talking to his supporters in Wichita, Kansas, said his victory in the state was a sign that Republican voters wanted to stand behind 'the strongest candidate' to ensure Trump doesn't end up as their nominee

Trump, pictured making his final speech in West Palm Beach, Florida, downplayed his losses in Kansas and Maine, saying he hadn't spent much time campaigning in both states

Although Kansas is an important win for Cruz, it does not provide any strong evidence of a Romney effect because the senator already has strong support in the Midwest.

'What we saw in Kansas is a manifestation of a real shift,' Cruz said while discussing his victory from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. 'By any measure, Kansas and Maine and the CPAC are all very different groups of voters and to see strong wins across the board is very encouraging.

'What it represents is Republicans saying it would be a disgrace for Trump to be our nominee and we're going to stand behind the strongest candidate in the race.'

Cruz strongly hinted that other Republican contenders should drop out to let voters concentrate on him - and evict Trump.

'No other candidate has beaten him more than once. People recognize that if we're divided Donald wins, and if Donald wins, Hillary wins,' he said.

'There are good and honorable people in this race but now is the time for us to come together.

'As long as the field remains divided it gives Donald an advantage.There comes a point where other candidates need to reflect: "Do I have a path going forward or is it time for us to come together?" But it will be other candidates' decision to make that choice.'

Earlier in his victory speech, Cruz addressed a jubilant crowd: 'We have seen Republicans and Conservatives coming together, men and women who love freedom and the constitution, uniting and standing as one behind this campaign.

'Our constitutional rights are are under assault as America has receded from leadership in the world.

'And I am here today with a message of hope: All across the country people are waking up.'

Rubio did worse today than during his unsuccessful Super Tuesday, during which he only won one state, Minnesota.

He told reporters in Puerto Rico that he acknowledged his losses but remained hopeful. Delegates are awarded on a proportional basis, meaning he has secured a few more despite his scores.

'Many of the states that voted tonight are states that, quite frankly, some of my opponents just do better in, and I recognized that going in.

'But we wanted to make sure that we got our fair share of delegates in this proportional process. We're soon going to be in the winner-take-all process, in larger states like in Florida, and in other places like that, and that's where we feel very confident moving forward.'

The Texas senator, pictured Saturday in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, said after his Kansas victory: 'As long as the field remains divided it gives Donald an advantage. There comes a point where other candidates need to reflect: "Do I have a path going forward or is it time for us to come together?"'

Trump, pictured at a rally in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, took a jab at Cruz during his press conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday night, saying the Texas senator was popular in Maine because it was close to Canada, Cruz's birthplace

Long lines: High turnout in Kansas has seen up to four times the numbers compared to the 2012 primaries. Pictured, voters queue at Olathe South High School

Strong support: Cruz shakes the hand of a Republican voter at a Kansas caucus, where he secured a win with half of the votes

Earlier in the day, Trump pushed his bid in Kansas. 'If I lose I'm going to be so angry at you!' he told the crowd at a rally in Wichita.

Addressing polls which show Hillary Clinton beating him in a national election, Trump cited - but did not name - other polls in which he claims he is winning.

He said: 'I'm already beating her [Clinton] and I haven't even got started yet!'

Taking to the stage in typically bombastic style, Trump lashed out at his usual targets including the media and the Republican establishment, as well as new-found foe Mitt Romney.

He said: 'The establishment is against us, the press is against us, but they are coming around.

'They keep saying "Trump can't win". I was not supposed to beat Jeb Bush. What happened to their candidate? It is so foolish.

'Republicans are eating their own right now, we have to bring things together, if we win.'

Even though polls suggested early on that Trump wasn't doing well, his Kansas supporters were out in force.

Connie Belton, 65, a retired homemaker from Wichita, Kansas, had a message for Republicans who are uneasy about the potential nomination of Donald Trump as she voted in Kansas on Saturday.

All smiles: A man dressed as Donald Trump's proposed Mexico wall was pictured at the Trump rally in Florida

Despite his flailing numbers, Trump's rally in Florida was met with a standing ovation

But at the University of Central Florida, protesters stood together against what they dubbed as Trump's campaign of hate

Meanwhile in Kansas, Trump reminded a rally of supporters this morning that he had snubbed the Conservative Political Action Conference to be with them, adding: 'If I lose I'm going to be so angry at you'

'If the big, fat GOP don't like him, they don't like me,' Belton said, adding that if he isn't the nominee she is going to write his name in on the ballot. She attended a rally Saturday before going to the caucus to vote for him.

'I adore Trump. I think his heart is as big as his hands,' she said. 'And as big as other things, as he says.'

Meanwhile in Kentucky, Tucker Oldham said he would throw his weight behind 'anybody but Trump.'

He decided on Marco Rubio, not because he particularly likes him but because he believes he has the best shot at rallying the Republican establishment and taking on the billionaire.

Oldham, 46, said he is horrified by Trump's vulgar talk and vague campaign promises, and believes he's nothing more than 'a marketing machine.'

Meanwhile Cruz also appeared on the stump in Kansas Saturday, appealing to working class voters 'with callouses on their hands' and repeating pledges to scrap Obamacare, abolish the IRS and introduce a flat-rate tax system.

Rubio, who lost ground to Cruz on Super Tuesday, addressed CPAC with a veiled swipe at Trump, saying conservatism is 'no about how long you can shout or how many names you can call people'.

In a pitch aimed at young voters, saying: 'The election of 2016 is no longer about a choice between ideologies or parties, the question is what kind of country is this going to be in the 21st century.

Cruz spoke to supporters in Wichita, appealing to working class voters 'with callouses on their hands' with plans to abolish the IRS and introduce a flat tax rate

Marco Rubio addressed young conservatives at CPAC, telling them they faced a critical time in the history of America and taking several veiled swipes at Trump

John Kasich appeared in front of supporters in Holland, Michigan ahead of his own must-win election in Ohio

'We, you, could be the first generation of Americans that inherit a worse country than the one that was left for our parents.'

Cruz touted the opportunities America provided his own parents, saying that the same opportunities would not be available if 'a Clinton or a Sanders is the next president'.

Then, to riotous applause, he said that the same opportunities would not be available 'if the party is hijacked by someone who is not a Republican' - another hit at Trump.

Rubio was expected to go to Florida after that rally to begin campaigning ahead of the must-win primary in his home state on March 15.

Cruz, who is wrestling with Rubio for the anti-Trump vote, has already put the pressure on that race, saying failure by Rubio to win would spell the end of his campaign. Cruz already secured his home state of Texas last week.

John Kasich also held a rally today in Traverse City, Michigan, laying out his plan for tax breaks on small businesses ahead of a his own must-win race in Ohio.

Trump's decision to skip an appearance Saturday at a conference sponsored by the American Conservative Union in the Washington area to get in one last Kansas rally rankled members of the group, who tweeted that it 'sends a clear message to conservatives.'

The billionaire businessman's rivals have been increasingly questioning his commitment to conservative policies, painting his promise to be flexible on issues as a giant red flag.

'Donald is telling us he will betray us on everything he's campaigned on,' Cruz told voters Friday in Maine.
A soldier who shot his 19-year-old wife with an assault rifle because he was allegedly upset that another man bought her liquor has been found guilty of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm enhancement.

Prosecutors argued for Skylar Nemetz, 21, to be convicted of first-degree murder, but the jury at Pierce County Superior Court agreed on the less serious conviction, which carries a sentence ranging between 11.5 to 13.5 years.

Nemetz, who will be sentenced on March 25, told investigators that he fired at the back of his wife Tarrah's head thinking the rifle was unloaded.

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Skylar Nemetz, 21, (left) was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter over the death of his wife Tarrah, 19, (right) though he says shooting her in the back of the head was the result of an accident

Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said Nemetz returned to his apartment in Lakewood, Washington from training on a nearby military base in October 2014.

The 21-year-old thought his wife was having an affair after he learned that another man bought her alcohol, the court heard.

Nemetz, who pleaded not guilty, repeatedly told the court that he loved his wife and didn't mean to hurt her.

During a testimony in February, he said: 'My world just crumbled apart that day. I felt so terrible, because that was my wife and my best friend. Because of my stupid mistake, she died that day.'

According to KOMO News, Nemetz told the police just hours after the shooting: 'I understand I killed my wife. I killed my (expletive) wife. I killed my wife.

'I took the magazine out. I put it on the bed. I put it on 'fire' and I pulled the trigger. And it went off. And it was on my shoulder.'

Nemetz's attorney Michael Stuart told the court in February: 'This is hard for a defense attorney to say. I believe the state has proven manslaughter in the second degree.'

Despite the admission, jurors were not entirely convinced that the soldier possessed the intent that would warrant a murder conviction.

After a lengthy review of the evidence, juror Ralph Flick told the News Tribune: 'We just couldnt get there,' and the jury voted to acquit the soldier of first-degree and second-degree murder.

Tarrah's family hoped a harsher conviction would be sought for Nemetz, but said they had to accept the verdict.

Nemetz reportedly became enraged after a co-worker told him that another man had brought liquor over to the home while Nemetz was out

Nemetz originally gave conflicting accounts of his wife's killing in the aftermath of the incident, including telling a neighbor that his wife accidentally shot herself while cleaning the rifle, the News Tribune reported.

The round struck Tarrah, who went by Danielle, in the back of the head, passing through and piercing the computer screen in front of her.

Nemetz did not call 911. Instead, a neighbor who had heard the gunshot phoned police who arrived on the scene.

Investigators questioned Nemetz's version of events before he told them that he fired at her thinking the gun was unloaded.

Nemetz repeatedly told his aunt 'I love my wife' when he phoned her from jail the day after he shot his wife Danielle in the back of the head

Nemetz and his wife reportedly kept several guns at their home which the court ordered to be surrendered if Nemetz makes bail

'Mr. Nemetz said he picked up the AR-15, turned the selector switch from safe to fire and possibly shouldered the rifle and pulled the trigger,' deputy prosecutor Jared Ausserer wrote in a probable cause affidavit.

'He stated that he did all of this while the rifle was pointed at the back of his wifes head. He provided no reason why he did this and said that it was a stupid thing to do,' the document went on to read.

After he shot her, Nemetz put the rifle in the closet and pushed the magazine under the bed before dumping out a bottle of cinnamon whiskey into the toilet.

KOMO reports Nemetz phoned his aunt from jail the day after his wife was killed and was repeatedly saying 'I love my wife. I love my wife.'

One of Nemetz's co-workers told police he saw the couple two hours before the shooting, when Nemetz thanked him for bringing over liquor.

The co-worker then said that it was another man who brought liquor to the home while Nemetz was out, which reportedly made Nemetz 'furious and visually upset.'

Nemetz reportedly kept several guns in the house.
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Iconic Australian fashion designer Jenny Bannister has sold her Melbourne home for $3.3 million.

The colourful four bedroom St Kilda house was sold by auction in front of a crowd of at least 100 on Saturday - 27 years to the day since she moved in, according to the Herald Sun.

Ms Bannister and her husband Paul 'Mongoose' Belin transformed the 1873 Victorian house with the help of architects, after buying it on March 5,1989.

They are selling up in Melbourne to live between Aireys Inlet, on Victoria's southwest coast, and Byron Bay, a coastal town about nine hours drive north of Sydney.

The pool area of Jenny Bannister and Paul 'Mongoose' Belin's house in St Kilda, Melbourne which was sold by auction for $3.3 million on Saturday.

The quirky Tuscan-style home features a large outside pool surrounded by terracotta coloured walls covered with climbing green creepers, blue mosaic columns and water fountains.

Inside, artistically styled rooms are filled with musical instruments, tribal decorations, animal skeletons, leopard print furnishings, zebra skin rugs, ornate lights and artworks.

The home is also features period details including marble fireplaces and ceiling roses, as well as brightly coloured walls, high ceilings and spacious hallways.

Jenny Bannister on the red carpet as part of the Fashion Full Stop: Decades of Australian Fashion and Music show at the 2011 L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. The iconic designer launched her own label in 1976 and developed a name for herself for recycled fashion and incorporating plastic, metal, fur and found objects into her designs.

Upstairs, a large creative studio also overlooks the pool with a juliette balcony.

Ms Bannister launched her label Jenny Bannister Fashion in 1976 in Melbourne, achieving a name for herself with her distinctive and creative approach to design, incorporating plastic, metal, fur and found objects.

She led the recycled fashion movement and in 1986, she was picked in a group of designers to represent emerging Australian fashion for US department store Neiman Marcus.

Her work is recognised in public and private collections around the world including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australian National Gallery, Powerhouse Museum, Londons Victoria and Albert Museum and Washingtons Smithsonian.

A side view of the pool area, with green and terracotta coloured walls, creepers, cactus pots, wrought iron details and Tuscan-style paving stones

The outdoor pool behind a colourful fence and plants, with tall, blue and green mosaic columns housing water features

The open plan living room and kitchen featuring black leather couches, pale wooden floorboards, an animal skull mounted on a dark feature wall, a floor to ceiling mirror and marble benchtops

The kitchen and living room open out onto the Tuscan-style pool area. The kitchen features pale wooden floorboards, white cupboards, marble benchtops, an array of tribal ornaments and decorations and wooden furniture

A room featuring bright blue walls, leopard print furnishings, a zebra skin rug in front of an open fireplace, golden chairs, a large mirror, chandelier and various artworks

Brightly coloured walls feature in the spacious hallways with period details, quirky light fittings, a range of artwork and pale wooden floorboards

A sitting room with green feature walls, a collection of tribal outfits and objects, musical instruments, cane chairs and an ornate sofa bed with colourful cushions and animals print throws

The upstairs studio with polished wooden floorboards, two sections of glass brick wall and doors that open onto a juliette balcony that overlooks the pool

Details from the bathroom filled with various artworks, include marble benchtops, a white tiled floor and an ornate chandelier hanging between the two rooms

One of the four bedrooms featuring zebra skin rugs on pale wooden floorboards, modern light fittings, quirky furniture and wrought iron detailing on the window's exterior

A view of the same bedroom, showing the original marble fireplace, wooden floorboards, two sets of drawers, eclectic objects and artwork

An en suite dressing room with ample storage area including bright yellow cupboards, a floor to ceiling mirror and wooden floorboards

Another bedroom with fuschia coloured walls, a wrought iron bed frame, original fireplace used as a storage area along with baskets of all different sizes and artworks propped around the room

One of two designer bathrooms, featuring a pale green mosaic tiled wall and spa exterior, glass shelving, large mirrors on either side and dark tiles on the floor and walls

The interior Tuscan style courtyard with terracotta coloured walls, creepers, wooden beams, large paving stones and wrought iron furniture
MI6 and British police are investigating alleged attacks on civilians by Russian war planes in Syria  with a view to prosecuting President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, The Mail on Sunday can reveal

MI6 and British police are investigating alleged attacks on civilians by Russian war planes in Syria  with a view to prosecuting President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Scotland Yard detectives have flown to Lebanon to monitor air strikes in neighbouring Syria  amid claims that Russian bombers have caused hundreds of casualties by targeting hospitals and schools.

Medical charities and human rights groups have already condemned the bombing of civilians in areas controlled by Syrian rebels who oppose the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, Putins ally.

Now the MoS can reveal that intelligence services are compiling a secret dossier of specific assaults, which could lead to the Russian President facing allegations of crimes against humanity at an international tribunal.

The revelation comes after Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond warned Moscow last month that strikes on hospitals could amount to war crimes. Last night, Foreign Office sources confirmed that the UK is closely monitoring the situation in Syria.

The MoS understands that British investigators, including detectives from the Metropolitan Police Services war crimes unit, are at the British Embassy in Beirut.

According to Amnesty International, Russia is targeting hospitals in areas held by rebel groups in an attempt to terrorise local people into supporting President Assad.

In the northern city of Aleppo, where the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) is popular, eight hospitals are understood to have been struck by missiles fired by military aircraft since September 30 last year  when Russian forces joined the conflict.

Russian and Syrian aircraft are also alleged to have targeted hospitals in other areas of the country.

On February 15, 25 people were killed when two medical buildings were attacked in the western city of Maarat Al-Numan. After the first strike, doctors moved the wounded to another hospital  which was then hit by three missiles in an hour.

Scotland Yard detectives have flown to Lebanon to monitor air strikes in neighbouring Syria  amid claims that Russian bombers (pictured in Syria) have caused hundreds of casualties by targeting hospitals and schools

All medical facilities in war zones are protected under international law. Russia has denied that its jets target hospitals, insisting its aircraft only strike terrorist targets. The Russian Embassy in London was unavailable for comment last night.

But former Foreign Secretary Lord Owen dismissed Russias excuses. He said: Claims that Russia is only going after groups such as Islamic State are plainly false. It is time to expose such hypocrisy and Britain should lead this effort.

An influential committee in the US Congress has also voted in favour of setting up a war crimes tribunal for Syria.

US diplomats are now expected to seek support for the move at the United Nations. Evidence compiled by Britain would be put before such a tribunal. Scotland Yard declined to comment.

Surgeon in Syria: They target our hospitals... and hit us every time we move

Special report by Mark Nicol

A surgeon working in northern Syria has told The Mail on Sunday his patients and colleagues are being deliberately targeted by Russian air strikes, even after the internationally brokered ceasefire.

In the most horrific attack, a precision-guided Russian bomb reduced his hospital to rubble in a blast which killed five of his patients and three of his medical colleagues.

Dr Abdul Aziz, 50, only survived the attack on Christmas Day last year because he was working in the basement when Russian jets targeted the hospital in Azaz, northern Syria, causing carnage.

Dr Abdul Aziz (pictured flanked by colleagues), a surgeon working in Syria, said his patients and colleagues are being deliberately targeted by Russian air strikes, even after the internationally brokered ceasefire

MI6 and British police are investigating alleged attacks on civilians by Russian war planes in Syria. Flames are pictured rising after the Russian army carried out airstrikes on two hospitals in Aleppo, Syria, last December

In his first interview since the attack, Dr Aziz said: It was horrific, terrifying. People were screaming and crying, the hospital was ablaze and the place filled with dense smoke and nobody could see.

'One by one we found out who had died. A nurse had been killed, an ambulance driver, a hospital porter and five patients who were in post-surgery had lost their lives.

We then huddled underground praying the aircraft would go away. It was cold, dark and everyone was choking on the dust. When it was over I burst into tears. I was alive but I felt no relief because more colleagues and patients had died.

People were pictured salvaging medical supplies found under the rubble of a destroyed hospital hit by missiles in Idlib province, Syria, on February 16

Dr Aziz said that since Russia entered the conflict on Syrian president Bashar al-Assads side, hospital staff in Aleppo had been forced to take increasingly desperate measures to protect themselves from attacks.

These include removing all insignia from ambulances, removing any signs which indicate the location of medical facilities, and living and working underground.

He said: All the hospitals I work at have been targeted by air strikes.

'I am convinced it is the Russians because when it was the Syrian regime firing at us we could see the planes and that gave people some time to take cover, but the Russian jets remain at altitude and we dont see or hear anything until it is too late.

'The international community should be ashamed; they have let President Putin do this for months.

On the ceasefire which began last weekend, Dr Aziz said: A hospital in Aleppo was targeted by air strikes at 11.30 local time on the Friday night, just half an hour before the ceasefire came into effect.

There were no air strikes in Aleppo on the Saturday but by Sunday it was like normal again, with bombs being dropped every day. For the local people there has been almost no respite. And in the meantime Islamic State fighters are getting closer to Aleppo, to within ten miles to the east of the city. I have seen no evidence of military action by the Syrian regime or Russia against IS, certainly there is collusion.

Dr Aziz, who previously worked at Manchesters Royal Infirmary hospital in 2005, is one of just seven surgeons left in Aleppo, a province in northern Syria.

The medic, who is married with a family of his own, said that the vital need to treat wounded children vastly outweighed fears for his own safety.

He said: It is a living nightmare, one child after another, with hands missing, legs missing and devastated parents crying at the sheer hopelessness of the situation.

I cling to fragments of hope, like the boy whose legs I had to remove above the knee.

Horror: A ruined ambulance is seen after airstrikes on the Qabtan al Jabal town of Aleppo, Syria, in February

A year after I operated on him he sent me a photograph of himself smiling as he was using his artificial limbs. He said that I should not worry about him any more. That was a very emotional moment.

Last night, British surgeon David Nott OBE, who operated alongside Dr Aziz in Aleppo last year, paid tribute to him saying: He and I are good friends. Dr Aziz has saved so many lives.
Clients have included the late Princess Diana and the Duchess of Cornwall

The Advertising Standards Authority is looking into 'misleading' claims made by the Hale Clinic, which was used by the late Princess Diana (pictured)

A natural health clinic whose clients include members of the Royal Family has been slammed for making 'potentially dangerous' claims about its alternative therapies.

The Hale Clinic in West London was opened by Prince Charles in 1988 and boasts that it has 'the widest range of holistic treatments in Europe'.

Princess Diana and the Duchess of Cornwall have visited the clinic, while Kate Middleton was given a 'bee sting facial' by one of its beauty therapists, Deborah Mitchell, shortly before her marriage to Prince William.

But the Advertising Standards Authority is now taking a close look at what scientists say are 'misleading' claims by the clinic on its website that its treatments can help combat a variety of serious illnesses.

However, many of those claims were removed after The Mail on Sunday contacted the clinic.

The Good Thinking Society, which aims to crack down on 'quack' medicine, has presented a dossier to the ASA about assertions made by the clinic, which has also treated celebrities such as Kylie Minogue and Simon Cowell.

The report accuses the clinic of claiming that 'the Hale Approach' has the potential to cure people of the savage neurodegenerative disease multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease sufferers should use 'complementary treatments' as they are 'far more likely to be beneficial than orthodox drugs'.

The clinic also claimed homeopathy and a type of massage called cranial osteopathy 'can be of great assistance immediately after a stroke' and that the causes of autism in children can be diagnosed with 'bioenergetics' and treated with homeopathy.

Michael Marshall, director of The Good Thinking Society, said: 'We believe the Hale Clinic is making a large number of misleading and potentially dangerous health claims.

'The kind of advice this clinic is giving is likely to lead vulnerable, sick patients with serious illnesses to make costly and dangerous decisions.'

The Hale Clinic (pictured) in West London was opened by Prince Charles in 1988 and boasts that it has 'the widest range of holistic treatments in Europe'

The clinic, once visited by Kate Middleton (pictured), also claimed homeopathy and a type of massage called cranial osteopathy 'can be of great assistance immediately after a stroke'

Among the most striking claims made by the clinic is that 'complementary medical opinion should be considered first line'  in other words, before all others  to treat multiple sclerosis, 'since these [complementary] therapies are aiming at a cure, whereas orthodox treatments deal with the symptoms and hope for a remission'.

The Mail on Sunday, which took screen grabs of the web pages on which the claims were made, approached The Hale Clinic for comment on Friday.
It is a wholesome campaign to clean up Britain for the Queens birthday  but last night a race row erupted over an unfortunate gaffe.

Posters and T-shirts designed to advertise this weekends Clean For The Queen drive mistakenly included a racist slur.

They were meant to show the slogan Spick And Span Maam but instead used the spelling spic  used in the US as an offensive term for Hispanic people.

Filthy language: The campaign poster's controversial spelling

Error: the OED's common definitions of the two words

Spotted: Noticed on Twitter

Twitter users noticed the error last week. One asked: Are you aware youve put a racist term on your asinine posters? Youre missing a k.

Sam Taylor, editor of The Lady, said: If theyre going to go around cleaning up the country they should start by cleaning up their language. Its an unfortunate mistake and whether or not people are offended, theyve used the wrong word.

I wouldnt suggest they put it on a commemorative tea towel.

Clean For The Queen was created by Country Life editor Mark Hedges and Melissa Murdoch, a charity trustee, to mark Her Majestys 90th by getting rid of the rubbish blighting our towns and villages.

Although it has no public funding, it has been backed by MPs including David Cameron. Michael Gove and Boris Johnson posed wearing the campaigns T-shirts and holding litter-pickers, while Kirstie Allsopp and Ben Fogle also lent their support, as did Keep Britain Tidy.

Today and yesterday it was due to see thousands of volunteers across the country removing litter from roadsides, parks and city centres.

Schools and community groups were encouraged to download material from the Clean For The Queen website including the Spic And Span Maam poster, in the style of the ubiquitous Keep Calm And Carry On design. A T-shirt bearing the same slogan was also listed.

Last night organisers denied the wording was offensive.

Campaign director Adrian Evans said: It is an ancient phrase, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, which suggests two options on spelling. Spic and span means neat and clean  which sums up our campaign perfectly.

The OED states that spic is only occasionally used, with spick and span the most common spelling.

Spic is more often used as an offensive name for a Spanish-speaking native of Central or South America or the Caribbean.

In another embarrassing turn, the Clean For The Queen websites list of litter-picking events was hijacked by pranksters who posted spoof events mocking the monarchy.

One claimed there would be Guillotine Polishing (for the Royals & the Tories) in Bristol city centre.
As the creator of Downton Abbey, he is synonymous with the aristocracy. But even Julian Fellowes has now added his voice to concerns the acting profession is dominated by former public school pupils.

Fellowes, who went to top Catholic independent school Ampleforth, told The Mail on Sunday: 'I think this is a bit of a problem and it does bother me,' and called for grants to help those who can't afford the fees for acting schools.

His comments come after critics pointed to the privileged backgrounds of Britain's current crop of stars. Old Etonians Damian Lewis, Dominic West and Eddie Redmayne, along with Old Harrovian Benedict Cumberbatch have found fame on both sides of the Atlantic.

Julian Fellowes, who went to top Catholic independent school Ampleforth, called for grants to help those who can't afford the fees for acting schools

The current BBC hit The Night Manager stars two more Old Etonians - Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie. Alice Eve, who was in Star Trek: Into Darkness, went to top public schools Bedales and Westminster.

It is claimed that working class children are being squeezed out of the profession because they cannot afford drama training and that there is no one to compare with 1960s stars Michael Caine and Sean Connery, who were both born into poverty.

Fellowes said: 'I believe that it's important we find a way to give more access to working class aspirant actors to proper training.'

Class act: Alice Eve, who was in Star Trek: Into Darkness, went to top public schools Bedales and Westminster

The Tory peer, whose adaptation of Anthony Trollope's Doctor Thorne begins tonight on ITV, admits he is not 'mad about student loans' and calls for a system to guarantee everyone has funding. 'In the old days you had a right to three years' further education. There was a means test and people who had the money had to pay and those who didn't have the money didn't have to pay.

'Everybody got three years if they wanted it. You could use that for dance training, for acting, for painting,' he said.

Labour-supporting actress Julie Walters, recently said: 'The way things are now, there aren't going to be any working class actors. Almost all the up-and-coming names are from the posh schools.'
Attorneys for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl said they may seek a deposition from Donald Trump or call him as a witness at a legal proceeding, saying they fear his comments could affect their client's right to a fair trial.

Bergdahl's attorney Army Lt. Col. Franklin Rosenblatt asked Trump in a letter dated on Saturday for an interview to discuss his comments about Bergdahl, who faces military charges after walking off a post in Afghanistan in 2009.

Defense attorney Eugene Fidell previously asked, publicly, that Trump cease making comments about Bergdahl, such as his comment in October that the soldier was a 'traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed.'

Attorneys for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl (right) said they may seek a deposition from Donald Trump (left) or call him as a witness, saying they fear his comments could affect their client's right to a fair trial

Fidell has also previously said that Trump gave incorrect information about rescue efforts for Bergdahl during public speeches.

He said the Republican presidential candidate's statements could affect Bergahl's right to a fair trial.

The letter sent to Trump's New York office by registered mail said the interview would determine whether they will seek to have him give a deposition or appear as a witness at a legal hearing.

'I request to interview you as soon as possible about your comments about Sergeant Bergdahl during frequent appearances in front of large audiences in advance of his court-martial,' Rosenblatt wrote in the letter on U.S. Army letterhead.

Fidell said in an email to The Associated Press that Trump's statements 'raise a serious question as to whether he has compromised Sgt. Bergdahl's right to a fair trial.'

A spokeswoman for Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to an email and a phone call seeking comment.

Bergdahl faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, a relatively rare charge that carries a punishment of up to life in prison.

The letter sent to Trump's New York office by registered mail said the interview would determine whether they will seek to have him give a deposition or appear as a witness at a legal hearing

His trial had been tentatively scheduled for the summer, but legal wrangling over access to classified documents has caused delays.

Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, walked off his post in eastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009.

He was released in late May 2014 as part of a prisoner swap, in exchange for five detainees in Guantanamo Bay.

The move prompted harsh criticism, with some in Congress accusing President Barack Obama of jeopardizing the safety of the country.
The mistress of 'Tatler Tory' Mark Clarke attended the court hearing where a failed bid was made to force her lover into the witness box over claims he bullied a Conservative activist who committed suicide.

India Brummitt, a former adviser to a Tory Minister, sat behind Ray and Alison Johnson, the parents of Elliott Johnson, who killed himself last year and left a suicide note claiming he was persecuted by Mr Clarke.

Mr Clarke, 38, an Election aide to David Cameron, stayed away from a pre-inquest review at Bedfordshire coroner's court in Ampthill on Tuesday. But loyal mistress Ms Brummitt, 25, was present. Dressed in a black coat with a beize shawl and furry bobble hat, and a polka dot dress, she went unnoticed by most of the media scrum that had gathered outside the court.

In court: India Brummitt sat behind the parents of Elliott Johnson, who killed himself last year and left a suicide note claiming he was persecuted by Mr Clarke, at Bedfordshire coroner's court in Ampthill on Tuesday

During the hearing she took notes as Mr and Mrs Johnson's lawyer Heather Williams QC argued they believed their son's death was 'directly linked' to alleged bullying by Mr Clarke in the weeks before his death, which amounted to 'inhuman and degrading treatment'.

Mr Clarke, once tipped for a Cabinet future by society magazine Tatler, has been banned for life by the Conservative Party.

Ms Brummitt lost her job as a Commons aide to Tory Minister Claire Perry, who advises the Prime Minister on curbing pornography, after lurid details of her relationship with Mr Clarke were disclosed.

Mr Clarke told friends that he had had sex with Ms Brummitt on a pool table in a pub. The incident is alleged to have taken place when he was Tory parliamentary candidate in Tooting, South London, in the run-up to the 2010 Election.

Mr Clarke's friends, including those familiar with his wild antics, are said to have been 'appalled' by his behaviour.

The couple are said to have openly shared hotel rooms on his 'Road Trip' Election campaign visits.

Mr Clarke's wife, Sarah, a senior NHS administrator, is understood to have attended Road Trips with their child when Ms Brummitt was not present. Mr Clarke told friends that Ms Brummitt sustained a dislocated jaw during one occasion when they had consensual rough sex - and that when she went to A&E for treatment in the early hours of the morning she told medics it was a 'netball injury.'

At the wedding of a Cabinet Minister's aide, Clarke was publicly denounced by an outraged fellow guest for being accompanied by Ms Brummitt - and not his wife.

After the couple allegedly held hands at the wedding while Clarke's wife was reportedly at home with their children, Victoria Brocklebank-Fowler, an ex-Conservative councillor, told him: 'You are an absolute disgrace.'

Mr Clarke (left) has been banned for life by the Conservative Party. Ms Brummitt (centre) lost her job as a Commons aide to Tory Minister Claire Perry after details of her relationship with Mr Clarke were disclosed

Official figures for the Conservative Party's Election spending show Ms Brummitt was a Road Trip organiser and was paid 2,700 by Tory HQ during the 2015 Election campaign. Previously, she worked for Conservative MP Aidan Burley, who was forced to quit politics after attending a Nazi-themed stag party.

Clarke, 38, a consultant with consumer giant Unilever, is said to have first met Ms Brummitt when she was a schoolgirl. There is no suggestion he started a relationship with her then.

They became an item before Mr Clarke's marriage three years ago, but friends say they have remained lovers to this day.

On Friday, Bedfordshire coroner Tom Osborne rejected the Johnsons' attempt to widen the scope of the inquiry including forcing Mr Clarke to give evidence at the full inquest.

Elliott Johnson was found dead by a railway track in Sandy, Bedfordshire in September. The full inquest is to be held on May 31.

It is expected to focus on the decision by Elliott's employers, the Conservative Way Forward campaign group, to make him redundant a week after he told them he had been attacked by Mr Clarke in a pub.

The CWF letter said he was being laid off to prevent further 'exposure' to Mr Clarke.

In a separate pub incident two weeks later, Mr Clarke told Elliott he had raised with Elliott's CWF boss, chairman Donal Blaney, an alleged 'electoral offence' committed by Elliott two years earlier.

Elliott killed himself after being caught up in a bitter Tory power struggle between Mr Blaney and Mr Clarke, former friends and allies who had fallen out.

Ms Brummitt was unavailable for comment.

Bully's sidekick caught in plot to smear a Tory council boss

A former Conservative aide who accused Elliott Johnson's family of 'homophobia' has a track record in Tory dirty tricks and abuse, it was revealed last night.

Tatler Tory Mark Clarke's sidekick Andre Walker, who says he was Elliott's boyfriend, had to quit as a Conservative official over a crude smear campaign.

He was overheard on a train boasting he had 'injected poison' into the career of Alison Knight, deputy Tory leader of Windsor and Maidenhead council. Mr Walker said: 'She's dead mate, she's 'f****** dead.' A shocked fellow passenger recorded the phone conversation and posted it on YouTube with a picture of Mr Walker in his seat.

Andre Walker (left) after the pre-inquest into the death of Elliott Johnson at Bedfordshire coroner's court

Mr Walker, then a political aide to Windsor and Maidenhead's ruling Conservative group, can be heard to say on the recording: 'We need to put the word round she should be removed as deputy leader. No one likes her, total liability...'

Mr Walker apologised and resigned, saying: 'A conversation I had was overheard, I said the wrong thing.' He claimed he was the victim of a Left-wing plot.

The incident occurred in 2010, the same year in which he backed Mark Clarke's controversial failed bid to become a Tory MP.

Two weeks before Elliott Johnson killed himself, Walker was tape recorded in a pub calling him a 'f****** ****head' and compared him to Nazi collaborators in the Second World War while Tory whips suspected Mr Walker when his former boss, Conservative MP David Morris was the victim of a 'fake photo' stitch-up involving a blonde when Walker was his Commons chief of staff. Mr Walker denied any wrongdoing.

And Tory MP Ben Howlett said Mr Walker was involved when he was subjected to a dirty tricks campaign falsely branding him a 'terrorist sympathiser' when he was campaigning to lead Tory youth wing Conservative Future.

It was also claimed that Mr Walker, along with Mr Clarke and Ms Brummitt, tricked Tory activist Patrick Sullivan, who was with Elliott the night before he died, into meeting them at a Chelsea restaurant where they tried to intimidate him into withdrawing bullying claims.

Mr Walker, 36, was in a war of words with Elliott's parents Ray and Alison Johnson at last week's pre-inquest review into their son's death. Mr Walker, who said he was in a gay relationship with Elliott, 21, defied a plea by Mr and Mrs Johnson to stay away. Mr Johnson senior said his attendance was 'like the murderer returning to the scene of the crime'. Mr Johnson was rebuked by coroner Tom Osborne for the remark.

Later, on the court steps, Mr Walker accused Elliott's parents of 'homophobia' and said they had tried to cover up their son's past mental-health problems. The comments appeared to mirror a press leak that claimed the police report into Elliott's death said he had 'rowed' with his parents over being gay, linking it to three suicide attempts. Mr and Mrs Johnson said it was a distorted account of the police report.

The coroner said Elliott's health problems dated back to 'coming out' as gay three years ago 'and would appear to have little or no bearing on his death'.
Mr Turnbull is the first prime minister to attend the event in 38 years

On Saturday, the PM and his wife Lucy attended the event but didn't march

said the Prime Minister should keep up with the world

Grindr gay dating app founder Joel Simkhai has called for Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to legalise same-sex marriage in the country.

Last year Ireland became the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage by referendum just months before the US followed in their footsteps.

And now the American entrepreneur, who was in Sydney to celebrate his first Mardi Gras festival on Saturday, told Fairfax Media that the PM should keep up with the world.

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Grindr founder Joel Simkhai (left) has called for Australian Prime Minister to legalise same-sex marriage

'Absolutely, Australia is behind the times,' Mr Simkhai said.

'We [the United States] passed marriage equality and guess what? The world didn't change. For those who didn't support it, their lives were not affected. Their children were fine and their lives were not adversely affected so I encourage all Australians to support equality.'

The multimillionaire spoke candidly about his views on how parts of the world has become more accepting of same-sex marriage and urged the PM to follow suit.

'Mardi Gras is a celebration of life, a celebration of love and I encourage the Prime Minister, the government and all Australians to support equality and love,' he told Fairfax Media.

The PM and his wife Lucy (pictured) attended this year's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney on Saturday

The multimillionare, who was in Sydney for his first Mardi Gras, said the PM should keep up with the world

The founder of the popular gay dating app has spoken out about gay marriage, urging the PM to follow suit

This comes after Mr Turnbull and his wife Lucy were among the estimated crows of 500,000 revellers at the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney on Saturday.

Despite choosing not to march in the dazzling parade, several LGBT supporters flocked over for a selfie opportunity with Mr Turnbull, who is the first prime minister to attend the event in 38 years.

However, opposition leader Bill Shorten, who marched with the Labour float alongside his glamorous wife Chloe, has slammed Mr Turnbull for his 'half arsed' attitude towards equality.

'You can't be half-arsed when it comes to equality,' he said.
A surgeon working in northern Syria has told The Mail on Sunday his patients and colleagues are being deliberately targeted by Russian air strikes, even after the internationally brokered ceasefire.

In the most horrific attack, a precision-guided Russian bomb reduced his hospital to rubble in a blast which killed five of his patients and three of his medical colleagues.

Dr Abdul Aziz, 50, only survived the attack on Christmas Day last year because he was working in the basement when Russian jets targeted the hospital in Azaz, northern Syria, causing carnage.

Dr Abdul Aziz (pictured flanked by colleagues), a surgeon working in Syria, said his patients and colleagues are being deliberately targeted by Russian air strikes, even after the internationally brokered ceasefire

In his first interview since the attack, Dr Aziz said: It was horrific, terrifying. People were screaming and crying, the hospital was ablaze and the place filled with dense smoke and nobody could see.

'One by one we found out who had died. A nurse had been killed, an ambulance driver, a hospital porter and five patients who were in post-surgery had lost their lives.

We then huddled underground praying the aircraft would go away. It was cold, dark and everyone was choking on the dust. When it was over I burst into tears. I was alive but I felt no relief because more colleagues and patients had died.

Dr Aziz said that since Russia entered the conflict on Syrian president Bashar al-Assads side, hospital staff in Aleppo had been forced to take increasingly desperate measures to protect themselves from attacks.

These include removing all insignia from ambulances, removing any signs which indicate the location of medical facilities, and living and working underground.

MI6 and British police are investigating alleged attacks on civilians by Russian war planes in Syria. Flames are pictured rising after the Russian army carried out airstrikes on two hospitals in Aleppo, Syria, last December

Horror: A ruined ambulance is seen after airstrikes on the Qabtan al Jabal town of Aleppo, Syria, in February

He said: All the hospitals I work at have been targeted by air strikes.

'I am convinced it is the Russians because when it was the Syrian regime firing at us we could see the planes and that gave people some time to take cover, but the Russian jets remain at altitude and we dont see or hear anything until it is too late.

'The international community should be ashamed; they have let President Putin do this for months.

People were pictured salvaging medical supplies found under the rubble of a destroyed hospital hit by missiles in Idlib province, Syria, on February 16

On the ceasefire which began last weekend, Dr Aziz said: A hospital in Aleppo was targeted by air strikes at 11.30 local time on the Friday night, just half an hour before the ceasefire came into effect.

There were no air strikes in Aleppo on the Saturday but by Sunday it was like normal again, with bombs being dropped every day.

'For the local people there has been almost no respite.

'And in the meantime Islamic State fighters are getting closer to Aleppo, to within ten miles to the east of the city.

'I have seen no evidence of military action by the Syrian regime or Russia against IS, certainly there is collusion.

Dr Aziz, who previously worked at Manchesters Royal Infirmary hospital in 2005, is one of just seven surgeons left in Aleppo, a province in northern Syria.

The medic, who is married with a family of his own, said that the vital need to treat wounded children vastly outweighed fears for his own safety.

He said: It is a living nightmare, one child after another, with hands missing, legs missing and devastated parents crying at the sheer hopelessness of the situation.

I cling to fragments of hope, like the boy whose legs I had to remove above the knee.

A year after I operated on him he sent me a photograph of himself smiling as he was using his artificial limbs.

'He said that I should not worry about him any more. That was a very emotional moment.

Last night, British surgeon David Nott OBE, who operated alongside Dr Aziz in Aleppo last year, paid tribute to him saying: He and I are good friends. Dr Aziz has saved so many lives.
Criticism: Attorney General Jeremy Wright has hit out at HS2 bosses claiming they have mistreated homeowners

Bosses of the controversial HS2 high-speed railway scheme have been blasted by a Cabinet Minister for mistreating anxious homeowners who live along the planned route.

Attorney General Jeremy Wright even raised fears that the line, designed in its first phase to reduce journey times between London and Birmingham, was affecting his constituents mental health.

He said: HS2 is having a huge psychological effect on many of those I represent who live in the path of this project.

The intervention by Mr Wright, the Governments top legal adviser, will embarrass Prime Minister David Cameron, who is determined to press ahead with the 55.7 billion venture.

Mr Wright, whose Warwickshire constituency will be bisected by the railway, condemned the way HS2 Ltd  the company overseeing the scheme  was dealing with some people affected by the proposals.

He accused the firm which will build the 225mph line of blocking requests for information and even sending letters to deceased relatives of local people.

In a letter to a Commons inquiry into the project, he wrote: This poor administration causes great anger and does little to allay the feeling that HS2 Ltd do not care about the people whose lives have been turned upside down.

Mr Wright also rebuked the company for its treatment of residents who had attempted to suggest route alterations, tunnels or deeper cuttings to lessen the lines impact in certain places.

Key information was not available, he said, and in one case, HS2 took more than 18 months to explain why a proposal had been rejected  only fully responding after he had written personally to the managing director.

Mr Wright said: This was profoundly unacceptable. As a result of such delays, concerned residents had taken petitions to a previous inquiry by a committee of MPs  only for last-gasp compensation offers to be made in the corridor outside the meeting room before proceedings started, he said.

Mr Wright added: The corridor deals were certainly unsatisfactory in terms of the way in which they put pressure on individual constituents to reach a settlement.

He went on: I have also received complaints from constituents who have received communications from HS2 Ltd addressed to a deceased relative or to the owner-occupier when there has already been extensive communication with the named individual.

Fighting back: One of the anti-HS2 protests. Bosses of the controversial high-speed railway scheme have been blasted for mistreating anxious homeowners

Last night, HS2 Ltd defended its consultation procedures, including making deals with homeowners just before they were due to address MPs.

A spokesman said: Over the last few years, we have held thousands of meetings with residents, community groups and local authorities up and down the line to inform and reassure people.

In many cases, we were able to resolve peoples concerns before they appeared at the Select Committee. We feel that this was the right thing to do, and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders to find a way forward that allows us to build and operate HS2 with as little disruption as possible.

Mr Wrights complaints come in the wake of a Parliamentary Ombudsmans report last year which rebuked HS2 for its treatment of people in a Staffordshire hamlet and ordered it to pay them thousands of pounds in compensation.
Boris Johnson was at the centre of a fierce new row over the EU referendum last night.

The London Mayor came under fire from Tory and Labour pro-EU campaigners as he prepared to step up his crusade for Britain to cut its ties with Brussels.

He will throw down the gauntlet to Mr Cameron in a BBC interview today, arguing the EU is broken and cannot be fixed  and staying in will make things worse for Britain.

Boris Johnson, pictured, is to step up his Brexit campaign today and will throw down the gauntlet to Prime Minister David Cameron in an interview with the BBC

Former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett says that bombastic Boris is cynically using the referendum to boost his hopes of replacing David Cameron as Tory leader.

And Conservative vice chairman Mark Field claimed Mr Johnsons anti-EU stance could drive EU nationals in London to vote Labour in the mayoral contest in May.

Mr Johnson caused fury among In campaigners by wading into the dispute over anti-EU comments made by British Chambers of Commerce director general John Longworth.

Mr Longworth was suspended by the BCC for defying its neutral position on the referendum.

Out campaigners claimed the Government had put pressure on the BCC to suspend Mr Longworth  a claim vehemently denied by No 10.

Mr Johnson said: It is absolutely scandalous that John Longworth has been forced to stand down. It cannot be right that when someone has the guts to dissent from the establishment line, he or she is immediately crushed by the agents of the Project of Fear.

A Downing Street source said: It is totally untrue to say we put any pressure on the BCC. In fact, we were rather surprised by their decision to suspend him.

Both No 10 and the Treasury said they had not meddled.

Mr Cameron received a further tonic when a leading pollster said there is clear evidence the In camp has edged ahead after the early referendum skirmishes.

Figures released by YouGov show that a one-point lead for Out has turned into a two-point lead for those who want the UK to remain a member of the EU.

Mr Blunkett, writing in todays Mail on Sunday says Mr Johnson is the master of self-promotion and flirted with both In and Out camps to boost his hopes of replacing David Cameron as Tory leader.

Now hes the leading voice of the Leave campaign. Can this, I wonder, have anything to do with an anticipated vacancy at the top of his party in the next couple of years? Mr Blunkett writes.

Mr Johnson has also backed suspended director general of the British Chambers of Commerce John Longworth, pictured, who recently controversially backed Britain leaving the EU

Mr Field, who is also City of Westminster Conservative MP, said Mr Johnson could inadvertently help London Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan.

Under election rules, EU nationals living in the UK cannot vote in the referendum but can vote in the mayoral contest between Tory Zac Goldsmith and Mr Khan.

Mr Field said: Some people in the City are very surprised by Boriss position on the referendum. As the centre of global capital the EU is vital to London.
Decision has been condemned by former British commander as 'disgraceful'

He is set to receive an armed services pensions worth thousands of pounds

150 soldiers were in camp in Osnabruck, Germany, but no one was injured

Michael Dickson (pictured in 1996) , 52, was sentenced to six years in prison for the mortar attack in Osnabruck, Germany in June 1996

A former British soldier who took part in an IRA attack on his own comrades at an army barracks in Germany is to receive an armed services pension, it has been reported.

Michael Dickson, 52, who used to serve with the Royal Engineers, was sentenced to six years in prison for the mortar attack in Osnabruck, Germany in June 1996.

His state-funded pensions said to be worth thousands has been condemned by Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded British forces in Afghanistan.

He has called on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to ensure Dickson, dubbed the 'Renegade Bomber', does not receive a single penny.

The Service Personnel and Veterans' Agency said the convicted terrorist will receive the cash, according to documents seen by the Daily Star Sunday's John Ward.

After he was tracked down by the newspaper in Dublin, Dickson, who is eligible to claim the money when he is 60, said: 'I served my time, it has f*** all to do with you, now f*** off.'

Dickson was part of a gang that launched mortar shells from a Ford Transit van against a Royal Engineers' camp in Germany. He served as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers in the country for seven years.

Around 150 soldiers were in the barracks at the time but no one was wounded.

The bombing was even more despicable as Dickson himself had been a Sapper in the Royal Engineers and served in Germany between 1981 and 1988.

Colonel Kemp said Dickson should never be rewarded for the 'heinous' attack and the idea of him receiving a pension is 'disgraceful and shocking'.

He added: 'Whatever time this man served in the Army has been negated by his cowardly terrorist acts  terrible acts which the British Army have spent 30 years fighting against.

Around 150 soldiers were in the barracks (pictured in 1996) at the time but no one was wounded

'His actions against his own former colleagues were a heinous and treacherous act. This must not happen.'

An MoD spokesman told the Daily Star Sunday: 'Defence does not comment on individual pension cases.
Diaz reportedly told police he had smoked marijuana and taken cocaine earlier on Monday

David Diaz was charged with second-degree assault, felony evading with a motor vehicle, operating while under the influence, and reckless driving

Officer David Hartman said Sajj should apply to be police officer

Sajj detained Diaz until police arrived while his son filmed the encounter

They pursued the driver and cornered him in a parking lot half a mile away

A father and son heroically pursued and detained a drunk driver who sped off after mowing a pedestrian down in New Haven.

Sajjad Chaudhary and his son Ali followed suspected driver David Diaz until they cornered him in a parking lot.

While the father ordered Diaz to put his hands in the air until the police arrived, his son filmed the encounter on his phone.

Diaz was eventually arrested and charged with second-degree assault, felony evading with a motor vehicle, operating while under the influence, and reckless driving.

Sajjad Chaudhary (left), and his son Ali Chaudhary (right) pursued a driver after they witnessed a hit-and-run in New Haven on Monday

Ali filmed Diaz after they cornered him in a parking lot (right). Diaz was charged with second-degree assault, felony evading with a motor vehicle, operating while under the influence, and reckless driving

Diaz is accused of running a red light before hitting pedestrian Charlotte Fox, 34, as she was crossing the street on Monday.

Fox, who was seriously injured, sustained broken bones but is expected to survive, the police said.

The Chaudharys, who own a nearby car dealership Dynamic Auto, witnessed the collision while they were in their car.

Sajjad told FOX: 'When he hit her on the bottom of the leg, she goes up into the air, doing like two spins and then she dropped on the ground. I have seen this in cartoon movies, not in the real life.'

The two then pursued the driver about half a mile away until they managed to corner him at a parking lot.

In the video, taken by Ali and released by the police, Sajj can be heard yelling: 'Stand right there and keep your hands right there. Put your both hands up there. Don't move!'

Sajj can also be seen leading Diaz to stand with his stomach against the side of the vehicle. He also tugs on his hooded sweatshirt when the driver tries to walk away.

The Choudharys were nervous about the possibility of Diaz pulling a gun on them, but they were more concerned that he would get away.

In the video, taken by Ali and released by the police, Sajj can be heard commanding Diaz (pictured, left and right) to put his arms up and stay still until the police arrive. Officer Hartman was impressed with his Sajj's tactics and said: 'This guy should certainly apply to be a police officer'

Diaz, left, reportedly told officers he was sure he would fail the urine test because he smoked marijuana and took cocaine earlier in the day

Officer David B. Hartman said even though police don't suggest ordinary citizens put themselves in harm's way, he was impressed with Sajj's detaining tactics.

After viewing the video, he told FOX: 'His commands to the suspect were spot on. You know, this guy should certainly apply to be a police officer.'

Hartman also said Diaz underwent a urine test after police smelled alcohol on his breath and detected slurred speech.

Diaz, reportedly cursed at officers and told them he had smoked marijuana and snorted cocaine earlier that day. Police are still awaiting the results of the test.

Hartman thanked the father and son duo by saying: 'The NHPD is grateful for the bravery displayed by the Chaudharys. They are true heroes of this city.'

'Although we're thrilled with the outcome, we do not advocate anyone putting themselves in harms way,' he added.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, pictured, called for a public inquiry into the Church's treatment of the late Bishop George Bell, who was accused of sexually abusing a woman in the 1940s

The former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has lambasted the Church of England for destroying the reputation of a celebrated bishop over unproven child abuse claims.

In a fierce attack on the church he once led, Lord Carey said he was appalled at the way it handled the accusations against Bishop George Bell  whom he said had been judged guilty without a fair hearing.

Bishop Bell, who served in Chichester for 30 years until his death in 1958, was renowned during the Second World War as a peacemaker and almost certainly would have been Archbishop of Canterbury but for his denunciation of the Allied bombing of Dresden.

But last year an unnamed woman alleged that he had sexually abused her in the 1940s. The diocese gave credence to the claims, issuing an apology and paying compensation.

Chichester cathedral has now renamed its education centre previously called Bishop George Bell House  and plans to change its prominent memorial to the bishop.

But in a move that will embarrass his former colleagues, Lord Carey has added his weight to protests that the dioceses investigation into the claims had been flawed and unjust, saying an individual had been crushed by a powerful organisation.

He said in a letter to Bishop Bells niece Barbara Whitley that he had been frankly appalled by the way the Church authorities have treated his memory.

He said: Your uncle was a man whose contribution to this country and the Church was outstanding.

'He was without question one of the greatest Church leaders of the 20th Century The Church has effectively delivered a guilty verdict without anything resembling a fair and open trial.

His reputation is in tatters and, as you sadly point out, all references to him in the diocese he loved and served have been removed and renamed.

The church gave credence to the accusations against Bishop Bell, pictured, and even paid out compensation

Lord Carey, who was Archbishop between 1991 and 2002, told The Mail on Sunday he wanted a public inquiry to scrutinise the matter.

But the Church has said that although it could not release full details of the investigation for reasons of confidentiality, it accepted the womans account as true.

The Church said allegations must be taken seriously  however high profile the individual may be, and that the process had been long, complex and carried out with all the sensitivity a case of this nature demands.
Joey Feek's bereaved husband returned home to Tennessee on Saturday, a day after the singer passed away age 40.

Rory posted a photo to Facebook on Saturday, showing him as he pet a horse while their two-year-old daughter Indiana held onto him tightly as she sat on his shoulders.

The sweet snap was simply captioned 'home' and was shared on Facebook around 6pm.

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Home: Rory Feek returned to Tennessee on Saturday and shared this sweet nap of him with their daughter Indiana, just a day after revealing that his wife Joey passed away after a brave and long battle with cancer

Spring: A few hours later, he posted this serene photo from Tennessee overlooking the property which was captioned 'spring'

An outpouring of support and kind words flooded the comments section of the post on Saturday as people offered their condolences and called Rory a 'strong man.'

'It looks like you're surrounding yourself with such healing wonders...animals, nature, and beautiful baby Indy. May you feel your beautiful bride in everything that surrounds you and find comfort in those things,' Wendy Grider wrote.

'Welcome home to one of the strongest men I have come to know through posts. Will continuously be praying for you and your family as I know you'll miss Joey. Please keep us updated on Miss Indiana. I do believe we've all "adopted" her as our baby girl lol. God bless you Rory,' Lori Lee Ray wrote.

Meanwhile, others thanked Rory for sharing the couple's journey.

Debra Freeman Tuttle wrote: 'We love your family and praying for you all. Keep writing and expressing your feelings because we all are here for you. Love you little Indy!'

'Our hearts and prayers are with u and your family during this time. She's waiting just on the other side,' added LF Stewart.

Joey passed away on Friday afternoon after a lengthy battle with cancer.

'My wifes greatest dream came true today. She is in Heaven,' wrote Rory in a post on their blog.

'The cancer is gone, the pain has ceased and all her tears are dry. Joey is in the arms of her beloved brother Justin and using her pretty voice to sing for her savior.

'At 2:30 this afternoon, as we were gathered around her, holding hands and praying.. my precious bride breathed her last. And a moment later took her first breath on the other side.'

Rory also shared on Friday a touching story about a video Joey received last year from one of her idols - Dolly Parton.

The family surprised Joey with the video last November, and on Friday Rory posted a video of the moment Joey got to see her idol.

'From the time she was four years old, Joey had been singing Dollys songs and dreamed of one day meeting her. Coat of Many Colors was a regular part of our show and at home she loved to put on Dolly and listen to Hello God, When I Sing For Him, Me and Little Andy and many others,' wrote Rory.

'She never got the chance to meet her in person and had no idea that Dolly even knew who she was. But that changed one Friday evening this past November.'

Gone: Joey Feek passed away at the age of 40 Friday afternoon with her husband Rory writing; 'My wife's greatest dream came true today. She is in Heaven. The cancer is gone. The pain has ceased'

Farewell: Joey held her oldest daughter Heidi's hand for the final time in a heartbreaking photo posted on Facebook (above) earlier in the day on Friday

One last kiss: Earlier this week Rory posted a photo of Joey's final kiss with her young daughter Indiana

Final farewell: 'At 2:30 this afternoon, as we were gathered around her, holding hands and praying.. my precious bride breathed her last. And a moment later took her first breath on the other side,' wrote Rory (above in April 2011)

'When a person has been through as much pain and struggle as Joeys been through, you just want it to be over. You want them to not have to hurt anymore, more that you want them to stay with you. And so, it makes the hard job of saying goodbye just a little easier,' wrote Rory.

'After four-and-a-half months in Indiana, we will soon be back home in Tennessee. Me, and our little one, with our older daughters.

'Its hard for me to imagine being there without Joey, but at the same time it is where she wants us to be. Its where she will be Shes gonna be in the mint growing beside our back deck, the sweet-corn frozen in our freezer and a million other places that her hand and heart has touched around our little farmhouse and community. Joey will still be with us. Everywhere.

'So if its okay, Im gonna close, wipe my tears and pack our bags to hit the road headed south.

'Shes already got a head-start on me.'

Carrie Underwood wrote on Twitter shortly after Joey's passing; 'Praying for the family & friends of Joey Feek. A beautiful soul moved into heaven today. A beautiful legacy she left behind.'

Governor Mike Pence of Indiana wrote; 'Saddened to hear of the loss of courageous Hoosier Joey Feek. Karen & I send our thoughts/prayers to her family, friends & fans.'

Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry wrote; 'Heartbroken by the passing of the beautiful Joey Feek and completely inspired by the way she lived every minute. Full of love and life.'

The Grammys wrote on their Twitter account; 'We are so very saddened to learn of the passing of Joey Feek. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and fans today.'

Rory had revealed earlier this week that Joey was reaching the end.

'My wife has been asleep for days now and her body is shutting down quickly,' wrote Rory on the couple's blog This Life I Live earlier this week.

'The hospice nurse came again this morning and said Joey will most-likely only be with us for a few more days at the most.'

Rory also said that shortly after their daughter Indiana's second birthday Joey said she was ready to stop fighting after her long and brave battle with cancer, telling him 'enough is enough'.

She then asked to see Indiana so she could give her daughter one last kiss.

After learning last October that her stage 4 cervical cancer was terminal and she had six months to live at most, Joey's only wish was to live long enough to see her daughter have one more birthday.

She managed to do just that, and few days later told Rory; 'Its time to go home.'

First though, she wanted to say goodbye to her loved ones.

Tragedy: Joey's hospice nurse said Monday morning that the terminally-ill star had just a 'few more days'

Love: Joey's husband Rory shared the tragic news, saying; 'My wife has been asleep for days now and her body is shutting down quickly'

'Joey gathered her family together around her and she said goodbye to each of them to her mother and father and her three sisters,' wrote Rory.

'There were lots of tears as she explained to each one how much she loved them and that she was going to be going home soon.'

Then Joey asked to see her daughter.

'I set our little Indy on Joeys lap and we all cried with my wife as she told her how much her mama loved her and, you be a big girl for your papa and that mama will be watching over you,."' said Rory.

'And then she pulled Indiana up and she kissed her.'

Soon after she gave Indiana that last kiss Joey began to sleep, and then Rory learned that his wife had only a few days to live.

'In the 40 short years that Joey has lived, my bride has accomplished many great things shes lived a very full life,' wrote Rory.

'But even more than that, she has loved those around her greatly and been loved greatly in return. I can honestly say that Joeys isnt just a life well-lived, its a life well-loved.'

Rory also shared that Joey is at peace, telling him just before she went to sleep; 'I have no regrets I can honestly say, that I have done everything I wanted to do and lived the life I always wanted to live.'

He ended the post by thanking those who have been supporting Joey and the family over the past few months, writing; 'Thank you to all who have followed my wifes beautiful journey. Who are still following. Though our hearts are heavy we all need to do our best to remember that this is not the end. Its only the beginning.

'When Joey takes her last breath here she will take her first breath there. In heaven.'

Rory also posted a video he made featuring some of his favorite photos of Joey set to a song the two recorded but never released called 'In The Time That You Gave Me.'

Big day: Rory also said that after their daughter Indiana's second birthday, Joey told him she wanted to stop fighting and was ready to 'go home'

Baby girl: 'Joey barely slept the night before Indianas birthday. She was too excited. Jody said she didnt fall asleep until about 5am, around the time that Indy and I woke up,' said Rory of their daughter's big day

Mother and daughter: Joey and Indiana in her bed last year shortly before Christmas

The difficult and tragic news comes after a very memorable February for the family, who got to celebrate Valentine's Day, the Grammy Awards, Indiana's birthday and the release of their new album this month - which topped the country charts.

Rory posted photos of some of these moments including Joey watching as daughter Indiana blew out her candles, a smiling Indiana celebrating her second birthday and an image of Rory and Joey laying in bed together for the first time since November.

'When dinner was over, as I said goodnight and tucked the blankets around her in the little hospital bed she has been living in for months, she thanked me for the special night and then made one last request. If Jody helps me to scoot over to one sidecould you try to lay down with me and put your arms around me?' wrote Rory of the couple's Valentine's Day.

'I havent been able to be in the same bed with my wife or hold her in my arms since the beginning of November  when she made her last trip to the hospital.

'But for one sweet half-an-hour that changed on Valentines day.'

The big event however was Indiana's second birthday.

'Joey barely slept the night before Indianas birthday. She was too excited. Jody said she didnt fall asleep until about 5am, around the time that Indy and I woke up,' said Rory.

'When Joey woke up, a little before noon, I came in to see her and tears were flowing down her face. Again, I put my arms around her and asked, why are you crying honey?

'We made it, she softly answered. We made it."'

Joey got to watch her daughter blow out her birthday candles and Indiana could be seen smiling from ear to ear in photos from the day, especially as she enjoyed her cake.

'For the most part, Indianas big day was nothing but joy and more joy. She has a way of bringing even the most painful parts of life back into perspective,' wrote Rory.

All the girls: Joey with daughter Heidi, Hopie and Indiana opening Christmas presents

Happy couple: Joey (above in April 2013) was diagnosed with cancer in June 2014, just a few months after she and Rory welcomed Indiana, who was born with Down's syndrome

Big dance: Rory posted a photo of him and Joey enjoying a dance from a past New Year's earlier this year

Joey was given just six months to live last October and told she would be bedridden for the remainder of her life in late November.

She got out of bed in December though and then began to walk again, all things that seemed impossible just weeks before.

She even got to spend Christmas with her family near her childhood home in Alexandria, Indiana.

Joey was diagnosed with cancer in June 2014, just a few months after she and Rory welcomed Indiana, who was born with Down's syndrome.

The cancer eventually spread and in October doctors revealed there nothing they could do for Joey.

Joey was as a restaurant owner when she met Rory, falling in love with him as he performed during a songwriter's night.

He was also a single father with two daughters, another reason Joey has said she was first attracted to him.

On June 15, 2002, the couple was married in a small ceremony.

Joey shared how she first fell in love with Rory in an interview with People earlier this year, saying; 'Rory was singing In the Round at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville with three other songwriters.

'I was just one of dozens of people in the audience that night. From the first song Rory sang, I fell head over heels for him.'

She then added: 'I didn't even know him, but something inside me said, "You're going to marry that man and spend the rest of your lives together."'

And while Rory was a noted songwriter who had penned hits for artists such as Blake Shelton, the couple got their big break in 2008 when they appeared on the reality show Can You Duet which aired on Country Music Television.

They finished in third place on the show and signed a record contract soon after - and have been making music ever since right up until the release of their new album last month.

'Our music has taken us many incredible places and let us experience some amazing things in the past 8 years and people we meet have often asked if we had a plan to get to where we are. Ive always answered, yes, theres a master plan its just not ours,'" Rory wrote in a blog post after the release of the album.
A frail widow will not be deported back to South Africa after 150,000 people backed a petition for her to stay with her daughter who cares for her in Dorset.

Myrtle Cothill had been ordered to fly home by the Home Office, but the government has now allowed her to stay on limited leave due to 'compassionate and exceptional circumstances'.

The 92-year-old has been cared for by her daughter Mary Wills in Poole since coming to the UK in 2014 on a tourist visa, selling her house back in South Africa but failing to apply for UK residency.

Myrtle Cothill, right, as been cared for by her daughter Mary Wills, left, in Poole since coming to the UK in 2014 on a tourist visa

She had been ordered to fly to Johannesburg on February 23 following a immigration tribunal, but the proceedings were halted pending a medical report as Mrs Cothill suffers from several ailments.

As well as being unable to walk unaided, the widow has heart problems and is losing her eyesight, leading to her being cared for by her daughter.

The report said there was a 'considerable risk of mortality' within three months should Mrs Cothill go back to South Africa.

Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said Mrs Cothill's family had provided further evidence about her health and fitness to travel since the hearing.

He told the BBC: 'I asked that this evidence be carefully considered as a fresh application under the rules.

'In the light of this assessment, I have decided that Mrs Cothill should be granted limited leave to remain in the UK with her family given the compassionate and exceptional circumstances of this case.'

As part of the ruling, Mrs Cothill will have no recourse to public funds, including the NHS.

Mrs Cothill said: 'I feel like a weight has been lifted off me, I want to thank everyone who has supported me. Last month has been really horrendous.'
New York mayor Bill de Blasio was heckled by disgruntled residents in Queens while he participated in the borough's St. Patrick's Day Parade this afternoon.

One resident called him a 'cop-killing commie' while others booed and shouted: 'One term mayor!'

De Blasio has had a fraught relationship with the NYPD after he was blamed for the deaths of two policemen in 2014 and criticized them in the aftermath of the Eric Garner grand jury verdict last year.

He also came under fire after Queens was left buried under snow storm Jonas earlier this year.

The 54-year-old mayor's reputation for showing up late to events didn't help, but he appeared on time today with a green, white and orange sash.

Mayor Bill De Blasio marched through the streets in the Rockaways this afternoon during a St. Patrick's Day parade

He maintained his spirits despite being heckled by residents in Queens, who shouted 'One term mayor!'. He was also called a 'cop-killing commie' and many made remarks about his tendency to arrive late at events

De Blasio has had a fraught relationship with the NYPD after he was blamed for the deaths of two policemen in 2014. He also came under fire after Queens was left buried under snow storm Jonas earlier this year.

According to the NY Post, Margaret Day yelled: 'Shame on you! Shame on you! He showed up on time today - that's a shocker.'

DeBlasio, who was late to last year's parade, faced the ire of residents who are still struggling since Hurricane Sandy devastated the neighborhood in 2012.

At the end of the parade, the mayor reiterated his promise that the region's ferry service would be reinstated after it came to a halt in 2014.

De Blasio said: 'Next spring there will be a ferry the price of a metrocard. I guarantee it.

'The people of Rockaway will be more connected than ever to the city.'

But iron worker Kevin Bautz, who attended the parade was skeptical and told the Post: 'Did anyone record that? I'll believe it when I see it. We're the forgotten community.'

Despite the discontented shouts of parade-goers, De Blasio maintained his spirits, waiving an Irish flag, wearing a green necktie, and donning a sash with the Irish word for 'welcome' over his shoulder.

The parade in Queens kicks off the city's first St Patricks Day celebrations just days after the mayor announced he would end his two-year boycott of the event in Manhattan.

Parade organizers lifted a ban on gay groups from participating in 2014, but DeBlasio said the inclusion of one LGBT group last year was 'too small a change'.

De Blasio announced on Thursday he would attend this year's St. Patrick's Day parade in Manhattan after boycotting the event because parade organizers were not inclusive to LGBT groups participating

De Blasio, who criticized the police force's 'stop-and-frisk' tactics during his campaign, has had a tumultuous relationship with the NYPD.

He came under fire when two police officers were shot in their patrol car in 2014.

De Blasio was blamed for the deaths of officers Wenjian Liu and Raphael Ramos, since he was seen as sympathetic to protesters after Eric Garner was killed by the police.

The gunman Ismaaiyl Brinsley had written an online post before the 2014 attack of Liu and Ramos that he was seeking revenge for Garner and Michael Brown.

The murders led to a rift between the NYPD and City Hall, with thousands of officers turning their backs on mayor Bill de Blasio the officers' funeral services as a show of frustration.

Residents in Queens were also critical of the mayor after they were left snowed under during Storm Jonas earlier this year while the roads in Manhattan were diligently plowed.
Mr Sheard is constantly scared of hearing bad news about his daughter

The 35-year-old sought help by speaking to his friends and family

Watching his wife give birth was one father's most traumatic experience

The harrowing story of a mother having complications during childbirth is not uncommon but a father suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result is rarely spoken about.

Melbourne father Mick Sheard was unaware being involved during his wifes traumatic childbirth was going to leave him struggling with PTSD.

As his wife, Melanie, went into early labour the 35-year-old was left speaking to doctors who informed him about numerous health issues his daughter was most likely going to have.

Melbourne father Mick Sheard witnessed his wife Melanie go into early labour

My wife was about 30 weeks pregnant, we were walking through Coles on a 40 degree day and we popped in to get milk when her water suddenly broke, Mr Sheard told Daily Mail Australia.

We were in emergency for about three hours with no idea what was happening before they moved us to another room.

They did an examination and the doctors said she was fully dilated and they needed to slow the process down.

Approximately five hours later baby Edeline was born.

But as a premature baby the doctors did not hold back from informing Mr Sheard about the number of complications his daughter might develop as she grew older.

My wife can hardly remember the conversationthey said theres a high possibility of complications with a birth of 30 weeks and then they started rolling of a whole lot, said Mr Sheard.

Learner issues, sight problems, attention problems, possibly an inability to move properly which in this case meant wheel chair problems.

We were told very early on that she was going to have breathing difficulties so she was on oxygen for a few weeks.

The 35-year-old father listened to doctors rolling of a list of issues his daughter might have after being born prematurely

Learner issues, sight problems, attention problems, an inability to move properly were some of the issues raised

Mr Sheard hugs his daughter Edeline for the first time at three weeks old

As Mr Sheards daughter was left in hospital for 86 days, every day meant the possibility of more bad news.

One day we were pulled into a meeting and they asked us for permission to run a few tests to see if our daughter had Down syndrome because she had a certain look.

The news floored both my wife and I and we didnt know what to do we were shocked, we didnt sleep, we were both in tears for hours and I guess with a lot of the illnesses it was probably the best option.

After waiting for approximately 20 hours the results came back clear taking a weight of the couples shoulders.

But the weariness did not stop.

After six weeks of living at home, a check-up revealed Edeline might have a hearing problem.

More tests ensued continuing to keep the couple on their toes as they waited for the results.

At the moment shes ticking all the boxes, she lights up my life every day but there is that weariness that sometime down the track something might happen.

The stress and anxiety from worrying about his wife and his daughter eventually took its toll.

Mr Sheard attempted to provide his wife the support she needed but was left beaten up inside unsure how to feel himself.

My wife started having severe postnatal depression and it wasnt until one day my GP suggested I had symptoms of showing post natal depression and then I started looking in to it, said Mr Sheard.

The flashbacks of times at the hospital, conversation with doctors and other parents, constant anxiety of (all our) health problems, not being able to go to or near hospitals without feeling a weight on my shoulders, physical and mental exhaustion but then not being able to sleep, he said were some of the symptoms that attributed to his PTSD.

According to Mr Sheard accepting that you have PTSD and admitting it to a friend is also one of the main hurdles that must be faced.

At one stage Mr Shear and his wife found themselves stressed and crying for hours after doctors told them they need to run some tests to see if their daughter had Down syndrome - the results were clear

Mr Sheard was unaware he was suffering from PTSD until his GP suggested he seek help

Mr Sheard struggled to find services to help him deal with his PTSD having spent thousands on seeking support for his wife and daughter.

Signs of Perinatal PTSD Panic: Intense feelings of terror, fear ot helplessness Flashback: Re-living the event, intrusive thought, memories Avoidance: of anything or places that reminds of trauma Guilt: Feeling like everything is your fault/could have prevented the trauma Hyper-vigilant: of family, surroundings, events, safety Relationships: Feelings of loneliness and disconnection Anxiety: Worry, dread, trouble concentrating, feeling unable to cope Physical sensation: Chest pains, dizziness, nausea, pain, headaches Addiction: drugs, alcohol, shopping, food Source: Birth Trauma Australia Advertisement

As a result doctors made the simple suggestion to start talking to family and friends about what he was feeling.

I found it extremely hard it was probably one of the hardest thing Ive done, to say Im having problems but once I started speaking about it I realised it was getting easier and easier Were a unique breed we tend to hide it [our problems] until were stuffed, said Mr Sheard.

Many fathers who witness their partners experience a traumatic birth are unaware they can be susceptible to suffering from PTSD.

A difficult and traumatic childbirth experience has been identified as a potential trigger for the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, writes Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) on their website.

This can be a response to exposure to events that involve actual death, serious injury or any perceived threat, as a victim or a witness.

Childbirth is seen as a trauma of significance to cause PTSD.

Although information directed at men suffering from PTSD is limited support is readily available if needed.

If you are suffering from PTsD and would like support contact PANDA on 1300 726 306 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi has recounted the details of her marriage with novelist Salman Rushdie who she said once denounced her as a 'bad investment' after she rejected his sexual advances.

In her memoir about food, family, survival and triumph, the 45-year-old recalls how he needed constant care, feeding and frequent sex and was even insensitive to a medical condition that made intercourse painful for her.

Lakshmi was 28, single and a struggling model-actress when she met Rushdie in 1999 at a party, who at the time was 51 and married to his third wife, according to the New York Daily News, which obtained an early copy of her memoir.

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Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi has recounted the details of her relationship with novelist Salman Rushdie in her memoir Love, Loss and What We Ate

In her memoir, the 45-year-old recalls how he needed constant care, feeding and frequent sex and was even insensitive to a medical condition that made intercourse painful for her

Her modeling career was middling, and the highlight of her movie career had been Mariah Carey's 2001 flop Glitter.

But her globetrotting life as an actress and model was a lot of fun, and had included times she 'acted out my curiosities and fantasies' - including at least one lesbian encounter.

'Some I regret, but not all, like knowing what it's like to touch and be touched by a woman,' she writes of her youthful adventures.

Meanwhile the world famous Rushdie, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2007 for his services to literature, had become a global symbol of free speech after a Muslim backlash against his controversial 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, which resulted in a fatwa and years of Rushdie living in hiding.

Rushdie initially pursued her by phone since she lived in Los Angeles, and on their first date they ended up in bed together.

'At 3am, I woke with a start. I'm naked in a married man's bed,' Lakshmi thought at the time before sneaking out of the hotel room.

Rushdie eventually left his third wife and the couple married in 2004 before divorcing three years later. Their time together was filled with both blissful and unhappy times.

The couple lived six months of the year in London, where they could be closer to his two sons, and in Manhattan.

She recalled how Rushdie would bring her breakfast in bed every morning, and how she became comfortable with his friends including writer Susan Sontag and novelist Don Lelillo for whom she would prepare feasts.

Her career was taking off when she got a call from Bravo to appear on Top Chef, and she became the new host for Season Two - replacing Billy Joel's then wife Katie Lee Joel.

She then appeared on the cover of Newsweek in a story about the 'New India' - a cover about which her husband was obviously jealous.

Lakshmi pictured last month. Rushdie eventually left his wife and the couple married in 2004 before divorcing three years later. Their time together was filled with both blissful and unhappy times

Lakshmi, center, is pictured during an episode of Top Chef. She got a call from Bravo to appear on Top Chef, with master chef Tom Coliccihio, when it was in its second season

Meanwhile, she consoled Rushdie each year when the Nobel Prize went to a different writer, according to the book.

Lakshmi then had a medical condition, called endometriosis, which took a while before it was properly diagnosed.

The condition diminished her sex drive, which angered the unsympathetic Rushdie, who was upset she was not available for the once-urgent intimacy they previously enjoyed, according to the book.

Rushdie seemed more worried about himself and would reply 'how convenient' when she said no to his sexual advances because of the pain, she writes in the book.

Lakshmi, co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, eventually underwent multiple surgeries to treat the condition.

After one brutal surgery, she came home with stitches in multiple organs and stents and her kidneys and was in a great deal of pain. When her husband left the next day for a trip - she went to visit a divorce lawyer and ended their marriage.

Some time later, she fell into a serious relationship with billionaire CEO of IMG, Ted Forstmann, who was 30 years her senior.

Her memoir also recounts her serious relationship with CEO of IMG Ted Forstmann (pictured above with her in 2010) who passed away in November 2011 after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer

While she was seeing Forstmann, she had an affair with venture capitalist Adam Dell (pictured with her in 2009) and eventually learned she was pregnant with his child

Lakshmi at the time was not looking to settle down so soon after her divorce.

She recalled how in 2009, Forstmann asked her where she would most want to travel on a food fantasy tour and found herself at two of the most exclusive restaurants of the world: El Bulli in Rosa, Spain and Noma in Copenhangen, Denmark.

While she was seeing Forstmann, she had an affair with venture capitalist Adam Dell and eventually learned she was pregnant with his child.

After learning that the child was not his, Forstmann implored Lakshmi not to involve Dell and even promised to support the child as his own.

Lakshmi pictured left and right with her daughter Krishna. The Top Chef host lives in New York City with her daughter

However, she thought it was only right to tell Dell it was his father - even though he chose not to be involved through much of her high-risk pregnancy.

On February 20, 2010, Forstmann was in the room for her C-section and handed Lakshmi her newborn baby girl, Krishna, while Dell caused a ruckus.

She said Dell was angry that his name was not on the baby girl's birth certificate, and hospital security escorted the child to another room to visit with her father.

Lakshmi and Dell were involved in a custody battle which was eventually settled after she changed Krishna's last name to Lakshmi-Dell. The trio have since enjoyed some nice moments together.

In May 2011, Forstmann was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer, glioblastoma, and died just six months later.

Love, Loss and What We Ate is Lakshmi's memoir about food, family, survival and triumph

During his last few months to live, Lakshmi flew black to his mansion on Long Island from Florida, where she was filming Top Chef, to be with him as often as she could and recalled how Krishna and him would amuse one another.

On her last visit before he passed away on November 20, 2011, Forstmann could hardly open his eyes as toddler Krishna crawled on his bed dressed in her Halloween costumes.

Their last words were 'I love you,' Lakshmi said.

Forstmann, who adopted two boys he met at a South African orphanage in the 1990s, reportedly established a trust for Krishna in his will.

Lakshmi, author of Love, Loss, and What We Ate and two earlier cookbooks, lives in downtown New York City with her daughter.
SNL's opening skit fired shots at Donald Trump shortly after the primaries on Super Saturday saw mediocre results for the controversial Republican candidate.

Comedian Darrell Hammond pouted his lips and squinted his eyes while playing the business tycoon and declared: 'PS America, I have a great big huge d***!'

Trump, who hosted the sketch comedy show in November, was attacked in tonight's episode again when a fake campaign video, called 'Racists for Trump,' tore down the candidate's bigoted supporters.

Comedian Darrell Hammond bore a striking resemblance to Donald Trump as he proclaimed: 'PS America, I have a great big huge d***!'

Bobby Moynihan, who played the New Jersey governor, robotically repeated: 'Yes sir, thank you sir, please sir, may I have another' as his eyes glazed over

Tonight's SNL episode opened with a sketch mocking Chris Christie's glossy-eyed stare as he stood behind Trump during a news conference held on Thursday.

The event in Florida spawned scores of memes joking that Christie was rethinking his life choices while he was being held hostage.

In the skit, Hammond impersonated Trump and said: 'What a great, great night. I really am running the best campaign aren't I? The media are saying they haven't seen anything like this, not since Germany in the 1930s.

'I mean everyone loves me- racists, ugly racists, people who didn't even know they were racists.

'As I was saying, everyone loves me, I even got this fat piece of crap behind me now. Isn't that right, Chris?'

Bobby Moynihan, who played the New Jersey governor, robotically stated over and over again: 'Yes sir, thank you sir, please sir, may I have another.'

Hammond relinquished all forms of subtlety when he later reminded viewers that Trump had alluded to the size of his manhood during the 11th GOP debate.

The comedian closed out the first part of the opening sketch by declaring: 'PS America, I have a great big huge dick!'

Taran Killam (left) hit the nail on the head with Ted Cruz's down-turned smile (right) as he recalled eating what appeared to be a booger during the GOP debates on Thursday

The SNL show was broadcast shortly after the primary results saw Ted Cruz taking Kansas and Maine with wide margins over Donald Trump. Pictured, Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton

The show then held a 'round-robin' overview of a number of candidates, recalling the disturbing moment earlier this week when Ted Cruz ate what appeared to be a booger during the GOP debates on Thursday.

Kate McKinnon made a brief show as Hillary Clinton, saying: 'So, to all of the voters who have thought for years, "I hate Hillary, I could never vote for her," to you I say, "Welcome!"

'Cause I've got clouds to the left of me, jokers to the right, and here you are stuck in the middle with me!'

SNL alum Jason Sudeikis then made an appearance playing Mitt Romney, who made a speech on Thursday blasting Trump as a 'phony' and a 'fraud'.

Mittens, is that you? SNL alum Jason Sudeikis (left) played Mitt Romney (right), who gave a speech blasting Trump as a 'phony' on Thursday

Sudeikis, imitating the 2012 Republican nominee, said: 'For the last nine months I've sat down and watched Donald Trump say something everyday that was either racist or sexist.

'And we in the GOP, the party of the great Ronald Reagan, we do not say racist and sexist things. We imply them - subtly, over decades and decades of policy!'

Sudeikis called Trump a fool, but when CNN reporter Jake Tapper, played by Beck Bennett, pointed out that Trump endorsed Romney four years ago, Sudeikis deadpanned: 'Like I said, he's a fool!'

Sudeikis then landed the punch line when Bennett asked if there was anything he personally wanted to say to Trump.

He closed looked straight into the camera and stated: 'Donald, you're duplicitous, you're reckless, and if you become the Republican nominee, know this - I would make a great vice president!'

The TV show also ran a fake campaign ad titled 'Racists for Trump' later on in the episode hosted by Jonah Hill which showed average Americans revealed to be members of fascist or far-right groups, such as the KKK (above)

The man on the left said he Trump would take the economy to next levels, raising his arm to reveal a swastika armband (left). A supporter (right), joked: 'He says what I'm thinking' before revealing a KKK hood

Another supporter in the fake ad said: 'Some of his ideas seem a little out there, but I like that he's looking towards solutions' before the camera revealed a conspiracy theory board with 'MUSLIMS' in block letters

The show later played a fake campaign ad titled 'Racists for Trump,' where supporters stated the reasons why they were voting for the former Apprentice host.

They were pictured with a swastika armband, KKK hoods, and signs behind them stating: 'White Power,' as they earnestly praised Trump.

The SNL show was broadcast shortly after the primary results saw Ted Cruz taking Kansas and Maine with wide margins over Donald Trump.

Trump narrowly took Kentucky and Louisiana over Cruz.
Major questions will be asked if searchers manage to track down the remains of missing jet Malaysia Flight MH370 which vanished two years ago.

The Boeing 777-200ER took off from Kuala Lumpar airport in Malaysia on a routine flight to Beijing in China on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers on crew aboard.

What happened next has produced one of the greatest aviation mysteries in recent history with the disappearance of a state-of-the-art passenger jet.

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Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, who is organising the search for the missing jet said funds were still available to continue the mission to find the doomed Boeing-777

So far 88 million has been spent on trying to find the missing aircraft with 43,600 miles of seabed searched

Families of the 239 passengers and crew on board the aircraft want the search to continue to find answers

So far the search for the missing jet has cost 88 million, with 46,300 square miles of seabed surveyed without success.

The only confirmed piece of debris recovered from the jet washed up on Reunion Island, off the coast of Madagascar in July, thousands of miles away from the current search zone.

A further piece of potential wreckage was found this week on a Mozambique beach by American Blaine Alan Gibson. The one metre section of metal is stenciled with the words 'No Step'. Experts are trying to determine whether the fragment came from the missing jet.

The latest recovery is further away from the search zone than the first piece of debris on Reunion.

Despite the massive and costly search, air crash investigators still do not know exactly where the jet crashed.

An interim report into the disaster determined the aircraft left its planned flight path shortly after take off and air traffic controllers lost contact with the jet 40 minutes later.

A second interim report, updating any further factual details discovered by investigators is expected to be released on Tuesday.

To determine the cause of the mystery, investigators would like to find the wreckage and in particular the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder which might hold vital clues.

It is thought the aircraft has spent the past two years on the bottom of the Indian Ocean, which is as much as 15,000 feet deep - more than three miles. That is 2,500 feet deeper than the wreck of the Titanic and passed the capability of any manned submersible.

At that depth, there is no chance, Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, who are co-ordinating the search, of bringing the wreckage to the surface.

Instead, crews will focus on finding the black boxes, although their locator beacons to assist their recovery will have run out of batteries.

The Boeing 777-200ER, pictured, vanished after leaving Kuala Lumpar on March 8, 2014 en route to Beijing

The cockpit voice recorder will have sound from the final two hours of the flight, including the noise coming from the engines and the sound of any explosion.

The flight data recorder will have details of the aircraft's speed, altitude and how it was being flown, whether it was on auto pilot or if the captain or co pilot where at the controls.

The Australian government is responsible for any recovery operation, including bringing any bodies to the surface. If the black boxes are found, they will be taken to Canberra to the ATSB headquarters for analysis.

Even if the recorders are recovered, they may have been damaged by two years at the bottom of the ocean where the water pressure is 6,680psi.

The black boxes from Air France Flight AF-447, which went missing from Rio de Janeiro to Paris in 2009, were recovered after two years at a depth of 13,100 feet from the Atlantic Ocean, where the water pressure was around 5,800psi.

Investigators were able to recover vital data which provided valuable evidence as to why the Airbus A330-203 crashed into the ocean.

Crash investigators are inspecting a piece of wreckage which was found last week on a beach in Mozambique

The first confirmed piece of wreckage from the aircraft, pictured, was found on Reunion Island in July 2015

Malaysian transport minister Liow Tiong Lai, pictured, said experts were looking at the Mozambique evidence

Dolan said there were still funds available to continue the search for the missing jet. But if the plane is discovered when that budget has run dry, Australia will have to confer with other countries to figure out how to pay what would be a complex effort requiring specialised equipment.

The ATSB has gathered a list of companies with equipment capable of retrieving wreckage from the seabed.

Crews would need to photograph and map the debris field, then get the specialised vessels and crews to the remote search site.

All of that will take a couple of months.

However, if the wreckage is located, there will be considerable pressure from within the airline industry and from regulators to provide answers as to why the aircraft cashed.

The families of those who were aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 have appealed to authorities to continue searching for the plane, which vanished two years ago with 239 people on board.

At a commemorative event on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur to mark the second anniversary of the jet's March 8 2014, disappearance, they released white balloons tagged with the names of everyone aboard the plane and the words: MH370: Always Remembered In Our Hearts.

Jacquita Gomes, who lost her husband, inflight supervisor Patrick Gomes, said the families are fighting for the search to continue "because our loved ones are not home yet, so how can we say it's the end?"
Hughes' flight was in protest of campaign finance laws

A Florida mailman who flew a gyrocopter through protected Washington airspace before landing outside the US Capitol last was seconds away from colliding with a Delta flight, prosecutors claim.

Douglas Hughes, 61, was arrested earlier last April after flying his one-person aircraft from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Washington DC, to protest campaign finance laws.

In a court filing Friday, prosecutors said Hughes flew almost directly into the oncoming flight path of the 150-person Delta Airbus turbojet that had taken off from Reagan National Airport.

Hughes came within 1,400 yards of Delta Flight 1639, while safety rules require aircraft to remain separated by more than 3,000 yards, it read.

Prosecutors claim Douglas Hughes, who pleaded guilty to flying a gyrocopter through highly-restricted airspace before landing on the US Capitol's lawn, was seconds away from colliding with a Delta flight

Hughes (pictured landing on the lawn in his gyrocopter) was arrested last April after flying the aircraft from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Washington DC, armed with letters for members of Congress

'If the gyrocopter had drifted slightly west, or the airline had taken a slightly more easterly path, a collision could have occurred,' prosecutors said.

Such a collision could have been 'catastrophic,' they added.

Hughes, who agreed to a plea deal in November, is set to be sentenced April 13.

Prosecutors are asking for 10 months in prison, arguing the former Ruskin mail carrier put countless lives at risk.

Hughes rejected the prosecution court filing in an email Saturday to The Associated Press, saying he knew where the commercial air traffic was and 'didn't go there'.

'The "story" that I almost collided with a passenger jet is a fabrication,' wrote Hughes, who said the prosecution was 'intentionally deceptive or grossly negligent' in their evidence presentation.

He maintained that 'at no time' did he threat commercial traffic.

Hughes' attorneys say they don't think he should have to serve any more time behind bars.

In a court filing Friday, prosecutors said Hughes flew almost directly into the oncoming flight path of the 150-person Delta Airbus turbojet that had taken off from Reagan National Airport

They noted that no one was injured and no property was damaged.

Hughes spent one night in jail after the stunt, served five weeks in home confinement and had his travel privileges restricted for nearly a year.

Mark Goldstone, an attorney for Hughes, said the defense will look into the government's claim about the Delta flight.

But he questioned why prosecutors are now saying Hughes flew closer to the plane than they previously reported.

'It seems suspicious that on the eve of sentencing, all of a sudden his flight was about to blow up a commercial airliner,' Goldstone said Saturday.

Hughes pleaded guilty in November to a felony of operating a gyrocopter without a license.

The charge carries a potential three years in prison, but prosecutors agreed not to ask for more than 10 months in prison as part of a plea deal.

Hughes has said he was trying to send a political message about the need for stronger campaign finance restrictions and that he was carrying letters for all 535 members of Congress.

Hughes came within 1,400 yards of Delta Flight 1639, while safety rules require aircraft to remain separated by more than 3,000 yards, the filing read. Above, a security official stands beside the gyrocopter

The tail section of Hughes' gyrocopter - which landed on the Capitol's West Lawn (pictured) on April 15 after flying through some of the country's most restricted airspace - carried a Postal Service logo

He told investigators during an interview after he was arrested that the only way he potentially put lives in danger was if 'authorities overreacted' and tried to shoot him down.

Prosecutors said Capitol Police officers were in position to shoot Hughes when he landed and that one of the officers had him in his gunsight with a round in the chamber.

They noted that Hughes' flight took him less than a mile from Vice President Joe Biden's home, about 175 feet from the Washington Monument and close to other landmarks.

Hughes' attorneys argue that while Hughes broke the law, prosecutors should not respond in a way that discourages Americans from expressing their grievances about their government.

'Suppressing or even discouraging political dissidence is a very dangerous and undemocratic prospect,' his attorneys wrote.

Hughes' attorneys say he has pledged that he will comply with the law from now on as he continues his push for political change.

Prosecutors say prison time is necessary to deter such action in the future, whether the airspace violator be an 'unpopular religious extremist' or a 'popular advocate on any issue of domestic policy'.

'The deterrent message must be clear,' the prosecution said.

'If you violate the airspace of our nation's capital  regardless of your message  you will be punished because of the substantial risks to safety and national security.'

Hughes has said he plans to challenge South Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her 23rd Congressional District seat.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull isn't committing to a national vote on same-sex marriage this year, instead saying one will be held as soon as possible after the election.

It comes just hours after the Liberal leader was the unexpected star of Sydney's Mardi Gras festivities; becoming the first ever Australian prime minister to attend the parade.

Attorney-General George Brandis on Sunday said if the government was re-elected there would be a plebiscite this year, sparking speculation about the planned timing of the election.

But the prime minister's office is sticking to its existing position, with a spokeswoman telling AAP it would be held 'as early as possible after the election'.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, wearing in a pale pink shirt, and his wife Lucy Turnbull (pictured) attended this year's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney on Saturday night

Labor leader Bill Shorten and his wife Chloe Bryce (pictured) also attended the event and marched in the parade

The Australian Electoral Commission has told a parliamentary inquiry it would need 29 weeks to plan a plebiscite, meaning holding one this year would likely require an early election.

'The bill to constitute the plebiscite will be introduced early in the life of the new parliament so that we can have the plebiscite before the end of this year,' Senator Brandis told Sky News on Sunday.

Despite his reluctance to comment on gay rights on Saturday night, Mr Turnbull was an instant crowd favourite upon his arrival.

Numerous excited attendees mobbed the prime minister as he walked through the crowd with his wife, Lucy Turnbull.

He stopped on several occasions to talk to attendees and pose for selfies.

While Mr Turnbull has attended the event on numerous occasions, he watched the 175 floats make their way through the city from a vip viewing area.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the prime minister's reluctance to commit to a plebiscite proved the chaos and division within the Liberal government.

The celebratory event quickly became a platform for the political leaders to take jabs at each other and Mr Shorten quickly called Mr Turnbull (pictured center) 'half-arsed' for not also marching in the parade

Despite his reluctance to comment on gay rights, Mr Turnbull (pictured center) was an instant crowd favourite upon his arrival

'This is a new land speed record for a broken promise, made over breakfast and gone before dinner,' he said in a statement on Sunday.

'If his own attorney-general can't rely on Malcolm Turnbull, how can Australians?'

On Saturday night the opposition leader marched in the Mardi Gras parade in support of LGBT rights alongside his glamorous wife Chloe Bryce and deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek.

During the Mardi Gras celebrations Shorten slammed Mr Turnbull's 'half arsed' attitude towards equality.

'You can't be half-arsed when it comes to marriage equality. The old Malcolm Turnbull would have marched in the parade but the new Malcolm Turnbull can't march because he's so in thrall to the right wing of his party,' Mr Shorten said.

Senator Brandis had no doubt that if the public voted 'yes', parliament would follow the will of the nation.

But Labor said if the senator was so confident that a plebiscite would take place and be approved by the parliament by the end of the year, what was the need for a plebiscite at all?

Although he has attended on numerous occasions, it was the first time Mr Shorten (pictured center) marched in the parade. Deputy leader Tanya Plibersek (pictured left) also marched with the couple

'You can't be half arsed when it comes to equality,'Mr Shorten (pictured) said of Mr Turnbull

'I'm astounded the prime minister is refusing to let the parliament do its job,' Mr Shorten said.

Mr Turnbull intended to waste $160 million of taxpayers' money on a plebiscite that would provide a platform for 'destructive, bigoted views to be heard', Labor believes.

Labor has committed to legislate for marriage equality within 100 days of being elected.

Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome said if the government allowed a free vote in parliament there would be marriage equality next week rather than delaying until the end of the year.

'If there is to be a plebiscite the result should automatically change the law and not return to parliament for further debate and delays,' Mr Croome said in statement.

Australian Christian Lobby managing director Lyle Shelton urged Australians to inform themselves of the far-reaching consequences of changing the definition of marriage in law.

Mr Turbull (right) stopped and took photos with numerous attendees as he made his way through the crowd

Leader of The Greens Richard Di Natale (pictured second from the right) also marched in the event

'If Australians value the rights of children to wherever possible have their mum and dad, if they value freedom of speech and parents rights to protect their kids from contested gender theory at school, they will vote `no' in the privacy of the ballot box,' Mr Shelton said in a statement.

Mr Turnbull became the first prime minister to attend the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Saturday night, something Senator Brandis described as 'completely unremarkable' given it is held in his inner-Sydney electorate of Wentworth and he has been several times before.

Greens Leader Richard Di Natale said it was a 'great thing' that Mr Turnbull attended but he needs to back that with a vote in parliament rather than a plebiscite.

'He's got an opportunity to bring the parliament with him, a vote on marriage equality. We should have that done before the next election,' Senator Di Natale told ABC TV.
A former British inmate of Guantanamo Bay who received part of a 20million payout has been linked to the the notorious British ISIS fighter known as Jihadi John.

Tarek Dergoul went to Portugal with Mohammed Emwazi to meet an Syrian terror suspect in the summer of 2011, one year before he travelled to Syria and went on to execute hostages.

Mr Dergoul, who is of Moroccan heritage but was born in East London, confirmed that the British security services did know about his relationship with Emwazi, according to The Sunday Times.

The 38-year-old condemned Jihadi John, who was killed in a US airstrike last November in the ISIS-held city of Raqqa, Syria.

Around a year after Emwazi's trip to Portugal, the Kuwaiti born IT worker disappeared and is thought to have made his way through Europe to Syria

Mohammed Emwazi was on the radar of British security services for a number of years, with heightened surveillance focusing on him after Emwazi's safari trip to Tanzania in 2009.

Travelling with two other friends, Emwazi was stopped in Tanzania and was deported over concerns his safari trip was a cover story for a secret plan to travel to Somalia and join al-Shabaab.

Emwazi would later repeatedly claim he was harassed by security services, blaming intelligence officers for twice ruining his chances to get married when he was engaged.

Despite increased surveillance from British security services and several failed efforts to return to Kuwait, the University of Westminster graduate passed through border checks when he drove with Mr Dergoul from London to Lisbon.

When asked this week about his relationship with Emwazi and the trip to Portugal, Mr Dergoul initially told The Sunday Times: 'I don't know what you are talking about.'

He did go on to speak frankly about his past, saying: 'MI5 know... What's so secret about it? I've got nothing to hide. Any country I've been to, its on file.'

'The police would be standing here now if there's anything wrong,' he claimed.

Travelling with two other friends, Emwazi (pictured, dressed in black) was stopped in Tanzania and was deported over concerns his safari trip was a cover story for a secret plan to cross into Somalia and join al-Shabaab

During their time in Portugal, Tarek Dergoul and Mohammed Emwazi allegedly met with a Syrian man, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The Syrian man had spent time in Guantanamo Bay after he was captured in Afghanistan.

It is understood that Mr Dergoul, Emwazi and the Syrian man also encountered several members of the Portuguese security services, who quizzed them about their backgrounds.

Mr Dergoul and Emwazi informed the security officers that they were enjoying a sightseeing trip around Europe before the two men returned to the UK after Emwazi received an urgent call from his father regarding a family matter.

Mr Dergoul was held in Guantanamo Bay after he was detained in Afghanistan.

He claimed he had originally travelled to Pakistan to study Arabic before entering Afghanistan looking to buy land and develop properties before selling them on for a profit after the war.

He denied US allegations that while he was in Afghanistan he attended a jihadi training camp.

Following his time in Guantanamo Bay where he later recalled how he was beaten and repeatedly abused, Mr Dergoul and four other British nationals were repatriated to the UK.

Mr Dergoul and another detainee Jamal al-Harith, received a share in a 20 million payout by ministers in 2010.

Originally known as Ronald Fiddler before his conversion, al-Harith is thought to have travelled to Syria and joined ISIS in April 2014 and was reportedly killed in battle, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Dergoul and another detainee Jamal al-Harith, (pictured) received a share in a 20 million payout by ministers in 2010. Originally known as Ronald Fiddler before his conversion, al-Harith is thought to have travelled to Syria and joined ISIS

Emwazi is thought to have been a key member of a West London gang of young extremists, which included Bilal al-Berjawi and Mohammed Sakr, both killed in drone strikes while fighting for al-Shabaab in Somalia.

Around a year after Emwazi's trip to Portugal, the Kuwaiti born IT worker disappeared and is thought to have made his way through Europe to Syria.

He allegedly trekked across the mountain ranges of Europe and was allegedly 'detained by the authorities of various nations on at least two occasions' before he made to Syria, according to ISIS's propaganda magazine Dabiq.

In January 2016, ISIS confirmed the death of their notorious propaganda figure by including a lengthy tribute to him in their magazine, Dabiq.

Known as Abu Muharib al-Yemeni, Emwazi, a member of the Bedoon, was praised in the article as an 'honourable brother' who once gave away a concubine to an injured fellow fighter.

'His harshness towards the kuffar (non-believers) was manifested through deeds that enraged all the nations, religions, and factions of kuffar, the entire world bearing witness to this,'

The magazine article also described how Emwazi had been interviewed on several occasions by security services when he tried to leave the UK.
Boris Johnson today urged voters to take their chance to break out of their EU 'prison' and reach for the great future outside.

The London Mayor said Government officials had 'Stockholm syndrome' and were unnecessarily scared of the 'terrors' outside of the EU.

But as Mr Johnson appeared to struggle with detail over the single market, his BBC interview today was criticised by senior Conservatives.

Boris Johnson, pictured on the Andrew Marr show today, said the EU referendum was like a jailor leaving open the prison gates and urged Britons to take their chance to escape

The interview came after Mr Johnson launched a strong attack on the 'agents of project fear' after British Chambers of Commerce chief John Longworth was suspended for revealing his personal intention to back Brexit.

Tonight, Mr Longworth resigned after accepting his personal views were 'likely to create confusion', according to the group's president Nora Senior.

She added that 'no politician or interest group' had any influence on the initial decision of the BCC's board to suspend him and there were 'no external factors' in his subsequent decision to quit.

In his interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr, Mr Johnson revealed the tipping point which encouraged him to back Brexit had been the refusal of Government lawyers to back legal language which would have asserted UK sovereignty.

And he said: 'This is like the jailor has accidentally left the door of the jail open and people can see the sunlit lands beyond.

'Everybody is suddenly wrangling about the terrors of the world outside - actually... it would be a huge weight lifted from British business.'

Mr Johnson admitted there could be an economic shock after a Brexit vote - but insisted this 'might not' be the case.

He said: 'Actually, there are plenty of people who now think the cost of getting out would be virtually nil and the cost of staying in would be very high.'

The London Mayor said he had been dismayed by several instances at City Hall where EU regulation had intervened and delayed on his plans.

He said: 'Such is the Stockholm syndrome capture in this country, (officials) decided to interpret the directive on interoperability of trans-European networks in such a way as to say Cross Rail tunnels had to be 50 per cent bigger in order to accommodate German trains.

'That would have cost billions - we had to spend a year trying to fend off that demand.'

Boris Johnson, pictured arriving for the BBC interview today, earlier slammed the 'agents of project fear' for removing John Longworth from the BCC after he said he would personally back Brexit

And Mr Johnson claimed he had been frustrated in his attempts to introduce safer tipper trucks on the streets of London.

Mr Johnson also used the interview to insist again Mr Cameron would not have to quit after a defeat.

He said: 'To the best of my knowledge there is not a single EU leader in the last 20 years who has had to step down as a result of a referendum, whether on Europe or not,' he said.

'I think the whole thing is a load of cobblers.'

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson led the blue-on-blue criticism of the Mayor's performance.

BORIS JOHNSON REVEALS THE TIPPING POINT WHICH FORCED HIM TO BACK BREXIT WAS LAWYERS VETOING SOVEREIGNTY RULES Mr Johnson said it was impossible to protect the sovereignty of parliament, pictured, inside the EU Boris Johnson today revealed new laws on UK sovereignty were drafted that he was 'happy with' but Government lawyers tore them up an pushed him to the Brexit door. The London Mayor confirmed in a BBC interview he believed the EU reform process undertaken by David Cameron had failed and proved changes in the bloc were impossible. Mr Johnson was known to be concerned about sovereignty during Mr Cameron's renegotiation efforts. He said today: 'In the days leading up to that summit, there was a huge efforts, which I was actually involved in, to try to make sense of the so-called sovereignty clauses. 'There was a huge intellectual effort went into creating this language by which we could somehow ensure our courts, our Supreme Court, our House of Commons, could overturn judgements at the European Court of Justice if we felt they were in someway capricious. 'Finally, we had some language that seemed to have some bite, that seemed to work. I was very pleased with it. 'It went back to the Government lawyers and they said this basically voids our obligations under the 1972 European Communities Act, it doesn't work - that is I'm afraid the reality. 'We cannot express the sovereignty of Parliament and accept the 1972 European Communities Act. There is no way of doing both at the same time.' Asked if this was the tipping point in his decision to back Brexit, Mr Johnson said: 'Yes. We were told there was going to be fundamental reform. We didn't achieve that. 'I think the lesson of the whole businesses has been reform is not achievable.' Advertisement

She tweeted: 'Is it just me or is Boris floundering here? Not sure the bumble-bluster, kitten smirk, tangent-bombast routine is cutting through.'

The claims of economic success outside the eurozone were earlier dismissed by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.

He told the BBC Britain would face 'year of the most difficult negotiations.

He said: 'And for years we would have such insecurity that would be a poison to the economy in the UK, the European continent and for the global economy as well.

Earlier, Mr Johnson stepped up his attacks on David Cameron's remain campaign, slamming the suspension of a key business ally and undermining the Prime Minister's key pledges.

Mr Johnson said the suspension of John Longworth, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, for expressing personal support for Brexit showed the 'agents of project fear' would crush anyone stepping out from the 'establishment' line.

The London Mayor today also joined in attacks with Justice Secretary Michael Gove warning Britain's national security is damaged by EU membership because it stops the country taking the necessary action against terrorists.

Brexit campaigners have labelled the Remain campaign as 'Project fear' amid fierce rows over claims of scaremongering by Mr Cameron and the Government.

Number 10 strenuously denied involvement in Mr Longworth's suspension.

But Mr Johnson said: 'It is absolutely scandalous that John Longworth has been forced to step aside.

'This is a man who reached the conclusion - after long reflection and a lifetime's experience of business - that it would be better to vote Leave.

'His verdict reflects the reality - that the EU has changed out of all recognition from the Common Market that this country joined.

'He speaks for the many small and medium sized businesses - the lifeblood of the economy - who cannot understand why they should comply with more and more regulation, over which this country has no democratic control.

'Only 5 per cent cent of UK firms do business with the rest of Europe, and yet they must obey 100 per cent of EU legislation.

'The British public deserve to have the facts put before them. They deserve a proper debate.

'It cannot be right that when someone has the guts to dissent from the establishment line, he or she is immediately crushed by the agents of Project Fear.'

The BCC is remaining neutral in the referendum campaign and Mr Longworth stressed he was giving his personal opinion as he used his keynote speech at the organisation's conference on Thursday to say the UK might be better off outside the EU.

The Sunday Telegraph said a friend of Mr Longworth claimed Downing Street had 'bullied' and been 'putting pressure' on BCC board members to suspend their director-general.

But a No 10 source said: 'This is simply not true. This is a matter for the BCC. No pressure was put on the BCC to suspend John Longworth.'

Meanwhile Mr Gove joined forces with Mr Johnson in an attempt to undermine the Prime Minister's repeated claims that EU membership made the UK 'stronger' and 'safer'.

Michael Gove today warned the EU was bad for the UK's national security

The Justice Secretary told the Sunday Times: 'I think overall our national security is strengthened if we are able to make the decisions that we need and the alliances that we believe in outside the current structures of the of the European Union.'

He claimed EU judges had taken decisions against the UK's national interests by dictating 'what our spies can do and whether we can be kept safe'.

Mr Gove added: 'Our security and sovereignty stand together. I believe that there are better opportunities to keep people safe if we are outside the European Union.'

And he warned the far right was stronger because of the EU than at any time since the 1930s.

He said: 'Golden Dawn in the Greek parliament are explicitly Hitler worshippers and that is a direct consequence of what has happened with Greece and the single currency.'

Mr Johnson said the EU had taken 'decisions that are inimical to our ability to mount serious surveillance operations against terrorists'.

He added: 'The power to take decisions about deporting people or about counter-terrorist surveillance is being taken away from the UK.'

Former defence secretary Liam Fox today claimed the Remain campaign was turning into a 'mafia protection racket'.

He told the Sunday Times: 'Project Fear is turning into Project Intimidation. Threats and bullying do not reflect well on those who promote them and are likely to infuriate the British people.'

Dr Fox told the BBC today he could raise the issue in the Commons.

He said: 'It would be very much better for everyone concerned if there was any involvement or any pressure or contact for a full disclosure of that now so that we can see the extent of any involvement.

'Covering up events always has worse political consequences than the events themselves and we really need to get this out of the way so we can get back to talking about the big issues, if in fact we ever get to talk about the big issues.'

WOMAN VOTERS WILL BE PUT OFF BY AGGRESSIVE EU CAMPAIGNS WARN TOP WOMEN MINISTERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BREXIT DIVIDE Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, left, warned aggressive Brexit campaigning will put women off. The warning was echoed by Penny Mordaunt, right, who protested 'silly scare stories' from the Remain camp Aggressive referendum campaigning for Brexit will put women off, a Cabinet minister warned today. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who backs the Remain campaign, said women in her Loughborough constituency were not interested in macho personality politics. She also dismissed the impact London mayor Boris Johnson's would have on the referendum contest following his decision to campaign for a Leave vote on June 23. Ms Morgan told The Independent On Sunday: 'I had a conversation with some businesswomen in my constituency. 'They said, that bloke who talks about the dodgy dossier - Iain Duncan Smith - they said what kind of language is that? That's not going to tell us anything about the debate. 'Aggression always appeals to a certain type of person in politics, but my experience is it doesn't appeal to women. 'I think, actually, saying these phrases like 'dodgy dossiers' and asking about 'project fear' completely misses the point.' Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt also hit out 'personality politics' and 'bogus scare stories'. But the Brexit supporter said the harsh tactics were promoted by the Remain camp in a separate interview. She told the Sunday Telegraph: 'There is a lot of hysteria that has been put out. 'What we have seen so far has been chaff, decoy material being shot across the port side.' She added: 'Women are turned off by personality politics and they want to know the facts. They are very pragmatic. 'I think they are going to be thinking about their families, their childrens future, the opportunities theyre going to have as they grow.' Advertisement

Business boss who was suspended for backing Brexit says Brussels costs us billions and hits out at No 10's biblical scare language

The business boss suspended for backing a British EU exit has launched a devastating new broadside against the Government, accusing it of 'peddling disaster' ahead of the referendum.

Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce John Longworth threw a grenade into No 10, savaging it for joining the 'hyperbole' of the EU debate.

In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, he accused the Government of issuing exaggerated warnings akin to 'plagues of boils' if Britain quits the EU  which would trigger a 'self-fulfilling prophecy'.

Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce John Longworth, pictured, was suspended from his role at the BCC after making a controversial speech supporting Brexit

And he slammed David Cameron's reform negotiations. 'Once the Prime Minister had come back with his deal, that was the final nail in the coffin,' he declared.

Longworth spoke to this newspaper soon after finishing his controversial Brexit speech  and while Chancellor George Osborne took to the same conference stage to preach the benefits of Britain's EU membership.

A little over 24 hours later, Longworth was suspended from his role at the BCC.

Mayor of London and Brexit Campaigner Boris Johnson said this weekend that Longworth was the victim of 'an establishment plot'.

But while the boss's speech to the BCC's annual conference has already sparked a political storm, his words to The Mail on Sunday are even more explosive.

He rubbished 'ludicrous' claims that food would cost more if we leave the EU, saying the opposite was true.

'The price of food virtually doubled in the UK in 1973 when we joined the EEC,' he noted.

And he said his extensive research led him to believe Britain had 'not got a good deal' in Europe. 'There's layer upon layer upon layer of legislation from Brussels that is actually costing us billions,' he added.

Remarkably, no one at the BCC yesterday would comment on the row. The organisation has officially adopted a neutral position, and polls of its members show 60 per cent in favour of staying in, with 30 per cent in favour of leaving.

But even as Longworth gave the interview, unease was evidently growing among top BCC figures.
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Migrants trapped on the Greece-Macedonia border were caught up in a desperate scramble for firewood as EU leaders prepared to urge Turkey to agree to 'large scale' deportations at a summit tomorrow.

The men caught up in the crowd which surrounded a truck delivering firewood to the overflowing refugee camp are among more than 13,000 people who are currently trapped on the Greek side of the border, near the village of Idomeni.

Macedonia, which is not part of the European Union, is refusing to let more than a few people through a day - with those denied entry becoming more and more desperate.

Greek police are now claiming the Macedonia has imposed further restrictions on refugees trying to cross the border, saying only those from cities they consider to be at war can enter

And there are warnings that Greece - already struggling with a buildup of 30,000 migrants - was expecting to receive 'another 100,000' by the end of March.

As a result, EU leaders are preparing to press Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to take back migrants who do not qualify as refugees as part of moves to 'break the business model of people smugglers'.

The men caught up in the crowd which surrounded a truck delivering firewood to the overflowing refugee camp are among more than 13,000 people who are currently trapped on the Greek side of the border, near the village of Idomeni

Macedonia, which is not part of the European Union, is refusing to let more than a few people through a day

Greek police officials say Macedonian authorities have imposed further restrictions on refugees trying to cross the border, saying only those from cities they consider to be at war can enter

EU leaders are hoping for more cooperation from Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at their talks in Brussels. Migrants are pictured fighting among themselves while waiting at the Greece Macedonia border

Refugees and migrants receive food at the camp at the buffer zone of the Greek-Macedonian border, near the border village of Idomeni

Hand out: A volunteer is pictured giving out bread to a group of migrants at a camp on the border of Greece and Macedonia this afternoon

European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramapoulos said Greece was expecting a fresh influx of migrants throughout March

Meanwhile, the human cost of the migrant crisis was highlighted again today when at least 18 people were reported to have died after their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey.

Coastguard crews rescued 15 migrants from the boat off the Turkish town of Didim.

Ahead of the summit on Monday, EU chief Donald Tusk says he sees the first hints of a resolution to the migrant crisis.

With a fresh surge expected in the warmer spring weather, the European Union's 28 leaders are pinning much of their hopes for reducing the chaos on new commitments from Turkey.

The EU will also push Ankara to drastically reduce the huge flow of migrants into Europe, as Turkey is the launch pad for most of the more than one million refugees and migrants who have come to the continent since early 2015.

Crowds of migrants sit on the ground as they wait along with thousands of others for clearance to cross the border from Greece to Macedonia

Two men scale a metal fence as they wait with thousands of others to enter Macedonia from Greece at the village of Idomeni

Donald Tusk, the European Council president, said he hopes talks will 'effectively break the business model of the smugglers'

European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramapoulos said Greece was expecting a fresh influx of migrants throughout March.

But lingering tensions flared when Turkish police seized an opposition newspaper at the weekend and Brussels warned Ankara it had to respect media freedom in its decade-long bid for EU membership - also a topic in the migrant talks.

Tusk, the European Council president and summit host, said in his invitation letter that success depended largely on securing Turkey's agreement at the summit for the 'large-scale' readmission from Greece of economic migrants who do not qualify as refugees.

'It would effectively break the business model of the smugglers,' Tusk said when he also raised the idea on Thursday in Ankara with Davutoglu.

EU leaders will urge Turkey to agree to 'large scale' deportations of 100,000 'economic migrants' from Greece at a summit tomorrow. Migrants are pictured at the Greek-Macedonian border

Waiting game: Greek police officials said Macedonian authorities had imposed further restrictions on refugees trying to cross the border

The restrictions imposed by Macedonia were the latest move by the countrty to slow the flow of refugees into the country

Earlier today Greek police officials said Macedonian authorities had imposed further restrictions on refugees trying to cross the border, saying only those from cities they consider to be at war can enter.

The officials said the restrictions imposed today means that people from Aleppo in Syria, for example, can enter Macedonia from Greece, but those from the Syrian capital of Damascus or the Iraqi capital of Baghdad cannot.

The restrictions were the latest move by Macedonia to slow the flow of refugees into the country. The rate at which refugees are being allowed to cross had already been reduced to a trickle and about 13,000-14,000 people are stranded in an overflowing camp on the Greek side.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will be pressed to take back migrants who do not qualify as refugees. A migrant is pictured wrapped in a blanket on the Greece-Macedonia border

There are warnings that Greece - already struggling with a buildup of 30,000 migrants - was expected to receive 'another 100,000' by the end of March. A migrant is pictured with her children in Idomeni, Greece

With a fresh surge expected in the warmer spring weather, the European Union's 28 leaders are pinning much of their hopes for reducing the chaos on new commitments from Turkey

Brussels has meanwhile unveiled a plan for saving the passport-free Schengen zone, which has been jeopardised by several countries closing their borders to stop the huge influx of people from Syria and elsewhere.

'For the first time since the beginning of the migration crisis, I can see a European consensus emerging,' Tusk said in his letter.

Following their lunch with Davutoglu in Brussels, EU leaders are to meet by themselves.

AUSTRIA URGES GERMANY TO SET ASYLUM SEEKER LIMIT TO CURB INFLUX Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann has urged Germany to set a clear limit on the number of asylum seekers it will accept to help stem a mass influx of refugees that is severely testing European cohesion. The comments by the Social Democrat to the Kurier newspaper threaten to make even more complicated an emergency EU summit with Turkey on Monday on handling the worst refugee crisis in generations. Austria - the last stop before Germany, the top destination for migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and beyond - has already come under fire from the European Commission and human rights groups for capping its own intake of refugees. Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann has urged Germany to set a clear limit on the number of asylum seekers it will accept Austria, a country of 8.5 million people, got 90,000 asylum requests last year and has curtailed the number this year while imposing daily limits on the numbers it processes. Migrants are pictured walking across a field in Greece 'Germany too must give a number for the refugees it is prepared to take from the Syria and Turkey region. Germany must finally create clarity or else refugees will continue to head off in the direction of Germany,' Faymann was quoted as saying. 'If you take the Austrian guidelines, Germany could give its quota at around 400,000. As long as Germany does not say that, it is clear what will happen. The refugees will continue to believe that they will be waved through.' Austria, a country of 8.5 million people, got 90,000 asylum requests last year and has curtailed the number this year while imposing daily limits on the numbers it processes. Faymann said Monday's summit was set to decide three things: improving cooperation with Turkey to fight human smugglers and return rejected asylum seekers, ending a policy of waving through refugees, and agreeing on a system for EU members to absorb asylum seekers with the help of the U.N. refugee agency. In a separate newspaper interview, Austrian Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil said Austria did not want to take part in any quota system for distributing refugees among European countries because it had done enough on its own. A boy caries bread at the makeshift camp of the Greek-Macedonian border near the Greek village of Idomeni Humanitarian groups estimate that the number of migrants stuck at the Greek-Macedonian border crossing had swelled to 14,000 'We are taking the lion's share and taking in 37,500 asylum seekers this year alone. Now the others are called upon. Why should Austria take refugees from Greece? That would send the wrong signal,' Doskozil told the Oesterreich newspaper. Vienna has repeatedly called for a quota system, saying many countries that are net recipients of EU funding had to step up and do their share to resolve a difficult situation with thousands of people stranded on Greece's border with Macedonia. In Switzerland, the NZZ am Sonntag paper said Switzerland was set to take in 600 asylum seekers from Greece who had been registered by Greek authorities and had a good chance of being allowed to stay in the neutral Alpine country. Although Switzerland is not an EU member, the Swiss government agreed last year to take in 1,500 asylum seekers under an EU relocation programme. Advertisement

The EU said Turkey has made progress toward implementing a cooperation-for-aid deal clinched in November but added that too many people were still heading from Turkey to Greece, the main entry point to Europe.

The European Commission, the EU executive body, said in a report that the daily average of irregular arrivals in February amounted to 1,943, which is 'high' for a winter month.

In the report to EU summit participants, the commission said encouragingly that Ankara on February 26 approved 859 readmission requests from Greece.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands, which currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency, told reporters he hoped Turkey would agree Monday 'to accelerate readmission of third country nationals and economic migrants.'

Brussels has unveiled a plan for saving the passport-free Schengen zone, which has been jeopardised by several countries closing their borders to stop the huge influx of people from Syria and elsewhere

The EU last year pledged only to distribute around the bloc around 20,000 people from Turkey - which hosts nearly three million Syrian refugees - as well as from Lebanon and Jordan

Rutte added: 'I think that would be the minimum outcome.'

The commission report urged Ankara to 'swiftly negotiate and conclude readmission agreements with the relevant third countries,' which would then take back economic migrants from Turkey.

It said nearly half of the irregular migrants reaching Europe last month were not from war-torn Syria but rather from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and north Africa.

If the EU determines in two weeks that the number of arrivals is dropping significantly, Rutte said, it could consider a more 'ambitious' scheme to resettle refugees from camps in Turkey.

The EU last year pledged only to distribute around the bloc around 20,000 people from Turkey - which hosts nearly three million Syrian refugees - as well as from Lebanon and Jordan.

Under the action plan, the EU will give Turkey three billion euros (2.32billion) to aid refugees on its territory and Turkey will crack down on people smugglers.

Camping out: Migrants and refugees rest close to the gate at the Greek-Macedonian border near the Greek village of Idomeni

Discussions: Two refugees wait to enter Macedonia in the refugee camp near the Greek-Macedonian border today

A woman breastfeeds her baby as refugees and migrants wait to receive some food at the makeshift camp at the Greek-Macedonian border

Migrants wait near the border gate at the northern Greek border station of Idomeni. Greek police officials saidy Macedonian authorities have imposed further restrictions on refugees trying to cross the border

In its report, the commission urged Turkey to 'take decisive action against migrant smuggling' by stepping up police work, coast guard patrols and cooperation with NATO.

Turkey on Wednesday denied claims it was blocking NATO vessels deployed in the Aegean Sea from launching a new anti-smuggling mission.

Under their deal, Turkey expects to accelerate its bid for EU membership and see Brussels ease visa requirements for Turks visiting the Schengen area.

In an interview with the BBC, Turkey's ambassador to the EU, Selim Yenel, said: 'If we can find a way together we can make it work.'

But he echoed his government's bitterness over how the EU had seemed indifferent to the migrant crisis when it only affected Turkey.

'Now all of a sudden they remembered us,' Yenel said.
Paul Daniels' family do not know how long the magician will live for after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, his son has revealed.

The entertainer is sticking to his belief that when 'it's your time it's your time' as he spends his last days at his Thames-side home surrounded by his family, Martin Daniels said.

The 77-year-old fell at home and was rushed to Royal Berkshire Hospital suspected of suffering a stroke, although he was later diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, his son said.

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Paul Daniels (pictured with wife Debbie McGee) is sticking to his belief that when 'it's your time it's your time' as he spends his last days at his Thames-side home surrounded by his family, Martin Daniels said

Paul Daniels' family do not know how long the magician will live for after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, his son has revealed. Paul Daniels is pictured on stage with son Martin in 2011

'There's no treatment which can help him. Doctors haven't said how many weeks or months he might have - and we haven't asked,' Martin Daniels told The Sunday Mirror.

'He knows things are not in his hands now and we are living in the knowledge every day is a bonus.

'It is unbearably difficult. He has said before when '"it's your time it's your time" and that's how he is trying to face up to things.'

Paul Daniels (pictured in a recent Instagram photo) is said to be 'lucid' and is now at his Thames-side home surrounded by his family

The 77-year-old fell at home and was rushed to hospital suspected of suffering a stroke, although he was later diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, his son said

DOCTORS: TUMOUR IS 'INCURABLE' Brain scans carried out after Paul Daniels collapsed showed he had a glial tumour. Glial tumours - a general term for numerous tumours of the central nervous system - are composed of glial cells. These provide support and protection for neurons in the central nervous system. According to the website AANS, gliomas are the most prevalent type of adult brain tumour and account for 78 percent of malignant brain tumours. Cancer Research says there are differing outlooks for patients depending on the type of glioma. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy is often used as treatment for brain tumours. But doctors treating Paul Daniels said the tumour was growing so rapidly it 'could not be cured', his son said. Advertisement

Mr Daniels, 52, who is a magician himself, had to cut short a tour in Argentina after receiving a call from his father's wife and assistant Debbie McGee, 57.

The entertainer remained upbeat while undergoing tests in hospital that later revealed he had a 'rapidly growing' glial brain tumour, his son said.

He said his father turned down radiotherapy after doctors told him it was not likely to extend his life.

'A couple of days after I arrived to see dad in hospital he was up and walking about trying to cheer up all the other patients.

'He said to me, "right I am going to have a wander round now and see if everyone is all right".

'He went round the beds saying hello, making jokes. He sat at the nurses' stations. He was doing a little ditty by the door to the ward saying, "roll up, roll up, visiting time is over folks".'

Martin said Debbie had been by her husband's side 24/7 and described her dedication as 'absolutely astonishing'.
Kevin Rudd has been slammed on social media after the former prime minister questioned why Australia still hasnt legalised same sex marriage, with people quick to point out that he repeatedly voted against the motion when he was in power.

On a number of occasions when he was prime minister Rudd voted against marriage equality including 2008, 2009 and 2012  and the public was quick to point out this fact, accusing the former Labor leader of being hypocritical.

You can feel the #SydneyMardiGras celebrations around the world. But why is Oz still waiting for #marriageequality? #nevertoomuchglitter #LGBTI, Mr Rudd tweeted on

Kevin Rudd has been slammed on social media after the former prime minister questioned why Australia still hasnt legalised same sex marriage

The former prime minister posted about the need for same sex marriage legislation in Australia

Social media users were quick to point out that he repeatedly voted against the motion when he was in power

The public was quick to point out that Rudd didn't make a change to marriage equality when he had the chance as prime minister

In 2013, then-Prime Minister Rudd announced he now supported marriage equality and launched a gay marriage campaign in August.

However this came after years of opposing the motion while in government. The devout Christian voted against same-sex marriage on multiple occasions, including a September 12 2012 motion to introduce the legislation.

Dude you were the PM. That would have been the time to bring it up, tweeted Joe Mendi.

Can you spell hypocrisy @MrKRudd? You voted against marriage equality, wrote @Hanknits.

Alex Lum pointed out that Kevin Rudd personally voted against marriage equality

In 2013, then-Prime Minister Rudd announced he now supported marriage equality and launched a gay marriage campaign in August

Dude you were the PM. That would have been the time to bring it up, tweeted Joe Mendi

Mr Rudd also tried to vouch for marriage equality on Facebook and received a similarly ice cold response from the public

Social media users shared images and messages to point out Rudd did nothing when he had the chance

Mr Rudd also tried to vouch for marriage equality on Facebook and received a similarly ice cold response from the public.

Seems another Sydney Mardi Gras has gone by without a cup of tea and iced vovo float  and I thought it was a party. Also missing is marriage equality, he wrote on Facebook.

So where was YOUR partys support for marriage equality when you had the power to make change. Hypocrite, was one response.

Why didnt you put it in motion when you were PM? All well and good to talk about it now, but you could have started the change, was another reply.

I should note here that Kevin Rudd generally opposed marriage equality during his time in government, wrote another social media user.

Put up or shut up Rudd. You had your chance to bring in marriage equality and you sat on your hands like all the others, read another.

In 2013 Rudd explained that he had a change in heart and has not removed either of his controversial social media posts.

In 2013 Rudd explained that he had a change in heart and has not removed either of his controversial social media posts

I should note here that Kevin Rudd generally opposed marriage equality during his time in government, wrote another social media user
Criminals will find it tougher to claim compensation whilst in prison after bills for accidents in jail rose to a record 9million.

A number of high-profile criminals have claimed thousands of pounds for mishaps while serving their sentences.

Kevin Thakrar was jailed for life in 2008 after he and his brother Miran used a submachine gun to kill three men in a drug-related revenge plot.

Abdulla Ahmed Ali (left) was one of three men found guilty of plotting to kill thousands of people by blowing up planes flying from London to America with home-made liquid bombs. Burglar Noel Jennings (right) is seeking 6,000 after bumping his head while play-fighting

It's been revealed that last year he won 1,000 after a guard squirted shampoo on his CDs during a prison transfer.

He was handed 800 by the same judge just weeks before after items including his nose hair clippers were damaged.

There are fears prisoners are able to go after compensation against the Government backed by legal aid.

Abdulla Ahmed Ali was one of three men found guilty of plotting to kill thousands of people by blowing up planes flying from London to America with home-made liquid bombs.

He wanted 1,250 after claiming two boxes of his personal possessions, including legal mail, were searched. The case was later dismissed, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said.

Lee Rigby's killer Michael Adebolajo claims he lost two front teeth while being restrained and is seeking 20,000.

Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were convicted of killing Fusilier Lee Rigby in May 2013.

Another compensation case involves burglar Noel Jennings seeking 6,000 after bumping his head while play-fighting.

Now a specialist law firm has been called in by the Government to analyse prisoners' claims.

Kevin Thakrar (left)I last year won 1,000 after a guard squirted shampoo on his CDs during a prison transfer. Lee Rigby's killer Michael Adebolajo (right) claims he lost two front teeth while being restrained and is seeking 20,000

Justice minister Dominic Raab told The Sun on Sunday: 'Of course the Prison Service must be accountable, but taxpayers will be staggered at the spiralling costs of litigation.

'We want public money focused on protecting the public and reforming offenders  not fuelling compensation culture.'
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack at a checkpoint south of Baghdad that has killed 60 people and left 70 others wounded this morning.

An explosive-laden tanker truck was detonated at an Iraqi police checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad.

At least 60 people were killed in the blast, including 37 civilians, according to Associated Press.

An explosive-laden tanker truck was detonated at an Iraqi police checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad

Residents gather among the twisted sheets of metal and blood searching for any other survivors

It was the third massive bombing in and around Baghdad in a little over a week as ISIS continues its campaign stage attacks deep behind front lines in order to wreak havoc.

The latest bomb attack appears to have been designed to force the government to overextend its forces.

The terrorist organisation confirmed their involvement in the deadly blast in a statement on a pro-ISIS news agency website.

'A martyr's operation with a truck bomb hit the Babylon Ruins checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, killing and wounding dozens,' the statement on Amaq website said.

A police lieutenant confirmed the suicide bomber targeted the main checkpoint north of Hilla.

More than 60 people were taken to nearby hospitals, said Falah al-Radhi, head of the provincial security committee, without saying how many were killed.

'It's the largest bombing in the province to date,' he told Reuters. 'The checkpoint, the nearby police station were destroyed as well as some houses and dozens of cars.'

A soldiers tries to comfort a distressed man at the scene of the devastating blast earlier today

More than 60 people were taken to nearby hospitals, said Falah al-Radhi, head of the provincial security committee, without saying how many were killed

A March 2014 suicide bombing at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Hilla, 50 miles south of the capital, killed 50 people and wounded more than 150

Pictures posted on social media showed vast destruction around the checkpoint, where cars are usually bumper-to-bumper at that time of day, queueing to be checked by security personnel

Crowds gathered at the scene, picking through rubble and twisted car parts in search of survivors.

Smoke rose from smoldering cars that had been lined up at the main checkpoint at the northern entrance to the city of Hillah, located about 60 miles south of Baghdad.

Hilla is the capital of the province of Babylon, a predominantly Shi'ite region with some Sunni presence.

'A martyr's operation with a truck bomb hit the Babylon Ruins checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, killing and wounding dozens,' the statement on the pro-ISIS Amaq website said.

Pictures posted on social media showed vast destruction around the checkpoint, where cars are usually bumper-to-bumper at that time of day, queueing to be checked by security personnel.

A doctor at Hilla hospital said at least 11 of the wounded were in a very serious condition.

`'The blast has completely destroyed the checkpoint and its buildings,' Falah al-Khafaji, a senior security official in Hillah, said as he stood at the edge of the blast site.

The Islamic State group, which carries out nearly all such attacks, has not had fixed positions south of Baghdad since security forces and allied militias began their fightback against the jihadists in late 2014.

A March 2014 suicide bombing at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Hilla, 50 miles south of the capital, killed 50 people and wounded more than 150.

The bomb killed dozens of people and left considerable damage to the checkpoint in Hilla

'A martyr's operation with a truck bomb hit the Babylon Ruins checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, killing and wounding dozens,' the statement on Amaq website said

Members of the Hashid Shaabi Shi'ite milita carry the body of a victim of a bomb attack at the checkpoint

The attacks follow a string of advances by Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led airstrikes, including in the western city of Ramadi, which was declared fully 'liberated' by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition officials last month.

Such attacks 'force the government and the militias to look back and reallocate resources and reassess,' said Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, referring to the mainly Shiite militias fighting alongside government forces.

IS still controls large swaths of Iraq and neighboring Syria and has declared an Islamic 'caliphate' on the territory it holds. The extremist group controls Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, as well as the city of Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad.
Vladimir Putin is stirring up the migrant crisis in a bid to whip up anger in Germany and get Angela Merkel ousted from power, a senior strategist has claimed.

Russia is using an 'information war' to spark dissent against the German leader who has been an advocate of sanctions against Putin's regime, the Nato expert said.

The director of Natos Latvia-based Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, Janis Sarts, said there was evidence Russia was agitating in Germany.

Vladimir Putin (right) is stirring up the migrant crisis in a bid to whip up anger in Germany and get Angela Merkel (left) ousted from power, a senior strategist has claimed

He told the Observer's Daniel Boffey: '(Russia) is establishing a network that can be controlled. You can use it as they have tried to do in Germany, combined with the legitimate issue of refugees, to undercut political processes in a very serious way.

'Angela Merkel has been a very adamant supporter of continued sanctions against Russia If it was just punishment, that would be OK  but it is testing whether they can build on pre-existing problems and create a momentum where there is political change in Germany.

'I think they test whether they can  in such a big country, with not so many vulnerabilities in normal times  actually create a circumstance through their influence where there is a change of top leadership.'

Last year, 1.1million migrants arrived in Germany under Merkel's liberal asylum policy.

This mass arrivals have sparked support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which the German Chancellor has criticised for stirring up prejudice.

Russia is using an 'information war' to spark dissent against the German leader who has been an advocate of sanctions against Putin's regime, the Nato expert said

Crisis: Last year, 1.1million migrants arrived in Germany under Merkel's liberal asylum policy

It come days after NATO's top commander in Europe accused Vladimir Putin of deliberately 'weaponising' the refugee crisis in order to overwhelm and destabilize the continent.

General Philip Breedlove said the massive flow of migrants from Syria has had a disruptive effect on the European countries where they found refuge, and that this has worked to Russia's advantage.

General Breedlove warned last week that Russia was helping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad turn the refugee crisis into a 'weapon' against the West.

'Together, Russia and the Assad regime are deliberately weaponizing migration in an attempt to overwhelm European structures and break European resolve,' Breedlove told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Breedlove, who also heads the US military's European Command, suggested this creates a distraction for Western powers as they grapple with the crisis and are forced to take their eye off its root cause.
Smiling side by side, this is the company director and the lover he is accused of trying to stab to death while she was heavily pregnant.

Babur Karamat Raja, 41, will face Birmingham magistrates this morning charged with two counts of attempting to murder Natalie Queiroz.

The sports-car driving businessman also faces allegations of assault, attempted child destruction and possession of a knife.

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First picture: Smiling side by side, this is company director Babur Karamat Raja and Natalie Queiroz, pictured with her two daughters, the lover he is accused of trying to stab to death while she was heavily pregnant

Miss Queiroz, 40, was said to have been days from giving birth to their child when she was attacked in daylight outside a Baptist church in the West Midlands town of Sutton Coldfield on Friday.

Police said she had been repeatedly stabbed in the arm and stomach.

Despite her wounds, the mother of two, who worked as a product development manager for a pharmaceutical company, had a baby girl by caesarean section hours later.

The divorcee was stable at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham last night, where the infant continues to do well.

Police revealed how five passers-by including a prison guard offered first aid to the victim and help detain the suspect until officers arrived.

Relatives of Miss Queiroz, who was said to have set up home with Mr Raja months ago on the outskirts of Sutton Coldfield, praised the heroes fearlessness and selfless actions in saving the lives of both mother and baby, adding in a statement: We are overwhelmingly grateful to you all.

Mr Raja, who is known as Bobby Karamat, shared a five-bedroom 400,000 detached home with his mother on the edge of a golf course in Sutton Coldfield before moving in with Miss Queiroz.

Pictured is the home of Babur Karamat Raja on Monmouth Drive in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham

Blood-stained clothing and medical supplies, pictured, were seen scattered across the ground after the attack

Police officers clean up the scene where a pregnant woman was stabbed in Sutton Coldfield

The woman was airlifted to hospital, where she was in critical condition. She is now stable and her baby is well

It is not known if they were still together when the attack took place.

The suspect is a Facebook friend of Birmingham Labour MP Khalid Mahmood. He confirmed he knew Mr Raja from the community and said he was shocked and horrified by the incident.

Company records show Mr Raja is a director of Mercedes-Benz specialists Haden in the city.

Co-director Salim Akhtar, 50, said Mr Raja had been over the moon about becoming a father and seemed absolutely normal when he left work on Friday.

Company director: Babur Karamat Raja (pictured), 41, from Sutton Coldfield, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a heavily pregnant woman in the street

He is a 100 per cent decent guy who is well educated and has never been in any trouble. The victim was his girlfriend. Theyd been together over a year. She was due to give birth within days. Nobody can understand it.

Another friend, Phil Oldenshaw, described Mr Raja as a lovely man. A third called Mr Rajas arrest out of character.

Yesterday prison guard Daniel Birch, 26, told how he rugby tackled the suspect knifeman to the ground  despite having a broken arm in a sling.

Carrying bags of shopping, he arrived at the same time as the police and went straight for the mans knees. One of the four other bystanders grabbed a bloody knife with his bare hands, he said.

Drama student Christian Blundell, 17, said he saw a man with a hood punching the victim.

My mate threw him off her and I grabbed him by the shoulder and the arm, he added. I saw this guy had a weapon in his hand still and I just kept thinking I needed to keep it away from me.

Christian and another man suffered minor injuries after intervening in the attack. Another three men helped at the scene.

The drama student at Birmingham Ormiston Academy, said: 'I was only doing my civic duty, I do not class myself as a hero.

'I never thought I'd see that much blood, I've never felt so panicked in my life. I was so worried I couldn't tell if she was alive or dead, her hair was soaked red, I couldn't even tell what colour her natural hair was.

'The image of her on the floor is something that I will never be able to not see, you don't forget that kind of thing.

'I did think about the danger I was in, but I'm not somebody who would let an incident pass me by and I had to do something, I hate violence.

Heroes: Christian Blundell, 17, and Callum , 18, (both pictured left) and prison guard Daniel Birch (right) risked their lives to save a pregnant woman after she was stabbed in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

Proud father Alan Blundell, 51 from Sutton Coldfield with his son, Christian, 17, who helped stop a pregnant woman being stabbed on Trinity Hill, Sutton Coldfield

Babur Karamat Raja is listed as a company director at Mercedes-Benz specialists Haden Birmingham and lives in a 406,000 house on Monmouth Drive

'I saw a man with a hood who looked around 40 or 50, there was a blade on the floor and he was swinging a black jagged handle.

'When I got to him he was punching the woman, we saw him punch her at least two times before we could get to her.

'My mate threw him off her and I grabbed him by the shoulder and the arm. I saw this guy had a weapon in his hand still and I just kept thinking I needed to keep it away from me.

'When the police arrived they moved people away then called me and my mates over to them.'

Mr Birch, a prison custody officer at Birmingham Prison who works for security firm G4S, said he had been shopping at Aldi when he heard the woman's screams while standing at the bus stop.

'I only usually get the bus to go to work, but I had so much shopping with me so I decided to get the bus,' he said.

I never thought I'd see that much blood, I've never felt so panicked in my life. I was so worried I couldn't tell if she was alive or dead Drama student Christian Blundell

'I was standing at the bus stop and heard the awful noise of screaming and shouting. I ran like a lunatic with my shopping and got there just as the police did.

'There were two men there already when we arrived, and they had cornered the man in the car park.

'One man was shouting for help and the other was detaining the man.'

He added: 'When I arrived, I went straight for the man's knees as the police grabbed his arms.

'I broke my arm a few weeks ago after being knocked over by a cyclist. I did the best I could do as my arm is in a sling.

'I saw one of the other guys grab a bloody knife with his bare hands. My hands were covered in blood. It took me hours to wash it off.

'It's scary to think that if I decided to walk home instead, then I might not have heard the woman screaming. I was in the right place at the right time.'

Meanwhile, teenager Christian told how after intervening in the attack he helped police and the woman while they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

He also went to a local McDonald's to get a drink and coat to help keep the woman warm, before taking napkins to help tend to her wounds.

Christian said: 'I did everything I could to keep the woman stable while she lay on the floor.

A glove, pictured, and blood stained medical supplies remain on the floor outside the church

A policeman helps tidy up the scene after a heavily pregnant woman was stabbed in Sutton Coldfield

A police officer removes crime scene tape as they open up the street following Friday's horrific incident

'I had to wash the blood off my hands afterwards and tried to help her with her wounds before an ambulance arrived.

'The woman was breathing but did not say anything, she was unresponsive.

'I really did think she was dead and thought we'd got there too late and just kept thinking we need to get this sorted.

'The old man who was there as well also did the best he could, we were frustrated about how long it took me and my friends to get to the woman and felt bad that we weren't there to intervene sooner.

'I got the woman a coat and drink to try and help her in some way and some napkins from McDonald's to try and wipe the blood away.

'It is the last thing anyone needs, let alone a heavily pregnant woman.

'I calmed down a bit when the air ambulance came and I watched as the police put the guy in the police van.

Police pictured at the scene in Sutton Coldfield yesterday where a 40-year-old pregnant woman was stabbed

A 41-year-old man was arrested by West Midlands Police in connection with this afternoon's incident

'The police said that we'd done well and that we had taken the law into our own hands, but we had shown that the people of Sutton Coldfield are good citizens.

'I did what anybody should do in that situation, I feel bad for bad for getting my mum so worried, but called her as soon as I possibly could.

'I couldn't sleep Friday night, it's all I could think about all evening, I couldn't get over what had happened.

'I hope others would follow what I did and be a good person in that situation.'

Christian happened to passing by with his friends to get food when he heard cries for help.

When I arrived, I went straight for the man's knees as the police grabbed his arms Daniel Birch

He said: 'When we heard the screaming we thought it was two drunken men fighting, and I was so freaked out by the fact that she was pregnant and covered in so much blood so quickly.

'I cannot believe that this happened in broad daylight and in public, as soon as I got to the police station for them to take my statement and I asked them how the baby and mum were doing.

'I just wanted to know that the child was alright. I would be devastated if the baby had been hurt, I was concerned about the woman as she looked like she was ready to give birth any day.

'She was about to become a mum, I could not stand that, I would feel so guilty if the child had died and we'd got there too late  thank god we got there when we did.

'I would love to see both mum and baby and check that they are both okay if I got the chance.'

Another teenager who intervened in the attack, Callum Gibson, from Birmingham, said: 'The first thing I knew that there was something going on was when we came round the corner and saw the scene.

Forensic teams arrive at the scene, pictured, to comb the area for evidence as crowds watch on

'I had been coming home from work but had met up with my friends at Sutton Market because one of them gets the same bus as I do.

'I ran up to the man and dragged him off a woman, an older bloke was also shouting help at the time.

'Initially I thought it was two blokes having a scrap but when I got closer I realised it was a man hurting a woman. I just wanted to help her straight away, that's why I jumped in.

'I could see she was pregnant. At the time I didn't see what she looked like as she was covered up and there was a lot of blood on her.

'I don't think she deserved what she went through at all, the woman was silent and didn't speak but I think she was still conscious.

'I remember grabbing the guy by the hood and throwing him to the floor.

'At the time I didn't notice my friends, all I could concentrate on was the woman and making sure she was okay.

'What I did was basic human instinct. I don't want to be a hero, I was doing what any person would.'

Meanwhile, Christian's father, Alan, 52, a plasterer said: 'I am so proud of my son, the first thing I knew I had a call from my wife to say that Christian has been involved in an incident.

Police say they believe the attack was carried out with a knife and inquiries continue at the site of the attack

The air ambulance, pictured left and right in the town, took the woman to hospital after the attack

'My wife said that he'd phoned and he was really shook up and a bit teary.

'If my son and his mates had not been there, things could've ended very tragically.

'I am very proud that he had the moxie and stood up for the woman and stepped in to help out where he could.'

Christian's mother Debbie, 49, who runs her own business said: 'Christian rang me as soon as the police got there in a panic, he was talking to the police at the same time.

'I didn't know how much had actually happened at the time, I got in the car immediately though and drove straight to him.

'I was up all night worrying too, we didn't get out of the police station until gone midnight.

'I'm so proud of Christian and that he reacted the way he did in a fight or flight situation.

'But Christian is that kind of lad and wouldn't ever not step in to help somebody out, it doesn't matter who they are.

'As soon as I saw Christian I just threw my arms around with me and told him how proud I was, but to never worry me like that again.

The scene outside Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church Centre, pictured, which remains cordoned off yesterday

Police commended the actions of the Good Samaritans who intervened and prevented further injuries

'My son came out of it all okay, but as a mother you do worry, I just really hope the mum and baby are going to be okay.'

Other witnesses said they heard a woman scream 'not the baby' while men were heard shouting 'drop it' as the attack unfolded.

A large section of the area surrounding the busy town centre remained cordoned off as officers search for clues.

Force Incident Manager Julian Harper, from West Midlands Police, said: 'This happened in a busy area but I would reassure the community that a man has been arrested and we are working hard to understand the circumstances that led up to the assault.

'What is clear at this early stage is that two members of the public bravely stepped into what was a dangerous and volatile situation, with complete disregard for their own safety and I commend them for their actions.

'Fortunately they suffered only minor injuries.'

In a press conference, Chief Inspector Harper confirmed one man initially intervened in the attack before 'four younger males' got involved and 'prevented further injuries' to the woman.

He said: 'I would like to give a big thank you to those individuals who intervened. Their actions should be commended.

According to witnesses, the victim screamed 'not the baby' during the assault, which was stopped after several people intervened

'At this time they [the victim] is in hospital and are in critical but stable condition. Our thoughts are with them and their family.'

The chief inspector confirmed the victim was stabbed 'multiple times' with what is believed to be a knife, and called the incident 'domestic-related'.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said an ambulance, paramedic area support officer, a BASICS doctor and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene.

A service spokesman said: 'Crews treated one female patient at the scene before she was airlifted to hospital.

'Two further patients were treated for minor injuries and taken to hospital by land ambulance.'

The stabbing happened in a side road next to the Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church Centre and close to the posh town's main shopping parade.

Witnesses said they heard people arguing before the incident, the woman scream 'not the baby' and male voices shouting 'drop it, drop it.'

A resident living just yards from where it happened, who did not want to be named, said: 'I heard shouting at around that time, but I just assumed it was workmen at the church.

'My son normally walks home that way from school but when he got there he found it all taped off by the police.

Two men received hand injuries in the incident after witnesses said they tried to intervene in the incident in Sutton Coldfield (file picture)

'There was a lot of activity. I'd say there was a crowd of about 50 people standing around taking pictures and filming it on their phones.

'It's very disturbing to think that a pregnant woman has been stabbed a few yards away from my front door. It's awful, and in broad daylight too.'

Another local resident added: 'We heard a lot of arguing and shouting and the next thing we know there were police everywhere.

'I heard male voices shouting 'drop it, drop it' and a woman screaming something about 'not the baby' or 'not our baby'. It was terrifying.

'She must have made a run for it up the side road but it was a dead end. He must have cornered her and that was it.'

Another witness Joe Owens, 19, said: 'This is a nice town and nothing like this happens around here.

'There were loads of people standing around to see what had happened. It was a bit ghoulish to be honest.
Sir Mervyn King also warns fear over German influence is higher than ever

Michael Gove today warned Britain's national security was undermined by being in Europe

The EU has fuelled the far right so it is stronger than at any time Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s, Michael Gove warned today.

In a strident escalation of his war of words with David Cameron over Europe, the Justice Secretary rejected the claim Britain was safer and stronger in the EU.

And in a Sunday Times interview, Mr Gove warned 'Hitler worshippers' had been elected to the Greek Parliament in protest at German intervention on the economic crisis.

Former Tory chancellor Normal Lamont waded into the row to caution the rise of the far right in Greece had been inspired by the 'sado-austerity' imposed by the Germans.

And ex-Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King today also warned Berlin's dominance of the EU had raised fears in Europe about the threat from Germany.

Mr Gove said today: 'The far right is stronger across the continent than at any time since the 1930s Golden Dawn in the Greek parliament are explicitly Hitler worshippers.'

Golden Dawn holds 18 seats in the Greek Parliament and have three MEPs in Brussels.

Mr Gove's intervention came as neo-Nazis were elected to the Slovakian Parliament.

Former chancellor Lord Lamont said there was 'no doubt at all' that the rise of Golden Dawn in Greece was 'directly linked to the sado-austerity' imposed on Greece.

Speaking on Sky News today, he said: 'The question then is 'does it make sense to belong to an organisation whose central centre is actually the Eurozone where everyone is concentrating on what is happening in the Eurozone?

Speaking to the BBC, Sir Mervyn said: 'The motives behind the creators were of the very best, in particular in Germany.

'Germans wanted to bind Germany into Europe so the rest of Europe would never again be frightened of Germany.

'It's had exactly the opposite effect, and if you look at the attitudes towards Germany today in Greece or even Italy you see there's more tension and concern about Germany than ever before.'

Mr Gove described Golden Dawn, led by Nikolaos Michaloliakos, pictured right, as 'Hitler worshippers' and warned the EU was fuelling the far right in Europe.

'Does it make sense for Britain which has an entirely different destination to be linked to this?'.'

Mr Gove also said today EU decisions made it more difficult for the UK to protect its national security.

Mr Gove said: 'I think overall our national security is strengthened if we are able to make the decisions that we need and the alliances that we believe in outside the current structures of the European Union.'

The Justice secretary said the European Court of Justice had taken decisions which stopped British spies from taking necessary action to keep the country safe.

He added: 'Our security and sovereignty stand together. I believe that there are better opportunities to keep people safe if we are outside the European Union.'

London mayor Boris Johnson today also warned of the threat to Britain's security by staying in the EU.

He told The Sunday Times: 'The power to take decisions about deporting people or about counterterrorist surveillance is being taken away from the UK.'

Preliminary results from elections in Slovakia showed neo-Nazi's gaining seats.

The neo-Nazi People's Party - Our Slovakia, scored 8.4 per cent in national elections and is due to be one of nine parties securing seats.

Ex-Bank governor Sir Mervyn King, left and former Chancellor Lord Lamont, right, echoed the warnings about the far right being fuelled by EU action today

Elsewhere today, in a BBC interview, Mr Johnson said: 'This is like the jailor has accidentally left the door of the jail open and people can see the sunlit lands beyond.

'Everybody is suddenly wrangling about the terrors of the world outside - actually... it would be a huge weight lifted from British business.'

Mr Johnson admitted there could be an economic shock after a Brexit vote - but insisted this 'might not' be the case.

He said: 'Actually, there are plenty of people who now think the cost of getting out would be virtually nil and the cost of staying in would be very high.'

The London Mayor said he had been dismayed by several instances at City Hall where EU regulation had intervened and delayed on his plans.

He said: 'Such is the Stockholm syndrome capture in this country, (officials) decided to interpret the directive on interoperability of trans-European networks in such a way as to say Cross Rail tunnels had to be 50 per cent bigger in order to accommodate German trains.

'That would have cost billions - we had to spend a year trying to fend off that demand.'

It came as far-Right Slovakian militants yesterday won seats in the countrys parliament for the first time.

The Peoples Party: Our Slovakia group  which has organised marches against the Roma minority  took eight per cent of the vote, nearly three times more than predicted.

And in Hungary, the Jobbik party, known for its Hungarian Guard uniforms and similar anti-Roma stance, is the second largest party in the parliament.

Armed Forces minister Penny Mordaunt yesterday attacked the hysteria over leaving the EU. Miss Mordaunt, a Royal Navy reservist, told the Sunday Telegraph that layers of fantasy, bogus scare stories and spin were being put out by Remain supporters.

She also warned that women were being alienated in the campaign by the arguments being put out on both sides by men.
The 48-year-old is serving 35 life sentences at Risdon Prison in Hobart

Chilling never-before-seen footage shows Australia's most prolific mass murderer confess to his horrific crimes when he mistakenly thought the camera had stopped rolling.

A creepy smile warps the face of murderer Martin Bryant as he baits police with a vague confession during a recorded interrogation after he mercilessly shot 35 people to death and left 23 others injured in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

'I'm sure you'll find the person who caused all of this,' a young Bryant tells police shortly before he raises his hand and motions towards himself as he mouths the word 'me'.

'You should've put that on recording,' he adds.

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A creepy smile warps the face of murderer Martin Bryant as he baits police with a vague confession during a recorded interrogation after he mercilessly shot 35 people to death

He then raises his hand and motions towards himself as he mouths the word 'me'

While Bryant appeared confident that police missed the confession and would not be able to prove his admission, a police officer tells the murder accused that the video had not been shut off and that his statement was on record.

The disturbing footage was aired during a Sunday NIght investigation on Channel Seven into Bryant 20 years after he loaded up his yellow Volvo with three guns and went on a horrific shooting spree on April 28, 1996.

The records of Bryant's interrogation also show the blue-eyed killer smiling and laughing as he looks at pictures of his slain victims, continually pressing detectives for more information on how many people he killed.

'How many people died all together then?' Bryant asked.

'Including the people at Seascape - 35,' the police officer responds.

The records of Bryant's interrogation also show the blue-eyed killer smiling and laughing as he looks at pictures of his slain victims

He also pressed detectives for more information on how many people were killed in the massacre

Bryant - then 28 - shot and killed 35 people at Port Arthur on April 28, 1996

His IQ was found to be 'lower than over 98 per cent of the normal population'

Bryant continues to ask the officer for more information, always appearing on the edge of laughter, as he either revels in or remains oblivious to the pain and suffering he caused to the victims and their families.

'How many people injured? Many?'

'Quite a lot,' the detective said.

'How many's quite a lot? Like a dozen?'

Bryant, whose IQ was found to be 'lower than over 98 per cent of the normal population', also appeared animated when police bring out an assortment of weapons used in the violent rampage.

Bryant continues to ask the officer for more information, always appearing on the edge of laughter

When asked what he would think of a person who had taken 35 innocent lives, Bryant responded that it would be a 'horrendous thing'

Bryant's motive for the killing has never been established, but he is believed to have been mentally sub-normal, with an IQ of just 66

Bryant's father committed suicide in 1993, which contributed to his son's mental unrest

Bryant as a young boy being interviewed about an injury he sustained while playing with fireworks

It took Bryant just 15 seconds to kill 12 people and wound 10 more in a Port Arthur cafe

He was captured by police when he set a house on fire and ran out following an all night siege

THE PORT ARTHUR MASSACRE The Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people died, is the deadliest mass killing in Australia's history, and the fourth biggest shooting spree anywhere. Port Arthur is a former prison colony, now a popular tourist site, near Tasmania's capital Hobart. On April 28 1996 Martin Bryant, then aged 28, opened fire in the cafe, gift shop and car park. It took Bryant just 15 seconds to kill 12 people and wound 10 more in the cafe. He then left Port Arthur, killing indiscriminately as he went. He went to a nearby B&B which his father had once tried to buy, and killed several more people there. He was captured by police when he set the house on fire and ran out. Bryant is now serving 35 life sentences, plus an additional 1,035 years in jail. His motive for the killing has never been established, but he is believed to have been mentally sub-normal, with an IQ of just 66. Bryant's father had committed suicide in 1993, which contributed to his son's mental unrest. Advertisement

The then 28-year-old - whose curly, blonde hair brushes against his shoulders - smiles as he re-enacts how he held the gun that he pointed at his 35 victims - which included two young children.

He goes on to talk about how being locked up is 'not fair' before suggesting that he should undergo 'training' instead of being incarcerated, seemingly unable to grasp the seriousness of his crimes.

'I mean I know I've done the wrong thing but surely they can train me say for a few months a year for what I've done - we can work things out.'

Psychologist Paul Mullen said Bryant was not placed in the type of special schooling that would have suited someone with his levels of intelligence - in his opinion because Bryant's attractiveness meant he could assume a somewhat normal existence.

He said during the investigation Bryant had wanted to be the 'centre of attention' and that he had basked in his international notoriety following the tragic massacre.

Drawings done by Bryant in coloured crayon show a simplified version of events, where a black stick figure moves from table to table, hunting and shooting his victims.

Drawings done in crayon show a simplified version of events, where a black stick figure moves from table to table, hunting and shooting his victims

Psychologists found that during the investigation Bryant had wanted to be the 'centre of attention' and he had basked in his international notoriety following the tragic massacre

Bryant also appeared animated when police bring out an assortment of weapons used in the violent rampage

Bryant's lawyer John Avery said he wanted to be 'the fellow who had committed the worst crime in Australian history', something he was convinced of until he saw him wheeled in, cuffed to a chair.

'Once I saw him, because I could see that without he gun, without the weapon, he was nothing. He was a sad, insipid little boy,' Mr Avery told Sunday Night.

Mr Avery shared a hand-written, poster-sized confession penned by his client after he had decided to change his not guilty plea to guilty.

He said Bryant had always been sensitive about his lack of intelligence and when he told the murderer that he would be portrayed as 'simple Martin' in court he soon decided to amend his plea.

Scattered with spelling errors, Bryant wrote: 'I, Martin Bryant, wish too[sic] plead guilty too[sic] all charges - 72.'

Mr Avery shared a hand-written, poster-sized confession penned by his client after he had decided to change his not guilty plea to guilty

The poster-sized confession was signed by Bryant and dated October 24, 1996

Bryant was found guilty on 72 separate charges including murder and attempted murder in the Tasmanian Supreme Court.

He was sentenced to 35 life sentences - or 1,035 years without parole.

The blonde killer, now 48, has been incarcerated at Risdon Prison, near Hobart, ever since.

Bryant has reportedly stacked on the weight in prison - reaching a massive 160 kilograms - and is also believed to have been involved in an assault on a nurse which resulted in a broken jaw.
The body of mother-of-two Christine James, 65, (pictured) was found at her luxury flat in Cardiff Bay's Century Wharf on Wednesday after her concerned family contacted police

A wealthy businesswoman was found dead in her luxury flat on the day she was due to fly to Florida on a family holiday.

The body of mother-of-two Christine James, 65, was discovered at her flat in Century Wharf in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday.

A 66-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of the fuel company director's murder and remains in police custody.

Mrs James only moved to Cardiff Bay from nearby Cowbridge in November 2015 and lived alone in her 200,000 fourth-floor flat.

She was last seen returning to the complex at around 12.30pm on Friday, February 26, and friends last spoke to her on the telephone at around 2pm that day.

On Saturday February 27 she was due to travel to Gatwick Airport to catch a flight to Florida.

Following concerns that she never arrived in London police officers conducted a welfare visit to her flat, where her body was discovered at 2.15pm on Wednesday.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Ceri Hughes said: 'Mrs James' family are being supported by a family liaison officer at this extremely distressing time and a murder inquiry is under way to establish the circumstances leading to her death.

'Although one man has been arrested and remains in custody, we are still very much appealing for information and for witnesses to come forward.'

Yesterday South Wales Police were granted a further period of 36 hours by Cardiff Magistrates' Court to question the man who was arrested at Cardiff Bay police station.

Detectives have now issued an appeal to speak to a number of people including anyone who spoke to Mrs James after or around 12.30pm on Friday, February 26 and anyone who might have information about someone trying to gain entry to the complex.

DCI Ceri Hughes added: 'Although we are still carrying out house-to-house inquiries, there might be people in the Century Wharf complex or elsewhere who are friends with Christine who we are not aware of and have not spoken to us.

'We would ask anyone who knows Christine or who noticed anyone acting suspiciously in the area to please contact us, as they may have vital information that could assist our investigation.'

Mrs James drove a 2013-plate blue BMW car which she kept in the underground allocated parking.

Mrs James moved to this Cardiff Bay complex from Cowbridge in November 2015 and lived alone in her flat

She was last seen returning to the luxury Cardiff complex at around 12.30pm on Friday, February 26

She and her husband Stuart lived in a 925,000 five-bedroomed house in the Vale of Glamorgan for 16 years.

But neighbours said the couple were estranged and Mrs James, a grandmother, had moved out to live on her own 10 miles away in Cardiff Bay.

A neighbour, who didn't want to be named, said: 'She and her husband have lived here for years but they have recently become estranged.

'Nobody really knows why, it's a but unusual because they're both in their mid-sixties.

'It must be very hard for the family that she has dies in such tragic circumstances.'

Mrs James and her husband are both listed as directors of a petrol filling station near Bridgend, South Wales. Her husband is also a director of a property company.

South Wales Police has voluntarily referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission because of the delay in visiting Mrs James' flat.

If you saw her car on the afternoon of February 26 or have any information regarding the incident, contact South Wales Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting reference number 072884.
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott allegedly gave his chief of staff Peta Credlin 'a slap on the bum' causing her to smile, without realising a Liberal MP had witnessed it, a new book has revealed.

Political commentator Niki Savva has penned a book titled The Road to Ruin, detailing the bizarre relationship between Mr Abbott and Ms Credlin, including their rumoured affair.

Both Mr Abbott and Ms Credlin have denied any romantic involvement.

'Rightly or wrongly, the perception is that you are sleeping with your chief of staff. That's the perception, and you need to deal with it,' Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells told Mr Abbott, according to the book.

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Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott (right) asked one of his colleagues to apologise to his chief of staff Peta Credlin (left) after he asked her to refrain from swearing at junior members, a new book has revealed

A number of former staff told Ms Savva they were concerned after Mr Abbott's wife Margie was taken off the guest list for an election party under Ms Credlin's orders

It says Mr Abbott responded calmly and said the rumours were not true.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells reportedly told Mr Abbott in February 2015 - on the eve of a leadership spill vote - that the perception of the affair was damaging him.

Ms Savva said confronting the pair took a 'fair bit of courage'.

'It wasn't just those rumours, it was everything else to do with their behaviour,' she said.

'Their behaviour, the way they ran the office, the way they ran the government, ultimately led to their downfall.

'Whatever she (Ms Credlin) thought should happen, she could get him to do and he was completely bound to her.'

A number of former staff told Ms Savva they were concerned after Mr Abbott's wife Margie was taken off the guest list for an election party under Ms Credlin's orders, The Herald Sun reported.

'People in the inner circle reported that it was rare or exceptional for Credlin and Margie to be in the same room or at the same event together'.

The book also reports Mr Abbott was seen by a Liberal MP giving Ms Credlin a 'slap on the bum,' and the pair are said to have had matching campaign luggage.

It also reveals Mr Abbott asked one of his colleagues to apologise to his Ms Credlin after he asked her to refrain from swearing at junior members of the party.

The book recounts warnings to Mr Abbott that he would lose the prime ministership unless he dumped Ms Credlin. That never happened and he was toppled by Malcolm Turnbull.

Political commentator Niki Savva has penned a book titled The Road to Ruin, detailing the bizarre relationship between Mr Abbott and Ms Credlin

Senator Fierravanti-Wells reportedly told Mr Abbott in February 2015 - on the eve of a leadership spill vote - that the perception of an affair with Ms Credlin was damaging him

Approached by reporters on Saturday, Mr Abbott refused to comment.

Frontbencher Christopher Pyne said this new book was the big news of the morning.

'I have to say I thought it was a bit of a fizzer to be honest. It was certainly pretty benign,' he told Sky News.

'If that's all that Niki Savva has in her book, I don't think that's going to cause too many ripples. There wasn't anything particularly new in it.'

The book also claims Bronwyn Bishop was instructed by Tony Abbott's office not to apologise for the $5000 helicopter ride that cost the former speaker her job.

According the book, Mrs Bishop wanted to 'lay it all on the line' and issue a 'grovelling' apology for taking the expensive ride at the taxpayers' expense.

But the former prime minister's office told her not to say sorry because it would imply guilt and could spark a domino effect that would impact on others.

Mrs Bishop's lack of apology sparked community anger, and almost three weeks after the trip was aired publicly, she lost the speakership.

The book also reports Mr Abbott was seen by a Liberal MP giving Ms Credlin a 'slap on the bum,' and the pair are said to have had matching campaign luggage
One hundred and four emails written by Hillary Clinton on a private server during the time she served as secretary of state have been called 'classified' by the government.

The new data is the first documentation of Clinton placing 'top secret' information in insecure emails during her time with the Obama Administration.

The findings by the Washington Post could make it harder for Clinton to argue she never put classified information at risk.

In most of the emails authored by Clinton, she is responding to aides with brief reactions, although she does initiate the conversation in some cases.

Hillary Clinton (pictured) authored 104 classified emails, an examination from the Washington Post has found

But Clinton isn't the only person guilty of using a non-secure email system. The analysis shows the use of these types of servers was widespread throughout the department and government.

Clinton's publicly released emails includes classified correspondence written by nearly 300 other people related to the government, The Post found.

Some senders had no U.S. security clearance along with longtime diplomats, top administration officials and foreigners.

In those cases Clinton was not the one to initiate the email or even be involved in the email correspondence, but rather was forwarded the chain by an aide.

Day-to-day government accounts with less secure servers were used by other federal employees.

Many of the 2,093 chains of Clinton's email correspondence that the State Department and the 52,000 pages of emails have significant redaction.

After examining the emails, it has been determined either the emails were 'overclassified' or sensitive information is being mishandled throughout the government.

It is also possible a combination of both things is happening.

Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said he classification status was determined after-the-fact 'for the purposes of preparing these emails for release publicly'.

It is now thought many of the emails have been 'overclassified' after-the-fact and were not deemed classified at the time they were sent or received

'It does not mean the material was classified when it was sent or received,' he said.

The real question is if any classified information was in the emails at the time Clinton sent them.

Initially, Clinton told reporters, 'I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email.'

Then she has said that she didn't receive emails 'marked classified'.

Government rules require senders of classified information to properly mark it.

The inspector general for the intelligence community has said that some of Clinton's correspondence contained classified material when it was sent even if it was not labeled, according to the Washington Post.

Spokesman John Kirby told the Post the departments reviewers 'focused on whether information needs to be classified today prior to documents being publicly released'.

State officials have not given the information a timeline of when it was classified.

Clinton attributes the controversy to infighting among government agencies.

Most of the emails under scrutiny, the ones authored by Clinton are short - only a sentence or two at most.

Clinton's most frequent correspondence was with top aide top aide Jacob Sullivan. He wrote 215 emails.

Clinton's private server was at risk of a breech because it did not have typical government safeguards

Many diplomats involved in the correspondences have said in interviews they were puzzled upon learning their emails had been deemed 'classified'.

They also said they never stripped classified markings from documents to send them through regular email, as Republicans have alleged, The Post reported.

Numerous emails are marked 'Sensitive but Unclassified'.

One ambassador said an email of his, now marked classified, was about a book he was having published.

Another said he would put the 'gist' of something in an email and if it needed to be discussed in detail he would 'arrange a meeting'.
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A terrorist weapons haul has been discovered in a forest park in Northern Ireland.

Bomb-making parts and explosives were recovered from Carnfunnock Country Park, near Larne, Co Antrim.

The discovery came after a member of the public reported a suspicious object to police yesterday afternoon.

On the scene: Army bomb experts at Carnfunnock Country Park, at Ballygally near Larne, Co Antrim

Big find: Police uncovered a 'significant terrorist hide' containing bomb making components and explosives

Unusual: The discovery came after a member of the public reported a suspicious object to police yesterday

A number of small plastic barrels were subsequently found buried in a wooded area.

Police said they contained a significant number of bomb-making components, including partially constructed devices and a small quantity of explosives.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Detective Chief Inspector Gillian Kearney said it was unclear to which terror group the items belonged.

'All of these items will be subjected to a detailed forensic examination,' she said.

'Until this has been completed, it is too early to link these items to any particular grouping, but we are following a number of lines of inquiry.

Probe: A number of small plastic barrels were found buried in a wooded area at Carnfunnock Country Park

Explosive: Police said the barrels contained a significant number of bomb-making components

'I would ask the public to remain vigilant, wherever they are and whatever they are doing.

'If people report suspicious activity to police, we will act on it to keep people safe.

'We apologise that the park will remain closed for some time while a full clearance operation is carried out.

'But I hope people will understand the need to put public safety first.'

It is understood no Semtex was found among the haul of explosives.

On guard: The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it was unclear which terror group the items belonged to

Dog walkers: The discovery came just over 24 hours after a prison officer was badly injured in Belfast

There are fears that dissident republicans have got their hands on a quantity of the Libyan-supplied plastic explosive used by the Provisional IRA during the Troubles.

I would ask the public to remain vigilant Detective Chief Inspector Gillian Kearney

It is understood that police suspect a potential dissident connection to the Larne cache.

But, given that the location of the find is in a predominantly unionist area, detectives are keeping an open mind on responsibility until further inquiries have been carried out.

The discovery came just over 24 hours after a prison officer was badly injured when a dissident republican car bomb detonated under his van in Belfast.

The 52-year-old father of three required surgery after the blast in the east of the city.
Paul Hirst, 58, from Huddersfield, spent six hours on the phone to the scammers

Police are investigating a nationwide mobile phone scam after a couple were swindled out of 5.000 by conmen who claimed they were from TalkTalk.

Paul Hirst, 58, from Huddersfield, spent six hours on the phone to the scammers, who managed to persuade him to give them his bank details.

They said they were dealing with problems with his phone and broadband service and had told him they were due to give him 200 compensation. But instead they stole from his account.

Mr Hirst, who lives with his wife Linda, used a sledgehammer to smash his laptop after the conmen gained access to his device.

He said: 'I feel so stupid. But they were very, very clever.

'They had my name, my number and the fact that I have a TalkTalk account.'

The incident is one of many in what is a nationwide scam.

An elderly couple had 8,700 stolen by scammers, also pretending to be from TalkTalk.

Barbara and Harold Manley from Rochester, Kent, were left thousands of pounds out of pocket after being conned last month after handing over control of their computer and logging into their online banking account.

Mr Hirst got the call on Thursday lunchtime. He said: 'The caller told me he was ringing from TalkTalk and knew my name and number.

'He said there were serious problems with the phone line and broadband and he needed to do checks to clear out any bugs or viruses.

'He kept me on the phone for ages, supposedly checking lots of things, and then offered me compensation for taking up so much time.

'When he said he wanted to transfer 200 into my account I gave him the details. I feel so stupid but he was so clever.'

When Mr Hirst later checked with Yorkshire Bank, he found that 4,720 had been taken out of his account.

He added: 'I want others to know and to be on their guard. This is a massive blow for us and I don't want anyone else falling for this trick.'

Paul Hirst, 58, from Huddersfield has taken a sledgehammer to his laptop after it was accessed by scammers as he is now too afraid to use it.

The scammer told Mr Hirst they were dealing with problems with his phone and broadband service and had told him they were due to give him 200 compensation. But instead they stole from his account

The matter is being investigated by fraud officers from West Yorkshire Police.

TalkTalk have issued advice about scam phone calls.

A spokesman said: 'You should be vigilant about criminals trying to either impersonate TalkTalk or target you for 'phishing scams' by phone, email or text.

'We have created a guide to help protect you against such scams.

'Over the past year we've been working to alert and inform people about phone scams and have sent emails or letters to all customers.
The frontrunners, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, are at the front of the pack in Michigan, two new polls show today.

Trump, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll, bests his Republican rivals by 19 points in the state, where voters will head to the polls in two days.

Clinton has a 17 point edge among likely Democratic primary voters when matched up against rival Bernie Sanders.

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Donald Trump is looking good in Michigan - with two polls show him way ahead of the Republican pack, which now only includes three other candidates

Frontrunner Donald Trump is poised to take Michigan too - with a double-digit lead over rival Ted Cruz in the state, which votes in just two days

Hillary Clinton has a comfortable lead in Michigan too - though Bernie Sanders is touting the fact that he performs better in Michigan against Donald Trump and Ted Cruz than Clinton does

Following Trump, on the Republican side is Ted Cruz with 22 percent from likely GOP primary voters, compared to Trump's 41 percent support.

Yesterday was a good day for the Texas senator, who bested Trump in Kansas and Maine, while scoring second place in Louisiana and Kentucky.

While The Donald is still ahead in the delegate count, Cruz is slowly chipping away at that lead.

Marco Rubio, who is in third place in Michigan with 17 percent support, had a disappointing Saturday, coming in third place in Kansas, Louisiana and Kentucky, while slipping to fourth place in Maine, where Ohio Gov. John Kasich performed better than the Florida senator.

Kasich earned 13 percent support in the new NBC Michigan poll.

Another poll out this morning, this one a CBS News Battleground Tracker poll, echoes the NBC results in Michigan.

In the CBS poll, Trump receives 39 percent support from Michigan Republican.

Cruz comes in second with 24 points.

Rubio and Kasich are practically tied, with Rubio earning 16 percent support, to Kasich's 15 percent.

Hillary Clinton has a 17 point lead in Michigan over rival Bernie Sanders, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll. The two Democratic candidates will face-off tonight in Flint

Pollsters also looked at why the Republican 'establishment' hasn't been able to derail Trump's run to the nomination thus far.

They found that by four to one, Michigan Republicans say they're less likely to vote for a candidate with establishment backing.

This could spell trouble for Rubio who received a flurry of endorsements from mainstream politicians in recent weeks, in an effort to prop up his struggling bid that could come to an end when Florida votes on March 15, as it will be an embarrassment if the senator can't win his home state.

Republicans not supporting Trump - who on Sunday made an appearance before the start of play during the final round of the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral Blue Monster Course in Florida - were split on what the party should do about the brash billionaire, who many fear will blow up the GOP.

In the CBS poll, 43 percent said the party should do all it can to keep Trump from winning the nomination, while 37 percent said the party should get behind the frontrunner in an effort to win back the White House in November.

On the Democratic side, both polls shows Clinton leading Sanders in the Wolverine state.

The two will debate in Flint, Michigan tonight on CNN, just days after Republicans held their debate in Detroit.

The NBC poll shows Clinton at 57 percent to Sanders' 40 percent among likely Democratic primary voters.

Trump made an appearance prior to the start of play during the final round of the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral Blue Monster Course in Florida on Sunday

The race narrows when the question is asked to Democrats generally, with 52 percent supporting Clinton and 44 percent supporting Sanders.

The CBS poll has Clinton 11 points ahead of Sanders, earning 55 percent support to his 44 percent support.

NBC also looked at hypothetical general election match-ups in the state of Michigan, which hasn't voted for a Republican since 1988.

The poll found that Clinton beats Trump 52 percent to 36 percent. Sanders bests Trump 56 percent to 34 percent.

Sanders grabbed on to this silver lining in the state this morning when being interviewed on CNN's State of the Union.

'We are doing better against Trump than Hillary Clinton is,' Sanders said. 'I think there was a poll that came out where we beat Trump in Michigan by 22 points. So if Democrats want the strongest candidate to beat Trump, I think you're looking at him.'

Both Democrats also beat Cruz in the state, though it's a tighter race, especially if Clinton is the Democratic nominee.

She only beats the Texas senator by 7 points  48 percent to his 41 percent.
Police say they received three complaints of assault on protesters at event

He has now been discharged from the Marine Corps delayed entry program

Pryor, who enlisted last month, posted pictures at the rally on social media

Victim says she was pushed and called racial slurs by Trump supporters

An aspiring marine has been kicked out of the Corp's for harassing a black woman at a Donald Trump rally.

Joseph Pryor, who had enlisted in the Marine's delayed entry program, was filmed shouting at University of Louisville student Kayisha Nwanguma at the political event at Kentucky International Convention Center on March 1.

Shocking footage of the event shows the young, black protester being violently pushed around and screamed at to 'get out' by angry rally-goers.

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Joseph Pryor was filmed shouting at University of Louisville student Kayisha Nwanguma at the political event at Kentucky International Convention Center on March 1

Pryor, who had enlisted in the Marine's delayed entry program, has now been discharged over his behavior

A 75-year-old man, in Korean War Veteran's Association uniform, was also seen taunting and shoving Nwanguma, shouting 'Get out of here! 'We don't want you here!'

The student later described how she had been cursed at and called racial slurs during the terrifying incident.

'They were pushing and shoving at me, cursing at me, yelling at me, called me every name in the book,' she said. 'They're disgusting and dangerous.'

Pryor, who referred to himself as a future US Marine, had proudly posted a picture of himself at the rally on his Facebook page along with a news story about the incident.

They were spotted by several concerned citizens who reported him to Marine officials, the Marine Corps Times reports.

Col. John Bolt, the district's commanding officer, made the decision on Wednesday to discharge Pryor from the delayed entry program.

'The Marine Corps takes situations like this seriously and does not tolerate individuals being associated with this kind of incident,' Miller told the paper.

Pryor, who referred to himself as a future US Marine, had proudly posted a picture of himself at the rally on his Facebook page along with a news story about the incident.

Footage of him at the rally was spotted by several concerned citizens who reported him to the Marines

'It is unfortunate anytime we have to discharge someone from our DEP, but in Pryor's case, he demonstrated poor judgement in his use of social media that associates him with a racially charged altercation at a political rally,' Miller said. 'Actions that align with prejudice are not tolerated in the Marine Corps.'

Pryor had enlisted in the Marines' Motor Transportation Program on February 4 and was due to receive training before news of his behavior at the rally reached officials.

Trump interrupted his speech several times at the rally on Tuesday to call for protesters to be ejected from the event.

He shouted at the crowd to 'Get them out, get them the hell out,' before cautioning his supporters not to use violence - in case it 'got him in trouble.'

'Don't hurt him,' Trump said, as supporters tussled with a black man in the crowd. 'See, if I say go get him, I get in trouble with the press.'

One of the members of the crowd has since been identified as 'violent white supremacist' Matthew Heimbach, who established the White Student Union at Towson University in Maryland, according to the New York Daily News.

Several protesters have since filed complaints with police claiming they were assaulted by Trump supporters.

Several protesters have since filed complaints with police claiming they were assaulted by Trump supporters

Trump interrupted his speech several times at the rally on Tuesday to call for protesters to be ejected from the event

Henry Brousseau, 17, of Louisville, said he went to the Super Tuesday event at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville to protest Trump's campaign and was punched in the stomach by a woman who was wearing a T-shirt of the Traditionalist Worker Party.

'We're going to see how the police can find out who she is and hopefully we'll move on from there,' he said in a telephone interview.

Another protester, Molly Shah, 36, also of Louisville, said that she, too, had filed a complaint.

Alicia Smiley, spokeswoman for the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, said three complaints were filed on Wednesday and Thursday and were under review.

Brousseau, who is white and transgender, said he joined people from Black Lives Matter, Parents for Social Justice, Showing Up for Racial Justice and other groups that went to the Trump rally to protest.

Video footage that has been circulated on social media shows people in Traditionalist Worker Party t-shirts pushing people and taking their protest signs.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said in an email that the campaign does not comment on security matters.

The Traditionalist Worker Party did not respond to requests for comment.

Matthew Heimbach, the group's chairman, wrote in a blog on the website of the Traditionalist Youth Network that the protesters, including those from Black Lives Matter, were the aggressors.

He also tweeted, 'Its (sic) funny how BLM comes to a Trump event to fight, starts the fight and then loses the fight but plays big victims to the media.'

Southern Poverty Law Center's Lentz said, 'Matthew is a figure who is core to the white nationalists and white supremacist culture as it is right now in the U.S.'

These would mark the latest clashes between Trump supporters, security, and protesters. The day before Trump visited Louisville, black students were removed from a rally in Georgia.

Last month, in Virginia, protesters  including some from the Black Lives Matter movement - disrupted another Trump rally, which was held as the Republican front-runner came under fire for not clearly condemning white supremacist support during an interview.

A group of protesters from Black Lives Matter was escorted away from the raucous rally by security guards as the crowd around them began to chant: 'All lives matter.'

The billionaire real estate mogul had waited for the various protesters to be removed from the hall, saying: 'Folks, you're going to hear it once: All lives matter.'

Trump paused in his remarks, ordering the security guards, 'Get them out please, get them out.'

At another point when a demonstrator was being ejected from the rally, Trump said: 'Oh folks, isn't it sad? We've gotta unify our country, we've gotta unify our country,' he said. 'But it is fun, and exciting.'

No criminal charges have been filed against Pryor.
Vowing to turn away immigrants and run America like his own glittering business empire, Donald Trump has become the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.

But he has been less vocal about the root of his success: a chain of seedy brothels and restaurants setup by his immigrant grandfather Friedrich Drumpf.

Born in Germany, Friedrich took a boat to New York City at the age of 16 in 1885 to join his older sister and find work.

The move sent him on a wild journey across America into the brothel industry of the Wild West, making him a fortune - and allowing him to dodge army service and taxes back home in Germany.

In fact, he even tried to return home to Kallstadt to marry his neighbor sweetheart and settle down with his wealth, according to German history books. But he was refused repatriation and was forced back to New York to start a family - and ultimately raise a likely contender for the presidency.

Friedrich Drumpf made his wealth from a chain of seedy brothels and restaurants in the lawless Wild West during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. His businesses ultimately led to the fortune that made Donald Trump

Straight off the boat he met a German-speaking barber who took him on as an apprentice, toiling away for six hapless years while he lived in a tiny box apartment.

At the turn of the decade, however, he heard news of the Klondike gold rush set to hit the North West and Canada.

The shrewd 22-year-old changed his name to a more catchy 'Fred Trump' and headed to Seattle, Washington, in 1891.

He launched a saloon-cum-brothel called The Poodle Dog in the bustling district of opium parlors and liquor stores, where he got a flavor for the industry.

After a few years, Trump shifted his business up a few miles to the mining town of Monte Cristo to be closer to the workers - who showed their gratitude in cash, and plenty of it.

By the time the gold rush hit, he was ready.

Trump followed the miners up towards with a friend, Ernest Levin.

Together, they started their business in a tent on the perilous and lawless route that all travelers had to take to reach the mine: White Pass, which was also known as the 'Dead Horse Trail'.

A narrow, steep, overcrowded dirt track, it was incredibly difficult for horses to navigate. Around 3,000 horses died from starvation, injuries, getting stuck in mud, or falling over cliffs, according to the University of Washington's Klondike Gold Rush resource page.

Putting the heaps of dead animals to use, and offering some respite for the exhausted travelers, Trump and Levin cooked horse meat for passing businessmen as they came to survey the mines.

Eventually, they moved the business to a two-story building in Bennett Town and named it New Arctic Restaurant and Hotel.

With round-the-clock food, liquor and even women for their clientele, it was a raging success.

'Customers depended on him for food, liquor and women,' Gwenda Blair, the Trumps' biographer, writes - describing Friedrich as 'hard living and hard drinking'.

'In the larder was salmon and an extraordinary variety of meats, including duck, ptarmigan, grouse, goose, and swan, as well as caribou, moose, goat, sheep, rabbit, and squirrel,' Blair writes in her book The Trumps.

'Incredibly, the New Arctic served fresh fruit: red currants, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, even cranberries.

'A small oasis of luxury, the Arctics menu was a vast improvement over what the two restaurateurs had been able to offer on the trail.'

He was born in the sleepy German village of Kallstadt. Today, it has a population of just 1,200 people and the local dish is stuffed pork belly. Local history books say he tried to return aged 32 but was turned away

Now, Friedrich Drumpf's grandson Donald in the maverick kingpin of the Trump empire (Pictured: Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City)

A local, however, described the business as 'depraved' in a letter to the Yukon Sun newspaper and advised 'respectable women travelling alone' to avoid it.

'For single men the Arctic has excellent accommodations as well as the best restaurant in Bennett, but I would not advise respectable women to go there to sleep as they are liable to hear that which would be repugnant to their feelings  and uttered, too, by the depraved of their own sex,' the letter read.

By 1897, a railroad now linked Skagway and Whitehorse and their Bennett Town location was no longer a thoroughfare, so Trump rebuilt the New Arctic on Whitehorse's Front Street.

According to Canadian magazine Up Here, the premises were open around the clock, serving as many as 3,000 meals a day to the loose-moralled men and women cavorting in its bars and bedrooms.

But trouble was brewing for Trump as Levin, partial to his booze, began running debts up around the town.

After just over three years in the north, Trump, again ahead of the curve, cashed in and shipped out, as stampeders fled the area in droves.

After the Arctic's success, Trump left as a respectable businessman with a enough cash to travel back to Germany.

This is an advert for Fred Trump's restaurant-cum-brothel near the mines in Bennett, Canada

Together, they started their business in a tent on the perilous and lawless route that all travelers had to take to reach the mine: White Pass, which was also known as the 'Dead Horse Trail' (archive image pictured)

By the time he died in Queens at the age of 49, during a Spanish flu epidemic, Fred Sr had built up a fortune worth $31,642.54 - worth around $542,000 today - according to his will, which was published by Ancestry.com

According to Gwenda Blair, Trump married his neighbor Elizabeth Christ and planned to settle with her in Kallstadt with their newfound fortune.

However, having dodged conscription and years of taxes, he was refused repatriation.

The local history books record how Bavaria, the rulers of the town at the time, would not let him settle back in the town because he had forfeited citizenship by emigrating.

And so the newlyweds returned to New York City.

In 1905, his son Fred Jr, Donald's father, was born.

By the time he died in Queens at the age of 49, during a Spanish flu epidemic, Fred Sr had built up a fortune worth $31,642.54 - worth around $542,000 today - according to his will, which was published by Ancestry.com.

He left his small fortune to his wife Elizabeth, who used it to go into business with her eldest son Fred Jr, who was just 15 at the time.
A mother who breastfed her child in the midst of a Bernie Sanders rally has gone viral  and inspired a trending hashtag: #BoobsForBernie - but says she has been receiving hate mail and death threats because of it.

Margaret Ellen Bradford, of Barberton, Ohio, attended the event in Berea, near Cleveland, last week, with her six-month-old Harper.

And when Harper got hungry in the middle of the rally, Bradford  standing in the second row, just feet away from Sanders  fed her in the midst of a cheering crowd.

Later, when she realized a photographer had captured the moment, she shared the picture on Facebook, where it quickly went viral - but also attracted an angry backlash.

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Margaret Ellen Bradford (pictured) went viral after sharing this picture of her breastfeeding her daughter in the midst of a cheering crowd at a rally for Bernie Sanders last week

There is no Im feeding you in 10 minutes. Its Im feeding you right here, right now, or youre screaming, she told WEWS. A hungry baby is a hungry baby.

While there, she got hungry like babies do, Bradford added in a Facebook post. And unbeknownst to me at the time, a reporter took this photo of us.

She added that after the event Bernie and his wife Jane thanked me for doing what mothers do and taking care of my daughter when she needed her mom, even if that meant nursing in public.

Bradford, an advocate for public breastfeeding who has three children under four, also urged other mothers to share pictures of themselves breastfeeding their children alongside the hashtag: #BoobsForBernie.

'She got hungry like babies do, Bradford said in a Facebook post. And unbeknownst to me at the time, a reporter took this photo of us

After her photo went viral, Bradford said she received death threats and hate mail for nursing in public

So my boobs went viral today but its OK because it was Bernie Sanders, she said.

But along with praise came death threats and a lot of hate mail, Bradford says  as breastfeeding in public continues to be a divisive issue.

Honestly, Ive cried three times already from some of the hateful messages Ive received, telling me my daughter should be taken away or that Im just an uneducated lowlife hick, she added.

There is no reason why something like this should be so unheard of in 2016,' Bradford, an advocate for public breastfeeding, said

Bernie Sanders' campaign, however, tweeted their support of Bradford, writing: As a society, we should never stigmatize women for breastfeeding in public

There is no reason why something like this should be so unheard of in 2016, because thats what moms do. Society, catch up with biology.
A veteran who survived Iraq and three tours of Afghanistan and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery is auctioning off all of his medals because they 'bring back bad memories'.

Ex-Colour Sergeant Trevor Coult, 41, from Woodbridge in Suffolk, was awarded the third highest military honour for bravery for fighting off suicide bombers and gunmen who ambushed his convoy in Baghdad in 2005.

Now his nine medals and various memorabilia - which have a combined guide price of 35,000 to 40,000 - are being auctioned on March 19 by Lockdales in Martlesham, Suffolk.

Ex-Colour Sergeant Trevor Coult, 41, (pictured) from Woodbridge, Suffolk, was awarded the Military Cross for fighting off suicide bombers and gunmen who ambushed his convoy in Baghdad in 2005

The former Royal Irish Regiment soldier, who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, says he will set aside the proceeds of the sale for his five-year-old son, Sebastian.

Mr Coult survived eight bomb blasts and 76 enemy engagements during three operational tours of Afghanistan.

He said: 'Suffering as I do, having the medals brings back bad memories for me. I hope they go to someone who appreciates them more than I do.

'It has not been an easy decision to get rid of these things, but I feel like they are a weight around my neck.

'I'm glad they are going. It's a way of clearing things out of my head.'

Mr Coult's medals are being sold in a single lot with his other memorabilia including pictures of him with the Queen as she presented him with the Military Cross, which is Britain's third highest military honour for bravery

Mr Coult, who wrote a book about his experiences battling the Taliban in Afghanistan's Helmand province, said he and many of his former comrades remained deeply affected by what they had been through.

He added: 'Every day is such a struggle for me. Over the past few years I've lost six ex-colleagues who have taken their own lives.

Mr Coult when he was in the Royal Irish Regiment

'You constantly analyse your actions. I can always remember the guys to my left and right.

'It's always on my mind. Maybe I didn't take the right shot which meant someone next to me died.

'You have that many explosions and things that happen to you.

'When I walk down the street now and a car backfires I duck down.

'It can be overwhelming. If I'm going somewhere, the day beforehand I will go round and analyse where the exits are and the surroundings, and that's how I cope with things.'

The medals he is selling include his service medals for fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and a USA President's Medallion which was presented to him by US president George Bush in 2008.

They are being sold in a single lot with his other memorabilia including pictures of him with President Bush and the Queen presenting him with the Military Cross, which is Britain's third highest military honour for bravery.

Mr Coult, who left the Army in 2014 after a 19 year career, is also selling his badges, maps, diaries and a copy of his book, 'First into Sangin'.

He said he first felt the symptoms of PTSD in 2005, but it was not diagnosed until 2009.

On his last tour of Afghanistan he worked at the top security British prison holding Taliban insurgents at Camp Bastion.

He claimed last year that the Taliban bomb-maker whose roadside device killed a female British Army officer had been freed from the prison in a secret political deal.

Lockdales auction manager James Sadler said: 'We are honoured to have been given the duty of selling Trevor's militaria. He showed such courage and professionalism without regard for his own safety.'
New Yorkers should gold on to their handbags in Herald Square and avoid parking their cars near Yankee Stadium, according to a report on the citys most dangerous blocks.

The most crime-ridden block in the city was Manhattan's West 34th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues  where Macys, the worlds largest department store, is located.

The spot had the highest number of burglaries at 44 and grand larcenies (244), according to the NYPDs 2015 statistics reported in the New York Post.

The most crime-ridden block in the city was Manhattan's West 34th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues where Macy's (pictured above) is located, according to the NYPD's 2015 crime date

Murders were most frequent in and around three housing projects in the city, the figures found, with three each.

They were Rochdale Village Houses below Bedell Street in Queens, Ingersoll Houses near Fleet Walk Street in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and Langston Hughes Houses, near Osborn Street in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

There were 40 rapes in the Brooklyns East 75th Precinct. The NYPD does not give exact street locations for sexual assaults in order to not identify victims.

The data found car thefts were most prevalent in three spots with five each last year  Gerard Avenue in The Bronx next to Yankee Stadium, 12th Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and Cohancy Street in Ozone Park, Queens.

Muggings were most common in Washington Heights  there were 18 robberies reported last year on Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 155th Street and Harlem River Drive.

The data found car thefts were most prevalent in three spots with five each last year, including Gerard Avenue in The Bronx next to Yankee Stadium (pictured)

Nearby East Harlem had the most assaults  18 happened on Lexington Avenue between East 123rd and East 124th Streets.

Edgar Jimenez blamed it on the number of social service providers, such as drug treatment programs and homeless shelters, in East Harlem.

Theres only so much you can do with a mix of people dumped in one place, Jimenez, who manages a barbershop in the area, told the Post.

Its like a rat race and whos gonna make it.

In January, Deven Black, 62, a former public school teacher, was found stabbed in the neck by his roommate at the Boulevard Homeless Shelter in East Harlem.
Their father, Brad Tower, who lives in another city, is a Washington state lobbyist and rushed to the Centralia home after hearing about the fire

First responders attempted to break a window open to save Ben Tower, 12, Madeline Tower, ten, and Samuel Tower, seven, but they all died

She tried to go up the stairs to her children but the smoke was too thick

Three children of a Washington state lobbyist who were killed in a house fire have been identified.

Ben Tower, 12, Madeline Tower, ten, and Samuel Tower, seven, died in Friday's fire in the town of Centralia, Washington.

Their mother Suzanne desperately tried to fight the thick smoke and flames blocking her from reaching their upstairs bedroom, but was unable to save them.

Colleagues identified the young children's father as Brad Tower, who lives in another city and was 'totally grief-stricken' after he rushed to the Centralia home, police said.

Ben (left), 12, Madeline (center), 10, and Samuel (right), 7, were killed in a house fire on Sunday in Centralia, Wa

Desperate fight to save them: Suzanne Tower (pictured with her children and Brad in a Facebook photo dated in 2009) battled in vain to get to her children as the flames engulfed the upper floor of the house

Yesterday, Brad wrote on Facebook:

'My children were special. They were my world.

'Every choice that I made was centered on them. They were my pride, my joy, and my hope. And now theyre gone.

'Ben, Maddy and Sam cannot be summed up here. Ive tried, and erased every effort. If you knew them, then you understand.

'They made this world a better place, each beautiful, intelligent, loving, and unique in such wonderful ways. I hope they made your lives better.

'And Im sorry for those of you who never had the joy of meeting them. They were the best of me and more.'

Police said the children's mother, who escaped without injuries, was sleeping on the bottom floor of the two-story home when the fire woke her just before 1am on Friday

Washington state lobbyist Brad Tower (pictured) was 'totally grief-stricken' after he rushed to the Centralia home

Police said the children's mother was sleeping on the bottom floor of the two-story home when the fire woke her just before 1am on Friday.

The flames had started in the living room near the front door, and she was unable to make it up the stairs where her children were sleeping in three separate bedrooms.

'She just said it was impossible to get through the smoke and flames that was between her and her kids,' said police Sgt. Carl Buster.

Three first responders, including police officer Phillip Weismiller, climbed onto the roof of the house as they tried to find another way to reach the children.

Weismiller, a 36-year-old decorated Iraq war veteran, suffered a serious injury to his hand as he tried to break the window and had to be taken to the hospital.

His wife Norma told The Chronicle newspaper of Centralia that two of his fingers were nearly severed, but that it appeared they would heal.

The flames had started in the living room near the front door, and she was unable to make it up the stairs where her children were sleeping in three separate bedrooms

Three first responders, including officer Phillip Weismiller, climbed onto the roof of the house as they tried to find another way to reach the children. Weismiller injured his hand as he broke a window to try and get in

'He is a strong man ... but situations like this are hard for anyone involved,' she said. 'He did all he could do, and he knows that. But he is sad that he couldn't save the kids.'

The mother did not suffer any injuries but Buster said she is completely devastated she could not save her kids.

'It's the hardest grief to bear to lose a child and to lose all your children at once,' Buster told Q13 Fox. 'I couldn't imagine.'

Authorities said there were no indications of foul play. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but burn patterns allowed investigators to determine that the fire at the home's entrance.

They were seen taking a small cast iron skillet from the home on Friday, according to KOMO News.

The living room was large and open, providing the flames with plenty of oxygen  a problem that was compounded when the big windows 'came out' under the stress of the fire, said Riverside Fire Authority Chief Michael Kytta.

The stairwell leading up to the children's rooms 'acted as if it were a chimney,' he said.

Authorities said there were no indications of foul play. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but burn patterns allowed investigators to determine that the fire at the home's entrance

Tower has been a lobbyist for the state capital since 2000, representing community bankers, its dental association and the Washington Christmas Tree Growers.

The news led to an outpouring of support, with both houses of the Legislature holding moments of silence and praying for the family.

Tower's colleagues wrote in an email Friday that the family requested privacy.

'I can't even guess what the sorrow is for a loss times three,' Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler said. 'My thoughts, my prayers to the entire Tower family goes out today.'

Lt Gov Brad Owen and several lawmakers addressed the tragedy on Friday.

'It's a very difficult time,' Owen said before asking the Senate to stand for a moment of silence.
New York's first supermodel whose 'perfect' features inspired statues and sculptures across the city, ended her days in an asylum.

At the peak of her career in the 1910s, Audrey Munson earned the headline 'All New York Bows to the Real Miss Manhattan' but her stratospheric rise ended in tragedy after she became embroiled in a homicide, reported the New York Post.

But the black-haired beauty's memory endures, as one contemporary account concluded she 'posed for more public works than anyone'.

The breathtakingly beautiful Audrey Munson (pictured) rose to fame after being spotted walking down Broadway aged just 15. She later starred in Inspiration (pictured) the first non-pornographic film to show nudity

Munson (left and right) quickly became an in-demand figure model after being introduced to artist Isidore Konti. She was known as the 'perfect model'

Her face and body formed the basis for the Civic Frame statue that stands atop the Municipal Building at 1 Centre Street, while her likeness can be seen above the door of the Frick museum as well as outside New York Public Library's main branch.

She inspired the figure of Columbia that adorns the USS Maine National Monument in Columbus Circle as well as the 'Spirit of Commerce' angel at the northern base of the Manhattan Bridge.

And her delicate features form the face of Pomona, the Roman goddess of abundance, on the Pulitzer Fountain at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Diane Rozas, co-author of American Venus: The Extraordinary Life of Audrey Munson, Model and Muse told the Post: 'She was the first supermodel  and the first model to have a standing in society.'

Born in Rochester in 1891, Munson's parents divorced when she was young, after which she and her mother moved to Manhattan.

She inspired countless statues across New York, including on top of Maine Monument near Central Park, Manhattan (pictured)

At the height of her career Munson (left) was earning large sums of money, which she spent 'like water', according to her estranged father. Her fame even stretched beyond New York and she was the inspiration for 'Colonnade of Stars,' Court of the Universe building, San Francisco

Her career began when she was discovered walking down Broadway aged 15, and approached by a photographer who asked to take her picture, while another account says Munson was hit by a car carrying a sculptor who then took a liking to her.

She quickly became an in-demand figure model after being introduced to artist Isidore Konti, and while many jobs required nudity, neither her or mother - both hard-up - objected.

Munson then landed an acting contract and she stripped down for the 1915 silent movie Inspiration, the first time nudity was shown in a non-pornographic film.

At this time, she was earning large sums of money, said the account, which she spent 'like water', according to her estranged father.

Munson's (right) 'perfect' features formed the likeness of the Autumn sculpture by Furio Piccirilli

And her figure can be seen draped across the Isidor and Ida Straus Memorial statue by Augustus Lukeman in New York

But in 1919, her glamorous world caved in after she became embroiled in a sensational murder trial involving her former landlord, Dr Walter Keene Wilkins.

The doctor had been arrested for killing his wife after it emerged that he had become obsessed with Munson and was desperate to wed her.

He was found guilty and sentenced to death, while Munson's reputation lay in tatters.

The disgraced model moved to Mexico town, New York where her mother was reduced to selling silverware door to door to earn their keep.

And although Munson had begun to act again - under the name Baroness Audrey Meri Munson-Monson - in 1922, she tried to commit suicide using bichloride pills.

But nine years later, she was committed to an asylum in Ogdensburg, New York, where she lived until her death in 1996, aged 61.

She was buried in an unmarked grave, forgotten.

But in 1919, Munson's (right) glamorous world caved in after she became embroiled in a sensational murder trial involving her former landlord, Dr Walter Keene Wilkins. Left: The model as the Mourning Victory Melvin Brothers memorial by Daniel Chester French
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An epic battle has taken place between two white tailed eagles coming together in a fight over a fox which had just been hunted down.

The battleground pictures show one formidable predator taking down a fox and then trying to fend off a fearless competitor.

Then the two rivals can be seen going talon-to-talon over several rounds attempting to claim the fox carcass for themselves.

Meanwhile some calculating crows are pictured on the scene, cunningly getting their claws on the carcass and stealing it from the birds of prey.

British photographer Ron McCombe, 61, from the Scottish Borders region took a five-day trip to Dbowo in central Poland to get close to this action.

In for the kill: The eagle is just about to pounce on his unsuspecting prey, a red fox, as crows are already in the area and looking on

Defence and attack: The eagle on the floor prepares for his foe to attack after he caught and killed a red fox

Then the two rivals can be seen going talon-to-talon over several rounds attempting to claim the fox carcass for themselves

Flying in: The aggressive eagle pounces in to stake their claim for the dead fox on the floor

Deadly: The eagles go eye-to-eye here and straight into a full fight in this mighty battle for the dead fox

No play fight: The impressive birds of prey are battling it out to see which one will have the killed fox to help them survive

Acrobatic attack: Talons are used here in this daring approach by one of the eagles to get the dead prey

It's mine! Crows push in wanting a slice of the kills for themselves only for the eagle to fight back against the scavengers
Bernie Sanders took a victory lap this morning, after winning two more states last night, suggesting to George Stepahopoulos that he could still overtake Hillary Clinton's delegate lead.

'I think geographically, we are looking good,' Sanders said on 'This Week.' 'I think we have a path toward victory.'

Talking to the New York Times, Sanders implored, 'don't write us off.'

'We are having a very, very good weekend,' Mr. Sanders said. 'We think we have a lot of momentum behind us as we continue forward.'

Sanders had two Super Saturday victories, winning in Kansas and Nebraska, taking the first two victories in the four caucuses being held over the weekend.

But Hillary Clinton blew past him with a victory in Louisiana, which has a whopping 59 delegates compared to 37 in Kansas and 30 in Nebraska.

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Bernie Sanders has had a Super Saturday, winning the Kansas and Nebraska Democratic primaries and taking the first two victories in the four caucuses being held over the weekend

But Hillary Clinton blew past him with a victory in Louisiana, which has a whopping 59 delegates compared to 37 in Kansas and 30 in Nebraska

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The Kansas Democratic Party announced Sanders' win and said 40,000 people voted

Clinton's victory was called just moments after the polls closed, effectively turning the night into a tie between the two Democratic presidential candidates

Clinton's victory was called just moments after the polls closed, effectively turning the night into a tie between the two Democratic presidential candidates.

The Kansas Democratic Party announced Sanders' win and said 40,000 people voted but did not report a margin.

Sanders, who now has seven primary wins on the board, was expected to be competitive in both of the prairie states this weekend.

The final primary of the weekend will take place on Sunday in Maine, where Sanders is expected to perform better than Clinton.

According to Politico, Sanders' economic message, was expected to fit in well with a long line of bank and corporation-bashing prairie populists in the states.

His opposition to the Keystone pipeline and his call for Social Security expansion are also key factors and victories in Minnesota and Colorado foreshadowed his Saturday success.

The Clinton campaign did not fight hard to win Nebraska, but focused on preventing a blowout like the one her campaign took in 2008.

President Barack Obama swept Nebraska, Kansas and several rural states with caucuses, racking up victories that fortified his delegate lead in 2008, according to CNN.

The victories made it impossible for Clinton to beat Obama in the fight for delegates.

Clinton was expected to take Louisiana by a wide margin.

Louisiana has the nation's second-highest population of African-Americans and Sanders is losing black voters there by a huge margin, according to Politico.

Clinton also had big name backers such as the Landrieu family and Representative Cedric Richmond.

There were 134 total delegates up for grabs in the Democratic primaries this week.

Clinton has 1,104 delegates - including superdelegates - of the 2,383 needed for the nomination. Sanders had 446.

When her superdelegates are pulled out of the equation, she still leads Sanders by more than 200 pledged delegates, a fact that George Stephanopoulos pointed out during the interview Sunday.

'That's bigger than any lead at this point than Barack Obama had over Hillary Clinton back in 2008,' the journalist noted.

Sanders replied that it's 'still fairly early in the process.'

'We think we have an excellent chance to do well out on the West Coast in California, state of Washington, Oregon; we think we have an excellent chance to do well in large states like New York,' Sanders said. 'We think we're going to surprise people here in Michigan.'

Two polls that came out this morning showed Clinton leading Sanders by double-digits in Michigan, which votes on Tuesday.

Both Democratic candidates were in Michigan, which has a whopping 147 delegates, on Saturday ahead of tonight's debate in Flint, which faces an ongoing water crisis.

Sanders repeated his attacks on Clinton's Wall Street donations and her Super PACs during a rally.

'One of her Super PACs recently reported that they raised $25 million from special interest groups, $15 million from Wall Street alone,' he said as his audience booed.

'Every candidate in the history of the world, when they receive huge amounts of money, what they always saying is: 'Not gonna impact me,' he continued.

'Our question is, if it's not gonna impact their decision, why would Wall Street spend $15 million?'

The Clinton campaign did not fight hard for Nebraska, but focused on preventing a blowout like the one her campaign took in 2008

Clinton was expected to take Louisiana by a wide margin. Louisiana has the nation's second-highest population of African-Americans and Sanders is losing black voters there by a huge margin

Clinton met with African-American ministers at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel on Saturday in Detroit, Michigan

Sanders then hit out at the payment Clinton receives for speeches.

'She has given a number of speeches behind closed doors to Wall Street,' he said.

'I kind of think, if you're going to be paid $225,000 for a speech, it must be a fantastic speech, a brilliant speech, that you would want to share with the American people.'

'$225,000,' he repeated. 'Extraordinary speech, Shakespearean speech. So we all look forward to seeing it.'

Clinton hit back at claims that she was cozy with corporations during her own rally.

'The other day I was in the site of the original tea party and I had to wonder what would those early American patriots would make of corporations that have absolutely no loyalty to the country that gives them so much,' she said.

'I'm not interested in condemning whole categories of businesses or the entire private sector  but I do want to send a clear message if you cheat your employees, exploit your customers, pollute our environment or rip off the tax payers - we will hold you accountable.'

'We're going to stand up to all those who put special interests ahead of American interests.'

Clinton also spoke out against the Republican presidential candidates.

'You just want to pull your hair out when you see the insult fest,' she said, commenting on Thursday night's GOP debate.

Clinton has 1,104 delegates - including superdelegates - of the 2,383 needed for the nomination

Sanders, who won big in Vermont and New Hampshire during Super Tuesday, now has 446 delegates




Around 120 miles outside of San Antonio is Crystal City.

Residents of the Texas town know it fondly as the Spinach Capital of the World, and have a statue of Popeye to show it.

But the community of just over 7,000, which is just 50 miles from the Mexico border has also got a growing reputation.

It is now regarded as one of the most corrupt places in the country

Only one of the town's city council members is not facing some sort of federal charge. Even the mayor has been arrested, prompting a push for a recall.

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Crystal City, Texas, once fondly known as the Spinach Capital of the World, has quickly become one of the most corrupt towns in the United States. Only one of the town's city council members is not facing some sort of federal charge and FBI raids have been common in recent weeks

The city's manager, who has also been arrested, has been suspended and recent residents noticed their water supplies had turned black.

A second councilman is already charged in a separate case with smuggling Mexican immigrants.

Every year in November, there is a spinach festival with a cook-off and a beauty pageant draws tens of thousands of people each year.

But in recent months, the town has been in the news for turmoil at City Hall and allegations of misuse of public money.

The mayor, city manager, mayor pro tempore, one of three current councilmen and a former councilman were all arrested under an indictment obtained by the U.S. attorney's office in San Antonio, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney has said.

The indictment accuses the town's leadership of using their positions 'to enrich themselves by soliciting and accepting payments and other things of value.'

Also charged was Ngoc Tri Nguyen, alleged to be an operator of illegal gambling rooms, who was nicknamed Mr T.

FBI agents gather outside the home of Crystal City, Mayor Ricardo Lopez for his arrest on on February 4, 2016

Lopez, who faces federal indictment for taking $6,000 from a gambling mobster, stands outside his home. He has become an emblem for the corruption that has besieged the town

Crystal City Mayor Ricardo Lopez took $6,000 from Nguyen to buy a vehicle, the indictment alleges.

In return, he allegedly waived some taxes for Nguyen and had employees close competing casinos that violate state law but exist informally throughout South Texas.

Lopez allegedly told city employees inspecting Nguyen's property to 'make it easy.' He was arrested and then jailed again when he tried to disrupt a city council meeting where they were discussing the potential of a recall.

The disgraced politician recessed the meeting and headed home to collect documents that he said supported his position

City Manager William James Jonas and Mayor Pro Tempore Rogelio Mata are accused of giving a contractor a $12,000 payment 'in exchange for payments and other things of value.'

And Lopez, Rogelio Mata, current councilman Roel Mata and former councilman Gilbert Urrabazo are accused of voting to keep Jonas as city attorney and city manager at a salary reported by local media to exceed $200,000.

Lopez (left) and City Manager William James Jonas (right) are both accused of accepting thousands of dollars worth of bribes

Mayor Pro Tempore Rogelio Mata (left) and current councilman Roel Mata (right) are accused of accepting bribes to re-elect James Jonas, among other offenses

Former councilman Gilbert Urrabazo (pictured) is also accused of voting to keep Jonas as city attorney and city manager at a salary reported by local media to exceed $200,000 in exchange for payments

In exchange, Jonas provided payments and other illegal benefits to the four leaders, the indictment alleges.

The officials are accused of accepting bribes from Ngoc Tri Nguyen (pictured), alleged to be an operator of illegal gambling rooms, who was nicknamed Mr T

Joel Barajas, who has been the only person going into work at city hall since the scandal broke, told the Dallas Morning News: 'If this is a wake-up call for all other towns and cities and other municipal areas, thank God.

'I dont know how it got to that, but it got there, and I think one of the main reasons is we had people that used their position for bad. I just pray for the rest of the councilmen.'

Residents who have been interviewed about what has happened said the arrests are painful but necessary.

'Crystal City is a good town,' said 67-year-old Maria Sanchez Rivera, a lifelong resident. 'If you do wrong, you have to face your consequences. We've got laws for everything and we've got to abide by what the law says.'

Richard Durbin Jr., the U.S. attorney for San Antonio, said he hoped the indictment would help restore public confidence in local government, but that his office could only go so far. None of the officials will immediately lose their positions.

'What we can do is that first step,' Durbin said in an interview. 'In the end, it falls back on the citizens to make the next decision on who they put in those offices, because that's how the system works.'
A Jacksonville Jaguars star says he was kidnapped at gunpoint and forced into his own car during a visit to his native North Carolina last month.

Earl Wolff was walking back to his car in Fayetteville, after an evening with friends last month, when he was set upon by armed gang, police say.

The defensive back was forced into his white 2011 Range Rover and held at gunpoint but was returned unharmed a short time later, FayObserver reports.

Jacksonville Jaguars star Earl Wolff (pictured playing for the Philadelphia Eagles) says he was kidnapped at gunpoint and forced into his own car during a visit to his native North Carolina last month

A 21-year-old man has since been arrested and charged with kidnapping and robbery.

Former Philadelphia Eagles player Wolff, 26, tweeted today thanking God for his safe return.

'Thanking everyone for the prayers and support,' he said. 'Im (sic) in good health mentally and physically. Focusing on this upcoming season.'

Tad Dickman, senior manager of public relations for the Jaguars, added that he had spoken to Wolff who was 'doing well, mentally and physically.'

Wolff (left) was walking back to his car in Fayetteville, when he was set upon by armed gang. Bobby Deshawn Bailey, 21, (right) has since been arrested and charged with kidnapping

The player has since returned to Florida.

Fayetteville police confirmed that they received a call at around 3am on February 23 to say that Wolf had been taken.

'We don't know how long he was kidnapped,' Fayetteville police spokesman Antoine Kincade told the FayObserver. 'But it was a short period of time.'

Wolff was released in Hope Mills, Cumberland County - just 15 minutes drive away from where he was taken. His car was later was recovered in the same county.

Detectives are still investigating the kidnapping and could not confirm whether the gang targeted the player or if the attack had been at random.

Bobby Deshawn Bailey, 21, was arrested after the incident and faces multiple charges including kidnapping, robbery, larceny, and possession of a stolen car.

The former N.C. State football star was set upon as he walked to his car along Hazelhurst Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina (pictured)

Wolff was later tweeted thanking God and all those who had prayed for his safe return

Bail has been set at $156,000.

Wolff, a former Hoke County High School star, was a first-team player for N.C. State.

He was drafted into the fifth round of the NFL by Philadelphia in 2013 and went on to start seven games before he was benched with a knee injury.

Wolff was signed onto the Jaguars' practice squad last December.
Migrants have previously tried to force their way past existing fence

Dramatic plans to build a 200 mile long fence protected by guards armed with tasers were tonight revealed before a key summit in Brussels to stop the flow of migrants through the continent.

EU leaders will tomorrow pledge to close down the route from Greece through the Balkans where more than 985,000 have travelled since the start of last year.

Ahead of the meeting, Macedonia has requested that neighbouring countries help it seal the thoroughfare by extending the existing 19-mile razor-wire fence on its southern border with Greece and providing extra guards and riot gear.

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Migrants have previously tried to break through the existing fence on the Greek-Macedonia border, pictured

The former Yugoslav republic, which is not a member of the EU, has sent a list of demands including bullet-proof vests, truncheons, handcuffs, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and grenades filled with rubber balls.

Officials in Skopje have also asked for 35 tasers and a sound cannon that would be fitted to an armoured vehicle and used to break up crowds by emitting a pain-inducing noise.

Around 14,000 people are currently stuck on the Greek side of the border at Idomeni after Macedonian authorities started limiting the number of people they would let through to just a few hundred a day.

There have been violent clashes at the crossing in the past week with a crowd of chanting migrants trying to force their way through the border fence using a metal sign post as a battering ram.

Macedonia today imposed further restrictions only allowing Syrians from parts of the country they consider to be at war to enter.

It means people from cities such as Aleppo could cross, but those from the capital of Damascus would be stopped.

At an emergency summit tomorrow in Brussels, aimed at saving the EUs passport-free travel zone, Schengen, all 28 leaders, including David Cameron, will sign up to a plan to stop migrants arriving on the Greek islands from Turkey being waved through the continent.

Leaked draft conclusions for the meeting seen by the Mail show that they will agree that irregular flows of migrants along the Western Balkans route are coming to an end this route is now closed.

They will also pledge to provide further assistance to Greece in managing the external borders, including those with Macedonia and Albania.

Macedonian soldiers, pictured, have been used to guard the crossing and the country's government has asked for more Tasers and a sound canon to break up large crowds

The EUs border agency Frontex will ask for countries to supply more guards and Europol will send officers to screen arrivals on the Greek islands.

The leaders, who will be joined by Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu for part of the meeting, will also sign off a plan agreed on Friday for Turkey to take back all economic migrants that cross the Aegean Sea.

According to the draft conclusions, the leaders will say they stand by Greece in this difficult moment and will do their utmost to help manage the situation that has arisen.

Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras said his country would demand an immediate relocation of some of the 30,000 migrants stranded there and will call for sanctions for countries inside the Schengen Zone that refuse.

With thousands more arriving from Turkey every day, the numbers could swell by 100,000 by the end of this month, EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos projected on Saturday.

Mr Tsipras said that in facing a potential flow of millions of migrants, the EU is feeling the consequences of unreasonable ... imperialistic interventions in the Middle East that have destroyed organised states, an apparent reference to Iraq and Syria.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, pictured, has demanded the immediate relocation of some of the 30,000 migrants currently stranded in Greece and wants sanctions for Schengen Zone countries that refuse

He accused Austria and the Balkan countries of ruining Europe by slowing the flow of migrants heading north from Greece.

Europe is in a nervous crisis, Mr Tsipras told his left-wing Syriza party's central committee. Will a Europe of fear and racism overtake a Europe of solidarity?

He said central European countries with declining populations and low unemployment could benefit in the long term by taking in millions of refugees, but said austerity policies have fed a far-right monster opposing the inflows.

Europe today is crushed amidst austerity and closed borders. It keeps its border open to austerity but closed for people fleeing war, he said. Countries, with Austria in the front, want to impose the logic of fortress Europe.
An intruder triggered a major security alert at Heathrow Airport after allegedly breaking through a security fence and locking himself inside an empty British Airways 747 passenger jet.

The 38-year-old man, a Portuguese national, was arrested and later charged with three offences, including unlawfully being on an aircraft.

Police were alerted shortly after 11.30am on Saturday to reports a suspect had breached security on the Heathrow perimeter and reached the BA engineering base in Hatton Cross.

There he was allegedly spotted climbing into the cabin of the parked aircraft before fleeing to the flight deck and locking himself behind the high-security cockpit doors.

Security alert: An intruder triggered a major security alert at Heathrow Airport after allegedly breaking through a security fence and locking himself inside an empty British Airways 747 passenger jet (file photo)

A source said that it was impossible for security staff to get to him because the bomb and bullet proof cockpit doors are designed to protect the pilot and co-pilot should a terrorist try to take over the plane in mid-flight.

'It was a very difficult and complex situation and in the end the fire brigade had to be called to the plane and carried out a long and very protracted operation to get into the cockpit from outside.

'Eventuallly they managed to gain access to the cockpit and police were able to storm in and arrested the intruder,' said the source, who asked not to be named.

'It is a terrifying situation when you think about it. Here is a man who not only has managed to go air-side at one of the world's busiest airports but he has successfully got to a Boeing 747 jet liner and found it open and was able to climb aboard.

'Then he has got onto the flight deck and barricaded himself in using the plane's own anti-terrorist equipment.

'As far as I know there is no suggestion he is in anyway linked to terrorism but image if he had been a terrorist with the ability to handle the controls of a 747. Although it was away from the main runway, the plane could have caused a major incident and even worse, if it had taxied and taken off,' the source added.

Incident: Police were alerted shortly after 11.30am on Saturday that a suspect had managed to breach security on the Heathrow perimeter. The 38-year-old man was being held in police cells this evening (file photo)

'The fire brigade from the airport took a long time to extricate him because the plane's cockpit is designed to be impenetrable in case of acts of terrorism,'

Police confirmed tonight that there had been an incident on a parked aircraft at Heathrow but said that it was not believed to be terror-related.

In a statement a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said that a 38-year-old man had been arrested and was being held in custody at a West London police station. He was expected to appear in court 'at the earliest opportunity.'

It was understood that the detained man was a Portuguese national.

'Louis Pedro Verdasca dos Santos Costa, 38, of Stonehill Road, Hounslow, west London was charged on Saturday, 5 March with two counts: of unlawfully being airside, and of unlawfully being on an aircraft,' said the Scotland Yard spokesman.

'He has been remanded into custody at a west London police station and will appear at court at the earliest opportunity next week.'
Nancy Reagan became one of the most influential first ladies in American history during her husbands presidency in the 1980s.

And her most publicized project as First Lady was the Just Say No campaign against drugs that she launched in 1982.

She became the countrys most visible anti-drug crusader at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, imploring youngsters to simply say 'no'.

'Drugs take away the dream from every childs heart and replace it with a nightmare, and its time we in America stand up and replace those dreams, she said.

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Nancy Reagan's most publicized project as First Lady was her 'Just Say No' campaign against drugs. Pictured, Reagan (center) at a rally for the campaign in 1986

She even persuaded her husband Ronald Reagan to join her crusade and a speech the couple gave together (above) was featured in Netflix hit Narcos recently

But as well as speaking to kids in schools across America, she promoted her catchphrase on television, including on shows such as Dynasty and Diffrent Strokes.

And she also persuaded her husband to join her crusade. A speech they gave together reached new audiences recently on Netflix hit Narcos.

In it, the couple hold hands as the speak to the nation. Mrs Reagan says: To my young friends out there, life can be great but not when you cant see it.

So open your eyes to life, to see it in the vivid colors that God gave us as a precious gift to his children.

Say yes to your life and when it comes to drugs and alcohol  just say no.

Across the country, 12,000 Just Say No clubs were set up and a Just Say No Week was implemented by Congress

Mrs Reagan, pictured left, on the popular TV show Diff'rent Strokes to promote the Just Say No campaign

As a result, more than 12,000 'Just Say No' clubs were set up and a Just Say No Week was implemented by Congress.

But critics dismissed her efforts as simplistic and branded her a meddlesome dragon lady.

Her widely-quoted slogan was mocked by rap group NWA, whose story was captured for the silver screen in 'Straight Outta Compton' last year, with a lyric in Gangsta Gangsta  We dont just say no, we too busy saying yeah!

But other celebrities helped her spread the message - including The A-Team star Mr T. and Clint Eastwood, who recorded a PSA alongside Mrs Reagan, telling drug dealers to take a hike.

Michael Jackson and the Flintstone Kids also gave the First Lady their celebrity endorsement by recording an anti-drug song for the campaign - an amended version of 'Beat It'.

And by 1988, her efforts are credited with driving cocaine use down to a 10-year low.

Nancy Reagan kisses The A-Team star Mr T. in 1983, who helped spread her 'Just Say No' message

Clint Eastwood recorded a PSA with Nancy Reagan (pictured together) telling drug dealers to 'take a hike'

Michael Jackson and the Flintstone Kids also gave the First Lady their celebrity endorsement by recording an anti-drug song for the campaign

In 1988, she addressed the U.N. General Assembly, saying the United States must do more with tougher law enforcement and anti-drug education efforts and should stop blaming the poor nations that produce most of the narcotics used by Americans.

We will not get anywhere if we place a heavier burden of action on foreign governments than on America's own mayors, judges and legislators, she told the General Assembly.

You see, the cocaine cartel does not begin in Medellin, Colombia. It begins in the streets of New York, Miami, Los Angeles and every American city where crack is bought and sold.

After leaving the White House, she created the Nancy Reagan Foundation to continue her anti-drug campaign.
Labour MP accused rivals of using childlessness against her

Kendall, a former Labour leadership contender, has called for the creation of an 'Aunties' Day' to celebrate childless women.

The Labour MP, who accused her rivals during the leadership campaign of using her childlessness against her, said she was very proud to be an aunt.

'I'm very proud to be an aunty. One in five women in their 40s are now childless. I am one of those women but I love my nieces,' she told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

'I think an Aunties' Day would be a great idea so celebrate aunties today as well as mums.'

The 44 year-old had pointed to a column in a Sunday newspaper which had called on people to 'forget mothers' and instead focus on aunts.

Miss Kendall said: 'I would never say forget mums because it's Mother's Day and I will be seeing my own mother later on today.'

During the leadership campaign, Labour MP Helen Goodman infuriated Miss Kendall for saying she supported rival Yvette Cooper as a 'working mother'.

Miss Kendall's campaign team interpreted that as an attack on their candidate as a single and childless woman.

The Leicester West MP was later grilled over the comments, and told an audience: 'I want to have a politics where women are treated the same as men and they are not asked those kind of questionsI may not have children myself, but I am part of the best family in the world, my mum, my dad, my brothers and my nieces. I am very proud of that.'

She queried why male contenders Jeremy Corbyn and Andy Burnham were not asked about their children.

On Sunday afternoon, Miss Kendall tweeted a picture of her parents, with the remark: 'So lovely to be able to celebrate #MothersDay, thinking about those who are not so lucky...'

Miss Kendall, who has never been married, was in a long term relationship with Inbetweeners actor Greg Davies, until the couple split just before the 2015 election.

Although Miss Kendall's call for an Aunties' Day may seem unorthodox, the original Mothering Sunday celebrated aunts and godmothers as well as mothers.

Mothering Sunday was originally formed to give a day off to domestic servants and to allow people to attend their local  or 'mother' - church.

Kendall, who has never been married, was in a long term relationship with Inbetweeners actor Greg Davies, until the couple split just before the 2015 election

The more commercial Mother's Day celebrated in May in the United States and in other countries gradually whittled down those honoured to just mothers.

Jody Day, the founder of Gateway Women, a support network for childless women, said it could be the most difficult day of the year for many.

She wrote on her blog that childless British women have to endure two bouts of Mother's Day: one on Mothering Sunday before Easter and another in May, describing it as 'a double dose of smugness, cloying sentimentality, alienation and disenfranchised grief'.

Miss Day added: 'Whether you are a couple struggling with infertility, or one of the many women who have been unable to find a suitable partner before your childbearing years draw to a close, or if you haven't had children for one of many other reasons, Mother's Day can be very raw indeed.

'Perhaps it would help if we could extend the idea of 'mothering' to include all those women who are mothers in their hearts, but aren't biological mothers. To think of 'Mother' as a verb, not a noun, it's something you do rather than something that you are.'

One in five British women aged 45 and over do not have children.
Australia's crippling mortgage debt of $1.4 trillion and an influx of high-rise apartments to the market are driving housing prices up and dashing the dreams of young people looking to buy their first homes.

A new report into Sydney and Melbourne's housing affordability paints a bleak picture of the industry, saying the nation's 'enormous' mortgage debt is growing by $100 billion a year and 'a time of reckoning approaches'.

But it points to the 'impending glut of high-rise apartments' as the likely disruptor of the housing market.

A new report into Sydney (pictured) and Melbourne's housing affordability paints a bleak picture of the industry, saying the nation's $1.4 trillion mortgage debt is growing by $100 billion a year

Home-owners and investors are most at risk as up to 22,000 apartments are set to hit the markets in both Sydney and Melbourne over the next two years but none of them catering to families.

These plans are based on the assumption that most of the demand for new housing in Sydney and Melbourne will come from one- or two-person families, but this assumption is wrong.

'Most of the growth in the need for extra dwellings in Sydney and Melbourne will come from young resident households entering the family formation phase of their lives and from new migrant households who for the most part will also be entering the same phase,' the report said.

'Their priority is family friendly two or three bedroom dwellings with some protected external space.'

The group of owners who have the most to lose are investors who have purchased apartments 'off-the-plan' and prefer small apartments, which are about 50 square metres, under $500,000.

These dwellings are 'aimed at trophy hunting owner occupiers and overseas investors'.

Not enough homes suitable for families are being built instead the focus is on small apartments 'aimed at trophy hunting owner occupiers and overseas investors', which only cater to one- or two-person families

Over the time the number of young people renting has skyrocketed from 2001 to 2011, according to this graph from the Australian Bureau of Statistics

Though there is a market for these types of apartments, it is only limited and the real demand is for 'family friendly apartment of 80 square metres' that cost at least $700,000 to $800,000.

Coupled with this oversupply of apartments is the increased owner occupier and investor purchases of established homes in the past two years in Sydney and Melbourne.

This has led to both cities being named as two of the most unaffordable cities in the world, according to the Sydney and Melbournes Housing Affordability Crisis: No Sight In End report.

The median house price for Sydney was 12.2 times the median household income, placing the city as the second least affordable place out of 86 other locations.

THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS: QUICK FACTS Australia has crippling mortgage debt of $1.4 trillion, which is growing by $100 billion a year

Up to 22,000 apartments will hit the property market in both Sydney and Melbourne over the next two years

None of these apartments cater to families, where the demand will come from, but to one- to two-person households

There has been an increase in owner occupier and investor purchases of established homes in Sydney and Melbourne

Both the rise in high-rise apartments and this trend have led to the cities being named two of the most expensive places to live

The median house price for Sydney was 12.2 times the median household income, placing the city as the second least affordable place out of 86 other locations

Melbourne landed a spot as the fourth least affordable city in the same survey, with the median house price being 9.7 times the median household income Advertisement

Melbourne did not fare any better, landing a spot as the fourth least affordable city in the same survey, with the median house price being 9.7 times the median household income.

The skyrocketing prices have driven people out of the city and looking for their first homes in fringe suburbs, but Sydneysiders are not finding anywhere to settle.

In Melbourne, new home-owners have to move 30 to 50 kilometres away from the city's centre.

Both cases led to more people renting instead of buying as small, inner-city apartments are not an option for growing families.

Further evidence first home owners are being shut out of the market is the number of loans issued to them had fallen by 14.9 per cent by November 2015 across Australia, compared to 20 per cent just four years ago.

The report noted this figure would 'undoubtedly have been lower in Sydney'.

To 'take some of the heat out of the housing market', the report recommends the Federal Government to ditch its 'head in the stand' attitude and scrap negative gearing incentives for established dwellings.

It also calls the government to reduce its migration numbers and ditch 'its generous treatment' of capital gains.

The report said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's claim negative gearing on establish homes would reduce the value of housing revealed 'a monumental insensitivity to the social catastrophe flowing from record high housing prices for the next generation of home seekers in Sydney and Melbourne'.

It also blamed the affordability crisis on the poor planning decisions made by the state governments.

The authors of the report said Australia's financial authorities had much to answer for as they have facilitated the housing bubble 'akin to a house of cards', The Daily Telegraph reported.

The authors of the report said Australia's financial authorities, such as the Reserve Bank (above), had much to answer for as they have facilitated the housing bubble 'akin to a house of cards'

'The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has belatedly introduced restrictions on the rate of growth of investor purchases in residential property and acknowledged the seriousness of the mortgage debt overhang,' they said.

'For its part, the Reserve Bank has admitted that its low interest rate regime has facilitated the bubble.
Fascinating past: The son of a Second World War RAF pilot Peter Stevens (pictured) has spoken of his shock after discovering that his 'British' father was actually a German Jew

The son of a Second World War RAF pilot has spoken of his shock after discovering that his 'British' father was actually a German Jew whose battles with the Nazis inspired the film The Great Escape.

Marc Stevens uncovered his fascinating family history after setting out to research more about his father's past following the war hero's death in 1979.

Aged 22 at the time, all Mr Stevens knew of the ex-bomber pilot was that he had been born Georg Franz Hein in Hanover, Germany, to Christian parents and spoke with a Queen's English accent.

He later emigrated to Canada in the 1950s.

Mr Stevens also knew his father headed to England at the outbreak of the war, to join the RAF, and that he later served at MI6.

Before signing up with the RAF, Peter stopped using his German name and adopted that of a friend in England who had passed away.

He later married Mr Stevens' mother - a French-Canadian Catholic - and passed himself off in later life as an Englishman once he moved to Canada in 1952.

But after his death, Mr Stevens was fascinated to discover why his father was one of just 69 members of the RAF to be awarded Britain's Military Cross for valour in the Second World War.

He stopped at nothing to gain early access to secret files, testimonies and debriefs from his father's own war record to find out more.

Mr Stevens, from Toronto, Canada, said: 'Dad spoke with a highly-cultured British accent, and passed himself off as an Englishman.

'The fact that he had served as an RAF bomber pilot only helped to reinforce that cover story.

Aged 22 at the time, all Mr Stevens knew of the ex-fighter pilot (pictured with his children) was that he had been born Georg Franz Hein in Hanover, Germany, to Christian parents and spoke with a Queen's English accent

Before joining the RAF, Peter Stevens (pictured left in 1946) stopped using his German name and adopted that of a friend in England who had passed away. He later married Mr Stevens' mother (right)

'What I didn't know, and only discovered in 1996, was that my father had been born Jewish.

'It all began with a lot of letter writing. Initially to an author of POW escape books in England.

'He was the first to tell me that my father was actually Jewish (about 1989), but I thought he was dead wrong about that.'

Mr Stevens continued writing to the RAF Personnel Department in England, hoping to be put in contact with any surviving members of father's bomber crew, and his dogged determination was finally rewarded .

'Incredibly, I was able to contact, and later meet, two of dad's crew whose lives he saved with his sang-froid flying skills, he said.

But after his death, Mr Stevens was fascinated to discover why his father (pictured in 1940) was one of just 69 members of the RAF to be awarded Britain's Military Cross for valour in the Second World War

'Numerous visits to Britain's National Archives eventually paid off.

'Using my father's RAF Pilot Logbook as a starting point, I discovered debriefs for each of Dad's 22 combat missions.

'In 1996, I finally tracked down and contacted my late father's little sister (Gertrude Frieda Hein), who confirmed the rumours that my father was actually a Jew.'

As Mr Stevens' research continued the more he unearthed about his father's wartime exploits, including a stint at the Stalag Luft 3 prisoner of war camp.

He said: 'Dad became one of only two Allied prisoners authorised by the Escape Committee to trade with the Germans at the massive Stalag Luft 3, home of The Great Escape (March, 1944).

'Fans of the movie will recognise the James Garner character as "The Scrounger", a job partly filled by my father.

'In fact, dad is named in the official history of Stalag Luft 3 as the Head of Contacts for the "X" Organization in East compound of that massive POW camp.'

Peter had ended up in the camp after being captured following an attack on Berlin on September 7, 1941.

His son said: 'Dad and his new crew were ordered to bomb Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany and the target with the best defences in Europe.

'They made it to Berlin and dropped their bombs, but the aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft artillery over the target, and dad ordered his crew to bail out.

'Both gunners did, and it was later determined that one's parachute had failed to open.'

Sadly, his body was never found. That man, Sergeant Ivor Roderick Fraser, was just 19 years old.

Mr Stevens added: 'Through the internet, after 20 years of searching, I was able to meet Fraser's niece in 2013, and to convey in person my father's deep regret and profound sense of guilt over his death.

'After his crew bailed out, dad realised that his plane was marginally flyable, and the navigator stayed with him as he turned back to England.

'But there was a hole in each of the main fuel tanks, and they ran out of fuel and crash-landed near Amsterdam.

Family history: As Mr Stevens' research continued the more he unearthed about his father's wartime exploits, including a stint at the Stalag Luft 3 prisoner of war camp. Peter Stevens is pictured flying in 1946

Peter had ended up in the camp after being captured following an attack on Berlin on September 7, 1941

Recognition: Mr Stevens knew his father headed to England at the outbreak of the war, to join the RAF as a bomber pilot, and that he later served at MI6. His collection of medals are pictured

'Captured a day later, dad and his navigator were eventually sent to separate prisoner of war camps.

'Of course, it was critical that the Germans never realise his true identity, as they would have legally been able to execute him as a traitor to Germany.

'For the next three years and eight months, he was without any protection whatsoever under the Geneva Convention.

Peter Stevens ordered his crew to bail out when the bomber he was flying was damaged by anti-aircraft artillery. Sergeant Ivor Roderick Fraser (pictured) was one of those who did but the 19-year-old's parachute did not open. His body was never found

'Dad made escape his first priority, and he had a massive advantage. He was, after all, a native German.

'The month after his capture, in October 1941, he was transferred with hundreds of other British POW's between two camps in northern Germany, locked in a cattle car with two armed Nazi guards.

'Using other prisoners to arrange a distraction, dad and a Canadian pilot - whom I met about 1985, and who also told me that my father had been Jewish - jumped off the moving train through a ventilator shaft.

'Unfortunately, another prisoner had done the same thing, and was noticed by the guards.

'Looking out, they saw dad and his friend running for some nearby woods, and started shooting.

'With bullets whizzing by their ears like bumble bees, they were able to make it to the forest before the guards perfected their aim.

'The area was searched, but the Germans could not find dad and his mate, and the train eventually left.'

Sleeping by day and travelling by night, Mr Stevens' father made his way to Hanover. There he went to his mother's house to get food, money and civilian clothing.

'Knocking on the door of his own home, he was told that his mother had committed suicide in July 1939, rather than submit to the Nazis,' Mr Stevens said.

'Despite the immense shock of that news, he went to see an aunt and uncle nearby, and obtained what limited help they could offer.

'Heading south toward Switzerland, he got as far as Frankfurt before he was challenged.

'Not having had the opportunity to get any forged identity papers, he admitted to being an escaped British officer, and he was sent back to a POW camp.'

Advising the senior British officers in camp of his German language skills, Peter Stevens became an active participant in great demand for most escape schemes, his son says.

Peter Stevens' Jewish heritage was something that gradually became more clear to his son as he researched his father's history. His ID card for Stalag Luft 3, at Sagan, south-east Germany, is pictured

Caricatures of Peter Stevens (left, on a Christmas card, and right) were done at Luft by his roomate Tom Slack

Advising the senior British officers in camp of his German language skills, Peter Stevens (pictured far right) became an active participant in great demand for most escape schemes, his son says

When he wasn't directly involved in escapes, he was consulted by other prisoners who needed false documents prepared in the German language.

On two separate occasions in December 1941, the RAF pilot got dressed up as a German guard, and escorted a group of ten British prisoners out the camp gate.

'Both times they had to turn back, but after the war in 1946, an English newspaper called that "The Boldest Escape Attempt of the War",' Mr Stevens said.

Marc Stevens' book about his father 'Escape, Evasion and Revenge' (pictured) is available from Pen and Sword Books priced 12.99

Peter's Jewish heritage was something that gradually became more clear to his son as he researched his father's history. After a poignant meeting in London in 1996 he learned his family had lost some 10-15 members to the Holocaust.

Mr Stevens said: 'Since I only discovered dad was Jewish 17 years after his death, I can only guess as to his motives for not sharing it.

'Firstly, dad never practiced the faith of his family after the age of six, when his father died and he was sent away to boarding school.

'According to his sister, he was never Bar Mitzvahed. So I don't know if he really even felt any affinity to his religion.

'Secondly, he emigrated from the UK to a very Catholic Quebec in 1952, and he was likely worried about latent discrimination, which was still very much in evidence in that society.

'After 1996, I asked my mother if she would have married him, knowing he was Jewish.

'She had close Jewish friends and was never anti-Semitic in any way, but she said honestly that she probably would not have done so in that place and time.

'That was no reflection on her, but rather on the societal norms of the day, in a place where even the government bowed to the church.'

He added: 'Today, I am very proud to be the son of one of the bravest men I ever met.

'I only wish that I'd known all this while he was still alive, so that I could tell my father how proud I am of what he did during the war.'
A woman has claimed to have seen the spirit of her deceased parents in smoke lingering in an image after snapping a holiday photograph at her childhood home.

Lynette Glass had taken her family to the property in Victoria's Warburton to celebrate the festive season when she had the baffling encounter about three years ago.

Ms Glass claims she started taking photos as she smoked on the balcony and wished her parents - who died about 20 years ago - a Happy New Year during the countdown to midnight.

A woman has claimed to have seen the spirit of her dead parents in smoke in a holiday photograph

The social media post has been met with positive support as well as sceptical responses

'I took alot [sic] of photo's [sic] but this one particular one was taken during the countdown to midnite [sic] on New Years Eve,' she said.

'When I got home I went through my photo's [sic] and found this one, can anyone see what I can?

'It's weird cause [sic] I can see 3 faces all inside of each other - I wasn't going to mention this but I easily recognise 2 of them as my parents but the third one to the middle far right I don't know.'

The post, which was shared on the Australian Hauntings Facebook page on Sunday, has been met with positive support as well as sceptical responses.

Kristy Jean said: 'When I play with this shot in a photo editer [sic], it shows up well, at first it looked just like smoke but is that a face about half way up post and across to right?'

She shared an image of her parents, in which many claimed to see a similar resemblance between the photos

Kathy Herning wrote: 'I didn't wear my glasses when I looked at this but I can definitely see a face in the smoke haze.'

Rocco James Mogo said: 'Photoshopped.'

Erica Reilly said: 'Good imagination, all i see is smoke.'

And Allanah Earl wrote: 'Wow, that's cool.'

Ms Glass even shared an old image of her parents, in which several claimed to see a similar facial resemblance between the photos.

Vivien Laycock posted: 'Lynette, this is a true photo of a spirit.'

Kellyanne Jarvis Clark posted: 'That's beautiful Lynette. How comforting for you.'
A teenage boy has been beheaded by ISIS extremists - because he missed Friday prayers.

The 16-year-old was arrested in the Syrian city of Jarablus, in northern Aleppo, was executed within 24 hours of committing his so-called 'crime'.

Witnesses described how he was hauled out into a packed public square and executed in front of a 'huge crowd' as a warning to others to not to miss prayers at the mosque.

The 16-year-old was arrested in the Syrian city of Jarablus, in northern Aleppo, was executed within 24 hours of failing to attend Friday prayers at the mosque

His trial, at which he was accused of apostasy, is said to have lasted only a few minutes before the horrifying sentence was handed down in the city, which has been held by the extremists since 2013.

Activist Nasser Taljbini told ARA News: 'The teenage boy, who faced charges of apostasy, was beheaded in front of a huge crowd in central Jarablus on Saturday.'

One witness, who wished to remain anonymous, added: 'Before carrying out the execution, a Sharia official read a statement issued by the ISIS Sharia Court, vowing everyone who misses prayers at the mosque to face a similar punishment.'

Friday prayers are held at a mosque each week, a time for the community to come together and worship.

The horrifying act comes just days after it was revealed ISIS militants had forced a 12-year-old girl to shoot dead five women in another so-called 'execution'.

This massacre occurred in Nineveh Province, in northern Iraq on Wednesday, Alsumaria News reported.

It has also been reported that a 12-year-old girl has execute five women in northern Iraq. The groups so-called 'cubs of the caliphate' - usually comprised of boys is thought to have carried out killings in the past

A source said: 'This evening, a 12-year-old girl belonging to the so-called ISIS executed five women, including a doctor who refused to medicate ISIS members that were wounded in a coalition bombardment, by firing squad.
As an Oxford-educated academic, he is well-respected by his colleagues and students.

But it is the extra-curricular activities of chemical engineering professor Nicholas Goddard that have become a cause for concern at his university.

For the lecturer has spent the past ten years starring in dozens of highly explicit pornographic films.

Nicholas Goddard, 61, is a chemical engineering academic at The University of Manchester who has published dozens of scientific papers over his 25 year career

For 10 years he has starred in X-rated films as 'Old Nick' - having sex with women in their twenties

Cavorting with girls 40 years his junior wearing nothing more than a gold watch, Mr Goddard  who has been an academic for 35 years  has appeared in films alongside Teen Monique and Blonde Lexi.

And last night it emerged the professor could be suspended after his bosses at the University of Manchester began an investigation into his salacious sideline.

A university insider said: I think the university may well suspend him while they weigh up how this could affect his ability to do his job effectively.

Although his private life is his own business, his conduct off campus also has an impact on the job and how he is able to properly fulfil his duties to the university and to his students.

Outwardly he is a very good academic who commands respect from his colleagues and students. However, this may affect that adversely.

His secret career has made him one of the top attractions on pornography websites, with his explicit films viewed more than a million times.

The films starring Mr Goddard have been seen by millions of people

But the divorced father-of-three said that his life starring in pornography had not been very glamorous and he was paid a pittance.

He also claimed that, as of two months ago, he had given up the starring roles that are said to have made him the talk of the university campus.

Mr Goddard, who lives in a newly built terrace home in Manchester, also condemned those criticising him, saying that he would not object if his children were being taught by a porn star.

After being unmasked as an X-rated star, Mr Goddard told The Sun: I dont get paid much, mainly travel expenses.

There is such hypocrisy with people watching porn then complaining about those who act in it.

Why would students and staff be happy to watch it, but unhappy when they see who stars in them?

Especially as I know that, on evenings and weekends, 75 per cent of web traffic on the universitys server is accessing porn.

Mr Goddard said that he began starring in the X-rated films to relieve the stress of his divorce.

He said: Sometimes you do things that you regret later while under stress.

But Ive given it up since January, its too much for me now. What I do in my private life is my business not the universitys.

I havent told anyone there. I dont know what students or their parents would think but I for one certainly wouldnt care if my children were being taught by a porn star.

Mr Goddard, who drives a 35,000 Audi A6, has written dozens of academic papers.

The University of Manchester spokesman has said it is investigating Mr Goddard's pornography career

His research covers fields including complex chemicals, and biological systems, and nanomaterials and interfaces.

Mr Goddard is the lead tutor on three courses and he is also shown lecturing students in a university video.

A source at the university told the Daily Mail: Its the talk of the campus and its going to be very interesting indeed when he turns up to teach this week.

I should imagine there will be quite a bit of sniggering and I would imagine students will be wanting to do a bit of their own research into his secret life.
The Queen, pictured, did not approve of legalisation of same-sex marriage, the Daily Mail can reveal

The Queen did not approve of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, the Daily Mail can reveal today.

While in favour of civil partnerships, as a woman of deep Christian faith she took a different view on the legislation allowing same-sex couples to marry.

She expressed her frustration to a friend at the height of the controversy, but admitted she was powerless to intervene, saying: I can only advise and warn.

The friend said: It was the marriage thing that she thought was wrong, because marriage ought to be sacrosanct between a man and a woman.

It is the first time her anxiety over the controversial issue has become known. The revelation is among the insights in a ground-breaking series starting in the Mail today to mark her 90th birthday next month.

Following extensive interviews with courtiers past and present, friends of the Queen and family members, we can also reveal one of her most senior former aides believes it was a mistake not to lower the Buckingham Palace flag after Princess Dianas death  and that he is convinced the Queen now shares this view.

The Queen has also changed her attitude towards Diana to one of gratitude.

She turns 90 on April 21, and events to celebrate her remarkable reign  she became Queen aged 25  are being organised up and down the country, including an official pageant at Windsor Castle.

The Mails series  The Unknown Queen  unearths fascinating fresh insights into one of the most written-about women in the world.

It explores what she really thinks of the Duchess of Cambridges family, the Middletons, and her surprisingly saucy relationship with Prince Philip.

We reveal how the Queen clung to the hope Charles and Diana could be reconciled, but eventually her deep love for her eldest son led her to pave the way for him to marry Camilla. Other revelations include:

Her intriguing deal with Prince William;

How she planned for Princess Anne to be first lady;

Why, in her 40s, the Queen decided to raise her skirts fashionably above the knee;

The extraordinary day she was locked out of her own palace;

When she went swimming in the sea, and;

The time she mentioned the IRAs new rifle while out riding.

We reveal the episode that most upset the Queen during her annus horribilis of 1992, and report how she was deeply hurt by hostile public reaction to the suggestion the taxpayer would pick up the bill to repair fire-ravaged Windsor Castle.

But more recently it has been same-sex marriage that has caused her to worry.

The issue split the Conservative Party and, despite a revolt by Tory backbench MPs, it came into force in 2014 after the PM relied on support of Labour and the Lib Dems to get the measure through Parliament.

The Queens frustration emerged at the height of the controversy, during a conversation at the home of one of her oldest friends.

The friend said: I said to her, couldnt she do something about it, and she replied: I cant. I can only advise and warn.

Intriguingly, she was quoting the great Victorian constitutionalist Walter Bagehot, who set down the accepted limit by which the monarch can influence Parliaments decisions.

Same-sex marriage was legalised nine years after civil partnerships came into effect in 2005, which gave same-sex couples similar rights and responsibilities as marriage.

The Queen, left, is said to believe marriage should be between a man and a woman, while Prime Minister David Cameron, right, said he thought it was 'right' gay people should be allowed to marry

The Queen is Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which is deeply opposed to same-sex marriage on the grounds that marriage should be a bond between a man and a woman.

At the time of the debate, David Cameron said: I am a strong believer in marriage. It helps people commit to each other and I think it is right that gay people should be able to get married too.

The opposing view was trenchantly expressed by senior Tory backbencher Sir Roger Gale, who accused Mr Cameron of an Orwellian attempt to redefine marriage.

A survey by pollsters ComRes had found in 2012 that 62 per cent of voters, and 68 per cent of Tory supporters, believed marriage should continue to be defined as a lifelong, exclusive commitment between and man and a woman.

Famous couples who have made use of the change in the law include Sir Elton John and David Furnish, who married in 2014.
One of the two cave lions, Uyan and Dina, is being frozen indefinitely

They could help explain why the species died out around 10,000 years ago

Scientists are trying to clone extinct cave lions after the 12-000-year old, perfectly preserved remains of two cubs was discovered in Siberia.

The South Korean team seeking to reanimate the pair, found around 650 miles from the local capital of Yakutsk, is already trying to bring back the long extinct woolly mammoth.

Experts have said the 'perfectly preserved' predators, named Uyan and Dina, are a 'sensational find'.

The South Korean team seeking to reanimate the cave lions (pictured) named Uya and Dina is already trying to bring back the woolly mammoth. The demise of the species is a puzzle since the animal had few predators, was smaller than herbivores, and not prone to getting bogged down in swamps unlike woolly mammoths

The perfectly preserved predators (pictured) were found around 650 miles from the Siberian capital of Yakutsk

Controversial cloning expert Hwang Woo-Suk visited Yakutsk this week to watch over scientists as they removed samples of skin and muscle tissue from a young cave lion.

He was embroiled in a bizarre dispute with Siberian scientists over the size of the samples he could take to experiment on.

Hwang was 'unhappy with the samples', said Semyon Grigoriev, director of the world famous Mammoth Museum in Yakutsk.

He told the Siberian Times: 'They expected to take more, as they did with the woolly mammoth previously.

Experts have said the 'perfectly preserved' predators, named Uyan and Dina, are a 'sensational find'. An adult European cave lion is thought to have measured 3.9ft (1.2metres) tall and 6.9ft (2.1metres) in length without its tail, based on a skeleton found in Germany

Research on the two cubs (pictured) could help to explain why the species died out around 10,000 years ago, say experts. Cave lion fossils have also been found in Alaska and Canada. Remains are rare, making the recent find particularly exceptional, and only fragments of carcasses and skeletons have been found before

CAVE LIONS OF SIBERIA The European or Eurasian cave lion is an extinct species, known from fossils and prehistoric art. It's most closely related to the modern lion and ranged from Europe to Alaska over the Bering land bridge until the late Pleistocene, around 10,000 years ago. An adult European cave lion is thought to have measured 3.9ft (1.2metres) tall and 6.9ft (2.1metres) in length without its tail, based on a skeleton found in Germany. This means it was a similar size to a modern lion. It's thought the lions probably hunted larger herbivorous animals of their time, including horses, deer, reindeer, bison and even injured old or young mammoths. No-one knows why the lions became extinct, but one suggestion is the population of cave bears and deer - one source of prey - caused them to die out. Advertisement

'But it will not work with with these little kittens. You have to understand, the lion cub is very small, so it was not possible to get as much as we would like.'

One of the cubs is being kept in a Russian freezer indefinitely to await scientific advances in cloning.

'The methods of research are constantly being improved - about once a decade there is a mini-revolution,' said Dr Albert Protopopov, head of the mammoth fauna studies department of the Yakutian Academy of Sciences.

He added: 'So we will do everything possible to keep this carcass frozen for as long as possible.'

'We managed to take some samples of skin along with the muscle tissue, and we hope that we will find what we want in these samples.'

Cave lions lived during Middle and Late Pleistocene times on the Eurasian continent, from Britain to the extreme east of Russia. They also roamed Alaska and north western Canada.

Research on the two cubs could help to explain why the species died out around 10,000 years ago, say experts.

The demise of the species is a puzzle since the animal had few predators, was smaller than herbivores, and not prone to getting bogged down in swamps unlike woolly mammoths and rhinos.

Controversial cloning expert Hwang Woo-Suk visited Yakutsk this week to watch over scientists as they removed samples of skin and muscle tissue from a young cave lion

Remains are rare, making the recent find particularly exceptional, and only fragments of carcasses and skeletons have been found before. The discovery will give scientists a better idea of what the animals that once roamed Yakutia looked like

The predators lived during Middle and Late Pleistocene times on the Eurasian continent, which stretched from the UK to Chukotka in East Russia, connected by the Bering land bridge.

Cave lion fossils have also been found in Alaska and Canada.

Remains are rare, making the recent find particularly exceptional, and only fragments of carcasses and skeletons have been found before.

The discovery will give scientists a better idea of what the animals that once roamed Yakutia looked like.

The discovery was made in the Sakha Republic, otherwise known as Yakutia (shaded in red) and scientists believe the two 'sensational' cubs are the best preserved ever found

Until now, their impressions were based on a handful of skulls, teeth and bones found in the freezing region.

Careful study of the remains may help explain why prehistoric cave lions became extinct.

One theory holds that a decline in deer and cave bears, their prey, caused their demise.

In 2006, Hwang was dismissed by Seoul National University for faking groundbreaking work in stem cell research.
I'm in the Atlantic Ocean, 70 yards from the beach, yet I'm standing up, just waist-deep.

The way the beach slopes so timidly into the water is just wonderful.

And what water. It's crystal clear, beautifully warm and the sand underfoot caresses my every step.

This is Varadero in Cuba  the socialist country's version of Benidorm.

The beach next to the Paradisus Princesa Del Mar is just sublime

The Paradisus Princesa Del Mar features a well-stocked poolside bar

Ted travelled to Varadero in December - and had a superb stretch of beach to relax on (pictured)

Westerners have been flocking to Varadero for decades - and it's not hard to see why

Spread out along the wafer-thin Hicacos peninsula, the resort's white sands and inviting water have been attracting Westerners for decades.

The choice of hotels is bewildering, but ours, the Paradisus Princesa Del Mar appears to have the best slice of beach, with the greatest acreage of sand and the fewest people.

At least, that's my conclusion after a 20-minute recce up the beach in either direction, so it's not exactly official data.

Some tourists baulk at the idea of visiting Varadero, pointing out that it's not the real Cuba, that it's a bland tourism cash cow for the Castro junta.

And they're right, but choose a hotel wisely and come when there isn't a hurricane, and Varadero can perform a vital service  it lets you switch off, recharge and recalibrate your central nervous system, with a sun tan thrown in as a bonus.

My girlfriend and I fall into a most splendid beach routine here - breakfast, snorkelling, sunbathing and reading, snorkelling then a sunset stroll.

Serenity is broken only occasionally  when enormous pelicans dive into the sea to hunt fish a few metres away from where you're swimming and when skydiving tourists land on the beach with their instructors.

Ted pictured in front of the Paradisus Princesa Del Mar's beautifully sculpted palm-fringed swimming pool

Varadero is spread out along the wafer-thin Hicacos peninsula

The only unwelcome disturbance comes from a speaker pumping out mindless pop music at an irritatingly loud volume for a water aerobics class.

Bliss is the main event, though.

The hotel itself is, in the main, praiseworthy.

The rooms are all housed in low-level buildings grouped around the hotel's palm-fringed centrepiece - a beautifully sculpted swimming pool with a poolside bar, mini arched bridge and an ample number of sun loungers for lolling on.

There's also an impressively grand lobby flanked by rather lovely fountains.

Pleasingly, the hotel is separated from the beach by some rainforest-y vegetation, which makes the beach experience that bit more Robinson Crusoe-esque.

Our room, meanwhile, also merits a quick mojito toast.

We have two generously proportioned double beds, an ensuite with walk-in shower and a good sized balcony with a sea view.

It's very clean, too. Definitely swish by Cuban standards.

However, grumbles emerge.

One is that our balcony door's lock is broken, meaning that theoretically a neighbour could enter our room at will as the balconies are connected.

We don't report the matter, though, because we leave all our valuables in the room safe.

But still, not reassuring.

The room is also a bit antiseptic. A good size and comfy, yes, but bland.

The service is also a bit hit and miss, sometimes hilariously so.

Waitresses and waiters in the main dining hall sometimes forget orders, or serve other guests who've arrived well after us first.

The spa and wellness centre at the Paradisus Princesa Del Mar

The resort hotel is generally in good order, but had a few tatty elements, such as this ripped parasol. And Ted's balcony door had a broken lock

And there's the bell boy who walks over to see to our luggage, meets someone he knows when he gets near, then turns around with his friend and walks off, chatting amiably to him.

We have to laugh.

The food and wine is just fine, but the coffee is not. It's powdered. Not impressive considering Cuba grows the stuff.

And I'm served the limpest of mojitos in the main lobby bar. I can barely taste the rum.

The most annoying experience comes, though, when we try one of the themed restaurants for a last-night-in-Cuba feed.

We turn up at 9pm to a half full French eaterie called Marseille only to be told that to eat there we need a reservation, which can only be made between 9 and 5pm.

I'm told that this information was relayed to me by the receptionist when I checked in. It probably was, but my powers of information retention had no doubt been affected by a seven-hour transfer from a far-off part of Cuba. I had been in a complete daze when I arrived.

We try the Italian themed restaurant, which is similarly empty, and are told the same thing  no reservation, no table.

Cuban bureaucracy at its finest.

Meanwhile, though the hotel is generally very easy on the eye, the decor is a tad worn in places. We have one meal outside under a badly ripped parasol, for instance.

The thing is, when you're waist deep in clear waters by pristine white sands, all of these gripes are shrugged off with ease.
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Private jets are usually thought of as an exclusive means of transport for chief executives, high-paid athletes or A-list actors.

But a travel blogger has revealed how he and his wife got a taste of the high life and had a jet all to themselves without having to pay a dime.

By flying in the lap of luxury, Gilbert Ott, 29, and Laura Burns, 28, didnt have to endure queues or annoying seatmates  and they scored the free flight in a very simple way that even cash-strapped travellers can replicate.

Married couple Gilbert Ott, 29, and Laura Burns, 28, pose for a snap on board their free private jet flight from Boston to Washington, DC

Ott, from New York, boards the Cessna Citation X aircraft at a private passenger terminal at Boston's Logan International Airport

Burns, originally from London, and Ott combined online vouchers to score the free one-way, one-hour flight on a private jet

The couple flew in the lap of luxury, with a view into the cockpit and their choice of seats - giving them the best views at all times

Burns and Ott, who describe themselves as ordinary people, passed the time by playing poker and sipping wine they brought on board

Ott, a New Yorker and the founder of the website godsavethepoints.com, and Burns, originally from London, should have paid about $1,500 (1,000) for the one-way flight from Boston to Washington, DC.

But the savvy travellers combined online vouchers that covered the entire cost of last Wednesdays 80-minute journey on board a Cessna Citation X aircraft, which costs $23million (16million) brand new.

Ott said their first ever private jet trip was eye-opening, with a view into the cockpit, more than enough legroom and luxuries that arent afforded to those who fly the same route on commercial aircraft.

He told MailOnline Travel: It was a very surreal feeling. The cockpit door was open the entire flight. We could watch takeoff and landing from the pilots view.

Thats a unique sensation, especially considering the bumpy wind into Washington, DC. The runway kept appearing and disappearing but in the end the pilot greased the landing, total pro.

It truly was the ultimate way to travel. As the only passengers on the eight-seat jet, they could sit wherever they wanted in the 24-ft long cabin and didnt have to fight for space in an overhead bin.

Ott said he and Burns scored the free private jet flight in a very simple way that even cash-strapped travellers can replicate

Ott, founder of the website godsavethepoints.com, and Burns should have paid about $1,500 (1,000) for the one-way flight

Ott said it felt incredible to see larger international airplanes lined up in front of and behind their jet, taking off from a major airport

Ott said the pilots 'were really nice guys' who instructed them to move and do as they pleased except during takeoff, taxiing and landing

HOW THEY DID IT Gilbert Ott and Laura Burns downloaded and carefully monitored the JetSmarter app, which offers promo codes the same way that Uber does. Ott snagged a $500 (350) code and Burns jumped on a $1,000 (700) offer that was offered for a very limited time. Ott said: 'Together we were able to stack them into more than enough for an entirely free flight. Im not sure they intended the promotion to be that friendly, but it worked for us and it was an eye-opening, truly aspirational experience.' Advertisement

They passed their time by playing poker, sipping wine that they were allowed to bring on board, helping themselves to on-board snacks, checking their mobile phones (a no-no on a commercial flight) and admiring the scenery from leather seats that swivel.

Knowing they may never get to experience it again, the couple had fun with it and posed for amusing snaps as they tried to look glamorous or important while playing cards or gazing out the window.

They were the first ones on and off the plane, which was crewed by a pilot and co-pilot, and other than the 10 seconds it took to walk up the planes steps at a private terminal there was no boarding process and they didnt have to show up an hour or more in advance, said Ott, whose website teaches people how to rack up their air miles for free travel.

He said: The pilots were really nice guys. We were told to sit for taxi, takeoff and landing, but other than that, move and do as we please.

Were pretty ordinary, average people. The experience was unlike anything were used to, even as regular business class travellers whove experienced some incredible seats thanks to tips, insights, miles and travel hacking.

As the only passengers, Ott and Burns were the first ones on and off the plane, which was crewed by a pilot and co-pilot

Other than the 10 seconds it took to walk up the planes steps there was no boarding process and they didnt have to show up early

They passed their time by playing poker, sipping wine that they were allowed to bring on board and checking their mobile phones

Knowing they may never get to experience it again, Burns and Ott had fun and took some amusing snaps as they tried to look important

No check-in, no security, just show up at a quaint area at the other side of the airport that even cabbies dont seem to know, find a comfy couch and sit for a few minutes.

The pilot comes out and says "OK, were ready to go, are you?". A 30-second second walk to the plane, a quick safety demonstration and then we were off.

It felt incredible, amusing and privileged to see larger international airplanes lined up in front of us and behind us, taking off from a major airport as if we are important, which we are not.

He added: We showed up a few minutes early, but according to the pilot if you have a 12:30 flight, as we did, 12:30 would be just fine. Just dont be late, as apparently the takeoff slots are precious, especially at big airports.

Ott is still on a high, but hes slowly coming to grips with the fact that future flights will never feel the same again, especially in economy

Ott said he and Burns are 'pretty ordinary, average people' and the experience was unlike anything they are used to

Burns and Ott could sit wherever they wanted in the 24-ft long cabin and didnt have to fight for space in an overhead bin

Had Ott and Burns flown commercial, the same one-way flight would have cost about $90 (60) each if booked weeks in advance

Ott and Burns were allowed to bring their own alcohol on board, and they helped themselves to a cabinet stocked with snacks

Ott and Burns found the vouchers while carefully monitoring the JetSmarter app. Their flight was operated by California-based XOJET.

Had they flown commercial, the same one-way flight would have cost about $90 (60) each if booked weeks in advance.

After experiencing a perk that very few people will ever get to enjoy in their lifetime, Ott is still on a high, but hes slowly coming to grips with the fact that future flights will never feel the same again, especially in economy.

He said: We flew back from Washington to New York on American Airlines economy and it was one of the great shuttle flights.

Believe it or not, it didnt feel bad at all. After all, I came down on a private jet, I was buzzing.
Thomas Cook has apologised to a British couple who was sent to a Canary Islands hotel that isn't protected by Abta bonding and found out at the last minute they didn't have a room.

The unexpected change in venue meant Alan and Gail Lindley, from Washington, Sunderland, had to scramble to find a place to stay and were separated from their friends during their holiday.

They were left outraged after they arrived at the Flora apartments at Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote, and were told it was full even though they made a reservation through the tour operator.

Alan and Gail Lindley arrived at their hotel in Lanzarote, only to find out that they didn't have a room

The Lindleys were forced to make emergency arrangements overnight and were then moved to a hotel 15 miles away in a different resort, separating them from their friends.

Alan, 55, said: On arrival at our apartments we went straight to reception to book in only to be told there was no room by a very unhelpful receptionist and we would have to find accommodation elsewhere.

It was now 9pm at night and we had nowhere to stop.

We found out from a helpline number provided by Thomas Cook that there were no rooms at all in the entire resort of Puerto Del Carmen but, on our way to the seafront where we were meeting friends, we passed a hotel and I went in on the off-chance and managed to get a room for one night only.

The next morning Thomas Cook told us the only accommodation for the rest of the holiday was in Playa Blanca some 15 to 20 miles away. We reluctantly did what was asked and headed to our new hotel.

The Lindleys said the switch put them in an unfamiliar resort that was nowhere near decent restaurants and they had to spend time making special arrangements for a transfer to the airport at the end of the holiday.

The Lindleys were moved 15 miles away to a hotel in Playa Blanca and were separated from their friends

Thoms Cook said it was sorry the Flora Apartments hotel was unable to honour Alan's reservation, which was booked through its dynamic package brand, Flexible Trips, which allows customers to customise their bookings.

A spokesperson for the firm said: We would like to reassure him, and indeed all our customers, that we are liaising with the hotelier to understand why this occurred and ensure this does not happen again.

We appreciate that the location of the alternative accommodation did not meet Mr Lindley's expectations but this was the only suitable hotel available at the time.

Bookable online and in store Flexible Trips holidays are designed to use partner packaging and transport providers to offer customers a wide range of holiday options including hotel-only.

Thomas Cook confirmed the hotel-only offering Alan and Gail had booked was not Abta bonded.

A spokesman said this was mentioned in the terms and conditions and the couple would have been made aware of this at the time of booking.

These terms state that Med Hotels, the corporation which the Flora apartments are associated with, are not subject to UK Package Travel Regulations.

Thomas Cook said the Flora apartments did not tell Med Hotels that they could no longer fulfil Alan's booking until the day before he was due to arrive.

A spokesperson for Thomas Cook UK added: We would like to apologise to Mr Lindley for any inconvenience.
As a former Education Secretary, Michael Gove is well acquainted with the nation's best state schools.

And now I can reveal he has put that knowledge to good use  choosing a London academy dubbed the 'Eton of comprehensives' for his son.

He and his newspaper columnist wife Sarah Vine have accepted a place for 11-year-old William at the oversubscribed Holland Park School in Kensington.

Former Education Secretary, Michael Gove, pictured, has sent his son to the 'Eton of comprehensives'

In choosing the school, which is 1.5 miles from his West London home, Mr Gove  now Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor  has passed up at least seven closer state secondaries.

They include Burlington Danes Academy, less than half a mile away. As Education Secretary, Mr Gove singled out for praise Burlington Danes' then principal for having turned around a school once described as 'feral'.

Like the Grey Coat Hospital  the state secondary the Goves chose for daughter Beatrice two years ago  Holland Park, a flagship academy, is praised in Tatler's top 20 state secondary schools guide.

The magazine enthused that the school, which is housed in a space-age steel and glass building, has a 'five-star feel' with facilities, including a swimming pool, that many private schools would envy.

It gushed: 'Lots of glass, lots of light, Jo Malone candles and cream roses in reception  and of course, that swimming pool.'

Holland Park used to be a mecca for the Left-wing  Tony Benn sent his children there  but it has been reborn as a leading academy, with impressive academic results.

Mr Gove's 11-year-old son William will go to the oversubscribed Holland Park School in Kensington, pictured

Tatler says its head, Colin Hall, is 'ruthlesslessly ambitious' for his pupils.

The news of the school place comes after The Mail on Sunday disclosed that David Cameron was considering a top private prep school for his son, even though he followed Mr Gove in sending his daughter to the Grey Coat Hospital.

But even Holland Park has its less impressive alumni: five recent pupils went on to become jihadis and died fighting on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq.
She is known for her bubbly and vivacious personality, but on Saturday Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby looked uncharacteristically shy as she made her way through Melbourne Airport.

The 25-year-old British personality was spotted arriving into the terminal and covering her face with her hooded jacket.

Wanting to go low-key, the reality TV star did her best to keep herself under wraps and away from the glare of onlookers.

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Something wrong? Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby was spotted arriving into Melbourne Airport on Saturday shielded her face with her hooded jacket

Charlotte wore her grey jacket with matching tracksuit pants that were rolled up her legs.

She teamed her understated outfit with a pair of white sneakers - skipping the socks - and carried a Boost Juice.

She appeared to be wearing minimal make-up and had her long locks out and straightened over her shoulders.

Flying under the radar! The reality TV star did her best to keep herself under wraps and away from the glare of onlookers

Charlotte wheeled her bright pink suitcase with her spare hand.

She also had another black hand bag that was slung over her shoulder and at one point was placed onto her suitcase.

At the terminal, the fitness buff - who has her own workout DVD - was seen sitting by a wall with her luggage around her and kept herself occupied on her phone.

Not in the mood? At the terminal, the fitness buff - who has her own workout DVD - was seen sitting by a wall with her luggage around her and kept herself occupied on her phone

Charlotte has been in Australia as part of a promotional tour for the 12th season of Geordie Shore, alongside some of her castmates.

This week, she spent time in Sydney including some quality time with her beau and co-star, Gary Beadle.

This week, they enjoyed time together on a yacht on Sydney Harbour and were joined by radio star Kyle Sandilands and his girlfriend, Imogen Anthony.

On the boat, Charlotte and her man recreated the iconic love scene from the film Titantic that featured the film's Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio - with Charlotte holding out her arms with Gary holding her waist.

The couple have been on and off recently and met during the first season of the hit show.

They confirmed their relationship at the start of this year and she told Daily Mail Australia 'we're getting on very well.'

Lovers: This week, she spent time in Sydney including some quality time with her beau and co-star, Gary Beadle

Having fun: This week, they enjoyed time together on a yacht on Sydney Harbour and recreated the iconic Titanic love scene

Indeed, Gary recently opened up to Star magazine, telling the publication: 'I feel giddy around her and we can't wait to see each other.'

He continued: 'We've messed around but now we've dropped our guard.

'I've said if we get on well, she can meet me mam and granddad when we get back from Australia [sic].'
Their family has suffered more than their fair share of trauma since arriving in Albert Square.

But it doesn't look as though things are set to get any better for the Carter clan just yet as their lives are rocked by more drama.

In stills from an upcoming episode of EastEnders, Mick and Linda are captured close to tears after their baby Ollie suffers a health scare.

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SPOILER ALERT: EastEnders' Mick and Linda Carter are set for heartbreak as their baby Ollie is rushed to hospital after health scare in an upcoming episode this month

Pictured alongside Lee, Nancy and Whitney Dean, the couple appear horrified as a doctor shares news about Ollie's condition.

The family's emergency visit to the hospital follows dramatic scenes which will see Linda find her baby unconscious in his cot.

Things will worsen for the little boy after suffering a seizure which the doctor identifies as bleeding on the brain.

The distressing incident occurs just days after the baby fell over when his cot was bumped during a fight between Lee and Nancy.

See more of the latest EastEnders spoilers as baby Ollie Carter is rushed to hospital

Intense: The Carter clan are informed by a doctor that the little boy has an injury on his brain

The new storyline will no doubt have viewers gripped to the award winning soap.

Earlier this year, EastEnders beat arch-rival Coronation Street to the title of Best Serial Drama at the National Television Awards.

During the ensemble's acceptance speech, Kellie Bright, who plays Linda, declared: 'I'm going to start to the most important thank you - the Great British public! We've had a huge year with the 30th anniversary.'

Danny was also awarded the trophy for Serial Drama Performance for his portrayal of pub landlord Mick Carter.

The Carter's family's latest drama will air on Tuesday March 15 on BBC One at 7.30pm
Kim Kardashian dropped her husband Kanye West at the airport earlier on Saturday, sending him off with a sweet smooch.

The mother-of-two then directed her full and adoring attention on her tiny tot North who was treated to a shopping spree at Toys R Us in Woodland Hills, California.

North, who turns three in June, couldn't contain her excitement and nearly raced to the entrance doors of the toy department store.

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On your mark: North West beamed a big smile as mom Kim Kardashian treated her to a kid-sized shopping spree at Toys R Us in Woodland Hills, CA on Saturday

Kim looked sporty chic in a black faux fur coat over a skintight black bodysuit and black trainers.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star walked ahead with her eyes shaded by large-framed sunglasses and a black baseball cap.

North skipped along holding hands with two accompanying pals, looking too cute in a long black top, black leggings and black trainers to match her mom's ensemble.

See more of the latest on Kim Kardashian as she treats North to a kid-sized shopping spree

Doting mom: Kim Kardashian had driven husband Kanye West to the airport earlier that morning but now turned her full and undivided attention on her daughter North

Oh goodie: North was practically skipping with glee as she emerged from the store beside a toy-laden cart

Apple of their eye: The tiny tot, who turns three in June, was doted upon by a group of accompanying pals

Low-key: The reality star kept her cool behind shades, hat and a dark outfit that consisted of a textured faux fur coat and bodysuit

Cool mama: She looked effortless in her athleisure clothing, teamed with Yeezy Boost trainers

The grinning tot raised the stylish stakes by wearing a black ribbon choker round her neck.

At one point, North appeared to dip down to one knee in a kind of 'on your mark' stance while brandishing a big smile.

A while later, the group emerged from the toy store with a shopping cart full of newly purchased items.

She can't wait! North bore the most adorable cheeky grin as she held her mother's hand to walk across the parking lot

Yes! North showed off she's picked up her mother's sense of style as she cut a cute and very giddy figure on her outing

What to choose?! North was amazed at the toys on offer as she carried a watering can and pink basket of goodies

North was still wearing that big smile, suggesting that the shopping spree had gone very well indeed.

Earlier in the morning, Kim played chauffeur as she drove Kanye to Los Angeles International Airport.

As she idled by the curb, Kim planted a long and lasting kiss on his lips as she bid goodbye.

Fond farewell: Kim played chauffeur by dropping Kanye off at LAX earlier in the morning but not before giving him a big goodbye kiss

Call me when you get there: The couple had a sweet exchange in the front seat

Kim looked gorgeous even at that early hour, dressed sharp in black and with her hair in twin braids.

The 38-year-old rapper brandished a rare smile as he emerged from the car and strolled inside the terminal with a large carry-on bag.

Kanye had only just arrived home to Los Angeles on Thursday night following a trip to Paris for Fashion Week that was attended by his mother-in-law Kris Jenner too.
She's been in London promoting her new book, Pretty Happy: The Healthy Way to Love Your Body.

And Kate Hudson was looking every inch the superstar health guru as she headed out of Mayfair's celebrity hotspot Sexy Fish on Saturday.

No doubt having indulged in some of the more nutritious options on offer, the 36-year-old radiated with a healthy glow as she left the restaurant.

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Gorgeous guru: Kate Hudson was looking every inch the superstar health guru as she headed out of the Mayfair hotspot Sexy Fish on Saturday

Looking effortlessly glamorous in her low-key ensemble, the Almost Famous star hinted at her enviably toned figure in a white halter cami that exposed a flash of her black bra.

Layering up in a sheer blouse with billowing sleeves, the mum-of-two put on a sultry display whilst still remaining demure.

Donning a pair of black trousers, she elongated her lean legs with a satin strip adorning the seam, whilst she added some height in a pair of black pointed toe courts.

See more of the latest Kate Hudson updates as she goes for a low-key dinner in London

Sheer delight! Looking effortlessly glamorous in her low-key ensemble, the Almost Famous star, 36, hinted at her enviably toned figure in a white halter cami that exposed a flash of her black bra

All-white on the night! Layering up in a sheer blouse with billowing sleeves, the mum-of-two put on a sultry display whilst still remaining demure, and radiated with a healthy glow as she left the restaurant

Leggy lady! Donning a pair of black trousers, she elongated her lean legs with a satin strip adorning the seam, whilst she added some height to her frame in a pair of black pointed toe court heels

Draping a khaki duster coat over her arm, Kate kept her accessories simple, wearing a small pair of diamond stud earrings.

Leaving her golden locks loose and tousled, she wore her glossy tresses in a centre parting, allowing the bouncy curls to rest on her shoulders.

Highlighting her stunning features, she framed her dazzlingly blue eyes with a subtle sweep of silver shadow, whilst a slick of rosy gloss painted her plump pout.

Blonde beauty! Leaving her golden locks loose and tousled, she wore her glossy tresses in a centre parting, allowing the bouncy curls to frame her face, which sported a neutral make-up palette

Hot off the back of signing copies of her new book, Kate looked the perfect advocate for her health and well-being title - which recently made the The New York Times Bestseller list.

'The book is really about connecting to the things that you want, the things that you need, the things to make you happy,' the actress told People at the launch.

She continued: 'If you would've told me 10 years ago that I'd be doing this, I would've been, like, "No I'm doing a period piece in England somewhere."

'But here I am and it's more rewarding than anything I've ever felt. It's amazing.'

Co-stars night out: Kate was joined by Jack Black who was casually dressed for the low-key dinner
It's finals week on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! and the stakes have never been slimier, thanks to Sunday night's gooey tucker trail.

Val Lehman, 72, was sentenced by Australian voters to the day's 'Dam Shame' tucker trial, which saw her venture through the innards of a cavernous water dam in search of food ration stars.

Despite being the eldest contestant on the show, Val seemed anything but unhinged as she entered the oozing chamber, which was filling with water at a rapid pace.

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A sticky situation! Val Lehman, 72, faced a particularly slimy tucker trial on Sunday's installment of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Without missing a beat, Val dutifully foraged through the first of five pipes in search of a star, which ended up being embedded in a thicket of stinging weeds and angry ants.

While Val struggled to remove the first star a sizeable crocodile could be seen slipping into the main cavern behind her.

Despite the clearly taxing circumstances, Val maintained her blase attitude toward her surroundings.

Chris decided to check in with Val, asking her via earphone correspondence: 'any of your TV roles prepare you for this, Val?'

Val wasn't having a bar of it, however, and snapped back with 'Shut up. I'm busy'.

Just another day in the jungle! Despite the clearly taxing circumstances, Val maintained her blase attitude toward her surroundings

A bemused Julia seemed tickled by the sudden power play, turning to Chris and saying: 'I think you've been told, doctor!'

Chris wasn't the only one being told off during the challenge, however, as Val soon turned her attention to the scaly albino crocodile wading next to her.

'Come on crocodile, you're gonna have to get out of the way. I'm awfully sorry, baby', griped Val as she shoved the teethy creature to the side without batting an eyelash.

'Any of your TV roles prepare you for this, Val?' Chris decided to check in with Val, asking her questions via her ear-piece

'Shut up. I'm busy!' Val wasn't having a bar of it and snapped back at the doctor

'I've been in the s**t before': The actress even made jokes as she proceeded to fly through the next few pipes, in which she was faced with scores of squirming maggots, cockroaches and slimy rhino dung

She proceeded to fly through the next few pipes, in which she was faced with scores of squirming maggots, cockroaches and slimy rhino dung.

'I've been in the s**t before', quipped the tirelessly resilient celebrity.

Finally Val reached the final pipe and found herself once again face-to-face with the pesky crocodile.

With nothing but a tone of mild irritation, Val said: 'You go that way, mate. -- you go that way, mate', before picking up the animal from it's belly and tossing it behind her.

Strike a pose! Val stuck a fabulous pose as she emerged from the dank waterways after blitzing the challenge

She proceeded to dip her head under the murky water and entered the final pipe, where she successfully battled a bath of soapy water and won herself two more stars.

Val's extraordinary efforts left her with a perfect score and a new nick-name from Anthony Callea- 'supergranny'.

'Val definitely delivered. Move over superwoman. We've got supergranny!' quipped Anthony after the Prisoner actress returned to camp and announced the happy news.

What a winner! Val's extraordinary efforts left her with a perfect score and a new nick-name from Anthony Callea- 'supergranny'




It's the controversial Australian comedy that found itself making headlines across the country before it even aired on our screens.

And on Sunday Here Come The Habibs creator Rob Shehadie slammed critics for 'judging a book by its cover'.

'We should thank the critics because they made the show bigger,' the actor told Daily Mail Australia while attending the My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 premiere in Sydney.

Hitting out: Here Come The Habibs creator Rob Shehadie slammed critics for 'judging a book by its cover' as he attended the Sydney premiere of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

He went on to add that 'the response was massive' after the show finally went to air earlier last month.

'People are worriers, judging a book by its cover and not even watching the show...make judgement when you watch the show,' Rob added.

'But it's been a good thing and they [critics] have gone all quiet. I thank them for the publicity.'

When asked by Daily Mail Australia if fans of the new hit television show could expect a second series in the near future, Rob replied it's 'very close' to happening.

Thanking critics: The actor and creator wanted to thank critics for making the show bigger than it might have otherwise been

Here Come The Habibs has been at the heart of multicultural debate since a petition was launched earlier this year calling for it to be withdrawn from Channel Nine's schedule.

The campaign's orchestrator, activist Candy Royalle, claimed the show's commercials 'play on every single racist stereotype imaginable'.

She was joined in her disdain by a string of social media users who brandished the show 'casually racist' because it had employed non-Lebanese actors to take on some of its central roles.

A number of social media users blasted the show as 'an embarrassment to the Lebanese community' and 'racist.'

'Whoever signed off on the show 'here come the habibs' needs to be sacked,' tweeted one person, adding the hash-tag 'we live in 2016 not 1986'.

In the spotlight: Here Come The Habibs has been at the heart of multicultural debate since a petition was launched earlier this year calling for it to be withdrawn from Channel Nine's schedule

'Producer: It's basically a classic fish-out-of-water comedy, but the twist is we've made it a bit racist. Channel 9 executive: TELL ME MORE!' joked another.

'This show is an utter embarrassment to the Lebanese community, and not to mention racist,' one lady shared on the show's official Facebook page.

Among complaints were those aimed at its 'Aladdin-esque' opening credits and the notion that a Lebanese family would only find themselves living in such wealth by winning the lottery.

But despite the backlash the Here Come The Habibs' debut episode last month was watched by a whopping 1.249 million viewers, ranking overall second in the night ratings.
They've never been shy about showing off their figures.

And so it was no surprise that the likes of Pascal Craymer and Amy Childs opted for typically revealing ensembles as they led stars at the launch of new charity Ask Albie at Woolston Manor In Chigwell, Essex on Saturday.

Standing out against the crowd, former TOWIE babe Pascal left little to the imagination as she dressed her tight, toned curves in an eye-catching turquoise blue body-con dress.

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What an eyeful! Pascal Craymer flashed her sideboob in a striking little dress as she arrived at the launch of new charity Ask Albie at Woolston Manor In Chigwell, Essex on Saturday

The skimpy little number was backless and also had a low-cut detail at the side, allowing the busty glamour model to reveal a generous glimpse of her ample sideboob.

Skimming tightly over her enviably tanned and lean physique, she also flaunted her lovely legs, which she elongated wth a pair of strappy rose-gold metallic heels.

The 28-year-old completed her night out look with her brunette mane styled into super-glossy curls tumbling down over her bare back and shoulders, and a heavy dose of mascara to give her fluttery eyelashes.

Eye-popping: The 28-year-old's skimpy little number was backless and also had a low-cut detail at the side, allowing the busty glamour model to reveal a generous glimpse of her ample sideboob

Loving the limelight! The bodacious former TOWIE star looked sensational as she posed for snaps before heading into the gala event

Details: Skimming tightly over her enviably tanned and lean physique, she also flaunted her lovely legs, which she elongated wth a pair of strappy rose-gold metallic heels

She also carried a slick nude clutch bag, which she held by her side as she strutted into the popular venue to do her bit for charity.

Joining Pascal at the Essex charity event was her fellow former TOWIE star Amy, 25, who went for a completely different style of outfit but one that was no less chaste in terms of covering up the cleavage.

The Essex beauty clad her trim curves in a pretty black dress, complete with a full satin A-line skirt and flattering cinched-in belt over her tiny waistline.

Lady in lace: Also arriving in eye-catching style at the event was Amy Childs, who showed off her lovely figure in a pretty black lace dress

Showing off! The Essex beauty, 25, clad her trim curves in a pretty black dress, complete with a full satin A-line skirt and flattering cinched-in belt over her tiny waistline

Showing what she's got: It was definitely her generous cleavage that stole the show, the low-cut sheer lace top half of the frock seemingly struggling to contain her assets

But it was definitely her generous cleavage that stole the show, the low-cut sheer lace top half of the frock seemingly struggling to contain her assets.

Underneath the transparent lingerie-style top was a nude bustier, which just about protected her modesty.

As she turned to show off her full attire, the reality TV star and fashion designer showed off the delicately designed back, a lace racer-back style that showed off her toned shoulders.

Leggy display: Pascal also made sure to flaunt her toned, tanned legs as she strutted through the darkened streets of Chigwell

For a good cause: Amy, Pascal and others attended the launch for Ask Albie, a new charity that aims to grant wishes for children in Essex who are battling illness and life-threatening conditions

Amy - who recently did the rounds on the front rows at London Fashion Week - wore her famous russet locks in a simple, elegant low ponytail for the evening's events and finished her ensemble with a pair of classic black strappy sandals.

Both Pascal and Amy made sure to turn on the charm for photographers outside the venue before heading in to join others at the launch event for Ask Albie, a charity that aims to grant wishes for children in Essex who are battling illness and life-threatening conditions.

Guests enjoyed a cocktail reception, a three course dinner and an auction in order to raise funds for the new charity.

Meanwhile, a few other familiar faces were in attendance at the gala event, including TOWIE star George Harrison and Ex On The Beach babe Holly Rickwood.

George opted for a sophisticated plunging black jumpsuit with wide-legged trousers for the evening, while blonde Holly showed off her petite physique in a pretty pink dress with a crossover detail over her chest.

Sophisticated swagger: TOWIE star George Harrison opted for a sleek plunging black jumpsuit for the night
High intensity dance group Equals nabbed one of the final spots in this year's Australia's Got Talent (AGT) grand final after a standing ovation performance during Sunday night's semi-finals.

The young Gold Coast group performed a range of difficult dance moves to a series of catchy tunes, getting all four judges on their feet.

Kelly Osbourne was one of the first to praise the dance team on their performance, calling the act 'mind-blowing'.

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Next round: High intensity dance group Equals has made it through to grand finals of Australia's Got Talent after they received a standing ovation from all four judges

'The motorbike routine that you did up there was just mind-blowing,' the 31-year-old daughter of Ozzie Osbourne said.

The compliments continued with Dicko calling the performance 'so imaginative'.

'We see a lot of dance acts, but you look beyond the idea of dance, you look beyond your environment, your bodies, you try and think way outside the square,' the 52-year-old TV personality told the act.

'Just mind-blowing': Kelly Osbourne praised the Gold Coast dance group on their mind blowing routine

Fellow judge Eddie Perfect agreed, telling them: 'You guys are so phenomenal.'

Adding to the entertaining lineup was Irma and her pet pooch Sisko

Their performance involved Sisko jumping over and through his owner's legs, rolling on the ground and barking on command to the song 'I Would Walk 500 Miles Lyrics' by the Proclaimers.

The adorable act won over Dicko.

Pawasble act: Irma has Sisko jumping over and through her legs, rolling on the ground and barking on command to the song 'I Would Walk 500 Miles Lyrics' by the Proclaimers

'Oh, look, just what a fabulous piece of bonkers joy to start the night. Sisko is sensational,' he said.

While Kelly Osbourne wasn't so dazzled by their execution, saying: 'their were too many similarities between her first performance'.

Next to take the stage was the Subih Brothers from Western Australia.

The three siblings, who have been labelled the new 'The Jackson 5', hit all the right notes in their performance.

The next Jackson 5: The Subih Brothers hit all the right notes

As a result, the young group received a standing ovation by the impressed judges and the audience.

A disappointed Dicko told the group: 'I thought you really warmed into that. The one thing that kinda put me off, the guitars together were just a bit relentless in a way.'

But Kelly disagreed with her fellow judges, saying: 'Your harmonising is beautiful'

'It wasn't all about Andre. It was about all three of you. We got to see a highlight of each one of you,' she also noted.

The Shake Man had everyone shaking in their seats as he managed to move his body in a tasseled military uniform.

Shake it: The Shake Man had judge Sophie Monk dancing to the beat

'I bow down to you': Kelly told 10-year-old Callum that he was a rock genius

Sophie Monk did her best to copy the lone dancers interesting moves.

'Good or bad, that was hella entertaining. Like, you're the only shaker in the world, you're the best in the world,' Sophie said.

A 10-year-old Callum rocked the stage with the Guns N' Roses song, Sweet Child of Mine.

An impressed Kelly told the Canberra youngster he was a 'pure genius rock star'

While Jan had everyone in stitches with her humorous rendition of Wings Beneath my Wind.

Australia's Got Talent continues Monday March 7, 7:30pm, Nine Network.
She returned to work last month after welcoming her son Axel in December.

And on Sunday Michelle Bridges beamed with happiness as she walked through Perth Domestic Terminal while cradling the 11-week-old close to her chest.

While showing off a large smile the 45-year-old new mum showed off her incredible post-baby figure as she slipped into a pair of black tracksuit pants and matching tank top.

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Beaming with pride: Michelle Bridges was seen smiling broadley as she walked through Perth Domestic Terminal on Sunday while cradling her 11-week-old son Axel close to her chest

As she finished her jet-setting attire with a pair of white Converse sneakers, the personal trainer wore her dyed brunette locks out and styled with a loose curl.

Michelle showed of her blemish-free complexion as she opted for a nude-based make-up look.

The mother-of-one wrapped her adorable son in a thin white blanket while covering his little feet with grey ankle-like socks.

Three's a crowd: The 45-year-old was joined by a female companion who was pictured carrying multiple bags through the airport

As Michelle walked gracefully through the airport Axel turned his head to the left while taking in his surroundings.

The day earlier she took to social media to share an image of herself pushing her cherubic tot in his pram while on a 30-minute jog along Perth's Swan River.

Michelle then proceeded to the gym with her baby in tow and continued her vigorous training session with a round of Tabata - a high-intensity interval workout.

'20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest for 4 mins,' Michelle captioned two photos of herself and her baby which she later posted to Instagram.

Starting him young: The day earlier she took to social media to share an image of herself pushing her cherubic tot in his pram while on a 30-minute jog along Perth's Swan River

She also told her 178,000 fans that her routine consisted of 'Dumbbell thrusters. Push ups. Squat jumps.'

While speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail Australia last Friday, a gushing Michelle said her little lad enjoyed coming along to her training sessions.

'He comes to training, but not every time,' she revealed. 'But definitely when we go out outdoors. We go on big long walks together. He has been to the gym with me a few times and he quit likes it.'

Michelle and her partner, Steve 'Commando' Willis, welcomed Axel on December 19.
They are a refreshingly normal family, despite their unrivalled levels of Hollywood fame.

And Brad Pitt kept it real as he took three of his children along to a plate painting workshop in London on Saturday, ahead of Mothering Sunday.

Not present for the outing in the British capital was wife and mother of his six children Angelina Jolie, suggesting that the group of four were preparing a very special, personalised gift for the Oscar-winning star.

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Doing something special for mummy! Brad Pitt was seen with three of his children - Maddox, Knox and Vivienne - heading to a plate painting workshop on Saturday, ahead of Mothering Sunday

Leading the way and looking low-key, doting dad Brad, 52, rocked a dark grey blazer with rumpled jeans and boots, battling the drizzling weather with laid-back panache.

He covered up his face with a pair of tinted glasses and also sported his signature flatcap, a style staple his son Maddox decided was something he wanted to try out as he too donned one for the outing.

The 14-year-old - the eldest of Angelina and Brad's multicultural family - joined his father's side as they walked together, the little ones following in their wake.

A normal family doing normal things: The 52-year-old actor was flanked by his eldest son Maddox, 14, while seven-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne followed behind them

Doppelgangers! Maddox appeared to have taken style tips from his Hollywood dad as they both donned flatcaps

Twins Knox and Vivienne, seven, couldn't hide their disgust at the damp weather as they were seen emerging from a shop after enjoying some plate-painting fun.

They stuck together as they left the small venue after enjoying some arts and crafts, blending in with other consumers and people running their errands on just a regular Saturday afternoon.

Brad has been in the UK while filming in London, but on Wednesday this week Angelina arrived on a plane with their six children for a brief visit.

Angelina, 40, had been in Cambodia filming new Netflix film First They Killed My Father, and has spent most of her time in recent months in the country.

They enjoyed what looked to be a very emotional reunion as they met at an airport as a family, smiles across their faces.

Super-cute: Knox and Vivienne were no dobt crafting a special gift for their mother, who is currently in Los Angeles

Off they pop: Knox and Vivienne - along with their big brother Maddox - are staying in the UK with Brad, while the couple's other three children have returned to the US with mum Angelina

However, her trip to London to see her husband with the kids was short-lived as she was seen flying back to Los Angeles later that very same day.

Angelina touched down at LAX with the couple's three other children in tow: Pax, 12, Zahara, 11 and nine-year-old Shiloh.

Brad, meanwhile, has remained in the UK as he continues filming the sequel to zombie thriller World War Z with the other half of the brood.

Angelina has previously spoken about the difficulties of a long-distance marriage, due to her and Brad's conflicting and punishing movie schedules, and confessed that they send each other love letters.

Speaking in 2014, the Maleficent star divulged details on how she and her handsome man coped when she was filming Unbroken in Australia while he was in the UK working on Fury.

'We wrote letters back and forth, 1940s-style,' she said.
She's always keeping fans guessing when it comes to her fashion moves, and Ferne McCann did not disappoint when as she stepped out in a sassy lingerie inspired dress on Saturday.

The TOWIE star, 25, looked sensational in her slinky cream get-up as she enjoyed a night out with pals to celebrate the weekend.

The newly-blonde star turned underwear into outerwear as she boldly rocked the garment - with a distinct lingerie twist - to The May Fair hotel in central London.

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Fern-tastic: Ferne McCann looked gorgeous in a silk lingerie-inspired dress and black leather jacket as she left The May Fair hotel in London on Saturday night

It was certainly a daring statement for the star, who is usually more conservative, but she pulled it off with aplomb.

The This Morning showbiz presenter concealed her curves in the, dress which featured lace detailing across the top, giving a slight glimpse at her cleavage.

The reality star added a simple black choker and a edgy black leather jacket to toughen up her look, keeping it from looking like she had just rolled out of bed.

Statement: Ferne made a statement stepping out in her soft silk bedroom inspired number, revealing a glimpse of her cleavage thanks to the lace neckline

Slinky: The reality star added a simple black choker and a edgy black leather jacket to toughen up her look, keeping it from looking like she had just rolled out of bed

A pair of black barely-there strappy sandals with towering heels finished her elegant aesthetic.

Ferne let her natural beauty do the talking as she opted for a neutral palette of earthy tones when it came to her make-up.

The Essex beauty, whose ombre locks have gone even blonder, looked phenomenal with her hair left loose and falling off her shoulders in soft waves, with an off-centre parting to frame her face.

Ferne was joined by a decidedly more casually-clad pal for the evening's fun - her friend rocking skinny jeans and a teal blouse - but the Essex babe didn't seem to mind.

Girl's night: A pair of black barely-there strappy sandals with towering heels finished her elegant aesthetic

Pouting queens: Ferne partied with her pretty brunette pal who also went for a leather look on Saturday

Meanwhile Ferne's former TOWIE co-star Lydia Bright went for an ultra chic look as she was seen stepping out of her Bella Sorella Boutique on Saturday.

The reality TV star, 26, looked chic in a cream culotte suit as she left her shop in Loughton, Essex.

Ever the fashionista, she threw a camel coat over her shoulders as stepped out adding a pop of colour with her dalmatian print pumps.

Classy: Ferne's TOWIE co-star Lydia Bright , 26, went for an ultra chic look as she left her Bella Sorella Boutique on Saturday

Lydia's outing comes amid reports she and Arg are planning to foster children together.

The TOWIE couple have already spoken about having children and are also thinking about caring for vulnerable kids together.

Lydia says she was inspired by her mother Debbie Douglas, who has fostered 247 children over the last 20 years.

Speaking to the Mirror, Lydia said: 'Arg and I have spoken about fostering and how positive it is.'

'He loves children and has met my foster brothers and sisters. Fostering is something I don't think either of us would rule out.'
They were there to watch a wedding take place on-screen.

And it seems the celebrity guest list was inspired to wear white as a result, with Effie, Teigan Nash and Ita Buttrose attending the Sydney premiere of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 on Sunday wearing the bridal shade.

Leading the stars in the style stakes was Greek Australian actress Effie Stephanidis, the loud alter-ego of Mary Coustas, who dazzled in a figure-hugging dress with a plunging neckline, treating fans to a glimpse of her cleavage.

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Vision in white: Greek Australian actress Effie Stephanidis, the loud alter-ego of Mary Coustas, dazzled in a figure-hugging white dress with a plunging neckline

The frock featured puffy shoulders and pleats of material gathered to one side.

The Acropolis Now actress was polished to perfection with professionally-applied highlighter and impeccable contouring intensifying her pretty facial features.

She also put a layer of rouge lipstick onto her plump lips to give her white outfit a pop of colour.

Wink: The hilarious actress made sure to pose with a twitter sign in her right hand while managing to wink

Effie appeared to co-ordinate her dress, which ended right before her knees, with a pair of strappy silver heels.

The 51-year-old made sure to style her brunette into a voluptuous do, while accessorising with a bangle, ring and oversized earrings which could just be seen poking out from beneath her big hair.

Also making an appearance in white at the event was Channel Seven TV presenter Teigan Nash.

Black and white beauty: Teigan Nash flaunted her gym-honed body in a summer white dress with a V-neckline and a geometrical pattern

The TV personality and nutrition student also opted to flaunt her gym-honed body in a summery white dress with a V-neckline and a geometrical pattern.

The journalist teamed the frock with a pair of monochrome sandals, a black choker and a matching leather clutch bag.

Like Effie, Teigan also applied red lipstick on her pout and styled her shoulder length locks into tousled waves, which fell elegantly around her face.

Elegant attire: Ita Buttrose looked chic in flared ivory trousers teamed with a white shirt which gathered at one sid

Ita Buttrose also seemed to get the memo, with the journalist and business woman, donning chic flared ivory trousers teamed with a white shirt, which gathered at one side.

The Studio 10 panellist threw a multi-coloured digital print blazer over the top of her neutral look.

While the 74-year-old accessorised with tan peep-toe heels and matching purse as she posed for the cameras.

Breaking the theme: My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2's Nia Vardalos stunned in a dusty pink Self-Portrait lace dress

Down Under connection: Academy Award nominee, writer and star posed with her own family, some of whom are based in Australia

Breaking the white theme was leading lady, Nia Vardalos.

The Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 starlet was a dream in a dusty pink Self-Portrait lace dress as she posed up a storm at the star-studded movie launch.

The frock stopped just below her knees and featured intricate cut-outs.

Her make-up was flawless, and featured dewy foundation, a red lip, and a dusting of blush.

The 53-year-old boosted her height in a pair of nude pumps and pulled her brunette locks in a stylish bun with loose curly strands falling stylish down one side of her face.

Striking a pose: Ksenija Lukich was certainly dressed to impress when arriving at the premiere in a silky blue skirt and a matching button-up top

While Ksenija Lukich was certainly dressed to impress when arriving at the premiere in a silky blue skirt and a matching button-up top.

The 26-year-old E! Australia presenter dared to bare all in the thigh skimming dress which showed off her toned pins.

Also making an appearance at the event was Here Come The Habibs actress Georgia Flood, who also sported a white dress, and attended with partner Rhys Jack.
She's been Down Under alongside her MTV cast mates promoting the new series of Geordie Shore.

And it was evident Charlotte Crosby intended to celebrate the end of the trip in the cast's usual manner, as she was seen looking rather bleary eyed at the Angler's Tavern nightclub in Melbourne.

Following the end of the Geordie Shore tour on Saturday, the 25-year-old hit a number of night clubs in the city, showing plenty of skin thanks to her combo of Daisy Dukes and a tiny singlet.

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One last party? It was evident Charlotte Crosby intended to celebrate the end of the trip in the casts' usual manner, as she was seen looking rather bleary eyed at the Angler's Tavern nightclub in Melbourne

Accompanied by two male pals the Northern lass chatted and laughed as they strode into the popular night spot.

And while there didn't appear to be any sign of her co-stars, Charlotte looked to be in high spirits.

For her night on the town - her final one in Australia before flying home to the UK - she made the most of the hot weather, and wore a skimpy summery ensemble.

Showcasing her lithe arms and a hint of cleavage, the MTV favourite wore a tight blank vest which clung to her torso.

Legs out: Following the end of the Geordie Shore tour on Saturday, the 25-year-old hit a number of night clubs in the city, showing plenty of skin thanks to her combo of Daisy Dukes and a tiny singlet

But it was the tiny pair of black frayed Daisy Dukes, which allowed her to showcase her gym-honed legs in all their glory.

Still sporting the nasty burn she'd incurred earlier on in the trip, thanks to a pair of hair straighteners, Charlotte's thigh-grazing shorts also allowed her to show a hint of her tattoo.

She rounded her beach bum ensemble off with a pair of black sandals.

Wearing her long blonde locks straight and swept back off of her face, Charlotte made sure to define and highlight her plump lips with a gratuitous slick of lip gloss.

But if Charlotte was feeling the blues about heading home to Newcastle, she didn't show it, as the star posted a funny face swap image of her beloved mother, Letitia.

Captioning the image, 'Happy Mother's Day Mam' Charlotte joked that she'd be picking her mother some chocolate up from the airport in the form of a Toblerone.
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Her passion for equal pay and equal rights for women meant she dedicated the biggest moment in her life to speaking out.

A year on since Patricia Arquette made an impassioned plea for women to be treated as equals to their male counterparts at the Oscars, she has started a petition and a campaign to help America take action.

In an interview with People, published Sunday, the 47-year-old explained why it is so important that men and women come together to finally and make equal rights for the sexes part of the Bill Of Rights.

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Be counted: Patricia Arquette (pictured at the Oscars last month) is calling for people to push for the Equal Rights Amendment - which guarantees women's legal rights - to be finally ratified so it can become part of the Bill Of Rights

The star said most people under 40 do not even realise that the Equal Rights Amendment - which was introduced in 1923 and finally passed in 1972 - was never signed off on by enough states to be officially part of the Bill Of Rights.

The passed but not ratified Amendment reads: 'Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.'

Without it, Patricia said, there is no constitutional guarantee ensure women are equal to men - most states have their own legal protections but they are not universal in their wording or their overage.

Without it, the Oscar winner said, women remain at risk on many levels: 'People think it's a women-only issue but it's not - it's an equality issue. If I were to hear that men didn't have equal rights in the United States I would think, ''That is not acceptable.''

Dedicated: A year on since the star made an impassioned plea for women to be treated as equals to their male counterparts at the Oscars (pictured), she has started a petition and a campaign to help America take action

Everyone should care: The actress, seen here in documentary Equal Means Equal, said, 'People think it's a women-only issue but it's not - it's an equality issue. If I were to hear that men didn't have equal rights in the United States I would think, ''That is not acceptable''

'The truth is, when you start talking about these issues like women's rape kits not being processed for decades or being thrown in the trash can, every dad out there wants that changed. Every husband out there wants that changed.

'This is a broken system in multiple areas and we have multiple things that are affecting women, we have rape, we have gender wage discrimination, socioeconomic costs and it's all bubbling down.

'The people there at the bottom of the barrel can't take it anymore.'

Patricia - who stars in new documentary Equal Means Equal about the disparities in women's rights and pay - has now created a Change.org petition demanding that the Amendment is ratified.

Getting message out there: Patricia stars in and is executive producer of Equal Means Equal which looks at the issue

While this would require additional steps now as the deadline for ratification has now passed, 78,500 people have signed the petition which hopes to get 150,000 signatures.

The star explained her hopes for the petition: 'The petition will end up going to lawmakers and also governors, we need nonpartisan support for this.

'It was originally introduced by a Republican and had very strong Republican support and we want that back. We need to get our politicians talking more about it during the election cycle, because we are 51 percent of the population. We want equal rights in America and we don't have it, it's not up for debate.'

The star slammed criticism that she was just wanting actresses to get paid more or that her push was more about benefiting white women.

The Medium star told People: 'A lot of people don't want any change. They say there is no pay equality, they say that I only care about actresses having equal pay or white woman, none of that is true.

'We need equal rights, and we need it now. And we need to say to the world, women have equal rights in America, all people have equal rights.'

The director of the Equal Means Equal documentary Kamala Lopez emphasized why the Amendment is so critical.

She told the magazine: 'We know for a fact that gender wage discrimination would be eliminated. If you eliminate that, that has a domino effect into foster care, child sex trafficking, even domestic violence because most of the time women stay with their abusers because of the economic reality that they can't leave with their kids.'
Supermodel Naomi Campbell has revealed she is keen to start a new chapter in her life and become a mother.

The 45-year-old supermodel, famous for her fiery temper, said she does not know which way she will have children but that motherhood is something she has always thought about.

She said it will happen in her own time as she is not rushing to anyones drumbeat.

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In her own time: Supermodel Naomi Campbell has revealed she is keen to start a new chapter in her life and become a mother

In an interview with the Sunday Times magazine, the model also shot down rumours that she is dating actor Idris Elba, 43, after reports he had split from the mother of his 23-month-old son.

Miss Campbell has previously been linked to a string of powerful men including boxer Mike Tyson, actor Robert De Niro, Russian billionaire Vladimir Doronin and former Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore, but none of the relationships lasted.

When asked if her longevity as a model was in part due to not taking time out to have children, she replied:

Well, Im not saying I wont have children. I could have children. I just dont know which way Ill have children.

Mum's the word: Naomi said her mother Valerie has inspired her to raise a child on her own

'But I think Ill have children, everyone thinks Ill be a good mother. Ive always considered it. Ill just do it when Im ready. Im not rushing to anyones drumbeat, Im going to my own.

Miss Campbell was raised by her single mother, Valerie, who said she would like to be a grandmother but added I dont want to force it.

Born in Streatham, south London, and having travelled the world since being discovered while she still a 15-year-old schoolgirl, Miss Campbell remains a big name in the fashion world.

She was the first black model to appear on the cover of British Vogue.

She believes she is now more mellow and admitted that she has made some big mistakes but feels she has made amends for them.

My behaviour at certain points in my life...I was growing up, just learning how to live, and I had to do it in front of the world, she said. I hope that Im forgiven, as I forgive those who have hurt me too.
Japan's Kato, US star Douglas win American Cup titles

Japan's Ryohei Kato and reigning Olympic women's all-around champion Gabrielle Douglas of the United States won titles Saturday at the American Cup invitational gymnastics meet in Newark, New Jersey.

Kato, who helped Japan to last year's world team title in Glasgow and 2012 Olympic silver in London, took the men's all-around crown with 88.931 points to edge American Donnell Whittenburg by .366 of a point with China's Sun Wei third on 87.665.

Kato had the top apparatus score only on the horizontal bar at 15.233 points but was second in pommel horse, still rings and floor exercise on his way to the all-around victory in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic tuneup.

Gabrielle Douglas of the United States competes on the uneven parallel bars during the 2016 AT&T American Cup on March 5, 2016 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey Elsa (Getty/AFP)

"It was important to ride the momentum from worlds last year and put up a good showing," Kato said. "In my mind, the best competition is when everyone actually hits and then to see who comes out on top at the end. I didn't think I could come out on top."

On the women's side, Douglas led the way on 60.165 points with fellow American Maggie Nichols second on 59.699 and Canada's Elsabeth Black third on 57.132, 1.2 points ahead of Britain's Amy Tinkler in fourth.

Douglas won the vault, uneven bars and balance beam and placed second in the floor exercise.

"When the lights go on, I'm all in," said Douglas. "There's something that flips, clicks, and I'm so thankful to have that -- click it on, click it off.
Four more foreign banks get Myanmar licence

Four more foreign banks have been given preliminary approval to operate in Myanmar, state media reported on Sunday, the latest government attempt to attract overseas investment to the emergent nation.

Myanmar's banking system was closed for decades to outside competition under junta rule, leaving the country laden with a creaking financial infrastructure and a populace deeply suspicious of banks.

But that has slowly begun to change since outright military rule gave way to a reformist government in 2011 that paved the way for last November's landmark elections.

Myanmar's banking system was closed for decades to outside competition under junta rule, leaving the country laden with a creaking financial infrastructure Ye Aung Thu (AFP/File)

The four new banks that have been given initial approval are Vietnam's Bank for Investment and Development, Taiwan's E.SUN Commercial Bank, South Korea's Shinhan Bank and the State Bank of India, the Global New Light of Myanmar said, quoting the Central Bank of Myanmar.

A total of 13 foreign banks have now been given permission to operate inside the Southeast Asian nation.

Most are still in the process of meeting regulations before opening branches but some are already up and running.

In April last year, Japan's Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) became the first foreign bank in decades to open a branch inside Myanmar.

Among other banks that have opened branches are Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) as well as Singapore's Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC).

Most of the foreign banks who have applied for licences hail from the Asia-Pacific region.

Myanmar's brutal military rulers nationalised all banks when they seized power in 1962 as they embarked on socialist policies that would send the economy into precipitous decline for nearly half a century.

Local people remain deeply reluctant to embrace the banking system and many deal only in cash.

Authorities have implemented sweeping political and economic changes in recent years that have seen most Western sanctions lifted, opening up the country to new streams of international investment.

Both the outgoing military backed government and Aung San Suu Kyi's incoming National League for Democracy have vowed to increase capital flows to local businesses and to spur investment.

The World Bank has said firms cite access to finance as the main obstacle to doing business in Myanmar.
Same-sex plebiscite by year-end: Australian minister

Australia's attorney-general said on Sunday the government would hold a plebiscite on legalising same-sex marriage this year if re-elected, a day after the prime minister became the first sitting leader to attend the Mardi Gras parade.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is well-known for his support of gay marriage, has said he would continue his predecessor Tony Abbott's policy of holding a plebiscite on the issue instead of a parliamentary vote.

"Were the government to be re-elected, there will be a plebiscite. The plebiscite will occur before the end of this year," Attorney-General George Brandis told Sky News.

Supporters of same-sex marriage take part in a rally in Sydney, in 2015 Peter Parks (AFP/File)

"The bill to constitute the plebiscite will be introduced early in the life of the parliament... in the event that there would be a 'yes' vote the government would legislate to give effect to the wishes of the people.

"Treating gay people equally is, I think, one of the fundamental values of modern Australian society," he added, saying he was in favour of same-sex marriage.

Turnbull said Saturday he was "delighted" to attend the annual gay and lesbian parade, while Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten was the first leader of a major party to march in the annual event.

Labor has pledged to hold a parliamentary vote on gay marriage within 100 days if it wins the next election.

Turnbull has said previously he expects the election to take place between August to October. But his office, when contacted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation later Sunday, could not say if the plebiscite would be held by the end of the year.

Same-sex couples can have civil unions or register their relationships in most states across Australia, but the government does not consider them married under national law.
Veteran Sudan Islamist Turabi laid to rest

Senior Sudanese officials joined some 3,000 mourners on Sunday at the funeral of veteran Islamist leader Hassan Turabi, an ally turned outspoken critic of the regime.

Police were out in force as Turabi's shrouded body was laid to rest in the Burri cemetery in the east of the capital.

Mourners from his Popular Congress Party, many of them wearing traditional robes and turbans, paraded banners bearing his photograph and paying tribute to his life.

The Sudan opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi Turabi died of a heart attack on March 5, 2016 aged 84 Ashraf Shazly (AFP/File)

First Vice President Bakri Hassan Saleh was among several members of the government who attended the ceremony but President Omar al-Bashir was absent after flying out to Jakarta for an Islamic summit that opens on Monday.

Bashir visited Turabi's family on Saturday evening to offer his condolences on the 84-year-old's death from a heart attack earlier in the day.

The two men were once close allies. Turabi was a leading force behind the 1989 coup that brought Bashir to power, ushering in an Islamist regime that hosted Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from 1992 to 1996.

A power struggle between them saw Turabi dismissed from the ruling National Congress Party leadership a decade after the coup. He later formed his own party.

Turabi was the only Sudanese politician to support a warrant issued for Bashir's arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the regime's conduct of the conflict in Darfur.

He was detained several times over a career spanning four decades, including in January 2009 two days after urging Bashir to give himself up to the ICC.
IS suicide truck bomb kills 47 south of Baghdad

A suicide truck bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State group killed 47 people at a crowded checkpoint south of Baghdad Sunday, the deadliest such attack in Iraq this year.

The massive blast completely destroyed the checkpoint manned by security forces guarding the northern entrance to Hilla, an area that had recently been spared such attacks.

"The suicide bomber used an explosives-laden truck, at a time when there was dense traffic," Faleh al-Radhi, the head of the security committee at Babil provincial council, said.

Iraqi emergency responders clear debris from the site of a truck bomb that exploded at a crowded checkpoint, in the Iraqi city of Hilla, south of Baghdad on March 6, 2016 Haidar Hamdani (AFP)

A doctor at Hilla hospital put the number of people killed by the blast at 47, including around 20 members of the security forces, and said at least 72 people were also wounded.

Radhi and police officers confirmed the casualty toll, the heaviest from any car bomb attack in Iraq this year.

The blast went off at around 1:00 pm (1000 GMT), a time of day when vehicles are usually bumper-to-bumper, waiting to be checked by security personnel.

An AFP photographer at the scene said that there was almost nothing left of the checkpoint.

He said one distraught man was asking rescuers, survivors and journalists to help him retrieve the body of his baby child from under the mangled wreckage of a car.

"When I got to the scene, there were people whose clothes were still on fire, they were screaming," said Hamza Kadhem, a 35-year-old labourer who was near when the blast went off.

The doctor at Hilla hospital said at least 11 of the wounded were in a very serious condition.

- Scenes of chaos -

Mohammed Jamal, a 27-year-old civil servant, was sitting in traffic when the explosion ripped through the lines of vehicles.

"My car windows just shattered with the blast," he told AFP from the emergency ward.

"After that, I can't remember much, I was lost in this chaos and found myself at Hilla hospital, I'm not sure how," he said.

Karim Sahi, 35, a taxi driver reached by phone, was also close to the checkpoint.

"When we heard the blast, we rushed to the scene. There were bodies everywhere, people running in all directions, some just froze there, screaming," he said.

A March 2014 suicide bombing at the same checkpoint outside Hilla, 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the capital, killed 50 people and wounded more than 150.

The Islamic State group has not had fixed positions south of Baghdad since security forces and allied militias began their fightback against the jihadists in late 2014.

When Iraqi forces began their counter-offensive against IS, securing the Shiite shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, south of Baghdad, was a priority.

The jihadist group has since been losing territory in Iraq. In the most recent operation, Iraqi forces have been retaking areas west of the city of Samarra and are continuing to advance.

In the cities IS retains control over, internal tension appears to be on the rise and the lack of supplies is taking its toll.

Observers have warned that, as its self-proclaimed "caliphate" shrinks towards extinction, IS will likely revert to its old guerrilla tactics and ramp up suicide car bomb attacks on civilian targets.

"The Rafidha (a derogatory term for Shiites) must understand that the battle has just begun and that the worst is yet to come," IS said as it claimed Sunday's bombing.

The attack on Hilla checkpoint was one of the deadliest bombings since a suicide explosion killed nearly 100 people in Diyala province, north of Baghdad, in July 2015.

The massive blast completely destroyed the checkpoint manned by security forces guarding the northern entrance to Hilla Haidar Hamdani (AFP)

The blast went off in the middle of the day when vehicles are usually bumper-to-bumper, waiting to be checked by security personnel Haidar Hamdani (AFP)
Gunmen ambush ambulance in Egypt's Sinai, killing 3

Gunmen on Sunday shot dead two wounded members of Egypt's security forces in an ambulance after they had been injured by a bombing in the Sinai Peninsula, security officials said.

A medic in the ambulance was also killed in the ambush in the town of Sheikh Zuweid in North Sinai, where the jihadist Islamic State group is spearheading an insurgency.

Inside the ambulance were three security personnel who had been wounded just minutes previously in a blast targeting their armoured vehicle, a senior security officer in El-Arish told AFP.

Egyptian police have detained or killed scores of suspected militants in Cairo and the delta, although the security forces continue to face frequent attack in the Sinai, stronghold of jihadists loyal to the Islamic Strate group

"When the ambulance left the site of the blast with the wounded security members it came under attack from gunmen," the officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Two wounded security personnel and a medic were killed in the ambush," he said, without specifying whether the dead were in the police or army.

Mahmud Amer, head of the North Sinai ambulance service, confirmed the death of a medic in an attack in Sheikh Zuweid but did not elaborate.

No militant group has yet claimed responsibility for either the bomb attack or the subsequent ambush.

Jihadists from "Sinai Province", the Egypt's IS affiliate, are waging an insurgency in the restive peninsula that has killed hundreds of soldiers and police since the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

IS also claimed the October 31 downing of a Russian airliner carrying tourists over Sinai that killed all 224 people on board.

The group said it had smuggled a bomb on board at an airport in the south of the peninsula.

The Sinai jihadists pledged allegiance in November 2014 to IS, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria and also has a presence in conflict-ridden Libya.
Egypt says Hamas, Brotherhood involved in top prosecutor's murder

Egypt on Sunday accused the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood of involvement in last year's killing of the country's top prosecutor Hisham Barakat.

Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar said that 14 members of the Muslim Brotherhood participated directly in the plan to murder Barakat, who was assassinated in a car bomb attack on June 29.

"This plot was carried out on the orders of the Muslim Brotherhood... in close coordination with Hamas, which played a very important role in the assassination of the chief prosecutor from start to finish," Abdel Ghaffar told reporters.

Egyptian state prosecutor Hisham Barakat was killed in a powerful bombing that hit his convoy in Cairo on June 28, 2015

Cairo regularly accuses Hamas, which controls the neighbouring Gaza Strip and is allied with the Muslim Brotherhood, of supporting attacks in Egypt.

Hamas swiftly denied that it was involved in the killing.

"The accusations against Hamas regarding the assassination of prosecutor general Hisham Barakat are false and run contrary to efforts to strengthen relations between Hamas and Cairo," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told the movement's Al-Aqsa television channel.

Abdel Ghaffar said the 14 people who "directly participated" in the killing were "part of a cell of 48 people who had planned... a big conspiracy" against Egypt.

He said the entire cell of 48 had been arrested. "All those arrested are from the Muslim Brotherhood," he said.

Barakat, 64, was killed when a car bomb struck his convoy in the upscale east Cairo district of Heliopolis.

He was the most senior government official to be killed since jihadists launched an insurgency following the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

He was appointed after Morsi's ouster, and was seen as a staunch opponent of the Islamist opposition, referring thousands of people to trial.

- Crackdown on the Brotherhood -

Barakat's assassination, which has never been claimed by any group, came as a blow to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former army chief who overthrew Morsi and won elections in 2014 on a pledge to wipe out Islamist militants.

After ousting Morsi, the authorities began a blistering crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood movement that has left hundreds of people dead and thousands jailed.

Hundreds more have been sentenced to death or lengthy jail terms after speedy mass trials.

Morsi himself has been sentenced to death after being convicted of plotting jailbreaks and attacking police during the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

The Brotherhood, Egypt's main opposition movement for decades, was blacklisted as a "terrorist group" in December 2013.

Since Morsi's ouster, Hamas has had strained relations with Sisi.

Abdel Ghaffar said that no member of Hamas had directly participated in Barakat's murder.

"But they were involved in the planning and training of those who carried out the assassination," he said.

"Some Bedouins helped the members of the cell enter the Gaza Strip from Sinai."

The mountainous northern part of the Sinai Peninsula is a bastion of the Egyptian affiliate of the jihadist Islamic State group, which has spearheaded an insurgency against the security forces since Morsi's ouster.

Barakat's assassination came after the IS affiliate -- "Sinai Province" -- called for attacks on the country's judiciary.

Jihadists have regularly attacked police and soldiers in the peninsula and in cities in retaliation for the police crackdown targeting Morsi supporters.

Although the Sinai Province group has claimed it was behind near daily attacks on the security forces, the authorities have always blamed these on Morsi's banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Ohio Gov. Kasich releases partial tax returns for 7 years

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Republican presidential hopeful John Kasich released his partial tax returns for the past several years on Saturday, joining Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz among the GOP candidates to make public such personal financial records.

The Ohio governor's tax returns from 2008 to 2014 were posted to his campaign's website. They show Kasich has paid roughly 31 percent of his income in federal taxes.

In those seven years, Kasich and his wife, Karen, reported more than $5.3 million in total income. That includes money Kasich earned as governor, as a public speaker, a board member, an author, a Lehman Brothers employee, a Fox News commentator and from the couple's investments, his campaign said.

The bill, which now must be approved by Ohio state governor John Kasich, pictured, to become law, would become one of American's most stringent on abortion

Since winning the governor's office in 2011, the Kasichs' total income reported has ranged from $706,043 to $313,705.

Like Rubio and Cruz, Kasich only released the first two pages of his federal 1040 form. Not included in the disclosure are other parts of his returns, including the documents that detail his deductions.

Those records would shed additional light on Kasich's charitable contributions, for example.

GOP front-runner Donald Trump has not release his personal tax records, citing an ongoing IRS audit of his returns dating back a dozen years.
Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry will be shared in Billings to foster conversations about the journalistic, literary and artistic values the Pulitzers legacy represents.

The yearlong series of events will include a keynote reading by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Vijay Seshadri, who will be interviewed by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Matt Brown; as well as lectures, multimedia performances, a reading by Montana poet laureates, community readings, a writing workshop, school visits and programs and a video discussion series.

All events are free.

March 11: Pulitzer Out Loud, MoAV Coffee House, 7 p.m.

A diverse cast of community members share Pulitzer-Prize winning poems in a kick-off event for the spring Pulitzer events. Event hosted by slam poet champions Anna Paige and Pete Tolton, with special guests.

March 16: Video interview with Pulitzer-winning poet Gary Snyder at the Public Library, 7 p.m.

Poet Cara Chamberlain will play a Lannan film interview of Pulitzer-winning poet Gary Snyder and lead a discussion.

March 24: Vijay Seshadri reading followed by interview with Matt Brown, Cisel Hall, MSUB, 7 p.m.

Pulitzer-Prize Winning Poet Seshadri reads from his work and answers questions from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matt Brown. Reception to follow.

March 30: Video interview with Pulitzer-winning poet Sharon Olds at the Public Library 7 p.m.

Poet Cara Chamberlain will play an interview with a Pulitzer-winning poet Sharon Olds and lead a discussion.

April 6: Video interview with a Pulitzer-winning poet Maxine Kumin at the Public Library 7 p.m.

Poet Cara Chamberlain will play an interview with a Pulitzer-winning poet Maxine Kumin and lead a discussion.

April 13: Strong Is Your Hold: An Evening of the Poetry of Galway Kinnell at 209 (2905 Montana Avenue) 7 p.m.

Dave Caserio presents a multi-media collaboration of poetry, music, dance and reminiscence with Parker Brown and Krista Leigh-Pasini on the work of the late, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning poet, Galway Kinnell.

April 20: Lowell Jaeger: The Art of Meaningful Conversation, Good Fences, Good Neighbors at the library, 7 p.m.

Using Robert Frosts poem The Mending Wall, Poet Lowell Jaeger will facilitate an engaging conversation with audience members about topics important to their lives.

April 23: Poetry Workshop Inspired by the Work of Pulitzer Prize Winning Poetry Kay Ryan at the Western Heritage Center 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hands-on community-based workshop appropriate for writers of all levels. Registration includes a copy of Ryans The Best of It: New and Selected Poems. Limited to 15 participants. Email danell@bigskywritingworkshops.com to register.

May 2: Favorite Pulitzer Poems: Community Reading at Art House Cinema and Pub 7 p.m.

Members of the Big Sky Writing Workshops will be reading poems by Pulitzer Prize-winning poets and inviting community members to share their favorite Pulitzer poems.
Lacking powers, China's legislature a venue for the wealthy

BEIJING (AP)  China's take on parliamentary democracy kicked off its annual session Saturday to address national priorities at a time of slowing economic growth. Unlike legislatures elsewhere, China's does little in the way of legislating, is carefully stage-managed and allows no foreign leader to address it.

But like such chambers of power elsewhere, China's has become something of a billionaire's club, where the super-rich sit shoulder-to-shoulder with colorfully adorned Tibetan, Mongolian and other minority delegates and members of the country's vast bureaucracy. The delegates are selected through an indirect voting system that ensures those approved by the party leadership get elected.

Here is a look at the National People's Congress, which runs through March 16:

In this Saturday, March 5, 2016 photo, ethnic minority delegates arrive at the Great Hall of the People before the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing. Unlike legislatures elsewhere, Chinas does little in the way of legislating, is carefully stage-managed and allows no foreign leader to address it. But like such chambers of power elsewhere, Chinas has become something of a billionaires club, where the super-rich sit shoulder-to-shoulder with colorfully adorned Tibetan, Mongolian and other minority delegates and members of the countrys vast bureaucracy. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

SOME TALK, LITTLE ACTION  China firmly rejects Western political notions of separation of powers, so challenging the leadership or questioning its decisions are not part of the somewhat nebulous mandate for the NPC's nearly 3,000 delegates. Nor does it draft or seriously challenge the government's budget proposals, instead discussing the various speeches and reports in small groups before voting to approve whatever measures put before it at the close of the roughly two-week session.

The exercise is not entirely without merit, however, since members gain a better understanding of the government's priorities and can also channel up to the leadership some of their grassroots concerns.

The vast majority of the NPC's legislative work is handled by its 171-member Standing Committee, which meets every two months to discuss and pass laws and is more firmly under control of the ruling Communist Party. The full body only occasionally votes on legislation considered especially significant, notably the 2005 anti-succession law aimed at Taiwan. Even among the laws that reach the Standing Committee, most are fairly prosaic, with the truly crucial matters of state handled directly by the party's paramount Politburo Standing Committee.

POMP AND REPRESSION  The NPC strictly proceeds along well established lines, beginning on its first day with the premier's work report, a kind of State-of-the-Nation address that reviews achievements of the previous year and sets out the new year's goals and priorities. Focused heavily on the economy and public services, the report is pulled together by a committee based on submissions from major government departments. Considerable lobbying precedes the premier's 90-minute speech, since a mention of one's pet project can be touted as a high-level endorsement.

The time around the meeting is usually a dismal period for China's embattled dissident community, which may be confined to their homes or taken on out-of-town trips in the constant presence of state security agents. Security is ratcheted up nationwide, but especially in Beijing, where out-of-town petitioners are cleared out and paramilitary guards are posted throughout city. Saturday's opening session at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing was swathed in multiple layers of security, starting with bag checks in the subway and an additional checkpoint just to look onto the square.

NO ROOM FOR OUTSIDERS  Although Chinese President Xi Jinping has grown fond of addressing his host country's elected assemblies during overseas trips, the NPC doesn't afford the same honor. Partly, that's because of limited availability, with the full congress meeting just once a year, but also because of its rigid structure that brooks no outside interference. Foreign guests may observe from the gallery, but only the premier and other top Chinese leaders are allowed to address the assembly. The most a visiting leader can hope for is a speech at one of China's top universities.

BILLIONAIRE'S CLUB  The NPC includes many of China's wealthiest citizens, with more than 100 billionaires by some estimates. The real number isn't known since delegates are under no obligation to declare their assets, and wealth in China is often hidden. However, observers who run the numbers say the top 10 richest delegates are worth around $184 billion, about 100 times the wealth of the 10 richest American members of Congress. Membership confers both status and access to policy-makers who can help grease the wheels of commerce.

While the NPC's membership originally was drawn from government officials, workers and farmers, former President Jiang Zemin opened it up more than a decade ago to China's newly rich. That's given it a reputation as the world's wealthiest parliament, more likely to draw comparisons to the annual Davos gathering than any true elected assembly. That may seem at odds with the Communist Party's original mandate of seeking capitalism's downfall. Yet they're not so far opposed as it may seem, since many of those fortunes were made in the post-Mao reform era during which the party oversaw the transfer of vast land holdings and other public assets into private hands.

In this Saturday, March 5, 2016 photo, Chinese policemen walk with sniffer dogs near the Great Hall of the People where the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) is held in Beijing. Security during the meeting is ratcheted up nationwide, but especially in Beijing, where out of town petitioners are cleared out and paramilitary guards are posted throughout city. Saturdays opening session at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing was swathed in multiple layers of security, starting with bag checks in the subway and an additional checkpoint just to look onto the square. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

In this Saturday, March 5, 2016 photo, Chinese security personnel march past the Great Hall of the People where the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) is held in Beijing. Security during the meeting is ratcheted up nationwide, but especially in Beijing, where out of town petitioners are cleared out and paramilitary guards are posted throughout city. Saturdays opening session at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing was swathed in multiple layers of security, starting with bag checks in the subway and an additional checkpoint just to look onto the square. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

In this Saturday, March 5, 2016 photo, Lei Jun, billionaire CEO and founder of Chinese electronics firm Xiaomi, arrives at the Great Hall of the People before the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing. The NPC includes many of Chinas wealthiest citizens, with more than 100 billionaires by some estimates. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

In this Saturday, March 5, 2016 photo, a military band conductor leads the band at the end of the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Unlike legislatures elsewhere, Chinas does little in the way of legislating, is carefully stage-managed and allows no foreign leader to address it. But like such chambers of power elsewhere, Chinas has become something of a billionaires club, where the super-rich sit shoulder-to-shoulder with colorfully adorned Tibetan, Mongolian and other minority delegates and members of the countrys vast bureaucracy.(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

In this Saturday, March 5, 2016 photo, delegates greet each other at the Great Hall of the People before the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing. Unlike legislatures elsewhere, Chinas does little in the way of legislating, is carefully stage-managed and allows no foreign leader to address it. But like such chambers of power elsewhere, Chinas has become something of a billionaires club, where the super-rich sit shoulder-to-shoulder with colorfully adorned Tibetan, Mongolian and other minority delegates and members of the countrys vast bureaucracy. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

In this Saturday, March 5, 2016 photo, a delegate from Tibet arrives at the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Unlike legislatures elsewhere, Chinas does little in the way of legislating, is carefully stage-managed and allows no foreign leader to address it. But like such chambers of power elsewhere, Chinas has become something of a billionaires club, where the super-rich sit shoulder-to-shoulder with colorfully adorned Tibetan, Mongolian and other minority delegates and members of the countrys vast bureaucracy. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

In this Saturday, March 5, 2016 photo, delegates read the work report during the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Unlike legislatures elsewhere, Chinas does little in the way of legislating, is carefully stage-managed and allows no foreign leader to address it. But like such chambers of power elsewhere, Chinas has become something of a billionaires club, where the super-rich sit shoulder-to-shoulder with colorfully adorned Tibetan, Mongolian and other minority delegates and members of the countrys vast bureaucracy. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

In this Saturday, March 5, 2016 photo, security guards push barriers into place after the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Security during the meeting is ratcheted up nationwide, but especially in Beijing, where out of town petitioners are cleared out and paramilitary guards are posted throughout city. Saturdays opening session at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing was swathed in multiple layers of security, starting with bag checks in the subway and an additional checkpoint just to look onto the square. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Some Republicans see Cruz as best alternative to Trump

WASHINGTON (AP)  Republican leaders on Sunday grappled with the prospect that the best hope for stopping Donald Trump's march to the nomination may be Ted Cruz  the only candidate who causes as much heartburn among party elites as the billionaire businessman, if not sometimes more.

The Texas senator split contests with Trump in Saturday's voting, bolstering his argument that only he can defeat the real estate mogul. Trump and Cruz are now significantly outpacing Marco Rubio in the delegate count, further shrinking the Florida senator's already narrow path to the nomination.

If Rubio's slide continues, he would be the latest establishment candidate to fall victim to an angry, frustrated electorate that cares little about endorsements from party leaders or newspaper editorial boards. Rubio has rolled out both at warp speed in recent weeks, but his appeal with Republican voters is not keeping pace.

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Saturday, March 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Rubio did pick up a victory Sunday in Puerto Rico's primary, his second win of the 2016 cycle. Democrats, meanwhile, held caucuses Sunday in Maine. Sanders won that contest, beating rival Hillary Clinton for his eighth win of the 19 contests already held in the nomination process.

Also, Democrats were debating debate Sunday night in Flint, Michigan, highlighting differences on economic policy.

The Democratic candidates were facing off just two days before Michigan's primary in a city that was already in tough shape long before residents learned their drinking water was tainted with lead.

Clinton, a former secretary of state and senator, claims that only she has a "credible strategy" for raising wages. In recent days, she has laid out a plan for a "clawback" of tax benefits for companies that ship jobs overseas, using the money to encourage investment in the United States.

Sanders wrote in Sunday's Detroit Free Press that his rival had supported "disastrous trade deals" such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and normalized trade relations with China that have resulted in thousands of job losses that devastated cities such as Detroit and Flint.

Sanders won Democratic contests on Saturday in Kansas and Nebraska, but Clinton's overwhelming victory in Louisiana enabled her to add to her commanding lead in delegates to the party's national nominating convention.

With 25 Maine delegates at stake, Sanders is assured of winning at least 14 while Clinton stands to gain at least six. But his victory won't have much impact on Clinton's substantial edge overall, thanks to her support among superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice.

When including those party leaders, Clinton has at least 1,129 while Sanders has at least 498. It takes 2,383 delegates to win.

In the Republican race, the wary interest in Cruz from more mainstream Republicans is the latest unexpected twist in a nominating contest where talk of a contested convention or third-party candidate is becoming commonplace.

"If Ted's the alternative to Trump, he's at least a Republican and conservative," South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said. While Graham made sure to note that it's "not like I prefer Ted Cruz," he encouraged Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to "decide among themselves" whether they can be a realistic alternative to Trump.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, said Cruz is indeed "emerging" as the chief anti-Trump candidate.

"I think a lot of people were surprised by how well Ted Cruz did," said Romney, who has thrust himself back into the political discussion with a searing takedown of Trump in a speech last week.

Romney has stepped back into the spotlight at a moment of crisis and chaos for the Republican Party. Leaders in Washington who assumed hard-liners such as Cruz represented a minority view have been left wondering if they're the ones out of step with their party's base.

For months, Republican elites have lumped Trump and Cruz together, arguing that neither could win in November's general election. Cruz is an uncompromising conservative who has publicly criticized party leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for what he sees as a pattern of giving in too easily to President Barack Obama.

Cruz particularly angered Senate leaders when he helped orchestrate the 2013 government shutdown, which failed in achieving the senator's stated goal of defunding Obama's health care reform law.

But Cruz has built a loyal following among conservatives and evangelical Christians. After winning the leadoff Iowa caucuses, he's also beaten Trump in five more states, more than any other candidate.

Trump still leads the field with at least 378 delegates, while Cruz has at least 295. Rubio and Kasich lag far behind in the race to reach the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination.

Rubio and Kasich desperately need to win in their home states of Florida and Ohio on March 15 to have any credible case for staying in the race.

Trump's lead has sparked a flurry of discussions among Republicans about complicated long-shot options to stop him. Rival campaigns are exploring ways to prevent Trump from getting the delegates he needs to win the nomination outright, then defeat him at the convention in July. A small, but influential, group of Republicans has raised the idea of backing a yet-to-be-determined third-party candidate.

Trump has warned Republicans that they'll lose his voters if they try to take the nomination away from him.

"We have a tremendous number of people coming in and a tremendous number of people showing up to vote," he said Sunday.

Graham and Romney spoke on NBC's "Meet The Press." Trump appeared on CBS' "Face The Nation."

___

Associated Press writers Ken Thomas and Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump drives himself to the golf course to watch the final round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament, Sunday, March 6, 2016, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Monotony and 'moments of terror' mark search for Flight 370

SYDNEY (AP)  The shifts on board the ship are punishing: 12 hours on, 12 hours off, seven days a week, for a month straight  though pingpong and poker during the downtime help break up the monotony. But for the American man who designed a sonar device being used in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, spending nearly six months at sea searching for the plane was something of an honor.

With that honor has come the weight of responsibility  for the families of the 239 people on board the vanished plane still desperate for answers. Now, with the search of a remote patch of ocean off Australia's west coast drawing to a close and the plane's wreckage proving stubbornly elusive, Jay Larsen is among those feeling the pressure.

"I think there is some tension building as the end of the job comes nearer," says Larsen, whose Whitefish, Montana-based company built one of the devices scanning a mountainous stretch of seabed where the plane is believed to have crashed nearly two years ago. "Everybody wants to find this thing, including us."

In this March 4, 2016 photo, Jay Larsen, who designed a sonar device being used in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, poses for a photo with a long range acoustic locating beacon, used to track the sonar device in Seattle. Larsen considers the nearly six months at sea searching for the plane something of an honor. With that honor has come the weight of responsibility for the families of the 239 people on board the vanished plane still desperate for answers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Larsen has been involved with the hunt from the beginning, when marine services contractor Phoenix International Holdings hired his deep-water search and survey company, Hydrospheric Solutions, to provide the sonar equipment used on board the search vessel GO Phoenix. The Malaysian-contracted vessel participated in eight months of the hunt until June last year.

Most recently, Larsen and his team flew to Singapore to load their sonar device onto a Chinese ship, the Dong Hai Jiu 101, which has just joined three other vessels scouring the southern Indian Ocean for the plane. He then traveled on board the Dong Hai to the west Australian city of Fremantle, and, after ensuring the sonar and his team were ready to go, bid them adieu last month as they set out for the search zone 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) to the southwest.

Larsen's company has a crew of eight people on the Chinese ship who are tasked with running the sonar system  or "flying the fish," as he puts it. That "fish" is actually a 20-foot (6-meter) long, 5-foot (1.5-meter) wide, 3.5-ton bright yellow behemoth called the SLH ProSAS-60, which is dragged slowly behind the ship by a cable.

The device hovers just above the seabed as it scans a patch of ocean floor 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) wide, sending data to computers on board that process the information into images.

The black-and-white, near-photo-quality pictures that pop up on the screen resemble the surface of the moon. The imagery, produced by synthetic aperture sonar, is higher quality than conventional sonar, Larsen says, giving him confidence that his team won't miss the debris field if they drift over it.

The job can be grueling. Larsen was on board the GO Phoenix at the start of the underwater search  from September 2014 to February 2015  breaking only to return to shore once a month for fresh supplies, and flying home once to the U.S. for the holidays.

"It almost ruined my head, my brain, my heart, my marriage, but we got it going," he says.

On board, two teams of three people work alternating 12-hour shifts every day, a job that requires close attention and coordination. One of Larsen's employees sits at the controls flying the sonar, while a navigator sits beside him looking at upcoming terrain to warn him of obstacles. A third staffer sits in a nearby seat providing a backup set of eyes. Another team member pops in occasionally in case anyone needs a break.

The work is both monotonous and intense; there are long stretches where nothing happens, until bam  a massive mountain in the seabed suddenly appears in front of them. The sonar could be destroyed if it hits a rock wall, or it could get hopelessly stuck on something and languish forever on the ocean floor, which reaches depths of 6.5 kilometers (4 miles).

"It's that whole cliche of hours of boredom interspersed with moments of terror," Larsen says. "Some of the terrain out there is just incredible, these mountains and trenches and stuff that we're trying to get every last look into to make sure we don't miss anything. So the more daring we are, the better in terms of the imagery  but the consequences are real. ... It's a couple-million-dollar piece of equipment and we don't want to lose it."

Larsen's team must work closely with the crew to ensure the vessel is maintaining the right speed so the sonar doesn't sink to the bottom.

Those on board also must grapple with the region's notoriously brutal weather. The team can operate the sonar in up to 4-meter (13-foot) swells, but anything bigger forces them to pull up the gear so it isn't damaged. Maneuvering the massive device out of the water when the waves are big is tricky, as it can swing violently from the crane as the ship rocks. Well-planned choreography by more than a dozen people is required to prevent anyone from getting hurt.

The first month Larsen's team was on the hunt, they were in a constant state of alert, expecting the plane would quickly be found. As time passed, some of that anxiousness waned and the job became more routine. But they've never given up hope that the aircraft will be spotted, even though there's just 30 percent of the 120,000 square kilometer (46,000-square-mile) search zone left to check.

"It literally could be any minute, we could look up and see debris on that screen," he says.

When Larsen's team isn't on duty, they burn off energy at the ship's gym, watch movies, read and play poker, pingpong and somewhat contentious rounds of Monopoly. But often, they prefer to retire to their rooms for much-needed solitude. Most people share a room with one other person, but work opposing shifts so they get the space to themselves.

The Dong Hai crew is planning to stay in the search zone for 38 to 42 days at a stretch before returning to port for supplies. It's a tough assignment, but Larsen didn't have any trouble wrangling volunteers.

"Everybody wants to be on the MH370 search," he says.

The job comes with some perks, such as the novelty of being the first humans to lay eyes on much of the underwater terrain. The seabed in the search zone is so remote that it had never even been mapped before the hunt for Flight 370 began. In that sense, the search has proven thrilling, though Larsen is conscious of the larger goal.

"There are 239 families out there, so it's hard to be like, 'We're excited! This is awesome!'" he says. "But at the same time, we're really proud right now to be a part of the search because it's a huge effort and I hope to bring resolution to those families. And that's really the thing that drives us all is, 'Put a lid on this thing. Let's get this done.'"

In this Feb. 10 2015 photo released by Hydrospheric Solutions, members of the Hydrospheric Solutions and Phoenix International Holdings search team launch the SLH ProSAS-60 sonar device from the GO Phoenix, a vessel that spent months searching for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in remote waters off Australias west coast. The underwater hunt for the plane is expected to end in June. (Photo/Hydrospheric Solutions via AP)

In this March 4, 2016, photo, Jay Larsen, who designed a sonar device being used in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, poses for a photo in Seattle. Larsen considers the nearly six months at sea searching for the plane something of an honor. With that honor has come the weight of responsibility for the families of the 239 people on board the vanished plane still desperate for answers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this March 4, 2016, photo, Jay Larsen, who designed a sonar device being used in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, poses for a photo with a long range acoustic locating beacon, used to track the sonar device in Seattle. Larsen considers the nearly six months at sea searching for the plane something of an honor. With that honor has come the weight of responsibility for the families of the 239 people on board the vanished plane still desperate for answers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

In this March 4, 2016, photo Jay Larsen, who designed a sonar device being used in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, poses for a photo with a long range acoustic locating beacon, used to track the sonar device in Seattle. Larsen considers the nearly six months at sea searching for the plane something of an honor. With that honor has come the weight of responsibility for the families of the 239 people on board the vanished plane still desperate for answers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
As army rebuilds, Iraqi assault to retake Mosul months away

BAGHDAD (AP)  It will take many more months to prepare Iraq's still struggling military for a long-anticipated assault on the Islamic State group's biggest stronghold in the country, the city of Mosul, U.S. and Iraqi officials say  and it may not even be possible to retake it this year, despite repeated vows by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

As the U.S. and its allies furiously work to train thousands more troops for the daunting task of retaking Iraq's second largest city, Islamic State fighters are waging a diversion campaign of bloody suicide attacks in Baghdad and elsewhere. Their aim is to force Iraq's already overburdened security forces to spread even thinner to protect the capital and other cities rather than prepare the Mosul operation.

Iraq's answer to that has been a plan to build a wall around the capital. Meanwhile, the U.S.-led coalition and the Iraqis are struggling to protect pockets of territory that have been recaptured from the extremists.

FILE - In this Wednesday, May 27, 2015, file photo, U.S. soldiers, left, participate in a training mission with Iraqi army soldiers outside Baghdad, Iraq. It will take many more months to prepare Iraqs still struggling military for a long-anticipated assault on the Islamic State groups biggest stronghold in the country, the city of Mosul, U.S. and Iraqi officials say _ and it may not even be possible to retake it this year, despite repeated vows by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

"Mosul will be very complicated, it will be a mix of forces and it will be very important to ensure it's well planned," Brett McGurk, President Barack Obama's envoy to the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS, said Saturday.

U.S. Army Col. Christopher Garver, a coalition spokesman, put it more bluntly. "The forces that are going to conduct that assault into the city, they're not in place yet."

The northern city of Mosul, once home to more than a million people, was the biggest prize captured by IS when it swept over much of Iraq's north and west in the summer of 2014 and declared a "caliphate" across those lands and territory it holds in Syria. While Iraqi forces have clawed back some territory in the past year, retaking Mosul is considered crucial for breaking the jihadis' back in the country. Estimates of the number of IS fighters in Mosul vary from a few thousand to "not more than 10,000," according to the coalition.

The Iraqi military is still struggling to regroup. When Mosul fell to IS, more than a third of the military disintegrated as thousands of soldiers shed their uniforms and dropped their weapons to flee. In the following months, tens of thousands more Iraqi troops were identified as "ghost soldiers"  nonexistent troops whose pay was pocketed by commanders.

The U.S.-led coalition began a training program months later in December 2014, but so far only 18,500 soldiers and security forces have been trained in courses which last around seven weeks. Experts question whether such a crash course is adequate preparation. Coalition and Iraqi officials estimate eight to 12 brigades, or an estimated 24,000 to 36,000 troops, will be needed for the operation to capture Mosul.

So far, 2,000 to 3,000 Iraqi troops have been deployed at Makhmour base, the likely staging ground for a Mosul assault, located 40 miles (67 kilometers) southeast of the city.

"We are all trained, qualified and ready for battle. But this force is not enough to retake Mosul," said Iraqi Lt. Col Mohammed al-Wagaa, stationed at Makhmour. "The battle for Mosul is going to take a long time."

Under political pressure to show victory, al-Abadi has repeatedly vowed to "liberate" Mosul this year. But U.S. Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told Congress last month: "I'm not as optimistic."

Stewart said they may be able to begin "isolation operations" around the city, but "securing or taking Mosul is an extensive operation and not something I see in the next year or so."

The Iraqi military's few competent, battle-tested units are scattered, helping to hold various front lines against IS in the country's central and western provinces or tied down controlling cities and towns retaken from the militants since other security forces aren't capable.

Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces have units near Tikrit and Baiji in central Iraq and Habaniya in the west. In Ramadi, capital of the western Anbar province, a counterterrorism commander said his unit has to remain because local police forces can't maintain control. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to talk to the press.

"You can't just pick up and leave," Garver said. Without proper forces in place, "Daesh comes back in and seizes terrain that you just spent months taking from them," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

IS has meanwhile stepped up attacks on Baghdad and other towns removed from front-line fighting. Over the past week a double bombing at a market in Baghdad's Sadr City killed more than 70 people. The following day, a suicide attack at a funeral north of Baghdad killed over 30, and on Sunday an explosives-laden fuel truck plowed into a checkpoint south of the capital, killing at least 47 people and wounding dozens.

The attacks likely aim at delaying deployment of troops to Makhmour or along the Euphrates River valley for the Mosul assault by forcing the military to move its best forces to protect the capital, said Patrick Martin, an Iraq analyst at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.

So far the attacks haven't slowed deployments north. But "if it becomes really bad and multiple attacks like these happen in the near future, (the military's) calculus will probably have to shift," Martin said.

Last month security officials announced work had begun on a 280 kilometer (175 mile) "wall" around Baghdad that would reduce militant attacks inside the city. The Interior Ministry said it would be a combination of tightened checkpoints, trenches and blast walls completely surrounding the capital.

The military must also clear IS fighters from more than 100 kilometers (70 miles) of territory to ensure reliable supply lines between Makhmour and Baghdad, said a Baghdad-based military commander overseeing preparations for the Mosul offensive. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the press.

Politics have also complicated planning efforts.

"No one has the right to prevent us from participating in the liberation of the city of Mosul," Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the head of the government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces, mostly made up of Shiite militias, said at a Thursday press conference.

Shiite militiamen  some of the most effective ground forces against IS  led the fight to retake the mainly Sunni city of Tikrit and were accused of human rights violations in the process. The U.S.-led coalition has repeatedly refused to launch airstrikes in support of Shiite militia operations. In last summer's Anbar offensive, the PMF stood aside and heavy coalition airstrikes proved decisive in Iraqi military gains there.

"We will rely on ourselves in the fighting," Maj. Gen. Bahaa al-Azzawi, chief of police in Mosul's Nineveh province, told the AP. "But if we get support from the coalition, this will reduce how long it will take to liberate (Mosul). It will speed up the process and reduce our losses."

___

Associated Press writer Salar Salim in Irbil, Iraq contributed to this report.

FILE - In this June 16, 2014 file photo, demonstrators chant pro-Islamic State group slogans as they carry the group's flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, Iraq. It will take many more months to prepare Iraqs still struggling military for a long-anticipated assault on the Islamic State groups biggest stronghold in the country, the city of Mosul, U.S. and Iraqi officials say _ and it may not even be possible to retake it this year, despite repeated vows by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, May 27, 2015, file photo, Iraqi army soldiers celebrate during a training mission outside Baghdad, Iraq. It will take many more months to prepare Iraqs still struggling military for a long-anticipated assault on the Islamic State groups biggest stronghold in the country, the city of Mosul, U.S. and Iraqi officials say _ and it may not even be possible to retake it this year, despite repeated vows by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

FILE - In this July 7, 2014 file photo, people shop at a market in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq. It will take many more months to prepare Iraqs still struggling military for a long-anticipated assault on the Islamic State groups biggest stronghold in the country, the city of Mosul, U.S. and Iraqi officials say _ and it may not even be possible to retake it this year, despite repeated vows by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. (AP Photo, File)
UNDP to blackout photos on Afghan website for Women's Day

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  A United Nations agency in Afghanistan plans to stop publishing photographs on its website to highlight the plight of Afghan women ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, a U.N. official said on Sunday.

The move aims to bring attention to the fear many Afghan women have of the potential consequences of appearing in public or having their photographs published, said Rob Few, chief of communications for the U.N. Development Program in Kabul.

Photographs already on the UNDP's Afghanistan website would be blacked out starting Sunday, and replaced with the hashtag #WhereAreTheWomen, Few said.

An image of the UN Development Program website taken Sunday, March 6, 2016. The United Nations agency in Afghanistan plans to stop publishing photographs on its website to highlight the plight of Afghan women ahead of International Womens Day on March 8, a UN official said on Sunday. The move aims to bring attention to the fear many Afghan women have of the potential consequences of appearing in public or having their photographs published, said Rob Few, chief of communications for the UN Development Program in Kabul. (UNDP via AP)

Original captions would remain, so visitors to the site know what they are missing, and no new photographs would be posted, he said. The campaign will last about a week, he added.

In conservative Afghanistan, women are often subject to abuse, forced into arranged marriages, and even traded to settle disputes. Domestic violence is endemic.

High-profile women have been murdered. As a result, few women work outside the home or are active in public life, despite constitutional guarantees of their safety.

Few said the UNDP's decision came after an Afghan woman helped by the agency to escape an abusive forced marriage said she was too afraid to have her photo published alongside a report about her experience.

"Walk down any street, or into any government office, or into any hospital, police station, business or university, and you have to ask yourself, 'Where are the women?' " Few said. "We've come a long way since 2001, but we need to do more to make women safer and to allow them to take part in economic and public life."

As the Afghan government moves toward a dialogue with the Taliban to end the war, now in its 15th year, many women fear that hard-won legal rights will be sacrificed for peace.

The extremist Taliban regime ruled Afghanistan for five years before being toppled by the 2001 U.S. invasion. During that time, women were terrorized  banned from education and work, forced into their homes unless accompanied by a male relative and wearing the all-encompassing burqa.

The post-2001 constitution protects women from violence and discrimination. But after more than 30 years of conflict, Afghan society has largely retreated into religious conservatism that has seen more women, even in the capital Kabul, wearing the burqa and the niqab full-face veil for fear of a Taliban return.

President Ashraf Ghani has pledged that women's rights will not be eroded in exchange for peace with the Taliban. Face-to-face talks that were expected to take place early this month appear to be in jeopardy after the Taliban issued a statement Saturday saying they would not participate.

The UNDP's decision to question the way women are treated in Afghan society also comes ahead of the first anniversary on March 19 of the public murder of a woman in central Kabul, after she was falsely accused of burning a Quran. Farkhunda Malikzada was set upon by a mob, brutally beaten, driven over by a car, and her body burned.

Her killers, identified from mobile phone footage of the incident, had their sentences commuted, and most of her immediate family has left the country for their own safety.

In recent months, a number of women have been publicly stoned in remote parts of Afghanistan for apparent adultery, and one young woman had her nose cut off by an abusive husband.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission published a report this month accusing the judicial system of abusing women's rights by forcing women and girls accused of the "crime" of sex outside marriage to undergo invasive "virginity tests," vaginal and rectal examinations performed against their will by government doctors. New York-based Human Rights Watch said the examinations amount to sexual assault.
Albania offers collectors its Communist-era airborne glory

RINASI AIR BASE, Albania (AP)  If you want to buy a secondhand fighter jet, Albania's the place to go right now.

The 40 obsolete Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft up for sale once roared over what was Europe's most exclusive airspace. The Albanian pilots were members of an exalted military elite that had its own food-tasters and was tasked by Communist Albania's paranoid regime with deterring countless enemies who never did come to this country on the Adriatic Sea.

Now a NATO member, Albania is auctioning off the rusting jets to pay for modernizing its military and to save space in its air bases. The Socialist government says it has received strong interest from aviation collectors and museums abroad  so much that it pushed back the initial auction date and is considering raising the starting bids, first set at 1.1 million to 1.9 million leks ($8,600-14,800).

In this photo taken on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 old Migs fighter jets are stand at the Rinasi air base, near Tirana. If you want to buy a secondhand fighter jet, Albanias the place to go right now. The 40 obsolete Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft up for sale once roared over what was Europes most exclusive airspace. The Albanian pilots were members of an exalted military elite that had its own food-tasters and was tasked by Communist Albanias paranoid regime with deterring countless enemies who never did come to this country on the Adriatic Sea.(AP Photo/Gent Shkullaku)

"It was a surprise for us," Defense Minister Mimi Kodheli told The Associated Press, noting "a rush" of interest from prospective bidders in the United States, Germany, France, Italy and other countries.

In a corner of the Rinasi air base outside the capital of Tirana, 11 decrepit MiG-17 and MiG-19 jets are parked in neat rows, guarded by two military officers. Their silver-grey paint with the distinctive red, black and red roundels is fading, their tires are flat, the guns are rust-flecked and some of their glass canopies are broken.

Former jet mechanic Vasil Jongari, 55, seemed almost ashamed to show the planes to visiting journalists.

"There is nostalgia always," he said, running his fingers over the 32 millimeter gun on a MiG-19. "But they cannot be kept only based on desire. They need money, and money we don't have."

Ilirjan Kola, 61, who flew Albanian air force MiG-15 to MiG-19 jets from 1976 until 1991, said the planes were always so expensive to operate.

"MiGs were so costly," he told The Associated Press. "A twin-engine MiG-19 consumed 52 liters of fuel a minute. With a normal flight of 30-40 minutes, imagine the expense ... Better that they had sold them before."

Albania's air force was founded in 1951 and received MiGs from the Soviet Union until 1962. After Communist leader Enver Hoxha broke with the Russians, the country continued to be supplied with planes and spares from Communist China  until 1977, when Albania also severed ties with the Chinese.

About 160 Albanian pilots graduated from a military academy in southwestern Vlora, and used to clock up about 80 flying hours a year. Only five still serve  and now they all fly helicopters.

"We were privileged at the time, with specially chosen food, shelter, health care and vacations," Kola said. He said the food came from a dedicated farm near the air base, which a doctor tasted for them on a daily basis.

"(It wasn't) different from what they did with the food destined for Hoxha himself," Kola said.

At the collapse of the Communist regime in 1990, the air force had 200 jets and 40 helicopters, as well as four IL14 transport planes, once used for top regime officials, which were sold for scrap five years ago.

Seven MiGs were destroyed and their parts were stolen in 1997, when military bases across the country were looted during an uprising over failed pyramid investment schemes that cost many Albanians their life savings.

Some jet continued to be flown after order was restored, but a deadly accident at this air base in 2004 prompted a rethink. A farewell flight was held in 2005, Jongari said.

Albania joined NATO in 2009, and now its military aviation fleet consists of Western-made helicopters  four French Cougars, three German EC145s and 13 Italian AB205, AB206 and A109 models.

The aircraft up for auction at a yet-undefined date include five types of military jets  Yak-18, MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, and MiG-21  as well as four Mi-4 transport helicopters. Most date from the 1950s.

"We can use the money to modernize our armed forces," said Kodheli, the defense minister.

The Albanian army has already got rid of its antique Eastern Bloc-era transport vehicles, tanks and armored personal carriers, as well as infantry AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition, most of which was sold for scrap.

Kodheli said the auction will serve as a market test. If it's successful, Albania has more than 100 other aircraft left to be sold some day.

In this photo taken on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 Vasil Jangari, a former jet engineer, climbs over an old Mig-19 fighter jet at the Rinasi air base, near Tirana. If you want to buy a secondhand fighter jet, Albanias the place to go right now. The 40 obsolete Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft up for sale once roared over what was Europes most exclusive airspace. The Albanian pilots were members of an exalted military elite that had its own food-tasters and was tasked by Communist Albanias paranoid regime with deterring countless enemies who never did come to this country on the Adriatic Sea. (AP Photo/Gent Shkullaku)

In this photo taken on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 an old Mig-19 fighter jet is photographed at the Rinasi air base, near Tirana. If you want to buy a secondhand fighter jet, Albanias the place to go right now. The 40 obsolete Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft up for sale once roared over what was Europes most exclusive airspace. The Albanian pilots were members of an exalted military elite that had its own food-tasters and was tasked by Communist Albanias paranoid regime with deterring countless enemies who never did come to this country on the Adriatic Sea. (AP Photo/Gent Shkullaku)

In this photo taken on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, a Mig-17 and Mig-19 fighter jets stand at the Rinasi air base, near Tirana. If you want to buy a secondhand fighter jet, Albanias the place to go right now. The 40 obsolete Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft up for sale once roared over what was Europes most exclusive airspace. The Albanian pilots were members of an exalted military elite that had its own food-tasters and was tasked by Communist Albanias paranoid regime with deterring countless enemies who never did come to this country on the Adriatic Sea. (AP Photo/Gent Shkullaku)

In this photo taken on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 Albania's Defense Minister Mimi Kodheli speaks during an interview with the Associated Press about the auction of fighter jets in Tirana. If you want to buy a secondhand fighter jet, Albanias the place to go right now. The 40 obsolete Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft up for sale once roared over what was Europes most exclusive airspace. The Albanian pilots were members of an exalted military elite that had its own food-tasters and was tasked by Communist Albanias paranoid regime with deterring countless enemies who never did come to this country on the Adriatic Sea. (AP Photo/Gent Shkullaku)
Ex-Bank of England chief says euro a 'very serious problem'

LONDON (AP)  The European single currency is a serious problem for Britain whether or not the country leaves the European Union, a former governor of the Bank of England said Sunday.

Mervyn King said that even though Britain does not use the euro, "we are influenced and affected by what goes on in the euro area." He says the euro has been economically "a, if not disaster, very serious problem."

Asked on BBC television if that meant Britain should leave the EU, King said Sunday: "I don't think you can draw that conclusion."

A plain clothes police officer unfurls a European Union flag before the meeting between Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu at the Foreign Ministry in Athens, Friday, March 4, 2016. The European Union has kicked off the distribution of the promised 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) in aid for refugees in Turkey, formally pledging 95 million euros for educational and food assistance. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

He said "in or out," Britain would have close ties to the eurozone.

"The euro area is our biggest trading partner, that's going to carry on being the case and therefore it does matter to us what goes on there," said King, who now sits in Parliament's unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords.

Nineteen of the EU's 28 members use the euro, which has suffered instability since the 2008 financial crisis hammered the currency's debt-burdened weaker members, particularly Greece.

Those who want to leave the EU say the crisis shows Britain would be better off outside the bloc.

Economic issues have dominated the debate ahead of Britain's June 23 referendum on whether to stay in the EU.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, a leader of the "out" campaign, said Sunday that after leaving Britain would be able to negotiate a free-trade deal with the EU while escaping the bloc's "top-down legislation and regulation."

But German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said countries that wanted access to the EU's single market "still have to pay into the budget of the community and they have to accept the free movement of people" from EU member states.
Egypt says Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood killed chief prosecutor

CAIRO (AP)  Egypt said Sunday that members of the Muslim Brotherhood trained in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out the bombing that killed the country's chief prosecutor in Cairo last year.

Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar said 14 people have been detained in connection to the killing of 65-year-old Hisham Barakat last June, the first assassination of a senior Egyptian official in 25 years.

"Hamas trained, prepared, and oversaw the implementation" of the attack, he said in an address broadcast by state and private media, which also aired confessions by some of the alleged perpetrators.

Egyptian Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar gives a live televised appearance on state and private television at a State Security office in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 6, 2016. Abdel-Ghaffar blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for the killing last year of Hisham Barakat, the countrys former chief prosecutor, who oversaw cases against thousands of Islamists. Abdel-Ghaffar accused the Islamic militant group Hamas of training the Brotherhood members who allegedly carried out the explosion. Later in the live broadcast, a video describing the killing of the hero Barakat, aired video confessions of some of the alleged perpetrators. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zaid)

There will be "measures taken" against the group without harming Palestinian civilians, he said, without elaborating.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri condemned the "baseless" accusations. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. and other Western countries, but says it confines its attacks to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

There have been no credible claims of responsibility for the bombing that killed Barakat outside his Cairo home on June 29. The Brotherhood, which is now outlawed as a terrorist group, denied any involvement.

Abdel-Ghaffar said a total of 48 people have been arrested from a wider Brotherhood "cell" for planning other attacks, including the 14 suspected of involvement in the killing of Barakat.

Authorities also secured "a number of vehicles that have been prepared for detonation, carrying huge amounts of explosives," he said.

He said Hamas had trained Egyptian Brotherhood members in military and guerrilla warfare tactics before sending them back to Egypt with the help of Bedouin smugglers in the Sinai Peninsula.

Egypt has seen a wave of attacks mainly targeting security forces since the 2013 military overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi, who hailed from the Brotherhood. The government has blamed most of the violence on the Brotherhood -- including attacks claimed by more extreme groups.

Barakat had led the prosecution of Brotherhood members, including Morsi, who was Egypt's first freely elected president but faced mass protests after a divisive year in power.

Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood, and enjoyed warm relations with Cairo during Morsi's brief presidency. The current Egyptian government says insurgents have used tunnels between Hamas-ruled Gaza and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula to smuggle in arms.

The interior minister said Yahia Moussa, a health ministry spokesman under Morsi, planned Barakat's assassination from Turkey, where he and other Brotherhood leaders took refuge following Morsi's ouster.

He said the government will use all legal methods to extradite fugitive Brotherhood members. "We are wondering about those countries that allow terror elements to organize and plan attacks in other countries," he added, referring to Turkey.

The wider Brotherhood group of 48 had already carried out attacks, and were planning more targeting officials and embassies of allied nations, Abdel-Ghaffar said.

The government responded to Barakat's assassination by pushing through a wide-ranging anti-terrorism law that broadened the definition of terrorism, gave police greater powers of arrest, and tightened restrictions on free speech. Egypt has jailed thousands of people, mainly Islamists, since Morsi's overthrow.

___

Associated Press writer Fares Akram reported from Gaza City, Gaza Strip.

FILE -- In this June 29, 2015 file photo, Egyptian policemen stand guard at the site of a bombing that killed Egypts top prosecutor, Hisham Barakat, who oversaw cases against thousands of Islamists, in Cairo, Egypt. Nabil Sadek Egypts chief prosecutor ordered the detention of six people on Sunday suspected of involvement in the assassination of Barakat. Most are students at Cairos Al-Azhar, Sunni Islams pre-eminent institution for religious learning. (AP Photo/Eman Helal, File)
Austrian conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt dies at 86

VIENNA (AP)  Nikolaus Harnoncourt stepped down from the podium last year in the same manner that characterized his work as one of the world's famous conductors. With style, but without fanfare.

"Dear public," he wrote Dec. 5. "My physical strength orders me to cancel my future plans." Describing the synergy between him and the audience as leading to an "unusually deep relationship," he said his goodbyes in eight lines in an open letter, simply, elegantly and without pathos.

Harnoncourt died Saturday night of an undisclosed illness, in the village of St. Georgen in Attergau, west of Salzburg, less than three months after taking his last bow. He was 86.

FILE In this Jan. 1, 2003 file picture Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra during the traditional New Year's concert at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt is dead after a career characterized by a search for authenticity in Baroque and other classical music. His death at 87 Saturday night was confirmed Sunday March 6, 2016 by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien (Society of Friends of Music in Vienna,) which was closely associated with Harnoncourt. (AP Photo/Terry,file)

His wife, Alice Harnoncourt, didn't specify the cause, saying only her husband "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family."

Born into a lineage that included some of Europe's most aristocratic families, Harnoncourt was also part of Austria's musical nobility, with mastery that put him on the level of other great postwar Austrian conductors Herbert von Karajan, Karl Boehm and Carlos Kleiber.

His concern for historical detail was legendary. He often distributed his own material to orchestras, adding expression marks on how to create more authentic or refined interpretations, aiming to erase what he called "traditionally traded" mistakes. Adding in period instruments as well as tempi and dynamics discarded by modern performances, Harnoncourt broke through in the 1970s from relative obscurity with a series of celebrated performances, particularly of Monteverdi and Mozart.

He thought of his conducting as alive and romantic, not a relic of history.

"I have always hated the word 'authenticity' because it is so dangerous," Harnoncourt said. "'Museum music' does not interest me. I have no intention of organizing guided tours to visit Louis XIV or Johann Sebastian Bach."

He later expanded his repertoire to include 19th-century opera favorites such as Verdi's "Aida"  but didn't stop there. His individually accented interpretations, including composers as diverse as Beethoven and Richard Strauss already led Switzerland's Neue Zuercher Zeitung newspaper in 1999 to call him "the protagonist of the new expressionism."

His 2001 Grammy Award for a recording of Bach's St. Matthew Passion was only one of dozens of honors reflecting his musical standing.

Harnoncourt believed art was the foil to modern society's materialism, which he saw as a threat to Europe's cultural values. As a boy, he acquired his knowledge of sacral music at the cathedral in his home city of Graz, Austria.

"We as musicians  indeed all artists  have to administer a powerful, a holy language," Harnoncourt said in a speech for the Mozart Year of 1991, two centuries after the Austrian wunderkind's death. "We have to do everything in our power to keep it from getting lost in the maelstrom of materialism."

His last few years at the podium were marred by occasional cancellations because of failing health. Still, he was able to finish projects such as Jacques Offenbach's "Barbe-bleue" and Henry Purcell's "Fairy Queen" at his Styriarte music festival, in his home city.

His last public appearance was in January, through a video recording  and the message was typically Harnoncourt.

"I wish you not a nice evening but a stirring one," he told the audience at the 10th anniversary celebration of the relaunch Vienna's "Theater an der Wien" from a musical stage to an opera house.

Famed classical musicians and Austrian political leaders expressed their dismay. President Heinz Fischer said Harnoncourt's death "means an irreplaceable loss for the musical life of Austria and internationally.

Harnoncourt was born in Berlin on Dec. 6, 1929. His father, Eberhard, belonged to the house of the Count de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt of Luxembourg-Lorraine, and his mother, Duchess Meran and Baroness of Brandhofen, was a great-grandchild of Archduke Johann of Styria.

The family moved later to Graz, in the southern Austrian state of Styria, where Harnoncourt became an accomplished cello player. Also drawn as an adolescent to puppet theater, Harnoncourt ultimately chose music as his profession after hearing a radio recording of Beethoven's 7th Symphony under German conductor Wilhelm Furtwaengler.

He went to Vienna in 1948 to study and four years later started as a cellist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under chief conductor Karajan  a job he would keep until 1969.

But the young Harnoncourt already was experimenting with older sounds, having forged a group in 1949 with his future wife, Alice Hoffelner, and others for performances with period instruments.

In 1953, he founded the Concentus Musicus Wien as a platform for his work on Renaissance and baroque music, using period instruments  many of which he had to buy at his own expense  to counteract "stultifying, aesthetically sanitized music-making."

"For musical instruments, we were willing to do almost anything," Harnoncourt wrote of his life in the 1950s, when money was scarce.

Early performances were mostly private and critics were initially hostile, commenting on the lack of brilliance in the musical sound and on the shortcomings of the older wind instruments.

But the troupe's reputation grew, especially after a recording of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos in 1962. The repertoire expanded into Monteverdi works. First tours of the U.S. and England came in 1966, and of Germany two years later.

Leaving his cello behind, Harnoncourt made his debut at the conductor's rostrum in 1972 with Monteverdi's "Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria" at the Piccola Scala in Milan.

A few years later, his breakthrough was complete after teaming with French director Jean-Pierre Ponelle on a celebrated cycle of Monteverdi operas performed at the Zurich Opera House on period instruments, starting with "L'Orfeo" in 1976.

In the 1980s, Harnoncourt performed a series of Mozart operas  from "Don Giovanni" to the less regularly performed "Lucio Silla" and "Mitridate re di Ponto"  that were equally popular and critically acclaimed.

In 1989, he completed an 18-year project to record the complete cycle of Bach cantatas with the Concentus Musicus Wien and conducted orchestras in Berlin, London, Vienna and other places around the world. He also recorded all nine Beethoven symphonies with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

While he became a regular in the 1990s at the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival, Harnoncourt remained selective, rejecting a position with a "renowned orchestra so as not to be constrained in his artistic development and freedom," according to a biography on the website of the Styriarte Festival.

Despite often exhausting schedules or rehearsal and performances, Harnoncourt also found time to teach as a professor at the Salzburg Mozarteum from 1972 to 1993.

Funeral arrangements weren't immediately announced.

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Includes material written in 2006 by Klapper, while he was a correspondent in Geneva.

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This story has been corrected to show that Graz was Harnoncourt's home city, not city of birth.

FILE- I this April 1, 2006 file picture Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts during the Lucerne Music Festival, in Lucerne Switzerland. Conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt is dead after a career characterized by a search for authenticity in Baroque and other classical music. His death at 87 Saturday night was confirmed Sunday March 6, 2016 by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien (Society of Friends of Music in Vienna,) which was closely associated with Harnoncourt. (Urs Flueeler\Keystone via AP,file)
MILTON, W.Va.  At Blenko Glass, you can watch glass being handcrafted the way it's been done for more than 100 years.

The company's famous glassware has been bought, collected and recognized around the world. Blenko stained glass was used in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral. Blenko tableware is in the White House as well as in various museums. Blenko also designed the trophy for the Country Music Awards.

The Blenko factory, located in Milton, West Virginia, a few minutes off Interstate 64, has an onsite museum displaying some of its innovative designs, along with an observation area. Here visitors may watch, up close, as workers heat, shape, blow and cut colorful glass pieces into vases, bottles and other items.

A series of signs explains the process. There are several jobs involved in producing a piece. One worker is responsible for gathering just the right amount of hot glass. Another blows, shapes and molds the glass. Then the piece is removed from the blowpipe, and a finisher completes the piece by cutting off ragged edges and working with the soft glass so that it matches a master design. Because each piece is made by hand, no two pieces are exactly alike.

The company was founded by William J. Blenko, an immigrant from England. He set up his first factory in Indiana in the 1890s but was not initially successful. In that era, Americans did not want domestically made glass; they wanted glass made in Europe.

After several ups and downs, he moved to Milton in the early 1920s partly because of the abundance of cheap, local natural gas, used to fuel the furnaces. Blenko eventually expanded from producing sheet glass and stained glass to tableware. The switch was prompted by the Great Depression, when a downturn in cathedral and church-building ravaged the market for stained glass.

In the mid-20th century, the company's innovative craftsmen began to be recognized with design awards for their handcrafted tableware. Despite that recognition, the company has not always prospered. It recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The onsite gift shop offers many types and colors of vases, bottles, glasses, bowls and other items. You'll also find handmade Christmas ornaments, small statues and even a bit of jewelry. Most of the items are made by Blenko, but a few (such as jewelry items) are produced by others. Vases are priced $30 to $100. The museum displays are upstairs from the gift shop.

I purchased one of my favorite bowls at Blenko, a dark blue piece that looks beautiful with strawberries in it. The variations in color remind me that it's handmade.

The company also hosts monthly events focused on glass. A paperweight collectors meeting takes place onsite March 11-12, and an annual glass festival is scheduled for Aug. 5-6. The events are free, with vendors and demonstrations. Classes are often offered during the events for a fee.

Blenko's biggest annual event is keyed to the anniversary of the date West Virginia became a state, June 20, 1863. The company creates a unique commemorative glass piece in a numbered limited edition to mark the event each year, and the sale of the pieces is held on the Saturday nearest the anniversary (June 18 this year). Collectors begin camping in the company parking lot the Monday before the sale just to get a space in line. The number of pieces and their price is determined by the year of the birthday: This year, on the 153rd celebration, the company will produce 153 pieces priced at $153 each.
Accident or crime? VA worker faces trial in patient's death

ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP)  Hospital officials called it an accident when a 70-year-old psychiatric patient was fatally injured in an altercation with a nursing assistant at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in central Louisiana three years ago.

But the case became fodder for the VA's congressional critics after local prosecutors charged the employee, 54-year-old Fredrick Kevin Harris, with manslaughter in the death of Air Force veteran Charles Lee Johnson.

Johnson died a year before a national scandal erupted over chronic delays for veterans seeking medical care. The deadly encounter has drawn the Alexandria VA Health Care System into a broader conflict between the VA and its Republican opponents, who complain the agency has fired few workers for poor performance.

In this photo released by the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office, Kevin Fredrick Harris following his arrest on Dec. 10, 2013. Harris, a nursing assistant at a Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Pineville, La., is charged with manslaughter in the May 2013 death of a 70-year-old patient, Charles Lee Johnson. Hospital officials concluded that Johnson died in an accidental fall, but an autopsy found Johnson died of blunt force trauma to the head following an altercation with Harris. (Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office via AP)

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has pressed VA officials to explain why they haven't fired Harris, who has remained on its payroll while awaiting trial.

Committee chairman Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican, cited the case against Harris during a Dec. 9 hearing and said he sees "no real acceptance of responsibility for VA's continued and pervasive failure to seriously discipline its employees."

Harris was placed on paid leave after his arrest but returned to work in December in a "non-patient care area," according to the VA. His Monday trial date is expected to be postponed.

VA spokesman Randal Noller declined to explain why Harris has been allowed to resume working. The agency has said federal civil service rules make it difficult to fire poor-performing employees and has recommended changes to Congress.

VA officials cleared Harris to return to work and care for patients within days of the March 13, 2013, altercation at the Pineville medical center. Johnson died at a nursing home on May 1, 2013.

The episode could have ended there. Instead, a skeptical coroner laid the groundwork for a criminal investigation that led to Harris' arrest in December 2013.

Grant Parish Coroner Dean Nugent arranged for an autopsy that found Johnson died from blunt force trauma to the head. Even before the autopsy, Johnson's relatives doubted his injuries came from an accidental fall.

"They tried to cover it all up," said brother-in-law Donald Burke, 80, of Pollock.

George Higgins III, Harris' attorney, said his client didn't mean to hurt Johnson and received annual training on proper techniques for restraining patients.

"There was absolutely no intent, in any manner, shape or form, to harm this patient," Higgins said. "The only thing he was doing was trying to protect other patients and staff members."

Johnson's sister, Elizabeth Burke, filed a wrongful death claim against the VA in 2014, seeking $1 million. The VA agreed last March to pay $215,000 to resolve her claim.

"It hurt me very much. He was my little brother," Burke said.

Johnson's death certificate says his medical conditions included schizophrenia and dementia. Donald Burke said Johnson frequently sought treatment for panic attacks, including one that sent him to the hospital before the altercation.

"I've never known him to get into a fight of any kind," Burke said. "He was just a common, ordinary old man."

The Burkes said somebody from the VA medical center initially called to tell them Johnson had been injured in a fall and was transferred to another hospital in Alexandria.

Donald Burke said Johnson was drifting in and out of consciousness and couldn't remember what had happened. Gregory Jones, an attorney for the family, said Elizabeth Burke noticed bruises and marks on the side and back of Johnson's neck.

"It jumped out at her as not consistent with a fall," Jones said.

Burke said the coroner contacted him hours after Johnson's death. He said Nugent concluded that bruises on Johnson's neck couldn't have come from a fall. A coroner's report isn't publicly available, and Nugent declined to be interviewed. The death certificate lists blunt force trauma to the head as the underlying cause of death but lists the manner of death as "pending investigation."

The VA's Office of Inspector General opened a criminal investigation after Johnson died. One of its investigators, Thomas Bennett, outlined his findings during a court hearing a week after Harris' arrest.

Bennett said witnesses told him Harris had "slammed the patient's head into the wall" in the hospital's acute mental health unit.

"Do you mean physically slammed his head or threw him where his head was slammed into something?" asked Higgins, Harris' attorney.

Bennett said witnesses gave "different variations."

"Not physically grabbing his head and slamming it into a wall, but Mr. Harris had the patient entangled by his arms," Bennett testified. "During that altercation, he slammed the patient's head with force into the wall this way. Not grabbing his head, but by grabbing his body."

The VA's Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs provided Rep. Miller's committee with a different account of the altercation in December 2015. The VA office said Johnson became "combative and agitated," charged at Harris and fell after the nursing assistant tried to "redirect" him during the struggle.

In 2008, Harris was arrested on an assault charge after he allegedly punched a relative in the face during an argument at his Alexandria home, according to a police report. But his arrest didn't lead to a conviction. It's unclear whether Harris' VA supervisors knew about his arrest or could have disciplined him for it.

Donald Burke said a prison sentence wouldn't bring his family any comfort, but he hopes Harris never cares for another patient.

"We don't want to see anybody else injured like this," he added.

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Associated Press reporter Matthew Daly in Washington contributed to this report.
Marco Rubio easily wins Republican primary in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida easily won Puerto Rico's Republican presidential primary election Sunday, with supporters saying he would help lift the island out of its long economic slump.

Returns showed Rubio with 24,866 votes, followed by Donald Trump at 4,494 and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 2,922, with 95 percent of voting centers reporting.

"The numbers are overwhelming," said local Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez, chairwoman of Puerto Rico's Republican Party. "This primary in Puerto Rico ... will demonstrate that the Hispanic vote is important."

A woman marks her vote for Florida's Senator Marco Rubio during Puerto Rico's Republican primary in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday March 6, 2016 . Puerto Rico residents cannot participate in general presidential elections but can do so in primaries. Puerto Rico sends 20 delegates to the Republican convention.(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Residents of the U.S. island, which is struggling through a decade-long economic stagnation, cannot vote in the general election in November but can take part in the party primaries. Any registered voter could participate in the Republican vote, but only if they signed a document of affiliation with the party moments before casting a ballot.

Holding 71 percent of the votes cast Sunday, Rubio was all but sure to win all 20 delegates determined by the primary. If no one finished with more than 50 percent, the 20 delegates would be divided proportionately among candidates who received at least a 20 percent share. The territory's three super-delegates have committed to Rubio.

Party officials estimated more than 30,000 people cast ballots Sunday. Officials said votes cast Friday by some 6,000 inmates would not be available until Wednesday.

Puerto Rico is one of the few U.S. jurisdictions that allow inmates to vote. The only other people allowed to submit absentee ballots in the territory were military members, but party officials said they did not yet know how many of those had been cast.

Orlando Gomez, a retiree whose two sons recently moved to the U.S. to seek jobs, said he participated in the primary because of concerns over the island's economy. He voted for Rubio.

"He understands Latinos because he is Latino," Gomez said. "And he can bring us closer to statehood."

Voters said in interviews that they want a U.S. president who will help Puerto Rico emerge from a decade of recession and a debt crisis that threatens basic government services.

"We need a radical change," Richard Suarez said as he waited to cast a ballot for Rubio in Guaynabo, a city in the San Juan metropolitan area. "Otherwise, we'll be stuck in the same situation and will have to keep asking the U.S. government for favors."

The island's economic woes affected the election itself. Edwin Mundo, electoral commissioner for Puerto Rico's Republican Party, said budget cuts forced it to reduce the number of polling places to 110 from more than 3,000 in 2012, dramatically reducing turnout.

No candidate has had a major presence in Puerto Rico this campaign, though Rubio visited the island Saturday for the second time in seven months. There have been no publicly released polls.

Jose Fuentes Agostini, Rubio's campaign president in Puerto Rico, said the senator's visits made a difference.

"This is a great victory," he said. "It is here in Puerto Rico that we're going to change the course of this presidential election for the entire nation."

Sonia Quintero, a retiree, praised Rubio for his visits and said she voted for him.

"He knows where we are and who we are and that's why he can help us," she said.

Politics in Puerto Rico generally revolves around the island's relationship to the U.S. One major party favors statehood and the other wants to maintain the current semi-autonomous commonwealth status. A small minority favors independence. The pro-statehood party has traditionally attracted Republicans and anyone taking part in the primary had to sign a pledge to support the effort to become the 51st state.

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Danica Coto on Twitter: www.twitter.com/danicacoto

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., shakes hands at a rally in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Saturday, March 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Puerto Rico's resident Matilde Cananova marks her vote for Florida's Senator Marco Rubio during the U.S. territory's Republican primary in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday March 6, 2016 . Puerto Rico residents cannot participate in general presidential elections but can do so in primaries. Puerto Rico sends 20 delegates to the Republican convention.(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Puerto Rico's resident line up to vote during the U.S. territory's Republican primary at the Santurce county in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday March 6, 2016 . Puerto Rico residents cannot participate in general presidential elections but can do so in primaries. Puerto Rico sends 20 delegates to the Republican convention.(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Puerto Rico residents wait in line to cast ballots in the U.S. territory's Republican primary at the Labra School polling in the Santurce county, in San Juan, Puerto Rico Sunday March 6, 2016 . Puerto Rico residents cannot participate in general presidential elections but can do so in primaries. Puerto Rico sends 20 delegates to the Republican convention.(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Puerto Rico residents wait to vote in the U.S. territory's Republican primary at a polling station in the Santurce county, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday March 6, 2016 . Puerto Rico residents cannot participate in general presidential elections but can do so in primaries. Puerto Rico sends 20 delegates to the Republican convention.(AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)
The Latest: Hamas denies role in killing of Egypt prosecutor

CAIRO (AP)  The Latest on Egypt blaming the 2015 assassination of the chief prosecutor on the Muslim Brotherhood and the Palestinian militant group Hamas (all times local):

6:20 p.m.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has denied Egypt's accusations that it was involved in the 2015 assassination of the country's top prosecutor.

FILE -- In this June 11, 2015 file photo, Egypt's Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar, center, visits the site of a suicide bombing near the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt. In a televised appearance on state and private television, Sunday, March,6, 2016, Abdel-Ghaffar blamed the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic militant group Hamas for the killing last June, of Hisham Barakat, the countrys chief prosecutor who oversaw cases against thousands of Islamists. Abdel-Ghaffar said Hamas trained Brotherhood members in the Gaza Strip for the operation. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri says the accusations made Sunday are "baseless and are not in harmony with the efforts being exerted to develop the relationship between Hamas and Cairo."

Egypt's interior minister had earlier accused Hamas of training members of Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group in the use of explosives and of helping to prepare and implement the bombing that killed chief prosecutor Hisham Barakat last June.

Barakat was killed by a massive bombing outside his home, in the first assassination of a senior Egyptian official in 25 years.

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5 p.m.

Egypt's interior minister says the Muslim Brotherhood and the Palestinian militant group Hamas were behind the assassination of the country's chief prosecutor in a 2015 bombing.

Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar said in a televised address Sunday that Hamas trained Brotherhood members in the Gaza Strip for the operation, which killed 65-year-old Hisham Barakat last June.

Abdel-Ghaffar says dozens of people have been arrested in the case. He says "Hamas trained, prepared, and oversaw the implementation," of the assassination, the first of a senior Egyptian official in 25 years.

There were no reliable claims of responsibility for the attack. The Brotherhood denied perpetrating it, although the government considers the group responsible for most political violence in the country.

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3:40 p.m.

Egypt's chief prosecutor has ordered the detention of six people suspected of involvement in the assassination of his predecessor last year.

In a Sunday statement, Nabil Sadek's office ordered the six, who were arrested a day earlier, to be held for 15 days pending investigation. Most are students at Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's pre-eminent institution for religious learning.

A car bomb killed Hisham Barakat, who oversaw cases against thousands of Islamists, on June 29 as he left his home. It was the first assassination of a senior Egyptian official in 25 years.

The government responded by pushing through a wide-ranging anti-terrorism law that broadened the definition of terrorism, gave police greater powers of arrest, and tightened restrictions on free speech.

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Associated Press writer Fares Akram reported from Gaza.
Craft beer boom spurs demand for close-to-home barley malt

GERMANTOWN, N.Y. (AP)  Dennis Nesel converts barley to malt the way it was done hundreds of years ago, spreading the water-soaked grain on his malt house floor and turning it with a shovel as it germinates to release the sugar needed for fermentation.

"This is old-school heritage malting," says Nesel, whose "micro malt house" uses barley from a nearby farm and returns some of it as malt to the farm's craft brewing operation, which turns out small batches of beer sold at farmer's markets and local pubs.

Nesel's Hudson Valley Malt, 100 miles north of New York City, is one of dozens of small malting businesses that have sprung up around the country over the past few years to serve a growing thirst for locally crafted beer and whiskey that reflect a region's climate and soils.

In this Wednesday, March 2, 2016 photo, farmer Ken Migliorelli shows off dried barley before it is malted, at his family's farm in Red Hook, N.Y. Migliorelli, who owns the fruit and vegetable farm where From The Ground brewery is located, said his well-draining sandy soil is ideal for growing malting barley. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

"Wine people call it terroir," Nesel said. "We call it flavor of the field."

According to the U.S. Brewers Association, the number of small-scale craft malting companies in the U.S. has grown from fewer than five in 2010 to 36 today, with about 50 more in the works. That goes along with a rise in craft breweries over the same period, from 1,754 to 3,418.

New York feeds that trend with a 2012 state law that requires farm breweries to use set proportions of state-grown ingredients. About a dozen small malt houses have opened in the state in the past three years to serve some 200 breweries, according to the New York State Brewers Association.

But even without state incentive programs, regional malt houses using locally grown barley have sprung up in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Nevada, Michigan, Colorado and Oregon.

"It was hard at first to find farmers willing to grow malting barley," said Andrea Stanley, whose Valley Malt in Hadley, Massachusetts, was the first craft malt house in the Northeast in 2010. "That has really turned around, with brewers wanting to buy local grain and creating a nice demand."

Proximity Malt, a craft beer-focused startup founded a year ago by former employees of Malteurop, a global malt supplier, is planning malt houses in southern Colorado and Delaware that will produce 50,000 tons of malt a year from locally grown grain.

A development that could spur New York farmers to grow barley on a grander scale is the plan by oil giant Sunoco to open a large-scale malt house later this year in a former Miller Brewing Co. plant in central New York where it already has a corn ethanol plant. The $9.1 million facility will handle 100,000 bushels of malting barley annually to serve mostly craft brewers.

While farmers in the Northeast have long grown barley as a cover crop and for animal feed, the moist climate makes it hard to produce grain of the high quality needed for malting. Wet weather can make the grain germinate before it's even harvested, and fusarium fungus can make it toxic. Barley must be tested for the fusarium toxin before it's used for beer-making.

Cornell University has been doing field trials to find barley varieties best suited to New York, and the new Center for Craft Food and Beverage at Hartwick College in Oneonta is providing farmers technical support, education and quality testing.

Ted Hawley, who began production at New York Craft Malt on his fourth-generation family farm in Batavia in 2014, does his malting in stainless steel vessels that he made himself. He said four farmers in his area of western New York were unsuccessful in their attempts to grow malting barley. For those who succeed, the reward is up to $7 a bushel for quality malting barley versus $3 for animal feed.

About 2,000 acres of malting barley was grown in New York last year, up from 500 acres in 2012, according to the state Farm Bureau. That's expected to increase considerably to meet the growing demand of the craft brewing industry.

Ken Migliorelli, who owns the fruit and vegetable farm where From The Ground brewery is located, said his well-draining sandy soil is ideal for growing malting barley. He's supplying about a dozen breweries now and plans to expand from 100 acres of barley to 500.

"I was growing barley as a cover crop in my vegetables before," Migliorelli said. "Now, I'm getting some revenue from it."

Jakob Cerill, who started From The Ground brewery about a year ago on the farm that provides Nesel's barley, said using grain from nearby fields and having it malted in Nesel's converted horse barn three miles away imparts a special freshness to his beer.

"There's a great flavor," he said. "It's sort of like eating a cookie from your oven versus one from the grocery store."

In this Wednesday, March 2, 2016 photo, sacks of malted barley are lined up at Hudson Valley Malt in Germantown, N.Y. The thirst for craft beer and whiskey is creating a new market for smaller-scale regional malt houses as well as a new high-value crop for grain farmers. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

In this Wednesday, March 2, 2016 photo, farmer Ken Migliorelli poses at his family's farm in Red Hook, N.Y. Migliorelli, who owns the fruit and vegetable farm where From The Ground brewery is located, said his well-draining sandy soil is ideal for growing malting barley. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

In this Wednesday, March 2, 2016 photo, Dennis and Jeanette Nesel pose at Hudson Valley Malt in Germantown, N.Y. Nesels Hudson Valley Malt, north of New York City, is one of dozens of small malting businesses that have sprung up around the country over the past few years to serve a growing thirst for locally crafted beer and whiskey that reflect a regions climate and soils. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
Varied theories parse Trump's appeal to evangelical voters

NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Trump's ability to attract white evangelical voters has confounded analysts.

The reality television star and thrice-married Presbyterian has said he's proud to be Christian, but he also has said he doesn't repent to God for his sins, has flubbed Bible references and has referred to communion as "my little cracker." He says he is firmly anti-abortion, but in the past has supported abortion rights.

Still, he has won the support of a third of self-identified born-again Christians across the dozen or so states that have held GOP contests and where exit polls were conducted.

FILE - In this Oct. 28, 2014, file photo, the Rev. Russell Moore, left, director of the Southern Baptists Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, leads a discussion during the group's national conference, in Nashville, Tenn. "Theres a form of cultural Christianity that causes people to respond with 'evangelical and `born-again as long as theyre not Catholic, even though they havent been in a church since Vacation Bible School as a kid, said Moore, head of the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. Moore was an early and vocal opponent of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

What is the appeal for evangelicals, who comprise a large segment of the GOP? Here are a few of the many theories attempting to explain the vote:

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POLITICALLY INCORRECT

After years of being on the losing side of the culture wars, on gay marriage and other issues, and amid fears of marginalization of people of faith, evangelicals are seeking protection, even from a candidate they may consider morally flawed, said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, a research firm on trends in evangelicalism and other traditions.

"They feel their faith convictions are being steamrolled," Kinnaman said.

In a January speech at evangelical Liberty University, Trump said, "We're going to protect Christianity, and I can say that. I don't have to be politically correct. We're going to protect it." And he promised, "If I become president, we're gonna be saying Merry Christmas at every store. ... You can leave 'happy holidays' at the corner."

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NOMINAL EVANGELICALS

According to this argument, evangelical support has been exaggerated because voters can identify themselves as born-again Christians in exit polls even if they're not at all active in the faith or reject core conservative Christian beliefs. Surveys by the Pew Research Center and the Public Religion Research Institute indicate more frequent churchgoers are less likely to support Trump. Still, many evangelical leaders agree that Trump has surprised them by drawing a notable share of the conservative Christian vote.

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ALL BUSINESS

American evangelicalism has a strong entrepreneurial streak. Many pastors have relied on the principles advocated by management guru Peter Drucker to build congregations. Marketing and branding are commonly used, and staff often have titles  such as chief operating officer  borrowed from the corporate world.

Trump, a billionaire real estate developer, can appeal to this group in part on his business success. Last fall, he was prayed over by several prosperity gospel televangelists, whose views many evangelicals consider beyond the mainstream, but who still draw many followers.

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FAITH IN POLITICS?

Evangelicals are in the midst of a major transition in how they approach politics. Religious-right institutions such as the Moral Majority, which emerged in the 1980s and '90s, are shells of their former selves or have closed altogether. Few groups of influence have emerged to replace them.

Many evangelicals are thrilled by the change. Millennials especially tend to blame the rhetoric of the religious right, on gay rights especially, for a trend among some in the general public to equate Christianity with bigotry. Young Christians with such concerns would be less likely to support Trump, but they do point to a movement in flux.

What should be the new strategy? Depending on which church evangelicals attend, they may not have much guidance on how their beliefs should inform their involvement in public life.

"Theologically, if you were to ask what's the evangelical view of political theology, you can't really get one," said Bryan McGraw, a political scientist at evangelical Wheaton College in Illinois. "Institutionally, a lot of pastors have reacted to the excesses of the '90s and 2000s by drawing back a little bit."

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REAP/SOW

According to this theory, evangelical leaders over the last few decades share part of the blame for conservative Christian support for Trump. After years of persuading evangelicals to seek political influence and power, Christians are now following that advice too closely, putting political interests ahead of their values.

Richard Cizik, president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, said the anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric from some evangelical leaders over the years has primed a segment of Christian conservatives to favor Trump. Trump has called Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists and said he wants to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.

Cizik, who works to build relationships between Christians and Muslims, said the recent anti-Trump declarations from some prominent evangelicals "strike me as a little hollow."

"After all, how many of these leaders who signed these statements have come out before to speak against anti-Muslim bigotry in the past?" Cizik said. "Is there maybe just a little bit of hypocrisy here?"

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Follow Rachel Zoll on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/rzollAP

FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2016 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gestures during a speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. The list of prominent evangelicals denouncing Trump is growing, but is anyone in the flock listening? The bloc of voters powering the real estate mogul through the Republican primaries is significantly weighted with white born-again Christians. As Trumps ascendancy forces the GOP establishment to confront how it lost touch with so many conservative voters, top evangelicals are facing their own dark night, wondering what has drawn so many Christians to a twice-divorced, profane casino magnate with a muddled record on abortion and gay marriage. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 31, 2016, file photo, Pastor Joshua Nink, right, prays for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, as wife, Melania, left, watches after a Sunday service at First Christian Church, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The list of prominent evangelicals denouncing Trump is growing, but is anyone in the flock listening? The bloc of voters powering the real estate mogul through the Republican primaries is significantly weighted with white born-again Christians. As Trumps ascendancy forces the GOP establishment to confront how it lost touch with so many conservative voters, top evangelicals are facing their own dark night, wondering what has drawn so many Christians to a twice-divorced, profane casino magnate with a muddled record on abortion and gay marriage. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2015, file photo, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The list of prominent evangelicals denouncing Trump is growing, but is anyone in the flock listening? The bloc of voters powering the real estate mogul through the Republican primaries is significantly weighted with white born-again Christians. As Trumps ascendancy forces the GOP establishment to confront how it lost touch with so many conservative voters, top evangelicals are facing their own dark night, wondering what has drawn so many Christians to a twice-divorced, profane casino magnate with a muddled record on abortion and gay marriage. (AP Photo/Willis Glassgow, File)
AP Interview: NATO expands migrant mission in Aegean Sea

BRUSSELS (AP)  NATO announced Sunday that it was expanding its mission to help choke off the smuggling of migrants into Europe by deploying warships in Greek and Turkish waters, reinforcing its flotilla and deepening cooperation with the European Union's Frontex border agency.

Early Monday, Britain said it is contributing an amphibious landing ship backed by a Wildcat helicopter, as well as two border force cutters to the NATO force.

"We've got to break the business model of the criminal smugglers and stop the desperate flow of people crammed into makeshift vessels from embarking on a fruitless and perilous journey," British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement. "''That's why this NATO mission is so important. It's an opportunity to stop the smugglers and send out a clear message to migrants contemplating journeys to Europe that they will be turned back."

Medics take care of a rescued migrant at a local hospital in the Aegean resort of Didim, Turkey, Sunday, March 6, 2016. Turkey's state-run news agency says 18 migrants have drowned off the Turkish coast while trying to reach Greece. Anadolu Agency says the coast guard rescued 15 other migrants off the Aegean Sea resort of Didim. The coast guard has launched a search-and-rescue mission for other migrants believed to be missing from the accident Sunday.(AP Photo/Huseyin Caliskan)

The widened mission comes after defense ministers of the 28-nation alliance on Feb. 11 ordered the immediate deployment of the three vessels in NATO's Standing Maritime Group 2 to the Aegean Sea.

In a telephone interview with the Associated Press, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said, "We will do reconnaissance, we will do surveillance, we will collect information, and share this information in real time with the Turkish coast guard, the Greek coast guard and with Frontex, helping them with managing the migrant and refugee crisis, and also to cut the lines of the illegal trafficking and smugglers,"

The waters between Greece and Turkey, two NATO allies, are a key area where smugglers have been bringing tens of thousands of migrants into Europe, sparking what some have called the gravest crisis in the EU's history. EU and Turkish leaders will meet Monday in Brussels to discuss the emergency.

"Now we are going further by actually doing two new things," NATO's secretary-general told the AP. "We are going into Greek and Turkish territorial waters. We have agreed on arrangements for doing that."

"In addition, we have agreed with Frontex on how to work with them, how to share information so what we will do will be more efficient," Stoltenberg said.

NATO officials said the alliance's Allied Maritime Command and Frontex exchanged letters Sunday on specifics of their tactical and operational cooperation.

Now "NATO and Frontex will be able to exchange liaison officers and share information in real time, to enable Frontex, as well as Greece and Turkey, to take action in real time," NATO said in a statement.

Stoltenberg said additional NATO assets will also be sent to the Eastern Mediterranean. The German, Canadian and Turkish naval vessels deployed Feb. 11 have already been joined by a Greek unit, and Stoltenberg said France has announced it is sending a ship and that other allies are expected to follow suit.

The British announcement said the amphibious landing ship RFA Mounts Bay is expected to begin operations in the coming days_"identifying smugglers taking migrants to Greece and passing the information to the Turkish coast guard so they can intercept these boats." It said one British border force boat, VOS Grace, is already in the Aegean, that one cutter, the Protector, is on the way and another is expected to start operations later this month.

Stoltenberg stressed that NATO ships and crews "will not turn back the boats" carrying migrants, many of whom are fleeing war or poverty in their Middle Eastern or African homelands.

"What we will do is to support, assist, help the Turkish and the Greek authorities and the European Union," Stoltenberg said. He called the agreement reached for joint NATO-EU efforts in the field unprecedented.

In a statement, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos hailed the "common understanding with NATO" formalized Sunday as "an important contribution to international efforts to tackle smuggling and irregular migration in the Aegean Sea."

The International Office of Migration estimated Friday that 125,819 migrants had reached the Greek islands since Jan. 1, and that 321 others drowned in the Eastern Mediterranean while attempting to make the journey across the cold, often dangerous waters.

On Monday, Stoltenberg is scheduled to meet in Brussels with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Blast on bus kills 1, wounds 17 outside Guatemalan capital

GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  An explosion ripped through a passenger bus on the outskirts of the Guatemalan capital Sunday, killing one person and seriously wounding 17 more, authorities said.

Firefighters' spokesman Mario Utum confirmed that one person died and said emergency workers have tended to victims with second- and third-degree burns.

Interior Minister Francisco Rivas said the blast is being investigated as an attack and the incident appears similar to a 2010 gang assault on a bus that left nine dead, but there was no immediate indication of possible suspects or motive.

Bus companies and taxi drivers are often extorted by gangs in Guatemala and risk being attacked if they don't pay up. Rivas said the owners of the bus had not reported receiving threats, however.

The vehicle was carrying dozens of people between San Jose Pinula and Palencia, just to the east of Guatemala City, at the time of the explosion.
From calm to chaos: A reporter's escorted visit to Syria

LATAKIA, Syria (AP)  At first glance, the Mediterranean port of Latakia doesn't look like a city at war. Its streets are jammed with traffic, stylish women chat under palm trees, and idyllic orange groves stretch for miles.

But the signs become apparent on closer inspection: a man in camouflage shopping with a Kalashnikov slung on his shoulder, the occasional military checkpoint, and rows of unfinished cottages and apartment buildings whose construction was interrupted by Syria's 5-year-old civil war.

For a group of international reporters on a five-day trip to Syria organized by the Russian Foreign and Defense ministries, the contrasts were stark.

FILE -- In this March 2, 2016, file photo, Syrian solders and Russian solders, who escort a group of journalists in the background, stand near a car covered by collage showing photos of faces of Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and a Syrian general, President's Assad brother, Maher Assad, center, in Maarzaf, about 15 kilometers west of Hama. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

From our military-escorted bus, we rode through a relaxed and sun-splashed Latakia, located in the heart of President Bashar Assad's Alawite homeland.

We passed burned-out tanks, armored personnel carriers and a shattered bus in areas of recent battles.

And we came under fire in a mountain village, with shells falling around us as we scrambled up a street to an armored truck and safety.

___

Portraits of Assad and his father, Hafez, looked down from billboards, walls and windows on Latakia's busy streets, packed shops and cafes serving kebabs and humus.

But the front lines of the civil war that since 2011 has killed a quarter-million people and displaced half of Syria's population were only about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) away.

As our group approached those lines, half-finished construction projects gave way to houses damaged by fighting. Many had walls riddled by shrapnel, a missing balcony or a roof blown off. In some places, cardboard replaced missing walls, and clothes hung out to dry across empty sections  signs of life amid the devastation.

Troops at checkpoints appeared increasingly tense as we got closer to the fighting, their look purposeful and fingers on triggers.

Our bus was escorted across central Hama province by a pickup truck with a heavy machine gun mounted on top, with a soldier in a black bandanna scouring the surrounding landscape.

At an intersection outside Hama, we transferred to armored trucks of the Russian military  a clear indication of the danger ahead. Reporters clumsily climbed up the ladders, and we continued under Russian army escort.

We were greeted in the village of Maarzaf, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) west of the city of Hama, by scores of heavily armed men from the private militia of Sheikh Ahmad Mubarak, an influential leader in the province. We saw him sign a deal pledging to respect the cease-fire that began Feb. 27.

Some of his troops were in their early teens, and they looked proud of their weapons and fatigues.

When a Russian truck unloaded humanitarian aid, the sheikh's troops mixed with the residents reaching for candy, and one half-seriously loaded his rifle to fend off some particularly pushy boys.

But there was more curiosity than danger. A female press officer from the Russian Defense Ministry instantly became the focus of attention, with Syrian men elbowing each other to get a photo taken with her.

___

A visit to mountain villages near the border with Turkey was more harrowing.

Most of the homes in Ghunaymiyah, recently seized by the Syrian army from militants, were empty shells, their windows and doors missing and walls riddled by shrapnel. Residents who returned to inspect the damage reacted with shock.

A few knelt to pray at a Christian church, its walls half-ruined and the floor covered with rubble and broken glass. The devastation seemed incongruous with the blossoming trees and bright blue sky.

We then went to nearby Kinsibba, which sits on a steep hill overlooking a strategic road leading to Idlib and Aleppo, Syria's onetime commercial capital that has been the focus of a recent government offensive backed by intense Russian airstrikes.

An indifferent-looking Syrian general said the cease-fire was largely holding despite some shelling by militants of the Nusra Front, al-Qaida's branch in Syria, which is excluded from the cease-fire. The Russian officers weren't so calm, and they nervously urged reporters not to stand at the edge of a cliff overlooking the hills controlled by the militants.

Reporters paid little attention, snapping pictures of the idyllic landscape and later moving down a street to chat with residents.

Suddenly, an explosion and a puff of gray smoke rose from the mountain slope about 200 meters (yards) below. At first, I didn't understand what had happened, but a Russian officer next to me immediately yelled: "All down! We are under fire!"

As I tried to hide behind a nearby low concrete barrier on the street, I saw another puff of smoke from a nearby explosion and reached for my camera. That's when another blast forced me to get down.

More shells fell, and I realized the next one might land on us.

A Russian APC rushed forward to shield us from shrapnel. Under its cover, we ran up the steep hill and around a corner to where our armored trucks were parked.

I felt I was losing my breath after running in my heavy flak jacket, and others stumbled and fell, with the Russian troops helping them up.

We frantically climbed aboard, the nervous Russian officers shouted our names to make sure all were safe, and the trucks sped away over a bumpy road. We could see little through the small armored windows, and the feeling of danger was intense.

But the trucks soon reached a spot where our bus was waiting for us  a sign the immediate peril had eased. Medics treated those who scraped their arms and legs after falling on the asphalt.

___

On another day, a Russian military plane flew us to the capital of Damascus, where we saw entire neighborhoods wiped out by fighting, with barely a single apartment building intact. Just a few miles away, however, other neighborhoods bore no sign of damage, with streets filled with traffic and busy shops.

We were taken to al-Tall, on the northern outskirts, where hundreds of people gathered on the streets. Children chanted "Bashar!" Portraits of Assad and army heroes were everywhere. The atmosphere seemed relaxed, but Syrian military snipers patrolled the rooftops.

We went farther north to the Christian hamlet of Maaloula, which has changed hands several times in the war. Set into a mountainside with breathtaking views, the town is overlooked by the Catholic monastery of St. Sergius, locally known as Mar Sarkis and dating back to Byzantine times. A narrow gorge leads to the Greek Orthodox convent of St. Takla, a place of worship since the early days of Christianity.

Some people in Maaloula and other nearby towns still speak a version of Aramaic, the language Jesus is believed to have used.

The sites were badly damaged by jihadi militants. Their walls were blackened by fire and the frescoes damaged by bullets and shrapnel. Ancient icons were stolen.

___

At Hemeimeem Air Base, the facility used by the Russians in western Syria near Latakia, the military said its warplanes mostly have been grounded since the cease-fire, except for a few missions to the northeastern province of Raqqa, controlled by the Islamic State group. The relative calm contrasted sharply to a previous visit to the base in January, when Russian jets were taking off and landing around the clock.

Since Moscow began its air campaign at the end of September to help its longtime ally Assad, there have been more than 6,000 missions. The bombardment has allowed the Syrian army to reclaim ground in several key areas, most recently around Aleppo.

___

Our last trip was to Al-Issawiyah, a village 15 kilometers south of the border with Turkey, for a delivery of humanitarian aid. Most of the residents are Turkmen, an ethnic minority that Turkey sees as its kin.

The village has been spared fighting, and unlike other we were taken, there were few portraits of Assad and no chants of support.

The Syrian security agents who accompanied our group seemed nervous and urged us to stay together to avoid being abducted.

Still, residents said the Syrian army was protecting them, and some expressed sympathy for the Russian pilot killed by militants while parachuting from his plane that was shot down by a Turkish jet in November.

FILE - In this Wednesday, March 2, 2016, file photo, a woman passes banners with a portrait of Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, and killed Syrian officer, right, on a road near Latakia in Syria. At first glance, the Mediterranean port of Latakia doesn't look like a city at war. Its streets are jammed with traffic, stylish women chat under palm trees, and idyllic orange groves stretch for miles. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, children reach out for sweets distributed by Russian military in Maarzaf, about 15 kilometers west of Hama, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, a Syrian solder helps an elderly woman as she comes to receive humanitarian aid from Russian military near Maarzaf, about 15 kilometers west of Hama, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, local residents surround a Russian defense ministry press officer, who escorted journalists in a trip to Syria, in Maarzaf, about 15 kilometers west of Hama, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

In this photo taken on Tuesday, March 1, 2016, a car passes on a street in Latakia, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia in Syria during the ceasefire. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, Sheikh Ahmad Mubarak speaks to the media after signing a cease-fire declaration in Maarzaf, about 15 kilometers west of Hama, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

In this photo taken on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, Syrian solders guard near a tent where local leaders and elders signed a declaration pledging to abide by a truce Maarzaf, about 15 kilometers west of Hama, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

In this photo taken on Tuesday, March 1, 2016, a man rides a carriage in Latakia, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

In this photo taken on Thursday, March 3, 2016, a Syrian solder walks, with the Greek Orthodox Mar Taqla monastery left in the background, in Maaloula, an ancient Christian town 60 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Damascus, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Vladimir Isachenkov)

In this photo taken on Thursday, March 3, 2016, the Greek Orthodox Mar Taqla monastery is seen in Maaloula, Syria. The monastery was badly damaged by fighting in Maaloula, an ancient Christian town 60 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Damascus, which changed hands several times in the war. Its historic churches pillaged by jihadis and buildings riddled with shrapnel reflect fierce fighting that devastated the town two years ago. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Vladimir Isachenkov)

In this photo taken on Friday, March 4, 2016, elderly women sit in a yard in the village of Al-Issawiyah, about 15 kilometers south of the border with Turkey, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Vladimir Isachenkov)

In this photo taken on Thursday, March 3, 2016, an icon damaged by fighting is seen in the Greek Orthodox Mar Taqla monastery in the village of Maaloula, an ancient Christian town 60 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Damascus, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Vladimir Isachenkov)

In this photo taken on Tuesday, March 1, 2016, a Russian Su-24 bomber flies over the Mediterranean sea in Latakia, Syria. Associated Press spent five days traveling through the port of Latakia and the surrounding areas in Syria during the cease-fire. (AP Photo/Vladimir Isachenkov)
Widow, 92, 'overwhelmed' to be allowed to stay in Britain

A sick and frail 92-year-old widow, who was threatened with deportation, says she is "overwhelmed" to be allowed to stay in Britain.

Myrtle Cothill feared she would be sent back to her native South Africa despite suffering from heart problems, losing her eyesight, being unable to walk unaided and having to be looked after by her daughter, Mary Wills, in Poole, Dorset.

She had been ordered to leave Britain and was even been booked on to a flight to Johannesburg in February, despite having no family to care for her there.

Minister for Immigration James Brokenshire.

On hearing she had been granted limited leave to remain in the UK, Mrs Cothill told ITV News: "I am feeling very happy, overwhelmed. It is unbelievable."

She said it was like going "from darkness to lightness, from night to day".

Mrs Cothill's lawyers presented medical evidence about the state of her health and she has now been told she can stay. She will have no recourse to public funds, including the NHS.

Immigration minister James Brokenshire said: "Last month Mrs Cothill's family were given the opportunity to provide further evidence about her health and fitness to travel.

"I asked that this evidence be carefully considered as a fresh application under the rules. In the light of this assessment, I have decided that Mrs Cothill should be granted limited leave to remain in the UK with her family given the compassionate and exceptional circumstances of this case."

Mrs Cothill's health deteriorated after she came to Britain in February 2014 on a six-month visa.

Mrs Wills lives with her husband David, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and has heart problems.

She could not travel to South Africa to look after her mother there because they have no right to live in the country, and her husband's health would not allow it.

The case attracted a huge amount of public support on social media, with more than 75,000 people signing a petition calling for her to be allowed to stay.

Mrs Cothill said: "I feel like a weight has been lifted off me. I want to thank everyone who has supported me and God bless them all. It has made such a tremendous difference to me."

Mrs Wills said: "Words cannot explain how I am feeling. I am overwhelmed. It is the best Mother's Day present we could have hoped for."

Her lawyer Jan Doerfel said the stress of the situation had left Mrs Cothill suffering from severe anxiety and depression and that doctors had given her just months to live if she was deported.

Doctors who examined Mrs Cothill said there was a considerable risk of mortality within the first three months of her return due to her physical and mental frailty, advanced age and emotional and physical dependency on her daughter for the provision of food, medication and self-care.

Mr Doerfel said: "It has been a heartbreaking situation. It would have been a permanent loss of her daughter, a permanent separation and there was an increased risk of her dying within three months of returning to South Africa."

Mrs Cothill and her family have been under "incredible stress" since September 2014 when she was refused leave to stay with her daughter.

Fearing she could be parted from her only daughter Mrs Cothill began her legal battles to stay. Mr Doerfel said "not surprisingly, this has taken a toll on Myrtle's heath".
Slovak PM Fico wins election but faces tough task to form majority

By Tatiana Jancarikova and Jan Lopatka

BRATISLAVA, March 6 (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico won Saturday's parliamentary election, nearly complete results showed, but gains by opposition parties including the far right will make it very hard if not impossible to form a new government.

If Fico fails to put together a government led by his leftist Smer party, a group of centre-right parties could try to form a broad but possibly unstable anti-Fico coalition, a repeat of the 2010 election.

Fico, a leftist whose anti-immigration and socially conservative views are in line with neighbours Poland and Hungary, took 28.3 percent of the vote, far ahead of others but less than he had hoped for, results from 99.98 percent of voting districts showed.

With euro zone member Slovakia due to take over the European Union's rotating presidency from July, giving it a bigger role in EU policy discussions over the bloc's migration crisis, the election is being watched closely in Brussels.

Fico bet on a combination of popular welfare measures such as free train rides for students and pensioners and his opposition to accepting refugees to secure a third term, after ruling in 2006-2010 and 2012-2016.

The results showed eight groups won seats in the new parliament, including four that were not in the outgoing one. Some factions rule out working with each other, especially with a far-right party that gained representation.

Some analysts raised the prospect of a stalemate that could lead to a minority or temporary cabinet.

Fico, who had hoped to rule with one smaller coalition partner, said building a new coalition in a highly fragmented parliament would take time and be tough, given the "very complicated" election results.

"As the party that won the election we have the obligation to try build a meaningful and stable government," Fico told reporters. "It will not be easy, I am saying that very clearly."

Fico, who dismisses multiculturalism as "a fiction", has pledged never to accept EU-agreed quotas on relocating refugees who have flooded into Greece and Italy from Syria and beyond.

Slovakia has a tiny Muslim minority. It has not seen any large numbers of refugees pass through its territory.

Opponents portray Fico as an inefficient and unsavoury populist who ignores the need to reform education and healthcare. However, most opposition parties in the predominantly Catholic country agree with Fico's hardline stance on migrants.

Refusal to provide guarantees for a bailout of Greece brought down the previous centre-right government in 2012.

Both Smer-led and centre-right coalitions face huge obstacles, because either would have to include the centrist Most-Hid party popular among the Hungarian minority as well as the mildly nationalist Slovak National Party.

Most-Hid refuses to work with the nationalists, the party's chief Bela Bugar said, putting the faction that won just 6.5 percent in the position of a possible king-maker.

"This will be a more difficult birth than this country has ever experienced," said Marian Lesko, a commentator at weekly Trend.

FAR-RIGHT IN PARLIAMENT

Slovakia is one of the euro zone's most financially sound states, popular with foreign investors, particularly car makers.

But unemployment of more than 10 percent and vast regional differences in wealth, as well as corruption and low healthcare and education standards, have disappointed many voters.

The dissatisfaction along with Fico's bet on immigration fears may have brought votes to protest parties. The far-right radical People's Party of central Slovak Governor Marian Kotleba won 8.0 percent, nearly three times more than predicted.
The quartets first selection started out at a good pace, as the musicians picked out quiet staccato notes that grew more and more intense, building to that first dramatic pause.

In an instant, the song pivoted into a whole new tempo, a new section. And immediately the classic Chassidic style was recognizable in the four Slovak players music project.

The group, casually known as the Slovak Virtuosos, began a four-concert tour of Billings on Wednesday at the Yellowstone Art Museum. Featuring Jozef Luptak on cello, Boris Lenko on accordion, Milos Valent on violin and Rabbi Baruch Myers on piano and vocals, the group specializes in classic Chassidic Jewish music styles with modern adaptations.

Its as much a cultural project as it is a musical one, said Luptak, who visited Billings last fall for a series of solo concerts. Luptak, Lenko and Valent are accomplished Slovak chamber musicians who were drawn to the aesthetic and spiritual impact of the project.

It comes out of the meaning of the songs. And the style of how they were sungthe traditions, Luptak said.

Myers is a New Jersey native and now the Rabbi of Bratislava. He arrived there in 1993 to become the first rabbi in Slovakia since 1968  and the first since the fall of the communist Eastern Bloc. He also has a strong musical background and conceived the idea for the group.

Myers approached Luptak in a Vienna airport in 2003 with an idea to take a contemporary look at traditional Chassidic sounds. After some time, they spoke again in a Bratislava copy shop and have been playing together since.

The idea was to create a kind of a chamber music ensemble, which will play Chassidic songs in a new style, new form, Luptak said.

They later decided to bring in Valent and Lenko for a fuller sound, and the group officially formed in 2008.

In addition to his deft piano play, Myers served as a cultural anchor in Judaism for the group. The players said that they learned from him the meaning and feeling of the selections, and that they were very much eastern European in tradition.

This music is also from our countries, Lenko said. It was for us, very important.

There are also strong cultural ties to the work. Luptak has taken on niche musical styles and adapted them as a form of cultural preservation. In a previous project, he worked with traditional music in eastern European gypsy culture. These traditions are treasures, Luptak said.

For the Slovak musician, the Jewish history is marred by the tragedies of the Holocaust and the unease of the communist regime. These things are still open wounds in some ways.

Somehow, the whole Slovak society didnt really manage properly to deal with our own history, Luptak said.

The classic Chassidic sound is always present in the virtuosos songs. There are the waltz-style meters that vary wildly in tempo as well as serene, dramatic interludes. There are modern tones and sections as well, but Luptak said that the key was threading the Chassidic melodies throughout, in their traditional forms.

Those melodies started and flourished in the 19th century, Myers said. When he started the project, he said that he set out to work with musicians who enjoyed the material and could adapt the music rather than build atop it. A music teacher in the United States once told him, Do whats good for the music.

The collaboration meant that the musicians themselves could suggest and invent what they felt would work, Myers said. And that for me broadened the palate of musical alternatives geometrically.

The project was very well-received in Bratislava, the musicians said. It was equally so in Billings, and as the performance went on it was apparent that the musicians were doing more than just reciting an established score.

The biggest value of this project is to have a space for adding and come with a free improvisation, Valent said.

On Sunday, the Virtuosos will play their last in a string of Billings concerts. Dubbed a signature concert, it will be hosted in conjunction with the Congregation Beth Aaron, the Reform Judaism community in Billings.

The quartet plans to record and release its second album soon. Each player is deeply studied in music but with different backgrounds. But they have coalesced around this Chassidic style for eight years now.

Thats as much a key to the project as the underlying melody, Luptak said. The ease of the finished product  traditional, improvised or both  makes the Virtuosos adaptations a success.

We are a group of good musicians, but its about personality as well, Luptak said. What kind of person they are. That was very important to this project.
Egypt accuses Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas of assassinating prosecutor

By Amina Ismail and Ahmed Aboulenein

CAIRO, March 6 (Reuters) - Egypt has accused exiled Muslim Brotherhood officials of conspiring with Gaza-based Hamas militants to assassinate Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat last year and arrested 14 people in connection with the attack.

Barakat, 64, was killed by a car bomb in Cairo in June 2015. He was the most senior state official assassinated since the toppling in mid-2013 of elected president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack at the time.

Interior Ministry Magdi Abdel Ghaffar told a news conference that the attack was ordered by Turkey-based leaders of Egypt's oldest Islamist movement and coordinated with fellow Islamist group Hamas, which he said provided training and explosives.

"This is a very big conspiracy that started a long time ago and continued," he said.

The Muslim Brotherhood denied the accusations.

"You are the real the conspiracy against Egypt. You are the murderers. Look amongst you for the killers of your public prosecutor you infidels and murderers," the group's spokesman Mohamed Montaser said in a statement.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied the accusations, calling them groundless and incorrect.

Abdel Ghaffar said Egypt had arrested 48 members of a Brotherhood cell aimed at undermining security through a series of attacks. Fourteen of them had confessed to killing Barakat.

He said Yehia Moussa, health ministry spokesman during Mursi's presidency, had planned the operation. Moussa is now living in Turkey.

Judges and other senior officials have been targeted by radical Islamists since then-military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted Mursi following mass protests against his turbulent rule.

Sisi, who went on to win a presidential election in 2014, banned the Brotherhood and jailed thousands of its followers. Shortly after Sisi took power, security forces killed hundreds of Mursi supporters in a single day in the bloodiest episode in Egypt's modern history.

The Egyptian judiciary says it is independent of the government and military, but some judges have been accused by human rights groups of bias after handing down lengthy jail terms and mass death sentences.

The crackdown, which has included restrictions on freedom of protest, has angered many opponents of Sisi who has struggled to suppress an insurgency that is raging in the eastern Sinai Peninsula, which borders Hamas-controlled Gaza and Israel.

VIDEO CONFESSIONS

Barakat's assassination cast doubt on Egypt's ability to contain the insurgency, which has seen hundreds of police and soldiers killed since Sisi took over. The Brotherhood has been designated terrorist. The group says it rejects violence.

The most active militant group is Sinai Province, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Egypt makes no distinction, describing such groups as an existential threat.

The interior ministry showed video clips of men, most in their early 20s, confessing to joining protests and later attacking police with fireworks, destroying electricity towers, and going to Gaza for military training from Hamas.

"I received a firearms course, a car bomb course, and a military tactics course. I returned to Egypt three months later and remained in contact with Hamas intelligence officers," one young man told the camera.

"I was later told to prepare for an operation with others where we would assassinate the public prosecutor."

The young men said they planted a car filled with explosives and detonated it remotely the following day as Barakat's motorcade passed by.

"As soon as the motorcade moved (near the car bomb) I pressed the button and we took a photo then moved in a red hatchback car," said another young man.

Authorities have repeatedly paraded on video what they say are militants confessing to violence. It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the confessions.

Human rights groups have documented many cases of "enforced disappearances" since the end of 2013. Detainees are prevented from seeing lawyers or families for weeks or months and rights groups say they are sometimes tortured to extract confessions.
Czech president floats idea of Greece paying debts by hosting migrant centres

PRAGUE, March 6 (Reuters) - Greece could pay down its foreign debts by hosting deportation centres, giving Europe another option in tackling the migrant crisis, Czech President Milos Zeman said on Sunday.

Zeman, speaking in a broadcast interview with Czech television channel Prima, said the idea came from one of his advisers and called it "an original idea that could kill two birds with one stone".

"Detention centres would be built on Greek islands to where migrants from Europe would be deported ... and Greece would, by maintaining these detention centres, pay its otherwise uncollectible foreign debt," he said.

The European Union is holding a summit with Turkey on Monday on how to handle the migrant crisis. Germany has said that finding ways to help Greece, the main entry point for refugees into Europe, would be a priority.

Zeman has limited policymaking power but has been outspoken on the migrant issue. He has said the integration of Muslim communities is "practically impossible" and called the influx an "organised invasion".

The Greek foreign ministry declined to comment on Zeman's remarks on Sunday.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, lashing out on Sunday at border restrictions that led to logjams, said Greece would press for solidarity with refugees and fair burden-sharing among European Union states at Monday's summit.

Tsipras has accused Austria and Balkan countries of "ruining Europe" by slowing the flow of migrants and refugees heading north from Greece, where some 30,000 are now trapped, waiting for Macedonia to reopen its border so they can head to Germany.

"Europe is in a nervous crisis," Tsipras told his leftist Syriza party's central committee. "Will a Europe of fear and racism overtake a Europe of solidarity?"

Central European leaders have been sceptical about Greece's ability to limit migrants, many of whom are fleeing war in Syria and elsewhere, and fear Turkey will not manage to stem the number of people crossing the Aegean Sea.
Russian embassy in Kiev protests over damage to its cars - RIA

MOSCOW/KIEV, March 6 (Reuters) - Russia's embassy in Kiev sent a note of protest to Ukraine's foreign ministry on Sunday about attacks on the embassy's cars, the RIA news agency quoted embassy spokesman Oleg Grishin as saying.

Grishin said three cars parked outside the embassy were "seriously damaged" overnight by a group of unidentified people who also threw flares and smoke flares to the embassy.

Kiev police said it had started a criminal investigation into the case which it preliminarily described as hooliganism.

"At night ... unidentified people started smashing parked cars, so a total of three vehicles were damaged: mirrors and the glass had been shattered," the police said in a statement.

A video with a slogan "Freedom to Nadia Savchenko" and footage of few men smashing cars in darkness appeared on the Internet, while hundreds of people have massed near the embassy in Ukraine's capital on Sunday with similar slogans.

Protesters have urged Moscow to free Nadezhda (Nadia) Savchenko, a Ukrainian pilot on trial in Russia on charges of complicity in the killing of two Russian journalists.

Savchenko, 34, was captured by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine in June 2014. She denies any wrongdoing.

Last Thursday she went on hunger strike to protest against the length of what she said was an unjust legal process after the judge in her trial adjourned proceedings just as she was about to deliver her final speech.
U.S. leads 19 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq, Syria -U.S. military

WASHINGTON, March 6(Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted 19 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Saturday, the coalition leading the operations said.

In a statement released early Sunday, the Combined Joint Task Force said six strikes focused near Al Hasakah and Manbij in Syria destroyed a heavy machine gun, a building, vehicles and other weapons.
Canada Catholic head: 'Unjust' to force doctors on assisted suicide

TORONTO, March 6 (Reuters) - The head of Canada's biggest Catholic group opposed the country's pending doctor-assisted suicide legislation in a statement to be read at 225 Toronto churches on Sunday, saying it was "unjust" to force doctors to act against their conscience.

"It is unjust to force people to act against their conscience in order to be allowed to practice as a physician," Cardinal Thomas Collins, head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, said in the text of his statement.

Canada's Supreme Court struck down a ban on assisted suicide in 2015 and gave lawmakers a year to come up with legislation to regulate the practice.

The newly elected Liberal government was given a four-month extension this year to a develop a national law for the practice, under which doctors opposed to assisted suicide have to recommend someone willing to perform it.

Collins who is expected to deliver his statement personally during mass at St. Paul's Basilica, home to Toronto's oldest Catholic congregation, said while assisted suicide is "never justified," those with terminal illnesses could refuse treatment.

Collins also criticized what he says is the broadness of the proposed law, which offers assisted suicide to minors and those with psychiatric conditions.

The French-speaking province of Quebec had already put its own law into effect in December. Since the change in provincial law on Dec. 10, at least one person carried out an assisted suicide in Quebec City.
Iraq PM Abadi secures Shi'ite support for cabinet change plan - state TV

BAGHDAD, March 6 (Reuters) - Iraq's main Shi'ite groups on Sunday voiced support for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's plan to overhaul the government and combat corruption, state TV said.

The broadcaster cited a statement issued by the National Alliance, a loose gathering of Shi'ite groups that controls the majority of seats in parliament, after a meeting with Abadi in the Shiite holy city of Kerbala, south of Baghdad. The other blocs in parliament mainly represent the Sunni and Kurdish communities.

Abadi, 19 months into his four-year term, said in February that he wanted to replace politically-appointed ministers with technocrats in a bid to weaken the current system which distributes positions along ethnic and sectarian lines, creating patronage networks blamed for breeding corruption.

Abadi's move came after criticism from the nation's highest Shi'ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, that his government has done little to combat graft.

"The National Alliance affirms its position of support of the reforms and ministerial change that the Prime Minister has called for," the statement read on state TV said.

The Shi'ite meeting in Kerbala was attended by Moqtada al-Sadr, the powerful cleric who called on Friday for the government to be overthrown if it failed to act against corruption, according to state TV.

Sadr, whose opinion holds sway over tens of thousands of people, including fighters who took on U.S. troops in 2006-07, had threatened to break into the heavily-fortified Green Zone that houses main government buildings, the parliament and foreign embassies.
At least 9 dead, dozens injured in attacks against Kurdish quarter in Aleppo

AMMAN, March 6 (Reuters) - At least nine civilians were killed and dozens were wounded on Sunday when mortars and rockets were fired by insurgents on a mainly Kurdish residential quarter in the northern city of Aleppo, the Syrian Kurdish YPG group and a monitor said on Sunday.

Spokesperson Redur Xelil, an official from the People's Protection Unit (YPG), said the attacks on the Sheikh Maqsoud quarter of the city killed nine civilians, including four children, two women and three men.

Earlier state run Ikhbariya television station said in a news flash 14 were dead and at least 40 injured when mortars were fired by what it described as "terrorists" in rebel-held parts of Aleppo hit Sheikh Maqsoud.

SANA state news agency said the damage to property was extensive.

The residential area has been a major frontline in Aleppo for weeks, with heavy clashes between the Syrian Kurdish YPG militias and rebels in control of large parts of the eastern portion of the divided city.

The YPG denies it is coordinating with the Syrian army.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks violence in Syria, also said the attack was among the biggest by rebels in the area that also adjoins state run parts of Aleppo.

At least one hundred rockets were fired by al-Qaeda's Syrian offshoot Nusra Front and hardline Islamist insurgent groups on residential areas in the quarter, the Observatory said.

Heavy fighting flared in Ashrafiyah and in the Sakan al Shabibi neighbourhoods where Kurdish fighters sought to advance in rebel-held areas with no signs that a truce agreed by international parties was holding in that area.

Kurdish YPG fighters have been trying to take advantage of the preoccupation of insurgents with fending off a Syrian ground offensive to disrupt traffic on the main highway that Sheikh Maqsoud overlooks used by passengers and rebels to get into the opposition held areas of the city.

The permanent closure of the main Castello highway by Kurdish sniper fire would cut supplies of food to hundreds of thousands of civilians and allow the Syrian army to fully encircle rebel-held parts of Aleppo.
EU talks tough on migrants from Turkey, uneasy over rights

By Alastair Macdonald and Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS, March 6 (Reuters) - The European Union hopes a summit with Turkey on Monday can start putting an end to the chaotic arrivals of migrants in Greece and halt their treks through the Balkans toward Germany, diplomats said on Sunday.

The meeting in Brussels will set out a tougher position on taking in migrants who reach Greece and formalise the closing of borders against those heading north from there. The EU leaders are also likely to tell Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of their concern about human rights after the Turkish government seized control of a critical newspaper over the weekend.

EU leaders will also reassure Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of help housing thousands now stranded in Greece who hoped to follow the million that found refuge in Germany last year, diplomats said after a meeting of EU envoys on Sunday before the summit.

An EU endorsement of recent border closures by Macedonia, Austria and other countries on the route north from Greece will be accompanied by a renewed commitment to revive stalled plans to redistribute asylum claimants around the 28 EU nations.

A draft EU agreement will declare that the "West Balkan route is closed", diplomats said, although they added the statement was likely to go through considerable redrafting.

NATO said a new naval force in the Aegean secured approval for operating in Turkish and Greek waters. That will lend force to a new agreement by Turkey to take back migrants halted in its waters and those who reach Greek islands but fail to qualify for asylum in Europe.

Meeting Davutoglu two days after his government seized control of Zaman, Turkey's top-selling newspaper, EU leaders are torn between anger at Ankara's action and fear of derailing Turkish willingness to stop migrants sailing for Greece.

European Council President Donald Tusk, the former Polish premier who will chair Monday's talks with Davutoglu, had barely left a meeting with President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday and declared cautious optimism on the migrant crisis when Istanbul police seized the newspaper.

"It's a slap in the face," one senior EU official told Reuters after EU envoys met in Brussels on Sunday. "Erdogan wants obviously to show that he can do what he wants."

Diplomats close to that preparatory meeting said EU leaders will raise the issue with Davutoglu. But some fear that desire to see Turkey restrain departing migrants and take back those who make it to Greece will mute European support for Erdogan's opponents.

RISKING ALL ON TURKEY

The leader of the liberal group in the European Parliament, former Belgian premier Guy Verhofstadt, called the takeover of Zaman an "offence" to EU leaders who, he said, were being "naive" in risking all "on a single card - Turkey".

That criticism was echoed by Amnesty International's deputy director for Europe, Gauri van Gulik. "Using Turkey as a 'safe third country' is absurd," she said. " ... Europe has an absolute duty to protect refugees and must make the bold decision to fast-track significant, unconditional resettlement as a matter of urgency."

However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who faces regional elections next Sunday that will pass judgment on her decision to take in asylum seekers last year, is keen to see a three-month old deal with Ankara start working. She was meeting Davutoglu in Brussels late on Sunday.

Germany has been pushing for resettlement of thousands of Syrian refugees from the more than two million in Turkey, as well as large numbers from Jordan and Lebanon. But diplomats say that is unlikely to be discussed in detail until the EU sees flows from Turkey are falling.

Over a weekend that saw at least another 18 people drown in the straits between Turkey and Greece, Turkish gendarmes mounted a raid on a beach opposite Lesbos. Reuters journalists saw them stop some 120 migrants from leaving and arrest at least two from a migrant-smuggling gang.

However, some 30,000 migrants are bottled up in Greece and 2,000 to 3,000 more arrive daily. Tsipras, struggling with an economy blighted by the euro zone debt crisis, has called for urgent help and insisted Greece will not become a "warehouse of souls".

Diplomats and EU officials said they believe that clear signs Europe's external borders are being brought under control can ease resistance from some in the EU to a plan to relocate asylum seekers from Greece to other European countries - a scheme that has seen barely 300 people move from Greece over the past few months.
In a shameful move, the Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led Turkish government seized control of the media group which owns the most circulated newspaper in the country.

The Feza Media Group, which owns the largely-circulated Zaman and Today's Zaman newspapers and the Cihan News Agency, was one of the few critical media groups remaining in the country and had shown the courage of standing tall in the face of unprecedented government pressure and threat.

Although confiscating a media group is not new in the history of AKP rule in Turkey, the takeover of the Zaman newspaper' is an alarming blow to people's right to gain authentic and uncensored information in the country. Among all the print and electronic media available to Turkish readers and viewers, over 90 per cent are ardently pro-government.

The Zaman newspaper and its sister English daily Today's Zaman were literally the last mainstream publications with large-scale readership which did not toe the government's line. Now since they have been taken over, the only information that citizens in Turkey are likely to get from their mainstream national media will be what the ruling AKP wants them to know.

This is a dire state of affairs for any country and highlights the complete collapse of democracy there.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who harbours the ambition of becoming an "all-powerful" president, has shown utter intolerance towards critical media and blatantly disregarded the rule of law. The pro-government Turkish media has long been engaging in propaganda to shape public opinion in favour of Erdogan's dictatorial plans.

Though they have been successful in ensuring successive electoral victories for Erdogan and his party, the president's ambition of becoming all-powerful, requires constitutional amendments to fructify, and it has not gained takers among the masses yet.

Turkey is officially a parliamentary democracy and the president has limited authority. Erdogan who became president in 2014 after serving as prime minister since 2003 wants to amend the constitution and give himself the executive powers he currently does not have.

However, it is not factually incorrect that Erdogan has already been exercising executive powers despite the restrictions in the constitution. All he is desperate about now is to legitimise what he has already been doing.

He sees critical media as a significant hindrance to his ambitions as it counters the pro-government media's narrative and offers an alternative view, which ultimately helps prevent the shaping of popular opinion in his favour.
UP

Local lifesavers. Commendations are in order for emergency responders who worked for about three hours to safely talk a distraught woman off a railroad bridge over the Yellowstone River on Feb. 27. Wind howled and raindrops fell as Yellowstone County Sheriffs Deputy Aaron Harris and Billings Police Officers Phillip Tanis and Del Kuntz successfully talked her to safety. These officers previously completed Crisis Intervention Training through the Community Crisis Center.

DOWN

Deadly months. Montana is off to a bad start on highway traffic safety in 2016. In the first two months of the year, 22 deaths have been reported, compared with 10 at the same time last year. Among the 2016 fatalities, seven occurred in the Montana Highway Patrols Billings District.

UP

Best hospitals. Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare both made lists of the best hospitals in America. The two Billings hospitals were the only ones in Montana, Wyoming or the Dakotas to be ranked in the top 100 in the annual report from Truven Health Analytics, which analyzes patient outcomes and other performance data from thousands of U.S. hospitals.

UP

Five-star chamber. Congratulations to the Billings Chamber of Commerce for achieving the highest level of accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: five stars. Among 7,022 chambers nationwide, 201 are accredited and only 102 are five-star.

DOWN

Shrinking UM. Enrollment at the University of Montana in Missoula is 11,955 this semester  985 students fewer than in spring 2015. The university had projected continuation of the enrollment decline that started in 2009, but Provost Perry Brown has predicted that UM strategic changes will start to reverse the decline this fall.

DOWN

Low snow. Red Lodge Mountain is hosting Winter Carnival this weekend  without the popular Cardboard Classic races. Less snowfall than usual and higher temperatures left the ski area without sufficient snow for building the big snow banks needed for a safe race course for the cardboard creations. Meanwhile, Billings set a record for the lowest snow ever in the month of February.
All told, the budget request was for $350,000.

It would have allowed the Department of Environmental Quality to hire a consultant to identify several strategies for complying with the Clean Power Plan, President Barack Obama's signature climate change initiative. And it was largely included in Wyoming's fiscal blueprint because states had until September to file preliminary plans for complying with the strategy.

That deadline no longer exists  the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the rule until it can be reviewed by a lower court  and neither does the money. State lawmakers struck DEQ's funding request for the Clean Power Plan from the final $3 billion budget and included a provision prohibiting the department from spending money to develop a compliance plan.

Coal interests applauded the move. It would be irresponsible to spend money on a plan that could be thrown out by the next president or struck down by the courts, they said.

Some legislators said the funding was no longer necessary. The deadline doesn't exist anymore, after all. What's the need for the money?

And others criticized the decision, saying Wyoming missed an opportunity to prepare itself for a future where less of the country is reliant on coal power.

Such is the debate today in the country's top coal-producing state, where about $1 billion in annual revenues are generated by removing the black mineral from the Earth.

To be sure, the budget provision does not halt all Clean Power Plan preparations. DEQ will be allowed to spend money to attend meetings and "otherwise be informed" about the plan. But exactly what that entails was not immediately clear in the wake of the budget's passage.

Rep. Norine Kasperik, a Gillette Republican who serves on the Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee, said planning would not stop.

"Theyre going to meet and discuss with stakeholders on the issue," she said. "Any more funding they need can be put back in next session. Its not going to be moving forward that quickly."

Gov. Matt Mead is an outspoken opponent of the rule, having instructed Wyoming's attorney general to join the lawsuit that ultimately produced the stay. But he has also advocated for continued planning, as a way of being prepared and minimizing the costs to the state. In February, the governor told the Star-Tribune that coordination efforts would still progress but at a slower pace after the high court's ruling.

A Mead spokesman, in response to questions from the newspaper, issued a statement saying the governor "is extremely concerned about the costs associated with the implementation of the plan." He did not answer several inquiries for information about how the state will proceed.

Wyoming should be planning for a world that uses less coal, but not on complying with federal rules, said State Sen. Michael Von Flatern, who chairs the Senate Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee. While the Clean Power Plan may be struck down or thrown out, many major states and power companies are already moving away from coal, he noted.

The Gillette Republican said he would have rather seen more efforts like the $15 million appropriated by the Legislature in 2014 for a test center that will study carbon sequestration.

"We dont want to stick our head in the sand like Appalachia did in the 1970s," he said, referring to the effects of the Clean Air Act on eastern mining operations. "Weve got a few grains of sand in our nose, no doubt. The money we would have spent on that, we should have been spending on research rather than applying with federal laws that come up."

The funding's removal from the budget drew the praise of the American Energy Alliance, an industry group. Wyoming would be particularly impacted by the rule as both the country's leading coal-producing state and one heavily reliant on the fuel to generate its electricity, AEA President Thomas Pyle said.

"Wyomings leaders have taken a significant step to protect their citizens from the president's carbon rule and we encourage other states to follow suit," he said in a statement.

But others were less convinced. The Clean Power Plan specifically requests public input, noted Robert Godby, a professor of energy economics at the University of Wyoming. Other states, after holding conversations with utilities and the public, have come forward with suggestions on how to reduce the burden and cost to power companies and rate payers. Wyoming, by refusing to participate, has not come forward with any proposals that may reduce the impact to the state  to say nothing of a solution that may benefit it, Godby said.

Wyoming officials have yet to take the simplest step to reduce the burden: talk with other states about how they plan to approach the issue. A series of studies have concluded cross-state collaboration is the best way to keep costs down, he said.

"The Clean Power Plan is a very difficult regulation to come to grips with respect to making a state implementation plan. There are a lot of things to consider," Godby said. "There is a lot of legwork to be done and not a lot of shoulders to carry the load. Any way the state can expand the resources to come up with the right plan would be a good expenditure. We cant afford to make a mistake."
Two promoted

Chris Nelson and Loren Tollefson have been promoted to additional positions with Capital Credit Union.

Nelson has been named branch manager of the Northwest Branch in Bismarck while continuing as Mandan branch manager.

Nelson is originally from Bismarck and attended the University of North Dakota. He has been with Capital Credit Union since 2010.

Tollefson has become branch manager of the Sunrise Branch in Bismarck and will continue to serve as branch manager of the North Branch.

Originally from Robinson, Tollefson earned a bachelors degree in general studies from the University of North Dakota. He has been with CCU since 2012.

Wald recognized

David Wald, Bismarck, with Securian Financial Advisors of N.D. Inc., attended Private Briefing in Chicago, an invitation-only event held by Securian Financial Services Inc. that recognizes the top 25 investment producers.

Horntvedt chosen

Julianne Horntvedt is the new executive director of the North Dakota State Council on Developmental Disabilities.

She was most recently the safety and health manager at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in Bismarck,

Horntvedt has experience as a direct support provider, group home supervisor and developmental disabilities professional.

A Dickinson native, she earned a bachelors degree in legal studies from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a masters degree in educational leadership from North Dakota State University.

Promoted at BND

Four employees at the Bank of North Dakota have been promoted.

Dave Falkenstein is now a credit manager. He joined the bank in 1992 in student loan services.

Anita Quaglia has been promoted to a credit analyst. She has been with BND since 2012.

Rodney Thorson has been promoted to a credit analyst. He has been an employee since 2008.

Brian Iverson is in a senior accountant position. He started at the bank in 2011 in accounting and treasury.

Buchmann hired

Andrew Buchmann has been hired as a CADD technician at Moore Engineering Inc. in Bismarck.

Buchmann earned an associates degree in geographic information systems from Bismarck State College and recently was a CADD technician in a telecommunications department. Buchmann is originally from Beulah.

Two registered

Kim Whitmore and Jodi Gerving, employees at Dakota Eye Institute, have completed training to be registered ophthalmic ultrasound biometrists.

Vaughan joins

Brandon Vaughan has joined CHI St. Alexius Health as controller in fiscal operations.

He previously was the chief financial officer at Jamestown Regional Medical Center. Vaughan holds a bachelors degree in accounting from NDSU and a master degree in business administration from University of Mary and is a certified public accountant.
WICHITA, Kan.  Ted Cruz cinched double-barreled victories in Kansas and Maine, and Donald Trump captured Louisiana in Saturday's four-state round of Republican voting, fresh evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president.

Bernie Sanders notched a win in Nebraska and state party officials gave him a victory in Kansas, while Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana, another split decision from the American people.

"God bless Kansas," Cruz declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days. "The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together."

The Texas senator defeated Trump easily in Kansas and Maine, and Trump rolled to victory in Kentucky and Louisiana, underscoring that his appeal knows no geographic limitation.

Cruz, a tea party favorite, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a "manifestation of a real shift in momentum."

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.

Rubio said the upcoming schedule of primaries is "better for us," and renewed his vow to win his home state of Florida, claiming all 99 delegates there on March 15.

Campaigning in Detroit, Clinton said she was thrilled to add to her delegate count, "but now all eyes turn to Michigan. And I can tell you this: We're going to work for every vote."

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Nebraska, said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

"I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning," she said.

Sanders won by a solid margin in Nebraska and Kansas officials said he'd won the state caucuses there, too, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season.

Sanders, in an interview with The Associated Press, pointed to his wide margins of victory and called it evidence that his political revolution is coming to pass.

Stressing the important of voter turnout, he said, "when large numbers of people come  working people, young people who have not been involved in the political process  we will do well and I think that is bearing out tonight."

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

Count Wichita's Barb Berry among those who propelled Cruz to victory in Kansas, where GOP officials reported extremely high turnout. It was Cruz' fifth win of the nominating race. Cruz had won Alaska, Oklahoma, Iowa and his home state of Texas.

"I believe that he is a true fighter for conservatives," said Berry, a 67-year-old retired AT&T manager. As for Trump, Berry said, "he is a little too narcissistic."

Overall, Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturday's voting. Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Like Rubio, Ohio Gov. John Kasich has pinned his hopes on the winner-take-all contest March 15 in his home state.

With 51 Louisiana delegates at stake, Clinton will gain more than half  at least 28. That margin will make up for her loss to Sanders in Nebraska. In that state, Sanders will pick up at least 14 and Clinton will receive at least 10.

Overall, Clinton had at least 1,104 delegates to Sanders' 446, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

In the overall race for GOP delegates, including partial results for Kansas, Trump led with 347 and Cruz had 267. Rubio had 116 delegates and Kasich had 28.

Cruz will collect at least 36 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine, Trump at least 18 and Rubio at least six and Kasich three.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.
FREDERICKSBURG  Sycamore Park Elementary School fifth-grader Susannah Massons tactic for preparing for Saturdays 11th annual spelling bee proved she spent many endless hours studying her word lists. The 11-year-old Culpeper native placed fifth against 18 tough competitors, going further in this annual word challenge than any other Culpeper student in recent history, according to Star-Exponent records.

We have two other children who participated in spelling bees and they didnt go as far as she did, said Susannahs father Rob Masson. Susannah did really well.

Before exiting Saturday challenge, Susannah spelled 13 words correctly including: strategy, denim, mesa, carnivore, access, jaguar, topography, magnanimous, hypocrisy, Qatari, babka, blitzkrieg and foggara. But it was the word philhellenism that tripped her up in round 14.

To get to Saturdays contest, Susanna won the Culpeper County Spelling Bee in January.

Asked how she prepares, Susannah shared earlier this year with the Star-Exponent that she studies the words whenever she can.

My mom [Hannah] helps a lot. My dad helps, too, she shared. My mom helps me read through them and just helps me get prepared with the pronunciations.

But it was Kyra Holland, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Marshall Middle School in The Plains, who took the top prize, spelling 24 words correctly. And she has the hardware to prove it, going home with an oversized trophy  almost as tall as the teenager.

She also took home a new oversized Websters dictionary; a one-year online subscription to the Encyclopedia Britannia; was presented with the Samuel Louis Sugarman award and $599 spending money for her trip to the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, just minutes from Washington, D.C.

For her impressive win, Kyra correctly spelled: melba, angelic, ambulance, nether, persimmon, enthusiasm, Parmesan, cringle, adagio, asana, echt, koan, dachshund, glockenspiel, vaquero, escargot, mukhtar, mynheer, braggadocio, intaglio, zeitgeber, peccadillo, schipperke, and her winning word pfeffernuss.

Kyra, who placed second and third in previous years, said she prepares for spelling bees by studying the word lists.

A couple years ago, I started studying Latin and Greek root words and I read a lot, shared Kyra, whose mother helps her practice. Kyras parents Joyce Jones and Troy Holland joined her onstage following her win.

Before securing her win, Kyra went one-on-one against homeschooler Samuel Springer, who spelled 22 words correctly. For his second-place win, Samuel received a dictionary.

It took Kyra about 95 minutes and 24 rounds to secure her win.

Using their index fingers, several spellers wrote their words on their hands or wrists before officially spelling them aloud for the pronouncer.

About 75 parents, teachers, siblings administrators and friends filled James Monroe High Schools auditorium to cheer for the competitors.

Sponsored by the Free Lance-Star, 19 third- through eighth-grade spellers from private, public, home and parochial schools across the region participated in Saturdays event.

During the contest, several nervous parents watched closely through electronic recording devices, capturing the moments on digital cameras and smart phones.

Before the competition, Colleen Beirne, Newspapers In Education coordinator at the Free Lance-Star, congratulated all 19 students.

They are the best in the region, she said. We are proud of them for making it so far. And no matter how they perform today, everyone on this stage deserves a round of applause.
NEW ORLEANS - USA - Donald Trump can make people with alternative views disappear from his rallies within a few seconds, he says he wants to extend that to his presidency.

Presidential candidate, Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday that No one is allowed an opinion other than my own, and thats my final answer on the situation!

Going on to the subject of freedom of speech, Trump addressed a group pf reporters from various agencies telling them that when hes president this is also how its going to be.

Anyone voices an opinion other than the Donald at a rally, you see what happens to them, they get thrown out on their ass. Weve got teams of thugs going round crowds to see if anyone has an opinion that does not follow the Trump line. My boys, theyre so good you know, we find these people, I like to call them disruptors, they call themselves free-thinkers, whatever, whatever they wanna call themselves. Soon their asses are out on the street, its not like the old days though, you know when security would rough these people up real good, take em out on a stretcher. But, comin back to my previous point, this is how its going to be in a Trump presidency. Black or white. No grey. Im going to make damn sure that people who do not have my viewpoint on any subject are silenced one way or another. Lets just say, theyll be made to disappear. Oh, youre saying that sounds like something the Mafia would say, well hello? The Don, they call me, I run with the goodfellas, were like paisans, how you think I made those real estate deals, those construction deals? I mixed with the right people, Italians who know what good shoes are and can bury people in a hole at the drop of a hat. Capish?
With small cities in mind, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., is proposing a new federal grant pilot program to provide seed money to start-up businesses.

Heitkamps Startup Entrepreneur Empowerment Delivery Act, introduced last week, would grant up to $120,000 in federal funds to 19 cities across the country with populations less than 200,000.

The idea for the SEED Act came from concerns stated by small business owners during a U.S. Small Business Administration visit to North Dakota last year. Nearly one-third of startups in the Fargo-Moorhead area identified early stage funding as the greatest challenge to growing their business, according to a survey conducted by CoCo coworking space, Emerging Prairie and the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corp.

If they had $20,000 or $30,000, then imagine what they could do, Heitkamp said of providing that necessary funding.

Kari Warberg-Block, founder of EarthKind in Bismarck, said she had a difficult time getting her product to market as she was from a rural area, with no money or experience.

Warberg-Blocks company makes natural, scent-based, zero poison mouse repellant. She devised the idea after a mouse ran up her leg in a truck cab on her familys farm one day and she used her perfume to scare it off.

I had to get creative, so I sold a lot of vegetables at our local farmers market to pay for my first patent. Altogether, it took eight years to commercialize my invention, Warberg-Block said. Basically, it was boot-strapped the entire way.

Warberg-Block said the state was a major help to her. The Bank of North Dakota provided gap funding so she could get a loan because its hard to collateralize dried flowers. The Stanley economic development organization and the North Dakota Department of Commerces Agricultural Products Utilization Commission awarded her grants.

If it wasnt for APUC, I dont know if I could have gotten through the EPA approval, Warberg-Block said.

Most recently Warberg-Block came up with a bio-based plastic holder for her repellent packs that is being promoted by Lowes nationwide.

One more thing that would have never happened without state help, she said.

But not all ideas are agriculture related.

I think the idea is good. We certainly have a lot of startups across North Dakota that are always looking for seed money and those dollars are hard to come by, said APUC Director John Schneider, adding that there arent many programs that hand out that initial funding needed for business planning, marketing and some of the more intangible items needed to start a business.

He said he thinks the SEED Act program will be attractive to communities because they will be in control of their own fate.

Heitkamp said the U.S. Department of Commerce would distribute the $1.2 million in funding if the SEED Act were to pass. Towns would apply to the department for the funding, stating how they would use it in their community. It would then be up to the towns to distribute it to businesses.

Warberg-Block said the local focus of the SEED Act program would play to the strengths of the entrepreneurial network because local organizations would go out into their community looking for those gems of ideas and will work hard to connect them to other resources.

For example, Warberg-Block was at a Fargo business idea pitch competition. She met a North Dakota State University professor with a car sharing idea and connected him with the head of Airbnb, a company that allows people to rent parts of their homes and host travelers worldwide. Now, the two men talk all the time about the car share idea, trying to make it a reality.

Thats how the entrepreneurial network works, Warberg-Block said, referring to the connection she was able to help make. The SEED Act will build on that.

Heitkamp said the focus on rural is important because poverty levels are higher in rural areas and starting a company that employs 50 people can make a big difference.

In 2015, North Dakota had the third-highest startup activity in the country, according to the Kauffman Index.

Startups arent just in New York or California as weve seen tremendous growth and innovation throughout North Dakota as well, Heitkamp said in a statement. But too often, we heard the same challenges from startups and small businesses . they run into the barrier of not being able to qualify for support because theyre asking for too little funding.

She said small amounts dont qualify for federal support and angel funds typically want ideas that are further developed.

Technology-based startups face another problem, Heitkamp said, because they may not have a storefront and they are selling an idea rather than a tangible product.

For example, Myriad Mobile of Fargo created an application during the 2011 flood that provided information about the flood. The app caught the attention of local media and then local businesses began hiring the company, CEO Jake Joraanstad said.

Starting a business in college instead of going to class is not what my mom had in mind for my experience at NDSU  but I knew when we started developing Myriad Mobile that we had something that could innovate and unite our community, he said.

As a student without the financial, family or part-time job obligations of many of my startup colleagues  I could commit to fulfilling those contracts. But too many startups in the Fargo community dont have that luxury, and often need a small amount of funding to offset their financial obligations so they can develop and market their products, hire workers and grow their business.

Funding for marketing is one major need, according to 55 percent of startups surveyed in Fargo. So is infrastructure, recruitment and hiring resources.

Grand Forks Commercial Event Services owner Nick Jensen had a young son and a daughter on the way when he was getting started. He said the SEED Act would have given him the boost he needed to grow strong faster.

In my case, it would mean no longer having to turn down good contracts because I cant hire the people I need, he said.

Heitkamp said she knows not all of the businesses funded will be wildly successful but she is hopeful others in Congress will think it is worth a shot and eventually be willing to approve the program and funding.

Schneider said accountability has been key for APUCs success, following up with each of the projects to make sure they are doing what they said they would and helping them through the process. Warberg-Block suggests having review committees with entrepreneurs on them as a way to better the chance of success.

After the year-long pilot, the Commerce Department would report back to Congress on the results. If successful, Heitkamp said she hopes the program could be broadened.

Were really excited about it, said Heitkamp, adding she hopes to build the same support she has gotten for the idea from North Dakota businesses in other small communities nationwide.
Wind developers are having a hard time getting a project sited in Stark County, after one was rejected last year and a second option is being disputed in court.

NextEra Energy plans to build an 87-turbine wind project along the southern edge of Stark County roughly from west of Lefor on the Enchanted Highway to past Highway 22 south of Dickinson. The $250 million, 18,000-acre project would provide 150 megawatts of electricity to Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

A group that calls itself Concerned Citizens of Stark County filed suit in South West District Court, complaining that the Stark County zoning board and commission failed to provide the public proper notice for back-to-back meetings when both boards approved the wind farm in December. That suit remains unresolved.

Barring any changes caused by the court suit, the North Dakota Public Service Commission is the last regulatory stop for the project. The commission said it will delay its public hearing until March 30 at the request of the citizens group which wants more time to review the information the company has submitted.

The PSC will take comment on the wind farm starting at 8 a.m. and on the transmission line at 5 p.m. at the Dickinson City Hall.

Besides the wind farm, NextEra is proposing to build a 20-mile transmission line for another $12 million.

Tom Reichert, spokesman for the citizens group, said this second location in southern Stark County is no more acceptable than the first one in the Richardton-Taylor area that was turned down by the county.

Not only is there as much (population) density with small tracts of land, of the 40 landowners who agreed to have turbines, half are residents and half are absentee owners, said Reichert, adding that the group is holding out for deeper setbacks, so turbines would have to be located 2,000 feet from a property line, not from a residence.

Otherwise, that residence is being used to make up the setback and we think thats easement trespass, Reichert said.

The group is picking up new members and that 200 will grow to 500 after open houses are held this month throughout the project area, according to Reichert.

NextEra did not return a call for comment.

Stark County Commissioner Jay Elkin said he believes far more people favor the project than oppose it. He said this remote location will have much less impact on the population than NextEras first attempt.

Elkin voted against the new location as a zoning board member, but said he felt he had to honor the zoning boards recommendation to approve it when he voted again as a commissioner.

He said the wind development would help school and emergency districts with tax revenue and landowners with turbine lease payments.

With low commodity prices, farmers and ranchers need help and this happens to be the help theyre looking for, he said.With low commodity prices, farmers and ranchers need help

and this happens to be the help theyre looking for. Stark County Commissioner Jay Elkin on the proposed wind farm location in Stark County

With low commodity prices, farmers and ranchers need help and this happens to be the help theyre looking for. Jay Elkin, Stark County Commissioner on a proposed wind farm location
North Dakota students will soon take the states new standardized test for the second time, and education officials anticipate a smoother experience after glitches last year caused delays at some schools.

Students can begin testing March 15, though schools may opt to administer it later in the spring. Kids will once again take the Smarter Balanced math and English assessments on computers, whether that be a desktop, laptop or tablet.

Some students in spring 2015 faced trouble logging on and other technology issues when they tried to take the test. An inefficiency in the tests code caused problems as students throughout the state attempted to access the assessment at the same time, said Greg Gallagher, director of assessments for the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.

State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said North Dakota will use a different version of code to run this years online tests.

We decided to go with a proprietary code that was stable and proven, she said. Our No. 1 priority was to provide our students with a better testing experience.

The code, developed by American Institutes for Research, was used successfully in states such as California, South Dakota, Washington and Idaho last year.

North Dakota, along with Montana and Nevada, opted to contract with another testing company in 2015 that made use of an open source version of the code. Baesler said the state is continuing to work with the New Hampshire-based Measured Progress this year, but her department negotiated to use AIRs proprietary code.

The entities reached an agreement to keep the cost at $1.5 million to test the states 56,000 third- through eighth-graders and high school juniors, Gallagher said. Thats the same amount North Dakota paid Measured Progress last year for the open source code.

Gallagher said price was a significant factor in the decision to go with the open source code last year. Bids for the proprietary version came in twice as high.

Though this years code will be different, Gallagher said the test will look similar on screen to students who took it in 2015.

It will have a common touch and feel, he said.

He said the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, whose member states developed the test, has reviewed the open source system and made improvements. States may choose to return to an open source code down the road.

Gallagher said the test length varies by grade level but takes roughly five hours. This year, students will forgo a classroom activity administered by teachers before a portion of the assessment, reducing the test time by as much as 90 minutes.

That is going to save us time and effort, said Ryan Townsend, director of curriculum, instruction, assessment and teacher development for Bismarck Public Schools.

Townsend said the district ran into a challenge last year when some students were absent on the day their teacher planned to administer the activity.

Baesler said EduTech, which provides technology support to North Dakotas schools, has hosted trainings throughout the state to get schools ready for the second year of the Smarter Balanced test. EduTech, DPI and Measured Progress will be available to troubleshoot should problems arise when students begin testing later this month.

Townsend said 50 people in the Bismarck school district went through training this year.

The changes implemented by the state to improve the testing experience give hope to local administrators that their districts students will not encounter widespread problems.

We should be a lot happier this year than we were last year, Townsend said.

He added that parents should receive their childrens results in a more timely manner after this upcoming testing cycle. He said students scores on the 2015 test were sent home to parents last week after a lengthy wait for every individuals results. Some incomplete tests took longer to grade.

In both Bismarck and Mandan, it will be up to each school to determine when to start administering the test.

Perry Just, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for Mandan Public Schools, said most elementary students will start the first day of the testing window.

Mandan students used laptops and desktops in 2015.

Last year, we were running around a lot of technology across the different buildings, Just said.

Elementary students in his district will take the test on iPads, as the school district has purchased more for its schools.
Bismarck Democrats gathered Saturday to endorse a partial slate of legislative candidates, striking a defiant tone on the partys chances in November while acknowledging they have much to do to catch up with their Republican counterparts.

Democrats from districts 7, 8, 28, 30, 31, 32, 35 and 47 gathered Saturday morning at Horizon Middle School, drawing a crowd of nearly 200 party faithful. District 33 and 34 Democrats met in Mandan later Saturday morning at the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union Local 300 office.

The party is in trouble, Tom Asbridge, District 30 House candidate, said. Its time for us to rebuild the party. Its time for us to make that difference.

Chris Rausch, candidate for District 30 Senate, painted a more distinct visual for convention attendees.

Rausch said he feels like hes taking a large whiff of horse manure when I hear talk that the Democratic-NPL Party is dead in this state.

Despite the rhetoric, the party finds itself in a major rebuilding mode. Party leadership for several months has said their path to rebuilding their bench starts with the Legislature.

North Dakota Dem-NPL Party Executive Director Robert Haider said candidate recruitment continues, with the focus being on strong candidates dedicated to running highly competitive races. He said there may end up being some legislative slots not filled in districts across the state.

Just filling spots for the sake of filling spots is not a priority, Haider said.

Following Saturdays endorsements the party is still looking for one candidate in districts 30 and 32 as well as two candidates in District 34.

The Tribune was unable to get results from District 8 on Saturday.

Haider said to expect news on statewide candidate announcements soon, possibly this week.

Currently, the Democrats have no announced statewide candidates.

Republicans hold all but one Bismarck-Mandan legislative seat and hold two-thirds majorities in both chambers. The GOP also holds every statewide elected office in the Capitol tower and two of three seats in the states congressional delegation.

Despite these obstacles, candidates rallied convention attendees with talk of needing political balance in Bismarck as well as more responsive leaders, which they said isnt happening now.

Our state and our district deserve better, District 34 House candidate Jessica Petrick, of Mandan, said.

Petrick said one-party rule in the state leads to poor policy and a lack of accountability. Campaign issues for her include improving state social services and the creation of a state ethics commission.

Karen Ehrens, endorsed for District 32 House, agreed with Petrick. She told the crowd her goal, if elected, is to be responsive to constituents in the district, something she doesnt feel is happening now.

I want people to see that they can be engaged, and communications a two-way street, Ehrens said.

Endorsed District 32 Senate candidate Tiffany Hodge said shes running to provide a voice for working-class people in the district. She said the state needs to work to make the state a more attractive place for people to move to as well as retain the existing workforce.

There is no representation for people like me. If we want North Dakotans to stay, we have to represent everyone, Hodge said.

The partys state convention is scheduled for March 31 through April 2 at the Bismarck Event Center.
A pirate-costumed "Pastafarian" said today that all were welcome to join the offbeat religion. (Photo: Twitter)

Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand has officially recognised its first marriage celebrant from the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a pirate-costumed "Pastafarian" who said that all were welcome to join the offbeat religion.

Wellington management consultant Karen Martyn is an ordained "ministeroni" in the church, whose adherents wear colanders on their heads and believe the universe was created by a flying noodle.

It was recognised in New Zealand as a bona fide organisation in December, resulting in Martyn recently becoming its first marriage celebrant.

Martyn rejected the suggestion it was a spoof church, saying it offered members the same benefits as other religions.

"We're a community for each other," she told AFP. "We share values and we want to be part of something, it's human nature."

However, she conceded that humour was an important part of the church, which preaches that there is a good beer volcano in heaven but the beer in hell is stale.

"We definitely believe that we should laugh at each other and laugh at everyone else," she said.

"Nothing is sacred. There's no dogma. We have our beliefs but recognise that all beliefs are open to challenge."

Martyn said she was in discussions with several couples about conducting legally recognised weddings under the church's auspices.

The "Flying Spaghetti Monster" movement developed in the United States about 10 years ago.

The church supreme leader is described on their website as "a heap of spaghetti appendages with two meatballs and a pair of eyes attached to the noodley body through a pair of stalks".

In recognising the church last December, New Zealand's Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages Jeff Montgomery said it promoted a consistent set of beliefs and should be allowed to have its own marriage celebrants.

"I have come to the view they do uphold or promote philosophical convictions and therefore are able to nominate marriage celebrants," he said.
North Dakotas energy industry will encompass generations as technological advances solidify long-term viability, according to the states top oil and gas industry regulator.

The states energy future looks bright despite a year-long drop in oil prices, resulting in layoffs as well as a reduction in active drilling rigs, said Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources.

For the past year and most of this current year, theres a lot of retrenching going on, Helms said. In 2017, oil prices are expected to improve. Certainly by 2018, well be moving back into a growth mode.

Technological advances in the 2000s were key to feasibly drilling in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in North Dakota, according to Helms, adding that further technological advancements  in drilling and enhanced oil recovery techniques using water, carbon dioxide or air  will help position the play long term once industry weathers the current storm.

That does lead to the multi-generation play, said Helms, adding that tens of thousands of workers will be needed to operate wells for 40 to 50 years into the future.

Helms said the high-end estimate of production in the state is about 2 million barrels per day, which he thinks only has been delayed by low oil prices. Production is currently at 1.17 million barrels per day.

As hard as industry is slamming on the brakes ... once prices rebound, theyre going to hit the accelerator again, Helms said.

Sierra Club of North Dakota spokesman Wayde Schafer said the slowdown in oil activity is an opportunity to reflect on how the last boom was handled.

The one upside  (it) will allow them a chance to put regulations in place to protect the environment, Schafer said. We can (also) have a more measured pace rather than a boom mentality.

Having more environmental safeguards will reduce the number of spills as well as reduce flaring, according to Schafer, who said the state can do better by tightening its regulations which he characterizes as a positive for state residents.

Whether or not federal rules to rein in carbon dioxide emissions survive court challenges, the country and North Dakota face a reduced carbon future and expanded use of renewable energy sources, said Schafer, adding the state has begun to expand its wind energy production and he expects that to continue in the years ahead along with increased solar power.

North Dakota is often slow to jump on a bandwagon. But once a trend is identified, North Dakota is really good about jumping in and excelling, Schafer said.

One thing to expect in the years ahead are additional natural gas processing plants to handle the increased gas production. Helms said at least two more large plants are in the planning stages.

Additional pipelines will be built over the next several years to handle more production, said Helms, adding the states infrastructure is better positioned to handle the next upswing in drilling activity than a few years ago.

People should be expecting  and demanding we have a mature infrastructure, Helms said.

Mature infrastructure will make for safer roads and, in time, more pipelines leading to less flaring of natural gas. The North Dakota Industrial Commission approved a flaring plan in 2014 meant to reduce the amount of flaring as a percentage. Flaring has dropped from more than 30 percent from a couple years ago to 16 percent in November, the most recent data available.

North Dakota is often slow to jump on a bandwagon. But once a trend is identified, North Dakota is really good about jumping in and excelling.  Wayde Schafer, spokesman for the Sierra Club of North Dakota As hard as industry is slamming on the brakes . once prices rebound, theyre going to hit the accelerator again.  Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources
Bengaluru: The family of a 24-year-old engineering student from the city, who has been declared brain dead in Brooklyn, New York, has given its consent for donating all his transplantable organs, except his infected lungs, which turned out to be the cause of his death.

Although the family is going through a difficult time and has not yet been able to see their son, Rajeev Naidu's body, it has done the country proud by its noble gesture of donating his organs to those in need of them in the United States. Rajeev Naidu, lovingly called Karthik by his family, was doing his Masters in Industrial Engineering at the New York University. He fell ill in the last week of February after a snowstorm in New York and was undergoing treatment at the Brooklyn Hospital Centre in Dekalb Avenue , where he had an MR imaging scan on February 27.

Doctors found that his lungs were infected. Rajeev was vomiting profusely and the vomit had gone into his windpipe and his lungs, choking him. He did not breathe for a while and the oxygen supply to his brain was disrupted, causing brain death, said Rajeevs cousin, adding that there could have been some delay in taking him to the hospital where cardio-pulmonary resuscitations (CPRs) were attempted several times before he was declared brain dead.

The entire family spoke to Rajeev on FaceTime on February 20, said the cousin, revealing that he called his mother the next morning on February 21, when he turned 24. His family was informed about his condition on Thursday and his brother-in-law, Jayanth has left for New York to bring Rajeevs body back to Bengaluru after donating his organs.

Rajeev had left for the United States on August 20, last year. He had just finished his first semester and planned to come to Bengaluru during the summer holidays, the cousin added. He did his Pre-University at the Christ Junior PU Residential College and did his engineering at PES Institute of Technology, before leaving for the USA.

NY varsity was supportive

The New York University authorities were very supportive and coordinated with Rajeev's treatment, said his family members. Rajeev's body is in the morgue of Brooklyn Hospital Centre awaiting organs donors.
A CCTV grab of the scene shows the car and the woman walking near it.

Hyderabad: We have speeded up the investigation. If they turn up by the given time, we will proceed according to the law, said West Zone DCP A. Venkateshwar Rao.

Based on a petition from an NGO, the State Minorities Commission directed the police to file a report.

Susheel denied the charges and posted on his Facebook page that he had stopped his car to pick up a puppy that had come in the way as I am fond of pets.

He claimed that the woman saw him and started shouting after which a crowd gathered and beat them up, and alleged that it was a case of political vendetta.

This contradicted his drivers complaint to the police on Thursday saying that around 12 persons had attacked Susheel while he was relieving himself.

Minister Kishore Babu said the police investigation would clear things, and that he would not intervene. I will not accept such behaviour, whoever may be the person, he said.
New Delhi: The national capital was on Sunday put on high alert and security was beefed up at vital installations, important buildings and crowded places after Delhi Police received inputs about a potential terror strike in the city by 10 suspected LeT and JeM militants who are learnt to have entered India through Gujarat.

Read: Terror alert in Gujarat: Raids in Kutch as security tightened across state

In view of the input, Delhi Police on Sunday heightened its vigil near iconic buildings and military installations in the national capital and security arrangements were stepped up near prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges in the city, a police source said.



He further said, the input specifically mentions about 10 militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfits having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi.



The Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi Police have been briefed about the input separately, so that activities of gangs operating in and around the city and elements with suspected terror links can be monitored.

Read: Punjab police conducts search operation in Pathankot

The police are also ensuring that CCTV cameras at all places with high footfall, like popular markets in the city and metro stations are functional. Patrolling across the city has been intensified, the source added.



A high alert was sounded in Gujarat yesterday after Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua communicated to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval about the terrorist infiltration.



Four National Security Guard (NSG) teams were rushed to Gujarat following the input.
New Delhi: An alert has been sounded in Gujarat and all metros by central security agencies following reports that 10 terrorists suspected to be from Pakistan have entered the western state to carry out attacks against high-value targets.

Security was on Sunday intensified across Gujarat, which cancelled leave of all police personnel. Two NSG teams comprising nearly 200 personnel have been sent to Ahmedabad from Delhi.

Advisory has been issued to enhance security at all strategic locations, sensitive industrial sites and religious places after intelligence inputs suggested that the terrorists have entered Gujarat taking the sea route, official sources said.

A Pakistani fishing boat was seized by a BSF patrol party on Friday after its occupants fled upon seeing the security personnel in the Koteshwar creek area off the Kutch coast along the Indo-Pakistan border, heightening the security concerns.

As Shivratri falls tomorrow, security has been ramped up at major religious sites in Gujarat like Somnath Temple and Akshardham and in metro cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, the sources said.

Vital installations across the state like railway stations and airports are being secured.

In view of the January 2 terror attack in Pathankot airbase, security agencies were not taking any chances and all possible steps are being directed to prevent any possible terror attacks, they said.

Gujarat DGP P C Thakur said combing operations have started across various locations. Policemen were seen patrolling the highways since early this morning. Thakur issued orders late last night cancelling leave of all officers and personnel and said they were prepared to deal with any situation.

"We are on high alert and prepared to deal any situation. We have started combing operations across various locations. We have also sensitised places that see high rate of footfall," he said.

High level meetings, headed by state Home Secretary P K Taneja, were held in Gandhinagar early this morning and late last night.

In Kolkata, security has been stepped up at NSC Bose International Airport after an email threat that it would be blown up within 24 hours, airport officials said. The e-mail came in the airport manager's ID early today and it was claimed to have been sent from Germany, officials said.

The cyber crime team of the airport is probing the matter. Luggages and cars of passengers are being thoroughly checked while various parts of the airport are being scanned, officials said.

Western Army Commander Lt Gen K J Singh had yesterday said in Pathankot that there are some "disturbing" inputs about a terror attack in India aimed at creating the "maximum media impact" during the Shivratri festival and the ongoing Parliament session.

"There are security-related problems today. You know, Maha Shivratri is coming. There are inputs which are disturbing but notwithstanding that extra care has been taken," he said. "There are inputs but we have taken steps against that. I must assure you of that," he said.

He went on to add that such "mischievous" activities will not deter a great nation as the Indian Army is fully geared to meet any eventuality.

"We want to tell whoever has got this mischievous intentions that nothing can deter us, one Pathankot, one Arnia, one Janglot, once more Samba, cannot deter us. This nation is too great. Indian army is fully organised. We will take care of every situation," Lt Gen Singh said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to governors address in the Assembly on Saturday

Bengaluru: Playing to the gallery, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said he never worked or acted against his conscience through his life.

His conscience was crystal clear and he had not done any wrong, Mr Siddaramaiah said in the Legislative Assembly on while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to governors address.

Though he spoke about the wrist watch controversy, he did not mention about the watch when he made this statement. Later, however, he said the watch was given by an NRI friend and it was a second-hand watch. He claimed that it was not a stolen watch.

When he concluded, Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa jocularly remarked, What will happen to the one had gave this watch? Who knows? This telling comment of Mr Kagodu Thimmappa virtually questioned the veracity of the statement made by Mr Siddaramaiah.

Giving the watchgate a caste twist, Mr Siddaramaiah claimed that he was under attack for wearing an expensive wrist watch and on other issues only because he was from a backward class.

Giving the examples of Basaveshwara, Dr B R Ambedkar and even the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, he said those who spoke up and worked for the backward, poor and downtrodden were constantly under attack.

I am a backward class person. I know how difficult it is for a backward class person to come to power. And I know how much one has to struggle after getting that power. This is happening to me too and I am being tarnished because of my background, he added.

Once again emphasising that he was no atheist, Mr Siddaramaiah said he believed in God, but did not worship him every day and was not superstitious.

I visit temples. I have visited Nanjanagud, Tirupati and a few others. However, I see God in two forms. One, in people and another in the form my conscience. I believe in fulfilling the promises I make to people according to my conscience. I have had an unblemished political career, he added.

Clarifying on the watch issue again, the Chief Minister said it was a gift from a friend. Earlier, JD(S) floor leader, H.D Kumaraswamy claimed he had never tried to tarnish the Chief Minister's image through the watch episode.

When I raked up the issue, I just said that the Chief Minister, who was from a Lohia background was wearing expensive watches. But it was you (Mr Siddaramaiah), who gave different statements. First, you said you would give away the watch for Rs 20 lakhs and later for Rs five lakhs. Then you said your friend gave it to you and later you revealed his name. And the media kept the issue alive,'' he argued, recalling that even the Speaker had commented after getting the watch from the Chief Minister that he was not sure if it was stolen. This has given a very wrong signal. I request you not to keep that watch in the Cabinet hall as there are some doubts about it,'' he added.

While Mr Kagodu Thimmappa admitted making such a statement, he clarified that all he meant was he was not sure of the watchs legal status and whether the customs duty had been paid on it or not.

Mr Siddaramaiah responded that FEMA did not come into this case, as his friend was wearing the watch whien he came to India. It was a used watch and he simply removed it from his wrist and put it on mine. He has given an affidavit in this regard, he maintained.
Cape Canaveral: Astronaut Scott Kelly said on Friday he returned from a record-long US spaceflight with sore muscles, joint pain, over-sensitive skin and a sense he had been away for more than a year.

It seemed like I lived there forever, Kelly told reporters at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and on a conference call during his first news conference since returning from a 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station.

Kellys mission, which was about twice as long as astronauts typically serve aboard the station, was part of a pathfinder program to prepare for missions to Mars that will last more than two years.

Kelly, a veteran of three previous spaceflights, said he initially felt well after landing in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, but then fatigue and muscle soreness quickly set in.

Im kind of surprised how I do feel different physically than the last time, with regards to muscle soreness and joint pain. That was something that was kind of unexpected, Kelly said.

The 52-year-old astronaut added that he is wrestling with over-sensitive skin, which leaves him with a slight burning sensation.

Kelly and his crewmates tackled more than 450 experiments during the flight, which eclipsed the previous longest US spaceflight of 215 days. Four Soviet-era cosmonauts lived in orbit even longer aboard the now-defunct Mir space station, including a mission lasting nearly 438 days that ended in March 1995.

Kelly said it was hard being away from family and friends, but that he could have stayed longer.

Whether its science or going to a certain destination, I think people rise to the occasion if youre doing something important, Kelly said. If going to Mars takes two years or two-and-a-half years, thats doable.

Like many space travelers, Kelly returned to Earth with an increased appreciation of the planet and sense of its fragility.

You can see a lot of pollution over parts of Asia that is almost continuous. You cant really see the ground very well. And those fires in California over the summer, that smoke was pretty extensive. But the predominant thing is you just notice how thin the atmosphere is, how fragile it looks. That combined with these large swabs of pollution is somewhat alarming, Kelly said.

Kelly will continue to undergo a battery of medical, psychological and other tests for about a year so scientists can learn more about how spaceflight impacts the human body and mind.

His identical twin brother, former astronaut Mark Kelly, also is participating in studies looking at possible genetic changes from spaceflight, which may impact cancer research, said John Charles, who oversees NASAs human research program.

I am confident in saying that it will influence how we understand cancer, Charles he said.

Kelly and his twin were reunited on Wednesday. By then, the 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) increase in height he experienced as a result of his spine expanding in microgravity had reversed.

Hes squished back to normal height, Mark Kelly told reporters.

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Washington: As Apple's legal battle with the FBI over encryption heads toward a showdown, there appears little hope for a compromise that would placate both sides and avert a divisive court decision.

The FBI is pressing Apple to develop a system that would allow the law enforcement agency to break into a locked iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, a demand the tech company claims would make all its devices vulnerable.

In an effort to break the deadlock, some US lawmakers are pushing for a panel of experts to study the issue of access to encrypted devices for law enforcement in order to find common ground.

Senator Mark Warner and Representative Mike McCaul on Monday proposed the creation of a 16-member "National Commission on Security and Technology Challenges."

But digital rights activists warn that the issue provides little middle ground -- that once law enforcement gains a "back door," there would be no way to close it.

"We are concerned that the commission may focus on short-sighted solutions involving mandated or compelled back doors," said Joseph Hall, chief technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology.

"Make no mistake, there can be no compromise on back doors. Strong encryption makes anyone who has a cell phone or who uses the Internet far more secure."

Kevin Bankston of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute expressed similar concerns.

"We've already had a wide range of blue ribbon expert panels consider the issue," he said.

"And all have concluded either that surveillance back doors are a dangerously bad idea, that law enforcement's concerns about 'going dark' are overblown, or both."

The debate had been simmering for years before the Apple-FBI row.

Last year, a panel led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists warned against "special access" for law enforcement, saying they pose "grave security risks" and "imperil innovation."

Opening up all data

"I'm not sure there is much room for compromise from a technical perspective," said Stephen Wicker, a Cornell University professor of computer engineering who specializes in mobile computing security.

Opening the door to the FBI effectively makes any data on any mobile device available to the government, he said.

"This is data that was not available anywhere 10 years ago, it's a function of the smartphone," Wicker said.

"We as a country have to ask if we want to say that anything outside our personal human memory should be available to the federal government."

Apple has indicated it is ready for a "conversation" with law enforcement on the matter.

But FBI Director James Comey told a congressional panel that some answers are needed because "there are times when law enforcement saves our lives, rescues our children."

Asked about the rights envisioned by the framers of the US constitution, he said, "I also doubt that they imagined there would be any place in American life where law enforcement, with lawful authority, could not go."

A brief filed on behalf of law enforcement associations argued that because of Apple's new encryption, criminals "have now switched to the new iPhones as the device of choice for their criminal wrongdoing."

Ed Black, president of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which includes major technology firms but not Apple, said that although tech firms and law enforcement have had many battles, "there are many areas where we cooperate and where we find middle ground."

But Black said the tech sector is largely united in this case because the FBI wants Apple to create weaker software or introduce "malware" to be able to crack the locked iPhone.

"On this narrow specific issue of 'can companies be compelled to create malware,' I think there may not be an answer," he said.

'Going dark' fears

Law enforcement fears about "going dark" in the face of new technology have been largely exaggerated, Black said.

While access to encrypted apps and smartphones is difficult and traditional wiretaps don't work on new technology, "there are a lot of other tools for law enforcement," he said.

"There is more information available in 2016 than in any year since the founding of the country."

Although law enforcement has growing expectations about using technology to thwart criminals, that type of power is too broad, Black added.

"If they are seeking a level of total surveillance capability, I don't see a compromise available," he said.

Wicker said that to give law enforcement access, Congress could in theory mandate that devices use automatic cloud backups that could not be disabled. But that would constitute a dramatic departure from current views about privacy.

"From an individual rights standpoint," he said, "that would take away control by the user of their personal information."

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A childs stuffed bear lies abandoned at the Jungle in Calais as French authorities move to clear the camp. (Photo: AP)

Calais, France: In a horrific revelation made by aid workers providing assistance to displaced refugees in France, refugee boys are being brutally raped by the criminal gangs.

According to a report in the Mirror, teenage boys often run away from their homes, thinking that they might get accommodated in refugee camps, who later fall prey to criminal gangs operating in the region.

A young boy rests on the railway track near a temporary holding center for migrants near the border between Serbia and Hungary in Roszke, southern Hungary in Roszke. (Photo: AP)

Aid workers said that they have rescued at least seven boys, in the age group of 14-16, who have been brutally raped and abused at the hands of criminals.

They also claimed that the victims were subjected to severe physical torture and they even needed a surgery to be healed.

Police officials posted at the camps often turn a deaf ear to the complaints filed by aid workers. Around 400 children might be affected by the criminal activities being carried out in the Calais jungle, said an aid worker.

A child holds up a sign as migrants stage a protest. (Photo: AP)

Workers said that these boys often flee from their homes in order to lead a better life and end up being molested and raped.

Things are turning worse for these children as police are dismantling the camps, thus forcing the migrants to flee. With no proper food and shelter, young vulnerable boys are often misled and most of the times abused by the gangs.
Iran and Turkey's cooperation would be constructive in bringing lasting peace to the region," he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA in a meeting Davutoglu. (Photo: AP)

Istanbul: Turkey and Iran, two countries on opposite sides of Syria's civil war, agreed they must cooperate to end sectarian strife, including support for a fragile ceasefire, in the region after their leaders met in Tehran on Saturday.

Iran, along with Russia, has stood by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the five-year war, providing him with military and financial support, while Turkey is his most outspoken critic and has backed opposition forces.

"We may have different views but we cannot change our history or our geography," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said. "It is extremely important for Turkey and Iran to develop some common perspectives in order to end our region's fight among brothers, to stop the ethnic and sectarian conflicts." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani echoed the sentiment.

"We believe regional issues should only be resolved by the regional countries and nations. Iran and Turkey's cooperation would be constructive in bringing lasting peace to the region," he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA in a meeting Davutoglu.

Majority-Sunni Turkey is close to Saudi Arabia, which has cut its diplomatic ties with Shi'ite Iran and is concerned about Tehran's growing clout in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. "We have our differences on some regional issues, but we are determined to manage the differences to reach stability in the region ... Iran and Turkey would both benefit from regional security and stability," said Iranian Vice-President Eshagh Jahangiri, standing alongside Davutoglu in comments carried live by Turkey's NTV and Iran's Press TV.

The meeting, days before the planned resumption of Syrian peace talks in Geneva, also focused on a ceasefire that is largely holding in Turkey's war-torn neighbour. "We believe staunching the bloodshed will establish an important basis for political negotiations. To this end, Turkey and Iran will, together and separately, undertake initiatives with the sides with which they have influence," Davutoglu told reporters after meeting Rouhani, who he said would visit Turkey.

Trade Potential

Reaping trade benefits from the easing of international sanctions against Iran in January was also discussed. The removal of the sanctions means the two neighbours can easily exceed their previous trade target of $30 billion annually, Davutoglu said.

"The main obstacle that prevented us from reaching our goal were the sanctions. Being free of those, means we can easily surpass our goal of $30 billion," Davutoglu said, adding he hoped to encourage mutual direct investment. Trade between the two nations was $9.7 billion in 2015, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.

Turkey has trailed other European countries eager to tap into Iran's $400 billion economy after world powers, led by the United States, reached an agreement with Tehran last year that seeks to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Turkey mainly sells machinery, vehicles and iron and steel products to Iran. Oil and natural gas make up 90 percent of Iranian exports to Turkey, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. Turkey will serve as a key transit route for Iranian energy supplies to Europe and wants to integrate high-speed rail projects to connect ports on its Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts with Iran, Davutoglu said.
A Yemeni man inspects an elderly care home after it was attacked by gunmen in the port city of Aden, Yemen. (Photo: AP)

Aden: Yemeni authorities have blamed the Islamic State group for an attack on a care home run by missionaries that killed 16 people and was condemned by Pope Francis as diabolical.

Rival jihadist movement al Qaeda distanced itself from the mass shooting on Friday in the main southern city of Aden, saying it was not responsible.

Gunmen stormed the refuge for the elderly, operated by Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity, killing a Yemeni guard before tying up and shooting 15 other employees, officials said.

Four foreign nuns working as nurses were among those killed.

The Vatican missionary news agency, Fides, identified the nuns as two Rwandans, a Kenyan and an Indian, adding that the mother superior managed to hide and survive while an Indian priest was missing.

Screams of elderly residents echoed from the home during the shooting rampage, witnesses said, recounting seeing the bodies of slain workers with their arms tied behind their back.

No group has yet claimed the attack in the war-torn country, where the internationally recognised government is grappling with both an Iran-backed rebellion and a growing jihadist presence.

Treacherous terrorist acts

An unnamed Yemeni presidency source in Riyadh said that those behind such treacherous terrorist acts are individuals who have sold themselves to the devil, in a statement on the official sabanew.net website.

There was no trace of these groups, which go under the name of the Islamic State or (its Arabic acronym) Daesh when pro-government forces were battling the Houthi rebels and their allies to push them out of Aden last year, the source said, accusing them of switching roles with the Iran-backed rebels.

In a statement addressed to the residents of Aden, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known as Ansar al Sharia, denied any links to the attack on the elderly care home.

These are not our operations and this is not our way of fighting, said the group, which has seized parts of southern and eastern Yemen.

Al Qaeda has previously criticised IS for attacks on Shia mosques in Yemen that left dozens dead.

Al Qaeda and IS have stepped up attacks in Aden, targeting mainly loyalists and members of a Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthi rebels since March last year.

The Houthis controlled Aden for months before government loyalists pushed them out in July.

On Saturday, gunmen opened fire at a police patrol in Aden, killing two policemen, a security official said.

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has declared the city to be Yemens temporary capital as Sanaa has been in the hands of the Houthis and their allies since September 2014.

But Hadi and many senior officials spend most of their time in Riyadh.

Senseless and diabolical

The Vaticans secretary of state Pietro Parolin said that his Holiness Pope Francis was shocked and profoundly saddened to learn of the killing of four Missionaries of Charity (nuns) and 12 others at a home for the elderly in Aden.

He sends the assurance of his prayers for the dead and his spiritual closeness to their families and to all affected from this act of senseless and diabolical violence, Cardinal Parolin said in a statement.

Violence has mounted in Yemen during the past year, with more than 6,000 people killed since the Saudi-led coalition began its campaign of air strikes in late March 2015.

On Saturday, Hadi discussed the stalled peace process with UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in Riyadh, sabanew.net reported.

Goodwill gestures and confidence-building measures by releasing detainees, lifting the siege on cities, and opening safe corridors to deliver humanitarian assistance to besieged provinces... are necessities that must be met by the rebels, Hadi told the UN envoy.

Saudi Arabias UN ambassador said on Friday that he hoped peace talks could resume by March 15.

The United Nations says more than 80% of the population is in dire need of food, medicine and other basic necessities, and the crisis ranks as a Level 3 emergency, the most serious in the UN system.
Editors note: The Tribune has asked students from each of the Bismarck-Mandan high schools to write an essay about the future.

My global studies teacher in high school would constantly preach, History repeats itself. And it has happened time and time again. Right now, in this country, it is safe to say that my generation is being disregarded by society.

For example, the U.S. is almost $19 trillion in debt, or, in other words, $19,000 times 1 billion. How does the generation in power expect us to come out of that debt any time in the near future? And yet, it isnt an important topic in presidential debates because there is no clear-cut answer to that question. But currently, the debt continues to rise.

Another example is climate change. It will eventually cause millions and millions of people to lose their homes and cultures across the planet, and that fact isnt mentioned enough in this country, either. In fact, some presidential candidates dont even believe that global warming exists. This day and age, the presidential candidates are worried about solving the immediate issues at hand. The future issues are lower on the totem pole because America, as a whole, worries about today. The present is what matters.

Once I get older, I expect that these problems will be fixed. Eventually, car companies will be forced into making cars not run on fossil fuels. The Earths global warming will start to slow down. The debt will be minimized. Unfortunately, History repeats itself, and my generation will create new and more difficult issues for the next generation of people to solve.

For example, how will the world be able to stop the next great war? How will we change to a world run completely on renewable resources? How will we fix the government system so that the top 1 percent doesnt control the economy? Every generation looks to fix the current problems, and they leave the perplexing ones for the next generation to solve. As years have passed, the U.S. has been able to find answers to problems. But what if an issue appears that isnt able to be solved?
National People's Congress (NPC) delegates from Tibet wear pins depicting five current and former Chinese leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping as they arrive at the Great Hall of the People before the opening session of the NPC in Beijing. (Photo: AP)

Beijing: Along with their traditional robes, Tibetan delegates to the annual meeting of China's ceremonial parliament are sporting unique lapel pins displaying their loyalty to the Beijing leadership at a time of simmering tensions in their Himalayan homeland.

New this year and not seen on any other group of delegates, one of the inch-wide round pins shows a Chinese flag and busts of five Chinese leaders, from revolutionary founding father Mao Zedong to current President Xi Jinping.

The other shows a smiling Xi visiting a Tibetan family. "We want to express our gratitude to the Communist Party leadership and State Council, so it's only natural we wear the pin of the leaders of five generations," Hongwei, one of the 18 delegates from the Tibetan Autonomous Region, told The Associated Press at today's opening session of the National People's Congress.

"There have been so many great changes in Tibet," said Hongwei, who like many Tibetans uses just one name. "If we don't thank the party leadership the State Council, if we don't thank the socialist system, who else should we thank?" The State Council is China's Cabinet, headed by Premier Li Keqiang.

Images of Communist leaders are common in Tibet, which is under much tighter party control than the rest of China following a history of political volatility, and is generally off-limits to foreign journalists.

The remarks by Hongwei came days after US government- backed Radio Free Asia reported the death of 18-year-old Buddhist monk Kalsang Wangdu after he set himself on fire Monday in the Tibetan area of Ganzi in the western Chinese province of Sichuan, which adjoins Tibet.

The area also is known as Kardze in Tibetan. The monk reportedly called for Tibetan independence while he burned. Today, Yeshe Dawa, governor of Ganzi prefecture, denied the report. "No, no, this is a false allegation," he said. "There is nothing, we are a peaceful area."

The International Campaign for Tibet says at least 144 Tibetans have self-immolated in China since early 2009 in protest of Beijing's rule. Some cases have been confirmed in China's state media, which depict them as acts of terror instigated by the Dalai Lama, the Tibetans' exiled spiritual leader. Authorities have vowed to punish the self-immolators, their family members and sympathisers.
On the evening of Pausha Poornima, a unique prayer rose from Swargadwar on Puri Beach. The Bay of Bengal provided a majestic natural backdrop for the resplendent arrangements made by human worshippers. As dusk fell, the beach glowed with lamps, lights, and the holy fire. Chants and devotional music filled the air. Hundreds of Hindu saints from all over the country, the Maharaja of Puri, and other dignitaries gathered for the grand annual Samudra Arati, to be performed by His Holiness the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Shree Govardhan Math, Puri Peeth.



Behold the beauty

The Samudra Arati is offered to the sea according to vedic rituals. Hymns and chants rise up with the clang of gongs to blend with the eternal rhythm of waves rolling on the beach. Colourful flowers and other ritual offerings surround the holy fire. As lamps spread light through the descending darkness, the Samudra Arati presents a scene of immense earthly beauty.



This prayer to the sea is also infused with deep spiritual significance. It is done to spread the message of peace and harmony among humanity, and the natural world around us. The sea is the abode of Lord Vishnu. Life on earth originated in the sea. All living beings are sustained by water. The sea is attuned to the cosmos, its tides influenced by the pull of heavenly bodies. The vastness of the sea reminds us of the Divine Creator of this infinite universe.



The holy kshetra of Puri in Odisha holds great spiritual significance for all Hindus. Lord Vishnu abides here as Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe. As such, Puri is considered to be Martya Vaikuntha, or the abode of Lord Vishnu on earth. Puri, along with Rameswaram, Badrinath and Dwarka, are the most holy Hindu Char Dham or four divine sites. Through the ages, saints and sages have come here seeking divine enlightenment. The Adi Shankaracharya came to Puri in the 8th century C E.



Guru Nanak, Kabir, Tulsidas, Ramanujacharya and Nimbarkacharya also visited Puri. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, prayed here for 24 years. Srimad Vallabhacharya visited Puri and performed a seven-day recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam. The maths and meditation spots of many of these saints continue to exist in Puri.



Samudra Arati is performed daily after sunset by the young disciples of Shankaracharya of Puri. Its a serene and dignified ritual evoking peace and tranquillity. Every year on Pausha Poornima, the Shankaracharya of Puri himself performs the grand Samudra Arati. Pausha Poornima, which falls in January, is considered auspicious for worship, especially at sacred water spots. The sea at Swargadwar (gateway to heaven) is considered most holy, and no pilgrimage to Puri is complete without a dip at this hallowed spot. Guru Nanak and Shree Chaitanya sang devotional hymns and prayed here.



The Samudra Arati was first performed here in 2008 by the present Shankaracharya of Puri as a prayer for the well-being of this beautiful world of nature. At that time, the strange restlessness of the sea terrified local residents. They feared a tsunami may come. Since the Shankaracharya began the tradition of evening prayers to the sea, the sea is considered to have calmed down. The present Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati Maharaj, is the 145th in the line of apostolic successors of Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, to head Shree Govardhan Math, Puri. The Govardhan Math was established by Adi Shankaracharya. It is associated with Lord Jagannaths temple, and is one of the four cardinal maths. The Adi Shankaracharya himself had installed the deities of Govardhananatha Krishna and Ardhanareeshwara Shiva here.



The Adi Shankaracharyas original meditation seat is preserved with care in the math. The spiritual territory of Govardhan Math spans the entire eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. It extends from Arunachal and Meghalaya in the east, to Allahabad, Gaya and Varanasi in the west, and Andhra Pradesh till Rajahmundry in the south. Bangladesh, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan are considered to be within the spiritual jurisdiction of the math.



Great contributions

The Shankaracharyas of Puri have nurtured a time-honoured tradition of scholarship. The 143rd Shankaracharya, Swami Bharati Krishna Tirtha (1884-1960), made valuable contributions to mathematics. Before being anointed as the Shankaracharya, he passed the MA examination for the American College of Sciences in Rochester, USA, from the Bombay centre. His book Vedic Mathematics is the best-known among his many works.



The present Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Puri is also a renowned mathematician who has authored over 20 authoritative books on the subject. He is currently working on a textbook of mathematics for high school students. He is as adept with computers, as he is interpreting ancient religious texts and their relevance in todays world.



The Samudra Arati is itself a wonderful blend of the ancient and the modern. Timeless Vedic rituals have been incorporated into a recently-launched tradition. The prayers to the sea for universal peace and harmony also touch upon present-day concerns about sustaining our environment.




On the morning of February 21, many Delhiites faced a cut in their water supply and some did not get any water at all. Many thought of it as a regular cut but as the day progressed it dawned on them that they would not be getting the supply for some days.





This was thanks to the Jat protesters in Haryana demanding reservations in jobs. They had shut down Munak canal, which brings Delhis share of Yamuna water, damaged pumping equipment and vandalised control buttons a day before. What followed was an unprecedented water crisis in the national capital, where seven of the nine water treatment plants were forced to close down.



As Delhi lost two-thirds of its water supply, the city government ordered schools to remain shut and appealed to the people to start saving water.



The extent of the Munak canal damage is such that water supply has not been normalised since then. Even though most of the city is getting water, there are still some parts like Dwarka, Matiala, Janakpuri, and pockets of the walled city, which are reeling under the crisis and even now relying on tankers from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).



A crisis in a neighbouring state exposed Delhis vulnerability to water shortage.



The 102-km Munak canal was built to save 80 million gallons per day of water that was lost in the existing channel due to seepage and increase the net supply of water. Both Delhi and Haryana were expected to gain from the saved water.



The DJB distributes around 900 million gallons per day (MGD) of water in Delhi, out of which 543 MGD (almost 60 per cent) comes from Haryana through Yamuna and 240 MGD from Uttar Pradesh through Upper Ganga Canal.



The capitals only own sources of water are underground reserves, ranney wells, and recycled water, which provide 120 MGD  not enough to cater to the huge population.



During the emergency situation, only 360 MGD was available (240 MGD from UP and 120 MGD from city own resources) and this was being distributed across Delhi. As many as 767 tankers were pressed into service.



Old problemThough the magnitude of the present crisis was something the capital has not seen before, Delhis water shortage due to dependency on other states is not something new. Even in the past, Delhi has been engaged in claims and counterclaims with neighbouring states over its share of water.



In February last year, Haryana government had issued a statement that its farmers could not be expected to suffer due to water shortage and other states should also contribute to Delhis raw water requirement. It had also filed an affidavit in a court saying that it cannot ramp up water supply through the canal, after which the Delhi government had accused it of shifting its stand every now and then over water supply through Munak canal.



Even Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had last year acknowledged that the city needs to be self-reliant when it comes to water.



As population increases, there will be a huge burden on Delhi to provide water to more citizens with the same input. Since Delhi has no water of its own and has little cooperation from states like Haryana, we have to ensure that we are self-reliant, he had said in September.



According to Delhis Water Minister and DJB chairman Kapil Mishra, Delhi is not dependent on Haryana but on the river Yamuna, and there can be no replacement for the river.



Getting water from Yamuna is our right and no one is doing us a favour, he says.



Experts agree with Mishra that Yamuna is the primary source of water but also believe that the capitals water woes are as much due to the mismanagement of its own resources and lack of efforts by successive governments to reduce its dependency on other states.



We have said many times that water should directly come from the river and not diverted through a parallel canal managed by Haryana to reach Delhi, says activist and Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan convener Manoj Misra.



It is stupid to let the same water that the river was naturally carrying to be diverted into a canal (Munak) to reach the same destination (Delhi) at the mercy of another state. Till it comes from the canal, there will be blackmailing by Haryana government or supply will be affected by these incidents (agitation), he says.



However, minister Kapil Mishra contests this understanding and says that getting water directly from river is the main reason why ammonia levels rise in the water, making it unfit for distribution.



Water from the river is heavily polluted with industry effluents from Panipat and Sonepat , he says.



But according to activist Manoj Misra, this is because Delhi lets the upstream state get away with the murder of the river.



It is against the Water Act to put any pollutants in a stream. Delhi must invoke CPCB to ensure that Haryana/Uttar Pradesh do not put any of their polluting drains into the river, as should Delhi once the river enters its territory. But to say that canal water is preferred against river water is a lame excuse as event the canal water is not all that unpolluted as all the pollutants from the city and industries of Yamunanagar in Haryana are entering the Western Yamuna Canal, he says.



Various government policies have in the past talked about how Delhi needs a mechanism to deal with situations like the Jat agitation but only little has moved on ground. Experts feel that water conservation steps have failed to take off as there is no societal or political will for them.



A case in point is boosting rainwater harvesting in the city. Despite an existing regulation which makes it mandatory for buildings above 500 square metres to have rainwater harvesting structures, only few have done it. Notices are sent and sometimes penalties levied, but nothing after that. Even government properties, which should show the way for rainwater harvesting, which is said to be one of the cheapest and easiest ways of boosting water, have not installed provisions for it.



Acknowledging the need for rainwater harvesting in the wake of the crisis, the government on Tuesday decided to extend the deadline for installing structures till June 30. It was also decided not to issue fines to building owners till then.



Similarly, the capital has not been able to maintain its lakes, stepwells (baolis) or other water bodies meant for storing water. Delhis water bodies are dirty, full of algae and near dead. Had they been maintained properly, the water from these could be used in a crisis.



There is still some space in north and west Delhi and the government should build at least 10 reservoirs rather than allow the DDA (Delhi Development Authority) to urbanise that space, Manoj Misra says.



Various plans have been made by experts, but in vain. For example, a plan to revive Naini Lake in north Delhi was prepared last year. Delhi Tourism has agreed to take up restoration of the lake and a plan for that was submitted last July to the department Prof C R Babu, ecologist and professor-emeritus at Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems. However, it was put on the backburner as the memorandum of understanding between the government and the North Corporation, which is the land-owning agency, is yet to be renewed after it got expired two years back.



Kapil Mishra says that this plan was prepared with a perspective to revive tourism but the recent water crisis has given them an opportunity to revive water bodies, which can be used to draw water in emergency situations.



The minister has asked the DJB to identify such water bodies for revival. The government will also be taking over 100 water bodies from the Revenue department for this purpose.



Further, in order to plug leakages and see water does not go waste, the DJB will increase its leakage detection units from one to eight.



We are also purchasing quality mobile vans for this purpose. These vans will have small labs inside which will detect leakages. We are also talking to RWAs to monitor this. So, all these things will add up and things will change, he says.






In central Delhis Patel Nagar, people are still battling the crisis caused by the damage to Munak canal in Haryana during the Jat agitation. The water supply is intermittent, and there are reports of contaminated water flowing from the taps.



Home to thousands of students from all over the country preparing for different competitive examinations, Patel Nagar was among the most severely affected parts of Delhi when the crisis was at its height.



Prasoon, 23, a BTech graduate from Patna, and his three roommates, had to live with dry taps for days.



Last month at the start of the crisis, water didnt come to our house for four days. Then it came for two days, one hour each twice in the day, and then again for three days it stopped. Now the situation is that it comes twice a day for one hour, says Prasoon.



Living in Patel Nagar for the last eight months, and preparing for civil services exams, Prasoon describes the situation in his locality as unprecedented, and nightmarish.



The worst part is going to the toilet. Due to lack of water, one person can use only one mug of water for it. Because of it, our entire home was filled with foul smell, and even Odonil couldnt suppress the foul stench, he recalls.



We didnt clean the toilet for two days, and went without bath for four, he adds.



Forced to eat out in dhabas during the crisis, Prasoon and his roommates asked their maid to not come until the situation improved.



Prasoon remembers how neighbours who were generous earlier suddenly changed their colours as the crisis struck.



We had to beg our neighbours who could afford water through submersible pumps. Even after much pleading, they never gave us more than one bucket of water, he says.



According to Prasoon, bottled water sellers made a killing during the crisis, and jacked up prices to twice the actual rate.



The bottles which used to sell at Rs 40 were selling at Rs 80 and those which used to come for Rs 80 were selling for more than Rs 100, he says.



And more importantly, they were selling normal water packaged as mineral water. Due to intense demand, no one bothered to question the quality of the water. All that everyone was interested in was to somehow catch hold of as many water bottles as possible.



Prasoon says some neighbours ganged up, calling the authorities for a water tanker on the sly  and then cornering the entire supply.



If you are not in their group, you will not get the water, he says.



Scenes like people driving their cars with 20- litre water bottles in the boot were common in this part of the city.



Prasoon and his friends too brought four 20-litre water bottles in an autorickshaw from his friends house in Karol Bagh, where his landlord had installed a submersible system to extract groundwater.



People with submersible systems didnt face any problem, but its not easy to install it here, I have heard that one has to pay as much as Rs 50,000 as bribe to the authorities to install it, he says.



Weekends were particularly bad during the crisis, as all office goers had to sit at home with the taps running dry.



One of Prasoons friends left the house to go to his relatives home in IP extension in east Delhi, which remained immune from the whole crisis.



But where can we go from here? All our relatives live in Patna. I have to stay here and face the crisis, he says.



My exams are in May, and I hope this crisis doesnt drag too much now. I have already suffered a lot because of it.


Delhis Water Minister Kapil Mishra believes that his government and Delhi Jal Board rose to the challenge when water stopped flowing from Haryanas Munak canal recently. And he reminds the neighbouring state that water from the Yamuna is Delhis right, not a favour to the city.



Excerpts from an interview with Shagun Kapil



Why the capital is not self-reliant when it comes to water?



No one is self-reliant. Everyone is dependent on the river. We need some source of water. Yamuna is the primary water body, so we are not dependent on Haryana as I am repeatedly saying, we are dependent on Yamuna. Whatever water we are getting is as per the guidelines and is our right and no one is dong us a favour. We can have alternative arrangements, but all those are supplementary. If someone thinks that our dependence on water can be replaced, it is not possible.



The crisis tested DJBs (Delhi Jal Board) preparedness to deal with such a situation. How did you approach the situation and what was the plan of action?

It was the worst crisis ever. Out of the nine plants, seven were shut. We only had 240 MGD water focused in two areas  east and south Delhi--and for rest of the city we didnt have a single drop. But our chemists and DJB plant engineers were very alert and we were able to foresee the problem. Before people started talking about it, DJB was in action. We also ensured people are aware there is a possible problem coming and start saving water. So, firstly people were mentally prepared and there was no hue and cry. Second, our tanker management was excellent. We only had 767 tankers for entire Delhi, so we changed existing tanker points and divided them as per population and no political pressure was accepted. A 24-hour schedule was prepared so that each tanker can make three trips and water rationing was done. No one was treated like a VIP that time.



What are the lessons learnt by the government? What are the alternative plans when such a situation arises?

There is definitely a need for a contingency plan. This crisis has given us an opportunity to think about alternatives. The DJB is preparing an action plan regarding this which involves reviving water bodies, interconnecting water treatment plants and rainwater harvesting. We will able to present it in some days. Will the plan be ready by this summer if Delhi is again faced with such a crisis? No. It will take two-three years. We are talking about reviving water bodies which will require time.



Do you think people are taking rainwater harvesting seriously? It was made mandatory for properties above 500 square metres but till now not many buildings have it?

I think now they will. People have now understood the importance of saving water. We are planning an aggressive awareness campaign through advertising for rainwater harvesting and I am sure Delhi will show the way.



The BJP had alleged that DJB could have arranged water from Uttarakhand via Ganga canal. I dont see how that is possible. Munak canal is the only source. BJP has failed to understand Delhi. When everyone was together, sharing water, BJP was doing politics. Thats why people have rejected them. If they really want to do something they should have rainwater harvesting in their offices.



The Supreme Court had admonished your government for approaching it over water crisis instead of trying to resolve it with Haryana? Why did you feel the need to approach the apex court?

We were talking to Haryana but nothing was happening. Let me tell you, if we would have not gone to court, things would not have sorted out. The canal was only taken over by Army on the day when the court hearing was listed, nothing happened before that and three days were wasted. When they (Haryana) became aware that the court will listen to our petition at 10 am, they went and rescued the canal that morning so that they have something to tell to the court. So, I am happy that we went to court and our strategy worked.



What will this summer be like for Delhhites in terms of water?

I think Delhi will have its best summer this time. I am not saying there will be no crisis but we are improving our infrastructure. The government has committed on clean and potable drinking water to all by 2017 and we are working on war-footing towards that mission.


A group of Sikhs and Muslims mostly from South Asian countries have joined the Donald Trump bandwagon in the US state of Maryland, asserting that the Republican presidential frontrunner is "not against" their communities.





Under the banner of "Sikh Americans for Trump" and "Muslim Americans for Trump" scores of Sikhs and Muslims held their first meeting in a suburb of Washington DC in Maryland, wherein a representative from the Trump campaign addressed them.



Organisers of the event  from both the Sikh and Muslim communities  argued that the view of Trump about minority community has been "twisted" and "taken out of context" by the mainstream media and claimed that the 69-year-old billionaire real estate magnet would create more jobs in the country which would benefit he minorities.



"He (Trump) is not at all against the Sikhs or the Muslim community. What he says is given spin. The mainstream media gives a spin. Because they are scared of him. He is not the status quo. He is not taking anybody's money," said Jasdip Singh, who helped organised the "Sikh Americans for Trump" in Maryland.



A prominent member of the Sikh community, Singh is Chairman of the Maryland Governor's Commission on South Asian Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Sikh Associations of Baltimore.



"When he talks about Muslims, he does not talk about all Muslims or American Muslims. He spoke in the context of the refugee crisis that was happening in Syria.



We (Sikhs) agree with him. Muslim (Americans) agree with him that we should not bring people into this country before we can vet them. And this was a temporary measures proposed by him," Singh said.



"He is not against minorities. I have even heard that he is not good for India. I believe, he is very good for India. He has businesses in Pune and Mumbai. He understands all these countries and cultures better than any other candidates," said Singh, who in September led a delegation of Sikh leaders to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Silicon Valley.



"Trump built Tajmahal (Casino) in Atlantic City 25 years ago and brought a piece of India to the US and tried to bring things from India into Taj.



"So he has a very strong affinity and relationship with India. We should not listen to the spin that is coming from the media," Singh added.



Of all the presidential candidates, Trump is the only one who has achievements to show, argued Sajid Tarar, a Pakistani American, who helped organise the Muslim Americans for Trump.



"We believe, he has the ability and capacity to change America. He has built a huge empire. He is self-funding the campaign. There is no special interest behind him," Tarar said.



"There is a war going on against Trump. Every message and speech of his has been twisted," he said referring to the Trump's call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.




The US is set to deploy its nuclear-capable B-52 warplanes for the first time to bomb ISIS as part of efforts to ramp up campaign against terrorists in Syria and Iraq.





The B-52 Stratofortress could begin dropping bombs on the Islamic State group from April, the Air Force Times reported.



The bombers would be headed to the Central Command area of operations to replace the B-1 Lancers, the last of them returning in January, officials were quoted saying at an Air Force Association Conference. The B-1s should return after they receive additional upgrades.



However, it is not clear how many B-52s or the number of airmen, under Air Force Global Strike Command, will be deployed for the potential operation.



The aircraft, which had been used to drop unguided bombs in previous wars, including Afghanistan, can now be used to provide backup with the accuracy of precision-guided munitions.



If scheduled, it would be the first deployment for the bombers to fight Islamic State targets.



"We're going to keep the B-52 around. It provides some missions for us that are hard to replicate, primarily the range and payload the airplane provides," Lt Gen James 'Mike' Holmes, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, said last month.



B-52, nicknamed the "Big Ugly Fat Fella" or BUFF, has a payload capacity of 70,000 pounds, which includes "gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided (cruise) missiles and joint direct attack munitions".



The US decided to pull out B-1 bombers, one of the most dependable American weapons, from the battle against ISIS in Syria and Iraq for upgrades.
An Air India aircraft was today thoroughly checked for a bomb here after a threat call was received by police, which claimed that a bomb was planted in the flight but it later turned out to be hoax, officials said.





"Calangute police received a call about a bomb planted in the flight AI516 flying from Delhi to Goa," a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official told PTI.



"After receiving the call upon the flight's take-off, police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), AAI officials and the bomb disposal squad were summoned," he said.



"The plane, which was carrying 89 passengers and 7 crew members, upon landing at Vasco at 2 PM, was moved towards the Indian Navy apron, and checked thoroughly for the presence of a bomb," he said.



However, the plane was cleared for further operations as the call turned out to be a hoax, he said.



Meanwhile, minutes after the incident, an unclaimed baggage found outside a terminal caused panic for a few minutes at the airport.



"The baggage, belonging to a Go Air passenger who had arrived from Mumbai, was found abandoned on a trolley," a senior AAI official said.



"Immediately, bomb disposal squad and dog squad were summoned and the baggage was checked. However, the owner turned up in the meantime and claimed it," he said.
North Dakota researchers predict, in 50 years, coal will still make up three quarters of power generation in the state  but it will be clean coal.

Though the U.S. Supreme Court recently stalled implementation of new rules reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by coal-fired power plants, the coal industry is still under pressure, said Mike Holmes, director of energy systems development at the Energy & Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks. But an 800-year supply of the natural resource in the state is motivating industry to invest in solutions to keep coal the king.

Coal is going to be a big part of the energy mix, Holmes said, and that is partially due to another one of North Dakotas natural resources.

Population growth from the Bakken oil boom increased power demand in the region. It also could provide a potential outlet for the carbon dioxide produced by North Dakotas power plants.

EERC is conducting demonstrations testing the possibility for carbons use in enhanced oil recovery. If successful, Holmes said the oil industry could require as much as 3 million tons of carbon in order to retrieve more of the black gold from the shale formation below.

Theres a lot of opportunity there, he said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Clean Power Plan for reducing carbon emissions calls for a lot of those reductions to come from wind power. Holmes said the problem is wind is intermittent, not blowing all the time.

Another North Dakota researcher sees potential to solve that through improvements in transmission.

Nilanjan Ray Chaudhuri, assistant professor with the North Dakota State University electrical and computer engineering department, says a widespread direct current transmission system could help overcome the problem of fluctuating power that plagues wind today, allowing the power to be moved longer distances when the wind is blowing one place but not another.

Most U.S. wind energy potential is located in the Midwest, where less power is in demand, said Ray Chaudhuri. That requires longer transmission lines to get the power to more highly populated areas. In the case of long distance, he said DC transmission technology is more economical. Switching transmission will require more infrastructure to be built but, in the end, it will be more reliable and efficient than alternating current.

North Dakota is particularly well-positioned to take advantage of the industry, according to Ray Chaudhuri. The state has so much wind potential that industry could shut its fossil fuel power plants nationwide and supplement it only with North Dakota wind power, according to Colorado-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory data. The state also has the advantage of being home to two high-voltage DC transmission lines owned by Great River Energy and Alletes Minnesota Power.

Regardless of regulations or the movement to renewables, Holmes said industry is working to find technology for lower power loss during transmission.

In his position, Holmes also is leading studies of biofuel.

EERC is studying the possibility of using agricultural waste for thermal energy. A partner of the center in Minnesota is trying pulp from paper mills. Holmes said one of the issues is limited supply. Another is transportation.

Because of its density, Holmes said it is difficult to transport biomass over a long distance. Studies are being conducted on using low temperature heat to treat the product before shipment. The process reduces moisture, making transport more efficient and helping the biomass to burn better and produce more energy.

Holmes predicts that in 50 years technologies for reducing pollution at coal plants will have been developed, renewable energy generation will continue to be built to the extent that it will meet increasing energy demands and natural gas will play a role in distributed energy uses, such as residential heating.
Is it possible to identify what lies underground without digging up the surface? The Ground Penetration Device makes it possible.





The device, imported from Sweden, is currently being used in the Civil Engineering Department at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Be it locating civic amenity pipes or conducting archaeological surveys, the device can ease the process.



Dr P Anbazhagan, assistant professor in the Civil Engineering Department, said the device could also be helpful in finding cavities inside earth. It works on electromagnetic radiation. Resembling a lawn cleaner, it is fitted with an emitter that sends out electromagnetic radiation that can be viewed on a screen. The gathered data is analysed to find out the materials shape and properties.



The device is available in various frequencies and different capacities. Higher the frequency of the radiation, better the resolution.



With lower resolution, however, greater depths can be reached under the earths surface.

Should there be a cavity in the subsurface, the device will help identify it. For instance, should there be a possibility of the earth caving in, the device can also help identify that, said a student.



Dr Anbazhagan said that the device could be particularly handy in the construction of multiple basements. There are many people who want to build multiple basements. The quality of soil and the stability could be understood with the device, he said.



The Ground Penetration Device is much sought-after in Bengaluru for private projects. Recently, IISc experts were requisitioned by the Kannur International Airport Ltd in Kerala for assistance in construction of the runway.



There were lateritic soil deposits there. Air cavity is prone to be formed in this form of soil. The Kerala government wanted to be sure that there are no such issues on the stretch where the runway is proposed. We were called in to come with this device and examine the spot, Dr Anbazhagan said.


From just one lakh in 1976 to about 60 lakh in 2016, the vehicle population in Bengaluru has grown at an alarming rate of about 700 per cent in 40 years. But the condition of roads remains the same, especially in the Central Business District (CBD).



So, what is the solution? The traffic police, besides encouraging public transport (BMTC buses and Metro), are examining the feasibility of implementing the Area Traffic Control system for smooth movement of vehicles.



The system will control the duration of red and green signals based on the density of vehicle population. We have asked technical experts to study the system and will implement it depending on its feasibility. This is in the initial stage, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M A Saleem told Deccan Herald.



Under the system, a group of traffic signals in an area will be co-ordinated and their settings optimised to reduce vehicle delays and stops. This will create even distribution of traffic. The timing plans of traffic controller change automatically to reduce stoppage time, which in turn reduces the overall journey time, he said.



The traffic police had earlier introduced synchronised traffic signals, but the results were poor given the high vehicle population. Vehicles often get blocked from one signal to the other. The volume of traffic is higher than the capacity of roads, Saleem said. The average vehicle speed in Bengaluru has dropped from 20 kmph in 2010 to less than 9 kmph at present. While two-wheelers (40 lakhs) form the higher portion of vehicle population, there are 11 lakh passenger cars (light motor vehicles). Considering that almost 3,000 vehicles are registered every day, the vehicle speed may go down to 5 kmph, which is almost equal to walking.



Urban expert Ashwin Mahesh feels the government has done little to improve the public transport. He said that while half of Bengalurus commuters depend on 6,500 BMTC buses, the remaining half uses more than 54 lakh vehicles. This means that the solution to traffic congestion lies in improving the public transport. The government should triple the bus fleet. Bengaluru needs no less than 15,000 BMTC buses, he stressed.



Lokesh Hebbani, Transportation Programme Manager at the Centre for Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning at IISc, said the government must implement staggering work hours in Bengaluru. Companies could offer incentives like free bus tickets to encourage staff to use public transport, as is done abroad. BMTC buses should get priority on roads, with dedicated lanes in peak time, he added.
MLC and former minister Basavaraj Horatti has apologised for his jeans pant farmers remarks that enraged a section of farmer organisations.



On Sunday, Horatti said: With a genuine concern for the farmers, I took the government to task for neglecting them and tried to draw the attention of the government towards their issues in the Assembly. I had also appealed to the government to keep a watch on jeans pant farmers (non-farmers), who are trying to weaken farmers movement. But some people misconstrued my statement to gain political mileage out of it, he said.



Horatti said he himself was a farmer and knew what kind of problems farmers were facing. He knew very well that it was because of hard work of farmers everyone was getting food. They should be remembered by everyone before taking food. The JD(S) leader said: I offer my apology to farmers if my statement hurt them.




Rajdeep Sardesai, consulting editor of the India Today group, on Sunday regretted receiving the Padmashri award from the then Congress-led UPA government.



He was speaking at the inaugural of the Bengaluru TV Journalists Association in the City. The politicians are dividing the journalists to carry out their own agenda in the form of right and left ideologies. Journalists should be like an insect in the room with no political colour. We are not VIPs, he said.



Seeking protection of the Union government, Sardesai said media persons - particularly video journalists - were more vulnerable to threat and intimidation from politicians and other individuals.



Side with society He advised journalists to take the side of society and not politicians. Stand with the victim, he said.



In his speech, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the component of freedom of expression was beneficial if media used it for the good of the society.



The right to free speech should not divide us, Siddaramaiah said. Siddaramaiah urged the media houses to provide all sides of the story with objectivity. Journalism is not being judgmental. Theres a clear line between legislature, executive and judiciary. The media cannot play all these roles, he said.



Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda asked journalists to evaluate their own work apart from questioning the politicians. People assess the work of elected representatives at least once in five years. What about journalists, he asked.


Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday refused to set any deadline to complete the work on the much-delayed Yettinahole project, to provide drinking water to five districts.



He also announced setting up of an experts committee to explore the possibility of bringing water from various sources including Sharavathi in Linganamakki, Krishna basin, Mekedatu and the Koramangala-Challaghatta valley of Bengaluru to the water-parched districts around Bengaluru.



A committee of subject experts set up by the BWSSB had suggested the government to bring water of Sharavathi river to Bengaluru.



The chief minister has announced setting up of an exclusive board to monitor irrigation and water projects in the plain land and central Karnataka regions - Bayaluseeme and Madhyama Karnataka Nigama - and two committees for monitoring the Yettinahole project.



While one committee on the Yettinahole would comprise officials of various departments for better coordination to expedite the work, another panel would have non-officials.



These announcements were made by Siddaramaiah on Sunday at a meeting with representatives of farmers and politicians, including MLAs and MPs.



The exercise was to address concerns over the delay in implementation of the Yettinahole project.



On Thursday last, farmers had held a massive protest in Bengaluru to express their displeasure over the delay in implementation of the project, which aims at providing only drinking water to parts of Hassan, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural and Ramanagaram districts.



Siddaramaiah said, I cannot set a deadline to complete the work because it is a mega project. The NDA government at the Centre had changed the land acquisition norms, which led to a delay of one year.



Top priority for Kolar

The chief minister said efforts would be made to release funds as much as possible for this Rs 12,960-crore project. So far Rs 1,690 crore has been spent. Kolar district would get top priority during the distribution of water, followed by Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural and Tumakuru.



Replying to questions raised in the meeting, he said Yettinahole would not be part of the Netravathi diversion scheme. Experts from Isro, IISc and other organisations have confirmed water availability in Yettinahole to supply 24 tmc ft.



Congress MP from Chikkaballapur, M Veerappa Moily, did not sit through the meeting as he had other engagements. Congress MP from Kolar, K H Muniyappa, attended the meeting.



After the meeting, farmers leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar said the government had promised that land acquisition would commence soon. K S Manjunath Gowda, JD(S) MLA from Malur, said the government had promised to implement the project in two years.



It has become a daily struggle to get drinking water in Kolar. How should we manage, he asked.
As many as 18 couples from different countries took their wedding vows in Vedic style at the Art of Living International Ashram on Sunday. The couples were from 8 countries including Iran, Taiwan, Brazil and Argentina.



The ceremony, which signified marital commitment, was performed by priests of The Art of Living. Vasfi Sinal and Rozhin Asadi, both lawyers from Iran were among the couples who entered wedlock at the ashram. Sinal said: Its an electrifying atmosphere here, so much energy and everyone is so happy here. How could we pick any other place for this special event of our life?



While Jorge Francisco Casarotto and Carmen Rosario Santiago from Argentina, who were married for over two decades, decided to renew their vows according to Vedic traditions, there were couples who have been together for over a decade and have now decided to get married in Vedic style. These couples will be part of the international delegation for the World Culture Festival (WCF), which will be held in New Delhi from March 11. The festival is expected to witness around 3.5 million people from 155 countries.
Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Babus son Ravela Susheel was on Sunday arrested on charges of misbehaving with a young woman teacher.





The arrest triggered demands by the opposition that the minister be sacked. Kishore Babu said it a political conspiracy by opposition YSR Congress leader Y S Jaganmohan Reddy behind the arrest of his son, who was held along with his driver. He termed the allegations against his son false and fabricated.



Assistant Commissioner of Police (Banjara Hills Division) D Uday Kumar Reddy said Susheel and the driver, Ramesh, appeared before police in the early hours on Sunday after notices were served to them and were arrested following their examination.



They were on Saturday booked under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of IPC. The complainant had alleged that a car with MLA sticker followed her when she was passing through Road No 13 while on her way to school on Thursday evening.



The driver of the car and the other occupant, who were drunk, passed remarks and asked her to come inside the car, while one person with a tattoo on his hand tried to pull her inside the vehicle, she had alleged.



When there was an attempt to pull her inside the vehicle, the woman raised an alarm following which her husband, who was nearby, and some locals gathered at the spot and beat up Susheel and Ramesh.



On Friday, the woman also claimed to have identified the photo of the ministers son as the one who had held her hand and tried to pull her inside the car. While Susheel claimed innocence and alleged that the case was politically motivated, his father said police probe will reveal the truth and he will not interfere in the matter.



Hitting out at Kishore Babu, YSR Congress Partys Deputy Floor Leader U Kalpana said, Even as the ministers son was caught on camera misbehaving with a woman, the minister tries to blame it on the leader of Opposition (Y S Jaganmohan Reddy) for the incident. We demand the minister be dropped from the Cabinet and let law take its own course.




After protesting at Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district seeking entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum, the Bhumata Rangranai Brigade has now made similar demands for Nashik districts famous Trimbakeshwar temple that houses one of the 12 jyotirlingas.



The Trupti Desai-headed womens organization on Monday would march to the Trimbakeshwar temple on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri and on the eve of International Womens Day. The Shree Trimbakeshwar Sansthan Trust, that runs the temple administration, however, had made it clear that women could not be allowed to the sanctum sanctorum.



Not just Shani Shingnapur or Trimakeshwar, there has been discrimination against women in several other temples, Desai said adding that they are fighting for equal gender rights and constitutional rights. In fact, we have convened our demands to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after the Shani Shingnapur protests, she said. There is no ban on the entry of women in any temples of Lord Shiva in India. The tradition of banning the entry of women in the sanctum sanctorum of this temple has no scientific or religious backing, Desai said in a letter to US Phalke, the chairperson of the temple trust.



At present, only men can touch the pindi of lord Trimbakeshwar, that too when dressed in a silk garment popularly known as sovale. Moreover, this entry is permitted for one hour in the day, generally early in the morning.



Desai pointed out that even the Kashi Vishveshwar Temple, considered to be the greatest among all the 12 jyotilings, allows both men and women into the inner sanctum. Mahadev is described as Shiv-Parvati and also as Ardhnarishwar. Hence women should be considered to be representatives of Goddess Parvati and should get equal justice, she said.
Activists from different groups want Kanhaiya Kumar to stay away from campaigning in polls.



Almost mesmerised by electrifying speech of the JNUSU president after his release from the jail, activists feel that Kumar can galvanise youth across the country and his energy should not be wasted in narrow political fight for Assembly polls. Disagreeing with the assertion of Sitaram Yechury that he will campaign for the upcoming polls, activists say that it will not be in the larger interest of the country, if the student leader turns into another Left leader. Kanhaiya, they believe, has the potential of becoming a leader who can be acceptable to common youth and he should be allowed to grow that way.



Yechury had said Kumar along with other youth leaders will be campaigning in the polls.He has shown enough maturity to become the leader of the youth. I admire his patience that he did not speak a word against Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi. It will be wise for the Left that they do not exhaust this youth in the coming polls, said Mumbai based senior social activist Gajanan Khatu.



Khatu feels that Kumar should work for broader social and political change in the country.

Anil Tahkur, a teacher of Political Science in Delhi University feels same way. Kanhaiya can be a rallying point for all those who have been opposing the present dispensation. He has brought real issues to the fore. His Azadi slogans would inspire people across the country, he said.



Thakur said that the Left could hardly gain much if they use him in elections. If he works on a broader platform, it will help the Left, he said.


The parents of Komal and Kanchan, two sisters, in Bihars Vaishali district are thanking Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his directive to impart martial arts training to school girls, which aimed at enabling the female students take on eve-teasers.



Having passed out from a government school where they were taught a lesson or two in self-defence, the two sisters gave a road Romeo such a befitting reply that he not only touched the girls feet and begged mercy, but also started addressing them as his sisters.



The incident took place in Lalganj when the two girls were on their way to college on their bicycle. A 17-year-old boy stopped the duo in the middle of the road and held the hand of Kanchan. An enraged Komal got down from her bicycle and punched the boy right on his nose which left the tormentor bleeding. Recovering from the shock, the boy tried to hit back, but Komal gave him another kick which made him lick the dust.



The two sisters then caught the eve-teaser by his collar and dragged him to the nearby police station. By that time, a huge crowd had assembled there to watch the bravery of the girls.



The crowd remained mute spectators and nobody came forward to help my children, said the girls father Vivekanand Ojha, who lamented that although he had complained about the boys misdemeanour to the police, the cops never took any action. At the police station, the crowd, which swelled further, demanded that strict action be taken against the tormentor.



The boy then fell at girls feet, begged for mercy and promised to behave properly if given a chance. The girls father later did not lodge a formal FIR saying that since the offender was a minor, it could jeopardise his career. The acting station house officer (SHO) of Lalganj police station SN Babu said the boy was let off with a stern warning after the girls and their parents relented.
GRAND FORKS  Not here.

That would never happen here. Not in Grand Forks. Not in our schools.

Thats what people want to believe, even though recent history says theres no reason why it couldnt happen anywhere.

North Dakota has seen its share of high-profile cases involving a teacher accused of having at least some sexual contact with a student.

Since 2011, there have been at least five cases when a teachers license has been revoked by the state of North Dakota for having an inappropriate relationship of a sexual nature with a student. In other cases there have been allegations that, while not proven in court, left lingering doubts and broken lives.

West Fargo teacher Aaron Knodel, who had been named the 2014 North Dakota Teacher of the Year, was charged with five counts of felony corruption or solicitation of a minor for allegedly having sex with one of his students in 2009. The accusations came after Knodel received the award and last year a judge declared a mistrial in the case. Knodel kept his license and resumed teaching in West Fargo.

In all of the states teacher license revocations dating back to 1974, at least 42 of 74 instances were sexual in nature  57 percent. Of those, 38 were male teachers.

And according to felony charges filed last week, a teacher in Grand Forks has crossed the line between teacher and student when Central High School teacher James Patrick Whalen engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor student.

The 41-year-old Grand Forks man, who faces two counts of solicitation of a minor, has not been convicted, but could receive up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

The number of license revocations for Minnesota teachers wasnt available, but in the past few years, there have been a number of cases with similar allegations of inappropriate teacher-student relationships.

Like Whalen, charges were filed Tuesday against Tara Michelle Nichols, a former substitute teacher for the Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton School District, just east of Moorhead, Minn., for allegations she had sex with a student.

Nichols, 39, of Glyndon faces two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for engaging in sex with a student who was 17 at the time of the alleged conduct. A parent told authorities her son received inappropriate messages and pictures from Nichols, who was a substitute teacher at the time.

Documents filed in Clay County District Court state an investigation revealed several male students, ages 17 and 18, had either received messages from Nichols or had sexual contact with her.

Since 2013, there have been allegations against teachers for sexual contact with students from both states  stretching from Bemidji and Willmar in Minnesota to Bismarck, Mandan, Bottineau and Park River in North Dakota

In the wake of the allegations against Whalen, Grand Forks area educators and administrators have stressed such cases are rare here and that there are procedures and training in place to prevent a misuse of the power of a teacher-student relationship and the power differential between them.

Avoiding the worst

After the allegations came to light, educators explained exactly what they do to not only prevent abuse, but to empower teachers to be professional role models.

Grand Forks Public Schools human resources manager Tracy Abentroth said every employee is aware of the sexual harassment policy within the district.

All employees receive the sexual harassment policy, along with other policies, when they are hired, Abentroth said, and all employees are required to sign that they have reviewed them.

According to the districts sexual harassment policy, any report of sexual harassment, whether it is between a teacher and a student, a teacher and a teacher, or a student and a student, must be sent to the human resources officer by the principal immediately. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.

The district cannot comment on the charges against Whalen, as it is an ongoing investigation, but Abentroth said according to policy, when a police investigation begins it takes precedence over any internal investigation.

Its happened, she said.

Whalen submitted a one-sentence resignation Tuesday stating I hereby resign my teaching position with Grand Forks School District effective immediately.

At the University of North Dakota College of Education and Human Development, from which Whalen graduated before starting at Central High School in 1998, professionalism is of the utmost importance, according to administrators.

Anne Walker, associate dean for teacher education and student services, said the college graduates about 130 new teachers each year and every one of them is trained to avoid inappropriate relationships with students.

We really think teachers are role models for children and they need to act professionally at all times, whether thats inside the classroom or outside the classroom, Walker said.

Before students officially enter the program, Walker said, prospective teachers take an introduction to education course in which professionalism and the standards of the program are made clear. Things get more stringent from there.

Prospective teachers undergo multiple dispositions, or evaluations, through a system put in place within the last decade, Walker said. One such area of evaluation is professionalism, in which evaluators look for ethical behavior inside and outside the classroom, among other things.

I go into all these intro classes and I talk about professionalism and I talk about our policies, because theyre very strict, Walker said, adding that one student was dismissed from the program last year for a violation. They hear about it through the program.

Walker said social media, and the way social media should be used, are addressed.

That would be our largest area of professional concern, Walker said, adding that students are given examples of inappropriate behavior, such as adding a student as a friend on Facebook or posting a picture of a student on Instagram. You will be dismissed (from the program).
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday dared the Modi government to make public the list of his son Kartis undisclosed assets and rejected allegations to this effect as completely false.



Chidambaram also said Karti was being targeted because he is his son. The real target is me, the former finance minister said. If the government is of the view that Karti Chidambaram has undisclosed assets, I would ask the government to make a list of such undisclosed assets, Chidambaram said. He added that Karti was ready to transfer all such illegal assets to the government for a nominal consideration of Re 1.



Last week, the Lok Sabha discussed the reported irregularities in the takeover of Tamil Nadu-based telecom operator Aircel by Malaysian company Maxis during Chidambarams tenure as finance minister. BJD leader B Mahtab and AIADMK leader T G Venkatesh Babu said that several irregularities were committed in the takeover and the then finance minister had approved the deal without referring it to the Union Cabinet. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the Modi government had no holy cows to protect and action would be taken against those found guilty, howsoever important they may be.



Reports in a section of the media said that Karti had built a huge business empire in 14 countries and that this had come to light through documents recovered during raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and investigation wing of the Income Tax department in the Aircel-Maxis scam.



I understand the political motive behind the accusations and the timing of the story. I have nothing but pity for those who make these false accusations. Ultimately, truth will prevail, Chidambaram said in a statement.



He said Karti runs a legitimate business, apart from managing inherited property, and he has been an income tax assessee for many years.


A digital depository to be created by the Centre for safe storage and retrieval of certificates of countrys students will not allow an employer access to the documents for verification without permission of the student concerned.



Privacy and security of the students documents will always remain intact. Employers can seek verification of certificates only with the consent of the student, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said, sharing details on the proposal.



Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced setting up of a digital depository for certificates of students, while presenting union budget for 2016-17 in Parliament recently.



Irani described the move as historic, saying a steering committee will be set up to work out a detailed plan of action for implementation of the proposal. The committee will also identify a suitable partner for handling the task of safely storing the documents of students under a memorandum of understanding to be signed with the government. The depository will store certificates of school and higher educational institutions. The documents will be stored by the respective institutions.



The depository is not meant for uploading of certificates by individuals (students), the minister clarified, when asked who will upload the documents. To start with, only the current years certificates of the students will be stored in the depository, once it is brought in place later this year.



The storing of backlog documents in the depository will then be slowly taken care of in coordination with the respective institutions, she said, when asked if the depository will also store certificates of students like those graduated from college or passed class XII boards in past.



While students will not be charged any fee for uploading their academic certificates in the depository by their respective schools and higher educational institutions, employers seeking to verify a students documents with his or her approval will have to make payment of certain fee to avail the facility.



Though the steering committee will be set up to finalise a detailed action plan, a ministry official indicated that the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and the Central Depository Services (India) Limited, which currently hold securities in the electronic format, may be considered for making partner in the project.


An Indian priest missing after an attack on a care home run in Yemen is being held by the assailants, who are likely to be Islamic State (IS) militants, officials said on Sunday.



Yemeni authorities have blamed IS for the Friday attack on the refuge for the elderly operated by Missionaries of Charity in main southern city, Aden. According to our information, the extremists who attacked the elderly care home in Aden have kidnapped priest Tom Uzhunnalil, a 56-year-old Indian, who was taken to an unknown location, a Yemeni security official said. We are aware that no group has yet claimed the criminal attack... but information points to the involvement of Daesh, said the source using an Arabic acronym for IS.



Gunmen stormed the refuge, killing a Yemeni guard before tying up and shooting 15 other employees, officials said. Four foreign nuns working as nurses were among those killed. The Vatican missionary news agency Fides identified the nuns as two Rwandans, a Kenyan and an Indian, adding that the mother superior managed to hide and survive while an Indian priest was missing.



The internationally recognised government in war-torn Yemen is grappling with both an Iran-backed rebellion and a growing jihadist presence. Al-Qaeda and IS have stepped up attacks in Aden, targeting mainly loyalists and members of a Saudi-led coalition battling Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year.
An angling competition was held as a part of the Mathsyamela -2016 at Pilikula lake in Mangaluru on Sunday.



The contest was organised by the Karnataka Veterinary, Animals and Fisheries Sciences University, Bidar, in association with the Department of Fisheries, Government of Karnataka, and the Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation.



Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim inaugurated the event by carrying out angling at the Pilikula lake. Mathsya Darshini, a mobile canteen of fish delicacies was also inaugurated on the occasion. The canteen will be open at Pilikula every Sunday and will move around the City on the rest of the days.



Identity cards were distributed among the first 9 members of Pilikula Anglers Club: G Prakash Rao, Bhaskar Alva, Capt Suresh Prabhu, Arun Mendes, Kamraj Rai B, Suraj Kumar Shetty, Akshay K C, Allan Antony Lobo, and John Monteiro.



Professional angler Derek DSouza said that angling is nothing but fishing with anglers and hooks. The speciality of angling is that it is not for commercial purpose  instead, identification of the fish is most important. Most of the times, the fish caught is let back into the water bodies. The anglers do not support destructive methods of fishing, such as use of dynamites (gelatin sticks) and copper sulphate. Awareness is also created against the African catfish which has become invasive in all water bodies, explained DSouza.



Angling is an international sport. It is a 180-billion dollar industry in the US. Freshwater angling is getting popular these days in India. Angling competitions are held nationwide, to encourage angling. The Government of Uttarakhand has been greatly encouraging angling and licences are issued to angers. Also action is initiated against those who follow illegal means to catch fish, he added.



He expressed concern about the fish species which are going extinct. Mahseer fish, which was once found in abundance, is difficult to find these days. Also, Mahseer and snake-head fish are the difficult fishes for angling, he said.



Derek said that he trains around 80 children a year in angling. He further said that as part of World Fish Migration Day, angling events will be held in various parts of the country, including Mysuru, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Assam, Nagaland and Rajasthan, from May 15. The event will go on for about a month.



Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Dr H N Gopalakrishna, Dr Shivarama Karantha Nisargadhama Chief Executive Officer Dr S A Prabhakar Sharma, Fisheries College Dean Dr K M Shankar, Karnataka Fish Development Corporation, Mangaluru, Chairman Hiriyanna, Pilikula Nisargadhama Society Governing Council member and Kannada University, Hampi, former Vice Chancellor Prof B A Vivek Rai and others were present during the inauguration.



Several groups of amateur anglers and members of Mangalore Anglers Association took part in the competition. One of the participants, Rafique from Ullal, said that not many fish could be caught as the fish have their own feeding time and come only at the particular time. He used an ordinary angler and hook with a hens intestine as prey. He said that he has been following the hobby of angling for the last 10 years and he often carries out fishing in Someshwara and Kotepura.



Reginald Ammanna from Valencia and a member of the Mangalore Anglers Club said that he has been following the Western Style of Angling for the last 13 years. Angling improves ones concentration. Fishing helps him connect with nature, he said and added that he had taken part in a number of angling competitions.


Mines and Geology Minister Vinay Kulkarni has said that 38 sand blocks have been identified, spread across an area of 506.56 acres, in the non-CRZ area of Dakshina Kannada.



After a review meeting in Mangaluru on Sunday, the minister told reporters that licences have been sanctioned for 36 blocks in 481.598 acres. Tenders have been invited through the Public Works Department for allocation of 23 sand blocks. Eleven tenders have been received for 11 blocks, out of which, five have been qualified. Re-tender will be invited for the allocation of remaining blocks. The order for re-tendering will be issued by Wednesday, he explained.



The minister, however, warned that the work for extraction of sand in the CRZ area can be undertaken only after the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) clears it. The environment clearance that had been issued for extraction of sand from the river beds in the CRZ area expired on January 16. The Department has sought fresh clearance from the MoEF to extract mining of sand in the CRZ area, said Kulkarni.



As many as 19 sand blocks have been identified in the CRZ area in the district, from which 20.4 lakh metric tonnes of sand can be extracted. In the State, 549 sand blocks have been identified and 89 of 110 blocks have been auctioned, he said.



Efforts are being made to simplify the rules of tender so as to facilitate the availability of sand locally. This will be done as soon as environment clearance is obtained from the Central Ministry. Discussion has been carried out to chalk out measures for solving sand shortage problem in the state. A team has visited Tamil Nadu and conducted a study and has submitted a report recommending the allocation of sand through PWD, on Tamil Nadu model, said Kulkarni.



In Dakshina Kannada, Rs 46.478 lakh fine was collected in 306 cases related to unlicensed sand mining while Rs 141.890 lakh fine was collected in 1,101 cases of illegal transportation of sand, the minister added.



Manufactured sand



Speaking further, he said that 86 units of manufactured sand are initiated in the State, to address the problem of sand shortage. In Bengaluru City alone, there are 40 such units.



Manufactured sand can be used as a substitute for sand. The government has been encouraging m-sand units by providing them subsidies. There is requirement of 28,000 lakh metric tonnes of sand in the State a year and 10,000 lakh metric tonnes of manufactured sand will be produced. In six years, the production will be doubled. One load (16 tonne) of m-sand costs Rs 10,000, he explained.



Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader, Mangaluru South MLA J R Lobo, MLC Ivan DSouza, Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim and Superintendent of Police Dr Sharanappa S D were present at the press meet.




Even as private educational institutions are investing huge amounts of money and are coming up with a variety of facilities to attract students, government institutions in the district are not bothered about providing better facilities to students.





The City Central Library (CCL), Mysuru has earmarked 52,296 old books and is waiting for government institutions to take the books under Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) of the Social Welfare Department, Backward Classes Department and Public Instructions (PI) Department for the past two years. The library had reserved the books only after several school heads requested for the books for their school libraries for the use of teachers as well as students.



Letter sent to schools



CCL Deputy Director B Manjunath told Deccan Herald that 15 schools had approached the library two years ago, seeking books. Of them, only five schools have collected 6,800 books and 45,496 books are still with the library. Even though we have written letter to the schools concerned and officials, the schools are reluctant to take the books. The library had issued circulars to schools in February 2014 and October 2015. I have written to the Public Instruction Department, Planning officer of ITDP, Deputy Commissioner (DC) for Backward Classes Welfare and District Officer of Social Welfare department, he added.



The CCL has alloted 2,000 books to the Government High School, Kergalli; 2,300 books to Government Model Higher Primary School, Kalale in Nanjangud taluk; 5,000 books to Pailwan Basavaiah Government Higher Primary School, Jayanagara, Mysuru; 6,300 books to Government Primary School, Vontikoppal, Mysuru; 11,450 books to Gowtham Social Cultural Education Society in Gundlupet; and a few other schools.



However, the Government HigherPrimary School, Rangasamudra; Sri Siddeshwara High School, Ramakrishna Nagar, Mysuru; Government Higher Primary School, Harohalli; Government High School in GB Sargur, H D Kote taluk; and another aided institution have collected 1,700, 600, 1,500, 1,500 and 1,500 books respectively from the library authorities, Manjunath said.



The library has to replace old books with new ones as per the need and thus, it had asked the schools following their request to use the books instead of selling them to paper recycle units, he said.



Manjunath said, The library will approach the authorities concerned once again and if they do not turn up, the books will be disposed of in other ways to accommodate new books.

Deputy Director for Public Instruction (DDPI) H R Basappa said he was not aware of the books reserved by the CCL for schools. I have not received any intimation either from the CCL or the schools, the DDPI said.


New smartphone app and texting tool will allow Alaskans from across the state to anonymously report tips on crime and illegal activity in their area.

The Department of Public Safety is increasing its crime-fighting arsenal with a new app to help residents view alerts and submit anonymous tips from their smartphone or computer.

The AKtips app puts a powerful new crime-fighting tool into the hands of Alaskans of all ages. The AKtips app is available for download for free via the Google Play Store, iTunes App Store, or on our website at dps.alaska.gov/tips.

Those without a smartphone can share information with Troopers by sending an anonymous text tip to law enforcement by texting keyword AKTIP and their message/tip to 847411. Anonymous web tips can also be submitted via the departments website at dps.alaska.gov/tips.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety is committed to protecting Alaskans across our state and making our state a safe place to live and raise a family, said Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell. We believe our new AKtips app and website will help greatly enhance our ability to deliver on our mission by engaging Alaskans to help report crime tips and information securely to law enforcement.

While not a replacement for calling and reporting emergencies to 911 or reporting non-emergency situations to your local Trooper post, the new AKtips app and texting short code enables the public to share an anonymous tip with law enforcement and lets Troopers respond back to create an anonymous two-way conversation.

Similar to the Crime Stoppers program available in certain parts of the state, the AKtips app and anonymous text a tip system is completely anonymous. The technology removes all identifying information before law enforcement sees the tips.

The deployment and development of the AKtips app was funded through a Department of Homeland Security grant. The app was developed by Tip 411.

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by Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon

April 28th, 2017: On Tuesday evening the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee took public testimony on HB 115the Education Funding Actand afterward much was made of the fact that a majority of the more than 100 people who called in were in favor of this tax for schools. The testimony went on until after 10:00 p.m., and many people waited hours to put their views on the record.

While a marathon run of public testimony might not exactly qualify as a scientific sample of the entire Alaskan electorate, the stats were heartening. But what impressed me even more than the numbers was the tone and considerateness of those Alaskans in support of the bill.

Testifiers spoke of their willingness to personally contribute to the most fundamental and important of state servicesthe education of the next generation of Alaskans. I was stirred by their sense of caring and responsibility for the wellbeing of their communities, and I was impressed by their understanding of how that moral and material investment is also essential for ensuring a thriving economic future for Alaska.

No one, including me, wants to pay tax on their income, but the majority of Alaskans who testified on Tuesday night had clear beliefs about what kind of Alaska they want for themselves and their children, and they know that with oil revenues a small fraction of what they once were, we will need to take more responsibility to maintain and increase the quality of our lives here.

I recently wrote to a thoughtful constituent of mine in McGrath:

Our House Majority Coalition is offering a solution to the fiscal dilemma that we think is practical and as evenhanded as possible. As you clearly understand, there is nothing out of the ordinary about our proposals.

Our cuts to the Operating Budget were modest compared to recent years because weve reached a point of diminishing returns. If you cut so much that you simply cripple programs and services, then youve removed the value from those dollars you do spend and youve set up government to fail.

We believe that what state government currently provides is justifiedlegally and morally, as you say, but also according to what our constituents tell us they think is necessary and worthwhile. All the tools needed to pay for it are at hand, and as I mentioned above, in most parts of the country theyre considered pretty conventional methods.

Youre right that there is a wide chasm between our plan and what the Senate is offering. The negotiations that need to happen in the coming weeks will not be easy. Still, I have some hope that reason and practicality will carry some weight.

To reason and practicality I would also add caring and responsibility. I was moved by the dedication of those dozens of people who waited hours to put their views on the record Tuesday night. It heightens my pride in the people of Alaska, and its the kind of encouragement we need as the Alaska House Majority Coalition forges ahead in its effort to do what we know to be best for our constituents and our future economic prosperity.

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GRAND FORKS  Arnold Ralston has been donating $300 to $400 a year to a popular nonprofit organization that provides services to wounded veterans.

So when the 81-year-old Army veteran from Grand Forks saw a recent national news report alleging that the charity  Wounded Warrior Project  spent about $3 million on a four-day conference for about 500 staff members at a luxury resort in Colorado in 2014, he got so upset, he called the charitys Jacksonville, Fla., headquarters.

I talked to a guy in the head office and asked him how much he had to pay for his drinks at the party, Ralston said. He told me he didnt pay anything.

Well, Im not a teetotaler. I like to have a couple of drinks now and then, but Im not going to give them $400 a year so they could go on their drunken brawl.

Ralston is not alone.

The North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs has been busy fielding calls from many veterans since the recent reports by the New York Times, CBS News and other media.

Our office is getting a lot of calls, a lot of questions, Commissioner Lonnie Wangen told the Herald. Our recommendation is to go to our website. We steer them to veterans organizations that spend their money in North Dakota. We have some different websites for organizations we know are legitimate.

The website, http://www.nd.gov/veterans, lists eight organizations, with contact information listed under the tab, Support Veterans. The list includes the North Dakota Support Our Veterans Fund, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, North Dakota Disabled American Veterans, North Dakota Vietnam Veterans of America, Service Dogs for America, Rebuilding Together, and the North Dakota POW/MIA Memorial.

The controversy

The Wounded Warrior Project, which started in 2003 by handing out backpacks to wounded veterans, collected more than $372 million in 2015, according to a January report by the New York Times.

The Times also reported that about 40 percent  about $124 million  of groups donations in 2014 were spent on overhead, according to the charity-rating group Charity Navigator.

It also reported that the charitys 10 most highly compensated employees made about $2.6 million in 2014.

Wounded Warrior Project quickly disputed the claims.

Based on our fiscal year 2014 audited financial statements ending September 30, 2014, 80.6 percent of total expenditures went to provide programs and services for wounded service members, and their families and caregivers, the organization said in a statement.

CBS News reported the charitys spending on conferences and meetings has increased from $1.7 million in 2010 to $26 million in 2014, the latter representing the same amount the group spends on combat stress recovery.

Steve Nardizzi, CEO for Wounded Warrior Project, described the charity-rating groups systems as, at best horribly misinformed and ineffective and  at worst  outright misleading.

The controversy has resulted in some pushback from major donors and organizations. Charity Navigator, which the North Dakota VA lists on its website, recently placed Wounded Warrior Project on its watch list.

Just late last week, a major donor to Wounded Warrior Project called for the nonprofits CEO to resign, according to a CBS News report. Fred and Dianne Kane, parents of two Iraq War veterans, have donated $325,000 to the group since 2009 through its personal charity, Tee-off for a Cause.

Help at home

Wangen said the North Dakota VA has used Wounded Warrior Project to provided services in North Dakota. For instance, the organization purchased vehicles for veterans services officers on the states Indian reservations.

We have, ourselves, used Wounded Warrior trainers for county and tribal veterans services officers, he said. We bring in experts in different areas for our conferences. Theyve provided training on compensation claims. Its a great benefit for our veterans and service officers.

However, the group is not likely to be listed on the state organizations website list of recommended charities.

We havent investigated them ourselves, he said, and we work with the groups with the mission of benefiting veterans in North Dakota.

Change of course

Ralston, the Grand Forks veteran, lives on a fixed income. He said has been donating $100 each month to what his favorite charities, rotating between the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and Wounded Warrior Project.

But Wounded Warrior Project no longer is on that list. He plans to replace it with one of the charities on the North Dakota VA website.

Here I am, denying myself. I could go out to a nice restaurant once in awhile. Its something I havent done for years, to splurge on myself, he said. They took that money and squandered it. Its just not fair.
by Greg Lincoln

Last week we were down by Lomack Beach in Bethel enjoying the nice weather when we saw a most incredible sight. It was a small plane parked and the owner, who happened to be Bethels own Bailey McCallson, was fueling up, getting ready to go flying.

It was amazing to hear his story. Bailey flew all the way from Fairbanks to Bethel in his Ventura Ultralight. Its inspiring to see young folks like Bailey go for their dreams, accomplishing remarkable feats, and getting stuff done. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

***

Im just fueling up the tank, I got a 12 gallon in here. This just runs on automotive fuel  I premix it. Its a 2-stroke 447 Rotax, a 40hp engine. This thing only weighs 328 lbs., its super light. Super cool, its super cool.

The landing gear comes up and its amphibious. I landed on the river and I just pulled up onto land, put the gear down, pulled up. Its just such a super versatile airplane.

Its called a Ventura, its an ultralight. You dont need a pilots license for it but I got mine in December. This thing is actually pretty crazy because I got it about 2 years ago and then I got my pilots license and then I went up in March with Ethan Ford. He went up with me, we put it together and then I flew it back down from Fairbanks.

There were areas where the wind was gusting 20-25 knots and this thing is so light, so I was just getting beat up the whole time. Id be going and Id get hit by a crosswind and all of the sudden the plane would go sideways and you could see the ground straight down. Id have to give it full rudder and full aileron just to get it straight again.

There was one point I was actually flying and I hit rotoring wind off a mountaintop. When I hit, my airspeed went from about 55 to 75 mph and 80 is the never-exceed because you can cause structural damage to it. So I had to bring the nose up to slow it up and I cut the power but then I came up over the top of the rotoring wind and then my airspeed went from about 55 because I slowed it up to zero. I was just dropping and coming straight down. I had to give it full power and nose it down but before I could get any airspeed to be able to get lift again I had to catch up to the downdraft on the other side of that rotoring wind.

Its a super fun little plane. I just went to Three Step today and went around up there. I landed on the Gweek and then its like an airboat as soon as you put it on the water. I was doing about 60 from the mouth of Gweek all the way down the river getting a feel for the water. Yeah, this thing is really cool.

So how long was it to fly from Fairbanks to here?

The route we took was about 600 statute miles. Yeah, it was about 600 miles and then it took 14 hours of flying in two days. My flight route was from Skyflight (airport) in Fairbanks, to Nenana, Nenana to Lake Minchumina, to Nikolai, and then McGrath, Stony River, Crooked Creek, Aniak, and then Bethel.

Were you gassing up at those waypoints?

Yup, those were all places that I gassed up. Ethan followed me. I flew to Minchumina by myself and then I camped under the wing and then he came out the next morning and brought me more gas. And then he was just carrying jerry jugs for all my fuel the whole way down, hes my chase plane. Hes moving a lot faster because this thing is really slow. Im cruising between 55 to 65 mph.

How high were you flying?

In the manual it says theyll fly 13,500 feet over but that sounds ridiculous. From Aniak to Bethel I flew 3,500 over and that was high up to be in an open plane and it was cold. It was cold up there because its all open. Other than that it is pretty good, it streamlines the air really well.

Do you dress accordingly?

Yeah, definitely!

Can you walk me through the engine back here?

This is the 447 Rotax 2-stroke engine. It is just like a snowmachine. You premix the fuel 50 to 1. And then I just got this 3-blade carbon fiber prop, I really like it. It has a lot of bite, a lot of go. Its only 40 hp but since its so light this thing just climbs like nothing, its really a lot of fun. It doesnt really want to stall, it flies really well. Honestly, I want a bunch more people out here to get them because it would just be so fun to go out and mess around with everyone else out there.

Can you tell me about the skin, the fabric?

This fabric is dacron. It is really really tough stuff because you can take it and cut it and it wont keep tearing. Its got ripstop seams in it. Its all tube and fabric. We put it together, three of us, about a hundred hours to reassemble it. I bought it used so then we had to reassemble it. Its retractable, its a tail wheel, but its got retractable gear. This comes straight up and this tail comes forward and in. Theres a little pocket up inside of here. Other than that its a just a normal little airplane. Its got the elevator, the rudder. Its stick and rudder.

The first time I flew this I had zero experience in tail wheel, and I had zero experience with stick and rudder and a pusher type. So the engine is a pusher type. Its not a conventional normal plane where it (engine) sticks out the front. The reason they put it back here is so that when youre landing on the water the props not hitting it, its just up and out of the way there.

How do you start it? Is it electric?

Yeah, its got an electric start. Theres a starter in there and then I have a master switch and a kill switch, and a push to start and my little key for it. Its a pretty tight fit to get in there.

What was the reaction like when you landed out here?

All the kids came up, they were asking about it, thats so cool! One of them said, How much did that cost? I was like, I think I opened three piggy banks for this one (laughing). But yeah, everyone was all excited. It is definitely a lot different to see them sitting down in the water versus just being on the ground or even on floats.

This hull is actually designed just like a float. Its a float on wings. Its got three little steps just like a normal float and a little step up here. When youre getting going and youre doing 50-60 on the water theres only a few inches on this thats actually in the water. Youre just kind of gliding across the top of it.

Amazing.

But it doesnt like waves. There were tiny waves one day and I wanted to see how it felt on the waves. They were really little and I started going and it started porpoising up and down. I wasnt even at an airspeed where I could fly but it just jumped up for like 20 feet in the air. I had to nose it down and come back down because I wasnt flying fast enough to keep lifting. As soon as I came out of it it just started dropping again and there was a series of bouncing. I got it to slow down and stop and ended up going right into Straight Slough. It was right out of the wind, it was nice over there.

Its pretty loud. It sounds like a snowmachine in the air. Its like a mosquito plane (laughing).

Bailey proceeded to show me the inside mechanics of his plane. The stick, the yoke, the elevator, rudder, breaks, throttle, his radio, the gear retractors, and the 12 gallon gas tank.

I get about 3 hours on this, cruising at about 60. Its all simple, yeah, thats all there is to this. Theres really not too much to it. The instruments are extremely basic and its a whole lot of fun. My stepdad helped me put it together and Ethan. My stepdad is an AP mechanic. Its a homebuild, you can buy kits and put them together.

***

We wish you the best Bailey, and keep flying!

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by Peter Twitchell

I remember the days of the Fur Rondy Festival weekend sled dog races in Anchorage back in the 50s when there were many local mushers and names of familiar people from rural Alaska. There was also a musher from the east coast named Dr. Roland Lombard. And notably George Attla from Huslia. In my opinion these were the dominant dog mushers who held my attention.

Dad had a Zenith cell pack battery operated radio which got the Anchorage broadcasts of the Fur Rondy dog mushing races by way of White Alice satellite dishes strung across Alaska.

Peter Jacob was always my favorite dog musher because he was from our local southwest Alaskan village of Bethel. He was a small man in stature, big in spirit, a jovial Yupik man whose eyes sparkled and laughed heartily whenever I told him that I was cheering him on to victory!

Anchorages Fur Rondy Festival Sled Dog races 25 mile race courses looped around Anchorage. Dad was glued to that radio set throughout the race every winter in the latter part of the 1950s and the early 1960s.

I remember dogsleds and big strong huskies were the only transportation long before snowmachines. People depended on these dogs to hunt, to fish, and gather wood. We took very good care of the dogs.

Mom and Dad had a 15 x 20 log building half of which was dedicated to dog food, which was mainly the backbones of the summer salmon which were smoked with cottonwood in the smokehouse with all the other flat slabs of salmon and salmon strips.

In the winter months the dogs would get a whole backbone. As spring approached we would give them half a backbone of the salmon. In the summer we cooked fresh salmon and occasionally added dog food to their dishes.

Growing up in the 1950s the Yupiks in southwestern Alaska often spoke to the dogs in our native language and yelled commands like gee and haw and the leader would turn left or right. When Dad gave the command come gee and come haw the lead dog would make a 360 turn back.

When Dad yelled in a casual voice tang ava-i kaviaq! which means look ahead at the fox! the dog teams ears and the leader would perk up, look ahead, and quicken their gallop. Dad had a white husky leader named Queenie.

I myself never owned a dog team and Ive loved dogs all my life. They have been indeed Mans Best Friend.

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by Greg Lincoln

Connor Uulan Beebe of Quinhagak takes a jump at the beach in the heat on June 11, 2022 during the height of summer despite the smoky day! photo by Cynthia Beebe

The filing deadline of August 5th, for the 2022 REAA (Regional Education Attendance Area) Election has come once again and here are the candidates for this year. Thank you for being an applicant for this very important service to our communities. A Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA) is an educational area that is established in an unorganized borough of the state AS 14.08.031(a). REAA elections administered by the Division of Elections. REAA elections are held annually on the first Tuesday in October. This year it falls on October 4, 2022.

REAA 03

Section I  Seat A

Hootch, Herman B., Emmonak

Redfox, Doug, Emmonak

Westlock, Gordon Jr.*, Alakanuk

Section I  Seat C

Agayar, Max J.*, Alakanuk

Teganlakla, Christine Kameroff, Emmonak

Section II  Seat E

Hoelscher, Edgar P.*, Hooper Bay

Section III  Seat I

Lee, Joyce A., Mtn. Village

Minock, Sheila A.*, Russian Mission

Thompson, Kate, Mtn. Village

REAA 04

Section III  Seat D

Pleasant, Wassilie*, Nunapitchuk

Section III  Seat E

Long, Richard L.

Section IV  Seat I

Dyment, Hugh C.*, Bethel

REAA 05

Section I  Seat A

Zaukar, Chelsey B., Crooked Creek

Section I  Seat C

Underwood, Ronald N. Nathan, Crooked Creek

Section II  Seat D

Hoeldt, Susan*, Aniak

Hoffman, Jeanette L., Aniak

Simeon, Tracy M., Chuathbaluk

Section II  Seat F

Boelens, Adrian M.*

Simeon-Hunter, Teresa M., Chuathbaluk

Section III  Seat G

Smith, Zac, Sleetmute

REAA 11

Section I  Seat B

Chase, Kathy W.*

Section I  Seat C

Chase, Kenneth W. Ken

Section III  Seat F

Dale, Alice M. Ali*, McGrath

REAA 22

Section I  Seat B

Atchak, John H. John Henry*, Chevak

REAA 23

Section I  Seat A

George, Samuel J.*, Akiachak

Section III  Seat G

Owen, Moses*, Akiak

Section III  Seat G

Williams, Mike P. Sr., Akiak

Quyana.

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By Chico Harlan

4 March 2016 BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (Washington Post)  Already, the state of Louisiana had gutted university spending and depleted its rainy-day funds. It had cut 30,000 employees and furloughed others. It had slashed the number of child services staffers, including those devoted to foster family recruitment, and young abuse victims for the first time were spending nights at government offices. And then, the states new governor, John Bel Edwards (D), came on TV and said the worst was yet to come. Edwards, in a prime-time address on Feb. 11, said hed learned of devastating facts about the extent of the states budget shortfall and said that Louisiana was plunging into a historic fiscal crisis. Despite all the cuts of the previous years, the nations second-poorest state still needed nearly $3 billion  almost $650 per person  just to maintain its regular services over the next 16 months. Edwards gave the states lawmakers three weeks to figure out a solution, a period that expires March 9 with no clear answer in reach. Louisiana stands at the brink of economic disaster. Without sharp and painful tax increases in the coming weeks, the government will cease to offer many of its vital services, including education opportunities and certain programs for the needy. A few universities will shut down and declare bankruptcy. Graduations will be canceled. Students will lose scholarships. Select hospitals will close. Patients will lose funding for treatment of disabilities. Some reports of child abuse will go uninvestigated. Doomsday, said Marketa Garner Walters, the head of Louisianas Department of Children and Family Services. If the state cant raise any new revenue, her agencys budget, like several others, will be slashed 60 percent. At that level, she said in an interview, the agency is unsustainable. [] The math is daunting: For the fiscal year that ends June 30, Louisiana is facing a $940 million deficit, roughly one-eighth of what the state typically doles out from its general fund in a year. For 2016-2017, which begins July 1, the gap is $2 billion. This was years of mismanagement by a governor who was more concerned about satisfying a national audience in a presidential race, said Jay Dardenne (R), the lieutenant governor under Jindal and now the states commissioner of administration. Dardenne said Jindal had helped the state put off its day of reckoning in a way that mirrored a Ponzi scheme. [more]
4 March 2016 (UN)  Warning Europe is running out of time to solve the current refugee situation, the UN refugee chief today outlined a detailed six-point plan ahead of a key meeting of European Union leaders and Turkey in Brussels next week. This is as much a crisis of European solidarity as it is a refugee crisis, said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, in a press release. The collective failure to implement the measures agreed by EU Member States in the past has led to the current escalation in the crisis, he added. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is highlighting that the situation is quickly deteriorating with some 30,000 people now in Greece, almost a third of whom are in Idomeni just near the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Although the Greek authorities and military have ramped up their response, thousands are sleeping in the open without adequate reception, services, aid or information. With tensions mounting, the situation could escalate quickly into a full-blown crisis. But Mr. Grandi also said it is not too late if the right actions are taken now. We are running out of time, and strong leadership and vision are urgently needed from European leaders to deal with what is, in our view, a situation that can still be managed if properly addressed, he stressed. UNHCR is supporting the Greek Governments efforts by deploying staff, helping coordinate the response and providing emergency shelter, technical support and information to refugees and migrants. Mr. Grandis plan to EU Member States to manage and stabilize the refugee situation includes the relocation of asylum seekers out of Greece and Italy, and the return of individuals who do not qualify for refugee protection; stepping up support to Greece to handle the humanitarian emergency; ensuring compliance with all EU laws on asylum; making available more safe and legal ways for refugees to travel to Europe; safeguarding individuals at risk such as children who are unaccompanied; developing Europe-wide systems of responsibility for asylum-seekers, including the creation of registration centres in main countries of arrival. UNHCRs proposals make clear that equitable sharing of responsibility is key to bringing about a managed and orderly solution, and that EU Member States would need to agree a system of percentages of asylum-seekers for each Member State to take. Europe has successfully dealt with large-scale refugee movements in the past, during the Balkans Wars for example, and can deal with this one, provided it acts in a spirit of solidarity and responsibility sharing, said High Commissioner Grandi. There is really no other option than working together to solve this, he added.
FARGO  Caitlin Johnsons professors told her shed never get into graduate school or a Ph.D. program. With determination, perseverance and a willingness to ask for help when she needs it, she proved them wrong.

The 26-year-old single mother of a 4-year-old boy on the autism spectrum is pursuing a Ph.D. in education at North Dakota State University, where shes also a graduate assistant and a Laurie J. Loveland Scholarship recipient.

I think they were trying to be helpful, she says, and I did have other professors who were completely supportive. But I knew I had the potential in myself. So I applied, and I got in.

Johnson will share her story March 15 at an event, hosted by NDSUs Women and Gender Studies department and Office of Teaching and Learning, intended to give women an opportunity to learn about nontraditional paths to higher education and network with others.

Im a nontraditional student, Im a single parent to a special-needs child, and Im putting myself through school, trying to find every scholarship that I possibly can, she says. My journeys not the typical journey.

Knowledge Is Power: An Evening of Educational Possibilities for Women includes child care, dinner and four breakout sessions for participants to choose from: Making Your Voice Count, How to Help Your Child Succeed in Science Class, Taking Charge of Family Finances and Technology for Health.

The sessions are designed to mimic college classes and offer valuable information on practical life skills. Representatives from NDSU, Minnesota State Community and Technical College, North Dakota State College of Science and the Jeremiah Program will also be on hand to answer questions. The conversation continues with a roundtable discussion over dinner.

Ann Burnett, the director of the Women and Gender Studies program, had been thinking about the idea for years. She wants to help give women the confidence they need to start thinking about how they might further pursue their education no matter what obstacles they face.

Theres a message in society that once you get past a certain point, youre not fit for college, she says, but its never too late.

Johnson agrees. Shes become a resource for other nontraditional students seeking guidance. She recently finished a resource guide for parenting students including information on financial aid, scholarships, housing, child care and other types of assistance. Its available online on the Equity and Diversity Center page.

The Fargo woman, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, grew up in Belcourt. She graduated from high school a year early and started her college career at Turtle Mountain Community College, then transferred to Dickinson State University and later NDSU. She found out she was pregnant her senior year there.

After returning home to have her son, Sage, Johnson finished her undergraduate degree online, which took self-motivation, planning and creativity. She recalls setting up her computer near her sons bouncer and studying while he was sleeping. She worked at a pizzeria, then as a tutor at TMCC.

Her familys support and encouragement helped keep her going when it seemed impossible.

I always knew that my education was something that nobody could take away from me, she says. I grew up with that notion. I have a father who didnt graduate from high school, and he always told me, They can take a lot of things away from you, but your education is not one of them. 

Johnsons path to a Ph.D. hasnt been easy, but she kept her goal in sight no matter what life threw at her. For example, Sage was diagnosed with autism and sensory processing disorder last year, but she found a child care provider specializing in autism who accepts child care assistance.

But she, like anyone in her position, has wondered whether she could do it. I think anyone putting themselves through school might have that doubt every now and then, but with me, I tried to push past it, because I knew in the end, Id be making a better life for me and my son.
North Dakota researchers have positioned themselves to contribute to space exploration as they are developing inflatable habitats in which astronauts can live and work on Mars and the moon. In addition, the team has created spacesuits for each celestial environment.

We are one of the few groups in the United States working on this, said Pablo de Leon, director of the Spaceflight Laboratory at the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences of UND. We are now on a three-year NASA grant to develop an inflatable Mars habitat. We have NASA coming all the time.

Many scientists predict the first mission to Mars will happen around 2030, according to DeLeon. After about a year traveling to Mars, astronauts would remain for about six months, then take another year to return home.

The simulators the UND Spaceflight Laboratory are creating will help scientists work out logistics of a mission to Mars, such as helping astronauts regain muscle mass once landing on the Red Planet or developing geology modules to study rocks or other samples.

Technology advances so fast, so what we are doing is exploring opportunities of exploration, and what we hope is that our studies will help NASA and space programs answer some of these important questions, some of the thousands of things we need to solve that are drastically different from other missions, DeLeon said.

Others in the state are also keeping their eyes on the stars. Tony Masumba, an associate professor of physics at Bismarck State College, says he became hooked on exploration of Pluto when he saw Kimberly Ennico, part of the New Horizons Management Team, present at the American Association of Physics Teachers Meeting in New Orleans.

On July 14, NASA announced that New Horizons, the fastest spacecraft ever launched, had flown by its target, Pluto. New Horizons became the first spacecraft to come close to Pluto, resulting in the best resolution pictures astronomers have yet obtained: The Tombaugh region on Pluto makes the shape of a heart, and, when the New Horizons cameras caught a picture of that, the image went viral.

The photos bring everybody in, Masumba said. Thats what people like.

According to Masumba, the New Horizons satellite has been in space for about 10 years, and the spacecraft has cameras and devices to measure elements of the atmosphere as well as the geology of Pluto and Plutos largest moon, Charon.

Data from New Horizons is still coming in to NASA. So far, scientists have been able to identify a large area of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere, frozen planes and mountains as well as more accurate and precise measurements of Pluto. For example, Masumba notes that in 2014, the radius of Pluto was thought to be 1,160 kilometers, but that measurement has been updated to 1,185 kilometers.

As images continue to reveal planetary environments, space remains a playing field that North Dakotans will not be ignoring.
Sweeping changes stand on a precipice for hospitals and health systems. An aging population is driving a need for more nurses, health care is moving out of the walls of hospitals and technology is creating more jobs in this sector.

The projected employment of registered nurses is expected to grow and so, too, are shortages in the field.

National shortages are expected to result from a surge of baby boomer nurses retiring in the next decade. At the same time, more nurses will be needed to account for a growing number of people who are accessing health care as a result of federal health care reform.

By 2020, there will be 1.6 million job openings for nurses in the U.S.

To account for current and projected shortages, hospitals in the state are getting creative in their hiring practices, including recruiting international nurses as well as younger nurses.

Technology also is expected to impact nursing jobs, with more outpatient centers and fewer hospital stays. Technological innovations are making it possible for people to live longer, creating a need for more nurses in long-term care facilities and assisted-living facilities.

Yes, technology may reduce the need for or demand for particular types of jobs, but, at the same time, it can open up other types of jobs, said David Flynn, an economics professor at the University of North Dakota. Everyone seems to think technology means that were putting people out of work and theres no opportunity for them to find work anywhere else, and thats very depressing, he said.

There are about 700 registered nurse openings in the state, with 112 positions open at Sanford Health, said Jan Kamphuis, chief nursing officer at Sanford.

Through 2020, North Dakota will have 4,430 registered nurse openings, according to a recent report from Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

As the population grows in Bismarck and North Dakota, that translates into a growing need for nurses at Sanford Health and CHI St. Alexius Health.

All of our volumes have increased in the medical center. We broke our volume for deliveries, for ER patients, for surgical; our volumes in the clinic are bigger. That takes more staff when you have growth, Kamphuis said.

To recruit more nurses, Sanford is using an arsenal of tactics, Kamphuis said. The hospital has had various success with signing bonuses, including a $20,000 bonus in December for nurses with one year of experience.

We didnt really attract any nurses with that, but we thought, Well, lets try it, she said.

Sanford hired a nurse recruiter in December, who goes to various colleges in the state and promotes nursing at Sanford. The hospital partnered with North Dakota State University to create a nursing program and had its first graduating class in December. Of the 36 graduates, 31 came to work at Sanford, Kamphuis said.

Recruitment and retention are issues for many hospitals in the state. With a growing aging population and a large number of retiring nurses in the next decade, Kamphuis said Sanford is looking at everything.

The hospital recently hired a company to bring in more nurses from overseas. Sanford Bismarck hired three nurses in August, including a nurse from Nicaragua and another from the Philippines.

Mercy Medical Hospital in Williston hired 12 international nurses through the company, and these nurses have a high retention rate, according to Kamphuis.

The goal is hopefully at the end of their two-year contract, they will commit to stay in the community, she said.

For the first time, CHI St. Alexius hired five international nurses who will be starting March 14, said Rosanne Schmidt, the hospitals chief nursing officer.

We know theres a shortage; we just have to work smarter, Schmidt said.

And working smarter includes retaining younger nurses, she said.

According to estimates, nationally, the average age of U.S. registered nurses is about 50 years old. Traditionally, people retire at age 65, and the North Dakota Center for Nursing predicts 21 percent of current registered nurses will retire by 2026.

St. Alexius nurse recruiter Tabitha Beede is working to recruit and retain more millennial-age nurses.

Still, as both Sanford and CHI St. Alexius are working to develop new and creative ways to hire more nurses, officials at both hospitals say they are unsure whether they will be able to fill all of the projected openings.

I think were going to be in a state of flux for a long time. Will we ever come out of it? I know we wont come out of it by 2020, Kamphuis said.

I think were going to be in a state of flux for a long time. Will we ever come out of it? I know we wont come out of it by 2020.  Jan Kamphuis, chief nursing officer at Sanford Health Technology may reduce the need for or demand for particular types of jobs, but, at the same time, it can open up other types of jobs.  David Flynn, economics professor at the University of North Dakota
Olentangy Berlin shuts out Thomas Worthington in Game of the Week

Olentangy Berlin visits Thomas Worthington for the central Ohio high school football Game of the Week for Week 10.
One evening last Spring Letterkenny resident Rosa Glacken got out her knitting needles and sat down to knit several brightly coloured four-inch squares that she then tucked into an envelope for posting the next day.

She was one of 150 knitters nationwide who responded to a request by a group called The Elephant Collective for contributions to a quilt commemorating women whove died in Irish maternity services.

The quilt has now been assembled and is headed to Donegal as part of a multi-media exhibition entitled Picking Up the Threads: Remembering Womens Deaths, Remaking the Fabric of Care at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny.

The exhibition, which has been organised locally by Roisin Kavanagh of Donegal Womens Centre, will be launched at 3 p.m. on Friday, 4th March, and remain on display through Saturday, 12th March.

The launch will include the premiere screening of a documentary about the making of the quilt, which features panels honouring eight women whose deaths in Irish maternity services since 2007 resulted in inquests which returned verdicts of death by medical misadventure.

It was particularly the case of one of these women, Sally Rowlette, that moved Rosa to contribute to the quilt.

In 2013 Sally, a vibrant 36-year-old mother of three young children, gave birth to her fourth child in Sligo General Hospital. She died the next day from a severe but rarely fatal form of pre-eclampsia that had also caused the death of Dhara Kivlehan after shed given birth at the hospital in 2010.

The image of that poor man suddenly looking after four children, I thought it was tragic, Rosa said of the sympathy shed felt for Sallys husband, Sean, at the time.

Today Sean, Dharas husband Michael, and other widowers of the eight women are campaigning for an automatic inquest to be conducted any time a woman dies in an Irish maternity service. Some of the men will be participating in a Q&A session during the exhibition launch.

Michael had been fighting for an inquest before my Sally died, Sean said. If his wifes inquest had been done, they would have learned the lesson and my wife wouldnt have died. Sally died of the exact same thing as Michaels wife. Nothing had changed. Thats the reason we need this automatic inquest. I had to fight for a year and a half to get one for Sally. I came home with a baby in my arms and three children aged 7, 5, and 2. I had to deal with caring for the children and fighting for an inquest. People shouldnt have to fight. The sooner these problems are dealt with, the sooner the lessons are learned. This thing of not telling you whats going on, not giving a direct answer is not on. They have to be upfront and tell people exactly whats going on.

Speakers at the launch will include Jo Murphy-Lawless, a sociologist at the Trinity College School of Nursing and Midwifery who belongs to The Elephant Collective, which is working to improve Irish maternity services.

We cannot rely on confidential enquires because hospitals and the HSE hide behind these enquiries, Jo said. We need public inquests for the families involved in these terrible tragedies and to enforce genuine accountability by the HSE. We need the HSE and hospitals to be held accountable for rectifying the failures of care that have been revealed in the course of these eight inquests.

Other Donegal contributors to the exhibition include Katy Boyle, Helen Hancock, Caroline Kuyper, Susan Moffitt, Bumps and Beyond Breastfeeding Support Group in St. Johnston, Donegal Yarnbomb, Letterkenny Breastfeeding Support Group, and Go Active in Buncrana.

Go Active member Margaret Crossans daughter Louise knitted squares with the group and also embroidered a beautiful tree with the names of the eight women stitched at the ends of its branches.

The tree is in remembrance of the husbands and the children involved, Louise said. Its branches of life show that even though the women are gone, their children are still here.
Halloween creatures  owls, crows and bats  all live at Crossroads, and that makes us very happy, for these scary animals make a positive contribution to the habitats of the preserve. We don't even mind black cats, IF they are kept indoors. Feral and outdoor cats are exceedingly harmful to wildlife ... and that's not a superstition! But to tamp down superstitions, we at Crossroads will spend the week demystifying Halloween creatures.

On October 28, 2022, at 6 p.m. will be our Evening with Owls. The Open Door Bird Sanctuary will be at Crossroads, offering a one-hour presentation followed by the opportunity to meet and greet live birds. Learn all about owls and the other incredible birds in the care of the Sanctuary!

Down through the centuries, in many cultures throughout the world, owls have been associated with evil and death. Truth is, owls probably are not smart enough to be evil. But researchers agree that owls are about as dim as the nighttime forests in which they hunt.

Owls don't need to be smart. They have everything else going for them. They are muscular. They fly silently. Their huge eyes enable them to see in the dark. Their beaks and talons are strong and wickedly sharp. But their sensitive ears are what make owls extraordinary hunters.

Most people assume that the plumicorns (a.k.a. "horns) of an owl are its ears. Not so.

The actual ears lie under feathers on the sides of the head, and they aren't symmetrical. Because one ear is higher than the other and the ears are unequal in size, sound is different from different directions, helping owls locate prey, which they do almost unfailingly, even in total darkness.

Owls do not smell their prey. As with most birds, the sense of smell is insignificant, if it exists are all. Great Horned Owls frequently prey on skunks. Enough said.

But well-developed intelligence? Researchers have observed owls beating their wings on bushes to try to flush out little birds. Is this learned behavior? Is it problem-solving?

Maybe.

For the most part, owls do not have a lot of problems to solve. They appropriate abandoned nests of other birds, so they don't need building skills. They are stealthy by nature, and they pounce on and usually catch anything they hear, so they don't need hunting techniques.

In spite of ghost stories, legends of American First People, and superstitions from Europe and India, hooting owls do not foretell impending death, although their nocturnal calls are spooky. We hear them now and then this time of year, but we will regularly hear those eerie calls at Crossroads in January or February.

In contrast to owls, crows are noisy all year round and they are amazingly intelligent. They can learn. They can remember. They can solve problems. They can even identify individual humans. And they detest owls, though whether this is innate or learned behavior is not clear.

Those curious about crows will want to attend the Crossroads Book Club on Wednesday, October 26, at 10:00 a.m. This month, the book Crow Planet, Essential Wisdom for the Urban Wilderness by Lyanda Lynn Haupt will explore the fascinating world of these remarkable birds. The program is free and open to all, whether or not they have read the book.

So bring the family to our program on owls, learn about crows at the Crossroads Book Club, or learn about bats at our pre-school Junior Nature Club on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. or our Family Science Saturday program at 2:00 p.m. Costumes are encouraged but not required at Junior Nature Club and Science Saturday, and adult visitors are welcome.
In an effort to put pressure on the City of Eufaula to not only dismiss a police officer but also bring charges against him for the 2013 shooting death of 26-year-old Cameron Massey, a crowd of about 45 people gathered Thursday outside of the Eufaula Police Department in protest.

Among those in attendance included Jackie Massey, Camerons mother, and Catherine Thomas, the mother of Christopher Thomas, a 22-year-old shot and killed by Dothan Police in 2012. Rachel Thomas, whose son, Donnell Turner was killed by Eufaula Police in 1976, was also on hand.

The officers on the scene of the shooting of Massey included then-Eufaula Police Chief Ralph Conner and then-rookie officer John Phillips. Conner fired one shot and Phillips four at Massey, who they claim attempted to drive away from the scene in north Eufaula (One Stop Wrecker Service). A video surfaced earlier this year of Connors body camera that the protestors claim proves the shooting was unjustified. On the video, Connor said he thought Massey was trying to run down Phillips.

Seven pounds of marijuana were discovered in the vehicle, something Pastor Kenneth Glasgow of Dothan, representing the Prodigal Child project of T.O.P.S. (The Ordinary People Society), said Thursday was akin to President George W. Bush claiming weapons of mass destruction to start the second Gulf War. Glasgow is the brother of activist Al Sharpton.

Chants of No Justice, No Peace and From the Back of the Bus, to the Front of the Prison were among the messages the protestors attempted to convey.

Several groups were represented, including the Southern Movement Assembly, Formerly Incarcerated People Movement, and Sharptons National Action Network.

We have about 80 different organizations represented here, Glasgow said. Dont let the numbers fool you. Its not the quantity but the quality.

Many on hand will also be marching Sunday in Selma at the Alabama Bridge Crossing Jubilee commemorating Bloody Sunday. Among those that planned to come to Eufaula later Wednesday evening and visit Dothan Thursday is television and hip-hop star Karlie Redd, known most recently for her VH1 reality show Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.

Redd spoke to The Tribune via phone.

Im just here to help with the awareness, Redd said. I have a platform with television and we need to bring attention to police brutality and what all of these mothers are going through.

Smith made it clear that the main objective for Thursdays protest in Eufaula was to get the city to terminate (Officer) John Phillips.

Glasgow said he wanted to give a shout out to District Attorney Ben Reeves for dropping the drug charges against the driver of the car. Massey, who was listed as a resident of Columbus, Georgia, had family in Eufaula.

Massey, a passenger in the car, had reportedly contacted Eufaula Mayor Jack Tibbs on his cell phone during the arrest. Tibbs and other city employees did not speak Thursday due to ongoing litigation.

Chief Connor saw the handwriting on the wall and retired (last year), Glasgow said. But, Phillips is still here. D.A. Ben Reeves did the right thing in dropping the drug charges, because the drugs were found only after the car was impounded. They did not follow police procedure and Cam had his seat belt on. There is no justification in the shooting. When the car moved, he was in the passenger seat. Police officers are not supposed to assassinate execution style. This was a hunting action.

The driver was already detained on the ground outside of the vehicle.

Glasgow said people from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, New York and California were on hand for the event.

Thursday would have marked Masseys 29th birthday.

Im not violent, said Jackie Massey. Im always peaceful and with order. But Im here for justice for my son.

Of all my children, he was the sweetest. I miss the laughter. He was a jokester. I cant bring him back but I can help right a wrong.

Stephanie Guilloud, co-director of Project South, came to the protest from Atlanta she said to lend support.

There needs to be accountability, Guilloud said. This was a murder without a cause. Unarmed black men are not only being harassed by police but theyre being killed. This is a matter of public safety for everybody.

Glasgow said he hopes Officer Phillips is indicted, and only then will cohesiveness be back in this community.

Glasgow said he has family from Eufaula.
dpa ElectionsData

With dpa ElectionsData you get access to a unique collection of data. Via a programming interface (Rest-API), your developers can access detailed information, candidate profiles and live results for all national elections in the European Union and important international elections, like the US Midterm elections etc.

The data pool also includes all heads of state and government as well as about 20,000 elected members of parliament throughout the EU. In addition to their data (name, party, constituency or list position), we collect social media profiles and official websites of individuals and parties.
Dundalk-based company, Easydry has been shortlisted for an amazing SEVEN awards in the Green Awards 2016.

The Green Awards annually recognises the eco-friendly credentials of top organisations in Ireland.

The Green Awards 2016 Shortlist was announced last week and Easydry has been shortlisted for a staggering seven awards.

CEO Anne Butterly has been honoured with two award nominations for Green Leader 2016 and Green Entrepreneur 2016. She previously won the awards for Green Entepreneur 2015 and Green Leader 2011.

The Easydry Green Team has been recognised for their work on the Save Water Drink Champagne project. The award nomination recognises their work on an innovative project to recognise and reward the water savings achievements of Easydry clients during 2015.

The team wanted to create an atmosphere of fun around the serious topic of water conservation.

They issued Easydry Water Savings Certificates for their clients. They then launched a competition where they invited clients to post a fun photo of themselves with their water savings certificates online, with the winner of best photo being awarded with champagne. The campaign has been hugely popular and has helped to raise awareness in a light-hearted manner.

Easydry has been shortlisted as Green Small Organisation of the Year 2016 in a tough category which includes Tan Organic and a number of other prestigious companies. The Green Manufacturer 2016 is another fiercely contested category and Easydry was honoured to be shortlisted along with seven other organisations including Bausch And Lomb and Dairygold.

Easydry won the inaugural Sustainable Water Achievement Award 2015. They are delighted to again be shortlisted in this cateogry which is very close to their hearts. It is a significant achievement to be shortlisted along with other global brands like Diageo, Google and PepsiCo.

Easydry CEO, Anne Butterly, is delighted to see her teams accomplishments recognised in this way:

Easydry has always had a strong environmental focus at the heart of everything we do. I am very proud to see our hard work recognised by The Green Awards 2016. She continues: Being shortlisted for an incredible seven Green Awards recognises the efforts of everyone in the Easydry organisation. We would like to congratulate the other companies shortlisted. We are looking forward to the awards ceremony in April.

The winners of the Green Awards will be revealed at the gala awards ceremony on April 14th in Dublin.

A distinguished panel of Judges will be drawn from state, academic and private sectors to co-ordinate the Green Awards 2016 judging. In addition, a highly respected International panel will also judge the entries this year. Our focus is to deliver a balanced judging assessment from industry leaders who will bring their extensive knowledge, enthusiasm and expertise to the judging process ensuring that the winning entries are truly outstanding and worthy of receiving a Green Award.

The panel is carefully selected to ensure the Awards judging process is fair and objective. The Judges are bound by a strict confidentiality agreement and are required to declare any conflict of interest in entries over which they deliberate, in which case that entry will be reallocated. The integrity of this process lies at the very heart of all that we do.
A Monaghan man who is unable to control his sexual behaviour after suffering damage to the frontal lobe of his brain has received a five year jail sentence for inviting two schoolgirls to take part in a sexual act with him.

A Monaghan man who is unable to control his sexual behaviour after suffering damage to the frontal lobe of his brain has received a five year jail sentence for inviting two schoolgirls to take part in a sexual act with him.

Peter Clarke (69) of ONeill St, Carrickmacross was found guilty of two counts of sexual exploitation of a child contrary to section 3 of the Child trafficking and Pornography Act after a trial at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court last September.

Clarke who has a previous address at Tully, Corcreaghy, Dundalk, Co Louth had denied inviting the then first year students to participate in a sexual act at a location in Dundalk on September 9, 2011.

Judge Rory MacCabe today/yesterday (MON) sitting at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin said that Clarke presents as being predatory and at the same time vulnerable.

He noted he is at a high risk of similar offending whether in the community or in custody. He imposed a five year prison sentence to begin from the date of conviction on September 24, 2013.

He suspended the final three years for three years on condition that Clarke comply with all directions of the Probation Services.

Garda Ronan Costello told Kevin Segrave BL, prosecuting, that the two 12-year-old girls were sitting outside a cafe during a break from school when Clarke approached them.

He agreed that Clarke went up to them and made a colloquial invitation to sexual activity after placing a five euro note on the table. He walked away but came back and repeated the invitation before driving off in a green Jaguar car.

Gardai tracked him down by tracing the distinctive car and Clarke said he couldnt remember making the propositions but admitted he could have.

Gda Costello told the court that Clarke has 15 previous convictions including three for sexual assault.

He is currently serving two concurrent five year prison sentences in the Midlands Prison for two sexual assaults committed on September 10 and May 12, 2011. He received these sentences at Monaghan Circuit Criminal Court on January 11, 2013.

He also has four convictions for public indecency for offences committed in April 2011, October 2007 and on February 2, 2007. His third conviction for sexual assault was committed on February 2, 2007.

Roderick OHanlon SC, defending, told the court that his client was involved in a significant road traffic accident 20 years ago and suffered damage to his frontal lobe.

He said he has suffered brain atrophy and operates on a mildly mentally handicapped basis. He said he can operate on a substantially independent basis but his disinhibition function is absent.

Counsel said: He has an inability to properly control himself as regards sexual matters particularly it would appear with younger females.

Mr OHanlon said Clarke is aware of this and has taken medication with a view to controlling his behaviour. He said the prognosis is not optimistic in terms of medically dealing with the situation and that there are only around half a dozen non-custodial accommodation places suitable for him.

The court heard that steps are being taken to have Clarke admitted to the Central Mental Hospital for assessment and suitable treatment.

Judge MacCabe said: He presents as being predatory and at the same time vulnerable. His mental state is progressively deteriorating. He is at a high risk of similar offending in community.

He said there is no readily non custodial environment where the public and he could be safe.

Judge MacCabe also banned Clarke from driving for 20 years.
With the good weather this summer and a seeming proliferance of new opening and building work, the Dundalk Democrat asks is Blackrock experiencing a mini-boom?

With the good weather this summer and a seeming proliferance of new opening and building work, the Dundalk Democrat asks is Blackrock experiencing a mini-boom?

As you make your way towards the village along Sandymount from the Dundalk end, you will pass the Square. To your right you will see the old Violet Pub. The premises was sold recently and now plans have been submitted by Ronan and Denise Wogan to carry out works on the premises. .

Entering the village you will no doubt spot the new-look Black Leisure.

Its opened its doors early this summer and floor to ceiling refurbishment. Behind the seaside favourites in the front foyer you will find a fully decked out casino. Further back a brand new Bingo hall and adjoining carpark.

Leaving behind Blackrock Leisure you dont have to walk far to find another point of interest.

In between Blackrock Medical Centre and McQuillans Pharmacy construction work is underway.

Gerard and Lisa Gogarty are building a photography studio on the ground floor with an office and apartment above.

A quick amble southward down the promenade and you will come across the new Mace convenience store. Previously a Londis occupied the site but the site lay bare for years since it closed, until earlier this summer when the work began on the new store. It opened its doors two weeks ago.

A new beauty salon, Rock, Paper, Scissors also opened up earlier in the year on the site of the old dry cleaners, while Aqua Cafe have recently invested in new wooden tables and moved the deli counter

The south of the promenade is also faring well with the Blackwok and Short Cuts barber all doing good business.

A new restaurant is also being planned by Gerry Rogers next door to the barbershop.

The summer weather has been kind to Blackrock, with a mini heatwave seeing tourists from new and far patronising local businesses.

All a coincidence or is Blackrock starting to see the first green shoots of recovery?

Traditionally a prosperous village, it makes sense that it would be the first to see rebound from the recession.

I think most of this boom is coming from the work done by the Tidy Towns, says Pat Rafferty, Supervisor of the CE Scheme and local man. There has definitely been a big upswing. Big time.

If you look at the amount of tourists that have visited the town over the summer. The place has been packed to the rafters.

The amount of new planning there is going on and the new businesses like Mace, as well as existing ones like the Centra. Its really kicking off

We also launched a new Blackrock brochure which has gone down really well with local businesses, with tourists making use of them during the summer.

Larry Magnier, Vice President of Blackrock Tidy Towns concurs and say the improvement in the tidiness of the town is reflected in the increase in trade.

Weve been a critical part of it. I think the village as a whole has been pulling together towards making the village as attractive as possible, and we are seeing an increase in people visiting as a result.

Towns who have a strong Tidy Towns programme start to the see the benefit. Weve seen that in Blackrock, where people will be inclined to stop for a coffee or a drink or whatever takes their fancy in the village.

Its been a conscious effort to raise the appearance of the village and its working.

The increase in jobs may has also played its part.

There has been a progressive recovery in Blackrocks economy, says Blackrock resident Steven Egan.

Local professionals working fo r the likes of Paypal and National Pen and other Dundalk businesses have been a part of it. Many of them choose to live in Blackock.

I think when people move to North Louth Blackrock is top of the list of places to move to.

Thats been reflected in house prices too, which are on the up, concludes Stephen. Its just a really attractive place to live.
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Even if Anthony had a year to analyze and dissect each piece...(he couldn't tell if it would)... stand the harsh light of public exposure.

WUWT insider Willis Eschenbach tells you all you need to know about Anthony Watts and his blog, WattsUpWithThat (WUWT). As part of his scathing commentary , Wondering Willis accuses Anthony Watts of being clueless about the blog articles he posts. To paraphrase: Click here to read more.
The following guest post was written by Denny Green from Clean Water Action  Michigan.

Enjoy

Protest of Enbridge Line 5 pipeline in Mackinac City, summer 2015, photo by Anne C. Savage

The U.S. Senate has just unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) through 2019, and improve pipeline safety and oversight.

Introduced by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), along with Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Steve Daines (R-MT), the legislation  Securing Americas Future Energy: Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (SAFE PIPES) Act  includes several pipeline safety provisions from the Pipeline Improvement and Preventing Spills (PIPS) Act that Senators Peters and Stabenow introduced in September.

Peters, a member of the Great Lakes Task Force, has warned against the catastrophe of a Great Lakes oil spill, and the devastating effects it would spell for the 40 million people relying on the Great Lakes as their source for clean drinking water, not to mention the incalculable ramifications for Michigans environment and economy. The unanimous bipartisan support for this legislation is a long-awaited step in right direction.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to get this bill signed into law, said Senator Peters. We can advance safety standards, improve ice cover response plans, and better protect against the devastating impacts an oil spill would have on our waterways and our way of life.

A few of the key provisions from Peters original legislation included in the SAFE PIPES Act are the designation of the Great Lakes as an Unusually Sensitive Area, making pipelines in the Great Lakes subject to higher standards for operating safely; the improvement of oil spill response plans to address ice cover, stipulating that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and pipeline operators consider response plans addressing oil spill cleanup during periods of ice coverage; and the requirement that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on pipeline integrity management of natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, and critical reviews of the risks posed by age, condition, materials and construction of a pipeline.

Along with increasing the authorized funding levels for PHMSA (providing the agency with the necessary resources for conducting pipeline oversight) and offering provisions to streamline the hiring process to expedite hiring of qualified candidates for understaffed critical positions, the legislation also includes additional measures to improve storing hazardous materials, as well as encouraging the collaboration on research, development and technology between federal agencies, public stakeholders and industry leaders.

Senator Peters has long been a staunch proponent of enhanced pipeline safety standards for the protection of the Great Lakes. This year, the President signed the Coast Guard Authorization Act into law, with a provision from Senator Peters, requiring the Coast Guard to work with partner agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct an assessment on the effectiveness of oil spill response activities in the Great Lakes.
(Photo:  Peter Kenny / Ecumenical News)Sisters from the Missionaries of Charity, the same order as Mother Teresa next to her statue in Tirana, Albania with a priest from Cameroon Father Appolinairr Metogo on Nov. 4, 2015.

Pope Francis says the slaying of four nuns by assassins who handcuffed them before shooting them in Aden, Yemen has "shocked and profoundly saddened" him.

The attackers killed 16 people including the four nuns from the Missionaries of Charity, the order of Mother Teresa, when they attacked an old age home in Aden on March 4.

Reports said the attackers pretended they were visiting their mothers to gain access to the home.

The Vatican said two of the nuns killed were Rwandan, one was Indian and one was from Kenya.

The nuns were working as nurses at the home and had been serving breakfast to its 80 residents when the attack was carried out.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Yemeni officials have blamed so-called Islamic State.

The Holy See said in its statement, "His Holiness Pope Francis was shocked and profoundly saddened to learn of the killing of four Missionaries of Charity and others at a home for the elderly in Aden.

"He sends the assurance of his prayers for the dead and his spiritual closeness to their families and to all affected from this act of senseless and diabolical violence.

"He prays that this pointless slaughter will awaken consciences, lead to a change of heart, and inspire all parties to lay down their arms and take up the path of dialogue."

A brutal civil war between Iran-backed Zaidi Shia Houthi rebels in the north and the Saudi-Arabia backed government in the south has torn Yemen apart.

The group calling itself Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have both been present in the conflict.

The Houthis controlled Aden for months before government loyalists pushed them out in July 2015.

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has declared Aden to be Yemen's temporary capital as Sanaa has been in the hands of the Houthis and their allies since September 2014. But Hadi and many senior officials spend most of their time in Riyadh, Agence France-Presse reports.
Hillary Clinton

What me, worry? (PennLive file)

(Morry Gash)

Good Sunday Morning, Everyone.

Who's up and who's down as an increasingly wild primary season marches onward? Read on and find out.

DOWN ARROW END State Rep. Marc Gergley: You just knew the streak of state lawmakers ensared in scandal wouldn't last. The suburban Pittsburgh Democrat was arrested and charged last week with two counts of corrupt organizations and one count each of dealing in the proceeds of illegal activity, criminal attempt/gambling devices, criminal conspiracy and violation of state election code prohibiting cash or anonymous contributions. Police say Gergley, 46, used his elected office to help a longtime friend who ran an illegal gambling operation. For those of you playing along at home, Gergley had been running unopposed for an eighth term when he was slapped with charges. His political career, we'd wager, just came up snake-eyes.

DOWN ARROW BEGIN

DOWN ARROW END The American Electorate: Last week's Republican debate in Detroit turned into a schoolyard brawl as the leading candidates exchanged taunts of "Little Marco," "Big Donald," and "Lying Ted." The jibes made them sound less like aspirants for the nation's highest elected office and more like members of some 1930s street gang overseen by the late Paul Muni. And, why yes, GOP frontrunner Donald Trump did brag about the size of his ... hands. On the upside, no one got a wedgie.

Donald Trump:

Adding to the controversy from the debate, the Manhattan real estate magnate had a mixed week. Yes,

Trump

took seven of 11 states on Super Tuesday

As

PoliticsPA

notes,

Trump

picked up some key endorsements in Pennsylvania, including

U.S. Rep. Tom Marino

and

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale

. Reports also surfaced last week that one of the state's largest newspapers,

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

,

But now the bad news: Former

.

Trump

took

.

with making a crowd salute and swear its loyalty to him - evoking some seriously disturbing images.

Hillary Clinton:

The former First Lady further shored up her position as the Democratic presidential frontrunner with big

. But at midweek, the also-former Secretary of State

"Grant of Immunity." That's what the Justice Department gave to a former State Department aide who helped set up Clinton's Rube Goldberg-esque home email server when she served as the nation's top diplomat. Already facing trust issues with voters, it was a surely an unwelcome dark cloud over Clinton's campaign.

Former President Bill Clinton:

Nearly 90,000 people signed an online petition calling for the 42nd President's arrest last week after Clinton blithely toddled into polling stations in Massachusetts to greet supporters.

, a woman named

Veronica Wolski

started the

Change.org

petition, alleging Clinton committed a "clear, knowing and egregious violation of the campaign laws to swing an election in a significant way" because Bay State election law bars "campaigning within 150 feet of a polling station, or in any way interfering with the right to vote." A spokesman for

Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin

told a Boston TV station that Clinton broke no laws because "No one was prevented from voting," and "the city and voters were notified well in advance of the event." Though nothing may happen, it was the one week that conservatives and

Bernie Sanders

supporters found themselves agreeing on something.

DOWN ARROW END The Pennsylvania State Police: Cadets caught up in a cheating scandal last week described a "dysfunctional" atmosphere at the PSP Academy. As PennLive's Wallace McKelvey reported, cadets from the 144th class said they entered an academy last September in which instructors routinely provided answers in advance of written exams that hadn't been updated in years. Those claims were corroborated by current and former members of the 110-year-old agency. Four cadets intereviewed by PennLive also claimed instructors gave inadequate training in areas such as CPR and use of force, and made racist and discriminatory remarks during class.

And that's the week. Enjoy your Sunday. We'll see you all back here on Monday.
Kris Jenner is not going to like this... or perhaps she will. There's a new rumor swirling that Blac Chyna might already be pregnant with Robert Kardashian's first child even though the couple have only been dating now for a few short weeks.

Amber Rose Goes Off About Rob Kardashian & Blac Chyna, Did She Really Make Up With Kim?

Still, that's not stopping fans from adding to the speculation after Rob shared a photo of his girlfriend taking a nap at his house on his Instagram page this week. The reclusive former reality star captioned the pic with, "Love this woman right here so f**k y'all with your negative comments."

A photo posted by ROBERT KARDASHIAN (@robkardashian) on Mar 3, 2016 at 1:32pm PST

And while he could have easily left it at that, he also added two baby milk bottle emojis, hinting that Chyna might indeed have a bun in her oven.

How One Man Possibly Delayed Kanye West's Album Release, Rapper Takes Shocking Jab At Taylor Swift

Out of the thousands of comments he received from his fans, some of them included, "Is she pregnant? Rob u love real hard with all your heart and I pray she not using your good heart for her own intentions of fame and revenge!! I see u doin better an am so proud I hope u don't let this girl mess with your emotions in the long run," along with, "So is he trying to say that he's going to be a father? Is she pregnant?"

Another follower wrote, "I really think she's just using him to get back at Kylie, perfect revenge. I hope Rob realizes it before it's too late."

Of course, fans are talking about Rob's sister Kylie Jenner, who supposedly broke up Chyna with her baby daddy, Tyga. The ex-couple have a child together, King Cairo.

So far Rob himself has not replied to any of the comments. Keep up with Enstars for all the latest news on Rob Kardashian, Blac Chyna and the entire Kardashian family right here.
DURHAM, N.C. -- For more than a decade, a rare but potentially deadly fungus called Cryptococcus deuterogatti has taken up residence in the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver Island. Unlike its cousin Cryptococcus neoformans, which mostly infects patients with compromised immune systems, this fungus has sickened hundreds of otherwise healthy people.

Now, researchers have found that the pathogen tossed aside over a dozen different genes on its way to becoming a new, more virulent species. Surprisingly, most of these discarded genes play a part in RNA interference or RNAi, a defense mechanism employed by fungi and other organisms to protect the integrity of their genomes. The study was published March 4 in PLOS Genetics.

"Genome instability is a bad thing in terms of human health, because it is linked to cancer and other diseases," said Blake Billmyre, lead study author and a graduate student in Joseph Heitman's lab at Duke University School of Medicine. "But it could be good thing for single-celled organisms like Cryptococcus, because it enables them to mutate, evolve and adapt to survive under different conditions."

Cryptococcus deuterogatti was largely confined to tropical climates until 1999, when it showed up on Vancouver Island and began spreading throughout southwest Canada and into Washington and Oregon. The emerging fungal pathogen causes severe pulmonary and central nervous system infections, and is fatal if left untreated.

Five years ago, researchers in the Heitman lab participated in an international collaborative consortium to sequence the genome of this outbreak species and discovered that it had lost two genes involved in RNAi, a process previously thought to be key to its survival.

The RNAi gene-silencing machinery normally shreds the genetic instructions for harmful viruses or silences rogue genes that might contaminate the fungus' genome. But Cryptococcus deuterogatti had holes in its genome where the two RNAi genes should have been.

Armed with this information, Billmyre hypothesized that other genes in this missing set of genes might also function in RNAi. He and his colleagues compared the genomes of Cryptococcus deuterogatti with less potent cousins like Cryptococcus neoformans, which predominantly infects immunocompromised individuals. They found that C. deuterogatti has lost 14 genes compared to the other, less pathogenic, species.

The researchers then conducted a number of genetic and molecular analyses to determine if any of these lost genes played a role in RNAi. They mutated each of the genes in Cryptococcus neoformans, which has fully functioning RNAi machinery, to see if these genes were needed for the fungi to silence extra genetic material.

Joseph Heitman, the James B. Duke professor and chair of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, said he expected to find maybe one or two other genes involved in RNAi. To his surprise, they found that 11 of the 14 missing genes they surveyed were involved in gene silencing.

"We could have imagined that the species lost a couple of RNAi genes, and then a smattering of genes involved in all other kinds of processes," said Heitman. "Instead, the one glaring difference between these more and less virulent species seems to be the loss of the RNAi pathway."

Though the researchers don't know why shedding the RNAi machinery could help Cryptococcus assume a deadlier form, they do have some ideas. It could enable the fungi to cohabitate with killer viruses that pump out powerful toxins to poison competing organisms. Or it could allow them to accumulate mutations or even extra chromosomes to gain resistance against antifungal medications.

Whatever the reason, the discovery could pave the way for future studies using comparative genomics to identify other sets of related genes. Once one gene in a pathway is lost, the researchers hypothesize that an organism can find itself on a slippery evolutionary slope as other genes that are no longer of benefit are lost in quick succession. Only a few other examples of this system-wide pattern of gene loss, called systems polymorphisms, have been described so far.

"There is so much you can learn from looking for things that are missing," said Billmyre. "It's true what they say, you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone."

###

CITATION: "Gene network polymorphism illuminates loss and retention of novel RNAi silencing components in the Cryptococcus pathogenic species complex," Marianna Feretzaki, R. Blake Billmyre, Shelly Applen Clancey, Xuying Wang, and Joseph Heitman. PLOS Genetics, March 4, 2016. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005868
Artemia (the scientific name of the small crustacean that is also commonly known as 'sea monkey') is famous for being able to live in extreme environments and has become a model organism used to test the toxicity of chemicals in water. In addition, Artemia can produce dormant eggs, known as cysts, that can be stored for long periods and hatched on demand to provide a convenient form of live feed for the seafood industry, and 2000 tonnes of Artemia cysts per year are sold worldwide.

Marta Sanchez and Andy Green, both from the Estacion Biologica de Donana in Seville, Spain, and colleagues are interested in environmental parasitology, i.e., the study of interactions between parasites and pollution or climate change. Artemia is an intermediate host for tapeworms that eventually infect water birds such as flamingos and grebes, and the researchers had previously shown that tapeworm infection can change the shrimps' physiology and behavior.

For this study, the researchers collected brine shrimp from a highly polluted estuary in Spain and determined their infection status with tapeworm larvae. During the first collection in April 2014, 98% of the shrimp were infected, about half of them with only one species of parasite. One month later, in May 2014, again 98% of Artemia were infected, most of them with more than one tapeworm species.

Both samples were used for toxicity testing with arsenic, a pollutant that is commonly found in concentrations considered harmful in the estuaries where the shrimp came from. To their surprise, the researchers found that infected shrimp were consistently more resistant to arsenic than uninfected ones. This was true not only at 25 degrees Celsius (the temperature under which both samples were tested), but also at 29 degrees (tested on some of the shrimp from the larger May sample). Overall, the 4-degree increase--consistent with current climate-change predictions for the change in mean temperature--made the shrimp more vulnerable to arsenic toxicity.

To examine how parasite infection might protect the shrimp against arsenic toxicity, the researchers collected another sample from the same location in May 2015. Infection details were similar to the May 2014 sample. Comparing infected and uninfected Artemia, they found increased numbers of fat-containing droplets in the infected shrimp. Parasite infection was also associated with significant changes in oxidative stress markers.

Lipids such as those in lipid droplets are thought to be able to protect organisms against pollutants by sequestering toxins away from sensitive target sites--a principle known as 'survival of the fattest'. Regarding oxidative stress, the researchers speculate that the tapeworm parasites benefit from healthy intermediate hosts with high chances of becoming tasty food for flamingos, grebes and other final avian hosts.

Their study, the researchers say "provides the first empirical evidence that parasites can increase resistance to metal or metalloid pollution, rather than decrease it. It is also the first study to consider the influence of temperature change on parasite-pollutant interactions." They add that the results "contradict the pre-existing view that pollution and parasites are stressors that both have negative effects on the health of free living organisms", and suggest that additional studies in other host-parasite systems are warranted to evaluate the broader relevance of these findings.

###

Contact:

Marta I. Sanchez

e-mail: marta.sanchez@ebd.csic.es

phone: +34.954.466.700, ext 1205

Andy J. Green

email: ajgreen@ebd.csic.es

phone: +34.699.450.383

Please use this URL to provide readers access to the paper (Link goes live upon article publication): http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005459

Related Image for Press Use: https://www.plos.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2016.03.03_Sanchez_strikingimage.jpg

Caption: Artemia infected by tapeworm larvae contain carotenoid-rich lipid droplets induced by the parasite. Sample provided by Marta Sanchez; photography by Javier Diaz Real.

Authors and Affiliations:

Marta I. Sanchez, Estacion Biologica de Donana, (EBD-CSIC), Spain

Ines Pons, Estacion Biologica de Donana, (EBD-CSIC), Spain

Monica Martinez-Haro, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Instituto de Investigacion en Recursos Cinegeticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Spain

Mark A. Taggart, University of the Highlands and Islands, United Kingdom

Thomas Lenormand, National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France

Andy J. Green, Estacion Biologica de Donana, (EBD-CSIC), Spain

Please contact plospathogens@plos.org if you would like more information.

Funding: This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Severo Ochoa Program for Centres of Excellence in R+D+I (SEV-2012-0262) and the I+D+i National Plan (Project CGL2013-47674-P). MIS was supported by a Ramon y Cajal postdoctoral contract from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN). MMH was supported by a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship for Career Development (PIEF-GA-2011-299747) within the 7th Framework Programme (FP7 2007-2013) of the European Commission. Currently, MMH benefits from a postdoctoral contract funded by the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (POST 2014/7780). 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: Sanchez MI, Pons I, Martinez-Haro M, Taggart MA, Lenormand T, Green AJ (2016) When Parasites Are Good for Health: Cestode Parasitism Increases Resistance to Arsenic in Brine Shrimps. PLoS Pathog 12(3): e1005459. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1005459
Our brain is home to different types of neurons, each with their own genetic signature that defines their function. These neurons are derived from progenitor cells, which are specialized stem cells that have the ability to divide to give rise to neurons. Today, neuroscientists from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) shed light on the mechanisms that allow progenitors to generate neurons. By developing a novel technology called FlashTag that enables them to isolate and visualize neurons at the very moment they are born, they have deciphered the basic genetic code allowing the construction of a neuron. This discovery, which is published today in Science, allows not only to understand how our brain develops, but also how to use this code to reconstruct neurons from stem cells. Researchers will now be able to better understand the mechanisms underlying neurological diseases such as autism and schizophrenia.

Directed by Denis Jabaudon, a neuroscientist and neuroscientist at the Department of Basic Neurosciences at UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and neurologist at the University Hospitals Geneva (HUG), the researchers developed a technology termed FlashTag, which visualizes neurons as they are being born. Using this approach, at the very moment where a progenitor divides, it is tagged with a fluorescent marker that persists in its progeny. Scientists can then visualize and isolate newborn neurons in order to dynamically observe which genes are expressed in the first few hours of their existence. Over time, they can then study their evolution and changes in gene expression. Previously, we only had a few photos to reconstruct the history of neurons, which left a lot of room for speculation. Thanks to FlashTag, there is now a full genetic movie unfolding before our eyes. Every instant becomes visible from the very beginning, which allows us to understand the developmental scenario at play, identify the main characters, their interactions and their incentives, notes Denis Jabaudon. Working in the cerebral cortex of the mouse, the scientists have thus identified the key genesto neuronal development, and demonstrated that their expression dynamics is essential for the brain to develop normally.

A very precise primordial choreography

This discovery, by giving access to the primordial code of the formation of neurons, helps us to understand how neurons function in the adult brain. And it appears that several of these original genes are also involved in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, which can occur many years later. This suggests that a predisposition may be present from the very first moments in the existence of neurons, and that environmental factors can then impact on how diseases may develop later on. By understanding the genetic choreography of neurons, the researchers can therefore observe how these genes behave from the start, and identify potential anomalies predicting diseases.

After successfully reading this genetic code, the scientists we able to rewrite it in newborn neurons. By altering the expression of certain genes, they were able to accelerate neuronal growth, thus altering the developmental script. With FlashTag, it is now possible to isolate newborn neurons and recreate cerebral circuits in vitro, which enables scientists to test their function as well as to develop new treatments.

A website open to all

The UNIGE team posted a website where it is possible to enter the name of a gene and observe how it is expressed, and how it interacts with other genes. Each research team can only focus on a handful of genes at a time, while our genome is made up of close to 20,000 genes. We therefore made our tool available for other researchers to use it, in a fully open way, highlights Denis Jabaudon.

###
The main function of language is conveying messages. For human being to exchange information, various messages are to be delivered and received on a continuous basis, but it is a more difficult task to express the messages in precise language and also to interpret the language the way it was intended.

Misunderstanding becomes a regular occurrence, no matter what language is used as the media for information exchange. And it is even more so when a foreign language is employed. A specific term has its rich connotations way beyond the literal form suggests and cannot be understood precisely without extensive immersion in the environment the language is used.

Besides making your point across, you want to transmit your idea in a polite way. Sorry and excuse me are two commonly used phrases that sound polite, but not are not necessarily so, as I will expound below.

Chinese do not say Dui Bu Qi as often as Westerners say sorry, although Dui Bu Qi is getting more and more frequent use, thanks to the increasing influence of Western world on China. All the English textbooks in China translate sorry into dui bu qi when there is a big different between them.

In Chinese, dui bu qi means an apology, although less formal. I say dui bu qi when I have done something unintentionally but my action has caused inconvenience to you. In English, sorry means that I sympathize with your inconvenience but I have no part in it. It is not an apology.

After Chinese Embassy was attacked by American missile, the US president said he was sorry. He did not apologize. But it might have been interpreted as such.

It can often be seen that public figures apologize after saying something politically incorrect. The exact wording of the speech is invariably I apologize for . It has never been I am sorry for . Saying merely sorry is not an apology.

After an aboriginal chief in Manitoba said something to the effect that the treatment of Jews in World War II was justifiable, he was demanded to apologize. But he did not. The wording he used was again, I do not apologize . He did not say I am not sorry for 

A worse example is excuse me. In English textbooks used in Chinese schools, excuse me is translated into lao jia, dui bu qi, etc. It means that I am asking for a favor when my action will cause inconvenience to you. The receiver of this expression has the choice of accommodating the request or not. for example, dui bu qi, may I use your pen? The answer can be either Sure. No problem, or Sorry, you cannot.

But in English, excuse me is more like a command that the receiver has to follow. When someone says to you excuse me in the subway car or on the buses, you have to move your body to allow him or her pass. Even if the subway car or bus is fully packed and you cannot possibly make a significant movement, you are still required to do so. It is no wonder that more often than not excuse me is said in the tone of more a command than an entreaty. I observed this on various occasions and my conclusion is just the same.

Excuse me is indeed the rudest work in English.

When driving, signaling lane change should be interpreted the same message, although not a spoken one. My understanding of a lane change signal is please let me cut it if you agree. But the real message is I will cut in, and you must slow down, stupid!. My understanding is based on the teaching in drivers training classes: make the lane change only when it is safe to do so. The Canadian drivers interpret it as make the lane change, the guy will have to yield to you.

I am in no way trying to say Westerners are less civilized than Chinese. My intention is as simple as to illustrate the real meanings of these two terms, sorry and excuse me.
From cicadas to dairy farming politics, heres a recap of news from around the web this week:

Cicadas

Depending on where you live, this may be the year that periodical cicadas return to your backyard.

Cicada Brood V is expected to emerge this spring in many eastern Ohio counties. 1999 was the last time this brood was seen. Cicadas emerge for two to four weeks in the spring every 13 or 17 years (depending on the brood) to breed and lay eggs. The eggs hatch after six to 10 weeks; then the nymphs burrow underground and feed for 17 years.

Learn more about cicadas in this 2013 Dirt on Conservation column and from The Ohio State University Department of Entomology. And, if youre up for the dare, there are cicada recipes to try.

First total solar eclipse of 2016

If youll be in Indonesia or Borneo March 9 (March 8 for those of us in the western hemisphere), youre in luck. Portland Press Herald reports that a total solar eclipse will occur over the western and central Pacific Ocean. NASAs video shows the total solar eclipses path.

The total solar eclipse will last all of three minutes. If you cant make it to the Pacific for this solar event, wait until Aug. 21, 2017, when North America will experience its own total solar eclipse.

Say it with manure

A Strasburg, Ohio, farmer is making his political stance known this election year by spelling out a message in one of his fields with manure. NBC4 visited the Tuscarawas County farm to take a look at the field and talk to the farmer.

Politics and dairy farming

This years presidential election has candidates talking about plans for immigration reform.

CNN talked with Mike McMahon, a dairy farmer who employs immigrants on his farm because he cant get local workers to do the job of milking cows. Dairy farms operate every day of the year, but currently, they dont qualify for the H-2A program, which permits immigrants to come to the U.S. to work seasonally. McMahon says that if Hispanic workers cant work on dairy farms, the price of milk would double.

Crazy for birds

Recently, the National Audubon Society (aka the organization for bird enthusiasts and those who want to protect birds) launched a new blog. Written by Nick Lund, The Birdists Rules for Birding blog is designed to get novice birders tips for how to bird, where to bird and just getting started in birding.

Aubrey McClendon

One day after he was handed a federal indictment for conspiring to rig oil and natural gas leases, ex-Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon died in a single car accident on the morning of March 2 in Oklahoma City.

CNBC says that McClendon was due to turn himself in at 11 a.m. that day.
Shropshire

A Full-Time position is available for an assistant herdsperson on a family dairy farm in mid Shropshire. We have a 250 dairy herd rearing own replacements together with a b...
Ron Plain and Scott Brown

Ag Economics, MU

=========================

The average live slaughter weight of barrows and gilts in Iowa-Minnesota last week was 284.7 pounds, up 0.1 pound from the week before and up 0.5 pound from a year ago. This is only the second week in the last 11 months in which Iowa-Minnesota slaughter weights have been above the year-ago level.

This week's hog slaughter was 2.225 million head, up 0.6% from last week and up 0.5% from the same week last year. Since December 1, hog slaughter has been just slightly above the level implied by the December hog inventory survey. USDA's recent inventory estimates have usually been close to the mark.

USDA's next Hogs and Pigs report will be released on Friday March 25. Hogs have been unprofitable in recent months indicating we may see a decline in the breeding herd. Sow and gilt slaughter has been up slightly thus far in 2016, but the increase is less than the increase in barrow and gilt slaughter. If producers are cutting the herd, it is likely a modest cutback.

It was a quiet week in the hog market with hog prices a bit lower than last week. The national negotiated barrow and gilt price averaged $61.21/cwt on the morning report today, down 20 cents from last Friday morning. The western corn belt averaged $61.87/cwt. There were no regional negotiated price quotes this morning for the eastern corn belt or for Iowa-Minnesota.

The top price today at Peoria was $37/cwt, down $1 from last Friday. The top price for interior Missouri live hogs today was $42.75/cwt, down $1.50 from a week ago.

Friday morning's pork cutout value was $75.44/cwt FOB the plants. That is up $1.16 from the week before and up $6.86 from a year ago. Loin, ham and belly prices were each higher this week.

This morning's national negotiated hog price was 81.1% of the cutout value.

The April hog futures contract ended the week at $70.80/cwt, down 5 cents from the week before. May hogs gained 40 cents this week to close at $77.325/cwt. The June lean hog futures contract ended the week at $81.225/cwt, up 38 cents from the preceding week. July hogs closed at $80.875/cwt.

The March corn futures contract settled at $3.545 per bushel today. That is unchanged from last Friday.

Source: AGEBB
High school football scores, live updates Week 10 in Fayetteville

Cumberland County high school football scores and North Carolina live updates from Week 10 of the NCHSAA 2022 season in the Fayetteville area.
Michelle Keegan "was aching in places she never knew could ache" when she trained for 'Our Girl'.

Michelle Keegan

The former 'Coronation Street' beauty admits preparing for her role in the BBC drama has been hard work and she has "lost count of the amount of press ups" she has done.

She explained: "So, this week has mostly been about preparing and packing for South Africa to start filming for the drama. I have been spending time training. I have been in Aldershot for 4 days at an army barracks. This was no picnic! I did dabbing [fast walking] patrolling, drills, some medical training, and combat control.

"By the end (and the beginning) of every day I was aching in places I never knew I could ache. I lost count of the amount of press ups I have done. If we answered a question wrong or we weren't listening properly we'd have to get down and give 10/20 at a time. I answered a few wrong. We went for fast walks that turned into running for a couple of miles with the full army kit on and crawled through lots of very cold mud."

And despite the 28-year-old actress feeling physically exhausted by everything, she felt a "sense of achievement" on completing it.

Writing in her blog for HELLO! magazine, she added: "Even though the weather was bad - and by bad I mean hail stones kind of bad, we still had to do it!

"Even though it was hard and pushed me physically and mentally, I feel a sense of achievement and alot of respect for anyone who has gone through this kind of training."
M&A is often more than simply a means of quick growth. Sometimes the only way a company can expand itself into areas are to buy the ability to do so.

Samsonite International has long been a believer in the merits of buying what you can't build. The luggage maker's $1.8 billion acquisition of US rival Tumi is the latest example of this attitude.

On March 4, Hong Kong-listed Samsonite announced it had agreed to a $1.8 billion purchase of Tumi. In many ways, the acquisition was the culmination of an exceptionally long courtship. Chief executive Ramesh Tainwala said Samsonite has had its eye on Tumi for a very long time.

To my memory this has been a dream target [for Samsonite] for at least 15 years, he told FinanceAsia. I've worked here 18 years and people have been pursuing Tumi for as long as I remember.

The appeal is natural, according to Tainwala. Samsonite is a strong brand in the middle $100 to $300 [sales value] point, and [Samsung-owned bag-maker] American Tourister is the $60 to $100 entry point price. But we know Tumi focuses on the $300 to $500 segment, the premium segment of the market. We've tried to get there in the past through multiple efforts, such as making some Samsonite brands more expensive. But we are so widely distribute that it was becoming a hindrance.

In other words, Samsonite's brand is too commonplace for wealthy consumers wanting to make an impression. Tainwala admitted that even its attempts to add a more exclusive range, such as introducing Samsonite Black, hadn't really worked.

But Tumi fills this niche. Its carry-on suitcases typically retail at around $460 to $600 but can rise as high as $1,200. For wealthy individuals and business travellers flying within Asia and beyond, the quality and high cost of its bags makes them appealing.

But according to Kyle Francis Gendreau, chief financial officer of Samsonite, Tumi had hit a size trap, lacking the capabilities to truly take it to the next level.

They've come off the glory days of their IPO [in 2012], and while their business was performing well they haven't done a great job offering forward guidance for the street, which put their share price under pressure for the past 12 months, Gendreau told FinanceAsia. And while they've had plans to expand into Asia and Europe they've not had the ability to do it as well as they'd like. Plus, our persistence has taken us to where we are. I think we played it well and if you ask the other side they feel it's a good deal too.

Tumi is about one quarter the size of Samsonite, having sold $547.66 million of products in 2015, and turning a net profit of $63 million. Samsonite's global sales for the first half of 2015 (it has not yet released full-year figures) were $1.2 billion, 16.6% higher than the same period of 2014, while adjusted net income was $102.1 million, up 7.2%.

Samsonite is confident its bigger distribution and agents' network will enable it to help Tumi penetrate wealthier travellers in many Asian markets. Indeed, this is a big reason behind the purchase.

We are thinking Asia, Europe and then North America in terms of what the acquisition offers from a growth perspective, he told FinanceAsia. [Buying Tumi] is meant to optimize our position in Asia. There is a natural momentum in this region, the travel industry growing faster and this gives us another tool in our kit to benefit from that, he said.

He noted that acquiring the heavily North America-focused Tumi will take Samsonite's sales to about 40% from North America, while reducing Asia's contribution from 40% today to 30%, with Europe and Latin America comprising the rest. However, he anticipates Asia returning to 40% of total sales over the coming five years as Tumi better penetrates markets such as Japan and Korea, in particular, utilising Samsonite's superior distribution capabilities.

The focus initially [on growing sales in Asia] will be on Japan and Korea; they move faster, said Gendreau.

Samsonite must be confident of these plans, given that it paid a full value to buy Tumi. It offered $26.75 a share, roughly 33% more than Tumi's closing share price on March 2. The amount is also 13.6 times Tumi's 2015 forward ebitda, a pretty full valuation.

The market has received the news of the acquisition well. Samsonite's share price rose 1.27% to close at HK$24 at the end of March 4.

Digestion required

Gendreau was philosophical about Samsonite having paid over the market odds to secure Tumi.

Valuation is an art and a dance over a long period of time, he said, when asked about why the company paid a relatively high valuation. When we looked at the multiples and cost synergies at play, we saw this was a business that's very similar to ours, and it nicely overlaps. There are large opportunities, and soft synergies in terms of driving growth in markets other than North America.

Samsonite is paying for Tumi by adding debt to its debt-free balance sheet. The company has arranged a $500 million revolving credit facility and a further $1.4 billion through a mixture of term loan A and B facilities. Morgan Stanley is arranging the financing as well as advising Samsonite on the M&A, and it was joined on the funding by HSBC, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi, National Association and SunTrust Bank.

Gendreau declined to estimate the cost of the loan tranches, saying it was too early at this stage. Adding the debt to the combined company will offer it a combined debt to ebitda level of 3.4 times, he estimated. That's not bad, considering Samsonite throws off a decent amount of cash.

Even for the M&A-happy Samsonite, the purchase of Tumi will take time to digest. We will slow down and do less acquiring as we want to correctly integrate it, said Gendreau. It doesn't mean we won't do the occasional nip and tuck, and make small acquisitions. But we are focused on this now.

He added that the company aimed to keep growing its core business at 10% a year, in addition to the acquisition of Tumi. We will open more Tumi retail stores but wholesale stores will open at the same or faster pace, Gendreau said. He noted Tumi had about 2,000 global sales outlets in total. Samsonite intends to double this, in line with its stated plan to double its total revenue to $4.7 billion by 2020.

The acquisition of Tumi has helped Samsonite reach customers it could not easily manage to do alone, and could help it grow faster in Asia, the fastest-growing market for travel. Those appear sensible reasons for paying up a little to get the deal done.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A Marine died on Saturday morning after his boat capsized near the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The news was confirmed by a spokesman of the Marine Corps Base. The 17-foot boat overturned with three men onboard near the north side of the base, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. Two of the marines were able to swim back to shore and call for help, the paper reported. Marine Corps spokesman Chuck Little issued a statement, 'The man is an active duty Marine stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. We will not release his name until next of kin have been properly notified.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/16 -- Department of Canadian Heritage

Stephane Lauzon, Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Persons with Disabilities, attended the final of the 25th edition of the International Gymnix today at the Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal. Mr. Lauzon attended on behalf of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. The Government of Canada, through Sport Canada's Hosting Program, provided $50,000 for this event, part of a total of $150,000 for gymnastics events being held in 2015-16 that will let Canadians compete at home against the world's best.

Tweet

GoC, through @SportCanada_EN, supports @CDNGymnastics and @IntlGymnix Gymnix2016 RoadtoRio

Quick Facts

-- The international components of the event are the Junior Cup and Gymnix Challenge. The domestic component, the Gymnix Classic, is held at the same time and is for all national categories of gymnasts. Altogether, these events include more than 800 gymnasts. -- Gymnastics Canada received more than $1.6 million in funding in 2015-16 through Sport Canada's Sport Support Program for sport-related programs and services for athletes. -- Sport Canada's Athlete Assistance Program provided more than $270,000 to 26 women gymnasts to assist with their living and training expenses from March 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016.

Quote

"As the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games draw closer, we are proud to help our Canadian high-performance athletes prepare by providing them with opportunities to face their international competitors right here in Canada. Our artistic gymnasts are sure to benefit from competing at the 25th edition of the International Gymnix. We hope that our athletes' accomplishments will inspire a new generation to compete in sport."

-The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

"For the past 25 years, the International Gymnix has provided a platform for Canada's top junior athletes in women's artistic gymnastics to measure themselves against some of the top talent in the world. The 25th edition will also see a senior component added, which will increase the number of nations participating in this great event! An event like this would not be possible without the continued support of valued partners such as the Government of Canada."

-Peter Nicol, President/CEO, Gymnastics Canada

Associated Links

Canada.ca/Sport

International Gymnix

Gymnastics Canada

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Flickr.

Contacts:

Ashley Michnowski

Press Secretary

Office of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough

Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

819-934-1122

ashley.michnowski@canada.ca



Media Relations

Canadian Heritage

819-994-9101

1-866-569-6155

pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca




OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 03/06/16 -- Itinerary for the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, for Monday, March 7, 2016:

Toronto

10:15 The Prime Minister will attend the Giant Panda Cubs Celebration and a.m. Name Reveal at the Toronto Zoo and will deliver brief remarks. Toronto Zoo Main entrance 2000 Meadowvale Road Toronto, ON

Notes for media:

-- Open coverage for remarks -- Photo opportunity -- Media should arrive no later than 8:00 a.m.

Media appearance

12:30 p.m. ET- to be streamed live on Huffington Post Canada

The Prime Minister will participate in Huffington Post Canada's Town Hall on Foreign Policy.

Contacts:

PMO Media Relations:

(613) 957-5555




If youve fallen behind on your annual check up, its a good time to catch up. The Nita Ambani-led Mumbais Sir H N Reliance Hospital has slashed prices for a special slew of annual check up packages for women for 8 days starting from 8-15 March to coincide with Womens Day celebrations across the world.

Across the globe, women in positions of social, economic, cultural and political leadership are pledging to take action as champions of gender parity. #PledgeForParity and #IWD2016 are the two hashtags doing the rounds ahead of Women's day specials.

This year, the United Nations has chosen a woman gynecologist to kick off its interactive timeline of women in history to celebrate Women's Day that falls on 8 March. Recognized as one of the first female gynecologists, Agnodice is said to have courageously practiced medicine in Greece when women faced the death penalty for doing so. Eventually caught, she was vindicated and allowed to continue when patients came to her defense.

Announcing a raft of gynaecology specials, Reliance Hospital has slashed the price of mammograms, pap smear and related Well Women checks by almost 50%.

For details of Reliance Hospital specials, call 1800221166 or email: ehc@rfhospital.org

Reliance Hospital is located at Raja Rammohan Roy Road, Prarthana Samaj, Girgaon, Mumbai.

The Well Women package will now cost Rs 7,500, down from the earlier Rs 11,500.

What do you get for Rs 7,500?

Diabetes evaluation

Cardiac Risk Evaluation

Lipid profile (mini)

Liver profile

Kidney profile

General blood work (CBC)

Routine urine and stool tests

Hormone profile

Imagining, including mammograms

Special procedures

Pap smear

Consultation

The Special Womens Day Package costs Rs 3500 down from Rs 6550.

What do you get for Rs 3,500?

USG Pelvis

Full BodyDEXA BMD

Mammography

Pap smear

Gynaecology consultation

Cevical cancer vaccination for Rs 1,500 per round covers three vaccines over 6 months if enrolled during the validity period.

Oncology at Reliance Hospital

Oncology is a special focus area at Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre powered by close collaboration with University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - widely acclaimed as the world's premier cancer centre. Nita Ambani, founder and chair of Reliance Foundation, is the first Indian and the second Asian to join the Board of MD Anderson.

Reliance Foundation Hospital focuses on the biggest killers of Indian populations  cancers of the breast, head and neck, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary organs.

More than 1 million people from India are diagnosed with cancer each year, and its estimated that theres only one oncologist to care for every 2,000 cancer patients. So that region especially needs increased levels of cancer care. MD Anderson experts have been working with Reliance Foundation to guide the development of a multidisciplinary cancer center at Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai.

345 bed muti-speciality hospital

Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre is a 345-bed, multi-speciality tertiary care hospital with woman and child health as one of its 6 thrust areas. Cardiac care, Nephro-urology, Neurosciences, Oncology and orthopaedics are the other five.

All the rooms in this 345-bed, multi-Speciality tertiary care hospital are designed to enjoy direct sunlight.

The Tower is a newly-constructed 19-floor building which includes emergency medical services, outpatient department, in-patient services, diagnostics, operation theatre complex, executive health check and separate floors for day care, and woman & child health.

Theres an entire floor for free and subsidised in-patient beds and isolation rooms on each floor.

Links:

Rare surgery at Sir HN Reliance Hospital saves baby Aditi

10-year old girl with S shaped spine now stands tall

(Disclaimer: Firstpost is part of Network18, owned by Reliance Industries Limited)
Kolkata: Tendering an unconditional apology to a woman customer who complained of sexual harassment at a company outlet here, Reliance Fresh dismissed two store employees, said a top company official. Soon after Darjeeling Chronicle put out a Facebook post based on the customer's version, Reliance Fresh took action, sacked the offending staffers, welcomed customers back, apologized to the lady in question and put all details out on social.



Reliance Fresh stepped on the gas immediately after the complaint and put two women - both highly regarded professionals on the job to report back on their findings with a 72 hour deadline. The 2 women - Pratiba Paul, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Retd) and Sarita Joglekar, counsel at Reliance headquarters are already on the job and going into "all the information from 6 cameras and DVRs at the store, and speaking to every single staffer on duty at the time," said a company official.

In a series of postings on social media, Reliance Fresh CEO Damodar Mall tendered the apology to the woman - Rajashree Tamang Lama and also informed her of the action taken so far and welcomed her back to the store.

#ZeroTolerance: Sorry, Rajshree Tamang Lama, Deep apologies, we assure you and all here strictest action 1/n @TheDarjChron  Damodar Mall (@SupermarketWala) March 6, 2016

#ZeroTolerance Rajshree ji, come back and shop with us 2/n @TheDarjChron  Damodar Mall (@SupermarketWala) March 6, 2016

#ZeroTolerance Rajshree ji, offending staffer has been dismissed on gross indiscipline and breach of code of conduct 3/n @TheDarjChron  Damodar Mall (@SupermarketWala) March 6, 2016

#ZeroTolerance The services of the store manager on duty have been terminated due to dereliction of duty 4/n @TheDarjChron  Damodar Mall (@SupermarketWala) March 6, 2016

#ZeroTolerance I sincerely request Rajshree ji to help the store by meeting the 2 distinguished lady members appointed by the store 6/n  Damodar Mall (@SupermarketWala) March 6, 2016

#ZeroTolerance Two distinguished lady citizens, Parbati Paul, ex DCP, and Sarita Joglekar, legal counsel, will report back in 72 hours 5/n  Damodar Mall (@SupermarketWala) March 6, 2016

"We welcome Rajshree ji (the customer) back to our store. We have terminated the offending staffer, Sumit Rajbhar, on account of gross indiscipline and breach of code of conduct," Mall posted.

Mall said the services of the on-duty store manager was also terminated for dereliction of duty.

Images captured on the closed-circuit television at the store have been given to Paul and others authorities.

The accused staff had flashed at Rajashree Tamang Lama, a final year law student at Calcutta University, following which she reported the matter to the duty manager, who allegedly did not take any serious action.

With IANS
by Sanjay Kaul

The incarceration and release of Kanhaiya Kumar, the President of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) in a sedition case, has been greeted with great pomp by a section of the media; enough to warrant exasperation among a vast section of neo-nationalists, who are ruing the spectre of a heros welcome being given to a man, they believe to be wholly undeserving of the halo.

There is also the typical commentary on how the BJP created a mountain out of a molehill, turning David to Goliath and giving rise to a firebrand, where no brand earlier existed. I have noticed the consternation of people who said it took talent to convert a Kaun Hai Yeh to Kanhaiya and that the BJP is flat-footed where it has to be fleet-footed. As usual, the finger-pointing is quick and miss-targeted.

It is true that if it werent for the assiduous tailing of the issue by the ABVP in JNU, members of which who took umbrage at the content and hate-spewing against the nation by a group of now anonymous people, this matter could have been just canteen banter or at the most a nukkad natak, if left alone. The charge is that taking such over-the-top cognizance, taping the incident on phones and allowing media into the campus and overzealousness of BJP MPs to report the matter to police created the cinema-scope dimensions it finally did. The counter argument is that JNU has always harboured a section of students and faculty that lives on the fossilized ideas of the Left and Extreme-Left and that this time, it had gone too far. What also exacerbated the situation was the attempt at organising a similar anti-India event at the Press Club, which was denounced with much more alacrity and a lot less liberal angst. But this was JNU. So how dare you!

Enough has been said by almost everybody, conspiracies have been floated and punctured; videos uploaded and downloaded; police action called for and then uncalled for and a bail order came for the JNU President, but only after a scathing advisory by the court. Naturally, both sides are exulting: A lesson has been taught.

After his release and triumphant return to the University, cries of azadi have once again rent the air, but a nuanced version not to upset the High Court. Turns out Kanhaiya and his cohorts still want azadi, but within the parameters of the Constitution and borders of the nation. Supporters of an impending revolution thought the Kanhaiya Kumar spin was ingenuous and praised the speech as one of high-caliber laced with poison darts and veiled references against everyone associated with the Indian state, the BJP and the RSS. Critics thought that this new version of azadi was disingenuous and the mark of a man chastised.

Either way, a kaleidoscope of opinions has emerged on both side of the divide. The BJPs opposition are witnessing the rise of a new hero; the Left a savior in their Bengal and Kerala electoral battles; perennial activists a rising son, Modi baiters a new Modi baiter and at least one cerebral Congress spokesperson, a Che Guevara. The Kashmiris, who has suddenly woken up to the possibility of a remote command centre in the heart of the nations intellectual bastion also expressed solidarity with Kanhaiya to the extent that he was sympathetic to their cause of azadi. Naturally, nationalists are equally sanguine that this sort of petulance against the state will no longer be tolerated.

I have been less perturbed than most of my compatriots because I believe that much good has come out of this episode. For one, it has fertilised a debate in areas that were earlier almost no-go in JNUland. The presence and growth of a unit like the ABVP is itself a new and welcome development that offers some much-needed competition to the traditional Left way of life. More importantly, it has bipolarised the debate and the Lefts free run at JNU is finally coming to an end. Even if we were to coarsely insist on positioning ABVP as representative of an illiberal ideology, the fact that this liberal haven is now populated with illiberal voices, a delicious thought and frankly gives a more democratic angle to the intellectual geometry of JNU. Now, who wouldnt welcome more diversity at JNU?

But I think that the greater determinant of how Kanhaiya and his comrades have shifted the base for the narrative on azadi is yet to be understood by most. For that, you only need to step back and listen to the cries of azadi, 50 times in 15 minutes, as one happy observer seemed to suggest. Heres the thing: Theres a fresh whiff to this demand for azadi from all kind of ills that the Indian state represents for these young, bright revolutionaries. Note that that is a great deviation from the putrid azadi of the Kashmiris. For a change, we now can aspire for azadi from casteism; which is welcome; from poverty, which is laudable, from oppression which is wonderful and so on and so forth  and all of them charitable ambitions that nobody can disagree with.

My compatriots who lean right on nationalism and particularly on the issue of Kashmir must therefore welcome the return of Kanhaiya Part 2 as a great new act to follow, for who else has been able to democratise the word azadi and free it from the amorous clutches of the Kashmiri separatists with such ease. Even if rhetorical, or disingenuous, this new sanitised version of azadi has deconstructed the word and given it such flexibility of meaning and usage that it has lost almost all its powers as a lodestar or a beacon in the path of the rebel looking for a cause. The word is detoxified and it can now perhaps exhibit passion, but it can no longer offer direction to the revolution seeker. More power to Kanhaiya Kumar! He has democratised azadi to mean something for everyone. Nobody will ever be able to call him anti-national again. And azadi will now forevermore be another impotent war cry in the arsenal of the subsidized Indian revolutionary. Celebrate it, because this is the beginning of freedom from azadi.

Sanjay Kaul is a BJP member and tweets @sanjay_kaul. Views are personal.
Islamabad: Simone Moro stood atop Pakistan's "Killer Mountain" last week and observed the curve of the Earth  a view which had never been seen by anyone in winter until the climber and his team conquered Nanga Parbat.

The expedition had taken three months and came more than six decades after the mountain was first summited, but 10 minutes was all Moro could allow himself to enjoy his achievement.

"Now you have to come back... But you are so completely exhausted," the Italian mountaineer explained in an exclusive interview with AFP, saying he was afraid of losing concentration on the long, dangerous descent.

From the peak, 8,125 metres (26,660 feet) above sea level, the mountains of northern Pakistan and India stretched out before him  including three more of the 14 eight-thousanders.

These are the only mountains on the planet with "death zones"  above 8,000 metres, where it is believed that the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere is too low to sustain human life.

The pyramid of K2, the world's second-highest mountain and now the only eight-thousander unsummited in winter, was in the distance.

"I saw the horizon  the line of the horizon  I saw that the line was curved," Moro said.

"When you see these things... you understand how small and at the same time how big you could be."

Nanga Parbat, with one of the highest death rates in the world, earned its grisly nickname after more than 30 climbers died trying to conquer it before the first successful summit in 1953.

Climbing it in winter's treacherous conditions would remain a feat unattained until Moro and his team  Alex Txikon of Spain and Pakistani climber Ali Sadpara  made their historic summit on 26 February.

One member of their team, Tamara Lunger from Italy, was forced to abandon her attempt just 170 metres from the peak.

She could see Sadpara waving at her from the summit, she said, but she knew she had pushed her body to its limit. "My muscles felt very bad... I was vomiting the whole day and everything I ate or drank came out again."

Hesitating, she asked herself if she was sad, but the choice was clear. "I said okay, if you go to the top now you will not go home... and I turned around and went down."

Altitude of a jumbo jet

Nanga Parbat's fearsome Rupal face, rising more than 4,000 metres from base to top, presents one of the most difficult  and tantalising  challenges in climbing.

Moro said the team, which climbed without oxygen, had little time to acclimatise themselves, spending just one night at 6,200 metres before making the push toward the summit.

"When you want to go the altitude of jumbo flight without oxygen you need to acclimatise," he said, admitting that a "big question mark" hung over their expedition as they began the final climb.

Gusts buffeted them at 45 kilometres (28 miles) an hour, and with the wind chill temperatures plummeted to 50 degrees below zero, he said, admitting that due to frostbite he still cannot feel his toes.

"We were shaking all day," he said. It took more than eight hours to cover the final two kilometres, then another four and a half to come down to the camp.

"When there was just 50 metres to go we had to wait where we were for 30 minutes because of the winds. If we had tried at that time to summit the wind would have thrown us off the mountain," added Sadpara -- who said he hoped to inspire a new generation of Pakistani climbers.

Moro had already tried  and failed  to scale Nanga Parbat, which means "Naked Mountain" in Urdu, three times before, estimating that he has spent around a year of his life at base camp.

This year, he says, everything aligned: a window of good weather opened, they had the right team and were in good shape  and, he says, they were lucky.

Pakistani 'utopia'

Three of the world's most spectacular mountain ranges converge in northern Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region: the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas, anchored at their western end by Nanga Parbat.

The tourism industry there hit a record low when militants stormed Nanga Parbat base camp in 2013. Ten foreign tourists and their local guide were shot dead in the attack claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.

Moro, who made his second attempt at the mountain the following year, dismissed any security fears, saying the threat of militancy in Pakistan is not worse than in the United States, Britain or Italy.

"This is a utopia... There are thousands and thousands of unclimbed peaks, untouched mountains," he said, adding that he hopes a cultural shift will come.

Meanwhile, he said, he dreams of continuing his climbing adventures.

"The time of exploration is not finished... What I did is vertical exploration, it could be stupid I know because it is not useful."

But the spirit could inspire people in other fields also, he said, such as a young medical student exploring new ways to cure cancer.

"This kind of exploration will change the history of the world."

AFP
WASHINGTON Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz split victories in four nominating contests with front-runner Donald Trump on Saturday, bolstering Cruz's argument that he represents the party's best chance to stop the brash New York billionaire.

The results were a repudiation of a Republican establishment that has bristled at the prospect of either Cruz or Trump winning the party's nomination and has largely lined up behind U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who was shut out in all four contests.

"I think it's time that he dropped out of the race," Trump said of Rubio after the contests. "I want Ted one on one."

Cruz won Kansas and Maine on Saturday, while Trump won the bigger states of Louisiana and Kentucky, holding onto his lead in the race for the Republican nomination for the November 8 presidential election, even though Cruz captured more delegates on Saturday.

The next big contest, and a crucial one, will be Tuesday's primary in the industrial state of Michigan. Republicans in three other states, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii, also will vote on Tuesday. Puerto Rico Republicans will vote on Sunday.

In the Democratic race, front-runner Hillary Clinton won in Louisiana, and her rival Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, won in Kansas and Nebraska, in results that did not substantially change Clinton's big delegate lead.

Mainstream Republicans have blanched at Trump's calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the United States.

But the party's establishment has not been much happier with Cruz, who has alienated many party leaders in Washington.

"It looks like it will be the angry Trump voters against the purist conservative Cruz voters," said Washington-based Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. "The establishment is just being left out."

A spokesman for Rubio, who spent the past week launching harsh personal attacks on Trump, said the senator would push on with an eye on the March 15 contest in Florida.

"After we win the Florida primary, the map, the momentum and the money is going to be on our side," spokesman Alex Conant said in a statement.

Cruz, a first-term U.S. senator from Texas who has promoted himself as more of a true conservative than Trump, said the results showed he was gaining momentum in the race to catch the real estate mogul.

Cruz, 45, has run as an outsider bent on shaking up the Republican establishment in Washington. A favorite of evangelicals, he has called for the United States to "carpet bomb" the Islamic State militant group and has pledged to eliminate the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service and four cabinet agencies and to enact a balanced budget amendment.

"A HOWL FROM WASHINGTON"

"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what 'We the People' are doing together," Cruz told supporters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, after his early win in Kansas.

"What we're seeing is the public coming together, libertarians coming together, men and women who love the Constitution coming together and uniting and standing as one behind this campaign," Cruz said.

Trump, 69, has a substantial lead in the delegates needed to secure the nomination at the Republican National Convention, but since winning seven of the 11 contests on Super Tuesday he has come under withering fire from a Republican establishment worried he will lead the party to defeat in November's election. [nL2N16C08F]

But endorsements from establishment Republicans have failed to sway voters. Rubio won the backing of Kansas Governor Sam Brownback but still came in third there.

The four Republican contests on Saturday together accounted for just 155 delegates. Cruz won 64 delegates on Saturday, while Trump took 49.

The races on Saturday were open only to registered Republicans, excluding the independent and disaffected Democratic voters who have helped Trump's surge to the lead.

The anti-Trump forces have a short window to stop the caustic businessman, who ahead of Saturday had accumulated 319 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination at July's Republican national convention, outpacing Cruz, who had 226 delegates.

On March 15, the delegate-rich states of Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina will vote. Both Florida and Ohio use the winner-take-all method to allocate Republican delegates, making the stakes in those states particularly high. All of the Republican contests on Saturday, and through March 14, award delegates proportionate to the popular vote, although some states set minimum thresholds to qualify for any delegates.

If Trump takes both Florida and Ohio he would be nearly impossible to stop. There are a total of 358 delegates at stake in the five states voting March 15, including 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio.

On the Democratic side, Clinton has opened up a big delegate lead and Sanders might have a tough time making up the difference. All states in the Democratic race award their delegates proportionally, meaning Clinton can keep piling up delegates even in states she loses.

The three states holding Democratic contests on Saturday had a total of 109 delegates at stake. The early estimates were that Clinton, who appeared headed to a smashing nearly 50-point win in Louisiana, had won at least 48 delegates on Tuesday and Sanders 37.

But Sanders made it clear he was not planning to end his White House quest anytime soon.

"We have the momentum. We have a path toward victory. Our campaign is just getting started," he said in a statement after his wins on Saturday.

(Additional reporting by Emily Flitter, Jonathan Allen and Alana Wise; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Leslie Adler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Dharamsala: Hundreds of grieving Tibetans on Sunday joined the funeral procession for a 16-year-old schoolboy who died after setting himself on fire to protest against Chinese rule.

Dorje Tsering died from cardiac arrest on Thursday after setting himself ablaze at a housing settlement for Tibetan refugees in Dehradun.

Tsering's body was Saturday brought to Dharamsala, the Himalayan hill town where spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has lived since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

On Sunday local Tibetans came out in their hundreds to attend a prayer session in neighbouring McLeodganj, seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, before joining the funeral procession and the cremation ceremony.

A cavalcade of motorbikes and cars adorned with the yellow, red and blue Tibetan flag accompanied the ambulance carrying Tsering's body.

Tsering's mother Nyima Yangkyi urged young Tibetans to focus on education and not to consider self-immolation as an option.

"(My son) saw self-immolation as a last resort, but young Tibetans should not self-immolate, instead they should study and work for Tibet," she said in a video released by the Norway-based Voice of Tibet.

The teenager was the eighth Tibetan to mount such a protest outside China. An 18-year-old Tibetan monk in China set himself ablaze last Monday to protest at Beijing's tight control over the Himalayan region.

The Dalai Lama has described the burnings as acts of desperation that he is powerless to stop. He has said he is reluctant to condemn them to avoid offending the families of the dead.

AFP
Editors note: The inaugural session of Raisina Dialogues was held in Delhi from 1-3 March to explore and examine the prospects and opportunities for Asian integration as well as Asias integration with the larger world. The purpose of the deliberations was to examine Asias economic, human and digital connectivity. Participants included cabinet ministers, business leaders, government officials and policy planners. The dialogues were held as a joint initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation. Firstpost served as the media partner. We have reproduced a compendium of eight essays drawn from the dialogues, and previously published on the website, to allow the reader a comprehensive view of the proceedings.

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MOSCOW/KIEV Russia's embassy in Kiev sent a note of protest to Ukraine's foreign ministry on Sunday about attacks on the embassy's cars, the RIA news agency quoted embassy spokesman Oleg Grishin as saying.

Grishin said three cars parked outside the embassy were "seriously damaged" overnight by a group of unidentified people who also threw flares and smoke flares to the embassy.

Kiev police said it had started a criminal investigation into the case which it preliminarily described as hooliganism.

"At night ... unidentified people started smashing parked cars, so a total of three vehicles were damaged: mirrors and the glass had been shattered," the police said in a statement.

A video with a slogan "Freedom to Nadia Savchenko" and footage of few men smashing cars in darkness appeared on the Internet, while hundreds of people have massed near the embassy in Ukraines capital on Sunday with similar slogans.

Protesters have urged Moscow to free Nadezhda (Nadia) Savchenko, a Ukrainian pilot on trial in Russia on charges of complicity in the killing of two Russian journalists.

Savchenko, 34, was captured by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine in June 2014. She denies any wrongdoing.

Last Thursday she went on hunger strike to protest against the length of what she said was an unjust legal process after the judge in her trial adjourned proceedings just as she was about to deliver her final speech.

The helicopter pilot, who faces up to 25 years in jail if found guilty, has become a national hero for many in Ukraine who see her as a symbol of anti-Kremlin defiance.

(Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Natalia Zinets; Editing by Mark Potter)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
What: Shares of Valeant Pharmaceuticals (BHC 4.84%), an acquirer and developer of pharmaceutical products and medical devices, crashed a whopping 31% in February, based on data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. It would appear that a combination of three factors sent it reeling last month.

So what: The first issue for Valeant was the recent announcement that it would be restating its previous earnings results because of the way it recognized revenue at Philidor Rx Services. Valeant should have recognized $58 million in revenue at a later date, and not doing so is resulting in Wall Street and investors questioning its accounting practices on a broader scale.

Second, while simultaneously announcing the return of CEO Michael Pearson from a pneumonia-related absence, Valeant also explained that it was removing its fourth-quarter earnings call and completely withdrawing its 2016 financial guidance. Pushing the quarterly results to a later date could raise some warning flags, especially when accompanied by the withdrawal of guidance.

Third, Valeant was hit with a probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which is never a good thing. The SEC is requesting information about its relationship with now-terminated drug distributor Philidor Rx Services, as well as emails, financial documents, and additional data. SEC investigations can lead to hefty fines if a company is found guilty of wrongdoing.

Now what: Long story short, it wasn't a very good month for Valeant, and it doesn't look as if it's going to get better anytime soon. Investigations by the SEC can linger for months, and investors are unlikely to be quick to forgive an accounting error, despite it being relatively small.

Furthermore, Valeant's business model is under fire with lawmakers in Congress, who want the company to explain its practice of acquiring certain drugs and raising their prices shortly thereafter. If Valeant were modifying the formulation or manufacturing process, that would be one thing, but in most instances, this isn't happening. Acquisitions are the core growth strategy of Valeant, so any disruption of this process could seriously hamper the expansion of its top and bottom lines.

On the other end of the spectrum, if Valeant can remain profitable at a similar level to what it's produced recently, it could be an exceptionally inexpensive stock. Although its forward guidance has been removed, even conservative forward P/Es place Valeant at just five times forward earnings.

This story is far from finished in terms of playing out, and shareholders who believe in the company's acquisition-based strategy should keep in mind that if its strategy is validated by lawmakers, it likely has a bright future.
Last year was a bad one for most department store chains. Macy's (M 4.74%) and Nordstrom (JWN 3.61%) were no exception. At Macy's, adjusted earnings per share slid 14% to $3.77 in fiscal 2015, down from $4.40 a year earlier. The decline would have been even steeper but for some real estate gains that Macy's recorded last year.

Meanwhile, Nordstrom posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.32 in fiscal 2015, down 11% from $3.72 a year earlier. Given these poor results at Macy's and Nordstrom, it's not surprising that both stocks have posted negative total returns of nearly 30% over the past year.

Macy's and Nordstrom are both working hard to bounce back from this rough performance in the next few years. Which one is more likely to pull off a successful turnaround?

Macy's slims down

Macy's is betting on slimming down to improve its financial results. In January, it announced plans to close 36 of its roughly 770 Macy's stores this spring. It is also generating incremental savings by cutting a few positions in each remaining store, closing a call center, and eliminating some management positions.

In short, Macy's is hunkering down to maximize earnings in a weak sales environment, before hopefully returning to sales growth in 2017. The company expects to post a modest margin improvement in fiscal 2016 despite its projection that comp sales will decline about 1% year over year.

Nevertheless, Macy's recognizes that it will need comp sales to start growing again to return to the historically high profit margin it achieved in fiscal 2014. To do that, it is investing in its top-performing stores, improving its mobile app, adding Bluemercury and LensCrafters boutiques to certain stores, and even putting off-price sections in some full-line stores.

Nordstrom keeps betting on growth

Nordstrom is implementing some modest cost cuts of its own. However, its main focus is on investing more efficiently to drive future sales growth. A year ago, Nordstrom set a goal of reaching $20 billion in revenue by 2020, up about 50% from 2014, and it is sticking to that plan. This sales growth will allow it to leverage its past investments and rebuild its profit margin.

Nordstrom estimates that strategic growth initiatives, including its entry into Canada, the Trunk Club concierge fashion business, and its investments in building out an off-price e-commerce business cost a total of $140 million last year. That's equivalent to a roughly $0.50-per-share earnings headwind.

These young businesses should eventually mature to profitability. Nordstrom expects them to generate a combined loss of about $110 million in fiscal 2016, with most of the loss coming from Canada. Profitability improvements will probably accelerate thereafter, as Nordstrom Canada will open the last of its initial group of six full-line stores next year.

Nordstrom is also working to improve the profitability of the Nordstrom.com site. Management has tacitly acknowledged that it has been overly focused on growth rather than e-commerce profitability in recent years. Now, Nordstrom is looking to reduce its shipping costs while removing items that aren't profitable to sell online.

Some analysts have warned that Nordstrom's increased focus on e-commerce has permanently reduced its margin structure. That's probably true -- but the pendulum has swung too far. In fiscal 2010, Nordstrom's retail operating margin was 11.5%. By fiscal 2015, that was down to 6.9%, excluding impairment charges.

As Nordstrom's investments mature over the next several years, its retail operating margin should bounce back. Even if the previous peak is now out of reach, a 10% long-term operating margin seems plausible. That represents a huge profit improvement opportunity.

Nordstrom is in better shape -- but there's a catch

Overall, Nordstrom seems more likely to make a full recovery than Macy's. Much of its margin decline over the past few years has resulted from a deliberate long-term investment plan.

While growth slowed somewhat in the past two quarters, there's no doubt that Nordstrom's investments are paying off -- the company's retail sales rose 7.5% year over year in 2015. Nordstrom just needs to recalibrate its investments to maximize profitability. By contrast, Macy's is facing significant sales erosion, which could be hard to reverse.

However, even if Macy's doesn't make a full recovery, its shareholders could still do well. The company is finally focused on monetizing some of its vast real estate portfolio, which could potentially free up billions of dollars of cash for dividends and share buybacks. Macy's real estate holdings thus represent a valuable parachute for investors in case the retail business struggles to return to growth.
Marijuana appears set for a critical year. We've already witnessed nearly two-dozen states approve marijuana for medicinal use since 1996 (the year in which California became the first state to legalize the use of cannabis for certain ailments), and residents in four states have voted to legalize recreational marijuana since 2012. Now, come November, we could see around a dozen more state-level marijuana initiatives and referendums on ballots.

Grassroots campaigns in California and Florida are working tirelessly to get marijuana initiatives on the ballot and in front of voters. In Ohio, organizers are trying to regroup after a disappointing defeat this past November, which seems mostly to have been a negative reaction to the oligopolistic grow farms that would have been created by the language of the proposal rather than opposition to marijuana itself. In Vermont, lawmakers are considering passing a recreational marijuana law in the state's legislature rather than even putting it in front of voters. Long story short, marijuana could see a very rapid expansion following the November elections.

On the flipside, we've witnessed lawmakers on Capitol Hill doing a whole lot of nothing when it comes to marijuana reforms. Congressional inaction, combined with President Obama suggesting that marijuana isn't on his agenda in his final year in the Oval Office, seems to have doomed the marijuana industry to continued disadvantages.

Marijuana's clearest path to approval

For supporters of marijuana, the path to approval appears cloudy at best. However, a new study released just weeks ago suggests that marijuana's best chance at federal approval could be solely for medicinal use. In other words, forget the idea of recreational legalization (for now) and focus solely on legalizing marijuana for specific medical ailments.

The study in question comes from researchers at the Hebrew University of Israel who evaluated the responses of patients to THC-dominant cannabis taken daily over the course of six months. The 176-patient study involved patients with chronic pain conditions who had been previously unresponsive to traditional pain medications.

The findings? Two-thirds of patients in the study experienced an improvement in their pain symptom scores after using cannabis -- improving from an average of 83.3 to an average of 75 -- and a majority of those treated saw robust improvements in their quality of life. More interestingly, opioid consumption dropped 44% during the study, and quite a few patients completely ditched opioid use altogether.

Here's the official conclusion from the seven study authors:

The treatment of chronic pain with medicinal cannabis in this open-label, prospective cohort resulted in improved pain and functional outcomes, and significant reduction in opioid use. The results suggest long-term benefit of cannabis treatment in this group of patients, but the study's non-controlled nature should be considered when extrapolating the results.

As we see with most initial or small-pool studies, the findings won't be considered concrete until a larger or more controlled study is undertaken. However, the correlation between pain reduction and marijuana here is fairly consistent with other studies that have emerged over the last couple of years.

Saving lives and money

What makes this study even more intriguing is that a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine by a team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania showed that states with medical cannabis laws in place had a roughly 25% lower mean annual opioid overdose mortality rate than states that did not have cannabis laws on the books.

This trend was also noted to increase over time, with opioid-related overdose deaths declining by 20% one year following the implementation of a medical cannabis law, 25% after two years, and 33% after years five and six. This is noteworthy since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out that prescription painkiller overdoses have jumped by more than 400% for women between 1999 and 2010, and 237% for men over the same time span.

This would imply two key points. First, that medical marijuana could potentially reduce the number of overdose-related chronic pain deaths. In 2014, not a single person who overdosed on marijuana died from it. By comparison, some 18,900 people die annually from overdoses tied to opioid-related medications. Reducing the use of opioids in favor of THC-based medicines could, in theory, mean fewer overdose-related deaths.

Additionally, the CDC pinpointed the direct and indirect costs (i.e., lost productivity) of opioid overdoses at $55.7 billion in 2007 -- and this figure has presumably risen since then. Although marijuana overdoses cost the healthcare system as well, the total cost of marijuana overdoses is unlikely to be even close to the same caliber as opioid-induced overdose costs.

Thus, using marijuana as an alternative to opioids, assuming a similar pain-reducing effect is observed, could be a life- and money-saving move.

Of course, the allure of marijuana as a medicine is that it's demonstrated numerous benefits beyond just pain reduction. In clinical trials we've witnessed improved glycemic balance for type 2 diabetes, heightened sensitivity to radiation for certain types of brain cancer, and a marked reduction in seizures for certain childhood-onset epilepsy patients.

It would appear that angling for the approval of medical marijuana at the federal level, where public support for legalization stood at 84% according to a CBS News poll in 2014, could be the smart way to go.

The waiting game continues

But for marijuana supporters and investors, the waiting game is expected to continue. The 2016 presidential election could possibly bring change, with a small handful of candidates demonstrating favorability toward marijuana. However, the vast majority, if elected, would probably leave the current status quo firmly in place, or perhaps even take a step back from where we are now.

Inaction at the federal level continues to make investing in the marijuana industry a complete crapshoot. Those aforementioned inherent disadvantages include unfair taxation, since marijuana businesses are unable to take normal business deductions, such as rent, as well as limited or no access to basic banking services. If businesses can't even open checking accounts, their prospects of expansion remain very limited outside of turning to venture capitalists. This doesn't paint a particularly good picture for the marijuana industry, at least as it relates to investors.

Yet if federal inaction is going to be broken, it's likely to come in the form of a medical marijuana approval, as opposed to a push to legalize the drug for recreational use. We could still be years away from seeing something like this happen (if it ever happens) since lawmakers are still gathering critical safety information on marijuana, but it's something to keep your eyes on as marijuana marches forward at the state level.
On Thursday, July 23, 2015, ISIS killed a Turkish soldier in a firefight on the Turkish-Syrian border. One day later, Turkey launched its first airstrike on ISIS positions in Syria, officially joining the fight against ISIS.

Ever since, Turkish fighter jets have continued to bomb ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq. At the same time, Turkey is fighting a broader war against Kurdish separatists at home, and their allies in Iraqi Kurdistan. To help with that fight, and perhaps with the ISIS fight as well, they're coming to the U.S. seeking high-tech munitions to drop on deeply dug-in targets.

Wondering why any of this should interest U.S. investors?

Here's why: New bombs cost money. Bombs dropped -- whatever the target -- must eventually be replaced. And none of these bombs come cheap.

Cui bono?

Last week, in the U.S. Department of Defense's daily digest of contracts awarded to its suppliers, the Pentagon detailed its first award of a military sales contract to Turkey for BLU-109 "bunker-buster" bombs for its fight against the Kurds.

The contract in question, worth $682.9 million over five years, calls on privately held Ellwood National Forge of Irvine, Pennsylvania, along with publicly traded General Dynamics (GD 2.17%), to supply an unspecified number of bombs to the Turks.

Ellwood, according to information from financial data website S&P Global Market Intelligence, is primarily a steelmaker and metal machiner. Presumably, it will be responsible for producing the bomb casings, with General Dynamics being responsible for the explosive parts.

Not mentioned in the contract award was who, if anyone, would produce laser-guidance kits to convert the BLU-109s into a smart bomb configuration. In a similar arms sale to Israel reported last year, Raytheon (RTN) was tapped to supply Paveway guidance kits for this purpose.

According to a Turkish military official quoted in Defense News, they "need smart bombs" in particular to ensure their new bombs hit their targets. This suggests that additional contracts could be coming out of Turkey soon -- either that, or General Dynamics will be subcontracting part of its work out to Raytheon to do the "smart" part of its bomb-making.

The big picture

The Turkish bomb contract is a pretty big deal for General Dynamics, but it's far from the only defense industry contract coming out of the Middle East these days, though more of the others are in support of the air war against ISIS. In months past, we've seen multiple similar contracts -- of even bigger size -- awarded to General Dynamics and its peers to supply bombs to Israel to Iraq, to Saudi Arabia, and of course to the U.S. Air Force.

So long as the war against ISIS continues to roll on, profits from bomb sales should continue rolling in for General Dynamics.
SOURCE: TRANSENTERIX.

Robotic-surgery upstart TransEnterix thinks it has a good shot at challenging industry Goliath Intuitive Surgical , but to do that it may have to overcome one big problem: Its spending pace puts it at risk of running out of cash.

First, a bit of backgroundTransEnterix has two robotic surgery systems that it hopes to launch this year. The first is the ALF-X system that it acquired from SOFAR S.P.A. recently. The ALF-X system is similar to Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci system, but it offers additional features such as haptic feedback that surgeons may prefer. ALF-X got the CE Mark of approval for use in Europe back in December 2011, but its previous owner was unable to establish it in the marketplace. TransEnterix is relaunching the ALF-X with a dedicated sales force that's currently conducting a road show to build up interest in the system.

The company is also nearing an important milestone in America. TransEnterix's SurgiBot system could get the FDA nod of approval this month, and if so, then a marketing team led by former Intuitive Surgical salespeople will pitch it as a more flexible, feature-rich, and cheaper alternative to da Vinci.

Unlike the da Vinci, the SurgiBot system is mobile, so it can be moved from operating room to operating room. SurgiBot also comes with features that could win sway with surgeons, including haptic feedback and an articulating camera to provide surgeons with better insight. Importantly, SurgiBot is expected to cost around $500,000, and that's far south of da Vinci's $1.5 million average cost.

Big headwind creates riskAssuming TransEnterix's C-suite has the talent and products necessary to chip away at Intuitive Surgical's dominance, the biggest challenge facing the company could be its cash burn rate.

In 2015, the company reports that it spent $29.7 million on R&D, $2.9 million on sales and marketing, and $7.8 million on general and administrative expenses. Overall, TransEnterix spent $46.4 million last year, and that spending pace is quickening.

In Q4, total expenses were $13.9 million, or a $55.6 million annualized run rate, and sales and marketing efforts supporting the launch of ALF-X and SurgiBot mean that the company is likely to spend even more that that this year. Given the company has $47.1 million on hand as of Feb. 29, there's reason for concern.

Looking ahead"We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents, together with cash received from sales of our products, will not be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs through December31, 2016," TransEnterix stated in 10-K SEC filing for the year ending Dec. 31. (Emphasis mine.)

TransEnterix is fully aware of its cash crunch. It has $80.8 million potentially available to it via stock or debt offerings through an existing shelf registration that includes a recently established a $43.6 million at-the-market offering with Cantor Fitzgerald.

Those financing levers can dilute current investors, and their success depends on willing debt and equity markets. As a result, management and the company's auditors noted in the company's recently filed 10-K SEC report that its situation raises substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern.

If everything goes the company's way, it will probably have enough money available to it to get ALF-X and SurgiBot off the ground. If not, then the company will need to license or sell assets, cease operations, and/or seek bankruptcy protection.

Overall, the market for robotic surgery is expected to climb from $3.2 billion in 2014 to $20 billion by 2021, according to Wintergreen Research, and that means there's a substantial opportunity for TransEnterix. However, there are a lot of "ifs" associated with the company. Therefore, Intuitive Surgical remains the far safer bet for investors.

The article Is Cash Burn TransEnterix's Biggest Risk? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Todd Campbell has no position in any stocks mentioned. Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Intuitive Surgical. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Lexus GS was one of several models called out for praise in the latest edition of J.D. Power's influential Vehicle Dependability Study. Image source: Toyota.

Last week, J.D. Power released the latest edition of its influential and widely watched Vehicle Dependability Study. The VDS, as it's called in the industry, asks consumers who have owned a vehicle since it was new to report any problems that showed up in thethird year of their vehicle's life. It then aggregates the data to draw conclusions about which models -- and whichbrands-- have the fewest problems.

So which brand had the fewest this time around? It wasToyota's vaunted luxury brand, Lexus. Lexus had just 95 problems per 100 vehicles. That may sound like a lot, but it's actually a terrific showing.

Still, that doesn't seem like much of a surprise. Ho-hum, another year, another quality study with Toyota's luxury brand at the top, right? It's like a study that concludes that the sky is blue.

Or is it? Three Foolish contributors weigh in below.

Daniel MillerListen, you would have to be as argumentative as Skip Bayless on ESPN to say that Lexus placing atop J.D. Power's VDS isn't as good as it seems. Lexus placing No. 1 in the study for five consecutive years should really speak for itself. Even if you dive into the details, each of its vehicles individually beat the competition head-on. The study shows that the Lexus ES ranked higher than direct competitors for compact premium cars -- the BMW 1 Series, Acura ILX, and Audi A4. The Lexus GS also beat out the Mercedes-Benz E-Class for the highest ranked midsize premium car.

However, if you're still not convinced, the only thing to do is check a secondary source for a similar bit of information.

Consumer Reports 2016 Annual Brand Report Card,a respected indicator of which brands make the best vehicles, shows that Lexus rates very high. Out of the 30 brands CR ranked, Lexus placed third behind only Subaru and Audi. Furthermore, CR goes as far as to indicate how many cars of each brand that it tested it would "recommend." CR recommends 88% of Lexus models, and the brand is one of only five that scored such a high percentage.

It's simple: Lexus' ranking atop J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study is as good as it seems.

Rich SmithIs Lexus' 2016 VDS score as good as it looks? Absolutely not!

I realize this is sort of a contrarian take on the news that Lexus topped the report's list, beating out even Porsche by two points, and reporting barely 62% as many problems per vehicle as the average carmaker. But really, if Lexus was as good as that score makes it sound, don't you think that more Lexus car models should have been winning their segments as well?

As it turned out, though, while the Lexus ES was J.D. Power's top-ranked compact premium car for dependability, and the Lexus GS was Power's favorite midsize premium car -- that was basically it. No other Lexus cars even placed in the rankings.

The Lexus ES sedan won top honors in the compact premium car segment. Image source: Toyota.

Fact is, Lexus' performance basically tied with the achievements of several other carmakers. Hyundai placed twice in the "top three models per segment" contest with its Sonata and Accent sedans. Nissan won accolades for the Maxima and Versa. Buick won the compact car and large car contests outright with its Verano and LaCrosse, respectively. And Chevy scored two absolute "top model" picks -- winning in midsize sedans with the Malibu, and winning the midsize "sporty cars" segment with its Camaro.

Much more important to Toyota's success, I suspect is the fact that the parent company's own brand won honors left and right in the VDS report. Toyota nameplates took home four top-three trophies, for the Corolla, Prius, Camry, and Avalon. That's twice as many honors as Lexus notched.

Long story short, Lexus' victories are great for bragging rights, but it's the recommendations Toyota is racking up in more mass-market cars that really get me excited about Toyota stock.

I'll start by noting that Lexus also placed an SUV among the segment leaders. Its GX line was the highest-ranked Midsize Premium SUV in the study, giving it three total segment wins, not just two. Overall, Toyota products won six of the segment crowns, second only toGeneral Motors with eight. (Yes, GM really did win more than Toyota. And that was no fluke, as GM's four brands also did very well in the rankings.But that's another story.)

But to the larger points that my Foolish colleagues have made, here are my two cents. On the one hand, it's just one study, a single data point. But on the other hand, its results were no surprise. The latest edition of the VDS only reinforces the impression of Lexus that we've had for years and years. The brand is known for quiet, smooth-riding, effortless, quiet, no-fuss, and quiet vehicles that will run for years with few problems. (Did I mention quiet?)

The J.D. Power study ranked the Lexus GS as tops in the midsize premium SUV class. Image source: Toyota.

I'm joking (sort of) about the quiet. But like its parent Toyota's mass-market models, Lexus' vehicles arecelebrated, quite rightly, for quality and durability. That's a big part of what the Lexus brand represents, and it's a big part of how Lexus managed to get established as a credible competitor to the big three German luxury giants that have come to dominate the global market for luxury vehicles.

So what about this study? Its results reinforce something that most of us already thought we knew -- Lexus' vehicles are, generally speaking, exceptionally reliable. And if CEO Akio Toyoda's efforts to make Lexus' products more exciting pan out, the brand could be in for some big gains in market share. Stay tuned.

The article 3 Reasons Lexus' Superb Dependability Isn't as Good as It Looks (Or Is It?) originally appeared on Fool.com.

Daniel Miller owns shares of General Motors. John Rosevear owns shares of General Motors. Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends BMW and General Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Ashland is a chemical maker. But that's a bit too simple of an explanation, because the company also owns motor oil company Valvoline -- at least it does for now. What's that mean? Well, here's the down-low on Ashland and how it's changing its business.

Two companies in one. Source: Ashland.

Get out of hereAshland is really two businesses in one. It has a large chemicals business, and it also owns motor oil and quick lube specialist Valvoline. At least it does for now, because it's planning to spin Valvoline off. There are clear similarities between the two businesses, but Valvoline really has its own brand image. And at 40% or so of revenues, it's a big chunk of what Ashland does.

The thing is, Valvoline is doing pretty well right now. But the rest of Ashland has been struggling through a weak chemicals market. Ashland shares, meanwhile, are down some 25% over the past 12 months. Clearly, Valvoline, which has grown adjusted EBITDA by an annualized 13% over the past five years, isn't attracting as much investor attention as the chemicals business.

So spinning Valvoline off, tax free to shareholders, could unlock value for stockholders. It also happens to be the single biggest thing going on at the company right now.

Not so pleasedThat said, some shareholders don't like the idea of spinning Valvoline off. Elmrox Investment Group LLC, which claims to own around $100 million worth of Ashland stock, thinks Valvoline is a better bet than the chemicals business. It's asking Ashland to turn the spin-off equation on its head and to consider selling the chemicals operation. Then Elmrox wants to see Valvoline structured as a master limited partnership.

So far, Ashland is sticking to its guns. But having a dissident shareholder on board can make things a lot more complicated -- as if spinning off 40% of a company wasn't complicated enough. On top of all this, Ashland has been doing a lot of buying and selling in recent years, so the Valvoline spin-off was kind of a culminating event -- but only if it actually happens as currently planned.

Ashland has made huge changes in recent years. Source: Ashland.

ChemicalsSo the five-minute guide over the near term is all about what's going to happen with Valvoline. But what about the other 60% of the company? Well, the rest of Ashland makes chemicals for an incredibly broad array of industries, including construction, oil and gas exploration, automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and coatings, among others. It's got operations around the world.

As noted, it's been refocusing its business, trying to highlight higher growth and higher-margin markets while getting itself out of less desirable ones. For example, key growth areas right now are in the drug, personal care, and coatings spaces, all of which the company expects to grow more quickly than the global economy. This shift and the continued success of Valvoline is what has helped push the company's EBITDA margins from around 5% in 1995 to over 20% last year.

So in many ways, Ashland appears to be doing the right things on the chemicals side of the business. But you can't sidestep the broader dynamics of the industry. Chemicals are weak right now, which is ultimately why Elmrox is pushing for the sale of this business.

In fact, even industry giants such as Dow Chemical and DuPont are making huge changes -- a fact Elmrox points out. Because of the difficult chemicals market, this pair is merging, with the goal of cutting costs by as much as $3 billion. Once that process is complete, the plan is to break the resulting business into as many as three different companies. The takeaway here? Whether or not Elmrox gets its way at Ashland, there are clearly big changes taking place in the chemicals space, and Ashland is going to have to adjust along with it.

To give you an idea of what's going on under the covers, in the company's fiscal first quarter of 2016, Valvoline posted record results but Ashland's chemicals businesses were hampered by factors including divestitures and weakening demand in the U.S. energy market. The company's overall sales were down nearly 13% in the quarter. Ashland really is a tale of two companies. And the while the chemicals business isn't feeling the "worst of times," it certainly isn't doing as well as Valvoline.

The highlight reelIf you're looking at Ashland today, the overriding event is the Valvoline spin-off. It's simply a huge part of the business. That, however, has to include the prodding of Elmrox, an outside investor that thinks there are other options to consider. Indeed, in recent days, dissident shareholders appear to be having an outsized impact on companies of all types. So it's too early say that the spin-off story is done here.

But Valvoline shouldn't distract you from understanding the rest of Ashland, which is a widely diversified chemicals company. That's been a rough market of late, but Ashland has been adjusting its business to benefit from the areas that appear to have the best growth prospects. Still, chemicals are out of favor right now, and that's been driving Ashland's shares. If it gets things right, it should come out the other side of this weak market a much stronger company. Unless it gets sold, that is.

The article The 5-Minute Guide to Ashland Inc.'s Stock originally appeared on Fool.com.

Reuben Brewer has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Las Vegas Sands.

The past several years have been tough for casino companies, and both Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) and Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) have felt the pressure of poor performance in Asia's largest gaming market in Macau. After suffering terrible stock-price performance, investors are finally looking for signs of potential improvement in Macau, and that has spurred new hope among Wynn and Sands shareholders that the future could finally look brighter. Nevertheless, before making an investment, it's useful to know which stock looks more attractive right now. Let's look more closely at Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands to see how they compare on some vital measures of business success.

Valuation and stock performance

Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands have bounced back from the worst of their stock declines in recent years, and increased optimism about the prospects for stronger results in Macau has lifted their share prices recently. Over the past 12 months, Las Vegas Sands shareholders have enjoyed a 17% return, making back much of their lost ground from the previous year. Wynn has rebounded even further, up 23% since August 2015, but it is still well below where it traded five years ago.

From a valuation standpoint, there are compelling reasons to buy either stock. When you look at trailing earnings, the greater challenges that Wynn has faced have had a larger impact on valuation metrics. Currently, Wynn trades at almost 28 times trailing earnings, compared to a more modest earnings multiple of between 24 and 25 for Las Vegas Sands. However, investors expect a bigger rebound in earnings from Wynn in the immediate future. Therefore, when you incorporate forward earnings estimates into the valuation equation, Wynn gains an edge, trading with a forward multiple of between 18 and 19 compared to Sands' figure above 20. Based solely on simple valuation metrics, Wynn and Sands don't appear to have markedly different attributes.

Dividends

Dividend investors can see a much clearer advantage between the two stocks. Las Vegas Sands pays a dividend yield approaching 6%, while Wynn's yield is much lower at around 2.2%.

It wasn't that long ago that the companies' yields were much closer to each other. Wynn made a strategic decision in early 2015 to reduce the amount it paid in dividends, cutting its quarterly payout by two-thirds. Essentially, Wynn favors having the earnings and cash flow to back up its dividends, and with extensive capital spending anticipated for new projects in Macau and in the Boston metropolitan area, it no longer made sense to sustain the dividend at its previous high rate. What Wynn investors should expect is a return to the company's previous strategy of making special dividend payments periodically, supplementing the regular quarterly payment and boosting the effective yield. A special dividend probably won't happen in 2016, but future years could bring renewed vigor to the payout.

Las Vegas Sands has maintained a different strategy with respect to its dividends. It remains strongly committed to sustaining regular quarterly payouts, and the casino giant made another double-digit percentage increase late last year despite the tough environment. Even though its payout ratio is currently above its earnings, Sands apparently believes that the temporary troubles that have held back its earnings recently will reverse themselves and make the payout more sustainable.

For risk-averse investors, Wynn's dividend more accurately reflects current earnings power. However, Sands still looks like the better stock in terms of producing income for investors' portfolios.

Growth prospects and risks

The casino industry is still facing major pressures, and Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts are both working hard to overcome the negative impact on their financials. In its most recent quarter, Las Vegas Sands suffered a 9% drop in revenue that sent net income downward by nearly a third. All four of the company's Macau properties posted even larger drops in revenue, with all but the Venetian Macau experiencing double-digit percentage drops on the top line. As a result, Sands has lost market share, and with new resorts set to open in the near future, competitive pressure will only increase. Las Vegas Sands needs to push harder to retain its leadership role in Macau if it wants to be able to keep delivering the performance that shareholders have come to expect.

Meanwhile, Wynn Resorts' most recent report gave investors somewhat more confidence than they had had previously. The company actually increased its revenue by 2% compared to the year-ago quarter, with gains in sales at the Wynn Macau resort bucking the industry's overall trend. Sluggish performance from Las Vegas held back solid profit gains in Asia, and the company remains optimistic about the Wynn Palace project, which just recently opened. The Boston Harbor project remains in its early stages and will have extensive capital costs, but the company is working hard to make sure that it makes the most of all of its opportunities worldwide.

Different investors will prefer each casino stock over the other. For income investors, Las Vegas Sands is a clear choice as long as you're comfortable that the sector will keep improving. Thanks to the opening of Wynn Palace, Wynn Resorts has greater immediate growth prospects, and that could appeal to investors looking for a bigger prospective payoff even with higher risk.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

Dan Caplinger owns shares of Wynn Resorts. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Macs don't meet the recommended system requirements for Oculus Rift. Image source: Oculus VR.

By the looks of it, virtual reality has the potential to be the next big thing. Facebook took the lead with its $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR a couple years back, but all of the other major players are investing in research in this burgeoning field. That includes Apple , who has hired VR researchers and is reportedly working on a VR headset prototype.

But it looks like Oculus Rift may never come to the Mac.

Them's fightin' wordsThat's the implication of some comments that Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey made at a recent Microsoft Xbox event. When asked if Rift will ever come to the Mac, Luckey told Shacknews:

Ouch.

Feeling lucky?However, Luckey's statements have a lot of truth to them. It's true that Apple has never put a lot of emphasis on high-end GPUs intended for gaming. OS X is simply not a good gaming platform compared with Windows. Any PC gamer can tell you that. And since Macs are sold as complete packages and only get more integrated over time, it's very difficult (if not impossible) to swap out graphics cards or other components after the fact. Most of the Oculus-ready PCs that Oculus VR refers users to start at $950 to $1,000.

We should all believe that Apple is indeed working on VR/AR because the company explores all sorts of technologies without publicly acknowledging them, it has related patent filings going back at least a decade, and the company has scooped up a handful of VR/AR start-ups. Yet, if Apple is indeed working on its own VR headset, does that mean the Mac maker will eventually need to start emphasizing high-end GPUs?

Not necessarily.

Better never than late?Right now, VR/AR will be clearly positioned to the niche of gaming enthusiasts who are willing to pay higher prices to adopt the technology early on. But the broader goal for all companies researching VR, including Facebook, is mainstream use and practical applications. For example, Mark Zuckerberg has described a vision of going to see a doctor using VR, among other possibilities.

Mainstream applications won't require the type of beefy GPUs that high-end 3D games need to deliver an immersive experience. An early examplewas when Samsung made it possible for an Australian man to attend his baby's birth through VR from 2,500 miles away. That's where livestreaming technology and advanced 360-degree cameras come in.

It's entirely possible that these types of mainstream applications are what Apple is pursuing, since these are the use cases that are more likely to impact the average consumer's daily lives. Beyond casual mobile gaming, Apple has never been big on PC gaming, and it doesn't have to.

The article Don't Expect Facebook's Oculus Rift on Your Mac Anytime Soon originally appeared on Fool.com.

Evan Niu, CFA owns shares of Apple and Facebook. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple and Facebook. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
What: Shares of Exelixis , a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies to treat cancer, plunged 20% in February, based on data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The two likely culprits appear to be market sentiment and a fear of increasing competition.

So what: Investor sentiment has been a problem not just for Exelixis but the entire biotech industry since the year began. Although we've been rallying nicely over the past two weeks, the majority of February was spent under a mountain of worry. When investors are concerned about the prospect of a recession and they're looking for safe-haven investments, they'll typically avoid companies that are losing money and burning through their cash on hand. Even with two Food and Drug Administration-approved products -- Cometriq and Cotellic -- it could be years before Exelixis turns the corner to profitability. Last month, we may have simply witnessed a continuation of the exodus from risky biotech stocks.

Image source: Bristol-Myers Squibb.

The other issue here could be competition. Exelixis' big rally in 2015 was on account of strong results from its phase 3 METEOR trial, which examined Cometriq as a second-line treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). The problem? Bristol-Myers Squibb's Opdivo was approved for second-line mRCC last year, and it's been gobbling up market share at a phenomenal pace. Thus, even if Cometriq gains approval in second-line mRCC, it could play a distant second fiddle to Bristol-Myers' Opdivo, which currently maintains more than 50% share in second-line mRCC per Bristol-Myers Squibb's CEO Giovanni Caforio.

Now what: The irony here is that Exelixis' February news was actually quite positive.

At the beginning of February Exelixis announced new comprehensive data from METEOR that further solidified its statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival compared to the placebo, Afinitor. Furthermore, a secondary interim analysis showed a "highly statistically significant and clinical meaningful increase" in overall survival compared to Afinitor. This data suggests a label expansion is likely.

Image source: Exelixis.

Then, at the end of the month Exelixis announced that it had struck a licensing deal with Ipsen for Cometriq in all countries except for the U.S., Canada, and Japan. The deal entitles Exelixis to $200 million in upfront cash, plus milestones of up to $60 million for the approval of Cometriq in the EU for mRCC, and up to $50 million for the approval of Cometriq as a treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as tiered royalties that could equal up to 26%. Additionally, commercial sales milestones could be worth an additional $545 million. In sum, Exelixis' cash crunch is no longer a concern, Ipsen now has a potential moneymaker on its hands in the EU, and everyone appears happy.

As an Exelixis shareholder, I remain satisfied with the company's progress. Profits are indeed a ways off, but if Cometriq's label can continue to be expanded, and Cotellic, in combination with cancer immunotherapies, delivers strong clinical results, then Exelixis' true value could be much higher.

The article Exelixis Inc. Stock Was Throttled in February -- Here's Why originally appeared on Fool.com.

Sean Williamsowns shares of Exelixis, but has no material interest in any other companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen nameTMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle@TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool recommends Exelixis. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Four U.S. airlines fly to Asia: American Airlines , Delta Air Lines , United Continental , and Hawaiian Holdings . In the past few years, all four have tussled repeatedly over a small number of slots reserved for U.S. carriers at Haneda Airport, the closest airport to Tokyo.

U.S. airlines have been eager to serve Tokyo's Haneda Airport. Photo: The Motley Fool.

Last month, the U.S. and Japan reached an agreement that will allow U.S. carriers to operate two more daily round-trip flights between the U.S. and Haneda Airport while enabling better flight times. As a result, the competition for Haneda slots is about to get even more heated.

Haneda hasn't been great for U.S. airlinesIn 1978, Japan moved most of Tokyo's international flights from Haneda Airport to the newly constructed Narita International Airport, which is more than 30 miles from the city center. The Japanese government finally allowed flights between the U.S. and Haneda to resume -- on a very limited basis -- in 2010.

Four round-trip slots were reserved for U.S. airlines and four for Japanese carriers, with arrivals and departures permitted only between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Despite the restriction to nighttime arrivals and departures, American, Delta, United, and Hawaiian all applied for slots.

However, in the next five years, airlines canceled three of their Haneda routes, citing flight schedules that weren't convenient for travelers. Flights to the eastern U.S. were particularly unworkable: Delta Air Lines canceled its Detroit-Haneda flights in 2012, and American Airlines abandoned its New York-Haneda route in 2013.

American Airlines dropped its New York-Tokyo Haneda route in 2013. Photo: American Airlines.

Ironically, each time an airline canceled a Haneda route because of weak financial performance, it set off vicious competition -- usually involving at least three airlines -- over who would get to use the slot next. At times, the airlines seemed like gluttons for punishment. Of all the U.S.-Haneda routes that airlines tried, only Hawaiian Airlines' Haneda-Honolulu flights were reliably profitable.

Haneda is about to become far more lucrativeToday, American, Delta, United, and Hawaiian each hold one of the four round-trip slot pairs reserved for U.S. carriers. Their persistence in pursuing Haneda slots is about to pay off.

That's because the new agreement between the U.S. and Japan finally allows daytime arrivals and departures. U.S. airlines will now be entitled to six daily round-trip flights to Haneda, only one of which will be limited to overnight hours.

For American, Delta, and United, it will be a no-brainer to shift their Haneda flight schedules to more convenient daytime slots. Hawaiian Airlines has been doing very well with its nighttime slot, but it might still prefer to operate somewhat earlier in the evening.

Hawaiian Airlines' nighttime Haneda flights have thrived. Image source: Wikimedia Commons.

Based on the wording of the State Department press release, it appears that the four airlines currently flying to Haneda will be allowed to move their slots to the daytime hours without going through a new application process. However, there will probably be a fierce battle over the fifth daytime slot between American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Continental.

As for the nighttime slot, Hawaiian Airlines will probably request it for nonstop service to Kona on Hawaii's Big Island. This proposed route has been passed over several times in recent years in favor of routes to the mainland. However, it's possible that the other airlines won't be interested in a nighttime Haneda slot once daytime operations are permitted.

Why Delta is still upsetAmerican Airlines, United Continental, and Hawaiian Airlines all praised the agreement to improve access to Haneda Airport. Delta Air Lines wasn't pleased, though.

The reason for Delta's dismay is that it operates a small hub at Narita Airport. Delta fears that people flying to Tokyo will be less willing to fly into Narita after flights to Haneda move to more convenient times.

Delta believes daytime flights to Haneda will cannibalize traffic at Narita Airport. Photo: The Motley Fool.

Furthermore, American and United have joint ventures with the two dominant Japanese airlines. This means that they can offer plenty of connecting flights in Tokyo, whether they fly into Narita or Haneda.

Delta wanted the U.S. government to hold out for enough slots so that it could move its entire hub from Narita to Haneda Airport. This would offset the ingrained advantage that American and United have from their joint ventures. However, this was an unrealistically high "ask" from Delta.

Summing up the situationThus, American Airlines and United Continental are probably the two biggest beneficiaries of this policy change. They will get to move their Haneda flights to the daytime hours, which will be more convenient for travelers and enable more connections on both ends.

Hawaiian Airlines may also come out ahead if it can move its current Haneda-Honolulu route to an earlier time slot and snag the remaining nighttime slot for Haneda-Kona flights. The biggest risk is to Delta Air Lines. Even if it wins the fifth daytime slot at Haneda Airport, any profits it earns there could be more than offset by the cannibalization of its competing hub at Narita Airport.

The article U.S. Airlines Get Improved Access to Tokyo: Who Wins? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of Hawaiian Holdings, and United Continental Holdings, and is long January 2017 $40 calls on Delta Air Lines,, long January 2017 $30 calls on American Airlines Group, short April 2016 $38 calls on Hawaiian Holdings,, and short October 2016 $50 calls on Hawaiian Holdings, The Motley Fool is long January 2017 $35 calls on American Airlines Group. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
In a split decision, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each captured two victories in Saturday's four-state round of voting, fresh evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders notched wins in Nebraska and Kansas, while front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana, another divided verdict from the American people.

Cruz claimed Kansas and Maine, and declared it "a manifestation of a real shift in momentum." Trump, still the front-runner in the hunt for delegates, bagged Louisiana and Kentucky. Despite strong support from the GOP establishment, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio had another disappointing night, raising serious questions about his viability in the race.

Cruz, a tea party favorite, said the results should send a loud message that the GOP contest for the nomination is far from over, and that the status quo is in trouble.

"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together," he declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days.

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

More on this... Why the GOP establishment should get behind a Trump or Cruz nomination

Trump prevailed in the home state of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Rubio, who finished no better than third anywhere and has only one win so far, insisted the upcoming schedule of primaries is "better for us," and renewed his vow to win his home state of Florida, claiming all 99 delegates there on March 15.

But Cruz suggested it was time for Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to go.

"As long as the field remains divided, it gives Donald an advantage," he said.

Campaigning in Detroit, Clinton said she was thrilled to add to her delegate count and expected to do well in Michigan's primary on Tuesday.

More on this... Concerns Hillary Clinton has shifted too far to the left

"No matter who wins this Democratic nomination," she said, "I have not the slightest doubt that on our worst day we will be infinitely better than the Republicans on their best day."

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Nebraska, said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

"I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning," she said.

Sanders won by solid margins in Nebraska and Kansas, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season, compared to 11 for Clinton, who still maintains a commanding lead in competition for delegates.

Sanders, in an interview with The Associated Press, pointed to his wide margins of victory and called it evidence that his political revolution is coming to pass.

Stressing the important of voter turnout, he said, "when large numbers of people come  working people, young people who have not been involved in the political process  we will do well and I think that is bearing out tonight."

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

Count Wichita's Barb Berry among those who propelled Cruz to victory in Kansas, where GOP officials reported extremely high turnout. Overall, Cruz has won seven states so far, to 12 for Trump.

"I believe that he is a true fighter for conservatives," said Berry, a 67-year-old retired AT&T manager. As for Trump, Berry said, "he is a little too narcissistic."

Like Rubio, Kasich has pinned his hopes on the winner-take-all contest March 15 in his home state.

Clinton picked up at least 51 delegates to Sanders' 45 in Saturday's contests, with delegates yet to be allocated.

Overall, Clinton had at least 1,117 delegates to Sanders' 477, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

Cruz will collect at least 36 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine, Trump at least 18 and Rubio at least six and Kasich three.

In the overall race for GOP delegates, Trump led with at least 347 and Cruz had at least 267. Rubio had 116 delegates and Kasich had 28.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.
Sen. Ted Cruz on Saturday bolstered his case that he is the strongest Republican alternative to Donald Trump, topping the party's presidential front-runner in caucuses in Kansas and Maine. Mr. Cruz's victories came in Republican-only contests that forbid the participation of independent voters, who had helped spur the New York businessman's success in other states. Caucus results haven't yet been reported in Kentucky's GOP caucuses or the primary in Louisiana, where polls close at 9 p.m. ET. Mr. Cruz said his victories should be an impetus for other rivals trying to become the GOP's Trump alternative to end their campaigns. "We'll continue to amass delegates, but what needs to happen is that the field needs to continue to narrow," Mr. Cruz told reporters traveling with him in Idaho, where he was campaigning before the state's Tuesday primary. "As long as the field remains divided, it gives Donald an advantage." Mr. Cruz won a commanding victory in Kansas, taking 48% of the vote to 23% for Mr. Trump. Sen. Marco Rubio had nearly 17%, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich had 11%. In Maine, Mr. Cruz had 46%, while Mr. Trump had 33%. Mr. Kasich was in third place with 12%. With the Kansas and Maine victories, Mr. Cruz has won six states, the second-most after Mr. Trump's 10. Mr. Rubio has one just one state, Minnesota. "We have beaten Donald not once, not twice," Mr. Cruz said on Saturday. Heading into Saturday, Mr. Trump led the Republican field with 329 delegates. Mr. Cruz was second, with 231 delegates, while Mr. Rubio was third, with 110 delegates. Mr. Kasich had 25 delegates. Ben Carson suspended his campaign on Friday. There are 155 delegates at stake on Saturday. Kansas will award 40, Kentucky and Louisiana will award 46 each and Maine has 23. Mr. Cruz won 12 of the Maine delegates, while Mr. Trump will get 9 and Mr. Kasich two. It takes 1,237 delegates to clinch the Republican nomination. Mr. Cruz's Kansas blowout also serves to further diminish Mr. Rubio. He finished a distant third in the state and failed to carry even the wealthy Kansas City suburbs, the type of area that Mr. Rubio has targeted and where he has done well in other states. Mr. Rubio carried just 13.7% of the third congressional district's vote. Mr. Rubio's poor performance wasn't for lack of effort. He had cancelled Friday events in Kentucky and Louisiana to instead make three stops in Kansas, where he had support from the state's leading political figures, including Gov. Sam Brownback, Sen. Pat Roberts and former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. At a campaign stop In Puerto Rico, which holds a Sunday primary, Mr. Rubio played down Saturday's results and said he is focused on the March 15 Florida contest. "There will be more delegates awarded in Florida than basically every state that voted today combined," Mr. Rubio said at a San Juan news conference. Florida awards 99 delegates. There were 155 delegates at stake Saturday. Mr. Trump also mounted an effort in Kansas. He had cancelled a planned appearance Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Washington to instead hold a campaign rally in Wichita and appear at a caucus site. In addition to his Kansas and Maine victories, Mr. Cruz also won a straw poll at CPAC, with 40% support. Mr. Rubio placed second, with 30%. Mr. Trump was third, at 15%. Tim Miller, a spokesman for Our Principles PAC, the super PAC devoted to stopping Mr. Trump's political rise, said the results in Kansas and Maine are evidence the group's efforts are working. "The anti-Trump momentum is building, as he is now even further away from garnering the majority of delegates necessary to win the nomination, " Mr. Miller said. "Historically, the party's nominee has built support and coalesced with other factions as the process goes on. Donald is going the other direction." The Cruz victory comes two days after 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney urged Republicans to band together to stop Mr. Trump from winning the party's nomination. Mr. Romney's prescription called for strategic voting, backing Mr. Rubio in his home state of Florida, Mr. Kasich in his native Ohio and Mr. Cruz in states where he is strong. Ohio and Florida hold primaries March 15 in which the winners receive all of the state's delegates, meaning that Mr. Rubio or Mr. Kasich, if they were to win, would take a big bite out of Mr. Trump's delegate lead. Illinois and Missouri also hold primaries that day, though delegates in those states will be awarded proportionally based on the results. Messrs. Kasich and Rubio appear to be following Mr. Romney's advice. Mr. Kasich said Thursday in Detroit that he would focus his campaign on Ohio, and Mr. Rubio is set to do the same in Florida. Mr. Cruz has shown no sign of ceding states to his rivals. His campaign announced late Friday that he would open 10 field offices in Florida. The Texan said Saturday he is playing to win there. "We are competing vigorously in Florida," Mr. Cruz said Saturday. "We will be campaigning on the ground in Florida. We've got a great base of support in Florida."

More on this... Ben Stein: Trump had it right when he said Romney was a choke artist
Former Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson has disclosed to colleagues that he has thyroid cancer, The Wall Street Journal reported early Monday.

According to people familiar with the matter, the 54-year-old disclosed he had cancer to the company's board of directors and several colleagues last week -- prior to his resignation over the weekend.

Thompson agreed to resign after the company's board obtained evidence that contradicted his claim of innocence over his misstated academic record, people familiar with the matter told the Journal.

The decision to step down from Yahoo was in part influenced by Thompson's cancer diagnosis, said one person. The diagnosis had occurred in recent days while the board was investigating why the executive's academic record had erroneously included a computer science degree.

Thompson is beginning treatment for the cancer, a source told the Journal, adding that the former CEO does not want to discuss his illness publicly.

Yahoo on Sunday said Thompson was resigning as chief executive and would be succeeded by Ross Levinsohn, a senior Yahoo executive who becomes interim CEO. Yahoo also announced a deal to end a proxy fight with Third Point LLC, which is a large shareholder of the Sunnyvale, Calif., internet company.

The changes at the top of the long-ailing internet company are a major victory for dissident shareholder Third Point, which brought the matter of Thompson's inaccurate academic record to light.

A Yahoo regulatory filing in late April included a short bio of Thompson and said he had obtained a bachelor's degree in computer science and accounting. Yahoo and Thompson's alma mater, Stonehill College, subsequently confirmed disclosures by Third Point that he earned only the accounting degree.

Click here to read more from The Wall Street Journal.
A California mom got a lifesaving kidney donation last week from her son, an Army vet who served in Afghanistan.

Emanuel Zubia didnt hesitate to help his mother who has been living with kidney disease for eight years.

For my mom, Id do anything, he told KABC-TV Saturday. Id die for her.

Lucia Zubia told the Los Angeles station she feared her fate would be to die before a donor could be found.

The transplant list is 11 years; you know, its sad when you see your friends that you make at dialysis pass away, she said.

Still, it was a tough decision, she told the station.

I was hoping that we were not a match, you know, because as a mother you dont want your son to go through this, she said.

Her son knew it was the only decision.

If someone was going to do it, Id rather it be me because its my mom, he told KABC.

The station reported that Mondays kidney transplant surgery was a success.

Im so eternally grateful for him making this decision because he saved my life, and not only did he save my life, but he also helped somebody else go up higher on the kidney list, she said.
Aspiring musician Ryan "Gooch" Nelson was 18 years old when a car accident changed his life forever. After a late night out with friends in 2004, he drove into a telephone pole, sending him through the roof of his car.

"I was driving my buddy home and thats the last thing I remember, I think I dozed off, Gooch, 30, told FoxNews.com. I hit my head on the top of the car and that crushed my seventh vertebra and shot fragments into my spinal cord, which caused me to have my spinal cord injury."

About 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injury occur each year and motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause.

Goochs injury caused paralysis in both arms and legs. Doctors told him he died three times in the helicopter as he was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. After two weeks in a hospital, Gooch, who lives in southern New Jersey, was sent to the Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia for the next six months.

"There was paralysis of some, but not all of his upper limb muscles, and total paralysis of his lower limb muscles, Dr. Christopher Formal, Goochs rehabilitation doctor at Magee, told FoxNews.com. Even basic things like eating and breathing were problematic to start with but we were confident that he would be able to master some of those problems."

With limited mobility in his hands, Gooch was devastated that he couldnt play the guitar like he used to and struggled to find a life without music.

I couldnt really move my arms. I couldnt feed myself or brush my teeth. I had a bed sore on my butt so I had to be in a bed 24/7, Gooch said. It was really scary because I had no idea what the future held, I had no idea if I would get any movement back at all.

After his doctors performed spinal surgery to give his damaged nerves the best environment to recover naturally, Gooch started to make progress, using physical and occupational therapy to regain arm and lower limb strength.

Even though Goochs recovery period at Magee was arduous, his biggest challenge was adapting to life once he returned home.

When you come home its that finality of 'OK, Im in a wheelchair' and this is my new life. Youre trying to do things that youre used to doing at your house that came very easy to you and it was very frustrating and caused me to have a lot of anger issues and you just deal with a lot of depression and all kinds of different feelings, Gooch said.

Besides the physical pain he dealt with which he described as feeling like his body was on fire the emotional pain he lived through was just as agonizing.

I would go out in this mobile wheelchair and I just felt like everybody was looking at me and I just felt different. I had a lot of issues with my girlfriend at the time because she would want to go out to a bar or someplace like that and I just didnt feel comfortable, I felt like I was in the way, Gooch said. So you go through a lot of identity crisis trying to find yourself. And it takes time and everything, but with a strong mindset you can easily overcome things like that.

And overcome it he did. Armed with optimism and a strong support group of family and friends, Gooch regained enough strength in his arms and hands to learn how to play the electric guitar with a custom-made slide.

I put it [the slide] on my thumb and just started playing on the strings and kind of messing around. I never really thought that it would amount to what its become today, he said. You know it was just like a therapeutic thing. Playing the blues with the slide has an emotional and a very vocal sound to it, so its a good way to get your emotions out.

But just as Gooch was finding his voice on the guitar again, he was dealt another blow in 2009 chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a rare blood-cell cancer. Yet despite his challenges he maintained a positive outlook.

"It's terrible that I have leukemia but I'm lucky that I was able to take a medicine that put me into remission called Gleevec that Ive been taking every day since I was diagnosed, Gooch said.

Due to recent advances, highly effective drugs like imatinib (Gleevec) can treat many cases of CML. According to the American Cancer Society, one large study found 90 percent of CML patients were still alive 5 years after starting the drug.

"Its about accepting what you cant do, accepting the circumstances that youre in and just being grateful and blessed that you have what you have."

Its tough because Im on chemo drugs every single day that give me all kinds of terrible side effects, but its about accepting what you cant do, accepting the circumstances that youre in and just being grateful and blessed that you have what you have. You could be in a lot worse situations, things can always be worse, Gooch said.

Today, Gooch continues to spread his message of optimism in his newly released debut album "Coming Home," a mix of blues-based rock produced by nine-time Grammy award-winner Joe Nicolo.

I purposefully closed my eyes just to listen to Gooch so I would not be affected to what I visually saw, and what I heard was an act that definitely should be heard, Nicolo told FoxNews.com. The spotlight has to come on to an artist, so whether its his affliction, his personality, his voice or all of the above-- the spotlight came on.

"I've been bruised and battered, beat up and left for dead/ I was rescued by the music living deep within my soul."

Goochs album brings listeners through his personal journey, touching on relationships, breakups and even outrunning death: "I've been bruised and battered, beat up and left for dead/ I was rescued by the music living deep within my soul."

The inspirational crooner wanted to pay his good fortune forward and formed the Music in Motion Foundation in late 2015 to help raise money for music therapy.

I formed the Music in Motion Foundation just out of a necessity for there to be a way for prisons, rehab, schools and hospitals to have music therapy and have outlets for people to express themselves and really better themselves through music, Gooch said. "I just want to keep giving back and kind of keep the good vibes going around. I'm just grateful to be alive and to move forward and I just take it day by day."

For more visit GoochAndTheMotion.com.
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said Ronald Reagan won the Cold War without firing a shot. But that victory might never have ever happened without Nancy Reagan.

Throughout Reagans first term, he was adamant about one thing. He did not want to just coexist with the USSR, as had all of his predecessors, but to defeat it. He said on many occasions that his plan for the Soviet Union was simple, We Win, They Lose. He called the Soviet Union an evil empire. Critics seized on those remarks to say, Ah-ha, Reagan is a war monger. He wants war with the Soviet Union.

But that was the furthest thing from his mind. Reagan wanted to us to win the Cold War, but not on the battlefield. He wanted to win it through economic pressure and diplomacy. But when he took office in January 1981 those goals were so ambitious they were laughable. So Reagans first term was devoted to fixing the U.S. economy, rebuilding our military, and restoring relations with our allies.

Once he had the United States in a position of strength, Reagan reversed gears, and pursued a policy of peace and arms reduction with the Soviet Union. Critics once again jumped on Reagan, how could he pursue peace with a nation he had just months before called an evil empire?

It took enormous courage for Reagan to ignore those critics, and Mrs. Reagan was responsible -- more than anyone else -- for urging him forward. She not only worked behind the scenes with Reagans inner circle of advisers to urge the change of direction, but played a major diplomatic role in bringing the Soviet Union to the negotiating table.

In September 1984, just two months before Reagans landslide reelection victory, the president took the first step. He invited Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko to visit the White House for a small working luncheon. It was the first time a Soviet official was publicly received at the White House, and sent a signal that Reagan would have a different approach to the USSR in his second term.

Mrs. Reagan had been privately urging the president in this direction for some time, and worked behind the scenes with White House Chief of Staff James Baker, National Security Adviser Bud McFarlane and Secretary of State George Shultz to make it happen. They arranged for Mrs. Reagan to have her own, separate role in the landmark event.

She welcomed Gromyko to the White House at a reception prior to the lunch. When she greeted Gromyko, he leaned down to her and said, Does your husband believe in peace?

She responded, Yes, of course.

Gromkyo responded, Then whisper peace in your husbands ear every night.

Without missing a beat, Mrs. Reagan replied, I will. And Ill also whisper it in your ear.

Gromyko repeated the story many times over the years. It was a clear and unmistakable message coming from Presidents Reagans closet and most influential adviser -- his wife -- that they had turned a new page in the relationship.

The rest is history. President Reagan and Soviet President Gorbachev reached historic arms control agreements. Reagan went to Moscow. Gorbachev visited the United States. They ushered in a new era of peace that had been unequalled in modern times.

Feminists today look at Nancy Reagan as an example of the old world, when women worried more about frivolous things like clothes and dinner parties.

Let them.

Nancy Reagan had more to do with successfully winning the Cold War than all the generals, diplomats and politicians ever could.

Nancy Reagan may have been tiny in size, but she was a giant in stature. We have peace in the world today because that indomitable first lady took the first step.
An anti-Trump political action committee has launched a "Never Trump" website in an apparent move to organize voters who refuse to support GOP front-runner Donald Trump's bid for president.

The Never Trump PAC-sponsored website is one page that asks visitors to pledge their non-support to Trump by sharing their full name, email address and ZIP code.

"We stand united to defend basic, common decency and constitutional principles. And we will do our part to deny Donald Trump the Republican nomination and ensure that he never becomes commander in chief of the United States of America. Never means never," the site states.

The Never Trump slogan started trending on Twitter and other social media channels last week just as 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney began voicing concerns about Trump's front-runner status. Trump ranks first in the Washington Examiner's presidential power rankings.

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com
Donald Trump reiterated calls Saturday night for Sen. Marco Rubio to drop out of the Republican race, saying he wanted to take on challenger Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in a two-man GOP showdown for the 2016 party nomination.

Marco has to get out of the race. He has to, Trump said. Man, do I want to run against just Ted.

Trump and Cruz were Saturdays big winners, each claiming two victories each --fresh evidence theres no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president.

Trump picked up wins in Louisiana and Kentucky. Cruz claimed Kansas and Maine. Cruz declared his win a manifestation of a real shift in momentum.

On the Democratic side, there was another divided verdict from American voters. Sen. Bernie Sanders notched wins in Nebraska and Kansas, while front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana.

Sanders vowed to keep fighting until the Democratic convention in Philadelphia this summer.

Turnout in Republican presidential caucuses in Kansas exceeded the party's most optimistic predictions.

State GOP Executive Director Clay Barker said at least 73,000 people cast ballots in Saturday's caucuses. He said there are another 6,000 provisional ballots and 1,000 absentee ballots sent to voters but not yet collected.

That compares to about 30,000 people voting in the state's GOP caucuses in 2012 and about 20,000 voting in 2008.

The party had 60,000 ballots printed this year and then warned caucus sites to be prepared to print more.

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance.

Party leaders -- including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain -- are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," Trump marveled about himself at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida. At the rally, the billionaire businessman had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came up short Saturday, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.

Rubio said the upcoming schedule of primaries is "better for us," and renewed his vow to win his home state of Florida, claiming all 99 delegates there on March 15.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Maine and Puerto Rico voters will turn out Sunday to cast ballots for presidential primary candidates, following a big night in which the leading candidates essentially split victories in five states.

Maine will hold a Democratic caucus in which 25 delegates are at stake, while Puerto Rico will hold a Republican caucus where 23 delegates are up for grabs.

Meanwhile, GOP front-runner Donald Trump won the Kentucky caucus and Louisiana primary Saturday while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz claimed caucus wins in Kansas and Maine.



We had a pretty good night, Trump told Fox News on Sunday, acknowledging that he didnt spend a lot of time campaign in Maine.

He also renewed his call for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to exit the race, after failing to win any of the five states Saturday and only winning one state, Minnesota, so far.

Either way, itll be interesting, he said.

Cruz, who is in second place now behind Trump, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a manifestation of a real shift in momentum.

He suggested it was time for Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to call it quits.

As long as the field remains divided, it gives Donald an advantage, Cruz said Saturday.

Despite the support of many elected officials, Rubios lackluster performance Saturday raises serious questions about his viability in the race. He finished in third place in every state that voted Saturday except Maine, where The Associated Press projected him to finish behind Kasich.

Rubio said the upcoming schedule of primaries would be "better for us," and renewed his vow to win his home state of Florida, claiming all 99 delegates there on March 15.

Saturdays races saw high voter turnout in several states. Turnout in Republican presidential caucuses in Kansas exceeded the party's most optimistic predictions.

State GOP Executive Director Clay Barker said at least 73,000 people cast ballots in Saturday's caucuses. He said there are another 6,000 provisional ballots and 1,000 absentee ballots sent to voters but not yet collected.

That compares to about 30,000 people voting in the state's GOP caucuses in 2012 and about 20,000 voting in 2008.

On the Democratic side, there was another divided verdict from voters. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders notched wins in the Nebraska and Kansas caucuses, while front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged a win in the Louisiana primary.

"No matter who wins this Democratic nomination, I have not the slightest doubt that on our worst day we will be infinitely better than the Republicans on their best day, Clinton said.

She also said she was thrilled to add to her delegate count and expected to do well in Michigans primary on Tuesday. But before that, she and Sanders will go head-to-head Sunday in Maine.

Despite Clintons commanding lead in the delegate count, Sanders vowed to keep fighting until the Democratic convention in Philadelphia this summer.

GOP establishment figures are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance.

Party leaders -- including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain -- are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," Trump marveled about himself at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Fla. At the rally, the billionaire businessman had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fresh off a series of weekend victories in state caucuses, Bernie Sanders turned up the heat on Hillary Clinton at Sundays debate in Flint, Mich., sharply challenging her economic credentials and suggesting her gun control stand would ban guns in America. But the Democratic front-runner fought back, blasting him for voting against the auto bailout, dismissing him as a one-issue candidate and hitting him once again for his stance on guns.

The Vermont senator reached back to the 1990s as he went after Clintons support for disastrous trade agreements like NAFTA. His rhetoric was notably more pointed and, reflecting the tension in the race, Sanders even cut her off at times as she tried to speak over him.

Excuse me, Im talking, Sanders snapped, during one feisty exchange on the economy.

But Clinton pushed back, and defended the countrys economic progress during her husbands administration.

If were going to argue about the 90s, lets try to get the facts straight, she said, touting the jobs and income growth that came with the era.

Sanders also tried to cast Clinton as soft on climate change, while declaring he unequivocally does not support fracking. Clinton maintained she has the most comprehensive plan to combat climate change.

The clashes came after Sanders won the Maine Democratic caucuses, adding to wins the night before in Nebraska and Kansas  by far the most successful two days of his campaign.

But Sanders remains significantly behind in the race for delegates, with Clinton having won more  and more valuable  state contests, as well as enjoying the overwhelming support of so-called superdelegates. Sanders is looking for a game-changer as the race heads next to states like Michigan this coming Tuesday, and Ohio and Florida the week after that.

Sanders cited his most recent wins at the end of Sundays debate, in arguing he would be the better candidate to go up against Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

He began to joke hed give his right arm to run against the billionaire businessman and then cited polls saying, Sanders versus Trump does a lot better than Clinton versus Trump.

But while Sanders said hes exciting working-class and young voters, Clinton pointed to the raw numbers.

Theres only one candidate [in either primary campaign] who has more votes than [Trump], and thats me, Clinton said. I will look forward to engaging him.

With the CNN-hosted debate held in Michigan, the states economic and crime problems were front and center.

On gun control, the two candidates sparred sharply, with Clinton using the Sandy Hook massacre to make a point about holding gun makers responsible for crimes  and Sanders arguing that position would effectively mean an America without guns.

The dispute started when Sanders defended his past support for a bill to help protect gun manufacturers and sellers from lawsuits. He said if gun sellers and makers are held liable in many of these cases, What youre really talking about is ending gun manufacturing in America.

Clinton countered that no other industry in America has absolute immunity, and invoked the Sandy Hook mass shooting.

The Democratic rivals were most heated when talking about their respective records on the economy. Sanders went after Clinton over what he called disastrous trade agreements like NAFTA.

She countered by pointing out he opposed the auto industry bailout. He tried to describe it as the Wall Street bailout, and got a little feisty when she started to speak over him.

Excuse me, Im talking, he said. Your story is for voting for every disastrous trade agreement.

Clinton then called him a one-issue candidate. And on the auto bailout, she said, If everybody had voted the way he did, I believe the auto industry would have collapsed, taking 4 million jobs with it.

My one issue is trying to rebuild a disappearing middle class. Thats my one issue, Sanders said.

Meanwhile, at the top of the debate, Clinton and Sanders momentarily set aside their differences, to lament the plight of the people in the host city of Flint, and call for the governors resignation over the toxic water crisis.

Sanders said theres blame to go around but Republican Gov. Rick Snyder should resign.

Clinton echoed the remarks, saying, Amen to that.

The governor should resign or be recalled, she said, while also calling on the federal and state governments to send more money to the city.

The citys water crisis started when the city switched to the Flint River in 2014 while under a state-appointed emergency manager. While the state has taken much of the blame, officials with the city and federal government  as well as the state  have also resigned.

Clinton faced Sanders on the debate stage as she fights to shake her lone primary rival, who keeps notching just enough primary and caucus wins to keep his campaign alive, and a threat to her bid.

Sanders rode to victory in Maine in part on a huge turnout  Sanders beat Clinton by a ratio of nearly 2-to-1. The turnout was so big Sunday that some voters had to wait in line for more than four hours in Portland.

The victory gives Sanders a total of three victories over the weekend to Clintons one, in the Louisiana primary.

The results from Maine Sunday aren't binding, but will be used to select a slate of delegates to the state convention, where national delegates will be elected. Maine will send 25 delegates and 30 superdelegates.

On Super Tuesday last week, Clinton won seven states to Sanders four. She maintains a sizeable delegate lead  which before the Maine contest stood at 1,121 to 481. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the nomination.

But Sanders, even by winning lower-profile contests, has managed to at least demonstrate lingering weaknesses in the front-runners campaign as he draws an enthusiastic response in the grassroots-driven caucus states. Sanders sees upcoming Midwestern primaries as a crucial opportunity to slow her momentum by highlighting his trade policies  though Clinton has led in the polls in Michigan.

Geographically, were looking good, Sanders said Sunday on ABCs This Week. We have a path.

Sanders acknowledged his campaign has yet to connect with African-American voters, which hurt him badly in his South Carolina loss last month to Clinton.

However, he told ABC, I think youre going to see those numbers change.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Donald Trump renewed calls Saturday night for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to drop out of the Republican race, saying he wants to take on Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in a two-man GOP showdown for the 2016 party nomination.

Marco has to get out of the race. He has to, Trump said. Man, do I want to run against just Ted.

Trump and Cruz were Saturdays big winners, claiming two victories each in four Republican state contests. Trump won the Kentucky caucus and Louisiana primary while Cruz claimed caucus wins in Kansas and Maine.

Cruz attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a manifestation of a real shift in momentum.

He suggested it was time for Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to call it quits.

As long as the field remains divided, it gives Donald an advantage, Cruz said.

Despite the support of many elected officials, Rubios lackluster performance Saturday raises serious questions about his viability in the race. He finished in third place in every state that voted Saturday except Maine, where The Associated Press projected him to finish behind Kasich.

Rubio said the upcoming schedule of primaries would be "better for us," and renewed his vow to win his home state of Florida, claiming all 99 delegates there on March 15.

Saturdays races saw high voter turnout in several states. Turnout in Republican presidential caucuses in Kansas exceeded the party's most optimistic predictions.

State GOP Executive Director Clay Barker said at least 73,000 people cast ballots in Saturday's caucuses. He said there are another 6,000 provisional ballots and 1,000 absentee ballots sent to voters but not yet collected.

That compares to about 30,000 people voting in the state's GOP caucuses in 2012 and about 20,000 voting in 2008.

The party had 60,000 ballots printed this year and then warned caucus sites to be prepared to print more.

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance.

Party leaders -- including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain -- are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," Trump marveled about himself at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida. At the rally, the billionaire businessman had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

On the Democratic side, there was another divided verdict from voters. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders notched wins in the Nebraska and Kansas caucuses, while front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged a win in the Louisiana primary.

"No matter who wins this Democratic nomination, I have not the slightest doubt that on our worst day we will be infinitely better than the Republicans on their best day, Clinton said.

She also said she was thrilled to add to her delegate count and expected to do well in Michigans primary on Tuesday. But before that, she and Sanders will go head-to-head Sunday in Maines Democratic caucus where 30 delegates are up for grabs. Republicans will battle it out in Puerto Ricos GOP caucus for 23 delegates.

Despite Clintons commanding lead in the delegate count, Sanders vowed to keep fighting until the Democratic convention in Philadelphia this summer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Mitt Romney said Sunday that GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz winning two primary states this weekend proves the Texas senator can stop front-runner Donald Trump, but declined to rule out his own White House scenario.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and the Republicans' 2012 presidential nominee, repeated remarks from last week, telling Fox News Sunday that he wouldnt launch an eleventh-hour campaign for president. But he declined to reject being drafted at the GOP convention in July to be the partys general election candidate.

It would be absurd to say that if I were drafted Id say no, Romney said. We have four strong people running for the nomination. One of them will be the nominee.

Romney has occasionally weighed in on the 2016 GOP race. But he emerged in full force Thursday when he gave a speech in which he called Trump a phony and urged voters to instead back an establishment candidate like Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio or Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

It was a big night for Ted Cruz, Romney said Sunday about the Texas senator's Saturday wins in the Maine and Kansas caucuses. Thats because people are starting to take a better look at Donald Trump.

Romney returned to his argument that Trump touts being a successful New York real estate magnate and billionaire businessman. However, he has a long list of businesses failures including a commercial airline and his Trump University real estate school, Romney said.

Hes not the real deal, Romney told Fox. Hes a phony.

Still, Romney was pressed to explain why he accepted Trumps 2012 endorsement and acknowledge that all of Trumps business flops didnt happen after 2012.

Sixty-one million people voted for me, Romney said. I dont think all 61 million should be president of the United States.
The death of Nancy Reagan on Sunday has brought an outpouring of sympathy and honor for the former first lady from around the world and across political parties.

"Nancy Reagan once wrote that nothing could prepare you for living in the White House," said President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, in offering condolences to the Reagan family.

"She was right, of course. We were fortunate to benefit from her proud example, and her warm and generous advice. ... And we remain grateful for Nancy Reagan's life, thankful for her guidance, and prayerful that she and her beloved husband are together again."

Former GOP California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said: Nancy Reagan was one of my heroes. She served as first lady with unbelievable power, class and grace and left her mark on the world.

Reagan, the widow of former Republican President Ronald Reagan, died Sunday morning of congestive heart failure, according to her spokesperson. She was 94.

Former first lady Barbara Bush offered prayers and condolences from her and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush.

"Nancy Reagan was totally devoted to President Reagan, Barbara Bush said. We take comfort that they will be reunited once more.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "I remember Nancy as a noble woman who supported President Reagan and stood by his side. She will be remembered as a great friend of the State of Israel."

Front-running GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump called Reagan an amazing woman.

The wife of a truly great president, Trump also said. She will be missed."

Reagan died at her home in Los Angeles. She's set to be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., next to her husband.

The library is closed to the public Sunday so that the facility can be prepared for the viewing, memorial service and burial.

"Nancy was an extraordinary woman: a gracious first lady, proud mother, and devoted wife to President Reagan-her Ronnie," said former President and first lady Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. "Her strength of character was legendary. ... We join all Americans in extending our prayers and condolences to her beloved children and her entire family during this difficult time."

Reagan, whose husband died in 2004, had appeared frail after suffering several falls in recent years.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, another leading GOP presidential candidate, said Nancy Reagan will be remembered for her deep passion for this nation and love for her husband, Ronald. The Reagan family is in our prayers."

Former President and first lady George W. Bush and Laura Bush expressed sadness over Reagan's death.

"Mrs. Reagan was fiercely loyal to her beloved husband, and that devotion was matched only by her devotion to our country," the former first family said. "Her influence on the White House was complete and lasting. ... Laura and I are grateful for the life of Nancy Reagan, and we send our condolences to the entire Reagan family."

Former President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter said Reagan "will always be admired for her strength of conviction and her lifelong devotion to her husband."

They also said her "just say no" campaign prevented many young people from "falling prey to the allure of drug use" and that her advocacy for stem cell research raised public awareness and influenced decision makers about vital research for Alzheimer's disease.
When Nancy Reagan (search) appeared at a fund-raising gala in Los Angeles last month to promote the expansion of stem cell research, it was the latest stop in her evolution from Hollywood socialite to Alzheimer's (search) activist.

As first lady, Mrs. Reagan came under sharp criticism for focusing on designer clothes and White House parties, while sometimes ignoring important social issues.

Her husband's decade-long struggle against Alzheimer's changed all that, thrusting her into a political battle over the funding of stem cell research that is opposed by anti-abortion activists and the Bush administration.

"Ronnie's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him," Mrs. Reagan said at the fundraiser, in her first public comments on the controversial research. "Because of this I'm determined to do whatever I can to save other families from this pain. I just don't see how we can turn our backs on this."

President Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1994, when he was 83 years old, and Mrs. Reagan devoted herself to his care. That dedication, as well as her fight against Alzheimer's, helped to soften her image and perhaps reshape her legacy.

"She's been an absolute model caregiver, totally committed and devoted to her husband," said Sheldon Goldberg, president of the Alzheimer's Association. "It's been a tragedy for her, but she has offered extraordinary leadership on finding a cure for this disease."

In 1998, Mrs. Reagan authorized the Alzheimer's Association to establish the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Institute for Research, which has raised about $17 million so far. More recently, she has become a prominent advocate of stem cell research.

Stem cells are the body's building blocks, which scientists believe can be coaxed into specific cell types in order to repair organs or treat diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes.

Because the cells are usually taken from embryos, which are then destroyed, the research has met fierce opposition from anti-abortion activists, who believe that life begins at conception.

While President Bush has committed some federal money toward stem cell research (search), he also ordered sharp limits on the practice, funding research only on stem cell lines created before August 2001.

That led Mrs. Reagan and others  including some anti-abortion Republicans in Congress who have had personal experience with debilitating disease  to urge Bush to reconsider his position.

"It's hard to overstate or overestimate the power of her impassioned plea for the Bush administration to reform its stem cell policy," said Daniel Perry, President of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research. "She's given permission for very conservative, anti-abortion Republicans to disagree with Bush. It's a courageous stance against a president of her own party."

Much still is not known about Alzheimer's, which afflicts some 4.5 million mostly elderly Americans. The disease causes a gradual loss of brain cells, which depletes memory and thinking skills over time. Eventually, the loss of brain function can cause death.
Attorneys for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl said Saturday they may seek a deposition from presidential contender Donald Trump or call him as a witness at a legal proceeding, saying they fear his comments could affect their client's right to a fair trial.

Bergdahl's attorney Army Lt. Col. Franklin Rosenblatt asked Trump in a letter dated Saturday for an interview to discuss the Republican's comments about Bergdahl, who faces military charges after walking off a post in Afghanistan in 2009. The letter sent to Trump's New York office by registered mail says the interview would determine whether they will seek to have him give a deposition or appear as a witness at a legal hearing.

"I request to interview you as soon as possible about your comments about Sergeant Bergdahl during frequent appearances in front of large audiences in advance of his court-martial," Rosenblatt wrote in the letter on U.S. Army letterhead.

Defense attorney Eugene Fidell said Trump's statements could affect Bergahl's right to a fair trial. He added in an email to The Associated Press that the statements "raise a serious question as to whether he has compromised Sgt. Bergdahl's right to a fair trial."

A spokeswoman for Trump's campaign didn't immediately respond to an email and a phone call seeking comment.

Fidell had previously asked publicly that Trump cease making comments about Bergdahl such as Trump's comment in October that the soldier was a "traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed." Fidell has also said previously that Trump gave incorrect information about rescue efforts for Bergdahl during public speeches.

Bergdahl faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, a relatively rare charge that carries a punishment of up to life in prison. His trial had been tentatively scheduled for the summer, but legal wrangling over access to classified documents has caused delays.

Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, walked off his post in eastern Afghanistan on June 30, 2009, and was released in late May 2014 as part of a prisoner swap, in exchange for five detainees in Guantanamo Bay. The move prompted harsh criticism, with some in Congress accusing President Barack Obama of jeopardizing the safety of the country.

He was arraigned in December but has yet to enter a plea.
A lawyer for a retired Los Angeles police officer, who was given a knife found at O.J. Simpsons former estate, said he tried to turn it into the Los Angeles Police Department but they had no interest in it.

George Maycott retired from the LAPD in 1998 and thought to submit the knife to the department immediately in 2003 when it was given to him, according to the UK Daily Telegraph. Trent Copeland, Maycotts lawyer, denied the claim that the officer was a bumbling cop.

Maycott was working as a security guard on a film set at the time when a construction worker gave him a knife which he said was found on Simpsons former property in Brentwood.

Copeland told the Telegraph the man said to Maycott, Hey look, I found this knife on what I think is O.J. Simpsons property.

It is dirty, muddy and rusted out, but do you guys want it, the worker apparently said.

Copeland said immediately after Maycott was given the knife, Maycott called the LAPD traffic division to report what he was given.

O.J. Simpson has been acquitted (so) theres nothing we can do, Copeland said Maycott was told. Police cited the double jeopardy rule.

After talking with the police, Maycott believed the knife had no evidentiary value. He subsequently placed the object in a toolbox, where it remained for the next 13 years, the lawyer said.

He also doesnt want to be portrayed as the bumbling cop who had evidence here and did not do anything with it, Copeland told the paper. He did ask what he should do with that knife.

TMZ initially reported Friday that a construction worker found the knife years ago and gave it to an off-duty cop who kept it in his home before finally turning it over to police in January. Fox News confirmed that the knife was undergoing forensic testing.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ the blade is a folding Buck knife. It's now being tested for hair and DNA after it was handed over to the LAPDs Robbery and Homicide Division.

"It is being treated as we would all evidence," LAPD Capt. Andy Neiman said Friday. He added that police were "quite shocked" to learn about the knife after so many years.

The owner of Weber-Madgwick, the company that razed Simpsons Brentwood estate, told the Los Angeles Times Friday that no one on his crew found anything.

I think its a joke. I think its just filler. No one on my crew found anything, Mike Weber told the LA Times.

The construction crew spent six weeks tearing down the home where Simpson lived at the time of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in 1998. Jobs were being done at the property for at least two years as a new home was being built, Weber said.

Simpson's property was in the Brentwood section of LA. In 1995, a jury found him not guilty of murder after the so-called "Trial of the Century" dominated the media for months. Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, her friend, were found stabbed to death in June of 1994.

In 1997, a jury found Simpson civilly liable for the slayings. He's now imprisoned in Nevada on a robbery-kidnap conviction.

The weapon used in the killings has been a mystery for decades.

NBC News, citing unnamed law enforcement officials, reported that it was a smaller, relatively inexpensive utility-style blade typically carried by construction workers or other laborers and inconsistent with it being the murder weapon.

Sources told TMZ authorities are keeping their investigation top secret and under wraps, even logging the case into a computer system outside the official case file.

Click for more from the UK Daily Telegraph.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Marine died early Saturday morning after the boat he was in capsized near the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii, a base spokesman confirmed.

According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the 17-foot boat overturned with three men onboard near the north side of the base at around 2:15 a.m.

Two of the men were able to swim back to shore and notify the authorities, the paper reported.

The man was found unconscious under 30 feet of water around 8:25 a.m., the Star-Advertiser reported. Fire officials said he wasnt breathing and didnt have a pulse.

Chuck Little, a Marine Corps spokesman, said that the man is an active-duty Marine stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

We are saddened by the loss of one of our Marines, but are deeply grateful for the efforts of the Honolulu Fire Department and Coast Guard in this matter, Little added, according to Stars and Stripes.

He said he wouldnt identify the man until his next of kin are notified.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ten bison that escaped from a Wisconsin farm were shot and killed Saturday after roaming loose for more than six hours.

The owner of the farm in the Town of Paris told Fox6 News he had no choice.

I was sorry I had to kill those, but I didnt want anybody to get hurt, Tom Pierson told the station.

He told police 17 of them got loose around 8 a.m. Saturday. Seven were corralled and returned to the farm.

Those still on the loose wandered miles away, walking through traffic and yards, the station reported.

The bison escaped when a tree knocked down a fence.

Bison dont herd, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth told Fox6. Theyre not like cattle or like horses -- and theyre extremely dangerous, too.

Beth said the animals started charging toward people.

They went through a fence and it became dangerous, he said.

Authorities told the station that tranquilizers wouldnt have stopped the 1,500 pound animals.

Click here for more from Fox6 News.


At least 25 people drowned off the Turkish coast while trying to reach Greece on Sunday, while Macedonian authorities imposed further restrictions on refugees trying to cross the Greek border.

The Turkish coast guard launched a search-and-rescue mission for other migrants believed to be missing from the accident, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The coast guard rescued 15 other migrants off the Aegean Sea resort of Didim, it added.

The dead included three children, according to private Dogan news agency.

Meanwhile, Greek police officials said Macedonian authorities are only allowing those from cities they consider to be affected by war to cross the Idomeni border crossing from Greece. That means people from cities such as Aleppo in Syria, for example, can enter, but those from the Syrian capital of Damascus or the Iraqi capital of Baghdad are being stopped.

The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak on the record.

A U.N. refugee agency official in Macedonia confirmed the new restrictions, and criticized the decision.

"This is not all right," said Ljubinka Brasnarska, UNHCR senior external relations assistant in Macedonia, told the AP. "Everybody from Syria who came needs international protection. This decision could be taken only by other competent international bodies, not by border authorities," she said, adding she couldn't explain the latest move.

The developments come a day before a summit between the European Union and Turkey to discuss the crisis, which has seen more than 1 million people reach Europe last year.

Nearly all refugees and other migrants who enter the EU have been doing so by taking small inflatable dinghies from the Turkish coast to the nearby Greek islands. With thousands of kilometers of coastline, Greece says it cannot staunch the flow unless Turkey stops the boats from leaving its shores.

Athens has also criticized Europe for not sticking to agreements to take in refugees in a relocation scheme that never really got off the ground.

"While Idomeni is closed for refugees and the flows from the islands, from the Turkish shores to the islands, remain, it must be perfectly clear that the immediate start of a reliable process of relocation of refugees from our country to other countries of the European Union is a matter of complete urgency," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Sunday during a speech to his party.

"And this is exactly what we will seek in the summit on Monday. Not just the wording that this is urgent, but that it will begin immediately and with a large number," Tsipras said.

While thousands arrive in Greece's main port of Piraeus from the islands, about 13,000-14,000 people remain stranded in Idomeni, with more arriving each day. The refugee camp has overflowed, with thousands pitching tents among the railway tracks and in adjacent fields.

The rate at which refugees are being allowed to cross had already been reduced to a trickle, with sometimes only a few dozen, or even nobody, being allowed to cross. Greek police said 240 people crossed between 6 a.m. Saturday and the same time Sunday morning.

The camp is beginning to take on a form of semi-permanence, with people realizing they will be spending at the very least several days in the fields. As morning broke, women swept the earth outside their tents with makeshift brooms made of twigs and leaves. Men stomped on branches pulled off trees nearby to use as firewood for small campfires to boil tea and cook.

Firewood is one of the main materials in short supply, and a large truck delivery Sunday night was quickly mobbed by hundreds of people in a mad scramble. Men and boys clambered up the sides of the truck, chucking logs to those below, while others climbed over each other to get into the back of the truck, hauling out as much as they could carry.

Throughout Sunday morning, dozens of local Greeks arrived in cars packed with clothes and food donations to distribute to the refugees. Many were mobbed as they arrived at the first tents, with men, women and children scrambling to receive whatever handouts they could.

The sheer numbers have overwhelmed Greek authorities. Massive queues of hundreds of people form from early in the morning, with people waiting for hours for a lunch-time sandwich.

While Greek officials have tried to discourage more people from arriving, and no longer allow buses to drive to the Idomeni border, hundreds continue to arrive each day, walking more than 15 kilometers (10 miles) from a nearby gas station where the United Nations refugee agency has set up large tents.

"We have been here five days, or six. Who remembers the days anymore," said Narjes al Shalaby, 27, from Damascus in Syria, travelling with her mother and two daughters, 5-year-old Maria and 10-year-old Bara'a. Her husband and third daughter are already in Germany.

"All we do here is sleep, wake up, sleep. We get hungry, we wait in the queue for two hours for a sandwich, we come back, we sleep some more," said Narjes, who worries about her daughters.

"She's grown up sooner that she should have," she says of Maria, who is sleeping in the back of the family's small tent. "She's aged."


WASHINGTON  If youve pulled an all-nighter and spent the next day feeling ravenously hungry as if you were in the movie Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, scientists may have just figured out why.

A new paper, recently published in the journal Sleep and partially funded by the Department of Defense, makes the case that sleep deprivation can trigger powerful changes in how you eat that are akin to the marijuana munchies. Researcher Erin Hanlon from the University of Chicago described the effect as enhancing the guilty pleasures of sweet, salty, high-fat and other potentially bad-for-you foods.

Hanlon and her colleagues study was smallinvolving just 14 healthy men and women in their 20sbut extremely controlled. All the participants came in for two four-day visits during which their sleep and food intake were closely monitored. During the first visit, the participants spent 8.5 hours in bed each night, resulting in an average of 7.5 hours of sleep. During the second, they were restricted to 4.5 hours in bed and got an average of 4.2 hours of sleep. At each visit they were given identical meals at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

While testing various aspects of their blood during the study, the scientists found an intriguing changelimiting sleep appeared to amplify and change the daily rhythm of a chemical signal known as endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol or 2-AG. Thats part of the bodys endocannabinoid system, which is believed to impact appetite as well as motor learning, pain and some cognitive functions and is the same one targeted by the active ingredient in marijuana.

In an interview, Hanlon explained that when asked about how they felt about food after normal sleep vs. short sleep, the study subjects reported feeling hungrier when they had had less sleep.

They had a stronger desire to eat and thought they could eat more, she said.

When the volunteers got a healthy or normal amount of sleep during the first stage of the study, blood levels of the signal tended to be low overnight, slowly rise during the day, and peak about 12:30 p.m. But when they were sleep-deprived in the second part of the study, their levels of 2-AG rose higher, peaking about 2:30 p.m., and remained elevated through the evening.

The corresponding impact on their feelings about food and eating habits was striking. Not only did they report higher scores for hunger and a stronger desire, they ate nearly twice as much fat as when they had slept for eight hours when they were given access to a buffet full of snacks, such as cookies, chips and candy.

Staying awake longer could lead the body to crave more food to create the additional energy it needs, Hanlon explained. However, while people are estimated to only need 17 extra calories per extra hour of being awake, the body appears to overcompensate by triggering bingeing.

In the study, for example, the participants ate an average of 300 extra calories, which is much more than they need and, if sustained over a long period of time, would likely lead to weight gain. Most of those extra calories were from carbohydrates and fat.

In a commentary accompanying the paper, Frank Scheer of the Medical Chronobiology Program at Harvard Universitys Brigham and Womens Hospital, said that despite the studys limitations, such as its small size and short duration, it provides compelling evidence that our brains as well as our bodies may be involved in triggering hunger when weve had inadequate sleep.

Hanlon said that the study implies that the accumulation of sleep loss should be taken more seriously given the extraordinary changes in the body the researcher saw in just four days.

The large overarching message is sleep restriction and sleep deficiency have been associated with multiple deleterious outcomes, and its important for us to realize that adequate sleep is an important aspect of maintaining good health, she said. People who believe in the old adage Ill sleep when Im dead need to revisit their thinking.
QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand  For travelers wanting to take in the mind-bogglingly stunning scenery of New Zealands South Island while getting a high-octane shot of adrenaline, Queenstown and the surrounding Fiordland area are bucket-list must-dos.

Queenstown is not only an adventure tourism capital, but its also home to an important place in bungee-jumping history. In November 1988, from Queenstowns Kawarau Bridge, bungee pioneers A.J. Hackett and Henry van Asch launched one of the worlds first commercially operated bungee jumping sites. More than 27 years later, Kawarau Bridge Bungy remains renowned as one of Queenstowns most exhilarating activities.

While a 141-foot jump might sound insane, not to mention fear-punching and adrenaline-driving, there are those who want more. The region also offers a plethora of other buzz-filled activities sure to knock the complacency out of any travel-weary adventurer. On the list of activities to consider are skydiving, jet boating, kayaking, whitewater rafting and rainforest trekking. And Queenstown can provide it.

When it comes to skydiving, jumpers leave the planes operated by NZONE Skydive Queenstown at more than 16,000 feet above sea level, well above peaceful Lake Wakatipu and the 2,319-foot heights of the craggy Remarkables mountain range that rivals western Canadas Rockies in magnificence.

There are few, if any, other places in the world where you can do some scenic mountain sightseeing while plunging at a velocity of 124 mph for 10,000 feet of free fall. In 60 seconds.

There are several jump options but my friend Andrew Benson and I went all the way and chose 15,000-foot jumps with experienced tandem skydivers. If youve never fully experienced being totally present in the moment, skydiving is the only way to go. Nothing else is happening as you plummet earthward before the canopy opens above you.

Do it with someone whose smile gives you joy, Andrew said.

NZONE also provides skydiving photographers to capture your jump for an extra fee. We took them up on the offer and wound up joining hands with our photographer in mid-air.

The mind-blowing rush of the free fall lasted 60 seconds after which we enjoyed five minutes of sailing through clear skies under the chutes canopies.

Next, a short bus ride from Queenstowns center took us to Shotover Jets Shotover River launch site. There, we donned black water slickers, emptied our pockets and strapped in for the speedboat ride. The half-hour trip took us at an exhilarating 75 mph through the rivers twisting narrow canyons.

We could almost reach out and touch canyon walls as the driver took hairpin bends and did 360-degree turns at high speed.

Keep your arms inside the boat, driver Mike Topp warned us.

Indeed, passengers are warned to alert staff if they suffer from a back or neck condition.

Then, a Real Journeys cruise took us through a howling gale through Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Area, and out onto the Tasman Sea. As the three-masted Milford Mariner turned to re-enter the sound, waves blasted the side of the boat. We got soaked but Andrew was dancing with glee like a little kid as I howled and grinned.

Around us, mist-embraced mountains poured waterfalls thousands of feet into the sounds waters.

While most enjoy a more sedate cruise on sunnier days, we leaned at angles approaching 45 degrees on the bow in winds approaching 43 mph.

It had been our intention to fly in by helicopter and kayak the sound with some hiking through the coastal rainforest. We went for the cruise when the weather dampened the original plan. Either way, we were going to get wetand we didnt care.

Another option for the sound is the four-day hike of the Milford Track, reputed to be one of the worlds best hikes. Next time!

In all, we spent two weeks in New Zealand, exploring the Coromandel Peninsulas beaches, skirting Tongariro National Park to see Mount Ngauruhoe, which was used as a stand-in for the fictional Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings films, and watching little blue penguins tumble out of the sea at night onto the beach at the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin.

However, it was Queenstown with its high-octane thrills that captured our hearts and left us gasping breathless for more.

Or, at the very least, lying on the grass after we got our skydive suits off gazing at others descending and muttering, Man, what a ride.
This year the Irish diaspora from Tokyo to Washington and from Dubai to Santiago will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the historic 1916 Easter Uprising. This is the event that started Ireland on the path to becoming an independent republic after nearly 800 years of occupation by a foreign power.

At select libraries in Fredericksburg, Irish-American Heritage Month displays will focus on this important anniversary, depict Irelands long road to freedom and identify the men and women who bravely organized the rebellion.

Seven signatories of the document proclaiming the Irish Republic, heroes of the 2016 Easter Rising, were executed in early May 1916. Nine more were executed in the coming weeks and months. This set the stage for the eventual creation of the Irish Free State and the English dominion of the State of Northern Ireland.

Copies of the Poblacht Na HEireann (Republic of Ireland) proclamation, information boards produced by the Central Rappahannock Regional Library Graphics Department and associated fact sheets will be displayed.

Information sheets about Irish/Irish-American contributions to the growth of our United States will be available for visitors.

These will explain how the Irish are inextricably linked to the development of the United States in fields ranging from politics and local, state, and federal leadership; science, labor, and industry; to entertainment.

At least 22 U.S. Presidents have Irish ancestral origins. The first men to walk on the moon, Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, were proud of their Irish heritage. More than 2000 Congressional Medals of Honor have been awarded to Irish-Americans. This is the extraordinary reality in the journey of Irish and Irish-Americans.

On Monday and March 14, Hibernians will be present and displays can be seen at the Salem Church Branch Library.

Month-long displays can be seen at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library in Fredericksburg and the Wilderness Library in Orange County.

Check with your local library branch for the times and dates when Hibernians will be present at those locations.
Dormitory near UST: Thomasian Residences a dorm walking distance to UST Opens

Thomasian Residences announced the availability of a new Dormitory near UST (University of Sto. Tomas) beginning january 2016. More information about this dorm can be found at http://thomasian-residences.rippledigitalmarketingsolutions.com or interested parties may call 0942 0068688.

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Thomasian Residences announced the availability of a new Dormitory near UST (University of Sto. Tomas) beginning january 2016. More information about this dorm can be found at http://thomasian-residences.rippledigitalmarketing... or interested parties may call 0942 0068688.

Thomasian Residences today announced the opening of a new Dormitory near University of Sto. Tomas for students and reviewees in need of a good Dorm near Sampaloc Manila specifically near UST (University of Sto. Tomas). This modern student accommodation is ready to accept reservations and serve students starting January 2016.

Everyone involved in the business is looking forward to this launch, since they are excited to serve everyone who needs a temporary abode near UST Dapitan area. Thomasian Residences is more than happy to be "A home away from home."

Ms. Kathy Lim, Marketing Officer at Thomasian Residences, when asked about the New Dormitory has this to say: "Thomasian Residences is excited to serve students and reviewees who are in need of a place to stay near UST. Several occupancy options are available to choose from to best suit our client's preferences. Visit Thomasian Residences at 1236 Santander st. Sampaloc Manila to check out the actual rooms to better appreciate. Call or text 0942-0068688 for more information."

Students looking for a Dormitory near UST (University of Sto. Tomas) will be happy to know that there is a new modern student accommodation ready to be occupied

Convenience is the primordial consideration why students choose to stay in a dormitory. With its strategic location, Thomasian Residences is walking distance to UST. It is just 3 to 5 min walk away from UST dapitan gate. Imagine the convenience it will bring to students to be just a few steps away from school. Students will no longer waste their time and energy in useless traffic from daily commute to and from home and school. Thus more time for study, extra curricular activities, rest and sleep.

This Dormitory near UST (University of Sto. Tomas), Thomasian Residences, will offer flexible room occupancy options. Students can choose single, double, triple and quad sharing options. Rooms have customised beds thus making it easy to convert rooms as the student desires. This aims to accommodate the preferences of the students if possible. Subject to availability, there are rooms with seperate toilet, lavatory and shower area - Kathy Lim said "This is an advantage because it allows simultaneous use of the areas by 3 students thus less waiting time for the students to get ready for school."

Those interested in finding out more about Thomasian Residences can do so by dropping by or visiting the business website at http://thomasian-residences.rippledigitalmarketing... or visit the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Thomasian-Residences-8386... Those needing more info can get in touch directly with Thomasian Residences at 0942-0068688 via call or text.

For more information about us, please visit http://thomasian-residences.rippledigitalmarketing...

Contact Info: Name: kathy lim Email: thomasian.residences@gmail.com Organization: Thomasian Residences Address: 1236 Santander Street, Sampaloc, Manila Phone: 0942 0068688

For more information about us, please visit http://thomasian-residences.rippledigitalmarketingsolutions.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Kathy Lim

Organization: Thomasian Residences

Address: 1236 Santander Street, Sampaloc, Manila

Phone: 0942 0068688

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Copy Buffett Software Review Released Warren Buffett Trading Secrets

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Tests Prove Online Marketing Results in 7 Days or Less For Local Businesses

U B All U R Business Solutions announces a new digital marketing strategy called "Local Authority Client Generation Solution." Business owners see results in 7 days.

--

Frustrated business professionals inspired Brad Harmon, founder of U B All U R Business Solutions, to develop solutions that work for local businesses. After years of studying, applying, validating, improving and implementing marketing strategies for authors, doctors, lawyers and service technicians, he created the "Local Authority Client Generation Solution."

"The problem is huge and fundamental," Brad began in an online interview. "Businesses need customers, clients, patients and members to survive and grow. The problem is they've been sold stuff, lots of stuff, by advertising companies; Newspapers, TV and Radio stations, Web Designers, etcetera, convinced to buy marketing tools: SEO, Pay-per-Click, Customer Relationship Management Systems, etcetera, without a core marketing strategy in place, and when they don't get the results they need, it is the economy's fault.

"People buy from people they know like and trust," Harmon explained. "The industry calls this Authority Marketing, which simply means, are they competent? Have they done it before and can they do it again? And what results did other clients get? When a business professional answers these three questions satisfactorily, they win the business. To that end, Local Authority Client Generation Solution was created."

Local Authority Client Generation Solution has three phases:

Phase 1: Leverage Happy Clients to Attract More Clients (Social Proof - lots of it)

Phase 2: Authority Content Creation and Syndication (Competence & Proof - digitally dispersed)

Phase 3: Authority Conversation Strategy (Systemized solution to create members, patients, clients and customer)

In tests, U B All U R Business Solutions found that most businesses saw results is 7 days or less after applying phases one or two. Looking for more proof, Harmon is recruiting 5 anonymous businesses from LinkedIn to be part of a case study. They will implement a phase for 30 days and track results.

What is an anonymous business? A business that doesn't show up on page one of google for what they want to be famous for. Everyone should show up for their business name, but not everyone shows up for what they do or sell. If the business doesn't show up when people are looking for the product or service, that is an anonymous business.

U B All U R Business Solutions is offering two complimentary tools to help business owners discover if they are an anonymous business, an Online Reputation Report and a Local Ranking Report.

Harmon was quick to point out that Local Authority Client Generation Solution is not an SEO product, yet one of the side effects is showing up more often in search results. Creating authority based content that informs people of a professional's competence, proof and social proof is what consumers, search engines and social media want, and the business is rewarded for it.

About U B All U R Business Solutions:

U B All U R Business solutions has been helping business professionals grow their business since 2010. Our marketing strategist design and implement digital marketing strategies that work. One of our most popular products is You Be All You Are TV

U B All U R Business Solutions 744 E. Scenic Drive The Dalles , Oregon 97058 United States 541-705-2670 Brad@YouBeAllYouAre.com http://myvideo.youbeallyouare.com/

For more information about us, please visit http://myvideo.youbeallyouare.com

Contact Info:

Name: Brad Harmon

Organization: U B All U R Business Solutions

Address: 744 E. Scenic Drive

Phone: 541-705-2670

Release ID: 106128

For more information visit r



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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Associated Press) -- The Florida Legislature is rejecting a proposed $3 billion gambling deal negotiated between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Gov. Rick Scott.

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The deal died Friday after the Florida House failed to consider a major gambling bill that allowed the tribe to add craps and roulette at their existing casinos. The bill would have also allowed slot machines to be added at existing dog and horse tracks across the state.

House leaders did not take up the legislation because a companion measure had completely stalled in a Senate committee. Senate leaders announced earlier this week that they had no plans to consider it.

The Seminole Tribe had promised thousands of new jobs and a $1.8 billion expansion of its casinos if the deal was approved.
Burgerville in Corvallis

The story: Officials of the Burgerville fast-food chain announced plans in September to open the companys first Corvallis location at 2300 N.W. Ninth St., the former home of a Wendys hamburger restaurant.

The latest: The Corvallis Development Services Division has issued a building permit for interior and exterior remodeling of the former Wendys building, and workers were at the site last week. The renovation project is valued at $405,000.

Bennett Hall

Willamette documentary

The story: Upriver, an hour-long documentary about environmental restoration efforts in the Willamette River basin, was released last year by Jeremy Monroe and David Herasimtschuk of Freshwaters Illustrated, a Corvallis nonprofit. The film had four outdoor screenings last fall in Corvallis and three other Willamette River communities.

The latest: The documentary will have its national premier March 18 in Washington, D.C., as part of the Environmental Film Festival in the Nations Capital. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion including Monroe, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell and several others. Upriver will play in Corvallis on April 2 at the Whiteside Theatre, 361 S.W. Madison Ave., as part of a fundraiser for Freshwaters Illustrated. The event will begin with live music from the Crescendo Show at 6:30 p.m., followed by the movie at 8. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door, with two drinks included in the price.

Bennett Hall

Toy gun standoff

The story: Sarah Maebell Rodgers, 21, had been at the Benton County Jail since Feb. 3 after a stay in Samaritan Mental Health following an incident in which she allegedly wielded a realistic-looking toy gun and told Corvallis police officers to shoot her on Dec. 29. She was recently denied release from jail.

The latest: Rodgers was recently taken to the Lincoln County Jail as parties negotiate a solution of how to handle the criminal case and several others involving Rodgers as she has mental health issues. "It remains my intention that she remain in custody while these cases are pending," said Andrew Jordan, assistant district attorney for Benton County.

Nathan Bruttell

Arson settlement

The story: Members of the Albany School Board voted 4-0 in February to send a letter to the board of trustees for Property and Casualty Coverage for Education, which is working with Greater Albany Public Schools to resolve the districts claim for arson at South Albany High School. The letter asks for an extension to the deadline that would allow the district, if it chose, to dispute a settlement. The districts coverage document states it has to file a request to dispute a claim within one year of the loss, but that cant be done while the settlement is still unknown.

The latest: The letter board members sent to the PACE board of trustees asked for an extension of the Mandatory Dispute Resolution filing deadline to September 30, 2016, an extension of the deadline for replacing items lost in the fire to September 30, 2016, and an extension of the Extra Expenses coverage (modulars, kitchen, etc.) through the end of the school year. The PACE board approved all three requests with one caveat: that only items lost in the fire that are identified prior to April 1 will be considered for reimbursement.

Jennifer Moody
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Coalition Strikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 5, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Rocket artillery and attack aircraft conducted two strikes in Syria:

-- Near Al Hawl, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed six ISIL buildings and two ISIL vehicles.

-- Near Palmyra, a strike destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and damaged an ISIL fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

Ground attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 12 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Al Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL rocket rail and an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Albu Hayat, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb.

-- Near Fallujah, a strike struck a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL bed down location.

-- Near Kisik, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles, two ISIL mortar positions, four ISIL vehicle bombs, and seven ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Mosul, a strike destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

-- Near Qayyarah, a strike destroyed an ISIL rocket position.

-- Near Ramadi, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL staging area, an ISIL tunnel, and an ISIL front end loader.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

-- Near Tal Afar, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Yemeni forces shoot down Saudi spy drone in Ibb

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 5:31PM

Yemeni army forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Committees, have reportedly shot down a Saudi spy drone flying over the war-torn country's southern province of Ibb.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was conducting a surveillance drone over al-Makhadir district in the province, located 194 kilometers (121 miles) south of the capital, Sana'a, on Saturday, when it was struck by a surface-to-air missile, Arabic-language al-Masirah satellite television network reported.

The development was the second of its kind in less than a week as Yemeni soldiers and allied forces targeted an Emirati drone in the sky over the town of Azan, located 550 kilometers (341 miles) southeast of Sana'a, on February 27. The downed aircraft was purportedly on a surveillance mission in the area.

On February 3, Yemeni army forces and fighters from Popular Committees shot down a Saudi spy aircraft over Harad district in the northwestern province of Hajjah.

The downing of the unmanned aerial vehicle came only a few days after Yemeni troops fired a surface-to-air missile at another Saudi spy drone in Yemen's northwestern Sa'ada Province.

Yemen has been under military attacks by Saudi Arabia since late March last year. The Saudi military strikes were launched to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement and bring the fugitive former president, Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi, back to power.

More than 8,400 people, among them 2,236 children, have been killed and 16,015 others injured since March 2015. The strikes have also taken a heavy toll on the impoverished country's facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools, and factories.

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Prominent Sudanese opposition leader Turabi dies at 84

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 5:10PM

Sudan's main opposition leader Hassan Abd Allah al-Turabi has reportedly lost his life after sinking into a coma and being transferred to a medical center in the capital, Khartoum, in critical condition earlier in the day.

Turabi, the late Secretary General of the Popular Congress Party, fell unconscious in his office on Saturday morning after apparently suffering a heart attack. He was shifted to the Royal Care International Hospital, where doctors and medical staff sought to save his life, Sky News Arabia television network reported.

His condition however did not improve in hospital, and he was pronounced dead in the evening. He was 84 years old.

Turabi was elected speaker of parliament in 1996 and was close to long-serving President Omar al-Bashir.

The influential Sudanese political figure formed the opposition Popular Congress Party in 1999 after breaking ranks with Bashir and his ruling National Congress Party following a bitter power struggle.

He was jailed several times over a career spanning four decades. His most recent imprisonment was on January 17, 2011, for nine days in the wake of popular uprisings against despotic regimes across North Africa.

Turabi was the only Sudanese politician to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for Bashir's arrest on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur.

He was fluent in English, French and German besides his mother tongue Arabic, and his foreign language skills helped him reach out to international media outlets, and fiercely criticize Bashir's government.

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Taliban sets conditions for peace talks with Afghan government

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 2:54PM

The Taliban militant group has refused to participate in peace talks with the Afghan government until its preconditions are fulfilled.

In a statement on Saturday, the militant group said "until the occupation of foreign troops ends, until Taliban names are removed from international blacklists and until our detainees are released," peace talks for an end to the conflict in Afghanistan will yield no results.

The Taliban also criticized the increase in the number of foreign troops in Afghanistan.

It also said that Afghan forces have intensified their battle against the militants.

Officials from Afghanistan, the United States, Pakistan and China met in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in February for a new round of talks aimed at reviving the peace process in the country.

The quartet said that the Afghan government and Taliban were expected to meet for face-to-face peace talks by the first week of March in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. But the Taliban denied they would be participating in any upcoming talks in Islamabad.

Over the past months, Taliban militants have captured some key areas in the north and south of Afghanistan. The militants have also carried out attacks in the capital, Kabul.

This has prompted renewed efforts in the country and by neighbors to revive stalled negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government.

Pakistan brokered direct peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban last summer following the announcement of the death of the group's founder Mullah Omar some two years earlier.

Many suspect that Taliban could reappear on the negotiating table as factional infighting and leadership division has deepened in the group since the death of Omar.

Afghanistan is gripped by insecurity more than 14 years after the United States and its allies attacked the country as part of Washington's so-called war on terror. Although the 2001 attack overthrew the Taliban, many areas across Afghanistan still face violence and insecurity.

Despite a previous pledge to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by the end of his presidency, US President Barack Obama announced last October that Washington will keep thousands of troops in the country when he leaves office in 2017.

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Top Polish generals quit ahead of NATO military drill

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 7:29AM

Several top generals in Poland have resigned months ahead of a NATO military drill in a surprise move that rattled the new government, already under fire for its controversial reforms.

"Five generals have submitted their resignations over the last few days," said the spokesman for the general command of the Polish armed forces, Szczepan Gluszczak, in a televised interview on Friday.

Gluszczak, however, did not reveal the identity of the generals but local media say the Polish military's Joint Chief of Staff Ireneusz Bartniak and senior commanders of armed forces are among those who have resigned.

Poland's Deputy Defense Minister Bartosz Kownacki slammed the resignations ahead of the NATO war games, dubbed Anaconda, slated for July. The Western military alliance will also hold a summit in the capital Warsaw at the same time.

NATO has increased its troops and military build-up in Poland and other Baltic nations in order to deter what it calls Russian threats. Moscow is bitterly opposed to the alliance's expansion at its doorsteps.

"We have Anaconda coming up and the NATO summit in Warsaw, and here we have commanders, the captains of the ships, fleeing," Kownacki said, without elaborating on the reason behind the resignations.

Former defense minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, described the atmosphere within the army as "very bad" and said "It's just the beginning of the end."

Local media speculate that the resignations may be in reaction to recent plans by new Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz to block promotions of military servicemen who joined the army prior to the disintegration of the former Soviet Union in 1991.

The new defense chief is believed to be on a crusade to stamp out all traces of the Communist-era in the government and the military amid tensions with Russia.

The development comes as the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) Party, which came to power in October 2015 after eight years in opposition, is facing criticism at home and abroad over a series of controversial reforms.

The PiS reforms grant the government more control over the constitutional court, state media and other institutions, a move that has also alarmed the European Union and prompted street protests.

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Macedonian Leader Blasts EU For Failing To Secure Borders

March 05, 2016

by RFE/RL

A Greek governor called for a national state of emergency and Bulgaria's prime minister said his government will send over 400 troops and other security personnel to guard its border with Greece, amid fears the migrant flow along the Balkan route will pick up with the onset of warmer weather.

The president of neighboring Macedonia, meanwhile, criticized the European Union for failing to resolve the crisis that is posing one of the gravest tests yet to the 28-member bloc.

Speaking before the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Rome on March 4, Macedonian leader Gjorge Ivanov said that after decades of having moved to establish the bloc as a border-free zone, 'Europe now has more walls than during the Cold War.'

Ivanov's comments, and the moves by Greek and Bulgarian officials, highlight the deepening conflict within the EU, and with its periphery neighbors, to craft a coordinated plan to deal with the hundreds of thousands of migrants flooding Europe from the Middle East and North Africa.

Macedonia, which is seeking EU membership, has rankled Brussels by erecting a barbed-wire fence at its border with Greece to prevent hundreds of thousands of migrants from transiting the country on their way to northern Europe.

In the Greek region of Macedonia -- which shares the same name as the country -- Governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas called on the central government to declare a state of emergency for the area surrounding the Idomeni border.

He said 13,000 to 14,000 people were trapped in Idomeni, while another 6,000 to 7,000 were being housed in refugee camps around the region. That means the area handles about 60 percent of the total number of migrants in the country.

'It's a huge humanitarian crisis. I have asked the government to declare the area in a state of emergency,' Tzitzikostas said March 5. 'This cannot continue for much longer.'

In his speech in Vienna, Ivanov said Athens was the 'weakest link' in Europe today because it has failed to secure its borders.

'Europe is only as strong as its weakest link, and today that link is Greece,' he said.

He said Macedonia had to build a wall because Greece was unable to prevent migrants from entering its territory on boats manned by people smugglers from Turkey.

Meanwhile, speaking after security force exercises held along its border with Greece, Bulgaria's prime minister announced plans to send hundreds of security personnel to the border. Another 500 security personnel could be mobilized within hours if necessary, he said.

'Hundreds of people, more than 400, from the army, paramilitary police and police, will stay here permanently,' Boiko Borissov said March 5.

Last month, Bulgaria's parliament granted the army greater powers to help guard the country's borders. Previously, troops were only able to provide technical and logistic support.

EU member Bulgaria already has close to 2,000 police guarding its porous 260-kilometer frontier with Turkey and is currently extending a razor-wire fence.

The European Union and Turkey will hold a summit March 7 to discuss the refugee crisis.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Macedonian Information Agency

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/macedonian- leader-ivanov-blasts-eu-for-failing-secure- borders-migrants/27590669.html

Copyright (c) 2016. 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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Turkish Forces Kill Over Hundred Kurds in Cizre in One Week

Sputnik News

12:35 05.03.2016(updated 13:39 05.03.2016)

A representative of the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party to the United States told Sputnik that Turkish security forces have killed 137 Kurds in Cizre over the past week.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  At least 137 Kurds were killed in Cizre town over the past week as part of the continuous crackdown on the Kurds in the country, Mehmet Yuksel told Sputnik.

'In Cizre over the last week they killed 137 people,' Yuksel said.

One of the victims was Rohat Aktas, a young journalist who worked for the oldest Kurdish newspaper, he said.

According to Yuksel, Sur, a downtown district of Diyarbakir, the largest city of the Kurdish-populated southeast of Turkey, is now facing same atrocities.

'These were all Kurdish people, all civilians. They were all burned alive Right now we are facing the same situation in Sur. Over 200 civilians were killed there. The situation is getting tougher day by day,' Yuksel said.

Diyarbakir is considered to be an unofficial capital of the Turkish Kurds. In recent months it has seen a number of attacks by Ankara as part of the security forces' operation against Kurdish fighters allegedly linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Security forces are enforcing a curfew in the city and, according to Yuksel, set buildings on fire.

Various radical groups, including the Daesh, as well a lot of fighters hired by Turkey to fight Kurds have an easy access to refugee camps at the border with Syria, a representative of the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party to the United States said.

'Radical groups, Daesh [outlawed in Russia] easily have access to these camps. A lot of the fighters against the Kurds have refugee camps' IDs,' Mehmet Yuksel said.

Turkey's Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party is an alliance of several pro-Kurdish movements, founded in 2012, which places strong emphasis on minority rights.

Turkish security forces are conducting "ethnic clearances," forcing Kurds to flee the country, Mehmet Yuksel added.

'The Turkish security forces are violent against the Kurdish population. They are trying to move the population out of their territories, because they are destroying the buildings so that people cannot go back. This is some kind of an ethnic clearance against the Kurds,' Yuksel said.

He added that the issue should be raised at the United Nations.

'But unfortunately we don't have any country that is bringing it to the international agenda, saying that look, there is an ethnic clearance in Turkey,' Yuksel said.

He added that Russia might be the only country that can raise the Kurdish issue in the United Nations, reminding that Ankara downed the Russian plane over an alleged violation of Turkish airspace in November.

'The situation in Diyarbakir is tightly connected to the Syrian issue. In Syria Kurds gained more territories and rights, and Turkey is afraid that in Turkey they will ask for the same. We are asking for decentralization in Turkey and some kind of local autonomy for the Kurds. Turkey does not want to accept that,' Yuksel said.

The central Sur district of Diyarbakir, which houses historic monuments dating back to 400 BC, has been the site of confrontations between the Kurdish activists and Ankara forces.

According to the Turkish General Staff, over 1,000 Kurdish militants have been killed since mid-December. Kurdish activists, in their turn, argue that most of the dead were civilian victims.

According to Yuksel, the most recent attacks carried out by Ankara against the Kurds took place in Diyarbakir and Cizre, where at least 137 people have been killed over the past week.

Turkey's Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party is an alliance of several pro-Kurdish movements, founded in 2012, which places strong emphasis on minority rights.

 Sputnik

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Taliban Militants Cast Doubt on Peace Talks With Afghan Government

by Ayaz Gul, Ken Schwartz March 05, 2016

Afghanistan's Taliban militants are casting further doubt on prospects for peace talks with the Kabul government.

In a Pashto language statement given Saturday to VOA, the Taliban said their leadership had not yet decided to engage in talks with Kabul. They said they believed talks could not be productive until all foreign forces had left Afghanistan, sanctions on insurgent leaders had been removed and Taliban prisoners had been freed.

The statement said U.S. night raids in Afghanistan were continuing. It added that fresh American forces had been deployed to the battlefield and that Afghan forces had also intensified their operations. The Taliban said that in the light of those developments, peace talks would be meaningless.

In Washington on Saturday, the State Department urged Taliban leaders to change their minds and commit to talks.

'The Taliban have a choice  to join good-faith negotiations for peace, or continue to fight a war in which they are killing their fellow Afghans and destroying their country,' a spokesman said in a statement. 'If they choose the latter course, they will continue to face the combined efforts of the Afghan security forces and their international partners.'

Diplomats from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the U.S. who have organized the talks had hoped the conference would begin the first week in March.

Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal, told VOA on Friday that 'there is a lot happening in the background' and said he expected peace talks to start within days.

In a video conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday, President Barack Obama stressed U.S. support for a peace process that he said 'reduces violence and ensures lasting stability in Afghanistan and the region.'

White House officials said both presidents intended to use the July NATO summit in Warsaw to reaffirm international support for peace in Afghanistan.

Obama announced late last year that he was postponing the withdrawal of most U.S. forces in Afghanistan for one year, until he leaves office in January 2017.

U.S. troops are training Afghan forces in taking full responsibility for providing their own security against the Taliban and other militants.

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Cameroon's Capital on Edge About Potential Terrorist Attack

by Moki Edwin Kindzeka March 05, 2016

Panic has gripped Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, after a confidential letter from the country's defense minister leaked to social media stating that Boko Haram terrorists had arrived in the city.

The letter from Joseph Beti Assomo to top military officers called for vigilance and additional deployment of troops to ministerial buildings and public areas, such as markets, churches and schools. Military officials said the leak occurred because of lapses in their information system.

In light of the information, some residents have decided to lie low. Businesswoman Belinda Tatah said that when she heard Assomo had urged the military to stop a possible terrorist attack in the capital, she decided to avoid all public places and gatherings.

'You know, if the minister of defense signs a confidential note that there are terrorists in town, any normal human being should be afraid,' Tatah said. 'That is why I have decided not to go out, because I am too scared.'

The letter called for increased security at government buildings, army barracks, military hospitals and "crowded' public places. It also called for collaboration between the public and vigilante groups.

Security staff deployed

Adrien Njoya, an official at a private security company that filters access to major hotels in Yaounde, said he deployed more of his staff when they were informed of the threats. He said that because the enemy was reportedly at work, he had asked his staff to thoroughly search everyone, even their brothers and sisters who come visiting. He said everyone visiting the hotel should be identified.

Assomo instructed the head of the brigade that protects citizens in the capital to be vigilant and to track suspects immediately. He said intelligence gathering should be intensified immediately and that economic activity, political institutions, diplomatic missions and all foreigners living in Cameroon should be protected. He said terrorism threats in Yaounde were real.

Since their insurgency spilled over into Cameroon three years ago, Boko Haram terrorists have operated only on the country's northern border with Nigeria. No attacks have been reported in the southern parts of the central African state.

Historically, large open markets, hotels, parks and sporting venues have been targeted by terrorists. Some countries have advised their citizens to maintain restrictions on travel to northern Cameroon, especially travel within 100 kilometers of the border with Nigeria's Adamawa and Borno states.

Diplomatic missions, including the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde, urged expatriates to exercise caution.

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"The Soviet knight is dying inside his armor.

You are in danger only from our lies."

John le Carre "The Russia House" - 1991

A New Arms Race??

The new Russian arms race started slow and petered out fast. Putin's Russia announced a series of ambitious arms programs to develop new counterparts to many Western systems. But by 2015 these new inititatives had largely fizzeled. Experts estimated that in 2005, 70-80 percent of Russian military equipment was obsolete. Many weapons systems production have fallen behind schedule, are turning out poor quality equipment, or have major cost overruns.

Russia's steps in 2008 to flex its military muscles were designed both to impress the Russian public in an election year that Putin had re-established Russia as a major player on the world stage, and to underscore that Russia will no longer engage NATO and the West from a position of weakness. Putin's "2020" speech to Russia's State Council 08 February 2008 accused the "most developed countries" of starting a new arms race, and claimed Russia would invest the necessary resources to begin production of new weapons. But inflation, inefficiency, corruption and, above all, Russia's lack of a modern strategic military doctrine and leaders to implement it continue to erode efforts to realize Putin's goal of modern, effective armed forces.

In his February 8 "2020" speech, Putin said "finally, Russia has returned to the world stage as a strong state, a country that others heed and that can stand up for itself." He stressed that in response to "new challenges," Russia would begin production of new types of weapons, the quality of which would be "as good and in some cases even surpass those of other countries." He also emphasized that Russia would rethink its strategy on how the Armed Forces were organized, and work to improve the quality and reputation of military service.

The Russians stopped buying new military hardware with the end of the Cold War, and only resumed aquisition on a modest scale after 2010. So the Russians now are increasingly keen to find enemies and threats everywhere [Georgia, Poland, America, etc] to justify a major increase in procurement of military hardware. The Russian problem is four-fold:

If Russia does not undertake a massive increase in military spending soon, their military will be about as capable as the Pope's Switzers - nice to look at, but no threat to anyone. This the Party of Power does not like to contemplate. The armored forces are equipped with a large number of tanks of various kinds, but very few meet modern standards. The average Russian tank is over 20 years old, and a significant number are 40 years and older. Much the same can be said of Russian combat aircraft, which were for the most part designed in the 1970s and built in the 1980s. Since the end of the Cold War, Russian defense industry has largely relied on international sales to stay in business. During the Cold War it was said that American military hardware was 10 years ahead of the Soviets and 25 years ahead of the Chinese. Now the Chinese have pulled just ahead of the Russians [the Chinese seem to have more Flankers than the Russians], the latest CHICOM guided missile destroyer has RCS reduction features like the US Arleigh Burke, but more extensive than anything on a Russian major surface combatant, and the CHICOM ASAT test in Jan 2007 was a more sophisticated technology than anything the Soviets ever tested, etc etc. Having sold the Chinese the store and the factory, Russian industry is losing their best customers. By 2004, India had become the owner of a larger number of modern Russian tanks than the Russian army itself. India had 310 modern T-90s, while Russia had no more than 150 T-90s at that time. By 2008 Russia had 321 Su-27 Flankers, and plan to buy no more. The Chinese had 420 Su-27 Flankers, and planned to buy hundreds more. Russia's arms exports grew from less than $3 billion in 2000 to $6.1 billion in 2007. At that time Rosoboronexport, the Russian arms exporter, had around $20 billion worth of contracts, which would ensure the operation of defense-industry enterprises for another five to seven years. But the end of Russian reliance on international sales to sustain the industrial base is in sight. A total of 237 billion rubles (US$ 8.8 billion) was set aside for military arms and equipment in 2006, as compared with 183 billion rubles (US$ 6.7 billion) the previous year. The longer the erosion of the Russian defense industrial base is allowed to continued, the more difficult it will be to halt and reverse the decay. A substantial fraction of the workforce drifted away some time ago, in search of better career opportunities, and those who remain are generally older workers contemplating retirement. Part of the problem is the lack of subcontractors and skilled personnel able to carry out Russia's ambitious projects. Safranchuk explained that during the 1990s' cutbacks in defense spending, many subcontractors went out of business or scaled back production lines dramatically due to lack of orders. Specialty and highly-skilled workers left for other fields. There is a major effort to bring production lines back into service, but it would be years before they are able to operate at the necessary capacity. Similarly, there are efforts to increase technical training and provide incentives for young Russians to enter technical fields, but again it is a long-term process. Increasingly elderly design and production facilities are suited for legacy weapons, rather than world standard designs. Oil and natural gas exports have had the perverse effect of encouraging the imports of European manufactured goods, leading to the de-industralization of the Russian economy. The emerging Russian Rust Belt cannot sustain a world class machine tool industry, which would be the foundation on which a Russian arms industry might be revived. Oil and natural gas revenues will not solve this problem. Petroleum revenues to the Russian state budget total about $100 billion annually, with no substantial increase in prospect, and decline forecast by some. The Russian military budget has doubled in recent years, from $25 billion in 2006 to $50 billion in 2009. But this compares to a US military budget of over $600 billion annually. In 2006 2006 a new state armaments program, which will span 2007-2015, was agreed upon for an estimated 4.9 trillion rubles (US$186 billion). OF that total, 63% [$117 B] was to be allocated over nine years for the procurement of modern weapons and euipment and 27% [[$69 B]] towards defense research and development. In Fiscal Year 2007, the US defense budget for that year alone was $134 Billion for procurement and $77 Billion for research and development. A little money will not solve this problem, only a lot more money will have much impact. Today's Russia is saddled with the Cold War defense industrial base of the Soviet era. The vast majority of enterprises that were designing and producing weapons when the Cold War ended have continued in this line of work, only at a vastly reduced [and thus extremely inefficient] pace. The military contest with the West was a great burden on the Soviet economy in no small measure due to the extreme inefficiency of Soviet defense industry. In retrospect, the debate over the magnitude of the Soviet defense effort must be seen as an argument over the efficiency of Soviet defense industry. It was not a debate over outputs [tanks, planes, etc], but rather over the efficiency with which economic inputs were translated into these outputs. The "hawks" who argued that the Soviets were spending a substantially greater fraction of their GDP on their military were contending, in essence, that Soviet defense industry was extremely in-efficient, while the "doves" assumed that Soviet defense industry was extremely efficient. The hawks were right, and Russian defense industry is extremly in-efficient compared to that of the Soviet Union.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Mar 12, 2016 that budget cuts prompted by Russia's economic difficulties will not impact Moscow's military modernization plans. He made the remarks during an address to Russia's top military authorities as well as top executives of the country's arms industries. Putin said the military received hundreds of new warplanes, missiles and armored vehicles last year as part of the Kremlin's weapons upgrade program. He also revealed that in the past year, the Russian military had received 96 new aircraft, 81 helicopters, 152 air defense systems, 291 radars as well as over 400 armored vehicles and artillery systems. Putin said Russian defense industries have significantly reduced their dependence on imports, but continue to remain reliant on some foreign-manufactured parts.

Hopes for the fielding of the BMPT were dashed in 2010 when the Russian MoD announced that funding for BMPT had been cancelled. Initially, it was reported that cause of the cancellation stemmed from the Russian defense ministers (at the time, Anatoly Serdyukov) desire to build a more Western military. In short order, the BMPT, BTR-90 and further T-90S tank acquisitions were all cancelled. In 2011, the T-95 Black Eagle program was cancelled, but the cancellation was attributed to the development of a new universal chassis, the Armata, which was intended to incorporate many of the T-95s features.

In early 2018, Putin announced that Russia was well underway in upgrading its strategic defenses amid NATO's increasing deployments by Russia's borders, US efforts to build a missile defense shield in Europe, and Washington's plans spend over a trillion dollars to modernize the country's nuclear arsenal.

In early July 2018, deputy prime minister in charge of the defense and space industry, Yuri Borisov, listed half a dozen new Russian weapons systems already deployed or in the final stages of development, which he said were superior to existing and prospective foreign analogues. These, he said, include the Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, the T-14 main battle tank, built on the Armata platform, the Su-57 fifth-gen stealth fighter, the S-500 air defense system, the Nudol anti-ballistic missile defense system, and the Tirada-2S satellite jamming system. All these systems are expected to begin seeing large-scale deliveries to the military by 2027.

Later in July 2018, the Russian Defense Ministry released videos of the testing and/or deployment of six new Russian weapons systems, including the Sarmat, the Poseidon nuclear torpedo, the Burevestnik nuclear cruise missile, the Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic missile, the Avangard hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, and the Peresvet laser system.

The Russia House

In Moscow, a sheaf of military secrets changes hands. If it arrives at its destination, and if its import is understood, the consequences could be cataclysmic. Barley Blair is a down-at-heels, jazz-loving London publisher impresses a dissident Soviet physicist during a drunken evening at a Moscow Book Fair. The physicist attempts to have Barley publish his insider's study purporting to prove Soviet defense systems are unworkable.

The Soviet scientist wants to pass on some vital information: the West has nothing to fear  not because the USSR is a peace-loving power, but because their rockets cannot reliably hit their targets. Our [Soviet] backwardness is our greatest military secret.

Washington and London should rejoice, right? Think again  vested interests would be seriously threatened if the menace from the East were to disappear. While the West feared Soviet power, the military-industrial state derived its justification from that very threat.

British intelligence steps in. Barley, after extensive vetting by both MI5 and the CIA, is made the go-between for further invaluable information. Along the way it has an explosive impact on the lives of three people: a Soviet physicist burdened with secrets; a beautiful young Russian woman to whom the papers are entrusted; and Barley Blair, a bewildered English publisher pressed into service by British Intelligence to ferret out the document's source.

The evocation of Moscow at the end of the Soviet era captures the citys decay, despair and dysfunction, memorably evoked in the hospital ward where a phone remains untapped chiefly because it has been forgotten. The clinic was designed by Dante and built by Franz Kafka.





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Military expenditure increase justified to safeguard nation and people

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 10:27, March 05, 2016

China will increase military expenditure by about 7 to 8 percent this year, according to Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the fourth session of the 12th National People's Congress. No wonder it has drawn worldwide attention as usual despite it will be a slower growth than that in the past years.

In recent years, foreign critics have been most concerned about the modernization of China's military, which is basically supported and guaranteed by the increase in its defense budget. But what these critics don't understand is that China's growing military capacity will not pose a threat to regional peace and security.

First, the increase in China's defense budget is justified, especially because its military's modernization has always been at an appropriate level.

China needs its armed forces to protect its peaceful development. This is important for maintaining peace and managing crises. China has to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, and to deal with both traditional and non-traditional security threats. Given these facts, China has every reason to develop its military's capabilities.

Militaries of all countries need to develop, for that is the global trend, and the Chinese military is no exception. Since China's military is in the semi-mechanized/mechanized stage of development, it still lags behind others in terms of capacity. And it will take a long time to become a fully modernized force.

The Chinese military's development is in proportion to its economic development, with the latter being the country's priority.

Second, to determine whether a country's military poses a threat to other countries, the key factor is not defense expenditure or the size and capability of its armed forces; instead, it is its defense policy and military strategy. A country with an aggressive policy could invade another country despite having a weaker military.

Another typical misconception about China's military is that, since its missiles can strike a certain country, it is capable of destroying that country's satellites and thus poses a threat to it. But the fact is, many countries have developed long-range strategic missiles, and the United States has the greatest capability of destroying other countries' space assets, and its weapon systems can attack any country. So, is the US the greatest threat to the world?

Also, let us not forget that the US has 11 aircraft carriers while China has just one, which is not fully operational. It is, therefore, clear that it is a country's defense policy that matters most whether it poses a threat to other countries. And China's national defense policy has always been defensive in nature and its military strategy is to strike only when it is struck.

Third, since China has developed at an unprecedented pace because of a peaceful environment, it is committed to maintaining peace. China plans to double the average income of its people by 2020 compared with 2010 and become a mid-level developed country by 2050. All this can be achieved only in a peaceful environment  a conflict or war will disrupt the process.

Today we live in a world of shared destinies and interdependence. In the 21st century, no country, including China, can rise by using military force. More importantly, China is dedicated to the path of peaceful development, a defensive defense policy and a military strategy of active defense.

China has a chapter of history of being bullied, invaded and semi-colonized. As a result, it will never pursue expansionism or hegemonism.

And fourth, with a reasonable increase in its budget, the Chinese military will develop steadily to fulfill its domestic and international obligations and responsibilities. Besides, China's military will continue to participate in UN peacekeeping missions, keep conducting escort and anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and other seas, as required, and work with other countries to maintain world peace.

The Chinese military is also committed to reducing risks, managing crises and controlling conflicts, so as to prevent untoward incidents that could disrupt peace and stability. With the growth in China's national strength, its military will be better prepared to shoulder more international responsibilities, provide more public security services to the international community and contribute more to world peace and common development.

The author is an associate researcher with the Institute of Strategic Studies, National Defense University, PLA.

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Xinhua Insight: The West needs to discard 10 biases against China

Xinhua

BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China's ongoing annual political high season has provided a key window through which observers can better understand China's development and its outlook.

However, if the nation and the annual two-week events are still viewed with rigid impressions offered by the West, then conclusions drawn are likely to be defective.

Observers should avoid a series of biases seen in the past if they seek true objectivity when understanding China today.

BIAS NO. 1: CHINA IS 'NOT A DEMOCRACY,' MAJOR DECISIONS DO NOT REFLECT PEOPLE'S WILL

The essence of democracy is to be responsible for the people.

In some nations, the checks and balances of power have resulted in a political stalemate in which bitterness between parties has worsened and opposition is raised simply to disagree, rather than to discuss.

They have also seen a handful of families and hidden interests exercising influence on elections via their wealth. This kind of democracy can hardly lead to the sound governance badly needed by the people, though it may look 'beautiful.'

From a realistic perspective, China's democratic decision-making has displayed relatively high quality and efficiency.

As a multi-ethnic nation with a large population and territory, China values reaching consensus through broad consultation before taking measures.

The formulation of the 13th five-year plan for the national economy and social development is exemplary of this effort.

It took about nine months for a team formed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to draft the plan's proposal, which marks priorities for national development from 2016 to 2020.

During the period, which started in January 2015, the team solicited and analyzed opinions from all walks of life and tried to include as many opinions as possible.

The proposal guided the creation of the 13th five-year plan. A draft of the plan was produced later after rounds of top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top consultation that covered all aspects of the society.

The draft plan will be submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC) for review during its ongoing annual session.

Once adopted, the propositions of the CPC will be elevated as the nation's will and implemented across the country.

Scientific and effective decision-making and implementation is a huge advantage for China's democratic system.

Currently, China is focusing on realizing the goal of finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, which is the people's biggest concern. One objective is to lift more than 70 million people out of poverty by the end of 2020, a number bigger than the population of either Britain or France. This goal not only conforms to the fundamental and long-term interests of the people but also safeguards human rights.

BIAS NO. 2: 'ONE-PARTY RULE' NATION CAN NOT ELIMINATE CORRUPTION

Historically, corruption is not the result of a political system, but is related to phases of economic development. In the process of industrialization, the Western nations all witnessed spreading corruption due to fast accumulation of wealth and lack of supervision.X Sure, there are problems with the CPC, which boasts more than 87 million members. Fortunately, it has been increasingly aware of the fact that if the violators are not punished, then it is offending the 1.3 billion population. Therefore, the CPC is highlighting the governing of Party members strictly.

Over the past three years, investigations into violators including Zhou Yongkang and Ling Jihua have demonstrated the CPC's determination to take a zero-tolerance stance against corruption.

China has also been carrying out cooperation with the international community to facilitate repatriation of corrupt fugitives, leaving no haven for those hoping to escape punishment.

The CPC's campaign against corruption is gaining ground, which not only enhanced the Party's soft power, but also offered experience for the international community to jointly stem corruption.

BIAS NO. 3: CHINA'S DEVELOPMENT MODE IS UNSUSTAINABLE

It is true that China is continuously facing problems and challenges in its development, but the cliche prediction of a 'coming collapse in China' made by speculators overseas has never come.

It seems unlikely such rhetoric will end this year however.

Over the 30-plus years since China's reform and opening up, every five-year development plan has been perfectly fulfilled. This is thanks to China choosing realistic development paths, which relies on the CPC's strong governance capability.

China's economic fundamentals remain sound and steady and the economy stays within a reasonable level. The political and social conditions are stable as well.

The CPC has put forward the five development concepts of innovation, coordination, green development, opening up and sharing and the 'Four Comprehensives' strategy keeps making progress, facts that ensure the constant unleashing of benefits from the country's reforms.

BIAS NO. 4: CHINA'S ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN DRAGS DOWN WORLD ECONOMY

This argument ignores the opportunities brought about by China's economic scale and potential.

China is the world's second largest economy, and a 6.5 percent growth is a huge propeller for the world's economy, whereas the Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) in its Interim Economic Outlook Forecasts put the growth rate of the United States at 2 percent this year and 2.2 percent for next year. The growth of Japan this year and next is expected to be 0.8 percent and 0.6 percent respectively.

In China, however, despite a slowing growth in some better-developed coastal areas, the development room for many inland regions remains broad.

China's drive to solve the economic imbalance among different regions provides huge potential for future economic development. Besides, China is encouraging and stimulating new dynamics with a new round of high-level opening-up, offering greater opportunities for investors all around the world.

Many observers also believe that the current slowing growth signals an increasingly mature Chinese economy, a 'new normal' situation that should be adapted to by both China and the world. They believe China will continue to be a major 'engine' for the world economy.

BIAS NO. 5: CHINA'S INCREASED MILITARY SPENDING THREATENS WORLD

To help better understand China's military spending, it may be advisable to first listen to U.S. President Barack Obama's recent State of the Union address. 'We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined. Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world,' the U.S. president said. 'No nation attacks us directly, or our allies, because they know that's the path to ruin.'

On the contrary, China's military expenditure has long been at a low level, putting the building of national defense under great pressure. The current defense spending rise reveals tremendous restraint by China.

The blame by some major countries on China is, no doubt, out of ulterior motives.

China implements an active defense military strategy. It will never attack others unless being attacked first and it will not waive the power to strike back if it is under attack from others.

The peaceful development of China has significantly reduced the risk of a world war.

BIAS NO. 6: IRRATIONAL NATIONALISM IN CHINA

In a sense, many localities in China are turning into 'cities of immigrants' where more foreigners are investing and living in. Chinese people always welcome them, despite the fact that Chinese have suffered century-long humiliation inflicted by foreign aggressors since the outbreak of the Opium War in mid-19th century till the founding of the New China.

Today, the comprehensive strength of the country has become increasingly stronger and the national pride and cohesion are also rising.

However, Chinese people are keeping a sober mind and understand that patriotism should be expressed in a rational, peaceful and inclusive manner and they are making their patriotism a motive to work hard and seek peaceful development.

China will never allow the emergence of any extreme nationalism, knowing that such mentality will put the nation in peril. It is incompatible with the CPC's peaceful ideology.

Moreover, the inclusive trait in Chinese culture is a powerful antidote to the parochial nationalism.

BIAS NO. 7: NO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CPC-RULED CHINA

People holding this view should visit China to see the fervor during Christmas or observe the devout prayers at mosques. If the government had really oppressed religions, such scenes could never occur.

The Chinese government's respect for religious freedom lies, to a great extent, in this country's profound culture and traditions. Historically, hostility between different religions hardly existed in China, not to mention a religious war. Such respect is also stipulated in the law to protect people's religious freedom.

According to international consensus, the choice of whether to worship and what to worship adheres to a country's law. If an individual commits crime or conducts terrorist activities in the name of religion, they must be handled in accordance with the law.

BIAS NO. 8: CHINA HAS NO INTERNET FREEDOM

China has more than 600 million Internet users, the most in the world, and has fostered such Internet giants as Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent.

If one understands Chinese and lives in China, he or she will find diversified topics on Chinese websites and heated online discussion. As a political stage that welcomes overseas media, the ongoing annual sessions of the country's national legislature and political advisory body have also drawn a huge amount opinions and suggestions from Internet users.

As a sovereignty, China doesn't allow the Internet to be outside the law. Overseas Internet companies are only permitted to enter the Chinese market if they obey Chinese laws. The Chinese government has tightened management on illegal remarks posted on the Internet and it won't tolerate the West using the Internet to set agendas to interfere in China's economic and social development.

Many countries have laws to manage the Internet and China will improve its network management.

BIAS NO. 9: CHINA PURSUING MILITARIZATION IN SOUTH CHINA SEA

Islands in the South China Sea were first discovered, named and used by the Chinese, and China was the first and continues to exercise sovereignty over these islands.

As a matter of fact, peace, security and stability are the common wishes for all countries in the region. China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are actively and steadily pushing forward consultations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea under the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Since the United States presented its Asia-Pacific rebalance strategy, the region that had been generally peaceful for many years has fallen into tumult. U.S. aircraft and ships have perennially conducted surveillance on countries in the region with increasing frequency, escalating regional tension. This is the greatest danger for 'militarization' in the South China Sea.

China has never held back freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Ironically, the United States urged China to obey the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the United States itself is unwilling to accede into.

BIAS NO. 10: 'BELT AND ROAD' GEOPOLITICAL TOOL

The Belt and Road Initiative doesn't solely belong to China. It rather belongs to the whole world.

Without exclusivity, the initiative is a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes and radiating across the oceans to America. Any interested country or region can join the network.

China's efforts to push forward progress for the Belt and Road Initiative, set up Silk Road Fund and call for the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have received positive responses from many countries. Future cooperation will be conducted under the principle of joint consultation, construction and benefits so as to realize common development and prosperity.

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EU extends sanctions against North Korea

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 9:12AM

The Philippines says it has impounded a North Korean vessel after the EU ratchets up sanctions in line with the UN's harshest measures adopted against Pyongyang.

In a statement, the European Union said 16 people and 12 companies were added to a list of some 60 individuals and groups who were hit with travel bans and asset freezes.

The European Council said the Friday move was in line with the United Nations Security Council's recent vote on more sanctions against Pyongyang.

On Wednesday, the 15-member council unanimously approved the toughest sanctions on North Korea in two decades by voting on a draft resolution crafted by the US.

The resolution bans the export of coal, iron, iron ore, gold, titanium ore, vanadium ore and rare earth minerals and prohibits aviation fuel sale to North Korea.

Countries are required to freeze the assets of firms linked to Pyongyang's nuclear program and are forbidden from opening new branches, subsidiaries and representative offices of North Korean banks.

Philippines confiscates North Korean ship

On Saturday, the Philippines said it had impounded a North Korean vessel in line with the new UN measures against Pyongyang.

Presidential spokesman Manolo Quezon said the 6,830-tonne cargo ship Jin Teng had been docked for three days in the port of Subic port and its crew will now be deported.

Following the UN move, North Korea fired six short-range missiles into the sea. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un also ordered the country's nuclear arsenal prepared for use at any time and the military to be in "pre-emptive attack" mode.

South Korea and the US officially began on Friday discussions on deploying an advanced missile system to counter what they deem the growing threat of North Korea's weapons capabilities.

China and Russia oppose the deployment of THAAD, which has powerful radar capable of penetrating deep into their countries.

The two countries held their second consultation on northeast Asia security in Moscow on Friday, calling for dialog to solve the Korean peninsula issue.

China said it 'resolutely opposes South Korea and the US deploying the THAAD system on the Korean peninsula.'

Beijing 'hopes the countries in question can proceed with caution so as not to damage China's legitimate security interests,' China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.

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North Korean Ship Impounded in Philippines Port

by VOA News March 05, 2016

The Philippines government says it has impounded a North Korean cargo ship in response to the new U.N. sanctions that went into effect this past week requiring inspections of all North Korean vessels in foreign ports.

The MV Jin Teng sailed into Subic Bay Thursday where inspectors said they found no suspicious cargo, but a number of safety violations that must be corrected before the ship can leave port.

The ship had come from an Indonesian port and was headed next to China. But now, Philippines presidential spokesman Manolo Quezon says the ship will not be allowed to leave port as scheduled, and the crew will be deported.

New toughest sanctions

This is the first known case of the new sanctions' impact on North Korean trade in the toughest measures instituted to date. The measures require inspections of all North Korean cargo entering or leaving the country by air or sea, and a ban on all sales or transfers of light arms or weapons to Pyongyang.

The violations aboard the 6,830-ton vessel included such items as missing or damaged equipment. Philippines authorities said there were no problems so far with the ship's cargo, which was reported as palm kernels.

On Thursday, North Korea fired six short-range missiles off its eastern coast, according to Seoul's Defense Ministry, which said the projectiles flew up to 150 kilometers before landing in the sea.

The North Korean news agency also quoted Kim on Friday threatening to carry out 'a preemptive attack' on North Korea's enemies.

North Korea often threatens nuclear strikes during times of elevated tensions. But experts question whether the North has the ability to place its nuclear weapons onto long-range missiles.

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Iraqi security forces recapture two areas in Anbar

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 1:50PM

Iraqi security forces, backed by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units, have fully liberated two districts in the conflict-ridden western province of Anbar from Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

Commander of the First Regiment of Popular Mobilization Units, Colonel Juma al-Jumaili, told Arabic-language al-Baghdadia satellite television network on Saturday that the forces had managed to establish complete control over Hamdaneen and Jazirah al-Jamilah, which lie east of the city of Fallujah.

Jumaili added that Iraqi forces had also killed dozens of Daesh terrorists during the liberation operations, and have advanced up to three kilometers away from the town of Karmah, located about 48 kilometers (30 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad.

He further noted that Iraqi government forces and their allies are making headway in their offensives east of Fallujah, which is situated about 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, Iraqi troopers have killed at least 17 members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, when the latter launched a surprise attack on army units in Hameziyah district, which is located east of Anbar's provincial capital city of Ramadi.

Major General Ismail al-Mahlawi, commander of Anbar Operation, said two buildings housing a large number of terrorists were also destroyed and twelve improvised explosive devices were defused in a separate operation. The remaining pockets of Takfiri militants fled Hameziyah to a nearby area as well.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh terrorists began an offensive through Iraqi territory in June 2014.

Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from Popular Mobilization Units are seeking to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.

According to a US official, the Iraqi army has launched an operation to liberate the northern city of Mosul, which has long served as the main seat of Daesh in the country.

Brett McGurk, US President Barack Obama's special envoy to the US-led coalition, announced the launch of the operation on Saturday, the al-Forat television reported.

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Iraq launches operation to liberate Mosul: US official

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 9:33AM

The Iraqi army launches an operation to liberate Mosul which has long served as the main seat of Daesh in the country, a US official says.

Brett McGurk, US President Barack Obama's special envoy to the US-led coalition, announced the launch of the operation on Saturday, the al-Forat television reported.

The offensive started by cutting the main road connecting Mosul to the Syrian city of Raqqah where Daesh is based, McGurk said, describing the operation as complicated.

The participation of US troops in the ground offensive will be possible only upon the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, he added.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by violence ever since Daesh mounted an offensive in the country in June 2014.

Mosul fell into the Daesh control early in the earliest days of the invasion. The Iraqi army has been fighting to liberate Daesh-held regions with the help of volunteer forces.

They have managed to retake some key towns and villages, including Tikrit and Baiji in Salahuddin Province and the city of Ramadi, the capital of the western province of Anbar.

More Iraqi army advances against Daesh

The spokesman for Fallujah volunteer forces said the Iraqi security troops along with volunteers and tribesmen have thwarted Daesh attacks in two areas in southern Fallujah, killing dozens of terrorists.

The operation also left three volunteer fighters dead and 17 others injured, he added.

Meanwhile, the commander of the Anbar operation reported the killing of 17 Daesh militants in northeastern Ramadi.

The Iraqi forces deactivated 12 booby traps and set off two bombs planted in houses, he went on to say.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for volunteer forces in northern Iraq announced that the troops have fired mortars at Daesh positions in a village in southern Kirkuk Province, leaving a number of terrorists dead and injured.

Furthermore, a blast took place near a market in southern Baghdad, killing an Iraqi citizen and wounding seven others.

In a similar incident, a booby trap targeted an army patrol vehicle in southeastern Baghdad, leaving four soldiers injured.

The governor of Salahuddin Province, Raed al-Jabouri, said some 150 families have returned to the village of Salam in the city of Baiji. Salam, along with four other villages, was recently liberated from Daesh.

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Iraqi Forces Kill 17 Fighters, Repel Daesh Attack East of Ramadi

Sputnik News

14:25 05.03.2016

Iraqi armed forces repulsed the attack of Daesh and killed 17 terrorists in the region of Hamidiyah east of Ramadi on an international high-speed highway, according to the Anbar province head of military operations.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Iraqi armed forces killed 17 Islamic State (ISIL, or Daesh in Arabic) jihadist group fighters in rebuffing an Daesh assault on army positions east of Ramadi, the Anbar province head of military operations told Iraqi media on Saturday.

'Daesh fighters attacked army troops in the region of Hamidiyah east of Ramadi on an international high-speed highway. The forces were able to repulse the attack and kill 17 fighters,' Ismail Mahlawi told the Alsumaria network.

The commander added that forces destroyed two terrorist hideouts and defused 12 explosive devices left by fighters in the region.

Mahli also noted that 14 Daesh fighters have been killed in US-led coalition airstrikes in Albu Obaid, another area east of Ramadi in Iraq.

Iraqi forces reportedly liberated areas east of Ramadi from IS militants in early February, two months after the national army announced it had regained full control of the capital of Anbar.

 Sputnik

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Expansion of Daesh scourge in Libya 'terrifying,' Ban says

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 3:4PM

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned of a "terrifying" expansion of the presence of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in Libya.

Ban said during his visit to Mauritania on Friday, "We face the terrifying scourge of Daesh expanding in Libya and beyond its borders."

The UN chief also warned "any outside player" not to "stoke the fires of conflict" in Libya.

Ban, who left Saturday for Algeria as part of his tour of West and North Africa, said the reverberations of the Libyan conflict echo far beyond the borders of Libya, adding that if international efforts succeed in restoring stability to the country, it would also benefit the whole Sahel region - and "our world" in general.

"All those with influence must use it to calm the situation and stop the fighting. It is utterly irresponsible for any outside player to stoke the fires," he said.

Libya has been in chaos since dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and later killed in 2011. The country has two rival governments, one based in the capital, Tripoli, and the other in the east, which enjoys the recognition of the international community. The two administrations have yet to fully accept a UN-brokered deal on establishing peace in the country.

Daesh, which is in control of some parts of Iraq and Syria, and other militants have largely benefited from the power vacuum in Libya. That has triggered concerns in backdoor Europe as a spillover of violence or a surge in the number of refugees coming from Libya could pose serious security threats to countries such as Italy.

Ban said the UN "is facilitating talks on a national unity government" in Libya through Martin Kobler, who is the special representative of the UN and the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.

Ban said, however, that he was "deeply concerned about the situation in Libya," as "there are alarming reports of widespread human rights violations, including serious abuses that may amount to war crimes."

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Libya Military Intervention Possible Only After Parliament Approval

Sputnik News

19:30 05.03.2016

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called for a 'balanced and long-term' solution to the instability in Libya, as UN-backed efforts to form a unity government were 'in full swing.'

ROME (Sputnik)  A military intervention in Libya is only possible after all needed hurdles, including Libyan parliamentary approval, are cleared, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Saturday.

The Corriere della Sera daily cited Renzi's secret February 10 decree on Thursday as saying 50 Italian special forces troops were ready to join US, UK and French counterparts to fight Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) jihadist group fighters in Libya.

'Mass media are attempting to present scenarios of an Italian war in Libya, which do not correspond to reality,' Renzi said as quoted by the Ansa news service.

The Italian prime minister called for a 'balanced and long-term' solution to the instability in the North African republic as UN-backed efforts to form a unity government were 'in full swing.'

'Only then will we be able to assess, based on the request of the legitimate government, the level of Italian participation. In any case, this will require the necessary parliamentary and organizational procedures,' he underscored.

The 50 anti-Daesh special forces would reportedly be under the purview of Italy's External Intelligence and Security Agency.

 Sputnik

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Russian Defense Budget to Be Cut by 5%, Not 10%

Sputnik News

19:33 05.03.2016(updated 19:43 05.03.2016)

Russian Ministry of Defense budget will be reduced not by 10, but by 5 percent, according to Deputy Defense Minister Tatiana Shevtsova.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Russian Defense Ministry's budget cuts will amount to 5 percent instead of the previously reported 10 percent and will not affect the state armament and social programs, Deputy Defense Minister Tatiana Shevtsova said on Saturday.

'The country's leadership, the president, decided that the state armaments program is entirely not subject to sequestration. It was also decided that the Ministry of Defense budget will be reduced not by 10, but by 5 percent,' Shevtsova told radio station Russian News Service.

She added that the ministry's social obligations toward Russian servicemen and women were also exempt from the budget cuts.

The 2016 military spending in the country was expected to amount to 3.14 trillion rubles ($43.6 billion at the current exchange rate) or 4 percent of GDP.

A 5-percent cut amounts to some 160 billion rubles.

In 2015, the Russian military budget was reduced by nearly 4 percent.

 Sputnik

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Russia's Northern Fleet Troops Hold Amphibious Assault Training Drills

Sputnik News

17:03 05.03.2016(updated 17:14 05.03.2016)

According to fleet spokesman, naval infantry and motorized troops with Russia's Northern Fleet held amphibious assault training drills in the Far North.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Naval infantry and motorized troops with Russia's Northern Fleet held amphibious assault training drills in the Far North, the fleet's spokesman said Saturday.

'Divisions of a separate naval infantry brigade and a separate motorized rifle brigade of the Northern Fleet's land and coastal forces conducted over-the-beach landing in the Liinakhamari rural locality of Murmansk Region,' Vadim Serga said.

Serga said 20 wheeled and track-type armored personnel carriers, BTR-80, BTR-82 and MT-LBV among them, as well as some 60 personnel took part in the drills. The servicemen conducted waterborne navigation of the APCs, as well as loading equipment on large landing craft both from the beach and on water, he added.

'The Kondopoga large landing craft crew taking part in the exercise held a series of artillery firing practice on visible beach targets while preparing for an amphibious assault landing operation,' the spokesman noted.

Serga added that military equipment was loaded onto the ship at the end of the drills for display at the March 13 military expo in the center of Russia's Arctic port-city of Murmansk.

 Sputnik

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Riyadh to receive French-made arms intended for Lebanon

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 4:19PM

Saudi Arabia will take delivery of French-manufactured arms originally ordered for the Lebanese army, following Riyadh's recent decision to retract USD four billion in military aid to Beirut.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir announced the plan on Saturday during a visit to France.

Last month, the Saudi regime said it had suspended USD three billion in military assistance to the Lebanese military and another USD one billion to the country's internal security forces.

The aid was cut after Lebanon refrained from endorsing Saudi-crafted statements against Iran at separate meetings held in Cairo and Jeddah.

The move also followed victories by the Syrian army, which is backed by fighters of Lebanon's resistance movement of Hezbollah, in its battle against Takfiri terrorists battling to topple the government in Damascus.

'We made the decision that we will stop the USD three billion from going to the Lebanese military and instead they will be re-diverted to the Saudi military,' Jubeir told journalists in Paris, adding, 'So the contracts (with France) will be completed but the clients will be the Saudi military.'

The aid is vital as the Lebanese army is fighting Takfiri militants from the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front and Daesh near the country's northeastern border with Syria.

France's arms delivery to Saudi Arabia comes amid Riyadh's ongoing military aggression against Yemen and its support for militant groups in Syria.

Several European countries including Germany, Britain and France have been engaged in major arms deals with the Saudi regime, turning a blind eye to calls by rights groups to cancel the agreements.

Back in February, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for the imposition of an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, and urging EU member states to stop selling weapons to Riyadh as it is accused of targeting civilians in Yemen.

According to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Saudi Arabia's imports for 2011-15 increased by 275 percent compared with 200610. The British government has licensed USD 7.8 billion in sales of arms, fighter jets and other military hardware to Riyadh since Prime Minister David Cameron came to power in 2010. France also signed USD-12-billion contracts with Saudi Arabia in 2015 alone.

Yemen has been under military attacks by Saudi Arabia since late March 2015. More than 8,300 people, among them 2,236 children, have been killed. The strikes have taken a heavy toll on the impoverished country's facilities and infrastructure, destroying many hospitals, schools and factories.

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Syrian opposition groups call for Russia's protection from Daesh

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 9:44PM

Several Syrian opposition groups have requested protection from Moscow as the Takfiri terrorists launch manhunt for those participating in a recently announced ceasefire, the Russian military says.

"They are asking us to provide their security and defend them from militants of the Daesh group and other terrorist organizations who declared a manhunt for opposition figures signing ceasefire agreements," said the head of the Russian truce center in Syria, Lieutenant General Sergey Kuralenko, on Saturday.

The ceasefire agreement, recently brokered by the United States and Russia, does not cover areas under the control of Daesh and the al-Qaedaaffiliated al-Nusra Front.

"From our part, we will help ensure the security of the leaders of the Syrian opposition units and heads of local administrations who signed agreements to end fighting and to start the reconciliation process," Kuralenko said.

He added that since the center opened last week in Russia's Hmeimim military base in Syria, 23 meetings had been held with opposition forces.

'During even this short period of time, we have noticed drastic changes in the process of the talks,' he said.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, around 30 opposition groups have so far joined the truce and six more are currently engaged in negotiations.

Meanwhile, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura noted that the latest round of Syria peace talks would get a staggered start later in the week.

'I see us beginning on (Thursday) March 10 when we will launch the process,' he added.

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YPG says Turkish troops fired on it in northeast Syria

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 4:28PM

A Syrian Kurdish group says the Turkish army has fired on its members in northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli on the border with Turkey.

Redur Xelil, an official from the Kurdish People's Protection Units, also known as YPG, said that one of their members was seriously wounded in the firing on Saturday.

The incident triggered clashes between the two sides, he said, adding, "The situation is now tense," near the Turkish border.

On Friday, the Kurdish group reported that Turkish tanks had fired dozens of shells at its positions in northwest Syria.

However, Turkey denied the report, saying that Turkish tanks shelled positions held by Daesh Takfiri terrorists not those of YPG.

Ankara accuses Syrian Kurdish group Democratic Union Party, also known as the PYD, and its military wing the YPG of having links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group that has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s.

The YPG, which is nearly in control of Syria's entire northern border with Turkey, has been fighting against Daesh.

Angered by the rapid advance of Syrian Kurdish fighters in areas near the Turkish border, Ankara shelled their positions inside Syria last month.

Ankara has widely been blamed for the surge in the conflict in Syria as it has been supporting anti-Damascus militants with funds, training and weapons.

Turkey has also been engaged in a large-scale campaign against the PKK in its southern border region in the past months. However, activists argue that clashes have led to the deaths of civilians and inflicted major damage to the buildings and infrastructure in the southeastern region of the country.

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Syrian Rebels Seize Iraq Border Crossing From Islamic State

March 05, 2016

Syrian rebel fighters seized control of a crossing on the Iraqi border, activists said, after air strikes from the U.S.-coalition battered Islamic State fighters, pushing them back from the Syrian side of the border.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said March 5 that rebel forces entered from Jordan to seize the Al-Tanf crossing on the Syrian side of the Iraqi border.

The fighting began a day earlier when fighters from the Free Syrian Army's Southern Front routed IS fighters, killing one and wounding several others, according to the Local Coordination Committees, an opposition network in Syria.

The Iraqi side of Al-Tanf remains under control of Islamic State fighters, who had initially seized both sides of the border in May 2015, activists said.

Along the rest of the border with Iraq, Islamic State militants control the key Albu Kamal crossing, but Kurdish fighters control Yarabiyah to the north.

After seizing vast swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 and 2015, Islamic State insurgents have seen their gains rolled back by Kurdish forces in Syria, as well as Iraqi forces and allied paramilitaries.

Brett McGurk, the lead U.S. envoy to the coalition fighting the group, said Islamic State, also known as Daesh, has lost important ground in Syria in recent weeks.

'The overall square kilometers that Daesh has now lost in Syria has increased exponentially in just over the last couple weeks. But it's not just the territories, it's the strategic nature of the territory,' McGurk told reporters in Baghdad.

The group still controls territory in Syria and Iraq, including Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul. It has also carried out a number of large bombings in Iraq over the past week that have killed dozens of people.

McGurk declined to put a timeline on when the group would be defeated or when Mosul and the Syrian city of Raqqa, considered the group's stronghold, would be retaken.

'Daesh is losing. As they lose, we focus increasingly on stabilization,' he added, referring to plans being made to rehabilitate and police cities recaptured from militants.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/syrian-rebels-seize- iraq-border-crossing-from-islamic-state/27590611.html

Copyright (c) 2016. 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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Russia Delivers 3,5 Metric Tons of Aid to Syria's Latakia Province

Sputnik News

19:53 05.03.2016(updated 20:10 05.03.2016)

The specialists of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation delivered food and drinking water to the residents of the settlement of Latakia as well as provided them with medical treatment, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Russian center for Syrian reconciliation has delivered 3,5 metric tons of humanitarian aid to the settlement in Syria's northeastern province of Latakia, the center said in a newsletter published Saturday.

'Russian Centre for reconciliation of opposing sides in the Syrian Arab Republic has transported 3.5 tons of humanitarian aid in al-Suria (Latakia province),' the newsletter published in English on the website of the Russian Defense Ministry said.

It was added in the newsletter that the specialists of the reconciliation center delivered food and drinking water to the residents of the settlement as well as provided them with medical treatment.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with the government forces fighting several opposition factions and militant groups. The conflict has significantly damaged the country's economy and caused a humanitarian disaster.

A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force on February 27 across Syria. It was supported by Damascus, as well as by dozens of opposition groups on the ground. The Islamic State and the Nusra Front (both outlawed in Russia) are not part of the deal.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Reconciliation Center Records Nine Ceasefire Violations

Sputnik News

18:27 05.03.2016(updated 18:33 05.03.2016)

Nine violations of the cessation of hostilities in Syria have been recorded, including six in the province of Aleppo and one each in Latakia and Daraa, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Hmeymim-based Russian center for Syrian reconciliation registered nine ceasefire violations over the past 24 hours, the center stated in a daily newsletter published on the Defense Ministry's website on Saturday.

'Over the past 24 hours nine violations of the cessation of hostilities have been recorded, including six in the province of Aleppo and one each in Latakia and Daraa,' the newsletter said.

It added that the most violations occurred on the outskirts of Aleppo, and accused Jabhat Ansar al-Din jihadist alliance of bombardments across four settlements in Aleppo.

In Daraa, al-Tawhid Brigade shelled pro-government forces from multiple rocket launcher systems, according to the newsletter.

 Sputnik

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Turkish Forces Attack Daesh Targets in Syria's Aleppo

Sputnik News

03:38 05.03.2016

Turkish forces have launched artillery fire against Daesh targets in the north of Syria's Aleppo province, Turkish media report.

ANKARA (Sputnik)  The attacks were carried out using T-155 Firtina (Storm) howitzers, military sources told Turkey's state Anadolu Agency on Friday.

Turkey has also been shelling the positions of Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria since February to stop Kurds from seizing ground in the area. Ankara considers the YPG to be an ally of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a separatist movement fighting for Kurdish self-determination in southeastern Turkey.

On Friday, the Russian military said that Ankara is fully responsible for continuation of hostilities in Syria's Aleppo and Idlib provinces as Turkey ensures steady supply of weapons to terrorists and keeps shelling groups of Kurdish militia fighting against Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra Front) radicals.

Syrian Kurds in the northern provinces on the border with Turkey have also been accusing Ankara of keeping the border open for militant groups and supplying them with weapons.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting against numerous opposition factions and extremist groups, including Daesh and Nusra Front, outlawed in a number of countries worldwide including Russia.

A US-Russia-brokered ceasefire came into force last Saturday across Syria. It was supported by the Syrian government and dozens of opposition groups on the ground. Daesh and Nusra Front are not part of the deal.

 Sputnik

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President Xi warns against 'Taiwan independence' in any form

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 22:22, March 05, 2016

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday warned against 'Taiwan independence,' saying the historical tragedy of national secession will not be allowed to repeat.

'We will resolutely contain the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities in any form,' said Xi when joining the group deliberation of lawmakers from Shanghai on the first day of the national legislature's annual session.

'We will safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and never allow the historical tragedy of national secession to happen again,' Xi said.

'It is the common wish and firm will of all Chinese people, and it is also our solemn commitment and responsibility to the history and the people,' he said.

'Our policy toward Taiwan is clear and consistent, which will not change along with the change in Taiwan's political situation,' Xi told the lawmakers.

'Compatriots from the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are expecting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and we should not make them disappointed,' he said.

'We will adhere to the '1992 Consensus' as a political foundation, and continuously advance the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties,' said the president.

Only by accepting the historical facts about the '1992 Consensus' and recognizing its core implications can the two sides have a common political foundation and maintain good interactions, Xi said.

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EU urges Turkey to respect media freedom after newspaper seizure

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 5, 2016 6:45PM

The European Union (EU) has called on Turkey to respect media freedom after Turkish police took control of the opposition newspaper Zaman.

"The EU has repeatedly stressed that Turkey, as (an EU) candidate country, needs to respect and promote high democratic standards and practices, including freedom of the media," the EU's diplomatic service said in a statement on Saturday.

On Friday afternoon, police forces clashed with demonstrators in a bid to smash their way into the office building and enforce a ruling handed down earlier in the day by the Istanbul Sixth Criminal Court of Peace ordering the management of the newspaper and its editorial board to be replaced by the board of trustees assigned by the court.

The court decision came at the request of the Istanbul prosecutor and sparked angry protests in front of the newspaper's office.

"Free, diverse and independent media constitute one of the cornerstones of a democratic society by facilitating the free flow of information and ideas, and by ensuring transparency and accountability," the EU statement said.

"Any country, and in particular those negotiating EU accession, needs to guarantee fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, and due judicial process, in line with the European Convention on Human Rights," it added.

Turkey has been seeking to gain accession to the 28-member European bloc since 2005.

Zaman, Turkey's top-selling newspaper, is known for its staunch opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The daily is also said to have close connection with US-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, an outspoken opponent of Erdogan and his policies.

Erdogan has accused Gulen and his followers of plotting to overthrow the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), a charge that Gulen denies.

The paper published a defiant edition on Saturday, warning of the "darkest days" in the history of the press.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the government takeover of Zaman, calling it the latest attempt by the Turkish president to "silence critical media."

Amnesty International also denounced the move, saying, "By lashing out and seeking to rein in critical voices, President Erdogan's government is steamrolling over human rights."

Nearly 2,000 journalists, bloggers and ordinary citizens, including teenagers, have been accused of insulting Erdogan. He has faced growing popular dissatisfaction over what critics say is his autocratic behavior and regarding criticism as insult.

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Turkish Police Disperse Protest As Newspaper Reopens After Takeover

March 05, 2016

by RFE/RL

Police in Istanbul used tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of demonstrators protesting the forceful takeover of Turkey's largest newspaper.

The Zaman newspaper reopened earlier on March 5 amid a heavy police presence, hours after police raided the building to enforce a court-ordered seizure.

Footage shows police firing tear gas and water cannons and forcibly breaking a gate to enter the offices overnight.

The Cihan news agency and the Today's Zaman English-language daily, which are part of the Feza Publications group that owns Zaman, are also affected by the court order placing Zaman under state control.

The newspaper is closely linked with U.S.-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most influential foe.

Erdogan has accused Gulen of conspiring to overthrow the government by building a network of supporters in the judiciary, police, and media. Gulen's movement has also been branded a terrorist organization, although it is not known to have carried out any acts of violence.

A court on March 4 appointed a state administrator to run Zaman and its sister outlets. State media say the decision was taken at the request of a prosecutor investigating the Gulen's movement on terrorism charges.

Zaman's seizure further reduces the number of independent media organizations in Turkey, which is dominated by pro-government news outlets.

The March 5 edition of Today's Zaman, published before the raid, printed its entire front page in black with the headline: 'Shameful Day For Free Press In Turkey.'

The swoop sparked concern in Washington and Brussels amid deepening worries over freedom of expression in Turkey.

State Department spokesman John Kirby condemned the takeover as 'the latest in a series of troubling judicial and law enforcement actions taken by the Turkish government targeting media outlets and others critical of it.'

EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said he was 'extremely worried' about the move, which he said 'jeopardizes progress' made by Ankara in other areas.

The takeover comes just days before a March 7 meeting during which EU leaders will try to convince Turkey to do more to curtail the flow of migrants traveling to Europe and take back thousands who do not qualify for asylum.

Some international rights advocacy groups have accused the European Union of muting its response to Zaman's seizure, and more generally to deteriorating freedoms in Turkey, due to the country's crucial role in the migrant crisis.

Daniel Calingaert, executive vice president of the U.S.-based watchdog Freedom House, said Washington and Brussels 'should not trade Turkey's support on migration and Syria for silence over the dismantling of democratic institutions.'

The European Federation of Journalists called on the European Union not to 'remain silent to the political seizure of Zaman newspaper.'

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and dpa

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/turkish- newspaper-reopens-zaman/27591021.html

Copyright (c) 2016. 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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Turkish Prime Minister Calls For 'Common Perspective' With Iran

March 05, 2016

by RFE/RL

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says Ankara and Tehran must develop 'common perspectives' in order to end sectarian strife in the region.

Davutoglu made the comments on March 5 during a visit to Tehran, the first in two years by a top Turkish leader.

'We may have different views, but we cannot change our history or our geography,' he said, standing alongside Iranian Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri.

'It is extremely important for Turkey and Iran to develop some common perspectives in order to end our region's fight among brothers, to stop the ethnic and sectarian conflicts,' he added.

Jahangiri admitted 'differences on some regional issues' but said Tehran is 'determined to manage the differences to reach stability in the region.'

Turkey and Iran are at odds over the war in Syria.

Iran's Shi'ite regime supports the Shi'ite leadership of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey is among his most outspoken critics and backs the Sunni opposition. Turkey is also close to Sunni Saudi Arabia, which has cut its diplomatic ties with Iran.

Davutoglu's visit comes amid a cessation of hostilities in Syria sponsored by the United States, Russia, and the United Nations which has largely held for the past week.

It also takes place days before the planned resumption of Syrian peace talks in Geneva.

Despite their differences on Syria, Turkey and Iran have largely maintained cordial diplomatic relations over the years.

Davutoglu said his country is eager to boost trade relations with Iran now that the West has eased sanctions over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

'The main obstacle that prevented us from reaching our goal were the sanctions,' he said.

He voiced confidence that Turkey and Iran will soon exceed their previous trade target of $30 billion annually.

Trade between the two nations was $9.7 billion in 2015, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/turkey-iran- common-perspective-davutoglu/27591016.html

Copyright (c) 2016. 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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Violent Clash in Istanbul at Newspaper Offices

by VOA News March 5, 2016

Turkish police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of protesters trying to resist a takeover of the country's biggest newspaper, seized by authorities in a crackdown on opposition media linked to a religious group whose leader lives in exile in the United States.

Police confronted around 500 protesters Saturday outside the Istanbul offices of Zaman, Turkey's largest-circulation daily.

Demonstrators chanted 'free media cannot be silenced' as police closed in, spraying tear gas and firing rubber bullets at the demonstrators, many of whom were women.

The police action began Friday, when helmeted officers used powerful streams of water and clouds of tear gas to push demonstrators away from the newspaper's headquarters, then cut through a metal fence to occupy the building and install court-appointed trustees.

Zaman's chief editor, Abdulhamit Bilici, addressing his staff before police stormed in, called Friday 'a black day for democracy' in Turkey. Media-rights groups have denounced the crackdown by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government

The crackdown, which also affected the English-language newspaper Today's Zaman, was the latest in a series of actions against Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, now a U.S. resident, whom the Ankara government accuses of treason.

Conspiracy accusations

Erdogan accuses Gulen of conspiring to overthrow the government by building a network of supporters in the judiciary, police and media. Gulen denies the charges. The two men were allies until police and prosecutors seen as sympathetic to Gulen opened a corruption probe into Erdogan's inner circle in 2013.

Zaman is Turkey's biggest-selling newspaper with a circulation of 650,000, according to media-sector monitor MedyaTava website.

EU stance

'Zaman Media Group being silenced in Turkey. Crackdown on press freedom continues sadly,' Kati Piri, the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey, said in a tweet.

The EU is accused of turning a blind eye to Turkey's human rights breaches, including the deaths of hundreds of civilians during security operations against Kurdish militants, because it needs Turkey's help curbing the flow of migrants.

The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists spoke out against Friday's action. The head of the rights group, Joel Simon, said 'Turkish authorities should be fulfilling their constitutional obligation to defend press freedom' rather than undermining opposition media with aggressive action.

CPJ has reported that Turkey is one of the top jailers of journalists in the world, with government officials taking advantage of laws that can be broadly interpreted to imprison journalists on suspicion of espionage, conspiracy, or defaming the government.

The crackdown on Zaman comes at an already worrying time for press freedom in Turkey.

Journalists facing potential life sentences

Two prominent journalists from the pro-opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper are facing potential life sentences on charges of endangering state security for publishing material that purports to show intelligence officials trucking arms to Syria.

Authorities have seized and shut down opposition media outlets associated with the Gulen movement before. The state deposit insurance fund said this past week an Islamic bank founded by Gulen followers might be liquidated within months.

The Zaman takeover came hours after police detained businessmen over allegations of financing what prosecutors described as a 'Gulenist terror group,' Anadolu said.

Memduh Boydak, chief executive of furniture-to-cables conglomerate Boydak Holding, as well as the group's chairman Haci Boydak and two board members, were taken into custody.

Nobody from the company, based in the central Turkish city of Kayseri, was available to comment.

Because of Turkey's geographical position as a bridge between East and West, and as a member of NATO, it has been a valuable ally to the United States and Europe on issues such as the civil war in Syria and the tide of refugees flowing west from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Critics of Turkey's government say the nation's value as an ally keeps Western nations from protesting too loudly about the Ankara's human rights record.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters.

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Britain to Spend Additional $905 Million on Nuclear Submarine Program

Sputnik News

23:47 05.03.2016(updated 04:26 06.03.2016)

The British Government is going to spend additional $905 million on its nuclear submarine program, media reported.

British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon announced the new investment Friday, although the Parliament has not yet voted whether to go ahead with the program, UPI reported. The vote is scheduled later this year.

According to Fallon, the additional funding will support construction of new facilities and the purchase of submarine parts, as well as the development of new submarines that are to replace the royal Navy's current Vanguard-class submarines.

A significant part of this funding  about $317 million  will be spent on new facilities at BAE Systems at Barrow-in-Furness, England, where the submarines will be assembled. There will also be a significant investment in the joint UK/US collaborative R&D called the 'Common Missile Compartment', a unified launcher system for new ballistic missiles that will replace current Trident II/D5 missiles, used by both the United Kingdom and the United States.

This initiative, however, is not exactly backed by the Labour party. According to Labour representatives, nuclear submarines will soon become redundant, since underwater drones are becoming advanced enough easily track down and destroy them.

'Tell that to the Americans, the Russians, and the Chinese who are all modernizing their nuclear-armed submarines,' Fallon said to The Guardian. 'Perhaps these drones will be so sophisticated they can track down Nessie while they are at it,' he added, implying that cost-effectiveness ratio of both technologies is a subject for discussion.

The Labour party's position on nuclear weapons is generally negative, since they view the whole concept as an extremely expensive political symbol that will never be used.

During 2015, Russia has launched two nuclear Project 877/636 submarines, armed with Kalibr cruise missiles (NATO designation 'Sizzler'), capable of carrying nuclear warheads, while two more are scheduled for launch in 2016, which would make a total of six ships. Project 877/636 has been dubbed 'Black hole' for its extremely low noise emission and radar visibility.

The People's Republic of China has also reportedly launched a new Jin-class nuclear submarine during 2015. According to different sources, the PRC Navy has from 4 to 8 active Jin-class submarines that are supposed to be capable of reaching any point on US territory, should the ship be located near the Hawaiian islands.

 Sputnik

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Innovations Kiev-Style: Ukraine Starts Testing Its 'Invincible' Tank

Sputnik News

18:09 05.03.2016(updated 18:12 05.03.2016)

The Ukrainian military has begun testing its new 'superweapon', which was designed by National Guard grunts.

Ukraine's Azov Regiment has announced that its newest creation  an 'innovative tank' called the 'Azovets'  is now undergoing a series of tests in order to assess its capabilities.

'Azov's tank crewmen are ready to start working with the Azovets experimental armored fighting vehicle. It is a unique vehicle designed first and foremost for urban combat,' a statement posted on the regiment's official website said.

Although it is a regular military unit serving with Ukraine's National Guard, the regiment was originally a volunteer battalion comprised of right-wing extremists with an affinity for Nazi symbolism.

Azovets' creators claimed that a vehicle for urban warfare was in fact invented by Nazi Germany during WWII, and that their tank's ability to engage targets located on upper floors would make it an efficient weapon during a city-fight.

The Azovets has a crew complement of four and despite being called a tank, is armed with two twin-linked autocannons and guided anti-tank missile launchers of an as-yet unspecified type.

Furthermore, the Azovets' creators claim that their vehicle's formidable defensive capabilities make it virtually impervious to all types of anti-tank weaponry in existence.

The vehicle was first presented to Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov in November 2015 who praised it as Ukraine's first 'innovative tank.'

However, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin was less than impressed by this fearsome new weapon.

'Ukraine's military-industrial complex innovatively made a new tank out of dumpsters,' he remarked on Twitter.

It remains unclear if and when the Ukrainian military is going to adopt this new armored vehicle.

 Sputnik

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Turkish Military Instructors Gather Near Crimea to 'Train Mercenaries'

Sputnik News

14:44 05.03.2016(updated 17:42 05.03.2016)

Deputy prime minister of Russia's Republic of Crimea said that Turkish military instructors have gathered in Ukraine's southern region of Kherson, which borders Crimea.

SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik)  Turkish military instructors, whose objective is to train mercenaries, have gathered in Ukraine's southern region of Kherson, which borders Crimea, the deputy prime minister of Russia's Republic of Crimea said Saturday.

'We have reliable information that a plenty of military instructors from Turkey have gathered in the Kherson Region of Ukraine. Currently, there are attempts to create there a site for training mercenaries for fighting in open terrain and urban environments,' Ruslan Balbek told RIA Novosti.

The drills are backed by the Mejlis, Crimean Tatars' self-governing body, the official said.

Balbek said that Turkey interested in the destabilization of the political situation in Ukraine and acting independently without the knowledge of the Kiev authorities.

According to Balbek, the Kherson Region is facing the arrivals of radicals from Turkey, as well as militants who have fought in Syria for the Islamic State jihadist group, banned in Russia, and helped coups in Egypt and Libya.

Crimean Tatars is a Turkic ethnic group that currently accounts for an estimated 13 percent, or about 260,000 people, of the population of Crimea.

Crimea rejoined Russia in March 2014 after 96 percent of the peninsula's residents voted in favor of the move in a referendum.

 Sputnik

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The effect of the blowout of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig six years ago will be felt for many years to come. The economic and environmental aspects have been staggering.

But the long and agonizing trail ended recently for five individuals when the last BP employee charged with ignoring warning signs leading to the explosion was found not guilty by a jury in New Orleans. The U.S. Department of Justice brought criminal charges against five individuals, but could not get a single felony conviction.

Actually, the Justice Department tried to turn a series of equipment failures and mistakes made by several companies into a criminal act conducted by five employees. BP was the operator that hired Transocean Ltd. to drill the well from their drill ship and Halliburton to provide the technical services. It was later learned that the blowout preventer failed to close properly, and other safety equipment failed.

Initially the DOJ brought some 50 criminal charges that resulted in only three misdemeanors negotiated through guilty pleas.

The last trial ended on Feb. 25 when a jury found Robert Kaluza, the well site leader in charge just before the explosion, not guilty. He had been accused of negligence that led to the deaths of 11 workers on the drilling rig.

He was charged with 11 counts of "seaman's manslaughter," which were dismissed, and 11 counts of involuntary manslaughter, which were withdrawn. He was found not guilty of violating the Clean Water Act.

Lawyers for Kaluza argued that the explosion was an accident and not a crime.

Previously, Donald Vidrine, the BP well site leader who was in charge when the explosion happened, also had 11 counts of seaman's manslaughter dismissed and 11 counts of involuntary manslaughter withdrawn. However, he did plead guilty to violating the Clean Water Act on the condition that he receive probation.

The other BP employee who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor was Kurt Mix, a drilling engineer who played no role in the events leading to the spill. He was brought in to kill the well, but DOJ charged him with two counts of obstructing justice because he had deleted some texts from his iPhone.

After four years of court battle, DOJ dismissed the last remaining obstruction charge against Mix on Nov. 6, 2015.

Three days later, Mix wrote about his account of the events that followed the blowout in The Wall Street Journal with the headline "I Was an Oil Spill Scapegoat."

"My case centered on the fact that I had deleted from my iPhone two extended text-message conversations, one of which was almost entirely personal; the other included personal texts as well as material related to our effort to kill the well," Mix wrote. "I acknowledged from Day 1 that I had deleted the texts. Any information related to our work, including flow-rate simulations, was fully addressed in the thousands of emails and documents I gave investigators."

He said that through the help of a forensic expert, the deleted messages were retrieved and given to DOJ in September 2011. "I certainly had meant no harm and thought that would be the end of it. I was wrong," he wrote.

As his case dragged on, DOJ offered Mix a deal. If he would plead guilty to a misdemeanor for deleting the text messages (something he had already admitted), they would drop the felony charge. He wrote that he accepted the offer "to protect myself and my family from any further entanglement with the criminal-justice system."

Alex Mills is president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.
Sterling County rancher Frank Price testified before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry in Washington, D.C. last week on behalf of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and in support of voluntary conservation.

Price is co-owner and operator of the Frank and Sims Price Ranch and recipient of the 2014 NCBA Environmental Stewardship Award. A member of NCBA and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, he told the committee that given the diversity of rangelands across the country, the voluntary conservation programs were the key to achieving meaningful results.

"A one size fits all approach that accompanies a top-down regulation does not work," Price said. "It's the voluntary part of the conservation practices that really make them work for ranchers.

"We've had success using some of these conservation programs, but just because a system works for us does not mean it's right for everybody. If these programs were to become mandatory, the rules and regulations that follow would make it harder for farmers and ranchers to use unique conservation practices to ensure their individual operations thrive," he said.

Price stresses that voluntary conservation efforts have allowed him and his son to achieve their top goals: ensuring the ranch remains profitable and that they leave the land in better condition for future generations.

While drought and wildfire decimated their ranch in 2011 and 2012, conservation and grazing management allowed them to improve their rangelands through these difficult times. One of the programs that helped them achieve their goals is the Environmental Quality Incentive Program.

"When wildfire came through our ranch in 2011, we had to rebuild miles of fencing," Price said. "EQIP helped us do it through a cost-share. One of the reasons EQIP has become popular among ranchers is because it is a working-lands program. Conservation programs that keep land in production and do not limit its use are the best for both the ranchers and conserving our resources."

While drought is a constant problem in West Texas, innovative practices and voluntary conservation programs have allowed the Prices to improve their ranch and make their grasslands resilient. For Price, the success of conservation and the ranch economy are not at odds in ensuring we can sustain our country's natural resources and our way of life for generations.

"I believe that economic activity and conservation go hand in hand," Price said. "We are always looking for new, innovative conservation programs that will have tangible benefits for the environment and help improve our ranching lands. USDA's conservation programs have been a great asset to cattle producers, and it is important that these programs continue to be implemented in the same practical, producer-friendly and voluntary manner for years to come."

The Price ranch was established in 1876 by Frank's great-grandfather, William Foster. He went to Fort Worth with plans to buy the parcel he was leasing. "They wouldn't split up the land, so he purchased the whole block and then visited his neighbors and offered them an opportunity to buy their part," Frank Price said.

"All of the neighbors said they could go further west and lease land for a nickel an acre, so why would they want to pay 75 cents an acre to own land?" he said.

Foster continued to acquire land holdings until at one time he owned more than 58,000 acres. Oil was discovered in 1921 on his Mitchell Country ranch, which set a foundation for future generations in the ranching business.

I knew Frank's father, Foster Sims Price, and rode over the ranch with him in the 1970s photographing his registered Hereford bulls consigned to sales. He cared for the land and established a conservation program that Frank and his son, Sims, have continued to enhance.

In 2008 I rode in the shotgun seat with Frank as we toured the Bob's Creek Ranch where he headquarters. At a high point, one could see for hundreds of miles.

The name Bob's Creek comes from the open range days when a stallion without a tail ran his mares on the creek. The old ranchers called the stallion Bob.

Jerry Lackey is the agriculture editor emeritus. Contact him at jlackey@wcc.net or 325-949-2291.
FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016 file photo, host Chris Rock, right, gestures to three unidentified children portraying auditors in a skit at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Rock's skit ignited an outcry from Asian-Americans and others angered by its stereotyping and, more broadly, frustrated by how non-black minorities are portrayed - or ignored - by Hollywood, especially movie studios. The response also has illuminated the gap between African-Americans, who have made on-screen gains, and the lagging progress by other minorities including Asian-American, Latinos and Native Americans. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

SHARE FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2015 file photo, Constance Wu speaks on stage during the "Fresh Off the Boat" panel at the Disney/ABC Television Group 2015 Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif. Wu, who found success on TV starring in ABC's immigrant family drama "Fresh Off the Boat," doesn't see deliberate discrimination in Hollywood. "The biggest roadblock I've found is not people with bad intentions," Wu said. It's a lack of imagination about the type of roles that Asian-Americans can play. They want to include them but they don't know how, unless as a stereotype supporting a white man's story" or an Asian foreigner. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File) FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2015 file photo, Nahnatchka Khan speaks on stage during the "Fresh Off the Boat" panel at the Disney/ABC Television Group 2015 Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif. "Fresh Off the Boat" creator Khan was reveling in Oscar host Chris Rock's deft comedic assault on white-fixated Hollywood at the 88th annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016. Then three Asian-American kids were brought onstage for a gag mocking them as ethnic stereotypes. "It was completely shocking and just so unnecessary," said Khan. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP)  TV's "Fresh Off the Boat" creator Nahnatchka Khan was reveling in Oscar host Chris Rock's deft comedic assault on white-fixated Hollywood. Then three Asian-American kids were brought onstage for a gag mocking them as ethnic stereotypes.

"It's like going on a road trip with your fun friend, and halfway to Vegas he pulls over and shoots you in the leg," Khan said, recalling her reaction to last weekend's ceremony. "It was completely shocking and just so unnecessary."

Rock's skit ignited an outcry from Asian-Americans and others angered by its stereotyping and, more broadly, frustrated by how non-black minorities are portrayed  or ignored  by Hollywood, especially movie studios.

The response also has illuminated the gap between African-Americans, who have made some on-screen gains, and the lagging progress by other minorities, including Asian-American, Latinos and Native Americans.

Phil Yu, who observes Hollywood as part of his Angry Asian Man blog, said he welcomed the #OscarsSoWhite protest against this year's all-white slate of acting nominees. But, as in years past, Yu said he was struck anew by the greater challenge Asian-Americans face.

"When I watch the Oscars as an Asian-American, I think, 'It must be kind of nice to be disappointed that there were roles to be overlooked.' I wonder what that feeling is like, because I can name no Asian-Americans that were in contention," he said.

That perception is borne out by a comprehensive study released last month by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

At least half of all TV or streamed projects from September 2014 to August 2015 and of the 2014 films studied lacked even one speaking or named Asian or Asian-American character, the study found. By comparison, 22 percent didn't include any such roles for black characters. Of lead characters that were minorities in 100-plus movies, nearly 66 percent were black and 6.3 percent were Asian.

In the U.S. population, African-Americans are a greater percentage, 12.3 percent, to about 5 percent for Asians.

But Rock's attack on the industry's diversity failures was fully black-centric, from one-liners to Black History Month skits. Then came the tuxedoed Asian-American kids, whom Rock presented as the "dedicated, accurate" accounting team that tallied Oscar votes, adding, "If anybody's upset about that joke, just tweet about it on your phone, which was also made by these kids."

Basketball player Jeremy Lin did just that. "Seriously though, when is this going to change?!? Tired of it being "cool" and "ok" to bash Asians," he posted on his Twitter account.

Rock declined a follow-up interview through his publicist. And the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as the ceremony's producers, did not respond to requests for comment.

Rock had company at the Oscars. Presenter Sacha Baron Cohen, in character as Ali G, made a sexually demeaning crack about "little yellow people." Despite his pretense of talking about Minions, the cartoon characters, it was considered a slap at Asians.

Such humor, especially from the host, made the evening's "relentlessly black and white" take on diversity even more disheartening, said Daniel Mayeda, co-chair of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition. To an extent, that dual focus parallels the movie industry itself.

"There have been significant changes in television. Film is way behind," said Mayeda, whose group is part of an umbrella organization, the Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition, that's prodded the TV industry since 2000 to boost minority hiring and last month announced it was targeting movie studios to do likewise.

He and other coalition leaders have said the quest for opportunity should not pit minorities against one another and that Hollywood must make room for all groups.

But there are specific biases and challenges to overcome, said Nancy Wang Yuen, a Biola University sociology professor who conducted a wide range of interviews for her forthcoming book, "Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism."

"One casting director told me the industry perceives Asian-American actors as inexpressive," Yuen said. "If this is the kind of stereotyping against Asian-Americans as a race, then that really disadvantages them from being cast."

Hollywood has a dismal track record in depicting Asians and Asian-Americans that goes beyond invisibility. Actors have suffered the further indignity of losing major roles to white actors, including Luise Rainier as a Chinese peasant in 1937's "The Good Earth" and Marlon Brando as a Japanese interpreter in 1956's "The Teahouse of the August Moon." Rainier won an Oscar.

And the practice hasn't stopped. In last year's "Aloha," Emma Stone played the half-Asian character Allison Ng, a casting decision that drew howls of protest.

Constance Wu, who achieved success starring in "Fresh Off the Boat," an ABC immigrant family drama, doesn't see deliberate discrimination.

"The biggest roadblock I've found is not people with bad intentions," Wu said. "It's a lack of imagination about the type of roles that Asian-Americans can play. They want to include them but they don't know how, unless as a stereotype supporting a white man's story" or an Asian foreigner.

Jason Lew, whose "The Free People" premiered this year at the Sundance Film Festival, also called on the industry to expand its vision.

"A lot of the stories I want to tell are about my people  the Asian-American experience. And I constantly run into, 'Well, who's going to be in it?" It's a catch-22," Lew said. "Who's going to be in it is my amazing Asian-American cast who are going to have big careers and make money for you guys, but you have to give them a chance. You have to start somewhere. "

___

AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr contributed to this report.

___

Lynn Elber is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/lynn-elber and she can be reached at lelber@ap.org and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lynnelber
A still from "The Wave." (Fantefilm)

SHARE A still from "The Wave." (Fantefilm)

By Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times (Tns)

LOS ANGELES - Given its title, it will come as no surprise that a towering, terrifying wall of water is front and center in the Norwegian disaster movie "The Wave," but that's not the only reason to see it.

Rather, as directed by Roar Uthaug, "The Wave" adds credible writing and effective acting to gangbusters special effects, resulting in a white-knuckle experience a bit higher on the plausibility scale than what we're used to from Hollywood versions of the genre.

Though Norway has not previously been known as a world leader in disaster film production, it helps "The Wave's" credibility that, as old newsreel footage that starts the film informs us, its premise is one based on past reality.

Given that there are numerous mountainsides in the country, when one of them lets go and sends a wave of rocks into the waters of a narrow fiord, the confining conditions of those high cliffs can create a monster wave 240 feet tall. And heaven help whatever hapless picturesque hamlet lies in its way.

Welcome to scenic Geiranger, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage site overlooked by the towering mountain Akerneset and beautifully photographed by John Christian Rosenlund. But that visual splendor, though a mecca for tourists, comes with the fatal flaw of potential inundation.

The good people of Geiranger are of course well aware of this potential. They've set up an Early Warning Center that scientifically monitors the mountain for potential disturbances, a facility that comes complete with a bright red panic button. Once conditions warrant it being pushed, everyone in town will have 10 minutes to move like heck toward higher ground.

In his interview with fellow director Francois Truffaut, Alfred Hitchcock talked persuasively about the difference between surprise and suspense, and "The Wave" is all about suspense. Everyone who watches the film knows that while scoffers in town may scoff, a wave is coming sooner rather than later. The questions are simply when will it show up, what will it look like, and who will survive.

As written by John Kare Raake and Harold Rosenlow Eeg, "The Wave" unpacks its plot with all deliberate speed, squeezing every possible ounce of jeopardy and peril out of the buildup to and aftermath of the Big One.

At the center of things is 40-year-old family man Kristian (Kristoffer Joner), who lives in Geiranger with his capable wife, Idun (Ane Dahl Torp), and their two children, slightly disaffected teen Sondre (Jonas Hoff Oftebro) and his button-cute younger sister, Julia (Edith Haagenrud-Sande).

Kristian has been the top geologist at Geiranger's Early Warning Center, but as the film opens he has taken a job with an oil company in a bigger city and is moving his family out of town.

A stickler who makes people double- and triple-check readings, Kristian is packing up his desk at the center when some troubling data start to appear: the ground water readings on the mountain have suddenly gone wonky.

Without an advanced degree in geology, it's impossible for civilians to say exactly why this is a problem, but Kristian won't let that fact go. Sensing something he cannot prove, he becomes convinced that the Big One is coming, and soon.

That suspicion leads to one of "The Wave's" tension-building episodes, when Kristian's colleagues take a helicopter up to the Eagle's Nest Control Center and physically enter a way-claustrophobic crevice to check on the warning system themselves.

All this takes so much time that it puts a crimp in the family leaving plan, mightily irritating wife Idun, who works as a receptionist at the town's top hotel, which just happens to be right in the tsunami's path.

Then all of a sudden it happens. The red button gets pushed, and a ferociously frightening wave (created by Norway's Gimpville and visual effects supervisor Lars Erik Hansen) does its worst, leaving complete havoc in its wake.

Making the question of who shall live and who shall die more involving than standard Hollywood fare is good naturalistic acting by people whose faces are not known in this country and whose dilemmas work out in ways that can be outside the conventional disaster film box.

The last thing "The Wave" puts on screen is a text reading "All experts agree there will be another rock slide. No one knows when." To residents of the earthquake-prone Golden State, that statement, and much of this film, have a chillingly familiar ring.

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Kenneth Turan: kenneth.turan@latimes.com

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THE WAVE

MPAA rating: R, for some language, disaster images

Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Playing: In limited release
This Febuary 2016 photo shows baked polenta in Concord, N.H. At its most simple, polenta requires exactly two ingredients: cornmeal and a liquid. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

SHARE This Febuary 2016 photo shows baked polenta in Concord, N.H. At its most simple, polenta requires exactly two ingredients: cornmeal and a liquid. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead) This Febuary 2016 photo shows baked polenta in Concord, N.H. At its most simple, polenta requires exactly two ingredients: cornmeal and a liquid. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

By Sara Moulton Associated Press

We call it cornmeal mush. The Italians call it polenta. And they've been making it since shortly after Columbus introduced corn to the Old World upon his return from America.

At its most simple, polenta requires exactly two ingredients: cornmeal and a liquid. Sometimes fat or seasonings are added. Traditionally, it is prepared by bringing the liquid to a boil in a saucepan, adding the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, then simmering the resulting mush, stirring constantly until it thickens. The whole process takes 30 to 40 minutes.

But let me be honest with you. That is not the way I make it. First, I'm not inclined to babysit a dish for 40 minutes. Secondly, I am not a fan of polenta's tendency to splatter as it cooks. That mush is hot!

Happily, a stewardess on a plane tipped me off years ago about a hands-free, eruption-free way to cook polenta. She said she simply tosses all of the ingredients into a casserole dish and bakes them. I was skeptical. No way it could be that easy. But I tried it out and she was right. I've been making polenta in the oven instead of on the stove ever since.

There are many kinds of cornmeal at the grocer these days, fine, medium or coarse grain, stone ground, organic, some just labeled polenta, and in both white and yellow varieties. They all behave slightly differently when cooked, but they all can be used to make polenta. Texture-wise, fine-ground cornmeal turns out smoother and creamier, while coarser cornmeal is more granular. I like both. It takes a little longer to cook the coarser variety, and you'll need to use a little more water.

Timing-wise, the vessel in which you cook the polenta makes a huge difference. If you use a casserole dish (earthenware or enameled cast-iron), the timing will work out pretty much as I explain in the recipe because those dishes heat up evenly from the bottom to the top. However, if you use a stainless steel pot (even one with aluminum or copper in the bottom), the polenta will take much longer to cook. Not to worry, though. If that's the only pot you have, the polenta will still be great.

Where does polenta fit into the meal? It can be served as a first course, perhaps topped with sauteed mushrooms. It can act as a main course partnered with the pasta sauce of your choice. It provides the perfect bed for sauteed shrimp or lamb, as well as for beef or chicken stew. Finally, it's a great absorber of the meat juices generated by a roast. In short, polenta is wildly versatile. Think of it as a welcome alternative to rice, potatoes or pasta.

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BAKED POLENTA

Start to finish: 1 hour (5 minutes active)

Servings: 6

1 cup fine- or medium-grain cornmeal

4 to 4 1/2 cups water, low-sodium chicken broth or stock, or vegetable broth, or a combination

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat the oven to 350 F.

In a 2-quart casserole dish, combine all the ingredients (use 4 cups liquid for fine cornmeal, and 4 1/2 cups for medium cornmeal). Stir the mixture briefly, then bake, uncovered, on the oven's middle shelf until thick and creamy, about 45 minutes if it is fine cornmeal and 1 hour if it is medium cornmeal. The polenta should have the texture of a thick porridge; if it is too thin, put it back in the oven and let it bake until it reaches the desired consistency, checking it at 15-minute intervals.

When the polenta is done, stir well and serve right away.

Nutrition information per serving: 100 calories; 25 calories from fat (25 percent of total calories); 2.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 380 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 3 g protein.

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POLENTA EMBELLISHMENTS:

- ONION: In a small skillet over medium heat, saute 1/2 cup finely chopped onion in 2 tablespoons butter until softened. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, then cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onion mixture to the casserole with all the remaining ingredients and follow the recipe as written. When the polenta is done, stir in 1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (or another crumbled or diced cheese of your choice, such as Gorgonzola or fontina).

- MUSHROOM: Top the creamy polenta with 1/2 pound assorted sliced mushrooms sauteed in butter with minced shallot or onion and finished with truffle oil and chopped fresh herbs.

---

Sara Moulton is the host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "Home Cooking 101."
Former President Bill Clinton hugs his wife, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, after she won the Nevada caucuses, at a rally at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

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By Meghan Daum Los Angeles Times (Tns)

Hillary Clinton fared well on Super Tuesday, winning seven of 11 primaries thanks in large part to minority voters in delegate-heavy Southern states such as Texas and Virginia. But the perception that she is less of a genuine liberal, or even a credible feminist, than her rival Bernie Sanders continues to prevail among some younger, and often female, voters. In an interesting example of why this might be so, a reader wrote to me recently and asked whether I thought Clinton "set back the feminist movement" by not leaving Bill Clinton after all the evidence of his infidelities.

"I always thought she could have done a lot for women if she would have signaled that she was strong, she was her own woman, and she wasn't going to tolerate that kind of disrespect and humiliation," said my correspondent, a 43-year-old woman from Los Angeles.

I wrote back what I've always thought: The Clinton marriage is - pardon me while I duck for cover - kind of great, even romantic in its own way. Maybe not in a romantic love kind of way (though who knows?), but in the sense of a true partnership that transcends the common conventions of most marriages.

The idea that the Clinton marriage is little more than a political partnership - and therefore a cynical relationship - has been lobbed at Hillary and Bill for decades. I don't buy it. I see them as intellectually, philosophically and practically well matched, a pairing that's taken on tasks ranging from raising a child and thinking about how best to effect change in the world.

Obviously no one would have blamed Hillary for leaving Bill over the Monica Lewinsky scandal or any number of previous improprieties. But her choice to stay never struck me as a sign of weakness or compromise. It struck me as the choice of a woman deciding that the value of her relationship with her husband was greater than or equal to the humiliations and setbacks caused by a philandering nature she was probably aware of from the get-go.

Not that we can ever know what really goes on in other people's marriages. Maybe Hillary was clueless about Bill's proclivities when she married him. Maybe she tolerated his dalliances over the years solely for political expediency. Maybe when the Clintons left the White House, Hillary did focus groups on whether she'd have a better shot at a political career with Bill or without him, and we're seeing the result.

For my money, though, I think Bill and Hillary both know they're better off together than apart, especially if "together" means enjoying the benefits of marriage without the hassle of being constantly in each other's company. Given that they own two homes and haven't been seen much in public together over the last eight years, it seems possible that they maintain separate households. Besides, being married remains an unspoken requirement for the presidency regardless of gender.

The Clintons' "meet-cute" story has been a staple of their narrative for years. It was 1971; he stared at her for so long in the Yale Law School library that she finally walked up to him and introduced herself.

In recent weeks, Bill Clinton has been telling the story. "In one way or another we've been together ever since," he said while campaigning for Hillary in Iowa. He went on to say that when he asked her to marry him, he told her she shouldn't do it.

"I've met the most talented people in our generation in politics," he recalled saying to her. "And then I came to law school here and I met you. You're better than all of them  . You should go home to Chicago and run for office."

If you're so inclined, look up this speech (it was Jan. 15, in Marshalltown, Iowa) and watch it for yourself. Turning the dial up on his inimitable earnestness, Clinton puts a dramatic pause between "I met you" and "You're better than all of them," a pause, I dare say, that would melt the heart - or weaken the knees - of even the most Clinton-wary feminist. It's a manipulation, for sure (and it seems to have been a successful one back then, given that she married him and supported his political career instead). But it's also a clear, and I think authentic, display of admiration and affection, a kind of love song about the particular passion of this particular couple.

No two marriages have quite the same yardstick for happiness or success. Hillary's choice to stay in her marriage sends the signal that she is strong, that she is her own woman, one capable of deciding that being together "in one way or another" can be just as sacred as waking up next to the same person day in and day out.

Though I guess it would help to have your own house.

---

Contact Meghan Daum at mdaum@latimescolumnists.com or on Twitter: @meghan-daum
SHARE Contributed photo Illustration of a brown-headed cowbird (top) and a bronzed cowbird by T.C. Maxwell. Cowbirds are looked down on for their parasitic reproductive methods.

Birds infamous for their behavior

By Terry Maxwell

Let's consider a couple of birds that are unpopular because they are reproductive thieves.

Reproductive thievery has more than one possible definition, but in the case today, the thief captures the effort of another species such that it rears the thief's offspring to the detriment of its own. This type of reproductive thievery is called brood parasitism. Most people are offended by the behavior, assigning moral judgment, as if birds were humans with freedom of choice.

Cowbirds are a genus (Molothrus) of species in the blackbird family Icteridae. Of the three species of cowbirds recorded in Texas, two occur in the Concho Valley: brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), the more common of the two, and bronzed cowbird (Molothrus aeneus).

Cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other species - hosts. The host may incubate all eggs in its nest and feed all the hatched chicks. Often, the cowbird eggs hatch earlier than those of the host and so these chicks are larger. The larger cowbird chicks get most of the food brought by the parent host pair, with the result that fewer host offspring are raised. Cowbird brood parasitism reduces the reproductive output and resultant population size of other birds. My educated guess is that most of you now are offended. It just doesn't sit well with most people.

A wide array of local species is known to host brown-headed cowbird eggs. A representative but non-exhaustive list would include: eastern phoebe, western kingbird, scissor-tailed flycatcher, blue jay, purple martin, barn swallow, American robin, northern mockingbird, Cassin's sparrow, northern cardinal, blue grosbeak, painted bunting, Bullock's oriole and house finch - all relatively common members of the Concho Valley bird fauna.

I remember a summer in which my friend and accomplished naturalist C. C. Wiedenfeld was so incensed over cowbird parasitism in what today is San Angelo State Park, he spent many hours using a teaspoon to flip cowbird eggs out of blue grosbeak nests. I'm sure the grosbeaks would have thanked him if they understood and if they could.

The local host list for bronzed cowbird is nearly identical to that of brown-headed cowbird.

A former graduate student, Mark Hutchinson, worked with me on a study of breeding biology of Bullock's oriole. His study site was at Lake Nasworthy. Of 18 oriole nests he monitored, four (22 percent) were cowbird parasitized - three by bronzed cowbirds and one by brown-headed cowbird. Clearly, among some local populations of birds, cowbird parasitism is a serious issue. Probably now you're even more offended, ready to grab a teaspoon and head for the field.

The situation is not as serious as it could be. Where cowbirds have existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, host species have commonly evolved cowbird egg rejection defenses. Some hosts attacked by cowbirds are egg ejectors. They actually recognize cowbird eggs and throw them out of the nest. Some hosts add layers to the floor of the nest, covering the cowbird eggs. And some go all out and desert the parasitized nest. Bullock's orioles, for example, typically eject foreign eggs, although one of Mark's monitored pairs raised two bronzed cowbird chicks. Where cowbirds have recently invaded, usually due to human alteration of forested environments, other birds tend to be naive of cowbirds, do not reject, and suffer heavily.

Cowbirds can be a major factor depressing populations of threatened and endangered birds, such as was the case with Kirtland's warbler in Michigan and golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo in Texas. Control efforts that removed cowbirds greatly aided these birds.

In these cases, I find cowbird loathing warranted enough to grab a teaspoon and join you in the field.

Terry Maxwell, Ph.D., is a retired professor of biology at Angelo State University. He can be reached at terry.maxwell@angelo.edu.
SHARE Associated Press File A sign inscribed "Love for all, hatred for none" stands outside a mosque where the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community worships in Meriden, Conn. The U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Education Department have urged vigilance on the bullying of Muslims.

Harassment of Muslims on rise at schools

By Michael Melia, Associated Press

MERIDEN, Conn. - In response to a surge in reports of anti-Muslim bullying - students being called terrorists, having their headscarves ripped off and facing bias even from teachers - schools are expanding on efforts deployed in the past to help protect gays, racial minorities and other marginalized groups.

Civil rights organizations and other advocates have been working more closely with schools since the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, stirred a new backlash that led the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Education Department to urge vigilance on the bullying of Muslims.

While stressing that students have rights under the law and that offenses should be reported, speakers at schools and mosques have also discussed how to create an inclusive culture, how Muslims are scapegoated for attacks and how non-Muslims can be allies to their peers.

"Muslim kids get bullied, gay kids get bullied because other kids are uncomfortable with them, and they show it," said Bill Howe, a multicultural education specialist who spoke at an anti-bullying forum in December for children at Meriden's Baitul Aman mosque. "That causes Muslim students to retreat, to be more isolated. They need to develop critical social skills so they can build relationships."

One mother who attended the forum, put on by the office of the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, said she was relieved to learn help is available.

Shazia Choudry's 13-year-old daughter, Maria, transferred recently from a public school after students repeatedly grabbed away her head scarf, but she became frightened one day in January at her private Roman Catholic school when seventh-grade classmates peppered her, the only Muslim student, with questions about the Paris attacks.

"They were saying 'Did you hear about this before the terror attack?' And I was like, 'No I didn't,"' Maria said.

Saleha Qureshi, a member of the mosque, said that in the past several months her son has been called a racial slur and a "terrorist" by his eighth-grade classmates at a public middle school.

Her son has grown anxious, she said, but he does not want her to take matters to the principal. She checks up on him daily, letting him vent to her, but she's not sure what more she ought to do.

"I'm just hoping things will change for him," Qureshi said.

The Anti-Defamation League updated its anti-bias training activities after the Paris attacks to incorporate Islam.

One lesson plan tailored for junior and senior high school students has them discuss ways in which Muslims and Syrian refugees are being scapegoated as a result of the attacks. Another encourages students to discuss connections between stereotypes about Muslim people and acts of bigotry, as well as ways they can support Muslims.

Education officials in most of the ADL's 27 U.S. regional offices have been reporting anti-Muslim incidents, and schools have been requesting materials to help deal with the bullying, said Jinnie Spiegler, the organization's curriculum director. Among other efforts, the agency participated in a town hall meeting at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, where officials said some Muslim students were being called names.

The town hall followed others at the school on topics such as Black Lives Matter, said Andrea Lamphier, a sponsor for the school's Muslim students club. Afterward, she said, a petition drive gathered signatures from more than a third of the student body on a letter criticizing Gov. Larry Hogan for saying the state would not welcome Syrian refugees.

While schools generally do not keep statistics on motivations for bullying, a survey of 600 Muslim students in California by the Council on American-Islamic Relations found in October, even before the latest attacks, that 55 percent reported facing religion-based bullying - a rate twice as high as the national average of students who report being bullied at school. Officials with the group say bullying reports spiked in recent months.

Parents say that incidents often go unreported, particularly among older students, and that many families address the problem by changing schools or home-schooling.

Left unchecked, advocates warn, bullying and harassment can make students feel disconnected from school and hurt their academic performance.

Donna Clark Love, a bullying prevention trainer in Houston, said schools traditionally brought her in for issues affecting students who are gay or have distinguishing physical traits, such as obesity. More recently, anti-Muslim bullying has emerged as another top concern. All result from a lack of acceptance, she said, and she addresses them the same way, by teaching children to have respectful conversations.

In some cases, teachers have taken it on themselves to hold discussions on anti-Muslim bias. Kate Sundeen, a chemistry teacher at the Academy at Palumbo magnet school in Philadelphia, helped to set up a discussion in January that was modeled on a town hall on the Black Lives Matter movement. A panel of a dozen students spoke about their experiences after the Paris attacks, including being accosted by adults in public and harassed over headscarves.

"It was heartbreaking but important and really brave of them to share these experiences," Sundeen said.
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KERRVILLE

Conference includes tours, speakers

The third annual Bennett Trust Resource Stewardship Conference is scheduled for April 14-15 at the Inn of the Hills Resort and Conference Center in Kerrville.

The conference is sponsored by the Ruth and Eskel Bennett Endowment and hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Speakers and topics will include: Colleen Gardner, Selah Bamberger Ranch Preserve; Steve Nelle, riparian restoration and stewardship; Linda Campbell and Scott Fair, land appraisal; Robert Lyons, balancing supply and demand; John Tomacek, managing warm-blooded invaders; and Rick Machen, perspective on the day.

The second day of the conference will be dedicated to tours. Individuals will pick from a tour of the Hillingdon Ranch in Kendall County, a "Wine and Roses" tour in Gillespie County or a Kerr Wildlife Area tour.

Cost of the two-day conference is $75 and includes all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation cost. For those planning to attend, they can register online at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/BennettTrust or call 979-945-2604.

SAN ANGELO

Ram Test Field Day set for March 18

The annual Ram Performance Test Field Day and Sale will be March 18 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, on U.S. Highway 87 north of San Angelo.

The day will start with an informal inspection of the rams and their performance test data at 10 a.m. followed by the program at 10:30 a.m., lunch at noon and sale of the performance-tested rams at 1 p.m., said Dan Waldron, research geneticist and test coordinator.

"This year's field day topics were chosen to provide information to sheep breeders, about advances in genetic improvement methods that can be used in the future," Waldron said. "This ram test has a long history of making genetic improvement in the Texas finewool flock. Future genetic improvements in traits such as reproduction and adaptation to the environment are likely to come about by using methods that will complement the gains made through the use of the ram test."

For more information, contact Waldron at 325-653-4576.

STEPHENVILLE

Brush program to highlight future

A regional brush management program will run from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. May 12 at Stephenville City Hall, 1907 E. Washington St. in Stephenville.

The Cross Timbers Brush Management Symposium is meant to educate landowners on the new brush management materials and methods available today.

"This event will also highlight where the future of the industry is headed," said James Jackson, range specialist at Texas A&M Extension Service at Stephenville.

Individual registration is $40 and preregistration is encouraged. The fee includes a catered lunch and three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units for private applicator license holders. The event will also include a trade show.

AgriLife Extension offices in the following counties are program collaborators: Erath, Somervell, Hood, Hamilton, Palo Pinto, Eastland, Comanche and Bosque.

For more information or to register, contact Jackson at 354-968-4144.

Compiled by Jerry Lackey
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By Staff Report

Three candidates for San Angelo's police chief position spoke at a forum held by the local chapter of the NAACP Saturday afternoon.

Frank Carter, a lieutenant with the police department and owner of Angelo Stone and Masonry; Jeff Davis, a retired San Angelo police officer and owner of a construction company who ran for police chief in 2012; and incumbent Police Chief Tim Vasquez each had five minutes to introduce himself and state his platforms before facing questions from the crowd of about 50 people.

Each candidate spoke about their many years of service and experience as police officers as well as their long ties to San Angelo, but they differed in their approaches toward the future.

Carter spoke mainly about the need for the police department work with citizens. "Your police department is only as good as your relationship with your community" he said, citing his years of experience working on the north side of San Angelo and fostering relations there and the 43 officers who answer to him.

Vasquez said the police chief should be experienced and able to handle the department's $16 million budget and deal with possible negative effects from the recent oil bust. "Our community has never faced the challenges it is about to face," he said. "You don't need someone who's going to be doing on-the-job training."

Davis directly took on Vasquez, saying the San Angelo police department is broken.

"Everything in the police department is broken," Davis said, "but there's nothing that's broken that can't be fixed." He said he would build the department from the ground up and teach officers to be colorblind. He said the police department had been "lackadaisical" about keeping tabs of registered sex offenders and he wants to "make it uncomfortable" for them to live in San Angelo.

Davis said San Angelo has more sexual offenders than other towns of comparable size - at one point he said the number was three times as high. Vasquez disagreed.

San Angelo's crime rate is the lowest it has been since 1985, Vasquez said. And the reason sexual offender numbers might appear high compared to other towns is because San Angelo doesn't have suburbs, but it does have an MHMR and parole office.

Davis said San Angelo has coddled criminals and given them a safe haven. Vasquez said the Sex Offender Accountability Program he designed in 2008 been such a success he's taught it to other departments in the state.

At the end of the forum, the candidates had two minutes left to make their cases.

Davis said politicians tend to stay in office forever and it is time to turn things around.

Vasquez said he took issue with being called a politician because police chief is not a political job.

Carter told the crowd to talk to police officers, "because you're voting for their boss."

SAPD Lt. Mike Hernandez, the fourth candidate for the office, did not attend the forum.
Standard-Times/Niki Roberts

Robbie Schut (from left), with his son Michael, daughter Ellia and wife Carolyn, adopted a dog at Saturday's fee-free event at the San Angelo Animal Shelter.

SHARE Standard-Times/Niki Roberts David and Ruthie Odom of Grape Creek met three dogs at Saturday's adoption event and decided to take home this one. Standard-Times/Niki Roberts Jordyn Bruns and her father, Jacob, took home a pit bull mix from Saturday's free adoption event at the San Angelo Animal Shelter.

By Sabrina Roberts of the San Angelo Standard-Times

The San Angelo Animal Shelter cleared about 70 percent of its occupied kennels Saturday, thanks to the fundraising efforts of local resident Jennifer McConn.

McConn raised just over $10,000 to underwrite all of Saturday's adoptions. Of 74 dogs and cats available, 52 were adopted.

Jacob and Melissa Bruns, with their daughter Jordyn, walked away with a pit bull mix named Miss Piggy - although they expected to change her name soon.

Jacob said he had been wanting a dog and hopes it will help teach his children responsibility. Jordyn suspected he'd picked the dog for another reason. "It's cuddly with him!" she said.

Robbie Schut, an airman stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, attended with sons Michael and Robbie, infant daughter Ellia and wife Carolyn.

The family previously had two dogs, but being stationed in Italy meant they had to leave them with friends who eventually grew attached and kept the dogs, Robbie Schut said.

Saturday they had their eyes peeled for a big, child-friendly dog and ended up with a Rhodesian ridgeback whose size led Michael to suggest the name Titan.

Titan sat panting outside the shelter at the end of a leash as dozens of other residents waited to meet their own prospective pets.

James Flores, who oversees the shelter, said people were already waiting when the doors opened at 10 a.m. Attendees registered, then were given a number. Once their numbers were called, they went inside to meet the dogs or cats who caught their eyes in website photos. If it was a match, they took a new pet home for free.

McConn, who said she was "from a no-kill environment" before coming to San Angelo a few years ago, approached the shelter as a kind of animal rights activist in March 2015, Flores said. After speaking with shelter staff about what they do and the challenges they face, he said she gained a new mission to help out, becoming a staunch supporter.

After an October adoption event saved 63 animals - who were available for just $10 - McConn said she and the shelter found out it was against city ordinance to offer that kind of sale. In December, she came up with the idea of raising money so she could pay the fees herself.

"We as a shelter are very blessed to have her," Flores said. "She's what made this event."

McConn demurred the praise. "It's not my day; it's their day," she said, gesturing to the animals in the shelter.

McConn said her approach boils down to, "I can complain or I can do something."

She began raising funds in mid- to late-January and reached her goal by the end of February. She said people from Virginia to Washington state and everywhere in between donated, chipping in anywhere from $5 to $1,000.

McConn, who works from home for a patent office in Alexandria, Virginia, worked the equivalent of two full-times jobs to raise the money, said her husband, Jeff, a Navy chief intel instructor at Goodfellow.

"She did all this - minus the donations - she did it all by herself," he said. "When she sets her mind to something, she'll see it through."

Because the money raised exceeds the cost of adopting out all the animals available Saturday, McConn said she plans to hold at least one more similar event. She was unsure whether those adoptions will be free, though.

"They might be half price. We want the money to stretch as far as it can go," she said.

Inside the shelter, Ruthie and David Odom of Grape Creek sat inside a small room, hoping to find a good fit for their home. Their 17-year-old dog died in November, and after hearing about the event on Facebook they decided to see if they were ready to adopt yet.

They met three dogs, looking for one who was medium-sized and not too rambunctious for Ruthie to take on walks. A mixed-breed dog - "he looks like he might be part heeler," David said - wagged his tail as they chose him.

What are they going to name him?

"Friendly," Ruthie said with a laugh as he put his paws in her lap and licked her chin.
FILE - In this March 23, 2010 file photo, President Barack Obama signs the health care bill in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Republicans can blame their united stand against President Barack Obama for the break-up of their party. Conservatives gut-level resistance to all things Obama, the man, his authority, his policies , gave birth to the tea party movement that powered the GOP to political success in multiple states and historic congressional majorities. Yet contained in the movement and triumphs were the seeds of destruction, evident now in the partys fracture over presidential front-runner Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

SHARE FILE - In this Feb. 23, 2016 file photo, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. Republicans can blame their united stand against President Barack Obama for the break-up of their party. Conservatives gut-level resistance to all things Obama, the man, his authority, his policies , gave birth to the tea party movement that powered the GOP to political success in multiple states and historic congressional majorities. Yet contained in the movement and triumphs were the seeds of destruction, evident now in the partys fracture over presidential front-runner Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) In this photo taken Jan. 23, 2016, Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown speaks in Nashua, N.H. Republicans can blame their united stand against President Barack Obama for the break-up of their party. Conservatives gut-level resistance to all things Obama, the man, his authority, his policies , gave birth to the tea party movement that powered the GOP to political success in multiple states and historic congressional majorities. Yet contained in the movement and triumphs were the seeds of destruction, evident now in the partys fracture over presidential front-runner Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP)  Republicans can blame their united stand against President Barack Obama for their party's splintering.

Conservatives' gut-level resistance to all things Obama  the man, his authority, his policies  gave birth to the tea party movement that powered the GOP to political success in multiple states and historic congressional majorities. Yet contained in the movement and its triumphs were the seeds of destruction, evident now in the party's fracture over presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

Obama's policies, from the ambitious 2010 law overhauling the health care system to moving unilaterally on immigration, roiled conservatives who decried his activist agenda and argued about constitutional overreach. "Quasi-socialist," says Tea Party Express.

Republicans rode that anger to majority control of the House in 2010 and an eye-popping net gain of 63 seats as voters elected tea partyers and political outsiders. Four years later, the GOP claimed the Senate, too.

For all the numbers, though, Republicans were unable to roll back Obama administration policies or defeat the Democratic president in 2012, further infuriating the GOP base.

Now the party of Abraham Lincoln is engaged in a civil war, pitting establishment Republicans frightened about a election rout in November against the unpredictable Trump, who has capitalized on voter animosity toward Washington and politicians.

"There would be no Donald Trump without Barack Obama," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. No fan of Trump, Graham argued that resentment of Obama plus his own party's attitude toward immigrants are responsible for the deep divide and the billionaire businessman's surge.

Mainstream Republicans are hard-pressed to figure out a way forward with Trump, who has pledged to build a wall on the Mexican border, bar Muslims from entering the United States and equivocated over former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke's support. The candidate has assembled a growing coalition of blue-collar workers, high-school educated and those craving a no-nonsense candidate.

"I think they are at a loss to try to reconcile this nihilist wing of the Republican Party with conservative principles," said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.

The health care fight proves illustrative.

The disaffected Americans embracing Trump echo the angry voices that filled town halls in the summer of 2009 as fearful voters taunted lawmakers over efforts to overhaul health care. Obama and Democrats were undaunted, pushing ahead on a remake of the system despite unified Republican opposition.

In January 2010, thanks to tea party backing and conservative outrage, Republican Scott Brown won a special election in Massachusetts, claiming the seat that liberal Sen. Ted Kennedy had held for 47 years.

That sent people a message that "if you could win in blue Massachusetts, we could win in my state," said Sal Russo, co-founder and chief strategist of Tea Party Express. "That changed the movement from a protest movement to a political movement."

Three months later, in March 2010, Democrats rammed Obama's health reform through Congress as mobs of protesters chanted outside the Capitol. Not a single Republican backed it.

"Completely partisan," said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo.

That November, the tea party propelled Republicans shouting repeal health care to victory, among them Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky. They defeated establishment GOP candidates more likely to compromise in Washington. Dozens of other tea party candidates captured House seats; many were making their first foray in politics.

Losers in 2010 were some of the moderate and conservative Democrats who had backed the health care law.

Along with Obama's re-election in 2012 came another group of congressional tea partyers, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. The movement's strength ran headlong into Washington reality: Obama was president and Democrats still controlled the Senate. Efforts by Cruz and House conservatives to torpedo the health care law led to a partial, 16-day government shutdown in 2013.

Republicans triumphed a year later, capturing control of the Senate and knocking out some of the more moderate Democrats such as Louisiana's Mary Landrieu and Arkansas' Mark Pryor. In the House last year, they toppled House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, a victim of his pragmatism.

Expectations among uncompromising conservatives were sky-high. So was the disappointment. Obama's health care plan remained the law of the land.

"It definitely led to a wave in 2010 that gave us the majority, and then, what have we done since then," said Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla. "That's our responsibility to show what we have done since then, in spite of this president."

Trump has tapped into voter frustration even though he's not considered tea party. At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, made clear that their man was Cruz.

Still, Republicans recognize the power of his candidacy and the ramifications.

"The American people are fed up," said Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., one of a handful of Trump backers in Congress, "and if elected officials don't realize it, we'll be out of jobs."

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Matthew Daly and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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By Marcy Bosequett

If you haven't heard yet, John R. Erickson, the author of 66 "Hank the Cowdog" books, is coming to San Angelo in April.

To get ready for his visit and three free concerts, we will be giving away a copy of one of his books during Art Walk on March 17, to the first 100 families that visit. The art for the covers of many of his books will be on display and there will be activities and refreshments for families to enjoy at Stephens Central Library.

Another opportunity to get your own copy of a Hank story will be in the Standard-Times Sunday edition of April 10. "Watermelon Patch Mystery" has been printed in papers only and is not available in book form. This special print was made possible by Atmos Energy, the Standard-Times and Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through their contributions, everyone has a chance to read a Hank book and meet some of the characters before John Erickson performs on April 15 and 16. Save the dates - there will be one concert Friday evening and two on Saturday.

TGCL is holding a "New Character" contest. Children 8 to 12 years old are challenged to draw and name a new character for the Hank books on standard letter paper. Enter your drawing in the Children's Department at Stephens Central by April 1. Entries will be judged on originality and creativity. The winner will receive a Hank book and get to meet John Erickson while he is in San Angelo.

Special spring break Activities

Teen Tech Week is March 7-12. This is a series of computer classes at Stephens Central for children 12 and older on programming, digital art, digital music, 3D printing and Minecraft building. Classes are 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday of that week and the Minecraft class will be on 1-2:30 p.m. March 12.

Also at Stephens Central, there will be a Bots and Books Builders Camp on March 15-17. This camp is intended for those between the ages of 8 and 12 who want a hands-on chance to work with LEGO WeDo kits. Participants need to sign up in the Children's Department for the sessions that are 3-4:30 p.m.

Spring breakers are invited to Angelo West Branch for a Chapter Book Club. One-handed Catch by M.J. Auch will be read by Jill between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., March 15 to 19. Patrons are welcome to bring in their lunches and water bottles and an inspirational young man's story will be provided.

Symphony programs will be held at North Angelo Branch on March 12 when Laryssa Martindale will play the harp at 2 p.m. and have a special book to read. Connie Kelley will play the flute at Angelo West Branch at 2 p.m. on March 26.

How about a Super Smash Brothers Tournament? Teams of two are invited to register in Teen Republic for the March 26 event. Players ages 12-19 must register by March 24. The winners will receive a pair of Nintendo Loot crates.

All locations of TGC Libraries will be closed for Good Friday, March 25, and will resume normal hours on Saturday, March 26.

For more information go to www.tgclibrary.com.

Marcy Bosequett is the community relations coordinator for the Tom Green County Library.
contributed photo/ohn Geen Dancers perform a lively square dance routine at the club studio on Locust Street in San Angelo. Pictured from left are Bill Murphy, Lydia Horton, Gene Oleson, Denice Huffman, Karen Theirs, Wes Theirs, Dixie Porter and Charles Horton.

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Dance is a blessing and offers health benefits

By John Geen

Dance is one of the blessings of life and in stating so I refer to rhythmic dance to melodic sound, such as music. It is said that the relaxation of dance will sooth the savage soul. Dance can relieve mental stress and promote health by physical stimulation. I have long believed that good health and happiness is a precious byproduct of a square dance hall!

Once San Angelo was a destination city for square dance activity. In the '60s people flocked to this dusty West Texas town located between a cotton patch and cow ranch, to dance. They numbered in the hundreds. The gala dance festivals that filled the coliseum to overflowing began in 1966. Three decades later they were no more.

Now lest you think this is a downer story of San Angelo's inability to attract fine people, let me acknowledge that San Angelo is a prominent destination town today for many events, including our internationally recognized rodeo activities. It is also a thriving metropolis in its own rite catering to a multitude of business activities and is a major retail center and medical mecca for a large area of west-central Texas. The city's enthusiasm for square dance has long been replaced by our increasingly preference for the ever surging rodeo activity. In fact a local news anchor recently referred to the rodeo as the "San Angelo Super Bowl." This I do take issue with. We know there will be cowboys at a rodeo. In any case, anyone who has watched a rodeo parade, or cleaned the streets after one, will no longer refer to us as a one-horse town.

While square dancing is no longer a major lure of visitors to San Angelo the good news is the state of Texas has long been and is still a principle wintertime square dance destination for thousands. In fact McAllen, deep in the Rio Grande Valley, has been referred to as the square dance capital of the world.

So who populates these winter resorts in the Rio Grande Valley from fall to spring each year to dance and relax in the sun? In the Rio Grande Valley they are known as snowbirds. They migrate from distant places such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Dakotas, Michigan and Minnesota, and about every state down the Mississippi flyway.

Once in the Rio Grande Valley there are myriad square dance opportunities available. The novice dancers can take basic square dance lessons, usually in mornings or afternoons. Recreational dancers can find mainstream and plus level dances throughout the days and evenings, and for the haute talented there are advanced and challenge levels available. Yes, there is a plethora of high quality, healthy square dancing in Texas.

What exactly attracts these dancers to winter resorts nestled in cities from Mission to Brownsville? Weather, cold in the north and balmy in the Rio Grande Valley. Now let us give some credit to the high quality callers who work the winter square dance resorts. A longtime caller acquaintance of mine, Daryl Lipscom, calls to full starter classes and about 10 dances every week during the prime winter months. It is a labor of love and he shares it with many of the nation's leading callers.

Let me now put my envy aside and return to the expansive winter plains of West Central Texas. Our now thriving prairie metropolis will probably never be a destination target for those wishing to escape the ravages of a winter storm. In fact, I would guess that few even pass through here on their way to the lands of leisure and sunshine. I further suspect that many who initially head for the winter havens do not do so for the purpose of square dancing but find the activity a friendly and healthy activity that is readily available when they arrive.

While the square dance activity in San Angelo does have some seasonal visitors, it is for the most part, supported by those who live here. We continue to enjoy this enviable pastime today and believe it will bring fun, fitness and fellowship to many in the years ahead.

Until next time, beware of the ides of March.

John Geen is a square dance caller. He and his wife, Nora, sponsor the Promenade Squares dance club in San Angelo. More information is available at www.promenadesquares.com.
The front of Moscone Center in San Francisco this past week.
GREENSBORO  In early February, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch began tours of cities whose police departments illustrate what she considers to be pillars of 21st-century policing.

Lynch first visited Miami on Feb. 11-12, leaving the same day the city announced a civil rights settlement in which her agency will monitor police training, supervision and investigations into officer-involved shootings. She arrived at Portland, Ore., last week and announced new U.S. Department of Justice awards for community policing.

She soon will visit Fayetteville, a city whose police department has a history of strained relations with the public but has improved on the publics trust, according to U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Kevin Lewis. When Lynch will visit Fayetteville has not been determined, Lewis said. The city visits will probably be spaced out by a couple of months.

She wants people giving her direct feedback, he said.

Lynch is focusing on communities that have had strained relationships but have managed to strengthen that relationship, Lewis said.

Other cities she is scheduled to visit include Indianapolis, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

In May, President Barack Obamas Task Force on 21st Century Policing released its report on the rifts between the public and local law-enforcement agencies that serve them.

The White House report laid out six general pillars of policing and provided 59 recommendations to improve interactions between departments and their communities.

The pillars include: Building trust and legitimacy, policy and oversight, technology and social media, community policing and crime reduction, training and education, and officer wellness and safety. Each category contained recommendations on building the pillars.

For example, a recommendation for training suggested that police academies engage communities by letting the public evaluate and offer input into its training, and letting some members of the public go through the courses if they so chose.

Another of the recommendations, this one for building trust and legitimacy, was for a department to strive to reflect the diversity of its communities.

After release of the report, the DOJ sought examples of departments that were already implementing those recommendations.

We asked law enforcement which cities were doing a great job, Lewis said.

Fayetteville was among them.

Shortly after his 2013 selection as Fayettevilles police chief, Harold Medlock began implementing the DOJs Community Oriented Policing Services methods.

Community-oriented policing uses data and public and private partnerships to help reduce crime.

One of the main ones (recommendations) is fair and impartial training, Lewis said. They do that at the Fayetteville Police Department. Theyve seen a 20 percent decrease in overall complaints.

That wasnt easy, Medlock said.

When I came in, there were a lot of people that were angry and frustrated, he said. A lot of community leaders were angry and frustrated. A lot of my officers were angry and frustrated.

Most just wanted to be heard.

A phrase he often heard, one that a New York Times article also used to describe police practices in both Fayetteville and Greensboro, was driving while black, he said.

The phrase refers to black drivers being more likely than white drivers to be pulled over for minor infractions and searched.

I dont disagree that this is the case, Medlock said. The disparity still exists in those traffic stops, but its coming down.

Because police should not be making stops in Fayetteville just to search a vehicle, Medlock said, the department de-emphasized regulatory traffic stops  such as those conducted for unused seat belts, a broken tail light or an expired registration. In those cases, drivers oftentimes feel that they have no choice but to consent to a search, even though they can refuse if an officer asks for consent to search a vehicle. The Fayetteville City Council has since instituted a consent to search form. After the department started using the forms, the number of consent searches dropped, he said.

The department also recently began using body-worn cameras.

High-ranking members of the department traveled to Greensboro in December to discuss the technology, Greensboro Police Chief Wayne Scott said.

Theyre still working through what to do with them, he said.

Because Greensboro was one of the first cities to issue body-worn cameras to all its officers, other agencies check with the agency to see how the devices might work for them, he said.

And like Fayetteville, Greensboro has been rolling out its own COPS program, which it calls Neighborhood Oriented Policing. The NOP has a bit of a geographical focus, placing more police on the streets in areas intended to cut down their response times.

We looked at How often do our officers patrol the areas where theyre assigned?  he said. More often than not, they had been called out of their area.

The department started the shift last year. It also organized walks through communities. Command staff wanted residents to get to know the officers who serve them.

We did special assignments, when we went out and walked neighborhoods, Scott said. We were just going out, knocking on doors, sitting on porches and talking.

The department created a new Street Crimes Unit, which uses information provided by the departments Criminal Intelligence Squad, knowledge of regular offenders and crime data to resolve spikes in crime, he said.

The 100th Police Academy (a new name for Greensboros school) began in February.

The new academy will set aside significant class time to focus on communications.

How do you become an active listener? Scott asked. How do you communicate when tension is up? Saying Calm down usually doesnt calm anybody down.

So, cadets will learn to read body language and incorporate communication in other policing techniques, like soft hands, which is the use of placing a hand on a person to guide, hold or restrain them with minimal force.

To help cadets become more invested in communities, for the first time, they will be required as part of their training to participate in community events, such as Tip-a-Cop, in which officers serve tables at a day for charity. They donate their tips to Special Olympics.

To my knowledge, weve never even talked to them about that, Scott said. Theres no better way to (make them part of the community) than that.

A reason Lynch first visited the Miami-Dade Police Department was to highlight its recognition as a department whose officers integrate into their neighborhoods, Lewis said.

The department emphasizes police officers becoming a part of the community  just as much as anyone else, he said. Their children go to school there. The community is an extension of their own family.

Lynchs office thinks that philosophy can be adopted by agencies across the country, he said.

It was more than just, Hey, I feel safe, Lewis said. Law enforcement officers were going above and beyond to reduce violence and make them feel safer.

Officers were solving problems on a local level.

As part of the new Greensboro academy, cadets will learn to be problem solvers, Scott said. Theyll possibly have to work with other agencies in the city.

For instance, officers and firefighters in early 2014 were being called to Heritage House three to five times a day, Scott said.

We had shootings. We had drug dealing, he said. It was a number of things. That problem created a drain on city resources and the way police calls and fire service calls were handled.

A continuing problem is getting the demographics of cadets to match that of the city, Scott said.

According to city data released in January, the population has pushed above 282,000. About 53 percent of those residents are nonwhite.

About 40 percent of the 100th Academy is nonwhite.

Thats not right where the city is. I know that, he said.

Still, he said, Were making great strides.

The Greensboro Police Department has made an all-out push to recruit minorities through radio and TV ads. It also bought ads sprawled across city buses featuring smiling faces of African American and Hispanic men and women. The department advertises in Spanish-language newspapers, at job fairs, and has designated three officers to recruit students and veterans.

Still, the department has critics, particularly after the New York Times article featured Greensboro as a city with a significant disparity between the number of black drivers and the number of white drivers pulled over for equipment infractions.

In November, Scott temporarily suspended officers from making stops for minor traffic infractions, such as broken headlights. The department is analyzing data from the first 90 days of the order.

The department has received an analysis of traffic stop data, in which researchers looked at about 20 factors that lead to decisions to conduct traffic stops, he said. It is producing a summary report to release along with the analysis.

Its an extremely complicated question, Scott said. There are not any  quick fixes. I am going to get the report out by the end of March.
GREENSBORO  As the City Council discusses making footage from police body-worn cameras more widely available, the language from council members is telling.

And  to those following the political life of the city for the last few years  familiar.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan: We were a leader in getting all of our police officers body cameras. We have an opportunity now to be a leader in being more transparent in releasing the footage.

Councilman Justin Outling: We need to be leaders on this, the first city in the state to do this.

Councilman Mike Barber: We should be way out ahead, we need to innovate.

Leaders. First in the state. Innovative.

Its not uncommon to hear those words from politicians in discussions of public-private partnerships, economic development, maybe a city recycling program.

But for several years now, Greensboros council has used that language more often  and more passionately  in describing local governments role in dealing with inequality, injustice and a host of social ills, including homelessness, hunger, domestic violence and discrimination.

Thats not an accident, city leaders say. While they acknowledge that in some ways Greensboro has a long way to go, they say the city is on its way to being one of the most progressive in North Carolina.

I say it all the time, Vaughan said of the citys pronounced progressive lean. We are a very diverse community, probably the most diverse city in the state. And right now I think were fortunate to have a team of people on the City Council who want to be sure we reflect those values.

We arent interested in fighting old wars, she said. Were actually facing problems weve ignored for too long, and were creating a more forward-thinking, welcoming city which is good for people, for business, for everyone.

What does it mean?

If you want to have a discussion about whether Greensboro is a progressive city  never mind one of the most progressive in North Carolina  it helps to start with a working definition.

Some people hear progressive and think liberal, Democrat, even communist.

But its more complicated than that, said Michael Bitzer, a professor of history and political science at Catawba College in Salisbury.

Like any political ideology, its about answering, What is governments role in different areas and how do we best utilize or constrain government in those various areas? Especially social and economic areas.

Bitzer said political conservatives in the United States generally believe government should play a role in regulating social affairs  defining marriage, for example, and generally setting the boundaries of socially acceptable behavior.

But they also believe that government should get out of the way on economic issues like trade and regulation of businesses, letting the free market dictate things.

Liberals, on the other hand, tend to think that government should play a more active role in economic issues but be more hands off on social issues.

Progressives are generally more like liberals, but theyre very willing to use government to promote social change as much as on economic issues, Bitzer said. They see a role for government in a lot of areas.

By that broad definition the current City Council certainly qualifies.

A short tour of the councils use of local government to tackle a range of social and economic issues includes:

Passing a series of resolutions opposing the actions of the politically conservative General Assembly, from constitutionally banning gay marriage with Amendment One to a bill  pushed by Time Warner Cable  to limit the right of communities to build their own broadband networks. Critics called the resolutions  and continued conflict with state government  poking the bear.

Making Greensboro the first city in North Carolina to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in its nondiscrimination policies, including housing discrimination protections. More than a year later Charlotte would pass an ordinance taking the protections even further  and drawing the ire of the General Assembly.

Supporting a historical marker commemorating the death of five members of the Communist Workers Party who were killed when members of the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis attacked an anti-Klan rally held at the former Morningside Homes, a mostly black public housing neighborhood. The council supported using Greensboro Massacre on the sign  a controversial description of an event that has divided the city almost since the 1979 shootings.

Raising the minimum wage for city employees. Last year the council voted to raise pay for contract and seasonal employees to a minimum of $10 an hour and $12 an hour for employees with benefits. The council also set a goal of raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020 and challenged private businesses in the city to do the same.

Adopting new, tougher minimum housing standards ordinances that put the power of government on the side of renters and lower income residents. The ordinance requires owners to make repairs in a timely fashion and keep buildings from deteriorating. If they dont, the city will rehabilitate the building  and put a lien on the property for the repair costs. If the building is too far gone and repairs arent made, the city will demolish it and put a lien on the property to recover the demolition costs.

Celebrating last years opening of the Guilford County Family Justice Center, of which the city was one of a number of partners. The center seeks to help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, and elder abuse.

Creating the Community-City Working Group, instigated by Vaughan and the Rev. Nelson Johnson, an activist who has often clashed with city leaders. The group has been meeting since last year and holds monthly Doing Our Work meetings to tackle racial and social issues in the community. After The New York Times published a damning examination of racial disparities in Greensboro traffic enforcement last year, the groups recommendations helped lead to policy change and continue to shape the conversation. Police Chief Wayne Scott ordered officers to suspend traffic stops for minor vehicle equipment infractions, and within a month stops of black and white motorists went from wildly disproportionate to nearly even.

The makeup of the City Council itself reflects a more progressive Greensboro. Last year, voters elected four black council members  the most in Greensboros history. The election of Outling, a black Democrat, was itself historic. Although the council is nonpartisan, the District 3 seat to which he was overwhelmingly elected had always been held by a white Republican.

Progressive DNA

Being a progressive city is about more than just government action, said Bitzer, the political science professor. Its also about the culture of the city itself.

The political culture has an impact not just on who serves as representatives but what their ultimate policies are, he said.

When I think of progressive cities in North Carolina I think of Asheville, Chapel Hill, Durham, Bitzer said. Those have been the traditional bastions of progressiveness. If Greensboro thinks it belongs among those cities, it may  depending on the culture.

Greensboro would seem to have the proper DNA for a progressive city: Quaker roots. Six colleges and universities  including two which are historically black. The site of the famous Woolworths sit-in that helped spawn a movement. A racially diverse population that includes a large and growing number of immigrant communities. A large and politically active lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population.

Guilford County Register of Deeds Jeff Thigpen became one of the public faces of progressive Greensboro in October 2014, when a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court struck down same-sex marriage bans nationwide. His office in downtown Greensboro was already closed for the day when the decision came down, but he re-opened it so that a throng of couples could apply for marriage licenses  some marrying on the spot.

Thigpen said he didnt intend it as a political statement.

I think its my job and the job of my office to serve the community, he said. That means everybody in the community. All week that week we had on average 50 to 75 people waiting. I saw them outside my office in tears, weeping and I couldnt help but connect with their spirit. They were hurting. So I thought it was part of my job to be there for them. Thats just my idea of public service.

There are still a lot of people in Greensboro who would prefer not to talk about difficult social issues, Thigpen said, but theyre no longer the majority.

Theres also a feeling of community engagement and forces that are engaged in movements for justice today, people trying to better their community for everyone and to be a welcoming community, he said. You can see that in some of the things that come out of Greensboro.

Those things dont always start with the government.

The city didnt conceive of the Renaissance Community Co-op, a planned 10,000-square-foot store in a shopping center on Phillips Avenue thats practically abandoned. Neighbors and activists began a movement to build the store in one of the citys 17 food deserts. Residents there have been without a local grocery store since 1998.

But the city helped the co-ops organizers rehabilitate the shopping center and approved a $250,000 challenge grant for the project, part of more than $1.3 million in loans, pledges and gifts that has gone toward the co-ops $2.1 million goal.

The city didnt instigate the Faith Action ID program, which created identification cards for people who dont have state-issued identification. But the City Council and the Greensboro Police Department supported the program, with the city allocating $15,000 in this years budget to help Faith Action produce the cards. The General Assembly passed a bill prohibiting cities from recognizing nongovernmental IDs and Gov. Pat McCrory signed the bill in Greensboro, which many took as a political thumb in the citys eye. But the program has spread to other communities and is thriving.

It was city residents, not council members, who initially pushed for participatory budgeting. But the council approved the idea in 2014, making Greensboro the first city in the South to adopt the practice.

Under the plan, in effect for the first time with this years budget, $500,000 has been set aside. People in each of the citys five districts will get to decide how to spend $100,000. An 18-person steering committee took ideas from all over the city  anything from sidewalk improvements, crosswalks and bus shelters to larger, more imaginative plans to improve the community. The best and most feasible of the plans will be put to a vote in each district, with the winning project moving forward.

Not everyone is wild about Greensboros progressive lean  not even on the council.

Councilman Tony Wilkins, the councils lone Republican, said participatory budgeting is one of a number of recent progressive schemes in the city that seems like a waste of time and money.

That is an item where we spent more than $150,000 on a consultant to get them to tell us how to spend $500,000, Wilkins said. Things like that drive me nuts as a conservative.

He said it has occasionally been difficult to go from the council having a slim Republican majority to just three Republicans two terms ago to just one now.

Even when you had three Republicans, two of them were probably more in the middle, he said. And now youre looking at one conservative on the council. So the makeup is certainly there to pass items that are of a more progressive nature.

Some of those things Wilkins has supported  like the nondiscrimination ordinance. But a lot of them, he said, seem designed to bring the city into conflict with the conservative state government.

I have never seen the benefit of that, items and resolutions that are just a slap in the face to the legislature, he said. If someone can figure out how that poking the bear is benefiting Greensboro, I hope theyll let me know.

Tangible benefits

Other council members say they would be glad to explain it to Wilkins.

I think we are a progressive city and some of the things the council has done and some of the stands weve taken have been about expressing those values, Councilwoman Nancy Hoffmann said. But from an economic development perspective, being a diverse and welcoming city  that is what businesses are looking for when theyre considering locating in a city.

Councilman Mike Barber said he agrees.

The environment weve created, the community harmony we have right now, has been a much better environment for investment, Barber said. Our wealthiest citizens are investing their money here at home, in Greensboro.

Thats apparent from multimillion dollar investments by Greensboro developers like Marty Kotis and Roy Carroll and in the millions invested by private citizens in the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, a public-private partnership in downtown Greensboro, Barber said.

The old school idea that being a progressive community that supports harmony among all of its citizens is mutually exclusive to attracting strong investment and fiscal success is obviously wrong, Barber said.

Outling, the newest member of council, said he isnt sure Greensboro is actually becoming a more progressive city  those ideals may have been there all along.

I think what we may be seeing now is a group of people on council who share some ideals, want effective solutions and are active in seeking them out, he said. The community and the council together realize that we have to make progress or were just going to stagnate. Stagnation is another form of dying.
GREENSBORO  In the training center before class, a group of 37 police recruits laughed and joked with each other. But the moment they stepped into the classroom it was all business.

The men and women are the members of the Greensboro Police Departments 100th Police Academy, which is designed to be the first group more focused on neighborhood oriented policing. The recruits go through 25 weeks of academy training, with a focus on communicating with the public and problem-solving. The police department sought to have the most diverse groups possible. According to the city website, the 100th class is comprised of nine African American men, four Hispanic men, one Hispanic woman, one Asian man and six white women. Of the 37, nine of the recruits are Greensboro natives, one recruit is from Honduras, one is from Guyana and others come from seven states. Ten recruits have military experience, 19 have college degrees.

Rudolph M. Jagernauth of Queens Village, N.Y., said he applied for Greensboros academy because he heard they were looking for a broad range of candidates.

I did research on Greensboro Police Department, he said. I saw the diversity and it appealed to me.

At 42 years old, Jagernauth is the oldest recruit in the class. He has four children and a wife still in New York. He doesnt consider police work a second career. He said life events just delayed his dream for a while.

My mom passed away early, he said, adding that he took care of his younger brother. Becoming an officer is something hes always wanted to do.

Jagernauth said police academy is not what he expected.

Its a lot of knowledge, a lot of work going into it, he said. Its not easy  I didnt expect it to be easy. But I just cant wait to be helping the citizens of Greensboro. I really like helping the public.

After four weeks of class, the recruits have studied constitutional law, criminal law, radio communication, criminal prevention and department directives, said Capt. Renae Sigmon, commander of the training division. Much of the coursework is loaded onto the computers the recruits were assigned the first day of class, the same laptops they will use on patrol.

Recruits studied nonverbal communication this week and learned ways to de-escalate a situation. Detective Tony Hinson, who is also on Greensboro Police Departments hostage negotiations team, is the instructor. Hinson stressed that everything from an officers posture, tone of voice, eye contact, mannerisms and even their dialect can impact interaction with the public.

Classmates sit through lectures, role-play with each other, discuss study topics and take quizzes. The aim is to make the responses and tactics they will one day use in the field second nature.

Hinson told the recruits that getting to know the people in your patrol area will play a valuable role in your career, particularly since there is a wide public distrust of law enforcement throughout the country right now. He did not specifically cite Michael Browns death in Ferguson, Mo.; Freddie Grays death in Baltimore, Md.; or other incidents that have stirred controversy.

People may have a negative predisposition because of whats going on in todays climate, Hinson said. You have to be bigger and better than that.

Hinson said officers must work to keep dialogue open.

Your mouth is the most powerful weapon you have, he said. You use it every day. Dont come in with sarcasm or improper laughter to escalate a situation.

Ryan Darge, 22, of Burlington, said hes not concerned about the negative view some may have about law enforcement because of the training hes getting now.

Were getting the ability to effectively communicate with the people we serve, he said.

Darge graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and has relatives in law enforcement. He said hes eager to put the training into practice.

Im more excited than anything, he said. I look forward to being a part of it.

Darge hopes to eventually be a part of the Special Response Team.

Michelle Rambo, 21, of Greenwood, S.C., said she applied to Greensboros police academy after living in the city last summer and going on a ride-along with an officer.

I liked what I saw, she said.

Rambo said she wanted to be an officer because of the variety of work.

I like making a difference, she said. And I like how every day is different.

The recruits were to go on their first official ride-alongs Saturday and tonight.
You may be surprised to learn that Harold Bass, the second black county commissioner to serve Rockingham County, is no longer a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

I just didnt believe that color was the criteria by which I wanted to express myself, Bass says.

Referring to the NAACP, Mr. Bass said, A lot of blacks and whites support the concept, and I support too, but I dont believe thats the only way I can demonstrate leadership.

Bass has lived his life straddling the color line, living in black neighborhoods, picking crops and attending black schools while worshiping in churches, working in a corporation and serving on civic boards that were predominantly white. He suffered hatred and bigotry from white people but met others who went out of their way to help.

I never grew up with any dislike of anybody because of their color, he says.

Race, though, is a big part of his story. There had been only one other black Rockingham County commissioner, Clarence Tucker, when Bass was first elected in 2004. Bass was re-elected to a second four-year term. Bass envisioned the Rockingham County Citizens Academy, founded in 2012, a 10-week course acquainting citizens with the workings of county government. (Applications for the seventh class are due July 5.) From president of the Reidsville Rotary to a trustee for the county library, Bass has been a respected civic servant who exemplifies the power of listening, the wisdom of even temperament, and the respect that integrity commands.

At 81, Bass recalls well the Jim Crow South.

In 1939, when Bass was 5, his family moved from Morgan County, Ga., to the black side of Pitts Street in Alexandria, Va.

The white neighborhood began on the other side of Pitts Street.

I grew up on the edge with the white people, and I saw conditions I knew my mother wouldnt tolerate, Bass says, trashy and congested living conditions. So I was very comfortable with who I was and not ashamed of myself.

Bass explored the white neighborhood beyond its trashy fringe, which spread into homes lovely enough for Bass to sketch them. He was wary when some white ladies in the neighborhood approached him.

They asked me why I was sketching these houses, and when I said, This is what Im going to build one day, they (the white ladies) encouraged me, he says.

A white priest whose church was near Bass neighborhood played basketball and sang doo-wop with Bass and his friends. St. Josephs Catholic Church had an auditorium in the basement, where it was like a mix-over of black and white, the entire community, Bass remembers.

The integrated youth group at St. Josephs was a surprising contrast to his segregated education.

We (the black children) could participate in the choir, and we could do plays, Bass recalls. The Rev. Francis OShea was a tremendous individual. I guess, too, because of his race, (the integration of the kids) was that much more impressive. The whites didnt reach out to the blacks back then.

At 11, Bass attended churches of four denominations: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist and Episcopalian. The Catholic and Episcopalian churches were predominantly white; the Baptist and Methodist churches were black.

Bass made his choice and converted to Catholicism by age 12.

Ive always liked being different, he says.

Bass parents, neither of whom finished high school, taught him to navigate the conflicting currents of bigotry and acceptance, cruelty and kindness.

Manners, good behavior and prudence were taught mostly by his mother, who once washed out Bass mouth with Octagon soap for saying hell and damn.

Bass father, Douglas, taught him customer service.

He instructed Bass and his three siblings to listen and learn as he talked white farmers into letting the family pick the cotton and peaches.

When Bass delivered newspapers, his father would remind him daily, Put that paper where they want it.

After he started his trucking company, Douglas Bass taught his sons to be extra careful when handling furniture.

He also showed them how to defuse racist behavior.

Bass once saw his father deflect the veiled insults of a former boss who was jealous of Douglas Bass flourishing trucking business.

Douglas Bass was a smart, disciplined, ambitious man. He learned to repair and maintain trucks, saved his money, and when World War II ended in 1945, he bought surplus military trucks.

He had impressed Alexandrias white mayor, who recommended Bass for contracts with retailers such as Sears and Montgomery Ward, who were introducing the concept of home delivery. Bass bought more trucks and hired more workers.

One of his former foremen  who was white  stopped by the garage to tell Bass he was expanding too fast, implying he was more successful than a black man deserved to be.

My father said, I appreciate your advice, but this is my business, and I know what I need to do. Now please leave,  Bass recalls.

Years later, as a territory manager for Kraft Foods, Bass would emulate his fathers unflappable demeanor while dealing with a Mississippi distributor who repeatedly called Bass racial epithets to his face.

Bass was there to collect delinquent payments. The man told Bass, Youre a pretty intelligent nigger, arent you?

Bass said he replied, No, I dont think so  meaning, no, I wasnt a nigger. He said, But you dont talk like the niggers around here talk, and I said, Im sorry I disappointed you. 

Bass, refusing to be baited, explained calmly that the company money the man had been using to buy new cars was intended to reduce inventory cost and generate more volume.

I saw he wasnt going to reach the level I was trying to bring him to, Bass says, but I did get him to pay his bill.

Bass left the distributor, riding in his Kraft company car, driven by a white man. A few miles down the road, the driver pulled over and slid a shotgun out from under the drivers seat. He lifted the shotgun, turned to Bass and said, Mr. Bass, as long as youre with me, nobodys going to hurt you.

Such experiences make Bass feel like the Jackie Robinson of Kraft, and as the first black territory manager in the corporation, he arguably is.

He started with Kraft delivering the companys Sealtest dairy products. He and Lula, his wife of nearly 59 years, whom he met at Virginia State, had just moved to Washington. Bass route through D.C.s Georgetown neighborhood included the homes of U.S. Sens. Barry Goldwater and Hubert Humphrey.

Bass still marvels at the kindness of a white couple on his route.

The woman would insist I come in and have a sandwich, and I enjoyed it, but it would delay me, Bass recalls, smiling. I think she was in the window watching for me.

After the first of his many promotions, Bass told her he was buying a house in Maryland, a house very much like the one he had sketched as a child.

Do you have your plans? the woman asked. Bring them by and let me look at them.

A week later, her husband, a real-estate lawyer, introduced himself and suggested a few changes, including one that prevented him from paying any closing costs.

The experience truly enhanced my belief in people, Bass says.

From Brandywine, Md., Bass commuted first to Washington, then to Krafts Baltimore office. After 10 years, the chief executive officer of Southern Operations asked Bass to move further south as an area manager.

It was a tremendous opportunity, Bass says. We didnt have any blacks representing us in North Carolina.

Krafts southern headquarters was in Winston-Salem, and Bass recognized the chance to advance his career and move his wife back to her family in Ruffin.

In 1979, the Basses moved to the home where they still live today.

During the ensuing years, Bass marveled at the gestures this CEO, a white man from Savannah, Ga., made on his behalf.

Bass continued to face racism from customers, co-workers, subordinates, even their spouses. But the man who hired him had his back.

It just made me feel good about what I believed and what I wanted to see happen, Bass says. I want to see us humans be successful, despite our differences.

Bass has long since retired from Kraft and, more recently, from public service.

Some community leaders hint that they wish he would again run for office, but he says my first priority is caretaking for his ailing wife, Lula.

In the meantime, Bass continues to deliver his message at meetings and presentations.

The sticker on the front of his ever-present folder reads: Erase hate.
Genres : Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Starring : Jean Reno, Christina Applegate, Christian Clavier

Director : Jean-Marie Poire

Plot Synopsis

Just Visiting is one very funny fish-out-of-water comedy the whole family will enjoy. It's 12th century France and Count Thibault of Malfete (Jean Reno, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE) finds his beautiful bride-to-be (Christina Applegate, TV's JESSE) done in by malevolent magic. So he and his loyal servant Andre (Christian Clavier, LES VISITEURS) request the help of a local wizard to right the wrong and bring his beloved back. But the wizardry goes awry and the pair is transported to 21st century Chicago where they meet Thibault's descendant Julia (Applegate) and her scheming fiance. With their timeless values of honor and courage, they wreak hilarious havoc as they foil diabolical plots in modern-day Chicago and try to find their way back home.
Statistician Patrick Ball runs an NGO called the Human Rights Data Analysis Group, which uses extremely rigorous, well-documented statistical techniques to provide evidence of war crimes and genocides; HRDAG's work has been used in the official investigations of atrocities in Kosovo, Guatemala, Peru, Colombia, Syria and elsewhere.

HRDAG is called upon to estimate the full scope of killings by soldiers and police in situations where no records have been kept, or when the records have systematically excluded the worst offenses, and where witnesses and survivors fear reprisals and will not come forward. Through their decades of experience, Ball and HRDAG have developed methodologies for producing good estimates even where the data is in such disarray.

One place where this disarray exists is in the USA, where no comprehensive records are kept of police killings, where some jurisdictions openly refuse to supply any statistics on such killings, and where fear of reprisals and an unjust system prevent many incidents from being reported at all.

In a must-read article in Granta>, Ball explains the fundamentals of statistical estimation, and then applies these techniques to US police killings, merging data-sets from the police and the press to arrive at an estimate of the knowable US police homicides (about 1,250/year) and the true total (about 1,500/year).

That means that of all the killings by strangers in the USA, one third are committed by the police.

This is data-driven journalism at its finest: uncovering socially vital data that has been suppressed at the highest levels, while providing an education in how to estimate numbers like these from fragmentary data-sources.

To understand the impact of the correlation between one list organized by the police  like the Supplementary Homicide Report  and another list organized from media sources  like the Arrest-Related Deaths database  it's most useful to compare them to other cases where we have similar kinds of lists, that is, police and media lists. And the range of correlations that are most informative for our investigation are those in Colombia, where there is a very effective police reporting database, and good databases maintained by human rights groups of homicides reported in the press. Using the correlations from these lists, we conclude that for the eight-year period included in the study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, it is likely that there were approximately 10,000 homicides committed by the police, that is, about 1,250 per year. Keep in mind that the Bureau of Justice Statistics report itself excludes many jurisdictions in the United States that openly refuse to share any data with the FBI. The true number of homicides committed by police is therefore even higher. Though not a true estimate, my best guess of the number of police homicides in the United States is about 1,500 per year. As I said at the beginning of this article, the estimate of 1,500 police homicides per year would mean that eight to ten per cent of all American homicide victims are killed by the police. Of all American homicide victims killed by people they don't know, approximately one-third of them are victims of the police.

Violence in Blue [Patrick Ball/Granta]
MSU Computer Science researchers Kai Cao and Anil K Jain published a new paper describing a

Biometric identifiers are the new hotness in information security, but have significant deficits as authentication tokens, including the fact that biometrics are intrinsically leaky (you reveal your retinas by looking at things and your gait by walking, and shed DNA and leave fingerprints behind everywhere you go) and they can't be revoked once they leak (you can't get new fingerprints when griefers dump your existing ones on the Internet).

People have been hacking fingerprint sensors with gummi bears for more than a decade. In 2013, researchers from the Chaos Computer Club (which had previously dumped 10,000 copies of a scan of the fingerprints of a German government official who'd pushed for biometric ID cards) showed they could create working fake fingers out of gummi that unlocked Iphones, developing a good generalised critique of fingerprint readers in the process.





Fingerprint readers have a legal deficit in the USA, too: though the Fifth Amendment protects people in the USA from being compelled to reveal their phones' unlock codes, it does not prevent the police from forcing you to use your fingerprint to unlock your device (the logic being that the Fifth prevents the compelled disclosure of something you know, but not the compelled production of something you have, including your fingerprints).

The MSU researchers' attack on fingerprint readers worked well on various Samsung phones, and less well on some Huawei phones. However, this is preliminary work; with further research the pair may well discover tunings and optimizations for each sensor's idiosyncrasies.

In summary, we have proposed a simple, fast and effective method to generate 2D fingerprint spoofs that

can successfully hack built-in fingerprint authentication in mobile phones. Furthermore, hackers can

easily generate a large number of spoofs using fingerprint reconstruction [3] or synthesis [4] techniques

which is easier than 2.5D fingerprint spoofs. This experiment further confirms the urgent need for antispoofing

techniques for fingerprint recognition systems [5], especially for mobile devices which are being

increasingly used for unlocking the phone and for payment. It should be noted that not all the mobile

phones can be hacked using proposed method. As the phone manufactures develop better anti-spoofing

techniques, the proposed method may not work for the new models of mobile phones. However, it is only

a matter of time before hackers develop improved hacking strategies not just for fingerprints, but other

biometric traits as well that are being adopted for mobile phones (e.g., face, iris and voice).

Hacking Mobile Phones Using 2D Printed Fingerprints [Kai Cao and Anil K. Jain/Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University]





(via /.)




Haiti - NOTICE : Reminder on the validation of registrations to single Bac





107,283 students potentially candidates to Bac, are recorded in the database of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP). In early February, only 86.487 had been validated to participate in the States examinations of single Bac which will take place from 27 June to 1 July 2016.



The MENFP reminded, once again, to the attention of the educational community in general and school principals in particular that every candidate for the single Bac of end of high school (Philo) must meet the following criteria to be eligible to take the exams :



1. Be validated in Rheto, that is to say :



a) Succeed in second class in a school accredited by the Ministry;

b) Succeed in class 9th year, at least three years before, either during or before the academic year 2011-2012;



2. Succeeding in Rheto class in a school accredited by the Ministry.



If all these conditions are met, the candidate validation is done automatically by the computer system set up by the National Bureau of State Exams (BUNEXE). Otherwise, State Exam registration of single Bac will be rejected.



The school principals have a responsibility to provide the required documents within the shortest time to complete the records of their candidates and thus facilitate their validation for the single Bac exams.



IMPORTANT :

Parents and candidates concerned should inform themselves of the status of their applications to their school principal in the case of unvalidated candidacy and the reasons for the non-validation, to make the necessary corrections, if any.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Joey Martin Feek, age 40, went home to meet her Savior Friday, March 4th, 2016, around 2:30pm, in her native hometown of Alexandria, IN..Joey Feek died after a long battle with cancer. One after Joey's passing, husband Rory broke the silence and he shared a sweet new post on Instagram on Saturday. In the photo, Rory, 49, is seen carrying his daughter, Indiana, 2, on his shoulders while he pets a horse. "Home," he captioned the picture (see above).

Moreover, Rory will be heading home to Tennessee, along with the couple's 2-year-old daughter and his older daughters from his first marriage. Returning home will be difficult, he acknowledges, but he knows his wife will be with him in spirit. Tennessee is where Joey wants them to be, Rory says in his latest This Life I Live blog post.

"It's where she will be... She's gonna be in the mint growing beside our back deck, the sweet-corn frozen in our freezer and a million other places that her hand and heart has touched around our little farmhouse and community. Joey will still be with us. Everywhere."

There will be a private funeral service. As previously noted, Joey will be buried in a box in the backyard of their home.

Joey had been fighting Stage IV cancer for nine months, surrounded by the love and support of countless family members, friends, loved ones, longtime followers of her music and even strangers who were inspired by her life.

Joey was known for her beautiful voice, beautiful smile and beautiful marriage partnership with Rory Feek. Together they shared a life built around a love of faith, family, farming and country music. Their stories, which ranged from growing vegetables to their blossoming as a country music duo, have impacted countless people through television, radio and performances. While grateful for numerous accolades and countless career dreams that came true, Joey found the real meaning and joys of life to be one of love for her GOD, love for her home and family, love for planting and growing and love for sharing with everyone she knew. Her roles as wife and mother are often heralded beyond her celebrity successes.

Tags : rory feek joey feek joey + rory feek joey feek death joey feek funeral joey feek cancer joey feek latest joey feek news joey feek health rory feek news rory feek blog rory feek returns to tennessee joey + rory feek news
Published on 2016/03/05 | Source

Hyun Bin, Yoo Hae-jin, Kim Joo-hyuk, Jang Young-nam, Lee Hae-young-I, Lee Dong-hwi, Yoona and more actors got together for the forthcoming movie, "Confidential Assignment" (working title).

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"Confidential Assignment" begins filming on March 10th. The film is a blockbuster action movie about a classified cooperative investigation by detectives from South and North Korea to chase after North Korean organized crime gangsters, who fled into South Korea. The glamorous lineup of the cast drew much attention earlier.

Hyun Bin plays Lim Cheol-ryeong, a North Korean detective dispatched to South Korea. He is an elite member of a Special Forces, who shows off bold attitude in taking actions, instinct decision making skills and trained agility. Yoo Hae-jin plays Kang Jin-tae, a detective from a serious crime unit, who joins the South Korean team of the cooperative investigation squad.

Kim Joo-hyuk plays Cha Gi-Seong, leader of the organized crime gang, who opposes Yoo Hae-jin's character. Jang Young-nam plays So-yeon, Kang Jin-tae's wife. Lee Hae-young-I plays commander Pyo, who is Kang Jin-tae's friend of 15 years. Lee Dong-hwi's role, Park Myeong-ho is Cha Gi-seong's subordinate and a broker for smuggling. Yoona plays her first film role, Min-yeong, who is Kang Jin-tae's sister-in-law.
Published on 2016/03/06 | Source

Korean clothing companies are rushing to China to compensate for a rapidly waning fashion market at home amid the ongoing slump. In China, despite slowing growth, the fashion market is still burgeoning.

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Chinese consumers view Korean clothes as fashionable and good quality. Their business in China is faring well, and a free trade agreement between the two nations that went into effect in December last year offers further incentives.

Avista, which operates around 100 stores of the BNX brand of women's clothes in China, joined hands with Dishang Group late last year to launch a new brand called G.Revive. Last month it formed a joint venture with Shanghai Silk Group to market its Kai-Aakmann line.

Smart F&D, which makes school uniforms, has tied up with Bosideng Group to sell them in China starting in the second half of this year.

Textile companies from around the world are hungry for a slice of the Chinese market, where 220 million schoolchildren need to be fitted out and the market for school uniforms is scaled at 33 billion yuan (W6.6 trillion).

According to PwC Consulting, China's clothing market grew 12 percent last year to US$79.5 billion and is expected to grow an average of 9.5 percent over the next five years.

Park Young-man of Tebah Global, which sells baby products online, points out that 16 million babies are born in China every year, some 1.6 times the total population of Seoul. "Nowadays doing business in China is a necessity rather than an option", he added.

The Korea-China FTA has made the Chinese market far more accessible for Korean businesses and vice versa. The 14 to 25-percent tariff on clothes imports will be gradually abolished over a 10-year period.

On top of that, Korean fashion brands benefit from the popularity of Korean dramas and music in China.

The Sejung Group's jewelry brand Didier Dubot, for example, became a hit when Jeon Ji-hyun sported its baubles in the mega-hit soap "My Love from the Star".

But success is by no means guaranteed. Competition between online shops is fierce and squeezing margins, says Kim Ki-yung, an analyst at SK Securities. "As incomes rise in China, consumer tastes are becoming more sophisticated, so clothing makers will have to improve their designs and tap into provincial markets".
Published on 2016/03/06 | Source

People look at their smartphones near a crosswalk in front of Yonsei University in Seoul on Feb. 25, 2016.

An increasing number of pedestrians fall victim to dangerous accidents because they are distracted by their smartphones. Their number nearly doubled over five years from 437 in 2009 to 1,111 in 2014, according to Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance.

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At 8 a.m. one morning last week, more than a half of the 40 pedestrians at a crossing near Gangnam Subway Station in Seoul looked at their smartphones as they waited for the traffic signal to change.

In subzero temperatures, some were texting while blowing on their cold hands, while others were watching videos or playing games.

Experts say the recognition distance of approaching vehicles for pedestrians using smartphones is about half that for those not using them.

Pedestrians can usually hear the sound of approaching cars when they are 11.9 m away, but people who are texting only notice them when they are 7.7 m away, according to the Samsung Traffic Safety Research Institute. Pedestrians listening to music on their earphones can hear the sound of approaching cars only when they are a mere 4.7 m away.

Prof. Shin Hyun-jin of Konkuk University said, "People normally have a field of vision of 100 to 120 degrees, but that narrows to just 20 degrees when using a smartphone".

Despite such risks, four out of every 10 pedestrians cross the streets using smartphones, according to a survey by Hyundai Marine in 2013.

A signpost on a street in Sweden warns of using smartphones while walking.

Many countries have come up with preventive measures. Japanese telecom NTT DoCoMo released a handset with a function that warns users who are walking while using the phone and turns it off.

New Jersey fines pedestrians US$85 for sending texting while crossing the street, and in Chongqing, China and and Antwerp in Belgium there are lanes exclusively for smartphone users.
Published on 2016/03/06 | Source

Average per-capita spending on private crammers for schoolkids reached W240,000 a month last year, the most since the government began tallying statistics in 2007 (US$1=W1,238).

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The statistics were gathered in a survey of 43,000 parents across the nation, but since some of them probably underreported their spending, the total is estimated over W30 trillion overall.

Spending had been inching down since 2009 but started growing again since 2013.

Total spending on private crammers was down 2.2 percent compared to 2014 at W17.8 trillion, but that was because there are fewer students, the Education Ministry said Friday.

The number of students dropped from 6.28 million in 2014 to 6.09 million in 2015, but per-capita spending on private crammers amounted to W240,000 a month last year, up W2,000 from 2014.

Spending on crammers for middle- and high-schoolers rose 1.9 and 2.9 percent.

The government has been making college entrance exams largely reflect lessons taught on state-run educational broadcaster EBS to prevent students from having to pay through the nose at crammers, as well as making the exam easier. But the measures have failed to curb spending on crammers.

After the government banned schools from offering students preps ahead of the regular curriculum, students flocked to private crammers instead.

Spending on extra Korean and English lessons fell one percent and 2.1 percent, but spending on math rose 0.1 percent.

Per-capita spending on math crammers increased the most among high school students, or by W4,000 a month.

Education experts say a government-led scheme to put less focus on English classes and make the subject easier at university entrance exams as of 2018 will reduce the frenzy for English-language cramming, but spending on math crammers is increasing.

Also, spending on sports, art and music lessons is on the rise among parents of elementary schoolchildren who want their kids to have a more rounded education than the public system provides.

It rose from W50,000 per subject in 2014 to W53,000 last year.
An honest essay has numerous characteristics: original thinking, a good structure, balanced arguments, and plenty more.

But one aspect often overlooked is that an honest essay should be interesting. It should spark the readers curiosity, keep them absorbed, make them want to stay reading and learn more. An uneventful article risks losing the readers attention; whether or not the points you create are excellent, a flat style, or poor handling of a dry subject material can undermine the positive aspects of the essay. The matter is that a lot of students think that essays should be like this: they believe that a flat, dry style is suited to the needs of educational writing and dont even consider that the teacher reading their essay wants to search out the essay interesting. You might want to have online essay editor service to boost your confidence in writing with an error-free output. Academic writing doesnt need to be  and shouldnt be  bland. The excellent news is that there is much stuff you can do to create your essay more attractive, while youll be able only to do such a lot while remaining within the formal confines of educational writing. Lets study what theyre.

Have an interest in what youre writing about

Dont go overboard, but youll be able to let your passion for your subject show.

If theres one thing bound to inject interest into your writing, its being fascinated by what youre writing about. Passion for a subject matter comes across naturally in your essay, typically making it more lively and fascinating and infusing an infectious enthusiasm into your words  within the same way that its easy to talk knowledgeably to someone about something you discover fascinating.

Include fascinating details

Another factor that may make an essay boring maybe a dry material. Some topic areas are naturally dry, and it falls to you to form the article more interesting through your written style and by trying to seek out fascinating snippets of knowledge to incorporate, which will liven it up a small amount and make the data easier to relate to. A way of doing this with a dry subject is to create what youre talking about that seems relevant to the critical world, as this is often easier for the reader to relate to.

Emulate the fashion of writers you discover interesting

When you read lots, you subconsciously start emulating the fashion of the writers you have read. Reading benefits you a lot, as this exposes you to a spread of designs, and youll start to require the characteristics of these you discover interesting to read.

Borrow some creative writing techniques

Theres a limit to the quantity of actual story-telling youll do when youre writing an essay; in the end, essays should be objective, factual and balanced, which doesnt, initially glance, feel considerably like story-telling. However, youll apply a number of the principles of story-telling to create your writing more interesting.

consider your own opinion

Take the time to figure out what its that you think instead of regurgitating the opinions of others.

Cut the waffle

Rambling on and on is dull and almost bound to lose the interest of your reader. Youre in danger of waffling if youre not completely clear about what you wish to mention or havent thought carefully about how youre visiting structure your argument. Doing all your research correctly and writing an essay plan before you begin will help prevent this problem.

Editing is a vital part of the essay-writing process, so edit the waffle once youve done a primary draft. Read through your essay objectively and eliminate the bits that arent relevant to the argument or labor the purpose.

employing a thesaurus isnt always a decent thing

Avoid using unfamiliar words in an essay; theres too great a likelihood that youre misusing them.

You may think that employing a thesaurus to seek out more complicated words will make your writing more exciting or sound more academic, but using overly high-brow language can have the incorrect effect.

Avoid repetitive phrasing

Please avoid using the identical phrase structure again and again: its a recipe for dullness! Instead, use a variety of syntax that demonstrates your writing capabilities and makes your writing more interesting. Mix simple, compound, and complicated sentences to avoid your paper becoming predictable.

Use some figurative language

Using analogies with nature can often make concepts more accessible for readers to know.

As weve already seen, its easy to finish up rambling when youre explaining complex concepts  mainly after you dont know it yourself. One way of forcing yourself to think about a couple of pictures, present it more simply and engagingly is to form figurative language. This implies explaining something by comparing it with something else, as in an analogy.

Employ rhetorical questions

Anticipate the questions your reader might ask.

One of the ways ancient orators held the eye of their audiences and increased the dramatic effect of their speeches was by using the statement. A decent place to use a statement is at the top of a paragraph, to steer into the following one, or at the start of a replacement section to introduce a brand new area for exploration.

Proofread

Finally, you may write the top interesting essay an instructor has ever read. Still, youll undermine your good work if its plagued by errors, which distract the reader from the particular content and can probably annoy them.




We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here
BRISTOL, Tenn.  Please make welcome, Ernest Jennings Ford.

You know him as Tennessee Ernie Ford, native of Bristol, Tennessee.

Country music star with the deep bass voice, national TV host, Lucille Balls cousin Ernie on I Love Lucy, gospel singing powerhouse. Oh yeah, and Sixteen Tons.

Well, its time. Someone, somehow and some way needs to lead a drive to commission a statue of Ford to grace his Tennessee border hometown of Bristol, Tennessee, for all time.

Just imagine taking a stroll down State Street and coming upon the smiling visage of Ford in statue form, perhaps near or in front of the Paramount Center.

Tourists would love that. Country music lovers would adore that. Local folks who knew or simply know of Ford would embrace that. Kids could learn from that. Fords family would cherish that.

Hey, a statue of Ford warrants prominent inclusion within a city rightly branded as the Birthplace of Country Music.

Comparable statues for such music legends as John Lennon, Alabama, and Willie Nelson adorn the localities of Liverpool, England, Fort Payne, Alabama, and Austin, Texas. Statues of Elvis Presley occupy space in his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi, and his adopted home of Memphis, Tennessee.

Closer to home, a bronzed and guitar-cradling Doc Watson sits humbly on a bench in Boone, North Carolina. A majestic bronze of Dolly Parton prominently exudes the country stars florid personality in Sevierville, Tennessee.

Numerous statues to music icons dot the landscape of downtown Nashville. Also known as Music City and the home of country music, leaders saw fit to honor famed producer Owen Bradley. He sits at a piano near Music Row and the former site of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Mr. Guitar, Chet Atkins  a native of East Tennessee -- sits on a stool while picking his guitar within steps of the famed former home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium.

Yet here in the one and only Birthplace of Country Music, not one measly statue for ANY known musician exists within public sight. None.

Not even Tennessee Ernie Ford, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and most famous son of Bristol, Tennessee, has received a statue. Theres a bronze plaque of Ford in the Country Music Hall of Fame, which documents his membership in the most exclusive music hall of fame in the world. But thats in Nashville.

Need a Ford refresher?

Ford first struck national gold in 1949, with his first charted country single, Tennessee Border. Interestingly, through 1953, Capitol Records labeled Ford as simply Tennessee Ernie on such 78 releases of hits including 1949s Mule Train and 1952s Blackberry Boogie.

That changed with 1954s River of No Return, culled from the movie of the same name, which starred Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. Now how about that? Bristols favorite son connected with Hollywood superstardom.

Fords Hollywood encampment actually began with his first-ever recording session on Jan. 21, 1949. In fact, every single song that forged Fords career through the 1950s  including Sixteen Tons, was recorded in Hollywood.

So to the big screen via song in 1954s River of No Return went Ford. Also in 1954, his television splash in three episodes of I Love Lucy as cousin Ernie classify as among televisions most popular episodes ever filmed.

Fords voice? Picturesque and powerful. His personality? He could light the stars of Hollywood and speak with a farmer back home in Bristol with equal parts charm and humility.

To hear Ford, to see Ford, to recall Ford is to underscore and elevate Bristol, too.

Also of note, how about erecting a prominent sign at the point of entry into Bristol, Tennessee, that notes in wondrous detail our citys status as the Birthplace of Country Music? The spot where Commonwealth Avenue meets Volunteer Parkway would be ideal.

Years ago, a large Welcome to Tennessee sign draped above and across the spot, which is now where the large guitar sits. Why not post a sign in similar fashion that proclaims Welcome to the Birthplace of Country Music, perhaps atop the stoplight?

Give it thought.

Meanwhile, lets resurrect Tennessee Ernie Ford, who died in 1991, as best we can, in statue form for all of time. He left Bristol in the 1940s, and he took his hometown to Hollywood and around the world.

Goodness gracious, its time we brought him back.

Tom Netherland is a freelance writer. He may be reached at features@bristolnews.com.
As the anniversary approaches of Star Treks first broadcast on NBC 50 years ago in September, Kristine M. Smith has just released a greatly-expanded edition of her 2001 book now retitled DeForest Kelley Up Close and Personal, A Harvest of Memories from the Fan Who Knew Him Best.

The enhanced version has more than 40 additional photos and 55 additional pages of anecdotes, said Smith from her home in Tacoma, Wash.

Kelley died in 1999 and is best remembered as the sometimes crusty but always compassionate Dr. Leonard McCoy on the iconic 60s TV series and subsequent six films. As a Star Trek fan-turned-family friend of Kelley and his wife, Carolyn, for over 30 years, Smith grew to know De well, eventually becoming his non-medical caregiver in the final year of his life.

He was just a salt of the earth guy and incredible human being in so many ways, said Smith.

The two first met in 1968, after Smith drove two hours to Washington States Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival where the actor was appearing and she approached him for an autograph.

Impressed by his gracious interaction with fans, 17-year-old Kris wrote about the experience for a high school creative writing class and sent her essay to Kelley at her teachers suggestion.

The Kelleys liked it so much, they submitted it to a New York publication, TV Star Parade where it was printed in 1969 with only one line changed. So De actually launched my writing career!

Over the next two decades, the bond between Smith and the Kelleys strengthen as they met at fan conventions across the country, exchanged letters and gifts, and even visited each other's homes.

Encouraged by the Kelleys to move from Washington to Los Angeles, Smith arrived in California with Deaken, her knee-high African serval cat.

De and Carolyn actually went out knocking on doors trying to find a landlord who would let me keep Deaken in the back yard, said Smith. That tells you the type of people they were.

Smith remembers Kelleys encouraging sense of humor which was never mean-spirited.

If he ever corrected you, you felt blessed rather than criticized, she said. At a Star Trek convention once, someone asked if William Shatner was hard to get along with. De said he absolutely loved Bill, but had to straighten his ass out a time or two!

After a diagnosis of stomach cancer in the mid-1990s, Kelley never complained preferring to shield friends from the severity of his illness.

My own mother was dying from brain cancer so he didnt reveal how sick he was to spare me the additional worry," said Smith. "He only told me it was terminal after he ended up in intensive care in March, 1999. Unfortunately, Carolyn fell and broke her leg a year before that and it never did heal.

With no children of their own, the Kelleys relied on Smith to help with house maintenance and personal business. And today, 17 years after Kelleys passing, Smith is still amazed by the close relationship she forged with a legendary actor.

You just dont go from being a fan to being at the bedside of a star when he dies  it just doesnt happen, she says. But it did for me and thats what my story is all about.
A local prosecutor has offered an unusual justification for forcing Apple to help hack an iPhone used by a San Bernardino mass killer: The phone might have been "used as a weapon" to introduce malicious software to county computer systems.

San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos acknowledged to The Associated Press that there's no evidence of malicious software in the county's computer network. But he added, "I wouldn't call it a total hypothetical."

Computer security experts say the prospect is unlikely. By late Friday, the prosecutor's claim had sparked a wave of social media postings, many of which mocked the DA's use of the non-technical term "cyber pathogen" to describe the supposed malware.

Apple has resisted calls to help unlock the phone, arguing that building a software tool to override the phone's security features would render other iPhones vulnerable to criminals and government authorities around the world. Investigators, meanwhile, are eager to see if the phone used by shooter Syed Farook  one issued by Farook's employer, the county health department  contains any useful information about other suspects.

But the idea that Farook might have used the phone to transmit a "lying-dormant cyber pathogen" into county data systems is a new one. Ramos' office, however, cited it in a court filing Thursday among several other reasons to support the government's position.

"This was a county employee that murdered 14 people and injured 22," Ramos said. "Did he use the county's infrastructure? Did he hack into that infrastructure? I don't know. In order for me to really put that issue to rest, there is one piece of evidence that would absolutely let us know that, and that would be the iPhone."

The argument drew condemnation from one software expert who has signed a brief in support of Apple's position.

"Ramos's statements are not only misleading to the court, but amount to blatant fear mongering," independent software researcher Jonathan Zdziarski wrote in a post on his personal blog .

Other security experts who haven't taken sides also discounted the scenario. "It's definitely possible, technically, but it doesn't seem to me at first glance to be likely," said David Meltzer, a computer security expert and chief research officer at Tripwire, a commercial IT security firm. He said Apple's iPhone operating system is a relatively closed environment that's designed so users can't easily introduce their own programs.

Ramos, meanwhile, said he'd heard about social media posts that mocked the term "cyber pathogen," which is not generally used by tech experts. "When they do that," he said, "they're mocking the victims of this crime, of this horrible terrorist attack."
Voters like pols who mock themselves

Fifty-eight years ago, John F. Kennedy, a rising-star senator from Massachusetts who was already leading the pack for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination, stood in white tie and tails before the Washington establishment at the annual Gridiron Dinner and drew a piece of paper from his pocket. I just received the following wire from my generous daddy, he said.  Dear Jack, Dont buy a single vote more than is necessary. Ill be damned if Im going to pay for a landslide. 

The crowd guffawed. The gag became a legendary example of something that is rare this election cycle: the self-deprecating joke.

To his detractors, Kennedy was a callow vessel for the ambitions of his wealthy and powerful father. So why would he tell a joke that copped to what so many thought to be his greatest liability? The Journal of Political Marketing isnt usually the first place you should go looking for a good laugh. But an experiment published there last year does provide part of the answer: People like it when politicians make jokes at their own expense.

Researchers from East Carolina University had test subjects view a clip of David Lettermans Top 10 list of Ways the Country Would Be Different if Chris Christie Were President. The 2011 segment contained what the researchers called other-disparaging humor; those outside of academia call it fat jokes. Among the items on Lettermans list were New state: Fatasschusetts; Instead of Iraq, wed invade IHOP; Scandal when president is caught in Oval Office with Betty Crocker and Sara Lee. After hearing the cracks at Christies expense, test subjects liked him less and said they were less likely to vote for him.

A different group of test subjects saw a different clip, this one of the New Jersey governor being interviewed by Letterman. Early in the conversation, Christie pulls a doughnut from his pocket and proceeds to eat it, saying that he didnt know this [interview] was going to be this long. Viewers who saw this self-deprecating joke showed a greater likelihood of voting for Christie.

Thats because self-deprecating humor minimizes status distinctions. A study in another of Americas comic journals - the Leadership & Organization Development Journal - found that leaders who use such jokes win higher marks and are seen as more relatable to followers. Additional research published in the International Journal of Public Opinion Research found that the very act of going on late-night television improved peoples opinions of a politician. Those shows in particular, and humor in general, prime viewers to look at political leaders as people and evaluate them on character traits rather than policy. As Dannagal Young, a professor of political communication at the University of Delaware (who performs in an improv comedy troupe), puts it, If your goal is to appear human, authentic and relatable, it makes sense to deploy self-deprecation as a tactic.

Some politicians get this intuitively and use it to good effect. Heres Michael Dukakis at New Yorks Al Smith Dinner in 1988: Ive . . . been told that I lack passion. But that doesnt affect me one way or the other. Some people say Im arrogant, but I know better than that. In an appearance on Saturday Night Live days before the 2008 election, John McCain remarked, Im a true maverick - a Republican without money. The joke headlined numerous articles the next day.

President Obama frequently mocks himself, including at the 2010 White House correspondents dinner, when he took double aim at his declining popularity and the birthers: Its been quite a year since Ive spoken here last - lots of ups, lots of downs - except for my approval ratings, which have just gone down. . . . It doesnt bother me. Besides, I happen to know that my approval ratings are still very high in the country of my birth. And President Bill Clinton has credited a video in which he made fun of his lame-duck status, shown at the 2000 correspondents dinner, with helping him achieve the highest Gallup approval rating of any postwar president leaving office.

Yet there is astonishingly little self-deprecation among the candidates this election cycle. Instead, they have turned to humor that is, er, below the belt. Witness Donald Trumps use of the word schlonged and Marco Rubios suggestion that Trumps small hands signify another characteristic.

The tone has changed with the times, says Mark Katz, the author of a memoir about writing humor for President Clinton: Self-deprecation is the voice of candor and a signifier of intellectual honesty. This electorate is not in the market for self-awareness or intellectual honesty. Its not even in the market for mental stability.

Landon Parvin, who has written some of the most memorable Republican laugh lines of the past several decades, offers another explanation. The candidates have gone for insult humor. They have taken the Don Rickles route, except that audiences knew Rickles liked his targets, and he often delivered his lines with a smile. Insult humor is the easiest to do and the surest way to get on the news. But it doesnt help build the candidates larger persona.

On Super Tuesday, Trump made a similar observation about Rubios small-hands joke, saying Rubio had decided to go Don Rickles. But Trump added a particularly Trump-ian twist, clarifying that Don Rickles has a lot more talent.

Hillary Clinton and Rubio have attempted to laugh at themselves. Clinton appeared as a bartender on Saturday Night Live, describing herself as just an ordinary citizen who believes the Keystone Pipeline will destroy our environment; Rubio has had a little fun after his well-publicized post-State of the Union hydration challenges in 2013, tweeting pictures of water bottles and doing water-bottle bumps with world leaders. (Rubio could stand to joke a bit at the next debate about his reputation as robotic: Despite what Chris Christie and Donald Trump would have you believe, this is not WD-40.)

One not-yet-published analysis of humor from four of the candidates (Clinton, Rubio, Trump and Bernie Sanders) in media interviews between Dec. 1, 2015, and March 1, 2016, conducted by the University of Delawares Young and graduate student Johanna Lukk, showed that Rubio and Clinton engage more often in self-deprecating humor. Sanders and Trump were the least likely to make fun of themselves. Sanders, for one, struggles not to seem relatable but to seem like a plausible president, and self-deprecation doesnt help in his effort to elevate himself.

Trump was vastly more likely to engage in other-deprecating humor - in nine interviews, he made 18 jokes at someone elses expense. (This does not include insults that were not delivered in a humorous way, a number I assume was too high to count.)

But Trumps lack of self-deprecation doesnt particularly hurt him with his fans. According to Young, His entire persona is about authority, status and hierarchy. Self-deprecation would run the risk of diminishing that. Thats why Trumps humor is based on self-aggrandizement, such as when he interviewed himself in a mirror on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Sample joke: Me interviewing me, thats what I call a great idea!

Its a shame that insult humor has governed this election, because, unlike self-deprecation, it often diminishes the deliverer as much as the target. Lost in the volley of abuse is that perhaps the most effective one-liner in political history is one that got its victim to laugh, on camera, in front of millions. When President Ronald Reagan was asked during a 1984 debate if, at 73, he had the energy to continue to do the job - his challenger, Walter Mondale, had suggested he didnt - he responded: I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponents youth and inexperience. Mondale would later say that he may have laughed but he was also crying, because by neutralizing his most effective attack, that line effectively ended his campaign.

In the end, Mondale laughed. But Reagan laughed last. For anyone seeking the presidency, theres a lesson in that.
Six school board candidates compete for three seats

There are six candidates for three Washington County Board of Education seats in the Nov. 8 election. Three incumbents face challengers.
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At the March 1 Hickory City Council meeting, Dr. Dana Chambers, vice chair of the Business Development Committee, presented Hickorys first ever Legacy Award to Byron Logan, proprietor of Carolina Office Equipment. The award, created by the BDC, recognizes businesses contributing to the Hickory community in special ways.

The Business Development Committee serves in an advisory role to City Council with a purpose to support economic development in the city of Hickory, Chambers said. Part of that is recognizing existing businesses and their accomplishments.

Carolina Office Equipment has been in business for more than 65 years and is a familiar fixture on Second Avenue in northwest Hickory. The business has supplied numerous local businesses with necessary equipment and even touts on its website that Making your job easier is our business. Logans knack for sales, along with his jovial nature, has crafted his store into the enduring business that it is today.

The BDC members are very pleased to present the first ever City of Hickory Legacy Award to Mr. Byron Logan, the owner of Carolina Office Equipment, Chambers said. As a US Navy combat veteran of World War II, he built his company from scratch, works with his three sons plus 17 employees, and has served our community for over 65 years. Mr. Logan certainly exemplifies the type of businessman we are proud to support and honor. He has truly created a legacy.

For more details, find Logans story at http://www.hickorywellcrafted.com/work/well-crafted/mr-byron-logan-recipient-of-the-legacy-award/.
The Rotary Club of Lake Hickory inducted four new members to the club during its February 16th lunch meeting, held at the Lake Hickory Country Club.

Jeff Mackie, club president, invited the four Rotarians who were acting as sponsors for the incoming members up to the podium to introduce the new members to the rest of the attendees. By sponsoring a new member, they were responsible for bringing the prospective member to the club as a guest in the past and helping them through the application process.

Each of the sponsors spoke to the club about their new member and provided some background information on each of them. The new members of the Rotary Club of Lake Hickory are:

 Drew Caldwell, physician recruiter, Christian Eye Network;

 Marie Geissele, assistant vice president for support services at Frye Regional Medical Center;

 Darren Harold Harris, administrator at OrthoCarolina;

 Josh McKinney, vice president of business development at Peoples Bank.

Mackie formally inducted the new members, and asked the sponsors to affix the Rotary pin to their lapels or clothing. He then officially welcomed the new members to the club to a round of applause.

The Rotary Club of Lake Hickory is committed to the motto Service Above Self and strives to enrich the community by giving time, talents and charitable gifts in the name of Rotary. Rotary International is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Lake Hickory, visit www.lakehickoryrotary.org.
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A forest guard was crushed to death in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday while chasing illegal sand miners when a tractor-trolley loaded with the loot fell on him.

Police said 41-year-old Narendra Kumar Sharma was part of a team set up to control unlawful sand mining along the Chambal river. He jumped on to the trolley that was trying to flee from a checkpoint, but was killed when the vehicle toppled.

Sand is precious to the real estate industry and the mafia is known to ravage riverbeds and land to dredge up tonnes of earth and sell it at steep discounts to builders, shaving lakhs of rupees off construction costs.

Officials said Sundays incident brought back memories from March 2012 when a young IPS officer, also named Narendra Kumar, was crushed to death in a similar way in Madhya Pradeshs Morena district.

Despite a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order three years ago restraining all sand mining activities without environmental clearance, illegal quarrying continues unabated along rivers with mighty water bodies like the Ganga and Yamuna dying a slow death.

Gwalior SP HN Mishra said tractor driver Lalla Mawai was arrested and the vehicle seized.

The regions chief conservator of forests (CCF) Rajesh Kumar said it appeared to be a case of murder.

He said authorities have seized dozens of vehicles ferrying sand illegally and recovered crores of rupees by auctioning them.

The state government announced `5 lakh as compensation, apart from a job in the forest department, for the deceaseds next of kin, he added.
Finally breaking his silence, Vijay Mallya, chairman, United Breweries Holdings Ltd (UBHL), said in a media statement on Sunday that he had no intention of absconding from the country, and that he has been trying to reach a one-time settlement with the consortium of 17 banks to which Kingfisher Airlines owes over Rs 7,000 crore.

This is the first official statement from Mallya since February 25, when he announced a $75-million (Rs 515 crore) settlement with UK-based Diageo Plc to exit United Spirits. Diageo has a controlling interest in the Indian liquor giant.

My statement as to my personal future after quitting Diageo/USL - that I want to spend more time in England closer to my children - has been grossly distorted and misportrayed, he said in the statement. I wish to reduce my business commitments gradually and devote more time to my family, and that my resignation from United Spirits was a step in this direction.

Read: Vijay Mallya finds 75 million reasons to resign as USL chairman

I have been a non-resident (NRI) for almost 28 years and the Reserve Bank of India has acknowledged this in writing. Over the years, I have built successful businesses in India and abroad. I am also honoured to be a member of the Rajya Sabha, the statement said.

Read: Vijay Mallyas only regret: Kingfisher not flying when oil is cheap

Mallya claimed that a successful disinformation campaign has ensured my becoming the poster boy of all bank NPAs (non performing assets) despite pledging blue chip securities and depositing significant amounts in court.

A consortium of banks loaned funds to Kingfisher Airlines, a public company, but these loans were secured by blue chip securities, the statement said. After the closure of the Airline, since April, 2013, the banks and their assignees have recovered, in cash, an aggregate of Rs 1,244 crore from sale of pledged shares. In addition an aggregate of Rs 600 crore is lying deposited in the Karnataka High Court (since July, 2013) and a further sum of Rs 650 crore belonging to United Breweries Holdings has been deposited in the Karnataka high court since early 2014, being sums realised from the sale proceeds received by United Breweries Holdings from the sale of shares in United Spirits to Diageo Plc in July, 2013. Thus, the aggregate cash recovery/security available is Rs 2,494 crore.

In fact, Banks have NPAs of Rs 11 lakh crore and have borrowers who owe much more than the amount allegedly owed by Kingfisher Airlines to the Banks  a fact never alluded to or widely reported by the media as in my case, he claimed.

He also pointed out that while he and UBHL have ben declared willful defaulters, these large borrowers have got away. I have legally challenged these declarations, he said.

Vijay Mallyas press statement in full:

The past few days have witnessed a near hysterical campaign in the media directed against me.

Recognising that the media was indulging in sensationalism, I thought it was best to let the drama play out  never spoil a sensational story with the truth.

However I feel that the time has come to clarify my position in order to avoid this relentless attack on my reputation.

Kingfisher was launched on the basis of a viable business plan vetted by SBI Capital Markets and renowned International aviation consultants, but despite every effort, it was an unfortunate commercial failure caused by macro economic factors and then Government policies.

The truth about Kingfisher Airlines and its financial stress due to external factors has been reported by State Bank of India to the Reserve Bank of India in their letter dated 31st January 2012.

Read: SBI wants Vijay Mallya arrested, passport impounded

A consortium of Banks loaned funds to Kingfisher Airlines, a public Company, but these loans were secured by blue chip securities.

After the closure of the Airline, since April, 2013, the Banks and their assignees have recovered, in cash, an aggregate of Rs. 1,244 crores from sale of pledged shares. In addition an aggregate of Rs. 600 crores is lying deposited in the Karnataka High Court [since July, 2013] and a further sum of Rs. 650 crores belonging to United Breweries Holdings has been deposited in the Karnataka High Court since early 2014, being sums realized from the sale proceeds received by United Breweries Holdings from the sale of shares in United Spirits to Diageo Plc in July, 2013.

Thus, the aggregate cash recovery/security available is Rs 2,494 crores.

Legal proceedings apart, I have been making efforts to reach a one-time settlement with the Banks, and to that end I have had three meetings and follow up calls in the recent past and my efforts will continue  this settlement would be based on additional payments to the Banks.

Personally I am not a borrower or a judgement defaulter.

Read: Islands, castles, stud farm, vintage cars: How rich is Vijay Mallya?

Despite pledging blue chip securities and depositing significant amounts in Court, a successful disinformation campaign has ensured my becoming the poster boy of all Bank NPAs.

In fact, Banks have NPAs of Rs. 11 lakh crores and have borrowers who owe much more than the amount allegedly owed by Kingfisher Airlines to the Banks  a fact never alluded to or widely reported by the media as in my case.

None of these large borrowers [whose debt is significantly more than the KFA debt] have been declared wilful defaulters, but unfortunately, United Breweries Holdings and I have been declared wilful defaulters by certain Banks on technical grounds. I have legally challenged these declarations.

All the enquiries conducted have failed to find any evidence of misappropriation of funds by Kingfisher Airlines or myself  for the simple reason that the allegations and the innuendo to this effect is plainly false. My Group directly invested over Rs 4000 crores into Kingfisher Airlines itself which investment stands fully impaired  it is not as though it is only the bank debt that has suffered. The banks will recover a substantial part of their debt  my groups loss is permanent.

Absent any fraud, the concept of corporate limited liability cannot be ignored.

Vijay Mallya has been one of Indias most controversial businessmen, with several papers accusing him of giving big businesses a bad name in the subcontinent. (HT Photo)

I have been most pained as being painted as an absconder  I have neither the intention nor any reason to abscond. I have been a non resident for almost 28 years and the Reserve Bank of India has acknowledged this in writing.

Over the years, I have built successful businesses in India and abroad. I am also honoured to be a member of the Rajya Sabha.

I have been summoned before various investigative agencies and have duly attended and cooperated with each of them, and I will continue to do so.

My statement as to my personal future after quitting Diageo/USL - that I want to spend more time in England closer to my children - has been grossly distorted and misportrayed. I wish to reduce my business commitments gradually and devote more time to my family, and that my resignation from United Spirits was a step in this direction.

The payments from Diageo Plc to myself are towards my personal non compete obligations globally except in the UK. In effect, I have given up my interests in the spirits business globally at considerable cost.

I have always lived an honourable life and the calumny notwithstanding shall continue to do so. As to the allegations in the media, all I can say is I hope some sobriety and sense will prevail and truth not held a hostage to TRP.
The verdict in the gang rape of a Danish tourist in Delhi has been held up by a peculiar request  the court-appointed lawyer of one of the nine accused, now dead, wants him declared impotent and, thereby, innocent.

The state had withdrawn the case against Shyam Lal after his death. But his lawyer, Dinesh Sharma, is insistent that the court recall witnesses to testify on a medical report stating that the 55-year-old was impotent. Additional sessions judge Rakesh Kumar will now hear an application filed by Sharma on March 8.

Lal, with the others, was accused of robbing and raping the lost 54-year-old at knifepoint in Paharganj on January 14, 2014. Five of the accused, including Lal, went on trial. The remaining four were minors and a Juvenile Justice Board inquiry is currently on.

The trial was to end on January 23 when the sessions court had said it would pronounce its verdict. But with days to go, the prosecution brought the medical report to the judges notice, who ruled that it was relevant to Lals case as his defence from the beginning had been impotent.

And while the judge waited for the documents to be filed, Lal died last week of natural causes.

Public prosecutor Atul Srivastava argued that with the state withdrawing criminal proceedings against Lal, there was no need to recall evidence related to him. The move, he said, would delay a trial that had already gone on for over two years.

But Sharma insisted the doctor who examined Lal and wrote the report be questioned again.

An exoneration seems unlikely, though. As lawyer Shilpi Jain said, Earlier, in an allegation of gang rape, there had to be participation. But given the new law which has increased the ambit of rape to cover digital, oral or insertion of a foreign object, a defence of impotency holds no validity. Many doctors, in fact, say impotency is a state of mind and can vary with time.
Until the Jat agitations broke out in Haryana in mid-February, Murthal in the states Sonepat district used to be a favourite pit stop for those travelling on the busy National Highway 1. But the violence unleashed by the protesters in the intervening night of February 22-23 changed everything: Protesters burnt down eateries, destroyed public property worth Rs 700 crore and, if media and independent reports are to be believed, there was harassment of women, including rape. While the state government and the police have said that there have been no molestations and rapes, there are many who believe otherwise and that the state machinery is now allegedly engaged in a cover-up operation. The Murthal case came up in the Rajya Sabha last week: Saying that she has no faith in a police probe, the Congress Kumari Selja demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged sexual assault of women commuters.

Read | Scared residents in Rohtak instal iron gates in colonies

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the reports and had asked the state government to submit a report. The government denied any such incident. But the point here is that the investigation was done by Haryana government officials themselves, the same set that failed to control the violence. A team of the All India Democratic Womens Association (AIDWA) visited the area recently and said that the administration was trying to hush up the matter even after receiving complaints and that the witnesses had been shut out of the scene. While a few victims have spoken to the media about their ordeal and not many are keen to file FIRs, eyewitness accounts do corroborate that there was violence against women that night.

Read | Jat agitation aftermath: Rs 395-crore losses claimed in Rohtak

In India, the publics faith in State institutions is low, and the controversy around Murthal could barrel it down further. The Jat agitation was the first big political and administrative test of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He appears to have failed. Instead of leaving the case open to interpretation by the media, NGOs and political groups, the government must order a judicial probe.
Around 65 post graduate students studying in state-run medical colleges in Bihar, including the premier Patna Medical College (PMC), may be thrown out of their institutes due to the Bihar governments failure to address an MCI concern in time.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has directed the institutes to discharge the students, because they were admitted to the colleges after the prescribed last date for admissions, which was July 10, 2014. Any subesquent admission was irregular, according to the MCI.

Despite the date being fixed by the MCI, the Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB) conducted counselling of candidates from July 31, 2014 to August 3, 2014 and the selected were asked to take admission by August 8, 2014.

Confirming the receipt of the MCIs directive, principal of the PMC Dr SN Sinha said he had referred the matter to the government and sought its direction in this regard at the time.

We have already received two reminders from the MCI asking us for immediate compliance of its directive, the principal said, adding, Now, the college has to take a decision.

As many as 35 PG students of PMC are likely to be expelled

Principal of Darbhanga Medical College Dr RK Sinha said that 1 PG students could be affected. Over 15 days ago, I informed the government about the MCI directive and sought its direction, he said.

The principal said, now it was difficult to wait any more or else the college would be fined by the MCI. We have to take a painful decision and ask the students to leave, he added.

When approached for his comments, the officer on special duty (OSD) BCECEB Anil Kumar Sinha said, I shall be able to comment on the matter only after I go through the relevant files.

According to sources, six students of the Nalanda Medical College, four from Anugrah Narayan Medical College, Gaya, and seven from Jawaharlal medical college, Bhagalpur, may also be asked to leave their respective colleges.

The sources said the colleges concerned had received the MCIs directive over a couple of months ago. However, surprisingly, the government sat over the matter and apparently failed to take steps to defuse the crisis.

As per the norm, the admission process for PG students in medical colleges should be completed by July 1 every year. In special circumstances, the admission date can be extended by a few days but with the approval of the MCI.

In 2014, July 10 had been fixed as the last date for PG admission. However, the deadline was not followed, and the admissions were taken till August 8.

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I want to become a doctor because its a dream of my father, who couldnt become one. I was brought up with this dream and I dont have any other career option in the life.

The words of a Class 10 student would not allow Subash Excellence School principal Sunita Saxena in Madhya pradesh capital Bhopal sleep through the night.

Aspirations and high expectations force students to perform beyond their capabilities and could have disastrous effect on a young mind, she told HT on Saturday. According to Saxena, parents and teachers are mostly responsible of building pressure on students and pushing them to the brink.

I spoke to several students to know the reason, but one thing which I found common is communication gap among student, teacher and parents. Its a duty of parents and teachers to understand the problem of a student. There is no dearth of options. Students should be allowed to choose their career according to their capability, Saxena said.

Academic pressures, cut-throat competition to secure top ranks in exams and parents ambition have allegedly pushed 15 students in the state to take their lives this year. Two Class 12 students ended their lives in the state on Saturday allegedly due to academic stress and for fear of failing to perform well in their board examinations.

According to Model Higher Secondary School principal Shyamkumar Reniwal, there was a need to help weak students in coping up of exam pressure by constantly boosting confidence. Every school --government or private -- should start the practice of identifying the weakness of every student so that it could redress timely, said Reniwal, adding that teachers should also be able to read the mind of students.

Teachers across the state capital feel that the sudden increase in competition and syllabus after Class 9 and 11 is a major cause of stress among students.

Parents should pay attention on building up career of students from the childhood. They need guidance not the stress. They should be brought up in a way so that they could accept any difficulty without hurting themselves, Sister Lily, principal St Josephs Convent School.

However, psychologists feel that fear of fail and exam stress is not a reason, but one of the factors which trigger the emotional turmoil. Across the world maximum number of cases of suicides reported are of teenagers. In the adolescent age, teenagers pass through many biological and psychological changesThere is a need to make them understand the changes. Failure in studies just triggers the emotional turmoil, said psychologist Dr Ruma Bhattacharya.

If parents see behavioural changes in their wards, they should talk to them. In case of excessive depression, parents should consult psychologist, said Bhattacharya.

Schools to introduce de-stressing activities

Missionary schools are planing to introduce meditation, career counselling and other de-stressing activities to lessen anxiety and academic strain on students. Public relations officer of Catholic Church Fr Maria Stephen said: Parents should not force their children for higher grades in examination. They burden their expectation on their children...We are making an effort to propagate some major activities in school which are absolutely necessary to reduce stress.

15 suicides this year in MP

Pragati Deshmukh, 15, committed suicide on March 1. In a suicide note she said she was taking the step as she could not bag the first position

Class 10 student Sonu Ahirvar of Lavanya Gurukul School, Bhopal, set himself on fire on March 2 after the invigilator snatched his paper during the board exam. He suffered 80% burns

Class 6 student Moin Khan, 12, hanged himself from the grill of a window at his house in Devjhiri colony, Barwani

Sumit Moye, 15, a student of Government Naveen High School committed suicide on February 27 in his Jahangirabad house

On February 27, Indra Sharma, 20, a B Sc student, committed suicide.

On February 26, Nancy Chirolia, a Class 12 student of Jabalpurs Millennium School hanged herself as she was afraid of failing in exams

Class 12 student Shiv Kumar Dhurve in Jabalpurs Chappar area committed suicide on February 25 by hanging self in the hostel room

On February 23, Aditya Singh, 16, a Class 11 student of Delhi Public School, was found hanging from a slider in a park in front of his house in Red Square Colony after he failed the final exams

On February 22, a Bhopals Rashidiya School student Chotu Khatik committed suicide by hanging himself. He was very reluctant to go to school, parents said

A third-year student of MANIT, Malla Venkatesh Sai Pallavi, committed suicide in her college hostel on February 10. A suicide note recovered indicated the girl was home sickness and was under study pressure

Sohail, a Class 12 private student, from Barwani committed suicide on January 17

On January, 25 Priya Kuchbandiya was found hanging in her house

On January 13, a Class 10 student Srishti from Ratnapurs Carmel Convent School committed suicide. The student was suffering from depression.

Class 12 student Abhishek Sahu, 17, hanged himself at his house in Hoshangabad district on March 5, a day before his board exam

Deepika Choubey, a Class 12 student of Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Bina, in Sagar district, took her own life over fears that she would fail in the English exam on March 5

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Nothing is impossible, or so seems to be the case with Priyanka Chopra, who, over the past few months, has been making waves in India and abroad. From winning the Peoples Choice Award in Los Angeles, to presenting an award at the Oscars  she is unstoppable at the moment.

Read: Priyanka Chopra aces Oscar style game. Which dress did she wear better?

I feel exhausted, says the actor, before promptly adding, But I also feel a sense of accomplishment with everything that has happened so far. Ive worked very hard for this. But I know there are many more miles to go and milestones to achieve before I sleep.

Priyanka Chopra at the 88th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. (AFP)

On February 28, the 33-year-old presented the Best Editing award to Margaret Sixel at the Oscars. She admits it was a new experience for her to walk down the red carpet of the prestigious event, meet interesting people and watch the show live. The Oscars have such a history, and yet a familiarity, having grown up watching it. It was nice to be part of it. I enjoyed every moment, including being a presenter.

Read: Priyanka Chopra trumps Donald Trump. All she had to do was eat

Priyankas white sheer gown, by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad, was a big hit on the Oscars red carpet. Ask her if it was easy to zero in on the dress, and she says, I had multiple options, but I went with what I was feeling that day. I loved the colour, and the fact that it was classy and elegant. It felt right when I put it on. I couldnt believe the pressure that was on me, so its a relief that my outfit was appreciated. The fashion critics and the media on the red carpet, the people I met at the show  everyone had very nice things to say [about the gown].

Priyanka Chopra at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles. (AFP)

After the Oscars, Priyanka headed straight to Miami to start shooting for her debut Hollywood film, Baywatch. I love the creative rush I get from being on a film set. The excitement to work on a new film, to get into the skin of my character, understanding the thought process of my director, and geting to know my co-stars  all of this makes it an amazing experience.
In a goodwill gesture, Pakistan on Sunday released 87 Indian fishermen arrested for allegedly violating its territorial waters and would free 86 others later this month.

The fishermen, who had been languishing in prison for the last two and half years, were released from Landhi Jail and will be handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border.

Faisal Edhi, who heads private charity the Edhi Foundation, arranged the train journey for the fishermen today and gave them gifts and some cash.

Jail superintendent of Landhi Jail Shakir Shah told PTI that 86 more Indian fishermen would be released on March 20.

He said a total of around 536 Indian fishermen were in jail, serving varying terms for violation of Pakistani territorial waters.

Fishermen are frequently arrested along with their boats by both India and Pakistan as the maritime border in the Arabian Sea is poorly defined, and many fishing boats lack the technology needed to be certain of their precise location.

Some of them spend years in jail before being repatriated.

In the past the two nations have released each others fishermen as goodwill gestures.

Although in December, India and Pakistan had agreed to revive the dialogue process when external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj visited Islamabad for a summit, but the same month 66 Indian fishermen were arrested by Pakistan.

In January, another 45 Indian fishermen were arrested for allegedly violating Pakistans territorial waters
Police arrested the son of an Andhra Pradesh minister for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Hyderabads posh Banjara Hills area following outrage over reported police inaction, TV reports said on Sunday.

Ravela Susheel, son of senior Telugu Desam Party leader and social justice minister Ravela Kishore Babu, surrendered on Saturday after police registered a case against him and his driver M Ramesh.

According to the complainant  a teacher  Susheel and Ramesh followed her in a whiter SUV, passing lewd remarks and also tried to pull her into the car last Thursday.

Susheel denied any such act but a CCTV grab  played out on loop on the TVs  showed a white SUV with a VIP sticker closely following the woman walking on Road no 13 in Banjara Hills.

The woman said she moved away from the car and raised an alarm, following which the locals and her husband, who was nearby, gathered and beat up Susheel and his driver.

Read More: Andhra ministers son faces harassment charges

Deputy Commissioner of Police Venkateshwera Rao said the case was registered under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) .

The case initially was filed only against the driver, triggering outrage in the city.

Kishore Babu told the press on Saturday that he would not interfere in police proceedings.

If the crime took place or not would be revealed through the police probe. I would not support such acts committed by anyone. I have faith in the constitution and the law. We would not interfere in the case, Kishore Babu said.

(With agency inputs)
Borean Orangutan

South East Asia Maps Map of Cambodia Featured Post Borneo: Gunung Mulu National Park (February 23-28) Our flight to Mulu was a mere 30 minutes, hardly enough time to nervously think about the Air Malaysia flight that plummeted into the sea ...
Films everywhere travel the producer-distributor-exhibitor route to be screened.

Not in Arunachal Pradesh, if that film happens to be produced locally.

In this northeastern state, film producers have to hire a cinema hall and sell their own tickets to entertain people with their creativity.

But hall owners follow the standard practice for mainstream Hindi and English movies. This, the Film Federation of Arunachal (FFA) says, is not done in a state that is building a Film and Television Institute of India  the third after Pune and Kolkata  in Itanagar.

Screening our films is a costly affair. It works out to a third or fourth of the cost of producing an entire film in digital format, Shambo Flago, a film director, told Hindustan Times.

Mwngkar  The Realisation, the film in Arunachali Hindi that Flago directed, cost Rs 15 lakh to make. One of four made in the state in 2015, it mixed comedy with seriousness to give a message against polygamy practiced by a few tribes in the state.

Twin capitals Itanagar and Naharlagun have three 150-seater cinema halls. To screen our film, we had to hire the hall by paying an average Rs 200 per seat per show upfront. In the bargain, we got the entire bunch of tickets to sell, Flago said.

The hall owners defend this arrangement. There arent too many takers for local films, a manager said, declining to be quoted.

We know we will lose money, but we love to tell stories through films, FFA president Chopa Cheda said.

Poster of Mwngkar  The Realisation, a film in Arunachali Hindi that cost Rs 15 lakh to make. (HT Photo )

The federation has asked the state government to frame a policy so that  as in adjoining Assam  it becomes mandatory for exhibitors to screen films in tribal dialects for a minimum period of time per year.

We are working on a policy that will take care of many aspects, including the problems of local filmmakers, Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary Ramesh Negi said.

The policy is expected to include incentives for local as well as mainstream filmmakers who shoot a sizeable portion of their films in the state.

Locals say Bollywood films shot entirely or party in the hills and valleys of Arunachal Pradesh have made good business. There have been only two though  Dev Anands Yeh Gulistan Hamara (1972) and Rakesh Roshans Koyla (1997).

The second film starring Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit helped promote Tawang as a major tourist destination.

The third major production  Rangoon starring Saif Ali Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut  is being shot by director Vishal Bharadwaj in the Pasighat area of the state.

But Mera Dharam Meri Maa, Bhupen Hazarikas Hindi feature film made for the Arunachal Pradesh government in 1979 was not a commercial success.

Before Koyla, Tawang and adjoining West Kameng district formed the backdrop of Frontier Student, the first locally produced film in Arunachali Hindi by Tara Chatum in 1989.

The first film from Arunachal Pradesh in a local dialect  Monpa  was Sonam by Assam-based Ehsan Mujid. It won the Rajat Kamal in 2005.

After a huge gap, four films including Flagos Mwngkar were made in the state last year. The others were Gyumri in the Monpa dialect, Bismeh in Sherdukpen dialect and Itanagar Zero Km in Arunachali Hindi.

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A cross-border tunnel discovered by Indian forces in Jammu could not have been constructed without help from Pakistans state machinery, sources said on Sunday, days after security officials said the secret passageway was dug for a terror attack.

The BSF, which guards the India-Pakistan border, has asked for a joint inspection and investigation of the tunnel  100 feet long and 10 feet deep  with the Pakistan Rangers. The sophisticatedly built tunnel with the support of many wooden planks and bamboo culms was not possible without the involvement of some well-organised state machinery in Pakistan, said a senior security official requesting anonymity.

The tunnel detected on Thursday is the fourth such discovery along the India-Pakistan border and Line of Control in Jammu since 2012. Sources said it was carefully built over three to four months.

Read | BSF chief to review security after discovery of tunnel from Pakistan

It (the tunnel) started just 100 metres away from the Pakistan Rangers Shaheed Afzal post. How can anyone dig a tunnel so close to the post without the involvement of the state machinery? The tunnel was found closed on the Indian side but it could have been opened at any time, said the official.

According to BSF officials, a high-ranking Pakistan Rangers representative came to inspect the tunnel unannounced after India lodged a protest. The officer was shown the tunnel by local BSF commanders.

During the previous BSF-Pakistan Rangers talks in Delhi, a mechanism of joint inspection and investigation was devised. We want Pakistan to adhere to it, said BSF chief KK Sharma who inspected the tunnel two days ago.

Sources said the security force is using ground-penetrating radar to detect such tunnels. The system is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and is in trial stages.

Such radars are used in the mining sector and the BSF wants something compact. Besides, the radar can detect digging, but it is difficult to spot tunnels that have already been dug, said a home ministry official requesting anonymity.

Read | Tunnel from Pak meant to push militants into J&K: BSF

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The national capital was put on high alert on Sunday following intelligence inputs that more than half a dozen Pakistan-based militants had sneaked into Gujarat and could stage attacks anywhere ahead of Maha Shivratri festival.

Authorities rushed four teams of National Security Guard (NSG) commandos to Gujarat and cancelled Mondays Maha Shivratri festival at the Somnath temple, where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims were expected to gather.

In Delhi, security personnel fanned out across crowded markets such as Sarojini Nagar and Lajpat Nagar, put up barricades to check vehicles at many places and frisked visitors to popular temples across the city.

The alert was sounded after Pakistani national security adviser Naseer Khan Janjua reportedly informed Indian counterpart Ajit Doval about the threat late on Saturday night. No militants have been traced so far.

Also, on Friday, a BSF patrolling team discovered an abandoned boat  allegedly from Pakistan  off Gujarats Koteshwar coast. Nothing suspicious was found on the vessel but it was the fifth such spotting in less than three months.

Read: Gujarat on high alert after 5 abandoned boats found in last 3 months

Janjuas tip-off, an unusual gesture on the part of Islamabad, comes at a time when New Delhi has linked progress in peace talks with action against anti-India militant groups said to be behind the January attack on the Pathankot Indian Air Force base.

Like all intelligence inputs, this input is being dealt with requisite seriousness, said a home ministry official who didnt want to be named. Union home minister Rajnath Singh and his top aides are monitoring the situation, he said.

Gujarat director general of police PC Thakur said three NSG teams were on standby in Ahmedabad while one was deployed at the Somnath temple.

A counter terror task force of the NSG reached Ahmedabad at 2am in the morning to deal with any possible terror threat, said an NSG official. We are providing cover to the Somnath temple, which is a high-value target and the rest of the commandos are stationed in Ahmedabad with choppers at their disposal.

Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, who was in New Delhi to attend a women legislators meet, told HT that she was monitoring the situation and had placed the state security apparatus on high alert in consultation with the Central government.

Gujarat authorities stepped up patrolling at borders with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra while

police combed hotels and guesthouses and scaled up security at malls, cinema halls and bus stands.

Pakistani officials expressed hope that the sharing of information would help improve the security situation between the two countries that has deteriorated after Pathankot attack.

We hope that the Indian authorities are able to reciprocate, Pakistani interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told journalists in Islamabad, adding Pakistan was serious about countering terrorism and improving cooperation with India.
Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday blamed the Akhilesh Yadav government for the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots that left 62 people dead after a judicial panel concluded that intelligence failure and police laxity fuelled the conflagration.

BJP rejected the Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission report, which was tabled in the state assembly on Sunday, as incomplete and demanded a CBI inquiry into the riots.

BJP legislature party leader Suresh Khanna said: The inquiry report is a mix of several semi-truths. It is one-sided and does not highlight the real culprits, reasons, causes of provocation and how it spread.

The SP government shifted the blame onto BJP and our seven senior leaders were detained without any reason. The real picture would have emerged if the commission had probed the incident thoroughly, he said in a statement.

The government failed to take prompt action and the intelligence system failed, he said, adding the situation got out of control due to ministers intervention.

Congress Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, The report is blaming the Centre that we didnt give intelligence (inputs). Our home minister at that time had again and again said we provided information. The UP government cannot run away from its responsibility.

BSPs Sudhindra Bhadoria said the riots are the most unfortunate incident after Independence. The CM is responsible for this...Since it happened under Akhilesh Yadav, he said.

Senior SP leader Azam Khan, however, sought to put the blame at the medias door, saying it over-exaggerated the incident.

In America, you cant show dead bodies and bloodshed, he said.
Senior BJP leaders launched a frontal attack on student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Saturday, with Union minister VK Singh and party MP Yogi Adityanath targeting anti-national activities on campuses in the country.

Union minister VK Singh berated Kumar for saying his icon was Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, whose suicide in Hyderabad university sparked a debate over campus discrimination.

Singh said Vemula had organised a meeting in support of the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon.

I have to say that Rohith Vemula too had organised a seminar on Yakub Menon. Do our youths have to follow icons who praise terrorists and talk about dividing the nation, said the former army chief, in his address at a two-day convention of the BJPs youth wing in Vrindavan attended by party chief Amit Shah.

Kumar, the president of the JNU students union, was arrested on sedition charges last month after police said he participated in an event on the campus where anti-Indian slogans were shouted. Kumar denies this. But his arrest has sparked unprecedented political jousting over what constitutes nationalism and free speech.

Read | Rohith Vemula had organised meeting for Yakub Memon: VK Singh

Another Union minister Mahesh Sharma also said the JNU row had affected tourism.

I accept that such incidents (like the JNU row) certainly have an effect on the tourism industry. The image of the nation also gets tarnished by such incidents, the minister said in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Adityanath, a controversial MP from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, said Jinnahs would not be allowed to take birth in educational institutions of India, referring to the first Prime Minister of Pakistan blamed by many for the 1947 Partition of India on religious lines.

If such elements were born in premier institutions, they would be buried, he told reporters in Gorakhpur.

Read | Will bury Jinnahs if they are born in varsities: Yogi Adityanath on JNU row

Earlier in the day, posters appeared in Delhi in the name of a little-known organisation offering Rs 11 lakh to anyone who kills the JNU student leader.

The BJP was further embarrassed after a leader of its youth wing announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone who cuts off Kumars tongue. Kuldeep Varshnay was then expelled by his organisation.

The concerted attack on Kumar, released on bail for six months in a sedition case, came a day after he vowed to continue his movement till the BJP-led government at the Centre was ousted from power.



Read | BJYM leader expelled for offering prize for cutting Kanhaiyas tongue
Gabbar Singh, the dacoit whose reel-life portrayal in the cult film Sholay found him cinematic fame, will now be seen in a different role  a brand ambassador for the environment.

Once the bearer of a name that instilled fear in the hearts of the Chambal populace, Singh will come together with 26 other former dacoits on March 20  the eve of World Forestry Day  to pledge his support to environment conservation. The event is being organised by Kalpataru Sansthan, an NGO working for the protection of environment and culture.

Alleging that Sholay portrayed Singh in a singularly negative manner, NGO founder Vishnu Lamba said the former dacoit  in reality  enjoyed the respect and admiration of people in the area. He was a veritable Robin Hood for the people of Ramgarh, his village. They respected him because he prevented the rich from exploiting the poor, he told HT.

Lamba said that Singh, now in his 80s, leads the life of a social worker. He surrendered to the police and was sentenced to life. He returned to his village after being released from jail, and now leads a simple life with his family. Singh facilitated the marriage of around 800 girls from his village, he added.

Read: HC says RGV mutilated, destroyed Sholay, slaps Rs 10 lakh fine

The other former dacoits likely to participate in the meeting are Mohan Singh, Sheru Singh, Balwant Singh Tomar, Munna Singh Mirdha, Renu Yadav, Seema Parihar and Malkhan Singh, besides Pancham Singh  a dreaded outlaw-turned-godman. Though these people took up arms to fight injustice, they eventually started spreading terror in their areas. They later surrendered to face punishment for their misdeeds, but their potential was not harnessed for the good of society, Lamba said.

Interestingly, it was Paan Singh Tomar  an eponymous biopic based on the life of the late bandit  that inspired Lamba to promote the green cause through Singh and the others. The environmentalist spent the last ten months meeting dacoits across seven states, convincing many of them to join his initiative. The former dacoits response has been very encouraging. They are keen to be a part of this initiative as well as other government schemes. Now its up to the government to extend support, says Lamba.

Read: Betrayal, caste haunt village where Paan Singh Tomar was killed

The police, mining and forest departments have failed to curb illegal mining and deforestation. We will get better results if these people are roped in. The government should associate them with government programmes, he added.

Lamba has invited many political heads, including Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar, state governor Kalyan Singh and chief minister Vasundhara Raje, to the event.

Though Rajasthan forest minister Rajkumar Rinwa welcomed the initiative, he was circumspect about involving the former dacoits in sensitive matters. Its good that they want to preserve the environment, but bringing them in to curb issues such as illegal mining could be risky. The government is capable of handling that, he said.

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His mother, Ishrat Begum, thought eight-year-old Mohammad Shami shook for the fraction of a second on hearing the sound of a gun going off. Members of the Samajwadi Party (SP) were firing from rifles and country made pistols during a procession in the middle of a busy market in Shamli district, western Uttar Pradesh, to celebrate the victory of local politician Nafeesa as the block head. But a moment later, Ishrat saw a stream of blood oozing from Shamis body as he lay dead next to her in a rickshaw.

Local and state level elections in parts of the country are marred by violence including incidents of shooting, arson, the sabotaging of public property and harsh (Hindi for joy) firing. It was this celebratory firing that claimed Shamis life in the first week of February, this year. In response to the event, the state government transferred Shamlis Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Deputy Superintendent of Police. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav expelled Nafeesa from the SP and ordered the immediate arrest of her supporters who were seen firing in the air in a video recording.

Watch: Elections and gun violence in India

Every political party indulges in such brazen displays of power. This is part of popular culture here. They have no understanding of right, wrong, legal and illegal, said Ishrat.

While little Shami succumbed to bullets fired in celebration, in a village five kms away, a battle between members of the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party a day after the 2014 general elections claimed nine-year-old Naeems life, when a stray bullet fired from a katta (country made pistol) hit his right thigh. The list goes on: 12 people in Chhattisgarh were killed by suspected Maoist rebels on the eve of the general elections in April 2014; the previous year, 13 people were killed in violence during panchayat polls in lower Assam; in the same month, five policemen and three members of a polling party were killed and over a dozen injured when Maoists blew up a bus in Jharkhand.

Earlier, many households in the hinterland possessed weapons meant to protect them from dacoits and wild animals. Politics has added another dimension. People became divided along party lines and during elections, they become assertive. The result is a bloodbath, said Pinky Chauhan, a resident of Shamli, whose grandfather SP worker Babu Ramdhan, was shot dead when he was going to cast his vote during the 2002 MLA elections.

In certain parts of the country, politicians rely on muscle men and muscle men rely on guns. They use firearms to coerce voters and influence voting patterns, said Sankar Sen, former Director of the National Police Academy, about the culture of election-focussed gun violence.

Picture of eight year old Mohammad Shami who died when a bullet fired during celebratory firing by Samajwadi Party members in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, hit him. Studies show that while the number of booth capturing incidents are reducing, other forms of electoral violence are on a rise. (Ravi Choudhary/ Hindustan Times)

Guns and elections: What has changed

The scale and form of election-related violence has changed drastically over the decades. During village level elections in Bihar in 1978, 500 people died. During the subsequent poll conducted after a gap of 23 years, at least 100 people died and thousands were injured. An unpublished study by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in Delhi has found that electoral violence that aims to keep voters away from the polling booths on election day is declining. The increasing incidence of electoral violence had been a major concern in electoral politics in India until very recently, though the last few elections had witnessed a steep decline in the incidence of electoral violence, noted the study.

Paramilitary personnel with four persons arrested with firearms on the eve of assembly elections in Bihar in March 1990 (Hindustan Times file photo)

While incidents of booth capturing and the bombing of polling stations are declining, there has been a spike in what the CSDS study termed invisible/ unreported violence such as post-election violence, particularly during local body elections. This sort of violence takes place weeks to months after the election results are declared when the Election Commission of India (ECI) members and the security forces are withdrawn, says the report.

To curb such incidents, the ECI has issued guidelines on firearms to police stations across India. These include the thorough search and seizure of illegal arms, curbing the indigenous manufacture of arms and ammunition, regular raids on unregistered manufacturers of weapons, the arrest of offenders, and the enforcing of prohibitory orders under 144 CRPC that bans the carrying of licensed arms. Licensed gun holders are supposed to submit their weapons to the government or private armouries around elections.

Does licensing work?

Many believe this approach is futile. Every time the government bodies have to show that they are regulating firearms, they start a clampdown on legal gun owners. They are regularly victimised. In the process, someone who may actually need a weapon for his safety is disarmed making him vulnerable, said Rakshit Sharma, secretary-general of the National Association for Gun Rights India, a group campaigning for the rights of legal gun owners.

There is a perception that these restrictions have fuelled the demand for illegal or unlicensed arms, which contribute to the deaths of innocent people like Shami. According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, more than 36,000 illegal weapons were seized across the country between January 2012 and January 2015. Of these, 47 per cent seizures were reported from Uttar Pradesh. Out of the over 15,000 firearm fatalities that occurred across the country between 2009 and 2013, around 90 per cent involved unlicensed weapons.

In the last four months, Vijay Bhushan, Superintendent of Police, Shamli, has supervised the confiscation of 400 illicit weapons in the process of being produced, and around 100 ready firearms in the Kandhla and Kairana towns of western UP. As the incidence of booth capturing and the coercion of voters by political parties reduces with every passing election, Bhushan said the manufacture of illegal weapons in small units and factories should cease to be seen as an election-specific activity. It is a family business in hundreds of towns along the Yamuna river passing through Uttar Pradesh all the way to Munger in Bihar. They make guns irrespective of elections. They dont know any other skill, he said..

Inside a traditional gun making factory in Munger, Bihar (Parwaz Khan- Hindustan Times)

Indias gun hubs

Theres no official figure on the total number of guns in India. Late NS Saxena, former Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, once noted in a report that there were more firearms, both licensed and unlicensed, with individuals in Moradabad district than in the whole of United Kingdom or Japan.

Read | UPs booming gun market

According to a government affidavit filed with the Allahabad High Court in 2013, there are around 20 lakh licensed weapons in half the country (the affidavit contains data of 324 out of 671 districts). A 2011 survey conducted by the India Armed Violence Assessment institute in Delhi says India has 40 million civilian-owned guns. Only 15 per cent of these are licensed. The study also noted that four of the top five most violent cities (Meerut, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur) in terms of murder by firearms are located in Uttar Pradesh.

About the findings of the survey, the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, observed that in the states of UP and Bihar, the predominantly rural phenomenon of Dabangs and Bahubalis (gang leaders) using firearms to secure territory and intimidate political rivals is increasingly apparent in semi-urban and urban areas.

Read | How does your state fair on seizure of illegal weapons

Analysts believe election-related gun culture will fade out as voters become more aware. India adopted the first-past-the-post electoral system during British rule, where it was based on limited adult franchise. It was not preceded by political consciousness or awareness. Currently, we are marching towards a mature democracy and, in certain states, acquiring power through violence becomes part of this process. Maybe such incidents will come down when there is political stability and voters start looking beyond caste and community equations, said Badri Narayan Tiwari, cultural anthropologist at GB Pant Institute of Social Science, Allahabad.

Back at their Shamli home, Ishrat and her husband Eshan reveal that they are being pressured to withdraw the case. Help us get justice, they plead.

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India was guarded in its response on Sunday after Pakistan said its move to inform officials in New Delhi about a militant threat to Gujarat may help improve the security situation between the two countries.

Indian authorities did not officially acknowledge Pakistans warning that about 10 LeT and JeM militants had possibly sneaked into Gujarat, with experts saying the cautious approach stems from a trust deficit on security issues between the two countries.

New Delhi says Islamabad needs to do more to address Indias concerns over terrorism and expediting the investigation into the deadly attack at Punjabs Pathankot air base in January.

There is an inherent danger in isolating non-state actors from all state elements in the context of Pakistan. So, caution and no-response, either way, could save the day, said an official who did not wish to be named.

The siege at the military facility derailed proposed talks between the foreign secretaries, with India making it clear that the possibility of dialogue hinged on Islamabad clamping down on those behind the attack. No dates have been fixed for the discussions yet.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar too slammed Pakistan last month for not acting against the perpetrators of the Pathankot and 26/11 Mumbai attacks, saying Islamabad was pretending to be asleep despite the evidence shared by India. A testimony in February by Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Coleman Headley in the Mumbai attacks case turned the spotlight back on Pakistani involvement in militant strikes carried out in India.

Pakistan said dialogue is not a favour and is necessary for the two countries to sort out differences and normalise ties. Its interior minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, said in Islamabad on Sunday that Pakistan is serious about countering terrorism and improving cooperation between the two countries.

We hope that the Indian authorities are able to reciprocate this, he said.
Can a docu-drama that was aired in Sri Lanka be banned in India on the grounds that it may sour relations with the island nation? The censor board thinks yes, but the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) says: Of course not.

And so, Muttrupulliyaa? the first indigenously made Tamil feature film on the lives of Tamils in Sri Lanka after the civil war ended in 2009 was given the green light by FCAT, which overturned the censor boards refusal to give the movie a certificate for Indian screenings.

In case the film would...affected the relationship with a neighbouring country, the Public Performance Board of Sri Lanka would have not approved the film for screening during the Jaffna International Cinema Festival, said an FCAT February 2016 order.

The film is based on the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils in a 1979 post-war era. Several scenes are graphic and contain visceral imagery of alleged atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan Army.

It was, however, premiered at Sri Lankas Jaffna International Film Festival in Colombo in September 2015.

This is not only the first feature film on the plight of the Tamils to be made indigenously, but is also the first on the post-war situation. And the screening in Jaffna is the films world premier, Sherine Xavier, the films Lankan Tamil director, screenplay and dialogue writer had told had media at the time.

But when time came to air the movie in India, Xavier was surprised to hear it was too contentious.

The film, said the censor board, was glorifying the bad effects of war in Sri Lanka.

The picture will affect the neighbouring country relations. It also refers to real political leaders of Sri Lanka, said the censor board.

The only reference to India in the order is: It also refers to LTTE, which is a banned organisation in India.

Appealing before the FCAT through her lawyer Satyajit Sarna, Xavier and the films producer TS Subramaniam have now received relief.

But the FCAT has imposed heavy conditions of its own.

The appellants have been asked to consider morphing LTTE flags and photographs of the banned organisations leaders.

The FCAT also asked and the films producers have agreed to reduce certain scenes depicting girls using drugs. Also, the producers have to issue a disclaimer that the film is only a fictional representation of real events and a health disclaimer against use of narcotics.

Nevertheless, the makers have agreed to these conditions.

Legal experts agree that this could be part of a larger problem.

We are no doubt the land of yoga. But this is an incredulous stretch! Not enough that weve fostered a culture of intolerance to free speech from within, weve now internationalized our fragile fair skin! To take offence at foreign movies found to be kosher by their own home governments! said Shamnad Basheer, owner of SpicyIP and a visiting professor at the National Law School, Bangalore.

All of this raises the issue of how independent the film certification board really is. It is meant to be an independent statutory agency and yet reflects the prevalent petty mindset of the ruling Raj in more ways than one, he said.

Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy agreed, saying the boards decision to ban the film pointed to a larger problem within the film certification body itself.

That the CBFC wanted to keep this film from screening throws up a problem with CBFC guidelines: They are way too broad; They disallow vulgarity for instance, or speaking of particular communities in contemptuous ways- so, there go most Johnny Lever films, Nundy said.

She also pointed out excessive or stringent reading of guidelines lead to financial difficulties for creatives, in particular for independent filmmakers who are already scrounging for capital to tell their stories.

They (the CBFC) also force filmmakers into a slow judicial process that can cost big money in delays, also legal costs. These guidelines need to be limited, made more precise and in accordance with the right to freedom of expression, on which jurisprudence to protect creative expression exists -- the CBFC must be guided by that, she said.

The censor board has become infamous for banning films for various reasons including nudity, crude language, and incitement. Between 1959 to 2015, it banned nearly 40 national level films on these grounds, and 36 regional movies.
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley lashed out at Left parties on Sunday, accusing them of opposing Mahatma Gandhi and his freedom movement.

Addressing a gathering at the closing session of the two-day national convention of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) at Vrindavan, he also targeted Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for visiting JNU to express solidarity with those involved in anti-national activities.

We have to look at the last 100 years of ideological agitation in the country. There were personalities from different parties but they agreed on principles and stood united for the welfare of the nation. However, those with communist ideology opposed the freedom movement and were against the Quit India Movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi, said Jaitley.

He said the Left parties did not have faith in democracy as they believed in dividing the nation through violence. Jaitley recalled that Dr BR Ambedkar, while presenting the format of the Constitution on November 25, said though the country has got political freedom, it was yet to achieve social and economic freedom.

Dr Ambedkar too had raised apprehensions that communists will not agree with this as they were inclined to resorting to violence to uproot democracy, he said.

The finance minister said when China attacked India, the Left parties blamed India for the situation.

Barring Emergency, the Congress used to stand against the Left parties, but in todays scenario, strange situations are developing and the Congress is backing anti- national elements, he said.

Jaitley alleged that small groups of Jehadis and Maoists were involved in raising anti-India slogans. Unfortunately, a leader from the Congress (referring to Rahul Gandhi) went there to sympathise with those organising an anti-national meet. This would not have been done by Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi. This reflects that the Congress is facing ideological bankruptcy, said Jaitley.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Rahul should be ashamed of standing with those dividing the nation. The BJP will not tolerate this and expose people indulging in anti-national activities, he said. Taking a dig at the Congress, Chouhan said not only masses, but even Congressmen are chanting Modis name.

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As the JNU row fuelled a debate about what it means to be patriotic, predecessors of Kanhaiya Kumar in the JNUSU presidents post also had the protest against the sedition case filed against him, saying they will oppose any bid to brand JNU as being anti-national.

While academicians and students across the country came out in support of the protesting JNU students, those who held the post of the JNU students union president before Kanhaiya, led the ongoing student movement.

Sucheta De, who was the JNUSU President in 2012, said, It is in the JNU culture. Me and Kanhaiya belong to different parties, but this agitation was against the attack on students and their freedom of speech.

De, who is a PhD scholar, said the protest was against the branding of the entire university as anti-national.

Two-time JNUSU President Rohit (2002-2004), who now teaches at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, was among those who were attacked at the Patiala House court complex on February 15 when he had gone there to attend the hearing in Kanhaiyas sedition case.

When I graduated from being a student to a professor at the same university, I had thought my days of marching on the streets and being beaten by police were over. Little did I know I would be confronted with all of that again, he said.

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar(2nd from left) with former JNUSU Presidents at JNU campus in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)

According to V Lenin Kumar, JNUSU president in 2013 and a PhD scholar at present, The government chose the wrong university this time. We as student leaders have fought for some issue or the other cutting across party lines, be it Lyngdoh committee recommendations or payment of contractual workers. Kanhaiyas arrest was just one of them.

Ashutosh Kumar, Kanhaiyas immediate predecessor, is also among the six students who have been charged with sedition over an event on the JNU campus to protest against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. He has been questioned twice by police in connection with the row.

Mona Das (2004), Sandeep Singh (2007), Akbar Chowdhary (2013), Dhananjay Tripathi (2006) are also among the former JNUSU presidents who are present on campus and have joined the agitation.

Kanhaiya, who walked out of Tihar on bail last week, said, I was inside jail; whatever I got to know was from media reports, but I was confident that students will all get together to fight against this crackdown. It is in JNUs DNA to make everyones headache its own.

Amit Sen Gupta, who was the president of JNUSU in 1989, last week resigned from Indian Institute of Mass Communication alleging he was being targeted for his support to the students movement at JNU, FTII and Hyderabad Central University.
With Kerala police groping in the dark about the laser beam projected into the cockpit of an Air India Express aircraft three days ago, the probe is likely to be handed over to a central agency. The director general of civil aviation has taken a serious note of the incident and directed the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to look into it.

The pilot of Air India Express Kozhikkode-Dubai flight had alerted the Kozhikode control room on Wednesday night about the incident that could have posed a serious threat to the safety of passenger aircraft. Sources in the Civil Aviation Ministry said this is the first time such an incident is being reported from the country. Though a formal complaint was filed on Thursday incident came to light only after police began a formal investigation.

Last month a Virgin Atlantic flight (London to New York) was called back to Heathrow airport after a laser beam was shone into the cockpit. Besides posing medical problem to the cockpit staff and distract their attention dangerous weapons can be directed against the aircraft with the aid of laser beams, say aviation experts. Laser projection is normally prohibited near air routes.

Delhi Police also recently banned the use of laser lights around the airport in the national capital after the Air Traffic Control reported numerous incidents of distraction of pilots by laser beam while they approached the runway to land.

According to initial investigation the aircraft was flying around 3000-ft high when laser beams were projected on it. The beam had originated from the coastal area between Parappanangadi and Beypore, about 15 kms away from Kozhikode international airport.

We have scanned the area. But we have limitation in probing such a case that needs some specialization. We are not sure whether it was just a prank or a deliberate attempt to cause some damage, a senior police officer of north Kerala said. The police have also started an awareness drive in the area to prevent such incidents. Since local police do not have an expertise to probe the case it has asked higher authorities to hand over the case to a competent agency.

In West frequented with beam attacks pilots had sought that laser-contained gadgets should be included in the offensive weapons category. Mainly three hazards are being attributed to laser pointers - distraction, glare and flash blindness to cockpit staff and eye damage. According to experts laser beams during take-off and touch-down are critical to the safety of aircraft.

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A 14-year-old boy who was injured while taking a selfie with his friends in Nayagaon locality of Jabalpur on Friday succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

The deceased identified as Om Nagdeo was a resident of the Gorakhpur locality.

Ashok Lalwani, a relative of deceased told the press that Om went out with his friends for some work on Friday when the incident took place, taking the number of selfie-related deaths in Madhya Pradesh to five.

Addressing the media, Gorakhpur police station sub-inspector BL Dhurve said, Om and three of his friends stood on top of electricity poles lying on the ground in the Nayagaon locality and tried to take selfies on Friday evening.

The electricity poles could not take the weight and started rolling due to which the boys lost their balance, fell on each other and got trapped between the poles, he added.

Local residents had admitted him to the nearby hospital.

While one of Oms friends Aman Sodwani was greviously hurt two others escaped with minor injuries.

When contacted Mahesh Kumar Sodwani, father of Aman Sodwani said, My son got a fracture in his left leg.

He added, The boys were taking a selfie when the incident took place. However, I have not visited the site of incident yet.
A probe found no lapse by Uttar Pradeshs SP government in controlling the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots that led to 60 deaths and left thousands homeless, as the report tabled in the assembly on Sunday blamed local police and intelligence for mishandling the communal clashes.

The one-man inquiry commission of justice (retd) Vishnu Sahai said a police decision to release 14 people mostly Muslims picked up over the murder of two Hindu youths angered the community, including Jat groups, who concluded the ruling Samajwadi Party was biased.

Clashes between a handful of Jats and Muslims triggered the violence that spread like wildfire across the district with inflammatory speeches from local politicians fanning the flames.

Read: Muzaffarnagar after 3 years: Riot victims, witnesses get cold feet

Though the 14 youths, let off by police, had no role in the murder of two Hindu youths and there was no real suspicion on their involvement either, their release sent an impression about the governments perceived pro-Muslim tilt and the impression that quickly gained currency among the Jats that the administration was working under the influence of Muslims, the report says.

The probe panel set up by the state government said no further action can be taken against BJP lawmaker Sangeet Som, who allegedly uploaded a fake video on YouTube that provoked the killings, as police are investigating his role.

Read: Muzaffarnagar riots: Bailable warrant against Union minister, BJP leaders

Som is an accused in two cases related to the riots. He was arrested and is out on bail.

BJP MLA and one of Muzaffarnagar riots accused Sangeet Som visits the Bisada on October 4, 2015. (Sunil Sharma/ HT Photo)

Without naming any organisation, the commission also criticised social and print media for the way the clashes were reported.

The panel said a decision to transfer the then district magistrate, Surendra Singh, and SSP Manjul Saini, on whose orders eight of the 14 people were picked up by police, added to the perception of bias.

Hindus were also angered by authorities naming as accused family members of the two Hindu youths who were killed in the murder of a Muslim youth, the commission said.

The report was submitted to governor Ram Naik six months ago when it was termed politically motivated by the BJP.
A militant was killed and an army soldier was injured in an encounter at a village in south Kashmirs Kulgam district, an army official said.

A gun battle had broken broke out between militants and the armed forces on Sunday evening, the army said. The encounter started after security forces received information about the presence of militants in Buchroo village of the district.

The army said that a joint party of police and army had cordoned off the village when it was fired upon by a group of militants hiding in a house. The operation has been going on since contact with militants was established in the evening, army spokesperson NN Joshi said.
One sailor was killed and three others were injured after a fire broke out onboard Indias soon-to-be-decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat in Goa.

The ship reported an incident of stream leak and a minor fire in one of the boiler rooms, a navy spokesperson said. While he said the incident was quickly brought under control, four sailors sustained injuries while combating the fire.

One of them, Chief Engineer Mechanic Ashu Singh was critical, having suffered smoke inhalation, the spokesperson said.

He was shifted to the Naval Hospital in Goa where he suffered a cardiac arrest and died, the official said, adding the other three are under treatment and out of danger.

Prima facie, it appears some insulating material in the boiler room caught fire from heat due to the stream leak. Investigation is underway, the spokesperson said.

Viraat, one of the two aircraft carrier that India is operating, is expected to sail back to Mumbai soon.

Earlier in the day, family members of the navy personnel visited the aircraft carrier, which will be decommissioned soon.

The navy said the fire incident happened when the ship had earthed the Goa harbour after the sortie.

All the families had disembarked and the ship was in the process of shutting down the missionary including the boiler, the navy officer.

INS Viraat had first served the British Navy for over 30 years, before being bought by India. It was inducted into the Indian Navy in 1987 after undergoing extensive refit.

The ship, which also saw action in the Falklands War and was Indias sole carrier for over a decade, attended the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam in February.
Only the rich and famous in the country are talking about intolerance while the poor are concerned about their livelihoods, actor Anupam Kher said, training his guns at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking at an event in Kolkata, the actor known for his pro-BJP leanings on social media said there was no nationwide debate on rising intolerance  a claim by opposition parties that accuse the Centre of not doing enough to rein in fringe right-wing elements.

This is a no debate. The rich and the famous are talking of intolerance. If you ask a man on the street, they wont talk about intolerance. All they want is food two times a day, Kher said at the Telegraph National Debate on intolerance on Saturday.

Those with champagne in a glass are only talking about it. Are you living in India or America?

Read More: Stop people spreading hatred in tolerant India, Aamir Khan asks Modi

Kher said the biggest form of intolerance was during the Emergency when all those people who spoke against the government were jailed.

Mocking Rahul Gandhi, he said, Congress is the most tolerant in India because they are tolerating a person whom they want to project as a prime minister of this country. If you can tolerate that person then you can tolerate anything in the world.

Khers comments come amid a raging debate over intolerance and free speech in the country, first triggered by the mob lynching of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh over beef consumption rumours.

Since then, the burning alive of Dalit children in Faridabad, a string of incendiary comments by BJP leaders, the suicide of PhD student Rohith Vemula due to alleged caste discrimination and the murder of author MM Kalburgi, among others, have provided more ammunition to opposition parties.

But Kher dismissed the argument, saying the opposition was talking about tolerance to take revenge for their electoral losses.

Did you hear the word intolerance before the last eight months? This has been marketed to take revenge for the defeat in the last elections, Kher said.

Read More: Amit Shah leads BJP attack against Rahul for backing Kanhaiya Kumar

He said the most talked-about topic in the past 10 years  corruption  was not being talked about anymore.

Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said in the past two years it often appeared that intolerance was now part of the mainstream discourse.

Bollywood actress Kajol said there are different types of intolerance and political intolerance is only one of them.

To make all social issues a political one is absolutely wrong. I also think that we have to work together to make a stronger and richer India and only then intolerance cease to exist. The debate on intolerance does not recognise this, she said.
Pakistan has asked India to send all the 24 Indian witnesses to depose before the anti-terrorism court holding the Mumbai attacks trial, the chief prosecutor in the high-profile case said on Sunday.

The foreign ministry has written to the Indian government, asking it to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court in the Mumbai attack case, prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar told PTI.

He said the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad has already completed recording the statements of all Pakistani witnesses in the case, which was going for more than six years.

Now the ball is in Indias court. The Indian government should send all Indian witnesses of the Mumbai case to Pakistan to record their statements so that the trial could further move ahead, said Azhar, who is also a special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Last month, the court, which is holding the trial of the seven accused, including Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had ordered the FIA to present all 24 Indian witnesses in court to record their statements.

It had also ordered to bring back to Pakistan the boats used by Ajmal Kasab and other militants on the grounds that it is case property and should be duly examined.

Read | 10 things David Headley told NIA about 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks

The 8-member Pakistani judicial commission had visited India on behalf of the Pakistani anti-terrorism court (ATC).

The statements of the Indian witnesses were supposed to be used as evidence in the trial.

However, Lakhvis lawyer had challenged the commissions proceedings because chief metropolitan magistrate S S Shinde did not let its members cross-examine witnesses.

The trial court here subsequently declared the proceedings of the commission illegal.

Pakistani authorities have arrested seven LeT members involved in planning of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Apart from Lakhvi, other arrested LeT men are Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum. A trial is underway against them at the ATC since 2009.

Lakhvi, 55, secured bail in December 2014 and was released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the governments order to detain him under a public security act.

Six other accused are lodged in the Adiala Jail for over six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attacks in which 166 people were killed.

Read | David Headley denies funding from ISI, LeT for 26/11 attacks
A group of unidentified men vandalised a church at Raipur in Chhattisgarh, injuring six people in the incident on Sunday.

Arun Pannalal, president, Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, said around 15 Bajrang Dal activists allegedly forced their way inside the church shouting slogans Jai Sri Ram while the Sunday prayer was on.

The Hindu fundamentalists molested women and threatened the gathering to convert to Hinduism or leave the state. They came in half a dozen motor bikes. This is the fourth incident of attack against Christians in the last five weeks in the state, said Pannalal.

Pannalal said that Chhattisgarh Christian Forum has lodged a police complaint.

Raipur superintendent of police BN Meena told Hindustan Times that the police has detained two persons involved in the attack.

We have also seized three motor cycles. The attackers alleged that religious conversion was going on in the church. Investigation is on, said Meena.

The SP, however, said that the attackers identity as Bajrang Dal activists was yet to be ascertained.

One of the injured victims told HT that the perpetrators created a stampede-like situation, damaged the church properties and threatened those who had gathered for the Sunday prayer.

Read | 34 US lawmakers express concerns over violence against minorities, write to Modi
Andhra Pradesh police arrested a man and his brother at a village in West Godavari district on Sunday for allegedly burning alive a 17-year-old girl who rejected his advances.

D Chinna Babu and his brother, D Pedda Babu, were taken into custody a day after the girl, Pydala Indumathi, was set ablaze at her house in Chataparru village  about 65 km from Vijayawada.

Indumathi, who suffered 90% burns in the incident, died in a hospital at Eluru town on Saturday night. The girl reportedly stated in her dying declaration that the two brothers had entered the house while she was alone, then set her afire after dousing her with kerosene.

The girls relatives claimed that Chinna Babu had been stalking Indumathi for a few months, forcing her to discontinue her studies. Last week, the girls relatives beat him up for harassing the girl, after which they retaliated. The police then summoned both the families and tried to defuse the situation.

The area witnessed some tense moments on Sunday as the victims uncle, Subba Rao, tried to commit suicide by hanging himself in the vicinity of the hospital where Indumathis body was being kept. However, police foiled his attempt.

State minister for women empowerment Peethala Sujatha and womens commission chairperson N Rajakumari later visited the hospital, and assured stringent action against the accused.

However, activists of various groups  including the Students Federation of India and certain womens organisations  tried to prevent the two from seeing Indumathis body. The protesters alleged that proper police action on complaints from the girls family could have prevented the incident.
The government rushed National Security Guard (NSG) commandos to Gujarat on Sunday and cancelled a cultural festival at the Somnath Temple where millions of pilgrims were to show up following intelligence reports claiming militants sneaked into the state from Pakistan.

The administration tightened security, especially in the Kutch district that shares land and sea borders with Pakistan, and sounded a high alert after intelligence inputs indicated half a dozen extremists may have entered the state to carry out attacks. No militants have been traced so far, sources said.

All necessary measures have been taken, there is nothing to worry, Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel told news agency ANI.

The inputs came after a Border Security Force patrolling team recovered an abandoned boat  allegedly from Pakistan -- off Koteshwar coast in Kutch on Friday. This was the fifth such incident in the past three months.

But a senior security official in Delhi said the recovery of the boat and intelligence inputs about the alleged infiltration were not connected.

Read: Gujarat on high alert after 5 abandoned boats found in last 3 months

A task force of NSG reached Ahmedabad at 2am in the morning to deal with any possible terror threat, said a senior NSG official.

Sources indicated Pakistani national security Adviser Naseer Khan Janjua shared the intelligence inputs with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval.

Pakistani officials expressed hope that the move would help improve the security situation between the two countries that deteriorated after a militant attack on the Pathankot air base earlier this year.

We hope that the Indian authorities are able to reciprocate this, Pakistani interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told journalists, adding Pakistan was serious about countering terrorism and improving cooperation with India.

The Indian security establishment refused to confirm any such development.

Gujarats long coastline renders it vulnerable to infiltration from the sea route  the land border with Pakistan is fenced. The terror alert brings back memories of the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, where 10 extremists reached Indias financial capital on a boat from Pakistan and launched strikes that killed 166 people.

Gujarat director general of police, PC Thakur, said three NSG teams were kept on standby in Ahmedabad while one was deployed at the Somnath Temple, where millions of pilgrims were expected to arrive on Monday to mark Maha Shivratri.

A two-day-long cultural programme on the temple premises was also cancelled.

The abandoned boat in question is 20 feet long and 10 feet wide. Some ration, water jugs, fishing nets, crabs, diesel and mattresses were found on board the abandoned boat.

Nothing suspicious so far has been revealed in the investigation in connection with abandoned boat found from Kutch, Thakur said.

Security at other religious places such as Dwarka temple, Akashardham and important installations such as power plants, defence bases and the Sardar Sarovar Dam was bolstered.

State has been put on high alert. The Centre has sent NSG teams following our request, state home minister Rajnikant Patel said.

Authorities stepped up patrolling at inter-state borders with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Police carried out combing operations at hotels and guest houses and scaled up security cover at malls, cinema halls and bus stands.

Security arrangements at all important installations across state have been beefed up after national security adviser Ajit Doval wrote to Gujarat in this regard, said a top official as security forces were called back from leave.

Gujarat additional chief secretary (Home) PK Taneja held a meeting on Saturday with heads of all three wings of the defence, police and IB chiefs as well as head of paramilitary forces.

Entire Gujarat Police with pro-active assistance of the centre are on the job. we request the people to not panic, said Thakur.
Kerala high court judge Justice B Kamal Pasha stirred a hornets nest on Sunday by asking why Muslim women could not have four husbands while the men enjoyed the same privilege under the Muslim personal law.

Addressing a seminar organised by an NGO run by women lawyers in Kozhikode, Pasha said Muslim personal laws are heavily loaded against women. He blamed religious heads for establishing the hegemony of men and wanted them to introspect during religious discourses on sensitive issues.

Under the Muslim personal law, a man can marry four times. Although many Muslim countries have banned polygamy, it is still prevalent in India.

Religious heads should do self-introspection whether they are eligible to pronounce one-sided verdicts. People should also think about the eligibility of persons who are pronouncing such verdicts, he said, adding that women were deprived even of the rights enshrined in the Quran.

Pasha also said that it was unfair to oppose a uniform civil code. Even the highest court is a bit reluctant to interfere in this. Women should come forward to end this injustice, he said.

Personal law is loaded with discrimination. Besides denying equality, it also denies womens right to property and other issues, he said. The judge added that the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, will be fruitful if the right of a woman to her husbands property is properly defined.
A woman who eloped to marry outside her caste eight years ago returned to her village only to be burnt alive, allegedly by her brothers.

The woman, Rameshwari Devi alias Ramo, was set on fire by her brother Lakshman Singh and other cousins on March 4, a day after she returned home with her three-year-old son.

The incident occurred in south Rajasthans Dungarpur district and police arrested her brother and six cousins for the alleged honour killing on Saturday.

Rameshwari, a Rajput, left Patlasa village eight years ago after her love marriage to a Brahmin youth from the area against her familys wishes, said Madho Singh Sodha deputy superintendent of police, Dungarpur.

He said Kalawti, Rameshwaris mother-in-law, filed a police complaint that said she was set on fire by Lakshman Singh, Parveen Singh, Kalyan Singh, Ishwar Singh, Mahendra Singh, Bhupal Singh and Gejndra Singh.

Kalawati said Rameshwari married her elder son Prakash Sevak and the couple was living outside since then.

On March 3, Rameshwari came with her three-year-old daughter to meet her in-laws.

On March 4, when Kalawti, her younger son and daughter-in-law, and Rameshwari were sitting in the compound, Lakshman came with around 30 other people and dragged Rameshwari outside to a spot near the temple, poured kerosene on her and set her on fire.

Ravi Shankar, ASI at Aspur police station, said they got a phone call on the night of March 4 that a woman had been burnt. Police reached the village and investigated the matter. Police are questioning others and more arrests are likely, said Shankar.

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A 22-year-old man from Odisha received a heart sent from Indore on Saturday, paving the way for Mumbai to witness its twelfth cardiac transplant since August last year. The recipient was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart becomes too big to pump blood.

Doctors said the surgery was successful because the organ was seamlessly transported to Fortis Hospital in Mulund from Choithram Hospital in Indore  covering a distance of 546 km in a matter of just 1.56 hours. A heart has to be transplanted within four hours of its retrieval from the donors body.

This is the second instance of a heart being flown into Mumbai from Indore.

Sources said that the donor was declared brain dead after a road accident earlier that day. Soon after his parents agreed to donate his organs, Dr Anvay Mulay  head of the cardiac transplant team at Fortis Hospital  harvested the heart at Choithram Hospital and sent it on its way at 12.20 pm. The organ reached Indore airport at 12.43 pm, following which it was moved into a Jet Airways commercial flight that took off at 12.55 pm. Soon after the flight landed at Mumbais domestic airport at 1.53 pm, it was transported to its destination by ambulance  a green corridor helping it through the traffic.

The heart reached Fortis Hospital at 2.14 pm, barely two hours after it started off from Indore.

Dr Mulay said the recipient will be kept under observation at the hospitals intensive care unit for the next 48-72 hours.

Such stories of young hearts saving young lives are truly inspiring, said Dr S Narayani, zonal director, Fortis Hospital.
The state governments tall claims to effectively deal with the drugs-related problems stand exposed, as the 50-bed drug de-addiction centre at Government Rajindra Hospital awaits completion for the past over seven months for the want of additional funds.

This centre was among the 17 others announced in 2013 by the state government to deal with rising drug menace. Accordingly, the Pati ala centre was sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore of initial outlay and the construction began in late 2013 under the supervision of the PWD department.

Even as the structure of the building was fully completed by July last year, the furnishing work was stopped soon after, as the executing agency overran the approved budget.

Since then, the hospital authorities have sent several reminders through the executing agency for the sanction of additional funds to the state government, but in vain.

Professor BS Sidhu, head of the psychiatry department, said recently the PWD department again sent a reminder for additional budget and as per their feedback, the sanction was expected soon.

A senior official of the PWD department said the department required additional Rs 30-40` lakh for the final furnishing of the building, which included the construction of the main gate, boundary wall, etc.

The hospital authorities, it is learnt, has also written to Hussan Lal, secretary, medical education and research, to grant additional funds for the early completion of the de-addiction centre.

URGENT REQUIREMENT

While the OPD block of the de-addiction centre has recently started with the required staff, the indoor treatment facility still elude the centre, thereby hampering the hospitals overall efforts to provide full treatment to the drug addicts who visit here on regular basis.

A senior official said the new de-addiction centre was mooted here since the present infrastructure in the hospital was not enough to deal with the rising cases of drug abuse. But the full fledged de-addiction treatment facility is yet to begin here, he added.

Several patients who visit the new OPB block here need to be hospitalised but since the indoor facility is still not complete, we are unable to admit the patients and fail to keep a proper track of their treatment, said a senior doctor in hospitals psychiatry department.

According to officials, the de-addiction treatment was incomplete without proper rehabilitation. The new facility will not only have a rehabilitation facility, but also an ultra-modern computerised programme to monitor the inflow of addicts, they said.

Since it is attached to the medical college, students as well faculty members will also be involved in the clinical research work on the lines of the de-addiction centre in Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh. But these things will only be started once the 50- bedded treatment centre becomes fully functional, said the officials.
At the silver jubilee function of The War Decorated India (TWDI) on Saturday, the city was lucky enough to host two livings legends of the Indian Air Force that have lived on to inspire an entire generation. Air Vice-Marshal (retd) Bhupindra Kumar Bishnoi (82) and wing commander (retd) Vinod Nebb (73) have the unique distinction of being awarded two Vir Chakra awards each for their role in 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.

Air vice-marshal Bhupindra Kumar Bishnoi (retd), 82, is now based in Noida. In December 1971, he was a wing commander and in command of an operational fighter squadron of MiG 21 in the eastern sector.

He led the first two bombing missions over Tezgaon airfield and destroyed a large transport aircraft. During one of these bombing missions, his aircraft was hit by a heavy shell and sustained severe damage.

On December 14, 1971, he raided military targets in Dhaka and also led ten sorties against heavily-defended enemy positions in the Comilla Sector.

Attacks on the Governors House in Dhaka led to the governors resignation, he said.

Destroyed train carrying ammunition in 65 war

In the 1965 Indo-Pak war, when the enemy ran short of ammunition in the Kasur re gion, squadron leader Bishnoi with a formation of four aircraft destroyed a train carrying ammunition at Raiwing railway station.

The denial of supply was a major factor in causing the enemy to withdraw its armors.

In other offensive sorties, he destroyed or damaged at least ten enemy tanks and armoured vehicles. Although his aircraft was hit on three occasions, he pressed on with the attacks, says the citation. On the JNU issue, Bishnoi said, Contrived and superfluous definitions of nationalism are being given. It is creating confusion. You cannot give any connotation to nationalism.

He brought down two sabre aircraft

Wing Commander Vinod Nebb, 73, is based in Gurgaon.

On September 6, 1965, Nebb, then a flying officer, was detailed as number 2 in a section of two aircraft to carry out a standing patrol over Halwara airfield.

Four Pakistani Sabre jets managed to sneak in and attacked the airfield.

Flying officer Neb, though still under training and lacking experience, attacked the enemy formation and shot down one Sabre, said his citation.

On 4 December, 1971, Nebb then a flying Lieutenant was number 3 of a formation of four aircraft on a mission to strike the airfield of Karmitova in the Dhaka complex. While the formation was near the target, it was intercepted by three sabres.

Nebb engaged an enemy aircraft and shot it down. Thereafter, he saw another sabre and although he was low on fuel, he manoeuvered his aircraft.

He brought the aircraft safely to base in spite of engine trouble. Subsequently, he flew a number of ground strike missions in the Comilla sector. Along with his leader, he was responsible for destroying enemy bunkers and gun positions on hillocks overlooking our troops in Barkal, which enabled its capture, the citation reads.

Recently, for One Rank One Pension (OROP), Nebb was at the forefront of the agitation at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.

We didnt respond like Jats. We are armed forces. We are nationalists and we are not destructive, he said.

Nebb had this take on the JNU issue, It is a created one. You have made a leader for nothing. The controversy you ( the gover nment) did not deal with correctly is the OROP.
A swarm of saddened Tibetans on Sunday paid homage to Dorjee Tsering  the 16-year-old Tibetan boy, who immolated self at Herbertpur near Dehradun on February 29  who was cremated as per Buddhist rites on Sunday.

All roads leading to McLeodganj were choked by Tibetans, who assembled to pay homage to the Class-10 student of Tibetan Homes Foundation School, Mussoorie, at Lha Gyari temple.

Dorjees mortal remains were brought from Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi to Dharamshala on Saturday. The coffin was placed at Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) office and was then shifted to Lha Gyari temple near Dalai Lamas palace on Sunday morning, where Tibetans of all ages, including schoolchildren, monks, nuns and officials of Central Tibetan Administration, participated in a prayer session.

People cried as Dorjees coffin was brought to the temple courtyard. The body was taken to cremation ground in a procession attended by large number of Tibetans. Dorjee was cremated as per Buddhist rites, in presence of family members.

The teenager hailed from Manali and was the youngest among five siblings. He set himself on fire in protest against the Chinese rule over Tibet on February 29 and died on March 3.

The reason I resort to burning myself like a choemey (butter lamp) is because Tibet was occupied by China since 1959 and I have always felt like I needed to do something for the Tibetan cause. Yesterday, I felt as if burning myself up was the only resort left, he said in a video testimony a day before his death in the hospital.

He clearly committed the act for Tibets independence and to garner global attention to the Tibet issue, said Dorjees father Thupten Tashi.

Later in the hospital, Tashi said, I told him that his sacrifice hasnt gone unnoticed.

Recounting the horrific incident, Dorjees mother Nyima Yangkyi said he was shivering and asked for water.

My childs skin was dripping-off his body but he did not shriek in pain even once. He said he did it for Tibet, Nyima said.

Dorjees elder sister Samden Dolma said the family never knew about his intention, though her younger brother always talked about doing something for Tibet.

Though he took a wrong path, we are proud of his courage and sacrifice, said Dolma as she tried to hold her tears.

Dolma said, I want to urge the youngsters not to take such step as there are others ways to serve Tibet.

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Shimla police have registered a case against employees of Himachal Pradesh State Administrative Tribunal for criminal breach of trust. Complaint was filed by Chaman Dilta, registrar of the tribunal, alleging that 5,370 decided case files and 12 registers were entrusted to recordkeeper Padam Das and Chowkidar Maheshwar Prakash had gone missing.

As per the report of an internal inquiry, the officials named above were guilty of misappropriation. Shimla police registered the case under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

On Saturday, tribunal clarified that inquiry had been initiated in this regard against record keeper Padam Das and chowkidar Maheshwar Parkash at the instance of high court. The internal probe revealed that both were responsible for the missing of government record.

The case dates back to 2008, when the tribunal was shut down by the then Bharatiya Janata party government and entire cases were shifted to Himachal Pradesh high court.

State administration tribunal deals in the service matter of state government employees. After the Congress government resumed power, tribunal was again revived in February 2015.

The tribunal further clarified that the accused officials had been made to take compulsory retirement from service.
A khap meet organised to pay homage to those killed in the violence during the Jat agitation ended with the Jat youths deciding to pressure the government to withdraw all the FIRs registered against protesters. The meeting was held at Nandal Bhawan in Bohar village on Sunday.

Rohtak member of Parliament Deepender Singh Hooda and former Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra attended the event for a brief period and left after attending a havan for the peace of the departed souls. However, photographs of only Jat members were displayed at the venue in contrast to the announcement that the event was not community-specific.

When pointed out, a member of the organising committee and chief of Nandal khap, Mahender Singh Nandal, said, We displayed the picture of a non-Jat from Dighal village, but could not arrange photographs of others. The agitation has created a chasm among the communities and some non-Jat families did not want us to pay tributes to their sons.

Confusion prevailed at the meet as Khap leaders did not arrange for microphones which left an audience of around 1,500 people longing for a clear message. Youths who had come from Rajasthan, UP and Delhi expressed their disappointment as the meeting failed to lay down the roadmap.

The youths decided they would meet at the same place on March 10 to discuss how to pressure the government to withdraw FIRs against their brethren. The youths also condemned sarpanches and panches who were raising funds for the Chief Ministers Relief Fund and termed them sycophants. They said if any Jat had to donate money, he should contribute to the committee which was formed to provide relief to families which had lost their kin in the agitation. As there were speculations that the meeting could once again lead to protests, a large number of paramilitary personnel were deployed near the venue and across the city.

Meanwhile, Khap leaders, including Nandal and Jai Singh Ahlawat, said they had only gathered to pay tributes to the deceased and not to give youths a platform to protest. They, however, promised they would ensure that no one turned up for the meeting on March 10.

Sangwan warns of bigger stir if OBC quota not given

Bhiwani/Rohtak: All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti leader Hawa Singh Sangwan on Sunday said if the government didnt give quota to Jats under the OBC category in central government jobs, they would launch a bigger protest against the government.

He said they would not accept reservation on the basis of economic status of a family. He said, Jats want peace and if the government wants peace too then it should take steps to control those who are speaking against our caste and raising 35 caste vs one caste slogans. It should also stop its leaders from expressing dissenting opinions on Jat reservation. He said government compensating those who lost their properties was a good gesture, however, it should show the same kindness to the families of those killed in the agitation.

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Wrapped in black clothes to mark their dissent over the imposition of excise duty in Union budget, jewellers continued with their strike for the fourth day on Saturday.

Ludhiana Jewellers Association president Anand Sikri said, We have not received any information to call off the strike as of now. A meeting of apex jewellers body, All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF), was held with the finance minister on Friday but it seems nothing concrete has come out of it and a decision on the matter is expected by Monday. Around hundred members of the association gathered at the College Road to stage a protest and raised slogans against the ruling government.

Sikri added that the losses of the jewellers are mounting with every passing day and the government should work out to find a possible solution to the problem.The jewellers also said that they were already burdened with the mandatory PAN card furnishing while making gold purchase of above Rs 2 lakh which had already hit them our huge customer base coming from rural set-up. Our business has already gone down by 30 %and now there is more burden.
Introduced in 2005 by the state government after a considerable decline in girl child sex ratio (0 to 6-year-old age group) raised concern, Balri Rakshak Yojana, a welfare scheme to discourage the social evil of female foeticide and change the attitude of people towards the girl child, has been suspended by the government for an indefinite period.

With acute shortage of funds and no financial help from the government, the health department has completely failed to promote the scheme among people and targeted beneficiaries have also not been getting incentives as announced by the government.

Under the scheme, the government had decided to credit Rs 500 each month into the bank account of parents of every girl who was a single child. Parents who did not pay income tax and opted for sterilisation after the birth of the single girl child were the targeted beneficiaries. The incentive was Rs 1,000 if the couple had two daughters and opted for sterilisation.

As per the programme, the girl got the incentive till she turned 18 or one of the parents became an income-tax payer.

In Jalandhar, three couples registered under the scheme in 2005, 11 in 2006, one in 2008, two in 2009, two in 2012, and another five in 2013 while no registrations happened in 2014 and 2015.

Most of them hailed from nearby villages and poor localities.

Lack of public awareness was responsible for poor registration under the scheme, said a senior official, adding that other issues including fear of permanent sterilisation among couples, tedious procedure of the scheme were not major reasons as Asha workers managed to promote the programme.

He added that though the department used to pay Rs 500 per case to Asha workers on successful registration of a couple, but funds did not arrive from the government for the same.

No billboard or notice for promoting the scheme could be seen at the civil hospital.

Health secretary Hussan Lal said,  The health department is not getting funds for the scheme. An order has been circulated in all districts regarding discontinuation of further registration under the programme.

Objectives of scheme

Balance the skewed sex ratio

Control burgeoning population, educate people about family planning

Decrease child mortality rate

Eligibility

The couple should be residents of Punjab and submit residence proof

Daughters birth certificate

Both husband and wife should not be income-tax payers

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As many as 3,500 ex-servicemen, including 100 veer naris (war widows) attended a mega rally at the Mammun Cantonment area near Pathankot on Saturday.

Organised by Pathankot Sub Area under the Rising Star Corps, the rally was aimed to hear the problems of the veterans and the veer naris while Lt Gen. KJ Singh, Army Commander, Western Command, was himself present in this mega rally, who heard and assured them a solution to their problems soon.

The rally was attended by the retired army personnel and the war widows from Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Pathankot and Kangra districts.

Later addressing the rally, Lt Gen KJ Singh, reassured the veterans and veer naris that they shall always remain inseparable members of the armed forces fraternity.

The rally was held in close coordination with the state administration and Rajya Sainik Boards. The focus of the rally was to resolve anomalies in disbursement of pension, land and legal cases being confronted by the veterans and veer naris Lt. Gen claimed further.

A number of stalls from various welfare agencies and organisations of the Army and civil administration were set up at the venue. A medical team, fully equipped with modern equipment and medicines, was also in place. An Employment Fair for advising Kith and Kin of Veterans and Veer Naris on employment avenues was also a major attraction.

The rally was a major step forward for ameliorating the day to day problems of the veterans and veer naris the army officials claimed. It gave a platform to the veer naris to express their concerns directly to the concerned officials they concluded.

The Army Commander presented mobility equipment to handicapped battle causalities veterans and also honoured the veer naris and their dependents.
Three weeks after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the premises of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in SAS Nagar and registered a case against its officiating director KK Bhutani and seven others for allegedly causing a loss of crores of rupees to the government exchequer, the union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers has issued retirement orders for Bhutani (64) and three other officials on the ground that they were continuing in service beyond the permissible age of 60 years. Prof KPR Kartha, Prof AK Chakraborti and Dr PP Singh have also been issued the orders and all are above 60.

Wing Cdr PJP Singh Waraich (retd), registrar, NIPER, said, We (the NIPER institute) have received an official confirmation from the ministry to retire these officials. The process will be followed.

He added that of the four issued the orders, three were on leave and the letters would be handed over once they rejoined duty.

Prof Bhutani is on leave, he will be handed over the retirement letter the day he joins. He will officially hand over the charge to a new officiating director, Waraich added, clarifying that the four officials had not been suspended, but had been given retirement from service.

Instructions from the union ministry said the charge of the officiating director will be given to the senior-most faculty and that at present is Professor Saranjit Singh.

When contacted, Prof KK Bhutani said, I have not received any such communication. I will join office on Tuesday. The others three faculty members were not available for comment.

Appointment letters state wrong retirement age

Interestingly, the institute that comes under the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers has to have employees retiring at 60, yet there are many employees who continue in service.

All staff members at the institute have been given appointment letters with retirement age mentioned wrongly as 62. In Bhutanis case, the institute went ahead and made an exception. He was allowed to continue in service despite being more than 62 years of age, said an employee, on the condition of anonymity.

He added that in 2013, months before Bhutani was to retire at 62, the board of governors of the institute increased the retirement age to 65 years. The 2013 decision was implemented even as under the NIPER Act states any change its governing provisions needed the assent of the President of India, the employee claimed.

Finally, this week the ministry issued the orders that fixed the retirement age at 60.

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The public rally organised in support of the visiting human rights lawyer and AAP leader Harvinder Singh Phoolka attracted more than 1,000 people in Surrey on Sunday afternoon.

The call for social boycott against him given by a section of Khalistanis and a threat to protest by some Akali supporters on social media proved to be ineffective if the response to the rally is any indication.

Some well-known Khalistani leaders had asked the community members to stay away from the event.

Also, some Akali supporters had threatened to protest against his visit on Facebook. They were upset at a statement of Phoolka in which he had asked for the symbolic justice to the victims of 1984. He had stated in a TV interview, The time for real justice has already lapsed as most of the people involved in the crime and witnesses have died. Hence, a few Congress leaders, who are still alive, should be prosecuted to serve symbolic justice.

There were indications of a possible protest at the venue of the rally, but nobody showed up to protest. In fact, a large number of Sikhs came out and raised Bole So Nihal slogans when Phoolka was welcomed on the dais at the Aria banquet hall that was nearly packed with the audience. He was also given a standing ovation.

There was pin drop silence while Phoolka spoke for 50 minutes about his continuing struggle for justice to the victims of anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984. People in the gathering frequently shouted shame when Phoolka spoke about the controversial role of the opportunistic Sikh leaders, particularly Akalis in shielding those involved in violence.

He emphasised that had justice been served to the Sikhs and the state machinery had played its proper role during the massacre, other religious minorities would not have been targeted blatantly in the years to come.

In the end, he gave a call to the Non Resident Indians to support AAP and work hard to bring a fundamental change in Punjab. He listed some of the achievements of AAP government in Delhi and assured the public that if his party was elected to power in Punjab, the state will get rid of corruption and benefit from the policies meant to improve the lives of common people.

Earlier, a documentary film about Phoolka was also shown on the occasion.
The cash-starved Parkash Singh Badal government is unlikely to achieve even the modest revenue receipts targets it had set for the current financial year, it has emerged with officials giving final touches to the 2016-17 budget likely to be presented on March 15.

The value added tax (VAT) barely grew at about 2% this year. The sluggish growth has led to at least Rs 1,000 crore shortfall in achieving the budgetary estimate of generating Rs 17,851 crore from VAT, the primary source of revenue, government sources said.

The growth in VAT was so slow that between April and September, the VAT collection was about Rs 7,674 crore. This is in sharp contrast to the period 2009-10 to 2014-15 when the cumulative growth rate of VAT in the state was 15%.

Sources say the revenue receipts targetsbudgetary estimates  pertaining to stamps and registration (Rs 2,700 crore), taxes on vehicles (Rs1,500 crore) and electricity duty (Rs 2,050 crore) are unlikely to be achieved even as these targets were marginally higher than the revised estimates of the 2014-15 fiscal.

The VAT didnt grow at the pace we expected. Yes, there is a shortfall due to the slowdown in economy, finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa told Hindustan Times.

While the purchase tax received from procurement agencies is also lower than that of last financial year, the government is drawing consolation from the marginal growth in receipts from excise and is likely to achieve the Rs 5,100 crore target.

Sources say the state received over Rs 200 crore more this year in its share of central taxes, which came as a much-needed breather.

But the committed liabilities of the government continued to rise steadily. During this fiscal, the salaries and wages bill shot up to Rs 1,800 crore, while the pension and retirement benefit expenditure is set to cross the Rs 7,000-crore mark.

With the decline in receipts, the revenue and fiscal deficit are set to rise further.

No laptops; Rs 100 cr for computer education

The government has officially decided to bury its much-talked-about election manifesto promise of giving free laptops with data cards to students of Classes 11 and 12 of government-run schools.

Now, in its last year, the government is likely to allocate Rs 100 crore exclusively for computer education. The government will provide new computers to schools in a phased manner.

There are about 1,600 senior secondary schools in Punjab with computer labs.

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Punjabi by Natures resolve to bring change is indeed igniting the imaginations of its readers. That it is lighting the fire is evident from the great suggestions that flow into my inbox.

Now that I am through with self-praise, let me share this hit of an idea sent by a reader. Nisha Doshi from Kolkata, in her message, suggests why couldnt our cash heavy and gold-rich religious organisations that run temples, gurdwaras, churches and mosques dole out money for soft loans to the youth for start-ups? She asked why couldnt they think out of the box and gather funds, under the supervision of successful business persons and professionals, to provide such loans? These professionals can further monitor and guide young entrepreneurs towards success.

To tell you frankly, I had rejected the idea the moment it popped up in my inbox simply because I dither from stuff that has anything to do with religion. I also judge those harshly who talk about bringing religion into economic, political or cultural spheres of life.

Moreover, taking away the rozi-roti of the clergy who feed their bellies through donations by pilgrims is ungodly. Isnt it? I mean you cant starve the preachers just because you have an idea. You could be accused of conspiring to dilute a particular religion.

However, something about the idea stayed with me. And while I was still pondering over it, a part of me got convinced that what better way to get religious organisations to unload their hoarded cash, gold and silver. It is much better utilised if a youngster gets financed for a business opportunity than it being spent on a slippery marble flooring.

Imagine if the SGPC were to utilise its vast resources and have a venture capital arm to invest in Punjabs youth who have creative and potential business ideas. No religious apps please! But it could bring a whole new progressive dimension to these organisations which are falling from grace in the eyes of the people.

A lot of religious organisations would duck this idea under the pretext that they are already running schools, colleges and professional institutes. Its a rather lame excuse. Isnt this an idea worth exploring? It is not that religious organisations are not already working as venture capitalists and this idea is alien to them? What else do you make out of them funding politics? Akali Dal and BJP is a pure example of this and maybe the leaders of these parties can consider taking part in economic growth of this kind.

The other challenge will be choosing entrepreneurs to fund through such an effort - the best idea or the best idea floated by a youngster in a certain community? If Im given charge, Ill go with the former since progress benefits everyone. Nisha, in her suggestion, also wrote that she belonged to the Jain community which is against bursting crackers. Jain temples, according to her, award youngsters who propagate this pro-environment idea. I think its a good move, especially when religious organisations directly award individuals. It is like a subsidy coming straight into your bank account from heaven. One hopes that religious leaders take note of this idea and implement it. And readers, please keep sending in great ideas.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has again sought the return of rare manuscripts and historical documents that went missing from Sikh Reference Library of Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar that was launched in June 1984 to flush out armed militants from the shrine complex.

The SGPC believes that this rare literature was taken away by the army which had conducted the operation. SGPC chief secretary Harcharan Singh made a verbal demand on Sunday to chief of army staff General Dalbir Singh Suhag, who visited Golden Temple on Sunday.

The Sikh religious body has over the years written a number of letters to the Union government seeking the return of manuscripts and books, but to no avail.

The fate of several books and manuscripts seized from the Sikh Reference Library is still unknown. Initially, the SGPC had blamed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) of taking the possession of manuscripts. However, when the Union home ministry denied the charge, the SGPC turned to the defence ministry.

Former defence minister George Fernandes had once assure the SGPC of looking into the missing manuscripts after chief minister Parkash Singh Badal took up the matter with him. However, nothing has been done since then.

No religious literature with army: Suhag

However, Gen Suhag clarified that no such religious literature or manuscripts were in the possession of the army. I have checked on this and found that no such religious literature is with the army. May be, some other agency took the literature with it, he said. Gen Suhag said the Punjab government should forward a letter on the fate of missing manuscripts to the defence ministry. I will help the SGPC on this, he added.

Earlier, Gen Suhag and his wife Namita Suhag paid obeisance at Golden Temple. This was his first visit to the shrine after taking over the army chief. He was presented a model of Golden Temple, a siropa and a set of religious books.
Two Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel from the Pathankot airbase were drowned and three airmen were hospitalised after the water level in the Ravi river suddenly rose near Chamba town on Saturday evening.

The dead were identified as corporal Shakti Singh, 30, of Jaipur in Rajasthan and corporal Nitesh Mishra, 26 from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. Airmen Naval Pandey, Naveen Sharma and Gajender Singh were admitted to the Chamba Civil Hospital.

Deputy commissioner Sudesh Mokhta said, The five were clicking photos on the river bank near Chamba town when the water level in the Ravi suddenly rose and swept them away. Nitesh and Shakti were drowned, while the three others managed to swim to safety.

The district authorities were informed about the accident following which a search was launched. The bodies of the two IAF personnel were recovered on Sunday morning.

Alert unheard?

Sources said that the water level in the river rose when surplus water was discharged from the Chamera-2 dam of the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) located upstream.

The sources said that it is suspected that the airmen did not hear the alert sounded through a siren by the NHPC authorities.

Magesterial probe

A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident. Additional district magistrate (ADM) Shubhkaran Singh will hold the investigation and submit a report in 15 days, the deputy commissioner said.

River tragedies

Twenty-four engineering students of a private college from Hyderabad were washed away when they were clicking photos on the bank of the Beas river on June 8, 2014. The water level suddenly rose when the Larji dam authorities released surplus water into the river, causing one of the worst tragedies of its kind in the state.

In December last year, eight people were swept away in the Chandrabhaga in the tribal Pangi valley of Chamba district when their vehicle veered off the road and fell into the river. The bodies were found after a week-long search.
I have got real-time gross settlement system (RTGS) of Rs 10 lakh in my account. With this amount I cannot even get my mall cleaned, leave alone rebuilding the entire thing. All my hard work of so many years has been reduced to rubble, said Suresh Sharma, the owner of Rohtaks burnt down RN Mall.

Sharma, like scores of others whose shops, business establishments and institutions were looted and completely burnt down in the mindless arson by Jat protesters in last months violent agitation for reservation, says that non-Jat community businessmen are uncertain whether they want to re-build their establishments in Haryana or move out to other places.

Rohtaks only McDonalds outlet, which Sharma brought in Rohtak almost 18 months ago after a lot of effort, has been charred along with the multiplex cinema halls, high-end gyms and other showrooms in the RN Mall. The malls staff, numbering over 100, stare at a jobless future.

My estimated loss in the Mall alone is over Rs 7 crore. Even I am jobless as of today. So is all my staff. We dont even know where the money for re-building the whole thing will come from. The interim relief is hardly of any use. The government should compensate the whole loss immediately as the police and administration failed to provide security for our establishments, Sharma told IANS.

I dont understand how the Khattar government is going ahead with the Happening Haryana Investors Summit when the existing ones have suffered losses of hundreds of crores. Who will invest in a state where such lawlessness prevails? he said.

The protesters even set the RN Engineering College, owned by Sharma and his family, on fire at Makroli Kalan near here. They took away all computers and other equipment and burnt down the building. The loss at the college is around Rs 4 crore, Sharma said.

The arsonists specifically targeted establishments owned by people from non-Jat communities like Punjabis, Sainis, Brahmins and others, local traders point out.

The BJP government in Haryana, led by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, having failed to contain the violence, is trying to give an impression that it will compensate all losses suffered by people. Much of this is being done ahead of the March 7-8 Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit being held in Gurgaon.

Haryana government has so far released an interim assistance of Rs 20,04,75,291 (Rs 20.04 crore) to 1,537 persons whose properties were damaged in the recent agitation in the state, an official claimed in Chandigarh.

Among the sufferers of the violence is the family of Haryanas finance and industries minister Abhimanyu Sindhu.

The ministers house was set on fire continuously for three days. Nearly a dozen cars, including high-end luxury ones, were burnt down. His family members had to take refuge in a neighbours house to save themselves and were later airlifted in a chartered helicopter.

Indus Public School, a big private school owned by his family, in which his wife Ekta Sindhu is the chairperson, was set ablaze, along with 18 school buses.

The Sindhu family is reported to have made a claim of Rs 25 crore to the Haryana government for the losses suffered by it in the agitation.

Three other prominent schools (Scholars Rosery School, Pathania School and Shriram Global School) in and around Rohtak were also ransacked and burnt down by the protesters. Studies of nearly 15,000 students have been affected by the closure of schools.

Trade and industry body Assocham has projected the loss in the violence at around Rs 20,000 crore.
It is often said that to fully understand life you need to understand the good, the bad and the ugly. Likewise, to fully understand Cambodia, you need to understand how beliefs can raise humanity to great heights or push it to terrible depths. Cambodia is as much the sacred walkways of Angkor Wat as it is the Khmer Rouge  the Communist Party of Kampuchea responsible for the 1970s genocide that left about two million Cambodians dead. 37 years later, the impact of those events on the nation is still stark and painful. Both eras christened themselves Khmer. One emerged sacred, the other ugly, as I learnt during my travels.

Read: Commemoration marked on Khmer Rouge killings

After decades of war and suffering, peace has finally come to Cambodia, and a journey to this small constitutional monarchy is truly one of Asias most genuine adventures. Like all travellers, I too loved Angkor; the dusty tropical jungles wrapped around stone temples whose gigantic carved cupolas rose over the foliage. No matter how much you read about Angkor or see pictures of its monuments, the actuality of the place still takes you by surprise. At its peak, Angkor was the biggest city in the world. It covered a thousand square kilometres with an approximate population of a million. What inspired your grandeur? I asked the stones and they recounted a tale of devaraja.

Over 3,000 apsaras with 30 different hairstyles decorate Angkor Wat, each of them unique. (Photo by Rama Arya)

In 802 AD, Cambodia was united by the Hindu Khmer ruler Jayavarman II, propagator of devaraja or the god king cult. What this meant was that he was to be conceived as a manifestation of the Hindu gods Shiva or Vishnu. In addition, he and his successors had the divine right to rule. The dynasty and the cult lasted for over 600 years until 1431 AD, and ruled over much of Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

History and the sandstone blocks remember Jayavarman VII (1181 to 1215 AD) as the empires greatest ruler. Taking his role as god king to new heights, he expanded imperial territory, built monumental temples, huge reservoirs, highways 800 kilometres long, a hundred hospitals, and the spectacular Angkor Thom complex  a city within a city in Angkor. Angkor literally translates to Capital City or Holy City and comprises a hundred royal temples. Angkor Wat, the largest of them, as well as the largest religious structure in the world was built by Suryavarman II in the early 11th Century. A representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods, the Wat is both a temple complex dedicated to Vishnu and a mausoleum for Suryavarman II with great attention paid to minutiae  over 3,000 apsaras, featuring between them more than 30 different hairstyles, are carved into its walls.

Read: Angkor Wat larger and more complex than thought

If Angkor is testimony to the creative highs that divine rule can reach, the Khmer Rouge represents the opposite. If Angkor made me revel in my humanity, the monuments of the Khmer Rouge made me wonder if I too was capable of depravity.

When the Ultra Communist Khmer Rouge (Red Khmer) marched into Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975, few would have anticipated the hell that was to follow. The goal of the regime was to transform Cambodia into a Maoist, peasant-dominated agrarian cooperative. Within days, the population was forced to march to the countryside and undertake slave labour in mobile work teams for 12 to 15 hours each day. The advent of Pol Pot, Brother No 1, who led the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979, was declared Year Zero. Currency was abolished and postal services were halted. Except for one fortnightly flight to Beijing the country was cut off completely from the outside world. Two sites in Phnom Penh let me step back into this period.

The child soldiers of Pol Pots Khmer Rouge. (Photo by Rama Arya)

In May 1976, Pol Pot took over Tuol Svay Prey High School and turned it into Security Prison 21 (S-21), the largest prison and interrogation centre in the country with up to 100 intakes a day. Inmates were electrocuted, sometimes over a period of months. The Khmer Rouge was meticulous in keeping records. Every prisoner who passed through was photographed, before and after torture, and detailed biographies recorded. Shackled to the walls and stripped to their underwear, the prisoners slept on the floor, and defecated and urinated into small buckets. Medical treatment was unheard of.

Much of the school, now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, has been left in the state it was found in when the Vietnamese army liberated Phnom Penh on 7 January, 1979. Displays include roomfuls of black and white photographs. Nearly all the men, women and children pictured were later killed.

Read: Former Khmer Rouge interrogator recounts torture techniques

The visit to the Genocide Museum is not an easy one. I couldnt cry; I couldnt get angry. All I could feel was the hollowness of those eyes, staring out from the rows of photographs. Following in the footsteps of these prisoners, I drove on to the Choeung Ek killing fields. It was here that 17,000 men, women, and children, detained and tortured at S-21, were executed.

No Cambodian can be said to be entirely free of the madness of that era. Every family has one or more members who died in it. A certain vacantness in the Cambodian spirit still echoes those years.

One race; two sides of history, both in the name of Khmer and the supremacy of a single man. One path through history turned towards the spiritual and the glorious arts emanating from it; the other turned towards the killing fields. Both paths have much to teach us about the nature of mankind.

(Rama Arya is a traveller, blogger, and communications capacity builder)
Donald Trump and Ted Cruz won two nominating contests each in the Republican race for president on Saturday, as Bernie Sanders took two to Hillary Clintons one on the Democratic side.

With these wins, Cruz is emerging as the candidate who can claim to be best placed to take on Trump.

Trump has won 12 nominating contests so far, including those on Saturday, Cruz six and Marco Rubio one. The tally on the Democratic side is 12 wins for Clinton and seven for Sanders.

Trump won Louisiana and Kentucky on Saturday, while Cruz took Maine and Kansas. Sanders won Nebraska and Kansas and Clinton bagged Louisiana, a delegates-rich state.

Every state is worth a certain number of delegates in the nominating contests, for both parties, who elect their nominee at their respective party conventions later in the year. To win the Republican nomination, a candidate needs to win at least 1,237 delegates, while a Democrat needs 2,383. Trump leads the tally in his party with 392 to Cruzs 305, Rubios 130 and John Kasichs 35. Clinton leads her party field with 1,092 to Sanderss 477.

Read: US primaries: Cruz, Trump split wins; Sanders, Clinton divide states

Cruz picked up more delegates Saturday night than Trump, and staked claim to being the candidate best placed to take on the frontrunner. I think what it represents is Republicans coalescing, saying it would be a disaster for Donald Trump to be our nominee and were going to stand behind the strongest conservative in the race, he told reporters.

And suggested the field needs to narrow down further. Well continue to amass delegates, but what needs to happen is the field needs to continue to narrow, he said. As long as the field remains divided it gives Donald an advantage. He is arguing that Trump continues to lead because the anti-Trump votes are currently split among the many candidates still running. And that Trump is beatable in a two-candidate race.

Read: Clinton legacy in Arkansas capital isnt helping Democrat cause

But the trouble with Cruz is that the party establishment doesnt quite see him as that candidate its prepared to back. Asked to choose between Trump and Cruz, Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who was himself in the race before dropping out, has said, Its like being shot or poisoned.

Cruz, a young first-time senator, is disliked intensely by party leaders and colleagues in the US senate  he has been called wacko-bird, abrasive, arrogant, creepy, and tricky.

The establishment is betting instead on Rubio, who unfortunately for them and himself, has failed to live up to the promise  he has won only nominating contest so far.
Saudi Arabia executed a citizen convicted of murder on Sunday, bringing to 70 the number of people it has put to death this year.

Alaa al-Zahrani was found guilty of killing fellow Saudi Abdullah al-Sumairi with a rock to the head, the interior ministry said.

He was put to death in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, said a ministry statement carried by the official SPA news agency.

The 70 executions so far this year include 47 death sentences for terrorism carried out in a single day on January 2.

Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, most of them for drug trafficking or murder, according to an AFP count.

Amnesty International says the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year was the highest for two decades.

However, the tally was far behind those of China and Iran.

The kingdom has a strict Islamic legal code under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death.
A group of Sikhs and Muslims, mostly from South Asian countries, have joined the Donald Trump bandwagon in the US state of Maryland, asserting that the Republican presidential frontrunner is not against their communities.

Under the banner of Sikh Americans for Trump and Muslim Americans for Trump, scores of Sikhs and Muslims held their first meeting in a suburb of Washington DC in Maryland, wherein a representative from the Trump campaign addressed them.

Organisers of the eventfrom both the Sikh and Muslim communitiesargued that the view of Trump about minority community has been twisted and taken out of context by the mainstream media and claimed that the 69-year-old billionaire real estate magnet would create more jobs in the country, which would benefit the minorities.

He (Trump) is not at all against the Sikhs or the Muslim community. What he says is given a spin. The mainstream media did that because they are scared of him. He is not the status quo. He is not taking anybodys money, said Jasdip Singh, who helped organise the Sikh Americans for Trump in Maryland.

A prominent member of the Sikh community, Singh is chairman of the Maryland Governors Commission on South Asian Affairs and chairman of the Board of Sikh Associations of Baltimore.

When he talks about Muslims, he does not talk about all Muslims or American Muslims. He spoke in the context of the refugee crisis that was happening in Syria. We (Sikhs) agree with him. Muslim (Americans) agree with him that we should not bring people into this country before we vet them. And this was a temporary measure proposed by him, Singh said.

He is not against minorities. I have even heard that he is not good for India. On the contrary, I believe he is very good for India.

He has businesses in Pune and Mumbai. He understands all these countries and cultures better than any other candidate, said.

Singh, who in September had led a delegation of Sikh leaders to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Silicon Valley, said: Trump had built Tajmahal (Casino) in Atlantic City 25 years ago. He brought a piece of India to the US and tried to take things from India to Taj. So he has a very strong affinity and relationship with India. We should not listen to the spin that is coming from the media.

Of all the presidential candidates, Trump is the only one who has achievements to show, argued Sajid Tarar, a Pakistani American, who helped organise the Muslim Americans for Trump.

We believe he has the ability and capacity to change America. He has built a huge empire. He is self-funding the campaign and has no special interest behind it, Tarar said.

There is a war going on against Trump. Every message and speech of his has been twisted, he said referring to the Trumps call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.
A suicide bomber on Sunday rammed his explosives-laden fuel truck into a security checkpoint south of Baghdad, killing at least 47 people and wounding dozens, officials said, the latest episode in an uptick in violence in the war-ravaged country.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack shortly after. In a statement posted on social media, IS named the bomber who detonated his truck at a checkpoint outside the city of Hillah as Abu Islam al-Ansari, adding that the bombing had killed and wounded more than 90 people.

The Rafidha (a derogatory term for Shias) must understand that the battle has just begun and that the worst is yet to come, the statement read.

IS and other Sunni militants frequently use car bombs and suicide attacks to target public areas and government buildings in their bid to undermine confidence in the Shia-led government in Baghdad.

Among the dead were 39 civilians, while the rest were members of the security forces. The attacker struck shortly after noon when the checkpoint at one of the entrances to the city of Hillah was crowded with dozens of cars, a police officer said.

He added that up to 65 other people were wounded and nearly 50 cars were damaged. Hillah is located about 95 kilometres (60 miles) south of Baghdad.

A medical official confirmed the causality figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to release information.

Iraq has seen a spike in violence in the past month, with suicide attacks in and outside Baghdad, all claimed by the Islamic State group, killing more than 170 people. IS controls large swaths of Iraq and neighbouring Syria and has declared an Islamic caliphate on the territory it holds.

According to United Nations figures, at least 670 Iraqis were killed last month due to ongoing violence, of whom about two-thirds were civilians.

(With inputs from AFP)
The United States could be deploying B-52s, bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, for the first time against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.

The possible deployment was raised at a recent conference of the US Air Force, according to airforcemag.com.

B-52 Stratofortresses bombers, which can carry gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided (cruise) missiles and joint direct attack munitions, are likely to replace B-1 bombers.

There have been no announcements about it yet.

As of March 3, the US-led coalition has conducted a total of 10,758 strikes against IS targets under Operation Inherent Resolve  7,188 in Iraq and 3,570 in Syria.

The US alone has carries 8,243 strikes of them  4,895 Iraq in and 3,348 in Syria, according to the daily update issued by the National Security Council.

he US might deploy its nuclear-capable B-52 warplanes for the first time to bomb the Islamic State as part of its efforts to step up its campaign against terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

The B-52 Stratofortress could begin dropping bombs on the Islamic State group from April, the Air Force Times reported.

The bombers would be headed to the Central Command area of operations to replace the B-1 Lancers, the last of them returning in January, officials were quoted as saying at an Air Force Association Conference.

The B-1s should return after they receive additional upgrades.

However, it is not clear how many B-52s or the number of airmen, under Air Force Global Strike Command, will be deployed for the potential operation.

The aircraft, which had been used to drop unguided bombs in previous wars, including in Afghanistan, can now be used to provide backup with the accuracy of precision-guided munitions.

If scheduled, it would be the first deployment for the bombers to fight Islamic State targets.

Were going to keep the B-52 around. It provides some missions for us that are hard to replicate, primarily the range and payload the air plane provides, Lt Gen James Mike Holmes, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, said last month.

B-52, nicknamed the Big Ugly Fat Fella or BUFF, has a payload capacity of 70,000 pounds, which includes gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided (cruise) missiles and joint direct attack munitions.

The US decided to pull out B-1 bombers, one of the most dependable American weapons, from the battle against IS in Syria and Iraq for upgrades.
Nintendo fans were teased by the company's announcement last year that the video game juggernaut was in talks with prominent theme park giant Universal Parks regarding the possibility of creating a theme park based on the Japanese game giant's beloved characters.

As it turns out, such news was indeed accurate. Japanese media outlet Sankei News claims that the deal between Nintendo and Universal Parks is at its later stages already, with the specifics of the deal allegedly scheduled to be finalized this coming Friday.

The Japanese paper further stated that the theme park, currently being dubbed as "Nintendo Land," would involve about 40 billion yen ($351 million) from investors. Considering that the Japanese game company is currently in relatively dire financial straits as of late, the investment was most probably welcomed by Nintendo.

Once completed, Nintendo Land would be one of Universal Studios Japan's primary draws, featuring dedicated attractions focused on Nintendo's most popular characters. In fact, the theme park is allegedly so massive that it would probably rival the park's elaborate and intricate Wizarding World of Harry Potter in size. The investment being given to the project could be compared to that given to Harry Potter Land's.

Of course, with an announcement of this importance, Nintendo fans have never been more excited. Though details about the project are very scarce right now, there is much speculation that the world's most-loved plumber, Mario, would be one of the park's main draws. With a theme park fully dedicated to the company's game characters, it would not be a surprise to find "Super Mario World" somewhere in Universal Studios Japan.

Another possible attraction that has fans abuzz is, of course, is the possibility of a real-life rendition of "Mario Kart." Considering the sheer chaos that happens in those bright, neon racing tracks, all it would take is some hefty funding and a creative team of engineers to make such a thing a reality.

If the construction of Nintendo Land does not encounter any difficulties, it is set to be completed by 2020. Coincidentally, 2020 is also the year when Tokyo is expected to host the Olympics, drawing a significant number of tourists from all over the world. If Nintendo Land is already open by that time, both Universal Parks and Nintendo would probably make a killing.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The population of Sumatran orangutans is two times higher than previously thought, but the great ape remains still critically endangered because of forest loss and poaching, according to a new, landmark survey released last week.

An international team of researchers, spearheaded by Serge Wich at Liverpool John Moores University in the U.K., now estimates that the total number of Sumatran orangutans is close to 14,600, rather than the previously acknowledged count of 6,600. However, the new numbers are not the result of a growing population on the Indonesian island, instead reflecting more extensive surveying methods.

Tracking population numbers for these shy and illusive apes is a challenge, but orangutans regularly create nighttime sleeping nests at night that can be located even after the animal has moved on. For the study, the research team created a series of nest-decay surveys in order to approximate population densities across Sumatra. They discovered groups at higher elevations than expected, located individuals in regions that were thought to be devoid of orangutans, and encountered populations in degraded forests that had not been included in earlier studies.

"The chance that there will be zero [Sumatran orangutans] in the near future is certainly less now," lead study author Serge Wich said.

However, earlier estimates suggested that the population had dropped by 80 percent through the past 75 years, and Wich explained that the new information would not significantly alter that figure. Beyond the actual numbers, the density of animals found in different types of forests is also important; by overlaying population estimates on current and future land-use maps, the study re-establishes that orangutan numbers will continue to rapidly diminish as forests are degraded. This could cause a 14-33 percent decrease over the next 15 years.

"The fact that we see large areas of forest being converted to oil palm plantations and other land uses means that we are losing orangutans in those areas," Wich said. While more individual orangutans exist than previously thought, he said the decline "is still very real."

Erik Meijaard, Ecologist and Director of Borneo Futures, confirmed this perspective. "Our data on habitat loss and killing rates indicates a population decline of about 25% per decade. If the population is 14,631 rather than 6,600, this means that in 100 years from now... there will be 823 orangutans left rather than 372," he said. "Either way the species is very close to extinction."

Sumatran orangutans are one of two different orangutan species. The population of Bornean orangutans, which tend to have shorter, darker fur and slightly smaller faces, is estimated to be around 50,000 or 60,000. Besides humans, Orangutans are the only great apes that live in Asia and the largest arboreal mammal in the world.

The research was published in the March 4 issue of the journal Science Advances.

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A rare albino whale named "Gallon of Milk" was spotted during a yearly whale census off Mexico's Pacific coast. It was a welcomed sight for conservation officials, as this albino female gray whale has not been seen since 2009.

The whale was nicknamed "Gallon of Milk" when it was first spotted as a calf in a 2008-2009 survey conducted by Mexico's National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP). It belonged to an annual count of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) migrating to the area.

The bright white whale has a condition called albinism, which is a gene mutation that results in a sharp reduction or lack of the skin pigment melanin. With the exception of a pink bottlenose dolphin nicknamed Pinky, albinism is rarely ever seen or documented in marine mammals. This makes "Gallon of Milk" all the more special to the marine scientific community.

This condition has been better documented among land mammals, reptiles and birds, including a one-year-old Masai giraffe named Omo living in Tanzania's Tarangire National Park.

In the recent whale census, "Gallon of Milk" was spotted swimming in waters of the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve with a small calf in tow. CONANP posted a Facebook video showing the whale and her baby, though it appears that her offspring did not inherit their mother's albino appearance.

CONANP reported that a total of 2,211 gray whales showed up this year in the Ojo de Liebre lagoon of the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, the biological landscape of which researchers have been monitoring for 20 years now. Of those individuals, 1,004 are calves born in Mexico.

Monitoring annual gray whale populations -- a highly endangered breed that migrates every year between feeding and breeding sites along the West Coast -- ensures the species' long-term survival. These iconic marine mammals can live for up to 70 years, grow to weigh 40 tons and reach 50 feet in length. They are highly social animals, traveling and foraging in close-knit pods.

Gray whale populations in the western Pacific -- previously thought to be totally wiped out from commercial whaling -- are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, with a population of only 130 individuals.

A large group of Omura's whales was recently spotted off the coast of Madagascar. These 33-38 foot, warm-water whales were feared extinct prior to sightings in October, and now, twice as many of all previous years of research combined have been documented.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
UPDATE (3/6/16 2:27am) Troy has deleted his Instagram post, though you can see the attached Revenge of the Nerds meme in the above gallery.

UPDATE: And just like that, Troy Ave has responded with a lengthy Instagram post of his own as well as a meme that shows Joey photoshopped into a poster for the film Revenge of the Nerds. The meme is a reference to a line on Troys new diss track, Bad Ass: If it really was the 90s, youll be titled as a herb / If ya movie was biography, Revenge of the Nerds.'

In the caption of the post, Troy accuses Joey of involving other New York rappers, namely Nas and Pro Eras Kirk Knight, in their conflict  But thats what pussies like you do. He then goes on to mention  as he did on Bad Ass  the late Capital STEEZ, who, this time, Troy refers to as ya roof jumpin bestie.

Troy explains that the glorification of STEEZ suicide is indicative of the difference between his music and that of Pro Era: yall n*ggas music tell kids that if you commit suicide youll be a martyr and a legend! My music says dont do that cause youll be a dick head and a bozo. He ends the post by calling Joey an Internet rapper.

Original text below:

Last week, the beef between Joey Bada$$ and Troy Ave heated up dramatically. Troy released a diss track titled Bad Ass, a response to Joeys recent single, Ready, on which he roasted Troy with a line about the lackluster sales of his latest album, last summers Major Without a Deal. Troys diss record was especially controversial in the New York rap community because he used it to scoff at the death of Pro Era rapper Capital STEEZ, who took his own life in December 2012.

Joey sent out a few tweets in response to Bad Ass, including one with an attached screenshot of a series of tweets sent out by Troy in 2011, showing multiple insults directed at Nas. Get him TF outta here, wrote Joey.

Today, Joey addressed Troy in a lengthier format, via Instagram, and the post looks to contain Joeys final thoughts on the controversial beef, one that he feels isnt warranted because of Troys lesser status in the rap game.

The post shows a picture of Joey on stage at the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival in Florida, where he performed last night. In the caption, Joey wrote about how the audience contained four times as many people as those who bought Troys Major Without a Deal.

What diss record?? Oh from that 30 y/o reject who hit the lil homie below the belt?? FUCK OUTTA HERE, wrote Joey in response to Bad Ass and its mentioning of Capital STEEZ.

Joeys post suggests he wont be offering a diss track of his own: Whoever yall talking about dont even deserve a response cuz he aint on my level.

Joey Badass
Last week, after his riveting Grammys performance and before his new surprise album, untitled unmastered., Kendrick Lamar took a few well-deserved vacation days in Jamaica. He visited the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston and posed in front of an iconic statue of the reggae great. Also during his stay, he met up with two of the islands living superstars, the GOAT sprinter Usain Bolt as well as the dancehall artist known as Assassin, who laid the lights-out hook on The Blacker the Berry.

Apparently Kendrick got exclusive access to one of Bolts training sessions. He put up a picture of him standing next to  and dwarfing  Kendrick outside of the track. Big deal business when the @thegrammys star link u at your training, Bolt wrote on Instagram.

Despite their killer collaboration, Kendrick Lamar had never met Assassin face-to-face up until now. Assassin also logged onto Instagram to share the encounter with his fans. Its unclear where they met up, but we can only hope Kendrick got back into work mode for a few hours of studio time. Inspired by Marley and Bolt, you know K-Dot could make an incredible record on Jamaican soil.

Kendrick Lamar
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The entries for the seventh annual Gold Buckle Foodie Awards represented every manner of rodeo food imaginable: Pierogis and pizza. Corn dogs and caramel corn. Cupcakes and funnel cakes. Burgers and breakfast burritos. Barbecue and baked potatoes. Turkey legs and tacos.

But the entry that caused the greatest stir? A pizza topped with mealworms, crickets and dried scorpions from Swain's Pizza on a Stick.

Judges dared each other to take a bite. Not everyone was so willing.

In the end, it was less adventurous but more decadent fare - Fried Brownie Balls - that won Kimberly and Tony Revis first-place honors in the Best Fried Food Category at the annual contest at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Thursday.

The Revises, who own Custom Confections in Cypress, won the award for their spherical chocolate decadence dipped in funnel-cake batter, then deep fried and topped with a powdered sugar blizzard. Delectable.

"I always tell people they're best to eat with a scoop of ice cream," Kimberly Revis said. (Don't worry, they sell ice cream, too, at their booth on the midway.)

More Information 2015 Gold Buckle Foodie Award winners Best Breakfast Food: 1st: Texas Skillet: Breakfast Cowboy Burrito 2nd: Stubby's Cinnamon Roll: Big Stone Breakfast Sandwich 3rd: Texas Skillet: Migas Best Value: 1st: Stubby's Cinnamon Roll: Original Roll 2nd: Triple J's Smokehouse: Big J Potato 3rd: Stubby's Cinnamon Roll: Just Do It Best Food on a Stick: 1st: Holmes Smokehouse: Bacon-Wrapped Sausage on a Stick 2nd: Granny's Cheesecake & More: Chocolate-Dipped Cheesecake with Oreo 3rd: Swain's Pizza on a Stick: Pizza on a Stick Best Fried Food: 1st: Custom Confections: Fried Brownie Ball 2nd: Berryhill: Crispy Shrimp Tacos 3rd: Granny's Cheesecake & More: Fried Cheesecake Classic Fair Food: 1st: Holmes Smokehouse: Gourmet Half-Pound Texas Burger 2nd: Cowboy Kettle Corn: Caramel Corn 3rd: Fletcher's Corny Dogs: Original Corny Dog Most Creative Food: 1st: Belgian Waffles: Fried Sriracha 2nd: Custom Confections: Frosty Bite 3rd: Cowboy Kettle Corn: Deep-Fried Kettle Corn Best New Flavor: 1st: Holmes Smokehouse: Baked Potato with Meat 2nd: Cowboy Kettle Corn: Deep Fried Kettle Corn 3rd: Go Tejano Diner: Combination Burrito Best Dessert: 1st: Stubby's Cinnamon Roll: "The "Works" 2nd: Sills Funnel Cake: Banana Split Funnel Cake 3rd: Kettle Corn of Texas: Apple Chocolate Fried Pie See More Collapse

The couple also took second place in Most Creative Food for their Frosty Bites, an ice cream-filled cupcake, which is practically Gold Buckle royalty. Last year, the Revises won first place for Most Creative with their Frosty Bite (their third win with the cupcakes sporting a vanilla ice cream heart).

Kimberly Revis said all the credit goes to her husband, who mans the deep fryer.

"He's the master. The fryer is his domain," she said. "I call him Captain Funnel Cake."

She looks forward to the Gold Buckle competition every year.

"This is like my Olympics," she said. "This is the day I look forward to of all the rodeo."

Holmes Smokehouse took three first-place awards on Thursday, including the coveted Best Food on a Stick, which chef/spokesman Randy Pauly says is what people think of when they envision rodeo food.

"The most important trophy we could win is best food on a stick. All we did was take our sausage on a stick and wrap it in the bacon. It's the same bacon you can buy in your grocery store," he said. "You could make it at home if you wanted to."

But that bacon, which is smoked over pecan, is what does the trick, he said, adding it topped their first-place baked potato and first-place burger. "That gives us the upper edge any time," he said of the addictive pork. "One bite and you're hooked. It's that bacon thing."

This year's RodeoHouston features 74 food vendors, and 71 entries were turned in for the Gold Buckle competition.

Last year, visitors consumed more than $8.8 million worth of food at the Midway and outdoor restaurant booths: 70,000 pounds of potatoes; 16,000 pounds of deep-fried pickles; 55,000 pounds of barbecue (and 42,580 barbecue sandwiches); 250,000 funnel cakes; 120,000 turkey legs; 100 pounds of fried, chocolate-dipped bacon; and 10,000 cinnamon rolls.

About 50 judges participated in scoring Thursday's competition, divided into eight categories. The Gold Buckle, normally held on the Midway, was moved inside NRG Center because it was so cold.

"The ice fishing will begin on schedule," joked Harry Miller, a vice chairman for RodeoHouston who has emceed the Gold Buckle competition for seven years now.

Compared to the bug-topped pizza, ice fishing sounded like a better option.
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Chriss Schwiderski was an unlikely cancer patient.

Young and apparently healthy, the 36-year-old Crossfit enthusiast from Dallas had just moved in with his fiancee in 2014 when severe chest pain sent him to the emergency room.

Doctors diagnosed pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart, a condition that generally resolves on its own. But over the next four months, he returned to the ER time and again with chest pain, culminating in a life-threatening buildup of fluid around his heart.

Doctors were stumped until an infectious disease specialist ordered a test that revealed a large tumor growing in the right side of Schwiderski's heart.

Most doctors are unlikely to see more than one or two heart tumors in their careers. So Schwiderski's cardiologist referred him to the physician who had treated more of these tumors than anyone else.

Schwiderski, an IT account manager, and his wife, Jennifer, traveled to Houston in November to meet with Dr. Michael Reardon, a cardiac surgeon with Houston Methodist. Reardon took a biopsy of the tumor and confirmed the worst: right atrial sarcoma.

Cardiac sarcomas remain one of the rarest and perhaps the deadliest subset of cancer. From 1988 to 2005, a national cancer database recorded only 210 cases in the U.S., about a dozen per year.

Even with surgery, 90 percent of atrial sarcoma patients die within a year. Untreated, the average survival after diagnosis is one month. There are no risk factors to determine who will develop a tumor.

Having seen some 350 cardiac tumors, including 100 cancerous cardiac sarcomas, Reardon and colleagues from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have developed a protocol that includes removing the heart and reimplanting it. Their approach, described in an article published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery in February, has doubled the average survival time.

Still, the surgeon acknowledges he'll never cure the cancer with just his scalpel: "What we need in the long run is a better biologic treatment of the disease itself."

Increasing survival

Cardiac sarcomas are often missed or misdiagnosed, giving the tumor time to grow and spread. Patients in the prime of their lives frequently find Reardon on the Internet after their doctors have advised them to go home and prepare to die.

"It's very common for me to see a 33-year-old woman and the first thing she does is pull out a picture of three kids and says, 'This is why I have to live,' " Reardon said.

Surgery has been an incomplete solution. Unless the surgeon can cut clearly around the entire tumor, achieving what's known as negative margins, the cancer is likely to grow back.

For surgeries with negative margins, the average survival time is two years. For those with residual cancer, it is just 10 months. Yet only 2 in 5 patients achieve complete removal of the big, bulky tumors. Surgeons often are too conservative in how much they cut out for fear of damaging the heart. Reardon continually saw patients referred to him after their sarcomas grew back.

Reardon consulted Dr. Vinod Ravi, a sarcoma specialist, and other doctors at M.D. Anderson to develop a better way to attack the cancer. Their protocol involved taking a biopsy of the tumor, then targeting chemotherapy to shrink it until Reardon felt confident he could cut all of it out.

"We've shown it increases survival for these people, which is a big step forward," Reardon said.

Six weeks at a time

That's the plan Reardon and Ravi had for Schwiderski as well. He would go through six to nine months of aggressive chemotherapy in Dallas. Every six weeks, he would return to Houston to see how much the tumor had shrunk and whether surgery was possible.

The first round went so smoothly, he thought chemo would be a breeze. With each successive round, it got worse and worse. He lost his black, curly locks and much of the muscle mass he had worked so hard to build.

Scans at the end of 2014 showed the tumor was shrinking, but not enough. It needed to shrink away from the aorta, the main artery supplying blood to the rest of the body. Rounds three and four stretched into the new year, and scans showed more progress. Rounds five and six dragged through February and March. By June, the tumor had started to pull away from the aorta. The chemo continued, with new drugs.

"The goal posts kept moving," Schwiderski said. "But you're advancing. As long as it's progress, that's OK."

After more than 22 rounds of chemo, the Schwiderskis came to Houston in November for another series of scans. Doctors needed to see that the chemo was knocking back the cancer significantly and be assured that any cells that had strayed were being wiped out as well.

"We need a spectacular response from some agent," Ravi told them. "I can't keep you on chemo for the rest of your biological life."

Later that day, Reardon pulled up Schwiderski's latest image on the monitor in his exam room. For the first time, he could see the tumor had clearly separated from the base of the aorta.

"I think we've reached the point where if we're going to do it, we've got to do it," he told the couple. He was ready to schedule the surgery in four days.

"We have been living our lives six weeks at a time," Jennifer Schwiderski added, "waiting for those words to come out of his mouth."

'Going to want it back'

Reardon had more good news. Because the tumor was on Schwiderski's right side, Reardon wouldn't have to remove the heart to reach it. Within the chest, the right side of the heart lies more toward the front than the left. For left-side tumors, Reardon has adapted a technique he learned from legendary Houston cardiac surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley in 1983.

In the midst of surgery to attack a tumor, Cooley removed a patient's heart without telling Reardon and the rest of the surgical team what he planned to do.

"Keep this," he told the nurse as he handed her the organ. "I'm going to want it back."

The patient died of complications, but Reardon realized the technique would work. In 1998, he used it for the first time in a 19-year-old college student with a tumor so big, he could hardly breathe. The surgery worked, but the patient refused follow-up chemotherapy and ultimately died.

Reardon has now performed the operation, known as an autotransplant, 48 times. It's much trickier than a normal heart transplant, because the heart must be removed without damaging any vital components. Harvesting a heart for transplant, surgeons can cut wide and take extra tissue, because the donor is dying anyway. They can cut wide the other way in a heart that's being discarded.

"When I cut out a heart, I don't cut things that can't be repaired," Reardon said. "I cut your mitral valve in half, you're going to be dead."

Sewing it back in is challenging as well. It doesn't always fit together the same way.

"What happens if you sew up a hole in your shirt? It gets smaller," he said.

Negative margins

On the morning of Nov. 30, Schwiderski was prepped for surgery and anesthetized. His chest was cut open, his ribs spread apart. Reardon cut into the pericardium, exposing the heart.

At 9:01 a.m., a technician turned on the heart-lung bypass, and moments later, Reardon stopped the heart. He had the tumor out within 15 minutes and spent the better part of the remaining hour rebuilding Schwiderski's heart. The tumor was sent immediately to a pathologist to determine if Reardon had removed all the cancer or had left behind cells that would enable the tumor to grow back. In other cancer surgeries, the doctor might wait to get confirmation of negative margins. But Reardon had to restart the heart to limit the chance of damage. He cuts more widely around the tumor than he might otherwise.

After completing the surgery and getting Schwiderski settled into the ICU, Reardon came out to talk to his wife and family, who had gathered from as far away as Minnesota.

"Everything went well," he told them. "We were able to get the whole thing out."

Tears in her eyes, Jennifer hugged him tightly.

Success stories

The protocol developed by Reardon and Ravi has doubled the number of people in whom they get negative margins, and as a result, doubled survival time. But for the vast majority, the disease will return, most often in the lungs, where it becomes much harder to treat.

Their greatest success, a right heart sarcoma patient, showed up with his pregnant wife and his 2-year-old child.

"He lived nine years and 10 months," Reardon said. "You could argue whether that was enough for a young guy, but he saw his next child. It does make a difference."

Preventing the spread of the cancer, Ravi said, remains the biggest hurdle, and the team is working on finding new chemotherapy treatments or ways to stimulate the immune system to keep the disease in check.

Other types of cancer eventually might find their way into the bloodstream and travel to other sites. Cardiac sarcomas, Ravi says, start in the bloodstream.

"These guys are born in a high-velocity, high-pressure environment, in an organ that is agitating 70 times a minutes," he said. "It's like running a blender without the lid down."

With so few cases of cardiac sarcomas, progress has moved at a glacial pace. The Methodist/MD Anderson team now talks monthly with doctors from across the country to collaborate on sarcoma cases and to standardize evaluation and treatment.

"If you have an uncommon disease, maybe a promising solution, there's no way to demonstrate it because there's a new case every two years," Ravi said.

But extending survival for even a year or two, Reardon said, provides hope to patients that another advance might be around the corner.

Getting on with life

After his surgery, Schwiderski woke up in the intensive care unit disoriented and in pain, a breathing tube down his throat and a pair of drainage tubes coming out of his chest. When his wife was allowed in for a brief visit, the nurse was struggling to keep him from pulling at the breathing tube. He grabbed Jennifer's hand and wouldn't let go.

"You can help me keep his hands down," the nurse said, allowing her to stay longer at his bedside.

Within two days, he was moved out of the ICU, and a week after surgery he was discharged. The couple stayed in Houston for another week, in case any complications arose, before heading home.

In January, another round of scans revealed no sign of cancer. The surgery had gone so well, with clean negative margins, Ravi saw no need for further chemo. Schwiderski will have to return for scans every three months - 80 percent of the risk of recurrence comes in the first two years - but otherwise can get on with his life.

"I was very relieved. In my mind, I really needed that thumbs up," Schwiderski said. "It's hard when you're confronted with death every day."
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Listen, empathize, and prepare answers for the media's many questions about your "implausible good looks." That's what politics is all about, according to a satirical letter published by The New Yorker on Saturday, "Campaign Tips, from Justin Trudeau to Bernie Sanders."

"Contention can arise from an issue as innocuous as, say, un-airbrushed shirtless photos floating around the Internet that show off your chiselled body to millions of people," wrote Iain Reid in the fictional letter. "Im not here to make any insane allegations, like that these photos arent accurate representations of reality, because, yes, they absolutely are... Thats just me. With my shirt off. Thats literally what I look like, not just in photographs."

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Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally on the campus of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville on Friday in Edwardsville, Ill. (Photo: Michael B. Thomas/AFP/Getty Images)

The piece pokes fun at the media's focus on Trudeau's looks, while at the same time, focusing only on Trudeau's looks. "You need a thick skin... To have to endure, day after day, week after week, month after month, mobs of reporters; to put up with articles and essays and think pieces... proclaiming how 'sexy' you arealthough accurate, its all quite wearisome."

Presidential hopeful Sanders could use some actual campaign tips, as he lags farther and farther behind Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. He only has 432 delegates supporting his campaign to Clinton's 1,066, as of Saturday. But as Canada learned with Trudeau's landslide win in October  it's not over 'til it's over.

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This upcoming week, Trudeau is visiting Washington, D.C., where he will attend a State Dinner hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama.

 with files from The Canadian Press

Also on HuffPost
A third of homeless young people grew up without their mothers, a survey has found.

Homeless charity Centrepoint have released the figures to coincide with Mothers Day.

The survey found between the ages of 10 and 16, only two thirds of homeless young people lived with their mothers, in comparison to nine out 10 young people in the UK. Only half of homeless youths said they always felt safe and secure at their family home, compared to 90% of young people.

Cia*, who has been homeless for almost all of her life, has had regular support from Centrepoint.

Speaking to HuffPost UK, she said: I think if my mum was around I wouldn't have made so many mistakes in my life. She could have shown me how to be a woman and how to respect and love myself.

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Cia, who grew up without her mother

Because her mother wasn't around, Cia spent her childhood in temporary accommodation, on park benches, staying with friends, or staying with her grandmother, where she and six family members stayed in a two-bedroom flat.

I used to lie to my friends a tell them my Mum was in prison because it was easier than saying I don't know," she continued. "I wished my mother was there for me the way I see my friends mothers be there for them."

Cia arrived at Centrepoint on her 18th birthday. She is now 20, and works as a waitress, thanks to the help Centrepoint gave her.

Around one in four homeless young people Centrepoint interviewed in the survey said they felt like their parents were not able to look after them properly when they were younger, compared to 5% of overall young people in the UK.

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Dale is another young person Centrepoint has supported. When Dale was 11, his parents split up, and his relationship with his mother became strained.

Dale moved in with his grandmother, and became her primary carer when she had a stroke and developed dementia. But when Dale's grandmother had to enter a home, Dale became homeless.

At home it was like I was falling apart every day, and then every morning picking myself back up to go to school, he told HuffPost UK.

Dale, who has been helped by Centrepoint

Thanks to the charity, who supported him through the rest of his schooling, he has received an unconditional offer to study sociology and criminology at university.

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Thats always been my Grandmas goal for me, to see me graduate, the 18-year-old said.

Paul Noblet, head of public affairs at Centrepoint, said: Family breakdown is the biggest cause of youth homelessness. Centrepoint try to ease this burden.

Homeless young people tell us that missing out on support from your mum can be destabilising to their mental health and sense of self, he added.
A "fresh" makeover of a south London branch of McDonald's has caused outrage for using fake graffiti in an area known for its street art.

Commenters have called the redesign of McDonald's in Brixton, complete with faux-vandalised walls and lampshades, "fake hipster graffiti" and declared "Brixton is over".

Food critic Jay Rayner labelled it "truly offensive" - though others though the complaints were "first world problems".

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So the refurbed Brixton @McDonaldsUK has fake graffiti tagging. The real thing blights Brixton. Truly offensive idea pic.twitter.com/tuwSFkkTpA  Jay Rayner (@jayrayner1) March 2, 2016

New Brixton McDonalds labelled "offensive". Dear god #firstworldproblems find something better to complain about. pic.twitter.com/BdzVIYZT00  Dylan (@dgshellard) March 6, 2016

The renovation uses graffiti-covered lampshades and a large blue wall which has been "tagged", in what McDonald's calls an "exciting and fresh" revamp.

The design in Brixton, which is also known for its rapid gentrification that has caused a backlash from people who feel they're being forced out, has been called a misguided attempt to look "edgy" and an "epic fail".

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Rayner later re-evaluated his statement, saying that he felt the McDonald's was "crass" and "sad" rather than offensive, and pointed out that his criticism was not about the use of graffiti, but the specific use of 'tagging', the signatures put on graffiti which he said are connected to "claiming territory".

You know, offensive wasn't perhaps the right word. Choose instead from: crass, clumsy, embarrassing, sad, https://t.co/ZWUZeKf2vg  Jay Rayner (@jayrayner1) March 5, 2016

Re @McDonaldsUK it's not even about graffiti in general. Some of it is great art. It's bloody tagging, which is about claiming territory  Jay Rayner (@jayrayner1) March 5, 2016

Lee Dema, who runs the St Matthews Project, a youth network for young people in Brixton, told The Independent: This is just another misguided attempt by suits to identify with edgy Brixton.

"I just thought they thought 'Brixton, yeah, what's Brixton like? Graffiti, yeah we'll do that'."

Brixton was hit by protests in April 2015 over the gentrification in the area, where residents are being forced out of shops and homes due to rising rents and house prices in the increasingly fashionable location.

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A branch of the estate agents Foxtons had its windows smashed in, although the group behind the protest publicly distanced itself from the vandalism.

Commenters online said the new look for the food outlet was "trying too hard guys", while one asked "Brixton, is Ronald about to drop a grime album as well?"

Brixton McDonalds. Lol, says it all about the area now. I had to check it wasn't an April fools.  EBK (@DJEBK) March 6, 2016

i don't think the graffiti in the brixton mcdonalds is offensive but it IS super super lame https://t.co/QlhWEDeaOg  Tom Bown (@bown) March 6, 2016

@McDonalds Brixton, is Ronald about to drop a grime album as well? #FirstRealMCpic.twitter.com/tqlWA1X92w  Mark Scrine (@AlbiScrinestein) March 6, 2016

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lol at the fake hipster graffiti at the revamped brixton mcdonalds #urban#edgy#tryharder  Tasha Onwuemezi (@tashaisblue) March 5, 2016

this is the mcdonalds next to my house omg brixton is overhttps://t.co/HWY64GXxmZ  tiana (@lunaseulgi) March 4, 2016

Oh dear. Graffiti art decor in Mcdonalds? Time to quit this 'street-art' now. The end of times are here... https://t.co/oDGBdBk6pZ  Mohammed Ali (@aerosolali) March 4, 2016

Epic fail by @McDonalds. 'Even the graffiti itself is woefully shit.' Try that for a synonym for 'fresh.' https://t.co/KU5QyeDSiY  Rob Johns (@RobJohnsUK) March 4, 2016

Glimpse into the half-finished new look Brixton McDonalds from the top deck of a 3. Trying too hard guys. #fakegraffiti#no#why#urbancool  Nico Hogg (@crashthepips) February 28, 2016

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Student publication The Tab said that while the observations about gentrification were "fair", there was "something else wrong with the restaurants design. Its just really hideous".

McDonald's has been rolling out the graffiti-themed interior design to its restaurants across the country.

The fast food chain said in a statement: The exciting and fresh designs used in Brixton are in use across the UK and in other markets and have received a great reception.

"With self-order kiosks and free-to-use tablets, the refreshed restaurant has digital innovation at its heart and provides customers with more choice in how they order and pay.

"We look forward to hearing what local residents think of their new McDonalds.
Donald Trump's biggest fans went to a campaign rally dressed as one of the preposterous presidential candidate's most infamous policies.

Steve Travers was dressed as - no, nothing relating to Trump's pledge to ban Muslims from travelling to the US - but as a wall with the words 'MEXICO WILL PAY'.

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This refers to Trump's pledge to build a wall with Mexico to keep them from crossing the border - and charging the Mexican government for the honour.

Steve Travers, dressed as a wall, awaits the arrival of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally

Travers, 61, also wore a "Trump Wall" hat to the event where Trump spoke on Saturday night in Orlando, Florida, having won in two of the four states that held contests to pick the next Republican presidential nominee, a contest Trump still leads.

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He stood close behind Trump's podium as he spoke and claims he was asked to move by camera crews because his costume was proving a distraction in their footage.

CNN asked me please would you move. I said I really dont want to," he told The New York Post. "I like CNN, I like them [but] Im getting all the action."

During the rally, Trump told the 10,000-strong audience: We will build the wall, dont worry. We will build the wall and whos going to pay for the wall?

The audience shouted back "Mexico" and Trump replied: "You'd better believe it."

"I was told sexy costumes get in free." pic.twitter.com/sXrmvCkeig  Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 5, 2016

Trump's hour-long address was interrupted by protesters. In another surreal moment of one the most surreal campaigns in American history, Trump asked his audience to raise their right hands and make a pledge they would vote for him.

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He said: "Let's do a pledge. Who likes me in this room? I've never done this before. Can I have a pledge? A swearing? Raise your right hand."

He then asked the crowd to repeat after him, saying: "I do solemnly swear that I, no matter how I feel, no matter what the conditions, if there are hurricanes or whatever, will vote on or before the 12th for Donald J. Trump for President."

He then said: "Now I know. Don't forget you all raised your hands. You swore. Bad things happen if you don't live up to what you just did."
BBC

Ukip's only MP, Douglas Carswell, has hit back at Nigel Farage after the party leader dismissed him as "irrelevant".

The pair do not even attempt to hide their animosity anymore, and speaking to the BBC's Sunday Politics programme today, Carswell took a less than subtle dig at Farage's inability to win a Westminster seat.

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"Theres no point in hiding it," Carswell told presenter Andrew Neil. "There are differences of opinion. He is in favour of singing up to 'GO', Im in favour of Vote Leave," he said.

"And theres a strategic difference as well. I think we need to win this referendum with an unrelentingly upbeat optimistic, positive campaign. Im primarily interested in winning the referendum, not in mobilising the base."

Asked whether he would consider resigning the Ukip whip and going independent, Carswell added: "No. As I said. Ive stood for parliament five times. Ive won four times and its the voters who decide who is and who isnt relevant."

Farage famously has stood for parliament, unsuccessfully, seven times.

"I've been called far worse in the 5 Parliamentary elections where I have stood" @DouglasCarswell on @Nigel_Faragehttps://t.co/pksUq4sQHz  DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) March 6, 2016

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The latest spat between the two men was trigged on Thursday when speaking at a Brexit debate in Westminster on Thursday evening, Farage dismissed the importance of his only MP.

"He can do what he likes. I dont care. He is irrelevant," he said.

"I've never known Ukip more excited or united than it currently is. Its very sad that Douglas Carswell cant share that enthusiasm, or chooses to opt for the SW1 model of Vote Leave. You know what. It doesnt really matter."

Farage and Carswell are backing rival 'Out' campaigns for the EU referendum. Carswell supports Vote Leave. But Farage has thrown his weight behind Grassroots Out (GO).

In December, Carswell said Ukip should replace Farage as leader if it wanted to "go the next level". Last week it was reported senior Ukip figures wanted to expel Carswell for backing a rival referendum campaign to Farage.

Farage also moved against another senior Ukip figure last week - firing former deputy chairman Suzanne Evans from yet another party post.

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Evans took the sacking in good humour.
It may be Mothers Day, but it has not been a happy one for Madonna, who broke down on stage about her on-going custody battle for son Rocco.

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The singer has been entangled in a bitter row with ex-husband Guy Ritchie over the 15-year-old, who wishes to remain living with his father in London.

And the fight became too much for the superstar to bear as she performed in Auckland in New Zealand, paying an emotional tribute to her estranged son.

Madonna and son Rocco

"That is my son, who I mentioned earlier. He is actually 15 and it's true, there is no love stronger than a mother for her son," Madge told fans at the Vector Arena.

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Going on to dedicate La Vie En Rose to Rocco, she continued: "And, if I talk about him too much, I might cry. But I would like to dedicate this song to him. It's a love song for a man, but I know he'll be one, one day. I hope he hears this somewhere and knows how much I miss him."

Reports have claimed that Madonna has accepted she has lost Rocco to Guy, with a source telling the Daily Mail: "The fact is Madonna has now accepted Rocco isn't coming home and that his home is now with his dad. Rocco wants to be with his dad but she won't give up being his mother.

"She won't stop fighting to try to make sure Rocco is kept safe and has what he needs. She can't understand why it has come to this. Her world has been shattered."

Rocco with dad Guy Ritchie and step-mum Jacqui Ainsley

On Wednesday, a judge agreed that Rocco will remain in London for the time being where he is currently in school and ordered both parents, who divorced in 2008, to work out a solution.

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The judge also scolded the pair over the way they have handled the matter.

Justice Kaplan said: "Frankly both parties have chosen to live their lives in a very public way and may welcome the publicity, but the child has not.

"He would like this matter resolved and the issues concerning him and his family in the most private way possible."

The judge continued: "I'm encouraging the parents to continue to resolve this matter in the best way possible for the child to take this tremendous pressure off their son."

Addressing his decision to allow Rocco stay in the UK, the judge said: "I am happy that time and effort went into the research of finding a school that he is comfortable with ... [He's] succeeding and liking it.

"The mother hasn't asked that the child be removed from school during this period of time while [custody is resolved]."

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Former US First Lady Nancy Reagan, the widow of Ronald Reagan, has died aged 94.

She died at home in in Los Angeles on Sunday morning of congestive heart failure, a spokesman confirmed.

She was First Lady from 1981 and 1989, when her husband enjoyed two terms in the White House as one of the most popular presidents of recent times.

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She will be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library at Simi Valley in California, next to her husband, who died in 2004.

Nancy Reagan in 2012

Reagan was an actress before marrying Reagan in 1952. She played a pivotal role in presidency, which saw the US take a tougher line on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. She founded the "Just Say No" anti-drugs campaign.

She was a pro-active First Lady in the style of her predecessor Jackie Kennedy and successor Michelle Obama.

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She once said: "I see the first lady as another means to keep a president from becoming isolated.

Ronald (centre) and Nancy (right) Reagan during a 1984 visit to China

"I talk to people. They tell me things. And if something is about to become a problem, I'm not above calling a staff person and asking about it.

"I'm a woman who loves her husband and I make no apologies for looking out for his personal and political welfare."

Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein told NBC News: "It is a very sad day. Every time she was in the room, he was better, and every time he was in the room she was better. She brought a sense of class and dignity and elegance that everybody admired."

Barack and Michelle Obama said: "Nancy Reagan once wrote that nothing could prepare you for living in the White House.

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This is Joel. He's 28, and he earns $218,000 (153,000) a year.

Everyone knows that, because it's on this public spreadsheet. All the salaries are public at Buffer, the tech startup Joel Gascoigne runs; from his pay as the CEO to that of the lowest-paid worker, Mick, who makes $46,100 (32,510).

Joel Gascoigne has team members around the world - and all their salaries are public

Gascoigne, a Brit who's originally from Sheffield, decided to make salaries 'transparent' at his social media publishing company three years ago.

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At first it was scary, he tells The Huffington Post UK: "No one else does it, and we thought there must be a very good reason for that."

Gascoigne's team - including workers based in London - is part of a growing movement towards an "open culture" in business. While bosses of some companies can be reticent to reveal what they and their staff earn, others are actively choosing to, because they think it makes everything fairer - and employees happier.

"I personally was very excited about disclosing my own salary," Gascoigne says. "It was an example of something, like many things, where there is little conversation around the right salary to pay yourself as co-founder and CEO of a company."

To the rest of team it felt "natural", he says, because the company - which at the time only had 10 people - was already committed to a "value of transparency".

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Some problems did arise, though, when Buffer decided to make staff's salary public to the whole world on a Google spreadsheet.

The open spreadsheet showing salary calculations at Buffer

"Someone felt that if their friends and family knew their salary, it might change the relationship they have with them," Gascoigne explains. But that initial discomfort proved unfounded, he says: "In the end, an overwhelming result we found was that a lot of these kinds of fears showed themselves much less than expected in reality."

Before the spreadsheet was released, Buffer's team had frank conversations about how much different people's salaries should be and why, which "helped us avoid any kind of surprise," he admits.

The decision has made it a more enjoyable place to work, Gascoigne says, pointing out that when salaries are out in the open, "a lot of the politics can go away".

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As Buffer's team has grown from 10 to 80, it has introduced a formula to explain exactly why people are paid what they are.

It starts with a base salary, taken from a combination of the industry average, using data from salary-review sites Payscale and Glassdoor, and the cost of living in the employee's hometown.

Buffer then considers how much the role type that person does is worth, and ranks the experience of the employee as 'beginner', 'intermediate', 'advanced' or 'master' - a master gets an extra third of their base salary added on. For every dependent an employee had (a child, or partner who doesn't work, for example), their salary is boosted by an extra $3,000 (2,118) a year.

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The Buffer team

The team gets a 5% 'loyalty' payrise for every year they spend at the company, and can also choose between owning some extra equity in the company or an additional $10,000 (7,061) in salary.

With such a clear formula, it means people talk about money - and ask for pay rises - less, Gascoigne claims.

"I believe it makes money less important. It helps us take that part of the conversation off the table from the beginning. We try to make sure we are paying above the market level, so that there is little need for negotiation and so that everyone who is part of Buffer can feel as much as possible able to focus on the incredible opportunity and mission we have, rather than making rent."

And for Gascoigne, who now lives between New York and Hawaii while his team are distributed all around the world, sharing his own salary has made him be "extra thoughtful" about what his pay should be.

One UK company also using open salaries is GrantTree, a London-based startup that helps businesses get government funding. "Transparency is one of our core values, so all information is by default transparent: salaries, detailed accounts of the company, strategic discussions," it says.

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And the global upscale food shop Wholefoods - which has branches in the UK - has been making everyone's salary public since the 1980s. "Wage transparency helps promotes inclusiveness and ensure our compensation system is fair," its website reads.

Wholefoods believes in 'wage transparency'

SumAll, another social-media based startup , also has open salaries in a company-wide Google document. It claims this helps it avoid pay rise negotiations completely.

Usually the way it works is that the best negotiator, the person whos always asking for more, gets paid more because the squeaky wheel usually gets the grease, CEO Dane Atkinson told qz.com. This is much better, its based on value.

At Sumall, salaries are reviewed every few months and anyone can ask for a raise - which is then determined by peer feedback.

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Mahssa Mostajab, a Customer Support Manager at the company, told NPR radio that she expected to be shocked by some of the numbers she discovered, feeling as if she saw too much, but ultimately wasn't. "It was way less exciting than I wanted it to be," she said.

The obvious downside of telling everyone - quite literally - what they are worth is the risk of creating unhappiness among people feel they aren't being valued enough, or are envious of others on the team. Gascoigne from Buffer dismisses this: "I think this happens anyway, with or without transparency around salaries, and we're happy for it to happen in the open and for those conversations to be triggered early. It helps us avoid any build up over time of bad feelings people might have."

While most companies try to be creative when it comes to the products they create, Gascoigne points out that few try to be innovative with how they actually run their own business. Buffer says it has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people applying for jobs at the company since publishing its salaries - and a better quality of candidates too.

Redesigning the way a business operates is a hallmark of agile, innovative startup companies, but can it work for the big corporates?

Ian Pearman, the CEO of one of the UK's biggest advertising agencies, AMV BBDO, has taken a step in that direction for his 400+ staff.

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This year, he is rolling out benchmarked pay bands - similar to what we see in public companies like the NHS. His agency won't have a list of people's names with their salaries alongside them, but everyone will know what range everyone else's job title falls into.

Ian Pearman runs a top UK advertising agency

Pearman tells HuffPost UK that this can address concerns over discrimination, as well as frustrations over pay.

"The eternal question that employees ask themselves is 'are other people who do the same job  inside or outside the company - getting paid more than me?'. And naturally, they assume they are," he says.

"Nothing is more corrosive than the sense that there is inequality in the system. And layered on top of that may be specific concerns relating to gender and race  'Am I paid less because I am a woman? Or from an ethnic minority?' With transparency, these questions don't even occur."

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Knowing what managers above you get paid can make you stay longer in one workplace, he reasons: "Very few employees have a clear view of the full ladder of pay," meaning attempting to work out if you'll ever earn enough to pay for a wedding, a house or a car is often just a "guesstimate". If someone can get an idea of the salary they could reach by staying somewhere long-term and being promoted, they can work out if they can build the life they want at that company.

He even claims he'd even consider going a step further and make individual salaries public: "Ultimately, anything that reduces the fog around pay should help to reduce its power as a differentiator between companies. With fuller information, companies should have an incentive to gravitate to the 'mean average' of their industry, and that in turn should help to reduce daft 'churn' caused by people chasing pay rises by moving companies rather than pursuing promotion through achievement."

Once Buffer put the its transparent salaries in place, the team found "very few of the fears or reasons stood up to the test of salaries being completely open... [In] somewhat of a surprise for us, the world did not collapse," says Gascoigne.

"Many of us spend the majority of our waking hours working, so this feels like a worthwhile endeavor. We want to be part of the movement, experimentation and conversation around how work should evolve."

Gascoigne wouldn't go back to private salaries and thinks a lot of companies could benefit from doing the same as Buffer has - but, perhaps surprisingly, he doesn't think it would work for everyone.

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"There is such a wide range of the types of companies out there, the industries they are in, and the cultures they are based around. It would be very naive of me to say this can always work for everyone," he says.
Image - Al Jazeera.

Last month made it five years since activists across Bahrain rose up against the authoritarian Al-Khalifa regime. Their protests followed the Arab Spring movements that had taken off across the Middle East and represented a peaceful call for human rights and democracy.

Over the months that followed, dozens were killed and hundreds were locked up as the ruling family used the full power of the state to assert its autocratic rule. It declared martial law and called on the Saudi and United Arab Emirates (UAE) armed forces to assist it, with 1,200 Saudi and 800 UAE soldiers entering Bahrain to help with the crackdown.

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Following the intervention, there was a lot of lofty rhetoric about reform, with the Bahrain government committing to a 'national dialogue.' This was supported by a drive to improve its image in the Western media that saw it spending tens of millions of dollars on U.K.based PR agencies such as M&C Saatchi.

Needless to say, the talks went nowhere, with opposition leaders being locked up and others pulling out or boycotting them. The main Shia opposition groups walked out, accusing the government of failing to enact reforms it had promised at the start of the process.

The crackdown has only continued. Two years ago a new law was introduced that imposes jail sentences of up to seven years and fines of up to 10,000 dinars ($26,500) on anyone who publicly insults the king. The government's hold on social media was evident in 2015, when human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, was locked up for six months for sending a tweet that criticized government institutions.

An April 2015 report by Amnesty International charted and condemned four years of "rampant abuses including torture, arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force against peaceful activists and government critics." Concerns have also been raised by the U.N., but they have been ignored by the Bahraini authorities and their allies.

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The U.K. government in particular has gone out of its way to strengthen relations with the regime, with Philip Hammond arguing that Bahrain is a country that is "heading in the right direction."

In May 2011, when Bahrain was under martial law and U.K.-made armored vehicles were being used by Saudi forces to protect infrastructure and allow Bahraini forces to crush the protests, British Prime Minister David Cameron rolled out the red carpet for Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain.

British government ministers and civil servants have made regular trips to Bahrain to publically reinforce the U.K.'s military and political relationship with the state. It's not just politicians. There have also been recent visits from Prince Andrew and Prince Charles, as well as Bahraini royals visiting the UK to attend the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

The arms companies have treated the conflict as a business opportunity, with a significant increase in arms sales.

Between February 2011 and September 2015, the U.K. licensed 45 million worth of arms to Bahrain. These included machine guns, sniper rifles, gun mountings, assault rifles and anti-armor ammunition. This compares to a total of 6 million ($8.5 million) of arms licenses for the three years prior to the conflict.

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Less than six months ago, a Bahraini military delegation was in London for the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair, where they rubbed shoulders with senior civil servants and some of the biggest arms companies in the world. They are expected to return this month for Security & Policing 2016, an arms fair that focuses on many of the same weapons that are used for internal repression.

The protests were yet another reminder that arms sales and military cooperation can never be apolitical. In November 2013, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) published a report on relations between the U.K. and Bahrain/ Saudi Arabia which concluded: "Both the government and the opposition in Bahrain view U.K defence sales as a signal of British support for the government."

They were also a reminder that in politics you have to take sides. Words and deeds matter. The current partnership may benefit the Bahraini government and those that make weapons, but the message it sends to those on the receiving end of the crackdown is that their human rights are negotiable and that their lives are of less concern than arms company profits.
As we approach International Women's Day on 8 March, we have an opportunity to reflect on the milestones that have been achieved, and also look towards the aspects where we must continue to strive to do more.

The Scottish Government has played in reducing domestic abuse - including the First Minister's announcement of an additional 20m over three years to tackle violence against women. Recorded crime in Scotland is at a 41-year low - yet new figures published this week show that the number of convictions for domestic abuse are on the rise. Of particular note, a 40% increase in the number of convictions for rape and attempted rape was revealed. These figures demonstrate a culture where more women know their rights and are increasingly confident to report gender based violence to the authorities; as well as a legal system which prioritises the safety of vulnerable women.

One of the great achievements of the UK Parliament is the cross-party support for ending violence against women. The UK is considered a leader in the fight for women's rights on the world stage. In 2014, for example, the UK hosted three major international summits to highlight injustices against women: on FGM, sexual violence and forced marriages.

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Yet something is missing from the UK's claim as a major player in the fight for gender equality.

The Council of Europe's Convention on Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (the "Istanbul Convention"), arguably the most progressive international treaty for women's rights, remains unratified by the UK. It therefore does not apply to Scotland or the other devolved

administrations, and undermines the efforts made to curb violence against women that the Scottish Government has made a priority.

The UK signed the Istanbul Convention on 8 June 2012, yet the Government has stalled on ratification and therefore is not legally bound by its provisions.

Once an international treaty has been signed, the Government must then make sure it is compatible with UK law. In January 2014, David Cameron said he expected to be able to ratify the Istanbul Convention in the "next few months," following the criminalisation of forced marriages.

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Indeed, as Mr Cameron predicted, the UK did ban forced marriages as part of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, which came into force in June 2014. Yet on the issue of ratification of the Istanbul Convention, Cameron has gone silent.

While the ban on forced marriages has sent out a clear signal to the rest of the world that the UK is on the side of vulnerable women, that message is tainted by the reluctance of the Government to formally take a lead on promoting the Istanbul Convention. In fact, when countries such as Turkey, Serbia and Albania have ratified the treaty, it beggars belief that the UK cannot formalise its commitment to women's rights.

It is my belief that the rights of women as enshrined within the Istanbul convention are fundamental human rights. The provisions of the convention are focused on preventing domestic violence, protecting victims and prosecuting accused offenders. The offences which must be criminalised are explicitly stated: psychological violence; physical violence; sexual violence; forced marriage; female genital mutilation; forced abortion; forced sterilisation; sexual harassment; and crimes committed in the name of so-called "honour". As a state which prioritises human rights, these offences are of course already against UK law. In addition, Article 44 of the Istanbul Convention also allows British offenders abroad to be tried in a UK court, meaning overseas offenders have nowhere to hide from justice.

None of these provisions are contrary to existing UK laws, and the extra provisions of Article 44 do not appear to be unwelcome among British lawmakers. However, when I asked in Parliament what was holding up the ratification process, Karen Bradley, the Minister for Preventing Abuse, Exploitation and Crime, answered that the Government was investigating the compatibility of extraterritoriality with the laws of the devolved administrations in the UK.

When it comes to ensuring the endorsement of the Istanbul Convention across Europe, that such a point of contention could take four years to explore with no promised timescale for completion is a scandal; and I suspect this legal point is being used to conceal the real issue. Rather, I believe the reason ratification has been delayed lies in the Tory Government's austerity ideology.

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Article 22 of the Istanbul Convention requires the state to provide specialist support services for victims and their children - for example, sheltered accommodation, psychological and legal counseling, advocacy and outreach services, and telephone helplines. When the Government is so obstinate in its commitment to austerity that women's aid groups across the UK are being forced into closure, it is hardly surprising that this aspect of the convention which legally formalises a victim's rights to support would cause problems. Yet as this is a human rights issue, it is immoral to expect vulnerable women to find a way to get out of a dangerous situation and get on with their lives, without the highest standards of assistance.

The roll-out of welfare reform in the UK may also contribute to the Government's reluctance to ratify the Istanbul Convention. For example, the structure of Universal Credit payments mean joint claims are paid into a single bank account. This policy is damaging to the financial autonomy of women, which worsens the situation of abused women. Research by Women's Aid and the TUC showed that abusive partners will often coercively control access to money, which means the abused partner has much less opportunity to flee a dangerous situation.

In a joint statement with his Liberal Democrat deputy Nick Clegg in the last Parliament, David Cameron said the agreement was "not just a piece of paper"; that it would "lift the standards of protection for women across Europe, give greater support for victims and bring many more perpetrators to justice." I agree with the Prime Minister's assessment of the Convention, and it is his own expressed vision for how this agreement could ameliorate the lives of many women in dire situations which makes the Government's failure to ratify so frustrating.
Paul McCartney once famously said 'If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we would all be vegetarians'... but of course they don't, and most people remain unaware of the lives and deaths of animals raised for food. But now all that is changing with Animal Equality becoming the first animal protection group to transport people inside factory farms and slaughterhouses via virtual reality technology.

This week we launched our iAnimal project, a virtual reality experience filmed over the past 18 months inside pig farms in the UK, Germany and Italy as well as a slaughterhouse in Spain. In all of these countries, and most of the western world, the majority of pigs killed for meat are intensively reared inside barren, filthy factory farm sheds with breeding sows confined to tiny farrowing crates for weeks at a time when they give birth--a sight that moved Downton Abbey actor, Peter Egan to tears as he narrated the film.

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'To watch a poor sow, locked in a cage, unable to move or turn around, in a facility housing many others... a breeding facility. Lying in her own waste, unable to enjoy contact with her piglets other than by suckling them is both harrowing and heartbreaking. The experience places you in the facility, it is unforgettable.' Peter Egan

The practices that take place inside factory farms and slaughterhouses are deliberately kept hidden from the public. Animal Equality believes people have the right to know what happens in modern farms and slaughterhouses so that consumers can make informed decisions about the food they buy. Now, through our cutting-edge iAnimal project, we can open up these secretive, sinister worlds and allow everyone to experience first hand how farmed animals live - and die.

Through the lenses of the virtual reality headset, viewers feel that they are inside the farm and slaughterhouse, trapped alongside all the other animals, and sharing their fate. You stand next to a mother pig while she gives birth for the sixth time to piglets who will soon be taken away from her. You experience the extreme confinement of the farrowing crates. You witness the daily suffering that takes place inside a pig farm. You are right there when they take their last breath.

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It is a powerful experience, an intimate experience, and one that moves viewers very deeply.

'I have never seen anything as shocking as this in my life. It's devastating, and completely inhumane. Virtual reality enabled me to experience, close up, for just a few minutes, the horror of the short lives of factory farmed animals, to see what they see, to get a real sense of how they live. It has shocked me deeply, and it has strengthened my resolve to help them.' Peter Egan

Over the past 20 years I have filmed inside countless factory farms and I have always felt that if I could only take people there - into the farms - so they can see how animals are treated like mere machines, people would stop eating them. Virtual reality has now made this possible and we intend to bring this experience to as many people as we can. I have no doubt that it will change, and save, lives.
On Monday 8th February, politicians from all different political parties, alongside activists and members of civil society, gathered in Westminster to set about forming a coalition to achieve proportional representation in the next few years. The discussion about how to achieve electoral reform was lively and interesting. It made me feel really positive about the next steps in the campaign for PR and how to achieve the change we desperately need. It was a privilege to make a speech to delegates in my role as Make Votes Matter spokesperson.

PR Alliance Building Conference delegates. Photo: Nick Hooper

One of the argument's made against proportional representation is that it is 'not important'. I've been told over and over that ordinary people 'don't care about electoral reform'. It is incredibly patronising, but many politicians (way up in their ivory towers) really believe that ordinary people are not interested in our democracy, or the people who represent them. Personally, I think it's nonsense, but it does give credence to the idea that we (as electoral reformers) should be making the link between our voting system and so-called 'bread and butter' issues. Perhaps I am too much of a PR-nerd, trapped in an electoral reform bubble. As Stephen Kinnock MP said in his speech to the conference, 'proportional representation is not an issue for the political anoraks', it has, he said, 'real life outcomes'. These 'real life' implications of our voting system are what we have to make explicit in our campaign for reform.

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Stephen Kinnock speaking to delegates at the PR Alliance Building Conference. Photo: Nick Hooper

Our voting system, First Past the Post, creates division and disunity; leaves people unrepresented and politicians unaccountable; and fosters a type of governance which is manipulative, alienating, and spiteful.

As you might expect, one of the best examples of FPTP at it's worst is Scotland. However, Scotland was still feeling the worst effects of our voting system long before the SNP won 95% of it's seats with just 50% of the vote. Way back in 1986, faced with an upcoming election, David Willetts, as a Downing Street policy advisor, advised Margaret Thatcher to make deep cuts in 'pampered Scots' public spending. He said:

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"Ultimately, the question is a political one. The position of the Conservative party in Scotland is so bad that it might not deteriorate any further. And the envious north of England might even welcome an attack on the pampered Scots over the border."

It was unlikely that the Conservatives would win more seats in Scotland, so instead it would be best to make policy which was purposefully more favourable to those in the North of England, particularly those in marginal constituencies which could've made the difference come the election. For many years, Labour dominated in Scotland, meaning neither of the two parties had any incentive to woo Scottish voters. In 2015, Scots had had enough of this and they chucked out 50 Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative MPs and replaced them with Scottish Nationalists. The SNP stood on a platform of a stronger voice for Scotland in Westminster, however, it may now be that Scotland is simply ignored (once again) by a Conservative government with no electoral prospects and no incentive to please Scottish voters. FPTP has accentuated the divide between Scotland and England, and makes independence in the near future far more likely.

Scotland/England isn't the only geographical divide which is accentuated by FPTP, the North/South divide is already massive in the UK and our voting system could be a part of the problem. Because of Labour or Conservative dominance in certain areas, the same issues arise. Although the vote shares across England that parties received was relatively similar, the difference in MPs could not be more stark. The vast blue sea that spans from Penzance to Dover along the South Coast stands in contrast to the red Labour heartlands in the North. FPTP means that the vast majority of people living in the South are represented by Conservatives and the vast majority in the North are represented by Labour, when in fact both areas have similarly diverse political views.

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Not only is this divide bad for national unity and cohesion, it also has serious funding implications. Who can blame politicians (of all colours) for trying to win over the seats that matter? The fact of FPTP is that some voters are worth more in the election. Politicians are smart - they know that come a general election it's swing voters in marginal seats who decide whether they keep their job or not. That's why it came as no surprise when, earlier this month, MPs voted in favour of a 300m fund for councils, of which 83% will go to Conservative authorities. Labour politicians were incensed that Liverpool would not a receive a single penny of the fund. They shouldn't be so shocked, the Conservatives didn't win a single seat in Liverpool at the general election, and they never will. That's not to say there aren't Conservative Liverpudlians, but the Tories know that these aren't the voters who will matter come 2020.

It's not just geographical division that is exacerbated by our voting system, FPTP also threatens social cohesion across the board. MPs are elected under First Past the Post by winning the support of the plurality of voters in their constituency, to do this they must appeal to the majority. In the vast majority of constituencies in the UK, the majority of voters are white, middle class, straight and Christian. There are real issues with representation in the UK because MPs and politicians reach out to the majority, minorities are left out in the cold because they don't make the difference when it comes to the election. Political parties design policies to win over these groups, meaning that First Past the Post fuels inequality.

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Fewer than 3 out of 10 MPs are women. Sign our petition asking for better gender balance in Parlia... https://t.co/pI6NQ6lJZb via @UKChange  50:50 Parliament (@5050Parliament) March 3, 2016

Far too few (only 29%) MPs are women, and far too few are from BME backgrounds. Sweden, with it's proportional voting system, does not employ quotas for gender and yet 45% of it's MPs are women - far closer to representing the population than in the UK. Black and minority ethnic people tend to live in urban, working class areas and are far more likely to vote Labour. From the perspective of the Conservative Party, winning over black voters is very unlikely to change the outcome of elections. This all has a very real impact on policy decisions and outcomes. Government should be above electioneering and buying off voters, but successive governments of all colours have proved that this a far from the reality. A proportional voting system would mean that every vote count equally, parties would have to win over all voters - rather than the select few who are lucky enough to be in a position to influence the result of the election.

Dave says only 23 seats decided the 2015 election. Why should a select few voters be able to decide our government?? pic.twitter.com/3pbof9OU7d  Owen Winter (@OwenWinterMYP) February 17, 2016

Far from the idea that the issue of our voting system is simply about fairness, democracy or who is in power, the problems of FPTP reach deeply into every aspect of policy making and politics in the UK. Far from being a distant problem that is just the concern of 'democracy junkies' and 'political anoraks', our voting system threatens our country's social, geographical and economic cohesion and helps etch the lines of class, race and gender into our politics. Nobody should be punished for where they live or who they vote for, but that's exactly what First Past the Post does. In 2015, David Cameron himself said that 23 key seats would decide the general election. It is no surprise that a government appears to be run in the interests of a select few when it is a select few who decide the results of a general election. A proportional system is key to an inclusive and deliberative democracy. In a PR system every vote would matter, and parties would be forced to chase every single vote. Politicians could no longer rely on their core support base but would be forced to reach out to all voters in order to be elected.

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You've all heard the jokes. About single women crying alone on Valentine's day, crying at weddings, crying when they see other couples, or babies, or films where the girl gets the guy. According to these jokes single women are semi-constantly crying and barely trying to their jealousy. Then there's the punchlines that we all have pet cats and are obsessed with finding a man (and its always a heteronormative assumption). These insidious ideas are everywhere: in films, TV, and books; in jokes, and clickbait articles, they're so common we don't notice them. The stereotype of of the desperate single girl is in fact so widely used that it doesn't even elicit a reaction.

But here's the thing, these caricatures are so obviously untrue that it's kind of hard to see where they come from. Nobody actually cries when they see a couple holding hands. And for most of the young women I know spare time in which to mourn being alone is a long forgotten dream. Balancing studying, work, sports, passions, with, you know, eating and sleeping is challenge enough before throwing potential relationships into the equation.

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So if there's so little basis for these jokes then where do they come from? Well, insecurity. Sadly, even today, if we cannot place people into our world view then they make us uncomfortable. We still identify women in relation to their sexual maturity: as children, as wives, as mothers. Female sexuality is still something shameful, unless its for producing babies, so the only way sexually active women are respectable is if they are committed to a man. It's closely linked to the ostracising of women who don't want children and is, essentially, just another way of slut shaming.

Because as women who are not in relationships don't fit the paradigms of wife, mother, caregiver then we, as society, must mock them. Because thats what we do to people who don't fit in, we make them into a joke. Because thats the only way they can be understood.

It's the reason you will rarely see a woman in a film who doesn't end up in a relationship. Single women in fiction are usually single either because they are mourning a past love, or are 'the slutty one'. The idea of a woman living a full life without a partner is so alien, that for an ending to be a 'happy ending' she must be coupled off.

A change in the narrative surrounding single women is long overdue. We need to stop telling young women that having a boyfriend or husband is an aspiration. Because, whilst being in a supportive fulfilling relationship can be a wonderful thing, it is in no way the ultimate life goal. Tell girls to aspire to have careers that they love, tell them to try new things, tell them to play sport and play to win, tell them to make art, or music, or literature. If women are brought up to be good at and enjoy lots of things then they wont have time to cry on Valentines day because they're single, and whats more they won't give a crap about being single in the first place.

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But most importantly we need to start pointing out the ridiculous double standards that single women are held to. We need to start calling bullshit on these lies.
Last Thursday we saw the first primetime debate in the House of Commons on 'gangs and serious youth violence'. We both attended a short summit held the morning of the debate, in order to brief MPs on what could really make an impact and reduce violence in our city. The outcome of the debate was a unanimously passed motion, calling on the Government to establish an 'independent, all-party commission, involving wide-ranging consultation to identify the root causes, effect of and solution to youth violence'.

When we refer to youth violence we are talking about children and adolescents perpetrating severe violence against one another, sometimes resulting in death. In 2011, Prime Minister David Cameron declared an all out 'war on gangs' and the policy written to address youth violence since then, seems to believe that if we eradicate the 'gang', we will end youth violence. The problem is, not all incidents of youth violence are gang related. As highlighted by "(Re)thinking Gangs", a report by Runnymede Trust, "The 'gang' provides a potent shortcut to understanding youth conflict, offering Hollywood style images of urban chaos and random violence... in the place of more complex explanations exploring the realities of this phenomenon and the social, economic, political and cultural conditions of its emergence'.

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Gangs are the product of a society that is economically unjust, fragmented and materialistically driven. James Gilligan, in his book Violence: Reflections on Our Deadliest Epidemic, stated that poverty is the deadliest form of violence. Therefore, we must begin to understand the problem as a whole because youth violence cannot be understood in a vacuum which does not take into account violence in other forms. Gangs are not new. Gangs are not exclusively young. Gangs are not inclusively black and the racialised nature of the term is highly problematic.

We believe that if stopping youth violence is the change we truly want to see, we must change the way we think about it.

One of the biggest issues we both have encountered when working with young people, in the prison system and in the community, is the amount of trauma that they have experienced. Now the problem with trauma is that most people do not understand it; those suffering from trauma cannot just choose to get over it, especially if they do not realise anything is wrong. You also need to know that we all experience trauma differently and just because something doesn't affect you badly, doesn't mean that it wont affect me.

When childhood trauma goes undetected or untreated, that child may grow up reenacting that trauma over and over again in order to master it. A lot of what we deal with in our day-to-day jobs, is working with young people who are being violent in order to regain some kind of control over their lives and emotions, most doing so unconsciously. The trauma does not have to be one big experience, it can be very small experiences that happen over and over again. Remember trauma is different to everyone.

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So let's think for a moment; what if we (as a society) started to see gangs as groups of young people attempting to gain control over their lives or had better understanding that young people who feel like they have no control over their lives gravitate to others that share their experience. What could we do to support these young people and help them gain more control over their destinies?

This is a very complex issue and not everyone will agree with the points made but it is vitally important to share a different perspective with the reader, one not often spoken about, so we can all start working on developing the solutions for a less violent society.
Robert Fico, Slovakia's prime minister, gestures whilst speaking during an interview at his office in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. Fico, whose country takes over the rotating European Union presidency in July, said he cant imagine how Europe would handle such a siege if migrants from Ukraine join those heading to the continent from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Photographer: Balazs Mohai/Bloomberg via Getty Images

These days we expect elections in East Central Europe to be bad news for liberal democracy. In 2014 Hungary re-elected its strongman Viktor Orban, despite the fact that he had transformed his country into an illiberal democracy, and in 2015 Poland brought back Law and Justice (PiS), the party of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who has been praising Orban's "Budapest Model" since 2011. Not surprising, then, that the elections in Slovakia were expected to bring similar bad news, in the form of the re-election of controversial Prime Minister Robert Fico, possibly even giving him a constitutional majority - which had allowed Orban his constitutional revolution in 2010-2014. But Slovakia shocked in another way.

As in most European countries, particularly in East Central Europe, the refugee crisis is the main political issue in Slovakia, generating heated actions and discourse. Fico has taken a hard stand from the beginning, echoing Kaczynski, Orban and Czech President Milos Zeman in an openly Islamophobic campaign against both the refugees and the EU's attempt to redistribute refugees. Although the leader of a (nominally) center-left party, Direction-Social Democracy (Smer-SD), Fico has a history of nativist statements, mostly against Roma (so-called "Gypsies), which have landed him in trouble with his European allies in the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). Despite threats from S&D to censure him and his party, Fico doubled down by making various Islamophobic statements and threatening to take the EU to court over its refugee plan. He even went so far as to say that he wanted to put every Muslim in Slovakia under surveillance!

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Surprisingly, Fico's nativist campaign did not help him in the elections. Based on the preliminary results Smer-SD is the big loser of the election, winning just 28.3 percent of the vote, a loss of 16.1 percent compared to 2012! Clearly this is not because of a lack of support for his anti-immigration positions within the Slovak population. Even before the refugee crisis hit Europe, Slovaks belonged to the least positive towards foreign immigration within the EU and, given the various mass demonstrations in recent months, that situation will not have changed for the better.

But the demonstrations did not just bring people together to voice opposition to immigrants in general, and Muslims in particular, they also gave a platform to a variety of far right activists and groups. The most visible was Marian Kotleba, former leader of Slovak Brotherhood, a neo-Nazi party that was disbanded by the Supreme Court. Kotleba has since bounced back, founding the extreme right People's Party of Slovakia (LSNS), and getting elected governor of the Banska Bystrica Region in 2013. Kotleba and LSNS were very active and visible in the anti-immigration demonstrations in Slovakia and were rewarded with 8.0 percent of the vote (an increase of 6.4 percent). Even more shocking, LSNS was the biggest party among first-time voters, attracting a staggering 22.7 percent among 18 to 21 year olds!

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In addition to the new extreme right LSNS the long-established radical right Slovak National Party (SNS) returned to the parliament. This is in itself amazing, as it is the second time the SNS gets back into parliament after having lost its representation in the previous election - a rare feat in any country, but a unique accomplishment in highly volatile East Central Europe. Its 8.6 percent is an improvement of 4.0 percent over the 2012 elections, but is actually slightly lower than what the party had been polling before the refugee crisis erupted. This seems to indicate that SNS was overshadowed by the more activist and extreme campaign of Kotleba and his LSNS. In fact, the new leader of SNS, Andrej Danko, had opted for a more moderate image, which nevertheless included a strong anti-immigration position. This might explain the party's poor performance among first-time voters - a mere 5.5 percent of 18-21 year olds voter for SNS.

Despite Fico's loss it is doubtful that he can be ousted from power. Two center-right parties have won, but not that much. The liberal but soft Eurosceptic Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) gained 12.1 percent, up 6.2 percent, while the conservative Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO) won 11.0 percent, an increase of 2.4 percent. They are nowhere near a parliamentary majority, possibly not even with the support of all the other centrist parties: the pro-Hungarian minority party Most-Hid, which lost slightly (from 6.9 to 6.5 percent), and the new centrist party Network (Siet), which disappointed with just 5.6 percent.

While Siet did not do as well as expected, it might have an important effect on the former party of its leader, Radoslav Prochazka, the Christian Democratic Movement. KDH has been represented in Slovak parliaments since independence and came second in the 2012 elections with 8.8 percent of the vote. They lost 3.9 percent, gaining 4.9 percent, just under the ruthless 5-percent threshold. Hence, they will no longer be represented in parliament.

This leaves the new party We Are a Family (Sme Rodina) of controversial businessman Boris Kollar, which won a surprising 6.6 percent of the vote. This father of nine children with eight women has remained vague about his party's ideology and strategy, merely stating, "I want to protect my family and also your families from danger from within and without." This seems to put him closer to Smer, or even the far right "opposition" of LSNS and SNS, than to the centrist opposition.

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In other words, while Fico might be weakened, liberal democracy has not been strengthened in Slovakia. Anti-immigration Slovaks have preferred the most extreme voice over the many quite radical voices. Fico is still in the driver seat to remain Prime Minister, but he will have to construct a coalition, which might turn out to be one of his most formidable challenges in his long political career.
Before IBM's Deep Blue made it cool, there was a chess-playing computer. In the late 18th century and into the 19th, it wowed incredulous audiences who couldn't tell, though many suspected, that a human was somehow behind it. For these Western European spectators, the machine's Turkish-inspired dress added to their perverse questioning of its humanness. History refers to this false automaton as the Mechanical Turk. Only after decades of its traveling show would it finally be revealed that a diminutive person, and extremely capable chess-player, had in fact been trained to operate the contraption from an inside compartment.

As a child who believed, for a stretch, that little people were actually moving inside my television, I could understand their fascination. But the Mechanical Turk lived when a computer was defined as "one who computes." In other words, yes, it was a chess-playing computer. It was also a human being. That one couldn't be entirely sure was magical to audiences, but it was also uncanny.

Automata continued to capture the imagination of Western intellectuals into the 20th century. In 1919 Sigmund Freud penned his essay on "The Uncanny," in which he delved into what's so discomfiting about these human-like machines. In his case, he focused on German Romantic E.T.A. Hoffman's ghost stories, which featured dolls coming to life a la Chucky from Child's Play. Freud postulated that Hoffman's dolls have a psychologically disturbing effect on readers because they are uncanny, meaning they are at once familiar and unfamiliar (heimlich and unheimlich).

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It isn't always easy to tell whether an automaton is a human person. To complicate matters, computing technologies have become extensions of our own bodies, as opposed to mere tools such as a hammer, or even a more complicated mechanism such as a handgun. Some, including post-humanism theorist N. Katherine Hayles, believe that techno-toting human beings now use technology as prosthetics. We have merged with these machines, and it's the stuff of many a dystopian vision.

For his 2012 book, The Most Human Human, Brian Christian pretended to be a human being. He competed alongside both humans and computers alike to try to convince judges that his intelligence was not artificial. Known as the Loebner Prize, this "competition" recreates the Turing Test. In the 1950s, Alan Turing proposed that artificial intelligence, or whether machines can think, could be determined if said machines could fool scientists. Can we really be fooled into thinking a computer is a human being? It turns out that sometimes we can. Meet Cleverbot.

Brian Christian goes on to suggest that we face the Turing Test every day. Mostly, it's obnoxious. For instance, Sharon, my local Google specialist, calls me on the regular. I've learned, of course, that "she" is a bot. Human beings are, if I may, hard-wired with a remarkable ability to determine whether a sound is being reproduced through a recording device. In Sharon's case, it was easy to tell. Still, though, it was not a difference in kind but in iteration. The recording was obviously of a human being's voice. But a bot made the call and tripped the mechanism. Who is calling me?
We had great news on Friday -- another 240,000 jobs created. Seventy-two straight months of private sector job growth. We've come a long way since the abyss of the recession.

Like many Michiganders, my memories of 2008-09 are still raw -- the auto industry entered bankruptcy and our manufacturing sector was convulsing due to jobs shifting to low-wage countries. I can still see the faces of so many anguished people -- the 50-ish guy who approached me in the Lansing coffee shop, embarrassed that he had to wipe a tear rolling down his cheek, telling me that he couldn't put his kids through college because his auto supplier job shut down.

Or the tattooed guy in the bomber jacket in the Saginaw breakfast cafe, swearing in frustration about "f-ing trade deals" because Delphi was selling off its steering operation after he had worked there for two decades.

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Or the nervous fellow in the dated green three-piece suit who came to the American Wind Energy conference in Chicago with copies of his resume, and who waited in line to make sure that I heard that he was taking care of his elderly mother, desperate to replace the job he lost when the GM factory closed in Grand Rapids.

And so many others.

Because of our large manufacturing base, thousands of our people were impacted during this grueling time. If you are from Michigan, no doubt you know someone who was hurt then too.

Enter the Obama Administration. As Hillary Clinton highlighted yesterday, we've saved the auto industry, added over 900,000 manufacturing jobs, and American exports are up 40 percent. The auto industry just had a record year. Make no mistake: the auto industry rescue was instrumental in the jobs recovery in Michigan and Ohio. By 2010, Michigan's economy was creating jobs at the fastest rate in the nation. For this we can thank the Obama Administration, which gave us the partnership needed to invest in autos, energy, batteries and middle class jobs in Michigan.

Yet all of the Republican candidates for president oppose the auto rescue. The choice is real.

Yesterday in Detroit, Hillary Clinton laid out an aggressive plan to build on those successes, starting with trade. No state understands the impact of poorly enforced and poorly negotiated trade laws like Michigan does. Acknowledging that we have learned from the pain caused by NAFTA, Hillary said yesterday: "I won't support any agreement unless it helps create good jobs and higher wages for American workers ... I need to be able to look into the eyes of any hardworking American anywhere in our country and say this deal will help raise your income."

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Which is why she voted against CAFTA.

Now, if we want to build things here stamped "Made in Michigan" for the world to purchase, walling ourselves off from global trade is not a solution. We need to tear down walls blocking us from exporting, and then punish countries that seek to dump low-cost products here built through slave wages and environmental degradation. We need to be tough on US companies who chose to offshore jobs in the name of profits. We need to play relentless offense and defense. We need to be creative, smart and aggressive to compete for jobs.

When she was Senator Clinton in New York, Hillary represented hard-hit areas that were similar to cities in Michigan, such as Buffalo and Rochester. She saw those same looks of despair on workers crushed by outsourcing. She founded and was the co-chair of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus. She gets it.

The contrast with Bernie Sanders is important.

In the Senate, Sanders joined Republicans as the only member of the Democratic caucus to vote against reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank. This bank helped support $10.1 billion in exports from Michigan since 2009 and 143 small business in Michigan. Sanders' vote was a vote against those small businesses.

Similarly, Sanders voted against the New Market Tax Credit -- a way to incentivize jobs to locate in hard-hit areas like Flint and Detroit.

While Trump wants a physical wall with Mexico, he and Bernie Sanders also want a trade wall. Yet building a trade wall would restrict exports and eliminate jobs here in Michigan and across our country. In order to be a jobs magnet, we also have to export. Which means having robust-but-fair trade.

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We need a grand strategy to attract and grow those middle class jobs. Hillary Clinton revealed what her approach will be: sticks for corporations who outsource by revoking their tax credits; carrots for businesses who locate in underserved communities, through New Market Tax Credits; assistance with training for manufacturers who need a skilled workforce; clean energy jobs to meet the growing global demand for carbon-reducing products; industrial clusters that build upon President Obama's Manufacturing Institutes; beef up the enforcement of our trade laws by adding a trade prosecutor, and set a high bar for any new trade agreements; infrastructure jobs rebuilding roads, bridges and underground pipes like those in Flint; raising the minimum wage; rewarding companies that share profits with their employees, and more.

Her vision is big. It is comprehensive. It is borne of experience. And no one will work harder to make the vision become reality. She's looked into the faces of workers who have lost their jobs to globalization too. She carries their stories with her; their dignity fuels her determination.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., center, joined at right by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and other Democrats, urges Senate Republicans to relent on their decision to take no action on anyone President Barack Obama nominates to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, at the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The declaration by the Republican majority controlling the Senate Judiciary Committee that they will not consider any Obama nomination to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court may not be a constitutional crisis anyone has sought, but it may be one that we need.

Many commentators have downplayed the significance of a Republican refusal to allow Obama to nominate Scalia's successor. This may be the case in the sense that the machinery of government will continue to function and won't grind to a halt. But it does reflect and will elevate a dangerously corrosive crisis of governance and public confidence in government already gripping the country to the level of a constitutional crisis.

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There are two ways to look at this situation. One is that there is a sizable contingent of the Republican Party's voters and among its elected officials that regard Obama as an illegitimate president (this is the thrust of the well-worn attacks on him from the right: he's foreign born; he's a Muslim; he's a socialist or a fascist, etc.). Not surprisingly, these right-wing critics believe that they are entitled, if not obliged, to minimize Obama's power and role in government, despite his being elected twice by clear majorities and even where that role is expressly granted him by the Constitution.

This is rare in American political history and always dangerous in any political system. Accepting the legitimacy of elections and governance by opponents is part of the unwritten foundations of a functioning democracy. The Republicans' conduct reveals the decay of American democracy and constitutional politics.

The second perspective on this situation is to recognize that this is an extraordinary breach of deeply rooted constitutional norms and the spirit, if not the letter, of statutory law.

By statute, the Supreme Court has consisted of nine members since 1869. When Franklin Roosevelt, an extremely popular president fresh from the most decisive re-election victory in U.S. history, proposed a "court packing" plan in 1937 that would enlarge the court to secure appointments favorable to New Deal reforms, he suffered a stinging backlash and defeat from critics who thought it would undermine the court as an institution and violate the established consensus that the court's membership should remain at nine.

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By refusing to consider any nominee from a president with near a full year left in his second term, today's Republican majority (in a Senate and Congress at record low approval ratings) is essentially changing the size of the court until they see fit to once again enlarge it. They are breaching settled constitutional understandings, and circumventing statutory law. Their tactics will politicize the court further and further fuel public cynicism toward the political class, Congress, and the court.

Public perception of the court as a thoroughly politicized and partisan institution ultimately could corrode the legitimacy of the court and the sense that its decisions are authoritative and deserve legal deference. It also may well elicit a tit-for-tat response from Democrats who may refuse a future Republican president to nominate justices as we settle into a destructive self-perpetuating cycle of partisan combat over the Court (as we've seen with the lower federal courts already).

However, this may be a crisis we need. During the past two decades, the Supreme Court, or rather its conservative majority, has struck down statutes at an unprecedented rate (exceeding the Warren Court and the court that clashed with FDR). It has overturned long-established constitutional rulings and principles pertaining to campaign finance law, the constitutional status of corporations, voting rights, the powers of the federal government, federalism, affirmative action, and abortion rights, to name but a few areas.

Filling the vacancy left by Scalia's death presents a potential inflection point in the development of constitutional law and the politics that it shapes in the long run. Constitutional law often forces us to confront our most fundamental political and moral values -- and the conflicts we have over them. It also compels us to confront the deficiencies of the constitutional structures of government, an electoral system giving rise to a two-party duopoly, and policy making in an age of vast inequality, growing ideological conflict, and divided government. These features of American politics and government are facilitated in whole or in part by the Constitution as written and as interpreted by the Supreme Court.

We have a rather creaky, veto-prone 18th century Constitution that is poorly suited to a modern democracy. It effectively herds the electorate into a two-party system that the public increasingly resents even as it polarizes them. We have political parties that are more ideologically homogeneous and driven than at any time since the period leading up to the Civil War - within a constitutional framework not designed to function in the face of such deep divisions and irreconcilable positions.

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In an era in which these conflicts are growing sharper and deeper, and the institutions of government more dysfunctional, perhaps these issues need to be addressed openly and head-on by the electorate.

If the Senate Republicans stick to their obstructionist "just say no" position, the 2016 election cycle and presidential race will become a contest between, and a referendum on, opposing constitutional visions and values. That is not their goal, but that is what the GOP has blundered into. The Republicans are making a cynical, short-term political calculation. They are betting they can appease their increasingly radicalized base voters without alienating moderates or mobilizing mass voter turnout for the Democrats. It is far from clear that the Republicans' latest escalation in the politics of obstinate obstruction is in their immediate, let alone long-term, political self-interest, or that they will prevail in the coming contest.

It is also all too possible that the 2016 election outcome will perpetuate a government split between the parties and subject to political polarization and paralysis that satisfies no one. This would leave the electorate even more resentful, hostile towards the political elites of both parties, and divided against itself. Such a result would only serve to intensify partisan and constitutional conflicts in ever more poisonous and pathological form. In that case, we will all be the losers of the Republicans' supreme gamble.
"First rule of maintaining a healthy marriage while parenting an infant is nothing thats said between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. can be held against you."
With the rise of the Islamic State and similar groups, there exist fundamental questions, regarding the religion of Islam, that I attempt to address adequately in my recently published book, a memoir, on here; why they hate, or Allah (god) who Hates Women.

Is there anything intrinsic within the religion of Islam that promotes anti-democratic values and subjugation of women? Why are the number of Islamists groups increasing and why do they hate the West? Many Western and Muslim scholars have long argued that Islam is totally compatible with democratic and humanitarian values, and that Islam is religion of peace and it will definitely change with time. But, their argument has repeatedly failed and in the last 1400 years Islam has not changed, or evolved like other religions.

Having grown up, worked, and studied till recently in the Middle East (both in Shia and Sunni nations; Syria and the Islamic Republic of Iran), having grown up in a devout Muslim family, I came to witness the real shortcomings of the religion of Islam. A long time ago, even before the rise of the Islamic State and 9/11, I argued that if the modern version of the religion of Islam is not addressed, catastrophic events such as killing of thousands of people will increase exponentially under the name of Islam.

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Although Western Muslim scholars argue that this is not the fault of Islam and that Islam changes, one can argue that the religion of Islam has, in fact, regressed by witnessing the current situations in Muslim countries. There are currently hundreds of Islamist groups emerging, and the Islamic State is only one of them. The number of these groups will increase and they believe that they are the ones practicing the real Islam not others.

I attempt to address the questions of what is it in Islam- culturally, socially, from the legal codes, etc- that gives legitimacy and power to these groups or the patriarchal system. What is it about Islam that prevents it from evolving and going through transformations?

I lay out several arguments and solutions in the book. One of the solutions I lay out in the book is that it is the responsibility of the silent Muslims, the so-called "moderate" Muslims, the middle class, and Western Muslim scholars to speak up against this dominant Islamist and fundamentalist framework. But, I explain why many do not do so. Changes should come from within and it requires self-sacrifice and courage. Simultaneously, if the number of Muslims who constructively criticize Islam increases, the more likely the religious establishments will take steps to moderate Islam and reform it.

I lay out in the book that some of the most significant clashes and wars coming ahead will come from encounters between fundamentalist Islamic teachings and the West. This is not just a scholarly assumption, but is based on recent developments, my experiences, and on-the-ground knowledge of various branches of Islam. The era of globalization and advanced technology is accelerating this, as advocates for radical Islam become more easily connected with other cultures, and more frequently reminded that Allah's words, the Prophet Muhammad's mission, and Islamic laws are not being followed in other places in the world.

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Already, there are young people from many different countries including the United States and England that are being lured and recruited by radical Islam as well as terrorist groups that profess to be true Muslims.

Finally, the book is a personal journey through an endless maze of Islamist violence and civil war. It's a journey through a battlefield riddled with archaic cultural, religious demands and explosive emotions. It is a journey that navigates with determination as the author fights against an Islamist and patriarchal society in an attempt to survive.

--

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is an American political scientist, business advisor and the president of the International American Council on the Middle East. Harvard-educated, Rafizadeh serves on the advisory board of Harvard International Review. An American citizen, he is originally from Iran and Syria, and till recently lived most of his life in Iran and Syria. He is a board member of several significant and influential international and governmental institutions, and he is native speaker of couple of languages including Arabic and Persian. He also speaks English and Dari, and can converse in French, Hebrew.

You can sign up for Dr. Rafizadeh's newsletter for the latest news and analyses on HERE.

You can also order his books on HERE.

You can learn more about Dr. Rafizadeh on HERE.
Namsa Leuba, Untitled I, from the series Cocktail, 2011, Fuji Crystal Archive Matt print reverse mounted on acrylic, 43.81 x 60cm. Courtesy of the artist and Echo Art, Lagos. At the Armory Show, Focus, Booth 560.

This spring, Africa arrives in New York. The city will be treated to an unprecedented opportunity to observe and experience a wide range of contemporary art from Africa and the Diaspora, sparked by the Armory Show's focus on the region. Satellite fairs, performances, pop-up shows, museum and gallery exhibitions featuring contemporary African artists are also coming into focus around the city--from one-time-only platforms to home-grown institutions that have consistently engaged with African and Diasporan perspectives.

Turiya Magadlela, Zothile 4, 2015, nylon and cotton pantyhose, thread and sealant on canvas, 100 x 100cm. Courtesy of the artist and blank, Cape Town. At the Armory Show, Focus, Booth 537.

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The 2016 Armory Focus, entitled "African Perspectives - Spotlighting Artistic Practices of Global Contemporaries," is curated by Julia Grosse and Yvette Mutumba, the founders of the online platform Contemporary And (C&), which is devoted to exploring and promoting global connections for international art from diverse African perspectives. The Focus sector brings together 14 galleries and art spaces, from around the world: London and Paris, as well as Cape Town and Addis Ababa. "We invited artists first," says Mutumba, "and asked their galleries to make a solo presentation of the artist's work." The resulting picture is of interdisciplinary and varied practices, with Africa as a departure point, a node for networks, connections, and continuums that span the globe. It will be the largest showing of contemporary African and Diasporan artists at an American art fair to date.

Ed Young, NOT ME, 2016, oil on board, 2.4 x 2.4m. Courtesy of SMAC Gallery, Cape Town. At the Armory Show, Special Projects.

Scattered throughout the fair, the Armory Show's Special Projects, also curated by Grosse and Mutumba, feature a group of young artists from Africa and the Diaspora that represent what they define as "Young Global Contemporaries" who operate with geographical fluidity and whose work is in dialogue with international contemporary art practices; "artists who are really embedded in global networks that influence their practices," as Mutumba puts it. Several of these projects are stationed at prominent entry points, setting the tone for the fair: Kapwani Kiwanga (represented by Galerie Tanja Wagner, Berlin), who was commissioned to create the visual identity for this year's fair, presents an interactive installation inspired by the 1961 office of the United Nations Secretary General, situated at the entrance of Pier 92; Emeka Ogboh will infuse the aural environment of the Pier 94 entrance with the sounds of a Lagos bus station; and Ed Young's text-based works, All So Fucking African (SMAC Gallery, Cape Town), will line the connecting passageway between the piers with a site-specific installation of biting humor and wit.

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Robin Rhode, Fountain, 2014, C-print 15 parts, 19.69 x 19.69 in. each. Courtesy of STEVENSON, Cape Town, Johannesburg. At the Armory Show, Booth 700.

An accompanying symposium at the Armory Show, kicking off with a panel discussion with influential African artists El Anatsui and Sam Nhlegethwa, critically explores topics related to the Focus. It includes a lecture-performance by Armory Commissioned Artist Kiwanga, panel discussions between artists of different generations, and concludes with Section Cinema, a screening of a series of videos curated by South African artist Robin Rhode.

Abdoulaye Konate, Composition en rouge (orange, vert et jaune citron), dyed and woven cloth, 2.5 x 2m. Courtesy Blain Southern Gallery, London. At the Armory Show, Booth 908.

The special curated sectors are not the only place collectors will find artists with African backgrounds at the fair, as several international blue-chip galleries embrace the Focus as well. Hong Kong and London-based enterprise Ben Brown Fine Arts will be showing work by African-American artist Awol Erizku; Los Angeles gallery Honor Fraser will present works by Botswana-born, New York-based Meleko Mokgosi; London-based Blain | Southern will show woven cloth works by Malian artist Abdoulaye Konate; and, of course, major South African galleries Stevenson, Goodman, and Gallery MOMO will be showing a selection of artists originating from or based in African countries.

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Dawit Abebe, No. 2 Background 40, 2016, acrylic and collage on canvas, 240 x 200 cm. Courtesy of Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London. At VOLTA NY.

The programming for the Armory Show's affiliate (and adjacent) fair, VOLTA NY, has also been invigorated by the Armory's Focus this year. VOLTA's curated section, "Something I Can Feel," curated by New York-based artist Derrick Adams, explores works related to the body, and includes several artists with work that addresses their African backgrounds, among them Doreen Garner, Leonardo Benzant, and Shaun Leonardo. Grappling with urgent issues facing the African-American community, Leonardo's performance/workshop I Can't Breathe will be staged on Friday March 4 at 5pm. Also present at VOLTA are two artist-run and experimental galleries from Africa: First Floor Gallery, from Harare, Zimbabwe, showing Wycliffe Mundopa; and ARTLabAfrican, out of Nairobi, Kenya, showing Paul Onditi. Brooklyn's Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) will show works by Tschabalala Self in their booth, as well as presenting Kameelah Janan Rasheed's project confronting respectability politics, HOW TO SUFFER POLITELY (and Other Etiquette), along the elevated walkway connecting VOLTA with the Armory Show, forming a visual link with Ed Young's text-based project next door.

Tabita Rezaire, Sorry For Real, 2016. Courtesy of MoCADA. Photo: Roy Rochlin.

Beyond Armory Week events, New York City offers further opportunities to explore art of Africa and the Diaspora at institutions that are dedicated full-time to showcasing artists of African descent. MoCADA is currently showing Be Alarmed: The Black Americana Epic, Movement I - The Visions by visual artist and filmmaker Tiona McClodden, paintings and collages by Adrienne Gaither, and a window installation by new media artist Tabita Rezaire that imagines an apology from the Western World, as delivered by text message, entitled Sorry For Real. This week is also a great time to make a visit to the Studio Museum in Harlem, now in the final week of its current exhibitions, including "Black: Color, Material, Concept," featuring work by Sam Gilliam, Kerry James Marshall, Noah Davis, and others, closing March 6.

Ibrahim El Salahi, Flamenco Dancers, 2012, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York.

From Chelsea to Bushwick, several current exhibitions found in New York galleries and project spaces relate to Africa, the Diaspora, and black identity. Right now one will find new photography from Africa at the Walther Collection Project Space in Chelsea, and a major exhibition of Ibrahim el Salahi, "father of African and Arab Modernism", at Salon 94 on the Bowery. Luhring Augustine is showing a two-venue exposition of Glenn Ligon's new work, and staying open late (9pm) at its Bushwick location on Saturday March 5 for Armory Week's Late Night Bushwick. Chicago gallery moniquemeloche is popping up in New York for Armory Week at 2 Rivington St on the Lower East Side, with an exhibition of patchwork quilts by Sanford Biggers and tapestries and mixed media works by Ebony G. Patterson.

Francois-Xavier Gbre, Palais du Gouverneur II, Lome, Togo, 2012 - Archival pigment ink on fine art paper, Edition of 5. Courtesy of the Artist and the Galerie Cecile Fakhoury, Abidjan. At the Armory Show, Focus, Booth 542.

While inroads have been made in the international art market for contemporary artists from Africa, there is definitely room for improvement, in New York and beyond. As curator Mutumba says, "African perspectives being included in international exhibitions should actually be a normal event." This week may hopefully facilitate greater exposure and awareness of these perspectives, and foster new connections and networks between galleries, curators, and artists from London to Lagos, New York to Nairobi.

Francisco Vidal, R, 2015, oil and acrylic on handmade recycled paper, 255 x 255cm. Courtesy of the artist and Tiwani Contemporary. At the Armory Show, Focus, Booth 548.

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--Natalie Hegert
The verbal war between the GCC countries and Iran escalated recently, with the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist group in response to speeches by its secretary general Hassan Nasrallah challenging Saudi Arabia, accusing it of terrorism, and vowing to confront it in Yemen where Riyadh's national security is directly affected. This happened in parallel with elections in Iran, which ended up trimming the wings of the hardliners with a significant victory for moderates and reformists. These results have important implications that must be analyzed in order to forecast events in the proxy battlefields from Syria and Iraq to Yemen and Lebanon. Signs of anxiety over these elections were clear in Hezbollah's escalation in a way that overtook Iranian attitudes, especially those coming from the moderate camp. So which discourse and which strategy should the GCC nations adopt in this critical phase of the relations with Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah but also states like Russia and the United States? Should Moscow and Washington play any role to help bring de-escalation between the Gulf and Iran, stop the bleeding in war zones, and prevent a new arena for attrition from being launched in Lebanon?

Nasrallah's speech this week brought justifications for the Gulf decisions, including the Saudi decision to suspend a grant to the Lebanese army and the designation of Hezbollah as a terror group. However, suspending the Saudi grant to the Lebanese army is not the right decision, no matter what the motive is. It is unwise to take revenge against Lebanon, its army, and its popular base loyal to Saudi Arabia and Lebanon's Arab identity to teach Hezbollah a lesson. In the end, this policy of cutting one's nose to spite one's face benefits Hezbollah and Iran, and weakens their opponents, not to mention harms Lebanon's fragile stability.

Nasrallah thankfully reassured the Lebanese people that the decision to take to the streets is in his hands, and not in the hands of a bunch of youths who can threaten stability. He was clear and firm in his television appearance. This followed riots by his supporters under the pretext of protesting against a television show that had mocked the Hezbollah chief.

However, Nasrallah implicated Lebanon in the war in Yemen in the same speech, claiming Lebanon's national interests requires not remaining silent about what is happening in the south Arabian nation.

Nasrallah accused Saudi Arabia of committing daily massacres in Yemen. He said: "The world is silent, but we cannot remain silent about these crimes. Those who want to remain silent are free, but we will not be silent about what is happening in Yemen and we will continue." He added: "There is no interest for any country to give Saudi Arabia blessing to wage war against another country. When the Arab world remains silent about Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, this gives it legitimacy to attack another country."

In truth, these remarks are a public admission that Hezbollah is fighting in Yemen as the Arab coalition has accused it of doing, and that it is a partner on the ground of the Houthis and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, just like it is a partner of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war, which has killed around half a million Syrians and displaced millions of others.

The most serious point in the speech was that Nasrallah decided to implicate Lebanon in the war in Yemen, when he spoke about the "national interest" in not remaining silent and taking part in the war. Since he decided to summon the whole of Saudi Arabia to a personal duel with him, he said: "The greatest thing I have done in my life is giving a speech on the second day of the Saudi war on Yemen" in which he threatened Saudi Arabia. Thus, what the Hezbollah chief did was to declare the continuation of his war on the Arab coalition in Yemen led by Saudi Arabia. This position is one of the most important reasons behind the Gulf response against Hezbollah. Most likely, the Gulf nations will not reverse their travel bans against Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia will not reverse its decision to suspend the $4 billion grant to the Lebanese army, which both cost Lebanon dearly.

But did Nasrallah escalate on Yemen at Iran's request or was it an independent decision? The escalation is not just verbal, as Nasrallah told us, but it is a military one. The escalation and implicating Lebanon in this manner undoes the reassurances Nasrallah made at the start of his speech.

The Russian and American leadership must realize how serious this is, and move immediately with Tehran to prevent Lebanon from getting involved in Yemen through Hezbollah. This is where American-Russian diplomacy could intervene to help mend Saudi-Iranian relations. Lebanon, more than any time before in the past, is the necessary first stop. It is very crucial to uphold its neutrality and impose the election of a president there. Hezbollah must not be allowed to continue taking the country hostage amid the presidential vacuum, and drag Lebanon into others' wars.

For their part, Saudi Arabia and the GCC nations must decide whether they want to be drawn into verbal provocation with their eyes wide shut or whether they want to adopt a comprehensive strategy including towards Iran with open minds. The traditional notion many in the Gulf is that "they are all the same" in reference to the ruling elites in Tehran, be they moderates or hardliners, and that the goal of the Islamic State there remains the export of the Islamic Revolution to the Arab countries and the implementation of regional domination. But even if this is true, this notion requires reconsideration in light of the facts on the ground in Iran, including the results of the elections that could be a window to a different kind of thinking in the Gulf capitals.

The victory of the moderate President Hassan Rouhani in parliament dealt a heavy blow to the hardliners and the Revolutionary Guards. The victory of the moderates and reformists in the Assembly of Experts, whose members will elect the next supreme leader, has important implications. The majority of Iranians voted for moderates represented by Rouhani, former President Mohammad Khatami and head of the Expediency Council, Rafsanjani.

People close to Rouhani stressed repeatedly that he and his supporters have different programs from those of the hardliners, especially in terms of meddling in Arab nations and proxy wars with Saudi Arabia. According to informed sources, Rouhani told a European official during his recent visit that stability in Saudi Arabia is important for Iran and that Saudi destabilization at the hands of groups like ISIS or al-Qaeda is a threat to Tehran.

During the seminar in the framework of the "Valdai" forum in Moscow, Iranian professor Mohammed Marandi, despite inciting against Saudi Arabia and using a provocative language towards Wahhabism, Saudi Arabia, and Saudi policies in Yemen, insisted that instability was undesirable in Saudi Arabia.

These positions, even if Riyadh questions them, are well worth building on them as part of a purposeful strategy. Riyadh can decide that verbal escalation is best ignored, and that the best tactic is to work seriously towards securing an Iranian pledge not to tamper with Saudi stability. This can be achieved either through direct channels with the moderates after the elections, or through Russian-American channels. Indeed, Russia is eager to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Secondly, the setback suffered by the hardliners could be a gateway to a different political discourse in the Gulf countries, by giving moderates a chance. This does not prevent insisting on key positions, but it is worthwhile to capitalize on the results of the elections as part of well thought out strategies.

Some say the American wager on empowering moderates in Iran as a result of the nuclear deal and the lifting of the sanctions has succeeded, and that American-Russian partnership in this regard has managed to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions and remove the Syrian chemical weapons arsenal, both key demands for Israel. The two partners in Syria and Iran have pursued an approach of containment by engagement with Tehran, and partnership instead of confrontation in Syria. Both powers are saying there is no need to worry about having a long-term strategic relationship with Iran, citing the growth of the moderate camp in Iran at the expense of the hardliners. Both powers want the Gulf countries to pursue similar relations based on political realism instead of panic, polarization, and attrition.

Some these days speak about major new strategies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Lebanon. They say Moscow's strategic relationship is not confined to Iran and Shiites, but is in the process of expanding into Sunni Arabs through Egypt and Algeria, while insisting on victory against terror in Syria and on safeguarding strategic interests there including oil and gas.

Regarding Yemen, high-level Gulf sources confirmed that Russia has extended intelligence aid to the Arab alliance in addition to silent consent. Other non-Gulf sources say Russia and the US want to provide a way for a dignified exit strategy that would preserve Saudi national interests in Yemen.

In Iraq, there is talk about US and Russian plans to appease Sunnis there, to be able to defeat ISIS in return for guarantees their rights would be safeguarded in Iraq.

In Libya, Russia is ready to turn the page that had unleashed its nationalist tendencies, when it felt NATO had betrayed it through a Security Council resolution. Information indicates Moscow is not opposed to an American-European intervention there to prevent ISIS or al-Qaeda from taking over.

On Syria, sources close to the thinking in Tehran say Iran does not want to partition the country, as this would weaken its influence there after so much "investment" in Syria. The sources also say that Tehran, ultimately, and under the moderates' rule, will not cling to Bashar al-Assad though it will not rush to declare this yet.

The talk about partitioning and federalism in Syria is dictated by what is happening on the ground. The talk about federalism comes perhaps in the sense of federalism in Russia and the US, and not in the sense of separate states.

As for Lebanon, it is growing more fragile as major powers ignore it, leaving it prey to their acrobatics. It is time for the major powers to take Lebanon's brittleness seriously and to neutralize Lebanon and prevent its detonation through real measures, beginning by reining in those who are implicating it in the Yemeni war and instead turn it into a testing ground for Saudi-Iranian confidence building measures in the new Iranian era.

Translated by Karim Traboulsi

http://www.alhayat.com/Opinion/Raghida-Dergham/14294140/%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1-%C2%AB%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%84%C2%BB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AC
Today marks the 51st anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma, Alabama, which led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act months later, and ultimately freed the vote for millions of voters of color.

New Jersey has a unique role in this story, as Atlantic City served as the site of the 1964 Democratic National Convention at which Fannie Lou Hamer famously delivered her powerful speech in support of Black voting rights on behalf of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

But more than 50 years later, despite the promise of increased political participation by people of color created by the Voting Rights Act, which twice led to the election of a Black president, its full potential has not been realized by one of the last excluded segments of our society: Americans with criminal convictions.

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Black voter registration in Selma in 1965 was made virtually impossible by Alabama's relentless efforts to block the black vote, which included requiring black people to interpret entire sections of the Alabama Constitution, an impossible feat for even the most learned. On one occasion, even a black man who had earned a Ph.D. was unable to pass Alabama's "literacy" test.

On Bloody Sunday, John Lewis and Reverend Hosea Williams led almost 600 men, women and children in a peaceful march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery to dramatize to the nation their desire as black people to participate in the political process.

As they crossed the highest part of the bridge, the marchers were viciously attacked by Alabama state troopers, who ridiculed, tear-gassed, clubbed, spat on, whipped and trampled them with their horses. In the end, Lewis's skull was fractured by a state trooper's nightstick, and nearly 20 other defenseless marchers were hospitalized.

In direct response to Bloody Sunday, President Lyndon B. Johnson five months later signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law. Considered by many to be the greatest victory of the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act removed barriers, such as literacy tests, poll taxes and the "grandfather clause" that had long kept black people from voting.

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Today, more than six million Americans, including two million Black people, are locked out of the political process by state laws that disqualify people with criminal convictions from voting.

Here in New Jersey, nearly 150,000 people have lost their voting rights following a criminal conviction. And though Black people comprise just 14 percent of New Jersey's overall population, they represent, incredibly, more than half of those (approximately 70,000) who have lost their voting rights as a result of a criminal conviction.

The historical record reveals that to prevent newly freed Black people from voting after the Civil War, many state legislatures in the North and South tailored their felon disenfranchisement laws to require the loss of voting rights only for those offenses committed mostly by Black people.

For example, the 1890 Mississippi constitutional convention required disenfranchisement for such crimes as theft, burglary and receiving money under false pretenses, but not for robbery or murder. These intentionally discriminatory laws were guided by the belief that Black people engaged in crime were more likely to commit furtive offenses than the more robust crimes committed by whites. Through the convoluted "reasoning" of this provision, one would be disenfranchised for stealing a chicken but not for killing the chicken's owner.



Many other states, from New York to Alabama, have also intentionally and effectively utilized felon disenfranchisement laws to prevent Black people and other voters of color from voting.

In New Jersey, the law disqualifies people from voting when they are in prison, on probation and on parole. Suffrage for people with criminal convictions was initially restricted in 1844 when New Jersey adopted a new constitution, the same year that it, for the first time, explicitly restricted the vote to white men over twenty-one.

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As intended, modern day felon disenfranchisement laws disproportionately weaken the voting strength of communities of color. New Jersey's felon disenfranchisement law is most destructive in these communities, which are affected disproportionately by numerous socioeconomic ills, including concentrated poverty, and unequal access to quality education, housing and health care.



The further disenfranchisement of people of color results largely from the disproportionate enforcement of drug laws in Black and Latino communities, which has expanded exponentially the number of people of color subjected to felon disenfranchisement. And to add insult to injury, though they cannot vote, people with criminal convictions are counted by the U.S. Census as residents of the often rural communities where prisons are housed for purposes of drawing legislative districts, rather than as residents of often urban communities from which they actually come and will return.

As a result, New Jersey residents in these communities have even less of an opportunity to affect positive change through the political process.

Moreover, these laws also discourage eligible and future voters from exercising the learned behavior of voting. In doing so, these laws create a culture of political non-participation that erodes civic engagement and marginalizes the votes and voices of community members who remain engaged, but who are deprived of the collective power of the votes of disenfranchised relatives and neighbors.

Although common in the United States, felon disenfranchisement statutes are not a necessary feature of our participatory democracy. Indeed, Maine, Vermont and most western democracies have no such statutes and permit all people with felony convictions -- including those both currently incarcerated and formerly incarcerated -- to vote. Some states restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated persons once they have served their entire prison sentence. But too many formerly incarcerated persons are not informed that their voting rights have been restored, and although technically free to vote, remain voteless.

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Most unfortunately, New Jersey law deprives many people with criminal convictions of the right to vote even as studies convincingly show that voting is an important reintegration tool that helps to facilitate re-entry into society and reduce recidivism.

Regrettably, 51 years after 600 people risked their lives on Bloody Sunday to expand democracy for people of color, and with the 2016 Presidential election fast approaching, too many voters of color here in New Jersey, rather than experiencing increased political participation, are losing their voting rights daily.
14ymedio, Generation Y, Yoani Sanchez, Washington, 5 March 2016 -- When they returned his mobile phone all his contacts had been erased and the card with the photos was gone. Stories like this are repeated among activists who have been detained, over whom an iron vigilance is maintained with the complicity of the Telecommunications Company (ETECSA), the technology arm of repression in Cuba. An entity that should take note of the rebuff Apple has dealt the FBI in the United States, by refusing to access its clients' data.

For decades, Cuban society has become accustomed to the government's failing to respect individuals' private spaces. The state has the power to delve into personal correspondence, to display medical records in front of the cameras, to air private messages on television, and to broadcast phone conversations between critics of the system. In such a framework, intimacy doesn't exist, one's personal space has been invaded by power.

People see as "normal" that the phones are tapped and that in the homes of opponents hidden microphones capture even the smallest sigh. It has become common practice for ETECSA to cut off dissidents' phone service during certain national events or visits from foreign leaders, and to block the reception of messages whose contents upset them. This Orwellian situation has gone on for so long, that few take note any more of the illegality involved and the violation of citizens' rights it entails.

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The feeling of constant supervision has come to affect the way we speak, filling it with whispers, gestures and metaphors, to avoid saying those words that could get us into trouble. To the extent that few mention the names of Fidel or Raul Castro, substituting a gesture over the face as if touching a beard, or making slanted eyes, or placing two fingers on one's shoulder to allude to "them," "the power," "the government," "the Party."

The limits of the state to obtain private information are currently at the center of an international debate, sparked by the United States government demand that the technology company Apple unblock the telephone used by a terrorist, who participated in a shooting in California where 14 people died. The discussions have risen in tone between those who brandish the needs of the security agency, and those who see it as a danger to violate the rights to protected data.

These kinds of questions are very far from Cuban society, where the need to reconquer the privacy lost over more than half a century of the interference of power in every sphere of daily life is never publicly raised. Even keeping a private diary, closing the door of a bedroom, or speaking softly, are frowned upon by a system that tried to replace individuality with massification, and to eradicate intimacy in the promiscuity of shelters or barracks.

Apple fears that by creating software to unlock its phones, it cannot avoid the government or hackers from collecting the private information of millions of innocents. It knows that any power is insatiable with regards to the information it wants to have about others, hence the law should curb and rein in those excesses of interference that characterize all governments.

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The exhibition is full of intimate moments, indoors, in the heat of the home where the Cuban identity is expressed in a gesture, an attitude or simply the nostalgic feel in a gaze.

14ymedio, Yoani Sanchez, Generation Y, 6 March 2106 -- There is an aunt with her hair in rollers and a maternal gaze, a neighbor in a housecoat and that friend blowing out the birthday candles. They are known faces, family members, but they live hundreds of miles from the island, and come to us, as in a mirror that returns our image without distortions or cracks, through Geandy Pavon (b. Las Tunas, Cuba, 1974) and his exposition, The Cuban-Americans.

In that far off geography, the emigrants weave their dreams, taking on new customs, maintaining their taste for rice with beans, and sighing for a country that only exists in their memories. In that "internal space" where Cuban-Americans pass their lives, what the writer Gustavo Perez Firmante called the hyphen or dash, "that unites, while separating, nominally and culturally, the Cuban and the American."

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Pavon captures in a series of black and white photographs that were exhibited at the Cervantes Institute of New York, a part of the nostalgia of those who carry their roots on their shoulders so that a new generation can bear fruits. Parents who left behind their world of references, the house where they were born and even their wedding rings, with the obsession of giving their children a future. They are like us, but they have lived more, and the title of "Cubans" sounds sweetly and painfully in their ears.

Their names are Josefa, Paco, Pedro, Yosvany, Miguel... and they have experienced daily contact with other cultures, the pleasure in the little things they managed to carry with them: a yellowed photograph of Grandma and a memory of the dog barking from the farm path. They are also burdened with the depression of exile, the conviction that they don't belong entirely to the land they left behind nor to the one that received them. They are beings who carry with them their own homeland.

The author of The Cuban-Americans took as a reference Robert Frank's famous series of photographs, The Americans. The work of the American artist was heavily criticized in its time for not embodying "the image of progress and greatness they wanted to project in the fifties," recalls Pavon. Like Frank, he also wanted to escape "the stereotypes, the commonplace."

This "no man's land," where the exiles have found themselves because of politics, intolerance and immigration restrictions, resembles in many details the island we have woven within the bubble of our intimacy. An identity hard to catch in the tourist snapshots or sepia postcards that so content the foreign eye. More than a photographic work, Pavon has had to undertake a true immersion in that abyss of Cuban identity.

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As a consequence of attacks on people following different religions, India's neighbouring country Bangladesh is considering abandoning Islam as its official religion.

According to a report in Daily Mail, Bangladesh's Supreme Court has began to hear arguments which challenge Islam's status as the official state religion.

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The question of changing the country's official religion has come after incessant attacks on the religious minority in the past several years. In fact, according to The Times of India, Christians, Hindus and Muslim minority Shiites have faced attacks that are believed to have been carried out by Islamic extremists.

Bangladesh was declared as a separate country after its split with Pakistan in the year 1971. In 1988, the country declared Islam as a state religion.

In February 2016, a Hindu priest was hacked to death and two devotees were injured in an attack on a temple in the country. The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the killing in a communique posted by the IS-linked Amaq News Agency on Twitter, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors online jihadi activity.

Local Islamist radicals and the Islamic State group have in the past claimed responsibility for killing minorities and foreigners. In 2015, seven people, including four atheist bloggers and two foreigners, were killed in separate attacks.

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Recent data shows that 90 per cent of the population in Bangladesh is Muslim, 8 per cent are Hindus and 2 cent are of other minority religions.

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A church in Khamardih area in Raipur in Chhattisgarh was reportedly vandalised by unidentified miscreants, on Sunday.

According to ANI reports, some unidentified persons launched an attack at the church leaving at least 5 people injured after they tried to stop the miscreants from vandalising the complex.

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Confirming the attack, Chhattisgarh Christian Forum President Arun Pannalal told ANI, "Some people, apparently from Bajrang Dal outfit, came and entered the church. They soon started vandalising the building."

They were ripping off womens clothes & threw a 2-year-old boy on ground:Arun Pannalal on attack on church in Raipur pic.twitter.com/6aBX9fbZUa  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2016

Pannalal said around 40-50 people had gathered to pray in a house church in the town, when a mob of around 10-12 people, wearing saffron bandanas and shouting "Jai Shri Ram", barged in and started beating people up with sticks.

Even women and children were reportedly roughed up in the assault.

"The attackers were chanting 'Jai Shree Ram' and accused the members (apparently church priest) of converting people from different religions to Christians," Pannalal said.

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He also alleged that the men ripped off womens clothes and threw a two-year-old boy on the ground.

#SpotVisuals: A church in Khamardih area of Raipur (Chhattisgarh) vandalized by unidentified men, 5 injured pic.twitter.com/qu6K0p498m  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2016

This isn't the first time such an attack too place. It's the fourth attack on churchgoers in Chhattisgarh in the past five weeks.

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STRDEL via Getty Images Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley talk during an event to launch an initiative to bolster start-ups in New Delhi on January 16, 2016. Indian entrepreneurs will receive generous tax breaks and face dramatically reduced red tape when starting and closing a business, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said January 16, as he launched a pet initiative to bolster India's fast-growing startup scene. Speaking at a gathering of 2,000 entrepreneurs from India, Silicon Valley and elsewhere, Modi outlined a slew of measures under Start Up India including exempting startups from income tax for their first three years. AFP PHOTO / STR / AFP / STRDEL (Photo credit should read STRDEL/AFP/Getty Images)

In what comes as some great news to the salaried class, the much criticised plan to levy tax on 60% of employees' provident fund withdrawal may be withdrawn.

This government has decided to defer its plan following an intervention by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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According to reports, Finance minister Arun Jaitley is expected to announce the decision in Lok Sabha on Tuesday when Parliament reassembles.

PM Modi has reportedly requested Jaitley to put the tax proposal on hold, saying the matter needed to be studied in detail in view of protests from the salaried middle class. Modi reportedly told Jaitley to "explore ways to review" it.

In his 2016-17 budget, Jaitley had proposed that after April 1, 2016, 60 percent of the amount deposited in the EPF account of the employee will be taxable at the time of withdrawal, while 40 per cent will be tax free.

Earlier, the entire EPF deposit was tax-free at the time of withdrawal if the employee has completed five years of continuous service.

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PM Modi's intervention will bring relief to nearly 60 lakh EPF subscribers who earn more than 15,000 a month.

The announcement was met with much criticism and protest from the opposition, trade unions and even RSS affiliates. #RollbackEPF emerge as one of the most trending hashtags on Twitter a day after the Budget announcement.

Last Tuesday, the Finance Minister had at a meeting with the NDA lawmakers and explained the proposal. He had said that any decision on a reversal would be taken by the Prime Minister.

The government was considering two options - first a proposal to tax only the returns on withdrawal and second a possible rollback of the provision, reports NDTV.

While taxing the interest on the withdrawal would need only a clarification of intent in Parliament, a rollback may need an amendment which may be moved when the Budget comes for discussion in the Lok Sabha.

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CHENNAI -- The Madras High Court has made it clear that the national anthem should be sung in all private schools in Tamil Nadu during the morning assembly.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh gave the direction on a petition seeking that singing of national anthem be made mandatory in schools.

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The bench said, disposing a PIL by N Selvathirumal, an ex-service man, seeking a direction to authorities to make it mandatory for all private schools in the state to sing the national anthem during the assembly:

"Private schools must follow singing of national anthem as part of their curriculum."

The bench while recording the stand of the authorities including Union of India that national anthem ought to be sung, in its order directed Central and State Departments of Secondary Education and the Union Human Resources Department to make endeavours to verify weather national anthem was sung in all private schools in the state.

Selvathiurumal submitted that national anthem was not sung in various private schools in Tamil Nadu while it was sung in central Government Schools such as Kendriya Vidyalaya and all the state government schools daily during the morning assembly.

Also Read: How Twitter Lost It When Modi Walked On As The Indian National Anthem Played In Russia

A citizen should have adequate knowledge of the national anthem and the national flag, the petitioner submitted.

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"In pursuance to a RTI reply, I was informed that the Government of India has released an advisory for all the schools that the day's work may start with with community singing of the national anthem and adequate provisions should be made in the programmes for popularising the singing of the anthem and promoting respect for the national flag," he said.

The CBSE submitted that "a circular was issued to schools on 10 November, 2015, stating that the second descriptor out of the 10 principles entails singing of national anthem with decorum, where as the first one is to abide by constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and National Anthem in compliance of the direction given by the Hon'ble High Court of Calcutta on 22 September 2014. It is notified that the schools must strictly comply the orders", it said.

"We would expect that keeping in mind the mandate of the Constitution of India, the respect for the National Anthem and the National Flag, the circular issued by the CBSE and other authorities, singing of the national anthem would be taking place in various institutions", the bench said.

Also Read: This Version Of The Indian National Anthem Will Give You Goosebumps

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LUDHIANA-- 15-year-old Jhanvi Behal is no ordinary girl. She is an activist who was awarded for her contribution to 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' on Republic Day. She has made a documentary, Maa Mera Ki Kasoor, on female foeticide to spread awareness. She had also filed a writ in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against adult movies and porn content on social networking sites.

Jhanvi now wants to have an open debate with JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar

The teenage girl from Ludhiana has challenged the 29-year-old from Begusarai in Bihar. She has challenged him for an open debate on freedom of expression.

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Jhanvi thinks Kanhaiya was not right in criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "What Kanhaiya ji said about Prime Minister Modi wasn't appreciable at all. Instead of criticising the Prime Minister, he should have said something on those who raised anti-national slogans in the campus," Jhanvi told ANI.

Watch it here:

WATCH: 15-yr old student from Ludhiana, Jhanvi Behal challenges #KanhaiyaKumar for an open debate.https://t.co/QYegTs1zdk  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2016

The 15-year-old said that Prime Minister Modi has been working tirelessly for the nation's betterment and it is very easy to scorn at someone by sitting at home.

"I invite him for an open debate on what he said on Prime Minister Modi," she said.

Pointing out that the Prime Minister has been elected by the people of India, the 15-year-old stated that Kanhaiya with his critical remarks about the former is speaking against the people of the country who have elected him to the top post.

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"I would like to inform that I would have done the same had there been any other Prime Minister," she said.

"There have been reports of anti-India slogans being raised in JNU. I want to ask him as to why there is no check in the university, but on the contrary he is criticising Prime Minister Modi," she added.

What has happened in JNU campus in the name freedom of expression is not tolerable for any Indian. The students were raising anti-India slogans, when armymen were sacrificing their lives fighting against Pakistan sponsored terrorists," Jhanvi told Hindustan Times.

So, who is Jhanvi?

The 15-year-old has raised several public issues in the past, including the matter of road blockage of various organizations which she had taken to the court.

Back in 2014, she conducted a sting operation on tobacco and liquor stores in a bid to undercover the practice of selling cigarettes and other tobacco-based products to teenagers. Her operation even led to the filing of an FIR against some stores.

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A student of DAV Public School, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, Ludhiana, she considers Mother Teresa as her source of inspiration for working for the societys betterment.

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Hutchinson's Orscheln Farm store has become a Bomgaars location

The Hutchinson store was one of 73 the FTC said Tractor Supply could not own due to anti-trust concerns. Transition to new store could take 15 months.
Samsung Says It Is Not Buying Tidal [OFFICIAL]

Rumors have been swirling around Tidal in recent weeks, as the music streamer has struggled to recover from a string of high profile missteps. The most prominent story line was that Jay Z and company were in serious talks with Samsung about a sale.

__________________________________

"The rumor of Samsung acquiring Tidal is not true, a Samsung spokesperson has told Variety. The strong denial comes after weeks of strong rumors and a recent New York post report that the two companies were in serious talks.

An acquisition would have been a lifeline for an apparently struggling Tidal; and seem to make sense for Samsung, who has failed to find a successful music strategy despite multiple attempts.

Why Buy A Cow If You Can Get The Milk (Music) For Free?

Samsung has publicly admitted that it is again revamping its plans for a music; and on Friday sources pointed toward the company shuttering its 2 year old Pandora-like Milk Music service. A source told Variety that Milk's free component has gained some traction, but very few were willing to pay for Milks premium tier. Late last year, Samsung closed the accompanying Milk Video service.

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Trumpeter Richard Boulger of North Adams and 'Saturday Night Live' saxophonist Alex Foster will return to the Berkshires and provide free instrumental band clinics in Pittsfield Schools.

Drury Grad Trumpeter & 'SNL' Saxophonist Return to Berkshires

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Berkshires trumpeter Richard Boulger and "Saturday Night Live" saxophonist Alex Foster will return to the Berkshires to provide free instrumental band clinics in Pittsfield schools.

This week Foster, musical director of the Mingus Big Band, and saxophonist in the "SNL" house band will join Boulger, a North Adams native, recording artist, and protege of the late Freddie Hubbard and Donald Byrd, will make their way from New York City to run another series of free clinics.

Stearns Elementary, Reid and Herberg middle schools, and Pittsfield and Taconic high schools band students, as well as those from Wahconah Regional in Dalton, will be working with the clinicians.

"Our students are very excited for Richard Boulger's and Alex Foster's return," said Ronald Lively, longtime band director at PHS. "They know how much these clinics will help them develop as instrumentalists, and work on the skills of improvising, or, as Boulger describes, 'painting with sound.' "

The duo teamed up last year and provided similar clinics in music programs throughout Berkshire County. This round the clinicians will again offer tips to help improve students' instrumental technique, practice tips, along with tips on how to become better jazz improvisers.

Musical instrument manufacturer RS Berkeley Music sponsors these clinics. RS Berkeley's goal is to provide young students with instruments and improve music programs.

Also, RS Berkeley instruments will now be available for rental or purchase from Wood Bros. Music in the Allendale Shopping Center in Pittsfield.

PHS jazz band students have been test driving the RS Berkeley line of instruments by playing and reviewing them. Boulger said Lively was instrumental in spearheading the possibility of a local option for parents and students to rent instruments.

The clinics take place March 9 and March 10.

There will also be a jam session Wednesday, March 9, at the Rainbow Restaurant at 7:30 p.m. Foster and Boulger will sit in with Fran Tokarz's Gruppo Mondo.
Four More Shots Please S3 Review: This Old Wine In New Bottle Doesn't Get You Drunk As Easily Anymore
Orange County Man Arrested on Federal Charges of Shooting Laser Pointer at Orange County Sheriffs Department Helicopter

Santa Ana, California - A Santa Ana man was arrested Thursday morning on federal charges of intentionally aiming a laser pointer at a law enforcement helicopter.

Mario Deleon Lopez, 35, was taken into custody without incident by special agents with the FBI, and he is expected to be arraigned in United States District Court in Santa Ana.

Lopez was named in an indictment returned on February 24 by a federal grand jury. The indictment alleges one count of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, a felony offense that carries a penalty of up to five years in federal prison.

On the evening of November 14, 2015, tactical flight deputies with the Orange County Sheriffs Department were patrolling over Santa Ana when their helicopter was struck with the beam of a laser, according to investigators. The pilots reported that their aircraft was struck multiple times with a green laser that illuminated the helicopters cockpit.

Following the alleged laser attacks, the deputies, along with the Santa Ana Police Department, successfully tracked the source of the laser to a suspect located in the backyard of a residence in Santa Ana. Police on the ground responded to the residence and took Lopez into custody on state charges of pointing a laser at an aircraft. Lopez subsequently posted bail and was released from local custody while the federal investigation continued and culminated with the filing of the indictment.

The conduct charged in this indictment placed both the Sheriffs Deputies and innocent bystanders on the ground in danger, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. Had the pilot lost control of the helicopter, lives could have been lost. Consequently, we take these cases very seriously and will continue to prosecute those who commit this crime.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

This investigation into Lopez was conducted by the Orange County Sheriffs Department, the Santa Ana Police Department and the FBI.

Reports of laser attacks have increased dramatically in recent years as laser devices have become more affordable and widely available to the public. In addition, technology has improved the effectiveness of laser devices, with a resulting increase in the potential safety hazards for pilots operating aircraft, as well as their passengers and crew. Such safety hazards include temporary distraction and impaired vision, which is particularly dangerous during the critical takeoff and landing phases of flight. California consistently leads the nation in reports of laser attacks.
San Francisco Resident Pleads Guilty To Straw Hat Bandit Bank Robberies

San Francisco, California - Richard Laurence Stewart pleaded guilty today to robbing four San Francisco banks announced Acting United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson. As part of the plea agreement, Stewart acknowledged his role in committing a string of additional bank robberies throughout San Francisco.

Stewart, 52, of San Francisco, was indicted on October 27, 2015, and charged with four counts of bank robbery or attempted bank robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2113(a).

According to todays plea agreement, Stewart admitted robbing San Francisco banks on May 12, 2015; May 13, 2015; October 14, 2015; and October 16, 2015. The agreement also describes Stewarts robberies of an additional eight banks in San Francisco from October 27, 2014, through February 27, 2015.

According to papers filed by the government, the FBI was investigating the bank robberies of the so-called Straw Hat Bandit since October of 2014. The government documents describe the FBIs investigation of the person who wore a number of different disguises during bank robberies. The disguises included glasses, hats, a black curly wig, a fake beard and mustache, and a single surgical glove. According to these documents, Stewart eventually was identified as the bandit after a witness saw him leaving the scene of one of the robberies in a taxicab. Stewart was arrested on October 18, 2015, after authorities linked him to the taxicab request.

Stewart faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and $250,000 on each of the bank robbery counts. Further, additional terms of supervised release, penalties, and restitution may be ordered upon conviction. However, any sentence following this conviction will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C.  3553. Sentencing is scheduled to take place before the Honorable William Alsup on June 14, 2016.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shailika Kotiya with the assistance of Patricia Mahoney. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the San Francisco Police Department.
Men's Health: Erectile Dysfunction Can Indicate Other Health Concerns

Scottsdale, Arizona - Erectile dysfunction is very common for men yet many do not seek treatment with their health care provider. Mayo Clinic urologist and men's sexual health specialist Dr. Landon Trost says he understands it can be uncomfortable for men to discuss erectile dysfunction or impotence; however, it can mean there are other underlying issues.

Dr. Trost says, "It's often said the penis is the barometer of your overall health. When we see dysfunction in the penis, it often precedes dysfunction in the heart, kidney or in the brain. Sometimes, it can precede five to 10 years before we see heart attack or stroke."

"Most men make dramatic changes after their first heart attack," says Dr. Trost. "We should push that back to when they start to notice erectile dysfunction because if they make these changes early, it can greatly elongate the time before issues arise. It can be an early warning."

Erectile dysfunction can be split into two types: medical conditions such as diabetes or hormonal disorders, and psychological issues which include changes in relationship status, anxiety levels or perhaps state of adrenaline. Dr. Trost says depression can also be a factor if men begin to experience low sexual desire or lack of desire.

When treating erectile dysfunction, Dr. Trost says he likes to use a step approach by starting with what's reversible such as a change in medication, and then move to behavioral modification. He says, "Exercise has a direct impact on your erectile dysfunction." After that, prescription medications, injections, prosthetics and surgery may be in order.

The bottom line? "Don't be embarrassed," adds Dr. Trost. "Talk to your health care provider, and make discussing erectile dysfunction the main goal or your appointment."
How Do Energy Policies and Climate Change Affect Air Quality and Our Health?

Baltimore, Maryland - A new interdisciplinary science team, led by experts from Yale and Johns Hopkins universities and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will try to figure how power generation trends, climate change and public policy interact to affect air quality. A key goal of this project is to trace how the resulting changes in air pollution may affect the health of people who live and work in the mid-Atlantic area.

To help unravel this environmental puzzle, the EPA has awarded a five-year $10-million grant to establish a new SEARCH Center. (SEARCH is short for Solutions for Energy, AiR, Climate and Health.) This center, based at Yale and co-led by Johns Hopkins, includes prominent researchers from Johns Hopkins and eight other institutions.

Michelle Bell, the Mary E. Pinchot Professor of Environmental Health at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, is director of the new center. Bell earned two advanced degrees at Johns Hopkins: a PhD in environmental engineering in 2002 and a masters in environmental management and economics in 1999. She also held a postdoctoral faculty position in 2003 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The SEARCH center is designed to have a high level of interdisciplinary collaboration, Bell said. Our research will link policies and research questions that historically have been largely studied separately. Our overall aim is to provide scientific evidence that can inform more effective decision-making to improve public health.

She added, The more scientific evidence we can give of the consequences, especially for health but also other consequences, of different energy scenarios and policy scenarios, the more informed our decisions can be.

The centers co-director is Benjamin Hobbs, who directs the Environment, Energy, Sustainability and Health Institute (ESHI) at Johns Hopkins. This institute, launched in 2010, draws on faculty expertise in environmental science and engineering, public health and other areas, to promote research and education in topics ranging from green energy practices to climate change and related health issues.

About $3 million of the new EPA grant will be channeled through ESHI to support Johns Hopkins interdisciplinary contribution to the research effort, Hobbs said, making this the institutes most ambitious endeavor since its launch. This is huge for ESHI, he said. The institute was created to get involved in major projects like this one.

With help from ESHI-affiliated researchers, the new EPA center will explore how different energy policy scenarios could affect public health in a particular region. For example, if market conditions or governments regulations cause a power generation plant or a large number of motorists to switch to fuels that emits fewer pollutants, how would that impact the health of nearby people with respiratory ailments? If, at the same time, climate change leads to higher temperatures and therefore more use of air conditioning and more power consumption, how would that increase the risk of smog episodes?

One way the center plans to gather data for this research is by developing and deploying air pollution sensorsincluding ones that individuals can wearto measure real-world air pollution throughout Baltimore.

The quality of Baltimores air is profoundly affected by the ways we use energy for our buildings, transportation, industry and electricity, said Hobbs, Since our country is in the middle of huge changes in how we use energy, so too will the sources and effects of air pollutants change.

To understand the impact of these changes and then advise policy makers on how to address them, the new center requires the expertise of researchers from a diverse range of fields, including public health, sensor development, biostatistics, climate science and energy use projections. The goal is to produce the most accurate predictions about which developments are likely to increase or curb air pollution, and how soon and what kind of corrective action may be needed.

Hobbs said the interdisciplinary team will work closely with state, local and federal officials so that the centers findings will have an impact beyond publication in scholarly journals. There will be a serious effort, he said, to inform and advise policy-makers who are involved in these important issues.

In addition to co-directing the new EPA center and directing ESHI, Hobbs is the Schad Professor of Environmental Management in Johns Hopkins Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, based within the universitys Whiting School of Engineering.

Other Johns Hopkins researchers who will participate in the EPA centers project are from the Whiting School, the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. They are Kirsten A. Koehler, an assistant professor of environmental health engineering; J. Hugh Ellis, a professor of geography and environmental engineering; Howard E. Katz, a professor of materials science and engineering; Benjamin Zaitchik, an assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences; Roger Peng, an associate professor of biostatistics; and Frank Curriero, an associate professor of epidemiology.

Over the last 30 years, it was at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health that much of the path-breaking research was done on how air pollution can sicken people and lead to early deaths, Hobbs said. This research has directly led to tighter pollution rules that have measurably improved our air quality and health. The Environmental Protection Agency wants to continue that progress, and Im proud that Johns Hopkins, Yale, and other universities will be working together in this new center to help improve the environment for all of us.
Watch: Owner Instructs White Lion to Roar, Here's What Happened Next
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As the nations prime venue for applied arts, the V&A has a licence to thrill. Just as no one bats an eyelid to find rock-star memorabilia or catwalk creations in its rooms, so few visitors will bother much that Botticelli Reimagined opens with James Bond. Or rather, with Sean Connery as he wakes on a Caribbean beach to find Ursula Andress in a state of undress, emerging from the sea in Terence Youngs film of Dr No. Its a witty and knowing allusion to the Florentine painters The Birth of Venus, then  in 1962  on the brink of yet another round of recreation across media from fashion and photography to film.

Only then does the real shock begin. In the shows first section proper (entitled Global, Modern, Contemporary), the museum has assembled perhaps the grossest heap of kitsch and dross ever to litter its eclectic exhibition halls. From the soft-porn fantasia of David La Chapelles Rebirth of Venus to Dolce & Gabbanas hideous Botticelli-in-fragments dress (from their 1993 collection), from Andy Warhols zombified mimicry of the goddess to Yin Xins vapid Chinese-featured Venus after Botticelli: we tumble from one circle of art hell to another.

The curators Mark Evans and Ana Debenedetti have consciously chosen to run their show backwards. So Sandro Botticellis recent afterlife of schlock-horror comes first. Then we encounter his 19th-century worshippers and imitators, and only then see some wonderful works from the main man  and his studio  himself. Its the nature of that afterlife that turns the stomach. Debenedetti assures us that every single work presented here has to be meaningful: we didnt just want quotations and pastiches of Botticelli. Meaningful, perhaps  but still nasty.

Cue some familiar curatorial mood-music about postmodern appropriation and the migration of iconic images through hi-tech media, fashion trends, feminist art theory, and so on. Yes, we know this old song. Still, a few works in this little shop of post-Botticelli horrors do strike home. Cindy Sherman has a typically sardonic but deeply artful photographic take on the painters feminine ideal. The Brazilian artist Vik Munizs version of Venus arises from a shore strewn with the graceless waste and clutter of modernity. Thats apt enough. Overall, the sheer ugliness of this rooms smug revenge on Renaissance beauty injures the eye and numbs the mind. Look out, though, for designer Elsa Schiaparellis 1938 evening gowns, elegantly enhanced by motifs from Botticellis Pallas and the Centaur (whom we will meet later). But then Schiaparelli was an artist in textiles, not a runway exhibitionist with a high-street chain and media toadies.

In the space devoted to Botticellis 19th-century rediscovery, things improve  if not always by much. As a vogue for Quattrocento art spread, those symbolic paintings of wistful lovelies in myth-laden landscapes proved a sometimes fatal attraction for artists torn between high thinking and base passion. From the 1820s, the winds of taste began to blow these works back into the European mainstream. In 1848, Ingres painted one of the Florentines frescoes on the wall in the background of his Nomination of a Prefect of Rome in the Sistine Chapel. A little later, with the Pre-Raphaelites in England, Botticelli fever breaks out in earnest.

Portrait of a Lady known as Smeralda Bandinell (Richard Davis/Victoria and Albert Museum London)

From Dante Gabriel Rossettis flame-maned beauties to William Morriss tapestry of nymphs in an orchard and Walter Cranes sultry The Renaissance of Venus, these florid tribute acts pant and yearn with all the semi-sublimated sensuality of Victorian bohemia. The tortured eroticism speaks (or rather sighs) for itself. But pay attention to the cash flow too. In 1868, Rossetti paid 20 for Botticellis Portrait of a Lady Known as Smeralda Brandini (she turns up in this show). He sold it for 320, but flogged one of his own works to the same patron for 735. By 1899, however, Isabella Stewart Gardner of Boston had bought the so-called Chigi Madonna (also at the V&A) for the vast sum of $70,000. The price tags had begun to match the cult.

For the Pre-Raphs and other Victorians, Botticellis Primavera (his enigmatic allegory of spring) exerted the same grip on the imagination as The Birth of Venus did on post-1960s disciples. The pioneering Hamburg-born art scholar Aby Warburg made that pair of works the subject of his thesis in 1893. He inaugurated a century of erudite, even fanciful, interpretations of Botticellis mythology and iconography. True, some of the esoteric readings that saw the painter as an initiate and champion of a mystical neo-Platonic sect teetered on the edge of sanity. But through Medici court patronage, the artist did have links with the philosophers  such as Marsilio Ficino  who sought to reconcile paganism with Christianity. We find few traces of that network here. With its focus on the descent of technique and imagery from the 15th century to the present, the V&A show dumbs Botticelli down a bit. You need not credit the crackpot theories to detect a thinker as well as a draughtsman at work here.

Rebirth of Venus 2009 by David LaChapelle

Not that most visitors will mind once they get to the Botticelli in His Own Time section, and plunge into the works themselves. For instance, Botticellis Virgin and Child with Two Angels, from Vienna, proclaims a sharper, cooler  more modern  sensibility than you find in his 19th-century epigones. The National Gallerys own Mystic Nativity has angels who might have strayed from Venuss boudoir hovering in a ring above the holy family in their stable. Profane beauty and sacred truth in neo-Platonic harmony? The Birth of Venus and the Primavera dont ever travel from the Uffizi in Florence, but the magnificent Pallas and the Centaur has. As the wisdom-goddess ruffles the hybrid beasties mane, does reason subdue passion? Mysteries linger. So does a sense of this artists restless versatility. It ought to modify the stereotype of those dreamy, wispy lasses barely clad in diaphanous floaty numbers. His Pentecost, for one, has a muscular, frame-bursting swagger. It feels almost baroque in its theatricality.

Quite a few pieces here come from his workshop, with the bosss own hand in them still a matter of dispute. This Botticelli factory tried out themes and treatments with a hard-headed practicality. Forget any romantic notions about Botticellis supposed muse, Simonetta Vespucci. Here, she becomes the pretext for a group of portraits that morphs her angelic face and labyrinthine hair into a set of experimental variations. We also meet two full-size studio prototypes for the goddess in The Birth of Venus. Talk about letting daylight in on magic.

Warhol and his multiples come to mind: just as the curators intended. At the V&A, the afterlife contaminates the life. The artists kitsch offspring, with their hi-tech manipulations of an icon, reach back five centuries to deconsecrate the Botticelli shrine. We come to see the past through the eyes of the present. Those eyes reveal an artist more innovative, more resourceful, but less metaphysical, than Rossetti, Ruskin or Pater ever suspected. In this display, craft trumps soul.

You suspect that, at the V&A, design counts as the one true divinity. All the same, this part of the show does nod towards the intellectual and philosophical Botticelli. We see a book by the poet-translator Angelo Poliziano, one of the scholars at the Medici court whose work nourished the imagination of the artist. Above all, the V&A boasts five of his glorious brown ink-on-vellum illustrations of Dantes Divine Comedy, probably commissioned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici in the 1480s. After marvelling at the grandeur of their vision and the tenderness of their execution, visitors should head straight across London to Somerset House. There, at the Courtauld Gallery and quite unnoticed in the V&As publicity material, 30 more of Botticellis Dante drawings are on show. They star in a selection from the 10th Duke of Hamiltons fabled collection  bought by Berlins graphic-art museum in a famous coup in 1882.

The Dante drawings really are divine. Using the simplest of means, Botticelli leads us from the Inferno through Purgatory to Paradise. The artist dramatises, and humanises, the pains of hell or the joys of heaven with swift, subtle, even comic touches. The demon who rows Dante and his guide Virgil across the Styx turns to us with a merry smile. You next, mate! In Purgatory, vainglorious artists have to expiate their narcissism by bearing huge boulders up a hill. YBAs, take note. Does one of them have the artists own features? Some think so. And in Paradise, Dantes beloved muse Beatrice gently smiles at the poet. Here the spine tingles. This Beatrice almost has the face of Venus from the Primavera. At the Courtauld, pure bliss beckons. Anyone who has waded through the purgatorial garbage that defaces Botticelli at the V&A deserves it.

Botticelli Reimagined continues at the Victoria & Albert Museum until 3 July; vam.ac.uk/botticelli. Botticelli and Treasures from the Hamilton Collection is at the Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, London WC2 until 15 May; courtauld.ac.uk
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It looks for all the world like the results of an environmental disaster  but Emily Garthwaite has captured anything but.

When the 22-year-old travelled to Romania last August, she was convinced to visit the salt flats of Turda in the north-west of the country by a man who offered to show her the "real" country.

The sludge is a by-product of salt-mining techniques once employed in the town (Emily Garthwaite)

And so the Londoner came upon a community that bathes in mud. Elderly residents daily immerse themselves in the sludge (a by-product of salt-mining techniques once employed in the town), which is said to have rejuvenating qualities.

But reinvigorating the body is not its only benefit. "When Communism ended in Turda, they didn't have any bars or clubs or theatres," explains Garthwaite. "They had nothing that gave them a sense of community. That's what these baths offered"  the chance, that is, to catch up on gossip.

Garthwaite's favourite subject was a woman who insisted on getting naked. "She was committed to getting her boobs out and saying, 'Look how good they look at 80.' I kept coming back for two weeks and every day she'd be determined to get me to photograph her."

'You don't notice any of the lumps and bumps on them because they just rock it,' says Garthwaite. 'I think there's a real understanding of their bodies, which you only get with age.' (Emily Garthwaite)

Garthwaite, who admits she was often the youngest person at the salt flats by 25 years, got her hands dirty, too, dancing with people in the mud. "I nearly fell in once because they were so excited to get me involved. The mud was boiling."

It is interesting to note that no one looks self-conscious about their shape. "You don't notice any of the lumps and bumps on them because they just rock it," says Garthwaite. "I think there's a real understanding of their bodies, which you only get with age."

For more: emilygarthwaite.com
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At last Sundays Oscars, on a night when Spotlight upset the odds to win Best Picture, another films victory was a foregone conclusion: in the best Foreign Language Film category, the triumph of Laszlo Nemes haunting Holocaust drama Son of Saul had seemed inevitable ever since last May, when it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Grand Prix du Jury.

But while the grave subject of the film may make it archetypal awards season fare, it would be wrong to dismiss Nemes debut as Oscar bait.

Unlike many Holocaust dramas, it is not merely reverential, but a shocking tour-de-force, fantastically shot on 35mm by Matyas Erdely, whose camera barely strays from the face of Geza Rohrig, delivering a mesmerising, near wordless turn as Saul, a member of the Sonderkommando, the group of mostly Jewish prisoners who assisted with the Final Solution.

Nemes delivers one of the most realistic depictions of a concentration camp ever committed to celluloid; as the audience is given glimpses of the horrors going on as Saul goes about his day, the industrial sound of machines chugging away provides a foreboding soundtrack to the horror. Life is Beautiful, this is not.

It is all the more powerful for focusing on one of the least talked about, but most horrific aspects of the camps.

The Sonderkommando lead their fellow inmates to the gas chambers, taking jewellery from the corpses and burning the bodies.

On the day we meet Saul Auslander, he witnesses a boy being killed and his moral compass points him to confront the authorities, not with guns, but a small act of defiance.

Saul decides that he must give the dead boy a traditional Jewish burial, where the corpse is watched over by a shomer, or watchman, before the body is quickly buried in the ground to the recital of scriptures and psalms, and the ceremony is finished off with a reading of the Kaddish prayer, conducted by a Rabbi.

This is a story about trying to do the right thing and following your conscience, no matter what the circumstances.

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Rohrig is a non-professional actor, and Saul was a role he was uniquely qualified for: since 2001, he has been a shomer at New Yorks Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

Nemes met him on a trip to America, at the apartment of a mutual friend. I felt that it was destiny that this movie fell into my hands, says Rohrig. A professional actor cannot afford to give back a role, because he is building a career. I am not a professional actor. But, if I knew someone else, who in my mind could do a better job as Saul, I would have stepped back. I wasnt worried about letting the director down. I actually felt, that its me.

Indeed, Rohrig was initially offered a role as a friend of Saul. Deciding the part was not for him, he quit the production, only to be called back again after two weeks by the director, when they couldnt agree a fee with the original actor cast for the part.

Geza Rohrig in a scene from Son of Saul (AP)

In this period, Rohrig read Gidon Graifs book, We Wept Without Tears: Testimonies From the Jewish Sonderkommando from Auschwitz, first published in Hebrew in 1999. I kind of learnt it by heart, he says.

Upon Rohrigs return to the Hungarian set from New York, he was asked to do some improvisation. They said tell me a day of yours, your routine. I described a day of mine, a 12 hour shift from 6am, all of a sudden I noticed that everyone was crying, that afternoon, they offered me the role. They kind of knew  I made a living with this subject matter.

The shoot was a tough one for Rohrig, but toughest of all for the extras, as he reveals to me. Oftentimes, we worked over time, the people who were naked and playing the corpses, most of them were homeless, he says.

There were hundreds of homeless, it was August, the sun was coming down, it was as hot as it can be, there were plenty of mosquitoes and these people have to lie on each other motionless, for a dollar a day. Nothing.

Films to watch in 2016 Show all 30 1 /30 Films to watch in 2016 Films to watch in 2016 Hail, Caesar - 5 February The Coen brothers' latest film might be their most ambitious yet. Telling the story of a Hollywood fixer struggling to keep A-listers in line, it has a movie within a movie, an amazing cast, and, judging by the first trailer, some luxurious visuals Films to watch in 2016 Deadpool - 12 February Comic book superhero movies have been getting slowly more self-referential and self-parodic lately, and Deadpool looks to be taking itself even less seriously than Guardians of the Galaxy or Ant-Man. It looks as though fans will finally be getting the comic book-faithful, foul-mouthed version of the character they wanted, but it remains to be seen whether Deadpool will actually be funny, or just descend into toilet humour Films to watch in 2016 Zoolander No. 2 - 12 February Zoolander's return was derailed somewhat by backlash over a trans/gender fluid character played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The long-awaited sequel will no doubt do well at the box office, but I'm not sure if the fashion industry is as fertile for satire now as it was in 2001, and the trailer relies too heavily on honouring old gags rather than creating new ones Films to watch in 2016 Knight of Cups - 4 March A new film from Terrence Malick should have been a huge cause for celebration, but Knight of Cups has been swimming in post-Cannes purgatory for months now. In March it will finally get a theatrical release. Starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Natalie Portman, it sees a man return home from New York and get sucked into the hollow hedonism of LA, fighting to extricate himself from it Films to watch in 2016 Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - 4 March Based on journalist Kim Barkers 2011 memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, this dark comedy sees Tina Fey play a foreign correspondent reporting in the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom, where she develops a weird relationship with a fellow journalist played by Martin Freeman Films to watch in 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - 18 March The wind seems to have gone out of the sails of the Man of Steel series in spite of the addition of a new Batman, and there's a more palpable anticipation for Suicide Squad (which arrives later in the year) Films to watch in 2016 Everybody Wants Some - 15 April Coming off the back of multi-Oscar winner Boyhood, this Richard Linklater film looks a lot like Dazed and Confused if it was set in the 80s, albeit pitched more towards comedy Films to watch in 2016 The Jungle Book - 15 April Disney is trampling on its own hallowed ground with this live action remake. Elf and Iron Man director Jon Favreau is a fairly safe pair of hands though, and Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Esposito and Bill Murray are all on board Films to watch in 2016 Money Monster - 13 May 'Financial TV personality Lee Gates, who offers up stock advice on his hit show "Money Monster," is held hostage by a viewer, Kyle Budwell, who lost all of his money following a bad tip from Lee during his show' Films to watch in 2016 Snowden - 13 May Platoon director Oliver Stone takes on a very important and timely story. But can he make it entertaining the way The Big Short did with the financial crisis? Films to watch in 2016 X-Men Apocalypse - 27 May 2016 will see a ninth X-Men film. Ninth. Every cast member you would expect will be back to collect their paychecks, which might require a crane Films to watch in 2016 Finding Dory - 17 June The Finding Nemo sequel will focus on Ellen DeGeneres' forgetful blue tang fish. It's expected to have an anti-SeaWorld message, which should make it strike a chord with parents as well as children Films to watch in 2016 Independence Day: Resurgence - 24 June Will Smith isn't in it. Moving on Films to watch in 2016 The BFG - 1 July There's still a lot of love for Roald Dahl's stories, and this one is being adapted by none other than Steven Spielberg. There hasn't been a huge amount of buzz around it but it's early days, and Mark Rylance is an interesting casting for the titular Big Friendly Giant Films to watch in 2016 La La Land - 15 July There's a lot of expectation on director Damien Chazelle's shoulders following the success of Whiplash, one of the smallest films ever to have been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. La La Land will certainly be different, a musical comedy-drama about a young pianist and an actor played by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone respectively Films to watch in 2016 Ghostbusters - 15 July This is something of a question mark. 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Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Jason Sudeikis form a strong cast, but there are no trailers to go on yet Films to watch in 2016 The Girl on the Train - 7 October That book everyone was reading on the commute inevitably makes it cinemas in October, with Emily Blunt playing Rachel Watson, an alcoholic whose husband left her for his mistress, and who witnesses a murder and starts to realize that she may have been involved in the crime Films to watch in 2016 Doctor Strange - 4 November Doctor Strange might not have been the most obvious character to take to the big screen, but by this point Marvel could make $1billion at the box office from a comic an exec once scrawled on a piece of toilet paper Films to watch in 2016 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - 18 November J.K. Rowling makes her screenwriting debut adapting her own book here, with a film that takes place in the Harry Potter universe but is well removed from Hogwarts Films to watch in 2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - 16 December Disney is releasing a Star Wars movie every year between now and 2020. This first standalone 'anthology' film centres on a Death Star heist, but may prove to just be filler while Star Wars 8 is in production Films to watch in 2016 Passengers - 21 December 'A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers. As a result, a single passenger is awakened 60 years early. Faced with the prospect of growing old and dying alone, he eventually decides to wake up a second passenger' Films to watch in 2016 Jumanji - 25 December Is nothing sacred? 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Paying homeless people a dollar a day  is that true, I ask Nemes and the films co-writer Clara Royer? Who said that? they respond in unison. Rohrig, I reply. Oops, says Laszlo. We didnt end up with a lot of homeless people, he continues. We had special trained people for the corpses and things like that, not homeless people. There were a few homeless people [among the extras]. In Hungary, if you want to make a film, you have to give money  its not for free.

For his part, Rohrig claims the homeless extras experience was a positive one. So it was extremely moving to me and others, so still today, I had messages from some of these homeless, old ladies, Geza, congratulations, I cant wait to see the movie. And they are on the computer of the homeless shelter, and waiting in line, and they go on the Facebook, the page of the movie, so when I say its a team effort, I really mean it, he says.

It wasnt just his profession that pointed to him being a perfect Saul; Rohrigs extraordinary life story has been orientated by the history of the Holocaust.

Born in Hungary in 1967, he was orphaned at the age of 4. He spent eight years in an orphanage before being adopted by a Jewish family. My [adoptive] grandfather was in a Budapest ghetto. He had a car accident in the 1940s before the occupation  he lost one of his legs.

"So, when the Nazis came, they left him there: what are they going to do with a one legged man? He lost his first wife, his sibling, and his parents. I had a close relationship with him. Even though I wasnt there, I know that my name was his last word, he said Geza when he died. That always stays with me. Somehow, it felt more like a previous life of mine.

In high school, Rohrig refused to join the youth section of the communist party in Hungary. When he applied for university, he was told that he couldnt be accepted, unless he was a member of the youth section, and so decided to move to Poland and study in Krakow.

At first he resisted going to Auschwitz, which is about 40 minutes away. In 1986, just before he had to return to Budapest, he finally went.

It was still in Soviet hands, it was largely untouched, it wasnt the tourist attraction at the time, he says. It was a snowy, December day. I ended up spending a month there. Rohrig has written two books on the Holocaust, as well as a poetry collection featuring fictional portrayals of victims organised by their tattoo numbers. So Laszlo, when he thought of me playing the role, he knew that I had an intense relationship with the subject.

Now 48, Rohrig has four children with his second wife. While filming he tried to live as much in 1945 as possible, even demanding music be turned off; and as a practicing Jew, he refused to work on Saturdays.

He was happy that he didnt have too much dialogue in the film, he says, because, one of the things that I dont like about myself is my voice. When I speak, even now, in my mind, this is not a good voice.

Its true that his vocal chords operate at a high octave, but its his screen presence and dedication to the cause that make the biggest impression.I went to bed with this movie, I woke up with this movie. I lost a lot of weight, he says. I was by myself, without my family. The single purpose of mine during these 40 days was this movie.

Son of Saul is released on 29 April
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Thanks to the Sony email hack, we got word that talks were being held over a Jump Street/Men in Black crossover. Then, in April last year, the studio confirmed discussions were being held with 21 and 22 Jump street directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller.

The project may seem like a ridiculous adventure that will never make it to the big screen, but now it appears the film is actually going forward as The Muppets James Bobbin is confirmed to be in early talks to direct.

Not much else is known except Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill have been involved since the initial talks so will be back as Jenko and Schmidt.

However, Men and Black wise Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones will likely not return to the series, with younger replacements expected to take their place.

Meanwhile, Rodney Rotham, who wrote 22 Jump Street, has finished the script which Sony is pushing forward.

As pointed out by Empire, Lord and Miller will likely not be back for the project as they are working on the as-yet untitled Han Solo spin-of film.

At the time of the initial reports, an all-female spin-off was said to also be in the works, poking fun at the Ghostbusters reboot. Of course, the Jump Street/Men in Black crossover is just one big joke at the expense of the recent spate of Superhero team-ups currently on-going, including both Captain America: Civil War and Batman v Superman.


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If you only listen to one album named after a book by the radical French psychiatrist Felix Guattari this year, make it Primal Screams Chaosmosis.

Bobby Gillespie, the bands indefatigable leader, may once have been known as one of rocknrolls great hedonists but these days, at 53 and almost eight years sober, hes never happier than when discussing critical theory.

When I meet him for lunch in north-west London, he tells me he actually lifted the portmanteau from the Italian Marxist theorist Franco Bifo Berardis 2015 book Heroes, which references Guattaris work, who uses it to explain how we each absorb the mass of disconnected information the contemporary world throws at us.

Recommended Read more Primal Scream guitarist and founding member dies

Its impossible to decipher all the information thats coming at you in modern life, he says. As an artist the only way of making any sense of it is to try to make an artwork, something that can be used to inspire yourself and other people in the face of this onslaught of negativity. We can apply that to what were doing. Ive always said that our music is like a shield and a sword.

Primal Scream have long been known as rabble-rousers, with Gillespie a frontman never shy to offer a political opinion. The son of a Marxist trade unionist, also called Bob, he says today he thinks Jeremy Corbyn is a good guy hed be happy to vote for, although he is doubtful about his ability to enact real change.

I dont think decency and fairness get you anywhere when it comes to politics, because I think youre involved in a war, a class war. The system is so much bigger. But on first listen, this eleventh album seems like a departure. Lyrically, its a more intimate record than the provocative agit-rock of 2013s More Light, on which Gillespie sang: Thatchers children make the millions pay how long will this shit last?

Musicians and Actors on Growing Old Disgracefully Show all 5 1 /5 Musicians and Actors on Growing Old Disgracefully Musicians and Actors on Growing Old Disgracefully Lemmy The Motorhead frontman recently revealed his excessive lifestyle - rumoured to involve drinking a bottle of whisky a day - had to be scaled back after he started being unable to stand up during a recent show. Getty Images Musicians and Actors on Growing Old Disgracefully Willie-Nelson 82-year-old Nelson says he started smoking cigarettes when he was just six, and that his love affair with marijuana was the smoothest of all his marriages. He even has his own brand of marijuana called 'Willies Reserve'. Getty Musicians and Actors on Growing Old Disgracefully Shane-MacGowan The Pogues singer was kicked out the band in the nineties for his excessive drinking, and was given just six weeks to live, and is still partial to a G&T after a doctor suggested he stick to clear liquids. Getty Musicians and Actors on Growing Old Disgracefully Keith-Richards The Rolling Stone guitarist is still a fan of marijuana. "I smoke regularly, an early morning joint. Strictly Californian, he told Mojo. Getty Images Musicians and Actors on Growing Old Disgracefully Jack-Nicholson The legendary actor knows his limits, even if they are extreme. Ive woken up in trees, Ive woken up almost hanging off cliffs, but Ive always known how to sort myself out. Getty Images

However, when I mention this, Gillespie points out that Primal Scream have always sought to balance the political with the deeply personal  as on 2000s aggressive, punk-ish XTRMNTR.

Everyone thinks that its a political record because we had a song called Swastika Eyes on there, he says. Really, we were writing about the effects of the drug culture on myself and my friends. We were all neutralising ourselves.

"At the beginning of the 90s that guy was gonna be a writer, this guy was making films, this guy was gonna be guitar player. What happened by the end of the 90s? They all had heavy addictions. We were buying into the idea of taking drugs as rebellion, when really we were suckers who bought a gimmick.

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He catches himself and laughs: Of course, Im not anti-people doing drugs. It was great!. However he does believe that recreational drug use may inadvertently help to prop up the status quo.

We discuss the FBIs Operation COINTELPRO, which flooded American ghettos with heroin in the late 60s to counteract Black radicalism. It sounds like conspiracy, he says, but Im sure at a certain level its tolerated, especially when you get huge unemployment. They know now theres going to be long-term joblessness due to deindustrialisation and outsourcing. Maybe its kind of tolerated to keep the population passive.

He describes the new record as ecstatic, depressive realism. Im laughing when I say that but Im serious as well, he says. Tracks like 100% or Nothing are ecstatic, but the lyrics are depressive realist. Theres humour in lyrics like: The anti-depressants dont anti-depress.

The album filters these harsh truths through streamlined, modern pop; there are collaborations with young stars Sky Ferreira and Haim. I tell him the method reminds me of a line written by another Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci, that: The challenge of modernity is to live without illusion without becoming disillusioned.

Gramsci writing about the future sounds like punk rock: destroy, destroy, destroy, agrees Gillespie. My friend Douglas Hart, who directed the video for our new single Where The Light Gets In, was saying that Gramsci argued there wont be a revolution unless the working class have their own culture, and it is their culture.

Which brings us on to the state of rock music: much has been made of its takeover by the middle and upper classes in the last decade, and its been argued that this has contributed to it becoming politically defanged. However, when I put this to Gillespie he argues for a more nuanced view.

I think the working class can be apolitical as well, he argues. I dont actually think its a class thing. I dont think a band like Happy Mondays were raving lefties. People like Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin and the early anarchists were aristocrats. I think maybe rock just has nothing to say. Its been so absorbed culturally into the system. Its an old form thats past it.

Gillespie and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Innes, who have been collaborating in Primal Scream since 1986, wrote most of this new record using synthesisers and downloaded virtual keyboards.

I ask if he thinks the traditional garage band format has been played out. Yeah. I really do, he says. I love high-energy, balls-to-the-wall rocknroll, Its so much a part of me and so much a part of Andrew and our whole aesthetic, but I want to do other things. I want to make music thats more layered and with a sense of otherness.

In their earlier years, Primal Scream benefitted from the bankrolling of old schoolfriend Alan McGees Creation Records. However Gillespie believes record labels present-day conservatism means were unlikely to again witness the commercial peaks that alternative bands reached in the Nineties.

Pulp, Suede, Blur, Oasis and the millions of bands who came after them were all getting in the fucking charts. Ocean Colour Scene sold a million albums. Thats gone. How many alternative bands get in the charts now? They play Shepherds Bush Empire if theyre lucky.

"Nobodys coming through from the underground and breaking through to the mainstream. Why is that? Is it because were living in such conservative times that people dont want anything thats even slightly weird or strange? Its part of the neoliberal capitalist thing.

Primal Scream in their early days (Alastair Indge)

"Its about keeping the shareholders happy. Record labels want instant returns on the investment, instant profit. Theyre not going to take a chance investing in someone for four albums.

Still, whatever the difficulties, Primal Scream are still going strong, thanks to a desire to innovate that Gillespie attributes to his youthful exposure to David Bowie. I was really affected by his death, he says. The whole point about us changing, from things like Screamadelica to Vanishing Point, came from what I loved about Bowie and the fact he kept changing. As an artist I have the utmost admiration and respect for him, never mind the fact that he made all these records that I love and that mean a lot to me.

As for the current spate of 90s revivalism, Primal Scream have avoided becoming too caught up in it, perhaps because unlike peers Ride and Slowdive they never split up or went away.

Like his heroes The Rolling Stones and Iggy Pop, Gillespie believes in keeping his music out there through constant touring  and there doesnt seem to be anything stopping him following their lead by continuing beyond his pension age.

Hes still whippet thin, thanks to a fast metabolism, and sobriety seems to be suiting him. Surprisingly for someone whose youth was marked by such prodigious drug use, hes never even been a smoker.

I think when I was about eight or something I tried. I picked one up in the street and it was covered in saliva and made me feel so sick, he laughs. Its funny. Now I know loads of people who are trying to give up. Theyre getting to that age.

Gillespies musical shield and sword have protected him thus far. Does he think Primal Scream can keep on keeping on? I hope so, he says. Only if we can keep making records as good as this. I think theres no excuse now not to. Weve got loads of ideas, and loads of things that we want to do.

"I dont want to be one of those bands that takes seven, eight or nine years between albums. Putting out a record every couple of years is a good way to make art. Sometimes youre going to fail, but thats all right.

Chaosmosis is released on 18 March
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Forgotten to buy ahead for Mother's Day? Here are three classic French bottles to pick up today for a celebratory meal

A sparkling

Oeil de Perdrix Rose NV Champagne

Smaller champagne houses are where the best value can often be found. A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, delivering raspberry-scented bubbling perfection, this is great as an aperitif or with canapes. 24.99 (or 17.99 when bought as part of six mixed bottles, until 14 March), Majestic

A white

Les Domaines Brocard Organic Chablis 2014

Organic practices have been slower to arrive in France's more traditional wine-growing areas, but this fabulous Chablis shows the way. A very pure, bone-dry expression of apple, peach and light citrus flavours, crystalline minerality and a long finish. For oysters, crustacea and prime white fish. 15, Marks & Spencer

A red

Jean-Luc Colombo Les Gravieres Crozes-Hermitage 2014

Northern Rhone means peppery Syrah, with intensely fruity flavours of blueberries and plums, undercut with smoky spices. Ideal with rare roast beef or roast leg of lamb studded with anchovies and garlic. 10.49 (until 29 March; normally 13.99), Waitrose
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The excitable, text speaking youth of today are being told to curb their exclamation by the Government.

New Department for Education instructions to moderators assessing the writing of seven-year-olds has decreed that an exclamation mark will be deemed to have been correctly used only if the child has begun the sentence with How or What and used the syntax of an exclamation.

The guidance on marking this summers National Curriculum key stage 2 grammar assessments stipulates that while What a lovely day! and How exciting! remain permissible: A sentence that ends in an exclamation mark, but which does not have one of the grammatical patterns shown above is not considered to be creditworthy as an exclamation.

It has led to anxiety that in disqualifying modern additions like Thats well sick! the new strictures may also deter innocent outbursts like Oh crikey!

Critics have also raised the prospect of 21st Century children, many of whom like to pepper their social media messaging with exclamation marks, being forced to write in the style of the Victorians.

Ben Fuller, the president of the Association for Achievement and Improvement through Assessment, took to the schoolsweek website to ask: Can anyone within the Department for Education justify this extraordinary requirement for seven-year-old children to write in such an old-fashioned tongue?

Criticising the very specific definition of exclamation sentences, he added: Is this about promoting a formulaic painting by numbers approach to writing?

He was backed by Professor Alan Smithers, the director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, who told The Sunday Times: "Grammar is always evolving, especially with the interchange of text messages and prose. To knock children back for experimenting with punctuation seems absurd."

John Sutherland, emeritus Lord Northcliffe professor of modern English literature at University College London, added: 'Cripes! Yikes!' Boris Johnson lives by exclamation marks. If you ruled them out, poor old Boris would be deflated like a collapsed balloon.

It is quite impossible to follow these instructions.

The Department for Education, however, is understood to be keen to avoid suggestions of a backlash against modern children by grumpy ministers and civil servants.

While accepting that language evolves, they want to teach the proper rules of grammar, which they believe entails discouraging overuse of exclamation marks.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: A high-quality education in English is an important part of the governments commitment to extend opportunity to all.
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Manny Pacquiaos popularity in his Philippines election campaign has reportedly declined in the wake of his controversial remarks that homosexuals are worse than animals.

Last month the boxer came under fire for his anti-gay stance, with the "abhorrent" comments prompting sponsor Nike to terminate its contract with him.

The first and only eight-division world champion has been an elected member of his countrys House of Representatives for the last eight years, but now wants to become part of the Senate.

The latest Pulse Asia survey revealed 35 per cent of respondents were in favour of Pacquiao - down 12 points on the 47 per cent who expressed support for him in January.

There was a big drop in his numbers in the latest survey, Ronald Holmes, president of Pulse Asia, told Reuters.

It appears that his comments on the same-sex marriage issue had hurt his numbers, because it was widely reported in the media.

The 37-year-old Fillipino boxer suffered the greatest losses among any candidate in the survey of 1,800 people.

In comments which later got picked up around the world, Pacquiao compared gay people to animals in an interview with local Philippines broadcaster TV5.

Its common sense, the former world champion said. Do you see animals mating with the same sex?

Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female. If men mate with men and women mate with women they are worse than animals.

Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Show all 12 1 /12 Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Jamie Foxx sings the American national anthem before the start of the fight Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Manny Pacquiao was all smiles as he entered the ring Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Referee Kenny Bayless separates the fighters at the end of the first round Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Pacquiao swings with a left Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Jay Z and his wife Beyonce were in attendance Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Mayweather Jr receives some strong words from Mayweather Sr in the corner Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Ex-heavyweight champion Mike Tyson looks on Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Mayweather hits Pacquiao with a left jab GETTY IMAGES Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao The pair embrace at the end of the fight Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Mayweather celebrates his win over Pacquiao, but boos rang around the MGM Arena GETTY IMAGES Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Mayweather retained his WBC welterweight belt Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - in pictures Mayweather vs Pacquiao Mayweather celebrates with his father and trainer, Mayweather Sr

After choosing to end their contract with him, Nike, the worlds largest sportswear maker, said in a statement: We find Manny Pacquiao's comments abhorrent.

Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community. We no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao positions himself as a conservative Christian politician and endeavours to appeal to the countrys strong Catholic population.

Although Pacquiao is due to fight American boxer Timothy Bradley next month, his senatorial political rival, Waldeon Bello, has asked the electoral commission to postpone the fight, arguing it gives him an undue advertising advantage.
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An ancient Roman estate complete with its own wine press and bathhouse has been unearthed in Jerusalem.

A series of buildings dating back at least 1,600 years were discovered underneath the city's famous Schneller Orphanage which operated on the site from 1860 until the end of the Second World War, when it was turned into an army base.

The ruins were discovered by archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority who were excavating the site ahead of building new flats for the city's Orthodox Jewish community.

The wine press - at the centre of the complex - had a pressing surface paved with white mosaic tile.

In a pit at the centre of the press there were screws which would have extracted juice from the grapes before storing them in eight cells along the walls.

Archaeologists believe the complex dates back from the late Roman or early Byzantine period in around 400AD.

Some bricks were stamped with the insignia of the Tenth Roman Legion, which was garrisoned in the province from its conquest in 70AD until 300AD, during which time it was called Judea.

Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Show all 12 1 /12 Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Ancient pottery shards found on the site Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem The ruins were found on the site of the famous Schneller Orphanage which operated until the Second World War Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem The archaeologists also found evidence of a Roman bathhouse Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem A brick stamped with the insignia of the Tenth Roman Legion who garrisoned the province Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem An ancient candle holder Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Shards of pottery unearthed from the site Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Archaeologists believe the site to be around 1,600 years old Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Archaeologists also found evidence of an earlier Jewish home on the site Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Jerusalem district archaeologist Amit Re'em said the find showed 'the magic' of the city Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem An ancient Roman estate has been found on the site of the Schneller Orphanage in Jerusalem Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Excavation Director Alex Wiegmann holds up a candle holder used in the Roman period Israel Antiquities Authority Ancient Roman estate found in Jerusalem Archaeologists found a wine press in the centre of the complex Israel Antiquities Authority

Amit Re'em, the Jerusalem district archaeologist, said: We found a unique bath house with special ceramic pipes.

Inside pipes, hot air was flowing to warm up the place where people were taking baths - it's absolutely beautiful."

Alongside the Roman house, archaeologists also found evidence of a second, much older, Jewish home on the site, built during what is known as the Second Temple period - 538BC to 70AD.

Near the Roman bathhouse they found a pit they think could have been used as a ritual bath - known as a Mikye - during that period.

Archaeologists found a wine press in the centre of the complex (Israel Antiquities Authority)

Mr Reem said: Everything is evidence that nearly 2,000 years ago the Romans arrived in Jerusalem and after the destruction of the city in 70AD, the soldiers occupied this house and we find archaeological evidence from this period.

This is the magic of Jerusalem - everything is layers upon layers in once place.

Excavation director Alex Wiegmann said "Once again, Jerusalem demonstrates that wherever one turns over a stone ancient artifacts will be found related to the citys glorious past. The archaeological finds discovered here help paint a living, vibrant and dynamic picture of Jerusalem as it was in ancient times up until the modern era."
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A woman reported missing to police has died after being found in her car in a train station car park.

Jodie Jose was discovered in a white Ford Fiesta at Great Bentley railway station, Essex, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The 22-year-old was taken to Colchester Hospital by ambulance but was declared dead shortly after arriving.

Police had appealed on social media for information about the young womans whereabouts after she disappeared from her home in Colchester on Friday. Her family became concerned for her safety after she failed to show up for work that morning.

Stacey Saville, Ms Joses sister, wrote in a Facebook post that her sister was deeply unhappy and that she had taken her own life.

Thank you to everyone for your concern and messages about my sister Jodie. She was found this morning and taken to... Posted by Stacey Louise Saville on Saturday, 5 March 2016

Ms Saville wrote: "Thank you to everyone for your concern and messages about my sister Jodie.

"She was found this morning and taken to hospital where they tried to resuscitate her but sadly they were unable to save her.

"Jodie was deeply unhappy and took her own life but she is now at peace.

"Thank you to anyone who loved her or was her friend, so sorry to tell you like this but the police have already released this information and we wanted you to hear it from us."

A sisters love is like no other  Posted by Stacey Louise Saville on Saturday, 5 March 2016

Carl Saville added: "Jodie Jose was the most amazing, beautiful, friendly & kind person who was loved by all and her memory will live on forever! Rest in peace now Jo x"

An investigation has been launched but the death is not being treated as suspicious, police say.

A spokesman for Essex Police said: Police searching for missing Jodie Jose have found a body we believe to be hers. Officers were called to Great Bentley railway station in the early hours of this morning after she was discovered in her car.

Ambulance paramedics treated her and she was taken to Colchester Hospital but she was declared deceased shortly after arrival. Her family are aware of the sad news.

Are you feeling distressed? Call Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or CALM on 0800 58 58 58 to speak to somebody about it.
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Energy company Npower is expected to cut 2,500 jobs or about 20 per cent of its workforce, in a bid to address its weak financial performance.

The smallest of the "Big Six" energy suppliers, Npower, which is owned by the German energy giant RWE, employs 11,500 people in Britain and is expected to confirm redundancies on Tuesday when it announces its financial results.

It come days before UK competition regulators unveil plans to make the energy market more transparent for consumers after a two-year investigation in the industry.

The company has so far declined to comment on the speculation

RWE, which owns the Didcot power station in Oxfordshire but also plants in Pembroke and Staythorpe in Nottinghamshire, revealed last month it will slump into the red after a 1.6 billion hit on its UK and German power stations.

The company is expecting to register an annual loss of 155 million when it announces its results on Tuesday, bringing its net profit down to 930 million for 2015.

In February, Npower announced it would cut the price of gas by 5.2 per cent from March 28 - reducing the bill of 32 a year for 1.2 million households on a standard domestic tariff.

Like other energy suppliers, RWE is under pressure to cut energy bills for customers in line with the rapid decline of oil prices.
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Mothers will be 13bn worse off under the current Government as a result of policies announced over the past year, according to a new analysis.

Labour described the figures  produced by the House of Commons Library  as a disgrace, saying mothers played a key role in society but had been hit with a stonking great bill.

The research looked at the effects on women with dependent children of a number of changes announced by Chancellor George Osborne, since last years general election.

Recommended Read more Tories block plan to look at the impact of disability benefit cuts

It found that cuts to universal credit, the four-year freeze on child benefit and other welfare payments, reductions in housing benefit and other policies outweighed increases to the personal income tax allowance and extra money for childcare.

The overall impact meant mothers will be 13bn worse off over the course of the current parliament, from last year until 2020. The Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who commissioned the research, said: These figures are a disgrace. On Mothers Day, the whole country celebrates just how much mums do to hold families together, communities together and even hold our economy together too.

Yet what thanks do mums get from George Osborne and David Cameron? Only a stonking great 13bn bill.

Last month the Childrens Society urged the Government to reconsider the benefits freeze if ministers were genuinely concerned about child poverty.

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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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The charity calculated that a 23-year-old single mother, who works as a primary school teacher and rents her home, would be more than 2,800 a year worse off as a result of the changes. And a nurse and her partner, living in a rented house in London with three children, would be 5,100 a year worse off.

In a report, the society found that seven million children in low-income families would be affected by the four-year benefits freeze, while others would be pushed into poverty as a result.

A government spokesperson said: We are determined to deliver a new settlement for the British people, one that will create a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare economy.

The reality is that our welfare reforms are helping more people into work and offering a strong safety net for those who can't.

With a record number of women in work, our reforms to extend free childcare and flexible working are giving more women the security of a regular wage with the National Living Wage set to boost pay even further."

Responding to the Childrens Society report last month, the Department for Work and Pensions said: We are bringing welfare spending under control, while  crucially  helping people into work, and through universal credit helping them to earn more.

Departments are still waiting to hear what they are likely to get in the Budget, but the Department for Education is hopeful that plans to alter the funding formula for schools will be revealed before Mr Osbornes political showpiece. A consultation on what is known as a fairer funding formula is planned shortly, so that it can be in place by 2016-17.

Many London boroughs have received additional funding for years, because the previous Labour government was keen to help struggling pupils in the capital catch up with those elsewhere in the country. London Councils, which represents the capitals local authorities, has estimated that changes could slash school budgets in some areas by 14 per cent, but Tory MPs have been frustrated that schools in their shire constituencies have been relatively underfunded.

The consultation is likely to recommend phasing in the changes so that angry London head teachers do not suffer immediate large cuts.
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Boris Johnson appeared to struggle on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning in what many regarded to be his first major appearance as the leading figure for the campaign to leave the EU.

Two weeks after he announced he would be supporting the Brexit campaign, the London Mayor showed flashes of what has made him one of the most popular politicians in Britain  describing in lengthy terms how the EU was a jail where the jailor has accidentally left the door open.

But Mr Johnson also failed to answer many questions head-on, and when he actively tried to take over control of the direction of the interview, the former journalist had to be reminded who was in charge.

What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence.

As Mr Marr tried again to cut through the Tory MPs effusive style, saying we do need to move on as we have a lot to cover, Mr Johnson said: Well, Im going to tell you what Im going to cover.

The host replied: I get to ask the questions here, its not the Boris Johnson show, its the Andrew Marr Show.

Marr - Let's move on from tipper trucks just for a second. We do need to move on. I've got a lot to cover. Johnson - Well, I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna cover. Marr - No! Guess what this is not the Boris Johnson show, this is the Andrew Marr show. I get to ask the questions. Johnson - Right... You have sovereignty! Marr - Thank you. I have complete sovereignty of this programme. Johnson - Unlike the UK! Marr - *laughs* I won't go down that [route]. <p>The exchange in full</p>

You have complete sovereignty, Mr Johnson conceded.  unlike the UK.

The exchange was characteristic of an interview where Mr Johnson tried to focus on his issues with the single market and the sovereignty battle between the EU and the UK.

But in the middle of it all he did manage to offer up the occasional direct answer.

Mr Marr established that the moment Mr Johnson decided to back Brexit was when he received a letter from the Governments lawyers exploding plans he was involved in to rewrite reforms on British sovereignty, saying they couldnt possibly work in tandem with EU treaties.

And asked if he was backing leaving the EU in order to become the next Prime Minister, Mr Johnson briefly obfuscated before giving his clearest answer of the entire morning.

Certainly not, he said. We have a wonderful Prime Minister, and to the best of my knowledge there is not a single European leader who has had to step down because of a referendum, on Europe or not.

"The whole thing is cobblers, you are just trying to personalise it to make it more interesting for viewers, he added. I want to talk about

Mr Johnsons  and Mr Marrs  performances received a mixture of response on social media.

Many apparently pro-Brexit viewers accused the host of displaying BBC bias by excessively interrupting Mr Johnsons answers.

But others suggested he had failed his audition to be lead spokesman for Leave, while Piers Morgan observed: People criticising Marr for 'constantly interrupting' Boris need to understand that if he didn't, Mr Johnson would never stop talking.
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Jeremy Corbyn is likely to face a grilling from MPs at the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) meeting tomorrow night over his comments about the sex industry.

Female MPs are expected to challenge Mr Corbyn after he announced last week that he believed sex work should be decriminalised.

"I am in favour of decriminalising the sex industry," he told students at Goldsmiths University on Thursday (3 March).

The Labour leaders remarks have already infuriated prominent Labour women, including Harriet Harman and Jess Phillips, who both took to Twitter to vent their anger.

Prostitutions exploitation and abuse [is] not work [or] an industry, tweeted Ms Harman, while Jess Phillips wrote: Man says we should decriminalise a known violence against women. Why did it have to be this man[?]"

Despite a letter from Mr Corbyn to a constituent in 2010 supporting the Nordic model, which criminalises the buyers of sex rather than the sellers, the Labour leader's comments suggest he has altered his stance on the issue.

MPs at the meeting on Monday night are also expected to challenge Mr Corbyn on his leadership in the run up to the May elections and query him about Labour's campaign to stay in Europe.

Yvette Cooper has recently called on the Labour leader to do more to involve Labour in the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU.

As you know the Labour party is strongly supporting the case for being in Europe, she told Sky News.

I hope that Jeremy will do some more things campaigning on Europe, I think its really important that he does. I think it is right that Jeremy should be campaigning for Europe and for being in Europe. It is the most important thing."

Despite still carrying widespread support, there is reported to be growing talk at Westminster that My Corbyn could face a potential leadership challenge if Labour underperforms in the May elections.

Mr Corbyn will respond to the budget in the House of Commons for the first time next week - a role traditionally taken by the leader of the opposition rather than the shadow chancellor.
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Boris Johnson has condemned one of the UKs biggest business groups for suspending its director-general after he suggested Britain would be better outside the European Union.

The London mayor claimed British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) leader John Longworth had become the latest victim of Project Fear - a term used by Brexit campaigners to describe the tactics used by David Cameron and the Remain campaigners.

Mr Longworth was suspended after he said the UK could have a brighter economic future outside the EU at the BCCs annual conference on Thursday.

The BCC then held an emergency meeting and he was suspended for violating the BCCs strict neutrality policy.

But Mr Johnson - who officially announced his support for the Out campaign two weeks ago - said the BCCs decision was scandalous.

He said: When someone has the guts to dissent from the establishment line, he or she is immediately crushed by the agents of Project Fear.

What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence.

His verdict reflects the reality - that the EU has changed out of all recognition from the Common Market that this country joined.

He speaks for the many small and medium sized businesses - the lifeblood of the economy - who cannot understand why they should comply with more and more regulation, over which this country has no democratic control."

He said only five per cent of UK firms do business with the rest of the EU but they must obey 100 per cent of its legislation and called for a proper debate so the British public could have the facts put before them.

Additional reporting by PA
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More than half the small business leaders who put their names to a letter calling for the UK to pull out of the European Union do not run organisations that are registered as companies, an analysis of the letters signatories suggests.

The public statement, which was organised by Ukip-linked campaign Leave.Eu and published by The Daily Telegraph, said that people like them employ the majority of the UKs workforce.

It went on to claim that little attention had been given to small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU debate.

Recommended Read more Boris Johnson condemns BCC for suspending chief over Brexit comments

However, an analysis of the signatories on the list reveals that 119 of the companies listed do not appear on the register at Companies House.

This means they are likely to be sole traders, employing at most a handful of staff, and not small enterprises, which are defined as employing at least 10 members of staff.

In addition, two of the companies listed appear to have been dissolved, while eight of the signatories were not named directors of the company they were said to represent.

The analysis was conducted by researchers linked to the Remain campaign, who said it showed it was hard to find large numbers of businesses who wanted to leave the EU .

This letter is falling apart because the truth is most businesses  large and small  know we are better off in Europe, which is vital for British jobs, growth and investment, said Labour MP Wes Streeting.

Last night a Leave.EU spokesman said: Its typical of the In campaigns unhealthy obsession with size and tendency to power-worship that it thinks the voice of discredited mega-corporations like Goldman Sachs, which funds it, should count for more than the voices of our sole traders.

The row came as Downing Street was forced to insist it did not put pressure on one of the UKs leading business organisations to suspend its leader over comments suggesting the country could have a brighter future outside the EU.

Number 10 said it was surprised by the views expressed by John Longworth, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and said that it regularly speaks to business organisations.

But a spokesman stressed that no pressure was put on the BCC to suspend Mr Longworth, a decision that was branded scandalous by Boris Johnson.

The former Tory Defence Secretary Liam Fox suggested he would ask questions in the Commons about Governments contact with the BCC.

The Sunday Telegraph said a friend of Mr Longworth believed Downing Street had bullied and been putting pressure on the BCC board members to suspend their director-general.

Meanwhile, a survey of Conservative grassroots constituency chairman found that 40 per cent were committed to vote to leave the EU in the June 23 referendum.

Of the 128 local chairmen and chairwomen who responded to the survey, 54 said they would vote Leave and 31 backed a Remain vote. Another 43 said they had yet to make up their minds when contacted by BBC Radio 4s The World This Weekend.

 Labours former Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has urged leader Jeremy Corbyn to do more EU campaigning, stating: I hope that Jeremy will do some more things campaigning on Europe, I think its really important that he does.
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David Cameron has won the first two weeks of the EU referendum campaign, according to new polling by YouGov.

Since the Prime Minister concluded his renegotiation in Brussels on 19 February and allowed ministers to campaign against the deal on 22 February, YouGov has carried out five surveys, four of which put the Remain camp in the lead.

The average level of support for Remain in the polls since the deal is 52 per cent, with 48 per cent backing Leave (this excludes those who say they dont know or will not vote). This compares with the last two YouGov polls before the Brussels deal showing Remain trailing on of 46 per cent to 54 per cent for Leave.

The lead for Remain in the recent surveys is small, but the findings are significant because they show a movement in Mr Camerons favour in repeated polls before and after the deal.

The campaign for Britain to stay in the EU may also be encouraged because online polls have been more favourable to the Leave side. YouGovs most recent four surveys are the first series of online polls to show a consistent lead for Remain.

The average of the three most recent online polls from different companies since the Brussels deal show an exact 50-50 split, whereas the comparable polls carried out by phone show Remain on an average of 59 per cent and Leave on 41 per cent.

ComRes, which carries out polling for The Independent on Sunday, argues that online polls attract more pro-Leave Ukip supporters, and that phone polling is likely to be more accurate.

The company points out that phone polls on the EU referendum question have so far been closer to the findings of the British Election Study, a large academic survey that interviews voters face-to-face and which produced the most accurate picture of voting in the May 2015 general election.

So far there has been only one phone poll since the Brussels summit at which Mr Cameron agreed the new terms of Britains membership of the EU. It was carried out by ComRes on 19 to 23 February, from the day before the deal was signed until the day after the Cabinet meeting to agree that the Government would recommend it. That poll found 57 per cent in favour of Remain and 43 per cent for Leave, a three-point swing in favour of Remain from a similar poll carried out a week earlier.

On the other hand, other polling companies have reported shifts in favour of Leave. ICM and ORB, both online polls, have shown two- and four-point swings towards Leave in surveys carried out before and after the Brussels summit.

YouGov conducted seven online surveys: 27-28 January (1,735 British adults); 2-3 February (1,675); 21-23 February (3,482); 24-25 February (1,731); 29 February to 1 March (2,233); 1-2 March (1,705) and 2-3 March (1,695). Full details are available on the YouGov website.
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The Tory civil war over Europe has intensified as ministers rounded on Iain Duncan Smith over a series of provocative attacks on the Government.

The Work and Pensions Secretary has sparked fury in Downing Street after launching a sustained media assault on the Prime Ministers campaign to keep Britain in the EU  including allegations the Government produced a dodgy dossier about the UKs future in the event of a Brexit.

In an interview with The Independent on Sunday, the Education Secretary Nicky Morgan singled out Mr Duncan Smith for criticism over the remark, warning that women voters will swing behind EU membership as long as such attacks continue. She said she had been approached by constituents saying: What kind of language is that?

Another minister, who did not wish to be named, slammed Mr Duncan Smith for using language resonant of the Iraq war to attack the Government. The minister warned that the referendum must not be allowed to dominate everything else.

The warning came amid claims that backbench Eurosceptics furious with David Cameron over his handling of the referendum campaign are refusing to back ministers on key government business.

George Osborne has been forced to drop plans for a tax raid on wealthy savers  by introducing a flat rate of pension tax relief  after an outcry from Tory MPs. The Government is also facing a major rebellion this week over plans to relax Sunday trading laws.

About half of Tory MPs  including London Mayor Boris Johnson  are supporting a British exit (Getty) (PA)

It is the latest sign that the EU referendum has led to a major breakdown in party discipline. Ministers have already been forced to kick the controversial obesity strategy into the long grass, alongside other fractious issues including a proposed British bill of rights, the renewal of Trident and Heathrows expansion. The entire Queens Speech  setting out the Governments programme  could also be delayed until after the 23 June poll.

While the Governments official position is for Britain to remain a member of the EU, ministers have been given the freedom to campaign to leave. About half of the Conservative Partys MPs  including London Mayor Boris Johnson and five cabinet ministers  are supporting a British exit.

Mr Duncan Smith has been the most outspoken cabinet critic of the Governments position, attacking the desperate and unsubstantiated claims of the Remain campaign which he claimed would damage the very integrity of those who make them in the eyes of the public. He has accused the Government of launching Project Fear to scare people into voting to remain. Mr Duncan Smith has also warned that a vote to remain would increase the likelihood of a Paris-style attack in the UK.

What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Show all 5 1 /5 What's the European Parliament ever done for us? What's the European Parliament ever done for us? A cap on the amount of hours an employer can make you work The Working Time directive provides legal standards to ensure the health and safety of employees in Europe. Among the many rules are a working week of a maximum 48 hours, including overtime, a daily rest period of 11 hours in every 24, a break if a person works for six hours or more, and one day off in every seven. It also includes provisions for paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year Getty Images What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping the people of Britain to avoid smoking In 2014 MEPs passed the Tobacco Products Directive strengthening existing rules on the manufacture, production and presentation of tobacco products. This includes things like reduced branding, restrictions on products containing flavoured tobacco, health warnings on cigarette packets and provisions for e-cigarettes to ensure they are safe What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping you to make the right choices with your food Thanks to the European Parliament, UK consumers have access to more information than ever about their food and drink. This includes amount of fat, and how much of it is saturated, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and so on. It also includes portion sizes and guideline daily amount information so people can make informed choices about their diet. All facts must be clear and easy to understand What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Two year guarantees and 14-day returns policy for all products Consumers across the EU have access to a number of rights, from things which are potentially very useful, to things which used to be annoying. For example, shoppers in the UK receive a two-year guarantee on all products, and a 14-day period to change their minds and return a purchase, these things are useful www.PeopleImages.com-licence restrictions apply What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Keeping your air nice and fresh (and safe) Believe it or not, although the situation is improving, some areas of the UK have appalling air quality. A report by the Royal College of Physicians released on 23 February says 40,000 deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution in the UK every year. Air pollution is linked to a number of illnesses and conditions, from Asthma to diabetes and dementia. The report estimates the costs to British business and the health service add up to 20 billion every year

Speaking to The IoS, Ms Morgan said such attacks would backfire. She said: I had a conversation with some businesswomen in my constituency. They said, that bloke who talks about the dodgy dossier  Iain Duncan Smith  they said what kind of language is that? Thats not going to tell us anything about the debate.

Aggression always appeals to a certain type of person in politics, but my experience is it doesnt appeal to women. I think, actually, saying these phrases like dodgy dossiers and asking about project fear completely misses the point.

She also dismissed the impact Boris Johnson would have on the referendum. Ms Morgan said: I can tell you nobody in Loughborough has talked to me about Boris Johnsons position.

A government source told The IoS: If you are talking about project fear, youve got IDS talking about Paris-style attacks. Hes not being straight with the public about how the UK outside Europe works.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has criticised Mr Duncan-Smith for his outburst (Getty) (EPA)

A senior source in the Remain campaign added: We are making serious points, but they just scream project fear. Rather than presenting themselves as victims, they need to answer tough questions, because this decision will have an impact on peoples lives. The more they say project fear, the clearer it is they dont have an answer.

One minister, speaking anonymously, said: Remember what we said at the start  that we would treat each other with respect and we would treat the people with respect. Theres no need to start whingeing about the Governments position or to use language thats resonant of the Iraq war. You may disagree with the conclusion but that doesnt mean you should suggest people are dishonest.

We must not let the debate dominate everything else. The whole point about the referendum was to open this out widely and not focus on ourselves. There are a number of individuals who dont like the Prime Minister for whatever reason and are using it as a revenge match. Colleagues will remember this and wont forgive them if they use it as a personal vendetta.

It was announced on 5 March that the John Longworth, the director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has been temporarily suspended over his comment last week that Britains long-term prospects could be brighter outside the EU. The BCC has said it will not campaign for either side as its membership is split on the issue.
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Modern politicians do not grasp the scale of poverty in Britain because most have not known personal hardship, according to campaigner and Second World War veteran Harry Leslie Smith.

In an emotional address to an audience at The Independent Bath Literature Festival, Mr Smith urged ministers and MPs to leave their ivory towers and get to grips with Britains worsening social problems, including hunger.

The veteran and activist, who turned 93 last week, spoke of experiences of hard times during WW2, and hit out at the current Governments austerity policy. He added people should do more to keep politicians feet to the fire.

Recommended Read more Harry Leslie Smith sums up attitudes towards refugees in one paragraph

Its essential we have politicians and leaders who have known hardship in their lives, he said. Thats what we had just after the war. We had men who had fought, they had suffered and they also lived in the community that elected them. They knew their citizens.

Mr Smith added: Today politicians think once they are elected, thats all they have to do. We must keep their feet to the fire and make them suffer a bit. Ring them up, ask them what they are doing to force change.

He claimed that many Westminster MPs will not have visited cities outside of London and seen poverty, hunger and people living on the streets. The politicians need to stop down from their ivory towers and look around at whats happening in this country. They need to listen to the people for a change.

Mr Smith grew up in poverty in Barnsley, survived the Great Depression and was in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He became a social activist following the banking crash in 2008.

He came to prominence in 2013 when he wrote in a newspaper column that he would no longer wear a poppy for Remembrance Day because he thought it was used to justify present conflicts. A year later he wrote Harrys Last Stand dedicated to the preservation of the Welfare State.

Mr Smith, who addressed the Labour Party conference in September 2014, backed Jeremy Corbyn as leader but added hes not pushy enough for my liking.

He is a very honest-minded man. He has the desire to change things in Britain. Corbyn will change the world for the better. There is no one else, he said, adding: Hell learn he has to put some more weight behind it. I am behind him and will work with him.

During the elections, Mr Smith revealed he travelled to 50 cities and towns in 40 days, adding: I have tremendous stamina when I get a bee in my bonnet.

He decried the current Governments policy of austerity and said many people in the country were going hungry, saying: Hunger is brutal and awful in a country as wealthy as ours. During his childhood in Yorkshire, Mr Smith and his sister would have to dig through restaurant bins looking for food. Thats a hunger people feel today, he said. People die from lack of food.

He wept as he recalled seeing the hunger on the streets of Hamburg, where he was stationed towards the end of the Second World War as part of the allied occupation force. His account is outlined in his new book Love Among the Ruins: A Memoir of Life and Love in Hamburg 1945.

I would like to see Britain as I knew it at its best, not at the stage it is today with too many people struggling day to day, he said.

I walk around towns and cities and I dont recognise Britain, with thousands of citizens on the streets. Its appalling.

The fairness has gone out of society, the campaigner continued. Lets speak up and let our governments know.
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Jeremy Corbyn will kick off Labours local election campaign with posters accusing George Osborne of being in hock to big businesses that dodge tax.

A series of billboard-style adverts attack the Chancellor for failing to raise more tax from Google. Last week the social networking site Facebook voluntarily agreed to pay more tax in the UK, piling pressure on other US tech giants to follow suit.

Mr Osborne sparked widespread criticism in January after hailing a deal in which Google agreed to pay 130m in back taxes dating to 2005. Critics attacked the settlement as derisory, claiming the company was in effect paying a corporation tax rate of just 2.7 per cent.

In one of the new Labour posters published online, Mr Osborne is mocked up sitting in a special Google-branded dodgem car under the slogan: Roll up, roll up to the unfair. The poster says the Tories dont seem to understand fair tax contributions before adding: Perhaps they should Google it.

Labour claims the poster highlights the unfairness of Georges Osbornes approach to tax avoidance  secret deals with large corporations while millions pay more. A source said it was an example of how the Tories are in hock to vested interests and are letting working people down.

The poster campaign features Labours new slogan standing up, not standing by, which has divided opinion in Westminster. Speaking on 5 March, Mr Corbyn said the local and devolved elections on 5 May were a chance to vote for a party that will stand up for you against government cuts.

The poster campaign features Labours new slogan standing up, not standing by, which has divided opinion in Westminster

The nationwide elections are Mr Corbyns first real election test  with critics waiting to pounce if the party performs badly. The election experts Rawlings and Thrasher have said Labour could lose 200 seats this May  a disastrous result which could spark Mr Corbyns first real leadership challenge. To stand any chance of winning power in 2020 Labour needs to pick up around 300 townhall seats, pollsters say.

Excluding general election years, over the past 40 years the main opposition party has always gained seats. In 1982, a divided Labour lost 225 seats  but the Conservatives lost 98 seats despite winning support for the Falklands War. In 1985 Labour lost 124 seats. However, the Tories did even worse  losing 202 seats.

As well as being at risk of losing hundreds of council seats, Labour also faces losing overall control in Wales and failing to win a single constituency seat in Scotland. However, the partys candidate in London, Sadiq Khan, is seen as the favourite to succeed Boris Johnson as mayor.

Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will stand up for working people (Getty) (Getty Images)

Sources close to Mr Corbyn insist it will be hard for Labour to limit council election losses because they will be defending seats won four years ago at the height of public anger over Tory cuts.

Mr Corbyn told The Independent on Sunday that the elections were a chance to reject the damaging choices the Tories are making.

Deep Tory cuts are putting the public services we rely on at risk, with thousands of police officers axed and the NHS going backwards, with longer waits and financial crisis, he said.

Labour will  stand up for working people to build an economy which works for all  one where prosperity is shared, pay is fair and jobs are secure.

We will stand up for families and individuals struggling to buy or rent a home, by delivering more and better housing. And we will stand up against the unfair Tory cuts to protect the vital public services we all rely on. We will protect the police from deep Tory cuts. And we will invest in the NHS to rescue it from Tory neglect.

Thats the choice at this election: a Tory Government which is putting the living standards of millions of working families at risk, or a Labour Party that will stand up for you.

Dan Jarvis sets out his stall

Labour backbencher Dan Jarvis will outline his economic ideas to the Demos think-tank this week in a move touted as the opening salvo of his bid to replace Jeremy Corbyn.

Many MPs think Mr Jarvis, a former soldier, has the best back story to help return Labour to power. He decided not to stand for the leadership last summer for family reasons: he has three young children and had recently remarried after his first wife died of cancer.

Senior Labour MPs said they have advised Mr Jarvis on the direction Labour could take under a more centrist leader. A source close to Mr Jarvis said: Inevitably, the leadership is going to get talked about. Hell be looking at the economic agenda Labour should be following.

Mark Leftly
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The Government has moved to stave off a politically damaging rebellion of up to 50 Conservative MPs over its plans to relax Sunday trading laws ahead of the Budget.

Ministers have resurrected the reforms, despite dropping a vote in November that would have allowed councils the right to extend Sunday trading hours. Ministers feared they could lose the vote amid opposition from backbenchers, Labour and the Scottish National Party. Unions and church leaders are also against the plans.

The reforms have been added to the Enterprise Bill to be debated this week, but David Burrowes, the Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate, has tabled what has been described by his colleagues as a killing amendment. The showdown comes a week before the Budget.

Recommended Read more Church and Tory MPs hit out at potential Sunday trading laws change

More than 20 Conservatives have signed up to this amendment, and Mr Burrowes said ministers were now looking for a way out. Some MPs are rebelling on religious grounds, although a backbencher said he was against the idea on the basis that he liked the culture of laid-back Sundays.

Brandon Lewis, the Housing minister who has overseen the reforms, is hoping to placate them, and has tabled a separate amendment that would give councils the right to allow longer trading hours only in zones needing an economic boost such as high streets. This would leave local authorities with the power to decide whether the relaxation was necessary, while also averting further trade being sucked from struggling town centres to out-of-town parks dominated by large retailers.

Medical professionals often work six-day weeks and can only shop on Sundays (Getty)

Mr Lewis met MPs last week to discuss his compromise and will see more of them before the debate starts on 8 March. Current Sunday trading laws pre-date the internet, he said. This is about making sure of an environment that is good for consumers. Doctors and nurses often work six-day weeks and Sunday is their best day to shop.

One rebel said this was a helpful change that could mean he falls into line behind the Government.

A separate compromise, proposed by former cabinet member Caroline Spelman, would allow cities with large numbers of tourists to opt out of existing Sunday trading laws.

Mr Burrowes said he was willing to look at this idea, but warned that the Government could still have a serious rebellion on their hands if enough ground was not ceded. The last thing they need ahead of the Budget is to have a divided party, he said.

If the Government is sensible about the situation they should come up with an alternative. If they dont then its back to the barricades.

However, a Government source said Ms Spelmans alternative did not hand enough autonomy to councils. The source added: We want to give local authorities flexibility and this would look like were saying that we are happy to devolve power  unless we dont like what theyre doing with it.

The Independent on Sunday understands some ministers and Government aides are even considering abstaining in this weeks vote.
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Hassan al-Turabi, the radical who turned Sudan into a safe haven for al-Qaeda operatives and who played a key role in the 1989 coup that brought president Omar al-Bashir to power, was buried to shouts of Allahu Akbar [God is great] at Buri district cemetery in Khartoum.

Turabi died on Saturday, aged 84, of a heart attack.

He championed radical Islam in the 1990s, inviting Osama bin Laden  whom he hailed a hero  and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, to Sudan. He once called the US the incarnation of the devil.

Turabi had very big ambitions to establish an Islamic state beyond Sudan and that was the reason behind Sudan being isolated internationally... Sudan has paid the price of Turabis personal ambitions, said Faisal Mohammed Salih, a political analyst in Khartoum.

Turabi later remade himself as a mainstream politician. He formed the opposition Popular Congress Party and supported rebels in southern Sudan and Darfur. Turabi was jailed on a number of occasions and was placed under house arrest from 2001 to 2003. He introduced Islamic law (sharia) in September 1983 during the rule of President Jaafar Nimeiri. It was later fully implanted in 1989 when Bashir seized power.

People from the war-torn Nuba Mountains expressed their frustration at his legacy and his role in the civil war in the region. I think he will be in hell by now ... he was the reason of separating South Sudan, and he led people in this country to kill each other, said Halima Hassan, a tea seller and mother of six.

Hafiz Ibrahim, an economic analyst, also from the Nuba Mountains, said Turabi was responsible for the crisis facing millions today. He created this political regime that killed people everywhere in the country and caused the economic problems for the people of Sudan, he said.

That view was not shared by Abdel Majid Shogar, a student of Elzaeem Elazhari University in Khartoum. I think he is very important figure... in whole of the Islamic world, he said. Mohamed Abdel-Azeem, 35, from Khartoum, added: He is one of the rare Sudanese politicians who had strategy and long political vision.
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A palpable sense of fear pervades Morro da Providencia  the oldest favela in Rio de Janeiro  on the morning after a night of intense gunfire between local criminals and police.

For three hours, hundreds of bullets ripped through the public square of Praca Americo Brum on that recent night, in a location known as Coracao (Heart) at the top of the hillside Providencia.

It is where a local resident, Cosme Vinicius Felippsen, sits to explain how a new mobile app, being launched this month, will be used to report violence in Rios favelas.

Recommended Read more The road to Rio gold is paved with grinding poverty

Although no one was injured in the barrage, the favela itself, in central Rio, feels wounded and frightened. Mr Felippsen points out evidence of the fierce gun battle. Bullet holes pockmark the towering concrete pillars that form part of the structure of the nearby cable car lift, which was opened in 2014.

Its these types of incidents that residents will be able to record and report with our new app to show the sort of conditions we live under, Mr Felippsen said. He is part of Forum de Juventudes (FJRJ)  Rio de Janeiros Youth Forum, the group responsible for developing the smartphone app Nos por Nos (Us by Us).

Its a self-defence tool for people to report violence, assaults and killings, particularly by the police. They can send videos, texts, record witness statements and post pictures, and these will be forwarded to human right bodies like Amnesty International, government public security organisations and the media that can take official action, explained the 26-year-old, who works part time as a favela tourist guide and street salesman.

FJRJ members will monitor information, ensuring it is authenticated and that all complaints are followed up.

Cosme Felippsen, one of the organisers behind the Us by Us app (Robson Coelho) (Robson Coelho)

For Alex Azevedo, 24, who lives in Complexo do Alemao favela, about a 30-minute drive from Providencia, the application is welcome news. He believes that it would have helped him to report an alleged case of police brutality a month ago.

He said indignantly: The police beat me in an alleyway for no apparent reason. I thought I was going to die. A woman on her way to church, who knew me, called my aunt who came and vouched for who I was. I am not a criminal.

Users of the new app can upload complaints anonymously and access advice and information about their rights as well as draw on a community support network in times of emergency.

The idea for the app emerged after FJRJ carried out research analysing the impact of the citys Pacifying Police Units (Unidade de Policia Pacificadora) on the lives of young people living in 11 of Rios 763 shanty-town communities, home to more than two million inhabitants. The first UPP was created in 2008.

The overriding complaint from those living on the periphery was the escalation in violence following the installation of UPPs, whose primary purpose is to reclaim territory from the control of armed gangs of drug dealers.

Rio has 38 favela-based pacification units, with the UPPs being an important part of the citys strategy to ensure the safety of visitors for the Olympic Games later this year.

The most affected by any escalation are poor, black and mixed-race youths aged between 15 and 29, say human rights groups. According to data published last month by Rios Institute of Public Security  Instituto de Seguranca Publica (ISP)  of the 644 people killed in violent clashes with police in 2015 across the state of Rio de Janeiro, 497 (77 per cent) were black or mixed race.

Mr Felippsen has personal experience of the violence in the favelas  his 17-year-old brother, Paulo, was killed in 2010.

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He was on a motorbike with his friend when police opened fire, recalled Mr Felippsen. His friend escaped but my brother was injured and alive. By the time police took him to hospital he was dead. They claimed he was selling drugs but there has never been an inquiry.

The issue of police violence is clearly on the minds of many in Providencia. Electrical engineer Iuri Velosa Santos, 23, complained: The police use force as an excuse to intimidate and humiliate us. He says he was punched in the head by an officer after being wrongly accused of not paying his bus fare while on his way to work three weeks ago.

But we are making them more accountable because our mobile phones are becoming our weapon of choice in our battle for justice, Mr Santos said.

In a survey last year, Sao Paulo research body Data Popular reported that slum dwellers are vigorous users of social media, with the majority using mobile phones with free Wi-Fi connection. The data showed that 74 per cent of hillside residents in Rio access the internet at least once a week, compared with 54 per cent of those living in wealthier neighbourhoods on lower ground.

Mr Felippsen said: The Us by Us app is one more thing to help in our fight against police violence. We need to tackle institutionalised racism in our police force and change the attitude of officers who believe slum dwellers lives dont matter.

Carlos Henriques 16-year-old son, Carlos Eduardo, died with four friends when their car came under a hail of more than 100 bullets fired by police in November last year.

The five youngsters, all black, and aged 16 to 25, were out celebrating their first pay packet in Costa Barros, a suburb in Rio.

My son was an innocent, loving and studious boy who was planning to join the navy, said a grief-stricken Mr Henrique. Witnesses said they raised their arms and shouted they were locals. The police are meant to be our protectors but we live in fear every day of being on the end of excessive force at their hands.

The officers involved claimed the exaggerated use of ammunition was an act of self-defence as the car had been used in a robbery. Investigators confirmed that none of the boys had a criminal record and that no shots came from inside the car.

In a statement, Jose Mariano Beltrame, Rios security secretary, described the incident as indefensible  unnecessary and exaggerated, and promised a thorough investigation. He denied police gun-handling training was inadequate and added that a new investigative unit had been set up to help reduce the level of criminal incidence by the police.

Four officers have been arrested and are awaiting trial for murder.

Even so, Mr Felippsen warned: Theres every chance they could get off. We have no faith in the criminal justice system. But if we sit back and do nothing ... the injustice in our lives will never end. Using modern technology is the smartest way forward to fight back.
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Bernie Sanderss path to the Democratic nomination may be narrowing, but his record fundraising shows no sign of slowing down, ensuring that the long-shot rival to Hillary Clinton can remain in the race for months to come.

The Vermont Senators unique success at attracting political money, combined with his powerful appeal to young voters, means he will be able to keep raising and spending millions of dollars across the country  forcing Ms Clinton to spend, too, and potentially allowing him to score enough victories to drag out the nominating contest and delay what is widely seen as Ms Clintons inevitable selection as the Democratic candidate.

Mr Sanders has collected his five millionth individual contribution  a record-breaking figure and more than double the number of donations that Ms Clinton has received. Yet she holds a formidable lead over Mr Sanders in delegates, and her campaign argues that it will be next to impossible for him to catch up.

Mr Sanderss brand of democratic socialism had found broad appeal among young voters, and it is that sense of outsider grievance that most threatens Ms Clinton and is forcing her to spend money and political capital, even in such states as Michigan, which votes on Tuesday and where she has held a comfortable lead.

 The Washington Post
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Following a week of concerted attacks from the Republican establishment, Donald Trumps grip on the partys presidential nomination at last appeared to weaken  just barely  last night. Texas Senator Ted Cruz triumphed in two states, Kansas and Maine, at the so-called Super Saturday primaries, further cementing his claim that he is the one remaining GOP candidate capable of beating Mr Trump.

Yet his victories have likely come too late to seriously hinder the New York billionaire, who also claimed a brace of states yesterday: a marginal win over Mr Cruz in Kentucky, and a 20-point landslide in Louisiana, which, with 47 delegates, was the biggest trophy of the weekend.

Speaking last night in West Palm Beach, Florida, Mr Trump urged Marco Rubio to drop out of the race, after the Florida Senator suffered another poor set of results, including a fourth-place finish in Maine. Mr Trump added that he would relish the prospect of a two-way tussle with Mr Cruz. I would love to take on Ted one-on-one, that would be so much fun, he said.

The Republican results were mirrored by the Democratic race, with Bernie Sanders securing symbolic victories in Kansas and Nebraska, even as front-runner Hillary Clinton conserved her growing delegate lead with 70-23 per cent triumph over the Vermont Senator in Louisiana.

While the states up for grabs this weekend were minor in terms of their delegate count, the results will give a glimmer of hope to those still striving to keep the GOP nomination out of Mr Trumps reach. In recent days, GOP donors have ploughed funds into an anti-Trump Super PAC, while several high-profile Republicans have come out against the pugnacious property magnate.

 What is Super Tuesday?

On Thursday the partys 2012 presidential pick, Mitt Romney, delivered a broadside against The Donald, calling him a fraud. Mr Romney laid out a plan to defeat Mr Trump at a brokered party convention. While it may be too late to consolidate voters behind a single non-Trump candidate, his rivals could collectively deprive him of the majority of delegates required to sew up the nomination.

Until recently, Mr Cruz was considered singularly unpalatable to many of his own GOP colleagues, yet he now looks increasingly like the partys only plausible alternative to Mr Trump. On Saturday the Texas Senator topped a straw poll of conservative activists at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland.

In pictures: US Elections 2016 Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: US Elections 2016 In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters after rival candidate Hillary Clinton was projected as the winner in the Nevada Democratic caucuses Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes photos with workers at her campaign office in Des Moines, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, second from left, prays before lunch with supporters at Drake Diner in Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Governor. Martin O'Malley, speaks during a campaign stop in Waterloo, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks, as his wife Jane OMeara Sanders looks on, at a campaign event at Iowa State University Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks at a campaign event at Fireside Pub and Steak House in Manchester, Iowa. Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum visiting supporters at a house party in West Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Ted Cruz campaigns at Greene County Community Centre in Jefferson, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Senator Rand Paul speaks during a Caucus rally at his Des Moines headquarters in Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Jeb Bush speaks at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa AFP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin introducing the arrival of Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 A portrait of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders at his campaign headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Campaign badges on sale ahead of a Trump rally at the Ramada Waterloo Hotel and Convention Centre in Waterloo, Iowa Getty

With 50.7 per cent in the Kansas caucuses, he also became the first Republican candidate to claim more than half the vote in any state. Campaigning last night in Idaho ahead of that states primary on Tuesday, Mr Cruz said: Kansas, CPAC and Maine are all very different sets of voters, and I think what it represents is a Republican party coalescing against Donald Trump.

Mr Trumps opponents are already looking ahead to Florida and Ohio, two delegate-rich, winner-take-all states both set to vote on 15 March, where Mr Rubio and Ohio governor John Kasich ought to enjoy home advantages. Yet while a new poll puts Mr Kasich in front in Ohio, Mr Trump appears to have a double-digit lead over Mr Rubio in Florida. Meanwhile, Mr Cruz is reportedly planning to campaign hard in the Sunshine state, in hopes of knocking Mr Rubio out of the race altogether.

For Bernie Sanders, Super Saturday offered a repeat in miniature of Super Tuesday, with the socialist Senator from Vermont unable to attract significant support in the South, where African-American voters have come out overwhelmingly on Ms Clintons side. Her win in Louisiana will have given her almost as many delegates as Mr Sanders collected in Kansas and Nebraska combined.
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Texas Senator Ted Cruz claimed an easy victory in Kansas and battled with Donald Trump for Kentucky in Saturday's four-state round of Republican voting, fresh evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious race for the Republican presidential nomination. Democrats in three states were choosing between Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Cruz is leading Trump by more than a 2-to-1 margin in partial returns in the Kansas caucuses, and held a narrower lead over the real estate mogul in the Maine caucuses. The Texas senator and Trump are in a tight race in the Kentucky caucuses. Cruz, who enjoys support among evangelicals and the ultraconservative Tea Party movement, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a manifestation of a real shift in momentum. He has contrasted his steadfast conservative record to Trump's shifting positions on such issues as abortion and past campaign donations to Democrats, including Clinton.

Recommended Read more The Republican Party falls as Donald Trump continues to rise

God bless Kansas, Cruz declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days. The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington DC, is utter terror at what we the people are doing together.

With the Republican race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders - including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Senator John McCain - are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the Republican ticket.

Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump, the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida.

In pictures: US Elections 2016 Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: US Elections 2016 In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters after rival candidate Hillary Clinton was projected as the winner in the Nevada Democratic caucuses Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes photos with workers at her campaign office in Des Moines, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, second from left, prays before lunch with supporters at Drake Diner in Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Governor. Martin O'Malley, speaks during a campaign stop in Waterloo, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks, as his wife Jane OMeara Sanders looks on, at a campaign event at Iowa State University Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio speaks at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks at a campaign event at Fireside Pub and Steak House in Manchester, Iowa. Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum visiting supporters at a house party in West Des Moines, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Ted Cruz campaigns at Greene County Community Centre in Jefferson, Iowa AP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Senator Rand Paul speaks during a Caucus rally at his Des Moines headquarters in Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Republican candidate Jeb Bush speaks at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa AFP In pictures: US Elections 2016 Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin introducing the arrival of Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Reuters In pictures: US Elections 2016 A portrait of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders at his campaign headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa Getty In pictures: US Elections 2016 Campaign badges on sale ahead of a Trump rally at the Ramada Waterloo Hotel and Convention Centre in Waterloo, Iowa Getty

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Florida Senator Marco Rubio came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for other Republican candidates to step aside so he could go one-on-one against Trump.

Saturday's Republican races also included a primary election in Louisiana, while Democrats voted in Nebraska, Kansas and Louisiana. With front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he will need in order to secure the nomination before the convention, every one of the 155 Republican delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

Overall, Trump has prevailed in 10 of 15 state contests heading into Saturday's voting. Cruz had won Alaska, Oklahoma, Iowa and his home state of Texas. Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Ohio Governor John Kasich also bid for Republican votes. Rubio and Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on 15 March in their home states.

Cruz will collect at least 17 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas, and Trump will win at least six. In the overall race for delegates to the party's national nominating convention, Trump led with 335 and Cruz had 248. Rubio had 110 delegates and Kasich had 25. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Although Trump has drawn the biggest crowds at his rallies, Cruz is believed to have an edge in caucus states because he has put an emphasis on organizing a strong ground game to get-out-the-vote.

On the Democratic side, Clinton is farther along than Trump on the march to her party's nomination. She has 1,066 delegates to Sanders' 432, including pledged superdelegates, elected officials and party leaders who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination at the party's national convention. There are 109 at stake on Saturday.

Clinton hoped that strong support among African Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Sanders had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

Seeking some traction, Rubio again denounced Trump as a fraud and a con artist.

It's not enough to say, 'Vote for me because I am angrier and over the top and am going to do and say things no one is going to do,' he told conservatives at the conference outside Washington. At a later rally in Jacksonville, Florida, he pleaded for support from the same city that believed in me in his successful Senate bid six years ago.

Trump, intent on denying Rubio a crucial Florida win, had the thousands at his Orlando rally swear to give him their ballots.

With early voting already under way in the state, Trump told them: Do it now. Do it today. Do it tomorrow.... Remember, you all swore, you're voting for Trump, you can't change.

Ahead of a debate Sunday night in Flint, Michigan, Clinton met with about 20 African-American ministers in Detroit on Saturday and said the future of the Supreme Court was on the ballot in November's general election. The Michigan primary is on Tuesday.

Sanders had events in Ohio on Saturday as the Democrats kept close a watch on those two big states and their upcoming delegate hauls.

AP
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Could grainy black and white TV images hold the key to Americas political future? Having routed his establishment opponents, Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, a stern uncle in his thick, black-rimmed glasses, is accepting the Republican presidential nomination on 16 July, 1964.

Extremism in the defence of liberty is no vice  and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue, he thunders, as an enraptured audience cheers him to the rafters in the wonderfully named Cow Palace arena in San Francisco.

Half a century on, Goldwater is the name on every old-timers lips as Donald Trump, the modern scourge of an entrenched Republican elite, makes his own bid for the nomination. In 1964 as now, the party is bitterly divided. Back then the old guard, led by Nelson Rockefeller, told Republicans they must repudiate these people  these people being the new breed of conservatives taking over the party of Abraham Lincoln.

To no avail. Goldwater went on to lose the 1964 election in a landslide that saw Lyndon Johnson win more than 61 per cent of the popular vote, the largest such margin in modern US history. But it was his philosophy that would ultimately triumph. From 1968, Republicans held the White House for 28 of the next 40 years. Goldwater, not Ronald Reagan, is the true spiritual father of todays Republican party. Might the same be said one day about Trump?

There are parallels. Not only were Trump and Goldwater detested by elements of their party, both were accused of bigotry. Goldwater was openly backed by the Ku Klux Klan on the streets outside the Cow Palace: the only states he carried in 1964, apart from Arizona, were in the Deep South. This time around, Trump was suspiciously slow to disavow the Klan. And if he were to win the nomination, he would surely change the party as fundamentally as Goldwater.

 Man dresses as Mexican wall for Trump's rally

But the differences are greater. Trump, the businessman, reality TV star and rabble-rousing populist, is a true outsider. Goldwater might have been an iconoclast, but he was a US Senator of 11 years standing when he won the nomination, and would remain a Senator until 1987, when he was 78. Trump has never held any sort of elective office.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the media during a press conference (AFP/Getty)

Goldwaters rout of the moderates was the climax of a split within the party, between the formerly ascendant East Coast WASP establishment embodied by Rockefeller, and a new Republicanism taking root in the South and West. Trumps successes reflect a far more dangerous rift, between a discredited party elite and grassroots voters who feel abandoned by their supposed champions in Washington.

Goldwater operated in an age of traditional political norms, when elections were decided by voters in the middle. Todays politics is polarised, and elections are won by whichever party more efficiently gets its supporters to the polls.

Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall  and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY

Whatever happens, Trump will not be on the wrong end of an LBJ-style landslide. Most important, Goldwaters insurgency was  like almost every such dispute in the party  about ideology. The most spectacular split in Republican history, when former president Theodore Roosevelt formed a breakaway party, was caused by his belief that the incumbent William Howard Taft was betraying his Progressive movement.

The same was true the last time the Republicans entered their nominating convention with the outcome genuinely uncertain: in 1976 when the moderate incumbent Gerald Ford managed to fight off the challenge of Ronald Reagan and his supply-side economic conservatism and hard-edged anti-Sovietism.

Recommended Read more Former US First Lady Nancy Reagan has died aged 94

This time, the battle is utterly different. Ideologically, Trump is all over the shop: hard-line nativist on immigration; as anti-free trade as a Democratic union boss; with a record of having espoused liberal views on abortion and healthcare

In ideological terms, if there is a Goldwater in this race, it is the Texas Senator Ted Cruz, loathed almost as much as Trump by the party establishment. If Trump is to be stopped, almost certainly it will be done only by denying him an outright majority of delegates on the first ballot.

Here too the differences with Goldwater are instructive. However bitter the party divisions at the time, he won the 1964 nomination by a colossal majority, on the first ballot. Indeed, the last multiple-ballot Republican convention was in 1948, when it took three rounds of voting to nominate Thomas Dewey, who then lost to the incumbent Harry S Truman.

Political journalists of course salivate at the prospect: for once, a convention might break from the norm of a tedious three-day political advertisement and revert to those romantic old days of floor fights, rules disputes, dark horses and deals in smoke-filled rooms  though perhaps not on the scale of 1924 when it took Democrats two weeks and 103 ballots to come up with a nominee.

However, for those same reasons, an open, contested or brokered convention  call it what you will  is a partys nightmare, guaranteeing that all its dirty laundry will be washed in public, a gift for its opponents and all but ensuring defeat at the election. That is doubly true this year. Trumps supporters will not take lightly to the notion of their hero being denied his rightful crown by the machinations of a few. How easy it was in Goldwaters day.
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As Aung San Suu Kyi herself has remarked, its a pretty long gap. On Sunday 8 November 2015 Burma went to the polls, and in an unprecedented carnival of democratic excitement handed a landslide victory to Suu Kyis party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). Surpassing even its own expectations, the party gained blanket support across most of the country. Its majority ensures that it will dominate parliament, which in turn guarantees the election of the NLDs chosen candidate as president, who in the Burmese system is all powerful.

I reported the election for The Independent, and nowhere in the world have I encountered such enthusiasm before a vote, or such euphoria after it. The Burmese knew exactly the result they wanted. And made sure that they got it.

And then? A big fat nothing.

In their infinite wisdom, the authors of the nations constitution prescribed that the nation should vote in early November, but that the new president  elected by the upper and lower houses of Parliament, sitting in the new capital, Naypyidaw  should not take office until the end of March. There is no country in the world which takes so long to transfer power, Suu Kyi told her new MPs earlier this month. We are at the top of the list for lengthy handovers. No other country takes five months.

The Burmese are good at waiting. In the past four years, new cars have poured into the country in unprecedented numbers, but because little has happened to the road system in that time, the traffic-jams in Rangoon, the old capital and much the biggest city, have to be seen to be believed. It can take hours to cover a couple of miles. Foreigners tend to blow a gasket as they sit motionless, inhaling the fumes. The Burmese, by contrast, seem serenely resigned: they just sit there. And they have waited far longer for anything good to happen in the nations politics.

The NLD was formed by Suu Kyi and friends in 1988, during the hectic months of the popular uprising. She and her husband Michael Aris were not alone in believing that the rotten structure of military rule would collapse before the end of that year, yielding a democratic revolution. Instead the military redoubled its grip. Elections were finally held in 1990, when Suu Kyi was under house arrest and most of her colleagues in jail. Her party won by a landslide; the regime pretended nothing had happened, locked up all the MPs-elect who were not prudent enough to leave the country, and remained in power.

Fast forward 20 years, to 2010, and another general election, under the new, pseudo-democratic constitution  but the NLD, with Suu Kyi still locked up, did not take part in it. So by November 2015, the nation had waited a full 25 years for a free vote. What is a further five months, after that?

Given her vast popularity, it is certain that in a free vote on the matter the Burmese people would put Suu Kyi herself in the presidential office. (EPA)

This Thursday  10 March  sees the nations idling engine finally move into first gear when the contending parties nominate their candidates for president, then vote for them. The results are expected to be published the same day. No one doubts, given the parliamentary arithmetic, that the NLDs candidate will prevail. But who will that person be? At present only one person in the country knows for sure, and that is Suu Kyi herself.

Given her vast popularity, it is certain that in a free vote on the matter the Burmese people would put Suu Kyi herself in the presidential office. And for the past three years, she herself has made no bones about that being her ambition. But the same fiendish constitution that mandated five months of post-election limbo also bars anyone with a spouse or children possessing foreign passports  and that means Suu Kyi, with her grown-up sons, one of whom has British and one American citizenship  from standing for that office.

During the election campaign, Suu Kyi not only made her own presidential ambitions very clear, but also confirmed she would do all she could to change the relevant clause of the constitution, 59(f), to make sure that she would end up where she believed she belonged. But now, it appears, that is not going to happen.

Another of the peculiarities of Burmas constitution is that it is extremely difficult to change  and has been deliberately fashioned that way, to ensure that the military men who wrote it continue to have a lock on power, no matter who the nation might vote for in elections. To initiate an amendment, more than three-quarters of MPs must vote in favour of it  but one-quarter of them are serving soldiers, who attend parliamentary sessions in uniform and vote as a bloc. Their presence is enough to kill stone dead any amendment aimed at limiting the militarys power. And supposing that one brave soldier, to quote Suu Kyi, were persuaded to cross the floor, the amendment would still need to be put to a nationwide popular referendum. The constitution was written with the express purpose of stymying any attempt at radical change.

Although Ms Suu Kyi's party was expected to win, few had envisaged a victory on this scale (Getty)

As a result, much of these limbo months has been taken up with efforts by Suu Kyi to find other, simpler, ways of bringing about that constitutional change. These have involved three meetings with the head of the army, General Min Aung Hlaing, who is effectively the most powerful figure in the country  as head of a shadowy but very powerful security council which has the right to declare martial law and take over  in which she tried to bring him round to the idea of short-circuiting the tortuous amendment process. No detail has emerged about these meetings except that the third one, held last week, was the longest and most tense, and ended inconclusively. The upshot: Suu Kyi will not be allowed to become President Suu  at least not now. She will be president sooner or later, one of her oldest colleagues said. But not this time around.

So who will it be? It must be someone she trusts implicitly, and who is prepared to accept the anomalous position of being notionally of great power and prestige, but actually under the thumb of the Lady  because, as she said at a press conference before the election, if she cant be president, she will be above the president. It is believed that Suu Kyi settled on her choice of proxy some time ago, but the party has been remarkably successful in keeping the persons identity under wraps.

The short list includes her oldest colleague U Tin Oo, co-founder of the party; her personal doctor, U Tin Myo Win; and her personal assistant, also a medical doctor, Daw Tin Mar Aung, the only woman on the list. All three are unquestioningly loyal to her, but the first two have drawbacks. U Tin Oo is remarkably spry for his age, but he is 89, which is rather old for starting a new, high-profile career. U Tin Myo Win is said to have good relations with the military, but that in itself might limit his appeal to Suu Kyi, given the inevitable tension between democratic and military camps. Daw Tin Mar Aung, Suu Kyis constant companion, would be a stunning choice.

Asked this week about the candidates identity, an NLD spokesman would only say, Youre going to get a big surprise. The choice of her assistant would certainly be that. But, given the fact that they have been inseparable for the past three years, she might be the only person Suu Kyi would fully trust. Because having power split between a paper president and the party leader will be an awkward start for Burmas brave new democratic era, whoever is selected; and recent Asian experiments with proxy rulers have ended badly.

The over-riding question is: how well will Suu Kyi and her colleagues succeed in governing? (EPA)

The best-known case is that of India, where from 2004 to 2014 Dr Manmohan Singh, as prime minister, and Sonia Gandhi, as head of the Congress party, ruled in tandem. The experiment ended in humiliation, with a landslide electoral victory for the Hindu nationalists. The history of those years shows the difficulty, perhaps even the danger, of operating with two centres of power, Teresita Schaffer, a fellow at the Brookings Institute, said recently in an interview. Even with Manmohan Singhs character and desire to make things work, the two centres of power wound up being competitive. Others were constantly calculating which of the two leaders was more sympathetic to them, how to get to Gandhi and get around Singh, and so on.

In Thailand, proxy rule was aborted within three years. Following the departure into exile of her vastly popular but controversial brother Thaksin, Yingluck Shinawatra became prime minister in 2011  but was suspected of acting under her brothers orders. Her term in office came to a sudden close when she was impeached for alleged abuse of office and forced out.

But whoever Suu Kyi selects  and we will learn the persons identity on 10 March  she, as the nations de facto ruler, will have a mountain to climb to fulfil her peoples expectations.

The most pressing issue is peace. Burma has been at war ever since independence, with large ethnic minorities on eastern, northern and western borders resisting by force of arms attempts by the Burmans, constituting some 70 per cent of the population, to dominate them. Only last year a fierce war broke out in Shan state between the Burmese army and the ethnically Chinese Kokang. In Kachin state in the north, fighting continues intermittently between the national army and the Kachin minoritys forces. Even where the guns have fallen silent, there is deep resentment and mistrust; the federal arrangements promised at independence, designed to accommodate different traditions and identities within the national frame, were never implemented. If Suu Kyi fails to quell rooted army hostility to federalism in the early months, her support in the border areas could quickly crumble.

As urgent as peace is prosperity. Burmas economy has been growing at seven per cent per year since currency reform four years ago  with the abolition of a crazy dual exchange rate system  and its opening to the outside world. But as Suu Kyi herself noted before the election, the mass of people have seen little or no improvement, while a tiny minority of cronies (the word has entered the Burmese language) flaunt their great wealth. And the long interregnum since the election has made that even worse, with the military-dominated administration rushing through fire-sale privatisations of state-owned land and factories which are suspected of benefiting their families or friends. The new NLD MPs, sitting in parliament since the beginning of February, have tried to get the retiring government of President Thein Sein to take action about this, but without success. Thein Sein also took advantage of his last months of power to pass a new immunity law, placing himself and his colleagues beyond the reach of justice.

Then there is the question in Arakan state that has dogged Suu Kyi for much of the past five years: the rights of the Rohingya, the Muslim community barred from voting in the last election. Suu Kyis waning popularity in the west is largely ascribed to her failure to speak up with any clarity about the rights and wrongs of this long-festering issue, which pits Muslims against Buddhists in the second poorest state in the Union. But her government is unlikely to bring any dramatic improvement to the lot of the Rohingya, tens of thousands of whom are confined to squalid camps following their expulsion from their homes after communal violence in 2012. Arakan was one of the few corners of the country where the NLD did poorly in the election  beaten by Arakanese nationalists who are the voice of Buddhist chauvinism in the state, and will do all they can to keep the Rohingya in their lowly place. And if Suu Kyi does indeed name her assistant as the NLDs presidential candidate, there is even less likelihood that the Rohingyas lot will improve: Daw Tin Mar Aung is herself an Arakanese Buddhist.

Beyond these specific issues, the over-riding question is: how well will Suu Kyi and her colleagues succeed in governing? Many of the new MPs have spent long years in jail for their political positions, but few have any direct experience of running anything. After half a century of military tyranny, capacity-building is as big a challenge in government as in every other sphere of life.

Suu Kyi is likely to take as much of the load of responsibility on her own shoulders as she can, but has already come under attack for trying to do too much. [Suu Kyis] activities in recent months, said U Soe Myint Aung, a political commentator in Rangoon, show that she is someone who likes to micro-manage things, ranging from garbage collection and inspection of the living quarters of her MPs to being the authoritative party spokesperson. So I suspect she would not want to let go of any institutional decision-making.

Asked at her pre-election press conference whether the NLD would govern well, Suu Kyi quipped that they couldnt be any worse than the current government. And, given that the army will retain control of three crucial ministries  home, defence and border affairs  it may be a while before people notice any difference at all. But that is her challenge: to make things better, and fast. Her millions of Burmese admirers are banking on it.

The Lady and the Generals: Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's struggle for freedom by Peter Popham is published by Rider on 10 March, price 20 hardback
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Like hundreds of communities along Japans north-east coast, the village of Koizumi exists on maps only. Five years ago, an earthquake under the Pacific Ocean triggered towering waves that carried away nearly 18,000 people. The deluge flattened Koizumi and drowned 40 of its 1,800 residents. In a country with about 20 per cent of the worlds strong earthquakes, and pummelled by a tsunami roughly every seven years, the survivors know that some day calamity will almost certainly strike again.

Japans government wasted little time announcing a tried-and-tested solution: pouring concrete. A few months after the March 2011 disaster, it pledged to build hundreds of sea walls and breakers in the three worst-hit prefectures. The cost? About 4.8bn.

Many more are on the drawing board. A joint report by the ministries of agriculture and land says 14,000km (8,700 miles) of Japans 35,000km coastline requires tsunami protection. Its madness, concludes Masahito Abe, a Koizumi resident who opposes the plans.

The governments solution is controversial, not least because the evidence for the barriers effectiveness is mixed, at best. Fudai, a village sheltering behind a giant concrete shield once condemned as a costly waste of time, escaped unscathed in 2011. But in the city of Kamaishi, a 1.1bn breakwater crumbled when the tsunami hit.

Nearly 90 per cent of the sea walls along the north-east coast suffered similar fates, a blow to a country considered among the best protected from the fury of natural disasters. Critics say they made the impact of the deluge in many places worse. There is simply no guarantee that sea walls will stop every single tsunami, says Nobuo Shuto, a tsunami engineer at Tohoku University, in the city of Sendai.

The sea wall failure was most striking at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant (AFP/Getty)

The sea wall failure was most striking at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. The plants operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), has argued since the crisis that the 13-metre tsunami that overwhelmed the plants cooling system following the earthquake was beyond all normal expectations. An internal Tepco report in 2008, however, predicted the potential for a maximum tsunami of 15.7 metres.

Mr Shuto, though not against all sea walls, is among a growing number of people pushing for a rethink. Surprisingly, perhaps, Akie Abe, the Prime Ministers wife, is among them. She has gingerly spoken out against a plan signed off by her husband, saying it could damage tourism and destroy ecosystems. But she has had little success convincing local authorities to change course  sea walls bring jobs, and riches to Japans powerful construction companies.

The same inflexible response has been experienced across the north-east, says Hiroko Otsuka, a campaigner who grew up near Koizumi. She says bureaucratic decisions made and funded from Tokyo are almost impossible to reverse. There is no mechanism to make it happen, no matter how many residents, environmentalists or academics are against it. Koizumis 14.7-metre wall, with a price tag of 230 million yen (1.4m), will shelter a community that is no longer there. The village has been moved 3km inland. Essentially, the money will go to protecting rice paddies, says Mr Abe, the Koizumi resident.

Even more puzzlingly, the land ministry admits the new structures are not designed to withstand the sort of seismic event that occurred in 2011. That quake is considered a once-in-a-thousand-year calamity and nothing could block it, said a spokesperson for the ministry. Koizumis wall is less than half the size of the highest wave that hit the area five years ago. Still, the walls will save lives, and many residents demand them, insists the ministry.

Inside the twisted remains of Fukushima nuclear plant Show all 2 1 /2 Inside the twisted remains of Fukushima nuclear plant Inside the twisted remains of Fukushima nuclear plant 6-Fukushima-1-EPA.jpg EPA Inside the twisted remains of Fukushima nuclear plant 6-Fukushima-2-EPA.jpg EPA

Ms Otsuka disagrees. She says coastal residents sheltering behind the walls are lulled into a sense of false security, and lose the ability to read the sea.

Another issue, Ms Otsuka believes, is that residents are so occupied with the concerns of reconstructing their lives they have little room for a full debate over the sea wall plans. Linked to this is the fact that landowners have been contacted to sell their now-useless land to the government so it can be used for seawall construction  which would provide residents with vital money to rebuild their lives. So, Ms Otsuka argues, the authorities have created a sentiment that campaigning against the sea walls would further delay the reconstruction process.

The 2011 deluge killed Ms Otsukas mother, and her brothers two children. They could have been saved if they had fled 10 metres up a hill behind their house, she says. They did not run because they thought the village sea wall would protect them. Mr Abe was more fortunate: two decades ago he moved his young family to a nearby hilltop back from the sea. We lived when so many others didnt, he laments. It makes my heart hurt to think about that.
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By Tuesday, Jacquita Gomes will have been waiting two years to know how her husband, an in-flight supervisor, met his death in one of aviations great mysteries.

At a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian city that Patrick Gomes, along with 238 other people, departed on 8 March 2014 on board flight MH370, Ms Gomes said the families are fighting for the search to continue. Our loved ones are not home yet, so how can we say its the end? She added: I think we are done with the sobbing and wailing. We do cry in silence. We have faces full of smiles, but behind the smiles, there is sadness. We have not reached closure.

A search in the southern Indian Ocean has found no trace of the Boeing 777, though a wing part washed ashore on Reunion Island in the western Indian Ocean last July. The search is expected to end in June. Another suspected piece of the wreckage washed up in Mozambique last week.

Recommended Read more Australian officials could examine theory MH370 deliberately crashed

Johny Begue, the man who found the wing fragment on Reunion Island, claimed to have found more mysterious debris, a square-shaped gray item with blue border, in nearly the same spot. A special gendarmerie air brigade in Saint Denis, the capital of Reunion, confirmed it received the item.

We may never recover from this if its classified as an aviation mystery and the case is then closed, the families of MH370 said in a statement. If this is left unsolved, then how will we prevent it from happening again?

Jiang Hui, a 41-year-old from China, said his life has been in limbo since he lost his 62-year-old mother, Jiang Cui Yun, who was aboard the plane. He said he lost his job as an IT engineer a few months after the tragedy due to depression. He said he filed a lawsuit in China on Friday against Malaysia Airlines, not for the money but in the hope that it will bring some answers to the mystery. I want to let my mother know that I will not give up, said an emotional Mr Jiang.

With the search of a remote patch of ocean off Australias west coast drawing to a close and the planes wreckage proving stubbornly elusive, Jay Larsen, the American who designed a sonar device being used in the hunt for MH370, is among those feeling the pressure.

I think there is some tension building as the end of the job comes nearer, said Mr Larsen, whose Whitefish, Montana-based company built one of the devices scanning a mountainous stretch of seabed where the plane is believed to have crashed nearly two years ago. Everybody wants to find this thing, including us.

Mr Larsen has been involved with the hunt from the beginning, when marine services contractor Phoenix International Holdings hired his deep-water search and survey company, Hydrospheric Solutions, to provide the sonar equipment used on board the search vessel GO Phoenix. The Malaysian-contracted vessel participated in eight months of the hunt until June last year.

Most recently, Mr Larsen and his team flew to Singapore to load their sonar device onto a Chinese ship, the Dong Hai Jiu 101, which has just joined three other vessels scouring the southern Indian Ocean for the plane. He then travelled on board the Dong Hai to the west Australian city of Fremantle, and, after ensuring the sonar and his team were ready to go, bid them adieu last month as they set out for the search zone 1,100 miles to the south-west.

MH370 debris - in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French police officers carry a piece of debris from a plane in Saint-Andre, Reunion Island. AP MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Police carry a piece of debris from an unidentified aircraft found in the coastal area of Saint-Andre de la Reunion, in the east of the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion AFP PHOTO / YANNICK PITOUYANNICK PITOU/AFP/Getty Images MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris The plane part is being taken to France for further investigation Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French gendarmes and police inspect a large piece of plane debris which was found on the beach in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris French gendarmes and police inspect a large piece of plane debris which was found on the beach in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion Reuters MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Johnny Begue, a member of a local shore cleaning association, in Saint-Andre, French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, holds the remain of a suitcase found the day before on the same site Getty Images MH370 debris - in pictures MH370 debris Searches continued on Friday for other possible MH370 debris along beaches on the island of Reunion AP

Mr Larsens company has a crew of eight people on the Chinese ship who are tasked with running the sonar system  or flying the fish, as he puts it. That fish is actually a 20ft long, 5ft wide, 3.5-tonne bright yellow behemoth called the SLH ProSAS-60, which is dragged slowly behind the ship by a cable. The device hovers just above the seabed as it scans a patch of ocean floor 1.2 miles wide, sending data to computers on board that process the information into images.

The black-and-white, near-photo-quality pictures that pop up on the screen resemble the surface of the moon. The imagery, produced by synthetic aperture sonar, is higher quality than conventional sonar, Mr Larsen says, giving him confidence that his team will not miss the debris field if they drift over it.

The job can be gruelling. Mr Larsen was on board the GO Phoenix at the start of the search  from September 2014 to February 2015  breaking only to return to shore once a month for fresh supplies. It almost ruined my head, my brain, my heart, my marriage, but we got it going, he said.

On board, two teams of three people work alternating 12-hour shifts every day, a job that requires close attention and co-ordination. One of Mr Larsens employees sits at the controls flying the sonar, while a navigator sits beside him looking at upcoming terrain to warn him of obstacles. A third person sits in a nearby seat providing a backup set of eyes. Another team member pops in occasionally in case anyone needs a break.

Its that whole cliche of hours of boredom interspersed with moments of terror, Mr Larsen says. Some of the terrain out there is just incredible, these mountains and trenches and stuff that were trying to get every last look into to make sure we dont miss anything.

The first month Mr Larsens team was on the hunt, they were in a constant state of alert, expecting the plane would quickly be found. As time passed, some of that anxiousness waned and the job became more routine. But they have never given up hope that the aircraft will be spotted, even though theres just 30 per cent of the 46,000-square-mile search zone left to check. It literally could be any minute  we could look up and see debris on that screen, he said. Everybody wants to be on the MH370 search.

The seabed in the search zone is so remote that it had never been mapped before the hunt for MH370 began. The search has proven thrilling, though Mr Larsen is conscious of the larger goal. Were really proud right now to be a part of the search, because its a huge effort and I hope to bring resolution to those families. And thats really the thing that drives us all: Put a lid on this thing. Get this done. AP
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A Chinese building maintenance crew has been detained by police after a woman was found dead in an elevator shaft that had its power wrongly cut off a month earlier.

The Gaoling district government in the north-western city of Xian in Shaanxi province said two maintenance workers had turned off the power source on 30 January in a residential building after they were called to fix a glitch.

But they failed to carry out a safety check to see if anyone was inside before pulling the plug.

When the maintenance crew returned on 1 March to carry out repairs they found a female corpse inside.

The woman has not been named but was preliminarily identified as a 43-year-old resident who lived alone.

Police have ruled out foul play but said her death was caused by gross negligence on the part of the maintenance crew - and that the case was being treated as involuntary manslaughter.

China has a poor track record when it comes to health and safety.

China opens terrifying glass-bottomed bridge Show all 5 1 /5 China opens terrifying glass-bottomed bridge China opens terrifying glass-bottomed bridge A woman plays around as she walks across a glass-bottomed suspension bridge in a scenic zone in Pingjiang county AP China opens terrifying glass-bottomed bridge An aerial view shows a glass suspension bridge at the Shiniuzhai National Geo-park in Pinging county, Hunan province Reuters China opens terrifying glass-bottomed bridge Tourists look down as they walk on a glass suspension bridge at the Shiniuzhai National Geo-park in Pinging county, Hunan province Reuters China opens terrifying glass-bottomed bridge Tourists walk on a glass suspension bridge at the Shiniuzhai National Geo-park in Pinging county, Hunan province Reuters China opens terrifying glass-bottomed bridge The bridge is named Haohan Qiao, which translates to Brave Mens Bridge Rex

In July, a Chinese woman in Jingzhou in the centre of the country was swallowed by a mall escalator when the metal top suddenly caved in.

She managed to push her two-year-old to safety but died of her injuries.

A month later, 12 government officials and company executives in Tianjin were detained over a huge warehouse explosion which killed 145 workers.

 Chinese man falls down elevator shaft

Additional reporting by AP
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Egypt's interior minister has accused the Muslim Brotherhood and Palestinian group Hamas of planning the assassination of the country's chief state prosecutor in last year's bombing.

Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar said during a televised address that Hamas, which controls Gaza, trained the Muslim Brotherhood for the operation that killed the 65-year-old Hisham Barakat in June 2015.

He said: "Hamas trained, prepared, and oversaw the implementation, of the assassination of a senior Egyptian official, the first in 25 years."

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri denied the accusations, saying they were "baseless and are not in harmony with the efforts being exerted to develop the relationship between Hamas and Cairo".

A car bomb last June killed Mr Barakat, who oversaw thousands of cases against Islamists.

Mr Abdel-Ghaffar said dozens of people had been arrested in relation to the bombing.

Egypt's Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar (AP)

Earlier in the day, the country's current chief prosecutor, Nabil Sadek, said in a statement that his office had ordered the arrest of six people to remain in custody for 15 days until the start of the investigation.

Most of the people arrested are believed to be students at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, which is a Sunni Muslim institution and Egypt's oldest degree-granting university.

Inside Isis secret tunnels Show all 7 1 /7 Inside Isis secret tunnels Inside Isis secret tunnels Network of underground tunnels was discovered by Kurdish forces after they regained the town of Sinjar in Iraq Inside Isis secret tunnels A member of the Peshmerga forces inspects a tunnel used by Isis militants in the town of Sinjar, Iraq Reuters Inside Isis secret tunnels An entrance to the tunnel used by Islamic State militants is seen in the town of Sinjar, Iraq Inside Isis secret tunnels The secret tunnels allowed militants to freely move underground Inside Isis secret tunnels The tunnels appear to be wired with electricity Inside Isis secret tunnels Some of the tunnels are 30 feet deep Inside Isis secret tunnels Concerns remain that parts of the tunnels are rigged with explosives

At the time, there were no reliable claims of responsibility for the attack and the Muslim Brotherhood denied any involvement.

But the Islamic group has been held responsible by the Egyptian government for most political violence in the country over recent years.

Shortly after the attack, the government in Cairo voted for anti-terrorism laws that broadened the definition of terrorism, gave police greater powers of arrest and tightened restrictions on free speech.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press
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The number of people applying for asylum in the European Union more than doubled in 2015, reaching a record-high of 1.26 million.

Europes refugee crisis has been a large factor in the increase, and EU statistics agency Eurostat estimates that a total of 1,255,600 first time asylum application were made in 2015, up from 562,680 made in 2014.

Syrians accounted for almost a third of the total figure, with 362,775 seeking shelter in Europe, double the number that came to Europe in 2014. The second most common nationality of applicants was Afghans, whose numbers quadrupled to 178 230, followed by 121 535 Iraqis.

The highest number of first-time applicants were registered in Germany, with the country taking in 441,800 people, or 35 per cent of the applicants. Next came Hungary (174,400), Sweden (156 100), Austria (85,500), Italy (83,200) and France (70,600).

The country which saw the largest increase from the previous year in asylum applicants was Finland, with 822 per cent more applications in 2015.The UK took in 38,370 asylum seekers, 3.1 per cent of the total.

Filippo Grandi, the UNs high commissioner for refugees, said: "We are running out of time, and strong leadership and vision are urgently needed from European leaders to deal with what is, in our view, a situation that can still be managed if properly addressed.

"This is as much a crisis of European solidarity as it is a refugee crisis."

The International Organisation for Migration estimates that 129,455 migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe in the first nine weeks of this year, with 418 people dying in the process.

Refugees settle in Germany Show all 12 1 /12 Refugees settle in Germany Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, plays with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, in the one room they and Mohamed's wife Laloosh call home at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany A refugee child Amnat Musayeva points to a star with her photo and name that decorates the door to her classroom as teacher Martina Fischer looks on at the local kindergarten Amnat and her siblings attend on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The children live with their family at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian asylum-applicant Mohamed Ali Hussein (R), 19, and fellow applicant Autur, from Latvia, load benches onto a truckbed while performing community service, for which they receive a small allowance, in Wilhelmsaue village on October 9, 2015 near Letschin, Germany. Mohamed and Autur live at an asylum-applicants' shelter in nearby Vossberg village. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Ali Hussein ((L), 19, and his cousin Sinjar Hussein, 34, sweep leaves at a cemetery in Gieshof village, for which they receive a small allowance, near Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, looks among donated clothing in the basement of the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to Mohamed, his wife Laloosh and their daughter Ranim as residents' laundry dries behind in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asya Sugaipova (L), Mohza Mukayeva and Khadra Zhukova prepare food in the communal kitchen at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Efrah Abdullahi Ahmed looks down from the communal kitchen window at her daughter Sumaya, 10, who had just returned from school, at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asylum-applicants, including Syrians Mohamed Ali Hussein (C-R, in black jacket) and Fadi Almasalmeh (C), return from grocery shopping with other refugees to the asylum-applicants' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat (2nd from L), a refugee from Syria, smokes a cigarette after shopping for groceries with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, and fellow-Syrian refugees Mohamed Ali Hussein (C) and Fadi Almasalmeh (L) at a local supermarket on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. All of them live at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian refugees Leila, 9, carries her sister Avin, 1, in the backyard at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to them and their family in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Somali refugees and husband and wife Said Ahmed Gure (R) and Ayaan Gure pose with their infant son Muzammili, who was born in Germany, in the room they share at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity, and are waiting for authorities to process their application for asylum 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany German Chancellor Angela Merkel pauses for a selfie with a refugee after she visited the AWO Refugium Askanierring shelter for refugees in Berlin Getty Images

A spokesperson said: "The numbers still fall far short of 2015's total, when over one million seaborne arrivals were recorded. But with 10 months left, it now appears likely that last year's total will be surpassed, possibly before the end of the summer."

More than 10,000 are now currently stuck in northern Greece on the border with Macedonia, due to the re-imposition internal border controls. Thousands more migrants are arriving in Greece every day.

Eight countries have reintroduced border checks since September, in an attempt to dissuade refugees and migrants entering. The Schengen Agreement, the EUs passport-free movement plan, has come under strain as a consequence of the crisis.
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The most unpopular French government in recent times will this week attempt to slay the countrys most sacred economic and social cow  with potentially explosive results.

With only 14 months to go before a presidential election, President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls face a rebellion within their own Socialist party and more worryingly, street protests on Wednesday by left-wing students.

Mr Valls has proposed what is, for France, a radical change in employment law, which would align the country with the more flexible hiring and firing rules applied in Germany, Britain and Scandinavian countries. He will hold a series of talks with Frances multiple trades union federations this morning in an attempt to head off protests, strikes and a threatened split within the Parti Socialiste.

Recommended Read more President Hollande facing insurrection over French cabinet reshuffle

An online petition against the proposed reform has already gathered more than 1,000,000 signatures, which is a French record.

In a lengthy interview with the Journal du Dimanche yesterday, Mr Valls promised improvements in the draft reform to answer the demands of the more reform-minded trade union leaders. He went on, however, to blame Frances high levels of unemployment  3,500,000 people or 10 per cent out of work  on laws which create barriers to the labour market.

The proposed reform would make permanent employment contracts more flexible and make it easier for businesses to lay off workers when they run into economic difficulties. It would also allow employees to vote workplace-by-workplace for flexibility in the application of Frances 35-hour working week.

Far from making employment more precarious as critics complain, Mr Valls said the reforms would encourage smaller businesses to offer workers permanent jobs. At present, 90 per cent of jobs created in the private sector are on short-term contracts which offer no guarantees at all, he said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

People say that the reform would make the lives of young people more precarious. In fact, young people have the most to gain, Mr Valls said. They are the principle victims of the present system, which forces employers to offer one short-term contract after another.

The proposed reform has, however, compounded the fury of many within the Socialist Party and the further left at what they see as the treacherous, rightward course of the Hollande-Valls government. The protests have been led by the former Socialist leader, and mother of the 35-hour week, Martine Aubry, who has resigned from all her official positions within the party.

Ms Aubry complains that the rewriting of French employment law in line with liberal pro-market dogma is a betrayal of the French social contract. Far from the so-called flexi-security which applies in Denmark, Sweden and Germany, the proposed changes are all about flexibility and would destroy job security, she says.

Even more worryingly for the government, the crusade against the proposed reform threatens to attract large numbers of students. Left-wing students unions have called for street demonstrations against the law throughout France on Wednesday. They insist that the draft law has been written by the employers federation and amounts to a bosses charter.

A more modest attempt by a former centre-right Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, to introduce similar contract flexibility for young people was killed off by a wave of student protest in 2006.

The newspaper Le Parisien has published a telling opinion poll. More than 52 per cent of those questioned said reform was needed to create jobs. More than 70 per cent said that they opposed the changes put forward by the labour minister, Myriam El Khomri. As ever in France, everyone favours change; a majority opposes changes.

All the more reason for an unpopular president and an increasingly unpopular prime minister to avoid further angering the Socialist grassroots a year before a presidential election. Some French commentators have suggested that the proposed reform  long demanded by employers but avoided by successive governments of right and left  is a kamikaze act by a president who knows that he cannot be re-elected.

They compare the proposed reforms to those introduced by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder from 2002 to 2005, which sealed his political fate but produced economic recovery. It remains to be seen whether the French government can assemble a parliamentary majority to enact even a weakened version.
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France has been accused of devaluing its highest national honour after the Legion of Honour was quietly awarded to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on a visit to Paris.

The French government was among the most vocal outside the Middle East in its condemnation of Saudi mass executions earlier this year, calling the kingdoms killing of 47 people deeply deplorable.

Yet almost two months to the day after that statement was issued, President Francois Hollande awarded his nations most prestigious award to the heir to the Saudi throne, Prince Mohammed bin Naif.

The Crown Princes visit to the Elysee Palace actually took place on Friday 4 March, the same day as Mr Hollande held talks with Angela Merkel about how to cope with the refugee crisis.

But while Ms Merkels trip featured in a number of videos and photos posted online by the Elysee social media team, any reference or evidence of the Saudi delegation was conspicuously absent.

That the Prince even received the award was only confirmed by Mr Hollandes entourage on Sunday afternoon. Officials sought to play it down, telling Le Monde it was common protocol to issue visiting dignitaries with the honour.

But while in France the decoration was done, as media outlets put it, with discretion, the government-owned Saudi news agency SPA hailed the honour as recognition for the princes great efforts in the region and world for combating extremism and terrorism.

The Legion of Honour was founded by Napoleon in 1802, and is regarded as among the first and most prestigious modern orders of merit in the world.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemens Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdoms Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as inciting people against the authorities. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabias clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his confession. At Dawoods trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

Last week, before the Crown Prince received his from the orders Grand Master Hollande personally, it was awarded to groups of World War Two veterans in Cornwall and Oxfordshire in recognition of their role in the D-Day landings.

In both France and the UK, there was anger on Sunday night at the decision to award the symbolically significant medal to the deputy leader of a country which has executed 70 people since the start of the year.

Twitter user Carmen Renieri called it a day of shame for France, while Jane Grover wrote that the decoration makes the legion dhonneur worthless.

In its report from the Crown Princes visit, SPA said the two sides reviewed bilateral relations between the Kingdom and France and ways of enhancing and developing them in all fields, particularly joint cooperation for combating extremism and terrorism.

The French President and the Crown Prince also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and exerted efforts towards them in addition to the two countries stances towards them, it said.

The visit was a success, said Saudi minister of culture and information Adel al-Toraifi, and included discussions of investment.

Neither report made mention of the refugee crisis, throughout which Saudi Arabia been accused of failing to take its fair share of asylum seekers. And given the discretion surrounding the visit, it is not known whether Mr Hollande felt able to bring up the Saudi human rights record.
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A final email sent by Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot who is believed to have intentionally crashed a Germanwings plane last year, allegedly reveals he was suffering from depression and feared going blind.

The email, sent by the then 27-year-old to his doctor two weeks before the crash and published by German newspaper Bild, reportedly says: I am afraid to go blind and I can't get this possibility out of my head.

If it wasn't for the eyes, everything would be fine."

The Germanwings Airbus A320, flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, crashed in a remote area of the French Alps on 24 March 2015, killing all 149 people on board. Data recorders found at the site suggest Lubitz deliberately collided the plane into the mountain after locking the senior pilot out of the cockpit.

In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Show all 66 1 /66 In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Flowers are left in front of the monument in homage to the victims of Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 in Le Vernet, southeastern France In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Andreas Lubitz was deemed unsuitable for flight duties for a period of time during his training with Lufthansa and was receiving regular treatment for depression, sources have claimed as investigators focus their inquiry on his personal life and background In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash People believed to be relatives of the deceased crew on Germanwings flight 4U9525 comfort each other at a reception centre in Le Vernet, France In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Rescue workers gather with friends and relatives of those killed onboard Germanwings flight 4U9525 at a reception centre in Le Vernet, France In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Flags representing some of the nationalities of the victims are seen as family members and relatives gather near the crash site of an Airbus A320 in the French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash German and Spain flags symbolizing some of the nationalities of the victims are seen as family members and relatives gather for a ceremony in Le Vernet near the crash site of an Airbus A320 in the French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Flags symbolizing some of the nationalities of the victims, are seen near the memorial stele in Le Vernet during a ceremony to pay tribute to the victims of an Airbus A320 in the French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash French gendarmes and investigators make their way through debris from wreckage on the mountainside at the crash site of an Airbus A320, near Seyne-les-Alpes In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash French gendarmes and investigators work amongst the debris of the Airbus A320 at the site of the crash, near Seyne-les-Alpes, French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash French gendarmes and investigators make their way through the debris of the Airbus A320 at the site of the crash near Seyne-les-Alpes, French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Wreckage of the Airbus A320 is seen at the site of the crash, near Seyne-les-Alpes, French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A body of a victim is evacuated by a French Gendarmerie rescue helicopter from the crash site of an Airbus A320, near Seyne-les-Alpes In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Rescue workers recover bodies of victims from the crash site of an Airbus A320, near Seyne-les-Alpes In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash French military personnel work amongst the debris of the Airbus A320 at the site of the crash, near Seyne-les-Alpes, French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A helicopter of the French Gendarmerie flies over the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed in the French Alps, above the town of Seyne-les-Alpes, southeastern France In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Search and rescue workers make their way through debris at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 that crashed in the French Alps, above the town of Seyne-les-Alpes, southeastern France In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Flowers and lit candles are placed on the ground in Cologne Bonn airport Reuters In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Victims relatives join carers outside the school gym in Seyne Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr, left, and Germanwings CEO Thomas Winkelmann arrive for a press conference near the Germanwings headquarters in Cologne, Germany In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Andreas Lubitz, the co-pilot that crashed the Germanwings Airbus A320 in the French Alps Facebook In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Buses loaded with relatives of victims are escorted after their arrival at Marseille airport, southern France In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Family and relatives of the victims of the Germanwings plane crash in the Alps are taken on bus to the Prat airport from a hotel in Castelldefels in Barcelona, Spain, to take a Lufthansa flight to visit the crash site in Seyne les Alps in France In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash An Airbus plane of German airline Lufthansa carrying onboard relatives of the Germanwings plane crash victims takes off from the Duesseldorf airport in Duesseldorf, western Germany, en route to Marseille In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A Germanwings employee places flowers in commemoration of the victims of the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps, at the airport in Duesseldorf, Germany In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Members of German Government Chancellor Angela Merkel, Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, from right, hold a minute of silence to commemorate the victims of the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps at the parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Realtives of passengers of the Germanwings airliner that crashed in the French Alps leave the Gran Hotel Rey Don Jaime towards Barcelona El Prat airport where a lufthansa plane will fly to Marseille, in Barcelona, Spain In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Olivier Cousin (R), director of the mountain rescue team, which is responsible for the safety of the emergency workers on site, gives an interview in Seyne Les Alpes, France In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Alpine climbers take off in a police helicopter in Seyne Les Alpes In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L), French President Francois Hollande (C) and Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy pay respect to victims in front of the mountain in Seyne-les-Alpes, the day after the air crash of a Germanwings Airbus A320 In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A member of the search and rescue personnel stands at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 in the French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Search and rescue personnel at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 in the French Alps Reuters In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A sealed container holds black box from the German Airbus operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget Airbus A320 crash In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash The voice data recorder of the Germanwings jetliner that crashed in the French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash The voice data recorder of the Germanwings jetliner that crashed in the French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings employees cry as they place flowers and lit candles outside the company headquarters in Cologne Bonn airport In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A student who knew some of the German students involved in a crashed plane, reacts during a minute of silence in front of the council building in Llinars del Valles, near Barcelona, Spain In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Photograph of victims, flowers and candles stand outside the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium high school where pupils had gathered to pay tribute to 16 students and two teachers from the school who were on Germanwings flight 4U9525 that crashed yesterday in southern France on March 25, 2015 in Haltern, Germany In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Pupils gather at the Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium high school to pay tribute to 16 students and two teachers from the school who were on Germanwings flight 4U9525 that crashed yesterday in southern France in Haltern, Germany In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Students gather in front of the Josef-Konig secondary school in Haltern am See, western Germany, where some of the Germanwings plane crash victims studied Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A Lufthansa employee signs in a condolence book in Frankfurt, Germany In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash The flags of (L-R) Aragon, Spain and the European Union are lowered to half-mast at the Regional Assembly of Aragon in Zaragoza, Spain, as a sign of respect for the victims of the German plane crash in the French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash The German and the European Union flags hang at half mast in memory of the victims of the plane crash in France in front of the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, Germany In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash French President Francois Hollande with Spains King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia pay their respects to the victims of the German plane crash in the French Alps Reuters In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Debris from the Germanwings Airbus A320 at the crash site in the French Alps above the southeastern town of Seyne Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Search and rescue personnel at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320 in the French Alps Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Wreckage and debris lie on the mountain slopes after the crash of the Germanwings Airbus A320 over the French Alps EPA In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Staff members of Germanwings and Lufthansa hold a candlelight vigil outside their headquarters in Cologne Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A photo provided by the French Gendarmerie shows the crash site in the French Alps In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A rescue helicopter from the French Gendarmerie flies over the French Alps, as day fades into night near to the crash site of the Airbus A320 Reuters In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A general view of the crash site of a Germanwings Airbus A320 in the French Alps above Seyne-les-Alpes is pictured in this photo provided by the French Gendarmerie In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Family members of people involved in a crashed plane arrives at the Barcelona airport in Spain AP/Emilio Morenatti In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Rescue helicopters from the French Gendarmerie and the Air Force are seen in front of the French Alps during a rescue operation near to the crash site Reuters In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A helicopter of the French National Gendarmerie is seen in Seyne, south-eastern France, near the site where a Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed in the French Alps ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash French emergency services workers (back) and members of the French gendarmerie gather in Seyne, south-eastern France, near the site where a Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed in the French Alps BORIS HORVAT/AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash An helicopter of civil security services is seen in Seyne, south-eastern France, near the site where a Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed in the French Alps ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Relatives of passangers of the Germanwings plane crashed in French Alps arrive escorted by police officer at Terminal 2 of Barcelona El Prat airport in Barcelona David Ramos/Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Relatives of passangers of the Germanwings plane crashed in French Alps arrive at Terminal 2 of Barcelona El Prat airport in Barcelona, Spain David Ramos/Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Relatives of passengers killed in Germanwings plane crash arrive at the airport in Duesseldorf, Germany AP/Frank Augstein In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Police escort a family member of an aircrash victim at Barcelona's El Prat airport LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash French firefighters prepare to take-off in Digne-les-Bains for the crash site of an Airbus A320, in the French Alps REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A family member of a passenger killed in Germanwings plane crash reacts as he arrives at Barcelona's El Prat airport REUTERS/Albert Gea In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash People arrive at a holding area for friends and relatives of passengers on Germanwings flight 4U9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf at Dusseldorf International Airport in Dusseldorf, Germany Sascha Steinbach/Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash People waiting for flight 4U 9525 are lead away by airport staff at the airport in Duesseldorf, Germany In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A relative (C) of passangers of the Germanwings plane crashed in French Alps arrives at the Terminal 2 of the Barcelona El Prat airport David Ramos/Getty Images In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash A man who appears to have waited for the missing flight 4U 9525 reacts at the airport in Duesseldorf, Germany AP/Frank Augstein In pictures: Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crash epa04676936 A man looks at a monitor showing a map released on the webpage 'flightradar24 with the exact point where the radar signal of the crashed Airbus A320 aircraft operated by German budget airline 'Germanwings' went missing near Barcelonnette, in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in Madrid, Spain EPA

The newly revealed email also suggests Lubitz was suffering from depression and this, combined with his supposedly failing eyesight, made him fearful of losing his job.

It reportedly said he was taking the highest dose of Mirtazapine, an anti-depressant also used as a drug to induce sleep, which Lubitz admitted was making him restless.

I know I need, despite the difficult situation, to achieve longer sleep and reduce stress, the email reportedly said.

 Flightpath of Germanwings flight 4U9525 before going off radar

Lubitz is known to have had problems with depression during his pilot training, but Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, said that his regular medical checks had revealed no problems.

Evidence uncovered by German investigators at Lubitzs home at Montabaur, in the Rhineland, following the crash, suggest he destroyed doctors notes advising him to take time off work. He had also studied suicide techniques on the internet.

A final report on the accident will be released on 13 March, according to the Office of Research and Analysis of France.
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Ahead of a summit on 7 March aimed at trying to find a solution to the migration crisis engulfing Europe, a Greek governor has made an urgent call for help, asking his government to declare a state of emergency over the thousands of people stranded on the Greece-Macedonia border.

Some 13,000 to 14,000 people are trapped in the area surrounding the Idomeni border crossing, while another 6,000 to 7,000 are being housed in refugee camps around the region, said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, governor of the Greek region of Central Macedonia. That means the area handles about 60 per cent of the total number of migrants in the country.

Its a huge humanitarian crisis. I have asked the government to declare the area in a state of emergency, Mr Tzitzikostas said during a visit to Idomeni to distribute aid to the Red Cross and other non-governmental organisations. This cannot continue for much longer.

The neighbouring former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia has stopped all but a trickle of Iraqi and Syrian refugees from crossing, following similar restrictions by countries further north on the migration route. The moves have caused a huge bottleneck in Greece, whose islands proximity to Turkey has made it the preferred entry point for refugees and other migrants seeking better lives in Europe.

Greek authorities said only 184 people crossed the border between 6am on 4 March and 6am the following morning, while another 100 crossed between 6am and 6pm yesterday.

Migrants near the makeshift camps in Idomeni (Reuters)

The former Yugoslav republic needs to open immediately its borders, and the European Union needs to implement severe action against the countries that are closing borders today, whether they are members of the European Union or candidate members, Mr Tzitzikostas said. This is unacceptable.

The governor said the region needed the emergency measures  or for the law to be amended  so that regional authorities can obtain the necessary emergency supplies and food to support the refugees and improve their living conditions. He also called on the government to provide a comprehensive plan on how to handle the migration crisis.

The refugee camp at Idomeni has a capacity of about 2,000, and has dramatically overflowed, with new arrivals daily setting up small tents along the railway tracks next to the camp and spilling out into surrounding fields.

The Greek call comes ahead of the summit between the EU and Turkey, which has also been seriously affected. More than 2 million people have crossed its borders since the crisis began, as people fled war zones in Syria and Iraq.

According to officials, Turkey is ready to accept the return of failed asylum seekers under a deal set to be agreed at the summit in Brussels on 7 March.

The agreement, which Turkeys Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected to endorse, would mean that migrants who land on the Greek islands could be returned to Turkey if their asylum applications fail. Even Syrians caught in Turkish and international waters, including by Nato patrols, would be taken to camps in Turkey.

Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Show all 15 1 /15 Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to break a Greek police cordon in order to approach the border fence at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees flee tear gas fire by the Macedonian police, after trying to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to break a Greek police cordon in order to approach the border fence at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees in the northern Greek village of Idomeni approach the Greek-Macedonian border as they try to enter Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Macedonian riot police officers stand next to part of the border fence brought down by protesting stranded refugees and migrants during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees break an iron fence and throw stones from the Greek side of the border as Macedonian policemen push them back, near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A girl cries as she flees clashes during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Refugees try to broke an iron fence from the Greek side of the border as Macedonian police stand guard, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees and migrants in the northern Greek village of Idomeni approach the Greek-Macedonian border as they try to enter Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A man helps children to run away after Macedonian police fired tear gas at a group of refugees who tried to push their way into Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A woman carries a child on the Greek side of the border as they run away after Macedonian police fired tear gas at a group of refugees who tried to push their way into Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Refugees run away after Macedonian police fired tear gas AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A woman falls as refugees with their children run away after Macedonian police Getty Images

The deal is seen as a key part of the EUs broader response to the crisis. Around 130,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe already this year, and there were 1.26 million asylum applications last year.

Although the EU and Turkey agreed a 3bn (2.3bn) deal last November to prevent the 2 million Syrian refugees on Turkish soil heading for Europe, it is only now that Ankara is ready to take steps to enforce it. European Council President Donald Tusk  who will lead the summit  says that Turkey has agreed to accelerated relocation, in which migrants who do not meet the requirements for international protection are sent back to Turkey from Greece. At the same time, the European Commission has agreed the first pay-outs from the deal, confirming more than 95m in aid for education projects in the Syrian refugee camps.

However, doubts are being raised about whether the measures would slow the stream of refugees from war-torn regions, who account for most of the asylum seekers. Under United Nations refugee rules, their claims cannot be rejected as they are escaping war and persecution.

Mr Tusk said last week economic migrants  as opposed to refugees  should not attempt the hazardous crossing to Europe as their claims would be rejected. But according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, this year, over 90 per cent of refugees arriving in Greece are from the top 10 refugee-producing countries, such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mr Tusk last week met with Mr Davutoglu in Ankara and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, as well as leaders in Vienna, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Skopje, Athens and Belgrade  the route the migrants travel as they head towards northern Europe.

Mr Tusk says a European consensus is emerging in the countries he visited to end a policy of simply waving migrants through. It will not solve the crisis but it is a necessary pre-condition for a European consensus, he said. Some 30,000 migrants are stuck in Greece, as Macedonia has closed its border. More are arriving at a rate of 2,000 to 3,000 a day.
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A warm, spring sun lights the hills between Greece and Macedonia.

At Idomeni, the blighted bottleneck for the dispossessed seeking salvation in Europe, a sea of small tents are spreading into the fields surrounding what was once a small border village.

Nour Khzam, 24, spends much of her day carrying water back and forth for her mother-in-law, Snaa Abdalla, whose kidneys are failing. She is living with six other families  around 45 people  in a white tent. All crossed the Aegean Sea from Turkey, like the 18 who drowned off the Turkish coast on 6 March.

Recommended Read more MSF worker recounts bitter struggles faced by refugees in Greece

Ms Khzam was a pianist in Deir Ezzor. She fled for Damascus and them made for Greece. Like many at Idomeni she would like to get to Germany. She is gracious, friendly and seems in good spirits until she remembers what made her flee her homeland. Her husband disappeared, probably abducted by Isis, she says, just 20 days after her wedding.

If you ask me what I would like to do now, I dont know, she said.

How can I play my piano now my heart is broken?

When most of Ms Khzams family members gather inside the tent provided by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the sleeping arrangements come as a shock. Theirs is one tent among thousands housing migrants drawn to Greeces long and once-porous border with Macedonia.

But its porous no more.

The migrants and refugees find themselves trapped at the main exit from Europes poorest country by a domino effect of closed borders in neighbouring states that begins in Austria. Macedonian border officials are now barring some Syrians from entering unless they could prove they were from the cities at war such as Aleppo or Raqqa. Damascus and Baghdad, by all accounts, do not qualify.

Nour Khzams husband disappeared in Syria (Alex Yallop / MSF)

It got much worse so quickly, says Cristian Reynders, one of MSFs main co-ordinators in Idomeni.

Yesterday the Macedonians let two families  just 14 people  through. Two days before that they let 500 people through. It seems completely random; theres little logical or legal basis for it.

People will keep coming, warns Mr Reynders, who has worked in Syria. Its hard for most people to understand what these people have escaped from. But Syria has descended into hell.

Ahead of the meeting in Brussels on 7 March there have been rumours Turkey is likely to cut migrant flows by blocking all but Syrians and will accept the large-scale return of others who reach the Greek islands, including Iraqis.

This notion was greeted with anger and incredulity by Iraqis at Idomeni.

Shaat Akram, 28, was a Kurdish member of the Iraqi army. When his brother and his uncle were shot dead by Isis on the same night he fled to Turkey with his wife and children.

Europe is crazy giving money to Erdogan, he said. You cant trust Turkey. Do you know how many fake Syrian passports you can buy there for $50 (45)? And they are working with the smugglers. The first boat I took from Turkey sunk and 10 children drowned. I pointed out to the Turkish police who the smugglers were and they told me to stop making things up.

Goran Malddod, 28, said he with his wife and two children fled Isis in Kirkuk, Iraq. His friend, Mohammad Asi-Ali, 19, also from Kirkuk, shows a scar along the top of his head, which was sliced open by shrapnel from a car bomb.

You cant actually live there. You hide indoors, afraid. Thats why people from Iraq are coming, because they want to live, says Mr Malddod, whose dream is to reach Canada or Britain. He and his family have passports. But they are turned back at the Macedonian border.

Falah Ali Ali, 41, arrived at Idomeni on 6 March with his family.

Where I come from, Muslims are killing Muslims. Thats why we left Mosul. When I get to Germany I am going to rip up my passport and become a Christian. The people here are nice to us. They give us food and water and shelter. Dont trust Erdogan, hes evil.

For those seeking to make it past the check point at Idomeni, there are a series of hoops to jump through. Next to the queue for sandwiches, a group of young men jostle to get the attention of the Greek policeman manning a gap in the fence. His face covered in a bright-blue plastic mask, the policeman barks: Passport, only with passport.

A few are let through, and walk the 75 yards or so to a tent where further checks are made. If they pass this barrier then they wait in a line by the fence on the border with Macedonia itself. The razor wire glints in the sunshine. And the migrants, who have the right documents, resign themselves to another long wait.

And what of the thousands without the right documents? Abdullah Abo Ali, 26, also from Deir Ezzor, is a software engineer. He failed to pass the first barrier.

I dont have a passport because the Syrian government, or probably the Russians, bombed my house, he said.

Those desperate enough are heading for the hills and unofficial crossing points into Macedonia. The razor wire stops a few miles each way out of Idomeni. But they face cold nights, mountainous terrain and long distances.

With the acrid-smelling camp spilling over into neighbouring fields and exhausting its limited facilities, others are springing up. In nearby Polikastro an old petrol station is harbouring 800 refugees.

Greece, said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, is becoming a warehouse of souls.

Most of the people here escaped hell and are now stuck in purgatory.
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Russia is trying to oust German chancellor Angela Merkel through a propaganda network aimed at provoking anger over the refugee crisis, according to Natos most senior expert on strategic communications.

Nato analysts have reportedly identified these attempts to topple the German leader, who has been a leading advocate of economic sanctions against Vladimir Putins regime.

Janis Sarts, director of Natos Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, told the Observer it had gathered evidence of Russia interfering in Germany against Merkel, adding that Russia already had a track record for funding extremist forces in Europe.

Mr Sarts said: [Russia] is establishing a network that can be controlled. You can use it as they have tried to do in Germany, combined with the legitimate issue of refugees, to undercut political processes in a very serious way.

Angela Merkel has been a very adamant supporter of continued sanctions against Russia if it was just punishment, that would be OK  but it is testing whether they can build on pre-existing problems and create a momentum where there is political change in Germany.

I think they test whether they can  in such a big country, with not so many vulnerabilities in normal times  actually create a circumstance through their influence where there is a change of top leadership. They are using Russian speakers, social media, trying to build on the existing fault lines. Use the far right narrative and exploit that.

In general terms, you can trace Russian funding to the extreme forces in Europe. Either left or right  as long as they are extreme, they are good to come into the Russian picture as of possible use in their tactics.

Refugees settle in Germany Show all 12 1 /12 Refugees settle in Germany Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, plays with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, in the one room they and Mohamed's wife Laloosh call home at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany A refugee child Amnat Musayeva points to a star with her photo and name that decorates the door to her classroom as teacher Martina Fischer looks on at the local kindergarten Amnat and her siblings attend on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The children live with their family at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian asylum-applicant Mohamed Ali Hussein (R), 19, and fellow applicant Autur, from Latvia, load benches onto a truckbed while performing community service, for which they receive a small allowance, in Wilhelmsaue village on October 9, 2015 near Letschin, Germany. Mohamed and Autur live at an asylum-applicants' shelter in nearby Vossberg village. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Ali Hussein ((L), 19, and his cousin Sinjar Hussein, 34, sweep leaves at a cemetery in Gieshof village, for which they receive a small allowance, near Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat, a refugee from Syria, looks among donated clothing in the basement of the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to Mohamed, his wife Laloosh and their daughter Ranim as residents' laundry dries behind in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. The Zayats arrived approximately two months ago after trekking through Turkey, Greece and the Balkans and are now waiting for local authorities to process their asylum application, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asya Sugaipova (L), Mohza Mukayeva and Khadra Zhukova prepare food in the communal kitchen at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Efrah Abdullahi Ahmed looks down from the communal kitchen window at her daughter Sumaya, 10, who had just returned from school, at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is their home in Vossberg Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Asylum-applicants, including Syrians Mohamed Ali Hussein (C-R, in black jacket) and Fadi Almasalmeh (C), return from grocery shopping with other refugees to the asylum-applicants' shelter that is their home in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Mohamed Zayat (2nd from L), a refugee from Syria, smokes a cigarette after shopping for groceries with his daughter Ranim, who is nearly 3, and fellow-Syrian refugees Mohamed Ali Hussein (C) and Fadi Almasalmeh (L) at a local supermarket on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. All of them live at an asylum-seekers' shelter in nearby Vossberg village and are waiting for local authorities to process their asylum applications, after which they will be allowed to live independently and settle elsewhere in Germany 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Kurdish Syrian refugees Leila, 9, carries her sister Avin, 1, in the backyard at the asylum-seekers' shelter that is home to them and their family in Vossberg village in Letschin Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany Somali refugees and husband and wife Said Ahmed Gure (R) and Ayaan Gure pose with their infant son Muzammili, who was born in Germany, in the room they share at an asylum-seekers' shelter in Vossberg village on October 9, 2015 in Letschin, Germany. Approximately 60 asylum-seekers, mostly from Syria, Chechnya and Somalia, live at the Vossberg shelter, which is run by the Arbeiter-Samariter Bund (ASB) charity, and are waiting for authorities to process their application for asylum 2015 Getty Images Refugees settle in Germany Germany German Chancellor Angela Merkel pauses for a selfie with a refugee after she visited the AWO Refugium Askanierring shelter for refugees in Berlin Getty Images

We saw it in Germany. The best misinformation tool is when your opponent doesnt notice. That is when it is most effective. I would submit that there are a number of countries who have not yet noticed, or have chosen not to notice.

Germany has welcomed more than one million refugees over the past year  a large proportion fleeing from Syrias civil war  who have been encouraged by Ms Merkels announcement that she would not put a limit on the number who could settle in the country.

Alternative fur Deutschland, Germanys right wing populist party, has had a surge of support as a result of the refugee crisis. But Ms Merkel, a hitherto widely supported leader, has received criticism  with a recent poll suggesting 81% of German citizens believe the Chancellor has lost control of the situation. Support for her is now at a four-year low.
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An Iranian billionaire tycoon has been sentenced to death for corruption, the countrys justice official has said.

Babak Zanjani, one of Irans richest men, was arrested in December 2013 after accusations he withheld billions in oil revenue through his companies. He is said to be worth around $13.5 billion - or 9.5 billion.

The long trial held in public  a rarity for such a major cased in Iran  convicted the 41-year-old business man of fraud and economic crimes. Two other defendants were found guilty of corruption on earth, the most serious offence under the countrys criminal code, meaning they too will face the death penalty.

 Israel: Netanyahu warns nuclear deal would leave Iran able to make a bomb in under a year

As well as facing the death penalty Mr Zanjani will also be forced to repay money to the state, judiciary spokesman Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejeie said at his weekly press conference.

"The preliminary court has sentenced these three defendants to be executed, as well as paying restitution to the plaintiff," Mr Mohseni-Ejeie said.

By his own account, Mr Zanjani for years arranged billions of dollars of oil deals through a network of companies stretching from Turkey to Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. He amassed a fortune of $10 billion  along with debts of a similar scale, the tycoon once told an Iranian magazine.

At the time of his arrest in December 2013, a judicial spokesman said: "He received funds from certain bodies ... and received oil and other shipments and now has not returned the funds". Prosecutors accused him of owing the government more than $2.7 billion for oil sold on behalf of the oil ministry.

New York protests against Iran nuclear deal Show all 10 1 /10 New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York A woman holds a poster as she takes part in a rally on Times Square in New York opposing the nuclear deal with Iran New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York An inflatable mushroom cloud stands among demonstrators during a rally apposing the nuclear deal with Iran New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York Protesters rally against the nuclear deal with Iran in Times Square New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York A member of the Neturei Karta Orthodox Jews sect is escorted away by New York City Police during a rally near Times Square to demand that Congress vote down the proposed US deal with Iran in New York New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York A woman shouts slogans during a rally against the nuclear deal with Iran in Times Square in New York New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York A protestor holds a placard during a demonstration and rally apposing the nuclear deal with Iran in Times Square New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York Some of several thousand protestors crowd into 7th Avenue at 42nd street as they demonstrate during a rally apposing the nuclear deal with Iran New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York A woman holds a placard as she joins several thousand other protestors to demonstrate during a rally apposing the nuclear deal with Iran New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York Protesters rallied against the Iran nuclear deal in New York's Times Square KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images New York protests against Iran nuclear deal New York Protestors shout slogans as they demonstrate during a rally apposing the nuclear deal with Iran

In a 2013 interview with the BBC, Mr Zanjani played down his political connections in Iran, saying: "I don't do anything political, I just do business."

Iran emerged from years of economic isolation in January when world powers led by the United States and the European Union lifted crippling sanctions against Tehran in return for curbs on Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Additional reporting by wires
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Nabil Bisharat began working at the fizzy-drinks machine manufacturer SodaStream six years ago.

It was, the 42-year-old recalled, a rare place of peaceful coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis.

Mr Bisharat, a father-of-seven, worked his way up from assembly worker to shift manager to line manager and, three years ago, to manager of the head-valves department.

Together with 73 other Palestinian workers at the Israeli firm, he has now been denied government permission to keep working in Israel, sending them from a position of financial stability to uncertainty in the depressed economy of the West Bank.

Its a shock, Mr Bisharat told The Independent over coffee at a cafe in al-Bireh, close to his home in the village of Jaba. Until the last moment I didnt believe they would fire us.

He had 53 people working under him at SodaStream, about half of them Israeli Jews. Now he may have to go back to working as a baker.

Its like a big family, with a lot of friendships, said Mr Bisharat. Im not a politician, Im a simple man but thats the reality. Both Arabs and Jews reached the point of not rejecting the other and wanting to live in the same land in peace. They share our celebrations, our sorrows, everything. When someone feels sorry we share it; its sharing feelings, not only work.

Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village Show all 14 1 /14 Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 227422.bin QUIQUE KIERSZENBAUM Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 226211.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 226210.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 227503.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 226208.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 227504.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 226207.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 227502.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 226205.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 227501.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 226204.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 226203.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 226202.bin Quique Kierszenbaum Out of the Stone Age: Empowering a West Bank village 226201.bin Quique Kierszenbaum

His colleagues organised goodbye breakfasts and lunches for the departing Palestinians and a colleague treated a group of them to a day out at the marina in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. On Monday, before the Palestinians got on the bus back to the West Bank for the last time, hundreds of workers formed a huge peace sign outside the plant.

Asked why the permits were denied, the Israeli Prime Ministers office replied that the policy of the government is to give priority to the employment of Israeli workers.

But with plans already approved by Israels security cabinet to give work permits to an additional 30,000 Palestinians from the West Bank in addition to the 58,000 who already have them and an estimated 30,000 who work illegally, it is puzzling to many that the 74 could not be accommodated.

The SodaStream chief executive, Daniel Birnbaum, says the rationale for denying permits are excuses.

Its ridiculous, he said. There is no way 74 people will change anything in the dynamics of the Israeli economy.

The SodaStream workers are, he said, victims of Israels attempt to discredit the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls for boycotts against Israel over its occupation of the West Bank.

In late 2014 SodaStream closed its plant at the West Bank settlement industrial zone of Mishor Adumim and moved to its current facility at Lehavim in southern Israel following a BDS campaign that included targeting Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson who advertised SodaStream products. More than 500 Palestinian workers  mostly people ineligible for permits to enter Israel  lost their jobs, while 74 workers were given temporary permits and moved with the company to Lehavim.

The Israeli government makes its case against boycotts by stressing that those who pay the price for plant closures are the Palestinian workers who lose their jobs.

Apparently my 74 employees are being sacrificed to make a claim that BDS is hurting the Palestinians, Mr Birnbaum said. But I dont believe in human sacrifice. I will not allow this immoral act to go unchallenged. You dont throw people into the street to make a political point.

He still hopes that the government will reverse its decision but says that in any case, he will figure something out to provide work for the 74 Palestinians within the West Bank.

Mr Bisharat said his SodaStream salary was enough to support his family, build a house and buy two pieces of land. His 16-year-old son is studying carpentry and he had hoped to build a factory for him.

I thought my entire career would be with SodaStream. It was my plan to stay for another 10 years. I could have got more promotions.

Of the 74 individuals laid off last week most are managers, shift managers and line managers, Mr Bisharat said.

Its difficult for them to start as simple workers again. Its very difficult.
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'Is that from Professor Moriarty?" Alice's husband demands, seeing the envelope on the breakfast table. "He's not going to come here again, is he?" "Yes, he is, I'm afraid." "Well, can't you tell him for once that we're busy and we don't run a hotel for visiting academics?" But Alice is a kind-hearted woman, and by lunchtime a courteous note has been despatched to Professor Moriarty at the University of Loamshire's English Department telling them that he will be welcome at the Smithsons' house in Budleigh Salterton any time he wishes to call.

It sometimes seem to the Smithsons  a demure, unostentatious couple in their early fifties  that scarcely a week goes by without some researcher urging the necessity of their coming to trawl through the outsize box of letters and postcards in the attic or marvel at the contents of the family photo albums. The root of this interest lies not in anything that Alice or her husband may have done  each of them labours blamelessly for Devon County Council  but in the fact that Alice is the sole surviving relative of a woman named Fulvia Mountjoy.

Who was Fulvia Mountjoy? A good 70 years have passed since this lady's tumultuous heyday, when she drank Dylan Thomas under the table and called Evelyn Waugh a fat old bore to his face. Her accomplishments were limited to a solitary novel, entitled Nice Girls Do, yet no study of the cultural life of the 1940s fails to yield a half-dozen references to "Fulvie" and her notoriously chaotic emotional life. Four times married and four times divorced, she was, additionally, pursued by the Shah of Iran and a royal princeling, and revered by another member of the aristocracy as "mad, bad and dangerous to know".

To Mrs Smithson, who dimly remembers an elderly woman known as "Granny Mountjoy" and rather keen on the sherry, all this is somewhat mystifying. Anxious, on the one hand, that a (supposedly) distinguished forebear should be given her due, she is painfully aware, on the other, that almost everything she knows about her grandmother reveals a sulky egotist whose interest lay in detaching happily married men from their wives. Still, there is such a thing as posterity, and Professor Moriarty, keen to prosecute his theory that Fulvia had an affair with Jean-Paul Sartre, wishes that all his sources were so hospitable.
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The young mother told me her horror story as we sat drinking tea near the Syrian border. Sadly, it felt all too familiar as she went through her litany of despair: home destroyed, life disrupted, family devastated. Five relatives were killed in the carnage of conflict; she showed me pictures on her phone of one cousins corpse that was disembowelled in a state prison. I feel like my head will explode when I remember what life was like before war, she said.

Yet this woman was certain of one thing: she would rather return to Syria despite the savagery on all sides than go back to the refugee camp she fled a few days before we met. It was like prison, she said  echoing words I heard earlier from others. There was no work, no electricity and nothing to do all day, while stores over-charged for food and clothing behind the barbed wire. Her family left their last few possessions to escape. Here we have nothing but at least we have our freedom.

Her story should be heeded as European and Turkish leaders meet for the latest summit over the migration crisis. As our continent reels in response to refugees such as that woman along with migrants seeking the sort of life we take for granted, the tone of debate is becoming nastier. And the myths are growing: that Europe is being swamped, that we live in times of unprecedented migration, that walls stop desperate people, that refugees steal jobs, that migrants move for benefits, that evil people smugglers are the primary cause of all the problems.

Europes panicking politicians are preparing to throw more money at Turkey to persuade it to police its borders better. They want the Turks to restrain 2.75m Syrians inside their country  which is, incidentally, 137 times the pathetic number Britain plans to accept over five years. One myth in particular needs to be nailed fast: the concept that refugee camps are humane and workable solutions to such crises. Politicians and pundits keep suggesting that we pour cash into these holding pens. Yet as that young mother in Jordan showed, this approach is wrong both morally and practically.

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

I have visited refugee camps on three continents. At best they tend to be soul-destroying  places that keep people alive but stop them from living, as one academic put it so succinctly. There may be food, schools and health clinics in many. But they can also be grim centres of incarceration, designed to herd traumatised people into places that make it easier to control them, either for host governments or aid agencies trying to help. They are seen as short-term solutions yet drift into permanence  just look at Palestinian camps going back 68 years  while gangs, guns, violence and sexual abuse can be rampant.

The benevolent image of refugee camps has been shattered by a brilliant new book by journalist Ben Rawlence, whom I met during his five-year stint investigating life in Dadaab, northern Kenya. This sprawling camp is the worlds biggest, created 25 years ago to hold 90,000 Somalians but now home to half a million people from several nations. Rawlence exposes how impoverished refugees are raped, ripped off and remorselessly exploited while well-paid officials stay in secure compounds. It is a damning indictment - yet there have been worse examples. After the Rwandan genocide Hutu ringleaders ran official camps, received relief and used them to regroup.

These centres are routinely placed in remote areas by governments to segregate refugees. This is one reason for the failure of the showcase Azraq camp in Jordan, currently holding 32,866 people although intended for almost 100,000 more. It was designed by the United Nations (and part-funded by Britain) and supposed to reflect the lessons of the past. Yet most Syrians and Iraqis prefer poverty to this dismal outpost in the desert; thousands more risk lethal boats to Europe rather than a supposed place of sanctuary. Several people told me they saw it as a prison - an uncomfortable comparison Rawlence also makes in his Dadaab expose.

Western politicians love going to camps to cuddle children and parade compassion, even as they do their damnedest to stop asylum-seekers arriving anywhere near their own doorsteps. But clearly these institutions do not stop people coming to Europe; the numbers at Zaatari, the biggest camp in Jordan, have also fallen sharply. Since the Syrian crisis erupted five years ago, however, they have received hugely disproportionate levels of aid since it is so much easier to administer inside them. Two years ago Sir Alan Duncan, then minister of state for International Development, admitted to a House of Commons inquiry that: You know where they are when they are in camps. They are more difficult to disentangle  if they are in the community.

Let us focus less on camps in this crisis. They are one more fig leaf for politicians, one more pretend solution put forward by armchair experts. The key is to let refugees work legitimately, so they can build a fresh start - wherever they are. After all, what human being wants life trapped in limbo, dependent on others for everything from feeding their family to passing armed guards at the gate? Refugees may have escaped hell, but that does not mean we force them into purgatory. It is better to die in Syria than to live in your camp, as one young refugee told me.
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While Syrians traumatised by civil war were dispersed by tear gas at the Macedonian border at the weekend, European Council president Donald Tusk was assuring his fellow leaders that all would soon be smoothed over. For the first time since the beginning of the migration crisis, he wrote cheerfully, I can see a European consensus emerging.

Mr Tusks good humour was down to the fact that he is hopeful of gaining the agreement of Turkey, at a summit in Brussels on 6 March, to take back large numbers of migrants who have recently entered Europe but who are ineligible for European asylum. This would be in addition to the previous agreement between Angela Merkel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by which Turkey agreed to stop migrants leaving its coast in the first place.

But given the fact that thousands of people continue to pour across the Aegean unhindered despite that earlier deal, priced at 3bn, is there reason to believe this new wheeze will fare any better? And the corollary, that the EU will for its part accept large numbers of legitimate refugees, is further evidence that Mr Tusk lives in Euro la-la land. Hungarys Viktor Orban, for one, has flatly ruled out taking any more, whether they are legitimate or not.

Recommended Read more Dispelling the myth of the humane refugee camp

Last week Mr Tusk told Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu that the plan to send economic migrants back to Turkey en masse would effectively break the business model of the smugglers. Breaking that business model is indeed a fine ambition, and it is good to hear it from the lips of a senior European official. But if he believes it can be accomplished so easily, it is another sign that he is wildly out of touch.

The ugly fact is that the people smugglers, engorged by the huge profits they have been making for many years before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war as well as since, will continue to have the whip hand, whatever agreement Europe and Turkey can cook up on 6 March. Protecting external borders is a fundamental duty of governments, but one which the EU has never taken seriously: the smugglers have been funnelling people into southern Europe with complete impunity.

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

The Syrian civil war and the ensuing floods of refugees would have posed a big challenge to Europe in any circumstances, but it has been hideously complicated by the fact that hundreds of thousands of the people on the move  around half the total  come from countries such as Morocco, Albania, Pakistan and Bangladesh and have no realistic hope of gaining asylum.

Mr Davutoglu has already said that he favours the idea of economic migrants being returned to Turkey in principle, but even if such a deal is signed on 6 March, there is no certainty it will work out in practice. As Mr Tusk himself admitted, it poses a logistical challenge. And clinching such an agreement will deepen Europes uncomfortable relationship with the increasingly tyrannical Erdogan regime, whose takeover on 4 March of Zaman, Turkeys most popular newspaper, was evidence of self-confidence bordering on the reckless. Europes response to this outrageous assault on freedom of expression was notably muted, for obvious political reasons.

As long as the menace of the people smuggling networks remains unaddressed, seedy and unrealistic deals with Ankara will solve little. Yet the EU border and coast guard intended to replace the useless Frontex agency will not be active until November, and there is no guarantee it will be up to the job. This crisis is going to run and run.
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As the EUs top official arrived in Istanbul on 4 March to lay the ground for the migration summit on 7 March, Turkish authorities were busy seizing control of the countrys best-selling newspaper.

Brussels had already made clear that it was willing to turn a blind-eye to concerns about growing authoritarianism in Turkey in return for its help in stemming the flow of people to Europe. But the timing of the takeover at Zaman media group could not have been more embarrassing.

Shortly after Donald Tusk, the head of the European Council, shook hands with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, protesters outside the Zaman offices were blasted with tear gas. Journalists said that they were prisoners in their own newsroom after police set up camp in the building.

The paper is closely linked to an Islamic cleric who was once the governments ally but is now a foe accused of plotting a coup. Turkey has insisted that the takeover was a judicial decision backed by a court order, not a political one.

That is hard to take seriously after seeing the edition on 6 March. Having in recent years become one of Turkeys most critical news outlets, it suddenly performed a 180-degree turn. The front page was one giant puff for the government, with stories about the President visiting a new bridge and hosting a reception for women. It would be funny were it not so dark.

The seizure is the latest in a series of assaults not just on the media but also on the judiciary, academia and civil society. Once held up as a model Muslim democracy, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is now increasingly seen in Western capitals as a runaway train.

There has been little pushback, however, from leaders in Brussels, Berlin and Paris. They fear that the migration crisis poses an existential threat to EU freedom of movement  and have hit upon Turkey as the solution.

Ankara is well aware of its power. A leaked memo of a previous meeting between Brussels officials and President Erdogan revealed that they held back a critical EU report until after an important election. When the European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker protested that Mr Erdogan was being treated as a prince, he shot back that he expected nothing less. So it is not surprising to learn that, following the torrid events at Zaman, the EU issued the mildest of rebukes.

For all its kowtowing, it is not even clear that Europes deal with Turkey will succeed in avoiding a repeat of last years tide of arrivals in Europe. Turkey is already home to three million refugees. Many are determined to head to Greece and are willing to take the financial and personal risks needed to get there.

EU officials believe that Ankara has come round to the idea of accepting migrants turned away from Europe  a move aimed at deterring others from even trying. But Turkey has said that it will be impossible to completely halt the tide. Its foreign ministry warned last week: Theres no magic wand in our hands.

While the migrant crisis is the number one concern for Europe, Turkey is facing a series of other challenges that take precedence over easing Angela Merkels domestic political woes.

It is fighting a messy war against the Kurdistan Workers Party that last month spilled on to Ankaras streets with a deadly attack on convoy of military buses. It is reeling from a series of Isis suicide bombings and panicking at gains by foes in northern Syria.

Ultimately, EU leaders may find that they have held their noses to strike a deal with Turkey that doesnt even work.
Charlie Flanagan said his department would continue to provide consular assistance

A Government minister has expressed "deep concern" after the trial of a young Dublin man jailed in Egypt three years ago over political protests was again postponed.

Ibrahim Halawa was 17 when he was detained while taking refuge in a mosque near Cairo's Ramses Square as the Muslim Brotherhood held a "day of rage" over the removal of their elected president Mohamed Morsi.

Now 20, he is facing the death penalty if found guilty.

He is on mass trial along with almost 500 other alleged dissenters.

The case has been repeatedly delayed. On the Sunday it was put back again - this time until June.

Mr Halawa, from Firhouse in south Dublin, has been detained in Cairo since August 2013. He was initially arrested with three of his sisters.

Foreign Affairs minister Charlie Flanagan said he was very disappointed at the latest hold-up.

"I am deeply concerned that the case of Ibrahim Halawa has again been adjourned for a considerable period of time," he said.

"The constant adjournments in the case are, understandably, a source of concern and frustration for Mr Halawa and his family, and I share their deep disappointment at today's news.

"Ireland's ambassador to Egypt Mr Damien Cole was once again present in the court for today's hearing and spoke with members of Ibrahim Halawa's family following the adjournment.

"I want to reassure Ibrahim's family of my own and the Government's continued commitment to achieving our two objectives: to secure his return to Ireland as soon as possible and to ensure his welfare during his detention.

"My department is continuing to provide consular assistance to Ibrahim Halawa through regular prison visits.

"Officials from my department will continue to work closely with Mr Halawa's Egyptian legal team in support of our consular objectives."

Mr Halawa's lawyers, who were refused access to him until last year, have claimed he was denied medical treatment for a gunshot wound to his hand following his arrest and he has been left permanently disfigured as a result.
Ex-Googler Herlihy on State board that invested 50m in company that hired him

John Herlihy, the man who led Google in Ireland for 10 years, is in a bit of a pickle.

In late 2014, he teamed up with former Elan boss Kelly Martin and John Given's biotech investment group, Brandon Point, which ultimately begot the listed life science investment firm Malin.

Herlihy had just stepped down at Google, after building up its Irish operations into the largest non-US outpost for the search and advertising behemoth. He is clearly one of the most switched-on guys in the sector.

Presumably, it was for this reason that Conor O'Kelly and his team at the NTMA recruited Herlihy to serve as one of the external members of its investment committee last April. But surely some alarm bells should have sounded in NTMA towers?

The NTMA - via the Irish Strategic Investment fund (ISIF) - had just plonked 50m of taxpayers' hard-earned money into buying a stake in Malin when it floated a couple of weeks earlier. Herlihy obviously and correctly declared an interest and recused himself from any discussions related to Malin and the NTMA investment. However, his relationship with Malin continues, having been appointed to not one but two boards of Malin investee companies.

Herlihy sits on the board of Serenus (which got $18m from Malin for a 41pc stake last year) and also on the board of 3D4Medical (in which Malin splashed out $16m for a 38pc stake last July). This leads to a number of issues, including the management of potential conflicts of interests and the transparency of the NTMA.

Herlihy advises the State on what to do with its money - but he has also benefited from his relationship with Malin, which has received State funding.

While Herlihy has behaved with the utmost probity, it was a ridiculous and awkward position to put him in. Did nobody at the NTMA even consider the optics of this? IAG boss Willie Walsh chairs the NTMA, and former NCB Stockbrokers head Conor O'Kelly is chief executive. Both of these guys are smart. Even the quickest glance at Herlihy's LinkedIn page should have alerted them to this potential problem.

Our new TDs and their business skills

THE election has removed politicians that the electorate couldn't stomach - replacing them with other politicians the electorate won't be able to stomach soon.

The uncertainty over who will actually run the country and who will make the big decisions that will affect giant corporations or smaller businesses could rumble on for months.

It's all going to get very tiresome very soon - but what of the new TDs? Are there any potential champions of business? And do any of them actually know their stuff?

There's nobody from Silicon Valley or Goldman Sachs, but the electorate has given us some entrepreneurs, with interests ranging from fake tan to cutting hedges.

Danny Healy-Rae appears to be a deal-closer of note, having persuaded Kerry County Council to give his plant hire and contracting company over 2m since 2008, including 275,000 last year. The fees are well down on the 516,110 his company was paid back in 2005 but Healy-Rae seems to be a man who knows his market and delivers a service that Kerry County Council is happy to pay for again and again and again.

Fine Gael's Kate O'Connell is another entrepreneur who gets business. She's a successful pharmacist - and, if company filings are anything to go by, one who has the minerals to look at new business ventures and markets. She's a director of Fake Tan Online, with the firm set up a few years ago.

New Wicklow Fianna Fail TD Pat Casey is a hotelier of some note, having owned and run the Glendalough Hotel for 30 years. So our new TDs bring some experience of retail, hospitality and contracting to the Dail. It could have done with much more.

Do FBD boardroom exits open door for KBC?

Fiona Muldoon's changing of the board at FBD is curious. Most curious.

Long serving chairman Michael Berkery is leavingbut not until next year. Berkery chaired the firm through its disastrous expansion under Andrew Langford and should get both barrels from shareholders having presided over a shocking share price performance - falling 60pc in two years

Ten years ago, we broke the story that Dutch insurer Eureka had made a 36 per share approach for FBD. Berkery should have bitten their hands off. Shares are at 6.75 now.

The departure of the IFA's Eddie Downey is to be expected, but the other three exits are less clear - especially as they served such short terms. Ex-Canada Life boss Ruairi O'Flynn only joined the board in May of 2015. Emer Daly was recruited in August 2014. She's also on the board of the Permo, so there may be some overlap and restrictions on cross directorships of financial institutions. They barely even left the seats warm.

Brid Horan, of the ESB, joined in 2011.

While there are major structural issues at play in the domestic insurance industry, FBD seems to be getting its act together.

I've always thought that putting FBD together with a smaller bank like KBC Ireland might make sense - and suggested a couple of weeks ago that a 300m move by the Belgian bank could happen. Cross selling to the agricultural market has got to be attractive. This makes the appointment of Walter Bogaerts to the main board extremely interesting.

He worked with KBC for most of his career, serving on a supervisory board of KBC's central European insurance business. At least KBC would have someone speaking their language.

Attack boat Kowalski gets all serious

Frank Kowalski is one of the most intriguing maritime entrepreneurs working in Ireland.

His Youghal-based Safehaven Marine is the largest privately owned ship-builder in the land. He's the guy who spent 1m to develop and kit-out an exceptionally cool stealth interceptor vessel called the Barracuda, which he wants to sell to defence forces around the world. I went out for a spin in it last summer - ridiculously good fun. And it has mock machine guns which pop out of a concealed compartment.

The prototype has attracted genuine interest and Frank has just set up a subsidiary Safehave Marine Protection to capitalise on this demand. He's also lured John O'Connor from naval shipbuilder VSEl - now part of BAE's submarine-making division - to join his board. O'Connor is already on the board of Anglo African Minerals.

Machine gun-toting stealth attack boats and searching for rare metals in Africa... it's got all the makings of a good Spielberg movie.
Oliver Mangan thought AIB's looming IPO would be his biggest professional issue this year. But it is the possibility that Britain could leave the EU which now tops his list of concerns, the bank's chief economist revealed at a Dublin Chamber of Commerce event this week.

"My biggest concern this year is the impact of a Brexit. We are already seeing its impact on the sterling to euro rate."

Mr Mangan, whose bank is preparing for an IPO in the second half of this year, implored Irish business people to voice their support for Britain remaining in the EU.

Ireland will not be able to negotiate side deals with the UK if it leaves, he said.

"If Britain leaves, our relationship with the UK will be governed by what the UK can negotiate with the EU, not what it negotiates with Ireland," he said.

UK voters grossly underestimate the value of their EU membership, he added.

"It is often claimed that the UK has a trade surplus with the EU and so they will enjoy all sorts of trade agreements if they leave.

"Actually, only 10pc of EU exports go to the UK, whereas 45pc of UK exports go to the EU. That is the critical statistic."

Even though the UK is not a member of the single currency, it is the number one beneficiary of foreign investment into the EU, Mr Mangan said.

"The main reason for that is that it has access into EU markets. France and Germany would love to take some of that investment. Other large European economies have a lot to gain from a British exit.

"There is no way, if the UK leaves, that the EU will allow it access to that valuable single market without adhering to all European rules and regulations and contributing to the EU budget."

Unlike its approach to the Scottish independence referendum, the Irish Government has firmly giving its backing to Britain remaining in the EU.

Border controls would be brought back between Northern Ireland and the Republic in the event of a Brexit, Taoiseach Enda Kenny warned in January.

Speaking in Amsterdam, Mr Kenny urged UK voters to back a referendum to stay in the EU, saying Britain would be "very weakened" if they decided to quit.

However, just half of Irish business people believe that a British exit from the EU would have a negative impact on their business, according to a new survey by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber asked 281 businesses how they felt a Brexit would affect their operations. Just less than one in two said it would have either a negative (37pc) or very negative (10pc) impact.

One in 20 respondents said they thought a British exit would actually have positive or very positive consequences for their business.

The remaining 48pc of those polled anticipated a neutral impact.

The survey, carried out in the second week of February, included a mix of companies that do and don't carry out business in the UK.

Of those which don't, one-third still said they expected a Brexit to have a negative or very negative impact on their businesses.
Taxback founder Terry Clune's foreign direct investment initiative Connect Ireland (CI) is set to contribute 1.6bn-1.8bn to the Irish economy in the period 2014 to 2020, according to a report carried out for CI by DKM economic consultants.

The scheme, launched in 2012, is designed to mobilise the global Irish community in attracting companies here. Thus far, 68 companies have set up in Ireland on foot of the scheme, most outside Dublin.

Among those is Australian lender Pepper, which has a large team in Shannon, Co Clare, and recently announced plans to begin lending mortgages. Two thousand jobs have been announced in connection with the scheme so far.

The DKM report, prepared in November, says in the base case scenario, 6,400 jobs would be created in the 2014-2020 period, while in the high case scenario, over 7,300 would be created.

"Depending on which of our scenarios materialises, over the period 2014 to 2020, CI client companies are projected to add between 1.6bn and 1.8bn to Irish GDP... and to deliver a return to the Exchequer in the range of 326m-374m," the report says.

"From 2017, total employment in CI client companies is forecast to grow at four per cent per annum. While this is one and a half to two times the national employment growth rate forecast by official sources, it was deemed appropriate given the profile of the companies supported by CI, which are predominantly focused on high growth sectors.

A range of figures across business, sport, and the arts support the project worldwide - including Saoirse Ronan, Michael O'Leary, Denis O'Brien, Sonia O'Sullivan, Louise Phelan, Dermot Desmond and Martin Naughton.

Other so-called "connections" pass on fruitful tips about potential moves by firms into the European region.

"What we simply do is we ask the diaspora around the world to simply keep their ears open for companies that are expanding into Europe - and if they hear about a company that's expanding to Europe, let us know, and our team will give them the pitch as to why they choose Ireland," Clune, who is Connect Ireland's chairman, told the Sunday Independent. "Our most successful month since we started was last month - we announced five new projects, five new companies into the country, four outside Dublin.

"We've bedded it down, it's going well now, and now we're on the upward curve," Clune said.

Those who provide fruitful tips get a Government reward of up to 1,500 per job created (with a maximum reward of 150,000), which in many cases is donated to charity.

CI chief executive Joanna Murphy said the scheme "has about 3,000 or 4,000 jobs in the pipeline now".

"They're not all going to come through, but lots of them are. There's lots more Peppers," she said.

"I think one of the really interesting statistics is that 60pc of the jobs are outside Dublin. I think they're more sticky, those companies are here for the right reasons, they're here because they want to be here, it's not necessarily a tax thing.

"I know that 400 jobs is great - but we quite like the 10 jobs in one place, or the 40 tens... that's a much more compelling story for us. They become invested in the community, they become part of the community, and people are very proud of them.

"Within that pipeline, there are various stages...there's about 100 companies right now that are about to convert, that we expect would come over the line in the next weeks and months.

"We've reached out to 1,400 companies that are engaged in that conversation."
Embattled businessman Frank Cushnahan's lawyer wrote to Nama chairman Frank Daly on January 25 last, strongly denying any conflicts of interest between Cushnahan's role on the agency's Northern Ireland advisory committee (NIAC) and Cushnahan's own business interests.

The letter says any record suggesting that Cushnahan was a shareholder in the Graham group of companies, which had loans transferred to Nama, was "the result of the failure of the Graham Group of companies to have our client removed as a named shareholder from the relevant company register".

The letter, from John J Rice and Company, says Cushnahan believed that he had relinquished his shareholding before being appointed to the NIAC.

"Our client wishes to make clear that he never had any conflict of interest at any time during his service as a member of the Northern Ireland advisory committee of Nama."

Earlier this week, Nama made a complaint to the public standards watchdog about Cushnahan. The complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) alleged that Cushnahan had breached the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, with one arm of it relating to Cushnahan's shareholdings.

A Nama spokesman told the Sunday Independent: "All board and committee members are subject to the Ethics in Public Office Act and SIPO applies to them. Members were advised of their obligations pursuant to the Ethics in Public Office Act as part of the compliance induction process following their appointment."

Cushnahan's representative, Paul Tweed of Johnsons Solicitors, said Cushnahan was expected to mount a robust defence to the complaint.

"Our client undertook his advisory role with the Northern Ireland advisory committee of Nama for what was an honorarium of 5,000 per annum. At no time did he ever seek or make any claim for expenses," the letter from John J Rice and Company reads.

"Although our client did make appropriate disclosures upon his appointment and consistently thereafter, the reality is that none of the individual cases affecting clients of our client were ever discussed at the Northern Ireland advisory committee.

"He was not there to acquire sensitive information that he could then apply for his own personal benefit... the beneficiary of our client's membership of the committee was Nama, not our client."

Cushnahan made headlines this week after the BBC aired a television programme in which he appeared to say that he was to be paid a "fixer's fee" in connection to a sale of Nama's Northern Ireland portfolio.

He has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to his dealings with Nama.

Tweed told the Sunday Independent that he was "exploring the various legal options" in relation to the BBC broadcast on his client's behalf.
Earlier this week, the GSI said there is more platinum, gold and precious metals in the streams and rivers of the south east of Ireland than previously believed

Irish minerals explorer IMC expects to be listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange by the end of March as it seeks to reap the benefits of Ireland's 'gold coast'.

The company owns prospecting licenses in Wicklow and Wexford, in which there is more gold and platinum than previously thought, according to a study released by the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) earlier this week.

IMC, currently listed on London's ISDX market, has done a deal with Turkish giant Koza as part of its efforts to get gold out of the ground. Separately, the company plans to raise 1m as part of its efforts to tap into its interests in base metals like zinc in Ireland.

"These encouraging GSI survey results further confirm our own findings for the region. This report justifies, confirms and validates our geological exploration programme underway. We are very excited by this," IMC chairman Liam McGrattan told the Sunday Independent.

"The price of gold has gone up 16pc since the first week of January. It's a good time for gold, and it's the right time for IMC to list on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

"Koza Gold will expend 3.4m on our five precious metal licences in Wicklow and Wexford," McGrattan said.

Earlier this week, the GSI said there is more platinum, gold and precious metals in the streams and rivers of the south east of Ireland than previously believed.

"As well as reconfirming high levels of gold in streams near the Goldmines River and Avoca regions of Wicklow, the new data identifies high gold values in streams that flow across and along the edges of the Leinster granite, a complex area long thought to be a source for the gold mineralisation in the region," it said.
Independent News & Media chief financial officer Ryan Preston, chief executive Robert Pitt and editor-in-chief Stephen Rae at the INM offices in Dublin yesterday

Independent News & Media has a 120m war-chest and is looking for both print and digital acquisition targets as it plans to expand the business.

Announcing a strong set of full-year results including a 30pc hike in pre-tax profits to 37.4m, INM chief executive Robert Pitt said the firm would be selective in what it buys as it broadens its revenue base.

Acquisitions would be funded from a combination of cash and debt - INM currently has net cash of just under 60m.

The company, publishers of this newspaper, is looking at print opportunities on this island and elsewhere.

The company is also looking for digital businesses and is assessing bigger markets like the UK, Mr Pitt added.

"Secondly, we are looking at the digital sphere where the geography, scale and culture are attractive for us. But these businesses would have to have quite a strong proposition with a clear road to profitability and well-established management," he added.

"And we will be very careful about how we spend shareholders' money, because the future is not clear in digital."

He added that there will be more consolidation in the media business while its future will be cemented by a print/digital strategy including acquisitions.

All of INM's three major brands outperformed the market and grew their market share in 2015. Mr Pitt said the company was investing in the quality of the brands.

The company said yesterday that the strong figures were boosted by a 41.7pc hike in digital advertising revenues to 12.5m against a backdrop of a strict cost management regime which meant an improved operating margin.

In the same period, the owner of publications including the Irish Independent, Sunday Independent, The Herald and the Sunday World and Independent.ie, also cut interest costs. The company reported revenues of 321.2m, up just under 1pc while growth in total advertising sales was 2.8m, up 3.4pc while there was also a 5pc increase in distribution revenues.

Mr Pitt added: "The group delivered a strong performance in 2015 considering the strong headwinds the sector is experiencing."

He said that the strengthening economy created a positive environment for improved business while consumer sentiment buoyed advertising, in particular.

"Driven by digital, increases were recorded in overall group revenues and the company ended the year with a strong balance sheet, significantly improved profit before tax and strong cash flow," he said.

He pointed out that the print publishing industry continues to face challenging conditions and although circulation revenue declined by 4.1pc, INM strongly outperformed the industry average.

"These results have been achieved through the hard work and commitment of our employees, for which we are very grateful," he added.

In the Republic of Ireland, INM accounts for over 50pc of the quality daily market, over 65pc of the quality Sunday market. And INM's Dublin newspaper - The Herald - is set for a reinvestment, he said.
The sectors in Ireland most affected by a so-called Brexit are agri-food, tourism and transport and financial and insurance services, Goodbody Stockbrokers has warned.

It said both the agri-food and tourism sectors are dominated by Irish indigenous companies.

"According to Food and Drink Industry Ireland, half of all exports by indigenous Irish companies are agri-food related," the Goodbody reported said.

"In addition, Irish-owned firms in the manufacturing sector see a larger portion of their exports (29pc) go to the UK than non-Irish firms (9pc)."

Goodbody said its base case was that the UK would vote to remain in the EU on June 23, but with polls too close to call, "uncertainty surrounding the vote poses a serious event risk for the UK".

Ireland, it said, was a net loser in the event of a Brexit, Goodbody said.

"Ireland exports 34bn of goods/services to the UK and it is the country's second largest export market.

"The ESRI estimates exports to the UK could fall by up to 20pc in the event of Brexit, with the agri-food sector (where 44pc of exports go to the UK) the most exposed.

"The tourism sector would also be adversely affected by lower sterling and possibly tighter security. Thus, employment-intensive indigenous industries would suffer the most."
Dublin-listed Kenmare Resources has been granted an extension to a waiver on debt repayments as negotiations over a potentially transformative investment continue, the Sunday Independent understands.

The minerals explorer last month told the market that a deleveraging plan delivered to lenders had not been agreed upon by a deadline of January 31, resulting in "an event of default". It said lenders had agreed to defer payment of a sum of $2.3m (2.1m) until February 29.

The plan includes an investment of $100m in the company by the State General Reserve fund of Oman, as well as "further investment by shareholders and other investors".

The deal would give the company a new direction after a potential takeover by the Australian miner Iluka did not go ahead as Iluka walked away from making an offer.

Kenmare declined to comment.
Dublin-based oil explorer San Leon, whose executive chairman is former Smart Telecom chief executive Oisin Fanning, has been excluded by a Norwegian pension fund's investment universe.

The Norwegian Government Pension Fund is excluding the firm because its ethics council deemed that San Leon "contributes to serious violations of fundamental ethical norms through its onshore hydrocarbon exploration in Western Sahara on behalf of Moroccan authorities".

The fund has a market value of 755bn and has generated an annual return of 5.8pc since its inception in 1998.

Erik Hagen of the Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW), a collection of activists campaigning against companies working in the area, explained the scene and the consequences of the ruling.

"Western Sahara is labelled by the United Nations as the last unresolved colonial question in the world. Morocco has no right to explore for oil in Western Sahara without the consent of the people of Western Sahara and if the people of Western Sahara are not to benefit from it.

"Morocco has no right to look for the oil; San Leon is doing it, so therefore they're kicked out (of the investment fund)."

International law states that the interest of the local people is paramount. In 2002, the then secretary general for legal affairs and legal council at the United Nations, Hans Corell, wrote: "Exploitation of natural resources may be acceptable if it is carried out in accordance with the wishes and interests of the local population."

In San Leon's statement, it said that it satisfied the interests of the local people following counsel with the elected representatives in the region.

Both natives and non-natives of the region vote in the election, which Fanning outlined had one of the "highest voting turnouts in Morocco".

Fanning said that it was in the interest of the government of Morocco and San Leon that any revenue derived from natural resources would benefit the local community.

Hagen said that shareholders in San Leon had expressed concern about the firm's activities in the area.

When asked about shareholders' concerns, a spokesperson for the company had no further comment.

The company also added no further comment on the ruling from the Norwegian fund and refused to confirm or deny that the investment fund had shares in the company.

It is understood that the pension fund had an investment of 1.5m Norwegian krone - about 160,000 - which is said to equate to around 0.43pc in the firm.
San Leon Energy, the Dublin-based oil and gas explorer whose executive chairman is Oisin Fanning, has been blacklisted by one of the world's biggest wealth funds for "serious violations of ethical norms".

The Norwegian Government Pension Fund has decided to exclude the firm from its investment universe following a recommendation from its council of ethics.

The company has been criticised for its presence in Western Sahara, which borders Morocco, where it has interests in the Tarfaya and Zag licence areas, as well as two offshore licences. San Leon has been in the region for around a decade.

Western Sahara is a thinly populated area of primarily desert land on the northwest coast of Africa.

In 1975, the area was annexed by Morocco and has since been the subject of a territorial dispute between the Moroccan government and its native Saharawi people.

In a statement released by the fund, it outlined its decision to omit the company.

"Norges Bank has decided to exclude the company San Leon Energy from the investment universe of the Government Pension Fund Global."
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has objected to a planned construction project at its Irish HQ, claiming it will adversely impact an office that must be a "professional, composed workplace".

An Irish unit of US property giant Hines owns the Bishop's Square office block in Dublin city centre, where News Corporation rents about 1,500 sq m on the fourth floor.

It publishes Irish versions of titles such as the 'Sunday Times' and 'Sun' from the offices there.

Hines wants to expand the office block on Lower Kevin Street, adding an extra floor to the already large building.

It would increase its floorspace from about 22,000 sq m to 25,200 sq m.

News Corporation's lease at Bishop's Square expires in 2027. Other tenants at the building include Tourism Ireland, the Office of Public Works and Starbucks. Under the proposals - already approved by Dublin City Council - Hines will add extra space to the fourth and fifth floors, and change it from a six to seven-storey building.

News Corporation has pointed out that it is involved in a range of media and information services. "This [is a] form of commercial activity which requires a professional, composed workplace," it has told An Bord Pleanala.

A planning consultant acting for News Corporation has argued that the impact of the proposed development work would be detrimental to the ability of the media group to carry out its business.

The consultant has also claimed that the proposed height and scale of the development is "an overbearing addition to the existing character of the area". An Taisce is also opposed to Hines' plan.
'It is psychologically important that all workers see the marginal rate fall below 50pc, and not just those on smaller incomes'

We could be a while waiting for a new government to be formed - but when we have one, the choice of a finance minister will be a key decision.

Whoever gets the job will be overseeing the 50bn or so it takes to run the country every year.

That is one hell of a responsibility. Many big decisions will have to be made, so here are a few suggestions.

Income tax was the issue that failed to ignite during the General Election, despite strong emphasis on tax matters among the big parties.

However, as most parties promised to reduce the hated universal social charge (USC), that is something that is likely to be tackled. But it must be done in a sustainable way. This tax pulls in around 3.6bn a year.

A positive about USC, when it was introduced, was that it was paid by almost all earners. It is important that everyone makes a contribution, instead of having so many people as net beneficiaries of the State. There is only so much middle Ireland should have to pay for in this country.

But the chipping away at the USC base has taken around 700,000 income earners out of the tax net.

It is doubtful that any new minister for finance will be able to scrap the tax entirely. This means determining who should pay.

Is it really fair that only those earning more than 70,000 carry the burden of paying USC, as has been suggested by many political parties, when others may get to avoid it?

Already, the marginal rate of tax - all income taxes paid on higher amounts of income - has fallen below 50pc for those who earn less than 70,000. It is psychologically important that all workers see the marginal rate fall below 50pc, and not just those on smaller incomes.

The new minister will also need to grapple with the inequitable situation where the self-employed pay more USC and get a smaller tax credit.

Another matter that ordinary people desperately need dealt with is the crisis in motor insurance. Premiums have shot up 30pc, with FBD Insurance saying last week premiums will keep rising this year.

The reasons for this are many and complex. Among those who have played a role in the crisis through their actions and inactions are insurers, regulators, the Government, and fraudulent claimants. A number of decisions from judges have exacerbated an already difficult situation for drivers.

A new motor insurance advisory board, which could again be headed by claims expert Dorothea Dowling, is needed to sort out the mess.

Action is also needed on mortgage arrears and variable rates. These two issues are diseases attacking household finances.
In February, mobile operator Three announced that it was to introduce ad blocking across its UK and Italian networks, with a roll-out to follow in other countries. That's 87 million users who'll be given the option to turn off the ads they see in apps and on the mobile web.

Three, of course, is pitching itself as the consumer champion. "Irrelevant and excessive mobile ads annoy customers and affect their network experience," goes the press release. But they may only be protecting a small number of consumers. Remember 50pc-90pc of smartphone use, and the majority of tablet use, is over WiFi.

So you'd be forgiven for cynically deciding that this is a move by cellular carriers like Three and Digicel (which is doing something similar in the Caribbean) to stake their claim to even a small part of the ad revenues that the likes of Google, Facebook and others are making on mobile.

The problem is that it's the little guy that suffers. And in this instance, the little guys are publishers.

Ad blocking is a serious threat to the ad-funded internet, which allows online publishers to make their content and applications available to consumers for free.

And some of Europe's biggest publishers recently met up in Frankfurt to discuss ad blocking. The event was organised by WAN-IFRA, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers. On the day, Sweden's Aftonbladet discussed its seven-point plan for dealing with ad blockers; Axel Springer's WeltN24 revealed that under 30pc of its readers used ad blockers during 2015 and that their current mobile ad-blocking rate is less than 3pc; while Germany's FAZ revealed details of a recent survey of over 30,000 readers who use ad blockers. They found that 35pc of respondents used them to avoid malware; 3pc of the participants didn't even know they had an ad blocker installed and 33pc said they would never turn off ad blockers.

"When it comes to ad blocking, we see three clear priorities for our members," says Ben Shaw, director of global advisory for WAN-IFRA.

"First is to improve the overall ad experience for users without ad blockers. This will help to ensure readers are not tempted to install them. And we must also find ways to giving readers better control over their ad experiences.

"Second, we should find ways to encourage users with ad-blockers to agree to whitelist our sites, be served ads again or to sign up for a subscription.

"Third, we must focus on other mobile-ready advertising opportunities that diversify online publishers away from display, such as branded content, in-stream ad formats, video, audio and e-commerce."

Shaw also believes that there may be a role for legislators to play in protecting advertisers and publishers that rely on an advertising model to provide content. "While I don't believe that governments should be journalism's great protector, they should ensure that publishers are able to continue to serve their communities without undue interference from telcos or internet service providers," he says.

Shaw is bullish in relation to Three allowing ad blocking on a carrier level.

"Ad blocking at the mobile level is a direct challenge to the sustainability of the media industry," he says. "While we must continue to find new and compelling ways to support journalism online, we should not just roll over and allow another industry to interfere with or alter our final works. We must also remember that advertising done properly is relevant content and interfering with those messages without the publisher's or reader's consent should not tolerated."

It's clear ad blocking isn't going away. If anything, it's set to become more readily available - especially on mobile channels. For example, mobile browsers like Alibaba's Maxthon, which have ad blocking turned on by default, are growing in popularity in Asia, while AdBlock Plus is soon set to be baked-in to ASUS' mobile browsers, and turned on by default for all users.

The rise of ad blocking is an unintended consequence of how the ad-funded internet has evolved.

Publishers, under the cosh to deliver any revenues from digital, haven't always protected their users from invasive ad tech or disruptive ads.

Faced with a deluge of pop-ups, pre-rolls, auto-plays and interstitial ads, it's no surprise that consumers are using the tools at their disposal to block out the noise.

One platform that may point the way to a better ad experience is Snapchat - which is also beloved of cellular carriers, as it drives huge levels of data consumption. The secret of its success? Ads are short, enjoyable and users' anonymity is preserved.

Last year, CEO Evan Spiegel said his company was lucky not to have any legacy internet ad-serving infrastructure and didn't want to go down the route of building profiles on users that marketers could exploit.

"We're going to stay away from building really extensive profiles on people because that's just bad and doesn't feel very good," he said.
As the country continues the countdown to the centenary celebrations of the 1916 Rising on Easter Sunday later this month, pub quiz aficionados will know that the very first radio broadcast in Ireland took place during that fateful week in Irish history.

Having already occupied the GPO on O'Connell Street, Joseph Plunkett, one of the leaders of the Rising, dispatched a group of seven men to the nearby offices of the Wireless School of Telegraphy, on the corner of Abbey Street, to tell the outside world that an Irish republic had been declared.

While the school itself had been shut down in 1914 by the authorities after the outbreak of the Great War, they managed to get one of the damaged transmitters working.

Using Morse code, the point-to-point radio broadcast that went out to the rest of the world read: "Irish Republic declared in Dublin today. Irish troops have captured city and are in full possession. Enemy cannot move in city. The whole country rising."

As we all know, the rest is history.

Fast forward 100 years and the Irish radio industry has every reason to celebrate the first radio broadcast in Ireland. Often over-looked and sometimes taken for granted in a digital-centric media world, radio is perhaps the most enduring of all media platforms and has survived, thrived and evolved to cope with whatever has been thrown at it.

And, despite what the 1980s' pop-band The Buggles said, video did not kill the radio star and most likely never will. Nor will often over-hyped music-focused platforms like Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud or iTunes Radio.

The reason for all of this is simple: people are still listening to radio. The most recent batch radio listenership figures - the Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR) - shows that approximately three million of the Irish adult population tune into a radio station on a daily basis. That's 83pc of the nation.

Back in 1990, it was 2.2 million people. And in case people think that radio listenership is confined to an older demographic, the JNLR figures, which are compiled by the research firm Ipsos MRBI, show that 77pc of 15-34-year-olds are habitual radio listeners. Nor is radio listenership confined to the big national stations like RTE Radio 1 or Today FM.

In fact, local and regional radio stations account for as much as 54pc of all minutes listened to on a daily basis.

In terms of our national media consumption habits, it is right up there with TV, press and online. Though hamstrung by outdated commercial codes in terms of the sponsorship and commercially-led content it can put before advertisers and their brands (this may change later this year), our 35 commercial radio stations attract around 14pc of national advertising spend. And while the sector may be punching below its weight, it has not been found wanting in terms of its chutzpah.

Leveraging off its strong social footprint across platforms like Facebook and Twitter and its intimate knowledge of its listeners, radio has been steadily pushing beyond its traditional boundaries and mind-set into a number of different areas, like live events, brand partnerships and content-focused offerings, such as podcasts and live-streaming.

Who, for example, would have thought five years ago that a successful radio programme like Off the Ball would pack the Three Arena with a live event? Or that the winner of the Grand Prix at the annual Media Awards in 2015 was not a high-spending, high-profile TV or digital campaign but rather a "live" co-sponsored broadcast from Vicar Street of 98FM's Naked Breakfast show in front of an audience of 400 people?

The next chapter in radio's evolution has begun. The growth of digital audio and the number of people listening to radio on their mobile phone or tablet, offers additional revenue streams. As much as 72pc of all digital audio streamed, including the likes of podcasts, catch-up and live programming, is now being streamed through mobile devices.

Assuming that the sector can position itself properly in this space, the rewards could be substantial as it will allow for the programmatic buying of radio ads based on demographics and market segmentation.

The challenge, however, will be to ensure that it does not cannibalise existing ad spend, and the industry, instead, will have to chase by digital advertising budgets.

So, while the immediate future of radio is bright, who knows what may happen over the next 100 years. But if a rebellion was staged in Dublin or Cork tomorrow, we would most likely read about it first on the Facebook and Twitter feeds of the country's radio stations and newspapers. And, if we are lucky, there may even be a Haagen Dazs-sponsored outside broadcast unit nearby with Joe Duffy on hand to hear onlookers' tales of woe.

Contact John McGee at john@adworld.ie
Who the hell is Ben Cleary?

That was the question that echoed around the world as the young Dubliner was awarded the Oscar for Best Short Film last weekend.

Cleary's win for the moving character study Stutterer was by no means a shock. But, with his nomination thoroughly overshadowed by fellow (and ultimately unsuccessful) Irish hopefuls Saoirse Ronan and Lenny Abrahamson, his presence at the Academy Awards had flown beneath the radar.

Since Sunday, however, he is assuredly no longer a well-kept secret. Cleary (32) became a minor internet sensation thanks to a heartfelt acceptance speech ("Everyday is a proud day to be Irish but today more so than usual," he told the great and good of the Academy). More than that, gaining the Oscar has confirmed his standing as one of the bright new hopes in Irish cinema - a director suddenly regarded as having the potential to join Abrahamson, Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan in the pantheon of Irish movie greats

Expand Close Winners: Ben Cleary (right) celebrates with producer Shan Christopher Ogilvie. / Facebook

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This is a remarkable feat considering that Cleary bankrolled Stutterer out of his own pocket. Unable to secure funding for his self-penned script, he took a job working at a burger bar in London and, over a year of back-breaking graft, raised the 4,000 budget himself. It was the only way he could make the film on his terms.

"I wanted to direct," he told reporters this week. "I was finding that, in the funding that I was applying for, we were getting the script shortlisted. They were saying that in order to direct, you need to have a reel to show.

"So I just had to go out and save up some money, get together with some friends and try and convince a load of people to trust that I could do it."

"Stutterer is a great short film, even more impressive given it's Ben's first time directing," says producer Ian Hunt Duffy who worked with Cleary on the earlier short Love is a Sting (for which Cleary wrote the script). "To win the Oscar first time is an amazing feat. The win will be huge for Ben and his career going forward."

Stutterer tells of a man with a speech impediment whose world is thrown into chaos when an online date asks to meet him face to face. The film, which stars Matthew Needham and Chloe Pirrie, is by turns pithy, funny and emotionally devastating - a rollercoaster that plays out in 12 minutes. Its inspiration was a childhood friend of Cleary's who grew up with a bad stutter.

"Ben really brings you inside the character's head from the get go, and within the opening seconds of the film has already made you empathise with his protagonist," says Hunt Duffy.

"It feels like a convincing portrayal of what it might be like to live with such a speech impediment. At the same time, it's also a modern love story that's witty and sincere. It's a crowd pleaser."

If it seems as if Cleary has essentially come out of nowhere, perhaps that is because, in a certain sense, he has. A business and law graduate from UCD, he studied screenwriting at the London Film School and received acclaim for his work on the aforementioned Love is a Sting, which won a prize at the 2015 Cork Film Festival.

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"Ben's writing and the type of stories he's interested in strikes a chord in people," says Love is a Sting director Vincent Gallagher.

"They deal with themes and have vulnerable characters that everyone can relate to."

The Oscars, needless to say, are in an entirely different league. He secured his nomination the hard way, through unstinting toil. Cleary entered Stutterer in a pre-qualifying festival, LA Shorts, where it won the award for best foreign film. From there it made the longlist of 140 for the Oscars, which was then reduced to five nominees. Nothing about his victory is a fluke.

Cleary grew up in Rathmines on the southside of Dublin. It was a bohemian upbringing, his parents encouraging the kids to express themselves by drawing on the walls of the family home ("Ben was conjuring up madcap stories and characters from a very young age," goes his London Film School biog). He attended St Michael's College in Ailesbury Road, a school that has an enviable track record in the dramatic arts, with other past pupils including Love/Hate actor Killian Scott and Allen Leech of Downton Abbey fame.

His long-term ambition is naturally to direct full-length movies. To be simply nominated for an Oscar was enormously helpful in that respect and, in the weeks leading up to the Academy Awards, Cleary was taking meetings across Los Angeles.

"Being an Oscar winner will definitely open some doors, and he should have no difficulty getting funding for his next project," says Ian Hunt Duffy.

"It's also a great boon to everyone involved with the film, and Irish film-makers as a community. That old saying 'a rising tide lifts all boats' is actually true, and Ben winning an Oscar will only further shine a light on all the emerging talent we have here in Ireland."

That said, Academy recognition is no guarantee of future success. When last has anyone heard of Mat Kirkby, Anders Walter or Shawn Christensen, winners of the best live action short in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively? Cleary will still have to work hard and be smart about his career.

"An Oscar nomination for your first film is an amazing public endorsement of your work, and it does to some extent put you on the map and bring your work to the attention of a wider audience," says Juanita Wilson, the Dublin film-maker and producer who received a best short film Oscar nomination for her feature The Door in 2010.

"But there is still a long way to go in terms of financing a feature film, despite the nomination It certainly strengthens your CV and that helps when it comes to trying to make other films... It is life-altering on paper."

Ultimately, though, an Oscar should be viewed merely as a springboard, she says.

"Nothing is guaranteed, and financing and making a film is tough and depends on so many factors - the idea, the script, the cast and the team behind it and these factors will determine the funding of the film in concrete terms.

"My life is still the same as before but just with something extra to talk about when I go to pitch that next film."
George Kennedy, who died on Sunday aged 91, was one of America's most recognisible and versatile character actors; 6ft 4in tall, sandy haired, burly and gruff, he appeared in more than 175 films, ranging from westerns to disaster movies and from thrillers to comedies.

During his early years in Hollywood, it seemed Kennedy might be forever typecast as a villain.

In 1967, however, that all changed when Stuart Rosenberg's prison chain gang drama Cool Hand Luke gave him the opportunity to show he was capable of more, with a role that earned him an Academy Award as best supporting actor.

As Dragline, the tough-talking prison veteran who mercilessly bullies Paul Newman's Luke, a newcomer to the chain gang, but eventually finds his ideas about life are being transformed by his nonconformist new colleague, Kennedy changed from bad guy to good guy with such subtlety and panache that, as he himself recalled, he increased his earning power by a factor of 10. "If there were no other good reason to watch Cool Hand Luke," one reviewer observed, "George [Kennedy] would do by himself."

Born in New York to a show business family on February 18, 1925, George Harris Kennedy began his acting career at the age of two when he joined a touring company production of Bringing Up Father, a musical based on a popular comic strip.

After George's father, a band leader, died when he was four, he was brought up by his mother, a dancer, and spent much of his childhood acting on children's radio productions, even hosting his own show.

He was educated at WC Mepham High School in Bellmore, New York State.

His budding show business career, however, was interrupted by America's entry into the Second World War, in which he served in the US Army in Europe, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge.

After the war ended, he re-enlisted, earned a commission and served with the Armed Forces Radio Network in Germany, Japan and Korea.

In the late 1950s, still in the army, he became a military adviser on the army sitcom The Phil Silvers Show, starring Silvers as Sgt Bilko. Reminded of how much he enjoyed performing, Kennedy longed for one of the regulars on the show to fall ill so that he could stand in for him.

He got his wish when an actor playing a military policeman failed to turn up, one of the studio staff telling him: "Hey, you are a really big guy, and you look like you could play a bad guy."

After 16 years in the army, Kennedy was forced to retire in 1959 due to a recurrent back problem, but his acting experience stood him in good stead and within a few weeks he had landed a role as a baddie in a television western.

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The following year he made his (uncredited) screen debut as a rebel soldier opposite Kirk Douglas in Spartacus (1960).

Kennedy's most important early film (and his personal favourite) was Stanley Donen's Charade (1963), starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, in which he played a hook-armed villain who tries to frighten a widow (Hepburn) into revealing where her late husband stashed money stolen during the war. In The Flight Of The Phoenix (1965), he played a passenger on board a stranded aeroplane.

During the 1970s, Kennedy appeared in numerous television westerns, recalling that stars such as James Arness (of Gunsmoke) and Clint Eastwood (of Cheyenne) were "big men who needed someone big to beat up". He had supporting roles in two Clint Eastwood films, Thunderbolt And Lightfoot (1974) and The Eiger Sanction (1975), and became a dependable mainstay of disaster films.

As cigar-chomping mechanic Joe Patroni, he was the one constant in all four Airport movies, and in Earthquake (1974) he played a Los Angeles cop struggling to cope with the aftermath of an earthquake reaching 9.9 on the Richter Scale.

In the late 1980s, Jerry and David Zucker exploited Kennedy's gift for deadpan comedy by casting him in The Naked Gun (1988) as Captain Ed Hocken, the dim-witted boss of Leslie Nielsen's bumbling Detective Frank Drebin. He also appeared in its two sequels.

Kennedy's other roles included supporting parts in The Dirty Dozen (1967), Lost Horizon (1973) and Death On The Nile (1978).

He also appeared in numerous television series, including Dallas, in which he played Carter McKay, a cattle rancher and rival to the scheming JR Ewing (Larry Hagman).

His final film role was in the 2014 crime drama remake The Gambler, with Mark Wahlberg and Brie Larson.

Kennedy was the author of two thrillers and an autobiography, Trust Me, published in 2011.

He was married four times, first to Dorothy Gillooly and secondly and thirdly to Norma Wurman. His fourth wife, Joan McCarthy, died last year, and a son and daughter also predeceased him.

He is survived by a daughter, a grandson and a granddaughter whom he helped to bring up after her mother developed drug addiction problems.

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Despite his outrageous character 'Fr Jack' in Father Ted, Frank Kelly was a practising, if irreverent, Catholic, attending Mass each Sunday at the Church of the Guardian Angels in Blackrock, Co Dublin. It was the venue last Wednesday for his final exit, for which he received a standing ovation from the packed audience of celebrities, friends and fellow parishioners.

Local lore has it that he was once persuaded to become a Minister of the Eucharist, handing out Communion at Mass, but rather quickly it was evident that this was causing much merriment among younger viewers of Father Ted, who flocked to 'Father Jack' for communion, ignoring the priests and other ministers. So Frank went back to his usual seat at the 10.45 am Sunday Mass, sitting always in the 10th row.

"He was many things" said the celebrant, Fr Bill Fortune, "actor, comic, writer, musician, husband, father, but he had another marvellous quality - he was normal."

Frank Kelly was born in Blackrock, Co Dublin and grew up in an upper-middle-class family, his father being Charlie Kelly, originally from Harold's Cross, founder of the satirical magazine Dublin Opinion and for many years director of broadcasting at Radio Eireann. His mother Kathleen, also from the locality, devoted her life to bringing up their six children and supporting her husband.

They lived in a mansion, Rosemount, on Avoca Avenue (and later Merrion Avenue) at a time when the area was surrounded by grand estates, including the remains of Frascati House, ancestral home of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Frank's closest friend was Maurice Walsh, grandson of the author of The Quiet Man, who lived nearby. The Kelly's kept "open house" for friends and many of that generation from the locality passed through the family kitchen.

The youngest of six children born in seven years, he was, according to his friend Fergus Linehan, "something of a cuckoo in the nest, failing exams and generally behaving like a troubled adolescent".

He attended Willow Park and Blackrock College, where he managed to fail the Inter Cert (the Junior Cert of that era) twice and became the 'class clown' to cover up for his own insecurity.

At a young age, he learned to play the piano and violin, he took part in Gilbert & Sullivan light operas in Blackrock College and through his parents developed an interest in theatre that would last a lifetime.

"It was only when he went to UCD that he found his true pathway in life," added Linehan, who was involved with him in organising music and theatrical events in the college. After UCD and successfully taking his Bar Exams, he went straight into the theatre.

"He would rather starve on stage than grow fat at the Bar," his son told the congregation at his funeral. In one of his first productions, Berthold Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards with Siobhan McKenna at the Gaiety Theatre, he met Bairbre, a young widow with two daughters. They wed three years later and were married for 51 years.

To make ends meet between unreliable theatrical work, Kelly, like many young barristers, was taken on as a sub-editor in the Irish Press - a colleague being Hugh O'Flaherty, who went on to become a member of the Supreme Court. Kelly would later describe the atmosphere in Burgh Quay as akin to a "reign of terror" and went to work in the Irish Independent, which he described as "sheer joy" in comparison.

Already known as a swimmer in Blackrock Baths, he maintained his enthusiasm for exercise for the rest of his life, swimming frequently from the 40 Foot over to Bulloch Harbour and jogging back "in his Speedo's" to the consternation of his daughter, who encountered him so attired in Sandycove. He was also a keen fisherman, sailor, traveller, practical joker and engaged in eccentric pursuits, such as brewing his own beer - which once blew the door off the kitchen press as he tried to increase the alcohol content.

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Kelly had no problem describing himself as a "jobbing" actor, playing on the boards of many theatres in Ireland, England and America. He also got parts in television and films like Ryan's Daughter, where he spent much of his time in Tom Long's pub in Dingle, drinking with Trevor Howard, Leo McKern, Sarah Miles and others. In The Italian Job he was the prison warder who released Michael Caine and he got a part in Taffin with Pierce Brosnan.

But it was his comic turns on radio and television that transformed Frank Kelly into a national institution. His gombeen county councillor Parnell Mooney on Hall's Pictorial Weekly morphed into his own creation, the comic figure of Gobnait O'Lunacy from the fictional town of Ballykilferrit. He received a letter of congratulations from Queen Elizabeth after performing The Twelve Days of Christmas on Top of the Pops.

In 1992, during what he described as "a very quiet time" in his career, he was asked to audition for the role of Father Jack Hackett in Father Ted. It was an inspired piece of casting as the writers, Arthur Matthews and Graham Linehan, remembered Kelly from Hall's Pictorial Weekly. He was slightly puzzled by the direction to shout "feck" "arse" and other epithets, but did so with gusto and got the job.

"I was apprehensive lest the series might be merely cheap jibes at Catholic doctrine and the committed priests. Commitment is never a thing to be ridiculed," he wrote in his autobiography The Next Gig, published last year.

With Dermot Morgan and Ardal O'Hanlon, Kelly became the third priest in the fictional parochial house near Mullaghmore, Co Sligo and filmed in Co Clare and studios in London. He particularly liked a stage direction that read: "Warning. It is extremely dangerous to approach Father Jack." The death of Dermot Morgan and the final episode were, he wrote, "the end of what had become a way of life", although it had only lasted three years.

Although he had been ill for the past eight years with cancer and Parkinson's Disease, Frank Kelly continued working, notably performing on stage in John B Keane's Moll, coming almost straight from hospital treatment to the stage. Born on December 28, 1938, he died last Sunday aged 77. He is survived by his wife Bairbre, six children, 17 grandchildren, his brothers Aidan and David, his sister Pauline, and a wide circle of friends, both personal and professional.
There's only one thing broadcasters love more than an election campaign, and that's the period after the votes have been (mostly) counted, when they get to discuss the implications of it all. What next? Where now? Whither Ireland?

Last week was no different, as they picked over the results, happier than pigs in clover.

In the midst of a suffocating uniformity of opinion, Eoghan Harris's appearance on Newstalk's Lunchtime With Jonathan Healy was typically invigorating, as he pulled out the rug from under what he referred to as the "student analysis" that there's no difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, stressing the real class basis which still exists at the parties' grass roots, as well as outlining exactly why the Government's campaign strategy was so wrong.

The rest of the election coverage sounded rather tame and stilted by comparison.

Interestingly, the Irish election wasn't reported at all on Monday's Today programme on BBC Radio Four, nor did it make the cut on The World At One, PM or The World Tonight. Even taking into account the concentration right now on the impending referendum on Brexit, that was quite a snub.

Much closer to home, on The Stephen Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster on Monday, the Irish election was also pushed into second place by a row over the reported 280,000 (362,000) annual subsidy to provide cut-price food in the Stormont canteen.

The irrepressible Nolan made a bit of a meal of the story (pun intended), but it was hard to escape the suspicion that Dublin was being put mischievously in its place by being made to wait its turn.

When he did turn to the election, to be fair, Nolan posed some pertinent questions, asking the Sinn Fein representative why the party refuses to go into coalition with "right-wing" parties in the Dail when they're happy to share power with the DUP.

That is "completely different", said the man from SF.

Of course it is.

Back on Irish radio, there was more lazy "student analysis" of the continuing rise of US presidential hopeful Donald Trump, which continues to defeat Irish broadcasters' powers of understanding.

Guests on Marian Finucane seem determined to push the line that Trump's support comes only from "angry young white men", even as evidence floods in that his support base is widening far beyond that easily-caricatured group.

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Tom Plank, of Republicans Abroad, on Wednesday's Late Debate popped that complacent bubble by explaining how Trump was appealing to voters who are "fed up with playing the typical game". We ought to understand that mood.

There needs to be much more of this if the American election isn't going to descend on air into an orgy of self- satisfied virtue signalling.

A question to end: Why do The Ryan Tubridy Show and The Ray D'Arcy Show still bother opening each day with a token song? It adds nothing. Just get on with it already.
The moving stories of how ordinary families were devastated forever by the loss of their loved ones who were murdered in Melbourne will air on Irish screens tonight.

Murder in Melbourne is a hard-hitting new RTE documentary which looks at the murders of three Irish nationals living in the Australian city between 2012 and 2013.

The film opens with the killing of Dublin born jeweller Dermot OToole in July 2013, then chronicles the murder of a 30-year-old David Greene in 2012, and finally covers the murder of journalist Jill Meagher a few days after David's murder.

All three were murdered in Melbourne, all within the space of a year and all by men who had previously been convicted of serious crimes.

Murder in Melbourne tells their stories and looks at the parole system in Victoria to examine how failings there laid the foundations for these otherwise unrelated murders.

The documentary includes interviews with family members, journalists and police as well as previously unreleased CCTV footage and images connected to these crimes.

Dublin born jeweller Dermot OToole and his wife Bridget had emigrated from Ireland in 1972. They eventually settled in Hastings, a small town on the outskirts of Melbourne where they opened their own business called the Jewel Shed.

CCTV footage of the murderers movements, and interviews with Bridget and family, recreate what turned out to be a failed and incredibly violent armed robbery, during which Bridget was seriously wounded and Dermot was fatally stabbed as he rushed to protect her.

The convicted armed robber by the name of Gavin Perry had been released by the Parole Board of Victoria. Perry was a highly dangerous career criminal who by the age of 27 already had over 200 criminal convictions. Soon after his release Perry went on a spree of armed robberies which eventually led to his botched raid on the Jewel Shed and the murder of Dermot OToole. He was eventually sentenced to twenty years for Dermot's murder.

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David Greene was attacked while managing a hostel in Melbourne, one year earlier in August 2012. Before his death, Mr Greene was typical of the many young Irish people who moved to Australia following the economic bust in Ireland. A brick-layer by trade, he had grown up in Cabinteely, Dublin and had been in Australia for less than a year.

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His parents, Aidan and Catherine Greene tell how they, on hearing of his attack, made the arduous journey to Melbourne where twelve days later his life support machine was turned off.

The family then faced his killer in court, a convicted criminal by the name of Luke Wentholt who had attacked their son during a party after suspecting that his girlfriend was attracted to Greene.

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Within days, Jill Meagher was murdered. Jills murder became one of the highest profile murders in Australia in living history. It sent shockwaves through the countries of both Australia and Ireland, not just because of the brutality of her attack but because her murderer, Adrian Bayley a convicted rapist was out on parole.

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The film concludes with the OToole familys campaign for tougher sentencing and tighter restrictions on parole in Victoria.

Murder in Melbourne airs Monday on RTE1 at 9.35pm.
When the Volunteers split in September 1914, the smaller group, led by Eoin MacNeill, retained the name Irish Volunteers and set about rebuilding and restructuring the organisation. At a meeting of the central executive in December, chaired by Patrick Pearse, a new military structure was proposed.

MacNeill was appointed Chief of Staff, Pearse became Director of Military Organisation, Joseph Plunkett was Director of Military Operations, Thomas MacDonagh Director of Training, and The O'Rahilly Director of Arms.

The meeting also agreed that the Dublin Volunteers be divided into four battalions. Edward Daly was appointed acting commandant of 1st Battalion, Thomas MacDonagh 2nd Battalion, Eamon de Valera 3rd Battalion, and Eamonn Ceannt 4th Battalion.

All appointments were confirmed at a subsequent Executive Committee meeting on 10 March 1915. The following day, as they were walking along Kildare Street, Dublin, Pearse handed the letter of appointment to de Valera. It read:

A Chara,

At last night's meeting of the Executive you were formally appointed Commandant of the 3rd Batt., with Capt Fitzgibbon as Vice Commandant and Capt Begley as Adjutant. I have mislaid the name of the Quartermaster, but he was also approved of. Could you let me know his name and former rank by return? (to St. Enda's?)

Can you attend a meeting of the four Battalion Commandants on Saturday evening next after the officers' lecture? There are several important matters that the Headquarters staff wish to discuss with the Commandants.

Sincerely yours

P.H. Pearse

Following the meeting held by the Battalion Commandants, one of de Valera's first duties was to lead an exercise in Finglas village on Easter Sunday 1915. Plans for a September insurrection were also discussed.

Pearse's handwritten letter to de Valera (right) can be viewed online via the UCD Archives Centenary Special. http://historyhub.ie/march-1915-patrick-pearse-letter-to-eamon-de-valera FC
Graham Norton arriving at the National Television Awards 2016 held at The O2 Arena in London. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Communications guru Terry Prone has gone to war with chat show host Graham Norton after the BBC star said live on radio that she had had an affair with former Taoiseach Charlie Haughey.

The Sunday Independent understands that legal correspondence has been sent by Ms Prone, through the top legal firm Callan Tansey, over the remarks Norton made to an estimated four million listeners on his radio show on BBC2.

Ms Prone, who is one of Ireland's best-known media and political advisors, was mistaken by the presenter for Terry Keane - the former Sunday Independent columnist and a long-term love of Haughey.

Ms Prone is married to Tom Savage, founder director of the Communications Clinic and former chairman of the RTE Authority, for 41 years.

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The show, which aired on St Valentine's weekend, prompted at least one listener to text the programme flagging the mistake. However, the comment was not corrected and the show - naming Ms Prone - remained on the BBC website the next day.

On February 22, nine days after the programme had first aired, the BBC finally issued a correction.

A statement on their website read: "During a live discussion on the Graham Norton radio show on 13 February 2016 an incorrect name for the girlfriend of the former Irish Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, was stated inadvertently.

"We would like to clarify that the late Ms Terry Keane publicly admitted to being Mr Haughey's girlfriend. We apologise for this error."

Speaking in 2010 about mix-ups with her namesake, Ms Prone wrote: "I've been dogged for more than 20 years by the rumour that I was Charlie Haughey's mistress, based on the fact that his real mistress, Terry Keane, shared a first name with me."

Detailing an incident at a social function, Ms Prone wrote: "Once, at a party, a man nudged my husband, pointed across the room at me, and muttered 'Charlie's mistress'. My husband acted surprised and asked for details. He got them in spades. When the poor rumour-seller ground to a halt, my husband shook his head wonderingly. 'Never knew that,' he said. 'Did you know she's also my wife?'"

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Ms Prone explained: "He was immediately sorry, because he thought he was going to have to do CPR on the poor guy, so he took him off the hook by explaining the coincidence of names. Not that clearing up the facts always clears up the image."

Showing the harm caused by the rumour by citing another incident, Ms Prone wrote: "One of my younger employees mentioned to me a couple of weeks back that her granny, watching me on Vincent Browne's programme, opined that she'd never liked me because of my affair with Haughey.

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"Her daughter and grand- daughter explained that I'd never had a relationship with CJ and how the myth had started."

She added: "Scandal, you see, sticks like superglue. Even if you've never done anything scandalous."

The affair between Terry Keane and Charlie Haughey came to public attention in May 1999. In a watershed moment on Irish television, Keane, the long-time love of the controversial politician, spoke of their 27-year affair.

Confirming what many politicians and journalists already knew or at least suspected, she said the pair had engaged in a near three-decade affair.

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It was understood she was jump-started into a confession, which she subsequently regretted.

In 2006, she reappeared on The Late Late Show to say she regretted exposing their affair in such a public fashion.

But in many ways Keane was so much more than a mistress.

She was as good as publicly recognised. Charlie's inner circle knew all about her and his wider social and political circles were intrigued by her.

Indeed, rather than just a lover, she provided the former Taoiseach with sage counsel and was also privy to great State secrets - a fact that was largely lost in a recent RTE drama on the controversial politician.

Haughey died from prostate cancer in 2006. He was 80 years old.

Keane died at the age of 68 in 2008, following her own battle with cancer.

Neither the BBC nor Ms Prone would comment when contacted by the Sunday  Independent.
Honoured: Pictured above is Brian McCarthy (centre right) with MC for the night Stephen Rae, Group Editor-in-Chief, Independent News and Media and Brian's daughters, Susan, Ruth and Liz Photo: David Conachy

A Corkman has been named Kerry Person of the Year at a special ceremony in Dublin.

For the first time in its 37-year history, the Kerry Association in Dublin presented the award to a figure born outside the Kingdom.

Brian McCarthy, founder of Killorglin-based financial services company FEXCO, was praised for his "entrepreneurial vision", having grown employment in his business to 2,300 - of whom 1,200 are employed in Ireland.

The award is presented to people making a significant contribution to their locality and to Kerry as a whole.

The ceremony, called 'Oiche Chiarrai', was held in the Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin.

Independent News and Media Group Editor-in-Chief Stephen Rae said: "I think all of us in Kerry are really proud of the success at FEXCO.

"It started off from small roots but it's grown into a huge organisation, a major financial company which brings much-needed employment to mid Kerry and has put Killorglin on the financial services map," he said.
Lawyers for former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm have written to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to express their concern about the 'delay' in extraditing him from the United States.

The Sunday Independent understands that Drumm's solicitor, Michael Staines, wrote to the DPP 11 days ago to tell them that the US authorities had completed all the steps required for the former banker's return to Dublin.

All that remains now is for the Irish authorities to provide the US Marshals Service with a date to effect Mr Drumm's removal, he said.

Mr Staines, one of Ireland's leading criminal defence lawyers, informed the DPP in his letter that both the US Office of International Affairs and US Department of State signed off on Mr Drumm's extradition that same day, on February 24 last.

The Assistant US Attorney in Mr Drumm's case had already informed the former Anglo chief that his paperwork was complete, and advised him that they were now awaiting confirmation from Ireland in relation to the date of his flight to Ireland.

It is understood that Mr Drumm's solicitor asked the DPP to explain why this information had yet to be provided to the US authorities.

Contacted by the Sunday Independent, a spokeswoman for the DPP said: "The Office [of the DPP] will not be commenting on this matter as we do not comment on individual cases."

A source close to Mr Drumm last night expressed their frustration at what they described as "foot dragging" on the part of the Irish authorities.

"David has been told everything is ready on the Americans' side. The US Marshals are ready and have his passport. As soon as they get the green light from Dublin, he'll be on his way. The DPP has been asked by David's solicitor for an explanation and they've said they're still waiting for confirmation from the US that the process is complete on their end. It doesn't make sense," they said.

A garda source, meanwhile, insisted that the US authorities had yet to make contact to confirm that the documentation necessary for Mr Drumm's extradition had been signed off.

"We will only assemble a team to bring Mr Drumm back to Dublin when we've received the appropriate documentation from the US. We haven't received that yet," the source said.

In a separate development, the former Anglo Irish Bank chief was last week allowed an extra eight weeks to file papers in his US bankruptcy appeal.

A judge granted the extension after Mr Drumm argued he had been unable to work on his case as he has been kept in solitary confinement for a "lengthy period" since being arrested by US Marshals acting on foot of an extradition warrant last October.

He is being detained at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility, near Boston.
Mary Lou McDonald and Kevin Sharkey who laid flowers at Glasnevin Cemetery to remember the women and girls who were incarcerated in Magdalene Laundries. Photo: Mark Condren

Flowers are laid at Glasnevin Cemetery to remember the women and girls who were incarcerated in Magdalene Laundries. Photo: Mark Condren

Flowers are laid at Glasnevin Cemetery to remember the women and girls who were incarcerated in Magdalene Laundries. Photo: Mark Condren

Flowers are laid to remember the women and girls who were incarcerated in Magdalene Laundries at Glasnevin Cemetery. Photo: Mark Condren

Kevin Sharkey who laid flowers to remember the women and girls who were incarcerated in Magdalene Laundries at Glasnevin Cemetery. Photo: Mark Condren 6.3.2016

Poppy Bella Tate lays a flower with her father Frankie Tate, who also spread ashes of his grandmother Martina Keogh who was in the Magdalene laundries. Photo: Mark Condren

The grandson of Magdalene laundries survivor Martina Keogh sprinkled her ashes on five grave sites scattered around Glasnevin Cemetery where the bodies of hundreds of fellow survivors are buried as a poignant reminder of the brave woman who endured years of abuse as a virtual slave of the Sean McDermott Street laundry in Dublin.

Frankie Tate, (29) and his daughter Poppy Bella (6), were among hundreds of family, friends and supporters of the thousands of young women and girls who died in the notorious workhouses for fallen women who paid tribute to the Magdalene women across Ireland yesterday.

For the firth consecutive Mothers Day, they laid flowers at the graves  many of them unmarked  of more than 1,663 former Magdalene women as a mark of the respect and dignity they were denied in life as inmates of the Catholic Church-run laundries.

For Mr Tate, scattering the ashes of his beloved gran who died last year of cancer at just 65, was a way of remembering all that she endured as well as honouring her memory as a strong and resilient woman who survived hell.

I know she would have loved to be here herself, its just a small little touch, just for her, he told independent.ie

Renowned Donegal artist Kevin Sharkey was also among the throng that paid their respects to the hundreds of Magdalene women buried at Glasnevin cemetery, while similar ceremonies took place in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Wexford.

He was adopted as a young child but later learned that he had been taken from his birth mother and adopted out without her consent after falling pregnant with an illegitimate child while a young woman.

I never saw her for 36 years and when I did see her, the stories she told me about her experiences as a single girl who got into trouble and the effect that had on her liberty and how she was treated, not just by the religious, but by people in general in 1961. Its very sad, he said.

I put it in my diary to come this year just for support. Personally, I dont think anything short of a criminal investigation with prosecutions is ever going to get to the bottom of this, he said.

Despite the formal apology that Taoiseach Enda Kenny issued on behalf of the State to the victims of the laundries three years ago, and a subsequent compensation scheme established, Justice for Magdalenes Research, (JFMR) which organised the annual Flowers for Magdalenes ceremony, says the bare minimum has been done by the church and State to restore their dignity.

Institutional abuse in State-run facilities is still going on, said JFMR spokeswoman Claire McGettrick.

It is happening in places like Aras Attracta, she said of the State-run special needs home in Co Mayo in which five staff were recently convicted of assaulting intellectually-impaired residents following an undercover expose by RTEs Prime Time.

Sinn Fein Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald paid tribute to the resilience of the women who were incarcerated in the Magdalene laundries and highlighted the insufficiency of the McAleese Report in bringing the full truth of the travesty to light.

We mark as a matter of the respect the passing of the women incarcerated in the Magdalene laundries who are buried here. We have seen a triumph of human courage, of dignity of women who were disrespected in such a base, relentless and vicious way, she said in Glasnevin cemetery today.

We have met over the course of years the consequences of the hardship, of the abuse, of the neglect of these women, all of which was overseen by the state. The buck stops with the state.

There is an issue around the McAleese Report, around the Commission of Investigation, around the story that has not yet been told. We are still waiting to hear the full story of the Magdalene laundries and the Mother and Baby Homes north and south, east and west. There is a lot of work that needs to be done.

We have to reconcile and confront the realities of what the state did. But the instincts of the state is to play down the significance of what happened. Thats not good enough. What we need is the truth.
Crisis-hit dairy farmers who have seen more than 800m wiped off the sector in 24 months because of the collapse of milk prices are furious over the Government decision not to seek an increase in intervention prices in Brussels - a key aid to bolster incomes.

The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) claims prices for milk have fallen by 40pc in two years - leaving dairy farmers facing an average 35,000 income drop.

The Government was expected to strongly lobby Brussels at crunch talks of the EU Farm Council on March 14.

But ICMSA dairy committee chairperson Gerald Quain told the Sunday Independent that the reaction of dairy farmers would be "one of profound disappointment and astonishment" that Ireland was not seeking an increase in the intervention price for butter and SMP (Skimmed Milk Powder).

Increases in intervention prices would help bolster dairy farm incomes in the medium term.

"The question now being asked is whether the Government actually grasps the extent of the crisis facing our dairy farmers who are now approaching peak milk production season and receiving prices below the cost of production," Mr Quain said.

He added that while the proposals set out by the department had some merit, they would not stabilise prices or deliver a price that would cover farmers for the cost of producing milk.

A number of factors have hit milk prices in Europe, including over-production following the end of milk quotas, a slowdown in demand as the Chinese economy contracts, and Russian trade embargoes.

Dairy farmers say this is the worst slump in a decade and the cut in farm incomes may have contributed to Fine Gael's poor showing in its rural heartland in the general election.

ICMSA president John Comer pointed out there was "no sign whatsoever" that election candidates even understood the problems facing Ireland's farmers.

He said that the average price paid to Irish dairy farmers had fallen from 38c a litre in 2014 to today's price of 24-26c a litre.

Most experts put the average cost of producing a litre of milk at 25c.

Mr Quain added: "ICMSA is both disappointed and mystified that Ireland is seemingly intent on turning up to the vital March 14 Farm Council with no clear proposal that will immediately signal to Irish and EU dairy farmers that the extent of the utter collapse in milk price and wiping out of dairy farmers' income is understood and is going to be addressed.

"Instead, we're getting more of the same - more tinkering around the edges of things like storage volumes and time limits without any signal as to how struggling dairy farmers are expected to survive producing below cost."
Tough: Enda Kenny (centre) with Richard Bruton, Simon Harris, Paschal Donohoe, Leo Varadkar, Frances Fitzgerald and Michael Noonan at an election news conference Photo: Tom Burke

Enda Kenny's pre-debating ritual involved a game of role play with his top election strategist at Fine Gael's Mount Street headquarters.

Kenny would play himself. Mark Mortell would play either Claire Byrne or Miriam O'Callaghan.

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Someone else would be Micheal Martin or Gerry Adams or Richard Boyd Barrett. Mortell, in his RTE presenter persona, got to eyeball the Taoiseach and fire out the questions.

Kenny replied. Advisors analysed. And so the ritual went on, sometimes for a gruelling four hours.

All to help Kenny surmount his Achilles Heel - live televised party leaders' debates. Kenny had himself to blame.

The Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, had taunted him for months about his debating skills and it worked.

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Kenny ignored the advice of his closest confidants to declare to the media that he would face his political rivals on television.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Troubling times: By the time Enda Kenny called the election in January, his debating skills were the least of the campaign team's worries Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin. Photo: Gerry Mooney / Facebook

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Whatsapp Troubling times: By the time Enda Kenny called the election in January, his debating skills were the least of the campaign team's worries Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Prepped and polished, Kenny was dispatched to his fate by his inner circle like the anxious parents of a child on his way to sit the entrance exam for the local posh school. All they could do was hope for the best.

"Our expectations were very low," one minister said drily last week. "And he didn't let us down."

It wasn't Enda Kenny's debating skills that cost Fine Gael so many seats in the General Election.

The best of political brains and communicators, fired up by secret assignations to learn from Tory party advisers in London, and a contentious political message, couldn't save the party either.

Fine Gael's General Election campaign began with so much optimism over tea and coffee in a conference room of the five-star Shelbourne Hotel on a November morning 16 months earlier.

Kenny had already informally picked his team: a mix of heavy-hitting politicians, political boffins, strategists and public relations types - the idea being that their skills and talents would converge to win the election.

Sitting around the table were Leo Varadkar, the health minister; Frances Fitzgerald, the justice minister; Dr James Reilly, the children's minister and deputy leader of Fine Gael; Simon Coveney, the agriculture minister.

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On the boffin side, was Mark Mortell, a director of Fleishman Hilliard consultancy firm and long-standing advisor to and friend of Kenny; Mark Kennelly, Kenny's chief of staff; his economic advisor, Andrew McDowell; Tom Curran, Fine Gael's general secretary and head of research, Terry Murphy.

They set up a committee to decide electoral strategy, that Fitzgerald would chair while the others would chair sub committees on communication (Varadkar), policy (Coveney) and Reilly (party membership). Brian Hayes, the MEP, had yet to be brought on to the pitch as director of elections.

"The idea was to ensure there was a consultative process involving as many people as possible including backbenchers who worked on party policy," one strategist said last week.

Last week, the slogan Fine Gael hoped would win the campaign lay abandoned and unclaimed in the debris of the party's election disaster.

No one admits to coming up with the now contentious phrase "keep the recovery going", that many backbenchers claim spoke only to the affluent areas of South County Dublin.

"Brian Hayes signed off on it but who came up with it I don't know. It was presented to us a fait accompli," one senior minister said.

"But no one threw up a red flag or banged the table," the minister added.

Strategists say it was road tested at the Fine Gael conference in Mayo last year. "Secure the Recovery" was the theme of the weekend.

Another line trotted out to the delegates was "Making Work Pay" and "Stability Versus Chaos".

Strategists put the slogans along these lines to focus groups supposed to represent the electorate, assembled by marketeers paid for by Fine Gael.

The by-election in Carlow/Kilkenny last May gave them an opportunity to test the slogans on the electorate. Fine Gael's candidate David Fitzgerald lost to Fianna Fail's Bobby Aylward. "We got fair warning in the Carlow/Kilkenny by-election that we were never going to win the General Election on the economy," one source said.

In fact, an internal report on the election failure flagged problems with Fine Gael's message. It put party strategists "on notice" that the voters' appetite was for "better services and a fairer Ireland".

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The strategists were busy admiring the British Tory party's unexpected sweep to victory in Downing Street.

The Tories did it on the back of a famously disciplined campaign, with a message shaped and controlled by David Cameron's tight-knit group of strategists. And it was all about the long-term plan for the economy. One of the campaign messages was: "let's stay together on a road to a stronger economy".

So in June last year, Mark Mortell, Mark Kennelly and Tom Curran packed overnight bags and flew to London to find out how the Tories did it.

They met Craig Oliver, now communications director at Downing Street and the Conservative Party's social media gurus Craig Elders and Tom Edmonds - who later came to Dublin to deliver a two-day social media seminar to staffers.

Oddly, the Fine Gael team's London trip was kept tightly under wraps and the strategy team didn't reveal much about it to their colleagues afterwards. "It was never really acknowledged internally that the lads went to London," a senior staffer said.

Senior strategists played down the influence these meetings had on the campaign, despite the obvious comparisons on messaging and the Taoiseach's tightly controlled election tour.

One source said: "It was a very valuable engagement and more than anything else it told us the way we were planning was on the right track."

Not everyone agreed. In the aftermath of the quake that shook Fine Gael, several senior politicians accused their non-elected tacticians of being "obsessed with Cameron's playbook".

By the time Enda Kenny called the election in January, the Taoiseach's debating skills were the least of the campaign team's worries.

The electoral strategy committee was devised as a collaborative effort without a specific leader that would reach decisions by consensus. As months passed, rows and bickering emerged between politicians and the party apparatchiks

Politicians complained that policy decisions were being too tightly controlled by Department of the Taoiseach's staff - specifically Mark Kennelly, Andrew McDowell - whose nickname is "the Taoiseach's Brain" - and Ciaran Conlon, Richard Bruton's special adviser.

McDowell and Kennelly are credited with being behind Kenny's contentious promise to abolish the hated Universal Social Charge - announced at a Fine Gael presidential dinner.

"That policy committee was heavily dominated by Andrew McDowell. Simon Coveney was supposed to be over that committee but he lost the battle with McDowell very early on," a source said.

Some sources claim another bone of contention was the emphasis on the economy itself rather than the "human impact" of the recovery.

"A politician has many flaws but one thing a politician can do is read the public moods . . . the people in our party at a strategic level didn't listen," a minister said.

Other ministers you talk to will tell you they raised it with them but "we were constantly told 'it will be grand, hold your nerve'".

"Bullshit," said one committee source who insisted they were all happy to go along with the strategists' proposals.

"I'm not going to pretend this was perfection but there was opportunity for the parliamentary party to make inputs to the policy decisions," the source added.

On Tuesday, February 2, Kenny dissolved the parliament before hurrying off to the Aras, without any advance notice to his election team.

He did it at 9.30am, catching his election team on the hop.

A joint press conference with Fine Gael and Labour to launch the election campaign was mooted but abandoned, when Labour got the jitters.

Instead, Fine Gael cobbled together a last-minute launch in the Alexander Hotel and Kenny unfurled its message: "Keep the Recovery Going".

It was a mess, sources said. The lighting didn't work.

Ministers didn't know where they were supposed to be standing, let alone what they were supposed to be doing.

At around 2:30pm, Kenny arrived to the venue through a side door surrounded by his handlers, who would be constantly by his side for the coming weeks.

Kenny fluffed a line or two and got lost in "fiscal space" when pushed for details on the amount of money the party had to spend on taxes and investment.

Finance minister Michael Noonan was forced to step in and take control but he also seemed to be at sea on the figures.

"It was a disaster and no one knew what they were doing and it ended up setting the tone for the whole campaign," a senior Fine Gael figure said.

So the campaign began, under the shadow of gangland murders in Dublin, confusion over the economy, progressing on to poor leaders' debates.

But early opinion polls put Fine Gael at 30pc. Even with a poor performance from Labour it would be possible to form a government with Independents.

Over subsequent polls, support fell and TDs on the ground, particularly in the west of Ireland, were not happy with how things were going. Older people were insulted at Fine Gael's meagre 3 rise in the State pension.

In response, it was decided to bring forward an announcement on a package of measures for older people.

The strategists held two conference calls, one with national organisers and another with the 40 directors of elections.

Tom Curran fielded the debate as directors of elections, mostly along the west coast, reported back the failure of the recovery message.

According to one director of elections, the discussion wasn't particularly heated or dogmatic.

"I thought the conference call was positive. It was said that the recovery wasn't resonating. We were told to keep plugging away, it was 'like come on lads, We need to keep talking about the recovery'," he said."I felt myself that it was all about the economy."

Sticking with it was the wrong course.

At a meeting of Fine Gael Cabinet ministers half-way through the campaign, strategists were urged to change the message, to "humanise it more", said one source.

"We were told by the strategists 'don't be stupid, calm down and it will all come good in the end'."

"It wasn't just strategists," said another minister. "There were senior ministers who thought everything would be okay. Noonan was one of them and when he speaks, it helps soothe everybody," they added.

Yet another Kenny gaffe sealed the mood, if not the fate, of Fine Gael.

On the Saturday before polling, Kenny was in Castlebar addressing what was supposed to be a rallying cry to the local party faithful. Instead he insulted them. People who complained about the lack of economic activity in Mayo? "These people are All-Ireland champions when it comes to whingeing," he said.

Kenny's remark went viral, delighting his opponents. But Fine Gael's problems were about to get worse. That evening a Sunday Independent/Millward Brown survey had the party on 27pc, beneath a headline that predicted the election was Fianna Fail's to win.

Kenny dug himself deeper into a hole.

He refused to apologise for the remark at a press conference the next day. Ministers couldn't conceal their deep unease as he delivered a forced and staged final address to party members in their campaign headquarters on the banks of the Liffey in Dublin.

Fine Gael's election campaign was now officially in meltdown. TDs faced up to the prospect of losing seats. Others desperately attempted to change tack.

Even in affluent south Dublin, the theme on the doorstep was not recovery but health horror stories of waiting lists and emergency room disasters, younger working voters unable to raise mortgages to buy their own homes.

The themes "constantly" came up, according to Alan Shatter, a former government minister, who had thought he was doing okay in Dublin Rathdown, a new constituency where Fine Gael hoped to get two of three seats. As the campaign entered its third week, he knew it would take a "miracle" to win two but he thought his own was secure.

But panic was setting in. On the Monday before polling, Shatter got a text message from Brian Hayes. The director of elections wanted to meet him to talk about the campaign.

"We were told that headquarters had had some poll conducted and the poll showed myself and [Shane] Ross were neck and neck - he was on 25 per cent and I was on 24 per cent or something."

Hayes said the party was going to do a leaflet drop in one part of the constituency asking voters to give their number one preference to Josepha Madigan and number two to Shatter.

But on the eve of polling on Thursday night, Shatter's team organised a counter offensive, dropping letters pleading for a number one for Shatter that reached around 200 houses.

It was too late.

Alan Shatter ended up trailing in 1,000 votes behind Josepha Madigan.

He blamed the loss of his seat on bad vote management but he also blamed strategists for the "calamitous" messaging that cost them the campaign.

"I think those engaged in orchestrating the campaign were somewhat delusional, that for some reason they were in the Tory party game play of the last election in the UK and that in the last minute there would be a surge of support for Fine Gael," he said.

Also sensing the public's ambivalence to the "Keep the Recovery Going" message, Varadkar changed all his leaflets in the last two weeks of the campaign to read "Bring the Recovery Home".

"It just wasn't hitting home," a source said.

But strategists still hoped for a bounce. Friday night in Dublin, polling closed and Fine Gael strategists, party workers and supporters, gathered around pubs and hostelries to toast the end to the short but difficult election.

Hopes the same last minute surge of support that secured the Tory victory in the UK the previous year would see them through were out of touch.

At 10.48pm, coming up to closing time, the Irish Times posted the results of its exit poll on its website.

It put the party at just over 26 per cent - that translated into a massive loss of seats. The party was well and truly over.

The next day was even worse than they imagined - the party lost 26 seats.

"A lot of people want to dump everything on Kennelly, Mortell and McDowell but I don't think that's fair," a Cabinet minister said. "In effect, they were our employees so we all need to take responsibility."

On Wednesday, Kenny came face-to-face with his depleted parliamentary party. Over six hours, he heard horror stories from the campaign and listened as his TDs paid tribute to fallen comrades.

Galway West TD Sean Kyne told Kenny he hasn't been able to sleep since the election, others agreed.

Still Taoiseach, Kenny is intent on limping into the next government. But after the carnage of GE16 it remains to be seen how long his wounded soldiers will stand by him.
'This election is simply the continuation of a consistent trend in Irish politics going back decades - that is, the steady fall in the total votes going to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael combined' Stock photo: Depositphotos

The make-up of the 32nd Dail presents a rare opportunity to break the deadlock on some very important issues, like healthcare and political reform.

From one perspective, we've just had a momentous election. For the first time ever, the two big establishment parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, have received less than half the national vote. On top of this, they got about the same vote each. The result is a temporary stalemate, with neither able to form a Dail majority with the help of a smaller party.

But from a different perspective, this election is simply the continuation of a consistent trend in Irish politics going back decades - that is, the steady fall in the total votes going to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael combined. There are cultural differences between them, of course, but their policy positions are so similar that in any other country they'd be the one party.

Data from How Ireland Voted, presented in Glenties by Dr. Theresa Reidy, shows that the combined vote of these two parties has been falling for decades. In the early '80s their combined vote was about 85pc of total votes cast. By the late '80s, this had fallen to less than 75pc. It then dropped again, and hovered around 65pc for the '90's and early Noughties, before dropping further to 55pc in 2011. Just nine days ago it fell again, this time to less than 50pc.

Instead of two similar parties swapping power every few years, we're seeing the emergence, broadly, of three political groupings, on the centre-right, the centre-left and the left. This is commonplace in many other European countries, and should provide the Irish electorate with some real political choice in the coming years. For right now though, it's the two parties on the centre-right that have the numbers to form a majority government.

If they succeed in this, it's likely to take some time. And if they fail, then one of them is going to have to lead a minority government. Either way, for a short period of time, it's in everyone's interests to strengthen parliament, and to explore the potential for cross-party support for pressing issues like healthcare.

Let's start with political reform. Yes, it's deeply boring, but figuring out how to get more out of our political system and parliament could have lots of very positive, and altogether less boring, benefits. These include accountability for wrong-doing or incompetence, allocation of public resources based on where they're needed (rather than on where the minister lives), better support for businesses and modernisation of key public services like healthcare and policing.

The objective should be to transform our national parliament from a rubber-stamping assembly into a high-performing legislative body. This means giving individual Dail deputies and Senators more input to policy-making and the crafting of legislation.

A parliamentary budgetary office would help a lot. This could provide financial advice on things like the amount of public funds available each year, the potential to reduce costs and the new funds required for proposed initiatives. Implementing equality budgeting and equality- proofing legislation would enhance parliament's ability to scrutinise draft legislation and proposed spending.

Committees should be empowered and resourced to initiate legislation. Oireachtas committees are where cross-party cooperation tends to happen, and tooling them up to draft their own legislation could be very powerful. At the same time, the Oireachtas, rather than Cabinet, could be given much greater say in the agendas for each House - committees will only put in the long hours on policy and legislation if they know their proposals can actually make it onto the floors of the Dail and Seanad for serious debate.

To further aid committees, they need greater engagement with the civil service. Updating the Official Secrets Act and the Ministers and Secretaries Act would give civil servants much freedom to share their views with committees.

With a stronger parliament, it should be possible to start tackling the real issues, like healthcare. We have some of the best-trained clinicians on earth, working in one of the most expensive healthcare systems on earth, and yet we're ranked close to the bottom of the European league table. There are lots of localised and operational reasons for this. However, the current approach is to pour more money into, and tack new units onto, a broken system.

We don't have an agreed vision for healthcare. Do we want a single-tier system? What's the right number and type of hospitals, and where should they be? What's the minimum level of service required in each care pathway? What should be done in the community versus in acute settings? What on-going teaching should clinicians get? How should it all be paid for?

There are no agreed answers to these questions, and we can only work on transforming our healthcare system when we figure out what it is we actually want.

If we can make the leap required to give parliament a meaningful role, then we can start to tackle these issues. For example, why not create an Oireachtas committee tasked with finding as much agreement as possible on a vision for healthcare? It's been done on a smaller level, with 'A Vision for Change' receiving all-party support on a strategy for mental health.

It would need much expert input, and any successful healthcare strategy needs to be led by clinicians. But it's not rocket science- other countries with greater challenges have figured out how to run really good healthcare systems, so there's no reason why we can't, too.

The same applies to any number of other areas - policing, housing, infrastructure, climate. The problem has been that committees have had neither the resources to do the job properly, nor the influence to get their recommendations implemented. And with neither the tools required, nor the ability to affect change, there's very little incentive for committee members to put in the hard work.

The Oireachtas Finance Committee, for example, produced a report on what needed to be done to tackle the mortgage crisis. But it took months to hire just one economist, and the report, which was signed-up to by 27 of the committee's 28 members, wasn't acted on by Cabinet.

Largely, it comes down to culture of mistrust. In the same way that we need to start trusting our public servants to do the jobs they know how to do, we also need to start trusting our elected representatives. You have to be a pretty motivated person to get yourself into the Oireachtas. And highly motivated people tend to respond positively to greater responsibility.

Before the next government is formed we have a small window of opportunity to reset the rules of parliament - to take this leap of faith in our representatives, and in the people who elected them.

We should seize this opportunity, and convene an all-party team to see what might be achieved.

Stephen Donnelly is joint leader of the Social Democrats and a TD for Wicklow and East Carlow
Enda Kenny has assured Fine Gael colleagues that he will resign as leader of the party if he is not elected as Taoiseach Photo: Tom Burke

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is greeted by well-wishers as he arrives at the Royal Theatre in Castlebar, Co Mayo. Photo: PA

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny is making an extraordinary behind-the-scenes attempt to form a government of 80 seats, in which Independents and TDs from smaller parties would comprise over half the Cabinet, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

It has also been learned that Mr Kenny has assured Fine Gael ministers that he will resign as leader of the party if he is not elected as Taoiseach.

Last night it emerged that the Labour Party may not support Mr Kenny's nomination for Taoiseach this Thursday.

Mr Kenny's resignation concession, at his first meeting with Fine Gael senior minsters after the party's disastrous election, was aimed at buying time to allow him to form a government and save his political career.

Surrounded by all eight current Fine Gael Cabinet ministers in Government Buildings on Wednesday afternoon, the Taoiseach asked for support ahead of government negotiations and pledged not to contest the next Fine Gael leadership contest if he did not succeed in returning as leader of the country.

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Mr Kenny then dispatched Senator Paddy Burke, the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, to contact two different groups of Independent TDs, during which an offer of Cabinet seats was made.

Mr Burke, who, like Mr Kenny, is from Mayo, contacted two members of a new group of Independents comprising 10 TDs by telephone and offered two Cabinet seats, three Minister of State appointments and the chairmanship of a number of Oireachtas committees.

This group is made up of Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway), Noel Grealish (Galway West), Mattie McGrath (Tipperary), Michael Collins (Cork South-West), Thomas Pringle (Donegal), Dr Michael Harty (Clare) Michael and Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry) and another TD whose identity could not be confirmed.

However, neither of the Healy-Raes attended a subsequent meeting of this group of Independents last week.

"Kenny is desperate, absolutely desperate," said a source who attended the meeting.

Separately, Mr Burke also made contact with the Independent Alliance of six TDs, during which an offer of Cabinet seats was said to have been "implied".

A source said: "There was no doubt, Cabinet seats - that's what was on offer."

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This source said the Independent Alliance would also have to expect two Cabinet seats. The alliance consists of Shane Ross (Dublin-Rathdown), Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway), Sean Canney (Galway East), John Halligan (Waterford) and Kevin 'Boxer' Moran (Longford-Westmeath).

While Mr Burke made contact with Independents behind the scenes, Mr Kenny held meetings with TDs at Government Buildings.

In relation to such a meeting with Mr Kenny last week, Shane Ross writes in today's Sunday Independent: "Sometime in the middle of the exchanges, an awful truth dawned. We were possibly in dialogue with a political corpse."

The Sunday Independent understands that neither group of Independents warmed to Mr Kenny's various overtures last week. The two groups emphasised the demand for parliamentary reform as a priority. Sources in both Independent camps say they believe the electorate voted to remove Mr Kenny from office and they are reluctant, at this stage, to support his bid to return to power.

Mr Kenny is expected to meet this week with representatives of the Social Democrats and the Greens, who would also expect Cabinet positions.

Mr Burke is understood to have told Independent TDs that Mr Kenny is hoping to put together a government of 80 seats, including the Labour Party, who would also expect two Cabinet seats.

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Therefore, Mr Kenny's proposed Cabinet may consist of himself as Taoiseach; Fine Gael (six seats); Labour (two seats); Independents (two seats); Independent Alliance (two seats); Social Democrats (one seat); Greens (one seat).

Labour is expected to vote for Mr Kenny as Taoiseach on Thursday, although yesterday there was a growing suggestion that the party may abstain, raising the prospect that the Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, may close the gap on Mr Kenny.

So far, Labour figures have publicly indicated that should Mr Kenny be unsuccessful this Thursday, the party would not feel obliged to support him in subsequent votes. Labour believes its immediate future is in Opposition.

As part of Mr Kenny's behind-the-scenes plan, the outside support of two further Independent TDs - said to be Katherine Zappone and Tommy Broughan - would also be required to secure 80 seats.

Independent TDs also believe Mr Kenny intends to rely on former Fine Gael TD Michael Lowry not to vote against such a government. There is also, apparently, an intention that Fine Gael would support the Fianna Fail nomination for the position of Ceann Comhairle next Thursday, reducing that party's number of TDs in the Dail.

After his meeting with current Fine Gael ministers last week, Mr Kenny was given space to try to put together a government.

"He said if he is not Taoiseach, he's not going to go around the country to branch meetings and parish halls trying to rebuild the party and all the other things you have to do as an Opposition leader," a minister who attended the meeting said.

Other ministers also confirmed that Mr Kenny set out his intention to resign as leader if Fine Gael ends up on the Opposition benches.

Yesterday the former Fine Gael strategist Frank Flannery said he believed that Mr Kenny would not lead the next government.

He said: "What he will do is he will lead the country through the next phase, the Easter celebrations and all that. He will put his very considerable skills available to the process of building a consensus for a new government. He will then quietly return to the back-benches for the remainder of his time, facilitate Fine Gael to start picking a new leader and that will be it for him. The man has the dignity, the wisdom and the foresight to see the inevitability of that."

Mr Flannery said Fianna Fail and Fine Gael had an "absolute national duty" to form a strong government.

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The Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness has also urged Mr Martin to put aside "historical divisions" and open talks with Mr Kenny, as did Sligo-Leitrim TD, Marc MacSharry.

However, Fianna Fail sources say Mr Martin will this week step up his contacts with Independents and smaller parties, during which he will emphasise parliamentary reform, in a bid to maximise his support for election as Taoiseach this Thursday.

The prospect of a Fine Gael-led minority government remains the most likely this weekend, however there is also growing support among Independent TDs, in particular, for Mr Martin and a Fianna Fail-led minority government.

Health minister Leo Varadkar, Justice minister Frances Fitzgerald or Agriculture minister Simon Coveney, are widely seen as potential successors to Mr Kenny. Transport minister Paschal Donohoe's standing has also increased significantly after his victory in the Dublin Central.
'The failure to prosecute in so many gang murders is becoming a major cause of concern among gardai who fear that the current feud between northside and southside gangs in Dublin could lead to what some term a 'bloodbath' incident' Photo: PA

The four north Dublin Garda districts which are at the centre of last week's murder investigation of dissident republican Vinnie Ryan and the Regency Hotel attack have been the scene of more than 40 unsolved gang murders over the past decade.

In the last 10 years there have been around 200 gun and knife murders related to gangs in Dublin. Around 160 gang murders involving firearms remain unsolved, with no charges or court proceedings. There have been charges brought in only 23 gun murder cases over this period.

This contrasts sharply with the massive level of Garda prosecutions resulting in fines imposed on Irish drivers over the same period. Available statistics suggest there have been something like six million traffic prosecutions by Traffic Corps gardai in this period since the garda began its aggressive prosecution of driving offences.

The failure to prosecute in so many gang murders is becoming a major cause of concern among gardai who fear that the current feud between northside and southside gangs in Dublin could lead to what some term a 'bloodbath' incident. Gardai in the south of the city are on high alert this weekend, fearing retribution for either the Regency Hotel attack last month in which David Byrne was killed or for last week's murder of Real IRA man Ryan.

The southside gang in which David Byrne (32) was a leading member controls much of the city's cocaine and heroin supply. The northside gang responsible for the Regency attack is heavily involved in the supply of cannabis and the massive market for opioid tablets.

The Regency and Vinnie Ryan murders has highlighted the continuing level of unsolved murders on the northside of the city.

The Ballymun district, in which the Ryan and Byrne murders occurred, has six unsolved gang killings. The Coolock and Finglas districts each have 17 unsolved gun murders and the Cabra district has a further five murders unsolved.

It has also emerged that the Garda central detective unit, which formerly had responsibility for investigating major crimes, including gang murders, is devoting 50pc of its resources to 'internal' investigations.

A 2014 report by the independent Garda Inspectorate also found that the National Bureau of Crime Investigation (NBCI) is not significantly involved in investigating any gang murders. The report, Crime Investigation, also found that the detective ranks have been severely depleted in the past decade, with up to 700 gardai with no proper training involved in investigating major crimes such as murder and rape.

The Inspectorate was critical of the strict adherence to rostering under which detectives involved in murder cases are taken off investigations as soon as their leave days occur. They cited one case in which the initial team of investigators were taken off a case just a day after it started to begin their four-day leave period. The case was transferred to other detectives who worked on it for their rostered five days' duty before passing it on to yet another team of gardai.

Gardai say that much of the responsibility for murder investigations is being passed to gardai appointed as 'crime scene examiners' who, the Inspectorate found, receive relatively little training in investigating serious crime. The Inspectorate also found major deficiencies in the preparation of court cases which is resulting in significant numbers of cases being struck out.

Garda sources say the depletion of the detective ranks and the introduction of new regulations in 2006 preventing detectives from handling their own intelligence sources has resulted in the breakdown in prosecutions for gang murders.

The breakdown in major crime investigation contrasts starkly with the massive prosecution of motorists for minor offences, which accounts for 62pc of cases before district courts, according to the Irish Courts Service.

Figures on the Garda website for traffic offences show that 177,744 people were prosecuted for speeding for the 11 months to the end of November last year. A further 25,195 were prosecuted for using mobile phones while driving during the same period and 9,586 were prosecuted for not wearing seatbelts. These figures are in line with 2014 when 223,191 were prosecuted for speeding, 30,524 for using mobile phones and 11,513 for not wearing seat belts.

The traffic prosecution statistics on the Garda website for the past three years do not contain figures for the 'other' category of prosecutions of people for other minor offences, such as driving in bus lanes, overtaking on the left and parking on yellow lines. The last published year with these statistics was in 2012 when the website recorded that 404,638 people were prosecuted for offences other than speeding, no seat belt on or talking on mobile phones. In 2011, the total for 'other' offences was 459,908.

This would suggest that around 600,000 people are prosecuted by gardai each year for traffic offences.

With fines of at least 80 per offence, this would suggest the Traffic Corps is raking in around 50m a year for the State from motorists who are already paying an estimated 5bn in driving related taxes - with the prospect of insurance costs doubling this year.
And still they come: Refugees continue to pour onto Greek islands Photo: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Greece has delivered a stark warning on the eve of an emergency summit over the migration crisis, declaring that it cannot stop tens of thousands of people from crossing its northern border and travelling onwards in Europe.

Nikolaos Toskas, the Greek minister for public order, said Europe was deluding itself by believing that refugees could be bottled up in his country.

The European Union will convene an emergency summit with Turkey tomorrow, with signs that a deal is close.

Under this proposed agreement, Turkey would agree to take back all economic migrants - this is generally defined as all non-Syrians - presently in Greece in return for the EU accepting refugees directly from its camps.

The aim is to stem the flow across the Aegean, where about 1,000 people are landing every day on the Greek island of Lesbos alone. More than 125,000 migrants have arrived in Greece so far this year, 12 times more than at this point in 2015.

A new build-up of refugees is taking place on Greece's frontier with Macedonia, where 30,000 people are waiting to cross.

Mr Toskas gave warning that the Greek authorities may find it impossible to hold back the migrants, unless other European countries take their fair share.

"They will find ways to go. Maybe with reduced numbers, but they will go wherever they want. So the only way is to co-operate in a comprehensive way," he said.

"We don't want to allow them," Mr Toskas said. "But the borders are very long and we are trying. We are keeping almost the entire police force and army controlling these borders, but it is very difficult to control sea borders and mountainous terrain."

Mr Toskas was appointed this week to Greece's eight-member crisis cabinet for refugees. His government has warned the mayors of Greek cities to expect 100,000 new arrivals by April.

He said that Greece "cannot be the 'black hole' of Europe" and that the EU's offer of 300m in aid, while welcome, should not be mistaken for a solution to the crisis.

Instead, Greece favours an agreement whereby Turkey would take back all economic migrants, defined as those who are not Syrian.

The rest would be shared equitably between EU members.

Mr Toskas argued that this was the only practical solution, not least because only 2pc or 3pc of the arrivals actually want to claim asylum in Greece.

"Is it possible to keep all these people who want to go elsewhere in detention camps forever?" Mr Toskas asked.

"Are we to keep them there by force? It's impossible, it cannot be done.

"So we are proposing that these people go in a proportionate manner to other EU countries, and to return the economic migrants to their countries of origin or to Turkey. Of course, we can keep a small number, but it cannot be significant."

However, diplomats and independent commentators remain sceptical about whether the deal with Turkey, which is likely to be trumpeted as a breakthrough, will make a real difference.

An EU diplomatic source confirmed that Turkey had indicated a willingness in principle to take back non-Syrian migrants, but said it was "much less clear" which EU members would accept refugees directly from Turkey.

Mr Toskas did not dismiss Turkey's offers of co-operation, but said that Greece would be looking for concrete results from the summit tomorrow.

"We know that whatever is agreed has to be proved," he said.

"The whole of Europe has to deal with the problem, because the problem affects the whole of Europe. It is not a matter of sentiment.

"If it's a disaster for Greece, it's a disaster for all."

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Allegations were made about the conduct of nine criminal investigations in Cavan and Monaghan

The O'Higgins inquiry into alleged Garda malpractice has circulated a draft report to witnesses in advance of reporting to the Government next month.

The commission of inquiry, under retired judge Kevin O'Higgins, examined allegations made by the Garda whistleblower, Sergeant Maurice McCabe, about the conduct of nine criminal investigations in Cavan and Monaghan.

Some 97 witnesses, including gardai and officials in the Department of Justice, were interviewed in private hearings over 33 days. Several senior Garda officers were among those who gave evidence.

The Sunday Independent understands that a draft report has been circulated to witnesses in recent weeks.

They are being invited to return their written submissions to the Commission before the retired judge completes his final report.

The O'Higgins commission will report on the specific criminal investigations in Cavan and Monaghan that were raised by Sergeant McCabe and will also make findings on how the Garda's complaints were investigated by the then Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, and senior Garda management.

The criminal cases that came under scrutiny included the Garda investigation into Jerry McGrath, who murdered Sylvia Roche Kelly while he was on bail for other crimes.

Before the murder, he was on bail for assaulting a taxi driver. While on bail for that crime, he attempted to abduct a child.

McGrath was released on bail again and went on to murder Ms Roche Kelly.

Other cases include how gardai investigated a possible sexual assault on a bus, an assault at a hotel and cases of assault and false imprisonment.

The commission was set up on the recommendation of a barrister, Sean Guerin, who reviewed Sgt McCabe's claims and said a commission of investigation was in the public interest.

Mr O'Higgins is due to report on April 29.
A memorial plaque to victims of the Magdalene Laundries in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.

To mark Mothers Day members of the public are being asked to place flowers on the graves of Magdalene women.

A number of events are taking place today to honour the thousands of women who died in Magdalene Laundries, and Justice for Magdalenes Research (JFMR) is calling on the public to visit these graves and lay a flower for those who lived and died behind convent walls.

The Magdalene laundries, also known as Magdalene asylums, were institutions, generally run by the Catholic Church, that ostensibly housed "fallen women".

Continuing to operate well into the late 20th century, an estimated 30,000 women are believed to have been confined in these institutions.

At least 1,663 former Magdalene women are buried in cemeteries across Ireland, many interred in unmarked graves.

Among the events this Mothers Day include Glasnevin Cemetery in North Dublin and St Josephs graveyard, Tory Top Road in Cork, which both begin at 11:30am.

From 2pm, groups will gather to pay their respects at St Stephens cemetery in New Ross and Ballygunner cemetery in Waterford.

While at 3pm there will be a remembrance service for members of the public in Bohermore cemetery in Galway and Mount St Lawrence cemetery in Limerick.

New Ross organiser Nancy Rochford-Flynn said: Last year's event attracted a crowd and afforded the community of New Ross the opportunity to come together peacefully and respectfully to commemorate these women through poetry, song, reflection and the laying of flowers.

The former Good Shepherd's Magdalene Laundry was situated at the Mercy Convent in New Ross, and was one of ten laundries in Ireland. It closed its doors in 1967.

St. Aidan's Industrial School was demolished in December 2015. The Magdalene grave at St. Stephen's cemetery remains the only focal point for survivors and family members, Ms Rochford-Flynn added.

Three years ago, Taoiseach Enda Kenny issued a formal state apology to women who had been sent to the Magdalenes laundries, describing the institutions as the nations shame.

I, as Taoiseach, on behalf of the State, the Government and our citizens deeply regret and apologise unreservedly to all those women for the hurt that was done to them, and for any stigma they suffered, as a result of the time they spent in a Magdalene laundry.

Many Irish state institutions, as well as other prominent well-known Irish businesses, made use of the Magdalene laundries, where many of those confined did not receive payment for their work.
People power: Dallaire Daly from Ballyshannon Co Donegal pictured at the latest Right2Water protest on College Green, Dublin, last month Photo: Frank Mc Grath

The taxpayer could be lumped with millions of euro in European Union anti-pollution fines if the next government abolishes Irish Water.

The European Commission has already initiated legal proceedings against the Government over more than 80 areas across the country where wastewater treatment is not meeting strict EU standards.

There are also huge concerns in the European Commission over worrying levels of toxins in inadequately treated drinking water.

Irish Water was given responsibility to upgrade water infrastructure and implement anti-pollution measures when the state agency was established.

However, the fate of the embattled state agency now hangs in the balance as talks begin between political parties over forming the next government.

Fianna Fail has suggested that abolishing water charges would be a key element of any discussions with other parties.

Fine Gael is anxious to retain the utility company but is open to discussions on the future of Irish Water.

However, if Irish Water is abolished, the State faces huge financial penalties and daily fine of around 35,000 from the European Commission for failing to stop pollution.

In 2000, Fianna Fail avoided complying with EU rules on water charges as water rates were not "established practice" in Ireland at the time.

But in 2009, the then Fianna Fail and Green Party pledged to introduce water charges to fund measures to tackle water pollution.

This month, the Government will have to set out to the European Commission how it complied with EU rules on waste water.

A Labour spokesman said that Fianna Fail's plan to abolish water charges was "the equivalent of Jack Lynch's abolition of local authority rates in 1977".

"We will end up paying more in the long run by not investing now to prevent future failures," he added.

"They would also be giving two fingers to 77pc of households that pay for their water in one form or another, whether through Irish Water or other means (group water schemes). These are honest, law-abiding citizens who vote Fianna Fail - now they want to take them for fools.

"They avoided the clear breach of EU law that suspending the charges would do. They haven't budgeted for any fines," he added.

Last week, the commission said it could not comment on "hypothetical questions" on scrapping Irish Water.

But it is understood abolishing the state agency could result in it fast-tracking legal action against the State.

This is because if member states are seen to be addressing an issue, such as establishing a dedicated water utility to tackle long-standing problems in the network, the commission would "work with it", sources said.

However, if Irish Water was scrapped, Europe could take the view that Ireland is not serious about complying with the legislation and seek a full hearing before the European Court of Justice.

The most pressing concern is to upgrade the treatment of sewage to avoid breaching the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.

The Department of the Environment said it was preparing a response to the infringement proceedings, but could not say definitively what costs might arise.

"It is not possible at this stage to estimate the level of any potential penalties in these two cases, in general fines levied upon member states for non-compliance can be significant," a spokesman said.

"For example, in November 2015, the commission asked the court to impose a lump-sum fine of 15.9m on Greece, together with daily fines of 35,000, for persistent poor wastewater treatment.

"Such daily fines would continue to accumulate until the court deems that full compliance has been achieved."

The full list of areas where there is insufficient wastewater treatment, which is published today for the first time, includes Kinsale in Cork, considered the food capital of Ireland.

Popular tourist towns Westport and Clifden, as well as Cork and Waterford cities, are also included.

Ireland was first notified of the problem in October 2013, but the commission has ramped up pressure to complete the works.

The commission issued a letter of formal notice last September, meaning the Government is under pressure to demonstrate how it plans to tackle the issue.
As he beams happily in the arms of his adoring parents, beautiful nine-month-old baby Phoenix Wickremasinghe has no idea yet of the strength his mothers, Anne Marie Toole and Dil Wickremasinghe, have demonstrated.

Not for long though, as he will soon learn how their courage and willingness to publicly stand up and be counted gave hope to other same-sex couples who longed to be married and become parents. When Dil became pregnant, she and Anne Marie were subjected to vitriolic criticism and hostility from opponents of same-sex marriage and parenthood, but they dealt with it with dignity and fortitude. Many people credit their honesty and openness with helping to positively change attitudes and bring about change.

The gorgeously warm mental-health advocates have also overcome sexual abuse and depression, in Dil's case, and an eating disorder and anxiety in Anne Marie's, and went on to set up Insight Matters, which provides affordable psychotherapy, counselling and personal development guidance. Dil (42), who was born in Rome to Sri Lankan parents, is a TV3 Midday panellist and presenter of Global Village on Newstalk, which highlights social justice and mental- health issues.

Anne Marie (35) is from Meath, and she and Dil met at a mental health conference in 2010. As Dil is seven years older, they decided she would be the one to bear their first baby. "I saw the last bus coming, so I said to Anne Marie, 'We have to leg it,'" laughs Dil.

The women have been very open about conceiving their baby through IVF, using donor sperm at Clane Fertility Clinic. They chose a 'known' donor from Denmark, and will be able to use the same biological father for any future babies. Their children can contact him at 18 if they choose, and will do so with their mothers' full support. "I can see us in a cafe across the road sussing out this man coming to meet our kids one day," says Dil. "We'll appear nonchalant, but we'll probably be worried."

While the original plan was that Anne Marie will try to conceive the next child, Dil is feeling broody again, so who knows? They have even discussed becoming pregnant at the same time, but have to take into account that there are twins in Anne Marie's family, and the chance of having multiple births through IVF is also high. "We're like a Celtic Tiger home," says Dil. "We have two ovens, so we might as well use them both. We're exploring all options, but I'm leaning towards the idea that it's Anne Marie's turn to shine. I'll be delighted to be able to support her through pregnancy, as she did with me."

Phoenix is all the more precious because when Dil was 18 weeks pregnant, she started bleeding and it was feared she was having a miscarriage. While he was thankfully fine, sadly it was discovered that an empty sac was also present and a second baby or "silent twin" had been lost.

Dil and Anne Marie chose to have the baby at home via a private service called Neighbourhood Midwives, and were delighted with the service. They practised "gentle birth" training, which teaches you not to see the pain associated with labour as a threat, and as a result, Dil enjoyed her 24 hours in labour, where she watched a Madonna concert, ate curry and danced, before having a water birth.

"I guided the whole thing, and you'd swear I had given birth before because I was so confident and knew what to do," says Dil. "Anne Marie was amazing and was constantly with me, holding my hand and being so comforting. It was an absolute celebration and I tell women all the time that labour doesn't have to be this traumatic thing.

"It can be a positive, empowering and liberating experience, like it was for me. Phoenix was so calm and alert right from the start, and I call him my little Buddha boy."

They didn't know the sex in advance, and Dil and Anne Marie were delighted to have a gorgeous, healthy little boy. "It took a while to get used to there being a willy in the house," laughs Dil, who vehemently opposes gender stereotyping and has never fit the stereotype of what a woman should be anyway. "I was asking my friends, 'How do you wash it?'"

It may surprise some people to learn that both Dil and Anne Marie were hoping to breastfeed Phoenix, but it's actually perfectly possible for a woman to produce milk if she hasn't been pregnant, through the process of induced lactation. This involves using a breast pump before the baby arrives to stimulate milk production, but it's a process that takes time.

"It would have taken a good three months of pumping and expressing to get Anne Marie's mammary glands going, and although she tried, unfortunately time got the better of us," says Dil. "When Phoenix was born, Anne Marie cut the cord and the midwives put him on her chest while I was in the pool waiting to give birth to the placenta. He actually latched on to her first, so he knew she was his mother from the get go."

Anne Marie says that the reality of being a parent hit her after she walked the midwife to the door a few hours after the night birth. When she returned, an exhausted Dil and baby Phoenix were both sound asleep. "It was very surreal and a moment I will never forget, because I realised that it wasn't just the two of us any more," she says. "I couldn't sleep, and kept walking over to make sure Phoenix was still breathing, but it was wonderful."

For any set of new parents, it's common and completely normal for the partner who hasn't given birth to feel they're in a different place to the one who carried the baby. Initially, Anne Marie found it strange going back to work after three weeks, and then coming home and trying to understand what she had missed during the day.

"Someone said to me that Dil is the primary mother and I'm the secondary one, and that didn't sit well with me," she says. "I needed to understand that she is the primary caregiver to Phoenix and I'm the primary provider.

"There is a thing with roles initially where you can feel sensitive and think the other person has a much stronger connection with the baby, but Phoenix and I have a really strong bond. It was different to Dil's and it took time to understand that. He is beautiful, strong and gentle little soul, and is such a happy and content baby," she says.

"Phoenix has bonded with both of us equally," adds Dil. "Everyone says it must be easier with two women, but that is absolute horseshit. Men can be fantastic carers too, but society has created a notion that a man is less of a man if he is hands-on."

Little Phoenix was born on May 17, and he came a week early. His mums reckon he didn't want to miss out on being part of history, as his first family outing took place five days later, when they went to cast their votes in the marriage equality referendum.

"It was so emotional," says Dil. "As we put the ballot papers in, I kissed mine and Anne Marie kissed hers, as our hopes and dreams rested on those sheets of paper. Thank God it all went so beautifully. That Saturday, I went on my radio show as a guest to talk about the baby, and I proposed to Anne Marie live on air. She had no idea I was going to do it, but she said yes."

Anne Marie may have been surprised, but the guests who arrived for Phoenix's naming ceremony and blessing in December got an even bigger shock. After the blessing, the proud parents invited them back to their lovely Georgian home overlooking Mountjoy Park, above their practice, where they had secretly arranged caterers, a string quartet - and a wedding ceremony! Dil's pal and Best Man, comedian Steve Cummins, did a set to entertain the unsuspecting guests, while the women took Anne Marie's thrilled parents aside and told them they were getting married in ten minutes.

"Steve made the announcement that we were inviting our guests upstairs to our wedding, and we heard the gasps," Dil recalls. " They came up to the Discovery Gospel Choir singing, and it was amazing to have the people closest to us there celebrating both Phoenix and the love we share for each other." With two amazing mums already, baby Phoenix won't be short of wonderful, strong male role models either, including Anne Marie's dad and brothers. Dil is delighted that her own father recently came over from Sri Lanka to stay with them for a month, and developed a great relationship with the baby. This was particularly significant as there have been well-documented difficulties between Dil and her conservative family and they were estranged for several years.

The healing is a work-in-progress, she says, but the process will be continued when she and Anne Marie go to Sri Lanka in June with Phoenix to visit the rest of the family.

Meanwhile, the women are thrilled with their delightful baby son, and the fact that they have been able to get married and gain the security that this affords legally is the icing on the cake.

"It didn't take marriage to strengthen our relationship, but it has linked us core to core," smiles Anne Marie. "We are still the same people. but we're married now with a baby son and it's amazing."

www.insightmatters.ie

Global Village, Newstalk, Saturday 7-8pm
A WOMAN has been killed, and a male passenger and two children have been injured, after a car crash at a service station.

Gardai are investigating the single vehicle crash that occurred at the Applegreen service station, Coolanoran, Rathkeale, Limerick at approximately 11.30pm last night

It is understood that the car struck a road sign at the service station.

The driver of the car, a woman in her late 30s, was fatally injured. Her body has been removed to University Hospital Limerick where a post mortem examination will take place.

The male passenger (mid 40s) and two children in the back seat were all taken to University Hospital Limerick with non life threatening injuries.

The road at the scene remains open and there is a stop go system in place. Garda forensic collision investigators are currently at scene and the road is expected to fully re-open this afternoon.

Gardai wish to appeal for witnesses to this collision to contact Newcastle West Garda Station on 069- 20650, The Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
Northern Ireland's foodie reputation is growing, says Aoife McElwain, and Belfast is its beating heart.

Have you ever gotten your first impression of a city from a rooftop hot tub? I certainly hadn't. At least, not until I arrived in Belfast.

Now here I am, sitting in a hot tub atop of the beautiful art deco wing of The Merchant Hotel in the city's Cathedral Quarter, taking in the view of the Albert Memorial Clock and the slope of Black Mountain to the west of the city.

You know no big deal.

The Merchant is housed in the historic former Ulster Bank HQ, and it's my base for a foodie-themed break in the city. Northern Ireland's Year of Food & Drink is underway, and following my rooftop soak, I kick things off with a meander down the cobbled lanes of Hill Street to Established Coffee (established.coffee).

Opened over two years ago by Bridgeen Barbour and Mark Ashbridge (pictured below), this coffee shop is locally acknowledged as a game-changer in terms of the quality of coffee and food it dishes up.

Expand Close Mark Ashbridge, Established Coffee, Belfast. Photo: Pol O Conghaile / Facebook

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Working directly with coffee roasters like Dublin's 3FE and London's Workshop, it serves up sticky cinnamon buns alongside waffles for breakfast, a creative selection of daily specials such as Veggie Tacos (5.50/7), and sandwiches made in-house on spongy sourdough supplied by local artisan bakery Zac's Bakehouse (zacsbakehouse.com).

A decade ago, I wonder whether you could have found a business like this in Belfast. But today, Established Coffee is among a new wave of food and drink ventures in a city growing in culinary confidence - similar to Dublin over the last decade.

Internationally, Belfast has been put back on the map by Stephen Toman and Alain Kerloc'h's OX (oxbelfast.com) and Michael Deane's EIPIC (michaeldeane.ie/eipic), both of which were awarded Michelin stars last year (Northern Ireland had lost its sole star in 2011). Alain Kerloc'h of OX recognises the changes in a blossoming food scene.

"It has grown in confidence. We are now proud of showcasing our produce and the customers are becoming more adventurous," he tells me.

The recognition of EIPIC and OX has been a well-timed boost to the culinary confidence of the local scene, but Belfast's (and Northern Ireland's) progress is about far more than Michelin Stars.

The 10-minute bus ride to General Merchants (generalmerchants.co.uk), a neighbourhood cafe with an Antipodean influence on the Newtownards Road, is worth it for the all-day Melbourne Breakfast (7.50/9.60) alone - a plate of toasted sourdough (also from Zac's) smeared with Vegemite and topped with creamy avocado and two gloriously runny poached free-range eggs from Drayne's Farm in Lisburn (draynesfarm.co.uk).

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Right around the corner, just off Albertbridge Road, is the Punjana Tea Factory (punjana.com), a brand with a Belfast family behind it. I'm struck by the story of Thompson's Family Tea, who have rebranded relatively recently to introduce their family name, and it's hard not to suppose that the political landscape of Belfast played a part in that hesitation.

"I think it's fair to say the Troubles led to a stagnation in Northern Ireland's food and drink culture," Barbara Collins, food writer and former BBC journalist, explains. "Obviously, they had a big impact on where people ate out. Belfast suffered from what was called the 'doughnut' effect for decades. The city centre was deserted in the evenings because of bomb fears."

Belfast's story is about more than politics, of course. It also has a long history of creativity through its craft and linen heritage, an influence that I see reflected in the Yardsman Brewery (yardsmanlager.com), which uses the old technique of straining hops through unprocessed linen.

Broughgammon Farm (broughgammon.com), an hour's drive away in Co Antrim, marries the contemporary and traditional in its outstanding smoked goat bacon. That's right, I said goat bacon - and it is delicious. This dark, delectably smokey meat tastes somewhere between pork bacon and the deeper flavour of American-style beef bacon. You'll find Broughgammon Farm's van parked every Saturday in Dublin's Temple Bar Food Market, as well as every Sunday in St George's Food Market in Belfast.

Having tried and failed to get a table at OX at short notice, I feel like I've found the next best thing at The Muddler's Club (themuddlersclubbelfast.com).

Hidden down Warehouse Lane, this understated spot was recently opened by Chef Gareth McCaughey, formerly sous chef at OX. Among other dishes, I devour a plate of roast squash (10/12.80) surrounded by baby carrots, orange, kale and goat cheese, and a plate of lime-rubbed lamb slices (10/12.80) - both celebrations of local produce. Expect exquisite cooking at outstanding value, with a great front of house team.

So, what has changed to boost this growing Belfast scene?

Expand Close Danni Barry, EIPIC, Belfast. Photo: Pol O Conghaile / Facebook

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"I think it's the global attitude to Northern Ireland," says Becky Cole of Broughgammon Farm. "The increased limelight is slowly giving us the confidence to shout about it. We think Trish Deseine's book, Home, is wonderfully reflective of this. She embraces the purity of our food - something we have taken for granted - and makes us realise that we have something to offer the world."

Getting there

Belfast is a two-hour drive from Dublin, and roughly 4.5 hours from Cork. The Enterprise rail service connects Dublin to Belfast up to eight times daily, taking around two hours from Connolly Station. Check out irishrail.ie or translink.co.uk. Fares start from 14.99 each-way.

What to pack

The sterling exchange is tough on the euro, but most places accept payment by card and it's easy to find ATMs. I'd recommend bringing your sense of humour so you can keep up with the inimitable Northern Irish wit. Oh, and don't forget your swimsuit for some rooftop hot tub action!

Where to stay

On a budget, check out Vagabonds Hostel (vagabondsbelfast.com) near Queen's University, where beds start from around 16.50 per night. For a splash, try The Merchant Hotel (themerchanthotel.com), where Aoife stayed as a guest of Tourism Northern Ireland. Luxury rooms start from around 230 per night.

3 Must-Do's

1) Market fare

Head to St Georges Market for a wander around this historic Victorian hub. Pick up a fresh juice from the socially-driven Mango Street Juicery (mangostreet.co.uk), a bar of handmade chocolate from Ni Cho (nichocolate.com), or a bib with Belfast phrases (wee pet; bout ye!) from teeandtoast.com.

2) Worth a trip

Wine & Brine in Moira, Co. Armagh is a 35-minute drive from Belfast. Run by Chris and Davina MacGowan, the menu acts as a culinary tour of Northern Ireland, taking in products such as Leggygowan Farms goats milk and pheasant from Tryone's Baronscourt Estate. wineandbrine.co.uk.

3) Belfast food tour

Operating every Saturday, and some Fridays and Sundays, this four-hour walking tour led by local food enthusiast Caroline Wilson includes over 20 tastings of food and drink for 45/57pp. It's a whistelstop tour of Northern Ireland's finest produce. Book your place at belfastfoodtour.com.

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Eoghan Harris Opinion Misery media fails to give due credit to the Taoiseach

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The election result has led to overblown statements along the lines that 'all has changed, changed utterly', never to be the same again, and to further hand-wringing about the fractured nature of the electorate, when, to a large extent, neither claim has been shown to be particularly true.

If anything, the results show that Ireland actually voted in a traditional, if not quite a conservative, manner and that the electorate is not nearly as dispersed as those yearning for an end to the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael hegemony would have you believe.

What the result tells us more than anything is that the centre in politics has not only held but has comfortably held and that the breakthrough hoped for, indeed anticipated, by those who support Sinn Fein and the far Left failed to materialise in a meaningful way.

When the results are fully analysed, they will show that little more radical has taken place other than a return of voters from Fine Gael and Labour to Fianna Fail, and that those who did not fully make that return this time instead, in the main, supported what are called 'gene pool' Fianna Fail and Fine Gael Independent candidates.

So much for the revolution then, long touted on Twitter and in the comment sections of various media websites. The anticipated revolt did not really happen and if it has not happened after eight years of austerity, then it is unlikely to ever happen, much and all as the various chinstrokers out there would wish it to.

As somebody who, by and large, called this election correctly up to and during the campaign, here is another prediction: if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael play their cards right now, both parties will continue to assert themselves over the next two election cycles and will remain, for our lifetime, the dominant forces in politics. The Twitterati and various 'keyboard warriors' may rail against that, but as we have just discovered, mainstream Ireland pays little attention to them.

That is not to say the practice of politics as we know it will not change. It is bound to now, which is something overdue and to be welcomed. In that regard, the proposal by Micheal Martin last week to reform the way parliament works could ultimately prove to be a game-changer - that is, if the 'revolutionaries' are also prepared to step up to the plate.

The head count after this election, which I believe was the second of what will be four before the body politic settles, dictates that all of those parties, alliances and Independents now elected to the Dail must participate in such a reformed parliament or suffer the consequences over the next decade.

Those yearning for an end to the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael hegemony are most anxious that these parties coalesce in the belief that this will create space for the revolution that never was to take some form of root and flourish.

But it is not in the interests of either party to roll over for Sinn Fein and the far Left; nor would it be in the interests of the country, for that matter - that is, if the electorate wants the centre to continue to hold, which, as we have just witnessed, is the choice of a clear majority of voters.

What I expect to happen, and as I predicted last August will happen, is that Fianna Fail will eventually support a Fine Gael-led minority government, notwithstanding Fianna Fail's apparent reach for government this time.

Such an outcome, or vice versa, would be the best possible outcome for the majority of voters in the centre and for both of those parties, as it will allow them regroup and prepare for the third of those four elections some time next year.

In the meantime, Fianna Fail will continue to lead the Opposition, a position from which it can be seen to influence policy, and, crucially for that party, continue to squeeze Sinn Fein.

For Sinn Fein, the outcome of the election must be a huge disappointment. The party now finds itself trapped between the far Left, which will continue to eat into its flank, and a resurgent Fianna Fail, which looks set to continue to dominate the middle ground.

Sinn Fein failed to change leader, but even that may now be too late to recharge its tentative move forward. Twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement, the party has achieved 14pc support, significantly behind its anticipated breakthrough in this election, at the same level of support Martin McGuinness won in the presidential election in 2011.

A Sinn Fein leadership change will be of little benefit for the party unless a new leader can represent a demonstrable break from the Provisional IRA in west Belfast, but there seems little prospect of that. So what next for Mary Lou?

The far Left, meanwhile, also failed to make a relevant breakthrough, as acknowledged by Michael Taft, of the Unite union, in an honest analysis last week.

In effect, AAA-PBP and others on the far Left have no more than shored up a support base that was abandoned by Labour, not today or yesterday, but decades ago.

The challenge for the far Left now is merge into a more coherent force, although there are doubts that can be achieved. In the first instance, they need to decide whether the time has come to put down the loudhailer, embrace this proposed new parliament and seek to convince and legislate to make better the lives of those residents of Jobstown and elsewhere.

At the moment, there is a certain buzz about the Social Democrats, which two-thirds consists of advanced middle-aged former Labour Party politicians, and all three of whom would have been elected under the Teletubbies Party if they were of a mind to.

I expect the future of the Social Democrats may lie in a merger with or takeover of the Labour Party, a version of the SDLP if you like, which could make a determined strike for the middle ground that Sinn Fein is unable to reach.

The Independents seem to me to have reached the zenith of their advance in this election.

Undoubtedly, many voted for Independents because they could not vote for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael or Labour, but there was also an element of opportunism in the vote, particularly in provincial Ireland, which has been greatly neglected in recent years.

In a reformed parliament, as proposed, it is more likely than not that the influence on coalition government of so-called 'parish pump' Independents will decline.

Whether that turns out to be the case or not, the bottom line is that the lion's share of Independents are no firebrand radicals. The Healy Rae brothers, Mattie McGrath, Michael Lowry, Noel Grealish and Denis Naughten - these are all formidable politicians in their own right, but 'gene pool' TDs all the same, who will be joined in the Dail after this election by other former Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and even former Labour politicians.

In fairness to Shane Ross in particular, and the Independent Alliance in general, it was they who originally drafted the template under which Micheal Martin now hopes to operate (as leader of the Opposition, or Taoiseach) in a reformed Dail, reform that would be difficult to undo in the future.

That said, some of the alliance are also from 'gene pools' who may eventually go their own way, but none represents a radical departure from the middle ground where this and every election is won and lost.
The latest stand-off over Irish Water is lamentable. If the supply of electricity in Ireland was in the hands of local authorities, with no national grid and no centralised planning, some bright spark would suggest that a single state monopoly be established, led by engineers rather than politicians, to bring order to the mess. And this is precisely what happened, all of 90 years ago.

When the ESB was established under an act of the Oireachtas in 1927, it took over from hundreds of small electricity companies, including 16 county and city councils. It acquired power stations, including, would you believe, a coal-fired unit on Dublin's Fleet Street belonging to Dublin Corporation.

The coal station was just behind the Bank of Ireland's College Green branch and is now a supermarket. The electricity industry was fragmented and inefficient. Outside the main cities supply was simply unavailable and it took the ESB 30 years to bring electric power to rural Ireland on any scale.

The incapacity of the Irish political system to make coherent practical decisions is being highlighted again in the shambles over Irish Water. Whether people should pay directly for water, and how much they should pay, is a question logically distinct from the choice of organisational structure for the industry. One newly-minted TD even suggested on radio during the week that Irish Water should be disbanded and the operations returned to over 30 local authorities. Think about it: should electricity be free? If so, does it follow that Dublin Corporation get back into the electric power business?

The structuring of Irish Water has been controversial, and deals were done in the shadows reminiscent of the transformation of the regional health boards into the HSE super-quango.

The principal benefit from a rational structure for the water industry should have been an immediate reduction in operating costs. Northern Ireland Water has cut operating cost by 33pc in the last five years. It is a tribute to the rent-extracting skills of all involved, including trade unions and management in local authorities and the semi-state sector that no savings appear to have been made. Whether it was worth retro-fitting every single consumer with a meter, particularly when there was no political will to impose full cost-recovery charging, is also debatable. What should be clear to everyone is that the train has left the station and there will be further waste if the Irish Water structure is now abandoned. What serious alternative structure is available?

The provision of water and wastewater disposal in Ireland costs over e1bn per annum. There is also a substantial backlog of under-investment in the system. If urban users are to be relieved of any cost (rural dwellers pay, as do commercial and industrial users) there will be additional tax burdens elsewhere. There is also the little matter of the Water Framework Directive, adopted by the European Union in 2000 and, on some interpretations, requiring member states to charge all users for water. It is possible, should the Irish Government delay indefinitely the introduction of household water charges, that it will be deemed in breach of the Water Framework Directive and liable to fines. There is merit in charging users for the consumption of utilities, but there may be no choice anyway, even if the populists prevail, since some form of charging may be deemed an EU requirement. Ireland is the only country out of 28 in the European Union where residential piped water is supplied without charge to the user.

The opposition to water charges is a curious political phenomenon. Almost all urban households in Ireland have electricity as well as piped water, but also have a telephone landline, cable or satellite TV and many have piped gas. They pay a regular bill for all of these, except water.

A further charge in the shape of the TV licence fee is effectively a poll tax, and at the same level as the water charge. But there is no public campaign for free electricity, or free cable TV. There is even broad public acceptance of the (highly regressive) TV licence fee, which currently raises more money than the household water charge. Why do people appear to object so vehemently to the water charge, unlikely to cost them very much for many years, when they accept much higher charges for other utilities? A part of the answer is that they do not object greatly at all - in opinion polls for this newspaper during the election, water was not mentioned as a key issue by most voters.

But the main source of objection is that the water charge was successfully characterised as a 'tax too far', coming on top of the residential property tax, the Universal Social Charge and increased car tax. A logical and overdue reorganisation of the water industry is being frustrated by a combination of austerity fatigue among the electorate and political opportunism.

The failure of the public administration to provide a streamlined platform for payment of the various once-a-year taxes has been a further irritation. The cunning wheeze of getting people to claim a 'conservation grant' of 100 added a further round to the paper-chase. How many PIN numbers does the government expect people to remember?

Irish Water's opponents insist that charges be zero with the costs met through progressive taxation. Fair enough: since the poor do not own residential property, the property tax is clearly progressive.

Will that do? Apparently not: many of the same people are opposed to the residential property tax as well. Citizens who favour state-owned monopoly utilities, and the taxation of property, can no longer consider themselves political progressives it would appear. Welcome to the New Left.

The Irish Water spat will hopefully turn out to be a distraction. Perhaps it can be resolved through delaying the imposition of full charges for a further year or two, without a wasteful abandonment of what has been put in place at such cost.

The big issue for the new Dail is the appointment of a durable government, one which can expect to survive for something approaching a full term. The alternative is some kind of precarious minority administration and another election, perhaps equally inconclusive, later this year. Whatever the ultimate verdict on the outgoing Fine Gael/Labour coalition, it can at least claim to have held together through some difficult years. Imagine the consequences had the Government dissolved during the Troika programme?

It is a straight misunderstanding to believe that the country's economic challenges have been surmounted and that it is safe to return to politics-as-usual. Domestic recovery is still in the early stages and it will take several more years of economic expansion to restore pre-crisis living standards. The state has a very substantial debt burden and there are big debt rollovers to refinance in the years immediately ahead.

The banks are only partially restored and many firms and households remain heavily indebted. The international economy is weakening, the Eurozone has not been convincingly restructured, and the UK could be on the way out of the European Union.

This could be a very bad year to try running the country without a government.
The European Union is facing increasing pressure to speak out against the erosion of media freedom in Turkey following the forced take-over of the country's largest-circulation newspaper. However, few expect it to take a bold stance toward Ankara while trying to assure its help in dealing with the migration crisis.

Police used tear gas and water cannons last Friday to storm the headquarters of the Zaman newspaper and enforce the court-ordered seizure of the publication, which is linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's top foe, US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Yesterday, hundreds of the paper's supporters staged a second-day of protests outside the building, now surrounded by police fences. They chanted "free press cannot be silenced" and "Zaman cannot be silenced" as riot police used shields and tear gas to push the crowd. The private Dogan news agency reported a number of protesters were hurt.

The Istanbul court's appointment of trustees to manage Zaman and its sister outlets further reduced the number of opposition media organizations in Turkey, which is dominated by pro-government news outlets and where censorship is rife.

It raised alarm bells over the deterioration of rights conditions in the NATO member nation, which also aspires for EU membership, just before a meeting today, in which EU leaders will try to convince Turkey to do more to stop the flow of migrants to Europe.

"The EU countries are preoccupied with their migration crisis, they are no longer concerned by rights violations in Turkey," said Semih Idiz, columnist for the opposition Cumhuriyet and independent Daily Hurriyet newspapers. The Saturday edition of English-language Today's Zaman, published before the forced take-over, printed its entire front page in black with the headline: "Shameful day for free press in Turkey."

Zaman's seizure, which sparked outrage from international rights advocacy groups, was part of a crackdown on Gulen's movement, which the government claims is attempting to topple it.
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has been cracking down on corruption (AP)

An Iranian court has sentenced a well-known tycoon to death for corruption linked to oil sales during the rule of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Babak Zanjani and two of his associates were sentenced to death for "money laundering," among other charges, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi said. He did not identify the two associates. Previous state media reports have said the three were charged with forgery and fraud.

"The court has recognised the three defendants as 'corruptors on earth' and sentenced them to death," said Mr Ejehi.

"Corruptors on earth" is an Islamic term referring to crimes that are punishable by death because they have a major impact on society. The verdict, which came after a nearly five-month trial, can be appealed.

A news website run by the judiciary identified the two associates as British-Iranian businessman Mahdi Shams, who was detained in 2015, and the other as Hamid Fallah Heravi, a retired businessman.

Zanjani was arrested in 2013 during a crackdown on alleged corruption during Mr Ahmadinejad's rule. Iran's Oil Ministry says Zanjani owes more than 2 billion euros (1.5bn) for oil sales he made on behalf of Mr Ahmadinejad's government.

Zanjani is one of Iran's wealthiest businessmen, with a fortune worth an estimated 14 billion dollars (11bn). He was arrested shortly after the election of President Hassan Rouhani, who ordered a crackdown on alleged corruption during the eight-year rule of his hard-line predecessor.

Iran has in the past executed other wealthy individuals found guilty of similar charges. In 2014, Iran executed billionaire businessman Mahafarid Amir Khosravi over corruption charges.
Men carry a coffin containing the body of Berta Caceres, in Tegucigalpa (AP)

A large crowd in Honduras accompanied the body of Berta Caceres to its final resting place amid calls for justice over the killing of the indigenous leader and environmental activist.

Many of those carrying her coffin on their shoulders through the dusty streets of La Esperanza were Lenca indigenous people for whose rights she had fought.

Drummers pounded out Afro-Honduran rhythms as mourners chanted "the struggle goes on and on" and "Berta Caceres is present, today and forever".

The crowd marched more than six miles from her mother's home to a chapel where a Mass was celebrated in her memory, and to the cemetery in La Esperanza.

Her four daughters and her ex-husband were among the procession.

"Forgive me, Bertita," said Salvador Zuniga, Ms Caceres' former husband. "Forgive me for not understanding your greatness."

The previous evening, Austra Flores said she hoped her daughter's murder will not go unpunished and that international attention will pressure Honduran authorities to find those responsible.

Ms Caceres, 45, who was awarded the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her role in fighting a dam project, had complained of death threats from police, the army and landowners' groups.

She was murdered early on Thursday by gunmen who broke into her home and shot her four times.

"My mother died because she defended the land and rivers of her country," her daughter Olivia said.

Mexican human rights activist Gustavo Castro Soto was also wounded in the attack.

After gunfire grazed his cheek and left hand, he pretended to be dead as he lay on the floor so the assailants would not finish him off. He is considered a protected witness whose testimony is key to solving the killing.

The authorities say two suspects have been detained for questioning, including a neighbourhood private security guard. They have not revealed what role they may have played in the killing.

President Juan Orlando Hernandez says the authorities are investigating Ms Caceres' murder with assistance from the United States.

"We have asked for a rapid and exhaustive investigation so the full weight of the law is applied to those responsible," US ambassador James Nealon told reporters at the funeral.

Foreign minister Arturo Corrales told diplomats on Friday that justice would be done, saying that "there is abundant information to solve the case".

According to the Goldman Environmental Prize, Ms Caceres "waged a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world's largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam".

It said the project threatened to "cut off the supply of water, food and medicine for hundreds of Lenca people and violate their right to sustainably manage and live off their land".
Robert Fico arrives at his party's headquarters to watch the results of the general election, in Bratislava (AP)

Preliminary results show the ruling party is heading for a victory in the parliamentary election in Slovakia, but will need coalition partners to form a majority government.

In a shocking development, a neo-Nazi party gained parliamentary seats.

With the votes from about half of the almost 6,000 polling stations counted, the Smer-Social Democracy of Prime Minister Robert Fico, which campaigned on an anti-migrant ticket is a winner with 29.3% of the vote, or 48 seats in the 150-seat Parliament.

That represented a drop in support from the 2012 election when Smer took 44.4% and was able to govern alone.

Nine parties appear to be winning seats, including the neo-Nazi People's Party - Our Slovakia, which got 8.4%.
Donald Trump supporter Steve Travers dressed as a wall for a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida (AP)

Ted Cruz waves to the crowd at the Republican caucus in Wichita, Kansas (AP)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds up a child he pulled from the crowd as he arrives to speak at a campaign rally in New Orleans (AP)

Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each captured two victories in Saturday's four-state round of voting in the Republican race for the White House.

It is fresh evidence that there is no quick end in sight to the bitter contest, and both men suggested other rivals should now quit.

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders won in Nebraska and Kansas, while frontrunner Hillary Clinton took Louisiana, another divided verdict from the American people.

Mr Cruz, a Texas senator, claimed Kansas and Maine, and declared it "a manifestation of a real shift in momentum".

Billionaire Mr Trump, still the frontrunner in the hunt for delegates, took Louisiana and Kentucky.

In the overall race for Republican delegates, Mr Trump led with at least 375 and Mr Cruz had at least 291. Marco Rubio had 123 delegates and John Kasich had 33. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Mrs Clinton had at least 1,117 delegates to Mr Sanders' 477, including superdelegates - members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice.

It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination, and there were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Mr Cruz, a favourite of the tea party movement, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy.

With the Republican race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Mr Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance.

Party leaders - including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Senator John McCain - are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the Republican ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the real estate tycoon marvelled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Mr Rubio, a Florida senator, came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race.

Mr Cruz suggested it was time for other Republican candidates to quit the race so that he could go one-on-one with Mr Trump.

Mr Trump said it was "probably time" for Mr Rubio to drop out, after he finished no better than third in any of the four states.

In Maine, Mr Cruz won by a comfortable margin over Mr Trump.

On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Mr Sanders won by a solid margin in Nebraska, and Kansas gave him a seventh victory so far in the nominating season.

Mrs Clinton, who has been doing well with African-American voters, had an easy win in Louisiana.

With Mr Trump yet to win states by the margins he will need in order to secure the nomination before the Republican convention, every one of the 155 delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

It was anger that propelled many of Mr Trump's voters to the polls. "It's my opportunity to revolt," said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because "he's not bought and paid for".

Overall, Mr Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturday's voting. Mr Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Mr Rubio and Ohio governor John Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.
The Wilhite House on South McDuffie Street was built in the 1800s.

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Civil War-era home on South McDuffie Street holds history yet stands empty

By Charmaine Smith-Miles of the Independent Mail

A magnolia tree that sits in the corner of the 155-year-old Wilhite estate in downtown Anderson holds a special place in Nan Brown Duke's memory.

The tree takes up nearly the entire front left corner of the property. Only specks of sky can be seen through its great expanse of limbs.

Today, it stands here, its branches reaching out and around and up. But those branches are empty ? like the house that stands near it. The stone and brick walkways that lead to the tree and around the yard are covered with vines and thorny briars. A fence that borders the property is woven tightly with plants that have been left to run wild.

The house, once a gleaming white, now is graying with weather, giving it a haunting feeling.

In the days of Duke's childhood, in the 1930s and 1940s, that maginficent tree, the yard that lay beneath it, and the house that provided the backdrop for it all had a father and a mother that would tend to it.

There were families who would gather here, in the evening breeze, and trade their stories of the day.

Children would climb the magnolia tree's knotty, low-lying branches. And the yard served as the perfect place to catch the fireflies, trapping them in old mayonnaise jars.

Duke, and her brother, Donald Brown Jr., were among those children because this place was their home.

"I spent more hours than you can count in that tree," Nan said. "There were all kinds of ways to play under the tree."

Donald Brown Jr. remembers having free roam of the yard that surrounded their home and the three smaller homes on the same estate during those summer evenings.

"Looking back on it, it was quite a pleasant time," Brown said. "We just had the run of the place as children. The only thing we could not do was cross the street. We had to stay on that block. That block was our playground. We would stay out there until it was just pitch dark."

These are the memories that the Brown children have of this estate, which sits at the corner of South McDuffie Street and River Street and faces River of Life Church of God. The Brown family was the second family to live in the two-story Greek Revival-style home.

It's first family, the Wilhites, built it around 1858 or 1860, according to Brown and retelling of the home's history in books on local history.

"It was built just prior to the onset of the Civil War," Brown said. "What is interesting about the house is that originally the house was square, and now it is a rectangle."

Another thing that is interesting about the house is the history of its first owner.

Dr. Philip Abney Wilhite, was born in Elbert County, Ga., in 1822, according to an article written by Wilson C. Wilhite in the October 2011 edition of the Bulletin of Anesthesia History. At the age of 19, Wilhite was a medical student, working with Dr. Crawford Long in Jefferson, Ga.

Long is "credited with the first use of ether as an anesthetic for surgery," the article states. Long conducted this first surgery using ether after his student, Wilhite, discovered ? by accident ? ether's effects.

In that time, it was a common for young people to inhale ether at social events, known as "ether frolics," the article states. In 1841, at such a party, Wilhite "administered ether to a young black boy, who became deeply anesthetized, to the point that all present believed that he had been killed," according to the article.

Wilhite sent a rider on horseback to summon a doctor, and when he arrived, the boy had recovered completely, unharmed. It is believed that Wilhite related the incident at the party to his teacher, Dr. Long. He also later recounted the story of the incident to the Medical Association of South Carolina and to the staff at Atlanta Daily Constitution.

Local history written about the home also details similar stories about Dr. Wilhite.

He and his wife, Cora, settled in Anderson after he graduated from a medical college in Charleston in 1852. At first, the Wilhites lived in the old Towers House on Whitner Street, according to "Anderson County Sketches," published by the Anderson County Tricentennial Committee in 1969.

Later, Wilhite, who became a prominent physician and who operated a drug store with a succession of partners, bought the lot on South McDuffie Street. He built a "handsome house" there, Louise Vandiver said in her book, "Traditions and History of Anderson County."

When Wilhite died in 1892, he was the last member of the original Board of Health for South Carolina. As a member of that board, he investigated the causes of yellow fever and searched for ways that it could be prevented.

The family, which had a total of four children, occupied the home for about 80 years until the Wilhites' lone-surviving daughter, Mary Wilhite, died in 1937.

In 1939, the Browns, Donald Brown Sr. and his wife, Frances, bought the home from Mary Margaret Wilhite's estate.

"When my father bought the house, his intention was not to live there but to convert it into apartments as an investment," Brown said. "He and mother changed their minds and decided they would move downstairs in the house."

Duke said she was 6 years old and in the first grade when her parents moved into the home. Her brother was 3 years old. Brown spent his whole school career traveling to campuses that were all within walking distance of their home.

Duke said their parents were planning to build a house in North Anderson when her father, who operated the family's wholesale grocery business, Dexter Brown Grocery, bought the Wilhite estate.

"Then the war came," Nan said. "They decided to stay for the duration of World War II. By the end of the war, they were comfy and happy."

For a while, the Browns rented out some of the bedrooms upstairs. And the three duplexes which were on the same block and part of the estate were also rented out, Brown said.

The house had undergone its largest expansion, which changed its shape to rectangle, before the Browns moved in. It has four bedrooms, a large entry hallway, a kitchen that has been added on and covers a total of 5,600-square feet.

Fireplaces still dominate each of the rooms, and many of its downstairs rooms are decorated with ornate moldings around the ceilings and along the walls.

Two large built-in china cabinets, which were part of the home during the Wilhite era, still stand in the dining room.

Years ago, when the Browns owned it, it was equipped with a steam heating system.

Brown said he can still remember his father going into the basement each morning and shoveling coal into the furnace.

"That is how he got his exercise each morning," he said. "There was a huge amount of coal stored in the basement. And that one load of coal would last us until the next season."

He said the home's 12-foot ceilings would allow the heat to rise high above them in the summer, helping to keep the large house cooler in the days before air conditioning.

Brown and his sister, who were the only children born to Donald Brown Sr. and his wife, lived in the Wilhite House until they married. Now, Duke lives in Kingstree, S.C.

Brown still lives in Anderson with his wife, Martha Sue.

The Wilhite House stayed in their family until their father died in 1998. After that it has been sold three more times. In 2001, the home was turned into an event venue for weddings and other social events.

It's most recent owners, Jim and Lori Monroe, lived upstairs in the home and operated it as a venue for parties and weddings, local realtor Mike Pavey said. He said the home is now owned by TD Bank, after the Monroes closed the house as a venue in November.

Now the house is empty.

One of its sidedoors is boarded up after someone broke in. Paint samples lay scattered on the floor, and its large windows are bare.

Wooden floors, some of which are original to the house, are dusty. A mural, which was painted along one of the hallways, remains as do a couple of chandeliers.

The Browns are among several who are hoping the house will attract a new family. But they, and Pavey, know that taking on a historical house like this one takes money and commitment.

"It costs so much to bring these older homes back up to code and to meet the historical requirements," Pavey said. "There is a lot to it."

The yard also needs a new caretaker. That still-great magnolia tree has a small wooden bench underneath its shade, waiting for new company.





A HISTORY OF OWNERS

Here is a list of the people who have owned the Greek Revival-style home at 604 S. McDuffie St.:

Circa 1858: Home was built by Dr. Philip Abney Wilhite, who was a physician and drug store owner in Anderson. The family owned the home until their oldest-surviving child, Mary Margaret Wilhite, died in September 1937.

1939: Donald Brown Sr., and his wife, Frances, bought the home, originally as an investment. The Browns had two children and they owned the home until Donald Brown Sr. died in 1998 at the age of 92.

1999: Scott Seaborn owned the home until 2001, after purchasing it for $1, according to Anderson County property records.

2001: Robert and Michelle Ballington, who were business owners in Anderson, bought the house, restored it and opened up its downstairs as a reception hall, according to county records and an article published in the Independent Mail in 2001.

2004: The house was sold to Jimmie and Lori Monroe, who operated the home as a wedding and social event venue. The home is now up for sale and is owned by TD Bank. It has been empty since November 2012.

Know of an interesting local historic home that should be highlighted? Call Charmaine Smith-Miles at 864-260-1260 or send her an email at milesca@independentmail.com
By Mike Eads of the Independent Mail

Kinder Morgan buys out family, another continues lawsuit over gasoline spill

One family has sold its land while another family continues its lawsuit against Kinder Morgan over the 2014 pipeline spill that soaked both of their Belton area properties with gasoline.

According to Anderson County property records, Jeremy and Crystal Jameson sold their 6-acre Lewis Drive farm last fall to the Plantation Pipe Line Co., the Kinder Morgan subsidiary that operates the pipeline that spilled more than 250,000 gallons of gasoline into the soil and groundwater in December 2014. The company paid the couple $210,000, the price they paid for the land just six weeks before the gas spill. The transaction history is available at http://bit.ly/1X2eISR.

The Jamesons could not be reached for comment on this story, and a search of state and federal court records did not turn up any settlement information between the family and Kinder Morgan. The company has stated several times that it does not comment on its dealings with private individuals.

Crystal Jameson told the Independent Mail in 2015 that her family's plans to plant a fruit grove on their land were prevented by long-term contamination from the gasoline spill.

Meanwhile, the owners of the land around the Jamesons' old property are proceeding with their lawsuit against Kinder Morgan. The lawsuit filed last year by Eric and Scott Lewis in Anderson County has been moved to U.S. District Judge Henry Herlong's court in Greenville.

According to Spartanburg attorney Gary Poliakoff, who represents the Lewis family, the suit is currently in discovery phase, which means both sides are compiling evidence to present to Herlong. He said his clients allege the spill has inflicted long-term damage to the local groundwater supply in and around their 350-plus acres northwest of Belton.

"They haven't farmed the land in years, but they were trying to sell for industrial use," said Poliakoff, who declined to speculate how much monetary damage his clients have suffered.

Anderson County records currently estimate the market value of the Lewis land to be $390,250.

Poliakoff said there were initial discussions with Kinder Morgan about a settlement, but they didn't go anywhere. Kinder Morgan issued a statement to the Augusta Chronicle when Poliakoff's clients filed their lawsuit in November of last year that promised to take care of the damage, but rejected the family's demands: "Nevertheless, the plaintiffs elected to file suit when Plantation rejected their demand to be paid an outrageous amount which was completely divorced from reality. Plantation will not negotiate a settlement that is based on unrealistic appraisals, an unsupported threat of punitive damages, or a desire to collect an unjustified windfall from the incident. While we regret that the plaintiffs' property has been impacted by the release, this unfortunate incident should not be used as an opportunity for them to seek an outrageous and unjustified windfall."

In a related matter this week, South Carolina legislators are considering a bill that would keep Kinder Morgan from using the state's courts to force landowners to sell easements for the proposed $1 billion Palmetto Pipeline to cross their properties. The 300-mile line would start at a tank farm near Belton, cross southeastern Georgia and terminate in Jacksonville, Florida.

Kinder Morgan maintains that it is allowed by South Carolina and Georgia state laws to initiate eminent domain proceedings to secure easements for the Palmetto line from landowners who refuse to sell to them; however, a Georgia judge this week upheld a previous ruling by a state regulator there that the company can't use eminent domain to force landowners to grant easements for the proposed pipeline.

S. 868 passed the state Senate Thursday and went to the House for consideration. The bill would prevent private, for profit companies not regulated by the state from using eminent domain to take private property. It had not been assigned to a House committee for review as of Friday.

Kinder Morgan contractors have, however, started contacting landowners along the Belton-to-Aiken route it is considering for the South Carolina part of the pipeline. S. 868 would not prevent the company from negotiating easement transactions with landowners.

The state's Department of Health and Environmental Control is monitoring cleanup work at the site. Kinder Morgan subcontractors file weekly reports and the work will continue for the foreseeable future, according to DHEC spokesman Jim Beasley.

Follow Michael Eads on Twitter @MikeEads_AIM
The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the bankers themselves have supported the proposal of consolidation of banks in order to have strong banks rather than having numerically large number of banks. The Finance Minister Jaitley was replying to a question in a Press Conference after the conclusion of the Second Edition of the Bankers Retreat Gyan Sangam 2.0 at State Bank Academy at Gurgaon (Haryana) today. The two day Bankers Retreat was held on 4th and 5th March, 2016. The Finance Minister Jaitley said that as part of strategy for consolidation of banks, an Experts Group would be constituted immediately to look into all the issues related to same. Briefing the media after conclusion of the Second Edition of two day Gyan Sangam in Gurgaon today, Shri Jaitley said that in order to expedite the process of recovery, need to amend the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) Act and SARFESI Act was felt during the course of discussions in Retreat and Department of Financial Services (DFS) is looking into the same.

Jaitley said that Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law may also be through in second part of the current Budget Session. Those who participated in the two day Retreat include among others Shri Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India(RBI), Shri Shatikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Smt. Anjuly Chib Duggal, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), Regulators, officers of the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance and top management of all the Public Sector Banks (PSBs).

The event built on the experience gained and progress made since First Gyan Sangam, held in January,2015 in Pune.

Earlier the two day event commenced with an address by Smt. Anjuly Chib Duggal, where she welcomed participants and set the context for the deliberations spanning 2 days. She also outlined progress made on the Reform Agenda proposed by bankers at last years event. Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in his address summarised the current banking context and discussed potential solutions with the banker audience. In his key note address, Shri Jayant Sinha, the Minister of State for Finance encouraged banks to adopt innovative transformative approaches, to ensure the sector continues to support strong growth in the economy. The event also saw presentations on project financing best practices by experts from IFC and L&T Infrastructure Finance.

Representatives of McKinsey & Company, the knowledge partners at the event, provided a perspective on current state of banks in India. As in the previous year, Working Groups consisting of senior public sector bankers, subject matter experts, senior personnel from RBI and DFS were set-up. The Groups brainstormed on detailing-out initiatives in 5 key areas viz. NPA management, Restructuring(Mergers & Acquisitions), Credit Growth, Technology and Risk Management. The Groups had intense debates on the issues facing the sector, potential solutions and key initiatives to be taken to help resolution.

The morning session on Day-2 began with a talk by Swami Sukhabodhanandji on Spirituality in turbulent times. Thereafter, each Group presented a set of transformational initiatives to further the reform journey initiated in 2015. Each presentation was followed by an interactive Q&A session with the audience.

Shri Ashwani Kumar, Chairman, IBA then presented the progress made by banks against the commitments made at Gyan Sangam 2015. He encouraged his colleagues to continue to further the transformation they had initiated. This was followed by inspiring presentations by bankers who had executed successful turnarounds at their banks  Union Bank of India presented their journey on risk management. State Bank of India shared details of the ongoing digital transformation.

At the Final Session of the event, Jayakumar, MD& CEO, Bank of Baroda, presented the Reform Agenda to the Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, on behalf of his colleagues. He reaffirmed the Banking Sectors commitment to deliver on the initiatives that have been tabled. The Finance Minister, in his remarks, congratulated the bankers for the ambitious goals they had set for themselves, and assured them of support in their endeavours.
Priyanka Chopra is juggling between two of her crucial Hollywood projects Baywatch and Quantico. After defeating host Jimmy Fallon in Hot Wings Eating Contest on 'The Tonight Show', Chopra's another stop to promote Quantico was the Kelly and Michael show .

Reuters

From talking about Quantico to Oscars and her much speculated love life, PeeCee was at her unfiltered best at the Kelly and Michael show. One confession that was totally adorbable was when she told about her encounter with a 'love-triangle'.

Talking about her high school experience in the US, she confessed that she tagged along with a boy (who liked her) to prom. No, she wasnt misleading the guy at all but then she wanted to meet her crush at the prom! Now that's slightly mean.

Priyanka said:

"It is terrible. I had a crush on this guy who was a junior. And then there was another guy who had a crush on me. He asked me to the prom and I agreed only so that I would get to meet my crush at the prom. I was mean, but now I know better."

Priyanka also shared an old photo of herself in a white gown!

Bollywoodlife
A couple has transformed 300 acres of denuded farmland in Karnataka into what is probably India's first private wildlife sanctuary. Pamela Malhotra walks through the forest, pointing out a spot where she and her husband saw a herd of 10 elephants a few days ago. She also shows off a giant tree nearby.

saisanctuary

"That tree is about 700 years old and draws different types of birds," she says, running her hand along the massive trunk

saisanctuary

Pamela and her husband Anil K Malhotra have spent the last 25 years buying denuded and abandoned agricultural land in Karnataka's Kodagu district and reforesting it, to return the land to a bio-diverse rainforest for elephants, tigers, leopards, deer, snakes, birds and hundreds of other creatures.

The couple owns 300 acres of land in Brahmagiri, a mountain range in the Western Ghats, which houses the Malhotras' Save Animals Initiative (SAI) Sanctuary. It's probably the only private wildlife sanctuary in the country with more than 300 kinds of birds as well as many rare and threatened animal species.

saisanctuary

But this was not the scene in 1991 when Anil, 75, and Pamela, 64, who run the SAI Sanctuary Trust, came to this part of the country.

"When I came here with a friend who suggested I buy this land, it was a wasteland of 55 acres. The owner wanted to sell because he couldn't grow coffee or anything else here," says Anil, an alumnus of Doon School, who worked in the real estate and restaurant business in the US before moving to India. "For me and Pamela, this was what we were looking for all our life."

They had almost given up the search for land after hitting the land ceiling hurdle in North India

saisanctuary

The couple, who met and married in New Jersey, US, in the 1960s, had a love for nature from their childhood. When they went on their honeymoon to Hawaii, they fell in love with its beauty and decided to settle there. "That is where we learnt the value of forests and realised that despite threats of global warming no serious efforts were being made to save forests for the future," says Anil.

saisanctuary

When the Malhotras came to India for the funeral of Anil's father in 1986, the pollution in Haridwar horrified them. "There was so much deforestation, the timber lobby was in charge, and the river was polluted. And no one seemed to care.

That was when we decided to do something to reclaim the forests in India," says Anil, sitting below a dense canopy in front of their house facing the Brahmagiri hills.

When they realised they would not find land in north India, the search turned southwards. Malhotra's friend had told him that if he was looking for returns, this land in Brahmagiri wouldn't provide any. "We were not looking for money.

Early on, we realised that shortage of fresh water will be a concern for India and the rest of the world. Acquisition, protection and reclamation of forested lands and wildlife habitat, where vital water sources have their origin, is the only way to save ourselves," explains Anil.

Great Big Story

They sold property they owned in Hawaii, bought the first 55 acres at the foothills of the Brahmagiri range and began afforestation work. Soon, they realised there was no use nurturing a forest on one side of the stream when landholders on the other side were using pesticides for cultivation.

"We started buying lands across the stream whenever they came up for sale. Many of the farmers considered their holdings 'wasteland' as very little grew on it and were happy to get money," says Malhotra

But there were legal complications as many land documents were not in order and many farmers had debts to be settled. "Once we bought the land, we allowed the forest to regenerate. We planted native species where necessary and allowed nature to take care of the rest," says Anil.

Today, SAI Sanctuary covers approximately 300 acres, and draws naturalists and scientists doing research on the different animal species as well as hundreds of indigenous trees and plants, which have medicinal value as well.

Great Big Story

Hunting and poaching was a challenge and often locals did not understand what "this couple from the US" was doing, so it was slow going and required a lot of talking to create awareness. "A priest of a temple located on a nearby hillock was killed by a tiger and villagers were afraid.

We helped them rebuild the temple at a safer location, but our condition was that they'd give up hunting and poaching," says Pamela. "When they asked us why, we asked them why they worshipped Hanuman and Ganesha but killed animals. It worked," she says.

Great Big Story

They worked with the forest department to set up camera traps and keep poachers away. "There are times I have fought poachers with logs," says Pamela. The couple gets help from other trustees to keep the sanctuary going.

They also try convincing large companies to buy land and let it flourish as part of their corporate social responsibility plans. "Corporates should extend their CSR activities towards this sector," says Pamela. "Without water, what business will you do?"
A 5 year old deaf and mute Pakistani girl, who unknowingly crossed the international border into Punjab, was handed over to the Pakistani Rangers by Border Security Force.

BSF hands over 5 yr old deaf and dumb girl to Pak Rangers after she inadvertently crossed over in Abohar sector. pic.twitter.com/zrqGJGGyIA  Man Aman Chhina (@manaman_chhina) March 5, 2016

The BSF personnel had found the girl in Natha Singh Wala Border Outpost area of under Abohar sector along the international border, Inspector General of BSF, Punjab Frontier, Anil Paliwal said. During questioning, the personnel realised the girl was mute and deaf as she failed to say anything, he said. Later, the Pak Rangers were contacted and the girl was handed over to them, the IG said.
Some of the wealthiest, most successful entrepreneurs take decades to accumulate their fortunes -- others strike gold very early on.

A recent report from Hurun, a Shanghai firm that releases yearly rankings and research about the world's richest people, rounded up the latter group of entrepreneurs: Self-made billionaires under age 35.

Read on to see who all from the tech world made it to the list -- and just how wealthy they are, as estimated by Hurun:

1. Mark Zuckerberg

Age: 31

Professional qualification: Facebook CEO

Estimated wealth: $45 billion

The Facebook co-founder and CEO became the youngest self-made billionaire in history at age 23, thanks to Facebook's IPO. Today, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla are the ninth-wealthiest couple in the world and active philanthropists.

2. Eduardo Saverin

HowRichIs.com

Age: 33

Professional qualification: Facebook co-founder

Estimated wealth: $5.6 billion

The Facebook co-founder is no longer as involved in the company after legal disputes with his fellow co-founders, but he still holds a small stake in Facebook. The Brazilian-born entrepreneur is now an active angel investor as well as the director of 99, a Singapore-based property rental and sales website.

3. Sachin Bansal

Financial Express

Age: 34

Professional qualification: Flipkart co-founder

Estimated wealth: $1.4 billion

In 2007, Bansal teamed up with Binny Bansal  no relation, despite the same surname  to found Flipkart as an online seller of books. Today, it's India's top internet retailer, with 30 million products and 44 million registered users.

4. Binny Bansal

YourStory

Age: 34

Professional qualification: Flipkart co-founder

Estimated wealth: $1.4 billion

The co-founder of Flipkart has been the chief operating officer for years, but is slated to take over as CEO. Sachin, the CEO since the early days of Flipkart, will take on the newly created role of executive chairman.

5.Dustin Moskovitz

Age: 31

Professional qualification: Facebook CTO

Estimated wealth: $10 billion

The Facebook co-founder was the company's first CTO. He left to launch Asana in 2008 with fellow Facebooker Justin Rosenstein, but Moskovitz still holds a significant stake in the company.

6. Nathan Blecharczyk

WorldHeadWay

Age: 32

Professional qualification: Airbnb co-founder

Estimated wealth: $3.6 billion

The Harvard graduate was working as a product manager at Microsoft when his former roommate Joe Gebbia recruited him to co-found Airbnb. As the current CTO, he led the company's recent push into Cuba.

7. Joe Gebbia

Age: 34

Professional qualification: Airbnb co-founder

Estimated wealth: $3.6 billion

After starting a handful of smaller, less profitable business and tech ventures, Gebbia struck gold when he co-founded Airbnb with Blecharczy. He currently serves as the company's chief product officer.

8. Evan Spiegel

Mashable

Age: 25

Professional qualification: Snapchat CEO

Estimated wealth: $1.8 billion

At the ripe age of 25, the Snapchat CEO is the youngest billionaire in the world after launching the popular photo-sharing app with two of his former Stanford classmates.

9. Bobby Murphy

ibxk.com

Age: 26

Professional qualification: Snapchat CTO

Estimated wealth: $1.8 billion

Just five years out of college, the CTO of Snapchat is one of the youngest billionaires in the world, along with his Snapchat co-founder Spiegel. The two met during their days as Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers at Stanford.

10. John Collison

Wired

Age: 26

Professional qualification: Stripe co-founder

Estimated wealth: $1 billion

The Harvard dropout co-founded Stripe, an online payment company, with his brother Patrick in 2011. The Irish-born brothers now live in San Francisco, where the company is based.

11. Patrick Collison

Speakerpedia

Age: 27

Professional qualification: Stripe co-founder

Estimated wealth: $1.0 billion

The Stripe co-founder and CEO dropped out of MIT to partner with his brother John and pursue an entrepreneurial path. Their start-up was most recently valued at $5 billion in October.

12. Elizabeth Holmes

Business Insider

Age: 31

Professional qualification: Theranos co-founder

Estimated wealth: $4.3 billion

Holmes founded healthcare-technology company Theranos as a sophomore at Stanford. Within months, she dropped out to pursue her entrepreneurial path and build her company. Today, she's America's youngest female billionaire at age 31.

13. Scott Farquhar

Business Insider

Age: 35

Professional qualification: Atlassian co-founder

Estimated wealth: $1.9 billion

The Australia native co-founded software company Atlassian with a university buddy, Mike Cannon-Brookes, in 2002. Atlassian grew at a rapid rate and pulled off a successful IPO in 2015, the fifth-largest US IPO of that year.

14. Mike Cannon-Brookes

Forbes

Age: 35

Professional qualification: Atlassian CEO

Estimated wealth: $1.9 billion

Cannon-Brookes and Farquhar share the role of CEO at Atlassian, which now has 15 software products and serves clients including Citigroup, NASA, Twitter, and Tesla.

15. Frank Wang Tao

FortuneDotCom

Age: 35

Professional qualification: Dajiang Innovation Technology founder

Estimated wealth: $3.4 billion

In 2006, Frank Wang Tao founded Dajiang Innovation Technology (DJI) from his dorm room at Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. Today, DJI is the world's largest consumer drone company.
The King Of Good Times has surely seen some better times; but that surely is a thing of past. Nowadays he juggles time between being ousted from his own business ventures and being blamed for the misfortunes of most (if not all) of Kingfisher employees and investors. And we are not saying he doesn't deserve it.

The issue of non-payment of salary to staff of now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines came back to haunt its chairman Vijay Mallya again with the employees, in an open letter, accusing him of damaging the image of the country, particularly the aviation industry.

The letter, which comes days after the beleaguered industrialist said that the "only regret" he has was that the carrier is not flying when the oil price has dipped so low, also says that he has 'blood on his hands'.

"We have been under continuous pain and agony due to your apathy towards us. However, it was particularly aggravated by your recent callous 'NO REGRET' remark about KFA. For us, KFA still exists as we are still on the payrolls although without pay as we never received any communication from you, after you promised revival, about the shutdown of the company and our fate," the employees said in the letter.

"I have no regrets as such. Perhaps the only regret is that Kingfisher Airlines is not flying today when the oil price is so low"

If you haven't guessed it yet, that's a quote from Mallya which he gave recently without expressing any remorse over non-payment of salary to hundreds of his airlines employees.

"We are still not able to understand what you meant when you said I don't have money to pay your salaries while the spree continues, let it be Caribbean Premier League or luxurious yatch," the letter said.

Mallya had to quit recently as Chairman of United Spirits - a company founded by his family in which he sold majority stake to UK-based liquor giant Diageo. As part of the deal that also ended a year-long boardroom battle at United Spirits, Diageo has agreed to pay Mallya US $75 million.

All You Need To Know About The King Of Defaulters

Once billed as the most luxurious airline in India, Kingfisher had to be grounded in October 2012 after it landed in a major financial crisis with huge loans and payment defaults including to oil companies and airports.

The wife of a former Kingfisher airlines employee in Delhi had also allegedly committed suicide, apparently depressed over financial stress due to non-payment of salary to her husband.

Alleging that Mallya was able go away scot free "due to the depressing fact that the whole rotten system abets people like you", the employees said "we don't know whether it's your influence in media houses or it's their callous approach towards common man that most of them chose to ignore you and paid attention to make a hero out of a person who is out on bail, portraying him as the ultimate victim and hero."

"As you don't have regrets, it's also important to highlight how much damage you have caused to the image of our country, particularly aviation industry. Because of you, upcoming airlines are finding it difficult to get aircraft on lease from leasing companies," it said. "Mr Mallya you have blood on your hands. We have so much to tell you but you won't have patience and time to listen to all that. Please do have regret and don't set precedents dangerous to our country and aspiring entrepreneurs," the agitated employees said in the letter. Thirteen bankers, including SBI, have moved the Karnataka High Court seeking the arrest of Mallya for defaulting loans over Rs 7,000 crore and the court yesterday ordered issue of notice to him.
After he sued the US army to permit religious freedom rights of Sikhs in the US armed forces, an American court has ruled in favour the decorated Sikh Army Captain.

He had demanded that the military accommodate his articles of faith and abandon its impromptu discriminatory testing.

Captain Simratpal Singh, 28, in a lawsuit filed against the Department of Defence demanded the US military accommodate his articles of faith and dump the discriminatory testing.

"Thousands of other soldiers are permitted to wear long hair and beards for medical or other reasons, without being subjected to such specialised and costly expert testing of their helmets and gas masks," Judge Beryl A Howell swiftly ruled in Captain Singh's favour last evening. The US Department of Defence, which had granted and then extended Captain Singh's temporary religious accommodation until March 31 this year, remains scheduled to make a final decision on Singh's permanent accommodation by that deadline.

Captain Singh, who is a West Point graduate, Ranger, and Bronze Star Medal recipient, has successfully passed the safety tests required of his unit. "The US Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act make it crystal clear that Captain Singh's right to practice his faith and serve in our military are not mutually exclusive," said Amandeep Sidhu, Partner at law firm McDermott Will & Emery that represented Captain Singh.

deseretnews

"We are grateful that the court is on the right side of religious freedom with its ruling, which begs the question: does the world's largest employer really want to be on the wrong side of history?" he said.

The testing that the military planned to impose on Captain Singh is not required of any other soldiers, even the tens of thousands with medical or religious accommodations, and including previously accommodated Sikhs, he said.

Given that Captain Singh has passed the standard safety tests, further testing would clearly be discriminatory, he claimed. "We have been advocating for the simple, straightforward, equal right to serve for years, and held onto the belief that the military would correct this injustice once they realized their mistake," said the Sikh Coalition's Legal Director, Harsimran Kaur.

"The military's treatment of Captain Singh, a decorated soldier, makes it clear that they deliberately want to squash diversity and religious freedom in their ranks; that is not something that any court, or American, should ever tolerate," Ms Kaur said.
It's the social media version of David and Goliath. A bunch of new networks, which put privacy first and don't have one owner, are emerging as alternatives to Facebook.

Community owned networks: Diaspora and Friendica

Some are 'distributed' networks like Diaspora and Friendica, which are owned and administrated by the community. Their servers are distributed across the world and they interact with one another without a 'central owner' watching the bits and bytes go through the pipes. There are others like Ello, launched in March 2014, which promises not to sell user data to advertisers.

Tsu, recently in the news for having its links blocked on Facebook, pays users for posts.

Though this is not the first time, Facebook has had challengers  most of them unsuccessful  the alternatives are mushrooming. So what explains it? Research shows an increasing distrust of proprietary networks, that is, large corporate social networks which own the servers that store/host user data. These include Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube. A Pew Research Center survey from November 2014 found 80% of those polled were concerned about third parties accessing data they share on social sites, while 70% were "somewhat concerned" about the government accessing information they shared online.

"So much of the early promise of the Internet was around the democratization and sharing of information, but the data practices of mainstream social networks betray people's trust," says Ello co-founder Paul Budnitz

When the servers and owners are spread out one person can't control all the data. In the case of Diaspora, the community owns and manages the network. Friendica carries a disclaimer saying it is "developed and supported by volunteers in their free time". Ello is registered as a "public benefit corporation" in the US, a sort of guarantee that no ads will be displayed and no user data sold. With alternatives available, one would expect a mass migration from the biggest social networking sites. But Diaspora just has over 6.3 lakh total active users.

Ello clocked over 1 million users last year with users doubling in India over the past year. Facebook, on the other hand, has 1.44 billion monthly active users. "We thought the Snowden revelations would shift the power balance but it hasn't. Most people have resigned themselves to being monitored and having their behaviour analyzed," says Mike Macgirvin, who started Friendica in 2010.

Existing market forces can explain the situation. "In the case of a company like Facebook, the information on a server is in control of one private organization which can easily set up a business model around its service. Facebook, Google, Twitter, Amazon, Flipkart and most startups feed off of this system," explains Delhi-based web designer and Free and Open Source Software advocate Guneet Narula.

"Sharing with friends, family and other small social groups should be done in ways that do not put the data in the hands of third parties," says Eben Moglen, whose Free Software Support Network helped build Diaspora. Moglen, also founder of Software Freedom Law Center and professor of law and legal history at Columbia University, has been vocally anti-Facebook. It was his speech on privacy at NYU that inspired the Diaspora student founders.

While the lack of a single central command, as in the case of Diaspora or Friendica, makes for a freer network, it brings its own problems.

Volunteers running Diaspora and Friendica, for example, have had trouble weeding out ISIS sympathisers, who had attempted to shift base from centralized networks like Facebook and Twitter where they faced routine crackdowns. Macgirvin says this is something he discussed with his community, and that there can be an alternative mode of control. "We provide tools to let the site owner remove content and members who can cause legal issues," he says. It might not be a full-blown battle between the young guns and the social media giants yet, but the Davids are readying for the good fight.
If the Ramayana, Indias epic of epic proportions is essentially about struggle, then it seems fitting that an ambitous project to bring it to life on screen (yet again), involves struggle.

Putting aside the complexity and attention to detail involved while working with poem of 24,000 verses, theres another variable involved: money

Sean Graham and Vineet Sinha, two young filmmakers from the West are taking cue not from the nostalgia-laden 1986 Ramayana (or its Sagar Arts remake), but another epic that has captured attention around the world - Game of Thrones. A single Game of Thrones episode costs about 6 million dollars, or 40.2 crore rupees.

In contrast, the team needs a modest 50 lakh Rupees; theyve touched a few lakh, and are rustling up support for more.

We want the Ramayana to appeal to the global audience, to people back in the States, Australia, China, Sri Lanka and others; and to that we are shooting the Ramayana with an all Indian crew. It will be shot in English but will also be dubbed in various languages as well as in 20 other global languages, Vineet Sinha, co-director, told the Bayside Journal.

From a 3 member project, the Ramayana team has touched 50

Our aim is to replicate the Ramayan exactly in the same way it was thousands of years ago. From costumes to armour, the brotherly love of Ram and Laxman to the faithfulness of Princess Sita and obviously the monkey-god Hanuman all will be relived through our ambitious project states Vineet the co-director of The Ramayan.

Theyre putting up a 22 minutes live action depiction of the main characters and their moment of exile, titled The Ramayan Entering the Forest. Shot with the latest VFX tech, camera drones and an international crew - the guys are doing it all for an experience that will capture the imagination viewers whove never even heard the word Ramayana, not just the expected diaspora fans.
Follow us on air india to fly longest flight with all women crew to mark international women s day

New Delhi: Air India will commemorate International Women's Day on March 8 by operating the longest all-women flight on its longest route on Sunday.

The Delhi-San Francisco flight, which will cover 7,831 nautical miles (approximately 14,500 km) in a total of 17 hours, is the first long-distance flight wholly operated and supported by an all-women crew, an airline official claimed.

The flight will be managed by a 14-member crew, apart from the four pilots led by Captain Kshamta Bajpai. The flight dispatchers and flight engineer will be women, while the line safety and safety audit will be conducted by women and the load and trim staff will also be women.

The aircraft used is Boeing 777-LR which is scheduled to take off at 02.35 a.m. on Sunday morning from Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport and travel at an average speed of 500 km per hour. It will return here on the International Women's Day on Tuesday.

Additionally, the national carrier will operate 20 domestic flights with all-women crew on March 8.

Air India was the first airline to operate an all-women flight way back in 1985 to mark International Women's Day, and last year it operated two all-women crew flights on the domestic and two on the international sectors.

"The national carrier (Air India) supports the cause of women in every area," said Harpreet Singh Dey, president of the Indian Women Pilots' Association.

Latest Business News
Follow us on finally bipasha basu opens up on her marriage with karan singh grover

New Delhi: Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu's personal life is grabbing a lot of attention these days.

The diva is rumoured to be dating her Alone' co-star Karan Singh Grover for a while now and the couple seems to be much in love.

While everyone is eagerly waiting for Karan and Bipasha to officially announce their relationship, looks like the two have decided to take a little while before escalating their love affair to the next level.

However, recently, both Karan and Bipasha stunned everyone, after reports of their secret engagement broke out. The Jism' actress was captured wearing a prominent diamond sparkler on her ring finger.

Though, Bipasha Basu has quashed the rumours of her engagement. She took it to Twitter to clear the air and tweeted, Wait for me to announce my wedding when I want to and if I want to. Please stop treating it frivolously.

Some images that have surfaced online feature Bipasha sitting on the back seat of a car, while Karan is seated in front, next to the driver. Looking casual, deglam and tired, Bipasha can be seen looking down, trying to avoid the papparazzi.

The "Jism" actress, who was earlier famously dating actor John Abraham, has urged fans and media persons to avoid speculating on her current relationship status.

"For years, I have dealt with this constant discussion. Please be patient. After all it's my life. Thank you all. Humble request to all those who love me," she said.

Commenting on the images that have sparked speculation of her engagement, Bipasha said: "And yes, I don't like getting clicked at 10 p.m. post a massage. Oily and dirty. Am sure all women will understand that. It's not rocket science."

Latest Bollywood News
Follow us on salman khan looks super hot in everything daisy shah

Mumbai: Actress Daisy Shah says she has to think 10 times before talking to her "Jai Ho" co-star Salman Khan.

"I have to think 10 times before I could open my mouth to say something. Meeting Salman for the first time was my fan moment.

"He is very endearing... he looks super hot in everything," Daisy said at the Spring Summer Collection launch of designer Esha Amin.

"I have always been a big fan of Salman... whenever I see him or meet him. I choke," Daisy added.

Daisy also informed that she had been going through various scripts and narrations.

She was last seen in 'Hate Story 3' also starring Karan Singh Grover, Zarine Khan and Sharman Joshi.

Latest Bollywood News
Follow us on 4 nsg teams rushed to gujarat hunt on to nab 10 militants

Ahmedabad/New Delhi: The Centre has rushed four teams of the National Security Guard (NSG) to Gujarat following reports that 10 Pakistani militants have entered the state and may target sensitive installations. The police, on the other hand, have launched an extensive manhunt to nab all the terrorists.

The state has been put on high alert after intelligence inputs from Pakistan's National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval that nearly 10 terrorists have entered the western state to carry out attacks during the Shivratri festival.

The alert holds significance as the BSF has found another abandoned Pakistani trawler in the Sir Creek area in Kutch, the fifth such discovery in the last three months.

Following the inputs from Pakistan, security has been stepped up at all sensitive locations in the states. Also, all security agencies have been asked to remain on high alert and be prepared to foil any attempt by terrorists to carry out strikes.

State Director General of Police P C Thakur, who issued orders late last night cancelling leave of all policemen, said they were prepared to deal with any situation. "We are on high alert and prepared to deal with any situation. We have started combing operations across various locations. We have also sensitised places that see high rate of footfall," Thakur said.

"We are taking all precautions. Security across coastal areas and other vital installations has been increased. If required, NSG team will be deployed as per their protocol," he added.

This is the first time that Pakistan has shared such specific intelligence.

A massive security operation has been launched and raids were conducted by a police team, led by South Kutch Superintendent of Police Makrand Chauhan, early this morning in Varnora village of Bhuj taluka in Kutch district bordering Pakistan, police said. The Kutch police also raided Noorani Mahel hotel and Muslim Jamat Khana in Bhuj.

"The state government received a serious information from central government yesterday that terrorists have entered Gujarat. We held a meeting where it was discussed that all measures will be taken to ensure no untoward incident takes place," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Rajni Patel said.

With 'Maha Shivaratri' festival tomorrow, the state government has also increased security at all the main temples. "Especially during Maha Shivratri, lakhs of pilgrims visit temples in Junagadh, Somnath and other temples. So we have issued high alert for security of these temples too," Patel said.

According to Intelligence Bureau officials, nearly 8-10 LeT terrorists have infiltrated into the state from the Kutch area. Places like Dwarka, Somnath temple and other temples close to the sea are likely to be targeted by the terrorists.

Policemen were seen patrolling the highways since early morning. Security of all the Air Force and Army bases has also been ramped up. "The Centre has offered all help and NSG task-force has arrived here which is currently being briefed about the various (vital and sensitive) locations," he said.

"We have alerted coastal as well as border police near Kutch to take all necessary steps to beef-up security. In Kutch, we have asked the local police to remain in co-ordination with Border Security Force (BSF)," Patel said.

"Till now, we have not found any suspicious person. However, whatever information is received by us is serious and we are taking all necessary steps about it," Patel added.

BSF sources said that the boat was noticed in the creek area by a patrol team and has been brought for further investigation. Prima facie, it seems to be a fishing boat and there was no suspicious object found in it.

Earlier two such boats, including one with a hunting gun, were found in the same area in the second half of last month and one such boat was also found in Sir Creek area on January 16. Another abandoned Pakistani boat was seized near Haraminala in December last year.

An official said the recovery of boats in the area, which is rich in sea food, was not very unusual as Pakistani fishermen would at times stealthily enter the marshy area to catch prawns and they would abandon the boat and escape if they suspect or see any BSF patrol boat in the vicinity.

However, sources said that recovery of such boats in quick succession could be a matter of security concern and was being looked into. Terror elements could use such boats.

A top Army Commander yesterday said that there are some disturbing' inputs about a terror attack in India aimed at creating the maximum media impact' during the Shivratri festival and the ongoing Parliament session.

"There are security-related problems today. You know, Maha Shivratri is coming. There are inputs which are disturbing but notwithstanding that extra care has been taken," Western Army Commander Lt Gen K J Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.

Latest India News
Follow us on after email threat to blow up kolkata airport security increased

Kolkata: Security has been increased at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata after the authorities received an email threat today.

The airport manager received an email which said that the airport would be blown up within 24 hours. It was claimed to have been sent from Germany, officials said.

While the cyber crime team is checking the veracity of the content of the mail, security agencies have increased vigil in and around the airport.

Luggage and cars of passengers are being thoroughly checked while various parts of the airport are being scanned, officials said.

Latest India News
Follow us on former sc judge ashok ganguly questions afzal guru s execution

Kolkata: Former Supreme Court judge Ashok Ganguly has raised doubts over the handling of the 2013 execution of Parliament terror attack convict Afzal Guru, saying human rights prevail as along as the noose is not tightened around the neck.

"I am saying as a (former) judge the way the execution took place - his clemency petition was rejected on February 3 and the execution took place on February 9. This is wrong. He had the right to challenge it. Family members have the right to be informed about it. The human right is there as long as the noose is not tightened around the neck," he said.

The former apex court judge was speaking at aid at the Telegraph National Debate here.

Afzal Guru, who was born in Kashmir, was convicted for his role in the December 2001 terrorist attack on the Parliament. He was hanged in February 2013 secretly at Delhi's Tihar Jail after his mercy petition was rejected by the President Pranab Mukherjee.

His family was not informed prior to execution and his dead body was later denied to his family, while his execution resulted in violent protests across the Kashmir region.

His hanging had created ripples in the country and a few quarters had questioned the handling of the entire episode.

Latest India News
Follow us on talks not a favour but necessity pakistan envoy abdul basit

Jaipur: In the backdrop of delay in Foreign Secretary-level talks with India, Pakistan has said that dialogue was not a favour by one country to another but a necessity to normalise relations.

Dialogue was not a favour by one country to another but a necessity to normalise relations, Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said on Saturday, adding that Jammu and Kashmir was the root cause of all our bilateral problems, as mutually agreed we must work together to settle this issue.



Pitching for uninterruptible and uninterrupted' dialogue, Basit said, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wants normalisation of relations on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest. We are pursuing this policy with seriousness of purpose.

He also said that Islamabad want to get to the bottom of the Pathankot terror attack which claimed lives of seven Indian jawans.

We are not yet in a cul-de-sac, spirit of cooperation must be retained. It is necessary we avoid jumping the gun, Basit asserted.

Neither war nor disengagement is an option. Our globalised world calls for active cooperation to address common challenges including terrorism, Basit further said.

He also noted that road to peace is always strewn with many impediments and requires courage to take difficult decisions. Peace is in mutual interest of Pakistan and India and peace can only be achieved through uninterruptible and uninterrupted dialogue'.

Indicating that action against terror by Pakistan will take priority over talks with it in the aftermath of the Pathankot strike that had delayed the talks, India's Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar India had earlier this week said, In the aftermath of a terror attack, if you ask me what do you give priority to, a terrorist attack or a diplomatic dialogue, I think the answer should be obvious.

Talks between the Foreign Secretaries scheduled for the middle of January this year got derailed after the terrorist attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot on January 2 that claimed the lives of seven Indian security personnel. The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack in which all the six terrorists were also reportedly killed.

India has since sent actionable evidence to the Pakistani authorities to bring the perpetrators of the attack to book.

With PTI Inputs

Latest India News
Follow us on 69 sexual abuse cases against un peacekeepers no indians involved

United Nations: As many as 69 (rpt) allegations of sexual exploitation were received by the UN against its peacekeepers last year with no Indian personnel involved in any wrongdoing, according to the world body's new report.

Most number of peacekeepers accused of sexual abuse in 2015 were from Congo, Morocco, South Africa, Cameroon, Rwanda and Tanzania, the UN said in its latest report on special measures to protect people from crimes of sexual abuse and exploitation.

The UN report for the first time has given nationalities of the peacekeepers involved in sexual exploitation cases.

The total number of allegations recorded in 2015 was 69, up from 52 allegations recorded last year. The increase from 2014 was largely due to the number of cases reported in United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) at 22. MINUSCA was established in September 2014, and it reported no cases before 2015.

On the whole, 99 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse were uncovered by the United Nations in 2015 across the organisation. No Indians were among the peacekeepers accused of sexual abuse.

"I'm ashamed to call myself a peacekeeper on some of these days when I see cases like this," UN Under Secretary- General for Field Support Atul Khare told reporters here referring to the pregnancy of a 13-year old girl as he presented the findings of the report.

"What we need to do is not detract from the good work which is done by hundreds of thousands of peacekeepers. We need to find these culprits who bring a bad name to peacekeeping, who actually create problems within the country in which they find themselves, and most importantly who destroy young innocent lives. And we need to punish them in a certain manner that nobody else in the future will ever think of doing that," he said.

India has strongly condemned the cases of sexual exploitation carried out by peacekeepers and stressed that it has a zero tolerance policy towards such conduct.

India has 7,798 peacekeepers in 10 UN missions across the world.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin had told a session of the United Nations Special Committee for Peacekeeping Operations last month that "my delegation is appalled by the recent cases of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) which have surfaced in some of the UN Peacekeeping Operations."

"My delegation strongly condemns these unpardonable acts when the protector becomes the perpetrator. We have a zero tolerance policy on SEA cases and would like that there is zero tolerance on such issues across the UN too," he had said.

Last December, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had pledged to urgently review recommendations made by an independent panel which found that the UN did not act with the "speed, care or sensitivity required" when it uncovered information about crimes committed against children by soldiers -- not under UN command -- sent to the Central African Republic (CAR) to protect civilians.

Latest World News
Follow us on donald trump hillary clinton face challenge as ted cruz bernie sanders post wins

Baton Rouge: Republican Ted Cruz posted two crucial wins over front-runner Donald Trump who also triumphed in two states in today's multi-state vote while in the Democratic camp Bernie Sanders clawed his way back into the presidential contest with two victories over Hillary Clinton.

Clinton was jolted by Sanders in Kansas and Nebraska but the former secretary of state bounced back to easily win Louisiana, seen as the weekend's big prize.

In the Republican camp, Texas Senator Cruz scored decisive wins in the Kansas and Maine caucuses, demonstrating his enduring appeal among conservatives as he tried to reel Trump's significant lead in the Republican presidential race.

Trump, 69, contained Cruz's advances by winning in Louisiana and Kentucky.

But the Texas senator's wins were sure to energise the anti-Trump forces who are desperately trying to stop Trump's march to the nomination, and they left little doubt that Cruz, who has now captured six states, is their best hope.

However, with today's result Trump and Clinton consolidated their lead in the race to the White House even as their rivals gave them a tough time by winning some key states in the multi-state 'Super Saturday' primaries.

Trump registered an impressive win in Louisiana, the home State of Indian-American Bobby Jindal, and had a narrow win in Kentucky over Cruz.

68-year-old Clinton, who seems set to be the first woman presidential nominee of a major political party, had a landslide win in Louisiana. But she lost to Senator Sanders in Kansas and Nebraska.

Senator Marco Rubio performed very poorly in all the four Republican primary states following which Trump asked him to drop out of the race.

"I have been in competition all of my life. There is nothing as exciting as this," Trump said and asked Rubio to drop out of the race following his poor performance.

"I would love to take on Ted (Cruz) one-o-one. I will win Ted one-o-one," Trump told reporters at a news conference in Palm Beach in Florida.

"Marco has to get out of the race," he said.

Trump also warned that the party establishment planning to have a third party run would be handing over the White House to the Democratic Party in a platter.

However, Cruz asserted that he is the only one who can defeat Trump and urged other candidates to drop out of the race.

"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D C, is utter terror at what we the people are doing together. We saw on Tuesday, the Super Tuesday results that were extraordinary. And today on Super Saturday, we seem to be seeing a continuation of that very same pattern," Cruz told supporters at a rally in Idaho.

"What we're seeing is conservatives coming together," said Cruz who so far has won seven states to Trump's twelve.

Trump exuded confidence that he would get enough delegates to earn the party's nomination before the July convention.

Campaigning in Puerto Rico, Rubio played down his poor performance and said he would continue his run.

"Here's the bottom line. There will be more delegates awarded in Florida than basically any other state that voted tonight combined. It's a winner-take-all state," he said.

"The states that voted tonight are important and we're going to leave tonight with more delegates than we had. I've explained repeatedly this is a proportional process and every night that we have caucuses like there were tonight in three states, we continue to pick up delegates," Rubio said.

With an eye on the November presidential polls, Clinton attacked Trump at an election rally.

"We have allowed our politics to be hijacked by extreme ideologues. We all know the stakes keep getting higher, and the rhetoric we're hearing from the other side just keeps sinking lower," she said at an election rally in Detroit.

"Instead of building walls, we're going to be knocking down barriers and building ladders of opportunity and empowerment so every American can live up to his or her

potential," Clinton said after Sanders landed victories in both the Kansas and Nebraska caucuses.

Sanders said the win in Nebraska coupled with a double-digit victory in Kansas put him on a path toward victory. "We've got the momentum, the energy and the excitement that will take us all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia," he said.

"I feel good about our campaign because the voters are sending a clear message. No matter what the pundits say, it is the voters who will decide this election," Sanders said.

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Follow us on nepali congress set to elect new leadership

Kathmandu: Nepali Congress, the largest party in the Parliament, is all set to elect the new leadership on Sunday for the next five years, including its president who will succeed late prime minister Sushil Koirala. The 13th general convention of the party is set to conclude this evening.

Some 3,200 representatives caste their votes on the final day of the general convention which started on Thursday.

The convention will elect the party's new leader to succeed 79-year-old Koirala, who passed away last month. Three candidates were in the fray for the post of party president.

Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Nepali Congress acting president Ramchandra Poudyal and general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula are vying for the posts.

Sashanka Koirala, son of first elected Prime minister of Nepal B P Koirala, Arjun Narsingh K and youth leader Gagan Thapa are in the race for the post of general secretary.

In the election, 65 of the total 85 member Central Working Committee (CWC) members are being elected through direct voting and remaining 20 will be nominated by the new president. Any candidate wishing to get elected as president should get more than 50% votes.

If no one gets required number of votes then second round of voting will be held between the two candidates receiving highest number of votes to decide the winner. The result is expected to be announced tonight or Monday morning.

During the convention, the documents related to the policy and programme of the party was presented by acting President Ram Chandra Poudel, the general organisation report was presented by general secretaries Prakash Man Singh and Krishna Prasad Sitaula and the financial report by treasurer Chitra Lekha Yadav.

The general convention of the oldest party Nepali Congress will have significant impact in the political spectrum of the country. Analyst say the power equation may change in the country after the election within the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the Himalayan nation.

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Follow us on pakistan asks india to send 24 witnesses to depose in 26/11 trial

Lahore: Pakistan has asked India to send all the 24 Indian witnesses to depose before the anti-terrorism court holding the Mumbai attack trial, the chief prosecutor in the high-profile case said on Sunday.

The Foreign Ministry has written to the Indian government asking it to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court in the Mumbai attack case, Prosecution Chief Chaudhry Azhar told PTI.

He said the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad has already completed recording the statements of all Pakistani witnesses in the case which has been underway in the country for more than six years.

Now the ball is in India's court. The Indian government should send all Indian witnesses of the Mumbai case to Pakistan to record their statements so that the trial could further move ahead, said Mr. Azhar, who is also a special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Last month, the court, which is holding the trial of the seven accused including Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had ordered the FIA to present all 24 Indian witnesses in court to record their statements.

It had also ordered to bring back to Pakistan the boats used by Ajmal Kasab and other militants on the grounds that it is case property and should be duly examined.

The 8-member Pakistani judicial commission had visited India on behalf of the Pakistani anti-terrorism court (ATC).

The statements of the Indian witnesses were supposed to be used as evidence in the trial.

However, Lakhvi's lawyer had challenged the commission's proceedings because Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S S Shinde did not let its members cross-examine witnesses.

The trial court here subsequently declared the proceedings of the commission illegal.

Pakistani authorities have arrested seven LeT members involved with the planning of the 2008 Mumbai attack.

Apart from Lakhvi, other arrested LeT men are Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum. A trial is underway against them at the ATC since 2009.

Lakhvi (55), secured bail in December 2014 and was subsequently released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the government's order to detain him under a public security act.

Six other accused are lodged in the Adiala Jail for over six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in which 166 people were killed.

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Follow us on pakistan thanks us for officially confirming f 16 deal

Islamabad: The Obama administration has formally notified the intended sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, taking a major step towards finalising the deal.

"This proposed sale contributes to US foreign policy objectives and national security goals by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner in South Asia," the notification published in the US Federal Registers said.

The notification estimates the total cost of the deal to be nearly $700 million.

Thanking the US administration, Pakistani Ambassador to the US Jalil Abbas Jilani said, "We are grateful to the US and members of Congress for their acknowledgment of Pakistan's decisive actions against extremists and terrorists and of the effective role the F-16a play in our counter-terrorism efforts.

The Indian government and some US lawmakers have criticised Washington's rationale that such an arms transfer will help combat terrorism. They claim the fighter jets will change the military balance in South Asia and will ultimately be used against India.

In a policy justification, posted on the Federal Register, the US administration rejected this assertion. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region, it said, adding that the aircraft would improve Pakistan's capability to meet current and future security threats'.

The administration also noted that the additional F-16 aircraft would facilitate operations in non-daylight environments and enhance Pakistan's ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.

The Obama administration also explained that the sale would increase the number of aircraft available to the Pakistan Air Force to sustain operations, meet monthly training requirements, and support transition training for pilots new to the Block-52, F-16 aircraft.

Implementation of the proposed sale would not require the assignment of any additional US government or contractor representatives to Pakistan. There would be no adverse impact on US defence readiness either, it said.

The administration also assured Congress that Pakistan can provide the same degree of protection for the sensitive technology being released as the US government.

The 30-day notice period for Congress expires on March 11, after which the deal will be final.

Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said at a news briefing in Washington earlier this week that Pakistan had initially requested for 18 F-16s, but because of financing problems it was purchasing just eight. He said the F-16s were a critical tool in the war against terrorism.

With IANS Inputs

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Follow us on bjp chief amit shah to address public meeting in andhra pradesh today

Rajamahendravaram: Bharatiya Janata Party's national president Amit Shah will address a public meeting on the grounds of Government Arts College in Rajamahendravaram today.

After the formation of the new Andhra Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be conducting a huge public meeting in the State for the first time.

The BJP chief will arrive Rajamahendravaram from New Delhi via Hyderabad in a chartered flight. He will address the public meeting after interacting with party senior leaders for some time.

The party cadres mobilising workers and the general public from across the State exude confidence that nearly 1 lakh people will attend the meeting.

Following criticism from friendly TD and the Opposition parties on the failure to get special status to AP, sanction of a railway zone at Visakhapatnam and the delay in the implementation of some provisions in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, Mr Shah is expected to address these issues during the meeting.

BJP's State in-charge Sidharthnath Singh is camping here for the last three days and says that his party president's main focus would be on BJP Government's support to AP after the bifurcation of the State.

The party has decided to convene a public meeting here and highlight the initiatives taken by the Narendra Modi government for different sections of the society,"he added.

At the same time, senior leaders of BJP have been visiting the city in the last few days to oversee the arrangements for the public meeting. Seniorleaders are mobilising a large number of people from several parts of the state to attend the meet.
The Department of State Services, DSS, has announced the arrest of a man it said manufactures and procures arms for the terrorist sect, Boko Haram.

A statement on Saturday by a spokesperson for the agency, Tony Opuiyo said Musa Garba Abubakar (Engr) aka Muhadis Musa Bin Haddad, was arrested at Jos, Plateau State, during a special tactical operation.

Mr. Abubakar, the SSS said, is a major gun fabricator, arms-runner and a covert linkman/courier for the Boko Haram group.

The statement added, During his arrest, two pistols, 80 rounds of live ammunition and several sensitive documents were recovered from him.

In a bid to employ propaganda to manipulate the international community against the efforts of the Federal Government, in the ongoing war against terror in the North-West region, Musa (Mr. Abubakar) had approached a foreign mission in Nigeria for logistics and financial support to fight the Boko Haram.

However, unknown to the mission, he is actually an unauthorized gun-maker/runner with intent for mischief and communal strife in the North Central region.

The statement reads in full:

The Department of State Services (DSS) wish to inform the public that in line with its statutory mandate, and avowed commitment to national security, the Service has continued to record positive milestones in strategic and tactical operations embarked upon across the country.

On 2nd March, 2016, one Musa Garba ABUBAKAR (Engr) aka Muhadis Musa Bin HADDAD, was arrested at Jos, Plateau State, during a special tactical operation by the Service. ABUBAKAR is a major gun fabricator, arms-runner and a covert linkman/courier for the Boko Haram group.

During his arrest, 2 pistols, 80 rounds of live ammunition and several sensitive documents were recovered from him. In a bid to employ propaganda to manipulate the international community against the efforts of the Federal Government, in the ongoing war against terror in the North-West region, MUSA had approached a foreign mission in Nigeria for logistics and financial support to fight the Boko Haram. However, unknown to the mission, he is actually an unauthorized gun-maker/runner with intent for mischief and communal strife in the North Central region.

In furtherance of exploited leads, this Service apprehended other suspected associates of the gun-runner, namely: Umar Khalil MUHAMMED and Mohammed Yakubu TAHIR aka Mallam YARO, on 2nd March, 2016. MUHAMMED was arrested at Layin Oscar in Jos South LGA, while TAHIR was picked up at Mista Ali area, along Jos-Zaria road in Bassa LGA. The duo are accomplices and active marketers of ABUBAKAR and his products to criminal elements in the North-Central region of the Country.

In strengthening its counter-terrorism strategy, the Service also arrested one Armayau YAKUBU aka Ali Tekwando, Yakubu SULE and Usman IBRAHIM on 3rd March, 2016, at Hayin Danmani area in Kaduna metropolis. The trio were members of an extremist cell under the coordination of YAKUBU, with affiliation to the proscribed extremist group, ANSARU and have been perfecting plans to travel to Sudan, for terrorist training with other radical elements of the group.

The Service wish to reemphasize its resolve to sustain the fight against organized vices and criminalities by terrorists, kidnappers, fraudsters and other deviant elements in the Country. The Service also wish to urge law abiding Nigerians and indeed, all residents to continue to support law enforcement/security agencies, with proactive and actionable intelligence, for the sustenance of peace, law and order.
Less than two weeks after he said Nigeria would not be joining a Saudi Arabia-led coalition against terrorism, indications have recently emerged that President Muhammadu Buhari might have changed his mind.

President Buhari had during his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, pledged Nigerias support for the coalition even if it would not be part of it.

Even if we are not a part of it, we support you, Buhari was quoted in part as telling the Saudi King, Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz.

However, in what looks like a volte face, the president told Aljazeera that Nigeria has joined the Islamic coalition against terrorism.

He made the disclosure during an interview with the news channels during his visit to Saudi Arabia, but which was broadcast at the weekend.

When asked whether Nigeria was part of the coalition, Buhari said: We are part of it because weve got terrorists in Nigeria that everybody knows which claim that they are Islamic.

So, if theres an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, Nigeria will be part of it because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism, he added.

On whether Nigeria became a member of the coalition during his meeting with King Abdul-Aziz in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia recently, Buhari answered in the affirmative.

When pressed further during the interview for details of how such coalition would work for Nigeria, the president declined.

But he said: Well, that we mentioned under Lake Chad Basin Commission, our regional grouping compromising Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Benin and we dedicated a certain number of troops to be deployed in our own sub-region and I dont think we have to tell the press the details of that.

On whether joining the Islamic coalition will serve Nigerian security interest, he said: Certainly. Ive just told you it is the Boko Haram itself that declared loyalty to ISIS.

ISIS is basically based in Islamic countries. Now, if theres a coalition to fight Islamic terrorism, why cant Nigeria be part of it, while those that are fighting in Nigeria as Boko Haram claim to be Muslims.

When his interviewer pointed out that since Nigeria was roughly evenly divided among Christians and Muslims and that some Christians were uncomfortable with giving an Islamic identity to Nigeria by its membership of the coalition, Buhari wondered why such Christians had not gone to fight Boko Haram in the North or militants sabotaging installations in the South.

Why cant those Christians that complained go and fight terrorism in Nigeria or fight the militancy in the South. Its Nigeria that matters, not the opinion of some religious bigots, he stated.

On whether he was trying to change the religious identity of the country, Buhari noted: How can I change the religious identity of Nigeria?

No religion advocates hurting the innocent and just because the Muslims are the ones that claim to be Boko Haram and they are killing innocent people whether in the church, in the bus or in the market place, then I will just sit and look at them because I too am a Muslim? Islam is against injustice in any form.
Chinese leaders discussed the economy and the nations 13th five-year plan as they gathered for the National Peoples Congress on Saturday. Nearly 3,000 delegates came together at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to discuss Chinas poor economic growth and political tension with Taiwan. The annual parliamentary meeting opened with a flag-raising ceremony in Tiananmen Square. Crowds gathered around the area, as the square was closed off to the public.

Prime Minister Li Keqiang told the large crowd Chinas economy is hugely resilient and has enormous potential and ample room for growth. Domestically, problems and risks that have been building up over the years are becoming more evident, Li said. There is no difficulty we cannot get beyond. He assured the crowd China can reach minimum economic growth of 6.5 to seven percent and sustain a similar rate through 2020, allowing the country to bounce back from cuts made by President Xi Jinping to state-supported industries.

Lis speech came as many industrial workers fear potential layoffs, with the nation moving away from manufacturing and heavy industry. According to a labor officials estimate, about 1.8 million steel and coal workers are expected to be laid off. The government plans to set aside $15.3 billion to support the laid-off workers. The plan also calls for China to switch from a business tax to a value-added tax that will charge banks a six percent tax on interest collected from loans.

The president also spoke Saturday, and warned against allowing a repeat of Taiwan secession. We will resolutely contain Taiwan independence secessionist activities in any form, he said to a group of lawmakers. Our policy toward Taiwan is clear and consistent, and it will not change along with the change in Taiwans political situation. He also stressed adherence to the 1992 Consensus and its basis for peaceful cross-strait relations bye establishing a one-China principle that denies separation between China and Taiwan.

UPI.
The federal government has expressed angst over the incessant rip-offs by telecommunication companies on its subscribers, warning that failure by the companies to correct this anomaly would be met with stiff penalties.

The Minister of Communication, Barrister Bayo Shittu, gave the warning during a chat with journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

According to him, one of the ways the companies rip off their subscribers is through illegal deduction on unsubscribed messages.

Nigerians are not happy about receiving unsubscribed text messages asking them to subscribe for one thing or the other without requesting for it, Mr. Shittu said. Personally, I have been a victim of this more than once.

Another method through which the telcos rip off their subscribers, the minister continued, is through drop calls.

You will have two phones side by side and you will call the other one and they will tell you the number does not exist and a lot of Nigerians are being frustrated by this.

The third one is deficiency in broadband penetration. You will discover that Nigerian telecom companies do not have the financial capacity to get telecom cable and mast into every community and that is why some communities do not have telecommunication services.

The last is the payment for data for internet connectivity and you may not consume the data before it expires, instead of rolling it over when you subscribe again, they will say you have exhausted your data and ask you to subscribe afresh, Mr. Shittu added.

The minister disclosed that he has called for an emergency meeting between his ministry, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) and all the telecommunication companies in the country to address these issues.
Two hours after the three abducted female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary (BMJS), Ikorodu, were rescued by the police, the kidnap kingpin, one Emmanuel Arigidi in an exclusive interview with THISDAY said they did not rape or beat the girls.

Asked on why they targeted and abducted the girls he said he could not readily explain, adding that while the girls were in their custody, they were not harmed.

He also told them that they attacked the school after they parked their seven canoes at the edge of Adama Creeks.

He said they escaped from the school using the canoes since the water was too shallow for their boats to ply on.

The suspect is at the moment being taken to the Lagos State Police Command by the Officer-in-charge of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT), ACP Abba Kyari.

To fast track the release of the girls, Arase had on Thursday deployed the Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT) to compliment the efforts of the Lagos State Command.

On how the girls were released, a senior police officer, who spoke to THISDAY on anoymity, said Arigidi was arrested from Adama Creeks after he had came out to buy food.

The police source said they had earlier infiltrated the gang and mopped up their parents in a bid to force the hand of the kidnappers.

After Arigidi was arrested, one of fathers of two other gang members, who are still at large, was called in to speak with him and he gave them directions to the creeks.

When he got to the creeks, he was said to have appealed to their baser nature, while informing them that the police have arrested one of their gang members.

He also told them that if they dont release the girls, that the police had stationed their helicopters for aerial bombardment.

Seeing no other way out, the suspects quickly took the girls to Igbo-Okuta Bridge, Imota, dropped them their and called in anonymously.

The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, who slept at the area last night, quickly stormed the bridge and carted the girls away to safety.

The girls have since been taken away by their respective parents to be refreshed and consequently taken for medical tests.

Source: Thisday
Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has said he doesnt like being praised in the discharge of his duties.

Magu said he preferred constructive criticism so that he would not go astray.

He made this known while speaking with journalists at the conference hall of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kano on Friday.

The acting EFCC boss also urged Nigerians to shun corruption at all levels so as to help and support President Muhammadu Buharis administration realize its dream of rebuilding a country that is based on equity and justice for all.

He also stated that the three arms of government have shown serious commitment in the fight against corruption.

According to him, we now have the appropriate leadership that with the appropriate political will to fight corruption. All the three arms of government are ready to fight corruption. Support us so that our children and posterity will enjoy this country.

We are creating awareness so that people will know the evils of corruption. I expect you to monitor us. Monitor me from the outside. I welcome criticisms, whether they are constructive or unconstructive. I dont like people praising me while doing my job. Tell me what is wrong and I can correct it.

Magu, who refused to field questions from journalists, agreed that Buharis administration has realized huge amount of stolen funds from past corrupt leaders, adding that the current administration will not be deterred by any forces in its resolve to tackle corruption and corrupt leaders.

He also stated that EFCC has solicited the support of local musicians and entertainers to carry the message of the war against corruption to the door-step of every Nigerian.
President Muhammadu Buhari says he has not failed in his war against Boko Haram insurgency despite some incidents of attacks by the sect members in some parts of Nigeria

I have not failed. When we came in Boko Haram was effectively in 14 local governments. Nigeria has 774 local governments. They hoist their flags and they said they had a certain caliphate but today they no longer to hold any local government, the president told Al Jazeera in a recent interview.

They have reverted to improvised explosive devices blowing soft targets, and that will be a kind of terrorism which will be difficult to eliminate because it is technological, but they cannot hold any local government again. They are using technology but they cannot carry out organised attacks, overrun police post, attack military installations, they cannot do that now. he said.

Watch interview below:
With the successful rescue of the three girls kidnapped last Monday in Lagos State, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has assured that his administration has the will and capacity to fight all forms of crime and criminality in the nations commercial nerve centre.

Addressing a press briefing on the safe rescue of the girls abducted by suspected criminals from the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu, Ambode warned that the state government will leave no stone unturned to crackdown on all forms of crime in the state.

Let me warn that the State Government will not tolerate kidnapping or any forms of crime in the State. Our position is clear and unambiguous, Lagos state has the capacity and the will to go after every form of crime and criminality in order to safeguard lives and property in the state, the governor stated.

He expressed relief and excitement at the rescue of the girls by security operates in the early hours of Sunday, just as he commended the efforts of security operatives who led the rescue efforts.

The Lagos State police Command, the Department of State Security and members of the Armed forces worked tirelessly round the clock in the last six days to secure the release of the children. I thank them for a good job.

The three girls have been safely re-united with their families and the Government wishes to assure Lagosians that their security is top priority and it will not relent in ensuring that Lagos remains safe and secure, he said.

Governor Ambode said one of the suspected kidnappers and a kingpin  one Emmanuel Arigidi, was arrested during the operation by security operatives to release the abducted children.

As our daughters are re-united with their mothers and other members of their families, I would like to seize this opportunity to wish all mothers in Lagos State and Nigeria at large a happy Mothers Day, he said.
A New York woman learned that her favorite college professor was actually her biological older sister after both women looked into their adoption history. Diane DiProspero Cook and Karen Cometa-Zempel first met at Bryant and Stratton College in 1985, before learning that they were long-lost sisters 31 years later. The women became aware of each other after contacting their adoption agencies seeking information about their medical histories.

I couldnt believe it. I immediately knew who she was, said DiProspero Cook, who remembered Cometa-Zempel from her time at Bryant and Stratton. My heart skipped a beat, and I was excited because I would tell by her voice and her bubbly personality we would hit it off! DiProspero Cook also told ABC News that the two lived parallel lives and shared many of the same mannerisms.

The more we talk, the more we find we have in common, said Cometa-Zempel. Both women were placed up for adoption by the same mother and were raised by Italian American families 20 miles away from each other in upstate New York. They both also attended Roman Catholic schools in their youth.

Aside from their similar upbringing, both women are left handed and share the same bubbly personality. Their similarities are so extreme that DiProspero Cook said they ran into each other at an outlet mall in Niagara Falls after postponing plans to meet formally following Valentines Day weekend. The sisters have been attempting to reconnect and spend more time together and hope their story encourages other adoptees to seek their family members.

UPI.
The Ogun State caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the National Assembly may wade into the political rift between a former governor of the state, Olusegun Osoba and the incumbent, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Osoba, a founding father of the APC, dumped the party along with his supporters and pitched their tent with the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.

The former governor was reportedly angry over the hijack of the APC in the state by Amosun and the failure of the national leadership of the party to amicably resolve the rift before the polls.

However, speaking with journalists on Saturday, the lawmaker representing Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency of the State in the House of Representatives, Ayodele Isiaka, noted that the differences between the two politicians was political, rather than personal.

When I get back to Abuja, I am going to contact my colleagues in the caucus of APC and we shall look on the need to fashion out way to attend to the issue.

The difference between them was political rather than personal. We are going to work with both of them, Mr. Isiaka said at the site of a 7-Kilometre federal road in Ifo Local Government Area, which he is helping to repair with funds from his pocket.

According to the lawmaker, the road was not included in constituency project of the National Assembly.

Nonetheless, Isiaka promised to contact the state government to help in bringing a permanent solution to the problem.
At least $200 billion looted from Nigerias treasury in the last 20 years may have been stashed in the United Arab Emirates by former public officers and their agents/fronts, the Senate Committee Chairman on Foreign and Domestic Debts, Shehu Sani, has disclosed.

Sani (APC/Kaduna Central), made the shocking disclosure yesterday in Abuja in a parley with newsmen.

It would be recalled that Nigeria in January, signed a Mutual Legal Assistance with the UAE  a country identified by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration as a safe haven for former corrupt public officials.

According to the senator, Over $200 billion are stashed away in Dubai alone. This may be the monies stolen in the last 20 years. I am not talking about estates and bonds and other securities bought with Nigerias stolen money.
The identity of a suspect in the kidnap of three girls from Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary (BMJS) Ikorodu, in Lagos State, Emmanuel Arikiti, has been unveiled.

Arikiti, who a police source described as a kingpin, was arrested alongside two others on Sunday morning by the Lagos Police Command.

The suspect and his gang kidnapped three girls  Oluwatimehin Olusa, Tofunmi Popoolaniyan and Deborah Akinayo from their classroom on Monday night.

The kidnap victims were however, rescued at about 9:45am on Sunday by a team led by the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni.

Their rescue came two days after the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase deployed the Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT) to compliment the efforts of the Lagos State Command.

Arikiti and the other two suspects are currently at the commands headquarters in Ikeja.

Photo Credit: The Nation
President Muhammadu Buhari has affirmed that there are some people in his government who are not 100 per cent loyal.

The president, who took over four months from the date he assumed office to constitute his cabinet, made this disclosure in an interview he granted to Al Jazeera Television during his recent visit to Qatar.

The statement is sure to rattle some members of the cabinet, most of whom have not lived up to expectations since they were appointed.

Mr. Buhari described the controversies trailing the 2016 budget, which he had confirmed was padded, as unfortunate, reiterating his vow that the culprits would be dealt with.

Asked whether he meant there were saboteurs in his government, Buhari answered in the affirmative, exclaiming Certainly.

President Buhari also said Nigerians should appreciate his administrations efforts towards reducing the cost of governance.

I would like people to assess Nigeria, especially this government on where we found ourselves. When we came in, we found out that there were 42 ministries and we found out that the economy could not take 42, so we reduced it to 24. We also removed 21 permanent secretaries, he stated.
Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), Sunday, at a press conference in Lagos, urged the government to take more proactive steps to ensure the safety, education and improved welfare for the Nigerian child.

In his speech, Professor Soyinka condemned those who are weaving religion sentiment around child marriage.

When you damage a child because of your own depravity, you ruin that child for life (and) traumatise that child. Whether you say you believe in any religion, you are committing a crime.

We are against crimes committed (that are) defined by the constitution (and) the legal structure that binds us all together, Soyinka said.

He also asked the Police to take charge in securing the safety of all citizens, saying that they are the first call in curbing crime.

They should be the first call when the child goes missing and they cannot abandon the job until they have restored the child to the rightful parent, he said.

Also speaking, Mr Falana expressed displeasure at the growing incidence of child marriages in the country, stressing that it was illegal to marry a girl without the approval of the parent.

The law says under 18, it is illegal to marry out anybody and in this case, whether in the north or in the south, you cannot marry out a girl without the approval of the parent, he said.

The Senior Advocate noted that those referring to religion are playing on the intelligence of Nigerians, adding that it was the responsibility of the government to cater for every underage child found hawking on the streets.

Under the Childs Right Act, every child must be put in school at the expense of the state and that applies to Lagos or any of the states in the south where we have children on the streets who are hawking all manners of goods, he said.
The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has disclosed that 10,000 jobs would be created for Nigerian technicians and 5,000 for engineers when Nigeria completes the switch-over from analog to digital broadcasting.

He said when the switch-over is implemented, it would allow for a better transmission of programmes and also afford the country the opportunity to have up to 30 national digital television stations.

Mr. Mohammed said there were only four national stations in Nigeria for now.

Speaking when he visited Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State at Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos, on Friday, the minister, expressed regrets that Nigeria missed the earlier deadline for the switch-over.

He, however, said the federal government was working toward meeting the June 17, 2016 deadline.

We will ensure that the digital switch-over programme was a reality, he said.

Earlier, Mr. Mohammed had commended the governor for restoring peace on the Plateau.

According to him: The state used to record attacks almost on daily bases. But to the admiration of the entire country, Governor Lalong came with his peace initiative that have not only stopped the killings but also create conducive atmosphere for business to thrive in the state.

Governor Lalong has done well in this regard because I went round the state to realise that peace has, indeed, returned to the state.

And I will assure the state government that the federal government will be happy to assist the state government to sustain the ongoing peace so as to make it permanent.

In his response, Mr. Lalong thanked the federal government for commencing the digitisation programme in Plateau state, and pledged his support for it.

The minister during the visit, embarked on an inspection tour of federal information establishments in the state.
A total of 135 people were killed in the first week of a fragile truce in Syria in areas covered by the cessation of hostilities agreement, according to a monitoring group. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Saturday that at least 45 rebel and Islamic fighters, and 32 civilians, including seven children, were among the dead.

In the period between February 27 and March 5, at least 25 soldiers fighting for the government of Britain-based SOHR monitors the countrys five-year-old civil war, which overall has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

While the death toll during the ceasefire was significant, there has been an overall reduction of violence which has also allowed more aid packages to be delivered. Humanitarian aid on Friday reached areas near the Syrian capital, Damascus, where fighting has been going on between rebels and government forces, but opposition groups said not enough assistance was getting through.

Taking advantage of the let-up in hostilities, a convoy of food and other supplies for 20,000 people left Damascus for the Eastern Ghouta district to the east, said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The UN estimates that there are almost 500,000 people living under siege in Syria, out of a total 4.6 million who are hard to reach with aid. were also killed as well as 27 fighters with the Syrian Kurdish Forces. SOHR said that in areas not covered by the ceasefire, which came into force on February 27, 552 people were killed.

Aljazeera.
United States Republican has won nominating contests in Kansas and Maine, denting frontrunner Donald Trumps momentum and bolstering Cruzs case that he is the best alternative for those bent on stopping Trump.

On the Democratic side, frontrunner Hillary Clinton won in Louisiana, while her rival Bernie Sanders, a US senator from Vermont, won in Kansas and Nebraska. Five states were holding nominating contests on Saturday as Trump and Clinton looked to strengthen their leads in the battle to pick nominees for the November 8 presidential election to succeed President Barack Obama.

Trump won in Louisiana and in Kentucky. The results were bad news for the remaining two Republican candidates, Marco Rubio, a US senator from Florida, and Ohio Governor John Kasich, who trailed in all four contests. The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what We the People are doing together, Cruz told supporters in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, after his win in Kansas.

Cruz, a US senator from Texas who has promoted himself to voters as a true conservative, in contrast to Trump, also won a non-binding straw poll of activists at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington. What we saw in Kansas is a manifestation of a real shift in momentum, Cruz told reporters in Idaho.

Trump has a substantial lead in the delegates needed to secure the nomination at the Republican National Convention, but has come under a barrage of blistering attacks from his partys establishment. The four Republican contests on Saturday together account for just 155 delegates. The results in Maine gave Cruz 12 delegates and Trump nine. In Kansas, Cruz picked up 24 delegates while Trump gained nine.

Aljazeera.
Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, wife of detained founder of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has lampooned the British government for turning a blind eye to her husbands plight in the hands of the Nigerian authorities.

Mr. Kanu, who is currently standing trial for treasonable felony, criminal conspiracy and belonging to unlawful society, and faces life imprisonment if found guilty of treason, holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and United Kingdom.

Mrs. Okwu-Kanu told the American magazine, Newsweek, in London that the British authorities are evading responsibility for ensuring her husbands human rights are not violated.

It is for the British government to get involved, to make sure that this persons human rights are being respected and they havent done that. Theyve been to see my husband but that is not where it ends, she insisted.

Mrs. Okwu-Kanu, who gave birth to the couples first child together on January 4, 2016 claimed that the stress of her husbands detention in Nigeria almost made her have a miscarriage.

She said: His human rights have been violated and international human rights bodies should be all over the place because he is also human. From my perspective, they [the British government] are evading some responsibility. They should be doing more, they should visit him more Its obvious and apparent that the Nigerian government and the DSS is not obeying the law.

She added that the stress that was triggered by her husbands detention caused her to go into early contractions in November 2015.

The IPOB founder was arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS, in Lagos on October 14, 2015 and has been in detention since then.

I managed to get an ambulance and got the whole thing under control. I was kept under care, watched for two or three days before I left the hospital, Okwu-Kanu revealed.
The revived agitation for a sovereign state of Biafra would not be tolerated, President Muhammadu Buhari has warned.

He dismissed those agitating for the creation of Biafra as jokers, who are toying with the security of the nation.

President Buhari made this position known in an interview with Al Jazeera television during his recent visit to Qatar.

According to him, At least two million Nigerians were killed in the Biafra war. And for somebody to wake up, may be they werent born, looking for Biafra after two millions people were killed, they are joking with the security of the country. Nigeria wont tolerate Biafra.

While describing the agitation for Biafra as unconstitutional, the president said government could allow peaceful pro-Biafran protests that dont threaten national security and socio-economic activities.

Buhari also vowed that Nigeria will not bow to the dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or any external force in the way it runs its economy.

Nigeria, according to him, will not kowtow to anyones advice that is not in the best interest of the country.

Reminded by his interviewer that his refusal to devalue the naira was an indication of disobedience to the counsel of IMF, President Buhari retorted: Why not! If it is against our national interest, why cant we go against IMF?

The president, who has persistently said he would not kill the nations currency, shed more light on why he would not consider devaluation of the naira for now.

Countries that play around with their currencies are countries that have enormous production.

Their infrastructure is in place. Infrastructure in terms of power, communication and security are virtually alright. Nigeria virtually imports everything from rice to toothpicks. Now, if you do not have the money to import those things, what is the point devaluing your naira?

Buhari also stressed the need for the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to re-strategise in saving the current crude oil price crisis.

OPEC has to work together to save the situation. It has always been an interesting aspect, if you can produce less and earn more. We are producing more and earning less. I have never been able to understand it but the market forces are influenced by a lot of political decisions, post regional decisions and global decisions and we have to live by it, he said.

OPEC as an organization has to be mindful of the economic conditions in each member country because that would influence that countrys ability to go along with OPECs purported decision. In Nigeria, we are unable to diversify our economy. Hence, we are much more disadvantaged by the lower oil prices. OPEC tried to help us but it is basically our own fault. 

He dismissed suggestion that Nigeria might withdraw from OPEC.

Under my leadership, Nigeria would not want to withdraw. Between 1976 and 1979, I served as Petroleum Minister. I very much value the institution of OPEC and I think Nigeria would make the necessary moves to remain in OPEC.
Financial pretexting  the use of false pretences to dupe a victim into performing a financial transaction or providing privileged data

Digital extortion

Insider threat - involves threat actors with some level of trust and privilege causing a data breach through malicious intent

Partner misuse - vendors and business partners may also control legitimate logical or physical access for unsanctioned access to data

Peripheral tampering - involves any tampering or physically manipulating a hardware device that connects to a computer system

Logic switch - the manipulation of account balances and withdrawal limits to create non-existent funds, bypass security measures and cash out quickly

SQL injection - methods of abusing an applications interaction with its back-end database

CMS compromise -targeting and using content management system vulnerabilities as a foothold to install backdoor programs

Backdoor access - dropping additional malware to perform a myriad of tasks, including capturing keystrokes, that lead to compromised accounts, escalated privileges, and movement to other areas in the victims network

Credential theft - spyware/keylogger attacks involving unauthorized software or hardware introduced to a system to record user and system-generated information

Businesses belonging to the financial industry are the targeted victims in 10 of the 18 data breach scenarios identified by a new report by Verizon Enterprise Solutions.Verizon has released its first ever Data Breach Digest after investigating more than 500 cyber security incidents occurring in over 40 countries in 2015.The report details 18 real-world data breach scenarios, 12 of which represent more than 60% of the 1,175 cases investigated by the company over the past three yearsFor each scenario, the report provides detailed analysis of how the attack occurred, the level of sophistication, the threat actors involved, the tactics and techniques used and the recommended countermeasures.The report found that financial services are the targeted victims in 10 of the 18 data breach scenarios:Verizon expects that the report will help businesses and government organizations understand how to identify signs of a data breach, the important sources of evidence and ways to quickly investigate, contain and recover from a breach.
Cyclists given access to insurance products and services and other benefits
A Georgia insurance agency is making waves thanks to its owners requirement that all employees enjoy and use the right to bear arms.At Lance Toland Associates, workers in all three of the companys Georgia offices  including 10 women and two men  are obligated by owner Lance Toland to get permits to carry concealed weapons, after which they are provided with their own handgun.Toland told the Associated Press the policy is about protection as well as the enjoyment of Second Amendment rights.The insurance agency owner was influenced by the killing of his uncle several years ago, AP reported. The man was confronted by three men with a gun outside a convenience store nearly 40 years ago. He was only carrying $20.I have an issue with thugs, the 61-year-old agency owner said.Toland says now, if someone attempts to rob his business or harm his employees, they will be able to defend themselves against the aggressors and get a piece of them.I would not walk into [one of the Toland offices] with anything but business on my mind, he said.A pilot himself, Toland runs an insurance business that provides aircraft insurance risk management services.
The concept behind the value investing philosophy is simple: Investors can realize tremendous gains by purchasing securities that trade well below their intrinsic value. In his books Security Analysis (1934) and The Intelligent Investor (1949), Benjamin Grahamthe godfather of value investingexplained to investors that "a stock is not just a ticker symbol or an electronic blip; it is an ownership interest in an actual business, with an underlying value that does not depend on its share price."

Graham's investment philosophy has helped many of his disciples get rich. As of 2022, his most well-known follower, Warren Buffett, is the world's fifth-wealthiest man with a net worth of more than $112.3 billion. But Buffett is not the only investor who has benefited tremendously from adopting Graham's approach to investing. Below are five value investors that aren't very well-known, despite having an impeccable track record for beating the market year after year.

Key Takeaways Michael Lee-Chin is president and chair of Portland Holdings, a Canadian holdings company.

David Abrams runs Boston-based hedge fund Abrams Capital Management.

Mohnish Pabrai runs the Pabrai Investment Funds.

Allan Mecham used to manage Arlington Value Capital Management in Salt Lake City.

Tom Gayner, as co-chief executive officer of Markel Corp., manages the insurer's portfolio.

1. Michael Lee-Chin

Born in 1951 in Jamaica, Michael Lee-Chin is one of Canadas most benevolent billionaires. After finishing high school, Lee-Chin migrated to Canada to further his education in engineering. He entered the financial sector at the age of 26 with a job as a mutual fund salesperson. As Lee-Chin went door-to-door trying to convince households to purchase mutual funds, he developed an obsession with discovering an invariable formula that he could use to make clients wealthyand himself, too.

Years later, he found that formula and codified it into five characteristics shared among wealthy investors:

They own a concentrated portfolio of high-quality businesses. They understand the businesses in their portfolio. They use other peoples money prudently to create their wealth. They ensure that their businesses are in industries with strong, long-term growth. They hold their businesses for the long term.

Armed with these five laws, Lee-Chin borrowed half a million dollars and invested it in only one company. Four years later, the value of his shares increased sevenfold. He sold those shares and used the profit to acquire a small mutual fund company that he grew from $800,000 in assets under management (AUM) to more than $15 billion before he sold the company to Manulife Financial (MFC).

Today Lee-Chin is the chair of Portland Holdings, a company that owns a diverse collection of businesses throughout the Caribbean and North America. His mantra is buy, hold, and prosper. As of May 2022, his net worth is $1.8 billion.

2. David Abrams

With very little in marketing and fundraising campaigns, David Abrams has built a hedge fund with over $10 billion worth of assets under management. As the head of Boston-based Abrams Capital Management, founded in 1999, Abrams has performed better than most fund managers by realizing an annualized net return of 15% for investors in the funds first 15 years. Abrams fund is unleveredit doesn't invest with borrowed (leveraged) fundsand it maintains a lot of cash on hand.

A look into Abrams Capital's December 2020 SEC Form 13-F filing reveals that the firm held a very concentrated portfolio of $3.55 billion with large stakes in each of its holdings. Abrams's large holdings in terms of value, comprising 37% of the portfolio, were Lithia Motors (LAD) (19% of the portfolio), Transdigm Group (TDG) (9%), and Meta (META), formerly Facebook, (9%).

3. Mohnish Pabrai

Well-known for spending more than $650,000 for the opportunity to have lunch with Warren Buffett, Mohnish Pabrai follows the value investing dogma to a T. According to Forbes, Pabrai "has no interest in a company that looks 10% undervalued. He is angling to make five times his money in a few years. If he doesn't think the opportunity is blindingly obvious, he passes."

After selling his IT business for $6 million in 2000, Pabrai launched Pabrai Investment Funds, an investment firm modeled after Buffett's investment partnerships. His "heads I win, tails I don't lose much" approach to investing is working. His portfolio concentrates on India and emerging nations, as he doesn't find many mispriced or undervalued stocks in the U.S. market. If someone invested $100,000 in July 1999 with Pabrai, that investment would have grown to $1.8 million by March 2018.

As of April 2022, Pabrai Investment Funds managed over $700 million in assets.

4. Allan Mecham

Allan Mecham is not your typical hedge fund manager. He is a college dropout and lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, far from Wall Street, founded Arlington Value Capital Management. In March 2017, Mecham reported the AVM Ranger fund ended 2016 with a 29.1% gain (before fees) versus 12% for the S&P 500. Over 8.5 years, the fund had compounded at 30.7% per year.

With over $1.2 billion in assets under management in March 2020, Mecham executed a value investing strategy for his clients. Making about one or two trades a year, he held from six to 12 stocks in his portfolio and spent most of his time reading companies' annual reports. His major positions were in Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B)Buffett's company occupied 33% of the portfolioand Cimpress PLC (CMPR) (11%).

In April 2020, it was reported Allan Mecham was closing Arlington Value Capital Management due to health issues. According to the company's SEC Form 13F-NT for 2020, Brave Warrior Advisors, LLC managed Arlington Value Capital's holdings.

5. Tom Gayner

As co-chief executive officer of the Markel Corporation (MKL), a reinsurance business that has a similar business model to Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A), Tom Gayner is in charge of investing activities for Markel, including managing its float. The float is the funds provided by policyholders that are held prior to Markel's insurance subsidies making claim payments.

After 56 years as a private company, Markel went public in 1986. Gayner joined the company in 1990 after working as a certified public accountant for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Before becoming co-chief executive officer in 2016, Gayner served as president and chief investment officer from May 2010 to December 2015.

In 1986, Markel's total operating revenues were just $33.3 million, and total assets were $57 million. By 2020, those numbers had jumped to $9.7 billion in operating revenues and $42 billion in total assets. At year-end 2020, the company's 20-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for book value was 11%.

Gayner's strategy is to allocate funds into a large portfolio of businesses that are undervalued by the market. He values companies with good management first and foremost, favoring large-cap, global ventures.

The Bottom Line

Warren Buffett is not the only value investor that the market has rewarded. Many investors have benefited from faithfully executing Benjamin Grahams strategy of selecting stocks that trade for less than their intrinsic values.
Wind energy is part of the fast-growing renewable energy industry, which is designed to produce energy with lower carbon emissions and less pollution. The Global Wind Energy Council notes that the global wind industry has increased dramatically in recent years. The industry has different facets, such as developing and managing wind farms, producing and distributing the electricity generated by wind power, and manufacturing, distributing, and maintaining machinery. The size of competitors ranges from small players to large, multinational companies that operate their wind energy business as a division or subsidiary.

The wind energy sector, represented by the First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN), underperformed the broader stock market over the past year. FAN provided a total return of -12.7% over the past 12 months, well below the Russell 1000's total return of -7.1%. These market performance numbers and all statistics in the tables below are as of Aug. 6, 2022. The conversion rate from CAD to USD was 0.77 as of Aug. 8, 2022.

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Passage The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, was signed by President Biden on Aug. 16, 2022. The legislation calls for a more-than-$300-billion investment in energy and climate reform. This would be the largest federal investment in clean energy in U.S. history. Measures in the bill would invest in renewable energy infrastructure, including additional wind turbines and the manufacture of solar panels. Individuals would receive tax credits on the purchase of electric vehicles and steps taken to make homes more energy efficient.

Here are the top three wind stocks with the best value, fastest growth, and best performance.

These are the wind stocks with the lowest 12-month trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. Because profits can be returned to shareholders in the form of dividends and buybacks, a low P/E ratio shows youre paying less for each dollar of profit generated.
Back in the late 1990s, after deregulation ushered in an era of lower costs and fewer creature comforts, Brazilian-American airline entrepreneur David Neeleman launched a new airline with one goal in mind: to bring "humanity back to air travel." JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU) was incorporated in 1998 and began operations in Feb. 2000. Based on revenue passenger miles (RPM), the company became the fifth-largest domestic airline in the United States by the end of 2013.

JetBlue had a market capitalization of $4.51 billion as of Dec. 15, 2020. It is beloved among air travelers who rave over the free perksunlimited brand-name drinks and snacks, in-flight WiFi, satellite radio, and DirecTV, not to mention its best-in-class legroom in coach.

A major chunk of JetBlue is held by institutional investors such as the Vanguard Group, Inc. and BlackRock, Inc. (BLK). Institutional investors are individuals, organizations, or groups of investors that have a significant amount of money to invest, such as mutual funds, pension funds, and insurance companies. The top individual JetBlue shareholders are current company executives and a former board member. Here are the top five individual shareholders according to the company's proxy filings in April 2020. All figures include restricted stock units (RSU), stock options, as well as common stock.

Key Takeaways JetBlue's top five shareholders include current company executives and a former chair of the board.

As part of their annual compensation, JetBlue executives receive stock awardscalled restricted stock unitswhich are issued on a specific date after certain performance conditions are met.

As of March 2020, JetBlue's top institutional investors included the Vanguard Group, BlackRock Inc., and Primecap Management Company.

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes has the top individual ownership of the airline's shares, owning more than 823,000 shares.

Joel Peterson, former JetBlue chair of the board, has the second-highest share ownership, holding over 527,000 shares.

Robin Hayes

Robin Hayes took over as the company President in 2014 and then nearly a year later assumed the role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Hayes was a JetBlue executive for seven years before that, joining the company after a 19-year career with British Airways. Hayes has overseen the expansion of Mint, JetBlue's extremely popular premium cabin with lie-flat seats and private suites. Hayes received $2.55 million in stock awards in 2019 in addition to his $600,000 base salary. As per the filings, he owns more than 823,000 shares in the company.

JetBlue's fleet includes 262 planes. The company has focus cities in New York, Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Juan.

Joel Peterson

Joel Peterson is a former chair of JetBlue Airways board, a position he retired from in May 2020. Peterson, a founding partner and chair of Peterson Partners LP, a Utah-based investment management firm, has a long relationship with David Neeleman, JetBlue's founder. Peterson's firm handled venture capital for Neeleman's airline venture, Brazilian Azul S.A. (AZUL). Joel Peterson owned 527,255 shares in JetBlue as of the most recent filings.

Joanna Geraghty

Joanna Geraghty has been JetBlue's President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) since May 2018. Geraghty joined the company in 2005 and was Executive Vice President of Customer Experience from 2015 to 2018 and was previously the airline's Vice President and Associate General Counsel. Geraghty owns more than 323,000 shares in the company and received a $535,833 base salary and $1.42 million in stock awards in 2019. 

Easwaran Sundaram

Easwaran Sundaram is JetBlue's Chief Digital and Technology Officer. Prior to joining the airline in 2012 as Chief Information Officer (CIO), Sundaram was CIO at Pall Corporation. Sundaram owns more than 189,000 shares in the company and received a $444,167 base salary and approximately $550,000 in stock awards in 2019.

Stephen Priest

Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Stephen Priest joined JetBlue in 2015 as Vice President of Structural Programs. Before joining the airline, Priest was Senior Vice President for British Airways, leading the carrier's joint venture with American Airlines in the North Atlantic. Priest owns more than 172,000 shares in the company and received a $472,917 base salary and approximately $1.17 million in stock awards in 2019.
Finance can be a fiercely competitive field. After all, its a famously high-paying industry known to deal out six or seven figures in salaries and bonuses for those at the top. Even those on the bottom rung can expect to start at a good wage compared with other fields.

You may not walk into your dream job right away, but the good news is that finance is a vast industry, so when youre in, theres plenty of room to evolve, move around, and find your niche. First, however, you have to get your foot in the door.

Women and members of many minority groups are underrepresented in financial occupations. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for 2021 show that women made up 40.2% of financial and investment analysts; 13.1% were Black or African American, 20.7% were Asian, and 10.7% were Latino or Hispanic. Among personal finance advisors, the numbers were 33.8% women, 7.3% Black or African American, 7.5% Asian, and 7.7% Latino or Hispanic.

Key Takeaways Finance-sector jobs pay higher than the median salary, even at entry-level positions.

There is a lack of racial and gender diversity in the finance industry.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that finance sector jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2020 to 2030.

You dont need an Ivy League background to get in on the finance action, but an undergraduate degree is required at the very least, and economics- or math-oriented majors are preferable.

Popular entry-level jobs in finance include analysts, tax associates, auditors, and financial advisors.

2:08 A Look At Entry-Level Careers In Finance

Entry-Level Salary

According to the job-search website Glassdoor, entry-level finance compensation averages a whopping $94,000 a year as of December 2021. Figures compiled by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) are lower but still top the median salary. According their 2022 Salary Survey, Computer Science majors saw the biggest starting salaries, $75,900 per year (up 5% from 2021). Engineering graduates are likely to see the second-highest paychecks, with an average salary projection of around $74,000 (up 4% from 2021).

Starting paychecks for majors in the business, finance, accounting, insurance, and real estate fields can expect to have a median of $60,695 annually, up more than 3% from 2021.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to get a sense of how high the overall average income is, in Q2 2022, the median individual income was $1,037 per week ($53,924 annually). And the median U.S. household income was $79,900 for the fiscal year 2021, per the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The BLS estimates that employment in business and financial operations occupations is projected to grow 8% from 2020 to 2030which is about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Education Requirements

So how do you start? Well, the good news is that you dont need a Harvard Business School degree. Having several years of financial or business work experience is often preferable before acquiring an MBA.

However, an undergraduate degree is required for a position at almost any reputable financial institution. Though companies claim they hire majors of all types, ideally, your academic background should demonstrate your ability to understand and work with numbers. That requires knowledge of economics, applied mathematics, accounting, business, and computer sciences.

Interestingly, the NACE study found that in breaking down financial sector salaries by major, those who concentrated on engineering and computer sciences were higher. At the same time, those in sales and communication ranked lower. If your primary major is in a different field, try to minor in a finance-related area.

Internships Are a Steppingstone

Internships are even more critical. Many firms visit campuses to recruit for summer internships or hold symposia, workshops, or networking opportunities. Examples include the Goldman Sachs Undergraduate Camp and Morgan Stanley's Career Discovery Day.

Internships can be as tough to secure as an actual job, but they're invaluable. Not only do they provide contacts and experience, but they also often lead directly to a spot in the company's training program after graduationor, at least, in the innermost circle of consideration.

Continuing Financial Education

If youve already graduated, continuing education is another way to boost your financial IQ and demonstrate your commitment to a financial sector career. Finance-specific credentials such as the chartered financial analyst (CFA), the certified public accountant (CPA), or the certified financial planner (CFP) designations can all help your job prospects, depending on the particular facet of finance you are targeting.

In the United States, professionals who plan to deal with investments and finances must pass a series of licensing exams. You had to be sponsored by a financial institution even to take one of these tests in the past. However, as of 2018, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) finalized the new Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam, which can be taken without sponsorship.

The exam is open to anyone 18 years old and over; the 75-question, 105-minute SIE is ideal for demonstrating basic industry knowledge to potential employers, to quote the FINRA website.

$81,410 The projected median pay in 2021 (the most recent figure, as of April 18, 2022) for a financial analyst with a bachelors degree in finance.

Lack of Diversity in the Financial Industry

Unfortunately, there is a lack of diversity in the financial industry, especially within top management positions. Companies are working to address and remedy this inequity. For example, according to the CFP Board, the number of Black and Latino CFP fiance professionals grew 12% (the highest increase ever) in 2019. However, there are still only 3,259 Black and Latino CFP professionals overall.

There are nonprofits and advocacy groups, like the Alliance of Black Women Accountants and the National Association of Black Accountants, available to support people of color working or who want to work in finance. In addition, 100 Women in Finance, the Greenwood Project, and Blackstone: Future Women Leaders Program are sources providing support to people of color and women in the workplace.

According to a study by Bloomberg, minority students, especially women, are underrepresented in business schools. According to data, "half the Hispanic share of the U.S. population. Black students had 8% of MBA seats, less than the 14% Black share of the population. Asian students, the best-represented group, exceeded the Asian share of the U.S. population at 62 of 84 schools."

More students who identify as BIPOC, particularly women, should investigate grants and scholarships designed to help finance majors earn their degrees to boost these figures. Among them are:

National Association of Black Accountants National Scholarship

Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Scholarship Award for Minority Accounting Students

The Tang Scholarship



Looking for Finance Jobs: Best Entry-Level Positions

The key is to identify the most rewarding entry-level jobs in terms of salary and future career prospects and think hard about which might be the best fit for your abilities and interests. When you have narrowed down which interests you the most, you can begin your search.

Aside from your network of friends and family, online job sites are a logical place to search for entry-level finance roles. LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster are good sites. Still, it might be more efficient to scour sites that specialize in finance-industry jobs or resources, such as eFinancialCareers, BrokerHunter, or 10X EBITDA (for investment banking).

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts work for investment companies, insurance companies, consulting firms, and other corporate entities. Responsible for consolidating and analyzing budgets and income statement projections. They prepare reports, conduct business studies, and develop forecast models. Financial analysts research economic conditions, industry trends, and company fundamentals.

They also often recommend a course of action for investments, reducing costs, and improving financial performance. Along with a bachelors degree in finance, accounting, or economics, you should have robust information technology (IT) skills for an analyst role.

The BLS estimated that there were about 492,100 financial analyst jobs in the American economy in 2020 and projected an average growth rate of 6% through 2030 for them. According to the BLS, financial analysts earned a median salary of $83,660 in 2020.

Financial careers tend to be found and flourish in major financial hubs and cities like New York, Chicago, London, and Tokyo. Seeking out college internships at major financial firms' headquarters can help you get ahead when you begin to apply for entry-level positions.

Investment Banking Analyst

Investment banking is one of the most prestigious areas of the financial sector; investment banking professionals assist individuals, corporations, venture capital firms, and even governments with their requirements related to capital. Investment banks underwrite new debt and equities for all types of corporations, aid in selling securities, take companies public, and facilitate mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, and broker trades for both institutions and private investors.

An analyst usually fills an entry-level role at an investment bank, hedge fund, or venture capital firm. Their most common duties include producing deal-related materials, performing industry research and financial analyses of corporate performance, and collecting materials for due diligence. Recommendations based on the interpretation of financial data often play a role in determining whether certain activities or deals are feasible.

The average investment banking analyst's starting salary was $70,168 in December 2021, according to Payscale, a compensation-analysis site. Candidates have a bachelor's degree in economics, finance, or management, though this is one job for which a master's degree in these areas helps too.

Junior Tax Associate/Accountant

Some financial services remain in constant demand, especially those associated with taxationthe need to comply with changing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations and local and state laws. These professionals implement measures and develop policies relating to taxes, including calculating and estimating payments, conducting research, reviewing internal fiscal systems, preparing returns and other tax-related documents, and working with auditors.

These duties may sound arcane, but tax-related jobs can often lead to corporate positions such as controller (or comptroller), accounting manager, budget director, and even treasurer or chief financial officer (CFO). For this sort of work, candidates need a bachelors degree in accounting (or at least accounting skills) and a CPA license if you want to advance. However, companies often offer the opportunity to obtain one while on the job.

With this in mind, a junior tax associates role is ideal for college graduates seeking work experience in the financial sector. According to the BLS, the annual median salary was $55,640 in 2020, but this field might see a 4% decline in jobs by 2030.

Though financial jobs often come with high pay and prestige, they are also among the most stressful and early career burnout is not uncommon.

Personal Financial Advisor

Personal financial advisors evaluate the monetary needs of individuals and help them make decisions about investing, budgeting, and saving. Advisors help clients strategize for short- and long-term financial goals, from tax planning to retirement planning to estate planning. Many advisors provide tax services or sell insurance in addition to providing financial counsel. They might offer financial products such as mutual funds or even directly manage investments or serve as a liaison between the individual and an asset manager.

The BLS estimates the median annual wage in 2021 for personal financial advisors was $94,170 but projects a slower-than-average growth of 5% through 2030. The BLS cites such demographic trends as the retirement of the baby boomer generation, the growing numbers of self-employed people, and the dwindling of private-sector employer pension plans as driving a need for advisory services.

The profession doesn't require any specific bachelor's degree. However, financial advisors can benefit from the study of economics, math, and finance. They also need to be good communicators because they must interpret and explain complex subjects to laypeople, so the critical thinking and analytical and writing skills honed in liberal arts fields can be helpful too.

Personal financial advisors who directly buy or sell stocks, bonds, or insurance policies or provide specific investment advice must pass various licensing examinations. However, this is done on the job because you have to be employed or sponsored by a securities or investment firm to take them. Remember, though, that anyone can take the basic SIE exam. Many advisors also earn industry credentials, such as becoming a CFP, to enhance their prestige and networking opportunities.

How Many Jobs Are Available in Finance? There are literally thousands of jobs available in the robust finance industry from finance assistant to CEO, and accountant to a certified financial advisor. It depends on the sector you are job hunting in, for example, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are 41,000 financial analyst jobs added every year.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Finance Degree? There are several entry-level jobs you can get with a finance degree, depending on your area of study, type of degree, and experience. Junior tax accountant, stockbroker, personal finance advisor, banking assistant, and financial analyst are a few entry-level choices. There are also many jobs available to MBA graduates, including financial analysts, accountants, tax advisors, certified financial advisors, and/or a position at a hedge fund or in the securities market. These are all jobs that may be open to an MBA graduate.

What Are the Highest Paying Finance Jobs? Some of the highest paying jobs in finance include private equity associate, chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, or hedge fund manager.

What Is the Entry-Level Salary for a Finance Job? The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) lists an expected average first-year salary of $60,695 for business and finance-related majors in 2022. The jobs and compensation-tracking website Glassdoor indicates that for 2022, the average entry-level finance position is paid a base salary of around $46,000 plus bonuses and additional compensation of $48,000, for a total of $94,000.

Where Do I Look to Find a Finance Job? Online websites can be an excellent resource. LinkedIn, Monster, and Indeed are all helpful job-search sites, but don't neglect using those that specialize in finance-industry jobs or resources. These include eFinancialCareers, BrokerHunter, and 10X EBITDA (for investment banking). Of course, personal connections are generally pure gold, so nothing is as effective as a useful network of friends and family, should you be fortunate enough to have one.

The Bottom Line

Getting your foot in the finance door takes serious preparation and commitment. Its a highly competitive industry, so treat the process as a job in itself, leave no networking stone unturned, and keep up to date with all the latest finance news. Develop your knowledge, pursue further education if required, be as proactive as possible, and remember to stay positive.

Joining the world of finance is definitely possible if you play your search cards right. And dont worry if your first job isnt your dream job. The goal is to find your way inside that heavily guarded fortress. You can work on the rest from there.
An exhibition of photographic portraits celebrating the beauty of red hair is being held at Cork International Airport from March 7-31, 2016.

Jorg Koster, a Cork-based advertising, fashion, and food photographer, began the five-year project after developing an interest in red-haired subjects after shooting Irish clothing products for German catalogues. After a friend told him about the Irish Redhead Convention, a unique festival celebrating red hair that takes place every August in Crosshaven, Co Cork, he set up a photo studio at the event. Redheads were invited to get their portrait snapped for free at the festival, with proceeds from the sales of prints directly donated to the Irish Cancer Society. According to a press release on the photographic exhibition, the contribution to the charity has reached nearly 4,000 to date.

Koster, a German native, has now photographed over a thousand individual redheaded men, women, and children from all over the world and the project is ongoing.

I am very excited to show a selection of my redhead portraits as large scale prints in a beautiful public space like Cork Airport, said Koster. In a world of digital perfection, we in the advertising business spend a lot of time manipulating images and distorting reality to create flawless subjects.

I wanted my portraits to be natural, spontaneous and pure. By using daylight and a grey backdrop I aimed to bring out the natural beauty of red hair and freckles, which for so long were considered to be a flaw.

It has been a great experience to meet so many proud redheads, hear their stories and receive so many positive Facebook messages from all over the world. he said.

Speaking about the exhibition, Kevin Cullinane, Head of Communications at Cork Airport, said: With over 7,500 people per day expected through Cork Airport in March, this is an exciting project and wonderful local tourism event that we are delighted to be supporting.

With Ireland at the forefront of global St. Patricks Day celebrations this month, we think this project embodies Irish culture and our people in a unique way.

The exhibition of portraits, featuring the full color spectrum of red hair from strawberry blonde to flaming auburn, will officially open on Thursday, March 10th at 5.30pm with a reception and a visit from King and Queen of the Redheads Alan Reidy and Grainne Keena.

There is such diversity amongst redheads, yet together there is an amazingly strong sense of community, said Joleen Cronin, founder and event organizer of the Irish Redhead Convention. This project captures the essence of this concept so beautifully and viewers will be enthralled by the details in the differences and the personalities that shine through in each portrait. After all, every ginger tells a story.

Cronin has said that they would love to eventually bring the exhibition stateside to Boston or New York if they could find a host, and added they have long term plans to make a book of the portraits.

The Irish Redhead Convention will participate in Cork Citys St Patricks Day celebrations and are hosting a redhead-only Foxy Float in this years parade. For more information, visit redheadconvention.ie.

Red hair is the rarest hair color in the world, with only 0.6 percent of the global population having naturally red hues.
Hillary Clinton has released her Irish platform well before St.Patricks Day targeting Irish in key primary states such as Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois and New York.

The campaign released the Clinton priority list and her record on Irish issues on Saturday. It also refers to two recent honors from the Irish community, the Hall of Fame membership for her role in the North from Irish America Magazine, as well as a major honor from the American Ireland Fund.

To date there been no similar document from either Bernie Sanders or her Republican rivals, John McCarthy of Irish Americans for Hillary called it very good news from the campaign and a clear indication they are looking at Irish issues.

Here is the actual text. It opens with the headline Hillary has a record of standing by the Irish American community."

As First Lady, she directly supported the Northern Ireland peace process by engaging womens groups, bringing them into the process and setting the foundation for a more durable peace. Her visits to the Catholic and Protestant sects in Belfast to meet working-class women from both communities helped empower key voices for peace. During the talks, Hillary was active in urging all of the parties to keep moving forward and advocated the inclusion of women in the peace process. She helped lay the groundwork for cross-community parties such as the Womens Coalition in decisive years when the peace process was being bedded down. Once the peace talks began, Hillary was influential in ensuring the peace accords addressed equality based on gender, religion, and sexual orientation. She visited Northern Ireland five times, beginning in 1995 when she visited with President Clinton in what was described as a turning point for the conflict.

she directly supported the Northern Ireland peace process by engaging womens groups, bringing them into the process and setting the foundation for a more durable peace. Her visits to the Catholic and Protestant sects in Belfast to meet working-class women from both communities helped empower key voices for peace. During the talks, Hillary was active in urging all of the parties to keep moving forward and advocated the inclusion of women in the peace process. She helped lay the groundwork for cross-community parties such as the Womens Coalition in decisive years when the peace process was being bedded down. Once the peace talks began, Hillary was influential in ensuring the peace accords addressed equality based on gender, religion, and sexual orientation. She visited Northern Ireland five times, beginning in 1995 when she visited with President Clinton in what was described as a turning point for the conflict. As Senator from New York, she represented New Yorks vibrant Irish-American community. She visited the Republic of Ireland on her first trip in the Senate, and Northern Ireland on her second trip. She worked with community leaders, met with Irish leaders every year she was a Senator and had an intern in her office from Northern Ireland every year. She was a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, where she defended human rights and religious tolerance in Europe. Hillary also continuously supported comprehensive immigration reform and sponsored the Immigrant Childrens Health Improvement Act in the Senate, which later became law and allows immigrant children and pregnant women to obtain Medicaid.

she represented New Yorks vibrant Irish-American community. She visited the Republic of Ireland on her first trip in the Senate, and Northern Ireland on her second trip. She worked with community leaders, met with Irish leaders every year she was a Senator and had an intern in her office from Northern Ireland every year. She was a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, where she defended human rights and religious tolerance in Europe. Hillary also continuously supported comprehensive immigration reform and sponsored the Immigrant Childrens Health Improvement Act in the Senate, which later became law and allows immigrant children and pregnant women to obtain Medicaid. As Secretary of State, she ensured Ireland was high on the U.S. foreign policy priority list. She traveled to Northern Ireland in 2009, urging Stormont to complete the process of devolution, which contributed to the Hillsborough Agreement in 2010. She also pledged that the United States would stand behind Northern Ireland as it continued its work toward lasting peace and stability.In one of her last oversees trips as Secretary of State, she traveled to Northern Ireland and Ireland in December 2012. She pledged to work with the Irish Government on shoring up their economy and in March 2009, she met with Charlie Bird, the Washington Correspondent of Ireland's public broadcaster RTE, for one of her earliest sit-down interviews since becoming the Secretary. She appointed a Special Economic Envoy for Northern Ireland, which helped regenerate the local economy by securing new investment in Northern Ireland, and worked behind the scenes, continuing to encourage Northern Irelands leaders and promote implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

she ensured Ireland was high on the U.S. foreign policy priority list. She traveled to Northern Ireland in 2009, urging Stormont to complete the process of devolution, which contributed to the Hillsborough Agreement in 2010. She also pledged that the United States would stand behind Northern Ireland as it continued its work toward lasting peace and stability.In one of her last oversees trips as Secretary of State, she traveled to Northern Ireland and Ireland in December 2012. She pledged to work with the Irish Government on shoring up their economy and in March 2009, she met with Charlie Bird, the Washington Correspondent of Ireland's public broadcaster RTE, for one of her earliest sit-down interviews since becoming the Secretary. She appointed a Special Economic Envoy for Northern Ireland, which helped regenerate the local economy by securing new investment in Northern Ireland, and worked behind the scenes, continuing to encourage Northern Irelands leaders and promote implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. As a citizen, Hillary was inducted into the Irish American Hall of Fame in 2015 for her contribution to Northern Ireland peace. Prior to this, she has received countless awards and honors for her role in Ireland and advocacy on behalf of Irish America including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Worldwide Ireland Funds.

As President, Hillary will continue to fight for issues that are important to the Irish American Community. She will fight to:

Keep families together through comprehensive immigration reform: There are an estimated 50,000 undocumented immigrants from Ireland living in the United States. As president, Hillary will fight for comprehensive immigration reform that provides a full and equal path to citizenship, treats every person with dignity, upholds the rule of law, protects our borders and national security, and brings millions of hardworking people into the formal economy. She will protect and defend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), put in place a simple, straightforward, accessible system for parents of DREAMers and others with a history of service and contribution to their communities to be able to make their case and be eligible for deferred action, and call on Congress to repeal the 3- and 10-year bars. Hillary believes we should do more to encourage Irish immigrants who are eligible for citizenship to take that final step, including expanding fee-waivers and outreach programs.

Ensure Quality Education: Hillary will champion new opportunities in education to ensure nothing stands in the way of all Americans achieving their full potential. Hillary will increase our investment in Early Head Start and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program. She also has a plan to make pre-K universal for all 4 year-olds in America, and will fight for strong public schools in every community across the country. Like too many Americans, Irish Americans and Irish immigrants face difficulty in paying for college and paying off their student debt. Through her New College Compact, Hillary will fight to ensure that cost is not a barrier for anyone who wants to attend collegeand that debt wont hold them back when they do.

Create Good-Paying Jobs and Get Incomes Rising Again: Hillary has said getting incomes rising is the defining economic challenge of our time, and she will fight to raise incomes so that all American families can get ahead and stay ahead. Her plan includes raising the minimum wage, ensuring equal pay for women, providing incentives for companies to share profits with their employees, guaranteeing paid family and medical leave, and boosting apprenticeships to help more people get into the workforce. She recently announced a major plan to invest $125 billion to create good-paying jobs, rebuild crumbling infrastructure, and connect housing to opportunity in communities that are being left out and left behind. Her plan includes investing $20 billion to create youth jobs, and another $25 billion to support entrepreneurship and small business growth in underserved communities. She will pay for the new investments in this initiative through a tax on Wall Streetensuring that the major financial institutions that contributed to the Great Recession are doing their part in bringing back the communities they hurt the most.

Expand Access to Affordable Health Care to All Families: Hillary has been fighting her entire life to ensure that families have access to affordable health care. She will stand up to Republican attempts to roll back the Affordable Care Act and will protect the progress we have made. She will work to lower out-of-pocket health care costs, reduce the cost of prescription drugs and transform our health care system to reward value and quality. She believes we should let familiesregardless of immigration statusbuy into the Affordable Care Act exchanges. As president, Hillary will fight to defend Medicare and Social Security as well as expand benefits for widows and women who have taken time out of the workforceso that all American families can retire with dignity.

Stand with Our Allies and Re-Affirm the Importance of the Trans-Atlantic Alliance: Hillary knows that the world is too complex and complicated for the U.S. to go it alone. As President, shell ensure that we support our allies like Ireland and the United Kingdom, and work together on important issues such as climate change, fighting terrorism, and economic security. Above all, this is an alliance of values, rooted in a deep commitment to liberty and democracy.
Irish republican hero Michael Collins has earned himself a new rival from the grave as the resting place of the charismatic storyteller and historian who once told the Big Fellow's story from up above is attracting more and more visitors to his own graveside.

The inimitable Shane Mac Thomais was long known as one of the great beating hearts behind the increasingly popular tours in Glasnevin Cemetery before he tragically died by suicide in 2014, aged 46, on the grounds of the historical site he had poured so much energy into.

Immortalized in the film One Million Dubliners by Aoife Kelleher - a beautiful movie hearing the stories held within the walls of the massive cemetery - Mac Thomais is now becoming just as popular with visitors as Collins, with many wishing to see the resting place of the much loved tour guide.

"He is a great loss to the cemetery. But his legacy is still there, Niall Oman, who currently gives tours in Glasnevin Cemetery, told the Evening Herald.

People on the tours will constantly say where's Shane's grave, which I think is funny because in the film he mentions Collins' grave being the most visited and all of the flowers on his grave and now Shane himself is kind of rivaling Collins. If you go down to Shane's grave, he always seems to have flowers.

"He is like Collins, in the sense that he died young - too young, he continued. He is still very popular to this day and he has a great film made about him, so you can't argue with that."

Read more: Ten most famous people buried in Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery

Oman has a very strong link with the cemetery himself, showing visitors the grave of his great-grandfather who took part in the 1916 Easter Rising and the War of Independence.

During the Rising centenary, Oman remembers his deceased relative, William Oman, as the 15-year-old Dublin boy, possibly one of the youngest members of the Irish Citizen Army, who would kick off the rebellion with a burst of his bugle outside of Liberty Hall on the morning of Easter Monday, 1916.

Just months before this he had sounded the bugle at the graveside of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa as they laid the great rebel to rest in Glasnevin Cemetery. Were sure that any prospect of his great-grandson retelling his life story a hundred years on, as his body lay in the very same graveyard was unimaginable to the young Dubliner at the time.

"We would have been told from a young age that our great-grandfather fought in the 1916 Rising and that he fought in the War of Independence, said Niall who has worked as a tourguide in Glasnevin Cemetery for the past six years.

"Because he was only 15, he was released from Richmond Barracks after being arrested after about 10 days."

When he first began to work in the cemetery, the 28-year-old history teacher was among those lucky few who had the honor of learning from the best, Shane Mac Thomais himself.

Continuing on Mac Thomaiss legacy, the tour has become a must see for many visitors to Irelands capital. Impressive praise for a graveyard but Glasnevin is no ordinary cemetery.

Within its grounds you will find greats of Irish history and literature scattered among the 1.5 million buried in Dublins Northside. They include Michael Collins, Maud Gonne, Countess Markievicz, Eamon de Valera, Joseph Mary Plunkett, his wife Grace Gifford and in recent years, Luke Kelly from The Dubliners and literary legends Brendan Behan and Christy Brown.

Read more: Michael Collins and Arthur Griffiths lives celebrated in Glasnevin cemetery

The sheer mass of Irish people of note in one space brings everybody from history buffs, to poets, to remaining families members to pay their respects, with Collins even receiving almost a hundred Valentines Day cards each year almost a hundred years after his death.

The Corkman is also visited by a mystery Frenchwoman every year, recently revealed as Veronique Crombie, a lecturer at the French National Museum who admits to a passionate love for the Irish revolutionary.

"The cemetery had its first burial in February 1832 - it was opened by Daniel O'Connell because he wanted a cemetery that would be for all religions and no religion, Oman told the Herald.

It has always been non-denominational and at present we have about 25 different religions and faiths buried here.

"We started with nine acres of land and now we have 124 acres of land. By population, it is the biggest in the country because there is 1.5 million buried here - that's more than Dublin's population.

"So when you say to people on tours that there is more people below ground in Glasnevin than there is above ground, it hits home the size and scale of it."

With such an interesting and fascinating history, the unlikely tourist attraction is smashing its tourist targets and hoping to reach an incredible 90,000 visitors in 2016, a massive progression from the days in which Mac Thomais would walk around the graves giving tours by himself on a daily basis.

According to Oman: The major increase in tourism came in 2010 when we opened the museum here, and with the museum, the word got out that tours are really an attraction. There are also exhibitions and a coffee shop here as well.

You can watch a performance from the charismatic Shane Mac Thomais in the video below. Shot in his beloved Glasnevin Cemetery, Mac Thomais stands in the tomb of Daniel OConnell to tell the story of the Great Liberator.
Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn was great--we had the city at our disposal and decades before helicopter parents began to hover, we kids had the freedom to wander. Of course, lest you think we roamed the streets like a gang of thugs, let me assure you that somehow they, the all-powerful grown-ups, knew where we were at all times. We certainly had freedom but unlike todays youngsters we also had clear-cut and indisputable chores. Somehow, though, being raised by three fierce female Irish immigrants I seemed to paradoxically have both more of both.

Mary, my actual mother, was the youngest of nine children raised on a farm in County Antrim. She had come to the States in the mid 50s to join her two oldest sisters, Sarah and Catherine who had emigrated through Ellis Island decades earlier. Both had happily settled into their new lives as Americans with husbands, homes and children and in fact, they both went to business, not common for women back then.

It seems that after growing up on a working farm, simply keeping house and corralling kids was just not enough for either of them. By the time my mother decided to join them in New York, Catherine and Sarah were firmly entrenched in the American way.

The story of the sisters going to Idlewild Airport to pick up their almost unknown baby sister is family legend. Apparently, in preparation for her momentous trip across the sea young Mary had home permed her flaming red hair to a frizzle and dressed to impress in her finest boots and assorted unmatched borrowed finery. The now-sophisticated city sisters clucked and muttered but took their new arrival under their wings and soon enough transformed the eager Mary into the newest New Yorker.

Mary loved her new life here but sadly lost her young husband shortly before I was born. Aunts Catherine and Sarah again closed their wings, this time around the two of us, and since my cousins were grown I quickly became the family pet -- and pet project.

My mother remarried and I finally got my own little sister, but even though we lived in different boroughs my aunts were still an absolute part of every day, as was the spectre of childhood on an Irish farm. This was the 60s, dont forget, and since self-esteem hadnt been invented yet all us kids were ruled by benevolent dictators and put to work at the whim of the sovereign.

Still somehow my family seemed, well, different. I lived one block short of the school bus route and it was indeed quite a walk. Like many people in Brooklyn, my mother didnt drive and that daily walk to and from school often felt like a trek through the Sahara...or Antarctica.

If I had the audacity to complain, Id hear, Oh Jaysus, Cathy, I had a five-mile journey to school uphill both ways with a hot potato in my pocket for lunch. Stop whinging! I couldnt whinge about the seemingly endless hike with the shopping cart to get groceries either, as I was firmly told that her daily task of chasing, beheading and de-feathering dinner was way more difficult than picking up a package of pre-plucked chicken. No arguing with that!

Complaining about any perceived school injustices perpetrated upon my small self were also met and trumped by Irish schooldays memories. It seems the teachers in Ballymena often sent wayward students outside to cut their own tree branch, to be imminently used as a weapon against them...Yikes! As a parochial school student, however, I also was well aware that if I upset the nun at school for any reason, I was due for a nice clout at home too. No sympathy on that front either.

As I grew older, the advice became sometimes downright strange. I clearly remember my mother suddenly and gravely warning me about the dangers of walking in back of a cow (it might have been a horse?) as it would surely kick me in the head. Aunt Catherine once cautioned me about never buying a hen on a rainy day and I am well aware that turkeys hate to get wet, all bewildering information for a kid growing up in the city. Hmmm, then again, you never do know what you might run into on the subway.

In fact, both aunts and my mother were an endless flow of warnings, usually dire. For example, I will never buy anyone a pair of shoes, as they will surely walk out of my life. Least said really is soonest mended and Ive learned never to carry the lazy mans load as half of it really does drop.

Its during the teen years that having three mothers really does become a trial. By that time, the aunts and my mother were all widowed and the focus seemed to be firmly lasered right on me. My platform shoes, a vital part of the de rigueur uniform of the 70s, caused an immediate summons for the family as well as for the entire Holy Family, as in Jaysus, Mary and Joseph, youre not going out of the house in those! Im calling Catherine right now. Before I had a chance to wobble out the door -- they really were crazy shoes -- the phone would be thrust in my ear for Aunt Catherines stern warning that no man would buy the cow if he could get the milk for free. Huh?!

Aunt Sarah, the most fashionable member of the trio and the only one with a drivers license, encouraged me to stay out of the (profanity deleted) bargain basement like your mother and aunt, and occasionally even had actual style advice I was able to use. Every party, date, and school activity, no matter how mundane, was fodder for discussion and debate between the three with final edicts handed down after deliberations.

When all the women got together, the discussion turned to home and the chatter about family and friends was so personal and current that I felt I knew all my far-flung aunts, uncles and friends--this eons before email or even the rarely-used overseas phone call. As the tea flowed, arguments over ancient issues, such as who disappeared during chicken plucking, or who never helped mam with the dinner) often ensued with the decibel level audible down the block.

Oh, I hear your aunts are visiting, was often the first thing my friends would say after we turned the corner after school, and wisely we would casually stroll past the clamorous house full of fractious Irishwomen en route to calmer pastures. Always, of course, keeping a sharp eye out for those kicking cows...or horses?

In later years, I once asked my mother and aunts if they ever regretted their decision to cross the pond and this was met with a chorus of Och, Christ, no, not for a minute. Somehow each of them knew at a very young age that their future waited for them across the ocean.

They might have left the comfort of five sisters and two brothers, but they carried them all here in their hearts and they became real aunts and uncles for us, making our small family feel big. By sheer force of will they made new lives for themselves and their children a world away from the familiar and the safe--brave women, for sure. Theyre all gone now, my three brave women. All of us American cousins have inherited degrees of their courage and, yes, chutzpah. Even their grandchildren now repeat some of those dire warnings meant to keep us safe and itll soon be time to sing the favorite horsie, horsie lullaby of our youth to yet another generation.

The boundless love they had for us will always keep us warm but its the humor of Mary, Catherine and Sarah that is probably their biggest behest. We all can find a shred of humor, the glimmer of a smile and the hint of the ridiculous during even the darkest days. This gift gives us the strength to always look the divil in his eye and, of course, to get up and get on with it. But, (profanity deleted), not before we have a cuppa tea!
Three men and one woman have been arrested in connection with a bomb attack on a prison officer in the North.

The 52-year-old prison officer, a married father of three, required surgery after an explosive device detonated under the van he was driving on Friday morning. His condition was described as stable.

A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: "Detectives investigating the attempted murder of a prison officer in Belfast on Friday, 4 March have arrested three men and one woman."

The explosion happened in the Hillsborough Drive area off the Woodstock Road, a predominantly unionist/loyalist area in the east of the city, just after 7am. The senior prison officer had just left home to drive to work.

The victim is a long-serving officer based at Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre in south Belfast and works as a trainer for new recruits to the NI Prison Service.

Following the attack, police commanders expressed fears it may be the first of a number of dissident republican murder bids launched to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising.

Meanwhile, in separate incidents on Saturday, officers found two viable explosive devices in residential streets in west Belfast.

A security alert sparked by what police called a "suspicious object" in Glencolin Walk lasted several hours, ending shortly before 10pm.

Earlier, homeowners were evacuated as specialist officers removed another bomb from Ramoan Drive for further examination.

The first alert was declared over at around 3pm.
The trial in Egypt of Dubliner Ibrahim Halawa has been adjourned for the 13th time.

Mr Halawa was due to undergo a mass trial in Cairo today, but the hearing was adjourned until June 26.

Amnesty International has condemned the latest delay, and called for his immediate release.

The 20-year-old has been in prison without trial since August 2013.

Amnesty says it is gravely concerned for his mental and physical well being.

The organisation says there are reports that Ibrahim has been tortured and mistreated in prison.

Colm OGorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland, said: "As Ibrahim spends his 942nd night unjustly incarcerated, Amnesty International continues to be gravely concerned for his mental and physical wellbeing.

"During this time, this young Irish citizen has been living in truly horrific conditions in an Egyptian prison cell. Ibrahim is a Prisoner of Conscience detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. His continuing imprisonment represents an inexcusable violation of both international and Egyptian law.

"We reiterate our call for his immediate and unconditional release. We urge the next Irish Government to continue working on his behalf and to use every means at their disposal to secure his release."
The inventor of email, computer engineer Ray Tomlinson, has died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 74.

His death was confirmed by another internet pioneer, Vinton Cerf.

Tomlinson joined Bolt Beranek and Newman (now known as Raytheon BBN Technologies) in 1967 and while there he came up with the idea of using the @ symbol to separate usernames from their host computers.

Until then, messages could be sent only between users of the same computer. Tomlinson combined the SNDMSG and CPYNET programs to come up with ARPAnet's first program for network email.

Tomlinson helped develop the TENEX operating system. He is also known for being involved in creating standards for the from, subject, and date fields which are part of every email message.

The first email, sent between two computers sitting besides each other, used the ARPANET connection between them.

Some accounts have QWERTYUIOP as being the content of the very first email, but Tomlinsonthat this wasn't so.

"I have seen a number of articles both on the internet and in print stating that the first email message was 'QWERTYUIOP'. 'Taint so," he wrote.

"My original statement was that the first email message was something like 'QWERTYUIOP'. It is equally likely to have been 'TESTING 1 2 3 4' or any other equally insignificant message.

"Apparently I didn't hedge the statement enough because this got turned into bald statements that 'QWERTYUIOP' was the first email message. Probably the only true statements about that first email are that it was all upper case (shouted) and the content was insignificant and forgettable (hence the amnesia)."

Tomlinson was born in New York and attended the Broadalbin Central School. He attended the Rensselaer Polytechnic where he obtained a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1963. He obtained a master's degree in the same field from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965. He is ranked at four on the MIT list of top 150 innovators and ideas from MIT.
Ted Cruz cinched double-barreled victories in Kansas and Maine, and battled Donald Trump for Kentucky in Saturday's four-state round of Republican voting, fresh evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president. Bernie Sanders notched a win over Hillary Clinton in Nebraska and state party officials gave him a victory over the Democratic front-runner in Kansas.

"God bless Kansas," Cruz declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days. "The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together."

The Texas senator defeated Trump by more than a 2-to-1 margin in Kansas, and early returns showed he and Trump were in a tight races for Kentucky. Cruz, a tea party favorite, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a "manifestation of a real shift in momentum."

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.

In Maine, Cruz won by a comfortable margin over Trump. Republicans and Democrats also were voting in Louisiana on Saturday.

On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Sanders won by a solid margin in Nebraska and Kansas officials said he'd won the state caucuses, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season.

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

Count Wichita's Barb Berry among those who propelled Cruz to victory in Kansas, where GOP officials reported extremely high turnout. It was Cruz' fifth win of the nominating race. Cruz had won Alaska, Oklahoma, Iowa and his home state of Texas.

"I believe that he is a true fighter for conservatives," said Berry, a 67-year-old retired AT&T manager. As for Trump, Berry said, "he is a little too narcissistic."

It was anger that propelled many of Trump's voters to the polls.

"It's my opportunity to revolt," said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because "he's not bought and paid for."

Overall, Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturday's voting. Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.

On the Democratic side, Clinton hoped that strong support among African-Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Vermonter Sanders, trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Nebraska, said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

"I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning," she said.

Heading into Saturday's voting, Clinton had 1,066 delegates to Sanders' 432, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Clinton and Sanders both campaigned in Michigan, a sign of the importance both attach to the state's primary on Tuesday.

Clinton met with about 20 African-American ministers in Detroit and said "the future" of the Supreme Court was on the ballot in November's general election.

Sanders, at a rally in suburban Warren, stressed his opposition to "disastrous" trade agreements that he said cost U.S. jobs. He's hoping his emphasis on reducing income inequality plays well in a state hit hard over the years by shifting economic trends and globalization.

In the overall race for GOP delegates, including partial results for Kansas, Trump led with 347 and Cruz had 267. Rubio had 116 delegates and Kasich had 28.

Cruz will collect at least 36 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine, Trump at least 18 and Rubio at least six and Kasich three.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.
(From left) Scott Walker, Paul Ryan and Reince Priebus have all been ensnared in the GOP's Trump-fueled identity crisis.

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If you want to understand the havoc Donald Trump is wreaking in the GOP, just consider the pain he has inflicted on three Republican stalwarts from Wisconsin: Scott Walker, Paul Ryan and Reince Priebus.

Not long ago, this trio was hailed as the vanguard of an emboldened national party that clobbered Democrats in midterm elections and redefined how far conservatives could go in blue and purple states.

But today that party is having a manic, Trump-fueled identity crisis, and all three have been ensnared in the struggle.

Walker was the star governor and presidential prospect derailed by Trump.

Priebus is the party chairman whose big plans for Republican outreach, especially to Hispanics, have been trampled on by Trump.

And Ryan is the House speaker whose goal of crafting a post-Obama governing blueprint for his partys next nominee may be foiled or ignored by Trump.

Walker, Priebus and Ryan represent a recent brand of Republicanism thats in some ways the inverse of Trump-ism: upbeat and approachable in style (where Trump is crude and intimidating); and deeply conservative in ideology (where Trump is neither ideological nor all that conservative).

In Wisconsin, they symbolized an especially effective marriage of tea party and establishment. Its a level of party unity Walker thought he could offer as presidential candidate, and that Ryans speakership was meant to salvage or restore in Congress.

But Trump has exposed and widened the gap between the partys leaders and its voters and tested whether GOP elites have any answers for the political rage and economic frustration of their working-class base.

There was a problem that none of them either contemplated or if they did contemplate, didnt appreciate how deep it was, longtime conservative insider David Keene says of party leaders. And that was the growing anger out there.

Walker, Ryan and Priebus all illustrate the struggle of leading Republicans and conservatives to cope with that anger and the candidate it fueled.

Take Walker, who was overshadowed and overtaken by Trump. When he withdrew, he called on his former rivals to unite against Trump. It never happened. When the governor kicked off a huge conservative gathering outside Washington, D.C., last week  as open warfare in the party erupted over Trump  he stayed out of the fray, never mentioning Trumps name.

Take Ryan, who has twice broken his self-imposed silence on the GOP race to scold Trump. Officially neutral, Ryan is emerging as a kind of symbolic (if reluctant) Republican counterweight to Trump. In an improbable but not unthinkable scenario, he could be someone delegates turn to if no candidate can win a majority at the GOP convention.

Take Priebus. He and Ryan will take turns chairing the convention at which their party will crown Trump or spurn him, possibly tearing itself apart in the process.

Keene, a Wisconsinite who has led both the American Conservative Union and the National Rifle Association, says Trump poses at least two problems for leading Republicans like Walker, Ryan and Priebus.

One, if (Trump) were to succeed, he wouldnt give a good damn about any of them or their party. Thats concern number one, says Keene. Concern number two is all of these guys came up in many ways together and they are all center-right politicians with a fairly cohesive view of what government and the party should be. And they have to go to bed at night thinking if Donald Trump were to win the presidency, would he do any of the things they think a Republican president should do?

As a former campaign staffer put it, Walker was the canary in the coal mine this cycle, his rapid demise an early warning about the shifting political ground and the power of the Trump phenomenon.

Walkers mild-mannered demeanor proved entirely out of step with grass roots anger and impatience. His profile as a career politician undermined his appeal as a Washington outsider.

And two attributes he and others thought would buoy his candidacy turned out to be worth very little. One was a seemingly broad acceptability to different factions of the party, which was no match for the intensity of Trumps support. The other was Walkers full-spectrum conservatism, the fact that there was hardly any issue on which he departed from right-wing orthodoxy.

It turned out that ideological purity is not what GOP voters prized, with many of them struggling in the aftermath of a devastating recession.

I think what weve seen here is the rise of Republican populism at the expense of ideology, says GOP pollster Gene Ulm. We saw it a little bit in 2010. We mistook it for ideology. We saw it again in 14. Thats the new era. Look at Trumps voters: lower middle class, struggling, non-pay raise voters, just as disgruntled with Wall Street as the Democrats are  angry with the Republican establishment as much as anything else.

Its not just Walker who has been Trumped. Its striking how closely linked Priebus and Ryan now are to Trumps political fate.

When Priebus made it his goal early on to forestall a third-party bid by Trump, its hard to imagine he expected Trump to come this close to the nomination. The chairman has succeeded in keeping a certain level of peace so far with the front-runner.

We dont take sides (in this race), regardless of what you may think or read, Priebus said.

In the final year of the longest tenure in RNC history, Priebus could see his party suffer in dramatic ways from the Trump phenomenon.

One is by waging a civil war over Trump, ensuring one side of that fight will walk away in disgust and leaving the partys future under a massive cloud. Two is if a Trump nomination leads the party to a crushing defeat in November, dragging down GOP candidates for other offices. Three is whatever long-term damage Trump does to the partys demographic imperative to expand its support among nonwhite voters, especially Latinos  an explicit goal of the 2012 post-mortem commissioned by Priebus.

But Ryans case may be the most illuminating. He has criticized Trump for proposing to ban the entry of Muslims into the U.S. and for doing too little to disavow support from white supremacists. Trump sent a shot across Ryans bow when he said last week that if the two dont get along, the speaker is going to have to pay a big price. Ryan said that made him laugh out loud.

He and Trump have some glaring policy differences, including immigration, trade and entitlements. Ryan is an institutionalist and his partys most powerful Washington politician. He views himself as a happy warrior who preaches tolerance and inclusion. Hes an ardent member of the conservative movement. He is in some respects the partys anti-Trump.

After this year, Ryan could end up as the chief congressional partner  or foil  to a President Trump (if you assume Trump is electable). He could find himself on the wrong side of an angry GOP base. Or he could find himself left to lead a party that is in tatters or in seismic transformation.

Interactive: March 5 caucus and primary results

Follow Craig Gilbert on Twitter @WisVoter
Jeremy C. Welter portrays the title character in Off the Wall Theatres production of Hamlet. Credit: Off the Wall Theatre

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In a 2007 director's note for an Off the Wall Theatre production of "Hamlet," Dale Gutzman described it as the greatest play ever written because it is inexhaustible; like a "chameleon," he observed, "it shifts with every single production."

He wasn't kidding. Once again featuring Off the Wall mainstay Jeremy C. Welter as the Danish prince, the just-opened Off the Wall "Hamlet" is light years better than the 2007 version and best among the scores of Welter performances I've seen.

In his prior "Hamlet," Gutzman staged a cinematic, guts-and-gore revenge tragedy inspired by Matthew Warchus' splashy but ultimately empty production.

This time around, even the setting and costuming have been inspired by Peter Brook's stripped-down, Indian-inflected version. A few Persian rugs create the empty-spaced stage, framed by lighted candles casting shadows on reddened walls shaped like a maze.

That maze allows characters in this nest of spies to hide and eavesdrop; it also symbolizes the way language itself proves untrustworthy, as it wends a tortured, twisted path undercutting the very idea that words might fly straight and stay true.

That can make for heartbreaking encounters between Welter's Hamlet and those in whose words he'd trusted most.

The list includes Gertrude (Marilyn White, as good she was in this same role in 2007). Onetime chums Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Erin Eggers and Lawrence J. Lukasavage). And especially Ophelia  devastating here in the hands of Calynn Klohn, whose youth and small frame underscore how overmatched she is in a world this toxic.

Especially when she has a father like Polonius, whom Bob Hirschi presents as more meddling bully than clownish buffoon. Hirschi is funny, in a production consistently alive to the humor in this play. But his Polonius is also wily, ambitious and dangerous  a true power behind the throne, in a kingdom where Randall Anderson's Claudius is both weak and flat.

All of which makes Welter's Hamlet even more menacing, particularly when the quarters are this tight and he's directly addressing members of the audience  or seated within arm's reach as he ponders whether to be or not to be.

Welter's Hamlet  wickedly smart, profoundly dark and capable of being so cold that he's cruel  always knows the difference between a hawk and a handsaw, no matter which way the wind is blowing. And because he never dithers and we never once think he's actually mad, his antic disposition is thrillingly aggressive rather than defensive.

There's no bluster in that aggression; during recent years, Welter has increasingly lived the maxim that less is more. With all due respect to Gutzman's turn here as Hamlet the ghost, it's Welter's Hamlet who will haunt me, joining a select gallery of Hamlets from productions past who'll live in my mind forever.

IF YOU GO

"Hamlet" continues through March 20 at Off the Wall Theatre, 127 E. Wells St. For tickets, visit offthewalltheatre.com.

Read more about this production at TapMilwaukee.com.

TAKEAWAYS

Words, Words, Words, Part I: Even before this "Hamlet" begins, we're given an auditory demonstration that words can't be trusted; back stage, we hear Claudius writing and rehearsing the speech through which he first appears in the text, as he tries to square the senior Hamlet's death with his quickly following marriage to Gertrude. Significantly, that speech is never actually given in this production.

Shortly thereafter, this "Hamlet" opens with Patrick McCann's Horatio standing before us holding a book by French philosopher Jacques Derrida, whose stunning "Of Grammatology" (1967) became the manifesto for a generation convinced that language always undoes itself and never means what it seems to mean.

Taking his cue from the Brook production, Horatio will close this one by standing before us yet again, once more holding a book: the diary in which Hamlet has supposedly been making the notes through which Horatio is to "tell my story." But how? We've already seen Hamlet paging through this volume; excepting a few scribbles, its pages are blank. When Horatio asks "who's there" as the lights go down, he's not just circling back to the first line of the play (in a scene cut from this production). He's also questioning whether anything we say or write is ever truly heard  or is, instead, just a lonely call without a response, cast on the waters with little hope that it will reach its destination before sinking without a trace.

As Hamlet says to this one true friend, "there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio/Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." McCann's Horatio seems to always be reading a book. But can any of those tomes explain what Hamlet sees or what this play reveals?

Words, Words, Words, Part II: Shakespeare's words prove too much for some members of this cast, who deliver them with a flat, sing-song delivery underscoring how well Shakespeare's verse is handled by veterans like Welter, White, Hirschi and Gutzman, who is particularly good as the player king.

Calynn Klohn: At the opposite end of the experience spectrum is Calynn Klohn. A Divine Savior Holy Angels senior, she first caught my eye in Off the Wall's production last summer of "Spring Awakening," in which she played another teen driven to the edge, this time by abuse.

I said in my review of that production that Klohn bears watching, and I stand by that assessment after seeing her Ophelia, played by Klohn as the "green girl" her father angrily accuses her of being, for having been naive enough to take Hamlet's ministrations seriously.

Particularly in the early going, Klohn was among those struggling toward a natural delivery of Shakespeare's verse  less of an issue with her because such a practiced approach to one's lines aligns with who this Ophelia is: young, inexperienced, overwhelmed and daunted. Anyone in her position might sound tight and rehearsed when appearing before a king.

But watch Klohn thereafter handle the devastating, all-telling pause as Hamlet asks where the hiding Polonius is; we see a young woman unpracticed in deceit being torn apart inside, before telling her beloved that Polonius is at home. This entire nunnery scene with Hamlet is well done, humanizing Welter's chilly rendition of the Danish prince while reminding us of all that breaks in a world this hard. This Ophelia's own ensuing breakdown skips the flashy histrionics we sometimes get in the mad scene for a simply and powerfully presented portrait of a mind undone.

Well, Well, Well: First encountering Ophelia in the nunnery scene, Hamlet responds to her question about how he's doing with "well, well, well." Welter's first "well" is a declarative response. His second "well" is an interrogatory to Ophelia, regarding how she's doing and what's going on. Following her failure to respond, his third "well" reflects the tired resignation of a man disappointed yet again by a failure to communicate.

It's one of many beautifully insightful line readings, from an actor at the top of his game during his second go-around in this role. That line reading isn't just expressive in its own right. It also captures the trajectory of the play as presented here, in which a seemingly solid world (the first well) then falls apart, inducing questions (the second well) which, unanswered, lead toward resignation and despair (the third well).

Drink Up, Gertrude: A similar resignation comes over White's Gertrude after the closet scene, given an Oedipal twist here that fully awakens Gertrude to the love she's always felt for her charismatic son  living reminder, now, of her dead husband. Gertrude doesn't need to actually see the ghost of that dead husband as he appears in this scene to young Hamlet; she already sees her onetime king and husband through the eyes of the son they raised together.

In a Denmark that truly is a prison  and in which Gertrude must hereafter live with her knowledge of Claudius' murder  is it any wonder that she begins to dress in black? Avoid her husband? And so willingly drink from the cup that will kill her? As played here, Gertrude precedes her poisoned sip with a look suggesting she knows quite well that this drink will be her last. Like the son to whom she is eventually so closely aligned in this production, she has reached a point where instead of asking whether to be or not to be, she fatalistically resigns herself to "let be" what will be.

As a result, this sometimes static and singly dimensioned character assumes a genuine trajectory, from a flirtatiously naive and willfully blind wife to a stoic acceptance that in a world where so little is as it seems and where words continually lie, she must trust instead to "providence."
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During the contest for the Republican presidential nomination, my position of consistently opposing Donald Trump has been abundantly clear. I think we can and should do better in selecting the Republican candidate for president in 2016.

That said, it is high time for the mainstream media to take a leap back from their righteous indignation and try to at least pretend to want to conduct an honest conversation. To date, that hardly has been the case.

Trump has countless things that deserve to be roundly criticized, as documented by Washington Post columnist George Will. "Trump, who was a big-government liberal until he recently discovered he was a conservative Republican, has the upturned jutted jaw, the celebration of 'energy' and the flirtation with violence and torture that characterized the Italian who was a radical socialist until he decided he was a fascist," writes Will. "Trump, however, is as American as Huey Long."

Indeed, Trump has been rude, insensitive and downright offensive a good deal of the time. He also, on a wide array of important issues  from taxes to health care to his general support of a large and muscular government  is dead wrong and not in keeping with the conservative tradition and values of individuals such as Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan.

Polls, while always subject to change, most generally show 60% and 70% of Republicans say they are supporting someone other than Trump. Serious and responsible conservatives publicly denounce The Donald every day, often to the point of outright declaring they will not support him if he were to become the nominee.

"There's winning. And then there's supporting a bigot. If GOP lines up behind Trump, it doesn't deserve to be taken seriously anymore." These are the words of Mitt Romney's chief strategist, Stuart Stevens.

Yet according to the liberal chattering class, Trump doing well can only be explained in one of two ways, the natural outgrowth of long-held evil thoughts and views conservatives and Republicans have been espousing for many years or that establishment Republicans did not condemn Trump and do what is required to "stop" him.

For liberal commentators, Republicans are getting what we deserve for all the times we have been on the wrong side and encouraged hatred and bad things. I call this the "what did you expect to happen" school of analysis.

As to establishment Republicans "not doing what they should have to stop Trump," the argument is at best vague. What specifically should have been done by which specific individuals or groups? Establishment Republicans? Millions of dollars have been spent dumping on Trump by Super PACs. Conservatives everywhere, including House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), continue the daily onslaught against Trump.

The notion that somehow a group of elected officials, successful business people, etc., could gather together and prevent Trump's success is sheer political fantasy. Doesn't it matter that this is exactly who Trump is running against? His supporters like the fact that establishment Republicans do not like Trump. It is a badge of courage in their eyes.

Meanwhile, no liberal can even consider the possibility that Trump has gathered support, at least in part, for legitimate reasons. The idea that anyone who feels that liberals have consistently and constantly treated certain people with contempt and disdain does not compute with liberals.

If a white person believes that there are instances of reverse discrimination, this is nothing more than white privilege speaking. President Barack Obama meant it when he said "those people cling to their guns and religion out of bitterness and fear." The concept that any individual or group that is not a part of the universe liberals have determined through their identity politics as being deserving of special attention and treatment might have a legitimate complaint, is inconceivable to liberals.

In other words, for liberals it is beyond belief that their arrogance and visible lack of regard for those not among the elitist liberal world or part of what they consider a special and deserving group might be partly to account for Trump.

Once again, liberals' lack of self-awareness is an ugly part of what constitutes our current political landscape. And that is a shame.

Bill Greener is acting chairman of 60 Plus Association (www.60plus.org), a conservative seniors organization. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
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Two Northwoods brothers, whose investment prowess was once profiled in Inc. magazine, are facing 10 felony counts of security fraud in a scheme that cost Vilas County investors at least $3 million.

Brian Eliason, 38, president of Eliason Inc. in St. Germain, and his brother David Eliason, 40, the firm's CEO, are charged with failing to disclose the precarious condition of their business that sold investments in commercial and residential properties in 2009.

The 31 investors were "friends and family members" of David and Brian Eliason, said Stephen Kravit, the brothers' attorney, who argued that several of the investors  including the brothers' father, Don Eliason  do not consider themselves victims.

All of the investors had successfully invested in other Eliason funds, he said.

The charges involve sales of securities in Eliason Combination Fund. The investment, known as a tenancy-in-common, or TIC, calls for the company to borrow money from lenders to finance purchases of real estate, which is then syndicated  or sold in pieces  to investors.

"Despite the complexity and size of the multimillion-dollar deals, Eliason (Inc.) was much like so many 'house-flipping' businesses that operated during the housing bubble, made possible by the availability of easy credit and exuberant real estate investors," Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General Amber Hahn wrote in the 22-page complaint filed in Vilas County last month.

Unlike many criminal complaints filed in fraud schemes, this one does not charge the brothers with running a Ponzi scheme or selling securities in a nonexistent entity. Rather, the complaint charges that the brothers failed to tell investors "material facts" about the company and the investment. For example, the criminal complaint charges that Eliason Inc. did not tell investors that it had to restate its financial results in 2009. The restated financials showed an $8 million loss in 2006 and an $18 million loss the following year.

The complaint also notes that while the Eliasons told investors that the company cut expenses and personnel because of the "current financial recession," the criminal complaint charges that they failed to disclose that "Eliason Inc. did not have the funds to continue covering operational expenses beyond 2009 despite the "cut backs.'"

Prosecutors criticized

Kravit blasted the prosecutors in a four-page news release and a Saturday interview, saying no crime was committed.

"Everything the state says is wrong...They are being charged with following their lawyer's advice  it's outrageous," said Kravit, an aggressive attorney whose law firm's website boasts that it specializes in "aggravated litigation."

Kravit said that before the charges were filed, he agreed to extend the statute of limitations three times in the hope of buying enough time to talk prosecutors out of charging his clients.

He argued that the Eliasons provided investors in the Eliason Combination Fund with descriptions of the company's financial condition that were approved by attorneys at Foley & Lardner, the state's largest law firm.

"The state cannot contend that there was no disclosure of the Eliasons' financial difficulties," Kravit wrote in the release. "By these criminal charges, the state is instead quibbling with how the Eliasons described those financial difficulties."

In addition, Kravit said, the losses to investors in the Eliason Combination Fund was closer to $250,000 than $3 million, in part because of the gains the investors posted over the years.

Hahn and a spokeswoman for Attorney General Brad Schimel declined to comment because the case is pending.

Eliason Inc. was founded in 1999 by David Eliason. His brother joined the firm some time later and their father, Don  a prominent figure in the county's business and real estate community  was the firm's chairman until 2006. Don Eliason lost about $1.38 million in the Eliason Combination Fund, Kravit said.

"Ninety-nine percent of our inspiration comes from our family and their reputation," Brian told Inc. magazine in a 2008 story about the firm. The story said the company had posted a three-year growth rate of 24,391%.

"Investors might not get rich from investing with us," Brian was quoted as saying in the article, "but they're going to preserve their wealth."

Kravit said the collapse of the Eliason Combination Fund was caused by economic factors, including that 60% of the fund's revenue came from rent payments from American TV & Appliance and Borders Books, both of which have closed.
A recent article about the Department of Natural Resources illustrates the need for government managers to be ever aware of how their agencies or departments handle transparency issues and for every government employee to understand and buy into the need for transparency. The principles and rules of open government must be part of the very air breathed in every government office.

What the department did was blacklist a group of 16 citizens and activists with complaints about how the agency managed wildlife and administered clean water and other rules, the Journal Sentinel reported Feb. 27. Being put on the "do not respond" list was supposed to mean that agency staff would not respond to the complainants except for those responses required by the state's open records law.

Even if the agency was still abiding by the law, that's pretty egregious. Government employees are there to serve the public  that is their most basic function  and to cut off some people because they're regarded as chronic complainers or nuisances is unacceptable.

This is not the same as unfriending someone on Facebook or blocking someone's emails or tweets. I know full well how annoying some callers can become and that spending an hour going over and over the same points can be extremely frustrating and seem like a huge waste of time. And yes, I try to (usually politely) bring those conversations to an end as soon as the arguments seem to be exhausted.

But when you're in public service, the rules change. It's your job to deal with that taxpaying citizen no matter how annoying or pointless it may seem. And not least because that citizen may be making a very good point that needs to be heard.

DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp told me last week she completely agrees.

"This was not acceptable," she said of the list. "We are accountable to the taxpayers, and I was really, really disappointed."

Stepp said she never issued a directive for such a list and was unaware the list existed. "I had no clue the don't respond list was out there," she said. "In fact, I recently spent an hour talking with someone who was on the list."

"It wasn't right and we're not going to do it anymore," she added.

Stepp said the practice was started by employees who were trying to be more efficient and save themselves and their colleagues some time. But it is also possible, I think, that at least some in upper management were aware of the list and may have condoned it.

What's also disturbing is that the report comes on top of other articles that might indicate a pattern of hampering open government efforts.

In one case, over which the DNR is being sued, the agency was too slow to respond to an open records request from an environmental group ("We dropped the ball on that one," Stepp told me).

In another instance, the agency was accused of screening those who make open records requests. Stepp said the agency has put in some metrics to see how employees are handling requests and is simply keeping closer track of requests, and making sure that the requests don't involve issues that are under litigation.

In a third, there was discussion among higher-ups, including then-Deputy Secretary Matt Moroney, about possibly reprimanding an employee who had given information to a group. Moroney and Stepp both told me that the reprimand would have been for not following protocol rather than giving out too much information, as some critics suspected.

Reasonable explanations all, and Stepp is saying all the right things about her commitment to open government. But the reports are still worrisome, and the agency has to do better. Stepp has to ensure that every employee in the agency shares her commitment, and that every procedure and protocol is aimed at providing the public with the most possible information.

Ernst-Ulrich Franzen is the Journal Sentinel's associate editorial page editor. Email: efranzen@jrn.com; Twitter: @efranzen1
Students listen to a teacher discuss lab protocol in a crowded chemistry lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The university is expected to announce budget cuts later this month as it deals with a drop off in revenue. Credit: Rick Wood

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Mark Mone and his team at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee keep crunching numbers. Over and over, they keep trying to find millions of dollars to cut, while preserving the integrity of their school.

There's the issue of tuition.

For four years, the Legislature has mandated a freeze on tuition for Wisconsin residents throughout the UW System  a major source of campus revenue. There's a good chance that lawmakers will continue this into the next biennium  it certainly is popular with parents, who vote  keeping UWM's annual tuition below $10,000 for residents carrying a full 12-18 credit load.

There's the issue of enrollment.

After growing in the mid-2000s, UWM's enrollment last fall alone fell by 3% to 27,156  an estimated one-year loss of $6.5 million in tuition revenue. Since 2010, the campus has lost roughly 10% of its peak head count of 30,470. That's a loss of about $25 million in total tuition revenue.

There's the issue of $20 million that evaporated.

UWM officials say they were led to believe the state would provide $20 million to put faculty and equipment in the new schools of freshwater science and public health that the state agreed to build. The $20 million never materialized, so UWM had to pull the money from its budget.

And then there's the issue of state funding.

Theoretically, every student in the UW System should have about the same amount of taxpayer support behind them. But that's not the case. And although UWM officials are politically careful in getting across their points, it's clear that behind closed doors the frustration is building.

UWM's share of the $250 million state funding cut to the UW System in the 2015-'17 budget was $30 million. Many suspect there's a good chance more cuts will come in the next state budget. Several key lawmakers and Gov. Scott Walker already have stated that boosting K-12 funding is a high priority  presumably a higher priority.

UWM additionally faces a structural deficit of about $25 million by the end of this fiscal year, largely due to loss of enrollment and tuition revenue. That's why Mone, the UWM chancellor, is crunching the numbers, preparing to announce millions of dollars in additional cuts in a few weeks.

"I'm putting together a plan to get us to a balanced budget by the end of next year," Mone told the Journal Sentinel.

The cuts come at a time when the university on Milwaukee's east side is trying to achieve a difficult  some would say unique  mission.

Part of UWM's mission is to serve as an entry point to students  particularly urban, particularly minority, particularly African-American  who might otherwise not go to a four-year college. This academic year, UWM accounts for 36% of the African-American student population in the UW System and 26% of the Hispanic population in the system. Adding other ethnicities  American Indian, Asian, Pacific Islander  UWM accounts for about three of every 10 minority students in the UW System.

At the same time, UWM is gaining national attention as a serious research institution. A few weeks ago, UWM was elevated to R-1 doctoral research university on the 2015 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education list, placing it among 115 top-tier research institutions in the nation. The only other Wisconsin school on the list: UW-Madison.

Both are expensive pursuits.

State funds and tuition together cover salaries, benefits, utilities, supplies and services required to educate students  everything from keeping the best professors to keeping the lights on. When state money was divvied up last fiscal year among the 13 four-year campuses, UW-Superior received $1.67 per tuition dollar, UW-Parkside got $1.09, UW-Madison got $1.08.

And UW-Milwaukee? Sixty-nine cents.

No easy answers

How is that possible? Is it in any way fair? And is UWM singled out, or is the funding formula unbalanced?

All good questions. And there are no easy answers.

The division of dollars was set up after the UW System was created in the early 1970s, based on what was considered equitable at the time. Funding since then has been based on whatever each school received the year before, perpetuating a framework that may be antiquated  or at least no longer equitable.

It doesn't seem to take into account how the campuses and their missions have evolved. It's all but impossible to find a top university official who even pretends to understand how the formula was developed. They just get their percentage of a cut or increase in state funding, and deal with it.

Underpinning those questions is a reality that if there is no additional state funding in the next budget cycle, and a tuition freeze continues, campuses could be forced to compete with one another to maximize available dollars. In other words, some may take a hit to keep others afloat. And competition for dollars may inhibit collaboration.

There's another politically volatile question that few seem willing to discuss, at least publicly. Does the UW System have too many ships in the fleet? More campuses than it can afford?

UW-Superior last year had the equivalent of 2,115 full-time students, and got the second most funding per student in the system  a different measure than per tuition dollar  behind UW-Madison. UW-Parkside had 3,694 students, and also got more per student than UWM.

Granted, all campuses have fixed expenses to keep the doors open, regardless of how many students they educate, so a straight dollar comparison doesn't tell the whole story. However, UWM  the state's urban research university  appears to be funded on a per-student basis at about the same level as the state's 11 comprehensive four-year campuses. Those universities, which do not include UW-Madison, also do important research, but don't have research as part of their mission. And while all of them make ongoing efforts to nurture diversity, they don't reach underrepresented minorities in the way UWM does.

Several of the campuses argue they aren't getting their fair share, either.

UW-Whitewater and UW-La Crosse receive the least amount per student, followed closely by the Oshkosh, Stevens Point and Platteville campuses. UW-Whitewater educates more minority students than any of the other comprehensives; UW-La Crosse has the highest ACT average for incoming students.

A team of UW System administrators is taking a fresh look at how state funding is divided among campuses to recommend whether it should be changed, and if so, by how much.

They have visited all the campuses to learn more about each one's specific mission and needs, and to assess their ability to raise additional funding through other means, such as the nonresident tuition increases that have helped UW-Madison. They are also looking at models used by other public university systems across the nation.

A final decision isn't expected until spring 2017, said UW spokesman Alex Hummel. Changes could begin in 2018, but complete implementation wouldn't occur until 2019, he said.

Comparing Madison, UWM

As for the two research campuses  UW-Madison and UWM  comparing state funding is "unhelpful and inappropriate," UW System President Ray Cross has said numerous times.

"The hair on the back of my neck bristles," Cross told the Journal Sentinel. "It's like saying, 'Mom likes you best.'"

UWM is an urban research institution and serves a different purpose than the flagship campus, Cross said. "It needs to be compared to 'like' institutions around the country."

UWM has an official peer group of 14 institutions in major metropolitan areas that aren't flagships but offer doctoral level work and have an urban mission. Among them: Georgia State University in Atlanta, Cleveland State University, University of Louisville in Kentucky and University of Illinois-Chicago.

For a proper apples-to-apples comparison, you have to pull out expenses unique to UW-Madison, Cross said. For starters, it costs more to educate graduate students  UW-Madison accounts for about half the total in the UW System. The flagship also has costly professional schools that other campuses don't have, he said.

Cross said the funding gap between Wisconsin's two public research universities in reality may be as little as $104 per student, instead of the $10,688 that a Legislative Fiscal Bureau report came up with.

There are different ways to crunch the numbers, Cross said. One could argue that debt service, utilities and the State Laboratory of Hygiene and Veterinary Diagnostic Lab located at UW-Madison are all that should be removed from the equation before comparing per-student funding.

For its part, UWM tries to avoid getting into the weeds about particular programs and isn't proposing a specific formula or funding method.

"We are committed to continuing to work with UW System through their ongoing review process," UWM Vice Chancellor Robin Van Harpen said. "We understand that there are likely other factors, other than research and access, that also might be considered in a new formula or method."

Legislator seeks answers

Rep. Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) is among those scratching their heads over how state funds are divided among campuses, even after asking the Legislative Fiscal Bureau to work the numbers. He said he doesn't believe there's an adequate explanation to account for the size of gap between funding for UW-Madison and most of the other four-year campuses.

"An initial look at the numbers suggests a disproportionate amount of state support is going for students at UW-Madison vs. Milwaukee or Oshkosh," Hintz said, referring to the campus in his home district.

Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), who co-chairs the Legislature's powerful budget-writing Joint Finance Committee, said she has always been an advocate for UWM to be funded as a research university  especially in light of its new designation as a top-tier research university.

"I've always contended that the funding gap needed to be addressed," Darling said. "If UWM is to be an economic engine like Madison, UWM should get more funding."

That doesn't mean the Republican senator from suburban Milwaukee is willing to consider giving the UW System overall more money, though.

Instead, Darling said campuses should explore ways to share costs by collaborating and eliminate duplication of degree programs.

Darling commends UWM for achieving an R-1 doctoral research university designation, despite being funded about the same as the 11 comprehensive campuses. She also notes UWM's importance to the state's workforce because about three-fourths of its graduates stay in Wisconsin.

Darling acknowledged lawmakers may be forced to look at politically sensitive questions, including whether the state can continue to afford 13 four-year campuses.

"For a state our size, we have a tremendous effort put into facilities for higher education," Darling said. "We need to do things more efficiently and better with a greater return."

In the meantime, Mone crunches the numbers. Over and over.

"The world has changed, the campuses have evolved," Mone said. "The reality is it becomes a win-loss. If we're to grow, someone else loses."
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The Milwaukee Fire Department didn't discover until a day after a house fire that a man was dead inside the home, according to a news release the department issued Saturday.

According to the release:

Units were dispatched about 11:50 a.m. Friday to a two-story home in the 2900 block of N. 26th St. They were told a woman was trapped in the building.

When firefighters arrived, a "large volume of fire" was on the first floor of the home. Neighbors had already removed the woman, who suffered burns, and she was taken to a hospital.

The last unit left the scene about 2:15 p.m., after the fire was out.

On Saturday afternoon, a family member of the burn victim contacted the police and fire departments to inquire about another family member who also lived in the home.

Members of both departments returned to the home and found a deceased male under a pile of debris.

The Fire Department says it is conducting an internal investigation to ensure that proper procedures were followed.

The Milwaukee County medical examiner's office said Saturday night that the man had not yet been identified.
Lucy Cohn visited her husbands grave at Arlington National Cemetery during a 2011 Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C. This spring Cohns ashes will be buried with her husband. Credit: Joe Dean / Stars and Stripes Honor Flight

By of the

In life, friends say, Lucy Cohn's constant focus was encouraging people and trying to ease suffering.

So when she died at age 90 in 2013, it wasn't surprising that Cohn, a nurse and psychotherapist by occupation and angel of empathy by nature, would donate her body to science  one last chance to serve humanity  to help train medical students who someday would be able to alleviate suffering as well.

It meant, however, that there would be a delay in Cohn's final wish: That her ashes be buried at the grave site of the love of her life, her husband, Norman, in Arlington National Cemetery.

But this spring, three years after Cohn died, that wish will be granted. In an honors ceremony that will include a horse-drawn carriage, military band, gun salute, bugler, flag-folding ritual and military rabbi, Lucy and Norm Cohn will be reunited at their final resting place.

"They will be buried together. They truly were such a special couple," said Cohn's Milwaukee attorney, George Dionisopoulos, who arranged for the Arlington burial. "I think it's just the beautiful conclusion to a wonderful life story."

If you ever met Lucy Cohn, her friends say, you would know why some of them plan to travel from Wisconsin to Arlington, Va., for the ceremony.

"There is just nothing that would keep me from that," said Ralph La Macchia, who, with his wife, Mary Lou, shared a friendship and holidays with their neighbor Lucy. "The compassion that she showed was not something that is generally found in people. A lot people talk about it. Lucy lived it."

Readers of the Journal Sentinel may remember hearing about Lucy Cohn in 2013, just after she died. A package showed up at the Journal Sentinel newsroom with details about her life story  written by her husband, who preceded her in death.

Norman Cohn had prepared his wife's biography, complete with photos, and told Lucy not long before his own death from cancer in 2000 that he wanted the package to be delivered to the newspaper after she died, whenever that might be.

His hope was that more people would find out how special she was and how much she cared for people who came in contact with her. Lucy gave the package to La Macchia.

He mailed it to the newspaper when she died. The Journal Sentinel wrote about that unique tribute.

Cohn's friends say her husband's assessment of her character was no exaggeration.

Cheryl Lingle met Lucy Cohn at the hospice unit of Columbia-St. Mary's Hospital, where Cohn was a volunteer. On Lingle's first day as a volunteer, she shadowed Cohn. Her impact on the patients was obvious.

"She was a very calming, reassuring person to have at the bedside. If I were dying, I would want her to be there," Lingle said.

What was it that made a hospice visit from Cohn out of the ordinary?

"She just cared. You could tell from what she said, how she said it  her tone of voice  that she was genuine," Lingle said. "She cared. She wanted to be there. But she was under no obligation to be there. That's where she wanted to be  with you, at that time  and do whatever she could to make you comfortable."

World War II nurse

Cohn had much experience in psychotherapy. She had been a charge nurse in the Army Nurse Corps at a psychiatric hospital near the front lines in World War II, and later counseled returning vets.

Joe Dean, the founder of the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight for military veterans, met Cohn in 2011 on one of the group's trips to Washington D.C. He and his wife, Jane, became friends with her, and listened to stories from her time in World War II during get-togethers with Cohn.

Joe Dean recalled one, in particular, that exemplified Cohn's sense of commitment.

"A soldier had severe head injuries. As he was being wheeled into surgery she said, 'Have you written your mother yet?' He said, 'Ma'am, I don't remember how to write.' And she was holding his hand and said, 'When you get out of surgery'  she was trying to give him hope 'you talk and I'll write.' And the guy, remarkably, made it with that bit of hope from Lucy. She wrote lots of letters to home for him on his behalf as he would dictate the letters to her. They became friends and stayed in touch."

Cohn met her husband, who had been an Army lieutenant colonel, in Chicago while she was in medical school.

Cohn, a native of Indiana, married Norman Cohn  her maiden name was Kohn  and came to the Milwaukee area, where Norman ran the family business, Bon Ton/Roxo and Bethesda Spring Water Co. in Waukesha. The couple were "quiet" philanthropists, Dean said.

Lucy continued working in nursing and psychotherapy, a job she loved. It seemed it was in her DNA to comfort the afflicted, and when her paid career ended, she concentrated on volunteering with hospice patients.

Hal Horneffer, a neighbor in Cohn's condo building who ran errands and assisted her as she became frail, said Cohn made lots of friends  and found people needing help  on that Honor Flight.

"She got to know a number of the other veterans her age, some of whom had family problems maybe their spouse died or maybe due to their own poor health they had issues," Horneffer said.

"So some of them struck up a friendship with Lucy just coming and going to D.C. that day, and followed up to see her to get further help from her."

Even when she herself was near death in a hospice, friends said, Cohn would put on a nice blouse and get propped up in bed to look as professional and energetic as possible when people who trusted her were coming for counsel.

"It's just a lot of little vignettes like that that all add up to why she's held in such high esteem," Horneffer said.

In a way, the Honor Flight trip Cohn took two years before her death set the stage for the upcoming burial of her ashes at the grave site of her husband. Dean said Cohn was dressed very formally for the Honor Flight trip to Washington, and people asked her why.

"She said she was going on a date to meet her husband," Dean recalled. "And her husband was buried at Arlington National Cemetery."

Dionisopoulos said the Medical College of Wisconsin, where Cohn's body was donated to science, arranges for bodies to be cremated when the college is finished using them for instruction. Now in a vault at Dionisopoulos' Foley & Lardner law firm, Cohn's ashes will be shipped to Arlington National Cemetery.

Cohn's two sons preceded her in death, so no immediate family members will be at the military honors burial in Arlington.

A memorial service was held for Cohn at Congregation Shalom in Fox Point when she died in 2013.

But some friends who can't forget her will be in Arlington for a final goodbye.

"What Lucy taught us through her lack of selfishness and through the love and generosity that she demonstrated in the simplest of ways showed us how much better human beings we could be if we just looked at the world through her eyes for a little bit," La Macchia said.

La Macchia said the planet could use more people like Cohn. Dean echoed that sentiment.

"She was such a tribute to the human spirit. A pioneer as a woman near the front lines. And then just classic Greatest Generation humility and dignity and wanting to give back to her community," Dean said. "We need more Lucy Cohns."
Students walk down Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus in March 2015. Credit: Mark Hoffman

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As a college student, college affordability is a top concern. Not just for me, but for my parents who, like so many across the state, want a better future for their children.

The best way to deal with student loan debt is to keep the costs of college reasonable in the first place. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I want to thank Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers for freezing tuition at all UW campuses  for the first time ever  four years in a row.

It is a bit ironic that liberal Democrats are attacking Walker on this issue. During the decade before the freeze, UW tuition went up 118%. Not surprisingly, liberal groups such as One Wisconsin Now sat silent during those years when tuition went up on average by more than 8%. Maybe it was because Gov. Jim Doyle and the Democrats were in charge of state government before January of 2011.

On top of the tuition freeze, Walker and Republican lawmakers are working on a series of measures to make college more affordable, to increase enrollment at our technical colleges and to provide relief from student loan debt.

Walker also is working with the UW System leadership on plans for a three-year degree and other ways to keep costs down for college students and working families.

Walker recently invested more money into our public schools to support dual enrollment programs that give students a jump start on college. He is looking to do the same with expanded course options.

Attacks from liberals such as Scot Ross ring hollow when people realize that much of the student loan debt problem stems from massive tuition increases under Doyle.

In contrast, Walker and Republican lawmakers actually froze my tuition and made it affordable for me and thousands of other students to go to college.

Charlie Hoffmann is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Bascom Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus in January 2015. Credit: Mark Hoffman

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Wisconsin legislators stuck to their guns last summer and removed tenure guarantees from state statute.

They essentially bundled up the issue and rolled it down State St. to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, which is scheduled to adopt a new tenure policy on Thursday.

The regents are a group of unpaid citizens doing an often thankless job, and they probably don't much relish being in the line of attack. Luckily, they have a clear, written set of "Expectations of Board Members" to guide them. Here are just a few of those expectations:

Regents are expected to represent "the public interest in general and not the interest of any particular constituency."

We already know regents are considering the interests of the professors who served on a Tenure Policy Task Force made up almost entirely of UW System employees. The recommendations of the task force already have been adopted by a regent committee and are now before the full board. It's less clear, based on the committee vote to simply adopt the task force findings without any real discussion, whether they're considering the interest of the general public, which includes students, taxpayers, parents and employers.

Regents are expected to engage in "strategic planning to address future needs."

The Tenure Policy Task Force is recommending that the regents allow layoffs of tenured faculty only in the case of financial emergency or program discontinuation.

Universities across the country are changing dramatically in the face of distance learning technologies, an evolving economy and the rapidly changing needs of students and employers. Programs are already being redirected or modified rather than discontinued, and if schools are to become more nimble as they plan for the future, chancellors need the ability to lay off tenured faculty when programs are being modified  even if they are not being eliminated outright, according to a new Wisconsin Policy Research Institute report, "The Trouble with Tenure: How the Regents can make professors accountable to taxpayers and students."

Regents are expected to "be well-informed."

Good information can be hard to find when it comes to tenure. But there are some things that new research makes clear  such as the fact that tenure doesn't always work well.

A WPRI-sponsored survey of 459 UW System instructional staff members (those who work alongside tenured professors but aren't eligible for tenure) found that most believe tenure is a good indication of the quality of research. However, only about 30% feel it is a good indication of the quality of instruction or of the impact on the community, business or economy, according to the survey administered by Capital Policy Analytics in Washington, D.C.

That's why regents should direct campuses to use definitions of "public service" that include tangible, measurable contributions to business, the community and the economy when granting or denying tenure.

It's also why regents should direct campuses with varying missions to clearly articulate why each department benefits  or doesn't  from having tenured employees rather than instructional staff operating on contracts. Roughly one-third to one-half of full-time equivalent positions involving teaching are already held by instructional staff, depending on the campus.

Unfortunately, there is much that isn't as clear. There is currently little or no data on how often tenure-track candidates decide to leave rather than apply, how often they are denied or how often decisions are overruled by chancellors. Similarly, there is no data on whether faculty are ever terminated as a result of post-tenure reviews or even how many might be considered underperforming. No one can be well-informed unless regents mandate data-driven reports from each campus on an annual basis.

Regents are expected to establish and maintain "a strong system of accountability to the public for performance results."

The regents must do more than simply adopt the recommendations of their task force if they are to convince taxpayers, students, parents and, yes, legislators that all professors are performing as they're supposed to. The regents should direct campuses to adopt a stronger post-tenure review process with clear and defined expectations.

The UW System is made up of 26 campuses and the Extension. It's enormous, and the truth is it's currently almost impossible for anyone outside the system to evaluate the effectiveness of the tenure-granting process.

It's clear that professors favor the status quo, but the rest of us  taxpayers, students, the business community and legislators  need a better way to know if the campuses and professors are fulfilling their end of the bargain.

Support invariably will depend on whether the regents meet what they say are their own expectations.

Mike Nichols is president of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (wpri.org).
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Wisconsin retirees need to contact politicians and "get in their face in Washington" to stop proposed pension cuts, according to a leader of a group campaigning against the cuts.

More than 300 retired Teamsters attended a meeting Saturday in Ashwaubenon for an update on the fight against the Central States Pension Fund's request to cut pension payments to remain solvent, Green Bay Press-Gazette Media reported.

At issue is a 2014 law that allows pension plans to request federal approval to cut payouts if the payments significantly exceed the fund's income. The Teamsters and AARP opposed the law when it passed as part of a government-wide spending bill. But other unions saw it as a solution preferable to plans becoming insolvent and getting a federal bailout.

The Central States Pension Plan filed an application with the U.S. Treasury last year to implement a plan to stay solvent. That could mean deep cuts to some participants.

An estimated 40,000 retired Teamsters in Wisconsin would be affected by the cuts.

Bob Amsden, co-chairman of the Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Committee to Protect Pensions, told people in Saturday's crowd to fight for their rights.

"(Politicians are) trying to steal it, and the only way they're going to understand is if we get in their face in Washington," Amsden said.

The other co-chair, Bernie Anderson, said retirees need to mobilize quickly. Anderson urged them to send letters to members of the Senate Finance Committee in the next two weeks before the panel takes up the issue.

In addition to a letter-writing campaign, the committee to protect pensions has hired lobbyists and is planning a demonstration in Washington in April.

"Legislation got us into this mess. It's the only thing that can get us out," Anderson said.

Pat McKenney, a 64-year-old retired truck driver from Green Bay, said the prospect of losing half his pension makes him nervous about being able to afford his home. But he said the campaign by his fellow Teamsters to stop the cuts gives him hope.

"These guys are pushing for it hard, and I'm going to be calling my congressmen, too," McKenney said.



Information from: Press-Gazette Media, http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com
Flowers sit atop the sign at the entrance to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Sunday in Simi Valley, Calif. Credit: Associated Press

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Wisconsin political leaders offered their condolences Sunday and remembered Nancy Reagan as strong influence on both her husband and the country.

"As first lady, she brought a sense of grace and dignity to the White House," U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said in a written statement.

The former first lady died Sunday at age 94 of congestive heart failure.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said he and his wife, Tonette, were praying for the Reagan family, and he recalled when they met the former first lady at the Reagan Presidential Library in 2012.

"She was so interested in Wisconsin and she loved hearing of the influence her husband had on me," Walker said in a written statement.

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis), tweeted a photo and a quote in tribute to Nancy Reagan.

"Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord," he said.

#NancyReagan, called-home to be with her beloved "Ronnie". Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord. pic.twitter.com/XKUItdAN8f  Sean Duffy (@RepSeanDuffy) March 6, 2016

Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) also took to Twitter to express his sympathy, calling Reagan "a truly exemplary First lady and important force in President #RonaldReagan's life."

Saddened to hear of the loss of #NancyReagan, a truly exemplary First Lady and important force in President #RonaldReagan's life.  Reid Ribble (@RepRibble) March 6, 2016

The following are the complete statements released by Wisconsin political leaders reacting to the news of Nancy Reagan's death. More will be added as they are released.

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan

"Ronald Reagan could not have accomplished everything that he did without his wife Nancy," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. "As first lady, she brought a sense of grace and dignity to the White House. She roused the country to redouble the fight against drugs. And she showed us all the meaning of devotion as she cared for President Reagan throughout his long goodbye. She loved her husband, and she loved her country. This was her service. It was her way of giving back. And all of us are very grateful. So on behalf of the entire House, I wish to extend our condolences to the Reagan family and offer our prayers on the passing of a great American, Nancy Reagan."

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

"Tonette and I send our prayers to the Reagan family. Nancy Reagan had such a positive impact on the lives of so many Americans. Tonette and I had the honor of meeting her in California when I spoke at the Reagan Presidential Library in 2012. She was so interested in Wisconsin and she loved hearing of the influence her husband had on me. She will be missed by me and so many others  across America and around the world."
Brooks stares down judge on Day 15 of Waukesha Christmas Parade trial

Darrell Brooks called his ex-girlfriend as a defense witness Friday morning. His examination was cut short after an argument over some photographs.
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The meltdown of the US Republican Party is an unlovely sight inside the country, but what do people abroad think about the outlandish assertions of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump?

Last week the Mufti of Egypt Shawqi Allam (maybe analogous to the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops) lit into Donald Trumps positions on Muslims in a meeting with representatives of Evangelical Christianity. He said the billionaire bigots positions on banning Muslims were contrary to the character of the American people, and that Muslim Americans were part of the tapestry of Muslims worldwide. He had called on Muslims in the US to integrate into American society and to obey national laws, without losing their faith identity. In December his office expressed alarm that Trumps statements could increase tension (i.e. provoke attacks) with regard to the millions of American Muslims.

Egyptian newspaper al-Yawm al-Sabi` (Seventh Day) covered a poll that suggested that the main factor propelling the Trump and Cruz campaigns to popularity among GOP voters is their hatred for Muslims.

The fear that Trump will provoke attacks and pogroms on American Muslims was also expressed by Irans Press TV a couple of weeks ago (Press TV, Tehran, 0700 gmt 23 Feb 16 via BBC Monitoring [hereafter BBCM])

Last week just before Super Tuesday, Ali Reza Rezakhah wrote in the conservative Iranian newspaper Khorasan: The presence of strange candidates with weird beliefs has surprised political observers. On the one hand we witness the emergence of an interesting phenomenon like Donald Trump, who lacks the most basic criteria for taking such a position. Even stranger is the fact that this same unstable candidate leads the Republicans polls.   (BBCM)

So a newspaper that used to support Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the quirky Iranian president, finds Trump to be a strange candidate with weird beliefs.

The United Arab Emirates al-Khalij compared Clinton and Trump, noting that both are pro-Israel. It concluded that Clinton is probably the lesser evil for American Muslims, but suggested that they wont entirely be happy with her foreign policy either.

Those with their suspicions of democratic governance were quick to pounce on Trumpism as a sign that it doesnt work.

Outside the region, Chinas Xinhua official press agency observed on Mar. 4, With Donald Trump leading the race for Republican nomination, the U.S. presidential election has become an entertaining drama that illustrates the malfunction of the self-claimed world standard of democracy. (BBCM)



Related video:

The Young Turks: Trump Wants To Kill Muslims With Pig Blood
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TeleSur |  

Researchers say they were shocked to learn that Islam receives more negative coverage than cancer.

The New York Times portrays Islam and Muslims more negatively than cancer, cocaine and alcohol, according to a report that studied the newspapers headlines.

Since 9/11, many media outlets began profiteering from the anti-Muslim climate. Though you could probably trace a similar trend back to the Iranian Revolution, said Steven Zhou, head of Investigations and Civic Engagement and co-author of the study Are Muslims Collectively Responsible? A Sentiment Analysis of the New York Times.

We talk a lot about media and Islamophobia, but nobody has done the math. So, we thought it is long overdue to have a quantitative investigation of an agenda-setting newspaper, Zhou told the Middle East U.S. Policy watchdog Mondoweiss Friday.

The study, which was conducted by Toronto-based 416 Labs, looked at New York Times headlines from the period 1990-2014. Researchers found that Islam and Muslims were consistently associated with negative terms, at least 57 percent of the time, says the study. Only 8 percent of news headlines about Islam/Muslims was positive.

Headlines are sensational or distorted and reporting is often racist. This impacts directly on the lives of Muslims @SAMNET786 @mmdarsot  Maqsuda (@MaqsudaMotala) January 18, 2016

The most frequent terms associated with Islam/Muslims include Rebels and Militant. None of the 25 most frequently occurring terms were positive.

Compared to all the other benchmarked terms (such as Republican, Democrat, Cancer, Cocaine, Christianity and Alcohol), Islam/Muslims had the highest incidents of negative terms throughout the 25-year period by a long shot. The following were cocaine and cancer, with 47 and 34 percent of their coverage associated with negative terminology.

When we went into it we didnt think it would be surprising if Islam was one of the most negatively portrayed topics in the NYT, says co-author Usaid Siddiqui. What did really surprise us was that compared with something as inherently negative as cancer, Islam still tends to be more negative.

The report also points out that, during the time of the study, cancer caused more deaths worldwide than there were violent attacks by Jihadist groups.

Media is all for reporting negative stuff about Muslims but Ive heard nothing about #VisitMyMosque day. How shitty and racist is our world  mel (@melsykesxx) February 8, 2016

OPINION: Virulent Anti-Muslim Racism in the US Cultural Sphere

According to researchers, the findings are important since the media plays a powerful role in influencing public perceptions, and this kind of reporting is likely to negatively distort perceptions of Islam and Muslims for those who read the Times.

The report suggests that the average reader of NYT is likely to assign collective responsibility to Islam/Muslims for the violent actions of a few.

Via TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Mashable News: Former Physics Student Uses Education to Combat Islamophobia in the U.S. | Muslim & American Ep. 4
The first use of the hastag #MedTwitter was in 2009 by one of my accounts @DrVes, did not know about this until this year. @blogborygmi "should the Twi...

11 hours ago
In this Friday, May 22, 2015 photo provided by Reese Semanko, a woman identified as Chiara D'Angelo has suspended herself in a climbing harness from the anchor chain of the Royal Dutch Shell support ship Arctic Challenger in the harbor at Bellingham, Wash. D'Angelo is contesting the fine she received from the incident.

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By Samantha Wohlfeil, Bellingham Herald

A former Bainbridge Island resident who attached herself to Shell's Arctic Challenger in Bellingham Bay argued the act was necessary to a Coast Guard hearing officer on Feb. 29.

Chiara D'Angelo, 21, clipped onto the oil spill response vessel's anchor chain May 22, 2015, and stayed there for three full nights. She was joined for part of one night by Matthew Fuller, and supported by a team that delivered food and supplies as needed.

D'Angelo faces a possible $20,000 fine and could have been fined up to $160,000, for crossing and staying inside a Coast Guard-established safety zone around the vessel.

D'Angelo and her lawyer argued in Seattle during the hearing, via a video feed to a hearing officer in Arlington, Virginia, that her illegal action was necessary to avoid more serious harm - an argument known as a "necessity defense."

They argued that the harm she might cause by climbing onto the chain to prevent the Arctic Challenger from leaving Bellingham was less than the possible harm if the vessel went to the Chukchi Sea and enabled "one of the riskiest offshore drilling operations of all time," D'Angelo said by phone Monday afternoon.

The Challenger's barge-mounted oil well blowout containment system had to be present for the offshore drilling to take place.

"There was a 75 percent chance of a major oil spill in Inupiat harvesting territory. ... If you have this disaster there, you take out their food source," D'Angelo said.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management predicted a 75 percent chance of a more than 1,000-barrel spill if the Chukchi Sea were to produce oil on several platforms over 77 years.

Shell's fleet did go to Alaska last summer, but on Sept. 28, 2015, Shell announced it had abandoned its Alaska offshore drilling "for the foreseeable future" after finding the indications of oil and gas in that area were not enough to warrant further exploration.

FINES, CONTINUED PROCESS

The Coast Guard hearing officer works independently from the local unit that issued the civil penalty and will hear from both sides before determining what fine, if any, to issue. Others involved in the action also face fines and will get separate hearings.

D'Angelo said she and her lawyers provided the hearing officer written and spoken testimony on climate change and explained her reasoning.

The hearing officer asked if the possible $40,000-per-day fines had deterred D'Angelo from entering the safety zone.

"I said not personally, the fines didn't deter me," D'Angelo said. "But that being said, I don't ever plan on doing this again, because I don't foresee it as part of my life path. It's not what I'm going to dedicate my life to - direct action. It's something that comes into play only when you need it."

D'Angelo and her legal team have 10 days to file additional information. The hearing officer may clarify questions with the enforcing Coast Guard unit, and then will make an official decision.
Shown in 1912 are Josephine Iverson and her husband Peter (right) and sons, Henry (left) and Christie (center) in their Kitsap County Herald office in Poulsbo. Josephine was the behind-the-scenes editor, reporter and manager of the Herald while Peter served as city councilman, mayor and state legislator during the 1910s and 1920s. She was also an early leader in the women's suffrage movement and the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). Women gained the right to vote in Washington in 1910, 10 years before women's suffrage was enacted nationally. (From the Iverson-Williams Collection at the Poulsbo Historical Society). To see more photos from the Kitsap County Historical Society Museum archives, visit www.facebook.com/kitsaphistory, Twitter KitsapMuseum, or stop by the museum at 280 Fourth St. in Bremerton. Call 360-479-6226 for information.

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In 1941 (75 years ago)

Twenty-four more young Bremerton men will be inducted into military service at Fort Lewis tomorrow, Selective Service officials announced.

The men will gather tomorrow morning at the Draft Board office at City Hall, and from there they will be transported to Fort Lewis to begin their year's training. Three of the men have volunteered for active service.

Robert A. Schroder, secretary of the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce, and Bert Moran of the Palace Cafe, returned last night after visiting Mare Island near San Francisco.

Their visit covered a survey of lunch hour conditions of the Navy Yard there with a view to gathering data for presentation to Capt. Alex M. Charlton, industrial manager of the Bremerton yard.

Both called upon the yard manager this morning and will hold a conference with him this afternoon. In Mare Island, there are 16,500 men at work and they use the yard cafeteria system.

It is operated on a cooperative basis with local cafe men sharing the work and revenue.

It is not known what results will follow here, but a meeting will be held by the chamber of commerce, the industrial manager and restaurant men, at a date to be set later.

In 1966 (50 years ago)

More than 2,000 federally employed Kitsap residents will be affected by the 3.2-percent average wage increase President Lyndon Johnson today asked of Congress.

The president's request would boost wages and fringe benefits for federal white-collar and postal employees.

The biggest group involved locally would include 1,800 white-collar workers at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

Federal blue-collar workers would not be affected by the proposal because their pay is set by a wage board rather than by legislation.

Three teenage Olympic College students were killed and another seriously injured when the car in which they were riding smashed through the guard rail and plunged 30 feet off a bridge on Seabeck Highway on Saturday night.

State patrol troopers said that the car was traveling toward Bremerton on the Seabeck Highway when it left the road about 10 miles from the city.

The car hit the guardrail on the upstream side of Little Beef Creek Bridge after traveling for some distance in a ditch. The car sailed over the creek and came to rest right side up under the bridge facing toward the canal.

The three deaths bring Kitsap County's fatality total to eight for the year - five more than was recorded last year at this time.

In 1991 (25 years ago)

The city Parks and Recreation Commission turned down the Bremerton City Council's proposal to swap Roosevelt Field for the downtown lumberyard property last month, the commission chairman revealed during Tuesday night's public hearing.

But the commission agreed to reconsider the matter and hold public hearings after council members persuaded them to consider the land swap as part of a "broader" plan.

"What we are looking for now is a different proposal," said council member Mariwyn Tinsley. "It is more than just a Bremerton lumber property."

In 2006 (10 years ago)

Proponents of reopening the Marine Science Center in Poulsbo will learn later this week if they can get needed money from Olympia.

Last week, a funding request for $250,000 to help get Poulsbo's defunct Marine Science Center up and running again was being mulled in the Senate, said an aide for Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Bainbridge Island.

The request was originally filed by state Rep. Sherry Appleton, D-Poulsbo, and passed through the House of Representatives budget process.

The revival effort is being led by the Bight of Poulsbo, which has been collecting money, securing partnerships and devising a business plan to reopen the center.

The facility was closed last year when the North Kitsap School District and the previous group running the center pulled out of leases because of the cost.
Some interesting aspects to Matthew Hootons speech to the ACT Conference.

This speech is about the complex relationship, that I think most of us in this room have, with John Key  and how Act might manage it better to your advantage in the future. The relationship is complex because, on one hand, John Key has massively exceeded any reasonable expectations as Prime Minister. But, in another way of looking at things, hes also failed to live up to them.

John Key first came to prominence when he smashed Michael Cullen in the finance spokesmens debate in 2005, when he was broadly and largely loyally promoting Don Brashs economic policy. And it became pretty clear he would become the next leader of the National Party when he gave an insightful speech on Singapore to the Auckland National Party conference in 2006.

To those of us in our 40s, who are now grey-haired, our political awakening had happened with the liberating social and economic changes of the mid 1980s and early 1990s. But we had to accept that if John Key was positioning himself to be New Zealands Lee Kuan Yew he wasnt going to be the radical free-market liberal we might want.

But, if he were to be Lee Kuan Yew, he would be extremely ambitious for New Zealand. He would radically invest in infrastructure. Hed be an enemy of welfarism and sloth. Hed ensure New Zealand was open to the world and lightly regulated, at least in an economic if not a social sense. Hed be one of those driven, Asian-style, uniting yet transformational leaders. When it comes to the Lee Kuan Yew test, you can really only give him a C  maybe a C+ on a good day.

But, on the other hand, as you get grey haired, the importance of reigniting the excitement of radical reform declines a bit. And its replaced with the over-riding need to keep the absolute lunatics in an Andrew Little-Grant Robertson-Matt McCartern-Metiria Turei-James Shaw-Winston Peters-Te Ururoa Flavell-Marama Fox-Hone Harawira-Laila Harre coalition out of office.

These are people who are mainlining their international trade policy from Jane Kelsey. They have been running around promoting an economic model from Tufts University, which I had never heard of, that assumes that all labour and capital is perfectly immobile. Under this model, the people who lost their jobs in 1998 at the Mitsubishi Plant in Porirua, the Nissan plant at Wiri, the Honda plant in Nelson and the Toyota plant in Thames are apparently still going to work each day, carrying their lunchboxes, and they sit staring at the machinery with which to assemble cars, and then go home at the end of the day. And they have been doing this for 18 years now, because, you know, labour and capital are perfectly immobile. Under Labours Tufts University model, no worker ever gets a new job. No machinery is ever decommissioned or used for something else. No one ever innovates or responds to new circumstances in any way. And this is seriously the sort of economic assumption that Labour and the Greens have been using to say the TPP would be bad for New Zealand. So keeping those lunatics away from office is absolutely paramount.
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The CDC has released a new report saying superbugs are a big threat to hospital patients, but doctors can help stem the tide.
SHARE Harold Black

When observing current events, the great Les McCann's "Compared to What?" comes to mind.

It is apparent that enough Americans are so angry that they are willing to entrust the leadership of the country to candidates that would have been laughed off the national stage 20 years ago.

Polls show that the middle class is largest group of angry Americans. They feel that the government actions that were supposed to deal with the recession mostly benefitted the poor and the wealthy, leaving the middle class with the bill.

Despite -- and likely because of -- government actions, the economy has grown slowly. Although we have had the slowest growth out of recession in history, we are better off than most of the rest of the world. Despite our ills, we still have the world's strongest economy.

But we are clearly unhappy. Less than 25 percent of us think our children and grandchildren will match or exceed our prosperity. Thus, the unhappiness stems not from being compared to others, but being compared to ourselves.

I fault the government for our anemic economy. After falling into recession, instead of letting the economy recover on its own as in the past, the government and the Fed engaged in an aggressive stimulus policy. There was a tremendous increase in federal expenditures and the government's regulatory reach.

Some economists (Keynesians) welcomed the increased government spending, believing that the economy could be stimulated out of recession. They would probably contend that the $1.5 trillion in fiscal stimulus, plus the Fed's adding $3.5 trillion to its balance sheet, failed because these measures were too small.

Arguing with such people is pointless. While engaging in the stimulus, the government also perversely placed additional regulatory burdens on business, slowing down private investment. Those government regulations cost the economy almost $2 trillion.

I once marveled that because of American ingenuity, businesses could prosper and the economy could grow despite the burdens imposed by the government. Now I am not so sure.

It seems reasonable -- to me -- that our slow growth is the result of the combination government spending and regulation stifling the private sector.

One would think that public's anger would be directed toward the administration's policies. Yet both contenders for one party's nomination are actually advocating increasing regulations, government spending and taxes.

Indeed, even the majority of angry Americans do not want their personal benefits reduced, and no candidate is endorsing a reduction.

Thus, for me, the solution is a policy that unshackles American entrepreneurship. It is a policy that encourages economic growth and development by reducing the expansion of government. But that means increasing economic freedom.

Eight years ago, we elected what may be the most anti-business administration in our history, and now business failures exceed business start-ups.

So it comes as no surprise that a recently reported index of economic freedom shows a decline in the United States for seven of the past eight years. Is it any wonder that we are becoming worse off?
SHARE Terry Turner, owner of All Occasions, has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with a blue ribbon award for small business. Turner is in his customer showroom at their Middlebrook Pike headquarters Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Terry Turner, owner of All Occasions, has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with a blue ribbon award for small business. Turner is in his customer showroom at their Middlebrook Pike headquarters Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Rada Rolison (cq), a event planner with All Occasions makes a display for customers in the showroom at their Middlebrook Pike headquarters Friday, Feb. 26, 2016. All Occasions, has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with a blue ribbon for small business award. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) All Occasion Catering owners Neal and Susan Green at their newly-renovated Jackson Terminal. SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Ali James of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Four Knoxville-area small businesses have joined an elite list of 100 companies nationwide recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as Blue Ribbon award winners for 2016 -- the only four winners from the state of Tennessee.

Every year for the past five years, Analysis and Measurement Services Corp. has been named a Blue Ribbon award winner. This year, they're joined by All Occasions Party Rentals, Proton Power, Inc., and All Occasion Catering.

Each of these winning businesses also is competing to be one of seven regional winners of the U.S. Chamber's annual Community Excellence awards.

All of the Blue Ribbon award winners will be honored at the 12th-annual America's Small Business Summit to be held June 13-15 in Washington, D.C. During the summit, one small business will receive the Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award and a $10,000 cash prize.

According to the U.S. Chamber, a record number of applicants from across the country were judged in four key categories: strategic planning, employee development, customer service, and community involvement.

Mark Field, senior vice president for development for the Knoxville Chamber, said the local chamber nominated past Pinnacle Business Award winners, dependent upon their approval of the nomination and their eligibility. The Blue Ribbon awards are limited to businesses with fewer than 250 employees and revenues of less than $20 million annually in 2013-14.

"We are so honored to have these excellent small businesses represent our region," Field said. "Knoxville was the only city in the state of Tennessee to have Blue Ribbon award winners, and we believe having so many award winners from our city speaks to the high quality of the Knoxville business community."

AMS Corp. is a nuclear engineering consulting firm that works with nuclear power plants in the United States, as well as in Europe and Asia.

"We are in the business of testing the control systems of nuclear power plants," said CEO H.M. Hashemian.

The company also checks whether a plant is operating within its safety margins, and assists in establishing those margins.

After winning a Blue Ribbon award for five years in a row, this year Hashemian hopes his company can also win the regional or even the top national prize for exemplary small businesses. The regional winners will be announced Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

"We've been trying to win the big one," he said. "We haven't given up. We have not made it past this stage yet."

Hashemian hopes to add one of those prizes to a year of official recognition.

"I was also selected as an East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame honoree, and awarded the American Nuclear Society's Robert L. Long Training Excellence Award, so this has been a good year," he said. "We hope that this year we break out of the Blue Ribbon stage and hopefully move onto the national award."

To better their chances, Hashemian said he and his team spent more time articulating what his company does and the impact on keeping the nuclear plants around the world safe.

"Since it's our fifth year, we hope that we have built up our credentials and have a really strong application, and that on March 9 they announce us as a regional winner," he said.

Hashemian or his wife has attended the U.S. Chamber summit in Washington each year, but if the company wins this year, he says he will take a few members of his administrative staff to accept the regional award.

He said Prestige Cleaners is a past winner, and "Knoxville is due for another winner."

Proton Power, another finalist, was founded by Sam Weaver and Dan Hensley in 2005. The Lenoir City-based company has developed a renewable-energy system.

"We take any kind of bio-mass material, like plant-based materials, such as trees and grass, and from that we create heat, electricity and liquid fuel energy," said Weaver, the company's CEO."We are certainly pleased and honored with the award. We think our company is making some very important strides forward from an environmental standpoint."

Wampler's Farm Sausage uses Proton's equipment to generate electricity to power its manufacturing plant. And in Rockwood, Proton and another client are building a manufacturing plant that will generate bio-diesel fuel.

"It's the recognition of all of our employees and all of the high-quality work that they put in," Weaver said of the Blue Ribbon award. As for winning the regional competiton, he said, "We are not counting our chickens before they hatch. There are a lot of very good companies in the country and we're competing with high-quality companies."

Knoxville's All Occasions Party Rentals is a "full-service, event rental company, and we can work on events from a small house party to fundraisers," said Terry Turner, founder and CEO. "We helped UT Medical Center raise over a $1 million in one night."

The company offers items to rent for the do-it-yourself wedding-on-a-budget, or for a spectacular wedding outdoors under a climate-controlled tent with specialty decor, Turner said.

"It's hard to put a finger on our success," he said. "I think we do create an environment that people want to work for us long-term. We're a big small business, and we're still able to interact with each other. We provided health insurance long before we had to, we have an employee of the month, and we encourage community involvement for our staff.

"I think it (the award) is heavily weighted towards community awareness, and the next step is social media and getting people to vote for you," Turner said of the next step in the wards program. "It's the U.S. Chamber's effort to gain attention for small businesses.

If chosen as the regional finalist, Turner hopes to make the trip to D.C. for the June summit.

The unrelated All Occasion Catering, a full-service Knoxville catering company, also received the Blue Ribbon Award. The company's owner, Neal Green, declined to comment for this story.
David Northington

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STAGE READINGS

Two plays will be presented during the free stage readings in March at Theatre Knoxville Downtown as part of the Tennessee Stage Company's New Play Festival.

Sevierville writer Dennis Duff's "The Third Proposal" will have a 2 p.m. Saturday, March 12, stage reading. The play is set in Nebraska during World War II and tells the story of two German immigrant families, particularly three brothers and the woman for whom all have feelings.

The staged reading for the comedy "The Nearly Final Almost Posthumous Play of the Not-Quite-Dead Sutton McAllister" will be 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19. The play by Ocoee, Fla., writer Kris Bauske tells the story of what happens when a world-renowned playwright has a nearly fatal stroke and his niece tries to find his final script.

HISTORY LECTURE

The life and career of a famed civil rights lawyer who argued and won nine cases before the U.S. Supreme Court will be the topic of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's inaugural lecture series in African-American history on Thursday, March 10.

Constance Baker Motley, the first black woman appointed to the federal bench, will be the subject of a talk by Tomiko Brown-Nagin, professor of history at Harvard University, at 5:30 p.m. in Room 132 of the UT College of Law, 1505 Cumberland Ave. It is free and open to the public.

A reception will follow the lecture. Brown-Nagin also will sign her book, "Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement."

MOVIE MUSIC

The Orchestra at Maryville College presents a "Maryville Goes to the Movies" concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 7, at the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre, Clayton Center for the Arts, 502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, on the Maryville College campus. Tickets are $5 for adults, senior citizens, area students; free for Maryville College students, faculty and staff.

Info: 865-981-8590, www.claytonartscenter.com

ENCORE PLEASE

David Northington, the Powell Distinguished Professor of Piano at the University of Tennessee's School of Music, will present his last concert as a faculty member at 2:30 p.m. today in the Sandra Powell Recital Hall in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, 1741 Volunteer Blvd. Northington will retire in July after 39 years as a faculty member.

OLD HAVANA HERE

A Night in Old Havana, a fundraiser for the East Tennessee Technology Access Center, will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, at the Lighthouse Knoxville Event Center on Baum Drive. ETTAC helps people with disabilities to live more independently. To purchase tickets, which are $25, visit www.ettac.org/nohregistration2016.html or call 219-0130, ext. 221.
Jacob Weiss and Joy Teal will get married this month. Instead of asking for traditional gifts, they want their guests to help them address hunger in Nashville.(Photo: Andrew Kenworthy Photography)

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By Jessica Bliss, The Tennessean

Jacob Weiss and Joy Teal have a unique request for wedding gifts.

They don't want wine glasses from Macy's. Or a new blender from Bed, Bath & Beyond. No Crate & Barrel bowls. Or a pizza stone from Williams-Sonoma.

Instead, they want to address hunger in Nashville.

The couple, who will get married later this month, have asked their guests to skip the traditional presents and donate instead to a fund they have set up with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

With a goal of raising $10,000, Weiss and Teal plan to provide micro-grants to local nonprofits and social entrepreneurs who may have big ideas but are not big enough to get the backing from larger corporate donors. Weiss and Teal want to provide a boost for startups, churches and the volunteer mom with plenty of passion but no formal support to activate her own solution.

Continue reading at The Tennessean.
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By News Sentinel Staff

KNOXVILLE - A man was taken to the hospital Friday after accidently shooting himself in the left leg at West Town Mall, according to police.

About 9:45 p.m., Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a report that a man accidentally shot himself in the leg and found the man lying in the parking lot in front of the Cheesecake Factory, according to a KPD news release.

Police said the man's friends were applying pressure to attempt to control the bleeding. Officers added a tourniquet to the man's leg.

The man was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, according to police.

More details as they develop online and in Sunday's News Sentinel.
Zaevion Dobson, 15-year-old Fulton High School student fatally shot on Dec. 17, 2015, in the 2700 block of Badgett Drive. (FULTON HIGH SCHOOL)

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By MJ Slaby of the Knoxville News Sentinel

As they spoke about how neighborhoods can help young people, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and the Rev. Daryl Arnold, pastor of Overcoming Believers Church, brought up Zaevion Dobson, the 15-year-old Fulton High School sophomore who was killed in December while shielding friends from gunfire in Lonsdale.

"Zaevion's death raised to the surface something that's been happening for a long time," Arnold said, noting he's helped bury many young people from the community. "There is a real devil that's trying to destroy our community. When kids kill kids, that's the devil."

The pair spoke during a Saturday event that focused on Knoxville's neighborhoods, with representatives from what the mayor called more than 100 Knoxville neighborhoods in attendance.

Dobson's case has drawn national attention, including praise from President Barack Obama for the teenager's sacrifice.

Rogero noted there were mentees of 100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville at the neighborhood event. Dobson had taken part in the program and worked with younger members.

"These fine young men will help us just as much, if not more, than we help them," she said, turning to where the boys and young men sat. "I hope you know you are appreciated."

If people want to make a difference, Rogero and Arnold urged them to connect with community organizations already helping people in the community.

"All of us together are responsible for the children in your community, your neighborhood," Rogero said.

That means looking out for more than your own children, because even if a child is not yours, that doesn't mean you shouldn't help, Arnold said.

When young people hear gunshots every day and see their friends die, that's something that will follow them throughout their lives, he said. Arnold asked attendees of the event to offer help to those who are poor and to single parents.

Fighting for community and neighborhoods is worth it, he said.

"If your neighborhood is great, it's not a coincidence, it's because you fight," Arnold said.

The event also honored multiple neighborhood groups and one attendee. Winners of the neighborhood achievement awards were Fountain City Town Hall, West Haven Village Neighborhood Community, Mechanicsville Community Association and the following neighborhood associations: Edgewood Park, Lake Forest, Lindbergh Forest and RiverHill Gateway. David Gillette of the Mechanicsville Community Association won the Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year award.
SHARE State Sen. Bill Ketron State Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville

By Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE - Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Bill Ketron, a cancer survivor, has lost an effort to reduce costs to patients for orally administered cancer drugs after two weeks of sometime emotional debate.

Only three members of the Senate Commerce Committee, one a Democrat, ultimately voted for the bill by the Murfreesboro lawmaker, who said he had vowed to help other cancer patients after his own yearlong bout with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Six fellow Republicans voted no.

"As I lay in the hospital I told God that if he would help me survive I would do everything to help all other cancer patients in the state," he told the panel at one point.

The bill (SB2091) requires medical insurance policies that cover cancer treatments to set co-pays, deductibles and coinsurance costs for oral drugs - including some that are "off label," or officially designated for other purposes - at the same level as those that are injected. It was staunchly opposed by lobbyists for the insurance industry while supported by advocates for cancer patients, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Tennessee.

Some lawmakers, including Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, contended the measure would conflict with long-standing conservative sentiment against mandates for insurance coverage.

Johnson last month won Senate passage of a bill intended to make it more difficult to enact insurance mandates in the future. The measure (SB1619) requires that any mandated health benefit will apply equally to TennCare as well as to private insurance companies. In the past, some mandates have excluded TennCare so the bill would not have any cost to state government. Legislation that imposes a new cost on state government without the spending being specifically authorized in the state budget is far more difficult to pass.

The House version of that bill, sponsored by Rep. Roger Kane, R-Knoxville, is scheduled for a House vote Monday and considered likely to win approval.

SCHOOL FUNDING

State Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, has won a subcommittee's approval of a proposed amendment to Tennessee's Constitution dealing with state funding of public schools.

Currently, the state constitution declares that the General Assembly must provide "a system of free public schools." Dunn's proposal (HJR493) would add to that constitutional mandate "in such manner as the General Assembly may determine."

The current language is cited in pending lawsuits filed by local school systems contending, basically, that state funding of education is inadequate or inappropriately distributed when other constitutional provisions are taken into consideration. But declaring the Legislature constitutionally authorized to determine the "manner" of funding and distribution, courts would presumably be blocked from going along with the arguments advanced in the pending lawsuits - and successfully in a 1990s case.

The measure was approved on a 5-2 vote in a House subcommittee last week after intense debate. If the proposal ultimately wins approval of the full House and Senate this year, it will then need approval by a two-thirds majority in both chambers on the 110th General Assembly, which convenes next year, followed by approval by voters in a 2018 referendum.

Read more from Tom Humphrey at "Humphrey on the Hill:"
An undated photo of a voting machine in Blount County is that uses an electronic display screen controlled by a finger wheel to navigate the voter though selections. (ROBERT WILSON/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SENTINEL)

If you experienced frustration at the polls on Super Tuesday, you weren't alone.

The excruciatingly long GOP ballot, busy voting booths and awful election machines combined with some bad weather all made for an annoying Election Day, which left voters wondering why we don't have a better system in place.

When I arrived at my local polling place I was stuck for about 20 minutes just looking for parking. Then when I finally got near the front door, I saw the line packed with people all waiting to cast their ballots. The wait was well over an hour.

It's 2016, isn't it? Why is it that we can have takeout food delivered to our door with a touch of the smartphone but voting takes nearly two hours?

In an interview with the News Sentinel, Knox County Election Administrator Cliff Rodgers said the elections office was "ambushed" by the long list of delegates for the election in January.

"There's not a quick fix to this," he said. "In early January, I can't buy machines when we program them a week later. And I certainly can't buy a $5 million new system with a touch screen."

Many of the voting machines that are being used in today's election season are outdated and need to be replaced, which leads to the question of who will pay to update the voting machines. Is it a local responsibility or should the state pay for it?

"Some jurisdictions seem to be saying we're just going to wait until another catastrophe and then maybe Congress will pay for it," Tammy Patrick, a senior adviser with the Bipartisan Policy Center, said in an interview with The Atlantic. "This is not a good plan."

What if we could just get rid of the voting machines and cast our votes online? This seems like the easiest solution, no fancy machines to pay for and no long lines at the polling booths. But security experts say no way.

In San Francisco, three ballot initiatives were proposed to allow online voting, but experts and voting officials have said the technology just isn't secure enough yet.

We all know cyberspace isn't safe, regardless of how secure sites say they are, even for your online banking and shopping. But people choose to do it anyway, even though there's risk associated with it.

Nobody wants to take that risk with our elected officials.

"Voting over the Internet is a really bad idea," said Vanessa Teague, a professor of computer science and expert on electronic voting at the University of Melbourne in Australia. "We haven't yet solved important issues like authentication, dealing with malware, ensuring privacy and allowing voters to verify their votes."

Maybe we're not ready to cast our votes online anytime just yet, but something has to be done to make the process less painful.
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By David Purkey, Special to the News Sentinel

Our state is less than one year removed from the terrorist-inspired events of July 16, 2015, in Chattanooga. I was in my Nashville office that fateful day when informed that the "Scenic City" was experiencing attacks at military facilities. As the state Homeland Security advisor and assistant commissioner of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, my heart sank when I was updated there would be several military fatalities. I soon spoke to Gov. Bill Haslam, who immediately approved a recommendation to implement terrorism protocols and instructed me to make all state resources available to the governments of Chattanooga and Hamilton County.

The governor's initial Public Safety Action Plan introduced in 2012 focused on reducing violent crime, curbing drug addiction and decreasing the number of repeat offenders. Chaired by Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons, the Public Safety Subcabinet and its 11 departments/agencies recommended a course that has led to a consistent reduction in the overall crime rate. Our new 2016-2018 plan reminds us that our nation and state remain on heightened alert to homeland security threats.

One step under the plan is the restructuring of the Office of Homeland Security. The office will now be comprised of three bureaus: analytics, operations and preparedness.

The Bureau of Analytics will take the lead in collecting, analyzing and disseminating information. The bureau also will provide threat intelligence briefings to law enforcement officials.

The Bureau of Operations will support federal, state and local public safety organizations with operations and planning for large-scale events and assist with homeland security-related investigations.

The Bureau of Preparedness will be responsible for training public- and private-sector groups on homeland security topics. The bureau also will support and coordinate training exercises.

The reorganization will improve our ability to monitor any threat and effectively address challenges. Changing threat indicators across our nation and state require us to adapt our structure and focus to protect the public. This reorganization prepares us at the state level to more fully support our local, state, and federal partners.

The Public Safety Action Plan includes four additional steps to better adapt to the state's homeland security challenges:

n Enhancing the Office of Homeland Security's ability to analyze information for links to terrorist activity through technology upgrades.

n Creating a Cyber Security Advisory Council to establish and oversee implementation of a comprehensive cybersecurity plan for the executive branch of state government.

n Establishing an effective state-level school safety team to review school security plans and develop and provide security training to teachers and administrators.

n Establishing and providing standardized training for active shooter incidents and improvised explosive device attacks to law enforcement agencies, state government agencies, school systems and the general public.

Recently, I was invited to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's annual conference to speak about the Chattanooga event. I entered a room filled with public safety professionals. I'll admit that I was a little intimidated until I recalled that one of the fallen Marines was Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan of Massachusetts. After approaching the podium, I remarked that my presentation was dedicated to their native son who was brought home, honored and buried in the city next door. The crowd sat in stunned silence as I related the events of that terrible day. As I finished my story, the crowd rose to their feet in a thunderous ovation for our four fallen Marines and one U.S. Navy sailor. I will never have any better reason to serve hereafter than to honor the lives lost fighting this terrorist on that day in Chattanooga.

To the families of Sullivan, Lance Cpl. Skip Wells, Sgt. Carson Holmquist, Staff Sgt. David Wyatt and Petty Officer Randall Smith, the Homeland Security steps in the Public Safety Action Plan are dedicated to these American patriots who left us too soon that day.

David Purkey is the assistant commissioner for the Department of Safety and Homeland Security and also serves as the governor's Homeland Security advisor.
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Back in December, Princeton professor Robert P. George was in the hospital with heart trouble and it did not sound good. At the time, I happened to be at a conference with many of his friends, colleagues and admirers. We prayed. We were not alone. Robby is one of those people who, like Justice Antonin Scalia, are irreplaceable. Our public and intellectual lives wouldn't be the same without him.

He's long back at work now. And so I naturally thought of him during the controversy over clothing retailer Lands' End and a profile of feminist icon Gloria Steinem that ran in its spring catalog - a profile that led to a massive outcry from customers and an apology from the company. In numerous interviews over the years, Steinem has said, "Gratitude never radicalized anybody."

Steinem's comment stuck in my mind because it struck me as so very wrong. Gratitude can change everything radically.

When George found himself in the hospital with a life-threatening condition, he was overwhelmed with prayer. "People who were praying for me flooded my email box with messages," he recalls. He got calls from Cardinal Timothy Dolan and a Mormon elder. He heard from ultra-Orthodox Jews in New Jersey, historically black churches, Baptists, Presbyterians, Assemblies of God, evangelicals, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Baha'is and Muslims who were praying for him, too.

"My reaction to all of this was pure, unadulterated, overwhelming gratitude - gratitude to God," George reflects, "not only for my survival, but for the good people who, moved by their devotion to him, offered their prayers for me. And gratitude to them."

Boundless gratitude changes you. Imagine that. That's radical.

You can see that kind of power in the surviving families of Coptic Christians murdered by extremists in the Middle East - families who are still praying for the conversion of the murderers and who are responding to homicidal hate with life-affirming love.

The outpouring of love from people he didn't know "radically changed my life," George tells me. "Because of their prayers and God's goodness, I now understand every day as a gift. No burden, no disappointment, no difficulty changes that. What's more, in the spirit of gratitude I now see that prior to my illness I spent far too much of my time focused on myself. I thought of myself as someone who lives much of his life for others, but I'm now struck by just how little of my life I did actually live for others. Don't get me wrong. I'm still a sinner, and fall short. I'm still not nearly as selfless as I should be. But at least I now understand - deeply, existentially, not merely notionally - that it makes no sense to live one's life for oneself. The only truly sane way to live one's life is for others. Radically."

Looking around and really, truly giving thanks - being overwhelmed by love. That's the blessed place in which George finds himself. I passed by him right before the Washington, D.C., funeral Mass for Scalia, and I couldn't help but be calmed by the presence of a man at peace. Gratitude does that.

Peace. That's as radical as you can get in our divided, scattered, shattered world.

"So don't tell me that gratitude never radicalized someone," George tells me. "Every morning when I brush my teeth and look at the guy in the mirror, I see someone who was radicalized by gratitude. For which, I must say, I am radically grateful."

For someone like Steinem who sees herself as a political radical, gratitude can be a sign of weakness. As the Rev. Aquinas Guilbau from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., puts it: Gratitude uproots us "from pride and self-centeredness. Gratitude requires a recognition of the debt we owe to others, which touching the most important things in life - like life itself - is a debt we cannot repay."

It's the ultimate in revolutionary thinking.
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Lawmakers in Nashville last week officially launched a movement to gut funding for the University of Tennessee's Office for Diversity and Inclusion. This exercise in excessively punitive, counterproductive micro-management should be scuttled.

The state Senate Education Committee voted on Wednesday to strip the Knoxville campus's Diversity Office of all but federal funding and to transfer $8 million from the UT Knoxville budget to the system's agricultural extension service and rural outreach programs. According to UT, the Diversity Office's staff and programs are not funded by federal dollars, so the bill essentially would eliminate the office altogether if approved by both chambers of the Legislature.

The bill would cut much deeper than the campus's Diversity Office. The budget for diversity programs at UT Knoxville is $2.5 million, but the Office for Diversity and Inclusion's portion of that amount is only $522,241. Other initiatives include a federally funded tutoring and counseling program, a multi-cultural student life office and the Office of Equity and Diversity, which is responsible for compliance with state and federal laws on civil rights, equal employment and affirmative action.

Shifting $8 million from UT Knoxville to other system programs would amount to levying a $7.5 million penalty on the flagship campus - a penalty that would affect other programs in addition to diversity efforts.

Guidelines on the use of gender-neutral pronouns and recommendations that office holiday parties not become religious celebrations in disguise drew the ire of conservative lawmakers, though neither set of suggestions has been official UT policy.

The bill approved by the Senate Education Committee last week, which would amend the UT system's proposed budget, is an extreme overreaction.

As passed, the amendment:

n Transfers $5 million from the funds appropriated to UT Knoxville to the UT Agricultural Extension Service for its programs and services.

n Declares that "only federal funds shall be expended to support the office of diversity and inclusion" at UT Knoxville.

n Transfers $3 million from funds appropriated for administration and salaries on the Knoxville campus to UT Chattanooga and UT Martin (at $1.5 million each) "for the sole purpose of rural outreach programs."

The amendment is accompanied by more than a whiff of political opportunism. It was proposed by committee Chairwoman Delores Gresham, who owns a cattle farm in Fayette County and faces a re-election challenge in this year's Republican primary from Savannah Mayor Bob Shutt, whose platform includes bringing more rural development to the eight-county district.

Promoting diversity and inclusion on the UT Knoxville campus is important. Faculty, staff and students come from a variety of backgrounds - some come from overseas, some are gay, some are racial or ethnic minorities, some are Hindu or Muslim. Bias concerns are legitimate. According to UT, there have been 22 bias reports in the 2015-16 academic year. Seven were about race; five about sexual orientation; three regarding gender; two about religion; two about race and sexual orientation; and one was regarding religion and sexual orientation. Two were unlisted.

The defunding effort is shortsighted. UT graduates will encounter diversity issues in the workplace. Major employers in the state such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Volkswagen and Denso recruit internationally, so by eliminating the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, the Legislature would risk fostering a reputation for intolerance that could injure Tennessee businesses and its economy.

UT has a duty to prepare its students for post-graduate life, as well as a legal responsibility to follow federal civil rights laws. Lawmakers should throw out this draconian bill and stop micromanaging the university.
Shareholders of Tokyo-based Lotte Holdings, which controls Korea's fifth-largest conglomerate Lotte Group, voted on Sunday in support of Shin Dong-bin, the Lotte founder's second son and incumbent group chairman, helping strengthen his management grip against his elder brother Shin Dong-joo.

During the meeting in Tokyo, shareholders rejected the request made by Shin Dong-joo, the oldest of 94-year-old Lotte founder Shin Kyuk-ho's two sons, to dismiss his younger brother from the company's board of directors.

Dong-joo has been locking horns with Dong-bin after being stripped of his executive titles at three of Lotte's Japanese affiliates in early 2015.

Although the elder son claims the Lotte Group founder handpicked him as his successor, he has faced an uphill battle for control of the retail giant as he holds only about 30 percent of Lotte Holdings' shares.

Dong-bin also claims that his father is unable to make reasonable judgments due to mental health problems.

While the Lotte Group said the latest shareholders' meeting marks the end of the succession feud, the eldest son said it will submit the case again in the regular shareholders' gathering slated for June.

"(The meeting) confirmed shareholders' solid support for Shin Dong-bin," a Lotte Group spokesman said. "The succession feud, which was sparked by Shin Dong-joo's opposition against his own dismissal, is now virtually ended."

The Lotte Group added it will not "tolerate" other attempts made by the eldest son to "harm the corporate value and business order."

Through a separate press release, however, Dong-joo claimed that the management of Lotte Holdings imposed unreasonable pressure on shareholders, adding the matter will again be discussed in June. (Yonhap)
Agriculture Minister Lee Dong-phil, second from left, tours a tomatoes sorting facility in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on Feb. 4. Lee said that to boost the outbound shipments of agricultural and food products, the ministry will strengthen marketing activities abroad, diversify export markets and expand overseas logistics networks.

/ Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs



Agriculture ministry bolsters overseas promotion, diversify markets



By Lee Hyo-sik

Korea is looking to bolster its outbound shipments of agricultural and food products to help offset the falling exports of ships, semiconductors and other major industrial goods.

Foreign demand for locally-grown agricultural products and processed food items has increased over the past few years owing to the increasing interest of China and other foreign consumers in Korea's culinary culture, brought about by the "hallyu," or the Korean cultural wave, that is sweeping the globe.

To provide a much-needed boost to the country's sagging overall exports, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs recently unveiled a set of measures, in cooperation with affiliated agencies, to increase the overseas shipments of local food products.

Among others, the ministry plans to allocate greater resources to organizing more promotional activities abroad, as well as helping food firms diversify export markets and widen overseas logistics networks.

It said Korea's food exports will reach $8.1 billion this year, up from $6.11 billion in 2015. Given the forecasted decline of outbound shipments of industrial goods in 2016, it has become more crucial for Asia's fourth-largest economy to sell more fresh goods and processed food items to foreign markets.

In 2015, food exports inched down 1.2 percent from the previous year, while the nation's overall outbound shipments dropped 7.9 percent.

"Korea's food exports fell 5.9 percent in January from a year earlier. We must take all possible measures to reverse the trend in order to sell at least $8.1 billion worth of food products this year," Minister Lee said. "It won't be easy to ship more to foreign markets than we did in 2015, given the economic slowdown in China, the weakening Japanese yen and other unfavorable conditions. But desperate times call for desperate measures."

Lee said the ministry will boost cooperation with affiliated agencies to more effectively expand food exports. "The ministry will act as a control tower coordinating the agencies, which need to mobilize all the resources for their roles in promoting exports."

On Feb, 4, Lee held a meeting with the heads of the Rural Development Administration (RDA), the Korea Forest Service (KFS), the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp. (aT), the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, or Nonghyup.

During the meeting, the agriculture minister called on each agency to extend greater support to farmers and food companies entering foreign markets, as well as increase the cross-agency cooperation.

"We will set up a task force consisting of officials from the six organizations, which will hold a monthly meeting to review the export promotion campagin," Lee said. "We will establish a one-stop service system, providing local food exporters with market information, as well as customs, quarantine and logistics-related services."





Agriculture Minister Lee Dong-phil, center, presides over a meeting with heads of the ministry's affiliates at a farm in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on Feb. 4. The minister said Korea's food exports will reach $8.1 billion this year, up from $6.11 billion in 2015. / Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs



Diversify markets, bolster logistics

The agriculture ministry said it will focus more on increasing shipments to China and the Middle East, while continuing to maintain a strong presence in Japan, Korea's single largest food export market.

"We will ship a wider range of products to the world's second-largest economy to capitalize on Korean food's growing popularity among Chinese consumers," a ministry spokesman said. "The government will also assist food firms in obtaining halal' certification to increase the food shipments to Middle Eastern nations."

Over the past few years, Korea has been making more efforts to tap into Arab countries as its next major market. To sell food items there, exporters have to obtain halal certification.

The term halal means lawful or permissible in Arabic, and Muslims are required to consume only halal food. Halal certification is given only to food items that are slaughtered, processed or manufactured in accordance to Islamic law.

For example, for a food product to be halal, it must be free of pork, alcohol or meat-derived food ingredients such as collagen.

The ministry has also been working to ship fruits and other fresh produce to India, Africa and other largely untapped markets as part of its market diversification efforts.

"To improve overseas logistics infrastructure, we have opened warehouses in several Chinese cities. We will build more in China and Southeast Asia, making it more convenient and cheaper for domestic firms to sell their food items there," the spokesman said.

The government also plans to offer customs-and quarantine-related consulting services to food exporters so that they can fully take advantage of trade agreements Korea has signed with China and other foreign countries.

"We will organize or financially support marketing events, particularly in China and the Middle East, to promote local food products among foreign consumers. We will also develop strategic and tailored export items for each market," he said.

Besides food items, the ministry also plans to increase the exports of agricultural equipment, livestock feed and animal vaccines to developing countries.

"To do so, we will dispatch a trade mission to overseas agricultural fairs more often. The government will also boost cooperation with discount stores, home shopping channels and other retailers, which set up presence in China and Southeast Asia. They need to promote more local food products," he said.

The affiliated agencies have also vowed to do their part in boosting food exports.

RDA Administrator Lee Yang-ho said the state-run agricultural research institute, which runs offices in dozens of developing countries, will share its agricultural knowhow and expertise with local farms seeking to export their products. The agency's overseas posts will provide the farmers with market information and consulting services, Lee said.

KFS Minister Shin Won-sop also said the forest management agency will promote Korea's forest products in China and the Middle East where local food items are viewed as healthier and more environment-friendly.

aT plans to conduct foreign market studies and sales promotion activities on behalf of food exporters, while both the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency and the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service will offer local food firms with quarantine information in each foreign country.

Nonghyup said it will extend financial and support to its member farms to strengthen their price competitiveness, as well as find markets for them.
A film depicting the lives of women forced into sexual slavery for Japanese troops during World War II has drawn more than 2.2 million viewers since its release 10 days ago, box-office data showed Saturday.

"Spirits' Homecoming" attracted 101,908 moviegoers Friday, bringing the accumulated total to 2,229,205, according to the data.

Much of the film's popularity can be attributed to the ongoing controversy over last year's agreement between South Korea and Japan to resolve the issue of the "comfort women," film critics said.

"It's an expression of the public's guilty conscience toward the victims, their self-examination, and the frustration and anger over the South Korean and Japanese governments' hasty deal," said film critic Oh Dong-jin.

Directed by Cho Jung-lae, the movie tells the painful testimonies of the women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during the war. Historians estimate that up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea, suffered from the atrocity. Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910-45.

Despite budget shortages and other initial difficulties, the film was completed 14 years after production began with the support and donations of more than 75,000 people.

The movie is set to open in cinemas in the United States next month, while Korean communities and college groups in other countries, including Canada, Britain and France, have also requested its local release. (Yonhap)
Shanghai Tang model to walk for Versace in Milan

This is the seventh in a series of interviews with Korea's leading models.  ED.





Ryu Wan-kyu

/Courtesy of EsteemENT

By Kim Jae-heun

Everyone runs into a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and for Korean fashion model Ryu Wan-kyu, it was when he shot the 2015 Fall/Winter global campaign for Chinese luxury label Shanghai Tang last March. The ad was released in July and it instantly grabbed the attention of international modeling scout Wilson Brandon, who connected Ryu to sign a contract with DNA Model Management  one of the world's top three agencies based in New York.

"I did not expect anything like that to happen," said Ryu during an interview with The Korea Times. "Brandon is also manager of my good friend and model Na Dae-hyuck and I guess he reached my Instagram through Na because Na modeled for Shanghai Tang too.

"Usually, a model has to meet an agency face-to-face before they sign a contract, but Brandon just video called me and sent me the contract as soon as he hung up. Then, I flew to New York in April. I was lucky."

In the first season, Italian fashion company Versace casted Ryu exclusively for Milan Fashion Week in June, and he was the only Asian to make the audition. Ryu was excited  and at the same time, nervous  but he remembers clearly designer Donatella Versace calling him "sexy Asian."

Ryu's miracle continued as he walked the runway for the collaboration project "H&M x Balmain" in New York City that same season. The following season, Ryu swept the European catwalks, appearing on a total 12 runways _ and he could have walked more had he not missed 14 show casting meetings in London because of visa issues.

"This time, I walked French shows the most, which include Maison Margiela, Thom Browne, Balmain and White Mountaineering. In Milan I participated in four runways for popular brands, such as Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Brioni and DSquared2. I am the first Korean to walk the most of the shows," Ryu said.

"Amongst all, Balmain and Ralph Lauren shows stay strong in my mind. I walked the Balmain runway with Sean O'Pry and I told him that I am a big fan of him. He said he was happy to see me too and asked my name after taking a picture together."

However, his modeling career didn't start so promisingly. Standing 189 centimeters tall (6 feet 2 inches), Ryu has always been told to try modeling by acquaintances. In 2013, he applied for a modeling academy at EsteemENT in Korea and passed the audition to join "New Face Model." But Ryu recalled being chubby and unprepared then, and the agency barely gave him any work. The modeling talent knew he did not fit in there.

He moved to another model agency called Curmas, which seeks male models with strong virile beauty rather than a pretty face. The company welcomed Ryu and gave him a job that day. This time, the small agency had limits in fostering Ryu into a top model and although he participated in sizable shows at Seoul Fashion Week, it wasn't enough to satisfy him.

Curmas set Ryu up with an audition with the Hong Kong agency and the Korean model was awarded the Shanghai Tang catwalk, which led to shooting a look-book and shop catalog for the Chinese brand and eventually a global campaign. It was the first time he earned enough money to make a living by modeling.

"I made a good start abroad and the best part is that my parents are happy," Ryu said. "They've always been worrying about my future that I made very little money modeling in Korea. Now, they trust me and I am happy. Also people are starting to look at me as a real model after participating on many European stages."

Ryu recently received an official working holiday visa for New York. He is planning to stay a minimum of two years in the United States, hoping to become a model like 38-year-old Chun Jino.

"People think my job has a short life, but I don't," Ryu said. "Old models retire because they did not take good care of themselves. I don't think modeling has an age limit. Also there are thousands of young models but not many middle-age images, who are often more commercial."
Women's rights weakened under female president, activists say



By Jung Min-ho



During her presidential election campaign, Park Geun-hye pledged to make Korea a better nation for women by raising female labor participation and eradicating discrimination.



But the nation's first female president has achieved little for women's rights over the past three years and, in some areas, the situation has worsened for women, according to the Korean Women's Association United (KWAU).



Ahead of International Women's Day on Tuesday, the KWAU asked the Park administration to fulfill her campaign pledges. They also demanded it retract two policies they found especially problematic in terms of women's rights.



"We demand the Ministry of Education withdraw its sex education guidelines that reinforce conservative perceptions of gender roles," the KWAU said in a statement on Saturday.



The ministry released its first government-level sex education material for nationwide use last year, only to be criticized for its blatantly sexist contents. For example, the guidelines said women could be responsible for dating violence by not paying their share.



The ministry erased and revised some parts of the guidelines, but some civic groups, including the KWAU, still find the guidelines "sexist and wrong."



The KWAU also criticized the government's proposed labor reform bill, under which employers could use non-regular workers for up to four years without having to bring them on as full-time workers. The current maximum is two years.



"About 60 percent of all female workers are non-regular workers  this policy will only make the problem of job instability worse for women," the KWAU said.



"The government is also trying to make it easier to fire workers as part of its labor reforms. Women, who may have to take maternity leave sometime in their careers, will remain more vulnerable to change."



According to Statistics Korea, labor participation of women in their 20s increased only 0.5 percent from 63.3 percent in 2004 to 63.8 percent in 2014.



Labor participation of women in their 30s increased from 54.5 percent to 58.4 percent during the same period. However, no noticeable progress was made under Park's watch, taking office in February 2013.



Korea has one of the worst gender wage gaps among developed countries, with female workers earning 65 percent what their male counterparts make. Fewer than 2 percent of executives at Korea's top 100 companies are women.



Moreover, many women are forced to leave their jobs after marrying or giving birth because of lack of childcare support from the government and society.



The Korean Women's Development Institute estimated that losing these female workers costs the nation $13.3 billion annually in lost income and wasted investments in education.



Women are also underrepresented politically. Only 16.3 percent of National Assembly members are women, which is lower than the world average of 22.2 percent and Asia's average of 19 percent.




By Lee Kyung-min

Police booked 868 people without detention for allegedly committing acts of violence while dating and detained 61 of them in February, according to the National Police Agency (NPA), Sunday.

The NPA said that it received a total of 1,279 reports of physical or sexual assault or threats between intimate partners during a nationwide intensive one-month campaign against such crimes.

The probe followed an increase in dating violence amid a widespread public perception that violence between partners is a domestic and personal affair and thus the authorities should stay out of it.

"We launched the campaign to encourage victims to report to police, because many are reluctant to do so because of such perception and for fear of shame and acts of revenge," an NPA official said.












By Yi Whan-woo





Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, the founder of the minor opposition People's Party, rejected Sunday a proposal from Kim Jong-in, interim leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), to join forces for the upcoming April general election.

Ahn made it clear that his party will field its own candidates for the election, dismissing Kim's offer as "a political scheme."

Ahn said his goal is to break a political system dominated by only two parties to achieve what he refers to as "new politics."

"The opposition forces may be able to increase a couple of parliamentary seats if we merge, but it won't lead to the hope of a change of government," Ahn said during a press conference at the party office in Mapo-gu, Seoul. "Joining hands with each other without any principles will eventually fail to win support from the people. And I'm afraid we'll remain on the opposition forever."

Saying that he and his party are in the political "wilderness," he added "I'd rather die where I am now."

"There's no point of return and the party will continue to march on for the new country even though we are surrounded by enemies and face the risk of death."

Ahn also downplayed speculation that he will partially accept Kim's offer and form an alliance in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Incheon and Gyeonggi Province where approximately one third of the nation's population live.

His comment came after Kim asked Ahn to merge their parties in order to win against the ruling Saenuri Party in the general election slated for April 13.

It has been speculated that the opposition forces cannot beat the ruling Party, unless they merge with one other.

The Saenuri Party has an approval rating of 30.8 percent, MPK 25.6 percent and People's Party 3.7 percent in a latest survey jointly conducted by Chosun Ilbo and Media Research on 506 adults from Feb. 28 to March 1.

Ahn however, has accused the MPK of "being obsolete" including Kim, who served as a chief campaign strategist for then-ruling party's candidate Park Geun-hye during the 2012 presidential election.

Meanwhile, Ahn's party is not eligible for receiving financial support from the National Assembly in preparation for the April election.

The People's Party has 18 lawmakers after Ahn quit the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, the predecessor of MPK in December and set it up. At least 20 lawmakers are needed for a party to receive fund for the campaign.



Kim said his proposal still remains "effective," adding "Ahn must have said his words while losing control over himself."
By Rachel Lee



The government will soon discuss with Russia the Rajin-Khasan project, a joint logistics program involving the two Koreas and Russia, the foreign minister said, Sunday.



"We will review the project in accordance with the (U.N. Security Council's) new sanctions against North Korea and soon hold consultations with Russia," said Yoon Byung-se on MBC television.



The trilateral project is aimed at transporting bituminous coal produced in Western Siberia to South Korean ports through the North's port city of Rajin and Russia's border town of Khasan.



The minister's remarks indicate that South Korea may be preparing to import coal directly from Russia in line with the U.N. resolution, which requires mandatory inspection of all cargo going in and out of North Korea and bans the exports of coal, iron and other mineral resources.



The 15-member council adopted the resolution last Thursday to punish North Korea for its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and long-range missile launch on Feb.7.



Seoul is also planning a set of unilateral actions against Pyongyang, and is reportedly considering a ban on vessels travelling to North Korea.



South Korea and Russia are likely to discuss other possible ways to proceed with the program, raising the possibility of excluding the North as a stopover en route from Russia to the South.



"We are trying to keep pace with the United States' new North Korea sanctions and will very soon unveil our new measures that will complement the U.N. Security Council's resolution," Yoon said.



The U.S. Congress passed legislation to step up sanctions against Pyongyang in January, including for the first time, terms for a secondary boycott, which refers to sanctions not only by U.S. citizens and businesses but also others with foreign interests that do business with North Korea.



Russia expressed its will to proceed with the project.



Russia's news agency Sputnik reported Thursday that the new measures would not affect the project and that the Russian railway company "intends to continue constructive cooperation with its partners on the project, in particular with Seoul."



The Park Geun-hye government has said that the Rajin-Khasan project is an integral part of its Eurasia initiative aimed at connecting roads and railways to build multi-purpose logistics networks among Eurasian nations.



Pyongyang and Moscow have been refurbishing a railway between Rajin and Khasan since 2008. Seoul decided to take part in the project at a summit between Park and Russian President Vladimir Putin in November of 2013.




By Rachel Lee

Seoul will this week announce a set of sanctions to be independently issued against North Korea, following the adoption of a tougher U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution on the recalcitrant country, officials said Sunday.

The measures will include a ban on vessels entering ports in South Korea from third-party countries that have travelled through the North and sanctions on more institutions and personnel related to the North's development of weapons of mass destruction in addition to those blacklisted by the U.N.

"Those blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council are also subject to the government's sanctions as well," said an official on condition of anonymity.

The resolution included a blacklisting of 12 additional North Korean institutions and 16 persons along with the new sanctions, which were adopted on Wednesday to punish North Korea for conducting its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and long-range missile launch on Feb. 7.

South Korea may also scrap a joint logistics project involving the two Koreas and Russia, intended to transport bituminous coal produced in western Siberia to South Korean ports through the North's port city of Rajin and Russia's border town of Khasan.

The announcement will be made by the Prime Minister's Office early this week, said the official.

The South's most effective sanction issued against Pyongyang is a ban on North Korean vessels entering ports in the South following the North's sinking of a South Korean warship in 2010.

President Park Geun-hye said last week that the government will use all its cards to pressure the North toward abandoning its nuclear program.
Canadian Ambassador to Korea Eric Walsh speaks at the opening event for Canadian beef promotion at the Four Seasons Hotel on March 3. / Courtesy of the Canadian Embassy





By Rachel Lee

Canadian Ambassador to Korea Eric Walsh is hosting Canadian beef promotion at the Four Seasons Hotel from March 4-12 to mark the resumption of Canadian beef exports to Korea.

About 130 guests including actor Choi Min-soo and former Korean ambassadors to Canada came to the opening event on March 3.

Canadian beef re-entered the Korean market from last Dec. 30.

"This is an exciting time for me to be the ambassador of Canada to South Korea," Walsh said at the reception.

"In January, Canada and Korea celebrated the first anniversary of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA). Canada's first FTA in Asia, the CKFTA is particularly important for Canadian companies, which are now in a better position to compete in this market."

Under the trade deal, Canada's exports of fish and seafood had increased by 74 percent, the ambassador said.

According to the embassy, Canada's fish and seafood sector has a reputation as one of the best suppliers because of its quality, and sustainable management. The country supports more than 160 species of fish and seafood.

Canada also exports fresh, frozen, smoked and canned products to more than 130 countries.

"Several new Canadian clothing brands have appeared in the market including Lululemon, a renowned exercise apparel company," Walsh said.

A five-course menu using Canadian ingredients such as blueberries, lobster and salmon delighted the guests, who also tasted Canadian wine and other alcoholic beverages.

The ambassador highlighted strong bilateral ties between the two countries in the science technology field.

"Our two countries have concluded negotiations on a Science Technology and Innovation Agreement that we hope will be signed and ratified later this year," he said.

"Our government has already earmarked $1 million to support bilateral research and development joint projects under that agreement.

"We look forward to the exciting opportunities for collaboration between our two countries."

The food promotion, organized in partnership with Cargill Meat, Destination Canada and the Four Seasons Hotel, is being held in the hotel's Market Kitchen and Market Ladder restaurants.

The lunch and dinner menu includes Beef Wellington, Carpaccio, Thai salad, Canadian burgers and Tataki beef.

Visitors have a chance to win one of several raffle prizes, including a trip to Canada and a stay at the Four Seasons Hotel.


Two honorary consuls appointed



Swedish Ambassador to Korea Anne Hoglund has inaugurated two Koreans as honorary consuls, on March 2.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden appointed Shin Il Corporation CEO Lee Sang-kyun as honorary consul in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, and Daemyung Leisure Industry vice president Seo Kyuing-sun, in Gwangwon province.



Lee is also chairman of the Korea-Sweden Arts and Culture Society.



According to the Swedish Embassy, the first honorary consulate of Sweden was appointed in Busan in 1992. There are now six honorary consulates in Korea.









Azerbaijan commemorates massacre



On Feb. 25-26 each year, Azerbaijani commemorates the innocent people killed in the 1992 Armenian invasion.

Marking the 24th anniversary of the "Khojaly genocide" this year, the Azerbaijan Embassy in Seoul again wants to raise awareness of the tragic incident. In 1988, Armenian armed forces with the help of Infantry Guards Regiment 366 of the former

USSR seized Khojaly, a town in the Republic of Azerbaijan's Nagorny Karabakh

region in a bid to annex the region.



Out of Khojaly's population of 2,500 people, 613 civilians were killed, 1,000 were wounded and/or 1,275 taken hostage. A total of 150 people are still missing.



Leyla Aliyeva, vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation set up in 2008, started the "International Awareness Campaign" under the motto "Justice for Khojaly-Freedom for Karabakh."



The campaign aims to raise international awareness through photographs of the victims and their suffering in the Karabakh conflict and Khojaly massacre in particular.
North Korea on Monday called for strengthening its economic self-sufficiency as the United Nations Security Council is poised to slap tougher sanctions on the country for its nuclear and missile programs.



"Imperialists stick to the scheme to choke liberal countries' economies and coerce them into submission by pushing for sanctions and containment," said the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's main newspaper.



The U.N. Security Council looks set to adopt a fresh resolution for what's called "the strongest set of sanctions in more than two decades" on the North over its latest nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.



It would require U.N. member states to conduct mandatory inspections of all cargo going into and out of North Korea, and ban mineral resource exports, a main source of dollars for the cash-strapped North.



Ahead of the U.N. move, North Korea called for raising internal solidarity, stressing the need to make its moribund economy stand on its own.













"To strengthen our economy's self-sufficiency might be a daunting task, but it should be carried out for the future," the newspaper said.



North Korea showed that it won't back down against the United States, stressing the need to boost its defense capability.



"Imperialists rely on military power to crush liberal countries' sovereign rights," it said. "We need to strengthen our defense posture in the face of aggression and pressure." (Yonhap)
A North Korean ship impounded in the Philippines last week was registered as being from Sierra Leone via a practice called flag of convenience, South Korea said Sunday.

Flag of convenience is a business practice of registering a merchant ship to a country other than its origin for the purposes of avoiding taxes and other regulations.

The Philippines seized the North Korean ship Jin Teng on Saturday, becoming the first country to enforce sanctions on the reclusive country since the United Nations Security Council passed a more comprehensive resolution last week.

Resolution 2270 subjects 31 ships belonging to North Korea's Wonyang Shipping Corp. to an asset freeze and sanctions.

Despite being Sierra Leone-flagged, the Jin Teng was seized because the sanctions are imposed via the ship's International Maritime Organization (IMO) number, not its country of origin, a South Korean official said.

Nine other ships on the list are registered as being from countries other than North Korea, including Tanzania and Cambodia, the official added. (Yonhap)
South Korea will announce its own North Korea sanctions this week after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted to impose stronger sanctions on the belligerent nation, a South Korean official said Sunday.



The sanctions will likely include banning the entry of ships to South Korean ports from third-party countries that have been to North Korea and blacklisting more organizations and personnel related to the North's weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the official said on the condition of anonymity.



The measures will be made public by the Prime Minister's Office of the South early this week, the official added.



The UNSC unanimously adopted Resolution 2270 on Thursday, tightening the screws on the communist nation that sparked global outrage with its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and its long-range missile launch on Feb. 7 in violation of U.N. rules.



South Korea has used practically all its cards that could pressure the North toward abandoning its nuclear program, the most notable of which is the shutdown of the inter-Korean industrial complex in Kaesong last month.



Still, expanding sanctions on the North could lead more countries to cut trade with the communist nation, the official said.



"The most important effect we're expecting is publicizing that these organizations and personnel are problematic to the world," the official said. "The North will of course be banned from trading with us. That will limit its trade internationally."



Prohibiting third-party ships from entering South Korea via the North follows the same measure imposed by Japan on Feb. 10.



The addition will likely nullify the Najin-Hassan Project, which has allowed Russian cargo to be transported to the South via the North Korean port of Najin.



In addition to U.N. sanctions, South Korea has imposed its own financial sanctions on four Taiwanese and Syrian organizations and three individuals as being related to the North's nuclear activities. The new set of measures will likely add more.



Among the likely subjects is Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who is known to be in charge of the North's foreign-exchange reserves. South Korea has recently claimed that 70 percent of the income earned by North Korea through the Kaesong Industrial Complex has ended up in the hands of the North's ruling Workers' Party of North Korea.



Other potential subjects include the North's National Defense Commission and Kim's right-hand man, Hwang Pyong-so. (Yonhap)




By Bernard Rowan

Following North Korea's recent "nuclear missile test," status quo powers have decided to take notice and to provide a result. This week, the United States, South Korea, and China (perhaps, most hope) have signaled an agreement on sanctions against Pyongyang. These sanctions won't harm the North too much, let alone prompt changed behavior. South Korea can't allow provocative actions to go without a response. However, the context of forces and relations in the region will need continuing patience and vigilance, for there is no quick fix.

The basic story of politics in the North is the endless melodrama of stabilizing Kim's power base. It'd appear Kim Jong-un is prone to scapegoating, to using outliers (even loyal supporters) as displays of his power. Nonetheless, he never achieves enough consensus. His use of "sticks" and other forms of display occur to impress the masses ever further.

Kim does have a fondness for public displays of military and political grandeur. His police and security apparatus provide a backup against expressions of dissent. He's the unquestioned leader of his nation in all ways, and he uses redundant and excessive means to redisplay this status.

However, outside North Korea, regime maintenance buys Kim little else. I don't think the world can soothe his problem for him, since it's a self-fulfilling negative feedback loop of monstrous proportions.

I'm also not sure Kim cares. The North doesn't seek wider integration with the world. Japan, the United States, and to a lesser extent Russia and China don't fear these actions. Russia and China pretend to care. Their ambitions and pretensions compete with the interests of Japan and the United States.












/Korea Times



By Jung Min-ho, Kim Eil-chul

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be the best-known virus in the world, but not the most lethal for Asia.

While HIV kills about 250,000 Asians every year, liver cancer, which is mainly caused by viral hepatitis, kills 360,000 people in East Asia alone.

Yet research for liver diseases does not receive the attention and funding it deserves, and the work is largely controlled by doctors and pharmaceutical companies from Western countries, Professor Han Kwang-hyub at Yonsei University's Severance Hospital said.

"Asian doctors should take the leadership in solving the problem that is affecting mostly the people in Asia," Han, 61, said in an interview.

He believes stronger and more frequent collaboration among Asian doctors can bring much-needed attention and investment to liver disease research.

"Together, they can achieve a lot," he said. "They need to share more research information about liver diseases, discuss their visions and set new directions for future studies."

This belief led him to host the inaugural Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Meeting (APPLE) in Incheon in 2010, when he was the president of the Korean Liver Cancer Study Group. Since then, it has emerged as one of the most recognized conferences for liver cancer experts in the region.

The purpose of creating the conference, which has now become an annual event, is to give doctors in Korea, Japan and China an opportunity to share their latest knowledge and opinion about liver cancer and other liver diseases, Han noted.

He believes Asian doctors, with their significant clinical experience in treating liver disease patients, can provide valuable knowledge in liver disease research in a way that Western doctors cannot.

"They deal with so many different cases, compared with Western doctors, but their clinical experience is often overlooked in Europe and North America," he said. "But their knowledge could  and should  be used valuably to unravel the mysteries of liver cancer and hepatitis."

One of the advantages of having significant experience is knowing when to apply certain drugs or other treatment methods to patients. "In other words, it can teach you a lot about timing," he said.

"Timing is one of the most critical parts of treating liver diseases. Certain drugs, for example, are effective at certain stages but not at others. Thus, doctors should know what drugs have to be used exactly when. If the doctor misses the timing, the whole treatment could be ruined," he said.

"Outside Asia, treating liver disease patients is mostly the job of gastroenterologists, who do not have much experience in treating liver disease patients, because there are few experts in the field."

One of the most important tasks of the APPLE is to establish treatment guidelines for liver cancer. "There are so many different treatment methods in Asia now. We want to examine them and establish reliable, evidence-based guidelines for them," Han said. "More lives can be saved if we can provide better prognostic classification and newer, better treatment strategies."

Han is one of the most noted liver disease experts in Korea. The founding member of the International Liver Cancer Association has been active in viral hepatitis clinical research since the mid-1990s. He also developed some of the new treatment methods that have proved to be more effective for liver cancer patients with certain conditions.

Han is the world's first doctor to prove the effectiveness of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, the use of chemotherapy concurrently with radiation for liver cancer patients.

After receiving the therapy, end-stage liver cancer patients, who were initially expected to die within three months, lived for 11 months on average, according to his research. More strikingly, 15 percent of them, who were initially considered too serious to receive surgery, could receive it and recovered eventually, thanks to the treatment that improved their symptoms. Han said for now he is studying how to further improve the treatment's effectiveness.



Han Kwang-hyub is one of the most noted liver disease experts in Korea. The founding member of the International Liver Cancer Association has been active in viral hepatitis clinical research since the mid-1990s. / Korea Times



Fighting the main cause  viral hepatitis

Liver cancer is the sixth-most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. In Korea, the cancer is the No. 1 killer for men aged 40 to 50.

Viral infection from either the hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the chief cause of liver cancer, accounting for about 80 percent of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer.

Vaccination is the best available protection against HBV. There is no vaccine for HCV, so, for now, the best advice for avoiding the virus, which is believed to be transmitted only through blood, is to be careful with needles.

Thirty years ago, when Han started his medical career, there were few things doctors could do for patients infected with either virus. Today, thanks to advances in drugs, doctors can help turn the diseases into manageable, albeit still chronic, conditions, he said.

"I am a part of a lucky generation as a doctor and researcher," he said. "I was fortunate to start my career at a time when global pharmaceutical companies such as BMS and Glaxo Wellcome started to develop drugs for HBV and HCV. It was good news especially for Korea, which was one of the worst countries in terms of the diseases, when China was still isolated from anything from the West."

It was also a great opportunity for Han, who at that time had been developing his career as a researcher after training at Baylor University in Texas.

He seized the opportunity to participate in developing new drugs with some of the world's largest drug makers as a key researcher and adviser.

"It opened a new horizon for me," he said. "I learned how global pharmaceutical firms do business by working with them."

"Today, many cases of HBV and HCV can be managed with drugs to a certain degree, though doctors are still struggling with the issue of drug tolerance."

Yet there is still no cure for the viruses. To develop effective drugs, he said, doctors need to be more active in clinical research.

For the time being, Han said, a combination of drugs and injections will likely remain as the most potent weapon.

Being open to creativity, collaboration

In terms of determining treatment options, liver cancer is one of the trickiest because it depends on many factors, such as tumor size, stage and the patient's tolerance to certain drugs, Han said.

"That's why liver doctors have to be creative and be open to working with others experts," he said.

Creativity helped him come up with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in 1995, after learning about how radiation oncologists treated cancer. In 1999, he also started using radio-active isotope (Holmium-166) complex in liver cancer treatment  the world's first doctor to do so.

"The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety eventually approved the method, which proved to be effective in preventing the growth of early-stage tumors," he said.

"Throughout my career, I have realized the importance of creativity and collaboration with experts in other fields, and the two things definitely helped me get where I am today."
By David F. HelveyNorth Korea's fourth nuclear test this past January and long-range missile launch in February underscore the fact that the reclusive regime remains, in the words of U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, an "up close, dangerous, and continuing threat to the security of the Peninsula and the region."Pyongyang's actions highlight the role of the U.S.-ROK Alliance in deterring North Korean aggression and contributing to stability and security on the Korean Peninsula, in Northeast Asia, and the world.While focusing on deterrence and responding to the immediate threat from Pyongyang, we should also recognize that the ultimate source of the threat lies in the regime itself and that the path to long-term security and stability on the Korean Peninsula lies in reunification.The U.S.-ROK alliance can play an important role in support of Korean reunification. Retaining the alliance after reunification would also serve the interests of both nations and the region by reinforcing the existing international order, assisting a unified Korea to meet its security needs, and facilitating regional stability. However, for the alliance to endure, it must be considered as part of advance planning for Korean unification today.Four principles should guide planning for an alliance between a unified Korea and the United States.First, alliance planning should begin with a solid grounding in common values and ideals, along with a set of shared interests. Ranking high among these would be a commitment to democracy, open societies, and free market economics; respect for human rights and the rule of law; and, support for peaceful resolution of disputes.The two countries would share an interest in preserving the security of a unified Korea and its political and economic systems, as well as in maintaining regional peace and stability, access to the maritime, air, space and cyber commons, and the capacity to respond to global security challenges such as natural disasters, terrorism, proliferation, organized crime and infectious disease.Second, in planning for a future without North Korea, the alliance should do nothing that undermines the deterrence, military capabilities, and readiness needed today. Continued Alliance investment in interoperable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems; air and missile defense capabilities; and command, control, communications and computers (C4) enhance alliance readiness to "fight tonight," if necessary, and strengthen the foundation for combined, coalition-style operations in the future.Likewise further development of trilateral cooperation among the United States, the ROK, and Japan will sustain habits of cooperation and better integrate elements of each alliance into a larger multilateral construct reinforcing international rules, norms, and standards.Third, a future U.S.-Korea alliance should emphasize the principle of respect for and protection of sovereignty. This is important not only for the defense of Korea, but also to signal to the region that the alliance would not become a platform for territorial expansion. Planning, in this context, should include diplomatic efforts to assure China, Japan, and Russia that a future U.S.-Korea alliance would respect territorial boundaries and support regional and global stability. This does not mean, however, the alliance should not respond to aggression or coercion that disrupts the regional order.Fourth, leaders on both sides would need to ensure that the alliance is designed for long-term political sustainability in both capitals. This will require a foundation of equality and a mutual commitment to sharing the responsibilities and resourcing the military capabilities needed for security on the Korean Peninsula, and alliance cooperation in the region, and across the globe.Washington and Seoul have strengthened the alliance in recent years by redoubling efforts to counter the North Korean threat and by setting an affirmative agenda for security cooperation regionally and globally. This vision enables the two sides to imagine a future of alliance cooperation between the United States and a unified, global Korea in the absence of a clearly defined threat and in support of a safer and more secure regional and international order. Simply having the vision, however, is insufficient.That vision must inform and be informed by detailed planning, exercises and contingency responses to enable the allies to demonstrate the value of such cooperation and to evaluate mechanisms for alliance coordination and action, as well as the U.S. military presence (if any) on a unified Korean Peninsula.Although answers to larger questions concerning the nature of the future security environment and a unified Korea's role in it are fundamentally political and will take time to be debated and resolved, it would be a mistake for either country to abandon the alliance or to wait until those questions are answered before analyzing options for an alliance between the United States and unified Korea, and the pathways to achieve them.The U.S.-ROK alliance, and the stability and security that it provides, has enabled the Korean people in the South to realize the remarkable political, economic, social and cultural achievements that give new meaning to the idea of "the Miracle on the Han River" There is no reason that an alliance between the United States and a unified Koreaproperly structured and supportedcannot bring the same benefits to the Korean people across the peninsula.David F. Helvey is visiting distinguished research fellow at the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs of the U.S. National Defense University's Institute for National Strategic Studies. He served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia from December 2012 to April 2015. The views expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of National Defense University, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government. A longer version of this article was published by NDU Press and is available at: http://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/stratforum/SF-291.pdf
By Gwynne Dyer



So far the Russian plan for a ceasefire in Syria is working remarkably well. The truce that came into effect on Saturday had been observed with only minor violations on all the relevant fronts, and the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator in Syria, Yacoub el-Hillo, called it "the best opportunity that the Syrian people have had over the last five years for lasting peace and stability."



Notice the choice of words there: not Syria's best chance for democracy or reunification, just for "peace and stability". In fact, the truce is a big step towards the partition of the country. But the old Syria cannot be revived, and at least this way the killing will stop for most people  if the truce can be converted into a permanent ceasefire, which is far from certain.



When the Russian military intervention in Syria began only five months ago (Sept. 30), even this unsatisfactory outcome seemed to be out of reach. Indeed, the likeliest futures for Syria were a collapse of the Assad regime and the rapid conquest of the whole country by extreme Islamist forces, or years more of a civil war that had already killed 300,000 Syrians and driven half the country's citizens from their homes.



The immediate effect of the Russian intervention was to foreclose the "collapse" option. Whatever else happened, Russian air power would be able to prevent the Islamist forces from winning a decisive victory over the government army that would bring them to the borders of Lebanon and Jordan (and possibly right across them).



But the Russian planners had no wish to be committed to an endless and expensive military campaign in a stalemated war. They needed an "exit strategy", and they had one. The Russian political strategy was to secure the Assad regime's hold on the more populous parts of Syria, cut the flow of arms and volunteers across the Turkish border to the rebel forces, and then split the alliance between the Islamist and non-Islamist rebels.



This was a direct challenge to the strategy of the American-led "coalition" that has been bombing the Islamists who rule the so-called Islamic State (but not the other Islamists in Syria) for the past two years. The US strategy envisaged destroying both the Assad regime and Islamic State, and accomplishing both these objectives without the help of any ground troops except the Syrian Kurds.



It was more a fantasy than a strategy, and many people in the US State Department and the Pentagon were aware that its practical result would probably be to hand Syria over to the Islamists. Those people were secretly grateful when Russia intervened to save the Syrian government, and they managed to limit the American reaction to general statements of "concern" that the Russians were bombing the wrong targets.



"Wrong targets" or not, unstinting Russian air support for Assad's army won it time to regain its balance, and then to push the rebel troops away from Syria's key cities. In the past month the Syrian army, in de facto alliance with the Syrian Kurds, has cut the main rebel supply line from Turkey.



Only the last part of the Russian strategy remains to be accomplished: split the alliance between the Islamist rebels and the non-Islamists. And that is best done by politics: negotiate a ceasefire between the regime and the non-Islamist rebels that excludes the Islamists. That game is now afoot, and the people whom the US government calls "moderate" rebels are clearly willing to play.



They might as well, for the "moderates" have been whittled down to less than a fifth of the troops who are actually fighting the regime. All the rest of the rebel troops in Syria serve Islamic State or its equally extreme Islamist rivals, the Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham.



Since the "moderates" have accepted the truce while the Islamists were not even offered it, the split in the rebel forces has now been accomplished. And since the United States now officially accepts this new definition of the "good" rebels and the "bad", the final stage of the Russian strategy has been accomplished: the great powers are all on the same side.



If this temporary truce can be converted into a permanent ceasefire, then the only remaining fighting in Syria will be around the borders of Islamic State in the north and east, and around the territory controlled by the Nusra Front and its ally Ahrar al-Sham in the northwest. (There will also be continued "coalition" bombing within the borders of Islamic State, and Russian bombing in both sectors.)



The main risk to this truce is the fact that the Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham have wrapped small non-Islamist groups around them in a broad "coalition" called the Army of Islam. They have no real influence on the fighting, but in the past their presence has allowed the United States to claim that the Russians are bombing the wrong people, the "moderates".



If the US can swallow the bitter reality that this truce leaves the Assad regime in charge of the territory it now controls (and around two-thirds of the Syrian population), then the Syrian civil war could eventually be shrunk to a war of everybody else against the Islamists. And along the way it would give the US and Russia a chance to rebuild a more cooperative relationship.



Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries. Contact him @ gwynne763121476@aol.com.




By Andrei Lankov

On Feb.10, President Park Geun-hye declared that the Gaeseong Industrial Complex would be closed. This declaration effectively means that all inter-Korean cooperation has ended, at least for the time being.

This decision, in my opinion, is a long-term strategic mistake. However, there is little doubt that the decision is popular  according to polls, between 55 percent and 67 percent of South Koreans support the decision.

One should not be surprised because of this. In recent years, the average South Korean has become annoyed with Pyongyang's behavior, and has little enthusiasm for inter-Korean cooperation. It is quite difficult to believe that a mere 15 years ago, the South Korean population set great store in intra-Korean cooperation projects which were seen as the start of a bright future for the peninsula, presaging eventual peaceful unification.

Such days are long gone indeed. The major force behind the push to cooperate with North Korea used to come from the so-called "386 Generation": those who were born in 1960s and attended college in the heady revolutionary days of the 1980s. Many of these people were influenced by the 1980s radicalism  nationalism, of a post-colonial and ethnic variety (read: racial), and socialism/communism, of the Leninist or Stalinist variety. They were thus predisposed to entertaining many illusions about North Korea.

However, most of the 386 generation have long since abandoned any sense of kinship or belief in the North Korean system. Residual sympathy remains to some extent, but has diminished much in the last decade.

The young are far harsher. It is not incidental that public opinion polls consistently indicate that over half of South Koreans in their twenties do not believe that unification is necessary. What's more, most of them are reluctant to spend any money on North Korea. For them, North Korea is a bizarre country that, by some kind of accident of birth, just happens to speak the same language, but whose culture and daily life are strange and irrelevant.












By Kim Yoo-chul





Shin Dong-bin

Lotte Group chairman

Shin Dong-bin, Lotte Group chairman and second son of the group's founder, has solidified his management control against elder brother Shin Dong-joo.



The move came as shareholders of Tokyo-based Lotte Holdings Co. voted for him at an extraordinary general meeting, Sunday, helping him take control of the group's affiliates in Japan and Korea.



The meeting was held at the request of Shin Dong-joo, former vice chairman of Lotte Holdings, who asked shareholders to dismiss his younger brother from the company's board of directors.



But shareholders turned down the request.



Dong-joo, with support from his father and group founder Shin Kyuk-ho, 94, had proposed a plan to form a new board of directors for Lotte Holdings without his younger brother Dong-bin.



Lotte Holdings has been playing a crucial role in controlling the group's affiliates in the two countries.



"Dong-joo's latest efforts to remove Dong-bin from the top position and take entire control of the group by holding two shareholders' meetings have failed," a Lotte manager said. "Sunday's result will help Dong-bin consolidate power over the group."



However, Dong-joo refused to accept the results. SDJ Corp., which represents him, said in a statement that he would resubmit the same proposals at a shareholders' meeting set for June.



Since last year, the family-controlled Lotte has been mired in an ugly power struggle between the two brothers, after the elder Dong-joo was stripped of his executive positions at the Japanese unit.



Dong-joo claimed his father had chosen him as the only successor, asking Dong-bin to resign, which Dong-bin refused to do.



Sunday's meeting brought a victory for Dong-bin thanks to the support of employees, who have a combined 27.8 percent share in Lotte Holdings.



Kwang Yoon-sa is the largest shareholder with a 28.1 percent stake, followed by employees and other parties with 20.1 percent. An investment company called LSI has 10.7 percent and Shin family members hold 7.1 percent.



"During the meeting, Dong-joo came up with programs to benefit employees, but few shareholders paid any attention," the manager said.



Lotte has wide operations in Japan, but the group generates more sales in Korea thanks to its department stores, amusement parks and hotels here.



Dong-bin is expected to push his key business projects, including an initial public offering (IPO) for Lotte Hotel. He is also adamant about expanding business overseas through mergers and acquisitions.
By Kim Yoo-chul



The government has been urged to form an alliance with local semiconductor companies in order to counter a growing market threat, mainly initiated by Beijing's moves to help Chinese chipmakers expand.



"I thought that China had attempted to invest only in the semiconductor industry _ but it seems that China has gone a step further," said Korea Semiconductor Industry Association (KSIA) Chairman Park Sung-wook.



"The country's investment strategies are smart. The issue is how to cut off the China risk' with active and close collaboration."



Park, chief executive of SK hynix, last week replaced Samsung Electronics' semiconductor business chief Kim Ki-nam as leader of the industry's lobby group.



Referring to China's support for its top semiconductor companies to globalize, Park said China's investment in the industry posed "real threats."



"With abundant cash, the Chinese government never stops expanding its investment in the industry," he said. "We see many attempts by Chinese companies to acquire acquisitions regardless of the size of the deals."



The semiconductor industry has long been one of the national cash-cows. But Park said Korea was still heavily dependent on memory chips.



"Korea is still not strong in terms of ability to lead the global industry," he said.



Park said a boom that benefited Samsung and SK the most in the past three years would not happen again.



China's recent rapid-fire moves in semiconductors have drawn lots of attention. China plans to invest up to $100 billion to strengthen its supply chain and to acquire numerous technologies with assets abroad to elevate its capabilities and accelerate growth.



Although some of this investment will not bear fruit, the collective force is strong and China undoubtedly is redefining the competitive landscape.



"The Chinese semiconductor industry has been growing faster than its global peers even before the recent policy support," said Bernstein Research senior analyst Mark Newman.



"The recent government push likely will boost growth further. It's clear that China will not stop until it dominates the market, with value and economics being destroyed every single time."



Park unveiled the group's plan to establish a fund to help Korean ventures develop technologies to take on the "China attack." He did not specify details.



Outgoing chairman Kim said Samsung Electronics would open some of its logic chip-making fabrication plants to universities for research development.



Unlike memory chips, which are volatile and less profitable, logic chips are more difficult to manufacture. This is because the chips must strictly retain customers' designs according to logic circuits, to be the "brain" for all devices.



Samsung and SK hynix, the world's top two memory chip manufacturers, have a relatively weak presence in the logic chip-making segment because they were late in the sector.




Choi Gee-sung Yoon Boo-keun Kim Hyun-seok



By Kim Yoo-chul



In 2003, Choi Gee-sung said Samsung planned to become the top TV maker by overtaking Japan's Sony in the next three years.



Choi, the head of Samsung Corporate Strategy Office, the group control tower, then led Samsung Electronics' digital media business.



The plan was seen by many as a declaration that the Korean company aimed to become a "new electronics titan," ending the more than 30 years' reign of Japanese companies led by Sony.



While the goal looked too lofty, Samsung became the world's top TV maker in 2006 with a 14.2 percent share by sales and a 10.6 percent share by shipments.



Samsung Electronics said last week that the company was the world's biggest TV seller last year, propelled by the strong performance of its flat-screen TV sets and those with its advanced quantum-dot technology.



Market research firm IHS said Samsung's global sales share last year expanded to 27.5 percent, with the company recording a 21 percent global share in total shipments, helping the company maintain its leadership in the segment for the 10th straight year.



Its share last year was up 13.3 percentage points and 9.4 percentage points, respectively, from a decade ago. During the past decade, Samsung said over 427 million units were sold, globally.



"Samsung Electronics has continued developing new TV technologies to differentiate ourselves from others," a company official said.



The corporate office under Choi laid the groundwork.



Samsung started its TV business in 1971 by selling products in Panama. Those were cheap and less specified.



Under Choi's leadership, the company saw a steep rise in TV sales as consumers shifted to TVs with liquid crystal displays (LCD) and plasma display panels from bulky cathode-ray tube TVs.



To make its products appealing, Choi instigated a huge design overhaul, resulting in the "Bordeaux TV," which was reminiscent of a red wine glass on the bottom bezel, in 2006.



Two years later, a "Crystal Rose TV" made its debut.



Yoon Boo-keum, who now manages Samsung's Internet of Things (IoT) business strategies, took over Choi's role. Yoon helped Samsung Electronics significantly expand its market lead over key international competitors. He developed Samsung's first three-dimensional (3D) and Internet-connected TVs.



Kim Hyun-seok, who formerly handled product development strategies for the company, has been leading the firm's TV business over the past few years.



His focus to improve viewing quality saw the company lead the premium TV market, helped by quantum-dot technology that Samsung dubbed "S-UHD TVs."



Samsung said it plans to expand its premium TV market invasion with this year's new S-UHD TV lineup, which the company says is eco-friendly and customized for a high dynamic range (HDR) experience for viewers.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump repeated his unfounded criticism of South Korea on Wednesday that the wealthy Asian nation relies on the U.S. for national defense without giving anything in return.

"I order thousands of televisions, they're all from South Korea. So we have 28,000 people on the border separating South Korea from this maniac in North Korea. We get nothing ... We get nothing. They're making a fortune. It's an economic behemoth," Trump said during a campaign speech in South Carolina.

Trump has repeatedly made such unfounded criticism, even though South Korea has shouldered part of the burden needed for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea to deter aggression from the communist North.

He made similar accusations against Japan.

"If somebody attacks Japan, we have to immediately go and start World War III, OK? If we get attacked, Japan doesn't have to help us. Somehow, that doesn't sound so fair. Does that sound good?" Trump said.












The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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Eye scanners have long been the stuff of sci-fi and action flicks, safeguarding everything from classified data to secret lairs.

Soon, though, theyll be used in the real world to protect something more mundane: your bank account. Or, more precisely, your companys much larger one.

Starting this summer, San Francisco banking giant Wells Fargo & Co. will let corporate clients sign in to the banks commercial banking app using either an eye scan or a face- and voice-recognition system.

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Its the latest step in a broader push by banks and other institutions to do away with passwords, PINs and other information that can be stolen or forgotten, and replace them with biometrics  unique physical characteristics that, for now at least, are difficult to forge.

User names and passwords are basically 15 years old. Theyre at the end of their useful life, said Secil Watson, who oversees online and mobile applications for Wells Fargo commercial banking. Something needs to take their place.

Fingerprint identification is becoming commonplace thanks to the addition of scanners on phones from Apple, Samsung and others. Big banks, including Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, already let non-business customers sign into their mobile banking apps with their fingerprints, a feature that Wells Fargo will roll out soon.

But other biometric markers  such as the sound of your voice, the shape of your face and the appearance of your eyes  are considered more secure and thus preferable for multimillion-dollar accounts.

Thats because fingerprint-authentication technology built into mobile phones allows a user to authorize more than one fingerprint for that phone, such as a family members. Thats not possible with the other biometric markers.

The most sophisticated eye scanners, such as those used by government security agencies, peer into the eye to look at the blood vessels on the retina. The system Wells Fargo will roll out in a few months uses a smartphones front-facing camera to look at the pattern of blood vessels in the whites of the eyes, a pattern that doesnt change and is unique like a fingerprint.

Initially conceived by a University of Missouri professor as a military tool, the system was developed by EyeVerify, a Kansas City, Mo., start-up that Wells Fargo invested in two years ago. Its Eyeprint ID system is already used by a few smaller financial institutions, including a Utah credit union and a subsidiary of Torontos Scotiabank.

To sign in, a customer opens the app and selects the eye-scan option, then lines up the phones camera so the eyes are centered in a box on the screen. The customer is then directed to look to the side, exposing the blood vessels on one side of the eye.

The whole process takes just a few seconds  longer than it needs to take. An early prototype was faster, but customers thought it was too fast and that nothing was happening, Watson said.

To use the banks alternative face- and voice-recognition system, developed by two other firms, customers line up their face in a box on their phones screen, then read a series of numbers that pops up on the screen.

The two biometric systems replace a cumbersome process now required of corporate clients who log into the Wells Fargo app. They not only need a user name, password and corporate ID number, but a code from a security token  a device that spits out a six- or eight-digit number every few minutes that is synced with a bank server.

David Miller, the treasurer of Hunt Cos., a real estate investment firm and Wells Fargo customer, carries around more than a dozen of the keychain-size tokens  at least one for each bank his company works with.

When I go on vacation, I take them with me, he said. I dont feel comfortable not having them on me.

Last year, Miller was one of a handful of Wells Fargo clients who tried out the biometric sign-in. One day, he was at his doctors office when he got an email asking him to approve a $10-million wire transfer before the close of business.

It was nearly 5 p.m., and Miller said he didnt have time to run to his car to retrieve his security token. So he signed in with the face- and voice-recognition system and approved the transaction.

These things are extremely time sensitive, Miller said.

Shirley Inscoe, a senior analyst at finance-industry consulting firm Aite Group, said Miller isnt the only corporate executive who hates dealing with security tokens.

Hard tokens are a pain in the neck, Inscoe said. What banks are doing is a reaction to what their customers want.

Watson said Wells Fargo has been looking at biometric systems for six or seven years, initially studying voice-authentication programs that could identify customers ringing up call centers.

But over the last few years, mobile devices have improved, with microphones and cameras powerful enough to support biometric sign-in systems. Corporate clients also began conducting more financial transactions on their phones, which werent designed for them.

Youre holding two devices at once, youre entering all those numbers. On mobile, the experience was much clunkier, she said.

The eye-scan system has a few limitations. It works if you wear glasses or contacts, but not if you have a glass eye. It might be thrown off if the users cant stand still  say if theyre in a moving vehicle  or if theres not enough light.

However, it will work even if your eyes are bloodshot.

We are hangover compatible, said Toby Rush, EyeVerifys chief executive.

james.koren@latimes.com
For the second time in as many months, a federal lawmaker has pushed for minimum seat size standards on commercial planes to combat the airline industrys efforts to shrink leg and hip room on U.S. flights.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is the latest lawmaker to introduce an amendment to a Federal Aviation Administration funding bill, calling for the FAA to adopt minimum seat sizes. Rep. Janice Hahn (D-Los Angeles) and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) offered up a similar amendment in January but it was rejected in a subcommittee.

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Schumer says the average legroom on airline seats has shrunk from about 35 inches in the 1970s to nearly 31 inches today, with seat width narrowing from 18.5 inches in the 1990s to about 17 inches.

The federal government doesnt impose a minimum seat size. Instead federal law allows airlines to squeeze as many seats in a cabin as the companies want as long as the passengers have enough room to escape the cabin in an emergency within 90 seconds.

The airline industry, as expected, opposes any seat standard, saying the FAA already imposes requirements based on safety and that market forces determine how much legroom passengers want to pay for.

As with any commercial product or service, customers vote every day with their wallet, said Vaughn Jennings, a spokesman for Airlines for America, the trade group for the nations biggest carriers.

There are a few drawbacks to Schumers proposal, including the likelihood that if the FAA adopts new standards, the federal agency would give airlines several years to install the roomier seats, according to industry experts.

Also, if airlines were required to reduce the seat totals in each cabin to allow more legroom, airlines would most likely raise ticket prices to make up for the loss of total passengers per plane.

If there are fewer seats on the plane, the prices are going to be higher, said Seth Kaplan, managing partner of the trade publication Airline Weekly. In the end, you are going to get some resistance not only from airlines but from some consumer groups.

To read more about travel, tourism and the airline industry, follow me on Twitter at @hugomartin.

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Hello! Im Mark Olsen, and welcome to your weekly field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

I always like to think of this post-awards season period as the Oscars Hangover, when we reset our minds from the small group of films weve been focused on so intently for months and months. With more festivals just around the corner, the movie year rolls on.

Well have more screening and Q&A events coming soon, so check events.latimes.com for more info.

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Nonstop movies. Movies nonstop.

Knight of Cups

LOS ANGELES, CA--MARCH 01, 2016-- Actor Christian Bale is photographed during a day of promotion for his new film, Knight of Cups, by director Terrence Malick, at the Four Seasons hotel in Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The enigmatic, masterful Terrence Malick returns with Knight of Cups, a film that in its story of a screenwriter in a moment of crisis is outwardly about the soul-destroying aspects of Hollywood but reveals itself to be a stirring inward journey about how each of us defines ourselves to ourselves.

I spoke to star Christian Bale about the movie, in particular Malicks unusual and evolving process.

The whole notion is, lets see what happens, lets discover it, and he always wants to have everyones full participation, Bale said of Malick. Hes certainly not a tyrannical dictator director in the slightest. The motto was always lets start before were ready, which would unnerve a lot of people. But I thought it was wonderful.

I admit that Knight of Cups was for me a movie I struggled with on first viewing but that came to stick with me over the days and weeks after Id seen it, eventually driving me back to see it again.

Kenneth Turan felt differently when he wrote, Beautiful yet unapproachable, opaque and occasionally incomprehensible, Knight of Cups shares its personality with its self-absorbed Hollywood characters.

Even with his reservations, Turan allowed that the film is beautiful to look at, thanks to cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki capturing Los Angeles in a rare way. In his first review as critic at the Village Voice, Bilge Eberi added that its a hell of a thing, watching a filmmaker known for his dreamy shots of nature tackle the surreal, frenzied bustle of modern lust and glitz. He films Los Angeles and Las Vegas like some strange distant planet filled with magnificent, unnatural creatures.  You dont reason your way through a film like this; you let it wash over you, pull you this way and that.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

In this image released by Paramount Pictures, Tina Fey portrays Kim Baker in a scene from Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. (Frank Masi / AP)

Though she did not direct it and is not the credited screenwriter, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is being received as very much a Tina Fey movie, reflective of the persona of its star. (She is also a producer.) Based on the book by Kim Barker, the movie is directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and tells the story of a female journalist sent to Afghanistan as a war correspondent.

Reviewing for The Times, Michael Phillips said, With a rollicking black comedy set in a war zone, the tone necessarily goes plural as the story careens from the abruptly tragic to the blithely, weirdly funny and back again.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot learns this lesson the hard way, and while its no disaster, its oddly indistinct and uncertain.

In the Washington Post, Ann Hornaday noted, Between the misfire that was Our Brand Is Crisis and the unalloyed disaster of Rock the Kasbah, it hasnt been a particularly edifying period for fish-out-of-water stories featuring funny Americans bumbling their way to self-actualization in exotic, war-torn locales.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, an amenable, easygoing version of the story starring Tina Fey, is the least objectionable of the bunch, though it falls prey to some similarly regrettable assumptions.

Writing for BuzzFeed, Anne Helen Petersen used the film to examine the evolving persona of Fey on-screen and off, adding, the problem with Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is that in its attempt to combine farce with melodrama  with a little rom-com slotted in, for no comprehensible reason other than the protagonist is a woman  it fails at all three.

A Band and a Movie: Days of Heaven & Waxahatchee

The Cinefamilys ongoing program A Band and a Movie is just that: A band picks a movie to show, then plays a set of music afterward. Its an idea so simple its kind of brilliant and among my favorite recent ongoing programs here in Los Angeles. On Monday, March 7, program will feature Terrence Malicks earlier, unassailable Days of Heaven, as chosen by Waxahatchee. Anyone feeling lost after seeing Knight of Cups might want to take this chance to reconnect with Malicks earlier work. The film stars Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard and the young Linda Manz in a story centered mostly on a Texas farm in 1916. In his original 1978 review, The Times Charles Champlin declared the film an extraordinary and original visual experience and a movie which is thrilling in its uncompromised purity.

Waxahatchee is a project spearheaded by Katie Crutchfield, and like Malicks movie, her music seems old and new at the same time, while also odd enough to make it singular. A profile in the New Yorker last year noted the sneaky power of Crutchfields short songs, which arent nearly as sketchy as they first seem.

Smokey and the Bandit and Convoy double feature

In many ways, Burt Reynolds is an end-point fulfillment of a certain kind of cinematic masculinity, a mans man and a ladies man of a very specific stripe. At his best, Reynolds always made being in the movies look like fun, nowhere better than in Hal Needhams Smokey and the Bandit. As a film that is such a time capsule of its particular cultural moment, Bandit paradoxically makes itself eternal.

The New Beverly will be showing the film over four nights, from the 9 to midnight on a double bill with 1978s Convoy, a minor film from the major director Sam Peckinpah.

In his original 1977 review of Smokey and the Bandit, Charles Champlin called the movie internally combusted slapstick and also declared its all the car tricks you ever did see, whumped and whanged and slewed into one, nothing but and nothing else. (Sounds good.)

Of Convoy, which starred Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw in a story about truckers and highway patrolmen, in his original review, Champlin said that the movie makes Smokey and the Bandit the Citizens Band Kane of that limited sub-form of the movies.

Email me if you have questions, comments or suggestions, and follow me on Twitter @IndieFocus.
When First Lady Nancy Reagan, who died Sunday, made a cameo on the popular NBC sitcom Diffrent Strokes in the 80s, it was a big deal.

Reagan appeared in The Reporter, a Season 5 episode of the series about two young African American brothers from Harlem taken in by a rich white widower.

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In the installment, which aired on March 19, 1983, younger brother Arnold (Gary Coleman) plays investigative journalist to verify rumors that drugs were being sold at his elementary school.

After meeting with one of the peddlers, who has plenty of uppers, downers and goofballs to go around, Arnold passes the claims onto the local newspaper.

First Lady Reagan happens to be in New York the day that information makes the paper. She goes to Arnolds home to get more details, and decides to drop in on the school to warn the students about the dangers of drugs.

The guest-starring role was just one of the ways the first lady attempted to fight drug abuse via her Just Say No campaign, aimed at the nations youth. In addition to Diffrent Strokes, she appeared on several talk shows and traveled to schools around the country.

Her mission sparked a grass-roots movement, with more than 5,000 Just Say No clubs launched in the United States and abroad. In addition to collaborating with the Girl Scouts and Kiwanis Club International, Reagan hosted two international conferences on the problem, including one at the United Nations in 1985.

Get your life! Follow me on Twitter: @TrevellAnderson.

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Decades before First Lady Michelle Obama turned heads in her sleeveless frocks and the designer looks from Isabel Toledo, Michael Kors and Jason Wu, actress-turned-presidential wife Nancy Reagan earned attention for her high-fashion looks while also living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Reagan, who died Sunday at 94 of congestive heart failure, was not only influential during President Ronald Reagans eight years in the White House during the 1980s but also was known for her fashion and style choices. There was even a paper-doll book of her looks released in 1983, Nancy Reagan Fashion Paper Dolls in Full Color by Tom Tierney.

While Reagan was her husbands closest advisor and protector and promoted her own programs as first lady, she often was both lauded and criticized for her lavish tastes, from her days in Hollywood to her time in a new home in Sacramento when her husband was governor of California.

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According to a Times obituary, In 1968, writer Joan Didion interviewed Reagan in the new house, producing a piece for the Saturday Evening Post magazine titled Pretty Nancy, in which she portrayed the governors wife as a superficial woman who smiled too readily and who seemed to be playing out some middle-class American womans daydream, circa 1948. Reagan was deeply hurt by the story, which set the tone of coverage for years to come.

During her White House days, Reagan helped define 1980s American glamour, often photographed wearing red, or in lavish gowns and Chanel-inspired power suits. She favored American designers such as James Galanos (Reagan wore beaded Galanos gowns to the 1981 and 1985 inaugural balls) and fashion icons Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera.

President and Nancy Reagan view the terra cotta warriors near Xian, China, in April 1984. (Bob Daugherty / Associated Press)

For the Reagans Vanity Fair cover in December 1988 before leaving the White House, she wore a belted red dress with a gold statement necklace and earrings. And decades later, she was photographed in a sitting-room chair on the lawn of her Bel-Air home in 2009, wearing a red pantsuit and shoes for a Vanity Fair story.

I dont like a lot of frills and fusses, Reagan told W magazine in 2007 before the opening of a Ronald Reagan Presidential Library exhibit in Simi Valley, featuring some of the former first ladys looks. Ive always gone for the more understated look.

In November 2007, the presidential library opened an exhibit, Nancy Reagan: A First Ladys Style, featuring 80 gowns, cocktail dresses and suits, all worn by Reagan during her White House days. As W put it at the time, In the accompanying catalog, archival photographs show Reagan, who seems blessed with a secret talent for avoiding wrinkles, even when wearing linen, looking perpetually appropriate and perfectly pulled together.

Reagan stood at 5 feet, 4 inches and was a size 2 during her White House years, and her festive 1981 inaugural gown, which Galanos provided for free, was estimated to be worth $10,000. The gown became part of the Smithsonians collection, W reported.

1 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagans collection of suits and gowns were on display in 2007 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. William Rush Jenkins designed the display. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 11 A blue outfit is in former First Lady Nancy Reagans collection of suits and gowns on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 11 William Rush Jenkins designed a display of former First Lady Nancy Reagans collection of suits and gowns. A James Galanos-designed dress that was worn at the second inaugural ball in 1984 is in the background. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 11 Two outfits worn by former First Lady Nancy Reagan were on display in 2007 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 11 President Reagan embraces Nancy Reagan after she presents him with a cake in honor of his 75th birthday in 1986. (Mike Sargent / AFP / Getty Images) 6 / 11 First Lady Nancy Reagan is accompanied by television personality Ed McMahon as Santa during a 1987 press tour of the White House Christmas decor. (Ron Edmonds / Associated Press) 7 / 11 Nancy Reagan and veteran entertainer and humorist Art Linkletter enter the lounge at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills in 1995. (Wally Santana / Associated Press) 8 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, left, and First Lady Laura Bush tour the red dress exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley in 2007. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan and former Secretary of State George Schultz stand in front of a section of the Berlin Wall in 2009 as part of a 20th anniversary commemoration of the Berlin Walls fall. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan leaves Mr. Chows restaurant in Beverly Hills in 2002. (David Klein/Getty Images) 11 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan is accompanied by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, after a ceremonial bill-signing at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in July 2010. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Reagans style tended to be a reminder of Old Hollywood glamour: the Adolfo suits she wore for her Just Say No anti-drug campaign and her gingham shirts worn at the Reagans ranch near Santa Barbara.

According to W, she wasnt without her fashion faux pas, such as the rhinestone-studded Galanos pants she wore to an American Embassy dinner in Paris in 1982. However, for her official portrait, she wore a flowing deep-red gown by Galanos.

I always liked red. Its a picker-upper, she told W in 2007. I didnt give it the name of Reagan red, but that became its name.

Galanos, who first met Reagan at Beverly Hills boutique Amelia Gray in 1949, told The Times in 2007, She knew her style very well, and it was always simple and elegant. If I tried to experiment, I could tell from her expression that she was thinking, No, Jimmy. 

In 2007, Herrera, who designed an emerald-green velvet gown that Reagan wore to an 1987 opera, also told The Times, Its important that a first lady be fashionable and glamorous because she represents the country and its style.

Bob Hope kisses Nancy Reagans hand at the Ronald Reagan Freedom Awards in 1997. (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)

According to the story, The first lady even name-checked the designer to the press by announcing, This is Carolina Herrera  before the opera.

Beverly Hills-based designer Mark Zunino, who has made pieces for Beyonce, Sofia Vergara and others, created dresses and gowns for Reagan as did his mentor and predecessor, designer-to-the-stars Nolan Miller, during the 1980s and 90s.

Nancys sense of style was truly elegant and glamorous, never garish, especially when fashion tended to lean in that direction during those decades, Zunino said in a statement on Sunday. Though we were never sure whether it was the Hollywood studio system that had cultivated her style or it was an innate talent, Nancy was always dressed appropriately, glamorously, elegant and always in good taste.

Long before Instagram, Reagan was aware of the statement her fashion and looks would make to the rest of the world especially during her White House days.

In 1981, Reagan first wore a Kelly-green Galanos wool coat to the Iran hostage release ceremony, which became the sartorial equivalent of eggnog, when she began modeling it every year at Christmastime, according to a 2007 Times story.

And for the 1981 afternoon wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Reagan opted for her primary color palette of red, blue and green for a soft peach silk blouse and skirt by Galanos, with a matching shirt-coat and chiffon scarf, The Times reported.

However, American media wasnt a fan of Reagans high fashion.

Unlike the folksy Rosalynn Carter, who preceded Reagan as first lady, Reagan, in general, had a taste for style more akin to another first lady: Jackie Kennedy, who wore Christian Dior, Balenciaga and Givenchy. More recently, Michelle Obama has stayed on fashion trend, wearing a range of labels from J. Crew to Prabal Gurung during her husbands two terms in the Oval Office.

Among one of her well-known public fiascos was when Reagan commissioned new state dinnerware for 220 place settings and elaborate serving items and raised $200,000 to cover the cost from private donations. She also was widely criticized for taking freebies from her fashion designer friends.

In 2000, former First Lady Nancy Reagan listens as a reporter asks about the condition of her husband, former President Ronald Reagan. (Jim Ruymen / AFP/Getty Images)

During her life after the White House, Reagan, who was media shy, remained politically active. And she stayed true to fashion despite her older, more frail appearance. According to The Times obituary, Reagan was photographed visiting her husbands grave on the 10th anniversary of his death. Though in a wheelchair, she looked elegant in a cream colored pantsuit and earrings by a favorite designer, Kenneth Jay Lane.

In one of Reagans final official public appearances, at her 94th birthday party in July 2015, the former first lady wore a rose-colored top, a floral-print scarf and gold earrings while seated and smiling near a birthday cake with pink posies.

marques.harper@latimes.com

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UPDATES

7:45 p.m.: The article was updated throughout with new information.

4:45 p.m.: This article was updated with quotes and new information from Beverly Hills-based designer Mark Zunino.

This article was first published at 2:27 p.m.
Thousands of Angelenos flocked to the San Gabriel Valley on Saturday to celebrate a major regional milestone: the first stretch of rail to carry passengers through the foothills in more than five decades.

The $1-billion, 11.5-mile extension of the Gold Line stretches east from Pasadena through the cities of Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. It is Los Angeles Countys first new section of rail in nearly four years, and the first to be built and opened with funding from Measure R, the half-cent sales tax hike for transportation projects that county voters approved in 2008.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony under gray skies, officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and cities along the route said the line would transform the lives and commutes of San Gabriel Valley residents who spend hours a day on the 210 Freeway. Others said the route, which connects Azusa Pacific University and Citrus College to the regions growing rail network, will open doors for students who cant afford to drive.

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As the first sleek yellow-and-silver train with passengers on board pulled out of the Sierra Madre Villa station on Saturday, riders standing shoulder to shoulder crowded around the windows and held up smartphones to snap photos.

Imagine if theyd built this in the 1960s, when they first started talking about it, said Ross Glazier, 57 of South Pasadena, as he gazed out the window. As the train pulled into the Arcadia station, Glazier and his friend Rob Nesbitt, 77, craned their necks to look for the iconic Van de Kamp windmill, now a Dennys, on Huntington Drive. Its blades were barely visible over the stations parking garage.

 Thousands of Angelenos flocked to the San Gabriel Valley on Saturday to celebrate a major regional milestone: the first stretch of rail to carry passengers through the Foothills in more than five decades.

The train hummed down the tracks, and joggers and families on nearby sidewalks stopped to watch it pass by. In Arcadia, passengers were greeted by a red-coated bugler from Santa Anita Park, a half-mile walk from the station. In Monrovia, children played in a bounce house and on the soft grass of the new community band shell.

What was once a dream has now become a reality, said Joe Rocha, Azusas mayor. As a child, he rode the Pacific Electric streetcars to Monrovia, he said, and loved peering out the window to watch the world flash by.

About 3,500 people per hour rode the train Saturday, Metro spokesman Dave Sotero said. The agency expected to carry 20,000 to 30,000 boardings by the end of the day.

What was once a dream has now become a reality.  Joe Rocha, mayor of Azusa

The Gold Line is now the countys longest light-rail line, stretching 31 miles through Pasadena, Highland Park, downtown Los Angeles and the cultural hubs of Chinatown and Boyle Heights.

From the lines new terminus in Azusa, the $1.75 one-way ride to Union Station will take 49 minutes. From there, passengers can transfer to Metrolink and Amtrak, continue on the Gold Line to East Los Angeles, or transfer to another Metro rail line.

I had been counting down the days, to be honest, said Erika Reyes, 32, of Monrovia. Until Saturday, she said, she had been driving to the Gold Lines previous terminus in Pasadena, parking, and boarding the train to get to her job in Highland Park. Her new drive to the Monrovia station will only take five minutes.

Advocates for the Foothill extension, which was once a shipping route for Californias citrus fruits, fought for more than a decade for the line to be funded and built. Now, theyve turned their attention to extending it further east, through Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair. Some transportation officials have dubbed the line the Brain Train because it will connect Azusa Pacific University, Citrus College and the Claremont Consortium.

That extension is seen as a favorite for a list of projects that Metro would fund if county voters approve another sales tax increase in November.

So many people rode to the end of the line, at the APU/Citrus College station, that the line to board trains back to Los Angeles doubled back through the parking structure several times. The 45-minute wait prompted some to venture into a nearby neighborhood, settling on benches and neat sandstone walls to call a ride or an Uber.

Im wondering, could you come pick us up? one harried woman asked, clutching her toddler sons hand, ducking under a parking garage overhang to avoid the light rain. Im just not sure we can wait that long.

But even in line, the crowd was mostly cheerful and optimistic, talking about the train and their memories of L.A.'s transit past. Chuck Pace, 71, recalled walking through orange groves and over the train tracks where Metro trains now run to get to class at Citrus College. The change, he said, was a happy one.

laura.nelson@latimes.com

Twitter: @laura_nelson

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Former First Lady Nancy Davis Reagan, whose devotion to her husband made her a formidable behind-the-scenes player in his administrations and one of the most influential presidential wives in modern times, died Sunday of congestive heart failure, her office said. She was 94.

Although Reagan pursued some programs of her own as first lady, she considered her most important role promoting the political, physical and mental well-being of Ronald Reagan. Launching one of historys most extraordinary partnerships with their 1952 marriage, she became his closest advisor, wielding her influence to defend his interests and advance his goals.

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Particularly tough-minded on the hiring and firing of key staffers and Cabinet members, she often played bad cop to his good cop, forcing difficult decisions that the famously easygoing chief executive was loath to make.

Reagan knew where he wanted to go, biographer Lou Cannon once wrote of the iconic California politician who became a two-term president, but she had a better sense of what he needed to do to get there. Nancy Reagan, Cannon maintained, did more than anyone to help him get what he wanted.

 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan remembered.

One of the 20th centurys most popular presidents, Ronald Reagan, who died in 2004, was nicknamed the Teflon president because of his ability to deflect almost any controversy or criticism. But his wife was the flypaper first lady, as longtime advisor Michael Deaver once quipped, because nearly everything negative stuck to her.

She was lambasted for her opulent taste in designer clothes and redecorating the White House, particularly when she ordered $200,000 worth of new china for state dinners. Ridiculed for the reverential looks she gave her husband, she was the first lady feminists loved to disparage.

When she appeared to feed her husband a line at a news conference (Doing everything we can on arms control), she was accused of stage-managing the president. When her displeasure with White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan became front-page news and he was fired, critics called her a dragon lady.

A new legacy developed in the post-White House years, after her husbands announcement in 1994 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimers, a degenerative brain disease. She devoted herself to his care, rarely leaving their Bel Air home where he was cloistered for the last decade of his life.

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Taking an unusual public stand against President George W. Bush, she also became a vocal advocate of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, which Bush opposed despite scientists belief that it could lead to cures for incapacitating diseases such as Alzheimers.

Alzheimers eventually robbed President Reagan of the ability to recognize his wife, removing him to a world unknown to me, Nancy Reagan wrote in a letter to Bush. The disease had taken him to a world beyond speech and memories of the remarkable life they had shared, but she met the challenge with such grace and fortitude that the American people came to view her as a human being, historian Lewis L. Gould observed, instead of a political caricature.

Born in New York City on July 6, 1921, she was named Anne Frances Robbins, but for some reason, she wrote many years later, I was always called Nancy.

Her parents  Edith Prescott Luckett, a stage actress, and Kenneth Seymour Robbins, a car salesman  lived in a poor section of Flushing, N.Y. It wasnt a good marriage, Reagan wrote in My Turn, her 1989 memoir, and by the time I was born their relationship was so tenuous that Kenneth Robbins wasnt even at the hospital. When she was 7, her parents divorced.

She adored her mother, who led a glamorous life in a social circle that included some of Hollywoods most famous names. Nancy grew up calling Spencer Tracy Spence and spent holidays at the home of another well-known actor, Walter Huston. But she also missed her mother, whose frequent absences for work meant Nancy had to stay with relatives.

Life improved when her mother met Dr. Loyal Davis, a divorced neurosurgeon from Chicago and a staunch conservative. When he married Edith in 1929, Nancy moved into their new home on the shores of Lake Michigan and enrolled in the exclusive Girls Latin School. When she was 14, she asked her natural father to give up his parental rights so that Davis could adopt her.

At Girls Latin, Nancy Davis discovered a passion for acting. She went on to major in drama at Smith College. After graduating in 1943, she returned to Chicago and worked as a nurses aide but kept up with acting by performing in summer stock.

Cast in a touring company of a play that took her to New York, she landed a small role in the Broadway production of Lute Song, a musical that starred Yul Brynner and Mary Martin. Her mother helped arrange a screen test overseen by distinguished director George Cukor that led to a contract with MGM at $225 a week. She moved to Hollywood and earned her first screen credit in The Doctor and the Girl, a 1949 drama starring Glenn Ford and Janet Leigh.

Over the next decade, she made nearly a dozen movies, usually appearing as a young or expectant mother. She dated some of Hollywoods most eligible bachelors, including Clark Gable. But, as she would often say in later years, her life didnt really begin until I met Ronnie. That meeting came about after she discovered her name in a Hollywood trade paper on a list of Communist sympathizers  no small concern in the blacklist era of the late 1940s. Apparently mistaken for another actress named Nancy Davis, she was advised to consult the head of the Screen Actors Guild. That was Ronald Reagan, who was recently divorced from actress Jane Wyman.

Reagan invited Davis to dinner to discuss the name problem. I dont know if it was exactly love at first sight, the future Mrs. Reagan wrote years later, but it was pretty close.

After a two-year courtship, they were married at Little Brown Church in Studio City on March 4, 1952. Seven months after that, they started their family.

During that year, we had Patti, who was born  go ahead and count  a bit precipitously but very joyfully, on Oct. 22, 1952, Nancy wrote in My Turn. A son, Ron, was born in 1958.

In addition to her son and daughter, she is survived by stepson Michael, her husbands adopted son with Wyman, and three grandchildren. Maureen Reagan, her husbands daughter with Wyman, died in 2001.

Reagan wanted to quit work after she became a mother but continued to accept roles in TV and film because her husbands acting career was in decline and they needed the money. She appeared with him in Hellcats of the Navy (1957).

When I say my life began with Ronnie, well, its true. It did. I cant imagine life without him.  Nancy Reagan

Shortly after that, he was hired by General Electric and crisscrossed the country giving speeches at GE plants and honing his conservative views.

In 1964, he gained national attention with a televised speech endorsing Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwaters presidential campaign. In 1966, he challenged California Gov. Pat Brown, a popular two-term Democratic incumbent, and won by 1 million votes.

For Nancy Reagan, a bruising political education commenced.

She was branded a snob for refusing to live in the governors mansion, a 30-room Victorian relic located on a truck route across from a motel and a gas station. In 1967, the Reagans decamped to a Tudor-style house with a pool in the Sacramento suburbs that some of their millionaire friends had purchased for $150,000 and leased back to them.

In 1968, writer Joan Didion interviewed Reagan in the new house, producing a piece for the Saturday Evening Post magazine titled Pretty Nancy, in which she portrayed the governors wife as a superficial woman who smiled too readily and who seemed to be playing out some middle-class American womans daydream, circa 1948. Reagan was deeply hurt by the story, which set the tone of coverage for years to come.

Her good deeds were barely noticed. She championed the Foster Grandparent Program, a cause she would continue to promote in Washington. She took a special interest in Vietnam veterans, hosting emotional dinners for returning prisoners of war and sitting at the bedsides of young soldiers at the veterans hospital in Westwood.

During her husbands second term in Sacramento, she raised $1 million from Republican donors to build a new governors mansion on a scenic site above the American River in nearby Carmichael. When it was completed  not in time for the Reagans to live in it  critics found the 16-room, ranch-style residence architecturally deficient. Gov. Reagans successor, Jerry Brown, called it a Taj Mahal and chose a humble apartment for his residence. It was sold by the state in 1983.

When the Reagans moved to the White House in 1981, the new first lady followed the example of many of her predecessors: She redecorated. But unlike previous first ladies, such as Jacqueline Kennedy, whose refurbishing stirred little negativity, Reagans efforts were portrayed as evidence of insensitivity to the poor.

Television reports on the redecorating, funded by $800,000 in donations from wealthy Republicans, were juxtaposed with news of rising unemployment and homelessness. Reagans order of $200,000 worth of new White House china coincided with the administrations decision to make ketchup a vegetable suitable for school lunches.

It did not help that Reagans wardrobe came from expensive designers such as James Galanos and Adolfo, who often gave her free clothes (for which she later sought tax write-offs). Nicknamed Queen Nancy by critics, she became a symbol of conspicuous consumption as a national recession set in. On late-night TV, Johnny Carson quipped that her favorite junk food was caviar.

Virtually everything I did during that first year was misunderstood and ridiculed, Reagan complained in My Turn.

When polls showed that she was dragging down her husbands ratings, his advisors hatched a plan.

The centerpiece of their strategy unfolded at the White House press corps annual Gridiron Dinner in 1982. To the astonishment of 600 members of the media, the surprise guest performer was none other than the first lady, dressed like a bag lady in white pantaloons, yellow rain boots, a red housedress, fake pearls and a straw hat festooned with feathers and flowers. It was an appropriately tacky get-up for the song she sang, set to the tune of Second Hand Rose. Special lyrics by a White House speechwriter poked fun at her haughty image: Even though they tell me that Im no longer Queen, Did Ronnie have to buy me that new sewing machine? Secondhand clothes, secondhand-clothes, I sure hope Ed Meese sews.

Her self-deprecating spoof won rave reviews in the next days newspapers. For much of the rest of her White House tenure, she enjoyed noticeably kinder coverage.

With new confidence, she formalized a longstanding interest in fighting drug abuse with the Just Say No campaign, aimed at the nations youth. She carried the message to television talk shows and schools across the country and sparked a grass-roots movement, with more than 5,000 Just Say No clubs launched in the United States and abroad and collaborations with such groups as the Girl Scouts and Kiwanis Club International. She also hosted two international conferences on the problem, including one at the United Nations in 1985.

Although experts would debate whether the program had any lasting effect, its impact on the first lady was measurable: By early 1985, she had higher poll ratings than the president. Her reputation within the White House was another matter. She had sharp words for any staffer she thought was serving her husband poorly. Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan said she hid behind a pillar when she saw the first lady coming.

She was the personnel director of the Reagan operation, so to speak, Stuart Spencer, a veteran political strategist who ran Ronald Reagans gubernatorial campaigns and was a prominent advisor in the presidential campaigns, told biographer Bob Colacello in 1998. She wanted to know who was going to be around Ron and who they were. She made a lot of decisions about people coming and people leaving. She was right 90% of the time.

She was widely credited with forcing the departures of several high-level administration figures, including Interior Secretary James Watt, Labor Secretary Raymond Donovan, Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler and two national security advisors, Richard V. Allen and William Clark.

The most public and acrimonious dispute involved Regan, her husbands chief of staff during the Iran-Contra affair. When the news broke that millions of dollars Iran had paid for American military equipment had been diverted to the Nicaraguan contras, she blamed Regan for the scandal that engulfed her husbands presidency and repeatedly urged the president to fire him.

When Regan finally was ousted in early 1987, New York Times columnist William Safire wrote a piece headlined First Lady Stages a Coup and said her political interference made her husband look weak. Regan took revenge in his 1988 memoir, For the Record, which disclosed the first ladys reliance on San Francisco astrologer Joan Quigley. Reagan had long consulted astrologers but gave such advice more weight after March 30, 1981, when her husband was gravely wounded in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley Jr.

She admitted that consulting Quigley had been a terrible mistake, but what she regretted more, she later wrote, was the enormous embarrassment I caused Ronnie. And now, of course, I realize that I was foolish to think it was possible to have any secrets in the White House.

All in all, 1987 was a brutal year. Her husband had prostate surgery; she underwent a mastectomy after learning she had breast cancer; and her mother died.

The Regan controversy stirred debate over the proper role of a first lady, who has no constitutional or statutory duties, but she made no apologies.

Did I ever give Ronnie advice? You bet I did, Reagan wrote in her memoir. Im the one who knows him best, and I was the only person in the White House who had absolutely no agenda of her own  except helping him.

During the Iran-Contra controversy, she backed the White House staffers who believed that the president needed to take responsibility for the crisis. She also arranged for influential figures  including former Sen. John G. Tower (R-Texas), who headed the commission that investigated the affair  to press the case with him in private.

Her remarks to White House speechwriter Landon Parvin helped shape the address President Reagan ultimately made, in which he acknowledged that the arms trade had been a mistake. Once he made that admission, the headlines quickly faded. The first lady, Cannon said in a PBS documentary years later, rescued the Reagan presidency.

She was often a moderating force in her husbands administration. To the dismay of the presidents more ideological advisors, she played a key role in arranging a White House meeting with Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin and urged her husband to meet with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko before the 1984 election. She advocated a softer stance toward the Soviet Union, which her husband had famously labeled the evil empire.

Though the Reagans had campaigned under a banner of traditional family values, their own family was far from model. Nancy bore the brunt of the criticism.

To Michael, who came to live with the Reagans when he was 14, Nancy was the unwelcoming stepmother who wouldnt give him his own room or include him when the family went to church on Sundays. To Patti, who used Davis as her last name to distance herself from her fathers politics, her mother was overbearing, high-strung and overly fixated on her father.

My parents world has two people in it, Patti wrote in 1992, and anyone else was extra baggage.

Reagan later acknowledged their pain. Writing in My Turn, she said that all four children have felt at one time or another that Ronnie and I were so devoted to each other that there wasnt room for them in our affections, and that they were somehow left out. That was never our intention, and if they sometimes felt that way, I am truly sorry.

That she reveled in her role as Mrs. Ronald Reagan was undeniable. Her look of wide-eyed adoration, derided by the press as the look or the gaze, said it all. Almost from the day they met, she wrote, Ronald Reagan has been the center of my life. I have been criticized for saying that, but its true.

So his illness  what she called a truly long, long goodbye  was devastating.

His diagnosis of Alzheimers brought reconciliation with children Michael and Patti, who said that her mothers lonely years of caring for her husband had softened her in many ways.

In 2014, she was photographed visiting her husbands grave on the 10th anniversary of his death. Though in a wheelchair, she looked elegant in a cream colored pantsuit and earrings by a favorite designer, Kenneth Jay Lane.

Reagan told ABCs Good Morning America: I learned a lot from Ronnie while he was sick  a lot. I learned patience. I learned how to accept something that was given to you, and how to die.

For some time before his death, he had not been able to recognize the woman who had been his soulmate for 50 years. But, as she later recounted, in his last moments he opened his eyes, which he had not done in weeks, and looked at her. She murmured, That is the greatest gift you could have given me.

Former Times staff writers Pamela Warrick and Claudia Luther contributed to this report.

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From fashion to Just Say No to drugs, First Lady Nancy Reagan was one of the seminal figures of the 1980s.

Here is a retrospective of that period from the pages of The Times:

ANTI-DRUG CRUSADE

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As first lady, Reagan was known for her crusade against drug abuse, especially by teenagers. She appeared on the NBC comedy Diffrent Stokes and recorded public service announcements. In 1985, The Times reported on a gala event in Hollywood in which celebrities honored Reagan for her work:

 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan remembered.

Actress Elizabeth Taylor, who said she had recognized her problem (of alcohol abuse) before it was too late, personally thanked Mrs. Reagan for her involvement in the campaign.

Besides the show and a video tribute to the First Lady, the evening marked the premiere of a new anti-drug music video, called Stop the Madness, produced by the council.

Earlier in the day, Mrs. Reagan had videotaped two public service television announcements as part of her international campaign against teenage alcohol and drug abuse.

In one of the spots, taped at NBCs Burbank studios, Mrs. Reagan appears at a party with three teenagers in which two youths offer another teenager beer and marijuana. She advises them not to give in to peer pressures.

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Taking drugs and drinking arent things you should do just because some people say you should, says the First Lady. If you just say no to drugs, alcohol and pills, youll be saying yes to a whole lot more.

In a red plaid dress and with a green Just Say No button pinned to her red cardigan, Mrs. Reagan talked briefly with reporters after the taping.

I think were seeing the level of (drug abuse) awareness going up, she said. Its a pressing problem. Were talking about losing the next generation.

FASHION

Reagan was also a fashion icon of the period, though her style got mixed reviews at the time. The Times explained her style in a 2011 story about a retrospective of her clothing at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Museum and Library in Simi Valley:

She knew her style very well, and it was always simple and elegant, says designer James Galanos, who first met Reagan in 1949 at the Beverly Hills boutique Amelia Gray and went on to collaborate with her for two White House terms. If I tried to experiment, I could tell from her expression that she was thinking, No, Jimmy. 

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A recent peek at the exhibit at the museum near Simi Valley co-curated by exhibition designer Rush Jenkins feels like a stroll through history. The chronological layout, organized in chapters that range from White House Beginnings to Public Servant and Spokeswoman, illustrates her roles and corresponding styles.

For the first presidential inauguration, Reagan  always a size 2  wore a red Adolfo dress and coat bright enough to enrage a bull. During Cold War visits to the Soviet Union, she opted for muted, wool suits that reflected the stoicism of that country.

Certain pieces became staples. The Kelly green Galanos wool coat she first wore to the Iran hostage release ceremony in 1981 became the sartorial equivalent of eggnog, when she began modeling it every year at Christmastime.

1 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagans collection of suits and gowns were on display in 2007 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. William Rush Jenkins designed the display. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 11 A blue outfit is in former First Lady Nancy Reagans collection of suits and gowns on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 11 William Rush Jenkins designed a display of former First Lady Nancy Reagans collection of suits and gowns. A James Galanos-designed dress that was worn at the second inaugural ball in 1984 is in the background. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 11 Two outfits worn by former First Lady Nancy Reagan were on display in 2007 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 11 President Reagan embraces Nancy Reagan after she presents him with a cake in honor of his 75th birthday in 1986. (Mike Sargent / AFP / Getty Images) 6 / 11 First Lady Nancy Reagan is accompanied by television personality Ed McMahon as Santa during a 1987 press tour of the White House Christmas decor. (Ron Edmonds / Associated Press) 7 / 11 Nancy Reagan and veteran entertainer and humorist Art Linkletter enter the lounge at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills in 1995. (Wally Santana / Associated Press) 8 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, left, and First Lady Laura Bush tour the red dress exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley in 2007. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan and former Secretary of State George Schultz stand in front of a section of the Berlin Wall in 2009 as part of a 20th anniversary commemoration of the Berlin Walls fall. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan leaves Mr. Chows restaurant in Beverly Hills in 2002. (David Klein/Getty Images) 11 / 11 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan is accompanied by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, after a ceremonial bill-signing at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in July 2010. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

For the afternoon wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana in 1981, Reagan smartly eschewed her primary color palette of red, blue and green for a soft peach silk blouse and skirt by Galanos, with a matching shirt-coat and chiffon scarf. The British press declared her elegantly turned out.

The American press, however, was not as flattering toward her penchant for high fashion. Its first tip-off? The white, one-shouldered Galanos adorned with diamante daisies that she wore with long gloves as first lady of California to the gubernatorial ball in 1967. Many of her gowns  adorned with intricate beadwork  would glitter like crystal chandeliers in the right light.

Its important that a first lady be fashionable and glamorous, because she represents the country and its style, says Carolina Herrera, who designed an emerald-green velvet gown that Reagan wore to the opera in 1987. The first lady even name-checked the designer to the press by announcing, This is Carolina Herrera.

Her glamour sometimes spurred more ire than awe. Reagan was widely criticized for her extravagance during the economic downturn, and she took her biggest drubbing for commissioning $200,000 worth of china for the White House in 1981. A year later, however, she shocked journalists and her husband alike when she paraded onstage during a Gridiron Dinner wearing a schizophrenic get-up that included a feather boa and yellow galoshes. The first lady belted out Second Hand Clothes to the tune of Second Hand Rose.

In 1988, the Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded Reagan a Lifetime Achievement Award for her loyalty to U.S. designers and devotion to fashion.

PROTECTING THE PRESIDENT

Through the White House years, Nancy Reagan was always known as the President Reagans great protector. She famously even used an astrologer for advice. During the low point of the Reagan presidency, after the Iran Contra affair, she is said to have engineered the firing of Chief of Staff Don Regan. A 1995 Times article recounted this period through the writing of former White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater.

A tenet of longevity at the White House, Fitzwater writes, was that to offend Nancy Reagan was suicidal, so staff members did their best to avoid the first lady. She blamed Regan for not preventing the Iran-Contra scandal that tarnished her husbands presidency.

When news stories began to appear reporting that the president wanted Regan to resign, Fitzwater took most of them as mischief from somebody Regan had offended and routinely denied them. The morning after one of the stories appeared, Nancy Reagan telephoned Fitzwater, and this exchange followed:

Marlin, you know those stories about Don Regan?

Yes maam.

Well, you should just stay out of them.

Yes maam.

Goodbye, Marlin.

Regan was crying, his face was red, his eyes swollen, when he handed Fitzwater a 14-word statement: I hereby resign as chief of staff to the President of the United States, Fitzwater writes.

ALZHEIMERS FIGHT

Ronald Reagan suffered from Alzheimers disease after he left the White House, and Nancy Reagan became a leading spokeswoman for Alzheimers research while also caring for her husband as the disease progressed. From a 1997 Times article:

As Ronald and Nancy Reagan face the final chapter in one of the great love stories in American politics, the emotional burden of the former presidents Alzheimers disease has fallen heavily on his first ladys slender shoulders. For the first time in nearly 50 years, she is faced with going on without her leading man.

However well she bears up to the task, Nancy Reagan has been changed by it. Even some onetime critics concede that the Dragon Lady of the Reagan White House seems to have lost her fire. The obsessions of the past  haute couture, astrology, even Ronald Wilson Reagans place in the history of the world  matter less. Friends, including a few prominent Democrats, and family  including the oft-estranged children  matter more.

The woman who once borrowed more than $1 million in designer suits, dresses and gowns might now be seen wearing the same dress twice. Although she still has someone else do the cooking, she swaps recipes with her girlfriends, thumps the melons at the market and chats up the new butcher. According to one of her closest pals, Nancy Reagan is now very much the hausfrau!

As her husbands condition worsens, the famous woman-behind-the-man finds herself cast in a challenging and unexpected supporting role. Here is a woman who has made her husbands life her career, says Fred Ryan, a former presidential aide. She has devoted herself to making Ronald Reagans life perfect, [but] no matter what she does now, his life will never be perfect again.

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The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was closed Sunday and visitors, many of whom were unaware of Nancy Reagans death, were being turned away.

Some people had heard the news and came to pay their respects outside the librarys entrance, located in Simi Valley, about 45 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

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Andy Hall, 48, of Simi Valley, stood by the roadside on the hill leading up to the library, holding an American flag. Hall said he had served in the Army during the first Gulf War.

He meant a lot to me, Hall said. When he died, I came to pay my respects.

 Former First Lady Nancy Reagan remembered.

He said he was impressed by Nancy Reagans devotion to her husband.

Its not about his politics or her politics, its about the love they had for each other, he said.

Julia Berman, 62, of Westlake Village, said she admired Nancy Reagans elegance and social graces.

She wore that Reagan red so well, Berman said.

She recalled the Reagan years as a golden age for the country and the couple as consummate Californians. And as a widow herself, Berman said she was inspired by Nancy Reagans strength after her husbands death.

It really gave me strength just knowing how she would come to all the events, and Im sure it wasnt easy, she said.

To Wendy Armstrong, a volunteer docent at the Reagan library, the late first ladys legacy was much clearer. She listed Nancy Reagans breast cancer activism, her Just Say No anti-drug campaign, and advocacy for stem cell research as noteworthy accomplishments.

She was a very criticized first lady, but I think when all the dust has settled, she will go down in history as one of the greatest first ladies, Armstrong said.

1 / 21 American actor and future president Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004) sits with his wife, actress Nancy Reagan, as the par talk with fellow actor and future US Senator George Murphy (1902 - 1992) at the premiere of High Society, July 1956. (Photo by Pictorial Parade/Getty Images) (Pictorial Parade / Getty Images) 2 / 21 Nancy and Ronald Reagan, with running mate George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, are cheered by delegates at the Republican National Convention in July 1980. Reagan knew where he wanted to go, but she had a better sense of what he needed to do to get there, biographer Lou Cannon said of Nancy Reagan. (Joe Kennedy / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 21 The Reagans attend a 1980 reception in their honor in Los Angeles with Los Angeles Times Publisher Otis Chandler and his mother, Dorothy. (Lennox McClendon / Associated Press) 4 / 21 The Reagans prepare to return to Washington from Point Mugu Naval Air Station after a Memorial Day vacation in California in 1981. (Joe Kennedy / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 21 The Reagans with music legend Ray Charles at a musical salute in Washington in March 1983. (Ira Schwartz / Associated Press) 6 / 21 Nancy Reagan holds Chinese leader Deng Xiaopings hand during a 1984 visit to Beijing. The first lady took an active role in advising President Reagan on policy matters. (Scott Stewart / Associated Press) 7 / 21 The president and first lady visit the terra cotta soldiers archeological site during their 1984 China trip. (Bob Daugherty / Associated Press) 8 / 21 The Reagans walk through Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach in northern France on June 6, 1984, the 40th anniversary of the D-day invasion. (Bob Daugherty / Associated Press) 9 / 21 President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan at a New Orleans luncheon in August 1988. (Mike Sargent / AFP/Getty Images) 10 / 21 The former president and first lady arrive for the premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webbers Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in December 1993. (Chris Martinez / Associated Press) 11 / 21 Nancy Reagan with stepdaughter Maureen at the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, a year before Maureens death from skin cancer. (Hillery Garrison Smith / Associated Press) 12 / 21 The former first lady lays her cheek on Ronald Reagans casket after his death in 2004. His Alzheimers diagnosis led her to become an advocate for stem cell research and hastened a reconciliation between her and her children. (Bryan Chan / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 21 Nancy Reagan with President George W. Bush in 2005 at an Air Force One exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 21 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, with Nancy Reagan at a ceremony commemorating the 40th anniversary of Ronald Reagans first gubernatorial win. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 21 The First Ladys in front of the Red Dress display. First Lady Laura Bush and former First Lady Nancy Reagan participated in the Heart Truth Roundtable at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley on Wednesday, February 28, 2007. Later they visited students at Balboa Magnet School in Northridge who are part of a National Park Service program. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 21 Nancy Reagan poses with the 2008 Republican presidential candidates after their May 2007 debate at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. (Robert A. Reeder / Associated Press) 17 / 21 Vice President Dick Cheney escorts the former first lady at a white-tie dinner for Britains Queen Elizabeth II at the White House in May 2007. (Pool / Getty Images) 18 / 21 In May 2007, Nancy Reagan holds a copy of the newly released Reagan Diaries, which chronicles her husbands two terms in the White House. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 21 Nancy Reagan is joined by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assemblyman Martin Garrick (R-Carlsbad), left, at a signing ceremony for two bills honoring her late husband at the Reagan library in Simi Valley. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 21 Nancy Reagan is helped by Marine Lt. Gen. George J. Flynn as she arrives for a wreath-laying ceremony at her husbands memorial at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 21 Nancy Reagan after a GOP presidential debate at the Reagan Presidential Library. (Paul Buck / EPA)

Melissa Giller, a spokeswoman for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library, said the library would remain closed until the day after the former first ladys funeral, the date of which has not yet been announced.

The Simi Valley Police Department asked motorists this week to avoid Madera Road near Presidential Drive, cautioning that the area will see heavy traffic for the funeral and other burial preparations.

After her funeral, Nancy Reagan will be buried on the library property, alongside her husband.

Giller said Nancy Reagan had been an active board member up to the time of her death, and had written to the pope and archdiocese to ask for support for the librarys latest exhibit on the Vatican, which had been scheduled to open Sunday.

Shes really been the guiding force of the Reagan library for probably the past 15 years, Giller said.

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The former first lady used to visit the library six to ten times a year, Giller said. In recent years, as travel became more difficult, she had continued to travel there every June on the anniversary of her husbands death.

John Heubusch, executive director of the Reagan library and foundation, described Nancy Reagans death as the end of an era, both for the library and the nation.

He remembered Reagan for her elegance, glamor and fierce devotion to her husband.

In Great Britain, when they had Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, they called her the Iron Lady, and thats who Nancy Reagan was to me, he said. She was the Iron Lady of America.

Until her health began to fail, Heubusch said, Reagan had attended all board meetings and major events at the library, hosting former presidents and foreign dignitaries. And she remained highly involved up to the end, although she was unable to travel as frequently.

He also recalled that each June, she would sit by Ronald Reagans grave. She will now be buried next to him.

Every year on the anniversary of the presidents death, she would be here, and she would spend some quiet moments at the gravesite all alone, just with her own private thoughts, he said.

He said he believed that Nancy Reagan had known her time was coming and that her last days were peaceful.

News of the former first ladys death reached Amy Patterson, 58, as she was preparing to attend church. With her two granddaughters, ages 1 and 3, she visited the presidential library and placed a bouquet and white candle outside the librarys sign.

Patterson, who is also a widow, said she was struck by Nancy Reagans devotion to her husband.

When her husband couldnt speak, she was eloquently able to speak for him, she said, sobbing. An eras gone now, with her and her husband.

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9:18 P.M. Former Gov. Pete Wilson: Nancy Reagan was an unflagging supporter of her husband From left, former Gov. Pete Wilson, Delores and Bob Hope, Nancy Reagan and Merv Griffin at the Ronald Reagan Freedom Awards dinner in 1997 (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times) Former Gov. Pete Wilson joined a chorus of voices eulogizing Nancy Reagan. In a statement issued late Sunday, Wilson, a member of the board of trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, praised President Reagans economic and foreign policy. And he said that the 40th presidents success came from the stability and support of his marriage. All he did and his confident belief in America was sustained and deepened by the love and strength of Nancy Reagans belief in him every day of their lives together, Wilson said. They were deeply in love and visibly totally devoted to each other. The petite and fragile woman on the Presidents arm gave strength to his arm and great strength to his purpose. Wilson added, For the model of goodness and wisdom his exceptional leadership gave us, we are immeasurably indebted to him -- and to his loving, devoted Nancy, his unflagging supporter in their life together and tireless guardian of his legacy to the end of hers. Matt Hamilton



4:12 P.M. Honoring Nancy Reagan A police officer salutes as a hearse and a police motorcade depart from Nancy Reagans Malibu home Sunday afternoon. A police officer salutes as a hearse leaves the Malibu home of Nancy Reagan. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times)

2:54 P.M. Bidens remember Nancy Reagan Nancy Reagan defined grace, courage and loyalty. An accomplished actress, first lady of California and first lady of the United States, she understood public service is a noble endeavor. She was a strong voice to keep children safe from drugs, and she reached out to give comfort to fellow cancer survivors, communities touched by gun violence, and families as they cared for a loved one on the lonely walk of Alzheimers. Thats who she gave voice to in her service to our country. And together, she and our 40th president gave meaning to a poets words: Come live with me and be my love/And we will all the pleasures prove. Nancy and Ronald Reagan proved those pleasures for more than half a century. They are now together to prove them once again. Jill and I offer our deepest condolences to Patti, Ron, Michael, and the entire Reagan family. Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden

1:59 P.M. White House photos: Ronald as Santa, Nancy as cowgirl

1:56 P.M. Arnold Schwarzenegger holds moment of silence for Nancy Reagan Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who sometimes escorted Nancy Reagan to events at her husbands presidential library, remembered her at a campaign event in Columbus, Ohio, where he endorsed the states governor, John Kasich, for president. She was one of the greatest first ladies, an extraordinary human being and such a wonderful partner to her husband, President Reagan, who was without any doubt one of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States, Schwarzenegger said. And I know she will join him now in Heaven and this love affair between the two of them will start all over again. He then asked the crowd of several hundred to join him in a moment of silence for Mrs. Reagan.

1:49 P.M. Nancy Reagan was influential because she was there for her husband all the time. She was the shield. She wanted to help him, and she sacrificed her own image to do that. Lou Cannon, author of several Reagan biographies who covered the White House for the Washington Post during both of Ronald Reagans terms.

1:42 P.M. Nancy Reagan and Clint Eastwoods anti-drug PSA

1:39 P.M. Nancy Reagan in the 80s: Fashion and anti-drug campaign Times editor Shelby Grad takes you on a retrospective of Nancy Reagans impact on the 1980s - everything from fashion to the controversial Just Say No anti-drug campaign. Here are some highlights from the archives: Anti-drug campaign: Taking drugs and drinking arent things you should do just because some people say you should, the first lady said in a public service announcement taped in Los Angeles. If you just say no to drugs, alcohol and pills, youll be saying yes to a whole lot more. On her fashion: For the first presidential inauguration, Reagan  always a size 2  wore a red Adolfo dress and coat bright enough to enrage a bull. During Cold War visits to the Soviet Union, she opted for muted, wool suits that reflected the stoicism of that country. Certain pieces became staples. The Kelly green Galanos wool coat she first wore to the Iran hostage release ceremony in 1981 became the sartorial equivalent of eggnog, when she began modeling it every year at Christmastime. Read more

1:05 P.M. Nancy and Ronald This was a deep love affair and a political partnership that was in some ways unprecedented. Kiron Skinner, Hoover Institution fellow, on what President Reagans private papers revealed about his relationship with Nancy



1:05 P.M. Nancy Reagan rests on a flight to Salt Lake City during the 1976 presidential campaign. Ronald Reagan narrowly lost the Republican nomination to Gerald Ford. (Associated Press)



12:49 P.M. Meet the astrologer who Nancy Reagan used to protect her husband In Nancy Reagans memoir, My Turn, the former first lady said she called astrologer Joan Quigley in the aftermath of an assassination attempt on the president. Im scared every time he leaves the house, she told Quigley, seeking advice on the timing of President Reagans comings and goings. Read more

12:33 P.M. Obamas offer their condolences Nancy Reagan once wrote that nothing could prepare you for living in the White House. She was right, of course. But we had a head start, because we were fortunate to benefit from her proud example, and her warm and generous advice. Our former First Lady redefined the role in her time here. Later, in her long goodbye with President Reagan, she became a voice on behalf of millions of families going through the depleting, aching reality of Alzheimers, and took on a new role, as advocate, on behalf of treatments that hold the potential and the promise to improve and save lives. We offer our sincere condolences to their children, Patti, Ron, and Michael, and to their grandchildren. And we remain grateful for Nancy Reagans life, thankful for her guidance, and prayerful that she and her beloved husband are together again. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

12:54 P.M. Protective first lady She tried to, as any wife would, to protect him, saying, Look, come back next week. Dont stay too long. Dont wear him out. She didnt have any agenda except making sure Ronald wasnt taken advantage of, and thats what she did. Annelise Anderson, senior policy advisor for President Reagans 1980 presidential campaign

12:20 P.M. Arnold weighs in via Snapchat We miss Nancy dearly. And of course, now one of the greatest love stories of our time can now start over again. Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, via Snapchat

12:10 P.M. Watch Nancy Reagans cameo on Diffrent Strokes for her Just Say No movement In an episode that aired in 1983, Arnold (played by Gary Coleman) is writing a newspaper story about drugs at his school. After publishing his story, he receives some unexpected support from then-First Lady Nancy Reagan. Read more

12:07 P.M. Style and substance She brought a glamour and a style to the White House  this Hollywood dimension ... but it wasnt just Nancy Reagan having parties and holding flowers as heads of state visited. She was a highly substantive political person. Kiron Skinner, Hoover Institute fellow and author of several books about the Reagan administration
In a split decision, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each captured two victories in Saturdays four-state round of Republican voting, fresh evidence that theres no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders notched wins in Nebraska and Kansas while front-runner Hillary Clinton prevailed Louisiana, another divided verdict.

Cruz, the senator from Texas, claimed Kansas and Maine, and declared it a manifestation of a real shift in momentum. Trump, still the front-runner in the hunt for delegates, won in Louisiana and Kentucky. Despite strong support from the GOP establishment, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio had another disappointing night, raising serious questions about his viability in the race.

Trump, at a postelection news conference in West Palm Beach, Fla., declared himself primed for a head-on contest with Cruz, and he called for Rubio to drop out.

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I would like to take on Ted one-on-one, Trump said, ticking off a list of big states where he said Cruz had no chance. That would be so much fun.

I would like to take on Ted one-on-one. That would be so much fun.  Donald Trump, on Ted Cruz

Cruz, a favorite of the tea party movement, said the latest results should send a loud message that the Republican contest for the nomination is far from over, and that the status quo is in trouble.

The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together, he declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days.

TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >>

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures are looking frantically for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

Everyones trying to figure out how to stop Trump, the billionaire candidate marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Fla., where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Trump prevailed in the home state of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky senator who has been critical of the front-runner for incendiary comments about Muslims and a halting disavowal of white supremacist groups.

Rubio, who finished no better than third anywhere Saturday and has only one win to his name, said the upcoming schedule of primaries would be better for us, and renewed his vow to win his home state of Florida, claiming all 99 delegates there on March 15.

But Cruz suggested it was time for Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to go.

Campaigning in Detroit, Clinton said she was thrilled to add to her delegate count and expected to do well in Michigans primary on Tuesday. No matter who wins this Democratic nomination, she said, I have not the slightest doubt that on our worst day we will be infinitely better than the Republicans on their best day.

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Neb., said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House. I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning, she said.

Sanders won by solid margins in Nebraska and Kansas, giving him seven victories in the nominating season, compared with 11 for Clinton, who maintains a commanding lead in the competition for delegates.

Clinton picked up at least 51 delegates to Sanders 45 in Saturdays contests, with delegates yet to be allocated. Overall, Clinton had at least 1,117 delegates to Sanders 477, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

Cruz will collect at least 60 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine, Trump at least 46, Rubio at least 13 and Kasich eight.

In the overall race for GOP delegates, Trump led with at least 375 and Cruz had at least 291. Rubio had 123 delegates and Kasich had 33. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

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For more than 150 years after the celebrated Civil War ironclad Monitor sank off Cape Hatteras, N.C., the engines and pumps that drove historys first mechanized warship have been silent.

Recovered from the Atlantic in 2001, the Victorian-era machines weighing more than 20 tons have spent most of their days slumbering in giant treatment tanks when conservators were not painstakingly removing stubborn coats of marine concretion.

Even after their original surfaces began to emerge  and some components were disassembled  X-ray analysis revealed so much structural loss due to marine corrosion that any hope of making them move as they once did was abandoned.

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But after more than five years of work, an experimental effort to re-create one of the groundbreaking ships machines is poised to bring back at least some of the steam-powered sound and commotion that once filled its engine room.

We want to tell the story of when that engine was alive -- when everything on it was moving and whirligigging around inside the engine room.  Conservator William Hoffman

Funded by a company linked to its pioneering inventor, conservators at the USS Monitor Center at the Mariners Museum in Newport News have used reverse engineering to produce a working replica of one of the ships famed Worthington pumps.

On Sunday theyll fire it up for the museums observance of the 154th anniversary of the Monitors legendary clash with the Confederate ironclad Virginia in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 8-9, 1862.

We want to do more than tell the story of the Monitors engines at their last moment. We want to tell the story of when that engine was alive  when everything on it was moving and whirligigging around inside the engine room, conservator William Hoffman said.

So what weve tried to do is bring the Worthington pump back to life. People will literally be able to see it, hear it and smell it working just as the originals did, he added.

Though little known today, the pump invented by 23-year-old New Yorker Henry R. Worthington in 1840 sparked a revolution in naval, hydraulic and propulsion engineering.

Before he devised a pump driven directly by an engines steam rather than a mechanical connection, every steamship boiler in the world lost water and power whenever the engine idled, forcing crews to feed the thirsty boilers by hand.

That was an especially demanding task for vessels negotiating canals, where they might be forced to idle their engines for long periods while waiting for the locks to drain or fill.

But every craft propelled by steam was affected.

Before Worthington, they used hand pumps and buckets to keep the boilers replenished, Monitor Center and Foundation Director John V. Quarstein said.

Automatic in action and controlled by the boilers water level, Worthingtons new feed pump was simple, lightweight and compact, Hoffman says, and it did its job without the aid of a crank, shaft or flywheel.

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By the time the inventor opened a small shop outside the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1845, he had added so many refinements that he began winning contracts from the nations growing steam-powered Navy.

The name Worthington became the gold standard of pumps, attracting the admiration of such figures as John Ericsson  the visionary naval architect and engineer who began building the Monitor in late 1861. He used two to feed the boiler of his revolutionary ship.

The people who collaborated on the Monitor were the foremost technological figures of the Victorian era, Quarstein said.

Building a replica of the Worthington pump was not the first goal of conservators when they began working on the 4.5-foot-long, 400-pound machines. What they wanted was the practical experience of disassembling and treating each pumps roughly 120 parts after removing 140 years of marine concretion and corrosion.

That training would help them take on such enormous artifacts as the main steam engine, Hoffman said.

We talk about the Victorian era as if it was the Dark Ages. But they were very sophisticated in the design and fabrication of these machines, he said. Its taken us five years to re-create something they were making by the hundreds every week.

In 2010 Hoffman and his colleagues began making molds for a partial trial re-creation that blossomed into a full working replica.

Funded with $40,000 from Curtiss-Wright Flow-Control Co.  the successor to Worthingtons original firm  the conservators cast dozens of new iron and bronze parts at the State University of New York College at Buffalo, then had additional parts and machining done in Newport News.

Conservators tested the replica for the first time on Dec. 29  two days short of the 153rd anniversary of the Monitors demise.

As the piston slid back and forth, it filled the cavernous Monitor Center lab with a sound that had not been heard for a century and a half.

When you closed your eyes and listened, you were back on the Monitor, Hoffman said. It put you back on that ship.

merickson@dailypress.com.

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Three days before the Michigan primary, former President Bill Clinton pushed for votes for his wife, Hillary, telling campaign volunteers Saturday in Detroit that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders had forwarded unrealistic proposals on college tuition and healthcare, two key differences between the Democratic presidential candidates.

In a lengthy speech at a labor union headquarters downtown, Clinton also mocked the behavior of the Republican presidential candidates and asserted that his wife has the best command of both foreign and domestic policy to grasp the job he held for eight years.

The former president isolated two major points of contention between Hillary Clinton and Sanders, though he referred to Sanders only as her opponent. (He praised both candidates  this time by name  when he later discussed their reactions to the water contamination in Flint.)

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Sanders has proposed free tuition for everyone attending state colleges and universities, on the grounds that a college education is as necessary now for a good job as a high school diploma once was. Clinton has argued for an income-based plan that would allow students to graduate debt-free but would not allow wealthier families to have their tuition covered by taxpayers.

Bill Clinton told campaign volunteers  with the expectation that they would pass it on to undecided voters  that Sanders plan would not help students at private colleges, including historically black colleges, and would encourage schools to raise tuition knowing that the costs would be borne by taxpayers. He also said it was unfair for wealthy families to be subsidized.

We need upper [income] people to step up for the same reason that Willie Sutton robbed the banks: Thats where the money is, he said. He also repeated the Democratic front-runners call for students to be able to refinance past debt, as they would a mortgage, currently forbidden by law.

Think of what this means. It means you can move out of your parents house, he said to laughter from younger volunteers in the crowd. It means if you dream of opening your own bakery, you can go down to the bank and your credit wont be compromised.

On healthcare, Clinton said Sanders proposal for a universal, Medicare-for-all system was unworkable because of the Republican hold on Congress  and that seeking it would undercut Obamacare, which has driven coverage levels up to 90%.

Her position is, Hey its going to be a lot easier to go from 90 to 100 and tackle the problems that are real, he said, citing high costs for drugs, high co-payments and difficulties faced by small businesses as areas needing improvement. Thats a lot easier than fighting and scratching and trying to go from zero to 100, he said.

He seemed to bridle at Sanders criticism of Hillary Clintons plan as insufficiently robust.

Im sorry, I dont think its a little reform to take Hillarys position that we can get to 100%, he said. It will work, thats all there is. Thats a very big piece of business and we should do that.

Clinton did not discuss the issue of trade, which Sanders has made an important part of his campaign in Michigan. Sanders has argued that the North American Free Trade Agreement, one of Bill Clintons signature presidential achievements, contributed to the dramatic decline in manufacturing and other jobs in the state and others like it. Sanders has criticized Hillary Clintons support of NAFTA and other trade deals.

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The former president did, however, reiterate his wifes proposal that companies moving offshore be assessed an exit tax, whose proceeds would be invested in creating American jobs.

Hillary Clinton has also proposed that companies that receive tax breaks from the government be required to pay them back if they try to move out of the country. In commercials running in Michigan, she has cited the case of Johnson Controls, a Midwestern auto supplier that benefited from the auto bailout at the height of the recession but has recently announced plans to move its headquarters to Ireland.

You look pretty rich going out there and saying, Ive got my hand out, please save my job, and now that you have, I think I will go to Ireland where the tax rate is about a third of what it is here, Clinton said. Johnson Controls would say, Well, but your corporate tax rates so high. Maybe, so let them work for corporate tax reform, not run off after we bailed them out.

The Clinton family campaign operation will expand Sunday, with daughter Chelsea Clinton arriving in Michigan. The candidate will appear Sunday night with Sanders at a Democratic debate in Flint.

For political news and analysis, follow me on Twitter: @cathleendecker . For more on politics, go to latimes.com/decker.

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African American voters steadied Hillary Clintons campaign in the South and now are poised to propel her forward in a corridor of Northern industrial states where voting kicks off with Tuesdays Michigan primary.

Much has been made nationally of the power of Latino voters, but black voters actually had more pull in the 2012 presidential election, according to a study by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. It found that African Americans accounted for President Obamas victories in seven states with 112 electoral votes  without which the nations first black president would have lost the White House.

Among those states: Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Latinos, by contrast, determined the outcome in four states with 49 electoral votes; without them, Obama still would have been reelected.

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TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >>

Clinton enjoys overwhelming support among black residents across Michigan, the result of more than a generation of cultivation for her husbands political career and her own  and, not the least, her decision to join Obamas team after losing the Democratic nomination to him in 2008.

Shes real; theres nothing fake about her, just like Bill Clinton, said Mary Nelson, an African American woman from Detroit who watched the candidate speak Friday at a manufacturing plant.

Of African American voters, Nelson said, were looking for the real.

In Clintons second run for the presidency, exit polls have found, she has carried black voters by huge margins, a consistent showing that drove her romping victories in South Carolina and other Southern states. In Michigan, one recent poll showed Clinton with a 70-plus-point lead among black voters, consistent with how exit polls showed she performed in Virginia, South Carolina and Texas.

Shes real; theres nothing fake about her, just like Bill Clinton.  Mary Nelson, an African American woman from Detroit, who saw Hillary Clinton speak Friday

In all of those states, Bernie Sanders appeals have largely failed among black voters, despite his efforts to broaden his speeches beyond castigations of Wall Street and calls for free college and universal healthcare. His occasional criticism of Obama, on trade and healthcare, and his outspoken desire to move the party to the left of the president probably havent helped.

Though the senator from Vermont has his strengths  his grasp on young voters is tight  Sanders inability to break through with one of the most loyal Democratic voter groups nationally has denied him needed momentum.

An opportunity to showcase relationships with black voters will come Sunday night, when Clinton and Sanders will appear at a debate in Flint, a black-majority city whose water supply has been contaminated by lead. Clinton has made the situation a routine part of her campaign pitch. Two days before the New Hampshire primary, she traveled to Flint for an appearance with its mayor.

In her campaigning here, Clinton has emphasized the African American vote, without always being explicit.

On Friday, she spoke at the manufacturing plant before an array of workers who were almost all African American, forming a tableau of public support. The only noneconomic elements to her address were a plea for an end to matters that, as she pointed out, have disproportionately affected minority communities, such as housing redlining and failing schools, and a call to support those released from prison.

Afterward, she journeyed to Kuzzos Chicken & Waffles in a historic black section of Detroit, where a portrait of Obama hung.

On Saturday, she met with 21 black ministers in Detroit, to whom she reiterated her alliance with Obama and promised to help threatened communities.

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We have a lot of work to do in our country, and it requires reaching out and lifting up, knocking down barriers, creating opportunities for everyone but particularly for people who have been left out and left behind, she said, reprising a line she uses in almost every speech.

She also criticized Republican efforts in Washington and many states to curb voting rights in ways that largely affect minorities.

It is a concerted effort from not just the South, but also here in Michigan and other states, to constrict voting, to suppress voting, she said. And you ask yourself, Well, why would they do this? Because they want to limit who votes and make it more difficult for people to actually come to the polls.

Our message has to be: No matter what barriers they put in play, we are going to help people overcome them. Go over them, around them  whatever it takes, she said.

Bill Clinton added his presence to his wifes effort on Saturday as he campaigned in Detroit, where 4 out of 5 residents are African American.

In some Southern states, black voters dominate the Democratic Party. In the Feb. 27 South Carolina primary, African American voters cast 3 in 5 ballots.

The impact of black votes in the North is somewhat less profound because African American voters make up a smaller percentage of the Democratic electorate. But black voters tend to be dependable, outpunching their population numbers.

In Michigan, for example, blacks make up about 14% of voting-age citizens. But Ed Sarpolus, a 44-year veteran of polling here, said its possible that they could make up 20% to 30% of Tuesdays vote.

In Ohio and Illinois, where primaries will be held March 15, blacks make up a similar proportion of the electorate as in Michigan.

Clinton came into the state early and, working with existing relationships, locked up black and other minority leaders of labor unions, as well as many of their members. Her success is the reverse of her experience in 2008, when African Americans sided with Obama.

Theres been a whole turnaround and forgiveness, Sarpolus said, and key to that was Clintons decision to serve as Obamas secretary of State. The black community rewards loyalty.

Sanders, by contrast, has not done much to go after African Americans here, Sarpolus said. Theres not been real engagement.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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Two days before primary voters go to the polls in Michigan, Democrats will bring the Bernie Sanders-Hillary Clinton debate road show to the put-upon city of Flint on Sunday, where they will doubtlessly discuss the citys well-publicized water crisis. Sanders and Clinton can take turns blaming Republican state officials for their sluggishness in protecting residents from the dangerous levels of lead that leached into their tap water, the result of a temporary cost-saving switch from a tried-and-true lake supply to more corrosive river water.

From a California vantage point, Flints water troubles can appear a bit alien. Those folks in Michigan have seen lots of hard times, with the decline of the U.S. auto-making industry collapsing the states economy, vaporizing jobs and shrinking the tax base. But clean water  they have plenty of that, right? They are barely an hours drive from Lake Huron, one of the planets largest virtually inexhaustible freshwater supplies. Parched California should be so lucky. With our crystal clear snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada, the Rockies and the Cascades, our problem is volume, not quality.

Or is it? Much of that snowmelt feeds the San Joaquin River, which loses so much water to farms on its flow north that it goes completely dry for a stretch  then picks up again in part on the strength of agricultural and urban runoff, laden with nitrates and other contaminants. It is that dirty water that makes its way to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to be pumped to residents in Silicon Valley and Southern California. Or consider the tap water in the Los Angeles County city of Maywood, which still comes in various colors and odors despite recent legislation imposing strict guidelines on the citys four private suppliers. Or Santa Monica, whose supply became contaminated with gasoline additives. Or indeed Los Angeles, which has been unable to make much use of its huge San Fernando Valley aquifer because it is contaminated with industrial solvents and chemical waste.

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Los Angeles might well have also had a lead problem were it not for a program a decade ago to replace lead fittings. And the city is now moving to clean up the aquifer. Santa Monica could afford to switch to imported water and then clean up its own supply. But as in Flint, poverty narrows the options for Maywood and a host of San Joaquin Valley towns. A recent state bond will help, but clean water remains agonizingly out of reach for many Californians who struggle as much with quality as with shortage.

Quality problems and shortages are increasingly reaching crisis proportions for people worldwide regardless of their proximity to vast lakes or rivers. Water security arises not just from adjacent supplies but from adequate wealth and responsible politicians. Thats something to keep in mind as Sanders and Clinton face off in Flint.

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Unlike Iran, North Korea has been impervious to international efforts to force it to forswear the use of nuclear weapons. But new sanctions approved by the United Nations Security Council last week offer at least the possibility of altering North Koreas behavior. Much will depend on whether China, North Koreas patron, enabler and largest trading partner, follows the letter and spirit of the resolution it supported.

The measure was prompted by North Koreas test in January of what it characterized as a hydrogen bomb, as well as repeated missile test launches. But North Korean defiance of the international community stretches back years. Neither previous sanctions nor diplomacy have induced the reclusive regime in Pyongyang to end its nuclear program.

The new resolution, approved after lengthy negotiations between Chinese and U.S. diplomats, significantly expands sanctions against North Korean individuals and entities involved with the insular countrys nuclear weapons program. It also requires the inspection of cargo entering or leaving North Korea and bars the importation of aviation fuel. An arms embargo is expanded to include light weapons, and North Korea is instructed not to use ballistic missiles even to launch non-military satellites.

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But even as it strengthens sanctions, the resolution leaves their enforcement to U.N. members. As a practical matter, that means North Korea will feel the pressure only if China takes its responsibilities seriously, rather than circumventing the sanctions on the pretext of avoiding adverse humanitarian consequences.

Beijing must recognize that anxiety about North Koreas intentions threatens a nuclear arms race not just on the Korean peninsula but in the entire region. It also should realize that if it doesnt put meaningful pressure on North Korea, the U.S. may go forward with a high-altitude missile defense system in South Korea that China sees as a threat to its own arsenal. However justified it might be, a strengthening of South Koreas defenses would make it even less likely that there would be another round of negotiations involving the two Koreas, the U.S. China, Russia and Japan. The last version of such talks collapsed in 2009.

China may not be able to dictate policy to North Koreas unpredictable leader Kim Jong Un. But it provides a lifeline to him and his inner circle and props up the countrys infrastructure. If its serious of about calming tensions on the Korean peninsula, it will use that considerable influence.

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Hillary Clinton has a firm hold on African American voters, and her visits to black churches on Sunday explained why.

Theres her husband, Bill, or our beloved past president as one pastor referred to him.

Theres President Obama, who Clinton served and repeatedly expressed pride in to raucous applause from the congregations.

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And there is also the drama that the Clintons represent.

TRAIL GUIDE: All the latest news on the 2016 presidential campaign >>

Voters and Clinton opponents will roll their eyes at the soap opera that the Clinton White House became in the 1990s: the presidential affair with an intern, that cold walk across the South Lawn with their daughter in the middle like a human demilitarized zone, the impeachment proceedings stemming from questions Bill Clinton received about another alleged dalliance.

But in a black church on Sunday, one pastor said all that was precisely why she was hoping Hillary Clinton would be the next president.

At Holy Ghost Cathedral, a cathedral only in the spiritual sense of the word, a casual church set in a neighborhood of burnt-out, boarded-up wrecks occupied by people who freeze each winter because of the missing windows, Bishop Corletta J. Vaughn greeted Clinton with an allusion to President Clintons behavior and the public face that his wife put on it.

Hillary Clinton, she said, showed women how to take a licking and keep on ticking.

Im talking [about Clinton] as a wife and a mother. She taught so many of us as women how to stand in the face of adversity.

Clinton, who rose to speak later, said she appreciated Vaughns reference to a difficult time.

What has always guided me and supported me has been my faith, has been my belief in the saving graces and the salvation that faith brings, said Clinton, a life-long Methodist. And in those difficult times in my life I have often been struck by a particular passage from Scripture and interpretation or analysis of Scripture.

She told the story of the prodigal son, played in this incarnation by the former president of the United States.

The prodigal son in the Bible, she said, had been out there having a pretty good time committing every sin that you could list.

When someone has disappointed you, has often disappointed themselves, it is human nature to say youre not wanted, we know what youve been doing.... Go sleep in the bed you made, she said. But this isnt what the father did in this parable.

What he did, she reminded the congregants, was put on his finest clothes, have the finest meal cooked up, and meet his son with an embrace.

Clinton said she took from that parable the need to practice the discipline of gratitude every day.

There is much to be grateful for even when it doesnt feel or look like it, she said.

She noted that the prodigal son parable is also about our Father in heaven who is always ready to take us back who gave his only begotten son for us. So practicing the discipline of gratitude is one of the ways we understand more what is expected of us.

Black voters who sided overwhelmingly with Clinton in South Carolina and other Southern states lifted her campaign from its early-state doldrums. They stand ready to do the same on Tuesday, in Michigan, and in states voting March 15. An NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released Sunday showed Clinton defeating Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders among black voters in Michigan by 55 points.

At each of the three black churches she visited Sunday, Clinton used Detroit and Michigan as metaphors for rebuilding, and Flint, where a Democratic debate will be held Sunday night, as a metaphor for crises she hopes to help solve as president.

I have said we dont have to work to make America great; America never stopped being great, she said in a ding at Republican candidate Donald Trumps slogan. We have to work to make America whole and there is a lot of work to be done, my friends.

She said that pipes  and lives  needed to be fixed in Flint, where the water supply has been poisoned by lead.

I, my husband, my daughter, we will stay with you and do everything we can to fix these problems that you are experiencing, she said. She also vowed to help rescue the Detroit schools, where, she noted at each stop, small children attend schools filled with mold and rodents.

She did not talk at all about her Democratic opponent Bernie Sanders, who Saturday night offered a tart denunciation of Clinton. She appeared focused on Tuesdays election, yes, but also on the general election campaign she hopes to wage as the partys nominee.

I will not descend to the level of bullying and bombast and bigotry that we are seeing on the other side, she said. I will try to run a campaign that is worth of the nation.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

For political news and analysis, follow me on Twitter: @cathleendecker . For more on politics, go to latimes.com/decker.

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The Burbank City Council this week approved an amendment to its zoning code in a 3-1 vote to allow for a unique process for reviewing plans for a 14-gate replacement terminal at Bob Hope Airport, which some city officials say will allow Burbank residents a greater say about the project.

The change also removes a potential obstacle that would likely have delayed a timeline airport officials have given themselves to complete the work necessary to get their plans on the ballot this coming November in Burbank for a required Measure B vote.

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Several officials said the amendment will not short-change Burbank residents on the various necessary public processes leading up to a City Council decision on the project and subsequent ballot measure. In fact, some said it offers the city the opportunity to create a way to give residents a voice in decisions years down the line.

However, Councilman David Gordon  and some local residents who frequently attend council meetings and side with Gordon  expressed concerns that it was an effort initiated by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority to expedite its work.

Gordon was also concerned about a lack of public outreach regarding the change and weak discussion when it was before the Planning Board last month.

Some council members, including Gordon and Councilman Will Rogers, have said during recent meetings that they feel no need to help expedite the process on the airports behalf, but Patrick Prescott, director of the citys Community Development Department, said city officials, including the council members, had also agreed not to impede it.

Prescott said the change would be consistent with that commitment by helping to remove an obstruction. If the existing process were followed, Prescott said, it would push the airports timeline back.

Gordon asked if he considered the citys ordinances an impediment, and Prescott said he did not.

The change, which will affect the citys Airport Zone only, allows the city to create an alternative form of development review, which is the process by which the city ensures projects comply with development standards and allows for public participation.

Most large commercial, industrial and multifamily projects in the city require a development review. However, when projects require a zoning change, developers can apply for consideration as a planned development, which allows them to create development standards unique to their project in a development agreement.

The issue in the Airport Zone, according to Prescott, is that there are no development standards in place with which to ensure the airport project complies, but a zoning change, and thus planned development, is unnecessary.

Prescott said city staff could formulate development standards in a few months and, under the alternative process, include them in a development agreement that will be negotiated between the city and the airport and approved or denied during an open City Council meeting.

The amendment allows for something like a hybrid of the development review and planned development processes, allowing for development standards to be incorporated into the development agreement rather than approved as separate ordinances, which Prescott said would better accommodate the airports timeline.

City Atty. Amy Albano said that not only does it allow the city to create those standards, the change will allow officials to create a design review process that doesnt exist either.

Prescott said that will give residents an opportunity to provide input on the airports design closer to when the airport intends to begin construction, providing the project is approved by voters, which could be more than five years from now. Under the normal development review process, that would not happen, he said.

Gordon, alone among his colleagues, opposed the change and could not be persuaded otherwise.

I hope Im wrong, he said, adding that hed weather any criticism of his decision.

--

Chad Garland, chad.garland@latimes.com

Twitter: @chadgarland
Good morning, 818. Today is Saturday, March 5, 2016. Temperatures for today are forecasted to reach a high of 69 and a low of 52, with a 30 % chance of rain in the day and a strong chance of heavy rain tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

Here are your local headlines:

Civic News and Politics

Burbank mulls taking steps to deal with Invasion of the Drones

Burbank may take steps to begin regulating the use of drones by private individuals in order to codify community-based rules, prohibit interference with public safety and protect public infrastructure, private property and production or proprietary interests. Burbank Leader

Looking to the Lone Star State

Three Glendale City Council members are heading to Dallas, Texas, next week to get an up-close look at a park built over a freeway  a project idea thats been kicked around locally for the past few years. Glendale News-Press

NEWSLETTER: Get the latest headlines from the 818 straight to your inbox >>

Taps loosen slightly in LCF and La Crescenta

Local water officials lifted on Friday a temporary ban on outdoor irrigation in La Canada Flintridge and La Crescenta, changing their conservation status from red to orange as supplies were deemed sufficient to last through upgrades being made by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. La Canada Valley Sun

A land-use issue resurfaces

An effort to redefine housing terms in Burbanks city code  including a controversial piece that allows unlicensed group homes, including possible sober-living facilities, in single-family residential neighborhoods  has lain dormant for many months, a city official said this week. Burbank Leader

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Crime and Public Safety

Glendale police hope sign serves as deterrent

Last month, a digital roadside sign mentioned Pasadena gang member Joshua Muema  who faces 27 years to life in state prison if convicted of breaking into a Glendale home on Feb. 4  in an effort to deter would-be thieves in the area. Glendale Police Chief Robert Castro said the benefit of the unorthodox signage tool is threefold: it serves as a crime deterrent to potential burglars scanning the neighborhood for victims, informs residents about enforcement efforts and may remind neighbors to call the police when they see something suspicious. Glendale News-Press

Street safety concerns

Last week, the Burbank Traffic Commission endorsed a proposal intended to calm traffic in the area of Edison Boulevard and Evergreen Street, where residents say poor visibility is leading to traffic safety problems. Burbank Leader

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Business

Medicine goes digital

An image of a skin rash may be all it takes to get a diagnosis and the necessary prescription for treatment at a local urgent-care clinic. By logging into a Web portal, a new video conference tool called Virtual Visits lets patients talk to doctors at Urgent 9 Urgent Care in Glendale without ever having to leave their home. Glendale News-Press

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Education

Student data strenghtened

State Supt. of Schools Tom Torlakson on Friday applauded a March 1 federal court order strengthening protections for student data in the case of two parent groups suing the California Department of Education over special education issues. A recent ruling in the 2012 lawsuit, allowing for the possible release of California K-12 public school student data dating back to 2008, drew criticism from concerned local parents last month after La Canada Unified School District officials notified families of their right to file an objection with the court. La Canada Valley Sun

Students rise to the challenge

Hundreds of students at Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School on Friday showed off their footwork and agility by running through tires and tried to carefully transfer eggs from one classmates spoon to another as part of the schools annual Survivor Challenge obstacle course, which is a major fundraiser for key staff positions on campus. Glendale News-Press

--

In the Community

Spring Home Tour set to return

Business and family sponsorships are being accepted and ticket presales are underway for the 30th Annual La Canada Spring Home Tour, which this year takes place on Friday, April 29. The popular event, which puts the spotlight on four local homes to raise funds for La Canada High School, runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on tour day. La Canada Valley Sun

Of kindness and cookies

Juliana Rozanski, a 9-year-old girl scout lost her purse full of hard-earned cookie money. But thanks to the kindness of strangers  and a touch of serendipity  the following 48 hours would be among the most joyful of her young life. Glendale News-Press

--

Ryan Fonseca, ryan.fonseca@latimes.com

Twitter: @RyFons
I enjoyed the article about cavern exploration in American national parks [Getting in Deep, Feb. 28, by David Kelly]. Many of these treasures would be unknown if trailblazers such as Horace Dade Ashton, an early member of the Explorers Club, had not ventured into them.

Although Ashton did not visit the caverns listed in your article, he did represent the Explorers Club in a joint expedition with the American Museum of Natural History to find the end point of the Endless Caverns in Virginias Shenandoah Valley in 1925. Located near New Market, Va., the caverns are definitely worth a visit by anyone who enjoys spelunking.

Ashton became lost during this exploration, but he did find the end point of these natural wonders for all to enjoy.

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Libby J. Atwater

Ventura

Entry denied

The article on Global Entry [Global Entry Denial Brings Up Old Charge, Feb. 28, On the Spot by Catharine Hamm] really bothered me. Participating in Global Entry is a privilege, not a right, and should be viewed as such.

Shoplifting and petty theft are not youthful indiscretions, particularly when compounded by telling a federal agent that you had never been arrested when in fact you had. I do not feel a scintilla of sympathy. Law-abiding citizens who do not violate the laws and statutes of this country are waiting for their turn for interviews and participation in Global Entry.

There should be consequences to ones actions whether they were three weeks or 30 years ago, and while this man ultimately got the redress he sought, I do not agree with the idea that he is entitled to any grievance with the government.

The Travel section would be better spent on legitimate grievances the traveling public experiences with air carriers, travel agencies and the like.

Joe McGrath

Lomita

Family seating

Re: Getting Seats With Kids on Flights [On the Spot by Catharine Hamm, Feb. 21]: I believe it is critical that children be seated with the relative or person they are traveling with. It is unconscionable that the airlines seat children anywhere, which could be next to a sexual predator.

Theres no way to know what kind of person they may be seated next to. The childrens safety is more important that the airlines profits or whatever game they are playing. How dare they remove children to sit next to an unknown.

Jean Tudor

Orange

::

I am sorry, but the solution for finding seats together is not to leave this in the hands of the travelers.

When I make and pay for a family reservation, I expect to be treated as a family.

Otherwise, I would make five separate reservations.

Unless you buy tickets one or two weeks before a trip, there is no reason other than airline company greed not to seat members of the same reservation together. Nowadays, even when I travel with my wife this happens.

How many families with kids do you know who book at the last minute? Not many.

When families book months (even almost a year) in advance, there is no reason not to seat them together.

What you can do as media is raise concerns and encourage people to demand a federal airline ombudsman office that will police the airlines.

This is what needs to happen to restore basic common sense and decrease traveler frustration.

Santiago Miro

Fayetteville, N.Y.
Elevator maintenance men returning to work after a month-long break for Chinese New Year made a horrific discovery last week when they opened the cab of a broken lift and found the body of a woman who had been trapped inside since late January and starved to death.

The gruesome incident in the western city of Xian, renowned as the home of Chinas Terra Cotta Warriors, has sparked outrage over the apparent negligence of the elevator repair company and the buildings management office.

See more of our top stories on Facebook >>

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The property managers told the Beijing Youth Daily that the elevator cab was returned to the first floor and taken out of service after workers had confirmed that no one was inside. But police investigators said workers simply shouted to check whether anyone was inside and did not open the cab to perform a visual inspection, the news magazine Caixin reported.

Authorities said the case involved gross negligence on the part of the elevator maintenance company and at least one responsible person has been detained in connection with the investigation, according to the magazine. The case has been classified as a negligent homicide.

The victim, believed to be in her late thirties or early forties, was identified only by her surname, Wu. Investigators said that when her corpse was found, her hands were mangled  apparently due to her attempts to pry open the cab doors.

Although a month-long wait to repair an elevator seems unusual even by Chinese standards, many businesses and services grind to a halt during the new year holiday. Although the official break lasts only about a week, many workers take time off before and after the holiday, causing serious disruption to many commercial services.

The Xian case revived memories of a tragic escalator death last summer also related to maintenance issues. In that case, a 30-year-old woman in the central Chinese city of Jingzhou, 130 miles west of Wuhan in Hubei province, was eaten alive when she stepped onto a loose metal plate at the top of an escalator in a shopping mall. The plate collapsed and the woman was pulled into the gears; she managed to shove her small child to safety at the last minute.

But questions remained over how the woman in the elevator could have remained trapped for so long with neither her neighbors or her family realizing it. Local media reports portrayed the victim as mentally ill and said that her family believed she had just gotten lost somewhere. They had reported her missing but did not take further steps to determine her whereabouts.

A resident of the apartment complex, surnamed Ding, told Sohu News that the building management service was poor and routinely ignored residents complaints about the frequently broken elevators and other matters.

Theres now a shadow across my heart. Its scary, and it gives me shivers to pass by that part of the building, the resident said. To think of this happening in ones own building.

After the womans body was discovered, residents staged a protest against the building management. Caixin said that local officials were taking steps to replace the building management.

Yingzhi Yang in the Times Beijing bureau contributed to this report.

Follow @JulieMakLAT for news from China

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The leftist ruling party has won the parliamentary election in Slovakia, after campaigning on an anti-migrant ticket, but will need coalition partners to form a majority government, according to results announced on Sunday.

In a surprising development, a neo-Nazi party gained parliamentary seats for the first time.

With the votes from 99.9 percent of the almost 6,000 polling stations counted by the Statistics Office on Sunday, the Smer-Social Democracy party of Prime Minister Robert Fico is the winner with 28.3 percent of the vote, or 49 seats in the 150-seat Parliament.

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That represents a significant drop in support from the 2012 election when Smer took 44.4 percent and was able to govern alone.

Fico acknowledged he had hoped for at least 4-5 percent more but still called it a decent result.

The prime minister favors a strong state role in the economy, has been critical of Western sanctions against Russia and is known for strong anti-Muslim rhetoric. Slovakia has not been part of the European route that hundreds of thousands of refugees are using, and a recent teachers strike over low pay, nurses quitting hospitals en masse and corruption scandals in the healthcare system have overshadowed the migrant crisis in the country. Still, Fico had made it the central tenet of his campaign.

The pro-business Freedom and Solidarity became the second strongest party with 12.1 percent, or 21 seats, ahead of another center-right party, the Ordinary People with 11.0 percent.

The ultra-nationalist Slovak National Party, Ficos potential partner, returned to Parliament after a four-year-absence with 8.6 percent while the traditional party in the predominantly Roman Catholic country of 5.4 million, the Christian Democrats, didnt get enough votes to be represented.

Most notably, the neo-Nazi Peoples Party -- Our Slovakia, got 8 percent, or 14 seats.

Party Chairman Marian Kotleba was chairman of the banned neo-Nazi Slovak Togetherness-National Party, which organized anti-Roma rallies and expressed sympathy for the Slovak Nazi-puppet state during World War II.

The party says NATO is a terrorist organization and keeps attacking the European Union and Europes common currency, the euro, which Slovakia uses.

Kotleba is not a newcomer. In 2013, he was elected the head of a regional government and he once displayed a banner from a window of his office in the central city of Banska Bystrica that read: Yankees, go home, and Stop NATO.

Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak said that after Kotlebas success the perception of Slovakia in Europe will be complicated. We have elected a fascist to Parliament.

Fico said it is his duty as the winner to create a meaningful government. He said he will open a first round of informal consultations with other parties Sunday.

Tough negotiations are expected at a time when Slovakia is getting ready to take over the rotating presidency of the European Union for the second half of 2016.

The formation of the government will take longer than before, Fico said.

ALSO

Chinese woman trapped for a month in an elevator starves to death

UC Davis chancellor apologizes for controversial moonlighting activities

UFC 196 results: Diaz upsets McGregor; Tate takes title from Holm
A large crowd in Honduras accompanied the body of Berta Caceres to its final resting place Saturday amid calls for justice in this weeks killing of the indigenous leader and environmental activist.

Many of those carrying Caceres coffin on their shoulders through the dusty streets of La Esperanza were Lenca indigenous people for whose rights she had fought. Drummers pounded out Afro-Honduran rhythms as mourners chanted The struggle goes on and on and Berta Caceres is present, today and forever.

The crowd marched more than six miles from Caceres mothers home to a chapel where a Mass was celebrated in her memory, and to the cemetery in La Esperanza about 190 miles east of the capital. Her four daughters and her ex-husband, Salvador Zuniga, were among the procession.

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NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

Forgive me, Bertita, said Zuniga. Forgive me for not understanding your greatness.

The previous evening, Austra Flores said she hoped that her daughters murder would not go unpunished and that international attention would pressure Honduran authorities to find those responsible.

Caceres, 45, who was awarded the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her role in fighting a dam project, had reported death threats from police, the army and landowners groups. She was slain early Thursday by gunmen who broke into her home and shot her four times.

My mother died because she defended the land and rivers of her country, Caceres daughter Olivia said.

Mexican human rights activist Gustavo Castro Soto was also wounded in the attack. After gunfire grazed his cheek and left hand, Castro pretended to be dead as he lay on the floor so the assailants would not finish him off, according to Security Ministry Julian Pacheco. He is considered a protected witness whose testimony is key to solving the killing.

Pacheco said two suspects had been detained for questioning, including a neighborhood private security guard. Authorities have not said what role they may have played in her killing.

President Juan Orlando Hernandez said authorities were investigating with assistance from the United States.

We have asked for a rapid and exhaustive investigation so the full weight of the law is applied to those responsible, U.S. Ambassador James Nealon told reporters at the funeral.

ALSO

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Delegates from across China meet to hold high the banner of socialism

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Egypts interior minister on Sunday denied media reports that police arrested an Italian student one week before he was found dead on the outskirts of Cairo, mutilated and bearing signs of torture.

Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old Cambridge University doctoral student, disappeared on Jan. 25, the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising that deposed former President Hosni Mubarak, near Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. He had come to Egypt to research the rise of labor unions in the wake of the 2011 protests, and had also written a number of articles about Egyptian unions under a pseudonym for the Italian communist newspaper Il Manifesto, many of which were critical of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisis government.

Regenis body was found in a ditch on Feb. 3 with numerous traumatic injuries: cigarette burns on his skin, broken ribs and fingers, and signs of electrocution on his genitals. An initial autopsy performed by Egyptian authorities found that Regeni had suffered bleeding from his brain, consistent with having been beaten on the head.

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Italian investigators conducted a second autopsy after the body was returned to Italy for burial, and found that Regeni died from a broken cervical vertebra. The state of the body suggested Regeni had suffered inhumane, animal-like violence, Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said.

Multiple Western media outlets have reported that police detained Regeni right before he disappeared on the Jan. 25, citing witnesses and anonymous sources close to the investigation.

Some foreign media are reporting rumors without physical evidence, and [they are] spreading false information in a way that misleads public opinion and affects the course of investigation, Egyptian Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar told the state news agency, MENA, on Sunday. The minister added that Egyptian officials are working to reveal information about the details of his death in full collaboration with Italian investigators.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

Egypts Interior Ministry still maintains the possibility of a criminal act in Regenis death, a claim that Italian officials reject. Italian investigators have been dispatched to Cairo to work with their Egyptian counterparts on the case.

We will not settle for purported truths, as we have said on the occasion of the two arrests initially linked to the death of Giulio Regeni, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said, referring to Egyptian securitys arrest of two civilians  whom he described as criminals  as suspects in Regenis death.

Local and international rights advocates have accused Egyptian security forces of arbitrary arrests without formal charges, as well as forced disappearances and torture of those kept in custody.

At least 150 people were arrested on the day Regeni vanished, as police vowed to prevent demonstrations commemorating the 2011 revolt.

The state National Council for Human Rights received about 200 complaints in 2015 alone about cases of forced disappearance, while the Cairo-based Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms documented 340 disappearance cases between August and November of last year.

More than 4,000 academics signed an open letter protesting Regenis death in the midst of a security campaign which has resulted in mass arbitrary arrests, a dramatic increase in reports of torture within [Egyptian] police stations.

ALSO

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Iran has sentenced one of its richest oil tycoons to death for corruption

Riot police raid Turkeys largest newspaper with volleys of tear gas and water cannons
An Iranian court has issued a death sentence against an Iranian oil tycoon, a judiciary spokesman told reporters Sunday, in a case widely portrayed as a symbol of corruption during the administration of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Babak Zanjani, 41, one of Irans wealthiest businessmen, was sentenced to death along with two other defendants, a judiciary spokesman told the state media here.

Zanjani, with a reported estimated net worth of $14 billion, had previously been blacklisted by both the United States and the European Union for helping Iran sell oil in violation of international sanctions.

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In 2013, the U.S. Treasury Dept. accused Zanjani of being involved in a multibillion dollar scheme to launder cash in a sanctions-busting maneuver. Those allegations came before last years deal between Iran and world powers that ended most nuclear-related sanctions in exchange for constraints on Tehrans nuclear program.

But Zanjani also faced domestic charges. Iranian authorities arrested the businessman in December 2013 and charged him with misappropriation of some $2 billion from Irans Ministry of Petroleum. Zanjani was accused of skimming oil profits.

Authorities said the death sentence could be reversed if Zanjani repays the pilfered proceeds. Zanjanis lawyer has protested that a bank has refused to accept Zanjanis offer of payments, according to reports here.

Zanjani has 20 days to appeal the sentence, authorities said.

Authorities here have prosecuted other instances of corruption, but death sentences in such cases are relatively rare.

The severity of the punishment suggests that the case is viewed in part as a warning to other entrepreneurs as Irans economy opens up in the post-sanctions era. Many investors here are anticipating a bonanza as international funds pour into the country.

Twenty years ago, in 1996, Fazel Khodadad, a prominent businessman, was hanged after being convicted in a $400-million embezzlement scheme linked to a state-owned bank. That appeared to be the last death sentence issued in a corruption case.

The administration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has assailed what it has termed widespread economic corruption and mismanagement under the government of his predecessor, Ahmadinejad, who served as Irans president from 2005 to 2013. The Zanjani case has been held up as a prime example of how shady entrepreneurs with ties to the government were able to enrich themselves during Ahmadinejads eight-year rule.

Special correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran and Times staff writer McDonnell from Beirut.
Earlier this week, millions of Americans in 12 states across the country participated in the Super Tuesday election, which helped Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton move one step closer to winning their parties' nominations. However, many voters were subjected to long lines, confusing information and defective voting machines before they were able to cast their votes. Others were prohibited from voting altogether due to technicalities and strict ID laws.

Although Americans are encouraged to take advantage of their right to vote, doing so can be very difficult. Officials at Election Protection -- a nonpartisan coalition of groups that run an Election Day hotline to help voters who encounter problems -- were flooded with over 1,500 calls from voters experiencing problems at different polling sites. The majority of the calls came from Texas and Georgia, but a large number also came in from Alabama, Virginia and Colorado as well.

"We received calls from voters needing assistance on a range of issues resulting from poll worker misinformation, voter ID problems, overcrowded polls, long lines and ballot shortages," said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, who co-leads Election Protection and acts as manager of Legal Mobilization and Strategic Campaigns at Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, to Latin Post in an email.

Barred From Voting

One student at Texas State University in San Marcos said she was banned from exercising her right to vote due to an error on her voter registration card. After Taylor Megon-Rose Thompson received the card in the mail, she noticed that her name was incorrectly spelled as "Tayllor Megan Rose Thompson." As a result of Texas' strict voter ID laws, she was barred from voting or using a provisional ballot since the name on her card did not match her photo ID.

"It was kind of upsetting," said Thompson, a progressive who was looking forward to voting for the very first time. Getting to vote "felt like it put more power into my hands, and then to not get to do it kind of sucks," she said.

Meanwhile, a man from the Dallas area told Election Protection he was forced to fill out a provisional ballot because the Texas ID law prohibited him from using his government-issued TSA employee ID to vote.

Long Lines and Confusion

Other voters could not find information about their polling site on Tuesday since state-run websites in Alabama and Texas -- meant to provide voters with info on where they can vote -- were down at times throughout the morning. It was also reported that a site in Colorado that gives info on voter registration was experiencing glitches.

Meanwhile, Georgia voters in Fulton County, which has a large minority population, and Gwinnett County waited in long lines because poll books malfunctioned. At the Inman Middle School precinct in Fulton County, only one out of three poll books were reported to be working, leaving up to 100 people to wait in line, wrote Figueredo.

"As a result, some voters left the polling place without casting a ballot," she added.

Several voters in Fulton County also reported that they were confused when they discovered that their polling places had been moved without prior notice.

Defective Voting Machines

Austin radio station KLBJ received complaints from six different Texans that a machine changed their vote, mostly from Donald Trump to Marco Rubio.

"That's not good," said one of the hosts of KLBJ's "Todd and Don Show." "You are the fourth person to call us in the past half hour to say they had that same problem. They voted for Trump but it popped up Rubio or somebody else. You're the first to have somebody else, but the other three were Rubio."

Another caller from Williamson County said he noticed his vote was switched.

"When I reviewed my ballot at the end, the person I voted for president was marked differently than how I voted," the caller recalled. "And I know that when I touched the button that I hit the right button."

"If half the people don't check their ballots, half the people could have the wrong information," the radio host said. "That's not good, that's not a system that we trust."

Furthermore, some polling places in El Paso, Texas, experienced technical difficulties on Tuesday. One voter told KFOX14 that she went to the poll at Chelsea Plaza Housing and was taken to the Republican room, where the monitors weren't working. She added that voters were asked to submit their votes on paper ballots because the machines were down.

No Vote No Voice

America prides itself on being a land of liberty, opportunity and democracy. And yet, it has been almost 250 years since the birth of the nation, and officials still have not mastered the system that gives citizens a voice in the democracy. If citizens don't have a voice, there is no nation.

"As the nation prepares for the November 8 general election, it is critical that we work with election officials across the country to ensure jurisdictions are properly prepared to implement elections," said Figueredo. "Additionally, the Election Protection coalition will work to educate, engage and empower voters by providing information on their voting rights and what they need to do in order to cast a ballot."
An immigration judge recently testified under oath that 3 and 4-year-old migrant children can learn immigration law well enough to represent themselves in deportation proceedings, thereby saving citizens the costs of assuring that they are assigned taxpayer-funded attorneys.

Senior Justice Department official Jack H. Weil, who as part of his responsibilities is also entrusted with training other judges, recently made the assertion during federal court proceedings in Seattle.

"I've taught immigration law literally to 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds," Weil said. "It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of patience. They get it. It's not the most efficient, but it can be done."

Testimony Blasted by Other Authorities

Legal and child psychology experts immediately ridiculed Weil's assertions as preposterous, arguing that children that age typically find the task of simply learning to cooperate with other children daunting enough.

"I nearly fell off my chair when I read that deposition," said Laurence Steinberg, a psychology professor at Temple University, who is a witness for the plaintiffs in the Seattle case. "Three- and 4-year-olds do not yet have logical reasoning abilities. It's preposterous, frankly, to think they could be taught enough about immigration law to be able to represent themselves in court."

Weil's testimony came in a case where the American Civil Liberties Union and immigrant rights groups are both demanding that the government be required to provide legal representation for every indigent child who cannot afford a lawyer in immigration court proceedings.

The Justice Department is contesting suit, and Weil has since insisted the statements attributed to him don't "present an accurate assessment of my views on this topic" and were being "taken out of context."

ACLU officials don't appear moved. "This is the person in charge of training immigration judges about how to treat children? And this is the witness the government puts forward to present their views as to how this is supposed to happen?" said ACLU deputy legal director of Southern California Ahilan Arulanantham, the attorney who questioned Weil under oath. "That is horrifying."

Justice Department figures reveal of the more than 20,000 unaccompanied children involved in deportation proceedings over an 18-month period beginning in July of 2014, 42 percent of them had no attorney.

Harry Reid Proposes new Legislation Mandating Legal Representation for Children

Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and other Democrats recently introduced legislation stipulating that government-appointed counsel be afforded to all children in immigration court who had crossed the border alone or are victims of other duress such as abuse, torture or violence.

In many of the cases, the children facing the charges can't speak English and are left to rely on the assistance of government-provided interpreters for the proceedings to even move forward.
Whenever you make a query via the Google search engine, crawling and indexing processes are employed in order to gather and organize data to come up with the best possible set of results based on your keyword input.

But, it seems like the Google team wants to give their dependable robotic web spiders a much-needed break. Crawling the web to bring back information from gazillions of available web pages today is no walk in the park after all.

Google's Latest Feature

The tech company just launched Google Posts, which in its current infant stages allows chosen individuals or a certain group, like a business entity to post content that will directly appear in the search results.

For now, the 2016 US presidential candidates are the only individuals who were given access to the latest feature, which Google dubbed as "an experimental new podium."

"Hear directly from the US presidential candidates in real time on Google," the company said. "Every day millions of people search on Google, many of whom are looking for information about the upcoming presidential elections. Now there's a way for users to hear directly from the candidates they're searching for in real time on Google."

Google Posts As a Promotional Tool

The presidential aspirants can make use of the feature to reach out to the people and publish text, images and videos that could help bolster their campaign efforts.

Making the most out of this new feature is a logical choice for the candidates. Apart from having a free pass to search results without the need to undergo the algorithm's indexing process, the content from the Google Posts is readily shareable to major social networking sites for the candidates' message to reach a wider audience.

Google Posts for Businesses

Google has also tested out the feature on some local businesses handpicked by the company itself and could soon be offered to other prominent businesses in the near future. These "local business cards," as Search Engine Land would refer to it, were first noticed by Mike Blumenthal who chanced upon the new feature already used by Andrew Jewelers when he was searching for engagement rings in Buffalo, New York.

While it is currently available to very few select individuals, Google has already announced that they are also planning to offer the feature to other popular personalities. They encourage these people and businesses to join the waitlist for the time being.
Super Saturday (March 6, 2016) went to the underdogs as Ted Cruz who won Kansas and Maine and Donald Trump - Kentucky and Louisiana - split four states while Bernie Sanders edged Hillary Clinton, two states to one - Nebraska and Kansas to Louisiana.

Trump won primaries in Kentucky and Louisiana, but Cruz rebounded from a weak Super Tuesday to win Kansas and Maine, states that required Republicans to register beforehand.

On the Democratic side, Sanders picked up Kansas and Nebraska, the same states Clinton lost during her 2008 presidential run.

Before looking ahead to Tuesday's pivotal Michigan primary, the candidates will spend the rest of the weekend campaigning for either Maine or Puerto Rico; the former has 25 Democratic delegates at stake on Sunday.

Puerto Rico, however, has a more pertinent impact on the presidential race. It is the first Latino-centric territory outside of Nevada participating in a Republican contest, accounting for 23 delegates. It may hint at whether Marco Rubio's embattled campaign can survive much longer.

A Two-Man Republican Race

Cruz stole Trump's thunder on Super Saturday. The Texas senator brought in 64 delegates and nearly overcame early voting estimates to win in Louisiana.

Trump's double-digit lead over Cruz dwindled in the Pelican State as the day wore on. At one point, the Louisiana Secretary of State website had Cruz trailing the Republican front-runner by just four-tenths of a percentage point, though he ultimately lost by about four percent.

By comparison, Louisiana early votes:

Trump 46.7%

Cruz 22.9%

Rubio 20.1%

Kasich 3.7%  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) March 6, 2016

Cruz held a victory rally in Idaho where he encouraged Republicans and Independent voters alike to get behind him if they don't want to see Trump headline July's Republican National Convention.

"The scream you hear, the howl you hear from Washington D.C., is utter terror for what we the people are doing here," Cruz said. "What we're seeing is conservatives come together."

Cruz added, "If we want to beat Donald Trump we have to stand united as one. That is happening in Idaho and across the country. And if you were supporting someone else, let me tell you: we welcome you to our team."

Trump, for his part, attributed Cruz's victory in Maine to the states proximity to Canada; a blatant shot at Cruz and the dual citizenship he carried up until 20 months ago. He called for Rubio to drop out of the race, if only for the fact that the Florida senator doesn't have much to gain going forward.

"I think Marco Rubio had a very bad night and personally I would call for him to drop out of the race. I think it's time now that he drop out of the race," Trump said at a West Palm Beach rally. "I don't think tonight he can get up rant and rave and (say) 'oh he did great.' He comes in third, he comes in fourth. Every time he comes in third and fourth. You've got to be able to win, and he has not been able to win."

Trump has won 12 of the 19 primaries and caucuses held since Feb. 1. He carries 385 of the required 1,237 delegates necessary for the Party's nomination, compared to Cruz's 298 and Rubio's 126.

Clinton Widens Lead Over Sanders

Despite his two Midwestern-state victories on Super Saturday, Sanders fell further behind Clinton.

"We have the momentum. We have a path toward victory," Sanders said in a statement. "Our campaign is just getting started and we are going all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia."

Clinton claimed delegate-rich Louisiana, extending her near-insurmountable lead by 652 delegates while inching closer to the 2,383 delegate count needed for the Party's nomination. Even if Sanders has swayed bayou communities he wouldn't be able to match Clinton's popularity with minorities nationwide.

Diversity is a strength, not a weakness. If we lift each other up, we can make this country even stronger.https://t.co/76EVKvQ759  Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 6, 2016

Speaking at an event in Detroit, the former Secretary of State commended Sanders for his victories but chided GOP candidates trying to divide the country.

"We have to win this election, and we all know the stakes keep getting higher. And the rhetoric we keep hearing from the other side keeps getting lower," Clinton said.

Clinton and Sanders will debate in Michigan on Sunday night where they're expected to continue attacks on their Republican rivals and discuss government's role in the Flint water crisis.
Welcome back to Thrillable Hours, my interview series about alternative careers for lawyers.

I first met Alvin Starkman at a lecture in Oaxaca about mezcal and its origins. Alvin spent well over an hour explaining the nature of artisanal mezcal production here in Oaxaca, as well as the differences between tequila and mezcal, and the ways that standardizing mezcal production en masse has changed over the years. The presentation was fascinating and I couldnt help but remember that Alvin said he was a former lawyer. After the lecture was over, I went up and asked him if hed be interested in participating in this series. And here we are!

I will be posting about mezcal in more detail  you know, after a bit more research. That is, I need to keep trying all the wonderful artisanal varieties in town. With artisanal mezcal each batch tastes a bit different so its truly as though every glass is a new and wonderful experience.

For now, here is your introduction to mezcal in the form of an interview with Alvin, a former litigator who now leads educational mezcal tours in the area.

In a 2019 profile about him entitled This master mezcalier came for the mushrooms but stayed for the mezcal, Mexico News Daily summarizes his business:

Nobody was offering a true, comprehensive cultural experience to learn about the palenqueros, their cultures, how they make mezcal  not for tourists  but rather for people in their villages, for bar and restaurant owners in Oaxaca and other parts of the country. He took a master mezcalier certification program in Mexico City, jumped through the countless hoops of Mexican bureaucracy, and in 2011 had his permit to teach about the culture and production of mezcal and other pre-Hispanic drinks. Thus, Mezcal Educational Tours was born. 

Below, Alvins thoughts about Mexico, mezcal, and life after law.

(For those interested in moving to Mexico or learning more about the country, start with the fascinating Peoples Guide to Mexico, which was highly recommended.)

-Jodi

* * *

Alternative Careers for Lawyers: Alvin Starkman from Mezcal Educational Tours in Oaxaca

What made you decide to follow a less conventional path than typical law school graduates? Was there a particular moment that catalyzed the decision for you?

First of all, my career was unconventional from the beginning. I began practicing law at age 35, and ceased 18 years later, in 2004, at age 53.

My family and I began becoming enamored with Oaxaca, Mexico, by the mid 90s, after having begun to vacation here 2  3 times a year, commencing in 1991. About 1997, we began to fantasize, wouldnt it be great to buy a piece of land in the mountains, build a glass house with a spectacular vista, and move to Oaxaca while still young and healthy. We had made (Mexican) friends in Oaxaca and felt as comfortable in this city in south central Mexico, as in Toronto.

That was the first moment which catalyzed the decision.

The second moment was when, again around the mid 90s, I began to realize that I was no longer enjoying practicing law. I recall telling my wife that I felt I was turning into an a-hole because of how I was being pulled by my clients towards the unethical side of family law practice, all the while wanting to stay on the correct side. I stayed to the latter, but something about the whole thing made me feel sleazy. My wife said that this was a sign of personal growth. Shes a psychotherapist.

The third and final flash which crystalized the decision was in the course of a meeting with our financial advisor; he said that we could probably afford to retire in Mexico, by that time being debt free and anticipating that our daughter would be finished high school and ready to enter university when we moved. We had been saving for her higher education, so that was looked after.

So, it was that initial fantasy, not enjoying practicing law, and affordability. About a year before the move a very close friend died of cancer, affirming for us that it was the correct decision for the correct time.

So we bought a piece of land and built our dream home into the side of a mountain, about a 10 minute drive from downtown Oaxaca.

What do you find most fulfilling about your current job?

As a litigator practicing predominantly family law, you dont often receive accolades from your clients. Most cases settle, and they say the sign of a good settlement is when neither side is happy when they sign the settlement document. So you are not concluding your relationship with your clients on a happy note, at least for them. You know it was a fair resolution, but they tend to consider I could have done better.

You spend your days arguing and negotiating with one or more of opposing counsel, a judge, a partner or co-worker, or a client. Yes, I usually won on motions and at trial, but most of my days were spent out of court. If the lions share of my time had been spent doing trials, I would likely still be practicing law, now at 65. But actual trials occurred about 15 percent of the time. There is nothing like being up on your feet cross-examining or making submissions to the court, in the course of a contested trial; the adrenalin rush. Win or lose, if youve done your preparation, its a great feeling.

My current job has me working 3  4 days a week (as often or as little as I want) teaching both novices and industry professionals and everyone in between about the culture of mezcal, agave, and fermented pre-Hispanic beverages such as pulque and their producers. Virtually every day I work I am being thanked profusely by my clients, and by the Mexicans with whom I have developed healthy working relationships. Sure, while practicing law occasionally I would receive a thank you note or a bottle around Christmas, but that happened no more than about a half dozen times a year.

No one else in Oaxaca does what I do, meaning that I teach people mezcal in a non-touristy fashion, not trying to convince anyone to buy anything. If my clients dont buy then I do, as a thank you to my producer friends who are kind enough to allow me to explain how mezcal is made and my clients to sample. These tours help people learn and hopefully become passionate about the spirit and thus an aficionado.

I combine my background in social anthropology (B.A., M.A.) with what I have learned about cultures from having been in Mexico for so long, and pass it on to my clients. I enjoy teaching, I enjoy giving small artisanal mezcal producers business from my clients who buy bottles to take home with them, and I enjoy the thanks I receive.

I often work with staff of restaurants and bars in the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and further abroad, teaching them how to deal with their customers with a view to increasing business, while at the same time helping raise the profile of this iconic Mexican spirit. And I am asked to lecture about mezcal and lead tastings in Oaxaca, the Pacific resort of Huatulco, in the US, and in Canada.

Do you have any advice for professionals who are interested in leaving conventional private practice but concerned about what is out there?

If you live in a medium or large sized US or Canadian city, consider moving to a smaller community, or somewhere in Mexico where the cost of living is about half of what it is where you live today. For example, in Oaxaca you can lead the same middle class lifestyle you do in Toronto, for about half the cost; the same does not hold true if you have your sights set for example on San Miguel de Allende, fairly close to Mexico City. Perhaps consider a rural community in your state or province, or in some other country which you continually think back about, fondly recalling when you vacationed there.

Sit down with your financial advisor, and have in hand your estimated budget for your new homeland. Deal with issues which you might at first instance find repugnant, such as the life expectancy of anyone from whom you expect to inherit and go through the numbers.

If a Canadian, dont worry about having to pay for medical care in Mexico. It is reasonable, high quality, and for a nominal sum you have the option of participating in the national healthcare insurance plan.

Mexico is by and large a safe country in which to live. It is the media which paints the entire country with a single stroke of the brush. So do the Mexico nay-sayers, who for the most part have never visited the country.

If you have interests, are someone who is always looking to learn and try new things, there will always be something out there for you to do. When we moved here, neither of us had a clue how we would pass our days. We ended up running a B & B for several years, and then when that became somewhat of a burden, I began leading my mezcal educational excursions.

Dont wait until the appropriate age to retire. You never know what tomorrow will bring.

How did your legal education inform the way you see the world today? Do you still identify yourself as a lawyer?

I still identify as a lawyer. For the past 20 years or so, and continuing to date, I have been writing a bi-monthly column, Legally Speaking, for a Canadian national antiques and art magazine. Finding topics about which to write, reading my Ontario Reports, and going online, all keep my legal mind active.

As a lawyer one views the world a little differently from others. Even here in Mexico thats the case, at least for me. I am frequently asked legal opinions by my Oaxacan friends and acquaintances. While of course I cannot render legal opinions because the Mexican system is so different from the Canadian and American systems, and because I am not licensed or insured to practice law, I can usually help those who seek my advice. Of course I always have to consider differences in cultural and other worldview perspectives.

What do you have to say to those who tell me lawyers cant have fun?

I am passionate about and enjoy what I do. This becomes obvious upon review of the praise I receive, which often mentions how I feel about what I do. I have fun almost every day of my life, if not working then spending time with my wife, our friends, and/or business associates. I can honestly state that over the past 12 years living in Oaxaca, I have been bored no more than a total of about one week, if that.

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Alvin Starkman holds an M.A. in social anthropology from Torontos York University and a J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School. He has written one book about mezcal (Mezcal in the Global Spirits Market: Unrivalled Complexity, Innumerable Nuances) and over 35 articles centering upon Mexican craft beer, pulque, mezcal and sustainability, as well as a further 250 articles about Oaxacan life and cultural traditions. You can find Alvins tours on Facebook or on his website. He can be reached at mezcaleducationaltours-at-hotmail.com.
UPDATE: Students to wear white in honor of teen killed in ATV crash

A popular student-athlete was not wearing a helmet in a fatal ATV crash that has the Belvidere area in mourning, authorities said.

The Belvidere High School community is mourning the death of Connor Barbaro, a two-sport junior. (Jim Middlekauff | lehighvalleylive.com contributor)

Connor Barbaro, 16, of White Township, was driving a 2013 Honda ATV without a helmet about 7:30 p.m. Friday on Titman Road in the township, New Jersey State Police said Saturday.

The Belvidere High School junior was heading north in the southbound lane and failed to stop at the intersection with Route 46, a state police spokesman said. Barbaro was struck and thrown from the ATV by a 2004 Dodge Ram making the left from 46 onto Titman, police said.

He suffered severe head injuries and was flown to St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill where he was pronounced dead at 9:36 p.m., according to the Lehigh County coroner. The death was ruled an accident.

State police did not identify the pickup's driver as no charges are currently pending, though the investigation is ongoing.

The death of Barbaro, a two-sport athlete, had peers grief-stricken.

A memorial was set up Saturday at the crash site, and Superintendent Christopher Carrubba said counselors will be back at the high school 10 a.m. Sunday and again Monday.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
At the Spring conference we will debate a topic which has spanned my whole political lifetime. We will be debating a motion on increasing the diversity among our future MPs.

In that election night in May 2015 we not only lost wonderful male MPs, we also lost all of our wonderful women MPs.

One of the things we must do as we rebuild our Party is to ensure that we have a more diverse group of MPs. Like the other major parties in Britain.

I joined the SDP, new to politics, back in 1981. I was excited by the new party, the realignment of politics  but especially its emphasis on women being as prominent in the party as men. How could it not do so, with one leader being my beloved Shirley Williams? Its equivalent of the Federal Executive was gender balanced  each region elected one man and one woman. We were the first political party in the UK to insist that women must be included on parliamentary shortlists. I was selected from such a shortlist to fight Welwyn Hatfield in 1983 and 1987. (The more winnable seats close by  Stevenage and St Albans  were of course fought by men.)

And what we found, in 1983 and 1987, is that men were indeed securing the most winnable seats. Having women on shortlists did not change things. It did not change our parliamentary group. I did better than my male colleagues in terms of increasing my share of the vote  being a woman did not lose votes, but we werent in seats that won.

At merger (I was on the negotiation committee), gender balance was a hotly debated topic  should we include the SDPs affirmative action? Hard fought for, we did, though it was weaker than in the SDP. By this stage I was Chair of the Parliamentary Candidates Committee. We had able women a-plenty in the organisation. But they werent getting selected for our best seats. Mentoring, training  that must be the key, people said. All very helpful. But it did not make the difference. (I had done my PhD in the States and there I saw the positive action that got black students into universities, and the difference it made to their lives, and the USA. It worked.)

By the time of the 1992 election I was working full time, but now with two small children. (I was struck when I was a Minister that the vast majority of my male counterparts had partners and children, whereas this was rarely true for my female colleagues. So much for equal opportunities.) My main aim was to keep my head above water and not allow the Conference Committee, of which I was a member, to cancel the conference creche because the party was in financial crisis as we were at 6% in the polls after the bloody battles of merger.

I produced another infant, this time a girl, appropriate under the circumstances as I was now Chair of Women Liberal Democrats (WLD). Whereas my first infant had wailed through an FE meeting (my colleagues were fairly patient), this one aged 10 days wet Paddy Ashdowns floor. I escaped quickly, but hereby confess now. Now she and her brothers are adult. Time has run on, but things have not changed.

One of Paddys assistants, Claire, Conway, now Claire Wright, thought our party needed to be dragged into the modern era. She was determined that we should change things. And so was born the Campaign for Women, chaired by Sally Hamwee. Backed by the leader, and some money, people worked their socks off with much training and mentoring.

In the 1994 Euro elections, where I was vice chair of the campaign (put in there hurriedly when it was noticed that the whole election team was male), we realised that in our 10 potentially winnable seats, 8 had already selected men.

So I with other members of WLD and the Campaign for Women called every single member in the next key Euro constituency selecting, and said you are selecting not just for this constituency, but for our national team. There are able women on the shortlist, please consider a woman. Oh they said, I didnt know. Of course we will consider that. No push-back at all, open-minded. And an able young woman was selected.

Needless to say we won only the top two seats  and two wonderful but completely male MEPs were duly elected. Graham and Robin. Our labour-intensive efforts had come to nought.

And after a few years, the Campaign for Women was quietly abandoned  it merged with WLD.

As we moved towards 1997, and Labour came up with the wonderful proposal of half their seats having women-only shortlists, and there was blood on their carpet, I envied the fact that they had managed to get that through.

I then saw the difference the new Labour women made to the Commons. They started to transform the place. What is more, they brought change not only through better gender balance, but also a far wider diversity among all candidates  BAME, LGBT, those with disabilities. And then they dragged the Tories after them. The Tories, now way ahead of us in diversity.

So when we had PR for Europe, and it was pointed out we could have zipping  one region headed by a woman, one by a man, and so on down the list, I was extremely keen that we did that. There was great resistance, as well as key people who helped. We had one lot of legal advice that said we couldnt, but we went out and got legal advice from Cherie Booth, and she showed that we could. And we did. (Later the Equality Act of 2010 has made all of this not only easier, but opens us to legal challenge if we are not addressing equality in a more effective manner. Bear that in mind.)

The result in those Euro elections of 1999 was for me a total joy. We elected 10 MEPs, five women, and five men.

Finally we had broken through.

So in the early 2000s, we had that debate at conference about all women shortlists for Westminster. And on one side was Shirley Williams saying we simply must do this, saying she had fought for equal participation throughout her life, and it had not been achieved, here or round the world. And on the other side was Jo Swinson, in a pink t-shirt, saying she was not going to be a token woman.

When that motion went down, I along with many others felt distraught. It certainly seemed a terrible lost opportunity. And of course for our current 8 MPs, half were elected after this vote.

And what people said was we need to mentor, train etc, and then we will change things. And Jo found herself heading the new organisation, Campaign for Gender Balance. And she and others worked their socks off, training, mentoring, and seeking to get women selected.

But it did not change our party, and in due course the Campaign for Gender Balance merged with WLD to form Lib Dem Women, which was determined that we would finally break through.

And in the last Parliament, the Leadership Programme was set up, and people worked their socks off, training, mentoring, and getting women into seats where MPs were standing down.

But after that, of course, most of the parliamentary party was swept away, and we have just eight white male MPs.

So here am I, yet again. I who joined a new party all those years ago partly because it stood for equal participation of both women and men, who stood for parliament hoping that I could make a difference, who then balanced full time work and three small children, and now see those three children grown up. And when the tide was low in our partys fortunes, because we had not made sure that at every level we had women candidates, we ended up with no women at all.

Which is why the decision in Scotland that they are changing the way they will do things in the future  passed by 75:25  makes me proud once again to be a Lib Dem. And I hugely commend Jo for her bravery in changing her mind, explaining why she now supports All Women Shortlists.

Perhaps then I have should have some hope that finally, finally we will actually do something that helps to flatten that playing field and really ensure that it is merit that gets people elected. After all it is clear that merit is simply not prevailing: I am sure none in our party would maintain that half the population does not have that merit, or that BAME people dont, or that LGBT people dont, or that those with disabilities dont. And if we accept that merit alone is insufficient  and it surely cant be if our Commons party is white men only  then we have to take action which makes the difference.

I will wait until the vote has gone through conference, and then I tear down to London, and I will fly to New York, to attend as a British Parliamentarian the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. I hope that I will carry with me the wonderful warm glow that we have at last done something to improve the status of women and all those who have thus far been disadvantaged in the Lib Dems.

* Lindsay Northover was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for International Development, 2014-15, and is Liberal Democrats Spokesperson on International Development in the House of Lords.
Yesterday we published this post entitled: Willie Rennie reaffirms Scottish Lib Dems opposition to fracking  despite Conference vote. Beneath the article, Graeme Cowie posted a six part response. As per our comments policy, the length of comments is limited to encourage short and pithy debate. We do not allow multi-part comments. However, under the circumstances we decided to ask Graeme if he would like, instead, his comments to be published as a full article. Graeme assented, so here is his comment in full.

Correcting the Record

As the person who summated the amendment that received around 2/3 of the support of a very busy Conference Hall, I feel compelled to respond to the total double-speak over this issue. It is firstly misleading to imply that the debate was poorly attended; asides the Saturday debate on All Women Shortlists, it was the best attended debate of the entire Conference.

Lets be clear, this is not Willie reaffirming our opposition to fracking. There is no affirmation or reaffirmation about it. The Scottish Party called for a moratorium 3 years ago so that the Scottish Government could ingather evidence about the local and global environmental impact of permitting shale extraction in Scotland. Since then, the Scottish Government received a report, in which experts in the field concluded not only that well regulated fracking was safe but that in conjunction with other measures could be complementary, rather than detrimental, to net Scottish and global carbon emissions.

The Constitution

Willies actions serve explicitly to reverse, disregard and dismiss a clear expression of the sovereign will of the Scottish Party membership to follow the evidence on fracking and to leave decisions about individual fracking applications to local authorities, whilst prioritising petrochemical usage where possible so as to minimise the environmental impact of the industry.

The decision to put this question to Policy Committee was unconstitutional. They do not have the authority or the legitimacy under the Scottish Lib Dem Constitution to override a clear and unambiguous Conference vote less than a week later in the absence of some pretty significant changes to the lie of the political terrain in the intervening period. Patrick Harvie writing a sarcastic Tweet and The Glasgow Herald writing an article about it doesnt amount to a material change in circumstance. Policy Committees mandate from the membership is to fill-in the gaps where there is no policy and to respond to extraordinary events. Beyond that, Conference sets policy and Policy Committee merely advises and informs the process of policy generation.

Exploiting Policy Committee

The decision to put this to Policy Committee, even if it wasnt unconstitutional, palpably disrespects the democratic process of the party. I can only conclude that the intentions behind it were to allow the leadership to spread the blame for the u-turn and to give them a cloak of legitimacy. The meeting in question was hastily convened, was conducted by Conference call, and the overtone of the request from the leadership was essentially back us or sack us. Thats not an environment in which good policy can be reached or in which respectful dialogue is entertained.

The reasons given in the members email give a misleading impression both of the principal motivations behind the u-turn and the debate that took place at Conference. It is simply untrue to state or imply that the question of climate change and carbon emissions was not addressed in the debate, creating this apparent inconsistency of position. It is frankly pretty galling that people who werent even in the hall for the debate are parsing almost as gospel truth the impression that the anti-ban speakers were in any sense not mindful of the carbon question.

The Argument Made in the Debate about Climate Change and Carbon

The argument specifically put forward was a multifaceted one in which Ewan, I and others, spelt out clearly the factors we believed existed that suggested a switch towards domestic shale would bring about a long-term reduction in domestic and global fossil fuel extractions and lessen the environmental, financial and diplomatic impact of Europe importing fossil fuel products from the US, Middle East and Russia.

We drew specific attention to:

1. The environmental and financial cost of importing US shale for the Ineos petrochemical plant at Grangemouth. The amendment drew attention to the petrochemical industry because it is one area where the environmental impact of shale can be further minimised according to the Scottish Governments 2014 report.

2. The dependence of Europe on Russian gas and Saudi and Qatari oil.

3. The impact of higher offshore extraction costs and globally low oil prices on the stability of the domestic energy sector, and how that negatively impacts investment decisions in the implementation and research of green energy projects.

4. The brain drain that is already happening in the Scottish oil and gas sector, especially of young graduates, to other countries, and how this would mean us falling behind the renewables sectors of other countries. This means having to buy their technology back at a premium later as a result, much like has happened with our nuclear energy sector.

Excusing the Inexcusible

As someone who does not actually feel that strongly about fracking, but who simply thinks a blanket ban isnt smart for our energy strategy, I am appalled at the way party democracy has been frustrated here. There is an overriding feeling, having spoken to several senior figures within the party, that the real motivation behind this U-turn is not on the evidence. Caron admits as much in this piece.

The bottom line is they think the mixed-energy strategy, even if it is better for climate change, is too complicated to communicate to voters. Ive heard organisers complain that it means their Green squeeze letters need to go in the bin. As a party we should not be pandering to voters who are led not by green science but by green dogma. We were clear about this on GM at last Conference and it is an abdication of responsibility to frustrate internal party democracy in order to surrender to that dogma on shale.

What is worst about this is the precedent it sets. Willie has never been beaten on a Conference motion since becoming Party leader. On at least two occasions, minimum alcohol pricing and All Women Shortlists, he has (perfectly within his rights) staked explicitly the confidence in his leadership on the votes going the right way. Its quite one thing to seek to persuade the membership to back you. Its altogether another one overtly to defy them.

The Precedent

Speaking personally as a Scottish Conference Committee member (I dont presume to speak for the rest), I have grave concerns about the implications of the debates we facilitate being cut-off at the knees by a leadership brow-beat of another Scottish Party Committee. We had three anti-blanket-ban/moratorium amendments submitted to CC independently of one another, and the clear feeling we had was that for good or ill this had to be debated and to be debated explicitly, honestly and transparently.

If the leadership wont respect, to borrow a phrase from the independence referendum, a clear, legal and decisive act of Conference, can we in good faith keep the word Democrats in our party name? Democracy means that sometimes you dont get your own way. When I voted against minimum alcohol pricing at my first every Scottish Lib Dem Conference, I was defeated, I licked my wounds, and I moved on. That was what was expected of me and the others. When people who felt strongly against All Women Shortlists were defeated last Saturday, they were told, quite rightly, that they should respect the democratic process, lick their wounds and move on.

Why is it that when Conference supports the leadership its binding and an act of disrespect to rebel, but when Conference disagrees with them its word is provisional, borderline advisory?

Liberals exist to speak truth to power and to raise debate from the gutter, not to pander to the prejudices of the loudest voices. Either we are a democratic party or we are not. Perhaps tellingly, it is time for Willie Rennie to decide.
THE University Hospital Limericks winter resilience plan, which aims to tackle overcrowding in the emergency department, will be reviewed at the end of March.

The hospitals plan was launched in late October and went into effect on November 1. It was agreed by the National Emergency Department Taskforce, and it will be decided at the end of this month if it will continue.

As part of the UL Hospital Groups plan, it increased bed capacity by more than 40 in the past two months, hired additional staff, secured funding to open specialist facilities for elderly patients at St Johns Hospital; and increased closer cooperation with the Community Health Organisation.

However, according to a spokesperson, in spite of these measures, the A&E has been under pressure since December 2015.

On Tuesday, overcrowding at UHL was the highest in the country, with 49 patients being treated on A&E trolleys, and on additional trolleys or beds in the wards, according to figures published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

This figure decreased by four patients on Wednesday morning, though UHL still had the highest rate of overcrowding in Ireland.

The spokesperson said that there can be between 160 and 200 patients attending the emergency department every day.

This weeks figures almost double last weeks average daily figure.

Last week, the number of admitted patients waiting on trolleys in the emergency department for admission to a bed did not exceed the 20s. This figure does not include those who may be on trolleys waiting for diagnostic tests, ambulatory patients awaiting treatment; those being monitored pending discharge, the spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, the recent high incidence of flu has contributed to increased activity in the A&E.

There are encouraging signs that incidence of flu has peaked for this season. There are currently nine confirmed cases and two suspected cases of influenza in UHL.

UL Hospitals Group is asking people who are considering visiting to ensure they do not visit if they have flu-like symptoms.

This is to ensure that we protect vulnerable patients from contracting the flu virus. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Visiting restrictions remain in place, which include one visitor per patient, during the flu season, and children under 14 are not allowed to visit. Visiting times are restricted to between 2pm and 4pm and between 6pm and 9pm.
A PROSPECT man was found not guilty of assaulting a well known city retailer following a sometimes heated court hearing.

Robert Hoare, aged 43, of Hyde Avenue denied the charge which related to an incident at Gleesons Spar, Henry Street on May 27, 2014.

Michael Gleeson, who owns the store, told Limerick District Court he was on duty in the premises at around 3.15pm when the defendant entered the store with a golden retriever dog and approached the counter looking to buy a box of matches.

Mr Gleeson said when he saw the dog he immediately approached the man and asked him to take the canine outside and tie it to the railings.

I just saw a large dog on the premises and I just asked him to take the dog out, he said adding that Mr Hoare refused to leave and became aggressive.

He said he then shoved him in the chest as he was ushering him from the store and he claimed the defendant spat in his face after he left the shop.

I can still taste his saliva today, its not very nice, he said.

Mr Gleeson insisted he had acted properly at all times as dogs are not allowed on the premises for food safety reasons.

He added that he also had a duty of care to other customers and members of staff who were in the store at the time.

In-store CCTV footage of the incident, which lasted for around 90 seconds, was shown to the court during the contested hearing, which lasted for more than two hours.

In it, Mr Gleeson and Mr Hoare, can be seen interacting with each other at one of the counters before they both move towards the main door of the shop.

There is also clear physical contact between the two men during the incident.

Being cross-examined by solicitor Sarah Ryan, representing Mr Hoare, Mr Gleeson denied he had acted aggressively towards her client.

You pushed him out the door with some degree of vengeance, said Ms Ryan.

He was shouting and roaring expletives, he was causing fear to customers and staff, I used the minimum force necessary, replied Mr Gleeson, who said he was pushed in the back and shoved in the chest by the defendant.

Having viewed the CCTV footage Ms Ryan commented that both Mr Gleeson and her client appear to have been as stubborn as each other and she put it to Mr Gleeson that there were two of you in it.

In his evidence, Mr Hoare said he suffered physical injuries and that he felt humiliated by what had happened. He told the court he felt he had been treated like a common thief.

He denied assaulting Mr Gleeson claiming his actions were to allow him create separation as he was being pushed and shoved by the shop owner.

It took everything I had just to stand up straight, he said.

He claimed Mr Gleeson was completely out of control on the day and he told the court he later made a complaint to gardai that he had been assaulted by Mr Gleeson.

However, the DPP directed no charges be brought against Mr Gleeson in relation to his complaint.

Mr Hoare accused Mr Gleeson of goading him in the store. I believe he wanted to make an example of me, he told the court.

Judge Marian OLeary was told that while Mr Hoare made a statement to gardai almost two months after the incident, he was not arrested or questioned.

Ms Ryan submitted Mr Gleeson had exaggerated while giving evidence and she submitted he was not entitled to use his chest to push somebody out of the store as he could be seen to do on the CCTV footage.

She said his direct evidence in court was different to the statement he made to gardai and he submitted her client cannot be convicted of assault given the circumstances.

Rejecting the arguments put forward by Mr Hoare, Sergeant Donal Cronin it would be perverse if the owner of shop did not have a right to ask somebody to leave. He submitted the force used by Mr Gleeson was reasonable and not excessive and that the defendants actions on the day were illegal. He broke the law, clearly its there in colour, he said.

The pushing cannot be viewed in isolation, the whole scenario has to be viewed in context, he added.

Having considered submissions from both Ms Ryan and Sgt Cronin and having read the relevant legislation, Judge OLeary said she was finding as a fact the defendant had not assaulted Michael Gleeson.

She dismissed the case.
A 23-year-old cannabis dealer who pleaded guilty to damaging two houses in the Croom area has been jailed for two months at Newcastle West district court.

Peter McDonagh, formerly of High Street, Croom was before the court on a number of charges relating to dates between March and May last year.

Inspector Brian ODonovan told the court that on April 1, gardai called to his home in Croom and found 84.9g of cannabis with a value of 1,500 as well as a list of 30 names.

On May 31, the defendant was involved in a hit and run in Granagh in which a man was injured. McDonagh then went to the injured partys parents' house and caused 500 worth of damage.

In a separate incident, he went to another property in Croom where he broke a window with a hatchet, causing 300 worth of damage.

Garda John Ryan also gave evidence that he saw McDonagh driving at High Street in Croom at 2.15am on March 21. Garda Ryan subsequently called to his home and demanded to see McDonaghs insurance and licence but he was unable to produce any.

The court heard he had 36 previous convictions, including nine for criminal damage. At the time he was seen driving in March, he was serving a four-year ban for driving without insurance.

Solicitor Ted McCarthy told the court that his client had paid 500 compensation to the owner of the house he damaged on May 31. However, he had not paid compensation to the owner of the second house he damaged.

He added that McDonagh had a history of problems with addiction.

He had attempted to get treatment for his problem but has subsequently strayed from the righteous path. He was currently serving a three-month prison sentence for driving without insurance.

He had a quite considerable cannabis habit and sold to people he know to finance this habit, the solicitor added. McDonagh had since left Croom and was living in Bruree and intended seeking help for his addiction issues.

Judge Mary Larkin imposed two one-month jail sentences for the incident where he damaged the property with a hatchet. She also imposed suspended sentences of four months and five months respectively for the drugs charge and driving without insurance. In addition, she imposed fines totalling 900.
A SAINT Marys Park man will be sentenced on Thursday after he was convicted of attacking another man with a slash hook.

A SAINT Marys Park man will be sentenced on Thursday after he was convicted of attacking another man with a slash hook.

Michael knapp Ryan, aged 24, of St Munchins Street had pleaded not guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious injury to David Bunter Moran during an incident at St Colmcille Street, St Marys Park on October 21, 2012.

He also denied assaulting Mr Moran causing him harm on the same date.

During a five day trial at Limerick Circuit Court, the jury of five women and six men was told the incident happened at around 1.45am.

A medical report showed Mr Moran (35) sustained a fractured skull, a small brain haemorrhage as well as cuts to his ear and the back of his head.

While Mr Moran initially told gardai he had been attacked by three men, he later identified Michael Ryan, who the court heard he has known all his life, as his attacker.

In a statement, which was made in the car park of University Hospital, Limerick he told detectives Mr Ryan, had approached him on the street and headbutted him.

He told gardai he was knocked to the ground and that the accused man then started kicking him in the head before the fight was broken up. When Mr Moran confronted him a short time later, Mr Ryan emerged from his home and hit him with a slash hook.

The defendant told gardai he had acted in self defence claiming Mr Moran was armed with a meat cleaver and the handle of a chainsaw and had threatened his family.

In his evidence, Mr Moran denied making a statement to gardai and he told the jury he had sustained the injuries when his brother gave him a slap of a plank.

Following almost two hours of deliberations last evening, the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts.

Mr Ryan did not react as the verdict was read out.

He will be sentenced by Judge Carroll Moran on Thursday.
Historians of significant impact on the Mexico side of the Rio Grande frontier wrote that Mexicans played influential roles in the Catarino Garza Wars against the Porfirio Diaz government and set the stage for the bloody modern revolution that forced Diaz to exile in France.

Historians like the late Ernesto Zertuche of Lampazos (Monterrey), in his memoirs, agreed with countless catedraticos (scholars) in Nuevo Leon and Coahuila who dismissed as myths Diazs claims that the dictator was responsible for Mexicos peace and prosperity.

Away from his job at the Lampazos station of Nacionales de Mexico (railway) and his home, he was a regular at the Casino de Lampazos.

His historic home was a stones throw from city hall (Palacio) in front of the town plaza (zocalo) and a short drive to the landmark Ojo de Agua.

Don Ernesto told a gathering, Fue parte de la historia de aquellos anos, pero fue un pobre mito. (It was part of the story but it was a poor myth.)

The comment was referring to Porfirio Diazs claims that he had brought peace and prosperity to the country (1857).

The author of Lampazos Mi Tierra Hidalga was a graduate of Mexicos West Point (Heroico Colegio Militar de Mexico, 1910-1913), a topography engineer by profession, historian and writer, and an expert on northern Mexico.

In his Lampazos study, the walls of his work office and work station (manual typewriter) were stacked with books authored by writers in Spanish and English.

He held college degrees engineering and journalism (periodismo).

Don Ernesto served with the Division of the North under General Francisco Villa during the modern Mexican Revolution.

He made colonel and at the age of 26 incapacitated for duty as a result of several combat wounds.

He saw battlefield action in the battles of Zaragoza, Ramos Arispe and Monterrey.

His floor bookcase displayed books by European authors, including books that would be found in leading university libraries in Monterrey, Guajajara and Mexico City.

This writer learned that Don Ernesto was familiar and well connected with the Rio Grande frontier through an extended Zertuche family, his military service, his job with the government-owned Nacionales de Mexico, his border search and published writings.

For instance, in a letter he wrote to a long-time acquaintance who lived in Texas (Dr. A. R. Sanchez), he was inquiring about the life of Porfirio Diaz, Don Ernesto told this writer he would suggest that they read the Diaz biography as well as autobiographies by Diaz associates who served as members of the Diaz cabinet.

It was Don Ernestos opinion that to learn best about an individual was to talk to those who knew the individual best.

Don Ernesto knew a thing or two about the string of South Texas border conflicts that impacted city and rural families on the border regions of Tamaulipas and Coahuila, including a stretch of land between the two states that became part of Nuevo Leon (Colombia).

Historical accounts dating to post-Texas Independence and the short-lived Republic of the Rio Grande told us that the track of land that touches the Rio Grande at Colombia resulted from a land swap that involved Coahuila and Tamaulipas.

This writer became reacquainted with that former communal village (ejido) in the 1970s when a traveling NEA reporter from California came to 111 Espinoza asking directions to an upriver Rio Grande village (Colombia) across rural land off FM 1472.

This writer translated an interview with an elderly sheep herder at a plaza bench a short distance from the river.

The NEA writer volunteered that a California university professor named Bolton, who had traveled to South Texas en route to research work in Mexico, had heard of a border site named Colombia where people had been waiting for a bridge crossing for some 300 years.

Colombia had been settled by the Spanish before Lampazos, which celebrated its 318th anniversary last Nov. 12, 2016.

And the historic march of governance politics on both sides of the Rio Grande neighborhood continues, wanting to build walls instead of bridges.

This writer has fond memories of that sheep herders interview at a Colombia plaza covered by tall weeds and a second stop up the river road (Riberena) at a village named Hidalgo where the river continues to flow,

(Odie Arambula is at oarambula@stx.rr.com)
To the editor:

Aah Mr. Pelto, you found two of Luthers quotes on an atheist website, but could not find them anywhere else after diligent research.

Luther either said those things or he did not.

I do not know how you do research, but a simple log into a Luther bibliography would point you in the right direction, especially if you are a lay pastor at a Lutheran church.

Thank you for pointing out that Luther wrote in German and Latin.

I assure you I do not.

You point out the difficulty of accurately quoting Luther if one does not read German and Latin.

Ergo, unless you can read ancient Hebrew or Greek, it will be damned near impossible to accurately quote Jesus or Paul or Mathew, Mark, Luke or John.

As Texas Gov. Ma Ferguson stated when asked about bilingual education, if English was good enough for Jesus Christ it is good enough for the school children of Texas.

Yet when you quote unknown authors from the first century you expect 21st century educated readers to follow them and believe their every word.

You complain you simply could not find Table Talk by Luther: therefore it must not exist or was invented by some liberal lawyer.

Not 30 seconds after reading about the writers difficulty with research, I found 21 editions of Table Talk by Luther on Amazon.com, most of them in English.

How you could not find one in your hours of research is astonishing.

I also found two editions of Luthers Collected Works.

You can read them instantly using a new invention called Kindle.

The writer says we must not accept 21st century Liberal/Leftist criteria when judging Luther.

It is easier to read and understand Socrates, Plato and Aristotle discussing Democracy and morality and the Republic than Bronze Age fables.

The ancient Greeks and Romans had their Gods but they made them human with wives and girlfriends.

It appears Pelto believes Jesus was a conservative just like him.

Actually he was a radical revolutionary who hung around with lepers, women of dubious reputation and crooks.

He never asked for tax cuts for the wealthiest Nazarenes.

He never asked for a co-pay for anyone he healed.

He preached for the overthrow of the Roman occupation of Palestine, the lawful government at that time, and predicted an earthly kingdom of God.

He sounds like a true conservative, dont He?

Sincerely,

David Almaraz
Fianna Fail nominee Connie Gerety-Quinn has refused to deny whether she will accept the partys gender diktat ruling ahead of tonights (Thursday) Longford Convention.

Fianna Fail nominee Connie Gerety-Quinn has refused to deny whether she will accept the partys gender diktat ruling ahead of tonights (Thursday) Longford Convention.

Ms Gerety-Quinn declined to answer questions put to her by longfordleader.ie this morning after last nights directive was confirmed by party headquarters.

The Carrickedmond native, who had previously ruled out running for party to meet new gender guidelines, stopped short of reiterating that message when contacted this morning.

I have to say I am only learning about what was revealed last night, she said in reference to last nights directive.

I have no further information on it and I need to be better informed.

Ms Gerety-Quinn said she would not be commenting any further on the matter and instead referred the Leader to make contact with Fianna Fail headquarters in Dublin.

She too said she intended to discuss the news with party bosses ahead of tonights hotly anticipated convention.

I have no thoughts on it (gender directive). I have no idea what is being proposed here in detail, she added.

Meanwhile, one of the two other candidates on the Longford Convention ticket, said the party faced possible implosion locally if tonights directive is followed through.

Cllr Seamus Butler said he had also been left notoriously annoyed by the suddenness of last nights announcement.

I tell you one thing, he said.

It will be the end of Fianna Fail in Longford as we know it.

He also called on Ms Gerety-Quinn to stick to her statement at the outset of her campaign by refusing to accept the partys nomination along gender quota lines.

But it was at the partys decision makers and its National Constituencies Committee in particular that Cllr Butler was most critical of.

This (gender quota ruling) really is a mistake by headquarters.

Its a grave error and its a huge insult to the two other candidates who have been canvassing since January to be told 24 hours before convention that they are not the right gender.

His convention rival and party member, Pat ORourke also warned of the potential repercussions facing the party locally should this evenings convention go ahead as party chiefs anticipate.

People in Longford operate on a system of your word is your bond. If that doesnt hold out, it will have significant consequences, he said.

This is not about Pat ORourke, Seamus Butler or Connie Gerety and its extraordinary that less than 24 hours (before convention) all three candidates have been told by headquarters they are going to deprive members of a free and open process.
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Ansar Dine, a Tuareg jihadist front for Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, has claimed four recent attacks in Mali. Most of the attacks occurred in the northern part of the West African nation, but one occurred in the more secure Segou region in central Mali.

Ansar Dine claimed the attacks in one of the first statements released by their new propaganda outfit  Al Rimaah Media  which were later obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.

In the northern region of Kidal, Ansar Dine claimed to detonate improvised explosive devices on three UN vehicles near Aguelhok, Tesslitnear and Kidal. The jihadist group also claimed to target a UN camp in Kidal with rockets.

Further south in the Segou region, Ansar Dine claimed attacking a checkpoint of the Malian army in the area of Macina, resulting in another number of killed and wounded in the ranks of the army. Local media reported four jihadists attacked a gendarmerie base in the town, while others reported that the attack left four dead and several vehicles stolen. The assault, which is one the southernmost so far this year, was likely carried out by Ansar Dines Fulani front, the Macina Liberation Movement.

According to data compiled by The Long War Journal, there have been at least 40 al Qaeda-linked attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso since January. Most have occurred in the northern half of Mali, however, several have taken place in the more secure southern portion of the country. (See map above for more details.)

Caleb Weiss is a research analyst at FDD's Long War Journal and a senior analyst at the Bridgeway Foundation, where he focuses on the spread of the Islamic State in Central Africa.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
HMAS Darwins boarding team has uncovered and seized a large weapons cache, following a boarding of a fishing vessel during their deployment to the Middle East Region as part of Operation MANITOU.



Operating under Combined Task Force 150, responsible for counter-terrorism operations within the Middle East Region, Darwin intercepted the fishing vessel approximately 170 nautical miles (313 kilometres) off the coast of Oman to conduct a flag verification boarding.



After assessing the vessel to be stateless, 1989 AK-47 assault rifles, 100 rocket propelled grenade launchers, 49 PKM general purpose machine guns, 39 PKM spare barrels and 20 60mm mortar tubes were seized from the vessel that was headed towards the Somalia coast.



The weapons were seized under United Nations sanctions which authorise interdiction on the high seas of illicit weapons destined for Somalia.



Vice Admiral David Johnston, Chief of Joint Operations Command, said the seizure on Darwins first patrol of such a large haul of illicit weapons is highly significant.



"Australia worked as part of the multinational Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) to discover and seize these illegal weapons.



"One of the key reasons HMAS Darwin is deployed to the region is to contribute to global security and counter international terrorism," VADM Johnston said.



"Darwins successful boarding and subsequent seizure of the weapons concealed under fishing nets highlights the need to remain vigilant in the region."



Operation MANITOU is the current name for the Australian Government's contribution to the multinational CMF efforts to promote maritime security, stability and prosperity in the region.



Darwin is deployed as part of the CMF and is assigned to the Australian led Combined Task Force 150. CMF is a multinational effort to prevent terrorism, piracy and drug smuggling, encourage regional cooperation and promote a secure maritime environment in the Middle East and off the north east coast of Africa. Australias contribution demonstrates our commitment to making contributions to coalition operations that support Australias interests in a rules-based global order.



This is Darwins 7th deployment to the MER and the 62nd rotation of a RAN vessel in the region since 1990.
Donald Trump: A Problem Even for Conservatives

The bully of the playground continued to be in the media spotlight and charging ahead to the Republican nomination for president.



In the 11th Republican debate, Donald Trump, bold and arrogant as always, kept up the attack against his three remaining opponents. To the man who once delighted in being called The Donald, Sen. Ted Cruz was Lyin Ted, a reference he made more than just a few times. However, several political fact checkers over the past three months have dismissed Trumps claims as little more than half-truths, exaggerations, and lies. Politifacts, which checks candidate statements, revealed that about three-fifths of what Trump said during the campaign are incorrect. Among some of the errors Trump has made are that some of the families of the 9/11 suicide crews were in the U.S. prior to taking the lives of almost 3,000; that five detainees at Guantanamo Base, Cuba, whom Obama released were back on the battle field attacking Americans; that Mexico sent its citizens, especially criminals, into the U.S.; that the U.S., under the nuclear ban treaty with Iran, would be required to defend that nation if there was an attack by Israel; and that several polls show him ahead of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Several times over the past two decades, Trump has flip-flopped on issues, and then later claimed he hadnt.

Sen. Marco Rubio, said Trump during the debate, was the little man. Rubio, however, got in a penetrating remark about Trumps small size of his hands possibly being the size of another part of his body. There was no fact-checker present to verify if Rubio was accurate on that statement.Sens. Cruz and Rubio, both far-right conservatives and political rivals, have banded together to denounce Trump, each hoping for the Republican nomination, each facing a storm of Trumps blustering that has led voters to place him firmly in command of getting that nomination.Ohio Gov. John Kasich, more moderate than each of his three rivals and sharper on foreign policy than them, has tried to remain above the bickering, but the debate and the campaign have deteriorated into little more than a bar room brawl, with name-calling dominating a voice on issues and Trump, Cruz, and Rubio interrupting and talking over each one numerous times. In contrast to the Democrats debates, which focused upon issues, this one in Detroit was more like a heated session of TVs The View than a true debate, with Trumps profanity-laced debate points duplicating his profanity-laced campaign speeches.A few hours before whatever the Republicans wanted to call it, Mitt Romney, the Republicans nominee for president in 2012, called Trump a phony and a fraud. If Donald Trumps plans were ever implemented, the country would sink into prolonged recession, said Romney who argued that Trumps proposal of a 35 percent tariff-like penalties would instigate a trade war and that would raise prices for consumers, kill our export jobs and lead entrepreneurs and businesses of all stripes to flee America.Turning to foreign policy, Romney plainly stated, If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished. Romney said that Trump, who believes hes very, very smart, is not very, very smart. In response, Trump numerous times before, during, and after the mock-debate called Romney a loser, adding that Romneys campaign was a catastrophe and an election that should have been won by the Republicans.One part of Trumps not so smart knowledge of the issues was when he declared he could save $300 billion from the federal budget solely by a regulation of drug prices, an outlandish claim with no substance. However, there have been numerous examples, other than his demeanor, of Trump not being qualified to become the president.Although he blares constantly about his $10 billion bank roll and how smart he is as a businessman and entrepreneur, while refusing to release any documents to substantiate his business income, Trump has declared bankruptcy of properties four times. Several of his companiesamong them Trump Airlines and Trump Collegehave failed.Before his campaign Trump ostentatiously claimed that President Obama was born in Kenya not Hawaii and questioning Obamas right of the presidency. The truth, upheld by newspaper notations, a birth certificate, and the federal courts, proved Trump and the birther movement wrong, but yet they have been consistent in throwing out their nonsense. He claimed that Sen. John McCain, subjected to torture by the North Vietnamese, was not fit to be president because of that imprisonment. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who werent captured, said Trump.During the campaign, Trump mocked New York Daily News reporter Serge Kovaleskis muscular disorder; he mocked Hillary Rodham Clintons appearance.He has HHH unleashed numerous policy proposals, most of which have little foundation of reality.He has repeatedly stated that if he was president he would build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and require Mexico to build that wall. However, he never addresses how he will get Mexico to fund that 2,000 mile wall. He has claimed that President Obama plans to allow about 250,000 Muslims from Syria to emigrate to the U.S., a claim that is about 11 times larger than reality. More important he doesnt publicly look at the expense of additional border patrol agents and staff to patrol that wall, or how to keep illegal immigrants from tunneling under the wall, or going around the wall by boat or air, especially since he has proposed no new budget for the Coast Guard.He now says he had spoken out against invading Iraq after the 9/11 attack, but the facts are clear that he never supported going into Iraq. He claims he has seen thousands of Muslims on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River cheering when the planes from Al-Qaeda, but again, experts and eyewitnesses dispute those claims.He says he wants a moratorium on all Muslims entering the United States, which is allowable under the Constitution, but doesnt negate innumerable arguments of the logic or morality of banning those who pose no threat to the U.S. nor why he is singling out one religion other than the fact that some radicalized Muslims, less than .001 percent of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, pose any clear and present danger. He also doesnt address how to fund an increase in the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and staff to enforce stricter immigration rules set by executive decree.He was slow to renounce the endorsement of David Duke, former hrand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.Although he viciously attacks his last three opponents, he has thin skin. When anyone challenges his opinions for any reason he bellows back in superheated hyperbolic attacks. When Fox News anchor Megan Kelly posed tough questions to him, his response was to refuse to show up for a debate that she later hosted. This past week he dropped out of as a speaker at the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting, unwilling to accept the few boos and jeers that would surely be sent to him, and not needing C-PAC for support.Several Republican leaders have spoken against Trump; many conservative talk show hosts agree, hoping for a Cruz or Rubio nomination. But this time they are solidly in the minority as Trump, using a $100 million campaign of misinformation, has unleashed his inner soul of demagoguery upon voters, to make them believe that a billionaire is just like a lower middle-class citizen who does go to bars, has a few drinks and sometimes engages in verbal profanity to argue his position.If the Republicans have a contested convention or if Trump has captured enough delegate votes to be the nominee it could mean a continuing decline of the Republican party that would diminish the prospects to retain their Congressional majority and also affect local races.

[Dr. Brasch is author of Unacceptable: The Federal Governments Response to Hurricane Katrina , the first major book that looked at the causes, problems, and effects of the storm. He and Rosemary Brasch, two years before Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, had written a series of articles that predicted the United States was not prepared for a major disaster.]

[Dr. Braschs current book is Fracking Pennsylvania, which looks at the impact of fracking upon public health, worker safety, the environment, and agriculture. The book--available at local bookstores and amazon. com--also looks at the financial collusion between politicians and Big Energy.]

By Walter M Brasch PhD

http://www.walterbrasch.com

Copyright 2016 Walter M Brasch



Walter Brasch is a university journalism professor, syndicated columnist, and author of 17 books. His current books are America's Unpatriotic Acts , The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina , and Sex and the Single Beer Can: Probing the Media and American Culture . All are available through amazon.com, bn.com, or other bookstores. You may contact Dr. Brasch at walterbrasch@gmail.com

Walter Brasch Archive

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The Reflex to Flee Donald Trump's America Might be "no drill"!

If you are concerned about a Donald Trump presidency and have been suddenly struck with an impulse to leave America, you are not alone.

A website titled "Cape Breton if Donald Trump Wins" launched Feb. 16. Its front page splash read: "Hi Americans! Donald Trump may become the President of your country! If that happens, and you decide to get the hell out of there, might I suggest moving to Cape Breton Island!"

CEO of Destination Cape Breton Mary Tulle told CNNMoney that 50,000 Americans expressed interest in visiting or moving within three days of the website going live. Within ten days USA Today reported the site generated 650,000 unique visitors seeking more information on relocating to the Nova Scotia island.

"Those requests were mostly about immigration, employment and housing, suggesting people are serious about relocating and not just asking about Cape Breton out of idle curiosity," Tulle said.

"This is not a joke!" the Cape Breton site emphasized. "See for yourself, you belong here with us on Cape Breton Island, where health care is free, you know your neighbors and they look out for you, and nobody has a hand gun!"

The web site was created by Rob Calabrese, a native Cape Bretoner and radio show host who said "the island's Gaelic, French and Native Canadian influences, its folk music traditions and peacefulness make it an appealing destination to Trump haters."

What do Cape Bretoners think of Trump? "[T]he things that he says on the campaign trail, that way of thinking is pretty much the opposite of here, Calabrese confided.

The site changed text within days and extended welcome to "no matter who you support, be it Democrat, Republican or Donald Trump." The island's population is shrinking from a slow economy in combination with out-migration. "The truth is we welcome all, no matter the ideology."

Trump headline themes at the NY Daily News proclaimed "Make America Migrate", "Sign of the Apocalypse", "Code Orange". The daily's March 2 edition offered, "The complete guide to fleeing President Donald Trump's America."

Internet searches for How to move to Canada jumped more than 1000% in the U.S. after Donald Trump swept Super Tuesday. "Searches spiked each time a state was called for the mogul-slash-reality TV personality whose buffoonish bigotry has inspired and terrified US voters," claimed Quartz.

Google search trends suggest that many Americans are considering relocating to Canada following the results of Super Tuesday, wrote UPI. The searches spiked hours after Donald Trump dominated Super Tuesday, winning seven states.

So how exactly do you move to Canada? CNN Money offers a complete guide for fleeing a Trump presidency. The guide offers links to Canadian citizen and immigration websites and a short survey that determines your eligibility for various immigration programs. "[D]issatisfied voters might already be throwing in the towel and plotting their escape from the country," CNN reports.

If Canada isn't a fit destination, Many Many Adventures ranks the top 7 countries to move to if Donald Trump becomes president: Switzerland, Singapore, Luxembourg, Germany, New Zealand, Bahrain and Ecuador.

Scienceburger.com describes others in "Your Easy Guide to Expatriation if Trump Becomes President", an "ultimate cheat sheet certain to have you cozying up in a new home before First Lady Melania can put on her designer wear for the inaugural ball."

The most popular option for expats is Singapore. The website explains "[t]he Asian country has earned itself a warm reputation for its high paying jobs, friendly locals, spectacular health care facilities and inclusive public transit system."

The cheapest option for expats is Ecuador. Ranked number 1 for cost of living, expats living in Ecuador find it the easiest out of all 64 destinations worldwide to settle down in this country, according to an InterNations survey.

The safest country for expats is Austria, ranked number 1 in health, safety and wellbeing. "Expats say childcare availability is both affordable and top notch along with the quality of education."

The most American country outside of the U.S. is Mexico where 849,000 Americans live happily. Added Bonus: "Fleeing to Mexico will surely enrage proposed President Trump."

WikiHow.com offers steps on "How to Become an Expat".

Expatyourself.com teaches you "How to Become an Expat Yourself". "For everyone who moved to a different country, there are just four ways how they got there: as a student, from their government, as a private employee or they just pack their bags and left."

If you want to flee Donald Trump and also are a millionaire (an oxymoron) CNBC's Inside Wealth columnist Robert Frank will tell you "Where millionaires are movingand fleeingaround the world" and provide links to destinations, what $1 million can buy around the world, and why a record number of Americans give up citizenship (answer: millionaires leave to avoid taxes and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act).

I asked Portland, Maine couple Jaye and Bryon van Dussen who spent time in England and the Netherlands how they felt living in those countries. England was a "do it yourself" move and Netherlands was using an "expat package".

When they moved to England "we felt as though we belonged more there. And we wanted to fit in. At first it was extremely lonely and overwhelming, but the longer you stay and the more you pay attention to local traditions the easier it becomes. By the end of our three years in England, I didn't wear my "being an American" like a new coat - it was, and always will be a part of me, but it wasn't the main attraction!"

The couple sent their child to an English school and Jaye gave birth to a baby there.

"Of course, we were very obviously Americans the minute we opened our mouths and spoke. Some people were curious about us, some indifferent and some steered clear and even expressed disdain for us," she admits.

"In the Netherlands, we lived as expats," explains Jaye. "Expat relocation package, expat neighborhood, kids went to a private American school, etc. We didn't like this very much [expat package], although it was very comfortable financially. Not sharing the same language as the Dutch was a very large obstacle - but not in the way you might think. We tried to learn Dutch, took lessons, etc., but the Dutch would just switch to English when they heard our accents."

They lived in Holland when 9/11 occurred. "Our Dutch neighbors poured out of their homes and came to our house to express their sympathies. We felt cared for. The American embassy in the Hague was a place where many of us gathered, unsure of what to do. Our Dutch neighbors were right there with us."

The large expat community where they lived in Holland largely kept to itself and its traditions. "I didn't have any Dutch friends. In Holland, I felt very American."

As evidenced by Internet activity and personal contacts, the topic "Should I move out of America?" has arisen in tandem with the assent of Donald Trump now leading the GOP into terrain once considered unimaginable for America. A spontaneous reflex to "flee" has surfaced as it did in previous years, particularly in the Vietnam era and during the presidency of George W. Bush.

The reflex to flee a Donald Trump presidency might be a temporary impulse.

But this time it might be "no drill".



SOURCES:

"If Trump wins, this Canadian island welcomes you". Aaron Smith. CNN Money. Feb. 19, 2016.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/18/news/donald-trump-canada-cape-breton/



"Nova Scotia isle lures those vowing to move to Canada if Trump elected". Adam Kovac. USA Today. Feb. 26, 2016.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/02/27/nova-scotia-isle-lures-americans-who-vow-move-canada-if-trump-elected/80978268/

----

"CAPE BRETON IF DONALD TRUMP WINS". Rob Calabrese.

http://cbiftrumpwins.com/#intro

February 18, 2016 original "CAPE BRETON IF DONALD TRUMP WINS" page from WayBack machine

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"The complete guide to fleeing President Donald Trump's America". NY Daily News. March 2, 2016.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/complete-guide-fleeing-president-donald-trump-america-article-1.2549397

"Searches for 'How to move to Canada' jumped more than 1000% in the US after Donald Trump swept Super Tuesday". Corinne Purtill. Quartz. March 2, 2016.

http://qz.com/629793/searches-for-how-to-move-to-canada-jumped-more-than-1000-in-the-us-after-donald-trump-swept-super-tuesday/

"Searches for 'How to move to Canada' increase after Super Tuesday". Daniel Uria. UPI. March 2, 2016

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2016/03/02/Searches-for-How-to-move-to-Canada-increase-after-Super-Tuesday/7871456943086/

"So How Exactly Do You Move to Canada?" Kerry Close. CNNMoney. March 2, 2106

http://time.com/money/4244472/move-to-canada-trump-presidency/

"The top 7 countries to move to if Donald Trump becomes president". Ronnie Charrier & Phoebe Blyth. Many Many Adventures. Dec. 19, 2015.

http://manymanyadventures.com/articles/2015/12/19/top-7-countries-to-move-to-if-donald-trump-becomes-president

"Your Easy Guide to Expatriation if Trump Becomes President". Posted By Patti Mayonnaise. Science Burger. March 3, 2016.

http://scienceburger.com/your-guide-to-fleeing-the-united-states-in-a-donald-trump-presidency

"The Best & Worst Places for Expats in 2015". Expat Eyes.

https://www.internations.org/expat-insider/2015/the-best-and-worst-places-for-expats

"How to Become an Expat". A five part step-by-step guide. wikiHow.

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-an-Expat

"Learn How to Become an Expat Yourself".

http://www.expatyourself.com/how-to-become-an-expat/

"Where millionaires are movingand fleeingaround the world". Robert Frank. CNBC. March 5, 2015.

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/03/05/where-millionaires-are-moving-and-fleeing-around-the-world.html

(c) 2016 Michael T. Bucci

(Michael T. Bucci is a retired public relations executive now living in New England. He has authored nine books on practical spirituality collectively titled The Cerithous Material.)



 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




With an overall proposed budget of $271.8 million, Danville City Council will be spending the next month going over each city departments budgets.

More meetings will be scheduled as necessary to create a final budget, which  by state law  has to go into effect July 1. That process will begin Tuesday.

 While the city is close to hiring a replacement for the late Joe King, the budget for the office that the new hire will take over includes staff salaries and other expenses, as well as the budgets for Danville City Council, the mayors office, city clerk, River City TV, the budget office, the city attorneys office and legislative affairs.

The total proposed 2017 budget is $1.6 million, up about $150,000 from this year.

The city managers office also handles capital improvement projects for non-department requests  needs in areas outside regular city departments.

For 2017, $2.2 million has been requested by the city managers office to pay for improvements to G.L.H. Johnson Elementary School, including the addition of five classrooms and bathrooms, installing an elevator, replacing the roof and replacing flooring and another $1.6 million in capital improvement funds to create a precision machining lab at George Washington High School.

 The finance departments budget includes hiring an independent auditor, real estate assessment, tax relief for veterans and the elderly, central collections, the finance and accounting departments, debt service on bonds, internal auditing, purchasing and billing services.

 Information technology keeps computers and various tech devices running (including those in public safety), the citys website updated and operates the citys geographical information systems.

 Transportation operates under two budgets  one that covers Danville Regional Airport and the Amtrak station through the general fund, and a separate transportation fund for mass transit.

The transportation fund for mass transit shows a budget decrease of more than $400,000 in its $2.4 million budget for 2017, mainly through anticipated decreases in state and federal funding.

But the Transportation Department has its own capital improvement project requests, including the heating and cooling system at Danville Regional Airport ($517,88, with $175,826 from a state grant) and repairs and resurfacing to taxiways and an expansion of the mass transit building and parking lot ($1.3 million, with all but $53,000 covered by state and federal grants).

 Community development includes planning, zoning, housing and development, inspections, juvenile intake and social services.

The overall budget of $10.1 million reflects an increase of about $307,000, due to the same increases seen by other departments, such as anticipated staff raises and increases in maintenance contracts.

Social services is that largest part of the budget  almost $8.6 million  but state aid for welfare administration and public assistance reduces the cost to the city to about $866,000.

The only capital improvement project funding requested by community development for the upcoming year is $1 million to continue blight removal.

 Constitutional officers  the treasurer, sheriff, clerk of circuit court, commissioner of the revenue, the city jail and the commonwealths attorneys office.

The overall budget for all constitutional officers and their departments is $8.3 million; the budgets for the officers are largely paid through state funding, with the citys anticipated share $2.7 million in 2017, a reduction of almost $96,000 from 2016.

 Non-departmental/transfers out  financial support for organizations and groups in the city that may be supporting city goals, but are not actually part of city government.

Those groups include the Regional Industrial Facility Authority, the Industrial Development Authority, the Danville Humane Society, Danville Community College, ambulance and rescue services, the Health Department, the Dan River Business Development Center and other community groups.

These payments are called transfers out/support of the various groups, and the proposed budget for 2017 totals $28.9 million, with some of the largest payments going to support of capital improvement projects ($4.7 million); economic development incentives ($933,500, a reduction of more than $1.4 million compared to 2016); support of schools ($19 million, which includes loan payments totaling about $1.6 million); and $689,000 to the IDA.

It is also where repayments to the Tobacco Commission, for projects that did not meet performance agreements, are budgeted; the $1.2 million being paid back this year is listed as a non-departmental expense.

There are also capital improvement projects considered non-departmental, including some parts of the River District redevelopment project, such as $200,000 budgeted to complete a design for Riverfront Park along the Dan River.

Thibodeau reports for the Danville Register & Bee.
A narrow part of a street that many people use to avoid the busy Commonwealth Boulevard/Liberty Street intersection is closing to through traffic as work on a neighborhood revitalization project slowly progresses.

Passing by the former Tultex factory now known as Commonwealth Centre, Franklin Street runs from uptown to Liberty Street and crosses a bridge over Commonwealth Boulevard. Starting this week, the section of Franklin between Dillard and Liberty streets will be closed as curbs are installed and draining improvements are made.

Traffic will be detoured near Lester Home Center. Although the portion of Franklin between Dillard and Liberty will be closed, people living along that stretch will be able to access their homes, city officials said.

The Franklin Street improvements are targeted to be finished by late summer.

As part of a project that got started in February 2015, Martinsville was awarded a $943,904 Community Development Block Grant to improve Franklin, Dillard and Ruffin streets and Warren Court as well as 44 residential structures along them. A block grant essentially is an allocation of federal funds that is administered by the state.

The city is contributing $233,000 of its own money toward the revitalization, which will bring the total project cost to $1,167,904.

Along with refurbishing structures, installing curbs and making drainage improvements, streets will be repaved and driveways will undergo improvements, according to Assistant City Manager Wayne Knox.

Of the structures to be refurbished, 12 are vacant, 10 are owner-occupied and 22 are rental housing. One is a duplex; the rest are single-family homes.

The city plans to buy five vacant homes in the 100 block of Warren and the 500 block of Dillard. Two will be refurbished and sold at market value to give home ownership opportunities to low- to moderate-income families. The three others will be torn down and rebuilt, and then sold, according to Knox, who also is the citys director of community development.

Under a contract with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the neighborhood revitalization project is supposed to be finished by Jan. 23, 2017. But at the rate that the project is going, the city might have to ask the state for an extension, Knox said.

It recently received a good report following an interim review by the state, he said.

But its going too slow, at least in his opinion, he added.

A major problem, Knox said, has been getting property owners to participate in the project. In the dilapidated neighborhood, theres a lot of heir property and  out-of-town owners who have been slow to respond to the citys requests for them to participate, he said.

And, some of the owners have been wait and see, Knox said  they will consider participating after they see work being done in the neighborhood.

Our engineering department has been pushing hard, but its been frustrating because they (property owners) havent been responding fast enough, he continued.

Another problem was that a contractor got behind in its work. City officials then reminded the contractor that if you dont do it (the work) or you dont do it right, youre not going to be paid, Knox said.

That kind of perks their ear up a little bit, he said.

Despite being slow, the project is moving. Two owner-occupied properties have undergone rehab, and the city hopes to be able to close in the next 30 days on the purchase of two homes that will be demolished and rebuilt.

A home on Ruffin Street now is undergoing that substantial renovation process, Knox said, adding that its new foundation has been poured and walls should go up soon.

Were making progress, and the state sees us making progress, he said. He believes the pace of the project soon will be going faster.
More than 100 people arrived at Piedmont Arts Friday evening to celebrate the legacy of Michael Big Mike Schottland and the asteroid that now bears his name.

The setting was appropriate, as the site of Piedmont Arts  215 Starling Avenue  was once the site of Schottlands observatory, which at the time housed the nations largest privately owned telescope.

Speakers at the event included Rob Schottland, nephew of Big Mike Schottland, and Ron Crouch, who had a love of the cosmos planted in his mind at a young age when he would visit Big Mikes Martinsville observatory to view the stars.

Rob Schottland, who resides in Sedona, Ariz., discussed his uncle  who also founded Virginia Mirror Co. in Martinsville  and his uncles telescope, which is still in service today.

In 1938 or 1939, Schottland said, his uncle ordered a Schmidt Camera telescope, a special type of telescope that would allow the user to take photographs of the night sky. The telescope took 18 months to build, he said  it had to be custom-built to function at Martinsvilles specific longitude and latitude  during which time Big Mike built an observatory to house the telescope.

The telescope was installed in 1940, Schottland said, and his uncle used it for about 10 years before deciding to upgrade to a larger model. He donated his first telescope to Perkins Observatory in Delaware, Ohio.

The telescope was largely neglected for 40 years, he said, until it was transported to Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz. in the 1990s. The staff at Lowell refurbished the telescope, he said, adding modern digital camera and computer technology to the 1930s framework.

Lowell incorporated Big Mikes telescope into LONEOS  the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search  a NASA-funded project designed to hunt for asteroids and comets orbiting near Earth.

Over the course of 11 years, Schottland said, his uncles telescope spotted 20,480 asteroids. LONEOS was discontinued in 2008.

The staff at Lowell Observatory did not know the history of the telescope; they only learned about Big Mike after Rob Schottland tracked down the telescope and told them it was originally owned by an amateur astronomer in Virginia.

In June 2015, the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union named an asteroid after Big Mike  25940 Mikeschottland  which was spotted using Big Mikes own telescope.

Big Mikes 1930s Schmidt telescope isnt finished yet, Schottland said. Currently, it is being refitted with the most modern, state-of-the-art digital optics and robotics, and Lowell Observatory plans to set it up to scan the sky autonomously.

Ron Crouch said that as a child, Big Mike instilled a love of astronomy in him by allowing him to use the Martinsville observatory whenever he desired. Now, Crouch, who resides in Loveland, Colo., shares his own love of astronomy with children in his neighborhood, leaving his telescope outside on clear nights so that they can scan the skies to their hearts content.

Crouch spoke extensively about the mechanics and science of telescopy. He pointed out that the light that reaches Earth from some distant stars first left those stars when dinosaurs still roamed the planet; it has taken hundreds of millions of years for the light to traverse space.

Telescopes are time machines, Crouch said.

Perhaps in more ways than one. While Big Mike passed away in 1962, his legacy lives on.

Piedmont Arts Executive Director Kathy Rogers said that all proceeds from the event  more than $6,000  will go toward the Kathryn Ascough Smith Arts Education Fund to benefit educational outreach.

To see video from the Under the Stars event, visit the Piedmont Arts YouTube channel, located at www.youtube.com/user/PiedmontArts.
Last Monday, three college students  all Martinsville natives  were screamed at, pelted with trash and spat on.

They were not terribly surprised, they said. They knew the risks of protesting at a Donald Trump rally.

On Feb. 29, DAndra Hughes, India Martin and Bernard Keen, all aged 22, attended a rally at Radford University for Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump.

All three currently attend Radford. Hughes is majoring in early childhood special education; Martin, political science with a concentration in public policy; and Keen, social work with a minor in psychology.

My biggest goal was, I didnt want him to be able to say in a future interview that he was welcomed by all of Radford, Martin said. I didnt want to do it in a negative or violent way, I just wanted to be able to stand up against some of the mean things that he has said and just let my voice be heard.

Martin, Hughes and Keen are African-American, but while they support the Black Lives Matter movement  the civil rights movement formed in response to police shootings of African-Americans  they are not activists for that movement, they said. They were there as part of a group of African-American campus leaders and other members of the Radford African-American community who wanted to attend the rally in peaceful protest.

Honestly, it was very nerve-wracking, Keen said. You didnt know what to expect. You had a lot of people yelling for Trump. You caught a few stares, kind of like, Why are you here? But we went in dressed well. We stayed together. We were unified. We sat down and basically just listened to what he was saying for a little while. And then he got really radical, and at that point we were like, OK, its time to just take a stand.

The trigger, Keen said, was when Trump began addressing the wall he has often discussed building at the U.S./Mexico border. When a student began heckling Trump, he shouted at her, Are you from Mexico?

Keens account of the incident was confirmed by several articles regarding the rally, including one from news service Reuters.

That upset us, Keen said, and the protesters began to chant.

We held hands  and we started saying, No more hate, no more hate, lets be equal, lets be great, Keen said. At that time, thats when the Secret Service and Donald Trump wanted to escort us out. (The Secret Service) escorted us out as politely as they could. They didnt really cause a ruckus.

But as we were walking out, we caught a lot of flak from Trump supporters, Keen continued. They were crazy, yelling, they were throwing stuff, and a few of us got spat on.

There were people throwing stuff at us, really trying to provoke us to retaliate, Hughes said. But I did see a couple of people who were actually applauding us for taking a stand.

If anybody that was involved in that protest tells you that they were not afraid, theyre telling you a lie, Hughes continued. My nerves were through the roof.  But I took a stand for a good cause.

Martin said that she holds no ill will toward Radford for agreeing to host Trump. Radford is a public institution, she said, and they simply accepted an offer to host a presidential candidate at their university.

After all, she said, the traditionally conservative Liberty University hosted Democratic nominee Bernie Sanders, and its important to expose students to a variety of different viewpoints.

Their issue with Trump, the students agreed, is not his conservative viewpoint. Their issue is that they feel he delivers his messages in a crude, cruel way and encourages violence against those who disagree with him.

Early in the rally, Martin said, Trump asked the audience to point out protesters in the audience so they could be escorted out. One woman several rows behind Martin, Keen and Hughes attempted to flag down security to get their group thrown out of the rally, Martin said, even though they were simply sitting quietly and listening.

He feeds off of someone protesting, and he feeds off of people who support him retaliating against those people, Martin said. He encourages this stuff, and thats scary.

If you go to a rally  you shouldnt have to worry about losing your life or getting tremendously hurt by someone just because they have so much hate in their hearts, Keen said.

Hughes, Keen and Martin agreed that they feared for their safety when they entered the rally. They protested anyway, they said, because they felt their act of defiance was important.

As a protester, and as someone who was in the heart of this, you have to realize what youre up against, and you have to be willing to make a sacrifice, Martin said. When going into this, I honestly expected the worst. I went into this thinking I might not get out without bruises.  I might not get out without someone spitting in my face or slapping me. But I was willing to make those sacrifices to let my voice be heard.  I weighed out the options. I knew it was going to be dangerous, and I knew it could get out of hand and get out of hand quickly. Thats honestly something that all protesters have to realize. It can escalate more quickly than anything you can think of.

Martin, Hughes and Keen all spoke highly of the Secret Service agents who escorted them to safety. While the experience was frightening, they said, they have no regrets.

You dont know whats going to happen when you go into this rally, Hughes said. If something had happened, I still would have been proud of what we did  taking a stand for something we believe in.
Some people go through life without ever finding their calling. Martinsville native Rikeia Waller is not one of them.

Just 24, Waller has already figured out what she wants to do with her life, an idea that came to her suddenly and one that has now taken her halfway around the world.

Ive always loved helping people, said Waller, a 2009 graduate of Magna Vista High School. One day, I woke up and felt like I needed to do something more to help others. I started doing research to find the places with the most need, and now, here I am.

For Waller, here is the African country of Kenya, a poor nation on the eastern coast that struggles with poverty and hunger, among other issues. Specifically, Waller is currently in the small town of Kuma, a Maasai community in Kajidao County in southern Kenya. There, she is having the time of her life by helping others. For some, being thousands of miles from home in a poor village in a poor country might not seem appealing. For Waller, it is exactly where she wants to be.

I want to make a difference or a perceivable impact on someone, she said. Fifteen dollars here will send a child to school, most people arent as grateful or appreciative of this sum. But I wanted to make a difference and this place had the most need. The people here are so grateful for everything you do.

In Kuma, Waller volunteers in a variety of ways, serving as a teachers assistant that helps students with math and English. Additionally, Waller spends her time helping special needs or disabled children, adding, My favorite little girl is five years old and has no legs, and burns all over her body due to a fire at her home. Her mom brings her to our school. Most parents wouldve locked their child away or let them die.

Waller didnt arrive in Kenya by accident. She has always had a mind and heart for service. The daughter of Linda Hodge Gaines and Leonard Gaines, Waller entered the Air Force after high school and served four years. While stationed in Germany, Waller was selected for the U.S. Air Force Academy, which she attended briefly before getting her degree from Western Governors University. Shes already working on her Doctorate in Information Technology from Capella University, where she will turn her attention after her six-week stay in Kenya.

After leaving the Air Force, Waller was struck with the desire to help others abroad, which led her to IVHQ, an international volunteer organization with outposts throughout the world. Thats when she was called to go to Kenya, where she has been for the last three weeks.

When she found out she was heading to Kuma, Waller was not exactly sure what to think.

I was anxious, she said. Being 24, being a girl and traveling to a poverty-stricken country, I didnt know what to expect. Coming here has changed everything! I love the people and the community. Ill definitely come back next year, if possible.

In Kuma, Waller has tried to her best to indoctrinate herself into the local culture. That means waking up each day and taking part in Kenyan customs, no matter how unique they may seem to Americans.

I was able to attend the manyatta, Waller said. Its a ceremony the Maasai people have every five years for boys around age 16. They dress in traditional attire and build huts for the boys to live in. They allowed me, a female and outsider, to participate. We sang, danced, ate a cow pancreas and painted our faces with mud. I was burned (warrior tattoo) on my arm. I then made a house and became a man! They said I was part of the Maasai now. It was an amazing experience.

It hasnt all been easy. Waller says shes seen heartbreaking poverty and dire situations, but she keeps pressing on.

Each day she volunteers at the Kumpa School in Kuma, and each day is an opportunity to make the day brighter for the children of Kenya.

To that end, Waller isnt relying on her skills alone to help the villages children. Instead, she is also aiming to make a financial impact. After arriving in Kenya, Waller started an account of the fundraising website GoFundMe.com, where she raised $1,280 to date. If anyone is interested in contributing to Wallers Kenyan relief fund, simply search her name at www.GoFundMe.com.

I hope to one day make my school in Kenya a refuge for children and help those that are victims of their circumstances, Waller said. This is to help raise money for Kenyan children. Thirty percent of the population is malnourished and only 48 percent of kids from 12-23 months are immunized. There are also no lunch programs established so kids go hungry all day at school. I have already paid school fees for 10 children in my school that were orphans, had sick (HIV/AIDS) or abusive parents.

For now, Waller still has a few weeks left in Kenya. When that adventure ends, another one is likely to begin, though shes not sure yet where her road is going to lead. The only sure thing is that she will continue to help others, a trait that she believes began with her upbringing in Henry County.

I want to make a difference in this world, she said. Whenever someone commented about my amazing upbringing or kindness in Kenya, I always tell them thats how we are in Martinsville, Virginia.
Misty Dawn Baker changed her testimony a number of times Thursday afternoon during a trial in Henry County Circuit Court and was confused about which of the two men charged with robbing her of prescription drugs she said she was trying to sell was the alleged gunman.

She also was unsure about some aspects of her testimony that defense lawyers said were inconsistent with her testimony at a preliminary hearing.

Baker was testifying Thursday in the trials of Brandon Lee Harris, 24, and Bradley Lewis Harris, 22, both of Bassett and both of whom are related.

Brandon Harris is charged with robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Bradley Harris is charged with robbery, malicious shooting into an occupied dwelling, possession of a firearm by a violent felon, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Both Harrises pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Baker testified that on July 26, 2015, she was living on Rockland Drive in Bassett and that she needed to sell some pain pills that belonged to her father in order to get money. So she asked a neighbor if she knew anyone who might want to buy pills and the neighbor said she would make some contacts, Baker said.

Baker said the Harrises came to her home twice that day. The first time, they asked her what she had to sell, and she told them morphine and hydrocodone, Baker testified. She said she wanted $6 apiece for the morphine and $4 apiece for the hydrocodone.

About 30 minutes later, when Baker was waiting for another customer, the Harrises came back to Bakers home and entered without her inviting them in, according to Bakers testimony.

She said she was holding a total of two hydrocodone pills in her hands. She alleged that Brandon Harris smacked the pills out of her hands, that her fiance (Joshua Grover) then scuffled with him, and that at one point Bradley Harris fired the gun in the home as the Harrises left.

No one was hurt.

Baker said the two hydrocodone pills that had been in her hands and dozens of morphine pills that were in a bag on a bed were missing after the Harrises left the home.

At one point, when a lawyer asked Baker to point to the man who allegedly fired a gun, Baker pointed to Brandon Harris. (Bradley Harris is the one charged with that crime.) Brandon and Bradley Harris were sitting at opposite ends of a defense table, with their lawyers sitting beside them. Public Defender Sandra Haley is representing Bradley Harris, and Courtney Armstrong is representing Brandon Harris.

Later, Judge David V. Williams asked Baker to point to the man who allegedly fired a gun. Baker asked Williams which one was the older and which was the younger Harris. Williams didnt answer the question and told her, without names, to point to the man who fired the gun. She pointed to Brandon Harris.

At one point earlier in the trial, Baker said the shooting of the gun in her home scared her.

Baker admitted that she is a convicted felon and also was convicted of a misdemeanor crime involving dishonesty.

She also admitted that she initially lied to law enforcement officers about the robbery but shortly thereafter gave them a truthful statement.

At first I lied to them, then I told them the truth a few minutes later. I dont remember exactly what I told them on the first statement, Baker said.

She also said at one point, when questioned by a defense lawyer, I took a nerve pill this morning before I came (to court).

Joshua Grover, Bakers fiance, testified that he was outside the home when the Harrises arrived and he went inside. Grover said pills were being sold because they needed money for food, drink and cigarettes.

Grover said when Brandon Harris smacked pills out of Bakers hands, that Grover and Brandon Harris got into a scuffle.

Grover said Bradley Harris had a gun and fired it into the floor.

Grover admitted he initially lied when he gave a statement to law enforcement officers about the robbery but shortly thereafter he gave officers a truthful statement.

He said he never saw a bag of pills on the bed.

He said he did see a crushed pill on the floor.

The commonwealth called several other witnesses. The defense lawyers did not call witnesses.

At the conclusion of the case, Judge Williams wanted to consider all the testimony further and plans to issue his decision by Wednesday.

,
Averett Custodial Manager Jeff Hubbard first became interested in running for Danvilles school board watching his son move through George Washington High School.

It came about just working with the band at G.W., Hubbard said.

It was always something Hubbard considered as a way to give back and get more involved in the community, but he wasnt able to become a candidate until this election.

Now, Hubbard is running unopposed  along with current board members Ed Polhamus, Terry Hall and Renee Hughes.

Ive wanted to get involved in the community for a very long time, Hubbard said.

As a future member of the board, Hubbard said he wanted to be supportive of the leadership of Superintendent Stanley Jones. Additionally, he said he wanted to be visible and available to the community and connect with students, parents and staff members.

I truly believe that we have a good school system, Hubbard said.

As for school discipline issues that were brought to light at GWHS last year, Hubbard said the administration was making strides to improve the school climate.

I think putting discipline in the principals hands is very good, Hubbard said. What they are doing is the right thing and its the right path.

Hubbard also said he thought the school district was headed in the right direction with repairs to its aging buildings. This year, the school district will again submit a proposal for capital improvements to Danville City Council because the state of Virginia no longer allocates funding for capital projects.

I havent been privy to the in-depth discussions, but the approach that is being taken is the best approach right now, Hubbard said.

Hubbard said however he wanted to explores other ways to make improvements and repairs to the school buildings. He said students deserved to learn in an environment free from distractions and safety issues, and the school district should continue to assess and prioritize repairs.

Its going to have to be a process, Hubbard said.

Metcalfe reports for the Danville Register & Bee.
SUNDAY'S WORD is kudos (k(y)oo.dos). Example: The company has earned kudos for responding so quickly to customers concerns; (2.) Kudos to everyone who put the event together. Praise and honor received for an achievement.

FRIDAYS WORD was camaraderie (kahm-RAH-duh-ree). Definition: mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. Example: The sense of camaraderie among colleagues in the sales department is the main reason Julie enjoys coming to work each day.

Someone who lost a wallet on Thursday is in luck, because the finder is willing to return it, including cash, two drivers licenses, credit card, and pictures of children. Gennell Williams said she found the wallet about 1 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot at Walmart. She said Walmart had no report of a missing wallet, so she tried to find the owner on her own, but was unable. She could not find a telephone listing for those mentioned on the enclosed licenses or cards. The owner can call her at 276-627-0281, but must claim it in person. Remember she has pictures of the owner(s) on the license.

If you are an early riser and can spare the time, the Greater Bassett Area Community organization would welcome your help with their Roadside Cleanup on Monday. You are asked to meet at 9 a.m. at the JD Bassett Center cafeteria. A spokesperson for the committee said it is best to start cleaning up the trash and debris before the grass grows and you cant see it. When the mowing begins and chops up all the trash, it becomes an unsightly mess and harder to pick up. You should wear gloves and sturdy shoes. For those folks that cant bend over to pick up the debris, isnt there a way to attach a spike/nail at the end of a stick/cane so that objects can be stabbed and brought up to go in a trash bag? Its called improvising we think.

If you are interested in learning grilling techniques for chicken appetizers, the Spencer-Penn Centre will offer a four-hour session on grilling the following: bacon wrapped chicken, chicken wings, chicken shish-ka-bobs, and stuffed jalapeno peppers, on Saturday, March 12. The session will go from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. The cost is $15 for members and $20, non members. To pre-register, call the center at 956-5757.

The first stuffed, grilled jalapeno peppers the Stroller enjoyed was prepared by Taylor Lawson, who learned the technique as a Boy Scout. He prepared dozens for family and friends attending a bluegrass festival in Stuart several years ago. Taylor was once featured as a Cook of the Week for the newspaper. He prepared meals while camping for Boy Scouts. Taylor has since graduated from Bassett High School and is a student at Virginia Tech.
Last Tuesday was a good day for Donald Trump.

In the Super Tuesday primary elections, Trump won seven out of 11 states, Virginia included. And at a rally in Louisville, he was glowingly introduced by his former opponent Chris Christie.

But something else happened at that Louisville rally, and its worth examining. It can be examined quite easily in a 37-second video widely available online.

In the video, a young African-American woman who had protested at the rally is being escorted out. The crowd surges around her and begins to manhandle her, pushing her back and forth. She doesnt resist; she appears to be smiling, probably in one of those strange emotional responses that cause us to laugh when were frightened or cry when were happy.

The man shoving her the hardest  wearing an iconic red Make America Great Again ball cap  was swiftly identified as Matthew Heimbach, and Heimbach has since admitted that he was the shover.

Heimbach isnt a household name, unless you happen to work for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Hes the founder of the Traditionalist Youth Network and its companion organization, the Traditionalist Workers Party. Both organizations are virulently racist, devoted to white nationalism.

Heimbach isnt the only white supremacist who endorses Trump. Other white nationalist groups, such as the American Freedom Party, American Renaissance and the Council of Conservative Citizens have jumped on the Trump bandwagon.

Even an organizer for the Ku Klux Klan, the grand daddy of all hate groups, has referred to Trumps campaign as a valuable outreach tool for KKK recruitment.

Lets be clear: Supporting Donald Trump doesnt make someone a racist. But the evidence suggests that racists do tend to support Donald Trump, and thats a problem for a variety of reasons.

Number one, its a problem for Trump, who is struggling to distance himself from white nationalist groups without losing votes in the process.

Two, its a problem for reasonable-minded Trump supporters, who dont want to be associated with white supremacists for obvious reasons.

And three, its a problem for us all, because its looking increasingly likely that someone is eventually going to get brutalized at a Trump rally, if not  God forbid  killed outright.

Wednesday, I spoke to DAndra Hughes, India Martin and Bernard Keen, three Martinsville natives attending Radford University. All three protested at the Trump rally at Radford, and all three were escorted out.

In the process, they were screamed at, pelted with trash and spat on by Trump supporters.

What surprised me most when talking to Hughes, Martin and Keen was their lack of surprise.

Martin said she fully expected that she wouldnt be able to leave the rally without getting a few bruises  not metaphorical bruises, literal bruises.

Hughes said that she still would have been proud of taking a stand even if something had happened. I took that as a euphemism meaning getting pummeled by strangers for protesting at the university you pay good money to attend.

You can disagree with Trump protesters. You can disagree with Martin, Hughes and Keen. Theres nothing wrong with disagreeing  this nation was founded on a disagreement.

However, whats happening right now at Trump rallies goes far beyond mere disagreement. Its mob violence, and it gets worse with each passing day.

Donald Trump is a consummate showman. He has no filter. Whether you like him or not, you cant argue that hes entertaining to watch.

But if Trump and his supporters do not swiftly condemn this violence, there will be nothing entertaining about the tragic consequences.
The Montana Meth Project is calling all Treasure State filmmakers as the organization gathers submissions for a national 30-second commercial competition featuring a grand prize of $20,000 and nationwide air time for the winner.

Full Story: http://helenair.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-meth-project-launches-search-for-talented-montana-filmmaker/article_aacaaf6e-b7ba-5e19-a3f1-f676945f1f0b.html
If a university doesnt graduate as many students as it could, it might not get all the money thats on the table.

Its called "performance funding," and its creation in the Montana Legislature caused consternation among some educators and lawmakers. This week, the Montana Board of Regents talked about how its been working out for the Montana University System to date.

KEILA SZPALLER [email protected]

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/local/montana-board-of-regents-discusses-effectiveness-of-performance-funding/article_a0042305-f981-5614-bf6d-5d3b4123e35a.html
Over the past ten years, the African Property Investment (API) Summit has helped formalise Africas emerging real estate markets. During this period the investment case on the continent has evolved, and today Africas divergent markets require dynamic and inspired business strategies that prioritize affordability, future demand, sustainability and inclusive economic growth.

As we move into the next cycle of development, this years conference theme  Africa RE-Inspired Reveal how Africas real estate markets have formalized over the last decade.

How global real estate trends will impact its future ?

How the African real estate investment case compares to other emerging markets?

Omnicane representatives attending the API SUMMIT 2019 were Joel Bruneau, Jean Paul Tostee, Kevin Gnany and Sharon Le Merle. Joel Bruneau did a presentation on CO-INVESTING AND CO-DEVELOPING IN LARGE SCALE MIXED USE AND SMART CITY DEVELOPMENTS: Omnicane Case Study Mon Tresor was among the finalist of the API Awards under the BEST ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN & BEST GREEN BUILDING categories.

The API Awards Ceremony took place during the Networking Dinner Function held at Alice and Fifth on 02nd October 2019.Jones Lang LaSalle, JLL showcased Mon Tresor Smart City during their presentation. Simon Ardonceau, Head of Strategic Consulting from JLL did a presentation on: MASTER PLANNING AFRICAS MOMENTUM: A definition of private sector led Smart Cities, their goals and key success factors in the African context. Speaking of MON TRESOR, He stated : Mon Tresor is a residential led mix-use Smart City being developed in conjunction with a Special Economic Zone in Mauritius.

The Smart City Certificate was obtained in 2016 with the first phase of office and hospitality assets already developed. Mon Tresor Masterplan is the first BREEAM Communities Interim Certificate to be awarded in the Southern hemisphere for a Smart City development site, demonstrating strong sustainability leadership credentials. The development employs a holistic planning approach offering work, live and service assets within close proximity. Mon Tresor will offer word-class offices, retail facilities, logistics and coupled with state of art infrastructure. The development is private sector led.

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To celebrate Womens Day that falls on March 8th every year, Indias national airline, Air India, will be operating its first ever all-women crew flight. The flight AI 173, which will fly from Delhi to San Francisco, will not only be all-women controlled but will also be the longest flight to do so. A distance of 14,600 kms will be covered in 17 long air-bound hours.

Under the command of Captain Kshamta Bajpayee and Captain Shubani Singh, the entire crew, check-in staff, cockpit crew, doctors, even the technician, engineer, flight dispatcher and trimmer will be women.

There is probably no profession today that women cant take up and this all-women flight only goes on to prove the fact that men and women can shoulder responsibilities equally. This flight will surely go down in history as a rather progressive gesture, making way for more such women-empowering endeavours in the future.
The 17-point text submitted by the head of the Turkish representation to NATO, Ethem Buyukisik, on 15 February 2016, and published in the Sunday Kathimerini, was never the subject of substantial negotiation, because it was rejected, in its entirety, by the Greece representation and the other NATO allies.



So one might well wonder as to the sources, the aims and the ends served by the leaking of such documents to the press by circles that want to act to undermine the national effort to deal with the refugee/migration issue, especially at a time when significant ground has been gained during the negotiations in question.
Jonathan Pantoja allegedly brought the 38-year-old inside the modified tank of a 2001 Toyota Sequoia early Tuesday at a crossing in Calexico, California. Customs and Border Protection says an imaging device spotted anomalies in the SUV's gas tank and back seats.

A criminal complaint says the driver  a 40-year-old U.S. citizen  told authorities that he smuggled to pay off a $5,000 debt. His attorney didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

The complaint says the Brazilian man told authorities he paid $5,800 to get to the border from Brazil and was to pay another $4,000 in Los Angeles.
One study, a follow-up to landmark research published last year, suggests that the early prevention strategy leads to persistent, long-lasting results in children at risk for food allergies. It found that allergy protection lasted at least through age 5 and didn't wane even when kids stopped eating peanut-containing foods for a year.

That means at-risk kids who don't want to eat peanut butter on a weekly basis can safely take a break, at least for a year.

The second new study suggests that the early strategy could also work with eggs, another food that can cause allergies in young children. It found that allergies to peanuts and eggs were less common in young children who started eating those foods at 3 months of age than in kids who as infants received only breast milk.

The New England Journal of Medicine published both new studies online Friday, coinciding with their presentation at a medical meeting in Los Angeles.

Food allergies are common, potentially serious and sometimes deadly. They're becoming more prevalent in children in many countries, affecting up to 8 percent of kids under age 3. About 2 percent of U.S. kids have peanut allergies.

The results from last year's study prompted a sea change in experts' approach to preventing these allergies. It was the first "to show that early introduction of peanut can prevent the development of allergy to it," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a statement.

It also led to new draft guidance issued Friday by a panel convened by Fauci's agency. The recommendations include giving at-risk kids peanut-containing food as early as 4- to 6-months of age. Infants at risk are those with severe skin rashes or egg allergies; allergy tests are recommended beforehand.

The agency paid for last year's study and follow-up, and will issue final guidelines after a 45-day comment period. The draft guidance echoes advice issued last year by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups in response to the ground-breaking study.

That study involved more than 600 at-risk British infants. By age 5, peanut allergies were much less common in children who had started eating peanut-based foods before age 1, usually peanut butter or a peanut-based snack, than among children who'd been told to abstain.

The follow-up involved most of those children. After a year off, an additional three kids in both groups tested positive for peanut allergies. The allergies remained much less common in the early peanut eaters  affecting just under 5 percent of those kids versus almost 19 percent of the others.

The new results suggest that early introduction of allergy-inducing foods results in "true tolerance" in at-risk kids, said Dr. Stacy Dorris, an allergist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She was not involved in the research.

The second study involved 1,300 study breast-fed British children randomly assigned to get several types of allergy-inducing foods or just breast milk.

The strongest results were with peanut-based food and eggs but there was one hitch. About 60 percent of the early eaters didn't stick to the program. Some may have had immature swallowing skills; some doctors don't recommend starting solid foods until around 4 months of age. But it's possible some parents stopped giving solid foods because they noticed allergy-like symptoms, which may have included false alarms, said Dr. Gideon Lack, a King's College London researcher who led all three studies.

The results suggest feeding these foods to at-risk infants is safe, but often not feasible in infants so young, said Dr. Gary Wong, a Hong Kong pediatrician. He wrote an editorial published online with the new studies.

Still, Wong said the new studies confirm that the old approach to preventing food allergies  avoiding certain foods early in life  is probably obsolete.

"Evidence is really building up. It appears early introduction would be better off than avoidance," said Wong, who is also an associate editor at the journal.
The city's lead-tainted water, Wakes said, is to blame for her miscarriage and her son's repeated suspensions from the first grade.

About 2 weeks earlier, she and another mother met privately with Hillary Clinton during her stop in city to discuss solutions, not politics.

"It's really not political with me," Wakes, 40, said after Sanders' forum. "When are you going to get something done for the families and these children?"

This majority-black impoverished community in central Michigan is dealing with a months-long state of emergency over its contaminated drinking water. The crisis has become a hot-button issue for Democratic presidential candidates.

The issue has become so dominant for these White House hopefuls that they scheduled a prime-time debate in the city on Sunday ahead of the state's primary Tuesday. Sanders has called for Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to resign, saying an apology is not enough.

Clinton dispatched aides to the city of nearly 100,000 in January, raised the issue during a nationally televised debate and won the mayor's endorsement. A campaign ad with scenes from Clinton's Feb. 7 visit to an African-American church in the city touts her resolve to "fight for you in Flint no matter how long it takes." She has called the crisis "immoral" and says it never would have taken so long to resolve such a problem in a wealthy, predominantly white city.

Sanders vowed "never again" would a disaster like this occur if he is elected president. In a break from his large rallies, he listened to angry residents voice their frustrations and he pointed to Flint's aging underground pipes while pushing his $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan.

Political experts say Clinton's focus on Flint both before and since her loss in New Hampshire  including her assertion that racism is a factor  has helped shore up her standing with black voters.

"You can tell that from their perspective, it's a very important signal of affiliation with the African-American community nationally and in Michigan," said Matt Grossmann, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University. "The fact that she consolidated that support despite a pretty aggressive outreach from the Sanders campaign and a change in focus by the Sanders campaign, too, suggests that the overall message  'I care about Flint'  is working."

GOP candidates, meanwhile, are mostly avoiding talk of Flint along with mention of Snyder, whose administration has come under heavy criticism for the disaster. Elevated lead levels in children can cause adverse health effects, developmental delays, and emotional and behavioral problems.

In the U.S. Senate, Republican Mike Lee of Utah said Friday that he was blocking a bipartisan bill to provide federal aid to Flint because Michigan had a budget surplus and doesn't need the money.

Republicans accuse Democrats of politicizing Flint for their own gains and oversimplifying how the fiasco happened. Clinton said on Super Tuesday that kids "were poisoned by toxic water because the governor wanted to save a little money" when the city was under state emergency financial management. Snyder, who has apologized for his mistakes and a lagging initial response, says there also were failures by local and federal officials.

Asked about Flint in Thursday's GOP debate in Detroit, Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio said "all of us are outraged by what happened" but added that Snyder "took responsibility."

"This should not be a partisan issue. The way the Democrats have tried to turn this into a partisan issue, that somehow Republicans woke up in the morning and decided, 'Oh, it's a good idea to poison some kids with lead,' it's absurd. It's outrageous. It isn't true," Rubio said to applause.

The state has committed $70 million in assistance, and Snyder is asking for at least $165 million more while Democrats seek a federal aid package, too. The second-term governor, who once considered a presidential run himself and has said he prefers a governor to be the Republican nominee, is not expected to endorse a candidate before the primary to stay focused on Flint residents, spokesman Ari Adler said.

When the last governor standing in the GOP field, Ohio's John Kasich, was questioned about Flint in a town hall event in East Lansing, he called for a re-examination of federal water regulations and said Snyder was probably "not even sleeping trying to get on top of the whole thing and fix it."

Mike Gooch, 57, a University of Michigan-Flint research assistant and Sanders supporter who lives near the city, cheered the decision to have a debate in Flint.

"Anything to pull a spotlight on Flint in helpful," he said. "Whether you look at it as exploitation or whether you look at it as elevating, it all depends on your perspective. I tend to think ... as long as that attention is elevated, we're going to get support. As soon as that goes away, the support goes with it."
NORTON SHORES, Mich. (AP)  Authorities say whoever was killing deer in a western Michigan city has stopped since a public notice seeking information about the illegal activity was issued.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources sent a news release in September saying 18 deer were killed in Norton Shores between October 2014 and September. Norton Shores Police Chief Jon Gale says they were killed in a part of the city where hunting isn't allowed.

Gale tells The Muskegon Chronicle (http://bit.ly/1QwWVmf ) that the deaths stopped after the agency sent out the news release. He says there were no tips provided on who could be killing the deer, and that authorities still don't know who was doing it.

Gale says finding who shot the deer hasn't been easy because the deer were shot with small-caliber bullets and could have run before collapsing.
Detroit Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Moreno says officers responded to the home Friday morning after authorities got a 911 call about family trouble and a cutting that just happened. She says police saw a large amount of blood.

Police say officers heard someone in the back of the house and saw a man trying to escape. Moreno says the man is a suspect in the woman's death and was arrested.

Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office spokesman Lloyd Jackson said the woman's autopsy is scheduled Saturday.
On Wednesday, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the U.N. agency that sets global aviation standards, moved to address some of the more glaring safety gaps. Planes in "distress" will have to automatically report their position and other critical information at least every minute to help searchers find the wreckage. But the requirement will only apply to planes built six years from now or later.

It could take even longer to implement another ICAO change requiring new planes have a reliable means to recover information stored in "black box" data and cockpit voice recorders, rather than scouring the ocean floor for the boxes. Several existing technologies could do that, but ICAO's timeline means it could be a decade or more before planes equipped with those technologies begin entering service.

Chris Hart, chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, told The Associated Press that more should be done to put available technologies to use quickly.

"We are concerned about the slow pace of progress at both the national and international levels," Hart said. "We believe this is long overdue."

Here's a look at what has changed, what has not and what is in the works.

___

FLIGHT TRACKING

As a result of MH370, ICAO has approved a requirement that all airliners report their position about every 15 minutes over open ocean by November 2018. Pilots of planes flying over open ocean have typically reported their position about every 30 minutes.

Inmarsat, a provider of satellite flight tracking services, has offered free tracking to all long-haul carriers. But there are gaps in Inmarsat's coverage of the globe.

Another aircraft-tracking provider, Aireon LLC, has partnered with Iridium Communications, which has a network of 66 low-orbit satellites, and says it plans to offer flight tracking of virtually all of the world's airspace beginning in 2018. In order to use the system, planes must be equipped with special satellite communications technology known as ADS-B.

Besides flight tracking, ADS-B can be used to prevent collisions and allow planes to fly closer together. Aircraft manufacturers are already including the technology in new planes, but airlines are still in the process of equipping older planes, which is expensive.

The United States has set a deadline of 2020 for airlines operating in its airspace to equip their planes. There is no international deadline.

___

FINDING WRECKAGE

Flight tracking is helpful, but may not narrow a search area enough to reliably find a plane. Instead, aviation officials want planes to automatically send out position reports at least once per minute when they are trouble.

At normal flight speeds, minute-by-minute reports would provide authorities with a search area of a little over 100 square miles. If reports are less frequent, the search area grows much larger.

ICAO's newly adopted requirement for automatic, minute-by-minute reports by planes in distress applies only to planes made after Jan. 1, 2021.

Many planes are already equipped to send periodic short automatic messages to ground stations via VFR radio or satellite using a digital datalink system. In 2009, a burst of such brief messages from Air France flight 447 provided searchers enough information to find wreckage from the plane just days after it disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean. However, it still took two years before the plane's black boxes were recovered.

In the case of MH370, the Boeing 777 was also equipped with the technology to send such messages, but the service wasn't in use. Airlines typically use the systems to relay information on how the plane and its engines are functioning so that maintenance personnel and equipment can be positioned at its next destination if needed.

___

FLIGHT RECORDERS

MH370's flight data recorder was equipped with an underwater locator beacon designed to last 30 days. ICAO standards adopted before the plane's disappearance require the beacons to last 90 days beginning in 2018.

This week, ICAO approved a requirement that new aircraft designs approved after Jan. 1, 2021, have some means for retrieving a plane's recorders, or the information contained in them, before the recorder sinks to the ocean floor. One possibility is a deployable recorder that automatically ejects from a plane upon impact and floats to the ocean's surface. They're widely used in military aircraft, but Boeing says cases where they'll be needed are likely to be fewer than instances in which they accidently deploy, potentially causing injuries and property damage.

An alternative is to have planes in distress automatically relay the data via satellite to ground stations, eliminating the need to search for the box. But there are many unanswered questions about security and custody of the information.

Even then, it might be 2028 or later before planes with either deployable recorders or a means to transmit the recorder's data before a crash enter service because of the time lag between the approval of new plane designs and when they are ready to fly.

The new requirements don't include cockpit voice recordings. MH370 contained a two-hour voice recorder that recorded in a continuous loop. Even if the recorder is ever found, it is likely that critical information from early in the flight was erased.

ICAO also adopted a standard this week requiring planes manufactured after Jan. 1, 2021, to include 25-hour voice recorders to capture an entire flight, as well as crew preparations beforehand. The requirement doesn't apply to planes already in service, which can have lifespans of 20 years or more.

Crash investigations have shown that even when voice recorders cover the length of the flight, they don't always reveal the whole story of what happened in the cockpit. They've been pushing for image or video recordings as well, but pilot unions have resisted that as too intrusive.
Almost 100 people mostly from Haiti who were rescued from an overcrowded boat off the Florida coast had no food or water for...
The Navy and Marine Corps are both asking for additional F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in unfunded priority lists sent to Congress, according to documents obtained by Military.com.

In a tradition revived in recent years, the services produced wish lists of items not funded by the president's Fiscal 2017 budget request released last month. The Navy's list includes $4.9 billion in aircraft, ships and weapons and another $219 million in military construction projects; the Corps' list totals $2.74 billion, with an emphasis on aviation needs.

According to the Navy's wish list, the service wants $1.56 billion for 14 additional F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in addition to the two it plans to purchase with Overseas Contingency Operations funds in the FY 17 budget request.

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The Navy also requested $270 million for two more F-35C aircraft, in addition to the four funded in the president's budget.

Another big-ticket item is $433 million to foot the remaining cost to build an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer that was partially funded in the FY 2016 budget.

Weapons systems also feature prominently on the wish list: the Navy asked for 23 MK-54 Mod 0 lightweight torpedoes at $16 million; 75 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles at $33 million; and over-the-horizon missile systems for the littoral combat ships Fort Worth and Milwaukee at $22 million.

The list would additionally fund 15,000 permanent-change-of-station moves for sailors that were reduced due to constraints imposed by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Those moves would cost the Navy $156 million.

The Marine Corps' biggest unfunded buys include two AH-1Z Venom helicopters at $57 million; two each of the F-35 B and C variants, specialized for short take-off and vertical landing and carrier operations respectively, $750 million; two KC-130J transport aircraft, $15.8 million; and two MV-22B Ospreys that were cut under the BBA, another $150 million.

If funded, the list would expand what is already a significant aircraft procurement year for the Marine Corps. The FY 17 request includes funding for 16 Ospreys, 16 F-35B Joint Strike Fighters, and 24 AH-1Z Venom helos.

The Corps also used the list to request more funds for its construction budget. The service asked for $358.5 million for hangar maintenance and an F-35 parking apron at Marine Corps Air station Miramar, Calif., and a new barracks at Camp Lejeune, N.C., as well as funding for five building projects cut under the BBA. Those projects include a barracks facility in Yorktown, Va.; an enlisted dining facility and community buildings at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz.; and a fire station at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

Notably, the wish list does not include the purchase of any additional joint light tactical vehicles. The Marine Corps cut its planned JLTV buy for FY 2017 from 269 to 192, citing the need to fund other programs, including development of its future amphibious combat vehicle.

During congressional budget hearings this week, multiple lawmakers expressed interest in what was left off the official budget request due to fiscal constraints.

In a statement, Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., said he was pleased to see the services sending Congress their unfunded requirements lists.

"Congress needs to know what we need to defend the nation, not just what's in the president's budget," Forbes, chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services' subcommittee on sea power and projection forces, said. "These lists give Congress a sense of what the administration left on the cutting room floor, and guide us as we try to build our national security back up."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
Visiting the Terracotta Army site in China was such a highlight for one Ada family that they brought a six-foot-tall, quarter-ton replica warrior home with them.

That warrior has now found a permanent home at Meadow Brook Elementary School - the site of Forest Hills' Mandarin Chinese immersion program.

The warrior was recently unveiled at a special ceremony. To go along with the event, each third-grade student at Meadow Brook created a clay horse, and each fourth-grade student created a clay warrior -- ultimately creating their own "terra cotta"-like army.

"The mini warriors are at the end of the hallway looking at the sculpture," said Meadow Brook Principal Tim Shaw. "The students certainly understand. This connects them with the world and not just from books and the Internet."

The donor of the warrior, which will now become a permanent sculpture on the Meadow Brook campus, is the family of Jason and Sejal Bennett. Their children -- Alaina Bennett, a seventh-grader at Northern Middle School, and Rohan Bennett, a third-grader at Meadow Brook -- are both in the Mandarin Chinese immersion program.

Now in its seventh year at the district, the Mandarin curriculum is also available at Forest Hills Northern Trails and Northern Middle, since Meadow Brook only serves students through the fourth grade. At Northern Trails and Northern Middle, students take approximately half of their classes in Mandarin and half in English.

Related: Mandarin Chinese students make trip to China

The Bennett family was part of a Forest Hills contingency that traveled to China during spring break last year. The purpose was to immerse themselves in the culture, explore the schools there and visit the sites. The 2015 trip was the first for the district. School funds were used to send staff members with the families who traveled to China.

This terra cotta warrior replica was donated to Meadow Brook Elementary

The Meadow Brook Parent Teacher Organization chipped in and helped pay for the display case for the donation. The Meadow Brook Terracotta Warrior was given the name "Bing," which is Mandarin Chinese for warrior.

"We always look to bring in ways to have our students connect with the world and not just the community," said Shaw.

"This is so exciting for the kids. It will for generations be a visible reminder for the students and a symbol to help them make sense of the greater world around them."
Long before Fall Out Boy was releasing singles that go quadruple platinum Like "Centuries," the band was playing shows in and around their hometown of Chicago.

In those early years, following the band's 2001 formation, they would make the trip to Grand Rapids to play shows at the Intersection.

"We used to play Grand Rapids," said guitarist Joe Trohman. "The intersection -- we used to play that venue a lot."

They'll return to Grand Rapids Tuesday, March 8, to play a much larger venue when they take the stage at Van Andel Arena during the Wintour is Coming tour.

Doors for Tuesday's show, which also features AWOLNATION, open at 6 p.m. Tickets, priced from $29.50 to more than $250, are available through Ticketmaster.

Trohman said fans can expect to hear hits spanning the bands career, which took off in 2005 with the release of "Under the Cork Tree" and songs like "Sugar, We're Going Down." Plus, Trihman said, the band will play some deep tracks from their six studio albums.

"I think it's nice to be in that position where you have too many songs to choose from," Trohman said.

The band's 2015 album "American Beauty/American Psycho," which debuted at number one, will be a focus of the show.

See the video for Fall Out Boy's latest single "Irresistible" featuring Demi Lovato

Trohman was one of the founding members of Fall Out Boy, which started as a side project for Trohman and Pete Wentz in 2001. He said that while fame is somewhat random and many other talented local bands never found the same success, hard work is what helped get the band where they are today.

"We definitely put in a lot of work," Trohman said. "That's how all real bands start and that's how we started."

For more information on Wintour is Coming and Fall Out Boy, visit falloutboy.com.

-- Jessica Shepherd is a reporter with MLive. Contact her at jessica_shepherd@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter. You can also hear her Fridays at 8 a.m. on 102.5 WIOG's Nate and April in the Morning.
Zingerman's co-founder Paul Saginaw says his 33-year-old company is always growing, hiring, trying new products or evolving in some fashion, but it's now planning a significant, concrete production and retail expansion at its Pittsfield Township location, which houses four of its companies.

On Thursday, the Pittsfield Township Planning Commission gave an initial OK for plans for 2,900 square feet of new retail and production space in the building housing Zingerman's Creamery, Candy production, Coffee Company and Bakehouse. That would give it 32,633 square feet of production and retail at the location.

The company won't be expanding its footprint at 3723 and 3711 Airport Blvd., but it will convert an area that's now warehouse space.

"We have annual plans, and we're trying to just meet our current demand more effectively," Saginaw said. "Our sales; we have a healthy managed pace of growth. Where we've seen sales go up year to year, we expect it to continue at a managed pace."

Zingerman's pulls in around $50 million in annual revenues. Founders Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig have an ownership stake in each Zingerman's business, but other partners own and manage most of the operations. Saginaw clarified that Zingerman's doesn't have divisions, as the businesses don't own one another, but instead are a "loose federation or community of businesses."

There's no one force driving the move, Saginaw added, and the company won't be rolling more products than it usually does.

"We're always experimenting with different products. The Creamery tries new cheese products, the Coffee roaster roasts coffee, and every year we like to improve what we currently do. We like to extend those items that are moving well in the marketplace. We like to innovate.

"Those are the three things we do every year - improve, extend and innovate," Saginaw said.

Plans for the Creamery include a 30-percent increase in its retail area; a 50-percent increase in its cheese production space; new bi-monthly tasting events; and a milk delivery dock.

Plans for the Candy division call for more retail and new bi-monthly tasting events.

Plans for the Bakehouse include increased oven and production space, and classrooms for public cooking classes.

Plans for the Coffee division call for a 25-percent increase in space for its cafe; more space for coffee roasting; outdoor seating; and bi-monthly tasting events.

Saginaw said he doesn't yet know what that will mean in terms of increased sales or staff. Zingerman's is always hiring new employees, he said, though he added that's not unusual for the Ann Arbor-area food industry.

"Every food business in Ann Arbor probably has a 'now hiring' sign up," Saginaw said.

In a memo to the Planning Commission, Township Planning Consultant Ben Carlisle voiced concern over the number of parking spots available for the increased customer traffic, but Saginaw said the plaza's landlord made spaces available for employees, thus freeing up space for customers.

Last May, Zingerman's Creamery considered moving to a new location in the same plaza. The plans fizzled after the township rejected a request for a liquor license needed for a proposed tasting room with seating for 20.

The township has a limited number of Class C licenses issued to it by the state, so it wants its remaining licenses to have a stronger economic impact than the small tasting room would have provided.

But Saginaw said Zingerman's has a good relationship with the plaza's landlord, and it isn't leaving the location anytime soon.

"We have a strong retail presence out here, so the idea of moving didn't occur to us," he said.
President John Dramani Mahama said Ghanaian actor, Abrahama Attah, 14, is the face of Ghana.

In his speech at the 59th Independence Celebration at the Black Star Square, President Mahama said Ghanaians applauded the loudest when the young actor received his international movie awards abroad, yet he belongs to the whole continent.

The President said the whole of the continent stood in excitement with Ghana when the young actor made the nation proud.

Abraham Attah was named Best Male Lead at the 31st Independent Spirit Awards on February 27 for his role in the Beast of No Nation movie shot in Ghana.

Abraham Attah at the Independent Spirit Awards

Attah beat fellow actors Ben Mendelsohn (Mississippi Grind), Christopher Abbott (James White), Jason Segel (The End of the Tour) and Koudous Seihon (Mediterranea) to grab the prize.

The President also mentioned the success stories of Kofi Annan and exploits of the Ghana Black Star.

President Mahama used the occasion to call for the support of Ghanaians saying this is the pride and unity we must foster in ourselves every day.

He acknowledged the challenges the nation is facing adding that Ghanaians must show the preparedness to put up a good fight in whatever endeavor.

President Mahama said, Ghana means a lot in the world and it represents a kinship, a determination, a disposition, a resolve, it represents perseverance, it represents dignity, [and] it represents integrity.

Listen to Audio:



Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Austin Brako-Powers|[email protected]
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06.03.2016 LISTEN

New York City prosecutors sentenced a 64-year-old Ghanaian woman to more than two years in prison Friday for stuffing heroin inside dried fish and trying to smuggle the drug-filled treats into the United States.

The fishy smuggler was caught by officials at John F. Kennedy airport with three kilos of heroin, after an attentive customs agent singled her out for inspection upon her arrival last February on a flight from Amsterdam originating in Ghana, the New York Daily News reported.

Rose Amanor's 27-month sentence was short compared to the six-and-a-half years in prison prosecutors originally threatened.

Trying to excuse herself, the woman blamed her son for coercing her to bring the heroin to the US, according to the Daily News.

'I am asking you to have mercy on me so I can go home to my family and enjoy whatever time I have left with my family,' the woman said through an interpreter.

But the judge called her out on what he referred to as an 'incessant number of fish stories' told to authorities.

'I find it totally incredible that Mrs. Amanor didn't know what it was that she was doing,' federal judge Eric Vitaliano said according to the Daily News.

'It certainly was a disrespect for the law, sitting in this courtroom and spinning this incredible tale under oath.'

Amanor, who has been in custody for 13 months, had her request of a sentence of time served denied, and will be deported to Ghana upon her release from prison.
Jose Mario Vaz in a discussion with Amissah-Arthur

06.03.2016 LISTEN



Uhuru Kenyatta and Jose Mario Vaz  presidents of Kenya and Guinea Bissau respectively  will join President John Mahama at the Black Star Square today as Ghana marks its 59th Independence Day anniversary.

The two African leaders were welcomed into Ghana by Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur on Saturday.

The duo will join Mahama to review a national parade of school children, voluntary organisations and security services at the Black Star Square to commemorate the anniversary.

Amissah-Arthur welcoming Uhuru Kenyatta at the airport

The theme for this years celebration is Investing in the Youth for Ghanas Transformation.

Mahama will deliver the Independence Anniversary Address after a march past by security personnel and school children, drills and equipment display by the security agencies and performances by various groups.

There will also be parades in all regional and district capitals across the country, while the countrys missions abroad will also host National Day events across the world.

-starrfmonline


06.03.2016 LISTEN

A 15-bedroom house at Maakro junction, Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital was razed down by fire Saturday evening.

The cause of the fire was not known but some eyewitnesses who spoke to Starr News said they suspected an electrical fault triggered the fire in one of the rooms.

Fire fighters who arrived at the scene on time managed to quench the fire and prevent it from destroying the entire building.

Occupants of the house could be seen salvaging their belongings and trying frantically to stop the fire before fire service personnel arrived.

Meanwhile, investigations are underway to establish the real cause of the fire.

-starrfmonline


06.03.2016 LISTEN

Fifty nine (59) years ago, on March 6, 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Sahara African country to attain its sovereignty from British colonial rule. The accession to independence offered Ghana, through its visionary leadership, to be an excellent example, for other African countries under colonial rule, which deserved to be imitated. Ghana became the center and the rallying point for most of African liberation movements in order to get the necessary political and training supports to enable them to carry on their struggle to its logical conclusion.

Internally Ghana undertook major infrastructural and educational activities to propel the country on the path of development in a short time. Unfortunately that momentum was abruptly brought to an end in 1966 by a military coup detat. That military intervention was followed by decades of political instability, economic hardships amongst others.

The people of Ghana have overcome and surmount all these difficulties and since 1992 the country has taken the path of the rule of law by adopting a vibrant democratic system that has become a model for other African countries. Today Ghana is a reference for many countries in terms its political stability and resilient economic development.

On this occasion of its 59th Independence Anniversary, the All Africa Students Union (AASU) wishes to congratulate the Government and people of Ghana and urges them not to spare any efforts to maintain the country to its enviable leadership position and model for many African countries.

AASU calls on all Ghanaians to ensure free, fair and peaceful 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Long live Ghana!

Long live African Unity!

AWAAH FRED

(Secretary General)

[email protected]/[email protected] ;

+233(0)243101626
Today Ghana is celeberating its 59 years of independence and we will as usual go into the discussion of whether Ghana has really achieved what a country of its age should achieve.

We are going to compare and contrast Ghana with other nations. By all means, let's do that. But when we are done, let's remember the American democracy we will be comparing ourselves with is over 200 years old.

Ok, maybe, we will look at Singapore and blame our fore fathers for what they did in their days. By all means let us do that. But when we are done with it, lets remember we can no longer blame our fore fathers because it's now our turn to cause the change we want to see. The onus falls on our able shoulders to correct the errors we complain our fore fathers did. If we fail, the next generation will equally point accusing fingers at us.

The negative things we see going on today in our society from our leaders down to we ordinary members; from lecturers down to students; from religious leaders down to its followers cannot inspire anyone, not even a toddler. But under no circumstance should we give up and lose hope. We are not where we should be, but at least we are not where we used to be. Lets thank God for where we are today and lift up our eyes to the possibilities ahead. We can be the change we want to see.

Amidst all these economic troubles and challenges facing Ghana, I am optimistic about our destiny as a nation. Ghana can fulfill its God given mandate and be a beacon shining ever so bright.

Ghana is our nation, together we can move it forward.

Abass Musah Tonduogu

Acting Secretary of Young Patriots in the Sissalaland

0208377521/0544728694
The Asantehene Otumfour Osei-Tutu II says he will not sit idly and allow his subjects to be driven off their land in the Agogo and Tafo issues.

Speaking at a reception organized by the Asante Professionals Club (APC) in Kumasi, Otumfour called for calm and patience as he finds a solution to the two prolonged conflicts in both jurisdictions.

He also debunked public perception he is in bed with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

"When I was enstooled, I met ex-President Jerry John Rawlings in power. Although he didn't like me, we became friends and when I advised him he listened, said the Asantehene.

The King noted that he has supported all ruling governments including financially supporting ex-President Kufour during his presidency.

According to him, when President John Mahama is talking to him he (Mahama) makes the reference, Nana your people [to mean the New Patriotic Party (NPP) people]

Although unhappy with the numerous political tagging, Otumfour assured all that he stands for Asanteman's interest and not any one political party.

that the youth of Agogo and members of the Asante Youth Association had threatened to boycott todays Independence Day celebration over the invasion of and harassment by nomadic herdsmen.

Wearing red and black, residents of Tafo also presented petitions to Otumfour upon arrival from abroad to intervene in ensuring justice is done in the recent Tafo violence.

According to Joy News Erastus Asare Donkor, this is the first time the Asantehene is speaking on the two issues since his return from South Africa.

Otumfour Osei Tutu II acknowledged receipt of the petitions submitted to him on the Agogo Fulani and Tafo violence.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim | Email: [email protected]
President of Kenya, H.E Uhuru Kenyatta has urged the President of Ghana, President John Dramani Mahama to join forces with his country to fight the menace of terrorism in the continent.

He said terrorism is eroding the achievements won during the struggle for independence and nationhood and this must be resisted.

Delivering his speech as the Special Guest of Honor at the 59th Independence celebration held at the Black Star Square, Mr. Kenyatta said the vision of a unified continent must not be lost because of the recent spates of terrorist attacks on the continent.

He said this is a special time when the leadership of all the countries in the continent must come together to champion a common fight against terrorism.

According to him, Kenyans are ready to join Ghanaians to put up a good fight to defeat the enemies maltreating the lives of the people in the continent.

He commended President Mahama for his leadership in the country and sub-Saharan African and the people of Ghana for keeping the peace in the country.

He said this a time to take stock of what has been achieved and what need to be done.

Mr. Kenyatta reiterated the commitment of his country to a cordial relation with Ghana saying Kenya is opened to business to all.

He said the people of Kenya value the friendship and commitment of Ghanaians and will do much.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Austin Brako-Powers|[email protected]
Traders in Kumasi in the Ashanti region have defied the announcement of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) by opening their shops for business.

The leadership of the Association declared a nationwide strike following a successful three-day strike in Accra which began on March 1 . However, Joy News' checks in Kumasi revealed that shops have been opened and engaged in brisk business.

Some of the shop owners Joy News spoke to said, they opened their shops because they were not duly informed by the leadership of the Association.

They blamed the lack of unified front for the nationwide strike on "poor communication."

On March 3, GUTA led by the Joint Private Sector Business Consultative Forum declared a nationwide strike following a successful three-day strike in Accra to call on the government to review what it described as "exorbitant" tariffs and taxes on businesses.

Also, the Association decried the ECOWAS Common External tariff which came into force on February 1.

The tariff seeks among other things to promote the creation of a common market and open up the region for intra-Africa trade but, the traders described it as "dangerous" for the market.

Speaking to Joy News' Erastus Asare Donkor, the some shop owners agreed the strike was necessary to have the government address the issues, however, they questioned the approach employed by their leadership.

They said they expected the organizers of the strike to have rallied their concerns which they failed to do.

They implored the leadership of GUTA to step up its communication strategies in order to have a successful nationwide strike.
Accra, March 6, GNA - Dr. Gideon Agbley, Executive Member of the Cashew Industry Association of Ghana has recommended the establishment of a cashew development levy to finance the industry and enable it to function effectively.

The Association is of the view that government should allocate 2.5 to 5 per cent of its revenue to the industry to be used to subsidize the production of seedlings to plant more and buy equipment for the processors.

This, the Association believed, was critical because the industry if well prioritize would generate revenue for the country through exports, as well as create job opportunities for the unemployed.

Dr Agbley made the recommendation during a panel discussion in Accra on the Ghana Journalists Association programme dubbed 'Business Advocate' on Ghana Television. It is supported by BUSAC Fund, DANIDA, United States Agency for International Development and the European Union.

Dr Agbley said Cote d'Ivoire had instituted such a levy for its cashew industry and had improved the sector, and that the Ivorian cashew industry was producing 10 times more than Ghana's and was also able to compete on the global markets.

Making a presentation on the topic, 'Support for the Cashew Industry in Ghana: Prospects and Challenges', he said the Association was a non-governmental organization established in August 2012 and registered in September 2013.

He said the Association was an umbrella body of players within the cashew supply chain with the aim of organizing the entire industry in Ghana into major groupings including Producers, Processors, Traders, and Service providers.

The Association collaborates with farmers, processors and research agencies such as the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana and the Wenchi Agric Research Centre, as well as international agencies such as the African Cashew Initiative (ACI) and African cashew Alliance, Dr Agbley added.

He said the sector could become one of the most promising contributors to economic growth for the country if it was given the needed attention, as it contributed between 400 million and 500 million dollars in revenue to the national economy.

It is estimated that the crop increased from its current 50,000 to 200,000 metric tonnes annually with a processing capacity of about 90 per cent and that the sector currently had 14 processing factories within the country with a processing capacity of 60,000 MT, while the country produces 50,000 MT of raw nuts.

'This among other factors contributes to the need for an effective dialogue between the government of Ghana and agencies responsible for the implementation of policies that will help promote the sector', he added.

Dr Agbley urged government to streamline the value chain process by putting in place standards, regulations and licensing system to prevent foreigners from taking undue advantage of the process to buy from the farmers at a cheaper price.

Mr Seth Osei Akoto, Deputy Director for Crops and Cashew at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) said the Ministry was coordinating with stakeholders to promote the development of cashew in the country.

Mr Akoto said the Ministry had introduced the 'Improve Processing seeds' to farmers to increase the production of cashew seedlings and create opportunities for the local industries as well as investors.

He said even though the country currently had 12 primary cashew processing units with a total installed processing capacity of 65,890 MT in 2015, the industry was only able to process 5,230 MT of raw cashew nuts per year, representing 7.9% of its total capacity.

Mr Akoto said the Ministry was ready to support the production of cashew in the country and urged interested individuals or organizations to visit the MOFA office for discussions so as to chart the path for the development of the industry.

Ms Mary Adzanyo, Director of Private Sector Development at the African Cashew Initiative believed that the production of cashew should be seen on a global perspective and that the total global production of the sector is 38 per cent.

Ms Adzanyo said African governments should give priority attention to the sector and increase its competitiveness since the industry's demand was huge and had a great economic potential for the continent.

She said the ACI was established to support cashew production in the sub-region, urging stakeholders to think globally and learn from the experiences of other countries. They should also create the enabling environment for public-private investment.

Mr Papa Kow Bartels, Director, Logistics and Value Chain at the Ministry of Trade and Industry said the Ministry had recognized the pivotal role played by the industry and was pursuing the export programme to explore strategies to have maximum dividend for the export industry.

He noted that the Ministry was expanding the demand and supply base, as well as manpower and institutional development to drive the industry to the level of efficiency.

GNA
06.03.2016 LISTEN

Tamale, March 6, GNA - President John Mahama has said the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) was back on track and will be the vehicle to promote investment in the savannah regions for development.

President Mahama said this in Tamale on Saturday when he visited the ongoing 20th Ghana International Trade Fair in Tamale to see products exhibited as well as interact with exhibitors, who were local and international business operators, as part of efforts to boost investment in the SADA zone.

This year's event, which began on February 25, and ends on March 7, is organized by the Ghana Trade Fair Company in collaboration with SADA on the theme: 'Two Decades in International Trade Fairs in Ghana: Exploring Business Opportunities in the SADA Zone of Ghana'.

President Mahama said SADA had been accountable as well as building bridges with all including international partners necessary to promote investment in the savannah regions of the country.

He said SADA had developed a comprehensive document, which was an analysis of investment opportunities in all the districts within the savannah zone, saying the government had been using the document to woo investors into the SADA region.

He expressed confidence in the new leadership of SADA to work to position the SADA region as a gateway to the Sahelian region.

Mr Thomas Abanga, Chief Executive Officer of A&G Agro-Mechanical Industries, an indigenous company, which is one of the exhibitors at the fair, spoke about his company's plans to set up an assembling plant in Tamale this year to assemble tractors, farm implements and other agricultural services to enhance mechanization agriculture in the country.

Some of the products exhibited by A&G Agro-Mechanical Industries at the fair included boom sprayers, disc harrows, fertilizer spreaders, leveling bars, till planters, water pumps and hoses, and ton trailers, tractor ploughs, and multi-purpose threshers.

Mr Abanga said A&G Agro-Mechanical Industries had partnered with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in the Region to set up the assembling plant at its (MoFA) Agricultural Mechanization Center in Tamale.

He said the goal of the project was to bring agricultural mechanization to the country to ensure sustainable agricultural production whiles creating jobs for the people in fulfilment of the government's agricultural policy objectives as contained in the Medium Term Agricultural Sector Improvement Programme (METASIP).

He said A&G Agro-Mechanical Industries, which is also the sole distributer of agromaster implements in West Africa, would partner with renowned manufacturers of agricultural implements to ensure technology transfer through buying of old and spoilt tractors and rehabilitating them for use on farms.

He mentioned some of the partners of A&G Agro-Mechanical Industries as agromaster, based in Turkey, V.S.T Power Tillers and Tractors Limited, based in India, Hoyu Gongyi Hongyun Machinery, based in China, ICS Terradonis, based in France and Global Meccanica, based in Pakistan.

Mr Abanga called for closer collaboration between the private sector and the state to promote agriculture in the country.

GNA
Accra, March 6, GNA - Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has re-emphasized government's commitment to improve education delivery at all levels for the benefit of the youth.

He said investing in quality education and skills provides the best legacy to empower the youth to contribute to the development and transformation of the country.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur was speaking at the President's Independence Day Awards for 2016 at the Banquet Hall of the State House, in Accra.

The President's Independence Day Awards, which forms part of the 59th Independence Anniversary Celebration, is on the theme: 'Investing in the Youth for Ghana's Transformation'.

The President's Independence Day Awards was instituted in 1993, to recognize students who distinguished themselves in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Originally, ten students from each of the ten regions were awarded until 2001. Upon suggestion from the Ghana Education Service, the number was increased to twenty to make room for a boy and a girl from each of the ten regions.

This year's award winners are Hansia Appiah Kubi and Irvine Agyemang Kwaku Mensah, from the Ashanti Region, Pamela Kumi and Francis Amponsah Ohemeng, from the Brong Ahafo Region, Mavis Appiah and Oduro Kofi-Quakyi, from the Central Region, whiles Priscilla Ofusua Effah and Osei Bonsu Jr from the Eastern Region.

The others are Ruth Bamfo Enim and Charles Theophileous Borketey-La, from the Greater Accra Region, Yabdow Naporo Adishetu and Anthony Apatika Ayine, from the Northern Region whiles Isabella A. Akambey and Nathaniel Asiak are from the Upper East Region.

The rest are Yeleweh Naratu and Laki Daniel Bakuoru, from the Upper West Region, Peace Walker and Reuben Tey Mawunyo, from Volta Region and Eunice Abrefa Appiah is from the Western Region.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur stated that in pursuit of its transformation agenda, government has introduced a number of interventions to improve education delivery.

He cited for example infrastructure development at all levels, the progressive elimination of schools under trees, the construction of multi-floor school buildings to increase enrolment and assist in the elimination of the shift system in highly populated areas as well as the provision of furniture and teaching and learning material to improve the school environment for effective teaching and learning.

He said in addition to the infrastructure development, government has also initiated social intervention programmes such as the provision of school uniforms, exercise books and lunch for needy children.

He said over 504,000 children have benefited from the free school uniforms while over 1.5 million children continue to receive one hot meal a day under the school feeding programme.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur also stated that to bridge the gender gap in access to education, government has also instituted scholarship package for girls and a take-home ration at the Junior High School level through which 55,000 girls in 75 deprive districts were provided with scholarships under the Girls Participatory Approach to Students Success.

He said additionally 800 girls commuting to school from distant places were provided with bicycles.

He said among the interventions are the Progressively Free Secondary Education and the construction of the Community Day Senior High Schools of which four have been completed, commissioned and in use.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur further stated that over the years, performance of schools in science and mathematics have been low.

He said it has therefore become the priority of government to organize training programmes to enhance the teaching skills of teachers in this field.

He said over 1,500 teachers have benefited from the enhanced methodology for improved teaching and learning especially of science and mathematics.

He said it was the expectation of Government that the WASSCE performance of students in science and mathematics in 2016 would be better than that of 2015.

Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the Minister of Education charged the award winners to continue striving for excellence in their academic pursuit and make their parents and the nation proud.

She said since the inception of the President's Independence Day Awards in 1993 about 400 students have benefited from the programme some going on to become respected and efficient professionals in many fields including education, humanities, medicine, law, business among others.

Professor Opoku-Agyemang also used the opportunity to appreciate government's commitment to secondary education through the implementation of the Progressively Free Secondary Education and the Community Day Senior High Schools project.

She assured that the Ministry of Education was working hard to realize this agenda of expanding access to and raising the quality of secondary education in the country and at all levels of education.

She said apart from the new schools, the Ministry had implemented programmes to improve facilities and learning outcomes in selected Senior Secondary Schools as part of the effort to bridge the gap in access to quality education.

Besides, each of the 20 award winners is taking home a Samsung tablet, Milo products for one year, GHa 700 cash each with GHa 200 of the amount to purchase book.

GNA
Livega (VR), March 6, GNA - Care Net Ghana (CNG), a health focused non-governmental organization is piloting tricycle ambulance services in four communities in the Akatsi South and North Districts of the Volta Region.

The ambulances, equipped with first aid facilities, stretchers, fans, seats, microphones and drip hooks are expected to help reduce maternal mortality in the two districts and enhance access to healthcare.

Mr Patrick Ahumah-Ocansey, Executive Director, CNG, presented the ambulances to the District Health directorates during the handing

over of a Community based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compound, also built by his outfit with support from partners abroad for Live rpt Live, a farming community near Akatsi.

The 80,000 euro CHPS compound has a consulting room, records, laboratory and store, a ward and two bedroom apartments with kitchen for workers.

It also has 24 hour water supply through a mechanized borehole system.

Mr Ahumah-Ocansey noted that though many district hospitals were equipped to handle complicated labour cases, the issue had been how to timely transport women in labour to the facilities.

He said pregnant women in the districts were said to be reluctant in going to health facilities due to cost of transportation and was hopeful the facility would help address those challenges.

Mr Ahumah-Ocansey said the 300,000 euro ambulance service project with support from ANESVAD would run for two years and included the training of men and women in the districts on maternal health and income generating activities.

He said health workers would also be trained on safe motherhood and data collection.

Mr Ahumah-Ocansey cautioned against the use of the tricycle ambulances as hearse.

Dr. Joseph Teye Nuertey, Volta Regional Health Director, commended CNG for the foresight and assured that the health directorate would equip the CHPS compound to begin work soon.

He said the Akatsi triangle-Akatsi South, Keta and Ketu South recorded 12 maternal deaths in 2014, but the figure went down to five in 2015 and was hopeful the intervention would further bring the cases down.

Mr Samuel Wuadi, Akatsi South District Chief Executive, said the Assembly would help position the CHPS compound for effective healthcare delivery in the communities.

'We can't continue to use motorbikes to transport our pregnant women to hospitals and we are ready to help keep the facility operational and beneficial to our people,' he said.

The CHPS compound is expected to serve 18 difficult to reach communities, where people are said to walk several kilometres to access healthcare in the District capital, Akatsi.

GNA
06.03.2016 LISTEN

(A GNA feature by Iddi Z. Yire)

Accra, March 6, GNA - It would be useful, perhaps, to attempt a definition of the term 'Statelessness' before delving into the main discussion of this write-up. Simply put, Statelessness refers to a situation whereby an individual residing in a state is denied all the privileges and rights given to its citizens because he or she has no documentation to prove that he or she is a citizen.

About a year ago, at the first Ministerial Regional Conference on Statelessness in West Africa held in Abidjan in February 2015, Ghana committed to accede to the two Statelessness Conventions by the end of 2016.

The Abidjan declaration was adopted by Heads of State and Governments of member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on May 19, 2015 in Accra under the chairmanship of Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama.

Despite the fact that this laudable initiative by the government is a step in the right direction, there is the need for government in collaboration with other stakeholders, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and civil society organisations to speed up work on the adoption of a National Action Plan to end Statelessness in the country.

The affected individuals are in that situation because they have difficulties proving they possess links to a state due, for instance, to a lack of birth registration and personal documentation that could traces their origins and confirm their identity.

Nationality is a legal bond between a person and a state, which provides people with a sense of identity but, more importantly, enables them to exercise a wide range of rights.

Without nationality, statelessness can be harmful, in some cases devastating, to the lives of the individuals concerned.

Stateless persons may find it difficult assessing job opportunities, health and educational facilities since they cannot prove their nationalities with documents.

This can create a pool of very discontented people, who then become vulnerable to criminality and all forms of extremism which can threaten the very existence of a state.

'Statelessness is a profound violation of an individual's human rights. It would be deeply unethical to perpetuate the pain it causes when solutions are so clearly within reach. This Global Action Plan sets out a strategy to put a definitive end to this human suffering within 10 years. I count on your support to help make this ambitious goal a reality,' Mr AntAnio Guterres of UNHCR stated at the signing of the Abidjan Declaration.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that 'everyone has the right to a nationality', thereby acknowledging the legal and practical importance of nationality for the enjoyment of human rights.

It is therefore, essential that the government works to make certain that everyone within Ghana's borders holds a nationality.

According to the UNHCR, the problem of statelessness remains a glaring anomaly with devastating impacts on the lives of at least 10 million people around the world who live without any nationality, out of which the West African sub-region accounts for over 750,000.

In October 2013, the UNHCR called for the 'total commitment of the international community to end statelessness'.

The Global Action Plan to End Statelessness: 2014 - 2024, which has been developed in consultation with States, civil society and international organisations, sets out a guiding framework made up of 10 Actions that need to be taken to end statelessness within 10 years.

Provided that there is adequate leadership and effective implementation of the Global Action Plan, statelessness can be ended within a decade.

The Global Action Plan includes a number of Actions to resolve existing situations of statelessness, prevent new cases of statelessness from emerging and better identify and protect stateless persons.

Some of the 10 Actions to end statelessness are: resolve existing major situations of statelessness; ensure that no child is born stateless; remove gender discrimination from nationality laws; prevent denial; loss or deprivation of nationality on discriminatory grounds and prevent statelessness in cases of State succession.

The rest are action to grant protection status to stateless migrants and facilitate their naturalization; ensure birth registration for the prevention of statelessness; issue nationality documentation to those entitled to it; accede to the UN Statelessness Conventions and improve quantitative and qualitative data on stateless populations.

According to the UNHCR, because the causes, profile and magnitude of statelessness vary, not all actions are required in all countries. Indeed, in the majority of cases, only one or two actions will be relevant to address statelessness within specific country contexts.

For this reason, the Actions presented in this Global Action Plan are not in order of implementation, priority or importance. Countries are encouraged to accomplish actions by developing and implementing National Action Plans.

These National Action Plans can set out detailed strategies to complete selected Actions and indicate detailed country-level goals and milestones.

It is recommended that National Action Plans are developed through a consultation process which includes the involvement of UNHCR; other UN and development actors and regional bodies where relevant; national institutions such as relevant ministries, parliament, and civil society and stateless groups.

In his remarks at a day's workshop on statelessness involving various stakeholders at Ho in December 2015, Mr James Agalga, the Deputy Minister for the Interior said the issue of statelessness is 'a serious human rights as well as a developmental issue which demands national attention'.

The workshop formed part of a consultative process expected to lead to the adoption of a national plan of action to end statelessness.

The Deputy Minister was of the view that ending statelessness will go a long way to contribute towards the realization of the ultimate objectives of the sustainable development goals which require legal identity for all including birth registration.

The UNHCR's Campaign to End Statelessness aims to fully resolve existing situations of statelessness and prevent new cases of statelessness during the next 10 years.

Persuading and supporting states to undertake several key actions could sever the vicious cycle of statelessness that affects millions of people globally.

The actions include ensuring that every birth is registered, thereby helping to establish legal proof of parentage and place of birth, which are key elements of proof necessary to establish nationality, and ensuring that all children are granted nationality if they would otherwise be stateless - for example, if their own parents are already stateless.

One major cause of statelessness is the existence of gaps in a country's legal regime relating to nationality. Ghana must therefore put in place a legislative framework and a National Action Plan to end stateless.

For a single child to be born within the nation's boundaries without a nationality is too many a number; and the way forward is the adoption of a National Action Plan to end Statelessness now.

GNA
Atronie (B/A), March 6, GNA - Christians who put their hopes and trust in anointing oils, stickers and wrist-bands have been advised to reconsider their ways.

Very Reverend Daniel Kwasi Tannor, the Superintendent Minister of the Sunyani Circuit of the Methodist Church Ghana, gave the advice in a sermon during a thanksgiving service to end this year's annual camp meeting of members at Atronie in the Sunyani Municipality.

The three-day event was on the theme 'Salvation Only in Jesus Christ.'

He noted that a lot of Christians nowadays had put their hope and trust in anointing oils, stickers, wrist bands and other branded items of certain pastors and churches instead of counting on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.

Very Rev. Tannor who is also the Sunyani Diocesan Synod Secretary of the Church, emphasised that such items could not guarantee anyone salvation as 'salvation can only be found in Jesus and not in any church, pastor, anointing oil, sticker and wrist bands'.

He said Heaven and hell were real, whether one believed it or not, saying, 'It is only those who are saved here on earth through Jesus Christ who will make it to Heaven'.

Very Rev. Tannor stressed that there was no repentance after death, hence people needed to be saved while they were alive.

As part of the programme, participants carried out house-to-house evangelism exercise, and therefore those who accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior were introduced at the service and formally admitted into the Church.

GNA
06.03.2016 LISTEN

Wa, March 6, GNA - Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister, has encouraged the youth to strive to achieve personal development to benefit Ghana.

He said the youth needed to be disciple, hardworking, and patriotic and have the desire to change the lives of the citizenry in a more positive way.

It is only through discipline and hard work that the youth would be able to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that came their way,' Alhaji Sulemana said at the 59th Independence Anniversary celebration held at Wa on Sunday.

Alhaji Sulemana said the chances of the youth taking over the leadership of tomorrow would depend on the development of the requisite skills and knowledge they acquired today.

He said it was for that reason government was creating the opportunities such as the provision of educational infrastructure and other social intervention programmes that would allow the youth to develop their potentials to the fullest.

The Regional Minister reminded all that the country was preparing for election this year and urged the citizenry to guard against utterances that would provoke any form of confrontation or violence.

He said government was committed to providing and assisting the Electoral Commission to conduct credible, free and fair elections and all must ensure that there was total peace in Ghana.

'Ghanaians should exhibit a high sense of dedication, commitment and be more nationalistic to support government to change our economic development for the better,' he said.

Seven Officers, 160 men from other ranks, drawn from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Immigration Service and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority participated in the event.

About 1,900 pupils and students from basic and second cycle schools as well as other voluntary groups in the Wa Municipal partook in the event

GNA
(A GNA feature by A.B. Kafui Kanyi)

Ho, March 6, GNA - Dysentery, worm infestation, typhoid and cholera are common diseases in Bakpe, a farming community near Akrofu in the Ho-West District of the Volta Region.

Children are often rushed from the community to nearby health centres for medical attention, some losing their lives along the line.

Many more people, old and young, rely on herbal preparations and destiny for healing from the diseases, with opinion leaders blaming the situation on an invasion of the community by houseflies.

Indeed, Bakpe is the hometown of houseflies. They are everywhere and one has to be extra alert, especially if you are holding ready-to-eat food.

You are also likely to swallow a couple of houseflies should you keep your mouth opened for seconds.

Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an approach to achieve sustained behaviour change in mainly rural people by a process of "triggering," leading to spontaneous and long-term abandonment of open defecation practices.

Bakpe is a candidate for CLTS. It has a very poor hygiene and open defecation is the norm. One is welcomed into the community by small pools of bathwater from bathhouses dotted around the community.

Shrubs are found around bathhouses and behind houses.

Bakpe Number One, with a population of over 400 people has only one poorly constructed communal latrine located a few metres away from the community.

That latrine serves both males and females and can only be used by two persons of same sex at a time, for which reason a good number of people in the community admitted they defecate in the open.

Emmanuel Dorla, Chief of the Community in an interaction with journalists and a team from the Environmental Health and Sanitation Department of the Local Government and Rural Development said children defecate in the open but their parents 'clear them'.

Available statistics in 2015 indicate that about 19 per cent of Ghanaians, representing nearly five million people, defecate in the open every day with the practice exerting significant financial pressure on the nation running into about 79 million dollars annually.

People in Bakpe are part of that percentage with their domestic animals - goats, dogs and fowls competing with humans in free range Open Defecation (OD).

The World Health Organization says, 'using proper toilets and hand washing - preferably with soap - prevents the transfer of bacteria, viruses and parasites found in human excreta which otherwise contaminate water resources, soil and food.

'This contamination is a major cause of diarrhoea, the second biggest killer of children in developing countries, and leads to other major diseases such as cholera, schistosomiasis, and trachoma.'

Schoolchildren in the community are served free meals (school feeding) in an open kitchen very close to a bathhouse, with flies traversing between the kitchen and the bath area.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) spotted a few pupils stepping into bathwater meandering through the kitchen as they jostled in a windy queue to be served free meals.

A girl was also spotted cleaning her 'backside' with leaves in a bush after using the school toilet, with the excuse of no anal cleansing material in the toilet built by Pencils of Promise, an NGO.

After talking to the GNA reluctantly, the Class Two pupil hopped out of the bush and rushed to join her friends who were playing under a mango tree.

Kpale-xorse, a homogenous Church community whose residents are all members of the Christ Apostolic Faith, is a sharp contrast to Bakpe.

Kpale-xorse is known for the belief in faith healing as against the use of orthodox medicine and other scientific ways of healthy living.

In the year 2000, the community came into local and international media for preventing medical teams from immunizing their children against polio, arguing that no medicine can cure humans except the power of God.

Interestingly, the people welcomed CLTS of the Ghana Government and UNICEF Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in 2012, which they said was in line with Deuteronomy 23:12-14.

After officers of the Environmental Health Office in Ho triggered the community on CLTS, natural leaders took up the campaign to eradicate open defecation totally in the community and encourage every household to own toilets and hand-washing facilities.

Within three months, over 60 per cent of the households owned toilets and hand-washing facilities, leading to the declaration of the community as among the first five Open Defecation Free (ODF) communities in the Volta Region in 2012.

Currently, over 80 per cent of households own toilets and locally made hand-washing facilities with houses yet to have toilets sharing with their neighbours, Madam Janet Abiwu, Natural Leader in the Community told journalists and a team of officers from the Environmental Health Department and UNICEF during a tour of the community.

The GNA observed that the town is very clean. Houses, lanes and alley-ways and other public places, well swept with no sign of rubbish anywhere.

Pastor Henry Johnson, an Assistant Pastor in the Church said the Church was built on biblical principles which prescribed cleanliness as an attribute of God so it capitalized on the CLTS campaign to enforce such provisions in the Bible.

He said the Church disabused the minds of the people that household toilets are for the rich and encourage them to own the facility as demanded by God.

The community has no drinking spots as the people do not take alcoholic beverages. The GNA was also told the community never had issues of teenage pregnancy because adolescents are strictly entreated to abstain from sex until they are married and polygamy and concubines prohibited.

Madam Abiwu said in the last three years, people in the community were able to save enough money from not visiting the hospital, which they mobilized to construct a Junior High School for the community.

The GNA learnt that because of the Church's principles on cleanliness since 1931, the life expectancy of people in the community is around 90 years, and that the youngest person who died in the community was 58 years.

Mr Emmanuel Addai, Communication Consultant, Environmental Health and Sanitation Department, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development says access to water and improved sanitation has a direct influence on life expectancy.

Indications are that CLTS is changing open defecation behaviours in thousands of rural communities.

As at the end of 2014, none of the 769 rural communities in the Volta Region where CLTS had been introduced had reported a cholera case since the outbreak in June that year, which affected 680 people in the Region - an indication that the Region could achieve its target of open defecation-free by December 2016 but of course having to work on Bakpe and a few other OD communities.

It is recommended that ODF communities, which are now racing to be declared sanitized communities must mentor OD communities.

There should be a network of natural leaders - a platform for sharing ideas and experiences to fast-track CLTS campaign aimed at 'killing' the habit of endemic open defecation in the Volta, Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Central regions by 2020.

It is worth noting that the world has become a global village and one can find him/herself in any community anytime, hence the need for cooperation and collaboration in addressing the challenge.

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies must also demonstrate commitment to the course and support the efforts of the locals in constructing household toilets and access to water.

Financial institutions could also come in with soft loans to help the locals overcome financial challenges in achieving their targets of being ODF.

That way, the country would be inching towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal Six - access to clean water and sanitation, ahead of 2030.

GNA
Cape Coast, March 6, GNA - The Central Regional Minister, Mr. Kwaku Rickets-Hagan on Sunday cautioned Ghanaians to be mindful of their utterances and actions in this election year in order not to destabilise the peace in the country.

He said Ghana was relatively the most peaceful country in a troubled sub-saharan region and therefore could not take the peace it enjoyed for granted.

Mr. Kwaku Rickets-Hagan said this when he reviewed the 59th Independence Anniversary Parade held at the Jubilee Park in Cape Coast, under the theme, "Investing in the Youth for Ghana's Transformation' on Sunday.

More than 1,500 security personnel form the Police, Fire Service, Prisons and Immigration, school cadet corps as well as school children from basic and senior high schools and youth organizations took part.

Superintendent of Police Godfred Obeng Asare commanded the parade and the Regional Police Regimental Band provided music alongside a cultural display performance by the Cape Coast School for the Deaf and the Ghana National College.

The Ghana National College School Choir treated the large number of celebrants, including Ministers of State, MPs and Party officials to some patriotic songs and choral music, with admiration.

The Regional Minister stressed that the independence anniversary should not be limited to fanfare and merry making, but rather must be used to ponder on the aspirations and visions of the founding fathers to make the country free, united, peaceful and prosperous.

He noted with concern that a cursory look at the developmental progress of the country since independence shows that a high level of economic development have been relentless.

He stated that it was in recognition of such imbalances in the development of the country that the NDC Government initiated the "Better Ghana Agenda" to invest in the people, especially the youth to bring out real transformation in the socio economic conditions of the citizenry.

Touching on the theme for this year's celebration, he said it was appropriate to have a nation with an educated, skilled, well-informed and morally sound youth to take up the mantle of leadership to build a prosperous society in future.

Mr Rickets-Hagan admonished the elderly to offer the needed support to the younger generation using the available resources for them to attain their full potentials.

He commended workers both in the private and public sectors for working hard to make life worth living in the Central Region.

Certificates of participation were presented to school children who excelled in the March pass.

Wesley Girls High School Cadet came first in the cadets' category, Holy Child School came first in the Senior High category and the Girls Brigade took the first position in the youth organizations category.

Samo Primary School and Mary Queen of Peace were first in the Primary and Junior High categories respectively.

GNA
The Writer

06.03.2016 LISTEN

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, and Patriarch Kirill, Moscows and Rus-sias Orthodox Patriarch, met in the VIP room of the Havana International Airport on 12 February 2016, 1,000 after the last similar event (the Great Schism of 1054, when the East-European churches denied the authority of Vatican). Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill signed a seven-page common statement that comprises 30 paragraphs. We mention that the first common statement of Pope Paul IV and the Patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul),

Athenagoras I, was simultaneously read in public gatherings in Rome and Istanbul on 7 December 1965. The Catholic church has approximately 1.2 billion believers, while the Orthodox church incudes 14 self-headed regional churches (fully independent administratively) and the American Orthodox church with approximately 300 million believers.

The significance of this meeting can have an important role in the further closeness of the two churches, but a realist analysis indicates several elements worth mentioning here.

Patriarch Kirill, aged 69, desired to have an important role in Orthodoxy and a meeting with Pope Francis would have helped the desire to enhance its importance. President Putin had an important role in the achievement of this objective because he had previously (2014) met Pope Francis in Vatican and Kirill must have had Kremlins agreement in his intention, in the context of sanctions imposed to Russia after the annexation of Crimea, the other actions in the east of Ukraine and the direct military intervention in Syria.

There are even speculations about Putin being a protector of the Christians in the Middle East, since neither the Vatican, nor the other Orthodox churches have done almost anything to avoid the killing and flight of the Christians in the region or their persecution for the simple reason that they were Christian. Alexander Volkov, the spokesperson of Patriarch Kirill said that he guarantees 100% that the meeting of the two religious leaders had nothing to do with politics. We also mention here that Patriarch Kirill sup-ported Putin at the 2012 elections, when he called him a miracle form God and the Russian Orthodox church traditionally maintains close connections with the state.

Pope Francis, aged 79, of Argentinian origin, is distanced from the period of the Cold War in Europe and from the actions of the USSR and of Russia in the east of Europe, which led to an attitude that favored Kremlins diplomatic actions to get close to Vatican. The difficulty of this meeting is given by the place and time decided on, Cuba being a predominantly Catholic country, but politically close to Russia. After Cuba, the Pope travelled to Mexico and Patriarch Kirill went to Paraguay.

As mentioned before, the Common Statement that has been signed referred (paragraphs 8, 9 and 10) to the situation of the Christians that have been victims of persecutions in many countries in the Middle East and North Africa, entire families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are completely ex-terminated and asked for the immediate reaction of the international community in order to prevent the continuous expulsion of Christians in the Middle Eastexpressing compassion for the sufferance of peo-ple with other religions that turned into the victims of the civil war, chaos and terrorist violence.

Paragraph 16 refers to the process of European integration, hinting at the danger of the Muslim migration and of other religious groups, by mentioning that Being open to the contribution of other religions to our civilization, it is our belief that Europe must remain committed to its Christian roots. We ask the Christians in the East and West of Europe to uniteso that Europe preserves its spirit, which has been built in two thousand years of Christian traditions.

We also mention paragraphs 19 and 20, which say that family is based on marriage, a free consented act of love between a man and a woman. Family is the natural core of human life and society.

The meeting was also a good opportunity for the Russian Orthodox church to stand out, considering that in June 2016 a historical meeting of all the Orthodox churches is scheduled to take place in Crete, and the meeting of the Russian Patriarch with the Pope could help the Russian church enhance its role within the other Orthodox churches, considering that it has lost much of its influence in Ukraine and the unity of Or-thodoxy is far from being achieved. We can also relate this to the situation of the Orthodox church in the Republic of Moldova, where the Russian church is trying and succeeding to maintain its positions, al-though it has lost full control of all the Orthodox Christians in this country. Overall, we could say that President Putin was the biggest winner in the meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill.

Corneliu PIVARIU is a founder and editor-in-chief of the Geostrategic Pulse  think-tank and foreign policy magazine
06.03.2016 LISTEN

Some have rightly observed, in relationships between the powerful and the weak, that things change only to remain the same. Things have the appearance of change to those who trivialize their existence; those who hope but will not do what will realize that hope, but are content with expectation. Expectation by itself never produced any effect. Those who are averse to conscious sacrifice, who shy from a confrontation of their reality in futile hope that justice or prosperity is inevitable will only see generations pass whiles their existence worsens.

The change we desire as Ghanaians will never be brought about as easily as merely hoping in a democracy. Other sons of Afrika have preached the Ballot or the Bullet, which we ought to listen and learn from. The Montgomery Bus Boycott by our kindred in America was not achieved by a single days protest but lasted a full thirteen months. And if we think that is of no consequence to us, let us know that our Ministers of State faced the same discrimination in the USA in the 1960s which we doubtless would have faced today were it not for their struggle.

Were it not for the courage of these people, some old men and women; young children refusing to board buses but would walk miles to school; old women and men refusing to board public buses but would walk miles to work for 381 days: this was in a country which they couldnt call their own yet. But we live in our own country governed by those who say they are our own people; not as a minority by any means, and yet we fear to challenge these people who appoint themselves to power. If we would live in peace, preferring an unfulfilling existence as the lowest of subservient nations, devoid of true pride, not wanting to challenge our governments except one or two ego-boosting by we-the-people then, although we express strong discontent with our economic and socio-political lives, as The Lord said you will die in your sins.

What does freedom mean to us as a nation, and why do we celebrate freedom when we are unwilling to do what it takes to be free? Our forebears endured humiliation from Europeans and Arabs for centuries and eventually fought it, leaving us a heritage to continue. But we seem always ready to give this away to those same Europeans and Arabs for miserable pottage which, rather than satisfy the urgent hunger we think we have, maintains us in an undiscriminating and mindless state of wanting more. The Scripture says of Esau, though he sought his heritage bitterly, he could not find it when he needed it most, having sold it in his moment of need.

When we despise our God given heritage in our own land and resources, unwilling to use our intellect, always ready to fulfil immediate wants rather than lasting needs, we will sell whatever we have, not only to those who enslaved and colonized us but, even worse, to those who were themselves colonized. Whiles we wait for manna even our basic text books are now imported from India and Malaysia who were as colonized as we were. The Scriptures say Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; My Father gives you the True Bread from Heaven. This bread requires bloody sacrifice otherwise God Himself will despise us.

If our basic text books were still Jack and Jill it would be tolerable; because we were forcibly colonized by others who were only superior at war, and violence, and inhumanity, but by no means in intellect. Intellect may be unstimulated which does not make it inferior. Those systems of slavery and colonialism were forcibly imposed. But how do we now respond to questions about India and China and other little countries like Turkey and Spain, who are 3rd rate amongst their fellow Europeans, sprawling all over our economies? Our cities are littered to our shame with campuses of Indian and Chinese universities and we are proud of having been there. Are we devoid of intelligence? Our universities started by competing amongst other very good universities in the world but what now? Our government do not encourage its own citizens to create our own learning materials like other governments do; they do not provide a context for our education, but they still want to govern us.

Education is not merely learning a subject regardless of its source but must be self-conscious. Self-conscious education is the only means of solving a communitys social, economic, or governance problems and education must be seen to be directly confronting these problems. Otherwise its products will merely want a good income without regard to the greater good. Though government speaks of entrepreneurship we do not make entrepreneurs by merely educating. Government needs to actively create opportunity for entrepreneurship and can only do so by providing meaningful opportunities, example, by not importing educational books from India but make it competitive for Ghanaian authors and publishers to create content, or by encouraging our farmers to grow cotton for our own textile industry as other countries like China do that want to export to us? When we unconsciously drive away the products of our education by not creating real opportunity they only seek employment with foreign organizations, and we facilitate our exploitation. Whether AngloGold, or Ghacem, or Ghana Telecom, or Standard Chartered Bank, because we fail to invest meaningfully in solving our problems these sectors of our economies are always ready for foreign investment. And these investors, when they come, create some jobs, pay some taxes and royalties, and leave us with more pollution of our water-bodies, more mental lethargy to do anything meaningful for ourselves but to be employed by foreign companies, and more pro-west minded and apathy towards the liberation our forebears fought for. Was this the vision of Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey, Patrice Lumumba, Amilcar Cabral, and the very noble people behind the struggle against colonialism that Afrikans merely educate to be employees of western organizations?

When every aspect of your economy is dominated by foreigners - real estate, the best health care, all textiles and clothing, the best education, and even mere food peddlers like fast foods and restaurants - what do we believe that we do? How is our education solving our problems when we cannot grow our own cotton to make our own underwear? How is our education solving our problems when we cannot make construction materials from resources we have in abundance but import everything? If a government merely spends on education rather than invest then this outcome is expected; we will open ourselves to any other nation to pursue their national interest at our expense; they will offer to create jobs in those same areas where our government should have created opportunity for their own as every other government in Europe or India or America or China does. If mere infrastructure that we did not build, or the many jobs we did not create, or nice clothing which we did not make are signs of progress then we dishonor those foundational constructs of freedom, self-determination, and forbearance in endurance that any of the credible society built without exploiting others has been built on.

No nation achieved progress by being educated or invested in by other nations unless there was a strong self-interest. The Koreans and Japanese achieved progress because they were helped by the Americans and Europeans in whose self-interest it was to keep them as a buffer to communism. If we believe Europeans, Indians, Americans and Chinese have our progress at heart, in the light of the experience of Congo, Namibia, Azania, and most instructive today, Zimbabwe, then we ought to examine our minds. They never shared our social or economic problems except to exploit us, whether through the violence of slavery and colonialism, or subtly through globalization or Foreign Direct Investment today. Let us not dishonor those who began our independence by protesting so-called win-win internationalism.

If it were so then why is it that any meaningful effort we have made at being a strong Africa that is internationally competitive perceived as a threat to the West? Let us not look for simple-minded answers like Nkrumah went socialist and therefore became a threat to America. Where was that terror from evil communism when the West supported Jonas Savimbi in the Angola for over 20 years, whose movement was avowed communist? How about their failure to honor the compact negotiated at Zimbabwes independence which was the principal cause of Robert Mugabes actions on land redistribution? Zimbabwe is not struggling today because of land redistribution but because of the West imposing sanctions against Zimbabwe, when they are the ones who have dishonored the agreement on land redistribution. If they are our development partners why is it that every effort we make at integrating into the global economy leaves us worse of and gives away more control of our wealth and affairs to foreign investors? If it were all about win-win why do we have issues about unfair pricing for our products on the international market? Colonialism does not have to be a physical replacement of your government but, when foreign interests dominate your affairs you are also colonized. How do they seek our interest when our kindred living in the Americas are discriminated against by those who are supposedly there for their welfare? I am talking about Margaret Sanger, J. Edgar Hoover, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and many more. How then, by the rationality God created in us, will any education they provide be relevant to us? We look all around us and we see Indian and Chinese universities, Indian international schools. We seem to be willing colonization this time.

So, once again, good fortune has done its annual circuit and stares us in the face, as if in mockery. Regardless of our wishful hopes, regardless of our faith, it stares at us, as if perplexed that despite its repeated calling we remain only half-awake from slumber. The only reasonable expectation of those who sleep, content to watched over by those who themselves sleep, is only a fools regret. Fortune makes mockery of our independence and our free and democratic governance. The 6th of March is here again and might as well be a joyous commemoration of the signing of the bond of 1844. And, if 1844 is of no significance, then the point is strengthened that our education is without context and, as a nation, we are coasting aimlessly as a rudderless ship, hoping against all reasonable expectation, despite the visible storms buffeting us, that we will somehow escape shipwreck.

That we sit unconcerned about our collective future and that of our posterity is self-evident. The recent warnings which have hit us, at which any solicitous for their lives would not sit idly, seem to be a matter of jest or crass humour. How have we fallen so low from the heights of Nkrumah, Busia, and JB Danquah to those like Rawlins up to the current government who, doubtless, should be committed to institutions of special education? Whoever imagined that our nation, once the pride of Africa and a champion of economic and political independence across the continent, would become so bereft of self-worth? We cannot sink lower than a government, pretending to represent the people, to dare to even consider accommodating characters so abhorred by the lands of their own origin; accursed terrorists on the land our ancestors fought for to drive away the same colonial terrorists and exploiters, unless we vote this government back into power. As a people who have endured the worst form of terrorism by slavery and colonialism by Arabs and Europeans for well over 1000 years up to 1957, having won our freedom continuing to show solidarity with our brothers in Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa until they got independence this makes no sense unless we have totally lost our minds. And, as if fortune would immediately expose the stupidity of this particular expression of the legendary Ghanaian hospitality, about the same time, there were two attacks by that ghoulish fraternity in Burkina Faso, then in Mali, not reckoning their bloodiness in Nigeria, Cameroun, Niger and Chad for close to 5 years. Those of us who reckon by the grace of God must account for this grace in the of the governments decision to accommodate these people. In the absence of grace there can only be disgrace and this must surely reflect on us and our government if we are godly at all. God's grace cannot be with us when we dishonor Him by such stupidity or sit by idly, still hoping on His grace to redeem us from our economic, political, and social and, I daresay, very obvious spiritual problems because God is wisdom, and to be other than wise cannot be godly.

We read about that demonstration of sustained protest by our worthy ancestors of the pre-independence era which was the catalyst for the beginning of our independence. Without this resistance, it is likely our independence would have delayed significantly. So, on the 6th of March every year, regardless of the foreboding of our political and economic course, we have made it routine to congregate on amid noise and parade celebrating what national purpose? Let us not speak of independence for, were we truly cognizant of independence and the pain, suffering, and endurance it took our forebears to begin our journey to freedom; were we truly working towards that goal of black African economic and social empowerment, we would not have been brought to this pass.

A culturally illiterate and degenerate society is what our lack of leadership from Rawlins to present has begotten, and all that was won seems unappreciated and utterly lost in ignorance by these leaders and by us as well. We may be spared because few of us have been exposed to education and global affairs as these leaders have. Whatever education we get now by default is not targeted at awareness or our own industriousness, own culture, or own economies; but there is a wholesale ambition of our educated people to work for foreign organizations, or to be affiliated with foreign companies in one way or other.

As mentioned earlier we must surely now know, as adults and hopefully godly too, that ones education must necessarily be targeted towards solving ones communitys socio-economic, intellectual, and governance problems unless the community is really non-existent. And, if it is non-existent then what independence do we celebrate? Our failure to elect governments that are representative of the aspirations of our people is indicative of the irrelevance of the kind of education we are receiving. That is why we have had those governments from Rawlins to date, including John Kufuor, who was more intoxicated by power than any good desire for the wellbeing of our country. For he quickly forgot that he only attained power by the joint action of people of this country the world over, who came down at their own cost to ensure free and fair elections; no less the opposition who overtly lent him their support and votes; this man threw it all away, preferring to massage his ambitions at self-aggrandizement by conferring dubious honors on all sorts, no less imposing his own candidate regardless of what the party needed for victory. Therefore hear we are again, saddled with the same government we painfully endured for decades, surely the worst assemblage of people ever to be called a government, exceeding even Mobutu of Zaire, because Mobutu was imposed. However, this government, regardless of any rigging, obviously had some credible votes.

Nature teaches us a law of compensation; a willfully illiterate population, totally oblivious that action necessarily begets a reaction, seems not to have understood that nothing progressive develops without a cultural awakening and a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a struggle as an illustrious ancestor succinctly expressed. We cannot change the course of our ship without a conscious and persistent struggle for a change of the system that allows a few to elect from amongst themselves and then present their choices as candidates for us to choose from. This is our democracy in sum.

If the opposition mandated by the constitution to ensure accountability of government is not in lockstep with the challenge, especially when government mindlessly incurs debts the public cannot afford in pursuit of quixotic development agendas that no one understands; when the government obviously misappropriates public funds meant for specific purposes like public health insurance and is not challenged; when the government mismanages the economy so that individual social security becomes worthless at retirement, not counting the future distress that would bring on the next generation, then we must make alternative challenges to government other than that opposition. But if they must be our opposition, then we must make them see what we feel, not what agenda they think is relevant.

I make a proposition that every Ghanaian with income in excess of $30,000 pa contribute $3,000.00  $20,000.00 pa towards our national debt. If this is folly, then we must be aware that the government when it incurs a debt does incurs it not on itself nor its operatives but on us, at the cost of good education, good healthcare, and a meaningful livelihood for ourselves in our own native country. Is not the opposition, full of statesmen as they like to address themselves, able to sustain challenges to government at international fora on our debt? How are we able to account for in excess of $20b now when we had to be forgiven $6b? We begin to organize ourselves and intelligently take up the task of confronting and challenging brutish government through persistent well-organized protests.

It is fools hope to believe the present electoral system will ever be efficacious of any good. If so, why has it not produced an Nkrumah or Busia or JB Danquah after more than 20 years? Yes, and even an IK Acheampong. IK Acheampongs government was the first government to continue a development agenda created by another party; it was I.K. Acheampong who rallied us around true nation-building memes including Operation Feed Yourself. He, first, stood up to the west by refusing to honor strangling debts we could not afford to pay without further entangling ourselves in more indebtedness. Yes, this caused sanctions and sanctions were the primary cause of the scarcity and economic problems which some exploited to fan public outrage at the government for corruption. Corruption has proven to be the easiest rallying cry of any phony malcontent who wants to experiment his narrow ideas of a utopian society without corruption.

If one is unwilling to accept that nation-building and self-determination require conscious sacrifice and a willingness to endure hardship for a better future then, as a farmer looks at the seed that he would otherwise sow, but chooses to satisfy immediate hunger, we will also be confronted with the reality that harvest will never come. Then, we open ourselves to be prey of the worst people like Rawlins who, obviously, is only Ghanaian by adoption. No biracial person is naturally Ghanaian, but must go through due process to establish his citizenship. This is the man, who by unfortunate happenstance exposed our simplicity when we acclaimed the murder of our own kith and kin, full-blooded Ghanaians, whom time has proven more innocent than he by any measure.

This man who killed Generals Acheampong, Akuffo, Afrifa, Utuka, the Supreme Court judges, and many more, for no reason other than the typical mania about corruption everywhere. After 20 years in power, what did he beget but transforming Ghana from one of the best educated countries in Africa to one of the worst, if not the worst? To a country notorious for international fraud and hapless youth dabbling in amoral music and spiritism instead of worthier nation building pursuits?

Doubtless, this thought has not crossed the mind of the Ghanaian of legendary hospitality to all that is foreign, but not solicitous for ourselves, not realizing that this is self-loathing. Always ready to accept any appearance of a European, Arab, and now Chinese and Indians. Our men and women now name themselves by Indian names we did not know during colonialism.

When we take only a few hours to celebrate our independence on 6th March, and our succeeding generations do not know the history of how the Europeans humiliated our chiefs, making King Prempeh kiss the boots of the governor, of why the English murdered Sergeant Adjetey, Private Odartey Lamptey, and Corporal Attipoe, or the mass protests by our mothers, the market women and trades people against the colonial government, and the reasons underlying those protests then, that we expose our nakedness ourselves when we support such people as Rawlins and any other government following that tradition, or any other non-representative government.

We as Ghanaians surely live amongst untold riches, well-governed and very satisfied with our lot, therefore, most unlike our predecessors, we feel no urge to stand up against bad and illegitimate government - not constitutionally, unless, like myself, you consider the constitution a product of duress and unilateral action of a military government and therefore unable to address the most important challenges to good governance in our young country. Even some amongst the so-called defenders of the constitution, at the time when they had opportunity to be relevant to the people, failed to rise to the values of their own profession and, regardless of the strength of evidence attesting to fraud in the past contested elections, denied the rights of the people to a free and fair process to choose whom would to lead them to their aspirations.

I wonder, now, what we will be celebrating. The arrival of the terrorists? Only Ghana can take in these people? If they posed an existential threat to the United States, how come they are less so to us? Why not their kith and kin in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia? Are they not Arabs? Are Dubai and Kuwait not wealthy enough to absorb them? Will thy not find their flock in Syria and Iraq? What evil influence gave such an idea to the government? From a founding member of the Organization of African Unity we must surely be astonished, especially when we see what these same people doing our neighboring countries. If we do not surely stink in the nostrils of our fellow Africans, if there is no public rebuke or sanction from the African Union, then we must question the mission of that organization as well for the brutality that prevailed in Kenya, South Africa, and in Zimbabwe prior to their independence was terrorism, and we fought and imposed sanctions against those governments to bring them down.

God does not save fools. He may save from unintentional ignorance but not folly. If we profess godliness and yet allow flagrant idiocy no salvation from God is coming. This is what the wisdom of God says: "I will reject you when your calamity comes because you did not heed when I called". Indeed, if we say we are made wise by God's wisdom, yet allow this to prevail, we do dishonor Gods wisdom. If we want a good future in our God given land for our own children, then we have to fight for it. Otherwise, in God's sight, we are profane as Esau who gave up his birthright because he was unwilling to endure hunger for a moment.

We must confront government. The confrontation will not end by removing a particular bad government by election as we are taught to believe. Our struggle must be to make whoever professes to be authorized by the constitution to govern immediately challengeable by and accountable to the people. Our challenge is to make our elections drastically affordable, so that any government operative, whether parliamentarian or president, can be removed before his term if incompetent. Our campaign must eliminate private funding from our public elections. Worthy governments will never arise from a few ego-boosting or feel-good protests.

But we must first vote against this government. Then begin the campaign for an amendment to the constitution with a more intelligent government. Require an annulment of the mandatory 4-year term for any elected officer. Campaign for true local elections, not politically imposed persons in local government constituencies, and a proportional distribution of the budget to all local governments. The constitution is as is willed by the people and not the Ten Commandments. The constitution needs to change for us regain our proper course again and steer towards our destination otherwise our ship is sinking.

Let us not mock godliness by thinking it is un-Christian to protest. Godliness is wisdom and godly men endure for the uplifting of the downtrodden. The strong must protect the weak, the widow and the fatherless. We will be destroyed as a nation if we continue this course. Pray for your government but not the ungodly government. YAH never intended the ungodly to govern.

Kwamena Egyir Odoom

[email protected]
The last time 6th March fell on a Sunday was 2011.

You would have thought that a religious Sunday stood as a direct threat to the celebration of 59th Independence Day celebration.

But there would be no evidence of this at the Black Stars Square today.

It was a very youthful celebration. Only a veneer of older folks. Maybe they were tired. Tired of a routine without results, tired of hope, retreating in their expectation for younger waves of optimism to flood the Independence Square.

After a week of a presidency under attack and on the attack, it was really refreshing to meet Ghanaians united in their celebration of Independence Day.

Teens and school children who had no idea about the GDP numbers, had a good idea of why they were at the Square. Ghana is 59years. One march for my school, one march for Ghana.

Nice socks...would you like one of these for work?



Predictably the simmering sun timed out some of the students from continuing with the celebration. They collapsed. Perhaps their first scars for Ghana. Of course, they should expect a hearty tease from their colleagues come Tuesday.

Yet each collapsing student was a metaphor of resilience in the sun. Can the Ghanaian give his last drop of faith and steadfast hope in the blistering time of national challenge or if you like the opposition version  a national crisis?

And perhaps even more ardent were foreign nationals who joined in.

They could be seen in threes and fours soaking in very piece of the celebration. Ghanaians would soak up the economy later on Monday. But today, lets all soak in the sun.

The military display included some dropping out of the skies in some movie-style rescue operation.

You always felt proud of the military. And seeing a female soldier always had a certain exciting tinge. They were beauty in the beast.

You could see there is a deliberate attempt to showcase the feminine feel in the security forces. And it worked. Fierce feminity, fatal beauties trained into beasts of war.

A set of Ghanas most hilarious actors joined the march. Nobody expected them to look coordinated. And so they werent. But from the look on Papa Niis face and figure, everyday ought to be an Independence Day Parade for him if he is to trim the imposing one-pack into anything like a six-pack.

After a routine inspection and a march, the President was remarkably brief.

Let's just say this is unisex



Coming from an over 3-hour monologue at the State of the Nation Address, 15-minutes today was great for those who braced the sun. The applause for him included a thank-you for being brief. But it included a recognition that we had reached the high point of the celebration.

And it was a good speech too.

Except for the point about that the 1957 vision of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah  to demonstrate to the world and other nations that we are prepared to lay our own foundation and our own African personality - has been fulfilled.

[R] NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia



President Rawlings remembered that he is a product of Achimota School

President Rawlings and Accra regional Police PRO Efia Tenge

President John Kufuor



Gospel music star 'DSP Kofi Sarpong' returned to his professional duties as SP Kofi Sarpong

TV3 photojournalist Shiela Ayerki Nanor



NDC National Vice-Chair Antia De-sooso 'bodyguards' embattled NDC Parliamentary candidate for Klottey Korle Zanetor Rawlings.

[Middle] Veteran NDC politician ET Mensah



Foreign minister Hannah Serwaa Tetteh



The Independence Square was a place for lot of brisk business. But salvation was still free.

President Kufuor, former First Lady Nana Agyeman Rawlings and President Rawlings - isn't that beautiful to behold?

The man who wants to give the next Independence Day speech, the 2016 NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo was there.

President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta was the special guest of honour
The Atiwa District Chief Executive (DCE) fell at the district Independence Day parade and was rushed in an ambulance to an unknown destination.

Emmanuel Atta Twum was said to have collapsed when reading his speech at the Kwabeng Presbyterian park today in Atiwa in the Eastern region.

Today's incident happens to be the third time the DCE has collapsed at a public function.

Twum collapsed at the district's Farmers Day celebration December last year when delivering a speech.

He fell again in Koforidua and was rushed to the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua during a meeting with the Eastern Regional executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He was said to have fallen when responding to accusations of neglect by his constituency executives.

More to follow.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim | Email: [email protected]
Accra, Mar. 6, GNA - President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya has affirmed his country's commitment to enhance its cordial relations with Ghana.

He also expressed his country's desire to continue working closely with Ghana to further strengthen the cooperation for their common benefit.

President Kenyatta said this when he delivered a speech as the Special Guest of Honour at the 59th Ghana's Independence Day celebration held at the Black Star Square.

Other important dignitaries at the colourful parade include President JosA MArio Vaz of Guinea Bissau, Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, Speaker of Parliament and Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Wood.

The rest are the First lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, the Second lady, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, former President Jerry John Rawlings and former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

The leaders of other political parties present include flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) and Dr Henry Dan Lartey, leader of the Great Consolidated People's Party (GCPP).

President Uhuru Kenyatta also called on President Mahama to join forces with his country to fight the threat of terrorism in the continent.

He said if the continent is to preserve the gains of independence and the values of democracy, there is the need for continuous cooperation and heightening of security.

"It cannot be that terrorist attacks become the norm rather than the exception," he said.

President Kenyatta said peace and security played the key role in the economic growth and sustainable development of both countries and the continent.

He said the vision of a unified continent must not be lost because of the recent spates of terrorist attacks in the continent.

He said this is a special time when the leadership of all the countries on the continent must come together to champion the fight against extremism.

He said Kenyans are ready to join Ghanaians to put up a good fight to defeat the enemies threatening the way of life of people of the continent.

President Kenyatta commended President Mahama for his leadership in the country and sub-Saharan Africa.

He also lauded the people of Ghana for keeping the peace in the country.

He said this is the time for the country to 'take stock of what has been achieved and what needs to be done.'

GNA
Half-Assini (W/R), Mar. 6, GNA - Ghanaians have been urged to imbibe time tested-values like patriotism, hard work, selflessness, tenacity of purpose of the nation's founders as they strove for the nation's transformation.

Mr George William Somiah, the Jomoro District Chief Executive, said this when he addressed a parade of school children and other observers including government officials, traditional authorities and the general public to mark the 59th independence anniversary celebration of the District at Half-Assini.

The celebration is under the theme: "Investing in the Youth for Ghana's Transformation".

Thirty schools in the District including Half-Assini and Annor Adjaye Senior High Schools as well as Half-Assini Masquerade took part in the three-hour march past.

For the first time in the history of the area, this year's anniversary was attended by a high powered Ivorian Government delegation led by Sous Prefect of Noe, Mousier Traore Brahima.

Samiah Yaba Nkrumah,the former Jomoro MP, was also present.

The DCE said Ghanaians have every cause to celebrate the independence because it did not come on a silver platter but men and women sacrificed their lives for this great nation.

He said Ghana's multi-party democracy continues to be entrenched whilst an enabling environment is being created for citizens to fulfill their dreams and aspirations in life.

Mr Somiah called on the youth serve the great nation with diligence and the best of their ability in whatever capacity they find themselves.

Nzemaman Preparatory and Christian Academy Schools, both of Half-Assini, won the best March-Pass award for Primary and the JHS levels respectively.

GNA
06.03.2016 LISTEN

Tarkwa (W/R) Mar. 6, GNA - A parade of school children, workers and voluntary organisations on Sunday converged at the Tarkwa Na Aboso Park to commemorate the 59th Independence Day anniversary.

Mrs Christiana Kobinah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, said the massive investment made in education has yielded positive results for the municipality.

She cited the 2015 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results as a clear manifestation, saying the Education Directorate presented 2,755 candidates, out of which 2,314 scored aggregate six to 36, representing 84 percent pass.

She said 24 boys and 15 girls scored aggregate six while 238 boys and 204 girls obtained aggregate seven to 15 respectively.

The MCE said last year's results witnessed a significant improvement over the previous years, stressing that no school in the municipality scored zero percent.

Mrs Kobinah said despite the successes chalked in the BECE, some candidates failed to turn-up to write the examination while some female candidates got pregnant and refused to write their papers.

She called on parents to urge their children to concentrate on their studies to enable them become responsible leaders.

Some candidates who excelled in the BECE and West African Senior School Certificate Examinations were presented with prizes.

Some dignitaries that graced the occasion included the Municipal Education Director, Mrs Veronica Ama Jackson and the Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Paul Ayittey, as well as the Member of Parliament, for the area Mrs Gifty Eugenia Kusi.

GNA
Disqualified CPP Flagbearer aspirant, Dr. Onzy Nkrumah, has described Ghana as a failed state, fifty-nine years after Independence. He said this on Saturday, 5th March 2016 edition of Prime FM's current affairs programme, Wonsom Wonsom, hosted by Onua Kojo Nkansah as a special guest.

Mincing no words, the disputed "second son" of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the founder of modern Ghana, who was born ten days after Ghana gained Independence from the Great Britain on 6th March, 1957, posited that, "Ghana is well endowed but is not well managed. If we think we are doing well then we are deceiving ourselves."

He touted his father's achievements saying, "within eight years or few months that my father was serving this nation, this nation actually achieved incredible achievements...that is the normal period of any president now."

Further, he challenged Ghanaians to mention one head of state after Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who achieved one-tenth of his achievements. "How many presidents managed to do one-tenth of what Kwame Nkrumah did? Just name one," he challenged.

When the host drew his attention to the achievements of former Heads of State General Kutu Acheampong and Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, he said he had a lot of respect for both, but insisted they did nothing worthy of note when they were in charge of Ghana.

"With all due respect, apart from giving away all these factories and...the Ghana Airways and the Shipping line, the skeletons that were struggling to survive, he [Rawlings] helped them to finish them off. He would not dare to say he had succeeded."

"He wanted to do well but had no idea what to do," he added.

He likened the ruling NDC to a Frankenstein monster that has become an albatross around Ghana's neck. "It only knows how to mobilize to win elections". "It [NDC] has no soul. It has no vision therefore and it has no specific agenda apart from achieving power and staying in power for as long as possible for the benefit of the few," he said.

On the way forward for Ghana he said, "it's a good thing that we return to democracy. The real hope we have now is democracy. The second is, we have to keep hope alive. We mustn't give up because we cannot produce anything."

By: Stephen Agbai
you are here:
March 06, 2016

Syria - Preparing For The Next Major Push

There seems to be some progress in the regional "games" around the conflict in Syria. The Turkish Prime minister Davutoglu currently visits Iran. The Iranians let some lucrative economic projects dangle in front of his eyes. But the main points were about Syria. According to this Turkish source Davutoglu said these issues were agreed upon:

taylieli @taylieli #Turkish PM Davutoglu: We've reached on deal with #Iran for 5 matters: 1) A joint visit to #Jordan to discuss on #Syria, on coming days (1) 2) The continuity of ceasfire in #Syria

3) The unity of #Syria

4) The participitation of all -internal- actors in #Syria's future (2) 5) The joint act to defeat all kind of terrorism inc. #Isil in the geography of #ME. (3)

This smells like an bit of change in the so far rigid Turkish position.

Russian military transport traffic through the Bosporus has markedly increased. A lot of new trucks, tanks and artillery are coming to Syria. In the summer the Russian aircraft carrier will take station at the Syrian coast. This is likely the build up for a major campaign.

Meanwhile the U.S. is building a second (small) airport in north east Syria to, allegedly, support its Kurdish proxy forces there in the fight against the Islamic State. Syria and Russia should be very careful in allowing such creeping occupation. It is difficult to get rid of such U.S. incursions once they are established.

On Friday another U.S trained, paid and armed force, probably only a few dozen or so, attacked the Syria-Iraq border crossing at Tanaf which was in the hand of the Islamic State. The "rebel" marketing campaign claimed that this group was the "New Syrian Army". The border crossing is also near the Jordan border from where these fighters came. They had U.S. (or Jordan) air support and managed to capture the handful of lone buildings in the desert that constitute the station. But 24 hours later the Islamic State said it was again in full control of it. If true, and I believe it is, this "new Syrian army" is a sad joke and will not play a role in the race to Raqqa.

In total everyone seems to use the current relative quiet of the "cessation of hostilities" to move into launch positions for a possibly final campaign against IS and the other objectionable subjects. It will be a hot summer in Syria.

Posted by b on March 6, 2016 at 18:57 UTC | Permalink

Comments
RALEIGH  During a recent book tour across North Carolina, I had occasion to visit with thousands of politically active people, most of them conservatives. The most frequent question I received from audiences was what I thought of Donald Trump.

I told them. Donald Trump is a dangerous charlatan, a bully who deftly uses false promises, egregious lies, and malicious attacks to manipulate people to his advantage. His marks include media figures desperate for ratings, political has-beens desperate for relevance, and voters desperate for someone to restore American greatness after two unpopular presidencies, two costly wars, and nearly two decades of economic stagnation.

Its a swindle. Its a world-class con. And for conservatives in North Carolina and around the country, its one of the greatest challenges we will ever face.

Trumps toxic brew of insult comedy, rank dishonesty, ethnic grievance, and hostility to basic principles of free enterprise, free speech, and limited government cannot be reconciled with the modern conservative movement. If Donald Trump is the answer, you have asked a very wrong and very stupid question.

Win or lose in the fall  although the odds clearly favor the lose scenario  a nominated Trump would obviously sit atop the Republican Partys ticket in 2016. But he need not become its permanent national brand. Moreover, while the GOP has become the primary political vehicle for American conservatism, the movement is about far more than elections. It is about powerful ideas. It is about timeless principles. It is not the equivalent of an infomercial offering fake cures or a reality TV show offering fake freaks.

Here is my advice for North Carolina conservatives. When it comes to politics, focus your attention on campaigns that appeal to voters noblest aspirations, not their basest fears. Fight on, naturally, but if the presidential race this fall ends up pitting a dishonest, narcissistic conspiracy theorist who dreams of using federal power to silence dissent  Im talking about Hillary Clinton here  against a Republican exhibiting the same ominous qualities, look elsewhere for candidates to champion. For example, look at governors, legislators, and other leaders who are solving real problems and building real, lasting political coalitions.

Outside of politics, focus your attention on education and outreach. Many Americans are susceptible to political con jobs because they lack a solid grounding in the principles of free enterprise and constitutional government. There is no substitute for hard, patient, and creative work to address this problem.

Many Trump supporters dont know much about his actual positions or his shameful history. They are frustrated, understandably so, and looking for answers. Weve all been there at some point in our lives. Weve probably all been the victims of a con at least once. But other Trump supporters  a motley crew of simpletons, bigots, and cynical manipulators  know exactly what kind of person he is. They dont care. They want to make a statement. They want to tell off the establishment. They want to see things burn.

Conservatives have no choice but to hold these fools accountable for what is likely to come next. They deserve our scorn and ridicule. They would rather lose gloriously rather than win in stages. Some hold significant positions of influence. Conservatives should shun their shows, defund their groups, leave their books unsold and their speeches unattended.

I am a fundamentally optimistic person. Thats because I am a realist. If you survey human history, you will find many tales of tragedy, deceit, rancor, and woe. But on balance, things are getting better. Wars are less frequent. Hatreds and prejudices are less prevalent. Living standards are rising. The cornucopia of goods and services available to the average American today would simply amaze the wealthiest American from a century ago.

Realism teaches me not to bet against the future  particularly not here in North Carolina and the rest of our great country. We dont have to settle for a choice between anemic, European-style social democracy and septic, European-style demagoguery. We can still fight for freedom, American-style. Will you join me?

John Locke Foundation chairman John Hood is the author of Catalyst: Jim Martin and the Rise of North Carolina Republicans.
NUIQSUT, Alaska  Rising from the edgeless, wind-scoured, snow-covered tundra on Alaskas North Slope lies a million-pound drilling rig pulling the first commercial oil from a reserve set aside nearly a century ago.

ConocoPhillips is the first oil company to draw crude from the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, an area the size of Indiana which President Warren G. Harding dedicated as an emergency oil supply for the U.S. Navy in 1923.

Getting to this point took compromises with Alaska Natives while keeping environmental concerns in mind. The Bureau of Land Management, which controls the reserve, in 2013 identified 12 million acres that could be available for development while setting aside 11 million acres to protect wild animals and grazing lands.

The drilling rig first began pulling up oil in October, and at peak production will produce 16,000 barrels a day from the Colville-Delta 5 field, or as its more commonly known, CD5. It also will serve as a launch pad for another nearby fields in Alaskas Arctic.

The Colville-Delta 5 field itself is an extension of the ConocoPhillips Alpine field, located about five miles to the east.

Weve spent more than a dozen years trying to achieve the permits to do the development, to complete the development, Jim Brodie, the capital projects manager for ConocoPhillips in the reserve, said of the $1 billion project earlier this month after reporters toured the North Slope facility last month. Its a sizable investment.

The project included a 6-mile gravel road, four bridges over channels of the Colville River, including one 1,400 foot-expanse, 32 miles of pipelines, and miles of communications and electrical infrastructure that tie the field back to the main Alpine facilities. Oil that is being brought up goes back to Alpine for processing, and then is sent 800 miles down the trans-Alaska pipeline for shipment out of Valdez.

The oil is being drilled on surface land which is owned by Kuukpik Corp., an Alaska Native village corporation for the nearby community of Nuiqsut, located about 25 miles south of the Arctic Ocean, or 625 miles north of Anchorage.

Village residents who live a subsistence lifestyle objected to the original plans for one of the bridges over the Colville River to the oilfield, worried that it might interfere with fishing access.

Brodie said ConocoPhillips pulled its permit package to come up with an alternate plan, working with the community and the elders and established a new location for the Nigliq Channel Bridge, which caused a reroute of the road and it was at considerable expense to ConocoPhillips but at the same time we got the support from the community and it enabled the project to move forward.

The Inupiat village agreed with the new plan and now welcome the financial opportunities that oil brings to the native community in terms of taxes and jobs.

We worked with ConocoPhillips to make sure that CD5 is developed responsibly and make sure that its a win-win, said Isaac Nukapigak, president of Kuukpik Corp.

Development in the petroleum reserve hasnt drawn the usual protests from environmental groups.

Nicole Whittington-Evans, Alaska regional director for The Wilderness Society, said her group has been mostly concerned with how the development will proceed: Will it involve roads or not? How far westward will the sprawl continue?

Those are the types of things that were concerned about right now, and we have focused on trying to ensure that the least environmentally damaging developments move forward, she said.

ConocoPhillips continues preparations to drill in the more ingloriously named Greater Mooses Tooth 1 despite oil prices being in the tank. First oil from there could be as soon as December 2018, and could produce 30,000 barrels a day at peak production.

Steve Thatcher, ConocoPhillips Alpine operations manager, said oil prices are cyclical and will rebound.

For these kinds of projects, if we can invest in them now, it makes a lot of sense for when the oil price is the other extreme, he said.
Weak oil prices began taking a bigger bite out of Midlands labor market in January, according to figures from the Texas Workforce Commission.

January figures show Midlands civilian labor force has fallen by about 5,000 since January 2015, to about 89,800 from 94,800 last January.

Were losing workforce in Midland and Odessa, said Willie Taylor, chief executive officer, Workforce Solutions Permian Basin.

Midland lost 1,000 jobs from December to January and has lost 6,000 jobs, or 6.2 percent, from January 2015 to January 2016.

Youre really seeing the slowdown, especially in the trades, transportation and utilities sector, Taylor said. The sector lost 800 jobs from December to January and has lost 1,400 jobs, or 6.9 percent, over the past year.

Mining, logging and construction, Midlands dominant industrial sector, actually gained 200 jobs from December to January, but lost 3,500 jobs, or 12.2 percent, from January 2015 to January 2016.

Area wages were also trending lower, Taylor said.

When you look at that 3.8 percent, diversification there in Midland is why the labor market was not hit as hard, Taylor said.

Odessas labor market has been hit harder by the downturn, he said. Odessas January unemployment rate was 5.4 percent, up slightly from 5.1 percent in December but up significantly from 3.4 percent last January. Like Midland, Odessas labor force has decreased by about 5,000.

Taylor said offices in the 17 counties he oversees have seen more unemployment claims filed in the last couple of months than in the first 10 or 11 months of 2015.

Were still placing people, he said. Some having difficulty going back to work dont have good job skills. I encourage everyone to upgrade their skills. Even though things are slow, now is the time to upgrade your skills, Taylor said.

He said his office has requested more training money from the Workforce Commission.

We are blessed to be at 3.8 percent, Taylor said. I really thought the numbers would be worse.

Amarillo Economist Karr Ingham said Midlands labor-market picture may get worse before it starts to improve.

One reason is that the Workforce Commission may not be done with data revisions and may revise labor force figures further, he said.

Also, were not done yet with the oil downturn, Ingham said. Its not like theres a great sense weve bottomed out.

While the loss of 6,000 jobs is bad enough, Ingham said the Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages indicates Midland and Odessa combined have lost about 15,000 jobs from December 2014 to September 2015.

We shouldnt jump to any conclusion that were all the way through this cycle of job loss. My guess is were not, he said.

Until things turn around (in the oil industry), theres every reason to suspect 2016 will be a year of continued economic pressure as was 2015. I dont know how things will play out, but we should be prepared, Ingham said.

Statewide, the unemployment rate inched down to 4.5 percent from 4.6 percent in December. The state added 31,400 jobs, the 10th consecutive month of job growth.

While Amarillo had the lowest unemployment at 3 percent, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission reported the highest at 8.1 percent.

Midland unemployment

January 2016 3.8 percent

January 2015 2.8 percent

Preliminary numbers for January with December numbers in parentheses:

Amarillo: 3.0 (2.8)

Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos: 3.2 (3.0)

Lubbock: 3.3 (3.1)

College Station-Bryan: 3.5 (3.2)

Dallas-Plano-Irving: 3.7 (3.6)

San Antonio-New Braunfels: 3.7 (3.5)

Abilene: 3.8 (3.5)

Midland: 3.8 (3.6)

Sherman-Denison: 3.8 (3.7)

Waco: 3.9 (3.7)

Fort Worth-Arlington: 4.0 (3.8)

San Angelo: 4.1 (4.0)

Tyler: 4.3 (4.4)

Killeen-Temple: 4.4 (4.2)

Victoria 4.4: (4.1)

Wichita Falls: 4.5 (4.2)

Texarkana: 4.7 (4.5)

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land: 4.8 (4.6)

Laredo: 4.8 (4.5)

El Paso: 4.9 (4.7)

Longview: 5.3 (5.0)

Odessa: 5.4 (5.1)

Corpus Christi: 5.5 (5.3)

Beaumont-Port Arthur: 6.7 (6.6)

Brownsville-Harlingen: 7.1 (6.8)

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission: 8.1 (7.9)
Megan W. Blacklance, 32, was charged Feb. 26 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

William A. Dodson, 25, of Midland was charged Feb. 26 with theft of property under $30,000.

Michael V. Jackson, 38, of Midland was charged Feb. 26 with assault of a family/house member impeding breath.

Krista A. Jankowiak, 48, of Midland was charged Feb. 26 with aggravated assault of a date/family/house member.

Billy W. Porter, 63, of Midland was charged Feb. 26 with failing to register as a sex offender.

Teandra Sanchez-Eldridge, 18, of Midland was charged Feb. 26 with unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Larry W. Snodgrass, 44, of Midland was charged Feb. 26 with assault of a family/house member impeding breath.

Lisa Valenzuela, 42, of Midland was charged Feb. 26 with three counts of forgery of a financial instrument.

Freeland L. Vanzandt, 56, of Odessa was charged Feb. 26 with credit card or debit card abuse.

Alonzo Vasquez, 35, of Midland was charged Feb. 26 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Michael J. Welch, 34, of Midland was charged Feb. 26 with failing to register as a sex offender.

Bradley A. Fisher, 46, of Midland was charged Feb. 27 with failing to register as a sex offender.

Abel T. Hernandez Jr., 27, of Midland was charged Feb. 27 with prohibited substance/item in a correctional facility.

Jason T. Holt, 30, of Midland was charged Feb. 27 with two counts of burglary.

Billy Raimbeau, 31, was charged Feb. 27 with fraudulent use/possession of identification information.

Jennifer N. Stall, 30, of Midland was charged Feb. 27 with two counts of possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Bruce M. Fisher, 53, of Austin was charged Feb. 28 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Shavins D. Hubbard, 40, of Midland was charged Feb. 28 with failing to register as a sex offender.

Ryan C. Polk, 25, of Midland was charged Feb. 28 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Rosario M. Portillo Jr., 41, of Midland was charged Feb. 28 with evading arrest/detention.

Brandon L. Sanchez, 21, of Midland was charged Feb. 28 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Edgar Santos, 18, of Midland was charged Feb. 28 with sexual assault of a child.

John M. Cervantez, 33, of Midland was charged Feb. 29 with evading arrest/detention with a vehicle.

Mario P. Covarrubias, 54, of Midland was charged Feb. 29 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Daniel W. Cox, 40, of Winnsborro, Louisiana, was charged Feb. 29 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Taraeus Dunson, 17, of Midland was charged Feb. 29 with evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, theft of property under $150,000 and burglary.

Marcos Favila, 27, of Midland was charged Feb. 29 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Martin Leal-Lopez, 31, of Carrington was charged Feb. 29 with driving while intoxicated.

Skyler A. McKinney, 19, of Midland was charged Feb. 29 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

David G. Mendez, 47, of Midland was charged Feb. 29 with unauthorized use of vehicle.

Naomi M. Rodriguez, 37, of Midland was charged Feb. 29 with forgery of financial instrument.

Matthew D. Williams, 30, of Midland was charged Feb. 29 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Darren D. Brown, 44, of Midland was charged March 1 with unauthorized use of vehicle.

Demonte L. Collins, 17, of Midland was charged March 1 with theft of property under $200,000, evading arrest/detention with vehicle, and burglary.

Tomas Cruz, 28, was charged March 1 with tampering with/fabricating physical evidence.

Tabatha R. Ervin, 45, of Midland was charged March 1 with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Christopher M. Fino, 31, of Midland was charged March 1 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Rafael R. Garza Jr., 36, of Midland was charged March 1 with forgery of financial instrument and tampering with/fabricating physical evidence.

Baldo M. Pargas, 39, of Midland was charged March 1 with unauthorized use of a motorvehicle.

Lucio D. Ramirez, 19, of Midland was charged March 1 with two counts of possession of a controlled substance under 4 grams.

Jade D. Roberts, 18, of Midland was charged March 1 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Eddie Sanchez Jr., 27, of Odessa was charged March 1 with obstruction or retaliation.

Christopher L. Bowman, 31, of Midland was charged March 2 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Brannon R. Jordan, 25, of Midland was charged March 2 with two counts of possession of a controlled substance under 4 grams.

Paul C. Neatherlin Jr., 25, of Midland was charged March 2 with unauthorized use of vehicle

Jack B. Ridge, 30, of Midland was charged March 2 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Jacob T. Rosas, 42, of Midland was charged March 2 with driving while intoxicated for a third time.

Jonathan C. Brooks, 17, of Midland was charged March 3 with burglary of a habitation with intent to commit another felony.

Julio C. Flores, 31, of Midland was charged March 3 with three counts of possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

John C. Koch, 46, of Midland was charged March 3 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Scott A. Mims, 58, of Midland was charged March 3 with possession or promotion of child pornography.

Maddison P. Mireles, 24, of Midland was charged March 3 with assault on a public servant.

Victor M. Ramirez, 28, of Midland was charged March 3 with aggravated assault with a weapon.

Raymundo D. Rayos III, 22, of Midland was charged March 3 with bringing a prohibited substance or item into a correctional facility.

Julius A. Roberson, 28, of Midland was charged March 3 with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information.

Matthew D. Williams, 30, of Midland was charged March 3 with possession of a controlled substance under 1 gram.

Source: Midland County Sheriffs Office
This years political upheaval is nearly complete, at least in Texas. Most of what the states voters were going to get done in this election cycle got done on Tuesday.

They had their say on presidential nominees. About two-thirds of them kept voting after they were finished with that race, opting to keep all but four of the incumbents who were seeking reelection to state office and setting the table for a general election in which most of the races were predetermined when elected politicians drew the states political maps.

Some highlights:

- Turnout was huge. In fact, it was almost exactly the same as in 2008  the last time the presidential candidates got to Texas before the nominations were locked up. The parties were flipped this time, though.

In 2008, when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were still battling for the nomination, more than 2.8 million Democrats and about 1.4 million Republicans voted in the primaries. This year, it was 2.8 million Republicans and 1.4 million Democrats. The total both years was just more than 4.2 million.

Thats 22.3 percent of the states current voting age population; 30 percent of the states registered voters.

- Voter falloff was huge, too. One third of the Republicans and slightly fewer Democrats who voted in the top statewide race  the one for president  didnt vote in the bottom race for one of three slots on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Thats about normal for Texas primary elections; lots of voters come for the race they know most about and skip the rest.

How many people walked away? A total of nearly 1.4 million voters, including 897,140 Republicans and 476,665 Democrats.

- Twenty-two primary races  six on the Democratic side and 16 on the Republican  will be settled in May 24 runoffs, since no candidate got 50 percent or more of the vote.

Only three runoffs  all in Texas House contests  involve incumbents. State Reps. Doug Miller, R-New Braunfels, Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, and Wayne Smith, R-Baytown, could still lose to someone from their own political party.

Three more runoffs will determine who gets to face an incumbent in the November general election: one each for a seat in Congress, on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and on the State Board of Education.

- Unless Texans are ready to put a Libertarian, a Green or an Independent in office, voters have already decided on 10 congressional races, four of the eight State Board of Education races on this years ballots, 12 of the 16 state Senate spots up for election, and 97 of the 150 contests for spots in the Texas House.

You can safely tell your friends and family that the Texas House will have at least 59 Republicans and 38 Democrats when members are sworn in next January, and that at least six Democrats and six Republicans are joining the 15 senators already seated.

The current 36-member Texas congressional delegation has 11 Democrats; eight of the Democrats on the ballot are already assured seats in the next Congress, along with two Republicans.

If the current political districts remain as predictable in the general election as they have proven to be in the last few elections, most of the candidates still on the ballot face opponents who have only slim chances of winning. Only one of the states congressional districts  the 23rd, which stretches from El Paso to San Antonio and includes most of the states border with Mexico  is considered competitive in a general election. The rest are lopsided in favor of the Democrats (11 districts) or the Republicans (24 districts).

The state Senate maps are similarly tilted. Unless somebody slips on a banana peel, the Texas Senate will have a few new faces but the same party mix: 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans.

Theres a little more play in the Texas House, where the mix during last years regular session was 98 Republicans and 52 Democrats. In the 2014 elections, the major-party statewide candidates were separated, on average, by less than 10 percentage points in only nine House districts. In 96 districts, the Republican candidates beat the Democratic candidates by more than that.

Most of the changes in the states political roster take place in primaries, and for all but a small number of candidates, the years races have effectively ended.
Kanye Wests recent tweets, particularly one that included a screenshot that seemed to suggest he was using torrent site The Pirate Bay, have caused some controversy among fans and other social media users. During a candid conversation at LAX, West addressed speculation about his mental health and the infamous screenshot.

The online conversation about the photo, which sparked a back and forth between West and fellow Tidal owner Deadmau5, has seemingly settled down and Ye decided to clear the air. His team already asserted that the photo wasn't even from West's computer, a point he reiterated.

"It's obviously not my computer," he said. "I took a picture of it in the studio and everyone was like, 'Don't put that up... I was like, 'let it go up'."

He also spoke of the irony that The Pirate Bay was the site that reportedly hosted over a million downloads of his new album, The Life Of Pablo.

Elsewhere during the conversation, West thanked his wife, Kim Kardashian, and her family for being supportive of him while he was facing criticism during recent weeks.

"People were really like, he must be going crazy. If someone is considered to be crazy for telling the truth... what are we dealing with the rest of the time?"

In a recently released clip from his interview with Larry King, rapper French Montana also defended West and even referred to him as a genius.

"I just spoke to him yesterday," Montana said. "He don't sound like he have problems. I just feel like Kanye West is a genius and all the moves he do is calculated. Everything he says makes headlines. There's a method to his madness."

The discussion was sparked by tweets from Wests former writing partner, Rhymefest, who wrote, my brother needs help, in the form of counseling. Spiritual & mental. He should step away from the public & yesmen & heal.

Check out what Yeezy had to say for himself below:

Kanye addressing the photo he tweeted while in the studio showing the Pirate Bay website. pic.twitter.com/ovEu5naxR6  TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) March 5, 2016

"A million illegally downloaded my truth over the drums" - @kanyewest pic.twitter.com/RzwaG4Ng9v  TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) March 5, 2016

"We have a responsibility as artists to tell the truth" #FACTS pic.twitter.com/jDP78Us1ou  TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) March 5, 2016

"If someone is considered to be crazy for telling the truth... what are we dealing with the rest of the time." pic.twitter.com/BEeXkBgN5Y  TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) March 5, 2016

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Pretty Lights, the nu-jazz electronica project of Derek Vincent Smith, is back with a video for his new track "Only Yesterday," marking the producer's first new music since 2013's Grammy-nominated album A Color Map of the Sun. Additionally, the electro-soul pioneer announced via his newly renovated website that in addition to a few other upcoming tour dates he will be hosting a camping festival in Telluride, Colo. this Aug. 26 and 27.

"Only Yesterday" packs in all the elements of Pretty Lights' signature sound, picking up right where the producer left off with A Color Map of the Sun. The uplifting track features soulful vocals, hip-hop influenced beats and grooving sample work.

Directed by Ryan Berena, the video was shot on location in Telluride and alternates between summer scenes of the idyllic Colorado countryside, shots of Smith performing with his live band, and crowds of fans dancing beneath the myriad lazers of the producer's infamous lightshow. The visual clip also serves as a recap video for last year's inaugural Pretty Lights camping festival.

The Analog Future Band, which has been performing as Pretty Lights' live band since 2013, continues to support Smith on the new track. In addition to the usual all-star lineup featuring Break Science and Lettuce band members Adam Deitch (drums), Borahm Lee (keys), Eric Bloom (trumpet) and Eric Krasno (guitar) as well as Brian Coogan (keys), Chris Karns (turntables) and Scott Flynn (trombone), the new track boasts a special guest appearance from longtime collaborator Michal Menert.

"Only Yesterday" debuted at Red Rocks last year, This Song Is Sick reports. Watch the video for the long-awaited recorded version of the track below.

In a note accompanying the new video, Smith stated: "'Only Yesterday' is a track trying to express something very honest about how it can feel like an ongoing struggle to truly be yourself. The video is a piece of cinematic nostalgia, and an effort to collectively acknowledge how important it can be for an individual to find meaningful connection with their FRIENDS."

The new song and video come a week after the producer puzzled fans with several cryptic messages posted across social media channels, Dancing Astronaut reports. The posts included an image of a cassette tape, quotes about light from Stanley Kubrick and scientist Nikola Tesla and a selfie captioned with "I'm no longer satisfied making 'music' to 'release' on 'albums.' Different is coming."

I'm no longer satisfied making "music" to "release" on "albums. Different is coming. pic.twitter.com/4NO6FSsyDe  PL (@PrettyLights) February 28, 2016

 2015 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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Orange County deputies are looking for the people who fired shots at deputies outside an Orlando restaurant Saturday night.

Deputies said they were called to Mr. Gyros on West Colonial after reports of a trespasser.

When they arrived, deputies heard several gun shots coming from behind the business. Deputies said the shots were then fired in their direction.

A dark-colored Suburban was seen fleeing the parking lot and at least four men were inside, according to deputies.

Investigators havent determined if that vehicle was involved in the shooting.

Deputies did not return fire. No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
Source: Six Flags.

A park operator is redefining the roller caster experience, and it's not Disney . Six Flags announced on Thursday that it will arm riders at nine of its classic scream machines across the country with virtual reality headsets to experience the thrill rides in new ways.

Riders will strap on headsets consisting of Samsung Gear screens running Facebook's Oculus virtual reality platform. Samsung and Facebook may not seem like the kind of companies that would be teaming up with an amusement park operator to enhance real-world thrills, but it's a brilliant move when you think about it.

As the regional parks kick off their 2016 operating seasons in the coming days and weeks -- starting as soon as Thursday -- the nine rides will feature a new way to enjoy the thrills. The three Superman-themed coasters will receive a Metropolis-themed VR experience as gyros, accelerometers and proximity sensors synchronize the drops, loops, and twists into 360-degree virtual landscapes. The other six coasters will feature a fighter squadron experience, complete with a gaming element as they fire their weapons.

It may seem ridiculous at first. Isn't a coaster experience enough of a thrill? Won't it prove too disorienting, especially for those who already have issues with 3-D motion simulators? Well, the initial reactions have been generally positive. Virtual reality on coasters is a technology that was demoed during the amusement park industry's annual IAAPA conference late last year, and Attractions Magazine was told that the tech provider was already in talks with leading park operators.

This will work for a couple of important reasons.

At first it will be a novelty, drawing in folks to see what all of the buzz is about.

The gaming element will evolve, and that will increase the reride factor. In short, folks will come back to see if they can improve their scores and compete with friends.

New rides cost a lot of money, and Six Flags obviously doesn't have the lavish budget that's at Disney's disposal. This gives Six Flags a way to refresh a coaster ride with a mere software update.

The ability to quickly transform the ride experience opens up the potential for licensing and sponsorship deals. Expect studios with big summer blockbusters to pay up for the opportunity to promote their new flicks through this platform.

Six Flags is no small fry. Its 18 amusement parks welcomed 28.6 million guests last year. This partnership with Samsung and Facebook's Oculus will get noticed, and it may very well raise the bar when it comes to guest expectations. This also coincides with Oculus' push into the consumer market, something that can help Facebook's start-up. There will be purists that prefer the ride in its natural format, but it's going to be a distinctive tweak that Disney and other chains can't match -- for now.

Six Flags may not seem to need the tech push. It is coming off of its sixth consecutive year of record results. Revenue climbed 7% in 2015, and adjusted EBITDA grew even faster. Things can still always get better. Season passes at some of the parks cost as much as a single day at Disney's gated attractions. If virtual reality coaster take off, Six Flags will be at the forefront, and for now that's a ride worth riding.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

The article Is Six Flags the New Disney? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


Turkish Air Force F-16s are taking the fight to ISIS. Image source: Jerry Gunner via Wikimedia Commons.

On Thursday, July 23, 2015, ISIS killed a Turkish soldier in a firefight on the Turkish-Syrian border. One day later, Turkey launched its first airstrike on ISIS positions in Syria, officially joining the fight against ISIS.

Ever since, Turkish fighter jets have continued to bomb ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq. At the same time, Turkey is fighting a broader war against Kurdish separatists at home, and their allies in Iraqi Kurdistan. To help with that fight, and perhaps with the ISIS fight as well, they're coming to the U.S. seeking high-tech munitions to drop on deeply dug-in targets.

Wondering why any of this should interest U.S. investors?

Here's why: New bombs cost money. Bombs dropped -- whatever the target -- must eventually be replaced. And none of these bombs come cheap.

Last week, in the U.S. Department of Defense's daily digest of contracts awarded to its suppliers, the Pentagon detailed its first award of a military sales contract to Turkey for BLU-109 "bunker-buster" bombs for its fight against the Kurds.

The contract in question, worth $682.9 million over five years, calls on privately held Ellwood National Forge of Irvine, Pennsylvania, along with publicly traded General Dynamics , to supply an unspecified number of bombs to the Turks.

Ellwood, according to information from financial data website S&P Global Market Intelligence, is primarily a steelmaker and metal machiner. Presumably, it will be responsible for producing the bomb casings, with General Dynamics being responsible for the explosive parts.

Not mentioned in the contract award was who, if anyone, would produce laser-guidance kits to convert the BLU-109s into a smart bomb configuration. In a similar arms sale to Israel reported last year, Raytheon was tapped to supply Paveway guidance kits for this purpose.

According to a Turkish military official quoted in Defense News, they "need smart bombs" in particular to ensure their new bombs hit their targets. This suggests that additional contracts could be coming out of Turkey soon -- either that, or General Dynamics will be subcontracting part of its work out to Raytheon to do the "smart" part of its bomb-making.

The big picture

The Turkish bomb contract is a pretty big deal for General Dynamics, but it's far from the only defense industry contract coming out of the Middle East these days, though more of the others are in support of the air war against ISIS. In months past, we've seen multiple similar contracts -- of even bigger size -- awarded to General Dynamics and its peers to supply bombs to Israel to Iraq, to Saudi Arabia, and of course to the U.S. Air Force.

So long as the war against ISIS continues to roll on, profits from bomb sales should continue rolling in for General Dynamics.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.



THE BLU-109 bunker-buster IS ONE OF THE BIGGER BOMBS THAT CAN BE MADE "SMART." Image source: U.S. Air Force via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.

The article Turkey's War on ISIS Means Big Business for General Dynamics originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


U.S. AIR FORCE F-16S FLYING FORMATION OVER THE SEA OF JAPAN. IMAGE SOURCE: U.S. AIR FORCE.

From 2010 to 2015, U.S. defense spending plunged 19%. That steep fall, from a high of $691 billion five years ago, to just $560 billion spent in fiscal year 2015, is pretty striking. But here's an even more amazing fact: Profits at Raytheon grew 12% from 2010 to 2015.

And another: Profits are up 13% at General Dynamics .

And a third: They're up 25% at Lockheed Martin .

Military math

How is this possible? How is it that the U.S. spending less money on defense results in higher profits for three of America's biggest defense contractors? Here's one clue: Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Lockheed Martin are three of the four U.S. defense contractors that do the most business abroad.

It's been a couple of years since we last looked closely at this dynamic -- the phenomenon of U.S. defense contractors, starved for revenues at home, looking beyond U.S. borders to grow their businesses. But even as far back as 2014 the trend was already evident. Growing demand for weapons in the global hotspots of the Middle East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, was creating new markets for U.S. weapons makers, even as the domestic market for arms wilted under the pressure of the Great Recession, and the Sequester enacted to help cure it.

What may surprise you even more is that the trend we highlighted in 2014 isn't just going strong here still in 2016. It's growing. With defense contractors having just finished reporting earnings, and filing their 10-K reports with the SEC, I took the opportunity to conduct a detailed review of which defense contractors are getting their revenues from which countries.

Here's what I found:

Company Percentage of All Revenues Sourced From... Asia/Pacific Increase All International Increase Raytheon 10.4% 10 bp 30.8% 530 bp L-3 Communications 6%* 380 bp 24.4% 580 bp General Dynamics 5.3% 360 bp 26.1% 540 bp Lockheed Martin ND ND 20.7% 360 bp Northrop Grumman ND ND 14.2% 370 bp

Data sources: S&P Global Market Intelligence, SEC filings. "Increase" is in percentage of revenue versus 2014 data. *Saudi Arabia only. bp = basis points. ND = no data.

What these numbers mean

There are a couple of broad conclusions we can draw from the data we're seeing above. First and foremost, the Asia/Pacific arms market is one of the most important in the world for defense contractors. For naval forces alone -- let alone land and ground forces -- analysts at AMI International predict this region will be the second-hottest market for maritime weapons-buying over the next 20 years, accounting for as much as $200 billion in sales.

Right now, Raytheon is doing the best job of capitalizing on this market, deriving more than 10% of its companywide sales from Asia. Rival contractors L-3 Communications and General Dynamics, however, have also recognized the region's potential, and are moving fast to imitate Raytheon's success. (Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman do not break out their arms sales by region -- but if you want to guess that they are interested in this market as well... well, I think that's probably a safe guess.)

In fact, it's less a guess and more a fact. As you can see in the chart above, it's clear that all the major defense contractors are taking active steps to grow the international side of their businesses. Again, L-3 and General D are making the greatest strides here, with Raytheon not far behind.

What these numbers mean to investors in particular

"Past performance is no guarantee of future results." Pick up any investment prospectus, from just about any company in the stock market, and you're likely to read that blanket disclaimer somewhere in the boilerplate.

And yet, when you see a steep drop in U.S. spending, a gravity-defying rise in profits, and all of this happening in the context of defense contractors taking their businesses international, I think the pattern looks pretty clear. And it looks a lot like the stock price chart below. If you're looking to find your next winning defense stock -- look no further.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

RTN data by YCharts.

The article Which Defense Stocks Are Winning Market Share in Asia? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, speaking at an event on Jan. 31. Investors worried about a slowing global economy sold off the Japanese auto giant's shares in February. Image source: Toyota.

What: Shares of Toyota Motor Corporation fell over 13% in February. The Japanese auto giant's dollar-denominated shares on the New York Stock Exchange ended the month at $104.10, down 13.25% from the company's $120 opening price on Feb. 1.

So what: Most of Toyota's rivals saw their shares take big hits in January, as analysts concluded that the U.S. auto market was probably near its peak while China's appears to be retrenching. Toyota was one of just a few automakers that managed to avoid a major drop in January, but the sentiment caught up with the Japanese giant last month.

Automakers are cyclical businesses. Their sales tend to rise and fall with economic cycles, for a reason that's probably obvious: People (and businesses) are less likely to buy new cars and trucks when they're worried about their job or business prospects.

If the world's major new-car markets are peaking or declining, that makes it likely that the automakers' profits will shrink -- or at least, that growth will be scarce for a while. Hence the sell-off in auto stocks.

But long-term Toyota shareholders need not be too worried. While the last recession saw some big-name automakers crash into bankruptcy court, nobody seriously thinks that Toyota is in danger.

The company's credit rating and financial strength are among the best in the business, and CEO Akio Toyoda has run the company founded by his great-grandfather with a deft and careful touch since taking the top job in 2009. Toyota is well-positioned to ride out a recession without too much fuss.

Now what: Investors await Toyota's full-year report for its fiscal 2016, which ends on March 31 -- and maybe more importantly, its guidance for the next year. In its third-quarter earnings report on Feb. 7, Toyota reiterated its full-year guidance: It expects net revenue of 27.5 trillion yen ($244.6 billion at current exchange rates), operating income of 2.8 trillion yen ($24.6 billion), income before income taxes of 2.98 trillion yen ($26.2 billion), and net income of 2.27 trillion yen ($19.93 billion).

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

The article Why Shares of Toyota Motor Corporation Fell Over 13% in February originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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A lawyer for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl sent a letter Saturday to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump asking him to give a deposition before a trial begins this summer.

The request takes aim at a chief issue for Bergdahl  obtaining a fair trial in the wake of highly negative publicity that has surrounded him since his release from Afghanistan.

Trump has denounced the former prisoner of war, who is accused of deserting his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and misbehavior before the enemy. In one speech last fall, Trump said Bergdahl was a no-good traitor who would have been shot 30 years ago.

I request to interview you as soon as possible about your comments about Sergeant Bergdahl during frequent appearances in front of large audiences in advance of his court-martial, Army Lt. Col. Franklin Rosenblatt wrote in a letter sent to Trumps New York office.

Bergdahls defense team, led by Yale Law School lecturer Eugene Fidell, has repeatedly argued that Trump and other politicians, as well as widespread publicity surrounding the case, have imperiled their clients right to a fair trial.

The stakes are high. If convicted of misbehavior before the enemy, Bergdahl, who has worked at a desk job on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston since returning from nearly five years of Taliban captivity, could face life in prison.

Trump apparently had not yet seen the letter, which was sent Saturday via registered mail from Rosenblatts Fort Belvoir, Virginia, office, but Fidell said somebody had called his people and they didnt have any comment.

The letter asked Trump to voluntarily appear, but Fidell said if necessary, we would certainly make every effort to get him under oath in court.

Our consternation over his course of conduct has hardly been a secret, Fidell said of Trump. He suggested a variety of forms of execution.

sigc@express-news.net
A question has been raised as to whether the proposed public/private partnership for the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau would affect the transparency of its operations. For example, Express-News editorial columnist Josh Brodesky suggested that such a partnership would lead to a definite loss in openness and oversight.

On the contrary, as a recipient of hotel tax dollars, Texas open records laws will apply in exactly the same manner to CVB records, regardless of whether the CVB is an independent organization or if the CVB remains a city department. In either case, state law gives the public and the media the same level of legal access to CVB records.

It is also important to note that the proposal for the CVB envisions that its board would include city staff as well as representatives from the mayors office and City Council. These representatives will help oversee the engagement, partnership and transparency of CVB operations, and ensure consistent branding and authenticity of the citys identity. Further, the management agreement would, like all other similarly organized CVBs, require regular reports to the City Council and public on the metrics and performance results from the use of the hotel occupancy tax.

Brodesky also cited his concern that there would be a need for additional public tax dollars to support the new proposed format for the CVB. The reality is that whether under the current or proposed format for the CVB, no funding is provided from city property tax, city sales tax or from any other city general fund. CVB operations are and will continue to be funded completely by the local hotel occupancy tax and some incidental revenue from the Visitors Center. And under state law, hotel occupancy tax funds can only be used to promote tourism and hotel and convention activity. Accordingly, the use of hotel tax funds would have no impact on city programs or the general city budget.

Evolving the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau from a city department to an independent organization under contract with the city is long overdue. Every major Texas city has opted for an independent CVB for a multitude of reasons.

First, an independent CVB provides a tighter organization that is more closely focused on its mission of promoting tourism and hotel and convention activity within the city. If there is overlap between CVB functions and existing city staff, an independent CVB can contract with the city to work with city staff  a practice with precedent throughout Texas.

Second, an independent CVB is less likely to become mired in the bureaucratic and political challenges that beset a city department. It also is not as vulnerable to conflicting duties, and is better positioned to pursue financial opportunities and resources that the CVB needs to maximize its ability to be effective and competitive.

It is vital that San Antonio take action on forming an independent CVB. As a city department, the San Antonio CVB is currently being outspent by its competitive set CVBs by roughly $10 million per year. Accordingly, it is not surprising that San Antonios market share of statewide hotel room revenue has not grown and has, in fact, declined from 12.4 percent in 2005 to 10.3 percent in 2015. This decline impacts the entire San Antonio economy with an attendant loss in the sales tax, alcohol tax and property tax revenues that could be generated for the city budget.

With the recent vote of the San Antonio City Council, we now have an opportunity to achieve increased economic returns as well as efficiencies through this public/private partnership proposal for the CVB. We look forward to working with city leaders to support and enact this initiative that will further San Antonio CVBs ability to be an economic engine for the entire city.

Scott Joslove is president and CEO of the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association. Liza Barratachea is executive director of the San Antonio Hotel & Lodging Association.
Lawful but awful.

This, Police Chief William McManus told the Editorial Board recently, is why many residents cringe after a police shooting of unarmed suspects. A shooting might involve objective reasonableness  that a reasonable officer could reasonably fear for his life given a particular set of circumstances. But all that much of the public sees is another unarmed man, usually minority, killed by police.

There is a debate in law enforcement circles about the proper standards for use-of-force training and review of such confrontations. Fortunately, the San Antonio Police Department started such reform in 2007 or so.

The high-profile police shooting death of unarmed Antronie Scott on Feb. 4 in San Antonio offers a test case of whether this reform is taking root. There are signs that it is. And there are also signs that the police department still has a ways to go  including reforming how much say the police union has in officer discipline.

The officer involved, John Lee, is now on contemplated indefinite suspension, a step that could mean termination.

The hopeful sign here: The chief didnt just look at the reasonable fear standard. This has tended to constitute rubber-stamp approval of police use of force nationally. But McManus looked also at whether the incident involved tactical mistakes that went against training.

In other words, did the officer arrive at the conclusion that it was necessary to shoot because he made unnecessary tactical mistakes? Even with mitigating circumstances  sudden moves or I thought it was a gun  it is often difficult to arrive at necessary when the dead person was unarmed.

In such confrontations, the right people must be held accountable. And its encouraging here that the actions of the detectives who called patrol officers to make the arrest are also under review, the chief disclosed. Or, as City Manager Sheryl Sculley, also at the meeting, asked, Where was the supervision?

The chief explained the tactical mistake this way: He placed himself in a vulnerable position  he didnt give himself time to react. In other words, what if the officer had, per his training, kept distance and his car door between him and the suspect?

The shooting of Scott, a 36-year-old black man, raised charges of racial injustice. Scott, wanted on warrants, was unarmed. Lee, weapon drawn and trying to make an arrest, demanded he show his hands. Scott swung the car door open quickly and turned to his left with a cellphone in his hand, according to a police incident report. Lee fired immediately, according to accounts.

One sign that more reform is necessary: There was also an incident in 2014 in which Roger Carlos was severely beaten by police officers  becoming paralyzed after surgery stemming from the beating, he says. Officers mistook him for a fleeing suspect, a clear case of mistaken identity.

The officers were given five-day suspensions, which they took care of with accrued leave. That means they came to work and got paid.

The District Attorneys Office is reviewing the Scott shooting to determine if criminal charges are warranted. We welcome the speedy action by the chief in this latest shooting  and the chiefs efforts to reform training in the use of force by police officers. We write this though we know that the contemplated indefinite suspension might not become permanent after a hearing, appeals or arbitration.

The chief talked about the difficulty in balancing public expectations against that Supreme Court-approved objective reasonableness standard now used in police-use-of-force incidents. Thats because the public expectation is that the killing of an unarmed man should never happen.

The chief said Officer Lees eagerness to make an arrest actually was a good-faith, honest error, but that it was a big error.

We agree. There were no exigent circumstances  no actual threat posed by an unarmed Scott.

A reasonable person might well have concluded that Scotts cellphone was a gun. But the question is also whether a reasonable officer would have employed the tactics that led to the circumstances?

At some point, the traditional officer complaint that people just dont understand because they dont walk in their shoes, falls flat. The public  even a grateful one  can employ an objective reasonableness standard in judging police shootings.

Judging the officers tactics here as deeply flawed is a natural conclusion  and a man is dead. Outrage is objectively reasonable here because big errors have big consequences in matters of life or death.
If we want a better United States, we need adults to run for president, adults who think rationally. No lies, no mudslinging.

We need adults in Congress. It should not be Democrats against Republicans. These people need to consider our diversity  not what will get them permanent jobs but what is best for the nation as a whole. We have immature people in Congress. I am neither Democrat nor Republican, but I think the Republican candidates running for president are less mature than the Democratic candidates.

Also, forcing your religious views on the entire nation is wrong. Youre free to be a bigot, but dont force the nation into bigotry.

And Planned Parenthood does not use your tax dollars to perform abortions; your tax dollars are used to prevent abortions, to ensure women stay healthy. The Republican Party is hurting women and babies by defunding Planned Parenthood. I am sure your God wants you to help women and babies, not hurt them.

I was raised Christian, but I am ashamed of many who call themselves Christian.

William J. Jordan

History will judge

I think it is sad that so many people have missed so much these last seven years. They have let bigotry, hate, envy and partisan political gain prevent them from enjoying this caring, kind, compassionate and extremely intelligent president at work.

Obama has demonstrated such restraint in dealing with his adversaries and has become a family role model in his love for his wife and children.

I could spend a lot of time explaining all the great things he has accomplished, but you already know them if you are willing to face the truth.

I am going to miss President Barack Obama, and I do believe at some point in history, many of you on the outside will recognize what a wonderful opportunity of working with him that you have missed.

Helen Chouinard

Follow the law

Regarding the brouhaha over the Supreme Court vacancy, the Republicans have made a strategic blunder of epic proportions with their rhetoric.

If President Barack Obama fails to fulfill his constitutional responsibility to submit a nominee, it will be his fault for setting a horrible precedent that will haunt his party for decades. All the noise from the other side is irrelevant, and it certainly would not excuse the president from his responsibilities.

But if the president submits a nominee, only then would it be up to the Senate to decide whether or not to act. The people will hold the Senate responsible for its inflammatory rhetoric and for its egregious failure to uphold the Constitution.

Republicans can say whatever they want, but only if they fail to consider a nominee will they be violating the Constitution.

Dennis Gittinger
On Friday February 26th, I was honoured to announce my Private Members Bill at the Helping Hands Food Bank in Steinbach. The name of my bill is The Fairness in Charitable Gifts Act (Bill C-239) and it is aimed at:

Increasing the number of donors to registered charities;

Empowering charities; and

Leveling the playing field between donors to political parties and donors to charitable organizations.

How will this be achieved? With bill C-239, donors to registered charities would now receive the same tax credits that donors to political parties currently receive.

There is an imbalance in how different types of donations are treated in Canada. Many people dont realize that Federal tax credits for political contributions far exceed federal tax credits for donations to all other charities. Donors to political parties enjoy much higher tax receipts for their donations than do donors to charities.

Canadian charities, both secular and faith-based, deliver critical social support services to communities across the country and are well equipped to provide meaningful support to Canadians in conjunction with government services.

With this bill, charitable organizations will be empowered to take on a greater role as a result of the additional donations generated from the new tax incentives.

Unfortunately, the average number of Canadians donating to charities has been on a long-term decline across the country. The percentage of tax filers claiming donations has fallen from almost 30% to just over 20% over the past 25 years. This is a very concerning trend.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2010, ten percent of donors accounted for 63 percent of all charitable donations in Canada. Its obvious that a rebalancing is needed.

This bill will provide the largest incentive to the largest segments of the population  those who currently donate under $400 per year as well as those who currently do not donate at all.

How will this work? As an example, John, who lives in Manitoba, makes donations during the year to the registered charities of his choice totalling $400.

Under the current charitable tax credit system, John would receive a federal tax credit of $88.00 and a provincial tax credit of $56.40 for a total of $144.40. The actual cost of his donation is $255.60.

Under the Fairness in Charitable Gifts Act, John would receive a federal tax credit of $300 as well as the tax credit of $56.40 from the Province of Manitoba, for a total of $356.40 in total tax credits. The actual cost of Johns $400 donation would now be only $43.60.

The reason that I chose to announce this in our riding is that according to Statistics Canada, the gold standard for generosity in the country is indeed right here in Southeastern Manitoba. While the median dollar donation across the country has generally averaged between $250 to $350 per person, residents of Steinbach were the most generous with a median donation of $1,830.

Among smaller centres in Provencher, towns such as Blumenort, Kleefeld and Landmark led the way.

If you believe in a greater role for charities and would like to see charities on an equal playing field with political parties, I would encourage you to contact party leaders at:
Submitted Moorings Park has been named a Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite by Blue Zones Project - Southwest Florida, a designation indicative of its commitment to helping Southwest Florida residents achieve even healthier lifestyles.

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Submitted By Caffrey & Associates

Moorings Park announced it has been named a Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite by Blue Zones Project  Southwest Florida, a designation indicative of its commitment to helping Southwest Florida residents achieve even healthier lifestyles.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the designation was held Feb. 26.

Moorings Park is a nationally accredited, nonprofit, Medicare certified community and the only A+ S&P and Fitch-rated Continuing Care Retirement Community in the country. Moorings Park is the only Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the City of Naples. Moorings Park's holistic approach to living well and continuum of care are provided at a predictable and affordable cost with no increase in monthly fees if a change in the level of care is required.

Blue Zones employs evidence-based ways to help people live longer, better lives. The company's work is rooted in The New York Times best-selling books "The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People", "The Blue Zones" and "Thrive"  all published by National Geographic books. Since 2009, Blue Zones has applied the tenets of the books to communities and corporations across the U.S. and has successfully raised life expectancy and lowered health care costs while bringing down smoking and obesity rates. Blue Zones takes a systematic, environmental approach to well-being, which focuses on optimizing policy, building design, social networks, and the built environment. The NCH Healthcare System is sponsoring the Blue Zones Project for Southwest Florida.

To earn the designation as a Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite, Moorings Park established an employee-led well-being advisory committee, developed an engagement plan with a communication strategy, specific objectives, metrics for measuring progress, a calendar of social events to encourage employee well-being and incentives designed to promote participation. Moorings Park's associates formed Walking Moais, Potluck Moais and Art/Painting groups to help them build stronger relationships in the workplace.

"Moorings Park is committed to empowering our associates to live longer, healthier, and better lives," said CEO Dan Lavender. "The Blue Zones Project supports that commitment. The project has been embraced by the people who work at Moorings Park. Businesses in the community should consider participation. Making it easier to make healthier choices can enhance productivity, lower absenteeism, and increase engagement. Our mission at Moorings Park is to give our residents the tools to successfully age and to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Creating a Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite works well with that mission."

The Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite designation is the most recent acknowledgment of Moorings Park's commitment to excellence. In July, 2014, Moorings Park learned it had received Highest Honors in five categories and exceeded National Benchmark comparisons in 36 categories in a resident satisfaction survey completed by Holleran, a firm that provides satisfaction and engagement research, organizational assessments, leadership evaluations, and focus group facilitation to many not-for-profit providers around the country.

Moorings Park's Platinum and Diamond Membership Programs provide those looking forward to making Moorings Park their future home an opportunity to experience the community's on-site health care, engaging social activities, and celebrated dining prior to committing to residency. The programs offer the peace of mind that comes from knowing a plan for the future that offers an active lifestyle and a continuum of care is available at Moorings Park. The Diamond Membership is available to individuals and couples in the early stages of finalizing their retirement plans and provides many, but not all, of the Platinum Membership's benefits. Diamond members may upgrade to a Platinum Membership that will guarantee their future residency at Moorings Park. The Platinum Membership is ideally suited to individuals and couples within one to two years of making their residency decision. The membership programs are available for a one-time membership fee plus an affordable monthly charge. The membership fees can be applied to residency entrance fees at Moorings Park or at Moorings Park at Grey Oaks once the decision to move into Moorings Park is made.

The mission of Moorings Park's 37,000-square- foot Center for Healthy Living is to help patients achieve the highest level of independence in their day-to-day activities within their home and community. The center offers personalized physician services, integrated rehabilitation programs, and licensed professional staff specializing in geriatrics. Its features include customized cardio and strength programming geared toward seniors, as well as cognitive and memory training. Licensed physical, occupational and speech therapists establish treatment plans with patients and their physicians that are customized to meet specific needs.

Moorings Park's continuum of care is provided by fellowship-trained geriatricians overseen by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Gloth, a fellow in the American College of Physicians and the American Geriatrics Society and fellowship-trained at Johns Hopkins University. Assisting Dr. Gloth is Adrian E. Torres, MD, CMD. Dr. Torres is board certified in internal medicine, geriatrics, hospice, and palliative care and is also a Certified Medical Director. The team includes Sara Walther, ARNP, a Certified Gerontological Nurse Practitioner with extensive experience in geriatrics.

The Center for Healthy Living includes the state-of-the-art Sheffield Theatre that is suitable for feature films and lectures, the Rejuvenate Salon and Spa, and a Max-Wellness retail store staffed by trained wellness advocates with products ranging from natural vitamins and supplements to fitness items and mobility devices. The center's amenities are designed to integrate technology, relaxation, and luxury so residents can comfortably manage all facets of wellness. Residents can socialize with friends over healthy fare and beverages at the Center for Healthy Living's Internet Cafe. Residents also enjoy dining at the elegant Trio restaurant, and attending the Bower Chapel Concert Series and worship services.

Moorings Park opened a 16-suite Memory Care Center within its Orchid Terrace assisted living center last summer. The center provides a life-affirming and comfortable home that addresses the needs of those with memory loss or who are in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. Residents of the center receive Moorings Park's award-winning continuum of care that includes social, intellectual, spiritual, and recreational activities and events using the Best Friends approach that emphasizes relationships, communication and activities to help the person with dementia feel safe, secure and valued. Moorings Park is the first retirement community in Florida to bring the Best Friends approach to its memory support programs campus wide.

Last fall, The Chateau at Moorings Park was named one of five new recipients of the Governor's Gold Seal Award. Established in 2002, the Gold Seal Award program recognizes Florida nursing homes that have exceptionally high standards and display excellence in the quality of care delivered to their residents. Of the 681 licensed nursing homes in Florida, just 24 currently hold the Gold Seal Award. The 5-Star rated Chateau at Moorings Park is a Medicare-Certified Skilled Nursing Facility providing short term therapy, long term care, and memory care services.

Moorings Park is nearing completion of Phase III of its Moorings Park at Grey Oaks campus that is being built in four phases. The first three phases include 96 residences in 12 buildings. Phase III residents are expected to begin moving in mid to late April. Thirteen Phase IV penthouse-style Residences at Grand Place added to the design of the community's clubhouse are scheduled for completion first quarter, 2017. A limited number of select Phase IV residences priced from $1.1 million remain available.

Online at www.mooringspark.org and www.MooringsParkGO.org.
SHARE Submitted The Ronto Group announced Renee Gaddis, president and principal designer of Renee Gaddis Interiors, will create the interior for tower residence 306, one of three model residences to be presented at Seaglass at Bonita Bay.

Submitted By Caffrey & Associates

The Ronto Group announced Renee Gaddis, NCIDQ, ASID, GREEN AP, president and principal designer of Renee Gaddis Interiors, will create the interior design for tower residence 306, one of three furnished model residences that will be presented at Seaglass at Bonita Bay, a 26-floor, 120-unit high-rise tower to be built by Ronto within the Bonita Bay community.

Designs for the two additional models will be created by Robb & Stucky International and Cinnabar Design.

The model interiors will include the finishes now on display at the Seaglass Design Studio located within the Seaglass Sales Center at 26951 Country Club Drive within Bonita Bay. Ronto's Finishing Touches Program allows future residents to visit the Design Studio and select finishes for their new home's flooring, cabinetry, countertops, door hardware, plumbing fixtures, and paint colors. To ensure each residence is finished to each owner's specific tastes, future residents may also specify finishes from other sources. With construction poised to begin on April 4, opportunities for future residents to specify preferred finishes for their new homes will become increasingly limited.

Situated nearly 250 feet from its closest neighboring building, Seaglass will feature fully-completed, ready for occupancy residences with premium finishes, including flooring, paint, and trim. Each residence will come with two protected access under-building parking spaces. Private enclosed two-car garages will be available. Three luxurious tower residence great room floor plans at Seaglass range from 2,889 to 3,421 square feet under air and are priced from just over $1 million. The spectacular penthouse residences at Seaglass are priced from $2.85 million and offer approximately 4,600 square feet of air-conditioned space.

The spacious, thoughtfully designed tower residence 306 floor plan offers 3,421 square feet under air and 525 square feet of outdoor covered terrace space. The open great room plan includes three bedrooms plus a den or fourth bedroom, three-and-a-half baths, a large island kitchen and dining area, and a private elevator lobby. The design includes an optional fireplace and a dry bar with wine storage. Gaddis has incorporated her hallmark architectural details in the design, including ceiling and millwork details.

Gaddis' design will showcase classic, timeless style with a contemporary edge for a chic, clean-lined look. She will incorporate a variety of wood tones, mixing light and dark for eclectic charm, and her color palette will be based on cool matte blue grays. The flooring will be executed in a warm wood tone with handsome coffered ceiling details throughout.

From the elevator, a spacious private lobby will provide a grand welcome. Adorned with fluted wall paneling in a pale neutral gray and a delightful diamond-shaped flooring detail of inlaid white and blue Lagos marble, the space will comfortably accommodate a smart console with an artistic mirror above and a large round tufted ottoman. Decorative crown molding and pendant lighting will add to the sense of arrival.

Double doors will open to the foyer where the lobby's beautiful flooring inset will be repeated for balanced emphasis. Applied moldings, millwork detail, and upgraded crown molding will add architectural texture, some painted to match the cool gray walls, some in clean contrasting white. The foyer will open into the sweeping expanse of the kitchen, dining room, and great room.

The wall tones in the open concept living areas will be clean gray. An attractive ceiling design in the dining area and kitchen will incorporate a unique double step detail with drywall plastered beams. While some final selections remain to be determined, the dining area between the kitchen and the great room will feature an elongated rectangular table that will comfortably seat eight. The kitchen will present a fresh clean aura with light countertops, including the enormous island.

The great room will feature another ceiling detail in a checkerboard style and multiple seating areas for both practicality and aesthetic charm. A fireplace, clean-lined and clad in streamlined marble, will provide the focus for the television viewing area. Here, a sofa and two armchairs will be grouped with a cocktail table and two end tables. Behind the sofa, a console table with decorative lamps will provide space for two useful ottomans tucked underneath. In one corner, a discreet dry bar will create an oasis for wine tasting with a small table and chairs. In another corner, separated from the dry bar by a wide window, a built-in banquette with a diamond tufted back and two separate chairs will be grouped around a square table ideal for playing cards. The furnishings will be classic in style with fabrics and finishes that lean toward the transitional.

From the great room, pocketing sliders will open to a wide terrace where the owners will enjoy the amazing views and a fabulous al fresco Florida lifestyle. This generous space will accommodate a grill zone with a large dining table and chairs for six people as well as a conversation lounge area with an L-shaped sectional sofa adorned with decorative pillows and a round cocktail table.

From the great room, a short hallway leads to the lavish owner's suite where the home's restful neutral color palette will continue. Gaddis will introduce an applied molding detail on the headboard wall featuring an artful arrangement of rectangles that are larger on the top and smaller on the bottom for added texture and dimension. A magnificent bed with an upholstered headboard and footboard will command attention. In a blend of painted and wood finishes, the night stands and dresser will add interest. A bench at the foot of the bed will add practicality while two side chairs will provide a quiet place for reading in this serene retreat. Sliding glass doors will open to the terrace.

A hallway past two generous walk-in closets will lead to the spacious owner's bathroom. While final selections are yet to be made, elegant his and her vanity cabinetry will feature solid surface countertops and sleek finishes. The bathroom includes an impressive shower, freestanding tub and ample space for a dressing ottoman.

Past the kitchen, a hallway will lead to the den and two guest suites. The den will be entered through an exterior-mounted sliding door that rolls smoothly to the side like a barn door, but with chic contemporary flair. The den will function as a second gathering area, a lounging retreat space for cozy relaxation and television viewing. Gaddis's plan calls for an inviting U-shaped sofa across from a custom built-in media wall that will accommodate a large television, display shelving and storage cabinetry.

Recognizing the importance of maintaining a dedicated computer workspace within the home, Gaddis's design will incorporate a custom office niche with a built-in desk and shelving discreetly tucked away within the hallway of the guest area.

The two spacious guest suites with elaborate ceiling details will each feature a private bathroom and offer a private terrace with patio furniture. In these elegant rooms, pendant lighting will be suspended from the ceilings above the nightstands rather than typical lamps.

Online at www.seaglassatbonitabay.com.
Water rushes through the gates on the Caloosahatchee River at the Franklin locks in Olga. Discharges from Lake Okeechobee are fouling downstream estuaries at the height of tourist season. (Eric Staats/staff)

Another war between the North and South is taking shape and again the North seems to have the advantage.

Even as Lake Okeechobee discharges into the Caloosahatchee River are scaled back and dry weather fills the forecast, the battle over what to do with excess water flowing into the lake continues.

Like the much bloodier affair in the 1860s, this conflict promises to go on for years.

The idea of acquiring land south of the lake for storage has been much in the news since at least 2008, when Gov. Charlie Crist and sugar growers who owned the land agreed to an option plan that would allow the state to buy 46,800 acres for around $500 million.

The southern strategy was supported by environmental groups, voters - who in 2014 approved a land purchase plan that specifically mentioned the Everglades Agricultural Area - and U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson, a tea party favorite.

But a change of heart on the part of the landowners and a lack of will on the part of the Legislature meant the option expired in October 2015.

An option to buy land still exists, but it would require the state to buy a much larger tract at a commensurately higher price.

So now, the focus is shifting to the north.

When the southern option plan was announced in 2008, a statement from the South Florida Water Management District stated, "Acquiring the enormous expanse of real estate offers water managers the opportunity and flexibility to store and clean water on a scale never before contemplated to protect Florida's coastal estuaries,"

Now officials with the SFWMD, which holds significant sway in the direction of water policy, say acquiring land for storage north of Lake Okeechobee and cleaning the water before it goes in the lake makes more sense.

A project to restore a more natural flow to the Kissimmee River and add storage capacity from Orlando to the lake is underway.

Beyond that, another northern project is set to launch later this year. The Lake Okeechobee Watershed Project has as its goal adding more treatment and storage capacity.

But it is so early in the process, with detailed planning to begin this calendar year, managers can't say where the storage will be located, how much water it will hold or how much it will cost.

That's all to be determined, said Matt Morrison of the SFWMD's Office of Everglades Planning and Coordination.

Like other elements of the Central Everglades Restoration Plan, the LWOP holds promise, but it is no quick fix.

A water district map of water quality and storage efforts shows 22 projects dating back to 2000. Nine of them are complete, with the others either under construction or still in the planning and design phase.

Of most interest in Southwest Florida, none of the projects that would add storage along the Caloosahatchee River and diminish the need to dump water into the coastal estuary are finished. Work recently started on the C-43 Reservoir, a massive undertaking to add 170,000 acre-feet of storage on 10,000 acres in Hendry County.

Former Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah, now the coordinator for the Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition, is skeptical of the notion that the LWOP will be an adequate substitute for buying the agricultural land to the south.

"It's a red herring. It's a diversion. They always want to redirect you north of the lake," Judah said.

Already, the district stores water to the north by flooding land it owns or paying property owners to flood their land. That amounts to less than 100,000 acre-feet of storage. Judah doesn't believe there's much capacity beyond that. "How much storage can we really expect north of the lake?" he wondered.

Morrison acknowledges he doesn't have a firm number to offer. But he said capacity will be improved. "Obviously we need more storage north of the lake. Storage is a prime component (of the LOWP). It will have significant reservoirs," he said.

The pace of the myriad Everglades restoration projects is maddeningly slow.

The C-43 reservoir, which is just now under construction and won't be finished until 2020, was initially supposed to be completed in 2011, according to SFWMD projections.

Even emergency measures, like Wednesday's introduction of a bill in Congress to provide an additional $800 million to expedite repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike on Lake Okeechobee's south side, lack immediacy. Under the plan, announced by Clawson, the repairs would be completed in 2020, four years ahead of the current schedule.

Judah offers one suggestion to quickly increase the system's capacity and reduce the damaging fresh water flow down the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers.

In the agricultural lands south of the lake, the water table is maintained about two feet below the surface, he said. Raising it a foot would add 700,000 acre-feet of storage.

The move wouldn't overtly flood farm fields, but an unexpected wet spell could cause flooding to the detriment of crops, he admits.

But farmers take risks all the time, he said. Often, they have crop insurance to protect against catastrophes. The environment and the coastal businesses that rely on it carry no such insurance, Judah noted.

Morrison disputes that there's a safe buffer under ag lands in which more water could be stored. Putting water there would be no different from putting it in some other developed area. "I can't flood the (Everglades Agricultural Area) and I can't flood downtown Fort Lauderdale," he said. "We put water where we can, when we can. The system is flat full."

Last week, Clawson called for a one-year easing of the rules protecting the seaside sparrow, an endangered species that can be harmed when too much water is allowed to inundate its habitat. The moratorium would allow more water to go south, rather than west through the Caloosahatchee, where lake water is wreaking havoc on the ecosystem and the tourist business.

Such trade-offs are a sort or "triage," choosing between bad options in an emergency, Judah said.

"I can understand where a restaurateur or a hotelier would say, 'To heck with the seaside sparrow,'" he said.

(Connect with Brent Batten at brent.batten@naplesnews.com, on Twitter@NDN_BrentBatten and at facebook.com/ndnbrentbatten)
SHARE Megan Burkhead performs Griffes's Poem for Flute and Orchestra (arr. piano), A. 93 as Walter Auer, a f flautist with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra listens during a master class at Artis-Naples in Naples, FL on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. (Photo by Gregg Pachkowski/Special to the Daily News) Benjamin Tillinger performs Chaminade's Flute Concertino, Op. 107 as Walter Auer, a flutist with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, listens during a master class Tuesday at Artis-Naples. Gregg Pachkowski/Special to the Daily News Gregg Pachkowski Lindsey Haerle plays Osborne's Rhapsody for Clarinet as Matthias Schorn, a clarinetist with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, gives her a few pointers during a master class Tuesday at Artis-Naples.

By Harriet Howard Heithaus of the Naples Daily News

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra launched its three-year residency here Tuesday with a concert powerful enough to leave vapor trails - a breathtaking display of virtuosity and precision. But in smaller, quieter moments off the stage of Hayes Hall, the orchestra showed itself equally fascinating:

In the open master classes, musicians worked with individual students from the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Teachers, other students and the public who sat in sessions at the Figge Conservatory or the hall inside Artis-Naples learned, as well.

Through a panel discussion in which the director and general manager of the orchestra explained its unusual style of being a musician-operated institution. It affects everything from auditions to conductor and program selection - and even who was seated at the panel discussion, since Andreas Grossbauer, its current director, is in an elected position.

The orchestra's initial three-day residency here wasn't limited to the two programs it performed Tuesday and Wednesday evening, but activities were short enough to leave some intrigue for next year.

This year the orchestra regarded as among the world's top three laid groundwork for next year's appearance - now that we've talked about those unusual long-bore, rotary valve trumpets and Viennese horns, can we see them up close? - and fortified an evening of Debussy, Wagner and Mussorgsky with the right amount of Strauss. There was a double encore Monday of the famous Viennese composer's "Emperor" Waltz and the "Thunder and Lightning Polka."

The Vienna Philharmonic has long been known for its unique sound; it is a rare large-scale orchestra that hews to the instrumentation of its 1842 birth year and uses a tuning pitch about three points faster than other orchestras. All of that contributes to a brighter, livelier sound.

Monday's program, full of legato strings and brass wake-up calls, could have been written for that paradigm: Wagner's Overture to "The Flying Dutchman" and Debussy's "La Mer," as well as Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." Its liquid violin sound, a Vienna Philharmonic trademark, was perfect, as my concert companion pointed out, for its two watering-bearing works.

Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, who wielded the baton Tuesday, escorts the orchestra on a South American tour. But not before Viennese musicians soaked up sun in palm-fringed, sunny Naples during its Monday free time: On Tuesday several musicians were wearing the familiar pink glow of sunburn.

And not before local Ukrainian Americans protested their conductor's presence Wednesday in front of Artis-Naples (see photo, Page 3A). Gergiev is a lightning rod for criticism because of his association with Vladimir Putin, whose policies support, and are thought to power, the recession of Crimea from Ukraine.

"We are not protesting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. We are protesting the appearance at Artist-Naples of Valery Gergiev," explained Natalie Santarsiero, president of the Ukrainian National Women's League Naples branch 132 organizing the protest. "He is a close associate of Vladimir Putin, and he signed the petition supporting annexation of Crimea. And as a friend of Putin, he supports the war that it continues to wage against Ukrainians."

Some audience members may have different complaints, preferring to hear the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra reprise the premiere it had just performed in New York, Masaot's "Clocks Without Hands," over tried-and-true programming. (Wednesday's program included the Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 7, the "Manfred," and two Wagner operatic themes.)

But no one could dispute this program was an elegant showcase, for which Hayes Hall actually seemed a small venue.

Knowing its musicians' administrative responsibilities makes their performance that much more impressive. Andreas Grossbauer, the orchestra's current director, also is one of its violinists and he explained his responsibilities at a Monday forum.

"When you're self-governing, you're doing much of the work yourselves," he said. "A term is three years. How many times you want to do it depends on how long you can stand the heat."

"The beauty is we have the possibility of getting all these different perspectives from these conductors, and then we say goodbye," he added, teasing Naples Philharmonic Music Director Andrey Boreyko.

Its breadth of experience, its history and its tight-knit community also results in the orchestra developing its own interpretation of the classical repertoire, Grossbauer said.

"When you're playing the Brahms Two, and the first time you (the orchestra) played it was when Brahms wrote it, some conductor comes in with ideas and we're saying 'What?"
In this series of three photos, from left, Mayor John Sorey, Council Member Teresa Heitmann, and former Mayor Bill Barnett speak Monday, Feb. 29, 2016 at the Norris Center's Gulfshore Playhouse. Current Naples Mayor John Sorey and challengers Council Member Teresa Heitmann and former Mayor Bill Barnett answered questions over 70 minutes to a packed theater during a mayoral debate. (Corey Perrine/Staff)

By Joseph Cranney of the Naples Daily News

As the three-way race for Naples mayor enters its final weeks, Mayor John Sorey remains the campaign's top money raiser.

Sorey raised $10,700 from Feb. 13 to Feb. 26, according to campaign reports released Friday. To date, he has raised about $174,000, more than any Naples mayoral candidate on record. Sorey has close to $74,000 on hand for the push to the March 15 election.

Click here to view database of donations made to candidates for Naples mayor 

Sorey's late February take came in second to Councilman Bill Barnett, who raised $13,580. That brings his total to more than $107,000. Barnett, who announced his intention to oppose Sorey in September, has about $28,000 on hand.

Councilwoman Teresa Heitmann, who entered the mayor's race on Jan. 7, raised $5,175 in late February and has about $7,000 on hand. She has raised more than $13,000 in total.

Barnett got a boost from a dormant political action committee that was reactivated in February and raised more than $8,000 to support Barnett's campaign and council candidates Reg Buxton, Michelle McLeod and Ellen Seigel, the PAC's chairman said.

John Allen, chairman of Naples Citizens for Better Government, said his PAC hasn't been active since 2012. The PAC raised $7,700 in the first two weeks of February, according to campaign finance reports, and spent $600 on a mailer that endorsed Barnett.

Unlike individual candidates, who can only accept a maximum of $1,000 from a single contributor, political committees are not bound by a cap on contributions.

Allen, who is also the former chairman of the Naples Airport Authority, contributed $2,500 to the PAC on Feb. 9. The PAC also received $2,500 from local investor Domenic Ferrante, who gave $250,000 to a PAC that supported Mitt Romney in 2012.

Dolph von Arx and Sharon von Arx, local philanthropists, each gave $1,250 to Allen's PAC on Feb. 8.

"I'm a supporter of Bill Barnett," Dolph von Arx said. "There's a group of us opposed to the style of the current mayor."

The PAC is creating fliers that will endorse Barnett and the three council candidates., Allen said. He said the PAC is led by city residents and was created years ago to offset what Allen described as the "outsize" influence that county politicians have on Naples races.

"We're a city PAC dealing with and focusing on city issues from the perspective of the residents," Allen said.
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Emil Hinterthuer, Naples

Trump is the one

A recent letter from Ed Ruff made my day. I am very happy that someone has the view to see that Donald Trump is the right person to be our next president.

I cannot understand the GOP wanting to boycott his campaign in words and actions. In my opinion, he is the one America is waiting for, since 2008.

If the GOP would take the time to work with Mr. Trump, the whole mess would be over. I would like to see him in the White House, not because I love him, but because I think he is the best we have to beat Hillary Clinton and because he is a man who loves America.

He did prove in his life to be on top of things in all situations. He sometimes has a big mouth and says the wrong words, but they are honest words spoken. He is not a liar like so many politicians. He is not even close to the man in the White House - I call him only the man in the White House because he is not what I like to see as a president.

If the Republicans denounce Trump, they will lose the White House forever. Some already went Independent and so will many more. I will vote for Trump whatever he decides.

I do think Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are nice people, but they don't have what it takes to get this country out of the dilemma we are in since 2008.

We are at a turning point in America and that means up or down. It is up to the people to make this choice.
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Emily Jeanne Th-emke, Golden Gate

Hard to believe

I'm amazed by what Naples Mayor John Sorey did with Bill Barnett's signs and the alleged lengths he went to cover it up, change his story, and manipulate the press and his supporters.

I have read Sorey's explanation to his constituents and steering committee and in my opinion, it's just more political spin.

As a city councilman from 2004-12 and now as mayor for almost four years, Sorey knows better than this and certainly knows the responsibilities of the city's code enforcement office, which has jurisdiction over sign enforcement.

Sorey's apology was hollow and half-truths, aimed at making people think they should still vote for him. The citizens of Naples are smart, and I don't see them buying it.

Also, the only sitting council member to support Sorey is Sam Saad III, who Sorey says he is proud to have as a supporter. Saad recently asked Bernie Sanders' supporters, on a post on Facebook, to take the bag challenge and kill themselves. While perhaps intended as a political joke, his remarks go far beyond the pale in terms of political correctness ... they were downright bizarre and disturbing.

I think both should reconsider their political futures. The voters will get a chance to help with that decision on March 15.
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Bonnie Epperly-Trudel, Naples

Rubio's courage

At the recent Republican debate, the field of debaters had been narrowed to five, and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were slated to receive their final blows before being routed by Donald Trump on Super Tuesday.

In a surprising twist, Rubio stood toe-to-toe with Trump and called him out like a neighborhood bully.

Trump stood red-faced and sputtering, while Rubio exposed Trump's bankruptcies, the fraud of Trump University, Trump's recruiting and hiring foreign workers, and more. Rubio pointed to Trump's clothing line, not "Made in the USA."

Rubio upended Trump's ridicule by repeating the same points Trump uses in every debate and demanding substance to back them.

Afterward, Rubio dismissed Trump as a con man.

Why has everyone feared Trump? Is it the tweets that publicly humiliate? Is it Trump's warning to be nice to him or they'd go forward at their peril? Is it the demonstrations of that peril?

Why has the media not shown us a clear picture of Trump? Are they intimidated by reports like the one Feb. 26 from the AP that said, "... Trump says that if he's elected president, American newspapers should watch out" and "If I become president, oh, do they have problems."

Whatever fear there is of Trump, I applaud Rubio. This smart, polite, first-generation American, child of a maid and a bartender, stood before the world, accepted the certainty of retaliation and stood up to a billionaire bully.

Rubio's courage has the power to awaken alarm bells to Trump's words, "If I become president, oh, do they have problems."
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Norm and Nancy Vester, Bonita Springs

Florida Gulf Coast University

Vester Marine and Environmental Facility

Support McIntosh

We in Bonita Springs have been blessed with the guidance of Mayor Ben Nelson. Now Stephen McIntosh, the deputy mayor, is ready to continue this kind of selfless dedication.

We first met him when we were in the process of donating our property to create the FGCU Vester Marine and Environmental Facility. We have come to respect his leadership and his true nature as a dedicated public servant.

He is an advocate in protecting our environment, having written many environmental and sustainability policies. He regularly brings high school students to tour the FGCU Vester Facility as part of his commitment to assuring our next generation of leaders understands their role in protecting the environment.

He is experienced, knowledgeable, and most especially willing to serve.

He will make an excellent mayor.
Public safety or public exposure?

The cultural problem

(NaturalNews) The purpose of the Department of Health and Human Services is to protect American citizens from potential health threats. This goal has always been hard to achieve, since short-term immigrants and visitors have not been required to undergo any examinations that would help ascertain the condition of their overall health before entering the country. Virtually any person crossing the U.S. border for a short amount of time could be the carrier of a host of infectious diseases, and bring them into U.S. territory Then the situation got worse. When Barack Obama was elected, one of the first things he did when he took office was to remove HIV/AIDS from the list of diseases that could prevent an immigrant from being lawfully admitted to the U.S. That was the first of eight "communicable diseases of public health significance" to be struck from the list. Now, three others have been erased . As if temporary residents or visitors importing contagious illnesses wasn't enough, the U.S.A. can now receive permanent migrants suffering from chancroid, granuloma inguinale and lymphogranuloma venereum, all of which areassociated with third-world countries. There are now only four syndromes left on the list of forbidden diseases.The 1993 health clause stipulated in the Immigration and Nationality Act was introduced for a reason. The administration saw an incredible influx of citizens coming to the U.S. from all over the world. Consequently, they thought that some basic measures to protect the population were necessary. It didn't seem like too much to ask for aliens to be healthy before they were allowed to cross the border. A little over 20 years later, something changed.The only feasible reason for such an action coming from President Obama is the fear of losing the White House for another nine years to the Republican Party. As external threats keep accumulating against the U.S., citizens are more inclined to agree with the Republican policies of self-preservation and increased security. 21century technology doesn't make things any better. Now, enemies can invade federal or civil computer networks and even dispense biological weapons through unaware immigrants In light of the new change, more people will now be permitted to enter American territory and gain the right to vote. This political strategy appears to bet on the fact that these immigrants will, in exchange, support the Democratic Party in its future political endeavors. But the cost of allowing infectious diseases to cross the border is too high. We're not talking about something that stays in the body. These are viruses or bacteria that can spread. Quickly.Muslim fundamentalists, for instance, practice a form of "rape culture" when interacting with what they deem as "infidel" women. According to their sacred law, a woman who does not conform to the religious restrictions imposed upon her, or who has different religious convictions altogether, is an "infidel," and can be subjected to torture, rape and slavery . This type of culture promotes reckless sexual interaction and makes the further transmission of STDs much more likely.What happens when these STD carriers that habitually objectify and sexually assault women are welcomed to a country where the majority of the population is not Muslim? The American population becomes much more vulnerable to an epidemic of STDs . This is why the director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Jane Orient, M.D., believes that the change set to take effect starting March 28, 2016 is a ticking time-bomb, riddled with "immigrants who follow an ideology in which the rape of infidel women is actually acceptable. And these migrants, when settled in places like Sweden, are causing an epidemic of rape, certainly of sexual molestation and assault on women, and so you have people who not only think rape is acceptable, but who have infectious diseases to boot."At this point, for people not to be allowed into the United States they would have to have syphilis, gonorrhea, tuberculosis or leprosy. What if we remove one of those from the list too? How many health risks is the American nation willing to tolerate?
Corn industry says GMO labeling will be costly, but other countries have experienced no such problem

Scare tactics won't work ... Besides, if Campbell's can do it, so can others

(NaturalNews) Enough already, anti-GMO-labeling people. Really.The bottom line is that everyone has the right to know what's in the food they're about to eat, so why the relentless attempts to try to keep such efforts at bay?One such insane attempt was recently demonstrated by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA), which claims that labeling genetically engineered foods as such would be so costly that it would actually increase food prices. No, this isn't a joke, but an honest to goodness excuse  yet again  that aims to suffocate efforts to improve the public's health.Seriously, can printing a few extra words on a label really up prices as dramatically as the CRA is leading people to believe? Do they truly think people will fall for that reason as a justification for why GMO labeling is  in their opinion  unnecessary? To resort to fear tactics (your food prices will surge!) in order to get people to turn to the anti-GMO labeling side is a blatant, grasp-at-straws attempt that shows utter disregard for human safety.All these folks care about is carrying on as usual, which of course means keeping the GMO powers-that-be happy while continuing to collect money from taxpaying citizens. Do they really think we're so gullible as to think that the addition of some ink on a label will increase food prices? As if we're all going to now say, "Well, by all means, let's forget this whole GMO food-labeling issue, then!"It's nothing short of absurd So the CRA continues, maintaining that such labeling efforts will put families an average of $1,000 deeper in the financial hole.However, the facts speak for themselves. For example, other areas have successfully engaged in GMO food labeling and symbols, without experiencing a dent in their wallets. In Brazil, where GMO food has had a "transgenic" symbol since the early 2000s, it's been found that food prices did not increase. Not only that, but consumers were also more inclined to make purchases of GMO labeled foods, pleased to know that others were on board with such a common sense notion. Similarly, 64 other countries have followed suit, with experiences that were just as positive.Of the CRA's fear-invoking attempt, people see through it like glass.First of all, they're well-aware that this is the same group of people who think high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a good thing, so that in itself should be enough to make anyone question the logic behind their statements. Furthermore, the CRA is misguiding the public; in reality they know that increased costs will likely be experienced by manufacturers who ultimately will have to switch to non-GMO ingredients. Yet they've twisted that truth to make it sound as though labeling will cost consumers when it comes to food price increases. It's nonsense "logic" though, because one has nothing to do with the other."The food industry is once again attempting to scare consumers and legislators in order to get their way," says Andrew Kimbrell, executive director at Center for Food Safety. "Campbell's Soup has announced it will label all of its GE products, at no added cost to the consumer. If a company like Campbell's can take this step to label their food accurately, then there is no reason the rest of the industry can't follow suit."You may recall that Campbell's made history when the company announced their "... support for mandatory national labeling of products that may contain genetically modified organisms (GMO) and proposed that the federal government provide a national standard for non-GMO claims made on food packaging." They made clear their belief that people deserve to know what's in their food, honing in on the fact that the topic is a significant concern for the majority of the population.Yet  sadly  even in the face of such clear thinking and health advocacy, there remain people like those at the CRA who are determined to fight common sense.
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan moved to California to pursue a career in acting, but a meeting with the president of the Screen Actors Guild in 1950 led her to a different kind of role that would take her from Southern California to Sacramento and on to the White House.

Reagan died Sunday at her home in Bel-Air at age 94. She moved with husband Ronald Reagan to the Los Angeles neighborhood after his second term as president ended, marking the couple's return to California -- the place where they met and shared much of their remarkable lives together.

"She served our country and the state of California with class," former First Lady of California Maria Shriver tweeted Sunday morning.

Born Anne Frances Robbins in New York City, she was adopted and gained a new last name from her stepfather, Dr. Loyal Davis, a Chicago physician. Anne Davis went by the nickname Nancy as she grew up and graduated from Smith College in 1943, did some acting on the Broadway stage, and broke into the movies when MGM's George Cukor gave her a bit part in 1949's "East Side, West Side."

The studio changed her first name to Nancy.

It was during her Hollywood career -- she made eleven films -- that she met the love of her life, Ronald Reagan. In her memoir, "My Turn," she wrote that her life really began when they met in 1950.

He was president of the Screen Actors Guild and she was seeking help with a problem: Her name had been wrongly included on a published list of suspected communist sympathizers. They discussed it over dinner, and she later wrote that she realized on that first blind date "he was everything that I wanted."

They dated for about three years, often spending time at his Southern California ranch. They wed on March 4, 1952 at the unassuming Little Brown Church in the Valley on Coldwater Canyon Avenue in Studio City.

Actor-friend William Holden and his wife served as witnesses. Reagan later said acting was never really a career for her -- just something to do until she got married.

"I was the happiest girl in the world when 'I' became 'we,'" she said.

Together, they purchased a home in the Pacific Palisades, where they lived until a move to Sacramento in 1966. They had two children together, Patty and Ron Jr., and she also helped raise Ronald Reagan's two children with his first wife, Jane Wyman.

"Hellcats Of the Navy" in 1957 was the only movie they appeared together in, but she continued to act in TV and minor movie roles.

But she is best known for her role as adviser, counselor and protector of Ronald Reagan. After he delivered a well-received speech at the 1964 Republican National Convention, a group of wealthy Southland donors convinced the couple that he should run for governor in 1966, thrusting Nancy Reagan into the political spotlight.

They were a team, and Nancy Reagan actively peppered campaign advisers with strategy and tactical recommendations, according to memoirs written by the campaign team. Ronald Reagan won the governorship, and they moved to Sacramento, into a dilapidated Victorian governor's mansion that she hated. Gov. Reagan's term ended in 1973 and the family returned to Pacific Palisades.

That's where donors met with the couple in 1974, planning a White House run to challenge the incumbent G.O.P. president, Gerald Ford. Reagan narrowly lost the race for the nomination. Nancy Reagan played an active role in the 1980 presidential campaign, playing what the New York Times called "a leading role in the firing" of one campaign manager.

In October, 1987, the First Lady received a mastectomy fro breast cancer, and she later went on television from the White House to promote cancer awareness and mammograms. In 1988, at the end of Reagan terms in Washington, the couple retired to a house in Bel Air: the street number was changed from 666 to 668 at the request of Nancy Reagan, who was superstitious and who had made use of a psychic to guide her husband during his presidency.

The Reagans travelled between Bel Air, and the Reagan's ranch at Rancho del Cielo, in the mountains above Santa Barbara. The ranch was sold when the ex- president was diagnosed with Alzheimer's June, 2004.

Alzheimer's awareness became Nancy Reagan's new campaign, along with burnishing her husband's name and reputation.

"Nancy Reagan lived a remarkable life and will be remembered for her strength and grace," said California Gov. Jerry Brown. "On behalf of all Californians, Anne and I extend our deepest condolences to the Reagan family."

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger described her as a First Lady "with unbelievable power, class and grace" who "left her mark on the world."

After Ronald Reagan's death in 2004, Nancy Reagan turned over her husband's diaries to biographer Douglas Brinkley with the admonitions not to use them to interpret current events, and that her husband was a pragmatic conservative, not an ideologue.

Nancy Reagan made one of her last public appearances at the centennial of her husband's birth, in February, 2011, on the sun-drenched western porch of the Reagan Library. The Pacific Ocean was on the western horizon, his grave to her side.

"I know that Ronnie would be thrilled, and is thrilled to have all of you sharing his 100th birthday," the frail-looking widow said. "It doesn't seem possible but that's what it is."

Nancy Reagan died of congestive heart failure Sunday in her sleep, according to a spokeswoman. Plans were being readied Sunday for burial next to her husband at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, said the foundation's spokeswoman, Joanne Drake.

Flowers were left at the main entrance gate of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. The library is closed and visitors were being turned away Sunday morning.

Library officials said there will be an opportunity for the public to pay respects ahead of the funeral.
Former President Bill Clinton will attend an event in the Chicagoland area Tuesday to support Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in the lead-up to the March 15 Illinois primary.

At the event, Clinton will stump for his wife's campaign and encourage early voting.

"President Clinton will lay out what's at stake during this election and why Hillary Clinton is the only candidate who can break down barriers that hold Illinoisans back, deliver results, and continue the progress that we've made under President Obama," a press release provided by Hillary for Illinois said. "President Clinton will also encourage Illinoisans to take advantage of early voting which lasts until March 14th."

Information on the event has not yet been made public. An update will be posted when details have been made available to Ward Room.

In recent months, the Clinton campaign has been zeroing in on Illinois as a decisive primary.

Clinton debuted two television ads Saturday in Illinois. She previously opened two Chicago campaign offices, located at 5401 S. Wentworth Ave. and 1543 N. Wells St., in February.

Clinton also held a get-out-the-vote rally at the Parkway Ballroom in Bronzeville last month in an effort to gain the support of African-American voters. At the event, Clinton slammed Gov. Bruce Rauner and his Turnaround Agenda.

The governor has refused to start budget negotiations unless his so-called turnaround agenda gets passed, first, Clinton said during her speech. Now, his plan will turn Illinois around, all tight. All the way back to the time of the robber barons of the 19th century.

During that trip, she also attended a private host reception for donors who have raised more than $27,000 for her campaign.

Clinton leads Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Clinton currently has 663 pledged delegates to Sanders' 459. She won the Louisiana primary Saturday, but lost Kansas and Nebraska to Sanders.

The two will face off in Illinois March 15 Democratic Presidential primary.

Florida, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio will also be decided that day.


A North Side man was charged this week with predatory criminal sexual assault, according to Chicago Police.

57-year-old Robert J. Weaver, of the 1300 block of N. Wells St., was taken into custody Thursday night, and charged with one felony count of predatory criminal sexual assault. Police say he had inappropriate encounters with an underage victim.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Weaver is a former music teacher in the Chicago Public Schools District, at Walter Payton College Prep High School, and the assault allegedly occurred when he was still a teacher there.

Prosecutors said the incidents took place between April 1998 and Sept. 1999, when the male victim was eight or nine years old, according to the Tribune. The Tribune also reports that Weaver was not the victims teacher, but a friend of his family, and the incidents did not occur at the school.

According to the Tribune, a judge set bail at $50,000 on Saturday.
Lil Wayne performed a concert at Indiana University this week, and on his way out of town Saturday, he went the extra mile to express his gratitude. No matter what you think of his music, his act of kindness made an impression on several people at an Indianapolis airport.

Amanda Lickliter was at the airport when Lil Wayne, 33, was set to depart, and caught a touching moment. She says that a military aircraft arrived at the airport just as Lil Wayne was about to leave, and parked next to the rappers plane.

Though he and several companions had already boarded and were ready for takeoff, Lil Wayne (real name Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.) told the pilots he wanted to get off the plane. He then went inside the airport and shook hands with each of the roughly 30 service members hands, posing for photos and thanking them for their sacrifice.

Lickliter posted about the exchange on Facebook, and by Sunday afternoon the post had received more than 1000 shares.

So Lil Wayne came through IND today. At the same time he was due to depart, there was a military C130 arriving. It... Posted by Amanda Cooper Lickliter on Saturday, March 5, 2016

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She told NBC 5 that it wasnt who it was, but the act itself that impressed her most.

I would've shared it even if it was Joe Blow off the street, Lickliter said. I think it speaks volumes of someone who would take time out of their obviously busy schedule to shut down their plane and shake the hands of often forgotten about men. The fact that it was Lil Wayne just made it that much better.

It was awesome to see the faces of the guys he thanked, she continued. So many had to do double takes when they realized who he was.

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Lil Wayne signed to Cash Money Records in 1991 as the youngest member of the label. Wayne's debut solo album "Tha Block Is Hot" was released when he was 17 and and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 before going platinum. Other albums include "Lights Out" (2000), "Tha Carter" (2004), "Rebirth" (2010), "Free Weezy Album" (2015) and "Tha Carter V" (2016).

In a 2011 interview with Hot 97's Angie Martinez, Lil Wayne announced that he would retire at age 35; saying "I have four kids", and that "I would feel selfish still going to the studio when it's such a vital point in their lives." The rapper's four children were all born to different mothers and range in age from six to 18 years old.

In November 2012 he said that "Tha Carter V" will be his last album ahead of him pursuing other interests.

Lickliter also said the fact that it happened without any cameras or members of the media there made it that much more meaningful.

I thought this was a very admirable thing to do, especially when there was no obvious publicity in it for him, she said of Wayne. He seemed genuinely happy to give them the recognition they deserve.
Two people were sent to the hospital after a possible home invasion in Hartford.

According to police, multiple suspects entered a home at 60 Van Block Ave. around 1:40 a.m.

Jimmy Ball, 35, and Dianna Ford-Ortiz,30, were home at the time. Ford-Ortiz awoke when she heard Ball at the door. She opened the door and multiple suspects forced their way into the home.

Ball was stabbed multiple times in the upper torso. He was transported to the hospital and is listed in guarded but stable condition.

Ford-Ortiz suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the left leg. She was taken to the hospital by a good Samaritan.

Police are waiting to talk to the victims to learn more about what transpired inside and to get descriptions of the suspects.

Police do not believe the incident is gang related. Both victims are cooperating with police.
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan moved to California to pursue a career in acting, but a meeting with the president of the Screen Actors Guild in 1950 led her to a different kind of role that would take her from Southern California to Sacramento and on to the White House.

Reagan died Sunday at her home in Bel-Air at age 94. She moved with husband Ronald Reagan to the Los Angeles neighborhood after his second term as president ended, marking the couple's return to California -- the place where they met and shared much of their remarkable lives together.

"She served our country and the state of California with class," former First Lady of California Maria Shriver tweeted Sunday morning.

Born Anne Frances Robbins in New York City, she was adopted and gained a new last name from her stepfather, Dr. Loyal Davis, a Chicago physician. Anne Davis went by the nickname Nancy as she grew up and graduated from Smith College in 1943, did some acting on the Broadway stage, and broke into the movies when MGM's George Cukor gave her a bit part in 1949's "East Side, West Side."

The studio changed her first name to Nancy.

Sending love to Nancy Reagan family. She served our country and the state of California with class  Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) March 6, 2016

Rest in peace, Nancy Reagan. She touched the heart of a nation and made the world a better place. pic.twitter.com/BEscm47daQ  Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 6, 2016

Nancy Reagan was one of my heroes. She served as First Lady with unbelievable power, class and grace and left her mark on the world. (1/2)  Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 6, 2016

My condolences go to the Reagan family on the passing of Nancy Reagan. My statement: https://t.co/r7siUKI6iA  Sen. Barbara Boxer (@SenatorBoxer) March 6, 2016

It was during her Hollywood career -- she made eleven films -- that she met the love of her life, Ronald Reagan. In her memoir, "My Turn," she wrote that her life really began when they met in 1950.

He was president of the Screen Actors Guild and she was seeking help with a problem: Her name had been wrongly included on a published list of suspected communist sympathizers. They discussed it over dinner, and she later wrote that she realized on that first blind date "he was everything that I wanted."

They dated for about three years, often spending time at his Southern California ranch. They wed on March 4, 1952 at the unassuming Little Brown Church in the Valley on Coldwater Canyon Avenue in Studio City.

Actor-friend William Holden and his wife served as witnesses. Reagan later said acting was never really a career for her -- just something to do until she got married.

"I was the happiest girl in the world when 'I' became 'we,'" she said.

Together, they purchased a home in the Pacific Palisades, where they lived until a move to Sacramento in 1966. They had two children together, Patty and Ron Jr., and she also helped raise Ronald Reagan's two children with his first wife, Jane Wyman.

"Hellcats Of the Navy" in 1957 was the only movie they appeared together in, but she continued to act in TV and minor movie roles.

But she is best known for her role as adviser, counselor and protector of Ronald Reagan. After he delivered a well-received speech at the 1964 Republican National Convention, a group of wealthy Southland donors convinced the couple that he should run for governor in 1966, thrusting Nancy Reagan into the political spotlight.

They were a team, and Nancy Reagan actively peppered campaign advisers with strategy and tactical recommendations, according to memoirs written by the campaign team. Ronald Reagan won the governorship, and they moved to Sacramento, into a dilapidated Victorian governor's mansion that she hated. Gov. Reagan's term ended in 1973 and the family returned to Pacific Palisades.

That's where donors met with the couple in 1974, planning a White House run to challenge the incumbent G.O.P. president, Gerald Ford. Reagan narrowly lost the race for the nomination. Nancy Reagan played an active role in the 1980 presidential campaign, playing what the New York Times called "a leading role in the firing" of one campaign manager.

In October, 1987, the First Lady received a mastectomy fro breast cancer, and she later went on television from the White House to promote cancer awareness and mammograms. In 1988, at the end of Reagan terms in Washington, the couple retired to a house in Bel Air: the street number was changed from 666 to 668 at the request of Nancy Reagan, who was superstitious and who had made use of a psychic to guide her husband during his presidency.

The Reagans travelled between Bel Air, and the Reagan's ranch at Rancho del Cielo, in the mountains above Santa Barbara. The ranch was sold when the ex- president was diagnosed with Alzheimer's June, 2004.

Alzheimer's awareness became Nancy Reagan's new campaign, along with burnishing her husband's name and reputation.

"Nancy Reagan lived a remarkable life and will be remembered for her strength and grace," said California Gov. Jerry Brown. "On behalf of all Californians, Anne and I extend our deepest condolences to the Reagan family."

Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger described her as a First Lady "with unbelievable power, class and grace" who "left her mark on the world."

After Ronald Reagan's death in 2004, Nancy Reagan turned over her husband's diaries to biographer Douglas Brinkley with the admonitions not to use them to interpret current events, and that her husband was a pragmatic conservative, not an ideologue.

Nancy Reagan made one of her last public appearances at the centennial of her husband's birth, in February, 2011, on the sun-drenched western porch of the Reagan Library. The Pacific Ocean was on the western horizon, his grave to her side.

"I know that Ronnie would be thrilled, and is thrilled to have all of you sharing his 100th birthday," the frail-looking widow said. "It doesn't seem possible but that's what it is."

Nancy Reagan died of congestive heart failure Sunday in her sleep, according to a spokeswoman. Plans were being readied Sunday for burial next to her husband at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, said the foundation's spokeswoman, Joanne Drake.

Flowers were left at the main entrance gate of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. The library is closed and visitors were being turned away Sunday morning.

Library officials said there will be an opportunity for the public to pay respects ahead of the funeral.
Former Philadelphia Eagle and current Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Earl Wolff was kidnapped for a short time while visiting his native North Carolina last month but was freed unharmed.



Police in Fayetteville, North Carolina, said they received a call Feb. 23 about a robbery and kidnapping. The Fayetteville Observer, which first reported the story, said that Wolff was visiting friends when a group of men with guns forced him into his Range Rover. Police say it's not clear how long Wolff was held but they believe it was a short time.



Tad Dickman, senior manager of public relations for the Jaguars, released a statement Saturday that Wolff was "doing well, mentally and physically." He asked the media to respect Wolff's privacy.



One man was charged Thursday in the case.

Wolf, 26, was drafted by the Eagles in 2013 and played two seasons for the Birds before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015.
The Miami Dolphins were forced to get creative and have restructured the large contract of Ndamukong Suh to create cap room.

Miami did not release details of the restructured deal, but the expectation is that this will create around $18 million in cap room. The value of the contract will remain the same despite the restructuring. By completing this process, Suh has given the Dolphins the opportunity to improve their their roster around him.

Last year when Miami signed Suh to a six-year deal worth $114 million, it represented a big moment for the team. It was a clear sign of Miami's desire to win in the near-term at any cost. The contract led to some speculation of future cap troubles for the team however, and this helps subside those worries a bit.

Miami is currently awaiting word on Olivier Vernon after placing a transition tag on the defensive end. Vernon could return to the Dolphins, but it is possible another team will bid too much for his services. Miami will be granted an opportunity to match any offer before Vernon can sign with another franchise.

The Dolphins also met with Mario Williams on Saturday as a possible replacement on defense. Signing Williams would likely be costly even with the veteran coming off a down year. Opening up cap room should allow Miami to offer Williams a deal if it chooses to go that route.

Miami is faced with a number of challenges that need to be addressed. While the defense could use some pieces, there is also a need for improvements on the other side of the ball. The Dolphins could look to address these spots in the draft and via trades if the market proves to be stagnant.

Miami announced that Koa Misi had his deal restructured as well on Saturday. In addition, the team released Greg Jennings which opened up an additional $4 million in cap space.
A teenager has died and seven other people were injured when someone opened fire early Sunday morning in Chelsea, Massachusetts, officials said.

Police are still looking for the shooter as family and friends are mourning the loss of the 19-year-old Pablo Villeda.

A small memorial is growing outside the building at 120 Washington Ave., where seven young people, including Villeda, were shot early Sunday morning. One more person jumped out a window.

Terrence Flood's fiance was woken up by the shots. They live next door.

"She said, 'I heard a shot, a gunshot,'" Flood said. "She heard the glass break where the guy jumped out the window."

Villeda was taken to Whidden Memorial Hospital, where he later died. The other victims were transported to Massachusetts General Hospital and Whidden Hospital with non-threatening gunshot injuries.

The surviving shooting victims were three males - ages 15, 18, and 22 - and three females - ages 15, 17, and 18.

Now, police are looking for a suspect. They believe there was one shooter with one gun.

They are also investigating why so many young people were inside that apartment.

"It's been vacant for like two or three days," said Flood.

A vigil is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. in front of the building.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 617-466-4805, or the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit at 617-727-8817
The Chicago Sun-Times editorial board announced its endorsement of Ohio Governor John Kasich and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries, respectively, on Friday.

In the Democractic race, the paper cited Clinton's "professional and personal skills" as its reason for the endorsement, calling it "an easy call" despite "her share of big mistakes."

The editorial board writes that her failure to institute a single-payer healthcare program in the 1990's taught her to work more closely with Congress in a bipartisan manner, partnering on various initiatives with unlikely allies in Republican officials.

"Domestically, Hillary Clinton could be very good for Chicago, even if she had not grown up in suburban Park Ridge," the endorsement adds. "She has long favored the kind of common-sense gun controls this city and country desperately need. She has been a champion of civil rights, womens issues and comprehensive immigration reform, including the creation of a pathway to citizenship. She opposes privatizing Social Security and believes working people should be guaranteed, by law, up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave."

Clinton will face Senator Bernie Sanders in Illinois' March 15 Democratic primary.

On the Republican side, the Sun-Times endorsed John Kasich, calling him "a grown-up" before describing a dystopian view of "Trump's America."

The board reasons that Kasich has "refused to jump into the mud pit," throughout the campaign, and cites his experience as governor of Ohio and as a Congressman for 18 years as their rationale for endorsing him.

"He does not deny the reality of climate change, which sadly makes him an outlier in his own party, though he opposes the EPA regulating carbon emissions," the endorsement states. "He favors the completion of a fence along the Mexican border, but he would offer a path to legal status  not citizenship  for undocumented workers. As a governor, Kasich has pushed for less prison time and more rehabilitation services for nonviolent offenders. He signed a bill in 2012 making it easier for ex-felons to get work, and he has argued that Americas prisons are holding too many people who are mentally ill."

Kasich faces Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Sen. Marco Rubio in the state's March 15 Republican primary.
As the deadline for what would be New Jersey Transit's first strike in more than 30 years looms next weekend, commuters are left to ponder the imponderables, such as traffic backups extending from the Holland Tunnel past Newark Liberty Airport.

Unions have set a strike deadline for just after midnight next Sunday, but the dispute has been percolating for nearly five years, when the last contract expired. The two sides met with a national labor board Friday in Washington and are scheduled to meet again Monday in Newark.

Anxious rail riders might take solace in some numbers. NJ Transit hasn't had a strike since a 1983 job action by conductors, during which train service operated; and according to the National Mediation Board, the body that oversaw Friday's talks, slightly more than 1 percent of rail or airline disputes it has been involved in since 1980 have led to service disruptions.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Gridlock on the roads and on public transportation already is a daily feature for tens of thousands of commuters in New Jersey, and a strike could bring the region's roads to a grinding halt during peak times.

The potential economic impact of a strike is difficult to predict, particularly with increasing numbers of employees able to telecommute. Still, productivity is sure to take a hit as more than 100,000 rail riders will be directly affected, and fewer than four in 10 can be accommodated by alternative service, according to officials.

Amtrak has estimated that the Northeast rail corridor, which extends from Washington to Boston, contributes 20 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, and the New York metropolitan region leads the way.

THE ISSUES

Rail workers have been without a contract since 2011, and failed attempts to reach agreement with NJ Transit led to the creation of a Presidential Emergency Board last summer, then a second one near the end of the year.

Unions sought a 2.9 percent annual wage increase over six years plus an increase in health insurance payments from 1.8 percent to 2 percent of straight pay. NJ Transit offered average 1.4 percent wage increases and health insurance payments rising from 10 percent to 20 percent.

The boards favored the union's numbers and recommended pay raises of about 2.6 percent and health payment increases of 2.5 percent. They disagreed with NJ Transit's contention that the unions' wage and health insurance demands should be judged against other state workers rather than against other rail carriers in the region.

NJ Transit contends the PEB's recommendations would cost the agency $183 million and force it to increase fares.

Friday's talks were productive and brought the parties closer together, according to one union official, but didn't result in an agreement.

IF IT HAPPENS

At a news conference last Thursday, transportation officials urged commuters to work from home, commute at different times and carpool to avoid backups to the Lincoln and Holland tunnels that could extend 20 miles or more.

They also identified park-and-ride lots in Hamilton, East Rutherford, Metropark, Ramsey and Holmdel that will serve expanded bus service. Parking will be free and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Some of those buses will go directly into Manhattan, while others will connect with PATH service or ferries.

State Department of Transportation Commissioner Richard Hammer said routine maintenance work on major roads will be suspended to aid traffic flow, and bans on single-occupancy vehicles in HOV lanes could be lifted.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"I don't know  I guess I'll try to work from home. Either that or take the ferry. There's Uber now so that's a little better."  Michelle Rodriguez, who commutes from Secaucus to her job in Brooklyn every day.

"It can't be business as usual. It can't be an average of 1.1 people per car driving in; it won't work."  Sam Schwartz, traffic consultant and former New York City traffic commissioner, urging commuters to adjust their habits if a strike occurs.

"They could have a better plan than this, after not negotiating for five years. They had a lot of time. It's troubling, the lack of depth involved with this plan."  Stephen Burkert, general chairman of SMART-Transportation Division Local 60, on NJ Transit's contingency plans.

"This is a difficult situation for everyone. Our goal is not to have a strike."  Dennis Martin, interim NJ Transit executive director.
As news of the death of former First Lady Nancy Reagan broke on Sunday afternoon, local politicians expressed their admiration for her and their sadness over her passing.

Reagan, 94, died at her home in Bel-Air, Calif. of congestive heart failure, her assistant told the Associated Press.

She was well-known for her advocacy around Alzheimer's disease, which her husband, former President Ronald Reagan, battled for 10 years before his 2004 death.

"Nancy Reagan was the rock behind one of the greatest leaders of our time. She was her husband's greatest source of strength through the toughest decisions he made as president. She embodied grace and poise for generations of Americans," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a former Republican presidential candidate, said in a statement on Sunday. "In true Nancy Reagan fashion, she became a crusader in the battle against the disease that ultimately took President Reagan's life, Alzheimer's. It was a great honor for me and Mary Pat to be welcomed by her to the Reagan Library in 2011 and it will be a memory we will always treasure. The nation will truly miss her. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Reagan family."

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania tweeted:

"Nancy Reagan was a great First Lady and a wonderful woman. Kris and I send our condolences to her family."

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf also took to Twitter to express his condolences: [[371204771, C]]

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, of Philadelphia, described Nancy Reagan as her husband's "biggest fan and supporter." [[371204881, C]]

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey tweeted:

"Mourning the loss of former First Lady Nancy Reagan who left an indelible mark on our nation."
Pennsylvania's Democratic Party committee members went through a divisive process of buttonholing, cajoling and promising on Saturday but ultimately could not deliver endorsements in contested primary races for U.S. senator and state attorney general.

As a result, the candidates will run without the party's explicit backing in the April 26 primary election to pick nominees to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey and keep a Democrat in the attorney general's office since the embattled Democrat Kathleen Kane is not seeking re-election.



The party's endorsement does not guarantee a nomination, but it can plug a candidate into fundraising and volunteer networks and provides a useful campaign slogan as the party-endorsed candidate.



The tone was set early in Saturday's process when party members rejected chairman Marcel Groen's call to support an open primary, rather than taking the endorsement votes. In floor comments challenging Groen's motion, former chairman Jim Burn said the timing of Groen's motion "calls into question the motivation" to do it.



Afterward, Groen said the process is too divisive and means little more than bragging rights.



"And, frankly, we've been ineffective," he said, noting that fewer than half of the party's endorsed candidates win contested primaries.



Ultimately, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala, whom Burn supports, fell just shy of winning the endorsement over Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro, a close friend of Groen's.



With heavy support from the Allegheny County and Philadelphia delegations, Zappala won 63 percent in the attorney general's race, just shy of the 67 percent needed for the endorsement. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli's name was not entered for consideration after he, like Groen, called for an open primary.



For U.S. Senate, Katie McGinty came closest to winning the endorsement vote for U.S. senator, scoring 173 votes to Joe Sestak's 149 on the second ballot that did not include the names of the other two, lesser-known candidates, John Fetterman and Joe Vodvarka. Her strongest support also came from the Philadelphia and Allegheny County delegations.

The meeting drew some high-profile attendees, including Gov. Tom Wolf, U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, of Philadelphia, and state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, of Allegheny, while some of the campaigns worked aggressively to win and count votes.

Before the vote, McGinty said her campaign would be fine with or without the endorsement, and she noted that she has piled up a long list of endorsements already. Afterward, her campaign touted her majority of votes as a demonstration that she had "strong grassroots support across Pennsylvania" from people who believe she is the best candidate to take on Toomey.

Burn, however, suggested that McGinty's strong establishment support, including backing by Wolf and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, of Nevada, was not translating well to the party's ground-level activists and workers.

"You would think that it'd mean that she should have gotten two-thirds," Burn said. "She should have shut (Sestak) out."

Sestak lost the party endorsement vote six years ago to then-U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican turned Democrat, before Sestak went on to beat Specter in the primary election. Toomey then beat Sestak in the general election.
The unusual campaigning on the behalf of the Republican Presidential hopefuls is an opportunity for the Democrats to do some great things, former Democratic Presidential Nominee Michael Dukakis said at a speech in San Diego Saturday.

Dukakis, 82, who was the Democratic nominee in 1988 against George H. W. Bush, spoke to NBC 7 San Diego about some of the name calling and unusual campaigning on the Republican side this election cycle. Dukakis has been giving his personal "state of the nation" speech to the City Club of San Diego for the past 14 years.

Its terrible, Dukakis said. But unfortunately its the consequence of a political party thats gotten angrier and more politically extreme as time goes on.

He recalled times when he worked with Republicans during his career to effectively create policy. He said hes seen this type of campaigning many times, yet not quite at the same level as this.

Speaking as a Democrat, this is a God-given opportunity to do some great things, said Dukakis.

The Supreme Court vacancy and the election happening in the same year will be a challenge, Dukakis said, but could be a great challenge assuming we take advantage of it.

"So, we've got this food fight between and among people who want to be president of the united states, I mean to me it's appalling, but nevertheless, this is politics and for those of us who are appalled, this is an opportunity to really go out and make serious and constructive change in this country and that's what this election is going to be all about, Dukakis said.
Hundreds of people, including advocacy groups, housing organizations and D.C. residents, gathered on Saturday to call for more affordable housing in the District.

The Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development organized the event held at Foundry United Methodist Church in Northwest.

"The rally is about getting our city leaders to sustain investments in affordable housing and to fully invest in the strategies to end homelessness in the District of Columbia," said Steve Glaude, executive director of CNHED.

D.C. resident Lashell Rivers told News4's Derrick Ward she has been on the waiting list for affordable housing for 15 years.

"I think more focus needs to be placed on housing because a lot of housing is being torn down at the same time so new things can go up," Rivers said.

The group says it wants Mayor Muriel Bowser to insure that more than $100 million is put in the Housing Production Trust Fund to help homeless people secure affordable housing.

Bowser attended the rally and told Ward the money is in the budget and the city committed the same amount to affordable housing in 2015.

"We now have to make sure that we're doing all that we can where the government can make a difference," Bowser said. "There's no mayor, there's no government that can tell you they can reverse housing prices. But what we can do, is make sure that the city is involved in supporting subsidized units and preserving housing and ending homelessness. And that's what our focus is."

Advocates also say strengthening rent control and expanding rent supplement programs is critical in reducing homelessness across D.C.
A 23-year-old man is dead after being shot multiple times in Lawrence early Sunday morning.

The man, identified as Jose Colon, of Lawrence, died at Lawrence General Hospital.

Police said they responded to a report of a large crowd and possible shots fired at 2:43 a.m. Saturday at Samms Store at 389 Broadway. Upon their arrival, officers said they dispersed the crowd but did not realize shots were indeed fired until the victim arrived at the hospital shortly thereafter.

Another victim also later arrived at the hospital with less serious injuries, a spokesperson with the Essex District Attorneys office said.

Massachusetts State Police detectives continue to investigate the circumstances of the shooting.

As of Monday morning, no arrests have been made.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunshine. High near 80F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low near 60F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
Columnist

Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).
The Bedford County Sheriffs Office is investigating a string of thefts from vehicles in the Goodview, Moneta and Huddleston areas, according to a post on its website.

Between Feb. 18 and Feb. 22, there were 10 reported cases where the suspect or suspects entered unlocked vehicles.

Items reported stolen included pocketbooks, credit cards, firearms, cash and electronic devices, the Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office released a set of images in connection with the investigation. If you can identify the person in the images, contact Investigator Scott Arney or Investigator Jon Wilks at (540) 586-7827.
Bells rang, a dog barked and some Vixens howled in chorus.

Students, staff, faculty, alumnae and other friends of Sweet Briar College gathered on the schools quad Thursday morning to mark the one-year anniversary of the day former leaders announced they planned to close the college.

In some ways, while we can celebrate what came out of injury and pain, we would also be just as glad not to have had it, wouldnt we? asked President Phillip Stone, to scattered laughter. But at least it made us focus on what we care about. It made us focus on what we believe about in Sweet Briar. It made us understand what we have, what a treasure we have, and it made us want to commit that she will never be hurt again.

Stone and biology professor Linda Fink turned over the first scoops of dirt for a ceremonial rose planting near Gray Hall, before handing out more trowels to let others take a turn.

Sweet Briar College never closed, thanks to the efforts of alumnae and their allies, who fought the closure attempt with legal challenges, fundraising campaigns and political pressure on Virginia leaders such as Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who helped broker an agreement to keep the college alive under new management.

Stone joined the college as president shortly thereafter, on July 2.

The June agreement came too late for some students, faculty and staff whod moved on, but many chose to return to Sweet Briar, to be part of the rebuilding efforts. Former leaders called the schools financial challenges insurmountable at the time of the closure, but the new leadership team has taken an optimistic view of the schools ability to attract students and secure donations, given the energy and focus they see now in the Sweet Briar community.

March 3 now marks the beginning of a massive fundraising campaign aimed at bringing $30 million to the college.

Following the ringing of the school bells and the planting of roses, dance professor Mark Magruder brought his sax to his lips. He and student percussionists Brigette Parker, Ruth Packard and Bethany Hobbs led the way to Prothro dining hall, for a special lunch.

Perpetuity, baby! he called as he finished his tune, employing a word college founder Indiana Fletcher Williams used in her will and alumnae legal allies used in the fight to save the school.

Parker, a senior who was on campus for the announcement last year, took some time out the night before to be alone with her emotions at the schools boathouse.

I did all my crying yesterday, but its just kind of like remembering what happened, which is kind of the point of this whole thing, just remembering and just going forward from it, she said.

In Josey Dining Room, a group of staff sat together eating their meal. Mail carrier Stacey Carter and housekeeper Martha Campbell both remembered how curtains had been drawn across the cross in the chapel last year when leaders announced the closure. That, they said, seemed like a terrible sign of what they were about to hear. In a service of reflection held earlier Thursday morning, the cross was uncovered.

Last year at this time was a sad day, but todays a happy day, said Campbell, who has worked at Sweet Briar for about 12 years.

She said many housekeepers left in the months after the closure announcement, and she misses them, but there also are new team members in place. By next year, she said, she thinks it will be a fuller house.

Field Hockey coach Hannah Lott said students and staff are pitching in where needed, on the field and off. Theres such a synergy of people caring about the college and working to help it succeed, she thinks it can be overwhelming to first time visitors.

You come on campus and its like the energy is so high, she said. If you arent ready for it, it can blow you out of the water. You almost think, who are these people, howd they do this?
For the second time in four years, the University of Virginias Army officer training unit is among the nations best.

UVas Cavalier Battalion  a Reserve Officer Training Corps unit consisting of students from UVa, as well as Liberty University  was one of eight recipients of the MacArthur Award. Each year, the awards go to the highest-performing school in each region.

Among other criteria, the schools are judged on their cadets place on the Order of Merit, a national ranking of more than 5,000 Army ROTC cadets around the country.

Weve got really high-quality people, said Lt. Col. Mark C. Houston, chairman of the military science program at UVa. Thats a reflection of the university, but its also a reflection of the leadership program here.

The Order of Merit is particularly important because it gives cadets priority in selecting a job after college. UVas cadets consistently finish high in the rankings, including two top-10 cadets in 2013.

The faculty and staff for Cavalier Battalion have been unusually consistent over the years. Turnover in the Army is high, and recent personnel cutbacks have made it even more difficult to retain people. Guy Mallow, a retired Army officer and a senior instructor in the program, has been there for about six years.

Weve had several of our cadre who have been here a long time, Mallow said. That adds a level of continuity that other schools dont have.

UVa also has several advantages due to its location. It is close to both the Judge Advocate Generals Legal Center and School  where the Army trains its lawyers  and the National Ground Intelligence Center, providing cadets with many opportunities for real-world experience and mentorships.

The university also has a geographic advantage. The forests behind Grounds provide a useful place to train.

Members of the Cavalier Battalion recently participated in a field exercise there. First- and second-year students patrolled some of the universitys private land, not far from the Rivanna Trail, as older cadets dressed in civilian clothes played the role of enemies.

Periodically, the group of about 30 cadets  all carrying faux rifles  would scramble for cover when ambushed by a group of upperclassmen. The exercise reminded Mallow of his days in ROTC.

After a week of being in a classroom, I couldnt wait to get out here, he said.

While it may be a relief, its also a challenge. The cadets have to balance their military instruction with academics  grades help determine their merit rankings  as well as other activities. Some cadets are also athletes.

You have to prioritize your time, said Jake Olson, a fourth-year Arabic major. We have lots of students here who are double majors. Its all about time management.

Mallow said UVas battalion stresses academics above all else, which could be one reason for the units success.

Your academics come first, he said. The Army stuff youre supposed to learn but youre here to get your degree.
In March 1947, President Harry Truman went before Congress to warn that unless the United States provided military and economic aid to Turkey and Greece, Americas strategic position in the Middle East would be seriously damaged. This policy became known as the Truman Doctrine, and it set the stage for the Cold War that began in 1948.

For more than 60 years, Turkey remained a close ally of the United States. In 1952, with strong backing from Washington, it joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO. Turkey sent three brigades of troops to Korea to join U.S. and United Nations forces to stop North Koreas invasion of South Korea. Throughout the Cold War, Ankara was a staunch supporter of American policy in Europe and the Middle East.

The political climate began to change in 2003 when a new moderate Islamist party, the AKP, won seats in parliament, a break with Turkeys adherence to a strictly secular orientation after its founding as a republic in 1922. Recep Tayip Erdogan, AKPs leader, became prime minister, and in 2007 the party won a large majority in parliament. Erdogan used this mandate to enact economic reforms at home and pursue a more nationalist foreign policy abroad.

Today, Turkey is engulfed in serious security problems. The Washington Post underscored the danger in a Feb. 21 report from Istanbul: Turkey is confronting what amounts to a strategic nightmare as bombs explode in its cities, its enemies encroach on its borders and its allies seemingly snub its demands.

How could this happen to a NATO ally and key player in the Middle East? One reason is that Erdogan and the AKP overplayed their hand in relations with Washington and Moscow, as well as their Arab neighbors. Erdogan felt confident  after President Obama encouraged what became known as the Arab Spring and suggested that Syrian President Bashar Assad step down  that Obama would follow through with major support for Syrian groups agitating for freedom. His expectations were dashed when Obama declined to use military forces in Syria.

In November, Turkey compounded its strategic problems when it shot down a Russian fighter jet that flew over its territory on a bombing mission in Syria. It acted without consulting allies, and Moscow retaliated by shutting off trade with Turkey and stationing a squadron of fighter jets on Turkeys eastern border. Erdogans relations with Washington are strained because of U.S. support of Kurdish fighters in Syria, which Erdogan views as supporting independence pressure within Turkeys large Kurdish minority to the southeast.

The problem for U.S. foreign policy is that Erdogan is unwilling to follow the U.S. lead in dealing with Middle East issues. For more than 60 years, Ankara supported U.S. policies in dealing with Moscow and the Middle East, but that changed significantly in 2003 when public pressure in Turkey forced parliament to resist U.S. pressure to permit its troops to use Turkeys territory to invade northern Iraq. Public opinion remains strongly anti-American, and Erdogan uses this to maintain his power at home.

Washington has two choices, in my view, in dealing with its ally Turkey. It can use economic and political pressure to persuade Erdogan to change his policies and adjust to U.S. leadership in the Middle East. Or, it could decide, for its own strategic reasons, to intervene in the northern part of Syria along the Turkish border, in order to provide a safe-haven for Syrian refugees and ensure that Assads forces do not move to Turkeys border.

The first choice risks driving Turkey further into isolation and spurring even greater distrust of Washington. The second choice risks a confrontation with Moscow, whose forces are supporting Assad. The answer may have to wait until after the November election. But will Assad and Erdogan, as well as Vladimir Putin, wait?

Nuechterlein is a political scientist and author of books on U.S. foreign policy. Email him at nuechtd@cstone.net.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Low gas prices are hurting the bottom line of some Virginia communities.

The regional gas tax has for years helped communities pay for additional road and transportation projects and memberships to the commuter rail service.

But The Free Lance-Star reports (bit.ly/1QyrYy3) that revenue shrunk significantly last year due to low gas prices.

Local transportation commissions' figures show that gas tax revenue dropped more than $4.5 million last year for Fredericksburg, Stafford and Spotsylvania.

Local officials pushed in the General Assembly this year to adjust the regional transit tax to replenish the millions of dollars in lost revenue. But the bill was tabled by a legislative panel.

Stafford County Supervisor Paul Milde said the drop in funds has already impacted $30 million worth of projects planned for its roads.
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(Newser)  In all likelihood, Harvard Law School's 80-year-old crest will soon be history due to its connection to a slaveholding family. The Guardian reports a 12-member commission of faculty and students officially recommending doing away with the shield on Friday. We believe that if the law school is to have an official symbol, it must more closely represent the values of the law school, which the current shield does not, the recommendation states. Their decision will be passed on to Harvard's governing body, which is likely to approve it, according to the New York Times. The recommendation follows months of protests by students.

The shield depicting three bushels of wheat is based on the crest of the Royall family, which made its fortune using slaves in Massachusetts and the Caribbean and was instrumental to the founding of Harvard Law School. The two dissenting members of the committeea professor and studentargued the shield honors the slaves who died to make the Royalls wealthy and, therefore, helped found the law school. I sincerely believe that we owe it to the enslaved to work through those feelings and think of ways to carry their stories forward," professor Annette Gordon-Reed tells the Times. "We should do that in a way that shows the inherently entwined nature of the good and bad of our past." (Read more Harvard Law School stories.)
(Newser)  Attorneys for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl said Saturday they may seek a deposition from Donald Trump or call him as a witness, saying they fear his comments could affect their client's right to a fair trial. Bergdahl's attorney Army Lt. Col. Franklin Rosenblatt asked Trump in a letter dated Saturday for an interview to discuss his comments about Bergdahl, who faces military charges after walking off a post in Afghanistan in 2009. The letter sent to Trump's New York office by registered mail says the interview would determine whether they will try to have him give a deposition or appear as a witness at a legal hearing. "I request to interview you as soon as possible about your comments about Sergeant Bergdahl during frequent appearances in front of large audiences in advance of his court-martial," Rosenblatt wrote.

Defense attorney Eugene Fidell told the AP that Trump's statements "raise a serious question as to whether he has compromised Sgt. Bergdahl's right to a fair trial." Fidell had previously asked publicly that Trump cease making comments about Bergdahl such as Trump's comment in October that the soldier was a "traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed." Fidell has also said that Trump gave incorrect information about rescue efforts for Bergdahl in public speeches. Bergdahl faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, a relatively rare charge that carries a punishment of up to life in prison. His trial had been tentatively scheduled for the summer, but legal wrangling over access to classified documents has caused delays. (Read more Bowe Bergdahl stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Snow will taper off and end this evening but skies will remain cloudy late. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%..

Tonight

Snow will taper off and end this evening but skies will remain cloudy late. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%.
New Delhi:

Following the alert issued from IB on Saturday, security agencies have beefed up the security at the prominent public places in various cities of Gujarat.

An National Security Guard (NSG) team has visited the various places of Gujarat.

A Pakistani boat was seized by BSF in Kutch, an alert has been issued by Intelligence Bureau regarding infiltration at Indo-Pak border. Alert issued on Saturday mentions that nearly 8-10 LeT terrorists have entered India via Kutch.

It has been learnt that high profile temples like Somnath and Dwarka are on the hit-list of these terrorists.

A Pakistani fishing boat was seized by a BSF patrol party after its occupants fled upon seeing the border security personnel in the Koteshwar creek area off the Kutch coast along the Indo-Pakistan border.

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New Delhi:

In a gruesome incident in Rajasthan, a woman who had returned home seven years after marriage, was burnt alive in front of entire village.

The woman from Rajasthans Dungarpur village had reportedly marriage against the wish of her parents seven years ago and had recently returned to her native village.

Following the incident, police have registered a case against the father of the victim and including seven others.

The crime against woman have always been an issue in hinterlands of Rajasthan and this is yet another incident which portrays blatant honour killing incidents in the state.

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New Delhi:

Mobile firm company Adcom has indicated that it may sue the Freedom 251 maker Ringing Bells. When asked about the partner, a company spokesperson named one Noida-based Eminence Technologies.

Adcom recently claimed that it sold the phones to Ringing Bells for Rs. 3,600 and warned of legal action against Noida-based Ringing Bells in case the latters activities adversely impact its brand name or cause any other kind of losses.

Ringing Bells last month had unveiled the Freedom 251 phone which is being touted as the worlds cheapest smartphone.

The company showcased some sample devices, which resembled Adcoms smartphone Ikon 4, which is already available in the market at Rs 3,999.
London:

A new app that may help diagnose cancer in patients early by using information about symptoms, signs and images of what to look out for has been launched in the UK.

The app developed by the Scottish Centre for Enabling Technologies, based at the University of the West of Scotland, can be continually updated when the user is in a wi-fi zone, giving them the latest information as quickly as possible. It can also be used offline.

The app features a quick reference guide for health professionals, including information on symptoms, signs and images of what to look out for.

This app, which has been developed in partnership with health professionals and patients, will make it easier and quicker for doctors, pharmacists and senior nurses to access information on referral for those suspected of having cancer, said Scotland Health Secretary Shona Robison.

The earlier a cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the survival outcomes, said Robison.

Improving the number of patients diagnosed at an early stage will reduce premature deaths from cancer and have a positive effect on overall life expectancy, she added.
Lucknow:

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor will attend the meeting of Congress state, district and city unit office bearers to chalk out a strategy for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections here on March 10.

Kishor, who had successfully managed the poll strategy of prime minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, will remain present in the meeting which has been convened for chalking out the plan for next years assembly polls, chairman of the communications department of the party Satyadev Tripathi said.

Besides, the vice presidents of the Congress committee, general secretaries of district and city units will attend the meeting along with UPCC president Nirmal Khatri and AICC general secretary in charge of state affairs Madhusudan Mistry, Tripathi said.

Kishor reportedly had a meeting with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi earlier this week.

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Ahmedabad:

Four National Security Guard teams have been roped in to beef up security at vital installations, including Somnath temple, in Gujarat where alert has been sounded ahead of Maha Shivratri festival tomorrow.



Gujarat DGP P C Thakur held a meeting with NSG officials in Gandhinagar today and announced that one team will be sent to step up security at Somnath temple in Gir-Somnath district.



Four teams of NSG reached here last night. Out of these, three will remain here, while one team will go to Somnath, which is one of the most important pilgrimage places in Gujarat, he said.



According to the DGP, there are three major pilgrimage spots in the state which attract maximum number of devotees on the occasion of Maha Shivratri, to be celebrated tomorrow.



Whatever information about terror strike is received by us is authentic and verified. There are three main pilgrimage places in Gujarat, including Somnath, Nageshwar Jyotirling in Dwarka and Bhavnath in Junagadh. We have already asked local police to beef security at these places, he said.



Thakur said the state police is leaving no stone unturned to protect the people and foil any attempt by terrorists.



Looking at the Maha Shivratri celebrations, which attract lakhs of people at these places, we have started combing operations, setting up check-posts and intense searches for any suspects. Large number of policemen and SRP have been deployed at these temples, he said.



Gujarat was today on high alert following intelligence inputs that terrorists have sneaked into the state.

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Vrindavan:

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today launched a stinging attack on Rahul Gandhi for voicing sympathies for those who raised slogans for breaking up India and said it was the Congress vice presidents ideological hollowness that he did something that likes of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi never did.



The senior BJP leader also termed JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumars speech, delivered following his release on bail, a victory for us, saying he had gone to jail for raising anti-India slogans but came back to speak amid slogans of Jai Hind and hoisting of the tricolour.



In his valedictory address to a convention of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, BJPs youth wing, Jaitley said it was the countrys misfortune that the Congress vice president sympathised with the actions of a small group of Jihadists and a bigger group of Maoists.



Congress had always been against those wanting to break up the country through the last 100 years of struggle between nationalist and anti-national forces, Jaitley said as he attacked Rahul.



A new trend has started. Some people want to hold an event to commemorate Yakub Memon and some to commemorate Afzal Guru. These people used to comprise a small section of jihadists and a big group of Maoists.



Slogans were raised for breaking up the country and it was the countrys misfortune that a leader of Congress, which has been in the mainstream so far, went there to express sympathies with those who did so. It was ideological hollowness, he said.



BJP fulfilled its national responsibility and emerged victorious, he said, referring to Kanhaiyas speech without naming the JNU Student Union President.



While the Left has had a historical tradition of speaking against the national interest, Congress was always against the conspiracy to break the country except for Emergency when it was supported by CPI, Jaitley said.



The JNU row and the opposition attack on the Modi government and BJP was at the centre of the two-day BJYM conclave with party chief Amit Shah, Chief Ministers and a number of Union Ministers raising the nationalist pitch and attacking Congress, especially Rahul.

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New Delhi :

Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar's popularity after getting booked in sedition row has travelled far and invited lot of criticism from all corners of the society.

One such person, who thinks Kanhaiya needs to do more than simply criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 15-year-old Jhanvi Behal.

The girl who was honoured during Republic Day for her contribution to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, on Sunday, challenged Kumar for an open debate over his allegations on the PM.

In an open challenge, the 15-year-old challenged Kanhaiya Kumar to meet her wherever and whenever for the debate. It is very easy to criticise someone while sitting at home. Kanhaiya should concentrate on working like PM Modi, said Jhanvi.

She also praised Modi and said that Kanhaiya should try to work like him instead of criticising him.

7 things to know about Jhanvi Behal

In 2014, Jhanvi conducted a sting operation on tobacco, cigarette and liquor stores. Her operation even led to the filing of an FIR against some shops.

Jhanvi draws her inspiration from Mother Teresa.

She made a documentary, Maa Mera Ki Kasoor, on female foeticide to spread awareness.

She is an active member of an NGO Raksha Jyoti Foundation and was honoured on Republic Day for her contribution towards Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

She sought judicial intervention over frequent dharnas and the traffic snarls that they result in.

She has written several letters to PM, CJI, information and broadcasting minister on several social issues.

She also filed a writ in Punjab and Haryana against adult content on social networking sites and won the judgement too.

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New Delhi :

Delhi was today put on high alert after Police received inputs that 10 suspected LeT and JeM terrorists believed to have entered India from Pakistan through Gujarat may have sneaked into the national capital for an attack even as four elite NSG teams were rushed to the western state.

On the eve of Maha Shivratri festival, Gujarat as well as other metros and Jammu and Kashmir were also on high alert with raids conducted at Kutch and other places, security being beefed up at vital installations, sensitive areas and at all main temples including the famous Somnath temple where a NSG team has been deployed.

The Gir-Somnath district authorities have postponed tomorrows cultural event at Somnath temple owing to the terror threat.

In Kolkata, security has been stepped up at NSC Bose International Airport after an e-mail threat that it would be blown up within 24 hours, airport officials said.

The e-mail came in the airport managers ID early today and it was claimed to have been sent from Germany, they said.

In the national capital, security was beefed up at vital installations, important buildings and crowded places after Delhi Police received inputs about a potential terror strike in the city. A constant vigil was maintained near prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges.

A police source said the input specifically mentions about 10 militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfits having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi.

The Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi Police have been briefed about the input separately, so that activities of gangs operating in and around the city and elements with suspected terror links can be monitored.

The police are also ensuring that CCTV cameras at all places with high footfall, like popular markets in the city and metro stations are functional. Patrolling across the city has been intensified, Security has been ramped up at major religious sites in Gujarat like Somnath Temple and Akshardham and in metro cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

Vital installations across the metros like railway stations and airports are also being secured.

An Advisory has been issued to enhance security at all strategic locations, sensitive industrial sites and religious places in Gujarat after intelligence inputs suggested that the terrorists have entered the state taking the sea route, official sources said.

Gujarat DGP P C Thakur held a meeting with NSG officials in Gandhinagar and announced that one team will be sent to step up security at Somnath temple in Gir-Somnath district. Thakur issued orders late last night cancelling leave of all policemen.

Four teams of NSG reached here(Gandhinagar) last night. Out of these, three will remain here, while one team will go to Somnath, he said. The size of each team could vary between 50 to 90 personnel.

The Indian Coast Guard has enhanced surveillance along the West coast, more specifically in the seas off Gujarat, following inputs that 10 suspected LeT and JeM terrorists could have entered India from Pakistan to launch an attack.

We have enhanced our air and sea surveillance following the security threat. Our surveillance is always 24x7, but since the input has come directly from the NSA, we are more cautious, said a senior Coast Guard official.

The Coast Guard has not only pressed more ships into the sea for surveillance, but also increased the sorties of its planes for aerial vigil.

Ten Pakistani terrorists involved in 26/11 Mumbai attack had landed from Karachi via sea.

A high alert was sounded in Gujarat yesterday after Pakistan National Security Adviser (NSA) Nasir Khan Janjua communicated to his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval about the terrorist infiltration.

Four National Security Guard (NSG) teams were rushed to Gujarat following the input which mentions about 10 militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi.

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Patna:

A BJP legislator was booked today for allegedly attacking a Dalit woman, when she went to his residence to demand the money he had taken from her husband.

One Kiran Kumari, a resident of Gannipur area of the town lodged an FIR against local MLA Suresh Sharma for allegedly causing her a head injury, a police officer said.

The woman is being treated at Sadar hospital, he said adding that police are investigating the matter.

She alleged that Sharma had taken Rs 35 lakh from her husband, Dharmendra Kumar, during 2015 Assembly elections for helping him in getting a party ticket from Baniapur seat in Saran district, but her husband did not get a party ticket and the legislator failed to return the money, the police officer said.

She alleged that Sharma had been ignoring her repeated requests to return the money. But when she went to the legislators residence today, she was beaten up in which her head got injured, he said.

The MLA termed the allegations as baseless.

The woman had come to my residence in the morning and started creating a scene. She went back when I told her that I would call up police, Sharma said.

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New Delhi :

Scientists have developed a system that allows them to use Google Glass to remotely monitor and control experiments on tiny models of human organs in their labs.

According to the researchers, including those from Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in US, the system may be useful for scientists running risky experiments, such as those involving highly infectious bacteria or radioactive materials, by allowing them to keep a safe distance.

The integral set of hardware, firmware, software and Glassware developed by the researchers enabled wireless transmission of sensor data onto the Google Glass for on-demand data visualisation and real-time analysis.

Additionally, the platform allowed the user to control outputs entered through the Glass, therefore achieving bi-directional Glass-device interfacing.

Organs on chips offer a way to experiment on tiny models of human organs, but they require near-constant monitoring, researchers wrote in the journal Scientific Reports.

The new software and hardware allows scientists to go about their days while the high-tech glasses kept watch on their experiments.

They were even able to control livers and hearts on a chip remotely, dosing out pharmaceutical compounds by using valves controlled by Glass.

Using this versatile platform, we demonstrated its capability in monitoring physical and physiological parameters such as temperature, pH, and morphology of liver- and heart-on-chips, the researchers said.

Furthermore, we showed the capability to remotely introduce pharmaceutical compounds into a microfluidic human primary liver bioreactor at desired time points while monitoring their effects through the Glass, they said.
DANBURY  Executives with the Western Connecticut Health Network have launched a new branding campaign that the health care organization hopes will create a closer connection to the patients it serves.

The network, which operates Danbury, New Milford and Norwalk hospitals, recently unveiled the new branding effort along with the new tagline of We know you well. The effort includes both an advertising campaign as well as a newly designed logo for the network.

We take care to put the patient at the center, and take pride in keeping people well, instead of just treating the sick, Dr. John Murphy, the president and chief executive officer of the network, said in a recent statement about the effort. At WCHN, our patients are people first; we know them from our neighborhoods, schools and communities. Those connections are what make us unique and allow us to humanize their health care in a very personal way.

While efforts to brand a health care organization may have been out of the ordinary just a decade or so ago, local marketing expert Jim Fosina, the founder of the locally based Fosina Marketing Group, said the industry has become highly commercialized with competition the norm.

Todays patient has a great deal of choices about where to receive their health care, Fosina said. Consumers have lots of choices today, whether its buying a widget or purchasing your health care. No matter who you are, its important to keep your message relevant to your audience and make sure they know the value that you bring to the table. Personally, I believe more competition in the health care industry can only serve to help the consumer with better choices.

The new branding effort also reflects a change in the way that health care will be delivered in the future. The network was among the first in the state to be designated as an accountability care organization.

Through an ACO, providers  including primary care physicians, specialists and hospitals  coordinate with each other on a patients care in the hopes of improving the patients overall health, avoiding more costly procedures and ensuring that quality measures are maintained. Federal reimbursements, through the system, would be tied to the quality and the outcome of care rather than the number of procedures that were performed.

Its a cultural change beyond just payment reform and information systems and care-delivery models, Rowena Rosenblum-Bergmans, the vice president of population health for the Western Connecticut Health Network, said last year when the ACO was announced. Its really a seismic shift in the way that health care is delivered.

dperrefort@newstimes.com
The authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are keeping intense watch over a former Nigerian governor who is believed to have stas...

The authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are keeping intense watch over a former Nigerian governor who is believed to have stashed a $517million loot in the Middle East country.The UAE action has helped in thwarting a recent move by the suspect to move the looted funds to the Dominican Republic, The Nation gathered authoritatively last night.Also under security watch in the UAE are the accounts and other transactions of some Nigerian VIPs who have turned the country into a safety net for their loots.Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign and Domestic Debts, Mallam Shehu Sani said yesterday that as much as $200 billion of stolen funds from Nigeria may have been hidden in the UAE by past public officers and their agents/fronts.Nigerian and UAE security agencies are collaborating in monitoring the activities of many Nigerians, especially those categorized as Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), investigation revealed yesterday.A major dividend of the collaboration is intelligence report on the former governor, who is suspected to have stashed $517million in UAE.A source familiar with the development said the former governor is under the watch-list of the UAE and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).He (former governor) has been worried in the last few weeks but the law will catch up with him.The ex-governor made botched attempts to transfer about $517million loot to the Dominican Republic because UAE law is now strict.The affected ex-governor is lying low and avoiding that country in order not to suffer the James Ibori fate.On the accounts of some Nigerian VIPs said to be also under surveillance in the UAE, a security source said: following the recent signing of the Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement between the two countries, the accounts, transactions and investments of some Nigerians have been under surveillance.This is based on the sharing of intelligence between Nigeria and UAE. In fact, some of those being watched have reduced their frequent trips to the Emirates.Actually any highly-placed Nigerian arrested for money laundering in UAE risks a 10 -year imprisonment.The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign and Domestic Debts, Senator Shehu Sani said yesterday in Abuja that over $200 billion stolen from Nigeria may be have been hidden in the UAE.He said: Over $200 billion are stashed away in Dubai alone. This may be the monies stolen in the last 20 years. I am not talking about estates and bonds and other securities bought with Nigerias stolen money.President Muhammadu Buhari in January signed a Judicial Agreement on Extradition, Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters, and Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal and Commercial Matters, which includes the recovery and repatriation of stolen wealth with the UAE.The anti-money laundering policy of UAE Central Bank reads in part: Any person who commits, or attempts to commit, a Money Laundering offence shall be punished by imprisonment of up to 10 years and or a fine of between AED 100,000 and AED 500,000.In cases of multiple perpetrators, the Court subject to its discretion, may exempt a perpetrator from the imprisonment penalty if he takes the initiative and reports the crime to the competent authorities prior to the knowledge of such authorities and if his actions lead to the arrest of the other perpetrators or seizure of the laundered money.Any establishment that commits an offence of money laundering, financing of terrorism or financing of any unlawful organizations, shall be punished by a fine of AED 300,000 and AED 1,000,000.Failure to report a suspicious transaction shall be punishable by imprisonment and /or a fine of between AED 50,000 and AED 300,000.Tipping off a person being investigated regarding a suspicious transaction shall be punishable by imprisonment of up to one year and/ or a fine of between AED10,000 and AED 100,000.Violation of the requirements of Airport Declarations shall be punishable by imprisonment and or a fine.
Several Ogoni people took to the streets on Saturday to protest the military invasion of Gokana and Khana Local Government Areas of Rive...

Several Ogoni people took to the streets on Saturday to protest the military invasion of Gokana and Khana Local Government Areas of Rivers State.The protesters, who carried white mock caskets, expressed sadness over the raiding of the Yeghe community in Gokana by soldiers, maintained that the action of the military was politically motivated.They added that some indigenes of the area lost their lives in the incident that lasted for two days.Eighteen persons were said to have died during the invasion, even as the house of a former militant leader in Yeghe community, Solomon Ndigbara, was razed while the campaign office of a senatorial candidate, Senator Magnus Abe, was also touched.One of the leaders in Ogoniland and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Lee Maeba, decried the invasion of the place, adding that the action of the military was unnecessary.Maeba recalled that many lives were lost during the raid and called on the Federal Government to order the withdrawal of soldiers illegally operating in Ogoniland.According to him, My appeal to the Federal Government from this day is for the withdrawal of soldiers operating illegally in Ogonilans. All military personnel should go.Also, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Kenneth Kobani, who is from Gokana Local Government Area, explained that the invasion of the area by the military negated values of popular democracy.Kobani expressed shock that some members of the All Progressives Congress were in support of the raiding of Ogoni communities by the military.He said, What happened on those two days of infamy; those two days of rage, ought to have been condemned by all persons around the country. The invasion is condemnable.
Three students of the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, Ikorodu kidnapped last week have been rescued. Sources in the office of...

Sources in the office of the states Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, told NE that the Police rescued the Barbington school girls around Igbokuta Area of Ikorodu.It was gathered that no ransom was paid for their release as of the time of filing the this report. A member of the gang who took part in the abduction was said to have been arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, lead by CSP Abba Kyari, when he left the gangs camp in Adamama Forest in Arepo, Ogun State, off Ikorodu.Sources disclosed that the school girls who are currently with the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, was rescued following intense pressure mounted on the gang following the arrest of their colleague by a combine team of the IRT operatives and their counterpart at the Lagos State Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja.NE also gathered that the police and the kidnappers reached a compromise which does not involve money before the school girls were rescued.Recall that the that the gunmen, suspected to be dislodged pipeline vandals stormed the school premises located at Agunfoye-Lugbusi village at about 8pm on Monday, February 29 and took three girls away. The armed men reportedly gained entry from behind the school, by breaking the perimeter fence which served as protection for the boarders.
The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has blamed the current fuel scarcity in some cities across Nigeria, including Abuja an...

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has blamed the current fuel scarcity in some cities across Nigeria, including Abuja and Lagos, on strikes by petroleum tanker drivers and the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA.Victor Adeniran, NNPCs Group Executive Director, Commercial and Investment, said this during a tour of petrol stations in Abuja on Saturday.He said the strikes had effect on the movement of the fuel offshore and onshore.He said the NNPC had made special arrangement to provide intervention trucks that would ensure adequate supply of petroleum products in the country.Since Thursday, we have made special arrangement for intervention trucks.If you go round the streets of Abuja, you will see that virtually all the stations are selling.As we are going extensively on this, you will see that queues will reduce, he said.Mr. Adeniran said that NNPC currently supplies 100 per cent instead of the 48 per cent supplied under normal circumstance.He said the corporation embarked on the 100 per cent supply because other complimentary marketers were not bringing in products.As for the product, we have product, the minister gave instruction to ensure supply on a 30-day basis.As I am talking to you now, we have the supply for March and out of the 31 days in March; we have supply for each day.Nigerias consumption is one vessel cargo of 30,000 metric tonnes per day and so, we have 31 vessels already lined up for the month of March, he saidAccording to him, that figure is aside the nine that are currently being discharged in various ports and jetties in Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar.He added that NNPC was on top of the situation as one-day gap could create five-day problem in the country.He said that petrol queues in Lagos had considerably reduced, adding that Abuja would be free by Sunday.He appealed to Nigerians to bear with the corporation, saying that it was working hard to ensure that the refineries were back on stream.He said that pipeline vandalism was a major hindrance to the operation of the refineries.The reason why the refineries are not working is because some of the pipelines that supply crude to them is not functioning.Port Harcourt is running because we are able to fix bonny- Port Harcourt line.As I speak with you, we are pumping crude from Bonny to Port Harcourt refinery, he saidMr. Adeniran noted that Kaduna was not functional because Warri which supplied product to it had yet to be fixed.He said that with pipelines working, movement of products would be made much easier.On marketers selling above the approved price, he said that plans were underway to apprehend and punish culprits.He said the NNPC and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) would collaborate to tackle the situation.Earlier, Branch Managers of Total and Conoil filling stations in the Central Business District told journalists that they took delivery of products on daily basis and dispensed 24 hours.Abasebaor Ogbagha of Conoil said the station had always received about six trucks daily and had continued to dispense to its customers.We have products we are even expecting three of our trucks. We sell 24 hours and it has helped to reduce the queue, he said.Also, Francis Odihi of Total filling station said that queues would soon disappear as the outfit had enough product to service its customers. (NAN)
CCPO: Suspect Wanted in String of 7-Eleven Store Robberies #GTPD Crime Stoppers UPDATE: The Camden County Prosecutor's Office of New Jersey has released this video containing footage from the Gloucester Township/ Glendora 7-Eleven and Magnolia Borough 7-Eleven armed robberies, as well as information on two other similar 7-Eleven robberies:Suspect Wanted in String of 7-Eleven Store Robberies: Published on Mar 4, 2016The Camden County Prosecutor's Office, Bellmawr Police Department, Gloucester Township Police Department, Magnolia Police Department and Mount Ephraim, New Jersey Police Department are seeking the public's assistance in identifying a suspect believed to be responsible for four convenience store robberies.The first robbery occurred at approximately 11:54 p.m. on February 4, 2016, at the 7-Eleven at 200 West Browning Road in Bellmawr. The robber did not display a weapon and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.A string of subsequent robberies all occurred on February 7, 2016, starting with one at approximately 12:12 a.m. at the 7-Eleven at 521 W. Kings Highway in Mount Ephraim. Again, the suspect did not display a weapon and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.The next robbery occurred at approximately 5:43 a.m. at the 7-Eleven at 918 Evesham Road in Gloucester Township. In this incident, the robber displayed a black handgun and demanded money from the store clerk.The final robbery occurred at approximately 11:15 a.m. at the 7-Eleven at 625 North White Horse Pike in Magnolia. The robber displayed a box cutter knife and jumped over the counter. The clerk was able to flee and the robber left the store without any proceeds.In all four robberies, the suspect was described as a male in his 20s wearing a dark sweatshirt. The robber had his face partially concealed during each incident. In the Gloucester Township and Magnolia robberies, the suspect covered his face with a blue bandana. This video surveillance footage shows suspect in the Gloucester Township and Magnolia robberies. It should be noted the suspect is wearing two different shoes in the Magnolia robbery. Anyone with information is urged to contact Camden County Prosecutor's Office Detective Michelle Chambers at (856) 580-6070, Bellmawr Police Detective Bill Perna at (856) 931-2121, Gloucester Township Police Detective Brian Farrell at (856) 228-4500, Magnolia Police Sgt. Joe Pappalardo and Detective John Houston at (856) 784-1884 or Mount Ephraim Police Sgt. William Errigo at (856) 931-2225.You may also call the Gloucester Township Police Department Anonymous Crime Tip Line: 856-842-5560. To send an Anonymous Tip via Text Message to Gloucester Township Police, text the keyword TIP GLOTWPPD and your tip message to 888777. You may also click here to access our Anonymous Web Tip Page: https://local.nixle.com/tip/alert/5170177Information may also be email to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org. Posted by Gloucester Township Police on Saturday, March 5, 2016

GLOUCESTER TWP. -- String of 7-Eleven robberies in South Jersey is still under investigation after authorities release video surveillance in hopes of identifying the suspect.

The Camden County Prosecutor's Office released video footage showing the armed robberies at the Glendora and Magnolia 7-Elevens.

The armed robber is seen entering the chain convenience store with a gun, dressed in all black, wearing a hood, and blue-colored bandana across covering his face.

In other video footage, the robber is caught jumping over the check-out counter.

The Camden County Prosecutor's Office, Bellmawr Police Department, Gloucester Township Police Department, Magnolia, Mount Ephraim, and New Jersey State Police are investigating the robberies.

The first robbery occurred Feb. 4 at 11:54 p.m. at the 7-Elevent off West Browning Road in Bellmawr while the second happened at 12:12 a.m. on Feb. 7 at the store off Kings Highway in Mount Ephraim.

Police also responded to a robbery at the 7-Eleven at 5:43 a.m. on Evesham Road.

The fourth robbery occurred in Magnolia, off the White Horse Pike at 11:15 a.m. The suspect displayed a box cutters knife and hopped over the counter.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Camden County Prosecutor's Office at 856-580-6070, or the following police departments:

* Bellmawr: 856-931-2121

* Gloucester Township: 856-228-4500

* Magnolia: 856-784-1884

* Mount Ephraim: 856-931-2225

Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
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One person was injured after two separate shootings were reported in the city in less than 12 hours, a Jersey City spokeswoman said.

(Journal File Photo)

JERSEY CITY -- One person was injured after two separate shootings were reported in the city in less than 12 hours, a Jersey City spokeswoman said.

At about 8 p.m. last night, a 29-year-old man was shot in the leg near Dwight Street and Martin Luther King Drive, spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said.

The victim was brought to Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health with a non life-threatening injury, Morrill said.

Police said the man was uncooperative, and did not provide a description of the suspect or which way the actor fled, Morrill said.

Then, at about 4 a.m., shots were fired on Rutgers and Chapel avenues. No one was injured and police recovered shell casings, Morrill said.

Both shootings are under investigation.
JERSEY CITY -- Months after a 23-year-old man was fatally shot inside an Ocean Avenue bodega, activists are demanding the store be shut down and an arrest be made in the homicide.

Davonte Carswell of Jersey City was shot in the upper body inside Los Yoleros Mini Market Deli on Nov. 15.

On Tuesday, a candlelight vigil will be held near Ocean and Van Nostrand avenues by the North Jersey Chapter National Action Network to protest the murder and demand the bodega be closed.

During the investigation, authorities arrested two store workers for tampering with evidence inside the building. Police also said the bodega had been operating an alleged gambling operation.

Gabino Tineo, 44, Isabel Dominguez, 37, and Marcelino Ramos Jr., 32, were also charged with moving Carswell's body after he was shot.

On Wednesday, the man's mother, Donisha Carswell-Clarke, will address the City Council and demand that an arrest be made in her son's death, according to the organization.

In a release issued by the NAN, the organization says authorities have identified the suspect but he has not yet been apprehended. The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office was not immediately available to comment.

A tense and emotional scene played out in the neighborhood on the day of Carswell's murder, with more than 100 people flooding the streets. Family members of the victim huddled together outside, and many young people were in tears.

Additionally, Javonta Alston, 18, was charged with punching a detective who was investigating the murder the following day.

On the day of the shooting, a local resident said a store employee had told him Carswell was shot while he stood at an ATM.
The bad luck seems to continue for Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

CNN is reporting that a man from Texas is missing after falling from the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas ship off the coast of south Florida.

The report says that David Mossman, 46, fell about 100 feet off the ship's 10th deck yesterday.

The Coast Guard responded by sending a helicopter and aircraft to search for him, according to the report.

Twice last month, Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas faced problems after departing from Cape Liberty in Bayonne.

In early February, Anthem of the Seas returned to port early after the ship was caught in a storm that produced sustained winds over 120 mph.

During that trip, four of the 4,529 passengers on board sustained minor injuries, and public areas on the ship were damaged, according to Royal Caribbean.

Last week, reports said the same ship was retuning early again. While Royal Caribbean representatives said the early return was due to avoid another storm, passengers reported an outbreak of norovirus on the ship.

Anthem of the Seas left Cape Liberty from Bayonne on Friday for a three-day trip to Nova Scotia, when a strong coastal storm was expected to hit.
At the annual Happy Hearts Dance Competition at Jersey City Medical Center, Joseph F. Scott, second from left, President and CEO; Dr. Kenneth Garay, right, Chief Medical Officer; and other members of the administration staff perform.

The event featured hospital employees from 10 different departments -- including physicians, nurses, administrators and therapists -- competing against each other to raise money and awareness for the American Heart Association. 'It's a fun way to get the word out about the importance of a healthy lifestyle in promoting good heart health,' Scott said.

For more news and features about healthy living,

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Man claims to be 'Kendall the Devil' in eastern New Orleans attack
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
David Visin was removed from his role as an assistant vice president in charge of the campus police force and demoted to an associate director position. The university said veteran officer Lucy Wiederholt would replace Visin during a national search for a permanent replacement.

The moves were announced by the university's vice president, Rod Lehnertz, who had been told by Visin about the June 25 accident shortly after it occurred. University President Bruce Harreld had publicly cleared Visin on Wednesday, saying he hadn't broken the law or violated university policies.

"We don't see any reason to do anything other than what we are already doing," Harreld told Radio Iowa. "Right now we've done all the work and there is nothing there."

Lehnertz said he determined last year that Visin's actions would be handled internally after consulting with the local prosecutor. He said public disclosures about the incident had become a distraction, and the change would allow the Department of Public Safety to focus on "creating a safe environment for our students, faculty and staff."

The AP reported Monday on documents showing that a sheriff's deputy accused Visin of lying and interfering with an investigation after his stepson, Sean Crane, drove into two parked cars after he and Visin left an off-campus bar. The county prosecutor refused for months to release the documents until the AP threatened to file a complaint last week accusing of her violating the state's open-records law.

Police learned the truck involved in the wreck was registered to Crane. Johnson County Deputy Brad Kunkel went to Crane's home, where Crane's wife told him he had just left with Visin and gave him Visin's cellphone number. Kunkel called Visin and asked him to pull over so investigators could interview Crane.

Visin refused, insisting he had to get home to drop off a trailer he was pulling. He then left Crane alone at a gas station before deputies arrived to interview him. Kunkel found Crane intoxicated, shirtless and walking along a county road with a major abrasion on his back that required emergency medical treatment.

On Monday, Visin blamed his actions on diabetes, a condition he said he had hid from colleagues for fear of discrimination. He said his judgment was off because he was suffering from low blood sugar levels and was focused on getting home to eat and inject himself with insulin.

He said he hadn't been drinking that day and was unaware of the accident until Kunkel called him. Crane, who had been ejected from his truck during the accident, later pleaded guilty to a drunken-driving charge after admitting he had been drinking and smoking marijuana.

Kunkel told Visin during a recorded phone call that, as a fellow officer, he should have known the only "reasonable, logical and ethical thing" was to stop when asked to do so by police. He told Visin his decision to leave made it look "like you're trying to hide something."

Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness hasn't explained why she didn't file charges against Visin, who had led the department for 14 months following Chuck Green's retirement. Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek has said his office asked Lyness to consider charges but was told there was no probable cause.

On Friday, Pulkrabek said he wished Wiederholt "the best in her new position."
The University of Iowa launched a new micro-scholarship program this week for students in the Council Bluffs Community School District designed to encourage high-schoolers to make good choices on their path to college.

Partnering with the website Raise.me, which has the backing of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Facebook, the university is giving small awards to students, such as $50 for taking an advanced math class, $25 for participating in a sport or $100 for visiting campus.

Its actually really easy to use, Abraham Lincoln High School senior Kyle Crowl told The Daily Nonpareil after earning $200 on the website.

Raise.me recognizes good grades, school involvement and other accolades on the path to college admissions. The goal of the program is to promote preparedness for education beyond high school, a representative of UI said.

Even if they ultimately decide not to attend the University of Iowa, participating students will be better prepared for success at any post-secondary institution, said Brent Gage, UI associated vice president for enrollment management.

The new program is laudable for a couple reasons, although wed be remiss to not point out that the University of Iowa has a competitive interest in drawing more students to its campus, particularly given the shifting funding landscape for public support for the regents universities.

First, the micro-scholarships provide an incentive for freshmen and sophomores to take steps that will help them gain admission to competitive colleges and, more importantly, be successful once they get to campus. Being involved in high school and taking advanced courses are important decisions for students to make in their lives.

Second, the scholarships dont preclude students from taking advantage of Iowa Western Community College or any of the states other public two-year schools. Nor is it limited to the most gifted, talented, over-achieving or otherwise exceptional students at Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson high schools.

A student without a lot of financial resources can bank an additional $1,200 from Raise.me toward finishing a program out in Iowa City but save two years of rent (or at least discounted tuition) by staying in Council Bluffs to knock-out prerequisite and general education classes.

Superintendent Martha Bruckner said the micro-scholarships dovetail with the goal of making college inescapable for students in Council Bluffs. While a bachelors degree from a state university may not be right for all graduating seniors, for a multitude of different reasons, each and every one of them should feel like thats something they could achieve if thats what they want for themselves.

These new mirco-scholarships, by the way, are also available to high-schoolers in Atlantic, Boyer Valley, Denison, East Mills, Hamburg, Red Oak and South Page, among other school districts in the pilot program. We hope that list grows to include Lewis Central, Missouri Valley, Glenwood and other area districts in the coming years.
Polar Plunge raises money for Special Olympics

About 35 people took the plunge into Ramsey Lake on Saturday afternoon for a good cause.

For the third year in a row, Greater Sudbury Police hosted the Polar Plunge on Saturday, giving participants the opportunity to jump into Ramsey Lake  and raise awareness and money for Special Olympics Ontario. Photos by Darren MacDonald.

About 35 people took the plunge into Ramsey Lake on Saturday afternoon for a good cause.



For the third year in a row, Greater Sudbury Police hosted the Polar Plunge, giving participants the opportunity to jump into the lake  and raise awareness for Special Olympics Ontario.



The crowd gathered by the boat launch on Ramsey, where police and fire crews stood by the hole in the ice. Jumpers emerged from tents before splashing down and heading into two saunas set up on the ice to warm up.



Jumpers raised money before the event and many showed up in costumes, accompanied by family and friends. Participants received a complimentary toque and mittens, and could take part in a reception afterward.



The top fundraiser will receive an iPad. And any individual raising $2,500 or more, they will have their name entered into a contest for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to the ultimate Polar Plunge in the polar capital of the world; Churchill, Man.



It's not known yet how much Saturday's plunge raised, but last year's event raised more than $21,000.
Group prepares to welcome another refugee family from Syria

St. Peter's United Church Syrian Refugee Sponsorship group is working to bring a family of 10 fleeing their country's brutal civil war to Canada.

St. Peter's United Church Syrian Refugee Sponsorship group held a volunteer meeting the end of January, with more than 50 people turning out to find out how they could help. Supplied photo.

St. Peter's United Church Syrian Refugee Sponsorship group is working to bring a family of 10 fleeing their country's brutal civil war to Canada.



In a news release, Amy Hallman Grout, a member of the sponsorship committee, said exactly when the family will arrive was still not known.



As with every other sponsorship group, we will not know the date of travel for our family until they are on their way, typically 24-hour notice, Grout said in the release. What we do know so far is that we are welcoming the Hasoon family, one of 10 people.



Until last week, it was a family of seven, parents and five children, and then we said yes to a request to sponsor three more family members, grandparents and an aunt. To be able to have this family be settled in Canada all together is truly a blessing.



Formed last September, the committee includes members of St. Peters concerned with the ever growing refugee crisis in Syria and surrounding countries, Grout said in the release.



We started by exploring the possibility of our congregation sponsoring a Syrian refugee family, the release said. Once we determined that it could be done, we divided up the tasks and began working on making it a reality.



After official approval from church council at the end of November, a presentation was made to the congregation to lay out our plans.



The response was wonderful, she said. Along with the congregation, the group has the support of community groups and schools and have received two grants. The monetary and in kind support is such that they have surpassed their original fundraising goal and have been able to furnish the whole household for the family.



They held a volunteer meeting at the end of January that attracted more than 50 people.



We ate spaghetti, shared our interests, and learned about cultural sensitivity, Grout said. After outlining the myriad of tasks that are involved in settling a family of newcomers, we had people sign up for the areas of tasks that they were interested in.



Those tasks include welcome/social events, financial matters, fundraising, education and the collection of donated good. They are all important when settling a new family in Canada and include things that need to be done before the family arrives, once they arrive, and on an ongoing basis.



This experience will stretch the welcoming capacity of our congregation and inform our spiritual growth during this year of sponsorship, as well as connect us more closely with our Sudbury community, Grout said.



Anyone who would like to help get can contact co-chair Gillian Schell at gillian.schell@sympatico.ca. Donations can be directed to the St. Peters United Church with attention to the Refugee Sponsorship Fund.
Laurentian appoints VP of research partnerships

Laurentian University has announced Craig Fowler will assume the role of associate vice-president, research partnerships, innovation and economic development.

Laurentian University has announced Craig Fowler will assume the role of associate vice-president, research partnerships, innovation and economic development. Supplied photo.

Laurentian University has announced Craig Fowler will assume the role of associate vice-president, research partnerships, innovation and economic development.



Fowler will be responsible for developing new large-scale research collaborations to advance the universitys objectives and foster innovation and economic development.



In its Strategic Plan, Laurentian University has set a goal of increasing total annual funded research from $21.9 million in 2010 to $30 million by 2017.



We are thrilled by the experience and vision that Craig brings to this portfolio, said Rui Wang, vice-president of research at Laurentian University. Craigs expertise in bringing together major funding partners in large-scale collaborations, as well as his intimate knowledge of Laurentian, will serve us well in our own research objectives.



Fowler served as associate, vice-president and external relations at Laurentian University since August 2012. Prior to joining Laurentian, Fowler served in a number of senior roles at the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, including as director of scientific and research collaborations and as director of the research branch.



He led the development of the Ontario Innovation Agenda, and also worked with the Ontario Research and Innovation Council which guided the development of the provinces Research and Innovation support programs.



Fowler directed over $1.5 billion in research and innovation programming, and led Ontarios international research and innovation outreach activities through several multi-million dollar agreements with China, India, Israel, Catalonia, Illinois and California. He subsequently led the Commission on the Reform of Ontarios Public Services for the Ontario Ministry of Finance, and served as Director of Risk Management at the Pan/Parapan American Games Secretariat.



Fowler completed his undergraduate degree in Urban Planning and his masters degree in Economic Development at the University of Waterloo. He began his career in economic development with the town of Richmond Hill.



Laurentian has ambitious goals for its research portfolio and I am excited to bring my experience in supporting research and innovation to this new role, said Fowler.



Laurentian president Dominic Giroux announced this appointment at a luncheon of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce which was featuring Paul Davidson, president and CEO of Universities Canada, as guest speaker.



During his talk, Davidson highlighted how todays businesses must be nimble, responsive and visionary in the face of emerging challenges. Partnering with universities helps companies and communities gain this competitive advantage. He spoke about universities' role in providing the skills, new knowledge and innovation Canada needs to compete, open up new markets and get fresh ideas to market faster.



He illustrated how higher education is building prosperity through research, innovation and experiential learning, and how the potential of universities can be harnessed to make Canada's businesses, communities and regions stronger.



Craig Fowlers appointment in this new role of Associate Vice-President, Research Partnerships, Innovation and Economic Development at Laurentian aligns directly with the vision articulated today by Mr. Davidson at the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce. It also echoes the perspectives offered earlier this week by Greg Fergus, Parliamentary Secretary with Canadas new Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, as he helped launch Laurentians 2016 Research Week, explained Dominic Giroux.



Karen Hourtovenko, chair of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the announcement. One of the three goals in the Chambers 2015-2017 Strategic Plan is to create strong change agents. We want to nurture community champions and foster positive actions for community prosperity. The Chamber is delighted to see Laurentian University once again step up its efforts to enhance partnerships, innovation and economic development, and we look forward to working with Mr. Fowler in his new role.
A charming rogue contrives to serve a short sentence in an airy mental institution rather than prison when Crown Point Community Theatre presents the stage adaptation of Ken Keseys controversial novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest," Through March 20. Clashing with Nurse Ratched, the fierce head nurse, he takes over the yard and accomplishes what the medical profession has been unable to do, making a mute Indian talk, leading others out of introversion, and staging a revolt so they can watch the World Series on TV. For his trouble, he is submitted to shock treatment and a frontal lobotomy. Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress were awarded for the film version in 1976. (219) 805-4255 or www.cpct.biz

Yuri Grigorovichs 'Spartacus'

Fathom Events at Schererville 16 presents this performance broadcast from the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow on March 13. Spartacus, a Thracian king, is turned captive by Crassus with his wife, Phygia, in ancient Rome. Forced to fight as a gladiator and kill one of his friends, Spartacus plots an unprecedented upheaval. Grigorovichs ballet was created in 1968 and has remained one of the Bolshois staples ever since. This spectacular production is an epic tour de force, giving full expression to the virility and strength for which the companys male dancers are renowned. (219) 322-9762 or www.fathomevents.com

'Nancy Drew: Girl Detective'

Audiences of all ages will love this all-new mystery featuring the worlds most famous teenage sleuth based on the best-selling book series. River Heights has another mystery on its hands, and this time its at the Footlighters Barn Theater! Leander Van Pelt has died and rumors fly about a secret cache of jewels hidden on his estate. On top of it all, a mysterious ghost is haunting the theatre, and its up to Nancy Drew to get to the bottom of these puzzling events and explain the inexplicable. At Chicago Street Theatre, Valparaiso, Through March 13. (219) 464-1636 or www.chicagostreet.org

Visit the South Shore Arts Regional Arts Calendar for more information on current exhibits, concerts, plays and other arts events, SouthShoreArtsOnline.org. Tune in to Lakeshore Public Radio, 89.1 FM, for Eye on the Arts interviews with area artists and arts providers at 8:45 a.m. every Monday morning.
Police are asking for your help in finding a missing Boston teenager.

Authorities say they have video of 19-year-old Cameron Lopez boarding a Lucky Star Bus in Boston.

The last signal from his phone was near East Broadway and Clinton Street on the Lower East Side at around 5:45 Friday afternoon.

Lopez was last seen wearing a navy blue winter coat, a beige sweater and navy blue New Balance sneakers with a light blue "N" on them.

He's approximately 5-foot-10-inches tall, weighs 170 pounds, wears glasses, has a 5 o'clock shadow, and retainers on his front and bottom teeth.

The family says Lopez suffers from mental health issues but is not known to be aggressive.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
PARIS  The Sentier  a seedy, central neighborhood in the Second Arrondissement of Paris, sandwiched between the majestic Louvre and the medieval Marais  has long served as the citys textile and garment manufacturing district. For centuries, its narrow cobblestone streets were lined with showrooms and workshops, and the clacking of sewing and weaving machines was heard in courtyards day and night.

Not any longer. Much of the neighborhood has been converted into a pedestrian-only zone, and now a host of stylish businesses are moving in, transforming the quartier into the latest open secret of the smart set.

The epicenter of this shift is Rue Bachaumont, a short, tree-lined street that connects the local market street Rue Montorgueil and the busy Rue Montmartre. Among the businesses that have opened or relocated there are the Hotel Bachaumont, a hip boutique hotel and restaurant; Nose, an artisanal perfumery and beauty concept store; the Jalou Media Group, which publishes such glossy magazines as LOfficiel, Jalouse and LOptimum; Eyeshow, a fashionable made-to-measure eyewear boutique; and as of next month, Christophe Robin, the celebrated French hair colorist responsible for the shimmering locks of Catherine Deneuve, Natalia Vodianova and Lea Seydoux  he will leave his posh, exclusive setup at the five-star Hotel Meurice for something more modern and relaxed.
Dust off your bugle and sound the Last Post: Downton Abbey closes its doors after six seasons. Kevin Spacey of House of Cards joins the political debate on Meet the Press. And Caitlyn Jenner discusses her conservative views and sexual orientation on I Am Cait.

Whats on TV

DOWNTON ABBEY 9 p.m. on PBS. The day we hoped would never come has finally arrived, and with it a tangle of loose ends and a torrent of questions. Will Lady Mary be satisfied as the wife of the racy but unmoneyed Henry Talbot? Will Lady Edith ever know happiness, now that her marriage to the newly minted seventh Marquess of Hexham seems squelched? Will Lord Grantham allow Lady Grantham to express herself as the president of the Downton hospital without blowing another ulcer? Will Isobel Crawley take her rightful place next to Lord Merton? Will Anna and Bates ever hear the pitter-patter of little feet across their cottage floor? And will Barrow find a stately home of his own? All is revealed in this two-hour series finale. Bafta Celebrates Downton Abbey leads in at 8. And a Downton Abbey Farewell follows at 10:40. (Image: Laura Carmichael)

FOX NEWS SUNDAY 10 a.m. on Fox. Rush Limbaugh discusses Donald J. Trump, Super Tuesday results and the latest Republican presidential debate. And on Meet the Press, at 10:30 on NBC, Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate; Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina; and Kevin Spacey, who plays the fictional president on Netflixs House of Cards, reflect on the campaign.

MADAM SECRETARY 8 p.m. on CBS. After a ship carrying Libyan refugees puts out a distress call, Elizabeth has 20 minutes to decide whether to question a passenger claiming to know where the worlds most-wanted terrorist is. In The Good Wife, at 9, Alicia and Eli delve into the charges against Peter as a grand jury is assembled. (Image: Tim Daly and Tea Leoni in Madam Secretary)
In the world of crossword enthusiasts, a new puzzle presents a fresh challenge each day. But what if the puzzle was plagiarized from one that appeared years ago?

A database created by a software engineer has raised questions over whether old New York Times crossword puzzles were copied in other publications.

The puzzles in question appeared in USA Today as well as Universal Crossword, a syndicated service, according to the website FiveThirtyEight, which said it conducted an investigation using the database.

The USA Today and Universal Crossword puzzles are both edited by Timothy Parker, according to Mr. Parkers biography for Universal Uclick.
Caitrin Una McKiernan and Andrew Stephen Hicks were married March 5 at El Presidio Chapel in Santa Barbara, Calif. Dr. Michael Carl Brabeck, the brides godfather, who became a Universal Life minister for the event, performed the ceremony.

Ms. McKiernan, 35, is keeping her name. Until January, she was a New York-based consulting lawyer to nongovernmental organizations in the United Nations climate change negotiations. In April, she is to join the Hong Kong office of the Los Angeles law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as a litigation associate.

She graduated with honors in Chinese history from Stanford and from 2002 to 2004 was a Rotary Ambassadorial scholar at National Taiwan University, where she studied Chinese language. From from 2004 to 2005, she was a Fulbright scholar studying the independent oral history of Chinese women, which she did through Fudan University in Shanghai. She received a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

She is the daughter of Catherine A. Boyer and Kevin B. McKiernan of Santa Barbara. The brides father is a journalist and documentary filmmaker whose credits include Good Kurds, Bad Kurds, which aired on Public Television, and Bringing King to China, which was shown on the festival circuit. He is also the author of The Kurds: A People in Search of Their Homeland. The brides mother is the executive director of student affairs grants and development at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Emmarie Huetteman and Christopher Thomas Trepky were married Feb. 29 under the District of Columbias self-uniting marriage statute. The ceremony was at the Tidal Basin next to the National Mall in Washington.

The couple met at the University of Michigan, from which they graduated.

Ms. Huetteman, 29, who is keeping her name, is a reporter for The New York Times in Washington. She received a masters degree in journalism from Northwestern.

She is a daughter of Susan Iacuone Huetteman and Thaddeus J. Huetteman of Arlington, Va. Her father is an operations research analyst for the Energy Information Administration in Washington, the statistical and analytical agency within the Department of Energy. Her mother is an assistant to the associate head overseeing the upper school at National Cathedral School, a private day school for girls in Washington.

Mr. Trepky, 30, is a sales associate at Read Wall, a custom mens wear store, in Washington.

He is the son of Marchell E. Trepky and Thomas P. Trepky of Williamston, Mich. His mother retired as a health care analyst from the Michigan Education Special Services Association in East Lansing. His father retired as a mail carrier for the Postal Service in Owosso, Mich.
Laura Mackenzie Noerr Keane and Eric Matthew Ayers were married March 4 at the London Plane, a restaurant in Seattle. Laura C. Inveen, a Superior Court judge in King County, Wash., officiated.

The bride, 34, and groom, 41, work at Amazon.com in Seattle. She is a human resources specialist for the companys Amazon Books division, and he manages worldwide business development for its digital products division.

Mrs. Ayers graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., and received a law degree from Vanderbilt.

She is the daughter of Martha J. Noerr and T. Jeffrey Keane of Seattle. The brides father is the founding partner of Keane Law Offices there. Her mother is a bookkeeper at the firm.
Shanshan Li and Sean Paul Sheehy were married Feb. 29 at City Hall in Cambridge, Mass. Donna P. Lopez, the Cambridge city clerk, officiated.

The bride, 36, is a postdoctoral research fellow in epidemiology at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard, where she focuses on nutrition and cardiovascular disease. She graduated from Fudan University in Shanghai and received a masters degree in public health from McGill University in Canada. She also holds a Doctor of Science degree in epidemiology from Harvard.

She is a daughter of Jufu Liu and Jiayou Li of Cambridge. The brides father retired as a professor of economics at Renmin University of China in Beijing. Her mother retired as a lab technician at the Chinese Academy of Traditional Medicine, also in Beijing.

The groom, also 36, is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering in Boston, working on cardiac tissue engineering. He graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., and received masters degrees in biotechnology and engineering sciences from Harvard, from which he also received his Ph.D. in engineering sciences.
Here is one kind of failure story: In 2011, Bradford Shellhammer, a 38-year-old e-commerce entrepreneur, helped found a company called Fab, which took in $325 million in funding and eventually zoomed to a billion-dollar valuation  only to be sold last year for what Bloomberg called a paltry sum. That didnt stop his next online shopping start-up, Bezar, from raising $2.25 million in its first round of funding that same year.

It was quite easy to raise money for Bezar, Mr. Shellhammer said in an interview on Pando, a tech news site. You walk away and you are a poster child for not good things, he said about Fabs failure, but the cool thing was that it put me on a different stage, and I could go meet the people I wanted to meet. The people who invested in Bezar are mostly just friends of mine. Last month, after running out of cash, Bezar was acquired by another company, which has now hired Mr. Shellhammer as an adviser.

But theres another, less buoyant, kind of failure story. It takes hundreds of thousands of dollars just to field one start-up team, money that people like Mr. Shellhammer  which is to say, white men with social ties to angel and venture capital  can get relatively easily. They can raise $100,000 with an email, Jhamar Youngblood, an African-American entrepreneur, told me. He is working on his third start-up, a messaging application called Blastchat, after he was unable to raise money for his first two.

What counts as failure is subjective, he said. For people like me, failure is not being able to raise $100,000, and then when I go to angel investors seeking funding, they ask me if Ive raised any money. Its like Ive already failed because of the color of my skin and not having my own networks to provide resources.

Of the Internet start-up founders who receive so-called Series A venture funding, 87 percent are white and only 1 percent are black, according to the research firm CB Insights. Kathryn Finney of the organization digitalundivided says that only 0.2 percent of founders receiving venture funding from 2012 to 2014 were black women, and the average amount of money raised was $36,000, instead of the $1.3 million that funds the average venture-funded start-up. She runs an initiative called Project Diane, which seeks to disrupt pattern matching  the practice of funding entrepreneurs based on their similarity to those who have already been successful.
I FIRST met Larraine when we both lived in a trailer park on the far South Side of Milwaukee. Fifty-four, with silvering brown hair, Larraine loved mystery novels, So You Think You Can Dance and doting on her grandson. Even though she lived in a mobile home park with so many code violations that city inspectors called it an environmental biohazard, she kept a tidy trailer and used a hand steamer on the curtains. But Larraine spent more than 70 percent of her income on housing  just as one in four of all renting families who live below the poverty line do. After paying the rent, she was left with $5 a day.

Under conditions like these, evictions have become routine. Larraine (whose name has been changed to protect her privacy) was evicted after she borrowed from her rent money to cover part of her gas bill. The eviction movers took her stuff to their storage unit; after Larraine was unable to make payments, they took it to the dump.

Those of us who dont live in trailer parks or inner cities might think low-income families typically benefit from public housing or some other kind of government assistance. But the opposite is true. Three-quarters of families who qualify for housing assistance dont get it because there simply isnt enough to go around. This arrangement would be unthinkable with other social services that cover basic needs. What if food stamps only covered one in four families?

America stands alone among wealthy democracies in the depth and expanse of its poverty. Ask most politicians what we should do about this, and they will answer by calling for more and better jobs. Paul Ryan, the Republican speaker of the House, thinks we need to do more to incentivize work. Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, thinks we should raise the minimum wage. But jobs are only part of the solution because poverty is not just a product of joblessness and low wages. It is also a product of exploitation.
SEOUL, South Korea  In late 2014, months after 304 people died in the sinking of a South Korean ferry, a leaflet began circulating with a scurrilous rumor about President Park Geun-hye: that she had failed to respond swiftly to the disaster that day because she was having a romantic encounter with a former aide.

Was Ms. Park, the flier asked, now cracking down on her critics in an attempt to keep that scandal from coming to light?

For Park Sung-su, an antigovernment campaigner who had distributed the leaflet  and who is not related to the president (Park is a common surname here)  the consequences soon followed. He was arrested and later sentenced to a year in prison, on charges of defaming the president and staging illegal protests against his prosecutors. He was freed in December after eight months, when a court suspended his sentence.

No evidence supporting the rumor has been produced, and prosecutors said they had investigated and found it groundless. But however dubious the leaflet might have been, opponents of the government say Mr. Park became another victim of the very thing he was denouncing: the governments use of defamation and other laws to silence its critics, which rights advocates say is on the rise.
In his story The Secret Room, the French novelist Alain Robbe-Grillet describes an interior so ornate as to defy description, whose very dimensions are shadowy but whose considerable space must in reality extend all around, right and left, as it does toward the faraway browns and blues among the columns standing in line, in every direction.

The Veterans Room at the Park Avenue Armory  completed in 1881 by the then-brand-new dream team of Louis Comfort Tiffany, Stanford White, Candace Wheeler and Samuel Colman  may be as close as any room in New York City comes to such beyond-words fantasia. Depending on which inch youre looking at, its Islamic, Chinese, Greek, Celtic, Egyptian, Persian or an indefinable melange of them all, on which no expense was spared. Its never been a secret (the year it opened, this newspaper declared it undoubtedly the most magnificent apartment of the kind in this country), but for decades its glories have been concealed beneath bad repairs, inadequate lighting, brown paint and a patina of Gilded Age cigar smoke.

On Monday it reopens to the public in all its historical swagger after more than a year of work, at a cost of more than $8 million, by the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, which is overseeing the restoration of the armory, built as a bejeweled boys club by New York States Seventh Regiment of the National Guard, the blue-blooded militia that was the first to respond to Lincolns call for troops in 1861.

Since 2009, the armory, a once-crumbling landmark, has transformed itself into one of the worlds most sought-after venues for performance, music and supersized art projects. And in a sense, the Veterans Room, of all the Armorys opulent reception rooms (three others have been restored so far), has the deepest spiritual kinship with a work of contemporary art, the feel of an installation by a young collective whose members were reacting to one another and making it all up as they went along.
The comedian Louis C.K. condemned the Republican presidential front-runner, Donald J. Trump, in an email to his fans on Saturday. The guy is Hitler. And by that I mean that we are being Germany in the 30s, he writes. Hitler was just some hilarious and refreshing dude with a weird comb over who would say anything at all.

The note, published by Variety, was ostensibly a postscript to a letter about a coming episode of his new show, Horace and Pete. It is written in Louis C.K.s plain-spoken, self-deprecating style and quotes John McCain, advocates centrism and argues that Mr. Trump is not a real conservative: He is not one of you. He is one of him.

Really I dont mean to insult anyone, Louis C.K. writes. Except Trump. I mean to insult him very much.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt, a pioneering and influential early-music specialist and respected mainstream maestro, died on Saturday in the village of St. Georgen im Attergau, east of Salzburg, Austria. He was 86.

His death was announced by his wife, Alice, on his website.

Mr. Harnoncourt, a cellist, founded the period-instrument ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien  with his wife as concertmaster  in 1953, and it remained crucial to his performance activities even as orchestral conducting came to dominate. He announced his retirement from performance last December, citing inadequate bodily strength.

I hate specialists, Mr. Harnoncourt said in 1996 in an interview at his home in the Austrian Alps near Salzburg, where he had amassed a valuable collection of musical instruments.

Call him a specialist or not, and not to deny his multifarious other activities, he researched, performed and recorded early music encyclopedically. In the 1970s and 80s he and the Concentus took part in a complete recording of the nearly 200 surviving Bach sacred cantatas for the Teldec label, sharing the performances with the Dutch harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt and his Leonhardt Consort.
Nearly a decade has passed since an aspiring young lawyer in California, Anna Alaburda, graduated in the top tier of her class, passed the state bar exam and set out to use the law degree she had spent about $150,000 to acquire.

But on Monday, in a San Diego courtroom, she will tell a story that has become all too familiar among law students in the United States: Since graduating from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2008, she has yet to find a full-time salaried job as a lawyer.

From there, though, her story has taken an unusual twist: Ms. Alaburda, 37, is the first former law student whose case against a law school, charging that it inflated the employment data for its graduates as a way to lure students to enroll, will go to trial.

[ Update: Ms. Alaburda lost her case on March 24. A jury voted nine to three to reject her claims. ]

Other disgruntled students have tried to do the same. In the last several years, 15 lawsuits have sought to hold various law schools accountable for publicly listing information critics say was used to pump up alumni job numbers by counting part-time waitress and other similar, full-time jobs as employment. Only one suit besides Ms. Alaburdas remains active.

None of the other cases reached trial because judges in Illinois, Michigan and New York, where several cases were filed, generally concluded that law students had opted for legal education at their own peril, and were sophisticated enough to have known that employment as a lawyer was not guaranteed.
What turned out to be the last order of the night  before an attack left a police officer with injuries, a suspect in custody and a Halal Paradise food truck in shambles  came from a man with $4 in his hand and a $5 lamb gyro on his brain.

I tell him, No big deal, I do it for you, said Imam Hassanian, 23, who was working in the truck that night  or morning, technically, almost three hours past midnight on Feb. 26. He turned to the grill.

Most of New York Citys many food trucks and carts are tucked away in garages at that hour, leaving Mr. Hassanian with little competition. He had settled onto his corner at North Seventh Street and Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, three months ago. There was a subway station and a bar just outside the truck, and many more bars in the surrounding blocks.

Mr. Hassanian liked working nights for a reason that had nothing to do with the job. It allowed him to talk to his wife, Nasma. She lives in Cairo, where the time is seven hours ahead. They were married last year, and he hopes to bring her to New York soon.
Calling what is happening in Europe a refugee crisis no longer captures the enormity of the problem. This is a catastrophe that will soon become far worse as warm weather swells the torrent of people fleeing war in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. With the European Union incapable of united action, country after country has imposed panicky controls on once-open borders to block the refugees.

On Monday, Macedonian police fired volleys of tear gas at asylum seekers who burst through a fence on the Greece-Macedonia border. The same day, France began clearing out the Jungle, an enclave near Calais with thousands of refugees waiting desperately to cross the English Channel into Britain. And as gates across Europe close to them, thousands upon thousands of people crowd into Greece, which is opening a new camp nearly every day.

A report by Liz Alderman of The Times, about the desperate efforts of Greece to feed and house refugees expected to soon number 100,000, is heart-wrenching in its description of the wretched conditions of refugees and of the extraordinary efforts of the Greeks to help them. Greece cannot shoulder Europes burden on its own.

Then there is the threat to the whole concept of an open Europe. Last month, Austria joined with nine Balkan states to impose a tough border policy, in the process inexplicably reclassifying Afghans as economic migrants rather than refugees and therefore barred from entry.
As befits a work with the title Hungry, food is prepared  ardently and aromatically  in the wonderful new play written and directed by Richard Nelson, which opened on Friday night at the Public Theater. Yet it is unlikely that the ratatouille and apple crumble on offer will satisfy the appetites of the five women and one man assembled in a snug kitchen in Rhinebeck, N.Y.

The hunger being experienced here, which pervades this exquisitely acted production like scents from a laden stove, cant be assuaged by second helpings. Though they are hardly poor or homeless, the inhabitants of Mr. Nelsons latest offering are still starved  for stability, a promise that they arent alone and the reassurance that the familiar town and country in which they have lived for so many years isnt disappearing as they speak.

As you may have surmised, these people, who share the last name of Gabriel, have a lot in common with much of the American electorate in 2016. And Hungry, a work in which nothing much happens beyond some contemplative pre-dinner chatter, may well be the most resonantly topical and emotionally engaging play of this election year.

Hungry might also be said to describe the state in which Mr. Nelson left New York theatergoers at the end of 2013. That was when the final installment of Mr. Nelsons four-part cycle The Apple Family Plays came to its conclusion. I dont think I was alone in feeling bereft of what had come to feel like a deeply personal relationship.
Hillary Clinton could be in for some political peril.

Sure, by winning 11 of the 17 contests since her New Hampshire drubbing, and running away with the delegate count, shes not far from sewing up the Democratic presidential nomination. Its the Republicans, not the Democrats, who face bitter divides that endanger the partys future.

Mrs. Clinton is riding high; thats the problem.

Her history is that whenever she gets ahead and looks in good shape, she reverts to her worst form, said Peter D. Hart, a leading Democratic pollster, citing Mrs. Clintons stellar first debate performance.

The Democrats confidence is based on the perceived folly of Republicans nominating Donald J. Trump. But a lot can change in a few months and the Democrats own house has some needs. There is a demonstrable lack of enthusiasm about Mrs. Clinton, the likely nominee, underscored by the low turnouts in most contests. She is identified as part of the establishment by a restless electorate, and she is neither especially liked nor trusted by many swing voters, and even some Democrats.

She seems out of sync with the electorate, J. Ann Selzer said after looking at the surveys conducted by her firm, Selzer & Company, for Bloomberg, as well as primary exit polls. For someone who started her campaign on a listening tour she doesnt seem to be listening.
MANILA  The Philippines will become the first country to enforce tough new United Nations sanctions on North Korea when it begins formal procedures on Monday to impound a cargo vessel linked to the reclusive nation, a government spokesman said on Sunday.

The Jin Teng, which is suspected of being a North Korean ship, arrived Thursday at Subic Bay, a commercial port about 50 miles northwest of Manila. It will be impounded, its crew will be deported, and it will most likely be inspected by a team from the United Nations, said Charles Jose, a spokesman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

The vessel is registered and flagged under multiple countries, but it is one of 31 listed as being owned by North Korea, Philippine officials said, and therefore subject to seizure under the new sanctions. The sanctions are a result of a United Nations Security Council resolution that was passed Wednesday after a North Korean nuclear test on Jan. 6 and a long-range rocket test on Feb. 7.

One component of the new sanctions requires countries to inspect all cargo passing through their territory en route to or from North Korea. Inspections previously had been required only if there was reasonable suspicion of contraband aboard.
Smer-Social Democracy is projected to hold 49 seats in the 150-seat Parliament, compared with the 83 seats it won in 2012, when it had 44 percent of the vote. The second-place party, Freedom and Solidarity, earned 12 percent of the vote, or 21 seats. The Ordinary People party picked up 11 percent of the vote, while the Slovak National Party, a potential partner for Mr. Fico, received nearly 9 percent, according to official results.

Mr. Ficos party ran on an anti-migrant platform, but the biggest surprise was the success of the extreme-right Peoples Party-Our Slovakia, whose leader, Marian Kotleba, has said, Even one immigrant is one too many. Mr. Kotleba, a regional governor, has past ties to neo-Nazism. His party picked up 8 percent of the vote, or 14 seats, and could pose an obstacle in Mr. Ficos efforts to form a coalition.

Mr. Kotleba has spoken favorably of the Slovak state during World War II and of its leader, Jozef Tiso, who was responsible for sending tens of thousands of Jews to concentration camps. Mr. Kotleba has referred to NATO as a criminal organization and has railed against the United States, the European Union and immigrants.

He is not expected to be offered a role in forming a new government, or to seek one. We dont want to join any of the sides at all costs, Mr. Kotleba said Sunday in a discussion at TV Markiza. We have our clear values, our pillars  national, Christian and social pillars  and I think that both sides would mean a debacle for these values.

Still, the elections make it most unlikely that Slovakia will soften its opposition to being obligated to accept migrants under a European Union quota system. We will continue to be the troublemaker in this, but were not alone, said Grigorij Meseznikov, the president of the Institute for Public Affairs here.
CAIRO  Egypt said Sunday that members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, trained by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, carried out the bombing in Cairo that killed Egypts top prosecutor last summer.

Egypts interior minister, Maj. Gen. Magdi Abdel-Ghaffar, described at a news conference a plot to kill the prosecutor, Hisham Barakat, that he linked to exiled Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Turkey and a Hamas training camp in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas denied the charges on Sunday. In June, at the time of the bombing, the Muslim Brotherhood denied any involvement in the killing of the prosecutor.

These statements are untrue and do not bode well for ongoing efforts to develop ties between Hamas and Cairo, Samy Abu Zahri, a Hamas spokesman, said in a statement.
TEHRAN  An Iranian court has sentenced a billionaire businessman to death for corruption linked to oil sales during the rule of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a judiciary spokesman said Sunday.

The businessman, Babak Zanjani, and two of his associates were sentenced to death for money laundering, among other charges, the spokesman, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, said in remarks broadcast on state television. He did not identify the two associates. Previous reports in the state news media said the three had been charged with forgery and fraud.

The court has recognized the three defendants as corrupters on earth and sentenced them to death, Mr. Ejehi said. Corrupters on earth is an Islamic term referring to crimes that are punishable by death because they have a major impact on society. The verdict can be appealed.

A news website run by the judiciary identified the associates as Mahdi Shams, a British-Iranian businessman who was detained in 2015, and Hamid Fallah Heravi, a retired businessman.
BOSTON  James (Whitey) Bulger, the former mobster convicted of participating in 11 murders during the 1970s and 80s, will not get a new trial, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit found that Mr. Bulger had not shown his right to a fair trial was violated when a judge barred him from testifying about his claim that he received immunity for his crimes.

For the reasons spelled out above, Bulger got a fair trial and none of the complained-of conduct on the court or governments part warrant reversal of his conviction, the appellate judges concluded.

The ruling is probably not the end of the line for Mr. Bulger, who was once one of the nations most-wanted fugitives: He has the right to appeal the panels ruling by asking for a hearing before the full court of six judges.
As town hall meetings continue and the Alabama Community College Systems proposed merger of three east Alabama community colleges, including Southern Union State Community College, inches closer toward final approval, students are weighing in on the plans for a regionalized institution.

Southern Union, with locations in Opelika, Wadley and Valley, is expected to merge with Phenix Citys Chattahoochee Valley Community College and the Alexander City-based Central Alabama Community College to form one regional college, pending final approval from the Alabama Community College System board of trustees in July. Central Alabama President Susan Burrow was selected to serve as the permanent president of the new college.

Southern Union students spoke out about the consolidation last month, mostly embracing the concept of a regionalized college. Many said they believed a regional institution would provide more opportunities for students, while some voiced concern over a lack of details regarding how the college would operate.

Students from Central Alabama and Chattahoochee Valley discussed the merger last week, shedding light on topics both colleges are excited and concerned about.

More opportunities

I think its great, said CACC sophomore Bobby Tapley of the merger. Not only is it great for all the campuses merging together, but also for students. It just opens up the door of opportunity for them to take different classes and stuff.

Chelsea Gordon, also a sophomore at CACC, believes a regional college will create a more established identity for students at the schools.

I also think it will create a bigger name for the community college, just having it all put together, she said.

CVCC freshman Jay Ford is optimistic about the geographical impact on students the new college expects to have.

I dont see anything bad in it. I felt like it would maybe be a good chance for students who live in Smiths Station to go to Southern Union College and have that shorter route instead of coming all the way here to CV. I just felt like it would be a good opportunity for other people, he said.

Jennifer Abbey, a second semester nursing student at CVCC, thinks a consolidation will give students an advantage when it comes to resources.

A consolidation could be a definite advantage for resources for each of the three colleges. I think it could be a good thing, she said.

Initial concerns

As a nursing student, Abbey was initially concerned about potential changes being made to her program, after finding out about the proposed consolidation. She said she has since been assured by her nursing director that nothing will change as a result of the merger.

Being in the nursing program, I was a little concerned about a change in the program itself, but Ive been assured that it is not going to affect our class. We already know going forward whats expected of us. We didnt want a sudden change right in the middle of the program, she said.

Ford said he was worried about being forced to take classes at another campus, if CVCC courses were filled more quickly due to the merger.

My first concern was maybe if a class here overflowed, what would I do? How would I take that class? Would I have to go all the way to Opelika to take that class? That was one of my concerns, he said.

Joshua Torelli, a sophomore at CACC, said he is nervous about the possibility of losing Central Alabamas athletics in the future.

Losing the Trojans -- we have a strong history for our sports programs, and its a sad thought to see it go, he said.

Torelli said he would also like to have more information about the future administration of the regional college.

Itd be nice to know where the administration is going to go. What direction theyre going to go once the school is merged, how it will affect the teachers and the students. Some of us are leaving to go to other schools, like Ill be graduating in May, but I still think about some of our teachers. Whats going to happen to them?

New name?

Southern Union students have previously expressed interest in retaining the name Southern Union, though some said they understand if the name has to change. Central Alabama students are advocating for a new name.

We could be East Alabama Community College, suggested Tapley.

Torelli agreed.

Were expanding the size of the area were serving, so keeping with the tradition of Southern Union and Central Alabama, we could just merge the region together and call it whatever that region is, he said.

CVCC sophomore Matt Simmons said hes not sure what the name for the new school should be, but he doesnt believe Chattahoochee Valley would be a relevant option.

It wouldnt be relevant to keep the name since it would be all over Alabama, Simmons said .

Abbey said the name of the institution shouldnt be an issue.

It doesnt really matter what the name is, its the quality of the education. I dont think thats going to change because we have excellent instructors here at this location.

Main campus

Several community members in Opelika and Wadley are encouraging Burrow and the board of trustees to consider locating the regionalized colleges main headquarters in Opelika.

The location of the new colleges main campus headquarters hasnt been discussed in much detail at Central Alabama, Torelli said, though he suggested it be located at the most geographically central campus.

We havent really heard much about that kind of talk. It is probably something that the administration should carefully consider, he said.

Abbey is less concerned about the selection of the main campus. As long as students are able to register for courses at each location, she said, it shouldnt create problems.

As long as it doesnt create an inconvenience registering for courses, then a satellite office is not a big deal. But if you start talking about taking away registration and standardizing -- like the parking permits  as long as those things are still offered at every campus, I dont think youre going to have any problems with a consolidation, she said.
Have an old surfboard collecting dust and wasting space in your garage that you dont use or want to get rid of?

The Gudauskas brothers  Pat, Dane and Tanner  are hoping fellow surfers will donate old boards so they can take them to an impoverished area in Jamaica.

Were going to fly all the boards down and have a surfing stoke celebration, said Dane Gudauskas. Were just hoping to give these kids a great opportunity.

Dane and his brothers, who grew up in San Clemente and are considered among Orange Countys best surfers, traveled to Jamaica in 2014 and fell in love with the people and culture.

They met Jamaican local Billy Mystic Wilmott, who began riding waves on his body board in the 1960s. His home, dubbed Jamnesia, serves as a gathering spot for the young local surfers, skateboarders, musicians and artists to come together. The brothers spent time surfing with the locals and noticed the potential some of the younger surfers had.

You go to all these places around the world, theres a common love no matter where any of us are from, Dane Gudauskas said. When we share that kind of vibe, its nice to see them be able to fulfill their hopes and potential, and realize if they have surfing dreams.

But the boards the local surfers there used were beat up, pieced back together three or four times, many of them missing fins. The brothers left the trip wondering: What can we do to help?

They thought up the idea of a surfboard drive and teamed with Jacks Surfboards, where surfers can drop off their unwanted boards at one of their locations around Southern California, including five in Orange County.

Its kind of an off-the-wall thing, he said. Its awesome to see the surfing community stoked and get behind it.

The Gudauskas brothers are no strangers to giving back. They regularly host Stoke-O-Rama events around the world that raise funds to help lifeguard, swimming and surfing programs. So far, theyve raised about $36,000 doing events in their hometown, Hawaii and other areas. Last year, they launched the Positive Vibe Warriors foundation, which raises proceeds through online sales to go toward the Stoke-O-Rama fundraising efforts.

We wanted to create a big web of people feeling a part of something, he said. Surfing is like a family.

Dane said theres no restriction on the type of surfboard or shape. The brothers will load up the boards in April and personally deliver them to Jamaica, where there will be lessons and ocean safety discussions.

Donations are tax deductible. The surfboard drive continues until March 31. For more information, go to positivevibewarriors.com.

Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com
LA ESPERANZA, Honduras  A large crowd in Honduras accompanied the body of Berta Caceres to its final resting place Saturday amid calls for justice in this weeks killing of the indigenous leader and environmental activist.

Many of those carrying Caceres coffin on their shoulders through the dusty streets of La Esperanza were Lenca indigenous people for whose rights she had fought. Drummers pounded out Afro-Honduran rhythms as mourners chanted The struggle goes on and on and Berta Caceres is present, today and forever.

The crowd marched more than six miles (10 kilometers) from Caceres mothers home to a chapel where a Mass was celebrated in her memory Saturday, and to the cemetery in La Esperanza about 190 miles (300 kilometers) east of the capital. Her four daughters and her ex-husband were among the procession.

Forgive me, Bertita, said Salvador Zuniga, Caceres former husband. Forgive me for not understanding your greatness.

The previous evening, Austra Flores said she hoped that her daughters murder will not go unpunished and that international attention will pressure Honduran authorities to find those responsible.

Caceres, 45, who was awarded the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her role in fighting a dam project, had complained of death threats from police, the army and landowners groups. She was slain early Thursday by gunmen who broke into her home and shot her four times.

My mother died because she defended the land and rivers of her country, Caceres daughter Olivia said.

Mexican human rights activist Gustavo Castro Soto was also wounded in the attack. After gunfire grazed his cheek and left hand, Castro pretended to be dead as he lay on the floor so the assailants would not finish him off, according to Security Ministry Julian Pacheco. He is considered a protected witness whose testimony is key to solving the killing.

Pacheco said two suspects have been detained for questioning, including a neighborhood private security guard. Authorities have not said what role they may have played in her killing.

President Juan Orlando Hernandez says authorities are investigating Caceres killing with assistance from the United States.

We have asked for a rapid and exhaustive investigation so the full weight of the law is applied to those responsible, U.S. Ambassador James Nealon told reporters at the funeral.

Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales vowed Friday in a meeting with diplomats that justice would be done, saying that there is abundant information to solve the case.

According to the website of the Goldman Environmental Prize, Caceres waged a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the worlds largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam.

It said the project threatened to cut off the supply of water, food and medicine for hundreds of Lenca people and violate their right to sustainably manage and live off their land.
California may be the countrys most important and influential state for technology, culture and lifestyle, but has become something of a cipher in terms of providing national political leaders. Not one California politician entered the 2016 presidential race in either party and, looking over the landscape, its difficult to see even a potential contender emerging over the coming decade.

We are a long way from the California dreamin days of Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and even the early Jerry Brown era. Today we approach national politics largely as spectators  and our rich residents as donors  to storms brewing in other regions.

In contrast, New Yorkers clearly have the moxie to rise. Ted Cruz even lambasted New York values in his to-date failed attempt to derail Donald Trump. Just watch Trump and his new consigliere, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, in action, theyre quintessential New York egomaniacal tough guys.

The Democrats also have a big New York imprint, with the front-runner, Hillary Clinton, a former New York U.S. senator and current resident. Her diminishing challenger, Bernie Sanders, is an aged Jewish boy from Brooklyn.

And, waiting in the wings, with his billions and his ego ready to propel him, sits former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Some East Coast observers see him as a potential running mate for Clinton, which certainly would make fundraising less important.

But its not just New Yorks political culture that has shaped this election. The biggest non-Trump drama of the race has been the bitter conflict between two Florida politicians, the departed Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, now the rapidly fading hope of establishmentarian Republicans. Texas, too, has expressed at least the more doctrinaire aspect of its political culture in inflicting Ted Cruz on the electorate. Even the Rust Belt has had its moment, in the quixotic, but at least fundamentally decent, campaign of John Kasich.

Whats wrong with California?

With its massive technological and cultural footprint, one would assume California would be mass-producing politicians destined for the national stage. So what happened? One factor may be the states steady drift towards one-party politics. Lets face it, the Republican Party of California remains enfeebled, so much so that some prominent Republican politicians have left the state to seek careers elsewhere.

California once boasted a vibrant two-party system. Most successful politicians tend to emerge from contested political cultures. Bill Clinton climbed the greasy pole in red-leaning Arkansas. Ohio and New Jersey remain two-party states, and both at least put potential presidents into the mix. Even Illinois, Barack Obamas adopted home state, has a more competitive political culture than does California. People even talk seriously of Texas going purple, or even blue; no sane person can say the equivalent about our monolithic political culture.

Democrats in California also increasingly lack ideological diversity. Centrist, business-friendly Democrats are increasingly rare, and California is dominated by one basic ideology: gentry progressivism. Fanatically green, politically correct, impervious to challenges from the largely marginalized party majority, this ideology reigns supreme, funded by a combination of rich liberals and powerful public sector unions.

The oligarchic donors, for all their liberal views, dont much care any more about income inequality than their Republican counterparts. Moderate Democrats, meanwhile, lack the numbers or moxie to slow Gov. Jerry Browns imposition of ever more hardship on the lower classes. But, for his friends, particularly in the tech community, Brown offers dispensations to the rich, combined with neat financial incentives, that protect their interests.

When Brown, who terms out in 2019, finally leaves the stage, what national political figure can be seen emerging from the Golden State? Brown won national respect for his occasional stifling of the most voracious special interests. But his successors are likely to lack the power and status to do so.

Instead we will see the rise of more party-line progressives, like Attorney General Kamala Harris, the odds-on favorite to become our next U.S. senator. She may be the nations best looking attorney general, according to our president, but the San Franciscan is so far to the left of the spectrum on issues, such as illegal immigration, that its difficult to see her selling well outside our state.

Lieutenant Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential successor to Brown, may be more politically pliable, but is likely to become prisoner to the ruling party forces and less able to resist them than our current governor. To further constipate state politics, Brown may try to get his wife, former Gap attorney Ann Gust Brown, to succeed him, keeping the dynasty in power long beyond its logical sell-by date.

And then, there are the mayors. Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles might be popular with the New York Times, but the ship he is steering is seen, even by its boosters, as a city in decline. L.A.s problems are no boost for former mayor Antonio Villaraigosas potential gubernatorial bid. Like Los Angeles, most large California cities remain economically bifurcated, and financially troubled. At least three  Compton, Fresno and Browns former home base of Oakland  could all be headed toward Detroit-like bankruptcies with the next economic downturn.

Lasting influence

Given its unique realities, California has trouble producing leaders who might appeal in more politically contested places. Yet the state still has power, notably in funding of campaigns. The state has lots of very rich people, and, for the most part, they send their money to the Democratic Party. In 2012, Californians sent nearly $100 million to the presidential candidates, more than three-fifths of that to President Obama.

There are some remnants of the once-potent GOP money machine, much of it tied to either a handful of renegade tech people or to old money. The billionaire Koch brothers may host their annual event in Palm Springs, but their money is parked in Wichita, Kansas, and Manhattan. The days when the likes of Nixon, Reagan or even Pete Wilson could find sufficient succor in the Golden State are now largely past.

The other source of California power is ideological. Browns obsession with climate change makes him a hero to greens around the world. But Democrats from less-green places are smart enough to know that climate remains a very minor issue among most voters, ranking 14th of 15 surveyed concerns, according to Gallup, for most Americans.

The three drivers of this election year  Sanders, Clinton and Trump  have focused not on climate but on more immediately pressing issues: the economy, upward mobility and the precarious position of the middle class. Browns priority on climate works against the lower classes and threatens to further stifle upward mobility. Climate policies, particularly in terms of housing, have savaged Californias middle class. Due largely to inflated housing costs, nearly a quarter of state residents are officially poor, more than in any other state. Residents of these communities increasingly are politically and economically marginalized, their politicians often subservient to wealthy greens.

Browns climate jihad is also likely to be less appealing in states east of the Sierras, places where manufacturing, agriculture and energy development remain key priorities. It is hard to see Hillary Clinton, running in coal country or in the industrial Midwest, embracing policies that clearly would destroy jobs and, in some places, whole communities. Can Democrats sell a policy of ever higher prices for energy and homes to satisfy the appetites of billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, by far the states largest individual political donor?

Californias influence is now exerted through bureaucratic and programmatic channels. President Obama and his minions make no bones about looking to Californias regulatory state as a model. In Brown, they can see how to rule largely through an endlessly empowered bureaucracy, a rubber-stamp Legislature and a judiciary largely favorable to ever greater governmental power.

Fueled by money from oligarchs and cynical unions, our state is creating a model regulatory state, the epitome of political correctness frozen into policy. The influence of these ideas, and the money behind them, will remain. But in the realm of elected politics, the rest of the country seems ill-disposed to look to our political leaders for inspiration.

Joel Kotkin is a R.C. Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University and executive director of the Center for Opportunity Urbanism in Houston. His next book, The Human City: Urbanism for the Rest of Us, will be published in April by Agate.
Hillary Clinton wrote 104 emails that she sent using her private server while secretary of state that the government has since said contain classified information, according to a new Washington Post analysis of Clintons publicly released correspondence.

The finding is the first accounting of the Democratic presidential front-runners personal role in placing information now considered sensitive into insecure email during her State Department tenure. Clintons authorship of dozens of emails now considered classified could complicate her efforts to argue that she never put government secrets at risk.

Clinton sometimes initiated the conversations. More often, she was replying to aides or other officials with brief reactions to ongoing discussions.

The analysis also showed that the practice of using non-secure email systems to send sensitive information was widespread at the department and elsewhere in government.

Clintons publicly released correspondence also includes classified emails written by about 300 other people inside and outside the government, the analysis by The Post found. The senders included longtime diplomats, top administration officials and foreigners who held no U.S. security clearance.

In those cases, Clinton was typically not among the initial recipients of the classified emails, which were included in back-and-forth exchanges between lower-level diplomats and other officials and arrived in her inbox only after they were forwarded to her by a close aide.

For federal employees other than Clinton, nearly all of the sensitive email was sent using their less secure, day-to-day government accounts. Classified information is supposed to be exchanged only over a separate, more secure network.

The Post analysis is based on an examination of the 2,093 chains of Clintons email correspondence that the State Department decided contained classified information. The agency released 52,000 pages of Clintons emails as part of a court-ordered process but blocked the sensitive information from public view. The Post identified the author of each email that contained such redactions.

The analysis raises difficult questions about how the government treats sensitive information. It suggests that either material is being overclassified, as Clinton and her allies have charged, or that classified material is being handled improperly with regularity by government officials at all levels  or some combination of the two.

The analysis did not account for 22 emails that the State Department has withheld entirely from public release because they are top secret, the highest level of classification.

The handling of those emails has drawn particular criticism from Republican lawmakers and officials in the intelligence community, who have argued that Clintons use of a private server exposed some of the governments most closely guarded secrets to hacking or other potential breaches.

The FBI is investigating the security of the server and whether Clinton or her aides mishandled classified information.

Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said the large number of people who sent and received emails that were declared classified was a sign of overclassification run amok, and indicates that our system for determining what ought to be classified is broken.

Regarding Clintons role in writing 104 of the emails, Fallon said the classification determinations were after-the-fact . . . for the purposes of preparing these emails for release publicly.

It does not mean the material was classified when it was sent or received, he said.

Clinton has struggled to fend off the email controversy since it was revealed last year that she used the private server. Republican presidential candidates have vowed to make an issue out of her handling of classified information, with front-runner Donald Trump saying last week: What she did is a criminal act. If shes allowed to run, I would be very, very surprised.

A key question facing Clinton is whether any of the emails she authored  or any of the correspondence stored on her private server  contained information that was classified at the time it was sent.

When her use of a private system was first revealed, she told reporters, I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. At other points, she has said that none of the emails was marked classified at the time she sent or received them  a point she reiterated Friday in a CNBC interview.

But government rules require senders of classified information to properly mark it. And the inspector general for the intelligence community has said that some of Clintons correspondence contained classified material when it was sent  even if it was not labeled.

The State Department has side-stepped the question.

Spokesman John Kirby said only that the departments reviewers focused on whether information needs to be classified today  prior to documents being publicly released. State officials have not offered an assessment of whether the information was classified when it was sent.

The discrepancy has allowed Clinton to chalk up much of the email controversy to infighting among government agencies.

The 104 classified emails authored by Clinton are difficult to evaluate because of the heavy redaction in the versions that have been released.

They are generally short, running sometimes only a sentence or two.

The emails often were sent in response to another State Department official whose original note has also been redacted in the publicly released version.

In nearly a quarter of the emails, the only classified redaction is the subject line.

Across all the classified emails, the language that remains visible provides only hints of the conversations.

For example, Clinton wrote an email in July 2012 to Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and other top department officials with the subject line Agrement 1 / 8sic 3 / 8 for Egypt. The email includes a short paragraph that has been entirely redacted by the State Department followed by one line from Clinton: Whats the status?

In another instance, Clinton engaged in an exchange with top aide Jacob Sullivan on June 7, 2012, all of which has been redacted and classified as secret, one of a few dozen messages to receive that higher-level designation from the State Department. The only indication of the exchanges topic is the subject line: Khar where we are. Earlier that week, Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had requested that the United States apologize for the death of 24 Pakistani troops in a NATO airstrike.

Sullivan, a top foreign policy aide who now advises Clintons presidential campaign, was the most frequent author of classified emails. He wrote 215, the Post analysis found.

Sullivan did not respond to a request for comment. Fallon, the campaign spokesman, said that Sullivan generally sent Clinton more emails than others, so there was simply more material available for government lawyers to overclassify.

Other close aides to Clinton, including Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills and Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin, also authored dozens of such notes. Top officials outside of State wrote some, too, including Clintons eventual successor at State, John F. Kerry, who was then a senator.

Representatives for Mills and Abedin did not respond to requests for comment. Kirby, the State spokesman, said Kerry had been providing Secretary Clinton with information he thought would be helpful.

But the bulk of the emails that State Department reviewers deemed classified were sent by career officials engaged in the day-to-day business of diplomacy.

Some diplomats point to the volume of classified email as evidence of systemic flaws in deciding what information is sensitive rather than an indictment of Clintons actions.

If experienced diplomats and foreign service officers are doing it, the issue is more how the State Department deals with information in the modern world more than something specific about what Hillary Clinton did, said Philip H. Gordon, who was assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs and was the author of 45 of the sensitive emails from his non-classified government account.

Kirby, the State Department spokesman, said the agency takes the protection of sensitive information seriously and our staff are aware of the appropriate channels for transmitting classified information.

We stand by the redactions we have made, he said.

Still, some diplomats who have reviewed their emails that have now been classified have expressed puzzlement.

Several said in interviews that they believed the State Departments review process relied on an overly broad interpretation of public-records laws that restrict release of certain information involving relations with foreign governments.

They said they never stripped classified markings from documents to send them through regular email, as Republicans have alleged occurred in Clintons correspondence.

Instead, they said, the emails largely reflect real-time information shared with them by foreign government officials using their own insecure email accounts or open phone lines or in public places such as hotel lobbies where it could have been overheard.

In other emails, they said they purposely wrote in generalities. Numerous emails were labeled Sensitive But Unclassified, indicating those writing did not believe the note was classified.

Former ambassador Dennis Ross, who has held key diplomatic posts in administrations of both parties, said that one of his exchanges now marked secret contained information that government officials last year allowed him to publish in a book.

The emails relate to a back-channel negotiation he opened between Israelis and Palestinians after he left government service in 2011.

What I was doing was communicating a gist  not being very specific, but a gist. If I felt the need to be more specific, we could arrange a meeting, Ross said.

Princeton Lyman, a State Department veteran who served under presidents of both parties and was a special envoy to Sudan when Clinton was secretary of state, said he has been surprised and a bit embarrassed to learn that emails he wrote have been classified. He said he had learned through decades of experience how to identify and transmit classified information.

The day-to-day kind of reporting I did about what happened in negotiations did not include information I considered classified, he said.

One former senior official who authored some of the now-classified emails referred to a cringe factor for officials reviewing their own emails with the benefit of time that was often not available in the middle of unfolding world crises.

The former official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed disagreement with the State Departments decision to classify the emails. Still, the official said diplomats at the time believed they were sending the material through a closed system in which the emails would be reviewed only by other State Department officials. They are only becoming public now, the official noted, because of Clintons email habits and her presidential run.

I resent the fact that were in this situation  and were in this situation because of Hillary Clintons decision to use a private server, the official said.

Security experts say Clintons private server added risk because it functioned beyond typical government safeguards. That would have been the case not only while she was in office but for two years after she stepped down, when the emails remained in the servers memory.

The State Department staffer who managed Clintons server has turned over security logs to law enforcement officials showing no evidence of a foreign hack, the New York Times reported Thursday

Nevertheless, Ron Hosko, former head of the FBIs criminal investigative division, said Clintons use of the server offered a one-stop-shop for a would-be hacker or U.S. adversary looking to scoop up the totality of the sensitive information she was receiving.

Piece by piece, its not particularly momentous, said Hosko, who heads a law enforcement advocacy group whose board includes prominent conservatives. But as a foreign adversary starts to aggregate that information, it becomes more and more concerning because of the ability to show you, who are the actors? What are our intentions? What is our understanding?
It took Jean-Andrew Mikesell 15 years to decide he wanted to be an electrician.

Luckily for him, his timing was perfect.

The Capistrano Beach man started as an apprentice electrician for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 441 in June, and began formal classroom training in January.

I had to take a pay cut, said Mikesell, 32, a retired U.S. Marine Corps reservist who previously worked for local telecom companies. But in five years Ill be much better off than if Id continued on the career path I was on.

In Orange County, a construction boom and aging workforce is driving demand for apprentice electricians, plumbers and entry-level workers in other trades. Demand matches whats happening across the state and country as the economy improves and government agencies push apprenticeships as an alternative to college for training for middle-income jobs.

As opportunities increase, unions and organizations that sponsor apprentice programs are looking to expand the candidate pool, reaching out to career changers, military veterans and minorities, as well as to women, whove historically been underrepresented in the construction business.

Getting a college degree is often cited as the best path to financial security. According to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey, college graduates ages 25 to 32 working full time earn 62 percent more than their peers with only a high school diploma.

But trade jobs can pay well, too. If an apprentice electrician completes classroom training, puts in five or more years and passes a state certification needed to become a journeyman, they make about $36 an hour, or close to a full-time wage of $75,000 a year, plus benefits and pension. Entry-level apprentices start at about $15 an hour, not including benefits.

On the upswing

California apprenticeships fell during the recession when corporate belt-tightening led to a drop in construction projects and higher unemployment. Total apprenticeships in the state declined to 52,763 in 2011 from 60,060 in 2010 before rebounding to 55,280 in 2013, according to the state Department of Industrial Relations.

Ron Miller, executive secretary of the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, thinks apprenticeships in the state have hit 60,000 again and continue to grow.

In Orange County, Local 441 hired about 100 apprentices last year and will equal that in 2016, said Richard Samaniego, the unions business manager.

According to Samaniego, trades are accepting more apprentices in part to fulfill requirements of local construction projects contracts, which stipulate that a certain portion of jobs be filled by local workers, including apprentices. An increase in those construction projects is also driving the need.

In Orange County, projects include the Anaheim Convention Center expansion, The Boardwalk office building in Irvine and Orange Coast Colleges $19 million planetarium, among others.

Building trades are looking for new blood to replace aging workers. Miller estimates the average age of 140,000 union tradespeople his organization represents is between 45 and 50. Because jobs are physically demanding, people tend to retire after 25 or 30 years.

Nationwide, women represent about 3 percent of all union workers. As part of the effort to attract apprentices, unions are trying to increase that by hosting job fairs and working with organizations like Women in Non Traditional Employment Roles (WINTER), a Southern California nonprofit that helps teenage and adult women get construction jobs. Were always looking for qualified people, Samaniego said.

Apprentice programs generally require applicants to have a high school diploma or GED and go through interviews and assessments. Once theyre in, apprentices spend time in the classroom and put in a specified number of hours on the job being mentored by experienced tradespeople. Apprentices pay increases as they complete training milestones and hours.

Apprentices pay for books or tools, and unions use member dues to subsidize training and other costs. Nonunion apprenticeships are subsidized by employers or through government grants. In September, the U.S. Labor Department gave $175 million in grants to 46 organizations countrywide to train 34,000 apprentices in industries such as health care, manufacturing and information technology over the next five years.

From military reservist to electrician apprentice

Mikesell graduated from San Clemente High School at 17 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve to be a radar technician. He worked odd jobs between reserve duties, and spent seven months at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. After the reserves, he went back to school, finishing a business degree at Cal State Fullerton in 2010. From there, he spent several years at telecom and wireless companies.

A year ago, he was laid off when business slowed down at the wireless carrier he worked for. After the ups and downs of the telecom business, Mikesell said he was ready for more stability. He didnt have to look far.

He worked alongside electricians in previous jobs and his father-in-law, now retired, was a longtime union electrician. When a neighbor who is an electrician let Mikesell assist him for a month, he was sold.

He applied to Local 441s apprentice program, with help from Helmets to Hard Hats, a national nonprofit that helps place retiring active duty and reserve military into construction jobs.

Having been in the military, I can see the compatibility. Theres a lot of structure, doing things by the book, and a huge emphasis on safety, Mikesell said.

He started on a preapprenticeship basis, working on the Outlets at San Clemente from June until the retail center opened last fall. A union electrician mentor taught him how to pull wire, connect junction boxes, walk with a purpose and stay on task. The construction industry is all about productivity, Mikesell said.

In August, Local 441 offered him a formal spot in its apprenticeship program and a five-year contract. Last month he started taking night classes twice a week. During the day, he works for a company doing tenant improvements in commercial buildings in Irvine.

I look at this as a stepping stone, he said. I have to pay my dues, but once I get through and Im a journeyman, its such a broad and vast field. Because of my college degree, I could be a contractor. Theres tons of work on the office side of things.

Organizations that offer apprenticeships make an investment in people they hire, so do what you can to test the waters to see if its right for you, Mikesell advises. You look better if you can say youre already trying, he said. Once youre in, listen, and do what youre told.

Michelle V. Rafter specializes in covering jobs and employment issues. Send your questions about job hunting, careers or workplace issues to her at michellerafter@comcast.net or find her on Twitter @MichelleRafter.

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HONG KONG  The search for the Malaysia Airlines jet that vanished almost two years ago has involved ships scanning thousands of square miles of the Indian Ocean seabed. But what could be the most promising development in months was the result of a lone mans search, one that took him to an uninhabited sandbank along the coast of Mozambique.

Blaine Alan Gibsons discovery of a triangular piece of fiberglass composite and aluminum, if it is confirmed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, could add to the scant concrete evidence of what happened to the Boeing 777. The plane, with 239 people aboard, disappeared on March 8, 2014, during a flight from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, to Beijing.

Like much of the world, Gibson, a lawyer from Seattle, said he had become intrigued by the fate of the plane while watching the intensive news coverage after its disappearance. He attended events in Kuala Lumpur marking the first anniversary of the flight, and after meeting with families of missing passengers, he decided to pursue his own investigation.

Im intrigued by mysteries that need to be solved and am also touched by the families who have had two years with almost no answers at all, Gibson said by telephone from Bangkok, where he had flown en route to Kuala Lumpur for an event Sunday marking the second anniversary of the disappearance.

I had some spare time and spare money, so I decided to travel to a few places to get an idea of what may have happened, he said.

The quest has taken him to Myanmar, to look for debris in the Andaman Sea and examine local radar capabilities. He went to the Maldives to speak with people who claimed to have seen a low-flying plane on the day of the flight. He visited the French island of Reunion, east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, where the only confirmed debris from the plane to date, a part of an airplane wing called a flaperon, was found in July.

Gibson, 58, said that his travels were part of a lifelong desire to visit all of the worlds countries, and that he tried to investigate mysteries along the way. He traveled to Russia in the early 1990s to investigate the Tunguska event, in which a meteor is believed to have struck a Siberian forest in 1908. He has volunteered on archaeological projects in Belize and Guatemala to study the collapse of the Maya civilization. And he visited Ethiopia on a quest to find out what happened to the Ark of the Covenant.

I was going to some monasteries and at the same time traveling in an interesting and beautiful country, he said of his Ethiopia trip. I love to travel, but I like to have some sort of reason. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is another one of those.

He joined a Facebook discussion group on the missing flight, which spurred his interest in researching its fate. He went to East Africa in February, after an Australian oceanographer told him that debris from the aircraft could eventually wash ashore in Mauritius, Madagascar and Mozambique. Mozambique became the 177th country he has visited, he said. After touring Maputo, the capital, he went to the beach town of Vilankulo, where he hired a boat to take him any place where debris from the open ocean washed ashore.

On the morning of Feb. 27, he sailed with Suleman Valy, who is known as Junior and runs a local beach hotel and guide service, and a boat captain to a sandbar called Paluma.

We landed on an island with, like, no vegetation and walked around, up and down, Gibson said. Most of the stuff there was just regular beach junk that I always see  plastic bottles, sandals, cigarette lighters. Suddenly Junior calls out.

The piece they discovered, about a meter long, is fiberglass composite with honeycombed aluminum inside. The words No Step are written on one side. Investigators told NBC News, which first reported the discovery, that it could be from the horizontal stabilizer on the tail of the plane.

Gibson returned to Maputo and handed over the object to the authorities there. Officials in Australia, which has been coordinating the Indian Ocean search, said it would be sent there for testing.

Liow Tiong Lai, the Malaysian minister of transport, wrote on Twitter that based on early reports, there was a high possibility that the debris belonged to a Boeing 777, but he cautioned it had yet to be verified. Darren Chester, the Australian minister for infrastructure and transport, said in a statement that the location of the discovery is consistent with drift modeling commissioned by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and reaffirms the search area in the Indian Ocean.

Australia has been leading a search of about 46,000 square miles in the southern Indian Ocean, where transmissions between Flight 370 and a satellite indicate the plane crashed into the water, after veering off its initial course and flying south for hours. The search is expected to be finished by the middle of this year; if no more data is uncovered to suggest a new search area, the effort will be called off, officials have said. It has cost more than $100 million, with contributions from Australia, Malaysia and China. (Most of the passengers on the flight were Chinese.)

Like the officials, Gibson expressed caution about concluding that the object he found is from Flight 370. The sooner it gets to Australia and they determine its one thing or another, the better, he said.

As for his personal quest to discover what happened to the plane, he is still far from drawing a conclusion.

I dont think theres sufficient evidence to support any theory, he said. I try to look at the evidence, try to find evidence rather than come up with a theory. And theres some crazy ones out there.
HILLAH, Iraq  A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden fuel truck into a security checkpoint south of Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 47 people and wounding dozens, officials said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in an online statement circulated by supporters.

It was the third massive bombing in and around Baghdad in a little over a week, and appeared to be part of a campaign by IS to stage attacks deep behind front lines in order to wreak havoc and force the government to overextend its forces.

Crowds gathered at the scene, picking through rubble and twisted car parts in search of survivors. Smoke rose from smoldering cars that had been lined up at the main checkpoint at the northern entrance to the city of Hillah, located about 95 kilometers (60 miles) south of Baghdad.

The blast has completely destroyed the checkpoint and its buildings, Falah al-Khafaji, a senior security official in Hillah, said as he stood at the edge of the blast site. More than 100 cars have been damaged.

IS has carried out scores of suicide bombings against security forces and the countrys Shiite majority. Hillah is in the countrys mainly Shiite south, far from the front lines of the war against IS.

Among the dead were 39 civilians, while the rest were members of the security forces. The attacker struck shortly after noon when the checkpoint was crowded with dozens of cars, a police officer said. He added that up to 65 other people were wounded.

A medical official confirmed the causality figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

Iraq has seen a spike in violence in the past month, with suicide attacks claimed by IS killing more than 170 people. The attacks follow a string of advances by Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led airstrikes, including in the western city of Ramadi, which was declared fully liberated by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition officials last month.

Such attacks force the government and the militias to look back and reallocate resources and reassess, said Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, referring to the mainly Shiite militias fighting alongside government forces.

IS still controls large swaths of Iraq and neighboring Syria and has declared an Islamic caliphate on the territory it holds. The extremist group controls Iraqs second largest city, Mosul, as well as the city of Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad.

At least 670 Iraqis were killed last month due to ongoing violence, of whom about two-thirds were civilians, according to U.N. figures
For a prime-time, scripted U.S. television series to reach 300 episodes is a towering achievement. Fewer than 20 have done it. Yet attaining that milestone also practically guarantees a certain amount of disdain from the type of TV watcher who wants to project coolness. Lassie. Bonanza. Law & Order. My Three Sons. Square shows all, each in the 300 club.

On March 15, CBS NCIS joins them. It, too, is not trendy or a critical darling, but it is exceedingly popular. Some shows in the club were merely hanging around when they reached Episode 300, but not NCIS. For the past seven years, it has by most measures been TVs most-watched drama, with an American audience of at least 20 million.

Thats a number that many of the most-talked-about shows can only fantasize about, an anomaly in a landscape that is increasingly fractured and full of shows aimed at one relatively narrow demographic or another. Were one of the last broadcast television shows that get a broad audience, said George Schenck, who with his writing partner, Frank Cardea, has written about 40 NCIS episodes. Everything else is so niche.

The two men have seen a lot of evolution in the industry  Schencks earliest TV credits are from the mid-1960s  and they, like most everyone else associated with the show, were surprised to find themselves riding a runaway hit.

At the end of Season 1, they were passing out T-shirts, and George turned to me and said, This is kind of presumptuous, Cardea recalled. The shirts, white with black lettering, read, NCIS. Season 1. Scheck thought that presumed a Season 2. The series is now in Season 13, and CBS has renewed it for at least two more.

George proudly wears that shirt on the first day of production every year, Cardea said.

Early on, it was by no means clear that NCIS would blossom, though it had the advantage of being a spinoff from the moderately successful legal drama JAG, which brought it a carry-over audience. The show centers on the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a real-life law-enforcement agency few had heard of in 2003 but everyone knows now.

NCIS is essentially a police procedural  virtually every episode opens with a crime that somehow involves the Navy, with the team, led by Mark Harmons Leroy Jethro Gibbs, generally cracking the case by the end of the hour. That puts it in the same class as other dramas in the 300 club: It is grounded in a proven formula, whether cop show (Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), medical drama (ER), family melodrama (Dallas, Knots Landing) or Western (Gunsmoke, the reigning champion at 635 episodes).

In its early seasons, NCIS was a decent, if not spectacular, performer. But something odd began to happen.

Id say we were in Season maybe 3, maybe 4, recalled David Stapf, president of CBS TV Studios, and I got a call from the head of our international division, and he said, Hey, are you tracking what NCIS is doing overseas?

The show was catching on abroad, especially in France and Australia. Cast members noticed, too.

In L.A., Id say I was on NCIS, and people would say, Is that a radio station?, said Michael Weatherly, who plays the wisecracking agent Tony DiNozzo. But on a trip to France and Monte Carlo to promote Season 4, he found himself being widely recognized. I thought they thought I was somebody else, he said.

U.S. viewers caught up not long after, partly thanks to the USA Network, which began running NCIS in syndication, and the writers strike of 2007-08, which drove viewers to cable and reruns. By the end of that season, NCIS was TVs No. 5 drama; two seasons later, it was No. 1.

Consistency and engaging characters have kept it there. With the exception of The Simpsons, which is closing in on 600 episodes, dont look for cutting-edge shows in the 300 club. They might flare brightly, but they wear out their welcome over time. Theres an art to making a series for the very long haul, and part of it is not setting your own bar so high in the early going that you cant clear it. Another part is holding a lot back for exploration later, something everyone now involved with NCIS says was a gift Donald P. Bellisario, its creator and original showrunner, gave the series.

Don didnt get into the deep backgrounds in the early years of the show, said Gary Glasberg, who has been with NCIS since 2009 and has been showrunner since 2011. So we have the opportunity to go deeper in the latter years. If you look at procedural storytelling in general on TV, thats a shift thats happened across the board. You can look at your characters and their flaws and their mysteries and still solve a crime.

Four actors have been with NCIS since the beginning: Harmon, Weatherly, David McCallum as the medical examiner known as Ducky, and Pauley Perrette as the forensic technician Abby Sciuto. For these actors and others who have had significant arcs, the gradual peeling of characters means both the challenge of incorporating back story that you didnt know was there and the exhilaration of discovery. Perrette, for instance, has learned over the years that Abby, a goth geek, was adopted by deaf parents and has both a biological brother and an adoptive brother. And viewers still havent been inside her home.

Weve never seen where she lives; weve never found out how she ended up there, Perrette said. Weve learned a lot, but theres so much more to learn.

NCIS detractors, most of whom have probably not watched many episodes, might think of the series as being the same week after week. But to say that NCIS is predictable or incapable of surprise is to mischaracterize it. Long before Jon Snow was left in a pool of blood on Game of Thrones, NCIS put a bullet through the head of Caitlyn Todd, played by Sasha Alexander.

It was in the final moments of Season 2 in May 2005. Alexander, who played one of the six core members of the NCIS team, was leaving the show, and in a shocking finish that fans still talk about, a terrorist killed Todd, with a rifle shot. Since then, it hasnt been safe to work for this fictional NCIS or know someone who does. An NCIS director, one of Gibbs ex-wives, Gibbs beloved mentor: All of them and more have been killed over the years. Which brings us to another key to reaching 300 episodes: knowing how to capitalize on the inevitable cast turnover.

The shows biggest challenge to date in that regard has been the departure of Cote de Pablo, whose character, Ziva David, essentially replaced Alexanders and stayed into Season 11. Ziva was the most assertive female character the show has seen, and her simmering will-they-or-wont-they relationship with Tony dominated chat boards. No sniper zeroed in on Ziva; she just faded away, which turned out to be a smart choice, because now Weatherly has announced that the current season will be his last. The tease of a possible reunion between Tony and Ziva has been driving NCIS chatter for weeks.

At the center of it all, of course, is Harmon, who has been able to enjoy the rare sight of a television staff that isnt living season to season, renewal to renewal.

Its been gratifying over the years that the majority of these people know they have a job to come back to after July, he said. Youre hearing people plan their vacation. Youre hearing about people buying the boat they always wanted. That part has been really special.
LAGUNA BEACH  Kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach scribbled celebrating 50 years and other notes in chalk on the side of Brian Sadlers matte black car as he waited in the lined up for the annual Patriots Day Parade.

Sadler, a Laguna Beach Community Clinic board member, helped add a few swoops of purple to the cars trunk. Hes let people decorate his boat of a car for the parade the past several years  he said the kids get a kick out of it.

Laguna Beach set aside its mantle as a tourist haven on Saturday to celebrate the breadth of people who make up the community. Thousands of people watched floats, marching bands and classic cars from both sides of Park Avenue, Glenneyre Street and Forest Avenue.

It feels great, Sadler said about the parade, which started in 1967. It feels like were all a part of it, the community.

Locals like to say half of the town is in the parade, while the other half watches it. This year, there were almost 90 entries representing businesses, community groups, schools and veterans.

With the Vietnam War casting a shadow across the country, community groups such as the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Laguna Beach Exchange Club gathered 50 years ago to plan a day celebrating love of country and community.

Ann Morgan, 91, who snagged a spot near the beginning of Saturdays route with her friend, Mariann McNaughton, said shes been watching the parade since the early days.She even marched in a few.

(The parade) represents our city, its filled with people I know, Morgan said.

Morgan, whose late husband, Max, was a 30-year Marine, also said she is happy the community takes time to celebrate its local veterans.

We really cant do enough for them, she said. I wish I could give more.

Retired Navy Lt. Ron May, who has lived in Laguna Beach since 1967, said the parade used to be larger. Still, getting together to be honored and honor others is a positive, he said.

A Vietnam War veteran, May remembered some of his buddies hiding tears behind their sunglasses when they first marched in the parade. It was one of the first times, he said, that they had been honored for their service in the war.

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band from the Marine Corp Air Station in Miramar performed along the route and several veterans rode in classic cars.

Nick Stevens, a recently retired Marine Corp staff sergeant, marched the route carrying a flag. He returned from his last tour of duty in the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan six months ago after being shot in the leg.

Its definitely different, Stevens said of settling back into the community. But this is cool, its my first time in a parade.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7990 or mnicolai@ocregister.com
IDOMENI, Greece  At least 25 people drowned off the Turkish coast while trying to reach Greece on Sunday, while Macedonian authorities imposed further restrictions on refugees trying to cross the Greek border.

The Turkish coast guard launched a search-and-rescue mission for other migrants believed to be missing from the accident, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported, and rescued 15 off the Aegean Sea resort of Didim, it added.

The dead included three children, according to private Dogan news agency.

Meanwhile, Greek police officials said Macedonian authorities are only allowing those from cities they consider to be affected by war to cross the Idomeni border crossing from Greece. That means people from cities such as Aleppo in Syria, for example, can enter, but those from the Syrian capital of Damascus or the Iraqi capital of Baghdad are being stopped.

The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to speak on the record.

A U.N. refugee agency official in Macedonia confirmed the new restrictions, and criticized the decision.

This is not all right, said Ljubinka Brasnarska, UNHCR senior external relations assistant in Macedonia, told the AP. Everybody from Syria who came needs international protection. This decision could be taken only by other competent international bodies, not by border authorities, she said, adding she couldnt explain the latest move.

Macedonian police said the checks and profiling of refugees wanting to cross are carried out by mixed teams of police officers from all countries of the (Balkan) route.

Iraq and Syria are considered unsafe countries, but if one of the countries on the route introduces new restrictions (we) will be forced to consider the possibility to (apply) them also on the Macedonian-Greek border, including the ban on the entry of migrants from certain areas, police said in a statement.

Police said there were more than 1,000 people, mostly Syrians and Iraqis, currently stuck on the Macedonian-Serbian border.

We do not know for what reason they have not been granted to transit through Serbia, it said.

The developments come a day before a summit between the European Union and Turkey to discuss the crisis, which has seen more than 1 million people reach Europe last year.

Nearly all refugees and other migrants who enter the EU have been doing so by taking small inflatable dinghies from the Turkish coast to the nearby Greek islands. With thousands of kilometers of coastline, Greece says it cannot staunch the flow unless Turkey stops the boats from leaving its shores.

Athens has also criticized Europe for not sticking to agreements to take in refugees in a relocation scheme that never really got off the ground.

While Idomeni is closed for refugees and the flows from the islands, from the Turkish shores to the islands, remain, it must be perfectly clear that the immediate start of a reliable process of relocation of refugees from our country to other countries of the European Union is a matter of complete urgency, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Sunday during a speech to his party.

And this is exactly what we will seek in the summit on Monday. Not just the wording that this is urgent, but that it will begin immediately and with a large number, Tsipras said.

While thousands arrive in Greeces main port of Piraeus from the islands, about 13,000-14,000 people remain stranded in Idomeni, with more arriving each day. The refugee camp has overflowed, with thousands pitching tents among the railway tracks and in adjacent fields.

The rate at which refugees are being allowed to cross had already been reduced to a trickle, with sometimes only a few dozen, or even nobody, being allowed to cross. Greek police said 240 people crossed between 6 a.m. Saturday and the same time Sunday morning.

The camp is beginning to take on a form of semi-permanence, with people realizing they will be spending at the very least several days in the fields. As morning broke, women swept the earth outside their tents with makeshift brooms made of twigs and leaves. Men stomped on branches pulled off trees nearby to use as firewood for small campfires to boil tea and cook.

Firewood is one of the main materials in short supply, and a large truck delivery Sunday night was quickly mobbed by hundreds of people in a mad scramble. Men and boys clambered up the sides of the truck, chucking logs to those below, while others climbed over each other to get into the back of the truck, hauling out as much as they could carry.

Throughout Sunday morning, dozens of local Greeks arrived in cars packed with clothes and food donations to distribute to the refugees. Many were mobbed as they arrived at the first tents, with men, women and children scrambling to receive whatever handouts they could.

The sheer numbers have overwhelmed Greek authorities. Massive queues of hundreds of people form from early in the morning, with people waiting for hours for a lunch-time sandwich.

While Greek officials have tried to discourage more people from arriving, and no longer allow buses to drive to the Idomeni border, hundreds continue to arrive each day, walking more than 15 kilometers (10 miles) from a nearby gas station where the United Nations refugee agency has set up large tents.

We have been here five days, or six. Who remembers the days anymore, said Narjes al Shalaby, 27, from Damascus in Syria, travelling with her mother and two daughters, 5-year-old Maria and 10-year-old Baraa. Her husband and third daughter are already in Germany.

All we do here is sleep, wake up, sleep. We get hungry, we wait in the queue for two hours for a sandwich, we come back, we sleep some more, said Narjes, who worries about her daughters.

Shes grown up sooner that she should have, she says of Maria, who is sleeping in the back of the familys small tent. Shes aged.
Sensible officials adapt to events. Thats what has happened with conceal-carry weapons permits in Orange County the last three years under Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, as she explained to a recent meeting of the Register Editorial Board.

Here are the numbers of permits issued by year:

 2013: 438

 2014: 3,240

 2015: 4,446

 2016: 3,600 (projected).

So thats up to a ten-fold increase in permits. Quite a change.

Hutchens was appointed sheriff in 2008, after Sheriff Mike Carona resigned before being packed off to a federal prison on corruption charges. She commendably ended her predecessors policy of handing out conceal carry permits to campaign contributors and cronies. But she also cut back on other permits, including to people I know who carry large amounts of cash to bank deposit chutes.

Ive been a bit more liberal, she said. Her policy still is to follow state law, which grants sheriffs the authority to hand out the permits based on cause. Its a matter of interpretation. Rural sheriffs have tended to interpret cause much more broadly than sheriffs in populous coastal counties.

Complicating the matter is an Orange County case winding through federal courts. Two years ago, in 2014, a federal appeals court said the rules were too tight, so Hutchens loosened them. Then a year ago, reported the Register, The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals made a second decision, this time that the full 14-judge panel will hear the gun issue. That essentially erased the earlier ruling.

The matter remains up in the air.

But in her meeting with us, Hutchens said she has noticed whats going on in the country, and specifically mentioned the Dec. 2 terrorist shootings in San Bernardino. Those intent on committing murder easily can get weapons. Its the innocent who need to protect themselves.

And she mentioned attending the Feb. 9-11 meeting in Washington, D.C., of the Major County Sheriffs Association. Both FBI Director James Comey and Department of Homeland Security Services Secretary Jeh Johnson said that, instead of massive terrorist attacks such as that on Sept. 11, 2001, San Bernardino-type attacks are more likely.

Hutchens described it as a new type of attack, not a grand attack. Such attacks are hard to detect because theyre perpetrated by people seemingly an integral part of the community.

She also said that, under the more liberal permit policy, there hasnt been one negative incident around the county. That confirms the experience around the United States the past 25 years as states have liberalized their conceal carry laws. Convicted felons cant own guns anyway. And as in California, most states require gun-safety courses before permits are issued. Anyone with a permit also is aware that it easily could be taken away if misused.

By contrast, it is conceal-carry laws that have prevented many crimes. After the mass shooting last October at officially gun-free Umpqua Community College in Oregon, gun scholar John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, wrote, Since at least 1950, all but two public mass shootings in America have taken place where general citizens are banned from carrying guns. In Europe, there have been no exceptions.

Basically, as Lott has pointed out, mass shootings usually end when someone with a gun shoots or disarms the killers. That could be police responding to a call. Or it could be an armed citizen on the spot. Lott and other gun scholars have detailed numerous instances of conceal-carry citizens stopping mass killings.

For example, in Philadelphia, Pa., a year ago, Lott wrote, A permit holder was walking by a barber shop when he heard shots fired. He quickly ran into the shop and shot the gunman to death. Police Captain Frank Llewellyn said, I guess he saved a lot of people in there.

I feel safer knowing more Orange County citizens are armed and ready to defend all of us.
LAKE FOREST  Orange County Sheriffs found an inebriated man who had been badly beaten, suffered multiple skull fractures and was apparently dropped off at a Starbucks, police said.

The male victim was disoriented and had suffered what police reported as massive injuries when he was discovered at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday at a Starbucks at 24301 Muirlands Blvd.. according to Lt. John Roche.

Police at this point have no suspects or motive for the attack and the victim at the time was unable to assist in the investigation. In addition to the skull fractures, the victim had a fractured orbital bone, a laceration over the right eye and multiple facial contusions, Roche said.

The man was transported to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.

Police ask anyone with information to call 714-647-7000, or submit an anonymous tip on-line at Orange County Crime Stoppers on Facebook or Twitter, or call 855-847-6227.
IDOMENI, Greece  A regional governor called on the Greek government Saturday to declare a state of emergency for the area surrounding the Idomeni border crossing where thousands of migrants are stranded due to border restrictions along the route toward western Europe.

Some 13,000-14,000 people are trapped in Idomeni, while another 6,000-7,000 are being housed in refugee camps around the region, said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, governor of the Greek region of Central Macedonia. That means the area handles about 60 percent of the total number of migrants in the country.

Its a huge humanitarian crisis. I have asked the government to declare the area in a state of emergency, Tzitzikostas said during a visit to Idomeni to distribute aid to the Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations. This cannot continue for much longer.

The neighboring former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia has stopped all but a trickle of Iraqi and Syrian refugees from crossing, following similar restrictions by countries further north on the migration route. The moves have caused a huge bottleneck in Greece, whose islands proximity to the Turkish coast has made it the preferred entry point for refugees and other migrants seeking better lives in Europe.

Greek authorities said only 184 people crossed the border between 6 a.m. Friday and the same time Saturday morning, while another 100 crossed between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The former Yugoslav republic needs to open immediately to borders and the European Union needs to implement severe action against the countries that are closing borders today, whether they are members of the European Union or candidate members, Tzitzikostas said. This is unacceptable what they are doing.

The governor said the region needed the emergency measures  or alternatively for the law to be amended  so that regional authorities can obtain the necessary emergency supplies and food to support the refugees and improve their living conditions. He also called on the government to provide a comprehensive plan on how to handle the migration crisis.

The refugee camp at Idomeni has a capacity of about 2,000 and has dramatically overflowed, with new arrivals daily setting up small tents along the railway tracks next to the camp and spilling out into surrounding fields.

Hundreds of men, women and children arrive each day, walking more than 15 kilometers (about 10 miles) from a nearby gas station where an impromptu camp has been set up. Greek authorities have been trying to discourage more people from arriving because of the bottleneck, but many prefer to wait at the border than in other refugee camps set up nearby, in the hope of getting into the giant line waiting to cross.

As the impromptu camp in the fields has swelled, many of its residents have begun to settle in for the medium term, realizing they will be here for several days at the very least. Authorities set up more large tents Saturday to house the increasing number of arrivals.

One thing that has been in short supply is firewood, which the refugees use to ward off the nighttime cold and to cook in the fields. Many have been breaking branches off nearby trees, dragging them down the road to cut into smaller pieces to feed their campfires.

A tractor trailer that arrived with a large supply of wood was instantly mobbed, with refugees scrambling to grab logs before the driver could get to his delivery point.

The European Union and Turkey will hold a summit on Monday to discuss the refugee crisis which has severely strained relations among EU countries.

We are expecting Turkey to start finally doing what it should be doing for months now and we also expect our European partners to start receiving refugees in their countries, the governor said. There needs to be a proportional distribution between the countries.

It is the EU-Turkey summit that many in the camp are turning their attention to.

On Monday theres a meeting. Lets hope its a decision in our favor, said Mohammed Ousou, a Syrian Kurd sitting by a small tent in the field as its occupants, Syrian Kurds, played music and sang traditional Kurdish songs, to the delight of passers-by who stopped to clap.

All of us are waiting for that day. Because here the situation is bad. Every day we are losing money just to stay alive buying food and supplies, Ousou said. The lunchtime line for a sandwich and a piece of fruit is about two hours long.

We have to keep moving, chimed in Adnan Khantek, one of the musicians. With Gods will, we will go.
PARIS  The Legion of Honor award wasnt on the official agenda, but President Francois Hollande reportedly awarded Frances highest honor to Saudi Arabias crown prince for fighting terrorism.

The Saudi Press Agency put the news front and center on Sunday, two days after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef met with Hollande and was given the Legion of Honor.

Fridays meeting was on the agenda  but not the award. The Elysee Palace had no immediate comment.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the prince, whos also interior minister, was distinguished for his great efforts in the region and the world in countering extremism and fighting terrorism.

Saudi Arabia is a French ally in the Syria conflict and a major client of French armaments.
What an A-plus idea. Make every child a voucher student. Instead of kids being forced to attend a school based on geography, parents would receive a tax-funded voucher that could be used at any school  public, charter, private or parochial. Let competition reign.

Thats what could happen in Arizona. State Rep. Justin Olson, R-Mesa, has proposed HB2482. The Arizona Senate passed identical legislation last month. According to the Associated Press, the bill adds all public students over three years while maintaining existing enrollment caps. But that cap goes away in 2020, allowing all 1.1 million public school students to get a voucher.

HB2482 is stuck in the Arizona House. Olson is now offering to make significant changes to round up votes, reported Capitol Media Services, including keeping at least until 2025, a cap that limits how many youngsters are eligible to take tax dollars for a private education.

Great reforms seldom happen in one swoop.

This is terrific to hear, Timothy C. Draper told us; the Silicon Valley venture capitalist spearheaded Proposition 38 in 2000, Californias most-recent attempt to pass school vouchers. Although leading in early polls, massive spending by the teachers unions sent it to defeat. He said, There is no question in my mind that school vouchers, because they allow the parent to choose the school that is best for their child and the money follows that choice, are the single best solution for education. Arizona, like California, is ranked near the bottom of the 50 states in education. Something has to be changed.

The California Teachers Association has attacked vouchers as elitist because some schools maintain exclusive admissions policies and charge tuition and fees far above the amount provided by the voucher. But Mr. Draper said, For the poorest children, school vouchers offer a real choice and a chance at the American Dream rather than the current system that traps them in bad schools and stacks the odds against them. When you are already failing your children, why would you continue to cling to a system that is failing? What do you have to lose?

What about California? In addition to Mr. Drapers 2000 attempt, a 1993 voucher initiative, Prop. 174, was defeated after a teachers union ad blitz. Alas, nothing is happening in California with vouchers, he lamented, because the unions are keeping a lid on it. But we can hope  and look to the Grand Canyon State.
KABUL, Afghanistan  The Taliban said Saturday that they would not participate in international peace talks, citing what they claimed were increased U.S. airstrikes and Afghan government military operations.

The talks, convened by the United States, China, Pakistan and Afghanistan, were expected to start this month in Pakistan. Taliban envoys were expected to join the discussions after being pressured by the Pakistani government, which provides the insurgents with sanctuaries inside its territory.

Afghan and Pakistani government officials said the talks would continue despite the Taliban statement, but pushed the start date back to sometime later this month.

In a statement posted on the insurgents website, the Taliban denied that a representative would attend the talks. We reject all such rumors and unequivocally state that the esteemed leader of Islamic Emirate has not authorized anyone to participate in this meeting, read the statement, posted in English.

Previous talks have taken place without Taliban representatives present, but Afghan and Pakistani officials had expressed confidence that direct talks between the Afghan government and the militants would resume in March, and they maintained that position Saturday.

This is just public bargaining on the part of the Taliban, said an official close to President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the subject is a delicate one. They did it last time, too. They put out a statement of denial, and then they showed up to talks.

The official said the Pakistan military leader, Gen. Raheel Sharif, who visited Kabul last week, had assured Afghan leaders that talks would go ahead.

Direct talks began last summer in Pakistan, but quickly fell apart after Afghan officials who concerned about the authority of the insurgent delegation leaked word that the Talibans longtime leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had been dead for two years.

The leader who took over, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, had been known to favor participation in the negotiations. Since Mansour took power, the group has been riven by dissension over the leadership change, and fighting off challenges in some areas from insurgents allied with the Islamic State group.

The Afghan government has given Pakistan a list of specific insurgents with whom it hopes to negotiate, the Afghan official said. Hoping to achieve some immediate reduction in violence, Ghanis government wants to engage commanders in the field, as well as political leaders abroad who have direct influence over the level of fighting.

The request does not seem to have gone over well with Taliban leaders, who have insisted that their political office in Qatar is the only address for peace talks. In their statement, the Taliban said they opposed talks because they had not been kept informed about the negotiations from the onset and because the United States had deployed additional troops, and carried out airstrikes and night raids. It also said the government in Kabul had increased military operations in the winter.

While there are no confirmed reports that the United States has increased troop levels in Afghanistan  there are now about 10,000 U.S. service members in the country  the U.S. military is carrying out airstrikes in support of Afghan government operations and secret U.S. Special Operations missions. Both the Taliban and the government have maintained steady military operations throughout the winter, normally a time of decreased hostilities. The militants said they had no intention of joining talks as long as the country was under what they described as foreign occupation.

A spokesman for Pakistans Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, said the four countries sponsoring the talks had recommended that there should be no preconditions. All four countries are making efforts to bring the Taliban groups to the negotiation table, he said.

Pakistan has leverage over the Taliban because the group enjoys sanctuary in Pakistani territory, and many of its fighters receive medical treatment there. Afghan officials have accused Pakistan of failing to push the insurgents to participate in peace talks, but in recent months Pakistani officials there have pledged support for the effort. In addition, China has encouraged the Taliban and Pakistan to join the peace process.
WICHITA, Kan.  Eager to lock up the GOP nomination without a convention fight, Donald Trump battled Saturday to pad his lead in the delegate count as four more states delivered verdicts on the fractious Republican race for president. Democrats in three states were choosing between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Saturdays GOP races in Maine, Kansas, Kentucky and Louisiana and Democratic contests in Nebraska, Kansas and Louisiana were largely overshadowed by Super Tuesday contests in the rear-view mirror and critical contests soon to come. But with front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins hell need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

In very early returns, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz led in Kansas.

Trump skipped a promised appearance at a convention of conservatives in the Washington area to get in one last morning rally in Kansas and then headed to Orlando, Florida.

Everyones trying to figure out how to stop Trump, the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally that was interrupted frequently by protesters.

Its sort of exciting, isnt it? Trump said of the demonstrators.

Earlier, hed warned in Wichita: The Republicans are eating their own. Theyve got to be very careful. We have to bring things together.

It was anger that propelled many of his voters to the polls.

Its my opportunity to revolt, said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because hes not bought and paid for.

In Louisianas primary, 74-year-old Stan Register in Baton Rouge voted for Cruz  a real conservative.

I dont feel comfortable with Trump, Register said. Trump has not actually told what he plans on doing as president.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, too, bid for Republican votes. But both had higher hopes for winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.

On the Democratic side, Clinton hoped that strong support among African Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Vermonter Sanders, trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

Heading into Saturdays round of voting, Clinton had 1,066 delegates to Sanders 432, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to stop Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if none of the candidates can roll up the 1,237 delegates needed to snag the nomination.

A Trump backer had a stern warning for those trying to block the Trump juggernaut: If the big, fat GOP dont like him, they dont like me, said 65-year-old Connie Belton, a retired homemaker from Wichita.

Kasich, lagging far behind among the Republicans, acknowledged that a sure way to grab the spotlight for his campaign would be to hurl insults at Trump. But he wasnt biting.

Im with Harry Potter: Im not going to the dark side, he told reporters after a rally in Traverse City, Michigan, where Kasich hopes for a strong showing in Tuesdays primary.

Rubio, for his part, has had no qualms denouncing Trump as a fraud and a con artist.

Its not enough to say, Vote for me because I am angrier and over the top and am going to do and say things no one is going to do, he told conservatives at the conference that Trump had skipped.

Going into Saturdays voting, Trump led with 329 delegates. Cruz had 231, Rubio 110 and Kasich 25. In all, 155 GOP delegates were at stake in Saturdays races.

Rubio, going all-out for victory in Florida on March 15, planned to campaign in Jacksonville on Saturday afternoon.

Cruzs schedule had him in Kansas and Idaho, which votes Tuesday.

Kasich, looking for political survival with victories in the Midwest, said Ohio would be the crown jewel for him.

Ahead of a debate Sunday night in Flint, Michigan, Clinton met with about 20 African-American ministers in Detroit on Saturday and said the future of the Supreme Court was on the ballot in Novembers general election.

Sanders had events in Ohio on Saturday as the Democrats kept close watch on those two big states and their upcoming delegate hauls.
WICHITA, Kan.  Ted Cruz claimed the first prize in Saturdays four-state round of Republican voting, triumphing in Kansas as front-runner Donald Trump tried to pad his delegate lead in the fractious race for president. Democrats in three states were choosing between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

God bless Kansas, the Texas senator declared during a rally in Coeur dAlene, Idaho. The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together.

The Texas senator was leading Trump by more than a 2-to-1 margin in partial returns in Kansas. He attributed his strong showing to conservative coalescing behind his candidacy.

Saturdays GOP races also included Maine, Kentucky and Louisiana, while Democrats voted in Nebraska, Kansas and Louisiana. These states were largely overshadowed by Super Tuesday contests in the rear-view mirror and critical contests soon to come. But with front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins hell need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail the billionaire businessman, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

Everyones trying to figure out how to stop Trump, the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida.

Count Wichitas Barb Berry among those who propelled Cruz to victory in Kansas, his fifth win of the nominating race. Cruz had won Alaska, Oklahoma, Iowa and his home state of Texas.

I believe that he is a true fighter for conservatives, said Berry, a 67-year-old retired AT&T manager. As for Trump, Berry said, he is a little too narcissistic.

It was anger that propelled many of Trumps voters to the polls.

Its my opportunity to revolt, said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because hes not bought and paid for.

Overall, Trump has prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturdays voting. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich also bid for Republican votes. Rubio and Kasich both had higher hopes for winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.

On the Democratic side, Clinton hoped that strong support among African Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Vermonter Sanders, trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Nebraska, said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

Wed be getting two for the price of one, she said. I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning.

Heading into Saturdays round of voting, Clinton had 1,066 delegates to Sanders 432, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Kasich, lagging far behind among the Republicans, acknowledged that a sure way to grab the spotlight for his campaign would be to hurl insults at Trump. But he wasnt biting.

Im with Harry Potter: Im not going to the dark side, he told reporters after a rally in Traverse City, Michigan, where Kasich hopes for a strong showing in Tuesdays primary.

Rubio, for his part, has had no qualms denouncing Trump as a fraud and a con artist.

Its not enough to say, Vote for me because I am angrier and over the top and am going to do and say things no one is going to do, he told conservatives at a conference outside Washington.

Trump, intent on denying Rubio a crucial Florida win, had the thousands at his Orlando rally swear to give him their ballots.

With early voting already under way in the state, Trump told them: Do it now. Do it today. Do it tomorrow.  Remember, you all swore, youre voting for Trump, you cant change.

Cruz will collect at least 17 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas, and Trump will win at least six.

In the overall race for delegates, Trump led with 335 and Cruz had 248. Rubio had 110 delegates and Kasich had 25.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Ahead of a debate Sunday night in Flint, Michigan, Clinton met with about 20 African-American ministers in Detroit on Saturday and said the future of the Supreme Court was on the ballot in Novembers general election.
Police in Northern California say a fourth woman was sexually assaulted near the University of California, Berkeley campus, and investigators are searching for a man suspected in all the attacks.

The Berkeley Police Department said a 21-year-old woman was walking in the street Saturday when the suspect grabbed her from behind, pushed her to the ground and sexually assaulted her.

The woman described the suspect as a male in his early 20s, unshaven and wearing a dark hooded dark sweatshirt.

The first reported assault occurred Feb. 11 near a popular park on the south side of campus. The victim was walking by the park when she was grabbed from behind and pushed down to the sidewalk.

Five days later, police received reports of two more assaults.
The OECD Observer online archive takes you on a journey through half a century of public policy and world progress.

Since November 1962, the OECDs experts and leading guests offer insights on the questions facing our member countries with concise and authoritative analysis, and provide our audiences with an excellent opportunity to understand policy debates and consider solutions.

Each edition of the OECD Observer reports on a core theme of the OECDs on-going work, from economics and society through governance, finance, and the environment, and articles are bolstered by tables and graphs.
A Christmas Carol, Nebraska Theatre Caravan, 10 a.m. March 12, Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Enter through the stage door on the west side of the building. Auditions are for all adult roles. Applicants should bring a resume and headshot, a prepared full-length song and a 32-bar cutting, both with sheet music, and two prepared monologues, one contemporary and one classical, with the entire package lasting three minutes or less. Be prepared for cold readings with various British accents. Roles are in touring productions across the country. Rehearsals are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and actors are required to attend all rehearsals and performances. Actors will be under contract from early November through late December. Information: nebraskatheatrecaravan.org or Lara Marsh, 402-553-4890, ext. 135.

Mary Poppins, 7 p.m. March 13 and 14, Chanticleer Theater, 830 Franklin Ave., Council Bluffs. A variety of parts are available. Prospective cast members should prepare 16 to 24 bars of a song and bring music for an accompanist. No a cappella. Wear suitable shoes for a dance audition. The show runs May 13 through 22. Meganne Horrocks Storm is the stage and music director, and Peggy Holloway is music director. Information: chanticleertheater@gmail.com.

The Producers, 7 p.m. March 14 and 15, Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. Enter through the west stage door entrance. Main roles are six men ranging from mid-20s to mid-60s and a woman in her mid-20s to late 30s. An ensemble of eight to 10 women and four to six men also will be cast. Those auditioning should come with 16 bars of music. An accompanist will be provided. There also will be a dance audition, so wear appropriate shoes. Tap dancing experience preferred. The show runs from May 27 to June 26; rehearsals begin about seven weeks before opening. Jeff Horger is director. Information: Jeannine Robertson, jrobertson@omahaplayhouse.com or 402-553-4890, ext. 164.

Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England, 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, SNAP Productions, 3225 California St. Need three women, two in their late 40s and one in her 20s, a male in his 60s or 70s and two people of either gender in their early 20s. Auditions will be readings from the script. Echelle Childers is director. Show runs from May 26 to June 19. Information: Echelle Childers, shell28act@aol.com, or Michal Simpson, msimpson6@cox.net.

Send audition notices to elizabeth.freeman@owh.com at least two weeks before publication. Notices will be published for two weeks leading up to the auditions.
Underneath the pavement, theres a growing traffic jam.

A natural gas explosion and fire that gutted the Ms Pub building in Omahas Old Market raises the question: Whats underneath city streets, anyway? And is it dangerous?

The nations underground infrastructure is a 35-million-mile labyrinth of pipes, cables and conduits busily transporting a cargo of drinking water, natural gas and electrons, sight unseen.

But its becoming even more congested: layer upon layer of infrastructure, such as sewers, phone lines and fiber optic cables, laid down over generations. And there isnt any one agency with the authority to police what goes on underground  or even one set of rules.

In some cities you have a mess of spaghetti under there, said Jim Anspach of Bend, Oregon, who is chairman of the American Society of Civil Engineers Utility Engineering Committee.

Is it that congested in Omaha? You cant see through dirt, but local contractors, union officials and utilities say it all depends on where you stake your shovel. Is it an old neighborhood? Was it an industrial area?

Its not just old pipes, there are old cables ... anything that is not used anymore is still there, said Ron Reisner, chief operations officer at Metropolitan Utilities District.

Generally, Omahas subterranean infrastructure is fairly well organized, say some of those who have been underground.

Omaha-area utilities have done a pretty good job of making everything run parallel or perpendicular to the street, said Patrick Leddy, business manager of Plumbers Local Union 16 in Omaha. It doesnt get too crazy on the twists and bends.

In fact, in the easternmost part of the city, some of the oldest gas and water mains  installed in the 1880s  are still in service, still operating as they were when they were originally installed, though most of our system is not that old, MUDs Reisner said.

Still, digging underground can yield unwanted and unknown surprises  especially in older parts of the city.

Installing a new sewer near 11th and Douglas Streets several years ago, Leddy and other union workers dug beneath the pavement and in the first 6 feet encountered an old brick street and old railroad and streetcar tracks that had been covered up for years, in addition to the marked buried utilities such as gas pipes.

At another project, near 30th and L Streets, the crew uncovered a 36-inch cast-iron pipe at a depth of 18 feet.

We called MUD, we called (the citys) Public Works, but there was no record of it, Leddy said. Leddy at the time was working for a union contractor.

Because the pipe was abandoned, work was stopped while attempts were made to identify the unknown, unmarked pipe.

Turns out the pipe long ago led to what used to be a water reservoir near 35th and L Streets. The pipe fed water to all the cattle and sheep pens at the old Omaha Stockyards, Leddy said.

Near 26th Street and Ames Avenue, workers were surprised to find old abandoned brick sewers, 8 foot in diameter, he said.

So imagine what its like to try to thread a new pipeline or conduit through layers and layers of old infrastructure  some of which isnt even marked.

In the case of the work being done in front of Ms Pub in January, workers hit an MUD gas line, which led to the natural gas escaping that eventually engulfed the building. Those workers were laying fiber optic lines. MUD has said it marked its gas lines; the company doing the work  Minnesota-based North Central Service  hasnt commented.

Said Leddy: What I tell apprentices is to make sure everything is marked; otherwise, it could cost a lot, or cost a life. If you come across something and you dont know what it is, stop work and exhaust every avenue. Call the public works inspector, call the utilities.

There are lots of chances to get it wrong: About 400,000 utility excavations take place every day across the United States, making it a challenge to put something new in without having a conflict with something else, said Tom Iseley, civil engineer and founder of the Trenchless Technology Center at Louisiana Tech University.

Even going in with a small fiber optic cable can be a challenge, he said.

The 811 call before you dig free service, in place in all 50 states, is intended to identify and locate underground utilities to, ideally, prevent damage. When a digger calls the hotline, utilities and other companies with infrastructure are contacted and sent out to identify their underground wares so theyre not struck once digging commences.

But industry experts say the system isnt foolproof.

The latest technology used to locate buried utilities, including electromagnetic locating devices and ground-penetrating radar, has limitations. Buried steel railroad and streetcar tracks, for example, can interfere with readings, and radar may not penetrate old brick or cobblestone streets, such as the cobblestone underneath the pavement near 17th and Farnam Streets, across from the Douglas County Courthouse.

Records can be incomplete or nonexistent. In the past, the practice of documenting whats going on in the ground hasnt been very effective, Iseley said.

Ray Sterling, civil engineering professor emeritus at Louisiana Tech University, said utility companies take their responsibilities seriously when it comes to marking their equipment and protecting it from strikes.

But these systems have grown over such a long time that the knowledge of all the underground utilities is not perfect, he said  as in the case of the unmarked and forgotten water pipe near the old Stockyards.

Other criticisms include the lack of coordination among utility owners and lack of central authority or database to record and share information.

There isnt one responsible entity to go out and look for every and all utilities, said Anspach. with the civil engineers group. Instead, each utility sends its own employee or a locate contractor to mark an excavation site, he said. (In underground digging parlance, the spray-paint markings on a street or on the grass are called locates, to indicate where facilities are located.)

Even digging up the pavement and exposing the utilities isnt a sure thing, because sometimes theres just too much junk down there, Anspach said.

Still, less than 1 percent of underground excavations that are preceded by an 811 request result in damages, according to the Common Ground Alliance, a Virginia-based industry group that analyzes voluntarily reported utility accidents.

The Nebraska One Call notification system requires utilities to respond within two business days to a standard locate request.

Once the utility is marked above-ground, the excavator is required to observe a specific horizontal tolerance zone on either side of the width of a pipe  18 inches on either side in Nebraska, though standards differ from state to state.

Within that tolerance zone a contractor must excavate with hand-powered equipment or an approved vacuum device, as opposed to using a backhoe, boring machine or other trenchless technology that pushes a small drill head through the ground, said Val Snyder, chairman of the Nebraska One Call board and a damage-prevention supervisor for Tall Grass Energy in Kearney, which offers natural gas transportation and storage services.

Each year, millions of miles of new utilities are inserted into the ground, joining a mix of old and new pipes that snake through the ground at varying configurations and depths, depending on function, the era in which they were constructed and the entity that installed them.

Abandonment issues

Abandoned pipes can further muddy the ability to form an accurate picture of the subscape. In older cities and neighborhoods, abandoned or inactive cables, conduits and pipes are not always included in utility records, which creates the potential for confusion.

A steel gas line looks no different from a steel water line, Anspach said.

MUD maintains a record of the gas mains it abandons each year, but under the Nebraska One Call system, MUD and other utilities are not required to locate abandoned lines.

Im not aware of any of those entities removing their facilities as a standard practice, MUDs chief operating officer said.

The gas lines are emptied of natural gas, physically disconnected from the live gas main and sealed. Aboveground equipment related to the abandoned gas main is removed, MUD officials said.

In Omaha, as the Ms Pub fire raged, MUD has said its technician first shut off the gas to a line that had actually been deactivated in 2009. The utility said it didnt follow its own abandonment procedure once the line was replaced.

A lid to reach the abandoned gas line  like a mini manhole cover  was still visible on the street though it should have been covered. The first utility worker, relying on a visual inspection of the street, thought the lid connected to the pubs gas service line, MUD has said.

An inactive line can be mistaken for an active line despite the latest detection technology.

If you get a signal and you think its a gas line when its an abandoned sewer line, you miss the active gas line, said Sterling, the Louisiana Tech professor.

An abandoned pipeline that doesnt appear on any plans might be overlooked and mistaken for a natural gas pipeline if it runs above and horizontal to the gas line. (Lots of older pipes look the same.) Believing the first pipe is the gas line, the excavator digs beneath it to avoid, but ends up nicking the gas line.

To solve such a problem, abandoned lines need to be noted, said Sam Ariaratnam, professor of engineering at Arizona State University.

And while aboveground components such as telephone poles, fire hydrants and street-level natural gas line lids are clues to locating whats below, they can be misleading if still connected to an abandoned or inactive system.

Removing inactive pipelines may be a prohibitively expensive option in a congested utility setting, Sterling said. The practice of installing utilities underground began more than a century ago. Buried utilities are usually better situated to withstand floodwaters, earthquakes and other natural disasters than aboveground installations, Ariaratnam said.

But planning, for the most part, was absent, Sterling said. Everyone pretty much put their utility in, in the cheapest way they could at the time.

In some cities, general guidelines emerged. Transmission mains for water or gas are located in the center of the street along with sewers, often at the deepest levels, minimizing the chance they could be disturbed when access to other utilities is needed. Electric cables and telecom cables usually run down the side of the street at shallower depths, typically 2 to 3 feet deep.

While newer plastic pipes are often color-coded to indicate function, older pipes are often made of similar materials, making them difficult to differentiate.

When it comes to actual digging on the streets, intense competition  particularly among smaller contractors, operating on thin margins  fosters a business model that says the faster you drill, the more money you make, said Kimberlie Staheli, owner of Staheli Trenchless Consultants in Lynnwood, Washington, and chairwoman of the board of directors of the North American Society of Trenchless Technology.

Workers with less training may not recognize potential problems, such as mismarked utilities. You wouldnt, for example, find a gas line and electric line right next to another  the codes dont allow it, Staheli said. Someone with the proper training would recognize that, she said.

Lacking in depth

Meanwhile, the One Call notification system does not require utilities to indicate the depth of their pipes or conduits. Utilities often dont provide depth for liability reasons  theyre not always sure, Sterling said. As a result, its the excavators responsibility to determine depth by potholing: digging a hole to get an actual look.

Only two states, New York and Missouri, require a depth measurement  and only when it involves certain types of excavation.

Industry experts disagree on whether the depth should be indicated.

Water, soil conditions and other human and environmental elements can cause pipelines to shift. Supporters say the more information the better, even if its only an estimate.

Why would you not provide depth? Or at the very least, where you think it is  an estimate, Sterling said.

But indicating depth can give excavators a false sense of location, Ariaratnam said, discouraging the all-important practice of potholing, the window into the underground.

Its not clear whether the contractors in the Ms Pub case had any indication of the depth of the gas line, or whether they would have been potholing to get a visual inspection of the site.

Underground utilities are being installed or repaired every day in the U.S. In 2011 alone, 19 million miles of fiber optic cable were eased into the ground, according to CRU Group, a research firm.

Anspach supports a more coordinated approach to installing pipelines, one that includes hiring a civil engineer to design the best route from point A to point B rather than a utility or contractor designing it in a haphazard manner.

The excavators of the world do a marvelous job, he said, but more training in underground utility identification is needed.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1142, janice.podsada@owh.com

* * * * *

What lies beneath? There are clues aboveground

There are at least four ways that contractors locate utilities, said Jim Anspach, chairman of the American Society of Civil Engineers Utility Engineering Committee.

 You can go to an existing record source or talk to Joe down at the corner store  I saw them put a water line right here in 1970. Those sources are pretty uncertain.

Older records that reference nearby structures, such as a building or sidewalk, arent always reliable. The pipe thats noted as being 5 feet from the curb is now 10 feet from the curb after the street was widened. If the records havent been updated to reflect changes, accuracy goes down the drain. Environmental changes also can alter locations.

 Look for above ground clues, such as a utility box, fire hydrant or street-level gas line lid.

 Use appropriate equipment, such as electromagnetic utility locating technology, ground-penetrating radar or other equipment.

In the best of conditions, ground-penetrating radar will find less than 10 percent of utilities, Anspach said. Signals can be altered by soil composition. The size and depth of a pipeline also can distort a reading or impede detection.

 Dig a hole and expose the utilities. Still, a pipeline can be missed if it is beneath another utility and the hole isnt deep enough to reveal its presence.  Janice Podsada
Bakers employees donate: Bakers grocery store, 888 Saddlecreek Road, presented a $61,000 check to United Way of the Midlands last month.

Helping a family: A fundraiser will run from 5 to 8 p.m. April 2 for Buffalo County Public Defender Jeff Wirth and his family. Wirth recently suffered a spinal cord injury from a traffic crash. Wirth suffered paralysis and is hospitalized at Craig Hospital in Denver, which specializes in spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. The fundraiser will be at the Eagles Club at 17 W. 24th St., in Kearney, Nebraska. All funds raised will go towards defraying medical bills, transportation and other expenses during Wirths recovery. Cards can be sent to Wirth in care of Craig Hospital, 3425 S. Clarkson St., Englewood, Colo., 80113.

Volunteer in Parks: The public is invited to participate in a work day from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Union Plaza, 21st and Q Streets, or Sherman Field, First and South Streets in Lincoln. Work will focus on cutting back ornamental grasses, raking leaves, mulching and routine landscape bed cleanup. The groups will meet at each park for training prior to beginning landscaping work. The event is the second in the Volunteer in Parks Saturday series for 2016, and both current and new volunteers are welcome. To register, send an email to ParksVolunteers@lincoln.ne.gov. New volunteers are asked to fill out the volunteer application form and bring it to the event or submit it with their registration. The form is available at parks.lincoln.ne.gov. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves and wear sturdy shoes. Tools and materials will be provided.

Shelter fundraiser: Lewis Central High School, 3504 Harry Langdon Blvd., in Council Bluffs, will host a fundraiser for MICAH House 10:30 a.m. until noon Saturday. The MICAH House is a non-profit emergency family shelter in Council Bluffs. The event will be held in the school cafeteria and includes a 10 a.m. reception, brunch and a silent auction. Cost is $15 per seat or $100 for a table of eight. All the proceeds collected will be donated to the MICAH House to buy bus passes for the residents.

Benefit for Jason and John Edwards Families: Cascios Steakhouse, 1620 S. 10th St., will host a spaghetti dinner and silent auction for the families of John and Jason Edwards from noon to 5 p.m. March 20. The Edwards brothers were fatally shot as they were helping their sister move out of the home of her former boyfriend. Both men left behind wives and children. Cost: $13 for adults; $5 for children 12 and younger. The event will include raffle prizes. All proceeds will benefit the families of Jason and John Edwards.

Foundation benefit: Lofte Community Theater, 15841 Manley Road, Manley, Nebraska, will host a showing of the film Cheers for Miss Bishop at 2 p.m. March 12. The event is a benefit for the Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation. The 1941 film is based on the novel Miss Bishop by Bess Streeter Aldrich. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Admission is available at the door, $10 for all ages 7 and older, and free for ages 6 and younger.

Food drive: Employees of CQuence Health Group collected cash and food donations equivalent to 5,466 cans of food during the companys annual food drive  an average of 33 items per employee  and donated them to seven local food banks and food pantries throughout the Midwest. The food and money are donated to shelters and food banks in individual communities throughout Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Nebraska. Internally, employees from the different areas compete with each other; the area team with the highest amount of donations wins the Golden Can Award. This year, the team from the York, Nebraska, area collected the equivalent of nearly 1,800 food items. The funds and food were donated to the Food Bank of Lincoln and to the Kearney Jubilee Food Center Pantry.

Blood drives: During Red Cross Month in March, the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to join in its lifesaving mission by giving blood. Healthy donors of all blood types are needed to help accident and burn victims, patients undergoing organ transplants, those receiving cancer treatments and others who rely on blood products. Make an appointment online to redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Douglas County

Valley

March 2: 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Douglas County W. High School, 401 Pine St.

Bennington

March 4: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Bennington High School, 16610 Bennington Road

Elkhorn

March 9: 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Methodist Womens Hospital, 707 N. 190th Plaza

Omaha

March 1: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Alorica, 7171 Mercy Road

March 1: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Community Engagement Center, 6001 Dodge St.

March 2: 7 to 1:30 a.m., Westroads Office Park, 1121 N. 102 Court

March 2: 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Bank of the West, 13505 California St.

March 3: 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., ConAgra Corporate-Building 1, ConAgra Drive, Building 1

March 3: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Lakeside Hospital, 16901 Lakeside Hills Court

March 4: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Duchesne Academy, 3601 Burt St.

March 6: 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., St Vincent dePaul, 14330 Eagle Run Drive

March 6: 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 15050 W. Maple Road

March 6: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 6201 N. 60th St.

March 6: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Ralston Arena, 7300 Q St.

March 6: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 4117 Terrace Drive

March 8: 2:30 to 7 p.m., Beadle Middle School, 18201 Jefferson Street

March 10: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sirius Computer Solutions, 14301 First National Parkway

March 11: 1 to 6:30 p.m., Westside Church, 15050 W. Dodge Road

March 12: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Zion Baptist Church, 2215 Grant St.

March 13: 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saint Cecilia Cathedral, 701 N. 40th St.

Sarpy County

Bellevue

March 2: 12:30 to 6:30 p.m., Bellevue Public Library, 1003 Lincoln Road

March 11: 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Bellevue E. High School, 1401 High School Drive

March 12: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Bellevue Public Library, 1003 Lincoln Road

La Vista

March 3: noon to 6 p.m., LaVista Public Library, 9110 Giles Road

Offutt Air Force Base

March 10: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Patriot Club, 914 SAC Blvd. Bldg. No. 462

Omaha

March 1: 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Chalco Valley Business Park, 13831 Chalco Valley Parkway

March 3: noon to 6 p.m., Cabelas, 12703 Westport Parkway

March 5: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Upchurch Elementary, 8686 S. 165th St.

March 12: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Whitetail Creek Elementary, 19110 Greenleaf St.

Papillion

March 4: 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Papillion LaVista High School, 402 Centennial Road

March 9: 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Papillion Masonic Center, 105 W. Centennial Road

March 14: 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Midlands Hospital, 11111 S. 84th St.

Send your good deeds information to goodnews@owh.com.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Nancy Reagan, the helpmate, backstage adviser and fierce protector of Ronald Reagan in his journey from actor to president and finally during his 10-year battle with Alzheimer's disease, has died. She was 94.

The former first lady died Sunday at her home in Bel-Air, California, of congestive heart failure, assistant Allison Borio told The Associated Press.

Her best-known project as first lady was the "Just Say No" campaign to help kids and teens stay off drugs.

When she swept into the White House in 1981, the former Hollywood actress partial to designer gowns and pricey china was widely dismissed as a pre-feminist throwback, concerned only with fashion, decorating and entertaining. By the time she moved out eight years later, Mrs. Reagan was fending off accusations that she was a behind-the-scenes "dragon lady" wielding unchecked power over the Reagan administration and doing it based on astrology to boot.

All along she maintained that her only mission was to back her "Ronnie" and strengthen his presidency.

Mrs. Reagan carried that charge through the rest of her days. She served as a full-time caretaker as Alzheimer's melted away her husband's memory. After his death in June 2004 she dedicated herself to tending his legacy, especially at his presidential library in California, where he had served as governor.

She also championed Alzheimer's patients, raising millions of dollars for research and breaking with fellow conservative Republicans to advocate for stem cell studies. Her dignity and perseverance in these post-White House roles helped smooth over the public's fickle perceptions of the former first lady.

The Reagans' mutual devotion over 52 years of marriage was legendary. They were forever holding hands. She watched his political speeches with a look of such steady adoration it was dubbed "the gaze." He called her "Mommy," and penned a lifetime of gushing love notes. She saved these letters, published them as a book, and found them a comfort when he could no longer remember her.

In announcing his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 1994, Reagan wrote, "I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience." Ten years later, as his body lay in state in the U.S. Capitol, Mrs. Reagan caressed and gently kissed the flag-draped casket.

As the newly arrived first lady, Mrs. Reagan raised more than $800,000 from private donors to redo the White House family quarters and to buy a $200,000 set of china bordered in red, her signature color. She was criticized for financing these pet projects with donations from millionaires who might seek influence with the government, and for accepting gifts and loans of dresses worth thousands of dollars from top designers. Her lavish lifestyle in the midst of a recession and with her husband's administration cutting spending on the needy inspired the mocking moniker "Queen Nancy."

But her admirers credited Mrs. Reagan with restoring grace and elegance to the White House after the austerity of the Carter years.

Her substantial influence within the White House came to light slowly in her husband's second term.

Although a feud between the first lady and chief of staff Donald Regan had spilled into the open, the president dismissed reports that it was his wife who got Regan fired. "The idea that she is involved in governmental decisions and so forth and all of this, and being a kind of dragon lady there is nothing to that," a visibly angry Reagan assured reporters.

But Mrs. Reagan herself and other insiders later confirmed her role in rounding up support for Regan's ouster and persuading the president that it had to be done, because of the Iran-Contra scandal that broke under Regan's watch.

She delved into policy issues, too. She urged Reagan to finally break his long silence on the AIDS crisis. She nudged him to publicly accept responsibility for the arms-for-hostages scandal. And she worked to buttress those advisers urging him to thaw U.S. relations with the Soviet Union, over the objections of the administration's "evil empire" hawks.

Near the end of Reagan's presidency, ex-chief of staff Regan took his revenge with a memoir revealing that the first lady routinely consulted a San Francisco astrologer to guide the president's schedule. Mrs. Reagan, who had a longtime interest in horoscopes, maintained that she used the astrologer's forecasts only in hopes of predicting the safest times for her husband to venture out of the White House after an assassination attempt by John Hinckley just three months into Reagan's presidency.

Anne Frances Robbins, nicknamed Nancy, was born on July 6, 1921, in New York City. Her parents separated soon after she was born and her mother, film and stage actress Edith Luckett, went on the road. Nancy was reared by an aunt until 1929, when her mother married Dr. Loyal Davis, a wealthy Chicago neurosurgeon who gave Nancy his name and a socialite's home. She majored in drama at Smith College and found stage work with the help of her mother's connections.

In 1949, MGM signed 5-foot-4, doe-eyed brunette Nancy Davis to a movie contract. She was cast mostly as a loyal housewife and mother. She had a key role in "The Next Voice You Hear ...," an unusual drama about a family that hears God's voice on the radio. In "Donovan's Brain," she played the wife of a scientist possessed by disembodied gray matter.

She met Ronald Reagan in 1950, when he was president of the Screen Actors Guild and she was seeking help with a problem: Her name had been wrongly included on a published list of suspected communist sympathizers. They discussed it over dinner, and she later wrote that she realized on that first blind date "he was everything that I wanted."

They wed two years later, on March 4, 1952. Daughter Patti was born in October of that year and son Ron followed in 1958. Reagan already had a daughter, Maureen, and an adopted son, Michael, from his marriage to actress Jane Wyman. (Later, public spats and breaches with her grown children would become a frequent source of embarrassment for Mrs. Reagan.)

She was thrust into the political life when her husband ran for California governor in 1966 and won. She found it a surprisingly rough business.

"The movies were custard compared to politics," Mrs. Reagan said.

Copyright 2016 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Scorpio car swept by flash floods in AP even as driver tried to steer it away | WATCH

In Andhra, power staff to not use mobiles during work hours from Oct 1

Andhra Minister's son arrested for misbehaving with woman

India

oi-PTI

Hyderabad, March 6: Police on Sunday, March 6 arrested Ravela Susheel, son of Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Babu, and his driver for allegedly misbehaving with a 20-year-old teacher.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Banjara Hills Division) D Uday Kumar Reddy said that Susheel and the driver, Ramesh, appeared before police in the early hours today after notices were served to them and were arrested following their examination. The duo will be produced before a magistrate, the ACP said.

They were yesterday booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of IPC.

The complainant had alleged that a car with 'MLA' sticker followed her when she was passing through Road No.13 while on her way to school on Thursday, March 3 evening.

The driver of the car and another occupant, who were drunk, passed remarks and asked her to come inside the car while one person with a tattoo on his hand tried to pull her inside the vehicle, she had alleged.

When there was an attempt to pull her inside the vehicle, the woman raised an alarm following which her husband, who was nearby, and some locals gathered at the spot and beat up Susheel and Ramesh.

On Friday, the woman also claimed to have identified the photo of the minister's son as the one who held her hand and tried to pull her inside the car. While Susheel claimed innocence and alleged that the case was "politically motivated", his father said police probe will reveal the truth and he will "not interfere" in the matter.

PTI
Bihar: Nitish Kumar swears in as CM for 8th time; Tejashwi Yadav to be Dy CM

Yet another setback for Nitish as 15 JDU Panchayat members join BJP in Daman & Diu

Assembly polls 2016: JD(U) to contest in Assam, West Bengal & Kerala

India

oi-Preeti

Patna, March 6: After winning a thumping victory with grand alliance in last year's Bihar assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led-JD(U) is all set to test itself in three out of five poll-bound states this year.

According to media reports, JD(U) is planning to contest in Assam, Kerala and West Bengal assembly elections, that are slated to be held from April 4 to May 16. [5 states assembly election dates announced; poll results to be declared on May 19]

JD(U) secretary general and Rajya Sabha member K C Tyagi told TOI that the party will contest in these 3 states in an alliance with like-minded parties, while it will support secular forces in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

In West Bengal, JD(U) will form a pre-poll alliance with Left aprties, Congress and others, Tyagi said. West Bengal will go to polls in six phases and the polling dates are- April 4, April 11, April 17, April 21, April 25, April 30 and May 5.

In Assam, JD(U) is looking for potential allies and is planning to contest in those assembly seats, where it has a support base of Bihar people. Assam will go to polls in two phases on April 4 and April 11.

In Kerala, JD(U) has forged pre-poll alliance with the ruling UDF and is looking for more partners. Kerala, along with Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, will have single-phase polling on May 16.

The counting of votes will take place on May 19, Thursday.

OneIndia News
Delhi police to get leave for wedding anniversary,b'days of kids

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, March 6: Like their counterparts in Maharashtra, personnel posted at police stations in Delhi will now get leave for their wedding anniversary and the birthdays of their children, a move aimed at helping them beat stress.

"The move came after senior officials took note of the level of stress which personnel posted at police stations have to bear," said a senior police official.

"These personnel's absence from various social and family functions only serves to heighten the stress levels," the official said, adding that a circular in this regard was issued this week. "It is directed that all the police personnel working at police stations may be given leave/off on the days of their marriage anniversary and birthdays of their children. Only in exceptional circumstances the leave/off may be refused after approval of the concerned SDPO," the circular said.

The circular was first issued in Delhi Police's outer district on Thursday before being sent to the remaining ones.

Police sources said the initiative was taken keeping in mind the increasing numbers of suicide cases with regard to police officials, many a time attributed to work stress.

In Delhi Police, any investigating officer, who could be in the rank of a constable to an inspector, depending on the matter being dealt with, has 80-100 cases in hand at any point of time, the senior official said.

In August 2014, Maharashtra Police had issued a similar circular, sanctioning cops deployed at police stations leaves on marriage anniversary and their own birthdays.

PTI
Dhanteras 2022: How much gold can you buy from Dubai

Freedom of Expression: 15-year-old activist challenges Kanhaiya Kumar for an open debate

India

oi-Shalini

By Shalini

New Delhi, March 6: Jhanvi Behal, a 15-year-old social activists from Ludhiana, who was honoured on Republic Day for her contribution towards Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, has challenged JNU student union chief Kanhaiya Kumar for an open debate over 'freedom of expression'.

The 15-year-old also advised Kanhaiya not to make abusive comments against the PM and even asked him to think before making any kind of derogatory comments.

About Jhanvi Behal:

Jhanvi Behal who invited Kanhaiya for a open debate is a student of DAV Public School. She was recently hounoured by the Prime Minister for her contribution in several projects of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan during Republic Day. She is an active member of an NGO called Raksha Jyoti Foundation.

Jhanvi said to a media, "Our Constitution has given us immense freedom to express but it does not mean that he (Kanhaiya) will cross the all limits." While referring Kanhaiya she said all are misusing the fundamental rights for their political gains.

"He is misusing and the maligned image of country in front of whole world by abusing the representative of our country, PM Modi, who is elected by people of India."

While criticising the JNU incident she said, "It is not at all tolerable for any Indian to listen anything against our nation. The students are raising anti-national slogans, when our armymen are sacrificing their lives fighting against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism for us."

Jhanvi has raised several public issues and got judgement in her favour. Recently, she had filled a writ in Punjab and Haryana High Court to ban porn and adult movies from social networking sites.

WATCH: 15-yr old student from Ludhiana, Jhanvi Behal challenges #KanhaiyaKumar for an open debate.https://t.co/QYegTs1zdk  ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2016

OneIndia News
From Kashmir to Manipur, understanding Azaadi and its various connotations

India

oi-Oneindia

By Maitreyee Boruah

Bengaluru, Mar 6: "It's a beautiful word--Azaadi. A word that encompasses various human emotions. It's a philosophy. Azaadi stands for a just society for all," says a Kashmiri student, Mohammad Ishan (name changed on request), who is pursuing his Bachelor of Engineering (computer science) degree from a well-known college in Bengaluru.

Being a Kashmiri from Srinagar, Mohammad tells OneIndia, that the word (Azaadi) has been etched in his heart since his childhood.

Azaadi (Persian: ) is an Iranic word, meaning freedom and liberty, says Wikipedia. It is very much an Indian expression too, as the word reverberates across the length and breadth of the country.

Every now and then, Mohammad tells us that the streets of Srinagar would burst into cries of Azaadi, whenever a civilian (or at times an alleged militant) was killed by the army.

Will Kanhaiya become Arvind Kejriwal 2.0? Ideally, he should not

"The word Azaadi is a pivotal part of our lives (Kashmiris). The long-drawn conflict in the state has resulted in the killing of several civilians and many young men who took up guns. Self-determination is not just an idea for us, it is vital for our survival. Mainstream India might call our desire anti-national. But it is a reality," says Mohammad.

It is because of his political ideology, Mohammaed says, he does not want to be named in the story. "Your readers might think I am an anti-national. I am not against India. I love India. India is my home too. However, aspirations of the Kashmiris too can't be ignored for long."

Like Mohammad, 23-year-old Alka Devi from Imphal, Manipur, who is working as a content writer in Bengaluru tells us that her state has long been demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

"We also want Azaadi from violence. Our state has seen enough bloodshed and extra-judicial killings in the name of fighting militancy. Many innocents were killed in this war between Indian army and militants. There is no place for AFSPA in a democracy," says Alka.

Alka clarifies that demanding Azaadi from AFSPA does not mean she is an anti-national.

"We salute all the brave soldiers who are fighting for us on the borders. But we should not support army atrocities on civilians in the name of fighting militancy," she adds.

It was in September 1980, when AFSPA was imposed in Manipur to fight home-grown insurgent groups in the state. Even after 35 years, lawlessness continues in the state with more than a dozen insurgent groups operating in Manipur.

Clearly, AFSPA has done no good to the residents as more than 1,500 alleged extra-judicial killings were reported in the last three decades.

Both Alka and Mohammad don't know each other even though they live in the same city. However, one strong link connects them-the reign of terror in their home states. Because of the cycle of violence, both were forced to leave their homes to find better career opportunities.

"After finishing my high school from Imphal, I did my graduation from Shillong and came to Bengaluru to find a job. There are very few job opportunities in Manipur. As peace remains elusive and the state often erupts into violence, students suffer a lot as schools and colleges can't function properly. So, I left Imphal five years ago and now I'm working here," says Alka.

Mohammad hopes to get a job after completing his degree. "I want to work after clearing my finals. I have to repay my study loan. I am ready to work anywhere in the country," smiles Mohammad.

After the political row erupted in the Jawaharlal Nehru Uinversity (JNU), where students were accused of allegedly raising anti-national slogans, leading to the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar (who was released from jail on February 3), the word Azaadi became the rallying point for all those who supported Kanhaiya.

Starting from the JNU campus to the streets of Delhi, as protest marches were hosted in support of Kanhaiya's release from jail, participants chanted Azaadi to express their demands. Even on Thursday night, post his release from jail, Kanhaiya during his now famous speech uttered the word Azaadi several times. He and his friends shouted Azaadi slogans several times to put forward their demands.

In a country of 1.3 billion people, it would be impossible to count Azaadi chants of all, but a few popular personalities have already told the world what they want Azaadi from. The first among them is the Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal.

Kejriwal wants Azaadi from the interference of the Lt Governor.

The contexts could be different for everyone-be it Kanhaiya, Alka or Mohammad-but we all want Azaadi from one or the other thing.

If only the actual meaning behind the emotion get heard, we all can make this world a more beautiful place.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, March 6, 2016, 10:18 [IST]
Land for schools being alloted by DDA: AAP govt to HC

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, March 6: The AAP government which had informed Delhi High Court it was exploring possibilities to allot land for a minority school which has been functioning from tents since its demolition 40 years ago during Emergency, has now said allotment of land would be done by the DDA.

The submission was made before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath, during hearing of a plea that despite promises of land and building, nothing was done and the school continued to function in a "tattered, tented and tinned structure, without a building" since 1976.

"The allotment of land for institutional purpose including schools is done by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)...The court may issue appropriate direction to DDA," Delhi government has said in its affidavit.

DDA on the other hand told the court that in "accordance with a gazette notification of April 19, 2006, issued by the Ministry of Urban Development, at present the land for schools can be got through auction only."

The Delhi government's response came in the backdrop of the court's notice issued on a PIL seeking reconstruction of the building of the minority school.

The PIL filed by civil activist Firoz Bakht Ahmed contended the state of affairs at the Qaumi School was "sad and pitiable" as it was functioning from the grounds of the Eidgah at Quresh Nagar in Old Delhi after its building was demolished on June 30, 1976, during Emergency.

The PIL has contended that children from the "down-trodden and backward class have to suffer due to threats of closure, makeshift classrooms, leaking roofs and no proper facilities. "A hostile and inclement environment can hardly be conducive for learning.

With competition at the school leaving board examinations reaching stupendous proportions, children from such schools are placed at a huge disadvantage from the very inception of their schooling life," the plea has said.

It has also said the state was under obligation to provide infrastructure including a school building and the civic authorities have failed to discharge the statutory onus.

PTI
Mere slogan-shouting is no sedition, says lawyer Mihir Desai

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Mar 6: Against the backdrop of the JNU row, noted lawyer Mihir Desai today said even if JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar had shouted slogans against the government, he cannot be charged with "sedition" as per the Supreme Court's past rulings.

"The Kanhaiya episode is a repetition of `Gandhian blunder' by (Prime Minister) Modi-ji, Amit Shah and Smriti Irani," Desai said, speaking on 'Sedition and the Spectre of the anti national' during a two-day conclave on 'Celebrating pluralism and freedom' here.

"Gandhiji was also arrested under this law by the British government who thought they could propagate their ideas this way. But this was their biggest blunder....Lokmanya Tilak had been arrested under this law in 1897 when he had written against the government's handling of plague (epidemic) in Bombay Province," he said.

In the pre-independence era, one could be charged with sedition for spreading `disaffection' against the government, but the law had now changed, he said.

"The Supreme Court, while passing the judgement in Kedarnath case in 1962, had said that this law needs to be seen in a diluted manner. According to the Supreme Court, a person can be charged with sedition if spreading disaffection against the government leads to violence and public disorder," he said.

Therefore, as in the cartoonist Asim Trivedi's case who was also charged with sedition, he expected the courts to grant bail to Kanhaiya the next day, Desai said.

"This was not a case whether he shouted slogans or not. Even if he did, it did not amount to sedition. We may disagree with him but unless it caused violence, it was not sedition," the senior counsel, who has represented some of the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots, said.

"Section 124 (A) (sedition) of IPC has to go, like the section 377 (which makes homosexuality an offence) which should be abolished. The UK government has abolished both but we haven't," he added.

PTI
The Lake of Two Rivers. [Photo by Wang Yan/ For China Daily]

Visiting a natural reserve park in the depths of winter would not be everyone's idea of holiday fun, particularly if that park is in southern Ontario, where the average minimum temperature in January can be around -20 C.

So even the colorful language that a friend used as she suggested that we head out of Toronto on a day trip to Algonquin Provincial Parkwe could "embrace the beauty of the nature", she saysheld little appeal for me. The white icing on this supposedly appetizing cake was two days of heavy snow that had just fallen in the area.

"Come on," my friend Rachel pleads. "You've never been there, right? You'll want to try it sometime."

Rachel and I go back a very long way, and she knows how to win me over.

So here we were, three people and a dog, Willy, a border collie, on Highway 60, which passes through the southern section of the park.

Before the trip I had never heard of Algonquin Provincial Park but Rachel, who has lived in Canada for more than 12 years, reckons it is the perfect place to appreciate the beauty of maple leaves, which indeed is what the park is best known for. However, the day we headed for the park, when it was-10 C, autumn colors were the last thing I expected to see.

Locals apparently often refer to Highway 60 as a corridor, and it was easy to see why, because the road gradually takes you into the area's natural scenery before you even realize it.

Our planned route was to enter the park through what is called its western gate and exit through the other side. Despite the terminology, it seemed to us that there was in fact no gate, at least not one big enough for us to notice.

Soon we were parked outside a shop near a ski trail entrance. As I stepped out of the car I found myself knee-deep in snow, and feeling every one of those 10 degrees below the zero mark.
MP Pappu Yadav resigns from Lok Sabha, alleges Bihar govt trying to arrest him

Stage set for a clash of the titans in Madhepura

MP Pappu Yadav announces reward of Rs 10 lakh for killing 'corrupt' officials in public

India

oi-Avinash

New Delhi, Mar 6: Lok Sabha member Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav has raked up a fresh controversy after he appealed Dalit and backwards communities to shoot corrupt officials.

The Bihar MP brazenly said that he would give a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh to those who beat up corrupt officials to death in public.

"If the government is not taking action against bureaucrats and ministers who are looting the poor then the Dalits should shoot the politicians responsible for deaths like that of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula. The Dalits should fight against all those who are responsible for Vemula's death," Yadav was quoted by a TOI report.

(Opposition marketing tolerance as they lack issues: Anupam Kher)

"Those who bring the tapes of corrupt officials would be rewarded Rs 25,000 and those who beat them to death in public would be awarded Rs 10 lakh from my side," he added.

Earlier, the Jan Kranti Adhikar Party chief during a debate over corruption in Parliament had demanded that corrupt politicians and bureaucrats must be hanged.

Pappu Yadav, the Lok Sabha MP from Madhepura, is known for making contoversial statements.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, March 6, 2016, 15:10 [IST]
Opposition marketing tolerance as they lack issues: Anupam Kher

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kolkata, Mar 6: Pro-BJP actor Anupam Kher on Saturday accused the opposition of "marketing" the tolerance-intolerance debate as they lacked issues and were unable to stomach their defeat in the Lok Sabha polls two years back.

"The tolerance-intolerance debate does not have any relevance for the man on the street, who is engrossed with getting the basic necessities of life. Tolerance is being marketed now. The opposition is taking revenge for the way they were debated," Kher said at a debate here.

(Smriti Irani escapes unhurt as her car meets with accident on Yamuna Expressway)

"Also the opposition lacks any issue. They haven't been able to raise any corruption related issue in the past 22 months, while during the preceding ten years (of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime from 2004-2014) there was only talk about graft," he said, speaking on the motion "In the opinion of the house, tolerance is the new intolerance".

Without naming Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Kher mocked the party for "tolerating" a person who they wanted to project as the prime ministerial candidate.

"I think the most tolerant people in the country are in the Congress. They are tolerating a person who they want to project as the prime minister of the country. If you can tolerate this person, you can tolerate everything in the world."

IANS
Prosecutions story may be attractive but should be backed by evidence

47 Malaysians involved with ISIS in Syria, Iraq

International

oi-PTI

Kuala Lumpur, Mar 6: At least 47 Malaysians, including nine women and eight children, are involved with the Islamic state terror group in Syria and Iraq, a top police official has said.

Police Special Branch director Mohamad Fuzi said they comprised 30 men, nine women and eight children. "Of the 72 linked to the militant group, 18 were reportedly killed in Syria while seven others died as suicide bombers last year," Fuzi said.

"Some of those involved in militant activities were arrested and charged in court," he told Bernama news agency.

Fuzi said the police has taken measures to curb the spread of ISIS ideology by collaborating with the Immigration Department, KL International Airport (KLIA) and Interpol to monitor the country's entry points.

"If they ISIS militants return to their country of origin via KLIA, they will be arrested immediately, and if they use other means, the police have the mechanism to detect them," he added. Malaysia is a multi ethnic Muslim majority country.

PTI
Brazil's Silva denounces detention in corruption probe

International

oi-PTI

Sao Paulo, Mar 5: Brazilian police questioned former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for about four hours in an investigation into a sprawling corruption case involving state-run oil company Petrobras that has ensnared some of the country's top lawmakers and wealthiest businessmen.

The once-immensely popular president, who governed from 2003 to 2010, angrily denounced the Friday morning raid on his home by police to detain him as part of a campaign to sully his image, that of his party and that of his hand-picked successor, President Dilma Rousseff.

"I felt like a prisoner this morning," said Silva, who has expressed interest in possibly running for president again. At a rally late Friday in Sao Paulo, an emotional Silva insisted on his innocence and blasted those accusing him.

"If they are a cent more honest than I, then I will leave politics," he pledged, his eyes welling with tears. Rousseff also expressed her "total inconformity" with the operation, which she called unnecessary, although she appeared to distance herself from her one-time mentor by only briefly mentioning Silva in an address yesterday afternoon.

Police arrived at about 6 a.m. at Silva's residence in greater Sao Paulo's Sao Bernardo do Campo and spirited the 70-year-old to a federal police station at the city's Congonhas airport. Silva was released after around four hours of questioning.

Police said they also searched the headquarters of his nonprofit foundation Instituto Lula, as well as properties connected to his sons and other family members.

One of his sons was brought in for questioning. Clashes broke out between Silva's supporters and critics outside several sites where police were conducting searches.

After his release, cheering supporters gathered outside Silva's apartment to welcome him home. Judge Sergio Moro, who is heading the Petrobras investigation, said he allowed the police to haul in Silva for security reasons, citing fears that demonstrations could complicate efforts to question him.

He also stipulated that police were not to handcuff or film the former leader. Officials said they were looking into 30 million Brazilian reais (USD 8.12 million) in payments for speeches and donations to the Instituto Lula by construction firms that were crucial players in the Petrobras corruption scheme.

They were also looking into whether renovations and other work at a country house and beachfront apartment used by Silva and his family constituted favors in exchange for political benefit.

"No one is exempt from investigation in this country," said public prosecutor Carlos Fernando dos Santos Lima. "Anyone in Brazil is subject to be investigated when there are indications of a crime."

AP
Trumps election in 2016 was not an entertainment for many; in fact it was a trauma: Report

US Prez poll: Why Sanders's supporters are unhappy with superdelegates

International

oi-Shubham

Washington, March 6: Supporters of Bernie Sanders, one of the two Democratic candidates running for this year's presidential nomination in the US, are disappointed over the fact that no matter how many states their leader wins, the gap in his score with that of Hillary Clinton continues to be as wide as ever.

After Sanders won the New Hampshire primary on February 9, he was allocated 15 delegates after a huge 22-point victory over Hillary but the latter, too, got 14 delegates. Why was it so?

This is happening because of the unique feature that the Democratic Party has and it is called 'superdelegates'.

Who are superdelegates?

They are delegates to the party convention---usually members of the Democratic National Convention and elected state and federal officials who can pick their own candidate regardless of how their own states vote. In this primary season, these superdelegates are backing Hillary more than Sanders.

In New Hampshire, Sanders got support of 15 delegates while Hillary could get just eight based on the voting. But six of the state's eight superdelegates went for Clinton, which meant she ended up with 14 delegates, just one short of her rival. Two superdelegates didn't commit to either Sanders or Hillary.

In Iowa, too, the same had happened on February 1. In the opening caucuses, Hillary had a very very narrow margin of victory over Sanders but she got the backing of six extra delegates to put herself in front by a decent margin. None of the bonus points went to Sanders's way, unfortunately.

This built-in advantage to Hillary has put her far ahead in the race to grab the support of 2,383 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. She has effectively started the race eight points above her rival, something which hasn't made the latter's supporters happy.

However, Sanders's supporters can take solace from the fact that superdelegates can switch their preferences and their numbers do not say the scorecard is final.

OneIndia News
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Report has it that a Nigerian man has been arrested in Italy after harassing people and allegedly assaulting police officers.

It was gathered that the 32-year-old Nigerian approached some women in a supermarket in Navacchio, Province of Pisa and allegedly started to harass them before the police were called.

It was scooped that when the police arrived, they tried to pacify the Nigerian immigrant but all pleas fell on deaf ears. He was alleged to have assaulted the police officers.

The suspect was immediately arrested with charge of resistance and violence to public officials.

When an investigation was conducted, it was discovered that the Nigerian has no fixed address.

He is currently cooling off in police custody.

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and I have differences of opinion on many issues. In no area are our differences stronger than trade policy.

In 1960, Detroit was the richest city in America and General Motors was our largest private employer paying union workers a living wage with affordable health care and a secure retirement.

Today, Wal-Mart is our largest private employer paying nonunion workers starvation wages with little or no benefits and selling products made in China.

America's radical transformation from a GM economy to a Wal-Mart economy has decimated the middle class, turning Detroit into one of the poorest big cities in America and hollowing out communities across the country.

No city in America has suffered more than Flint. Long before Flint's children were poisoned by contaminated drinking water, the city was poisoned by disastrous trade policies that allowed GM to eliminate more than 72,000 jobs and move several factories to Mexico.

Unfettered free trade turned this once-prosperous middle-class city, where residents could own a home, raise a family and retire with security, into a place where good jobs are scarce and extreme poverty is high. Today, a quarter of Flint residents have an annual income of less than $15,000 and 65% of the city's children live in poverty.

The decimation of Detroit, Flint and communities all over this country did not happen by accident. It is a direct result of disastrous trade deals that have allowed corporations to ship our jobs to low-wage countries.

Since I have been in Congress, I've helped lead the opposition to these trade agreements. Not only did I vote against them, I stood with workers on picket lines in opposition to them. Meanwhile, Secretary Clinton sided with corporate America and supported almost all of them.

Here is the sad truth. The North American Free Trade Agreement, which was supported by Clinton, cost our nation 850,000 good paying jobs. It cost Michigan 43,000 jobs, Ohio 35,000 and Illinois another 35,000.

Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China, also supported by Secretary Clinton, cost our country 3.2 million jobs, including 80,000 in Michigan, 106,000 in Ohio and 132,000 in Illinois. The agreement exploded our trade deficit with China to a record-breaking $365 billion last year and made it increasingly difficult to find a product that is not made in China.

One of the major reasons why our middle class has been disappearing for the past 40 years is the decline of the manufacturing sector. Incredibly, over the past 15 years, we have lost nearly 60,000 factories and almost 5 million manufacturing jobs.

Not only has our trade policy cost us millions of decent paying jobs, it has led to a race to the bottom. American workers are forced to compete against desperate workers abroad who make pennies an hour. In Grand Rapids, 300 decent-paying jobs are being shipped to Monterrey, Mexico, where Dematic will pay workers an estimated $1.50 an hour. That's unacceptable.

It is easy for candidates to say what they want on the campaign trail. But voters must look at their record, rather than their rhetoric.

Throughout my political career I have stood with workers and demanded that corporate America invest in this country. Secretary Clinton's position has been very different.

Not only did she support the North American Free Trade Agreement and special trade status with China, she also supported disastrous trade deals with Vietnam, Colombia and Panama.
As Donald Trump gets closer to locking up the Republican nomination and therefore one step closer to the presidency, it's worth looking back at one of the Obama administration's most troubling legacies. Specifically, the national security precedents that have allowed the US to spy on countless people and kill without accountability. The prospect now -- a terrifying one -- is of Trump in charge of this vast apparatus.

Civil liberties advocates have been warning of a scenario like this for more than six years. The extraordinary national security powers George W Bush pioneered and Obama shamefully entrenched could now fall into the hands of someone many people consider a madman. Someone whose opinion changes with the wind -- or the sound of the crowd -- and whose entire candidacy is based around personal vendettas.

Trump's abhorrent daily pronouncements about what he would do as president come at such a rate that we have become numb to them. We've lost count of the amount of times he's claimed he'll bring back waterboarding, or some forms of torture that are "so much worse" (something that would constitute a war crime). Or that he'll not only kill terrorists, but members of their families as well -- another war crime. (After some backlash for these statements, Trump claimed on Friday that he would still "obey the law.")



Trump's list of enemies could make Nixon, who saw no problem in using the NSA to spy on American dissidents and his political opponents, look tame in comparison. While one of the NSA's mass surveillance programs was curtailed (but not eliminated) by the USA Freedom Act, there remain myriad programs that touch on vast numbers of Americans' communications. The FBI still has carte blanche to look at NSA's international intercepts for Americans caught up in its net, and just last week the New York Times reported that the NSA plans to remove key privacy protections from much of its surveillance data, so that it can be shared with other federal agencies without any administrative protections. Are these the types of powers we want in the hands of a Trump administration?

And then there's war: the Obama administration has done more damage than Bush did to the constitutional principle that Congress should be the only governmental body that can declare it. The US is currently waging war in multiple countries -- Syria, Iraq, and Libya, using a law written 15 years ago meant for Afghanistan, to go after a terrorist organization that did not exist at the time. When President Trump decides to invade the first Middle Eastern country that looks at him the wrong way to "take their oil," it will be that much harder to stop him because of the precedent the current administration has set.

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Revelations from individuals such as whistleblower Edward Snowden are always a welcome insight into the inner workings of our government agencies. For those familiar with intelligence methods, most of those revelations are probably not much of a surprise. About 24 years ago, I had a series of telephone interviews with the infamous retired General Edwin Walker (1909-1993). He was quite an animated individual even in his advancing years; after several attempts to interrupt one of his tirades, he finally admitted that in truth, intelligence agencies and personnel could do anything they wanted to, provided that it could be dreamed up by the mind of man and was technically possible. Walker was genuinely and gravely serious when he made the admission.



A past whistleblower that deserves at least a short study is the late Air Force Colonel L. Fletcher Prouty (1917-2001). There are reasons why the super power elite (the puppet-masters of the infamous 1%) always come out of life's political and economic situations on top, and Col. Prouty helps us with some insights into their resources and methods as well as many of their past deeds. Some understanding of their modus operandi involves knowledge of intelligence methods; they use governments and their agencies as resources to force their corporate-controlled interests on the increasingly suspicious public.



Prouty has had his detractors, as does his information. Keep in mind, however, that the American Intelligence Community has the resources necessary to destroy an individual and/or confuse an issue by sowing questions in the minds of those examining a source. This is a long-used tactic that the debate community would call the ad hominem technique.



Prouty had an impressive past of service in the military and was actively involved in the Kennedy Administration. Of the sources available to review Prouty's contributions, I particularly want to point out his revelations of the covert operations and techniques used to bring about 'favorable' conditions for the war in Vietnam to come to fruition. This was a totally calculated plan executed on multiple covert fronts, which began as early as WWII. Prouty's signature work, JFK: The CIA, Vietnam and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy , recounts a considerable amount of inside information of those covert operations and of the Vietnam War. (He had told me in one of our interviews that his publisher insisted on the reference to the assassination of President Kennedy in the title even though its main focus was not on the assassination.) Prouty related to me that, while working for the Kennedy Administration, he had been charged with tracking the source of military orders at the end of WWII that called for shipping approximately half of the massive war materials gathered on Okinawa to Korea and the other half to Indochina. However, the orders were never traceable back to their original source (untraceability being a necessary method of the super power elite themselves).





JFK: The CIA, Vietnam and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy



USS Montague taking on Vietnamese 'refugees' from French ship, circa 1954

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This is the transcript of my interview: The Brutal Heartlessness of a Billionaire Governor-- Casting Teen Moms and their Babies onto the Streets

Thanks to Tsara Shelton for help with transcript editing.

Rob: Welcome to the Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show, sponsored by Opednews.com, available on iTunes, Progressive Radio Network and Stitcher and on opednews.com/podcasts. My guest tonight is Ann Holcomb. She's supportive services supervisor for Unity Parenting and Counseling, which runs 9 homeless programs, mostly for youth and children. Ann also went through a few times in her life when she was homeless. Welcome to the show.

Ann: Hello.



Anne Holcomb

(Image by unityparenting.org) Details DMCA



Rob: So the reason that I'm having you on is because your organization is going through a pretty traumatic time because it has had its funding cut off, which means that basically you have a lot of single, young, mothers with children who could be out on the streets again. They were homeless. Your organization, Unity Parenting and Counseling, provided them with a place to live, with job counseling, parenting skill counseling and things like that. The state of Illinois is withholding funding and, have I got this description right?

Ann: Exactly. So, there's 28 youth heads of household, mostly females that are affected and 32 of their very small children, which range from infants to 5 year olds. So these are teen moms primarily, and they were homeless and we have a program where they can stay for up to 2 years to really mature and get their life together and get some education, get their first jobs and get something sustainable so that they're never homeless again. We promise them that they can stay as long as they follow the rules and they follow their case plans and they work with staff on what those case plans should be -- that we're going to provide them housing for 2 years, so they can actually not just think about where they're going to eat and sleep the night, but make goals for tomorrow and make progress and really resolve the issues of them becoming a dependent and getting on their feet and never ever being homeless again.

Rob: Tell me a little bit about what it means when they were homeless. What was their life like when they were homeless?

Ann: Well one of the youths that I've been working with a lot recently. She -- her mother is basically mentally ill. I don't know if she's ever been diagnosed, but it sounds like she has Bipolar Disorder. She gets very depressed at times and gets very manic and angry at other times. So this young lady was homeless since 15. She would go back and forth. When her mother was reasonable, she would be home. When her mother wasn't reasonable, she wouldn't be home. So then, when she became pregnant, her mother kicked her out of the house.

Rob: Are you saying that she was Bipolar or her mother was Bipolar?

Ann: Her mother was Bipolar.

Rob: Her mother, okay. Go ahead.

Ann: Yeah, and so she stayed house to house with friends, but as her pregnancy progressed, that wasn't working too well. So she had a job at one point and when she became pregnant, she had gotten laid off or something. She lost the job. But anyway, she had a car left over from that job, so she started sleeping in her car. So here she is, 5, 6 months pregnant sleeping in her car every night.

Then she was trying to work out something with her baby's father, he was somewhat supportive. They were trying, you know, he was trying to get a job and save money and things like this so that maybe they could get a place together and have it ready for the baby. She was standing by him on his mother's porch and they were talking about plans when a car rode by and he was the victim of a drive-by shooting. So, she was standing right by him when it happened. She did not get shot, but she was covered in his blood and completely traumatized. He did survive, but he's now, in between what is a paraplegic and a quadriplegic. He has some use of his arms, but not of his hands and so forth. This only happened now 7 months ago. Okay?

So now the baby is born and she's now living with us and she's made an amazing stride. She's working with our therapist regularly to address the trauma that you know, she experienced by you know, witnessing that event and being so close to being a victim herself. You know, just the stress -- she's still involved and loves this man, who now has a life sentence in a wheelchair you know, so she's dealing with all of that and being a mom for the first time.

Believe it or not, this young lady last month went and got a job and so, and it's a job that may actually have a career, a future. It's not just a minimum wage job. So this is something and she said over and over that before she got into Harmony, she wasn't sure if she wanted to even survive. You know, she was getting so depressed after everything that had happened -- you know, the trauma of living in her car while pregnant, then seeing her baby's father shot right in front of her, almost getting shot herself and having no support. She said, you know, she was actually considering you know, the peace of ending it all and if it wouldn't have been for Harmony, she might have done that.

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Thursday, while the nation debated the relative size of Republican genitalia, something truly awful happened. Across the northern hemisphere, the temperature, if only for a few hours, apparently crossed a line: it was more than two degrees Celsius above "normal" for the first time in recorded history and likely for the first time in the course of human civilization.

That's important because the governments of the world have set two degrees Celsius as the must-not-cross red line that, theoretically, we're doing all we can to avoid. And it's important because most of the hemisphere has not really had a winter. They've been trucking snow into Anchorage for the start of the Iditarod; Arctic sea ice is at record low levels for the date; in New England doctors are already talking about the start of "allergy season."

This bizarre glimpse of the future is only temporary. It will be years, one hopes, before we're past the two degrees mark on a regular basis. But the future is clearly coming much faster than science had expected. February, taken as a whole, crushed all the old monthly temperature records, which had been set in " January. January crushed all the old monthly temperature records, which had been set in ... December.

In part, this reflects the ongoing El Nino phenomenon -- these sporadic events always push up the planet's temperature. But since that El Nino heat is layered on top of the ever-increasing global warming, the spikes keep getting higher. This time around the overturning waters of the Pacific are releasing huge quantities of heat stored there during the last couple of decades of global warming.

And as that heat pours out into the atmosphere, the consequences are overwhelming. In the South Pacific, for instance, the highest wind speeds ever measured came last month when Tropical Cyclone Winston crashed into Fiji. Entire villages were flattened. In financial terms, the storm wiped out 10 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, roughly equivalent to 15 simultaneous Hurricane Katrina's.

This was followed by a few months of the highest wind speeds ever recorded in our hemisphere, when Patricia crashed into the Pacific coast of Mexico. And it joins all the other lines of misery: the zika virus spreading on the wings of mosquitoes up and down the Americas; the refugees streaming out of Syria where, as studies now make clear, the deepest drought ever measured helped throw the nation into chaos.

The messages are clear. First, global warming is not a future threat -- it's the present reality, a menace not to our grandchildren but to our present civilizations. In a rational world, this is what every presidential debate would focus on. Forget the mythical flood of immigrants -- concentrate on the actual flooding.

Second, since we're in a hole it's time to stop digging -- literally. We've simply got to keep coal and oil and gas in the ground; there's not any other way to make the math of climate change even begin to work. There is legislation pending in the House and Senate that would end new fossil fuel extraction on America's public lands. Senator Sanders has backed the law unequivocally; Secretary Clinton seemed to endorse it, and then last week seemed to waffle. Donald Trump has concentrated on the length of his fingers.

No one's waiting for presidential candidates to actually lead, of course. In May campaigners around the world will converge on the world's biggest carbon deposits: the coal mines of Australia, the tarsands of Canada, the gasfields of Russia. And they will engage in peaceful civil disobedience, an effort to simply say: no. The only safe place for this carbon is deep beneath the soil, where it's been for eons.

This is, in one sense, stupid. It's ridiculous that at this late date, as the temperature climbs so perilously, we still have to take such steps. Why do Bostonians have to be arrested to stop the Spectra pipeline? Anyone with a thermometer can see that we desperately need to be building solar and windpower instead.



In a much deeper sense, however, the resistance is valiant, even beautiful. Think of those protesters as the planet's antibodies, its immune system finally kicking in. Our one earth is running a fever the likes of which no human has ever seen. The time to fight it is right now.
Reprinted from WSWS





The Republican presidential nominee in 2012, Mitt Romney, denounced the party's current presidential frontrunner, billionaire Donald Trump, in a remarkable speech Thursday at Utah State University. In the 20-minute address, broadcast by all the cable networks to a national television audience, Romney called Trump a fraud, a threat to democracy and a man grossly unfit to be president.

The speech lays bare deep divisions within the US ruling class as a whole, which are ripping apart the Republican Party.

Romney, who made his fortune in private equity investing, focused his criticism on Trump's positions on economic and foreign policy. Trump's nationalistic economic policy "would instigate a trade war that would raise prices for consumers, kill export jobs, and lead entrepreneurs and businesses to flee America," he said.

Significantly, he criticized Trump from the right on the question of cutting Social Security and Medicare, which Trump claims to oppose. Romney declared that Trump's "refusal to reform entitlements and to honestly address spending would balloon the deficit and the national debt."

Romney ridiculed Trump's claims that he would put his business acumen to work for the US economy as a whole. He asked, "And what ever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there's Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks, and Trump Mortgage? A business genius he is not."

In terms of foreign policy, Romney warned that Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric was alienating US allies in the Middle East and helping ISIS, and he attacked Trump's professed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

His language was particularly scathing on Trump's persona, "the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the misogyny, the absurd third-grade theatrics."

Romney concluded with a warning of the authoritarian and antidemocratic direction Trump would lead the country, although he stopped short of using the word "fascist":

"Mr. Trump is directing our anger for less than noble purposes. He creates scapegoats of Muslims and Mexican immigrants, he calls for the use of torture and for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. He cheers assaults on protesters. He applauds the prospect of twisting the Constitution to limit First Amendment freedom of the press. This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss."

It is unprecedented in US history for the titular leader of one of the two major capitalist parties to go on national television to denounce his likely successor in such terms. With this declaration, Romney would seem to have burned any bridges to supporting Trump if he goes on to win the Republican nomination.

Trump's rise has been fueled by his demagogic and empty appeals to widespread anger, under conditions in which the Democratic Party and what passes for the "left" in American politics, no less than the Republicans, have pursued a policy entirely dedicated to the enrichment of Wall Street. The immense tensions within the United States are provoking sharp conflicts within the ruling class itself and threatening to break apart political institutions that have existed for generations.

Romney's remarks followed the issuing Wednesday of an open letter signed by 95 Republican foreign policy experts denouncing Trump and declaring they could not support him in the November election if he won the nomination. The group consists of some of the most ruthless defenders of the interests of American imperialism, but they attacked Trump for advocating trade war and torture, and for using "hateful, anti-Muslim rhetoric" that "endangers the safety and Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of American Muslims."

The signatories include former Bush administration officials like Michael Chertoff, Eric Edelman, Peter Feaver, Frances Townsend, Philip Zelikow and Robert Zoellick, as well as academic and media advocates of the war with Iraq like Max Boot, Eliot Cohen, Niall Ferguson and Robert Kagan.

As this list of war criminals and their apologists demonstrates, those figures in the Republican Party opposed to Trump are just as reactionary as the billionaire demagogue. They object to his social demagogy, however limited, because the next administration, whether Republican or Democratic, will be tasked with the destruction of what little remains of a social safety net in the United States.
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Clackamas County authorities are searching for an armed woman who robbed a restaurant shortly before noon Saturday, threatened to shoot an employee and fled on a bicycle.

The suspect, described as being roughly 20 years old with a medium build and short, curly brown hair, was seen wearing a light-blue floral shirt, blue jeans and dark glasses.

Police responded to a call for help from the Kwang Chow Chinese Restaurant located at 7980 SE King Road in unincorporated Milwaukie. The victim, an employee, said the woman displayed a handgun and threatened to shoot her. The woman fled after the employee refused demands for money.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Clackamas County sheriff's office's tip line at 503-723-4949, or online.

-- Dana Tims

503-294-7647; @DanaTims
You don't have to travel to New York City to see Broadway-caliber plays and musicals, not when they travel right here to Portland.

This year, seven crowd-pleasing shows including "Rent" and "Matilda the Musical" will jump from the theaters of New York to the Keller Auditorium as part of U.S. Bank's Broadway in Portland series. Tickets have yet to go on sale, but here's an early look at what's to come.

"Beautiful - The Carole King Musical": Witness King's rise to stardom as told through the music that got her there.

November 1-6, 2016; Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St.

"Finding Neverland": A musical adaptation of the hit movie starring Johnny Depp, the show follows "Peter Pan" author J.M. Barrie as he finds the inspiration to create a whole new world.

January 3-8, 2017; Keller Auditorium.

"Rent": It's been 20 years (10.5 million minutes) since this story of artistic struggle and love in the big city hit the stage, and its message is as strong as ever.

January 20-22, 2017; Keller Auditorium.

"The Illusionists - Live from Broadway": A showcase of magic work by seven top-tier illusionists, upping the ante as they each trick your eyes.

January 31 - February 5, 2017; Keller Auditorium.

"Matilda the Musical": The beloved Roald Dahl tale of a girl who just can't win - until her sharp mind and imagination help recapture her destiny from the ill-mannered adults around her.

February 28 - March 5, 2017; Keller Auditorium.

"An American in Paris": Boy goes to war, boy ends up in Paris, boy meets mysterious French girl in this musical about post-war adjustments.

May 16-21, 2017; Keller Auditorium.

"Cabaret": A classic entre into the seedy nightclub scene of Nazi-occupied Berlin.

June 27 - July 2, 2017; Keller Auditorium.

--Dillon Pilorget

503-294-5927
Walk into any booth in any antique market and you're bound to find some unusual stuff.

Multiply that by about 900 and you've got the Portland Antique & Collectible Show, where the prevalence of strange finds increases exponentially.

Strolling through the booths filling up the Portland Expo Center Saturday, it was easy to spot the kind of obscure objects that make you stop and look for a moment.

Here are some of the oddest knickknacks and trinkets to be seen at the show.

-South African soldier toys, a far cry from the plastic army men we know today: $135.

-An oversized bust of Ronald McDonald letting out his inner Gene Simmons of the rock band KISS: $595.

-A Boy Scout Morse code kit: $50.

-A 1920s souvenir penguin from the Oregon Caves that waddles when on a downhill slope: $34.

-The Kennedys board game. It's quite like Clue, except you're playing in the White House and for prestige rather than to solve a murder: $60.

-A Reginaphone, circa 1900, which plays records or metal music box discs out of a big horn: more than $3,000.

-A goat bag, which is not for carrying a goat, but made from tying off the legs of a goat's lower body skin. With no cutting or stitching, it's still in the shape of the goat that gave it: $60.

-A clown head trash can topper from a San Francisco amusement park: $650.

-A vintage bar of soap from the Disneyland Hotel (the happiest soap on Earth): $6.

-Tiny soda and beer bottles filled with colored water. Perfect for taking through airport security: $2 each.

-A Vietnam-era U.S. jet fighter helmet. Hand-taped by the pilot for individuality, it resembles a rebel pilot helmet from "Star Wars": $200.

-The Beatles nesting dolls. Poor Ringo ends up the smallest, as you might expect: $29.

-A button that reads, "I'm afraid to go home in the dark": $23.50.

-A yellow stop sign, which was common before the 1950s, when red came to be the standard: $150.

-A bear skin: $225

-A Lone Ranger toy pistol: $30.

-A Donny Osmond doll. No sign of Marie: $40.

-Barbie and Ken, "Star Trek" edition: $25.

-Hillary and Bill Clinton draft pillows for blocking wind from sneaking under doors: $25 for Hillary, $45 for Bill.

These kooky collectibles can be yours at the Antique and Collectible Show, continuing Sunday, March 6, at the Portland Expo Center, 2060 N. Marine Dr. Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for kids.

--Dillon Pilorget

503-294-5927
Staton.JPG

Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton, in a file photo from 2011.

(Benjamin Brink/Staff)

Portland police in recent years have struggled to explain shootings of unarmed suspects and fought the perception that African American citizens are at risk if engaged at all by the police. That's to say nothing of rising fear nationally that law enforcement agencies, from Ferguson to Detroit to Staten Island, use excessive force in their transactions with citizens of color. Perhaps the biggest game-change along the way has been the adoption by many police departments of video cams worn by officers to record encounters with civilians -- a desperate action to provide documentation to help sort things out later. Law enforcement officers at town, city, county and state levels struggle as never before to signal they are fair and possessed of good judgment.

Now the credibility of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office is on the line -- again. This time, the complication involves Sheriff Dan Staton, appointed in 2009 and reelected in 2014, but accused of gender and racial bias.

He is accused in a tort claim filed by former Lt. Brent Ritchie of reassigning Ritchie to a professional role of insignificance after reporting to Staton the results of an internal audit showing 40 percent of use-of-force incidents were withstood by black inmates, who account for only 27 percent of the county's jail population -- an eyebrow-raising outcome. Meanwhile, former sheriff's office analyst Amanda Lamb may have lost her job last year because of the findings she'd calculated in the use-of-force audit, a report in Willamette Week argues.

Separately, Staton was the subject of a claim by Chief Deputy Linda Yankee that Staton had created a hostile workplace by making sexually inappropriate comments and denigrating statements about the physical appearances of numerous county leaders -- and then demanding silence. Separately again, Staton was accused of conducting background checks on members of a charter review committee tasked with recommending whether the sheriff's office would be best served by an elected or appointed sheriff. Staton is opposed to the latter, Aimee Green of The Oregonian/OregonLive reported, and is accused of having made menacing comments about the committee's members.

http://media.oregonlive.com/opinion_impact/photo/agenda-2013jpg-da8a3522a991b9c6.jpg

Editorial Agenda 2016



Get Oregon centered

Better leadership in education

Make Portland a city that works

Build Oregon prosperity

Protect and expand personal freedom

Get pot right

_______________________________

Not since the mess brought by former county sheriff Bernie Giusto, found to have lied about having an affair with the wife of former Oregon Gov. Neil Goldschmidt while Giusto provided security to Goldschmidt, has the sheriff's office been so beset by bad press and useless expense. Staton's swift settlement with Yankee alone claims nearly $300,000 from his budget, while Yankee remains on paid leave through her 2017 retirement, Emily E. Smith of The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Now the cops are understandably mad. The Oregon State Fraternal Order of Police issued a statement last week in which it asked: "Should the sheriff continue to be sheriff or should he step down?" Worried about holding onto the public's trust in law enforcement, the association concluded: "The alleged inappropriate behavior of the current sheriff should not reflect negatively on the professionalism of the rest of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office."

Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury wisely sought an investigation of Staton, and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum promptly launched a criminal probe. This must not, however, be drawn-out. The Staton mess needs cleaning up fast. The state's Department of Justice should briskly dissect what Staton did and did not do and report fully this year -- preferably in a few months.

The Multnomah Sheriff's Office should not withstand more theater. Neither should county residents, who pay the bills and reasonably expect credibility, as well as effectiveness, in return. Delay hurts Portland as trust between civilians and law enforcement is rebuilt.

This report corrects the record for Amanda Lamb, who declined to speak to Willamette Week as the publication prepared a report arguing she may have lost her job for her work on the use-of-force audit.
Malheur, private enterprise: We recently purchased Simpson doors for our home remodel. To my amazement, the doors were made in China. Simpson has stated that they must source their less-expensive models from other countries in order to be competitive. Simpson also recently sold off a number of their lumber mills to larger companies, some to a Canadian firm. Hundreds of rural Northwest jobs have been lost.

This started me thinking about recent discussions during the Malheur occupation of job losses in eastern Oregon. Lots of people claimed that the federal government mismanages public lands, limiting lumber supplies, grazing lands and other resources, directly leading to job losses and depressed economies in rural areas. These folks stated that federal lands should be given back to the states or counties (local folks) so they can revive rural economies. However, just like the feds, local folks will have to rely on private enterprise to generate jobs and incomes from these resources. Likely these enterprises will include corporate interests like Simpson, where the bottom line is more important than the employees or communities that built these companies.

Wake up, folks. The feds are not always the problem; I believe it is corporate control of our economic and political systems and our trade policies. Until we limit that control, profits from our federal lands will end up in the hands of the top 1 percent, not local communities, and the amazing benefits of our lands and resources will be lost forever to all U.S. citizens.

Gary Wade

The Dalles
Photo by The Associated Press

Homeless in Gresham? Not along the Springwater Corridor: Editorial Agenda 2016

Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis is drawing a hard line and restricting a 60-acre stretch around the Springwater Corridor from any and all human activity, as homeless campers have overtaken the area, the editorial board writes. But Greshams actions must be coordinated with other governments to truly address the problem.

'Despite his celebrations of the capacities of local government to get things done, Bemis was plain with the editorial board in saying, correctly, that lasting solutions to the homeless challenge cannot be hatched town-by-town,' the editorial states. 'One town's action may create consequences for its neighbors.' Read the editorial here.

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Photo by Laura Frazier/Staff

Portland families deserve better answers on PPS administrators' salaries: Editorial Agenda 2016

An audit that was to look at Portland Public Schools administrators salaries falls far short of what school board members want to know, but it still reveals some concerning practices, the editorial board writes. The district lacks clear policies and fails to adequately document raises, showing once again that the district makes things up as it goes.

'One board member, Julie Esparza Brown, is already calling for the board to lift the salary freeze that the board imposed on central administration staff  not on principals, teachers or others in schools  as it waited for results of the audit,' the editorial states. 'To lift the salary freeze would ignore the calls for greater transparency by PPS families, whose concerns have only grown in recent months as they learn of the severe inequities that the district has allowed to fester across schools.' Read the editorial here.

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Helen Jung | hjung@oregonian.com

Jules Bailey, Ted Wheeler fail leadership test: Editorial Agenda 2016

Portland voters have a right to be disappointed after a planned debate between the two leading mayoral candidates and hosted by The Oregonian/OregonLive was abruptly cancelled. Security concerns prompted The Oregonian/OregonLive to cancel the live audience, but the two mayoral candidates also declined to go through with the debate in a controlled setting that would have streamed their discussion.

'We were certainly willing to make it work, and a pair of candidates who truly wanted to follow through on their commitment to voters  to hold a substantive debate  would have done so as well,' the editorial states. These are, after all, experienced politicians, and they'd been preparing for a debate Monday in any case. Their eagerness to pull out suggests, rather, that they were looking for the slightest excuse to cancel their involvement in what had become a controversial event.' Read the editorial here.

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Photo by The Associated Press

Portland Public Schools threatening letter to parent-critic shows the real bully: Editorial Agenda 2016

Portland Public Schools General Counsel Jollee Patterson, and Human Resources Director Sean Murray went too far in issuing a threatening letter to one parent who has often criticized the district, the editorial board writes. It raises even more questions considering that the critic has uncovered several embarrassing situations for the district, including double-digit raises to several top administrators.

'That the district would have two highly paid administrators  Patterson's annual salary is $127,890 for less than full-time work while Murray's is $148,276  spend any time trying to police the speech of one of its most effective critics only proves the point that Sordyl has made time and time again: This district has serious problems,' the editorial states.' Read the editorial here.

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Photo by The Associated Press

Will Peter Courtney save the day - and his institution? Editorial

Sen. Peter Courtney should take a stand against the rushed and exclusionary process that shaped a coal-phaseout bill and tell the advocates to come back next session, the editorial board writes. The last-minute change that reduces consumer protections is only one of several reasons the bill should not advance.

'Only days will remain before the conclusion of the short session,' the editorial states. 'Courtney and his colleagues know perfectly well that this bill is an affront both to government transparency and the ostensible purpose of short legislative sessions: making budget adjustments and considering legislation that can't wait for full-length sessions. Courtney must be appalled.' Read the editorial here.

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Photo by Denis Theriault/Staff

The bipartisan push to end DHS' culture of do-nothing: Editorial

The bipartisan and unanimous passage of Senate Bill 1515 is a testament to how badly the Department of Human Services needs to be fixed, the editorial board writes. The potential for criminal charges for those who fail to take action on behalf of children in the states care should send a strong message to DHS that its culture of doing nothing must end.

'It's more than a little appalling that legislators would have to threaten possible criminal prosecution to motivate people to do their jobs,' the editorial states. 'But as demoralizing as that is, (Sen. Sara) Gelser's statement, the bill's bipartisan approval and the governor's support all show the strength and unity of leaders' commitment to protecting the health and safety of children in Oregon's care.' Read the editorial here.

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Oregonian/OregonLive file photo

In arts tax vote, Steve Novick gets biblical and Dan Saltzman remains sensible: Editorial Agenda 2016

Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman was the lone person to vote against shielding the identities of those who pay the reviled tax from disclosure, the editorial board writes. Its the latest effort to protect a poorly constructed tax from public scrutiny, rather than allow the public to take a new vote.

'We keep writing about it because the tax  from its origins to its continuing evolution  provides a window into the way Portland government works,' the editorial states. 'Every once in a while, it's useful for taxpayers to look through it.' Read the editorial here.

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Oregonian/OregonLive file photo

Allen Alley's possible candidacy, new cab company thanks to Uber: Editorial peaks and (no) valleys

The peaks in this week's news include the possible entry of former Oregon Republican party chairman Alley Alley into the governor's race. The editorial board also notes as highlights for the week the founding of a new Somali-owned taxi company, an opportunity created by Uber's entry into Portland, and the passage of a bill that increases the state lodging tax.

Why is it good news that Alley may run? 'Because competition reveals the best qualities and weaknesses in candidates,' the editorial states. 'And because Gov. Kate Brown, who stepped into office to backfill for John Kitzhaber, would otherwise go insufficiently tested: on the issues, on leadership style, on long-term vision. After months of hearing vigorous debate, voters would be better positioned to decide on a leader whose economic, educational and environmental propositions show the most promise." Read the editorials here.
A Midland author has written a fictional autobiography as a way to explore the reasons that things dont seem to function like they should in our democracy.

In her book Crush! Crush! Crush! Heads, I win. Tails, you die! Jean Sarantos takes the point of view of a member of the 1 percent who is lounging on his yacht in the Mediterranean to avoid Floridas hurricane season and begins to ponder why he is so wealthy.

This character - named Yachta Yachta Yachta - starts presenting his points of view on various things, and these views are contrasted with those of another character, known as Z, Sarantos said in a recent interview.

Sarantos will be signing copies of her book Saturday at Journeys Coffee House, 201 Main St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The book also is available in paperback and Kindle formats at Amazon.com

The retired educator spent nearly two years researching and writing the book and has 150 citations to support the narrative she has written. But rather than regurgitate whats been said in the media and in books, she decided to present the information using the fictional autobiography and commentary format.

The back and forth gives (readers) an opportunity to think about it  They can come up with their own conclusions, Sarantos said.

She feels that citizens, including me, want answers to two questions: What the heck is going on? and Why?

The 1 percent have controlled our political leaders through campaign donations, Sarantos said. They use dollars to back candidates and have their point of view expressed.

People with power use it to get what they want and maintain what they want, she said. What we have now is money influencing and taking control of all avenues of our democracy.

This is why we dont have accountability and end up with things like the Flint water crisis.

A press release from Sarantos said the book reveals the inner thinking and overt actions of the very powerful and wealthy wherever they exist anywhere throughout the world and throughout history.

In the book, she sums up the philosophy of this group in this way:

I am a predator. You are my prey. I take whatever I want. I route the flow of wealth from you to me. I suppress all efforts to challenge me. If you resist, I will crush you.

The books chapters, which Sarantos said can be read as stand-alone units, address topics including privatization, profits, foreign affairs, the media and dark money. The text is illustrated with several cartoon drawings done by a friend.

In the final chapter, Battle to Take Back our Democracy, Sarantos offers some thoughts on reform.

I wanted to have something positive, she said.

For Sarantos, the key is not just sitting back or going to vote or not voting, but to intervene in the primary process and get people committed to campaign finance reform.

Otherwise, she said, youre not going to get legislators in there who want to change anything.

Sarantos said groups are organizing around the nation to have an impact early in the political process.

She has formed a group called CARPERS United, with CARPERS standing for Citizens Arise! Responsible People Enact Responsible Solutions.

Sarantos has deep roots in Midland - her parents owned the M&S Cafe on Main Street until they retired in the 1970s.

It was an inspiration to all of us five kids - we didnt want to get into the restaurant business, she quipped.

Shes a Midland High School graduate, and she praised her teachers there who taught me how to write, and write correctly. She earned a B.A. in political science from Michigan State University and an M.A. in political science from the University of Michigan.

Her 36 years in education include a stint at Westfield State College in Massachusetts, where she was named Professor of the Year for Academic Excellence, and 30 years in public education in Saginaw.

Several years ago she published another book, It Takes a Potemkin Village (To Raise a Childs Test Scores), which is currently out of print.

To read more about Sarantos and her book, visit www.jeansarantos.com.
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More than 200 people gathered on a cold and snowy Saturday morning to donate their time, along with a few dollars, to help keep families warm in their communities.

The 2016 Walk for Warmth, a multiple event winter tradition, challenges people to donate funds to help those less fortunate pay their heating bills during the winter months. Proceeds go to the Mid Michigan Community Action Agency Emergency Utility Assitance Program. The event is sponsored by the Mid Michigan Community Action Agency (MMCAA) and Consumers Energy.

CrookedThreads.com, Chemical Bank, Michael Oil & Propance, Molina Healthcare, DTE Energy and the Trivalent Group also helped to sponsor the event.

This is the events 25th year, and it continues to grow, according to Lauren Fowlkes, communications specialist for the MMCAA.

This is one of our biggest events, Fowlkes said. Midland always has a good turnout. She said the MMCAA hopes to bring in $75,000 in donations from all area Walks for Warmth in 2016.

The walkers gathered at 9 a.m. at the Midland Center for the Arts, and after registration, they enjoyed live music by The Saviors Army in the Saints and Sinners Longue. A short time later, everyone bundled up to make the trek down Eastman Avenue to the corner of Eastman Avenue and Sugnet Road. The walkers were treated to door prizes, and a chance to win a raffle after the walk.

Although the walk was a quick one, the spirit, along with the donations, were very real.

We brought in about $9,800, and thats before the Consumers Energy matching, Fowlkes said. She went on to say that one walker brought in almost $250 in donations, with another walker at $835. The largest amount generated by one walker was $1,840.

Thats amazing, Fowlkes said. Midland is very supportive of this event.

Brian Wheeler, a spokesman with media relations for Consumers Energy, said the energy company has a long tradition of its employees participating in the annual walk, as well as donating their time and resources to other community causes.

As a company, we have really gotten behind it, he said of Walk for Warmth. We always match dollar for dollar what our employees raise. He added that all funds generated by the walkers, along with the matched funds from Consumers Energy, go to help keep people warm in Michigan communities.

None of this money goes to administrative costs. It all goes to assistance, he said.

Wheeler said the need to help families with heating bills is a constant, but the last few hard winters have really had an impact on those struggling to stay warm and safe in their own homes.

We estimate that about one in five of our customers have some sort of needs, Wheeler said. The walk and events like it can really bring awareness on the issue.

The walkers came from all walks of life: students, senior citizens and whole families bundled up to do their part for Walk for Warmth.

Volunteer Natasha Fortie said she has been involved for the last eight years.

I walk every year, she said. It helps the community and it provides heat to those people who need it. Her two children, Ashlin and Jaden, came with their mother.

Mom, I want to go on the walk, Jaden, 5, said to his mother as he tugged on her belt.

They are really excited to walk, she said, laughing.

Sarah Dodick, an advisor with the Midland High School Key Club, along with co-advisor Jeff Yoder, met with half a dozen students who signed up for the walk.

We always want them to understand the impact of giving back to the community, she said of the students. And a lot of these kids are doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. We have kids who donate an enormous amount of time to the community.

Midland High School senior Mandy Brock said this was her first Walk for Warmth, but she would like to try it again next year.

I was interested in what the walk was like so I wanted to try it, she said. She said the Key Club has allowed her to try her hand at all kinds of community service projects, like helping prepare meals at Shelterhouse once a month.

Fellow Key Club member Jared Engwis said 2016 was his first event as well.

I want to help the community, and get some volunteer hours as well, the junior said.

Sophmore Zach Noel said the event sounded good, and he didnt mind getting out of bed on a Saturday morning to give something back.

I heard about it through Key Club and I thought it was interesting, he said.

Friends Ann Rau and Janet Baranek wanted to help out their community, as well as their employer, Consumers Energy, by trudging out in the cold.

We just want to make a positive impact on the community, Rau, who works as a close out specialist, said.

Baranek agreed.

I think as a community we need to support our customers as best as we can. Some of us are doing well right now and others are struggling, she said. It is a small investment in time for us but pays off big for people who need help.

Midland resident Jeanne Schaller said she has been taking part in the Walk for Warmth event for several years.

Oh, I think about 15 years, she said with a laugh.

When asked what has kept her coming back year after year, Schaller was quick with an answer.

I am here because it helps people out in the community, she said. Our children do not need to be cold.

Fowlkes summed up the importance of the event, as well as something some people may take for granted.

You cant go without it, Fowlkes said. There are senior citizens that go without heat, mothers with babies. You have to have it.

For more information about donating and upcoming Walk for Warmth events, visit www.mmcaa.org and www.consumersenergy.com.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP)  Ted Cruz cinched double-barreled victories in Kansas and Maine, and battled Donald Trump for Kentucky in Saturday's four-state round of Republican voting, fresh evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president.

Kansas Democrats gave Bernie Sanders a win, as voters in three states chose between the Vermont senator and Hillary Clinton.

"God bless Kansas," Cruz declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days. "The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together."

The Texas senator defeated Trump by more than a 2-to-1 margin in Kansas, and early returns showed he and Trump were in a tight races for Kentucky. Cruz, a tea party favorite, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a "manifestation of a real shift in momentum."

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.

In Maine, Cruz won a comfortable margin over Trump. Republicans also were voting in Louisiana on Saturday.

On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Kansas party officials announced that Sanders had won the state's caucuses, but did not release a tally of the vote. Democrats also were voting Saturday in Nebraska and Louisiana.

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

Count Wichita's Barb Berry among those who propelled Cruz to victory in Kansas, where GOP officials reported extremely high turnout. It was Cruz' fifth win of the nominating race. Cruz had won Alaska, Oklahoma, Iowa and his home state of Texas.

"I believe that he is a true fighter for conservatives," said Berry, a 67-year-old retired AT&T manager. As for Trump, Berry said, "he is a little too narcissistic."

It was anger that propelled many of Trump's voters to the polls.

"It's my opportunity to revolt," said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because "he's not bought and paid for."

Overall, Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturday's voting. Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.

On the Democratic side, Clinton hoped that strong support among African-Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Vermonter Sanders, trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Nebraska, said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

"I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning," she said.

Heading into Saturday's voting, Clinton had 1,066 delegates to Sanders' 432, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Clinton and Sanders both campaigned in Michigan, a sign of the importance both attach to the state's primary on Tuesday.

Clinton met with about 20 African-American ministers in Detroit and said "the future" of the Supreme Court was on the ballot in November's general election.

Sanders, at a rally in suburban Warren, stressed his opposition to "disastrous" trade agreements that he said cost U.S. jobs. He's hoping his emphasis on reducing income inequality plays well in a state hit hard over the years by shifting economic trends and globalization.

In the overall race for GOP delegates, including partial results for Kansas, Trump led with 338 and Cruz had 254. Rubio had 115 delegates and Kasich had 25.

Cruz will collect at least 23 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas, Trump at least nine and Rubio at least five.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.
Really, Harry Reid, really?

Reid, the Senate Minority Leader, has written an Op-Ed in the Washington Post that essentially calls upon the Senate Republicans to set aside their partisan politics and approve any candidate that President Barack Obama sends their way as a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court.

He says it is their constitutional duty.

This constitutional duty has transcended partisan battles because it is essential to the basic functioning of our co-equal branches of government. By ignoring its constitutional mandate, the Senate would sabotage the highest court in the United States and aim a procedural missile at the foundation of our system of checks and balances, he wrote.

It seems odd that Republicans would be receiving constitutional advice the likes of Reid, arguably the worst Majority Leader this country has ever seen. Reid is the architect of a plan that produced four straight years of no budgets in the Senate, something that violated federal law and which allowed Democrats not to vote on anything that might have been a bit touchy with the public.

Reid, who was Majority Leader when President Barack Obama traded taxpayer dollars for votes on Obamacare legislation, is also the architect of a plan that assured that Republicans would not have any say in legislation for four years, or until the GOP captured the Senate in 2014.

These facts lead me to believe that Reid knows little about duty. But he knows a lot about political manipulation.

In this case, however, I believe he is confused. He seems to think that the Senates constitutional duty is to approve any candidate Obama chooses.

He writes, It is easy to get caught up in the partisan swirl of an election year, but I would urge my Republican colleagues to remember that the consequences of blocking any nominee, regardless of merits, would hang over their heads for the rest of their careers.

That is not the case. The Senates job is to advise the president on his choice of nominee, which fortunately or unfortunately, might include rejecting that nominee if the nominee is as liberal as one of his past two appointments, Sonia Sotomayor.

I dont believe in Majority Leader Mitch McConnells stance that no nominee gets a hearing, as he reiterated Tuesday after a meeting with Obama. Instead, the GOP should adopt the stance that liberal attorney Alan Dershowitz espoused in a television interview last week, essentially that if Obama were to nominate a moderate candidate, then Republicans should debate the merits of that candidate and hold a vote.

The Washington Post reported last week that the Obama administration was considering Brian Sandoval, the moderate Republican governor of Nevada, as Scalias replacement. Sandoval has since withdrawn.

While I doubt Obama would nominate a Republican, or even a moderate, if it comes to pass McConnell should drop his obstructionist position and consider the candidate on his merits.

To do less would make Reids column seem prophetic.

Ralph E. Wirtz is a freelance writer and the former managing editor of the Daily News.
Yes You Can @ the Library! is the theme for the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library. Throughout March and April, there are many entertaining and educational activities you can participate in at the library. These events demonstrate that a library houses more than just books. Its also a place to gather, learn and have fun.

All ages are invited to attend an open house on Saturday, March 19, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be a scavenger hunt, a craft activity for kids, a coloring corner for adults, help to research your family tree, used books for sale, green screen video at MCTV and a chance to win a Kindle Fire.

The night before the open house, on Friday, March 18, the library will host an Underground Disco for children ages six months to seven years and their families. The dance and game party starts at 6:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, March 22, teens are invited to attend a Comic Book Workshop at 6:30 p.m. Comic book authors and artists from the Michigan Comics Collective will help teens make a one-page comic of their own.

In this presidential election year, you can learn about Michigans only president, Gerald R. Ford. On Thursday, April 7, at 7 p.m., Jim Kratas, the deputy director of the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, will speak about President Ford and the renovation currently underway at the museum.

World War I is the focus of a one-day conference at the library on Saturday, April 9, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. This centennial recognition assesses the causes and consequences of the war. The conference is presented by the Midland County Historical Society, the library, and Saginaw Valley State University with support from the Michigan Humanities Council. Tickets are available at the Center for the Arts.

Also on April 9, there will be a free teen book discussion about Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne at 1:15 p.m. in Youth Services.

Whats become a library tradition will be held on Wednesday, April 13, at 2 p.m. The National Library Week Tea will feature Jennifer Schultz. Her topic is doll collecting, specifically dolls from the 1940s and 1950s. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 7. The cost is $7.

Theres still time to register for the second Adult Battle of the Books. Register your team by March 14. The cost is $10 per person. Why let the kids have all the fun? Adults will compete on Saturday evening, April 16. There are five books to read and digest before the big contest.

Also on April 16, you can show off your talent during the Friends of MCTV Shining Stars Talent Show at MCTV from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. You get five minutes to show your stuff.

Details on these activities, how to register and more can be found on the advertising wrapper in this Sundays newspaper. You can also find this information in the librarys newsletter, the Library Connection, or on-line at the librarys website at www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/library. Come and enjoy all the library offers because Yes You Can @ the Library!

Ron Beacom is manager of MCTV and library communications.
BLOOMINGTON  The biggest challenge for the candidates for a District 2 seat on the McLean County Board may be letting voters know they're running.

Of five candidates for the seat, four  Diane Benjamin of Ellsworth, Scott Murphy of Downs, Garth Nicholas of Heyworth and Mike Sumner of Downs  are write-in candidates. The fifth is Matt Sorensen, who resigned from the board after filing closed and hasn't said whether he'll serve if elected.

The primary election is March 15. The winner advances to the general election in November; no Democrat has filed for the District 2 seat.

Sorensen resigned the seat  and the board's chairmanship  after the release of a federal indictment accusing him of defrauding State Farm.

Benjamin

Benjamin said her campaign is about "three T's: taxes, transparency and teamwork.

Every single little bit of spending the county does needs to be reassessed," she said. Thats where my experience with finance and accounting would come in handy.

Benjamin said she's had difficulty getting the county to provide accessible, comprehensive records of spending.

Asked whether her website, blnnews.com, could negatively affect her ability to work with board members, Benjamin said "I have yet to hear anything about it. She's publicly criticized District 5 Republican representative David Selzer and other local political figures.

I guess you could say, 'People that live in glass houses (shouldn't throw stones),' she said.

Murphy

Murphy was appointed to finish the term last month. He said that makes him the best candidate.

I can hit the ground running... because I will have already been through these issues," he said.

Murphy, a farmer, serves on the property committee, which is overseeing the upcoming jail expansion.

Of restoring public faith in the board following Sorensen's resignation, Murphy said there is really nothing that can be done because indeed nothings happened."

I dont see anything I can do other than just doing the best job I can, he said.

Nicholas

Nicholas said finances and transparency are the most important issues to him.

The county probably is going to be facing some fiscal challenges with reduced aid from the state and federal government, he said. I as a fiscal conservative want to see the county continue to hold the line on property tax increases.

Part of that could be offering services to surrounding counties, Nicholas said, including housing outside prisoners in the jail and offering space to residents of other counties in the McLean County Nursing Home.

Of transparency, Nicholas said he hopes to be available to District 2 residents.

Ive been told (board members) dont return calls," he said.

Sumner

Sumner, a public safety trustee in Downs, said he wants to help the county establish better emergency management practices.

We have a lot of tornado activity and high wind activity, and to not have a real good reaction plan in place is something I think someone should work on right away, he said. It affects everybody, whether youre in the country or downtown Bloomington.

Of Sorensen, Sumner said he "is innocent until proven guilty, and the best way for voters to know their government is trustworthy is to research candidates.

If the people elect people who transparently have good backgrounds the people should feel pretty confident, he said.
Kanye West didn't look too thrilled to be sitting next to estranged mother-in-law Kris Jenner at the Balmain Fashion Show during Paris Fashion Week. Photographers had a good view of the awkward situation since the Kardashian matriarch and the hip hop recording artist were seated in the front row.

Yeezy kept his hood up all throughout the show. He also seemed very distressed and agitated. Kris, meanwhile, didn't reciprocate her son-in-law's hostile display.

The two were present during the event to support Kendall and fashion designer Olivier Rousteing. Kim stayed at home to look after two-year-old daughter North and two-month-old son Saint.

Dr. Lillian Glass, a body language expert, told Radar Online via Mirror that Kanye was visibly frustrated while Kris looked like she couldn't care less. Glass concluded that there's clearly something wrong with Kanye and Kris isn't keen on giving him the support he needs.

"What I am seeing throughout all of these photos is that Kris is not reaching out to him physically. Instead, she has her hands on herself," Glass explained. "She is not satisfying Kanye emotionally or reaching out to him like a mother would. She is only concerned about herself."

Referring to a photo showing Kanye bowing down while Kris had her head up high and laughing, the expert said, "This photo is very disturbing. He is very angry, upset and distraught and is the only one in the entire audience looking like this."

Kanye's outrageous Twitter rants might have something to do with the pair's recent animosity. The rapper has been receiving flak the past few months for his crude and attention-seeking remarks.

Kris has vehemently asked her son-in-law to get his act together and seek therapy. She wants Kanye to hire a social media specialist to advise him on what to tweet and what not to tweet. Kris believes Yeezy has a trouble expressing himself properly, as per ET Online.

During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on Tuesday, the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" vet revealed, "There have been days where there should be a no tweeting law and I feel like I will ground him."
New-generation mothers have turned away from the traditional way of seeking parenting help from relatives or family members. Writer Andrea Mara claimed more moms are counting on parenting forums online to ask for guidance on how to deal with their kids.

In an Irish Examiner report, Mara said these types of discussion online help mothers who love far from their families and those who do not have anyone to consult when it comes to parenting. She claimed that parenting sites and forums have been a blessing to many.

"It's like a room, but online, where you can chat with other people in similar situations," said Lucy O'Connor, a mother to three children. She added that the first time she checked online parenting sites was when she was pregnant with her first born.

"You feel like you're not alone," O'Connor told Irish Examiner. "I was able to chat with someone who had a baby two days before me, so she was going through the exact same issues. You feel a sense of camaraderie, and even if you're sitting on your own - you don't feel so isolated," she added.

One good example of this is Babble, a parenting website that publishes informative articles about pregnancy, giving birth and raising babies. It also provides experiences of other parents who share their experiences and stories on the site.

However, counselling psychologist Sinead Benn claimed that there can also be negative effects with seeking parenting help online. Irish Examiner claimed that this hinders family members, especially children to socialize with other people.

"If your community is all online, your children don't get the benefit of seeing you interact with other people, or of meeting adults who are interested in their lives like the neighbour who will ask them how school was today," she noted. Benn claimed that personal interaction is still vital in building relationships, though online sites could be easy-to-access parenting resources for moms.
There is no question that one of the most wonderful weddings would be between a royal and a royal, and just like the old days it would be a big celebration. Recently, the Swedish royal family announced some good news to the world, this is the birth of a new prince, Prince Oscar, second child of Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden. Rumor has it that the British royal family is looking at pairing Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel's daughter and son to their very own bundle of joy.

According to some reports, Prince William and Kate Middleton who have two beautiful children of their own, Prince George and Princess Charlotte is looking at the possibility of the unification of their children to the royals of Sweden. Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel have a daughter who is just 18 months older than Prince George and it seems like they can become suitable playdates.

For Kate Middleton and Prince William's daughter, Princess Charlotte, Prince Oscar of Sweden would also be a suitable playdate, seeing that they have a closer age difference than that of the older two royals. It seems like it could be possible but there are no assurances, after all there is always something surprising about the royals.

Some royals of both the Swedish and the British monarchy would love to play match maker and have some royal to royal wedding in the future after numerous hubbub by some with Prince William marrying commoner Kate Middleton. But Prince William is not the only British royal who married a commoner, his father; Prince Charles as well married Camilla Parker-Bowles after some mighty disputes and backlash from the people of Britain.

As to any reality of the two royal families coming together, there is still no assurance, the children are young and they have a lot to discover.
Zimbabwe was hit by the worst drought the country has ever recorded. It causes around 3 million or 23 percent of the population to go hungry.

Zimbabwe has received very little rainfall at the end of January, it is less than 75 percent of what they are expected, according to George Kembo, director of Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Council during the signing ceremony of a $10 million donation made by the US government for hunger alleviation, as reported by NewsdzeZimbabwe.

"The Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (Zimvac) had initially said that about 1,5 million would be food insecure, a figure that rose to 2,8 million then the current three million. After all the preliminary work has been done, we do not expect the figure to rise significantly from this," Kembo said.

Harry Thomas, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, announced an additional $10 million during the event to aid the country's food security situation. Zimbabwe is now appealing to international donor community following the declaration of drought emergency as the need a prompt relief operation to prevent the crisis.

Eddie Rowe, director of World Food Programme said that a group of NGO's will discuss ways in reaching the affected areas to provide help next week, according to New Zimbabwe. "As you know, we are giving aid to 800 beneficiaries' in areas where crop harvest was poor and we are yet to discuss the current situation when we meet," said Rowe.

He said that they have the capacity to help all areas, however, the greatest challenge they have right now is the deployment of the resources. Rowe has been around the country to assess the situation personally to make sure that the help they are going to provide will give a good impact to solve the country's problem.

Meanwhile, the ministry of Agriculture revealed on a report that Zimbabwe has food supplies good for only three months. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) already received $35 million funding for drought relief, securing 600,000 rural Zimbabwean's enough food supplies to survive the drought.




Believe it or not, there are breweries outside of Other Half and Grimm making awesome beers in New York City. Sitting a few blocks away from the Barclays Center in the heart of Brooklyn is Threes Brewing. The setting is a triple threat: it serves as a bar, rotating restaurant, and most importantly a brewery. Led by co-founders Joshua Stylman, Justin Israelson and head brewer Greg Doroski, Threes has quietly made a name for themselves within the local beer community.

Recently, Threes released a new batch of Superf*ckingyawn, a beer I became familiar with about a year ago. I was at a bar in NYC when I saw them add Superf*ckingyawn to the tap list, and of course when you see a name like that, its only right to give it a shot. I remember being stoked that someone in my hometown had finally cracked the code of a high ABV hoppy beer that didnt taste like straight booze.

As I sat down recently with a fresh batch, I only hoped that I had not set my expectations too high.

The beer pours a golden color, almost entirely translucent, with little to no haze. All you neckbeards out there calm down; remember back to that time long ago (probably just two years) when we actually sought out beers that werent a hazy juice color? The name Superf*ckingyawn is actually intended to poke a fun at the current fixation the craft beer community has about Northeast hoppy beers.

When you see clear hoppy beers today, you automatically assume its a West Coast style and probably either a malt or pine bomb. The nose, however, is what threw me off; apparently, you cant always judge a beer by its color. The aroma is extremely floral, with hints of mangos, citrus and other tropical fruits (welcome back, beards).

While 9.5% ABV is big, this beer is anything but boozy; its almost dangerous how little booze you actually taste. Im hit with a ton of juice on the front end, followed by a tame pine bite on the back end. If the pour and aroma werent telling enough, the mouthfeel is what confirms it; Superf*ckingyawn could be a bigger version of Lawsons Sip of Sunshine. The same color, same nose, and almost the same mouthfeel. Threes has just increased the ABV by 1.5% without sacrificing any citrus.

You might be reading this and thinking, Great, you piqued my interest, but Im nowhere near NYC. Dont worry; while Threes is currently only on tap at the moment, they are planning to begin canning their beers this April, with Superf*ckingyawn being the fifth or sixth can release.

Brewery: Threes Brewing

City: Brooklyn, NY

Style: Imperial Pale Ale

ABV: 9.5%

Availability: Rotating

Jason Stein is a New York-based beer nerd. You can find more of his writing on NYC Beer Society.
In early February we posted a report titled "U.S. Treasury Secretary Calls on the EU Commission to reconsider their Tax Probes targeting U.S. Companies." At the time, EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who is in charge of competition policy, stated that "Tax rulings that artificially reduce a company's tax burden are not in line with EU state aid rules. They are illegal. I hope that, with today's decisions, this message will be heard by Member State governments and companies alike. All companies, big or small, multinational or not, should pay their fair share of tax." Was Apple on her mind? Of course, and Apple's CEO Tim Cook went to meet with Vestager week's later because the European Commission contends that Apple's corporate arrangement in Ireland allows it to calculate profits using more favorable accounting methods.

Last week Europe's antitrust chief rebuffed U.S. criticism of her pursuit of Apple, Amazon and other U.S. companies over their tax deals, saying she was just doing her job to ensure a level playing field in the 28-country bloc.

CNBC reported that Vestager said her investigations were not intended to challenge the U.S. tax system or bilateral tax agreements. "The Commission has the duty to ensure that these rules are applied in a non-discriminatory manner by excluding preferential treatment in any form that constitutes incompatible state aid," Vestager said. "This does not put into question the U.S. taxation system or go against double taxation treaties concluded by EU member states."

But the U.S. isn't happy about the way Europe is ignoring their complaints. It's now being reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the U.S. Treasury Department is "closely" reviewing a never-used 82-year-old law that would impose retaliatory double taxes on European Union companies and individuals.

The law is being investigated following objections from the Treasury and a bipartisan group of senators to the European Commission's 'state aid' investigations, which the U.S. officials contend disproportionately target U.S. firms in an effort to claw back European tax breaks.

The retaliatory double tax represents the most concreteand confrontationalway the U.S. could respond to the EU investigations.

The Treasury said it is studying Section 891 of the Internal Revenue Code, which allows the president to double U.S. taxes on individuals and corporations from countries that are deemed to have subjected U.S. citizens and companies to "discriminatory or extraterritorial taxes." Read the full WSJ report here for more details.

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As Donald Trump continues his journey to become the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, he enjoys support from many disparate groups. As he reminded us after his victory in Nevada, Trump enthusiastically said, we won with the young, we won with old, we won with highly educated, we won with poorly educated, we are the smartest people, the most loyal people..and 46% were the Hispanics. However, there is one group that supports Trump in higher than expected numbersEvangelicals. I love the Evangelicals has been a (re)current and continuing theme throughout his campaign, especially after his endorsement from Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University.

Trumps support from evangelicals has not gone unnoticed. In short, they wonder aloud how Trump is winning the evangelical vote. In a series of what I call Why Evangelicals Are Supporting Trump articles, pundits give several reasons. As early as July 2015, a week after Trump announced his candidacy, David Brody of Christian Broadcast Network explained that both Trump and conservative evangelicals both operate in a world of absolutes. Donald Trump, he writes, operates in a world of absolutes: A world of right and wrong; a world of winners (him) and losers (McCain, Perry, etc); a world of put up or shut up (literally). Trumps world is colored in black and white. There aint much grey. And what does Trump get for speaking out so boldly without holding back? Public ridicule.

He likens this public ridicule to what conservative evangelicals get when they champion their biblical values because according to Brody, their mindset is much the same. It is a world of absolutes. He writes that conservatives evangelicals belief in the bible as the inerrant word of God, their belief in salvation through Jesus, their beliefs in spiritual warfare (good vs. evil), leads to many of them receiving public ridicule as well. Brody argues that Trump and evangelicals are breaking bread together because there is this common bond. They like his boldness. They relate to him because when theyve been bold about their faith they get blasted too. Its a kinship in a strange sort of way.

In a story in the Washington Examiner, the writer quotes conservative religious leaders support for Trump because Trump is tapping into deep-seated anger in America, a nation founded by Christians for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith. Hes tapping into something at the grassroots, precinct level of America. America is starving for moral, principled leadership. I hope that Donald Trump brings that.

Others like Trumps seemly unwavering support to protect Christians. In an interview with the aforementioned Brody, Trump proclaimed, the Christians are being treated horribly because we have nobody to represent the Christians. Believe me, if I run and I win, I will be the greatest representative of the Christians theyve had in a long time.

Back in August of 2015, Daily Beast writer Betsy Woodruff suggested that people should not have been surprised at evangelical support for Trump. She wrote

Turns out, Trump has been courting the evangelical vote for quite some time. The Donald J. Trump Foundation has made donations to evangelical groups like Iowas The Family Leader ($10,000 in 2013, PDF), Samaritans Purse ($10,000 in 2013, PDF) and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ($100,000 in 2012, PDF), according to IRS forms posted on Guidestar.org.

Elizabeth Bruenig at the New Republic argued that evangelicals support Trump because among other reasons, Trump has been a thoroughgoing antagonist of President Obama, who is in some evangelical imaginations the anti-Christ; he has a certain machismo, which appeals to evangelicals disgruntled with the feminized state of our culture; hes somehow fused issues of religious liberty in America (think lawsuits over wedding cakes) with issues of religious persecution abroad (think ISIS slaughtering Christians and Yazidis).

Pastor Robert Jeffress wrote on the reason why Trump was doing so well with evangelicals. He suggested that among many things, evangelicals are realists. In a perfect world, he reasoned, evangelicals would love a truly born-again candidate who possesses both a maturity of faith and all the requisite leadership skills necessary to solve the nations ills. But as they survey the landscape of seventeen possibilities, a majority of evangelicals cannot find one candidate whom they believe possesses both attributes. Further he wrote:

As evangelicals see America careening downward toward a devastating crash, they are willing to bifurcate leadership responsibilities for the well-being of our country. They are looking to the Church to lead our nation to the spiritual renewal that we so desperately need, but a growing number are searching for a president who has both the leadership skills and tenacity to solve our countrys practical problems such as the immigration dilemma and our economic stagnation.

Gary Scott Smith writing for Newsweek contends that its the overall message that Trump delivers that evangelicals find appealing. Various pundits conclude, he writes, that evangelicals (and many other political and social conservatives) find Trumps blunt, bold statementsincluding his willingness to stand up to the hostile, secular mediaand his messages to be attractive, especially his strong criticisms of the Republican establishment and Obamas approach to immigration and foreign policy. Their sense of alienation from the mainstream political process also fuels evangelicals support of Trump.

He argues that most evangelicals, of course, like Trumps pro-life position and opposition to same-sex marriage. They also resonate with Trumps promises to defend the religious liberty of Christians and to fight to keep Christianity from being further removed from the public square. In short, he believes that evangelicals see Trump as a strong leader who could help restore Americas place in the world (he continually pledges that he will Make America Great Again), preserve traditional values and increase their safety and prosperity.

One conservative blogger offered his reason for evangelicals support of Trump. He wrote:

Christians have interests that go beyond gay marriage and abortion. We dont require a Republican candidate who constantly quotes Scripture. Liberals have this image of America where everyone is divided into their little groups: blacks over here, women over there, Hispanics, evangelicals, Southern white men, and so on. The truth is that most people dont go through life wearing these labels. They make for convenient stereotypes when conducting polls or writing up feature stories, but they are largely mythical. Among conservatives, there is perhaps no greater fundamental ideal than that of individualism. We dont want to transform the country into some kind of puritanical dictatorship. And while there has been a significant effort to erase Americas Christian roots, no one believes that a President Huckabee or a President Cruz is going to magically turn back 20+ years of cultural degradation. We do believe, however, that the right guy with the right message might be able to break up some of the blatant corruption that has consumed Washington D.C. At a time like this, thats more than enough.

Ben Domenech at the Daily Beast suggests that for evangelicals believe they are now living in a post-apocalyptic world. He argues that much if what evangelicals hold near and dear has been taken away from them. About this he writes:

In this post-apocalyptic environment, it becomes increasingly clear why Southern evangelicals would drop their requirements that a political leader who seeks their backing be one of them, ideologically or faithfully. They have different priorities now: They want an ally who will protect them, regardless of his personal ethics. Thats why Trump has been able to peel away so many evangelicals as his supporters, despite being an unchurched secularist with three wives who couldnt tell a communion plate from an offering basket. It is because of the increasingly large portion of evangelicals who believe the culture wars are over, and they lost.

Much however, of the analysis explaining why Trump is doing so well with evangelicals center mostly on political reasons than religious ones. Indeed, it is as if conservative evangelicals separate their faith commitments from their political ones. Some have already notice this. In fact, there were those early on that thought Trump had disqualified himself from attracting evangelicals when he said that he had not asked God for forgiveness. This led to one conservative evangelical to write Trump an open letter to explain just how forgiveness works. One New York Times writer disparaged Trumps support in evangelical circles when he wrote, as for Trump, I must not be watching the same campaign that his evangelical fans are, because I dont see someone interested in serving God. I see someone interested in being God. One simply wrote that when voting starts, conservatives will wise up.

As time went on, others doubted Trumps continued support from evangelicals. Jonathan Merritt writing for the Atlantic suggested that it was (then) too early to say whether Trump can grow his support among conservative Christians and continue to expand it to the broader Republican baseFor now, evangelicals need to ask themselves whether Trumps brashness is enough to make them overlook many of the values they hold most dear. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, wrote an editorial that simply asked Have Evangelicals who Support Trump Lost Their Values while Kirsten Powers called Trump an Evangelical Scam Artist.

However, for me, this leads to another more serious questions about Trumps candidacy. What has the rise of Trump done to exposed the spiritual and theological grounding that makes up the evangelical faith? Why is conservative (white) evangelical faith (still) the norm of what it means to be a person of faith? What I suggest is that the Trump candidacy has open up windows of opportunity for those of us who express different faith expressions and traditions. It also exposes what many of us have known for a long timethat conservative evangelical faith is spiritually bankrupt and theologically vacuous.



To be continued..

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UNICEF Expresses Worry About Health Of Staffer Jailed In Iran

03/05/16

Source: RFE/RL

The United Nations Children's Fund on March 3 expressed concern about the health of an elderly former staff member who was jailed in Iran last week. Baquer Namazi was arrested on February 22 and taken to Tehran's Evin Prison, where his son Siamak has been jailed since October. Both Namazis are dual U.S.-Iranian citizens.



Baquer Namazi

Baquer Namazi, now 80, was an Iranian provincial governor who served as UNICEF's representative in various African countries before retiring in 1996.



UNICEF Statement on Baquer Namazi NEW YORK, 3 March 2016 - Current and former UNICEF colleagues are deeply concerned about the health and wellbeing of Baquer Namazi, who was detained in Iran on February 22. Mr. Namazi dedicated many years of his career to improving the lives of some of the worlds most disadvantaged and vulnerable children, often working in difficult and even dangerous circumstances. Before his retirement in 1996, he served UNICEF with distinction as representative in Somalia, Kenya, and Egypt, among other posts. A letter of commendation by former UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy best expresses Mr. Namazis dedication and commitment to the cause of children: You served with honour and distinction and acquitted yourself as an individual with...a deep personal commitment to making life better for children and women. Your pioneering work on children affected by war broke new ground and led the way to greater attention that the world gives today to children in especially difficult circumstances. With similar dedication, you helped bring the Convention on the Rights of the Child to life...and the cause of the worlds children will not be the same again. Behind all these contributions, I see a man whose strength derives from a rare base of spiritual courage and moral convictions, a man who has been able to reach for the sky because his feet are firmly on the ground. From me and your many colleagues in UNICEF, please accept a humble expression of gratitude on behalf of the countless children and women whose lives you have changed and who do not know your name. Our thoughts are with our respected former colleague and his family, and we hope he will be reunited soon with his wife and loved ones. ### About UNICEF:

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org

The elderly Namazi has a serious heart condition which requires special medication, his wife said.

Iran has not issued formal charges against either man. Friends of Siamak Namazi have said that he may have become a pawn in factional struggles among hardliners, pragmatists, and reformers.

Elections in Iran last week strengthened centrists and reformists allied with President Hassan Rohani.

With reporting by Reuters

Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Iran invites Boeing for commercial talks

03/05/16

Source: Press TV

Iran says it has invited US plane manufacturer Boeing for talks with Iranian companies on modernizing its fleet. The announcement was made by Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi.

Akhoundi said the invitation had been made following the green-light by the US administration for Boeing to be in commercial talks with Iran. However, he did not specify when officials from the US plane maker will visit Iran.

Akhoundi's deputy, Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, told AFP: "We never closed the doors to Boeing, and we are ready for negotiations whenever they come."

Boeing said on February 19 it had received authorization from the US administration to study the commercial plane market in Iran, in the wake of the lifting of nuclear sanctions in mid-January.

Iran has already announced orders for the purchase of 118 Airbus aircraft as well as some 40 planes from ATR, the European manufacturer of turboprop aircraft.

The country has a potential order list for 500 commercial planes to renovate its aging fleet. According to Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi, Iran's current civil aviation fleet consists of 248 aircraft with an average age of 20 years, of which 100 are in storage.

It has also been negotiation with Boeing to acquire aircraft under lease or sale/leaseback deals.

Iran's aviation industry had been subject to a US embargo since 1995 that prevented Western manufacturers from selling it equipment or spare parts.

Further complications for the country's aviation industry emerged when a series of draconian sanctions were imposed against the country over the past few years as a result of disputes over its nuclear energy program.

Nevertheless, Iran saw an opening in opportunities to revamp its aviation fleet when in January the nuclear-related sanctions were lifted and the companies were authorized to sell planes and parts to the country.
Call For Submissions: Iranian Mural Competition

03/06/16

Source: Farhang Foundation

Farhang Foundation Iranian Mural Design Competition

Farhang Foundation invites artists worldwide to participate in a Design Contest for a series Murals conceptualizing aspects of Iranian culture!







LOS ANGELES, CA, March 1, 2016- Farhang Foundation is calling on aspiring and veteran artists to submit original designs that conceptualize aspects of Iranian culture. Eligible designs will be considered as the central artwork featured on a series of murals in prominent areas of Los Angeles.

Farhang Foundation is collaborating with Beautify Earth to gift 5 murals to the City of Los Angeles.

The competition offers contestants, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a vital part of Farhang Foundation's efforts to celebrate Iranian Art & Culture for the benefit of the community at large. The contestant will receive recognition on Farhang and Beautify Earth's websites and in global PR campaigns.

THE PROCESS:

1) The artist will submit design via email

2) Eligible designs will be shortlisted by a committee of judges, selected by Farhang Foundation

3) Building owners will select desired art piece from shortlisted designs

4) Artist will be asked to adjust design to the dimensions and restrictions of the building (e.g., potential windows, color coding of surrounding areas, etc.) and by key decision makers

5) Installer/Muralist to be assigned by Beautify Earth

6) Design to receive final adjustments by muralist and be installed

DEADLINE & SUBMISSION INFO:

1) Submit your original conceptual design in low resolution digital format (.jpg, .png or .pdf format by APRIL 15, 2016

2) Include FULL NAME of the artist EMAIL and TELEPHONE NUMBER

3) All entries should be submitted via email to Murals@Farhang.org

RULES & INSTRUCTIONS:

1) All designs must be the original work of the contestant

2) The design must conceptualize aspects of Iranian culture

3) The design should be inclusive and uplifting. It cannot be political or make viewers feel uncomfortable or instill a negative feeling

4) Ideal designs have:

i. A focal point that fits in to a perfect square

ii. A background color or pattern that is infinitely expandable so that the design can be adjusted to walls of various sizes

5) The design will be painted on a standard sized wall (most walls are about ~15x40 feet, i.e., ~5x12 meters). The designer should use best judgment in how well the design will translate into a painting of that size. For prior murals completed by Beautify Earth, please visit BeautifyEarth.org

6) Designers do NOT need mural painting experience



About Beautify Earth

Beautify Earth is putting an end to blighted walls and fixtures by empowering artists, encouraging social responsibility, and instilling community pride in impoverished or neglected communities/streets/walls. They also provide education programs designed to inspire and provide a framework for undiscovered talent to flourish. The art projects attract new businesses and improve the likelihood of community investment. "Paint the world in color" and "until no unkempt wall remains" are the slogans of their global mission. For more info visit BeautifyEarth.org

About Farhang Foundation

Farhang Foundation is a non-religious, non-political and not-for-profit foundation established in 2008 to celebrate and promote Iranian art and culture for the benefit of the community at large. The foundation supports academic activities in Southern California by funding university programs, publications and conferences. The foundation also supports cultural programs such as the celebration of Nowruz and Shab-e Yalda, theater, dance performances, film screenings and poetry readings in Southern California. Farhang Foundation, in cooperation with various cultural and academic institutions, plans major programs and exhibitions about Iran and its culture. However, the content, viewpoints or biases expressed by individual artists, academics, institutions or events supported by the foundation belong solely to each individual party and do not necessarily reflect the views of Farhang Foundation. For more info visit Farhang.org
Police keep former Iranian president from wedding of opposition leader's daughter

03/06/16

Source: Radio Zamaneh

Iranian security forces prevented former president and prominent reformist figure Mohammad Khatami from leaving his home to attend the wedding of the daughter of Mir Hosein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard, the Iranian opposition leaders who have been under house arrest since 2011.



file photo: Mohammad Khatami with Mir Hosein Mousavi





The Kaleme website reports that an order from the prosecutor prevented Khatami from taking part in the wedding.

Kaleme also reports that the actions of the police led to "some altercations" but no further details were provided.

The report indicates the bride spoke with Khatami on the phone to express her dismay that in the absence of her parents, he too was prevented from attending the wedding.







Ali Shakourirad, another reformist leader attending the wedding, has reportedly assured the couple that despite Khatami's thwarted attendance, the reformist figure was "at heart with the bride whose parents are under house arrest".

Mohammad Khatami has been under a media ban for two years. Tehran MP Ali Motahari, a vocal critic of the house arrests, has been quoted as saying that the media ban was concocted to prevent Khatami from wielding any influence on the elections, but in his view that backfired.
US investors warned they will miss on Iran deals

03/06/16 Source: Press TV

A new warning has been given to US businesses that they will lose what is expected to become a fierce rivalry with Europeans to set a foothold in the vast Iranian consumer market.





Hans Humes , the head of US hedge fund Greylock Capital Management LLC , says US investors are at risk of getting shut out of billions of dollars of deals in Iran while their European competitors get a head start in the country's post-sanctions opportunities.



The New York-based hedge fund Greylock Capital Management has announced that US investors are at risk of getting shut out of deals in Iran while their European competitors get a head start on billions of dollars in opportunities unlocked by the lifting of international sanctions.

It seems like the US might miss this opportunity because the Europeans are going to move regardless, Hans Humes, Greylocks chief executive officer and chairman who traveled to Iran in June, said in an interview in Mexico City.

It almost doesnt matter what the US does because once it starts opening up to Europe I think the economy in Iran will start to move, Bloomberg has quoted Humes as saying.

Foreign investors and multinationals are lining up to return to Iran after last years historic nuclear deal led to the lifting of international sanctions in January. Until then, firms were prevented from transferring money in and out of the Islamic Republic, whose $370 billion economy is projected to grow 5.8 percent this year, Bloomberg added.

While European companies like German automaker Daimler AG and Frances Airbus Group SE have already signed deals, American citizens and companies remain limited because the US has kept some of its own restrictions tied to accusations of terrorism and human rights abuses.

Changing the Treasury Departments Iran policy toward processing payments would open things up, said Humes. His New York-based hedge fund, which oversees about $1 billion, focuses on distressed and high-yielding emerging-market debt.

Humes sees the biggest opportunities in Irans energy, infrastructure and corporate services. He said that the investment opportunities may be worth multiple tens of billions of dollars in the next five to 10 years, assuming political stability.

Irans main stock gauge, the TEDPIX Index, advanced 27 percent in 2016 through Sunday to close near the highest level in about two years.

Europe is likely to get in first with banks there hopefully starting to ramp up transactions with Iranian lenders in the next year, Humes said. Meanwhile, the entrance of US institutional investors still likely two to three years away, he added.

Everybody sees the opportunity in Iran, he said. Its going to happen and the trigger for that will just be the payment system opening up.
Authorities on Sunday, March 6, released the names of the man and woman killed Saturday in a rollover crash on I-215 in Perris.

Philip Galvez, 80, and Nieves Nesu Martin-Galvez, 76, both from Menifee, were pronounced dead at the scene of the 5:05 p.m. crash, the California Highway Patrol said.

Galvez was driving a Chrysler Town and Country van, headed south at about 60 mph in the No. 1 lane, the CHP said. Just south of the Redlands Avenue/4th Street exit, the CHP said, the van began to slowly change lanes and for an unknown reason went off the roadway.

The van struck a light poll and rolled, hitting a second light pole and ending up against a chain-link fence along the freeway, the CHP said.

The crash remains under investigation. The CHP asked witnesses or anyone with information about what happened to call the agency at 951-506-2000.
Republicans in Congress, particularly in the Senate, have been outmaneuvered politically in every way thinkable by President Obama over the past seven years. And now, with the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Republicans yet again have found themselves in a remarkable quagmire with tremendous electoral consequences  and now concern rises that the GOP leadership is already poised to fumble once more by refusing to even meet with and consider nominees to the high court proposed by the president.

Just an hour after Scalias sudden passing Feb. 13, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced to the nation that Republicans would not consider any appointee to the high court from President Obama. The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice, he said. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.

Reaffirming his position Tuesday, McConnell doubled down, stating, This nomination will be determined by whoever wins the presidency in the polls, adding that, during the current presidency, there will not be action taken. The majority leaders comments came after the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote a letter announcing that it would not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next president is sworn in.

Apparently devotion to the Constitution and the duties it bestows are easily brushed aside in times of perceived political crisis. In the case of the court, Republicans have chosen realpolitik over principle. But that calculation may very well lead to major defeats at the ballot box.

Even prior to Scalias death, GOP leaders knew that holding onto their majority in the Senate was tentative. Republicans control 54 of the 100 seats in the upper chamber, and, in 2016, there are about 10 Senate seats that could flip, eight of which are held by Republicans.

Democrats need to win five seats outright, or four seats and the White House, to take control away from the GOP, according to NPRs Susan Davis.

GOP Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin are viewed by Democrats to be the most vulnerable, while Florida, Ohio, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania fall into the next tier of likely pickups, according to Alexander Bolton, writing for The Hill. Missouri and North Carolina are also in play for Democrats to seize.

Republicans, on the other hand, see both Nevada and Colorado as opportunities to pick up seats. Nevada is viewed as the bigger opportunity because popular Republican Congressman Joe Heck is facing off against the former state attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto for the seat held by retiring Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid in a state where Republicans swept every statewide office in 2014.

All of the competitive Senate races this year are in states that lean Democratic or are swing states, though, making anything GOP leadership says all the more consequential this year. These GOP senators have worked hard to cultivate commonsense reputations back home, according to Davis. That strategy was on track until an iconic conservative Supreme Court justice died, injecting a flashpoint into the 2016 races that may pit Republicans between their partys base and the voters they need to win re-election.

Given the tentative nature of this particular election and all the various compounding factors  not the least of which is the potential for a controversial Republican presidential nominee  McConnell should have opted for another course.

By promising no action on any nominee presented by Obama, McConnell played right into the presidents consistent message that the GOP is obstructionist  the party of no.

McConnell and Republicans held all of the leverage in this particular circumstance, so why so antagonistically deny even considering or meeting with nominees? McConnell could have said, We are willing to consider any reasonable and appropriate nominee the president offers, putting pressure on the administration.

Instead, Republicans in the Senate are now on their heels. In fact, in a cunning political maneuver, the White House announced Tuesday that it had been vetting Nevadas Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, an incredibly popular moderate Hispanic governor in an important swing state, for the Supreme Court. How would it have impacted the election and further divided the party had Senate Republicans refused to grant Sandoval a confirmation hearing?

Sandoval, saving Republicans (at least for the time being) some embarrassment and division, on Thursday removed his name from consideration. I notified the White House that I do not wish to be considered at this time for possible nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States, he said.

But the battle is not over. President Obama will undoubtedly offer additional nominees and Republicans will be put on the spot to act. Republicans in vulnerable Senate seats will have to defend their partys decision while Democrats use it to raise money and energize their base for November.

Not all critics think McConnells approach is foolhardy. Michelle Cottle, writing for the Atlantic, suggests that his move demonstrates some political brilliance because despite the howls of outrage and charges of obstructionism this elicited from Democrats, not to mention a wave of media stories positing the heartburn it would cause Republican members up for re-election in not-so-red states, there was no way McConnell was going to reverse course. Because, whatever blowback his team may face for this particular episode of gridlock (and Democrats are determined to blow as hard as they can), it is still less politically fraught than allowing the confirmation train to leave the station and start down the tracks.

Cottle also believes it benefits Republicans in tough Senate fights because it allows McConnell to take most of the incoming fire, rather than the Senate candidates. If the confirmation process were allowed to grind on, senators could be squabbling over a nominee for months, with some of the more rabble-rousing presidential contenders adding to the chaos and trashing any lawmaker they deemed insufficiently tough on Obamas choice.

And to provide even more political cover, GOP senators have been referencing Vice President Joe Bidens remarks as a senator in 1992. He then urged the Judiciary Committee to seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the [Supreme Court] nomination until after the political campaign season is over.

Even still, most Americans believe that Obama should nominate Scalias replacement. Even a Fox News poll found that 62 percent of Americans thought it should be Obama who names the replacement, instead of his successor. But that wont happen. And Obama knew it wouldnt happen even before McConnell spoke words he never needed to utter.
NEW ORLEANS  Sen. Ted Cruzs bid to become the chief alternative to Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump gained steam Saturday, as he secured commanding victories in the Kansas and Maine caucuses while Sen. Marco Rubio withered with a string of third-place finishes.

Trump won the Louisiana primary and the Kentucky caucuses, underscoring the extent to which the Republican nomination race has become a contest between him and Cruz.

Taken together, the results marked a devastating rebuke of the Republican establishment, which has settled on Rubio as its standard-bearer. He not only failed to win any states Saturday, but he also finished in third place in every state that voted Saturday except Maine, where he was projected to finish fourth behind Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Trump called on Rubio to drop out of the race Saturday during a speech in West Palm Beach, where he mocked the senators recent losses.

Marco Rubio had a very, very bad night and personally Id call for him to drop out of the race, Trump said. I think its probably time.

As a party we should come together and stop this foolishness, he added later.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders defeated former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in the Kansas and Nebraska caucuses. But Clintons forceful projected win in delegate-rich Louisiana keeps her vast delegate lead for the Democratic partys nomination intact.

Republican Party leaders have wrung their hands over the prospect of Trump winning the Republican nomination, and Cruz and Rubio have each sought to paint themselves as the only candidate who can take him down. They have accused Trump of feigning conservative values and fooling voters with promises he cannot keep.

The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together, Cruz, the senator from Texas, said in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, speaking shortly after his projected victory was announced.

Trumps detractors hope that the losses Saturday could signal a break in the populist momentum that has swept him to the top of the polls. Republican leaders fear that his bombastic personality and controversial rhetoric on Mexican immigrants and Muslims could ruin their chances of capturing the White House in the fall and damage the party brand permanently.

Cruzs ascension comes after a week of intense criticism of the front-runner. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, called Trump a fraud on Thursday in a blistering speech at the University of Utah, and that night, Trumps rivals launched similar attacks against him at a debate in Detroit.

But although Cruzs rise could signal growing opposition to Trumps candidacy within the party, it would be bittersweet for the party leadership. Both Cruz and Trump have run on anti-establishment messages and have put the party establishment in their crosshairs.

The 2016 election barreled forward Saturday as five states held presidential nominating contests across the country. On a day dubbed Super Saturday, Republicans voted in Louisiana and caucused in Kansas, Maine and Kentucky. Democrats also voted in Louisiana and caucused in Kansas and Nebraska.

The presidential race entered a new stage Tuesday after Trump and Clinton (D) secured victories in a majority of the 11 partisan primaries and caucuses held that day, when hundreds of delegates were at stake. Clinton, the Democratic establishment favorite, has pulled sharply ahead of rival Sanders, the senator from Vermont, while Trumps wave of populist support showed little sign of waning as he endured scathing attacks from GOP leaders.

Saturdays contests pitch the election forward but do not fundamentally change Clinton and Trumps dominant status; their rivals, encouraged by several victories, have merely managed to keep them at bay. Their focus now turns to a series of high-stakes, high-delegate races in the coming weeks.

I dont want to tell you that were 21 points up in Louisiana, because you wont vote, a bullish Trump quipped Friday evening during a campaign event here in New Orleans. You have to go out and vote, so lets assume were tied, OK? Lets assume. No, you have to go out and vote.

  

In the lead-up to Saturday, the Cruz campaign focused its efforts on Kansas and Maine, which both held caucuses instead of primaries that the campaign hoped would favor its ground organization. In Maine, Cruz made a direct appeal to libertarian-leaning voters, hoping to siphon off voters who once supported Sen. Rand Paul (Kentucky).

Trump and Cruz crossed paths at a caucus site in Wichita on Saturday morning, where each delivered abridged versions of their stump speech to potential supporters. On display was Cruzs increasingly populist pitch, which he thinks will help blunt Trumps appeal moving forward. He pointed to the single mothers and working-class voters he said are struggling under Obamas policies.

The media tells us this is as good as it gets. That is an utter lie, Cruz said. The heart of our economy is not Washington, D.C. The heart of our economy is not New York City. The heart of our economy is small business all across this country.

In Kansas, Rubio stumbled to a third-place finish despite racking up endorsements from major political figures in the state, including Gov. Sam Brownback, Sen. Pat Roberts and 1996 presidential nominee and former Kansas senator Bob Dole. Rubio is looking ahead to the March 15 primary in his home state of Florida, though Trump appears to have an enormous lead in the Sunshine State. The Rubio campaign has remained steadfast in its belief that the senator can turn things around; a loss there would be devastating for Rubio and would give Trump all of the states delegates, which will be allocated on a winner-take-all basis.

Rubio spent Saturday morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, where he delivered an impassioned speech and was received warmly by the audience. He made a passing dig at Trump, whom he has repeatedly accused of being a false conservative and a con man on the campaign trail.

Young Americans have a chance to fulfill an incredible potential, he said at the end of his address. But we have to give them a chance. And they wont have a chance if a Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders is elected. And they wont have a chance if the conservative movement is hijacked by someone who isnt a conservative.

Rubio was scheduled to travel to Puerto Rico on Saturday evening, where voters are poised to give him a second primary win this cycle on Sunday. Victory in Puerto Rico could give him a boost in Florida, where a significant bloc of Puerto Ricans have relocated amid ongoing economic turmoil on the island.

Trump spent the afternoon in the Sunshine State, where he ripped apart little Marco Rubio and pitched himself to the crowd as the only Republican candidate who can beat Clinton. Trump said he hoped to win Kansas and Kentucky on Saturday, and he urged the Orlando crowd to vote for him in the March 15 GOP primary. At one point, Trump asked everyone in the audience to raise their right hands and swear to vote, trying their best to repeat a lengthy and at times rambling pledge.

If we win Florida, its over, Trump said. If we win Florida and Ohio, its really over.

  

In the Democratic contest, Sanders will probably continue facing down questions about how much longer he can realistically stay in the race with Clintons prohibitive delegate lead; she went into Saturdays contests with 1,066, including superdelegates, to his 432.

In an interview, Sanders said he was heartened that he appears to have won with big turnouts in Kansas and Nebraska and that he feels confident about the Maine caucus on Sunday.

Were feeling great, Sanders said. When I talk about a political revolution, with these kind of turnouts, I think were beginning to see that.

At speech to Michigan Democrats in Detroit, Clinton congratulated Sanders on running a strong campaign but said she is pleased to add to the overall delegate count.

Sanders has spent roughly double what Clinton has on advertising in Nebraska. Clinton went to Omaha to collect the endorsement of Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett but did not spent significant time campaigning there.

At a rally in Portland, Maine, last week, Sanders reminded the crowd how far he had come.

We were up against the candidate supported by the entire political establishment, someone who had been anointed by the pundits, he said. Well, guess what? It doesnt look like shes so inevitable now.

  

Anne Gearan in Detroit, Jenna Johnson in Orlando, John Wagner in Raleigh, and Emily Guskin, Katie Zezima and Ed OKeefe in Washington contributed to this report.
LITTLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- A utility company is calling a south-central Pennsylvania house explosion that injured four firefighters -- two of them seriously -- an isolated incident.

Dispatchers in Adams County said a gas odor in the Littlestown home, in the 300 block of Lexington Way, was reported shortly after 10:30 a.m. Friday, and the blast occurred 19 minutes later.

Fire chief Chris Morgret said two firefighters were in stable condition at Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore and two other firefighters were treated at Gettysburg hospital for minor injuries.

Officials said all had been in the basement when the blast occurred and were able to get out of the house on their own.

Morgret said gas exploded in the home's HVAC vents, leaving extensive damage, and sparking a fire in combustible materials.

Jeannie Hopwood, who lives down the street, said that she was on her driveway with neighbors when they heard an ambulance and fire trucks arrive. "All of a sudden it just blew," Hopwood said. "There was a big bang, and smoke came out the front and back."

She said she was worried her neighbor may have been at home and then saw injured firefighters coming out of the house.

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania said it conducted a thorough inspection of its system in the neighborhood and "confirmed this was an isolated incident and facilities are operating safely."

Company president Mark Kempic said the thoughts of officials were with the firefighter and their families as well as the community. "Our customers did the right thing yesterday, they smelled gas and immediately called us to investigate," Kempic said Friday.

Morgret said the county had been hard-hit by recent fires, with three fatal blazes in the past two weeks, and he planned to arrange for crisis counselors to meet with firefighters.
GETTYSBURG - In a face-off that frequently pivoted from chanting to angry heckling, more than 300 people gathered on Saturday at the Eternal Peace Light Memorial in a boisterous display of support and opposition to the Confederate flag.

Saturday's clash began as rally, organized by the J.W. Culp Camp Sons of the Confederate Veterans, in response to what it views as increasing attacks on southern heritage. The rally was one of many held across the country by confederate heritage groups as part of campaign to begin a national 'Confederate Flag Day'.

But by 2 p.m., at least in Gettysburg, it was clear that the group's rally had morphed into something different. As a group of more than 200 Confederate flag-supporters gathered on the northern side of the Eternal Peace Light Memorial, a separate group of 100 people, divided by steel barriers and a hundred yards of yellowing grass, gathered in a heckling, sign-waving protest on the southern side.

"You're bad people," a young man, dressed entirely in black, yelled into a bullhorn aimed at the flag supporters. "Really bad people".

"Just because you're not wearing hoods doesn't mean we can't recognize you," a woman yelled, alluding to the hoods of the Ku Klux Klan.

It was an afternoon that often displayed two very different understandings of American history.

Dressed in a civil war reproduction dress, Leslie Brang, a civil war re-enactor who drove from her home in Mercersburg for the event, saw the protesters as misinformed about the flag's meaning.

"It stands for the rights of the people and the rights of the states," she said. "And it stands for the upholding of the constitution of this country."

Chris Brang, Leslie's son, dressed in his own civil war regalia, chimed in. He said that too many people erroneously associated the flag as a symbol of slavery.

"You can not deny there was slavery in the south, there was," he said. "That's just the way it was. But there was slavery all throughout the country at the time, it was common throughout the entire world."

Ron Kline, 48, a Gettysburg carpenter, agrees with that sentiment.

"This is history," he said. "This is Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This is where a bloody battle happened. We have to remember our ancestors that were there. This has nothing to do with hate - this is just a battle flag."

But on the southern side of the memorial, still bellowing through their bullhorn, the protesters were unlikely to be convinced by those arguments.

Susan Russell, a professor of Theatre at Gettysburg College, grew up in the south. She said there was no pretense about what the confederate flag stood for where she grew up.

"Where I come from in the south, in Little Rock, Arkansas, it is a symbol of hate," she said. "Everyone knows that. No one makes these kind of arguments where I come from that I know of."

By 4 p.m., as the flag supporters began to filter out from their side of the memorial, the protesters began to do the same.

Scott Hancock, a key organizer of the protest, said he was disappointed with the aggressive rhetoric from some of the younger protesters, but overall he was pleased with the protest.

Hancock, a professor of history and Africana studies at Gettysburg College, said the key problem with the arguments of supporters of the Confederate flag is that they were interwoven with a selective and erroneous understanding of the civil war.

For a start, Hancock said, no serious historian would say that the civil war was not about slavery.

"It's bad history," he said. "You can't find a legitimate historian today who would agree with that. And part of it is because the leaders of the Confederacy, from every state, made it quite clear that they were fighting to protect slavery."

Hancock said another argument he also heard frequently from heritage groups was that the American government, flying the American flag, has its own controversial history. Therefore, the argument goes, there's no reason that the Confederate flag should be singled out as a symbol of hate.

But Hancock said that was a specious argument. He said there's no doubt that the American government had done many terrible things in the course of its history but its flag had never represented slavery as an explicit ideal.

"The American flag stands for larger ideals about freedom and independence and I would be the first to say we have often failed, we have often done things that contradict that," he said. "But that was the ideal. But the ideal of the confederacy is inseparable from black slavery."

Ultimately, Hancock said, he hoped that the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, and other heritage groups around the country, took a harder look at civil war history. The protest wasn't intended as a personal attack on the flag supporters.

"It's not about them personally," he said. "They're probably great fathers and brothers and all that kind of stuff, probably great guys, but for me, especially as a history teacher, if their purpose is to educate the public, I think it's a really misleading education."
GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A judge has rejected a man's appeal of his first-degree murder conviction and death sentence in the torture slaying of a mentally disabled woman six years ago in western Pennsylvania.

Thirty-nine-year-old Ricky Smyrnes was convicted in Westmoreland County in the February 2010 murder of 30-year-old Jennifer Daughtery.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Judge Rita Hathaway rejected his appeal Friday, saying prosecutors presented enough evidence that he was the ringleader of six roommates who tortured, beat and killed the victim in a dingy Greensburg apartment.

Defense attorneys challenged decisions on witness testimony and other rulings on legal issues and also said the evidence didn't support a first-degree murder conviction or the death penalty.

Smyrnes and Melvin Knight were sentenced to death and the others are serving decades in prison.
No bomb was found after a second bomb threat in as many days evacuated a Wal-Mart in Swatara Township.

The store, in the 6500 block of Grayson Road, was evacuated around 2 p.m. and bomb-sniffing dogs found no explosive device inside the store, according to police.

A Wal-Mart employee received an anonymous call that a bomb was located inside the store. A similar anonymous call was placed to emergency dispatchers around 2 p.m. Friday. At the time the store was evacuated; no bomb was found.

It is unclear if the two threats are related, police said.

Anyone with information on the identity of the person who made the threat is asked to call Swatara Township Police at 717-564-2550 or submit an anonymous tip through www.swatarapolice.org.

These were not the first times the Swatara Township Wal-Mart has been evacuated for bomb threats. A threat was made by a Philadelphia woman in December 2015, according to police. Another threat was made in November 2014.
senate.jpg

U.S. Senate candidates John Fetterman, Katie McGinty and Joe Sestak. (File photos)

(File photos)

Two open primaries have been declared by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party State Committee.

None of the candidates in the U.S. Senate race or the Attorney General race gained two-thirds of the vote, which is required to qualify for endorsement.

Katie McGinty, a former chief of staff for Gov. Tom Wolf, got the most votes but failed to get enough for an endorsement over Joe Sestak, a retired Navy admiral, and John Fetterman, mayor of Braddock.

In the Attorney General's race, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. captured the more votes than Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli was not part of the endorsement process.

The state committee did endorse the following candidates:

Treasurer

Joe Torsella

Auditor General
Marco Rubio

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., addresses supporters at a rally at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Va., Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016.

(AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

By Charlie Gerow

Super Tuesday, the biggest single day of the primary season, was supposed to end it.

Republican strategist Charlie Gerow (PennLive file)

Both Donald Trump fans and foes thought it would be over after Tuesday's "SEC" primaries.

Trump's adversaries believed that Ted Cruz's "Southern strategy" would create a firewall against the Trump insurgency. Trump boosters theorized that he'd "run the table" and amass such massive delegate wins that opponents would throw in the towel.

When the dust settled, it was still far from over.

Trump managed to win the most states on Tuesday and along with them the glare of the media spotlight--as if he needed it.

But Cruz's decisive victory in his home state, coupled with a win in neighboring Oklahoma, a near-miss in Arkansas and a bonus pickup in Alaska left him less than a hundred delegates behind Trump as the race moves on.

Marco Rubio managed to pick up his first win, taking the Minnesota caucus and John Kasich came within a few hundred votes of overtaking Trump in Vermont.

Trump's margins of victory were much more narrow than in previous contests. The switch of a couple of points to Rubio in Virginia, Cruz in Arkansas and Kasich in Vermont would have yielded a very different story coming out of the big day.

It would have made Cruz the winner of a 4-3-2-1 finish.

So while Donald Trump remains in the pole position, there are clearly a lot of laps left to go.

Trump had a good night on Super Tuesday. He didn't have a great night.

For all the media blare, the underlying fact is that Donald Trump has amassed less than 35 percent of the vote thus far.

He's managed to win because of the division of the rest of the vote among the crowded field of other candidates.

The field has now narrowed appreciably.

But even with Ben Carson stepping off the track, the question remains as to whether the field is still too big to coalesce the opposition to Trump's candidacy.

The answer to that question is likely to come on March 15, the first time that delegates can be selected winner-take-all. Until then delegates are awarded proportionally,

That's how Trump managed to rack up the same number of delegates in Vermont as did John Kasich, despite his narrow win there. He got only one delegate more than Rubio in Virginia and two more than Cruz in Arkansas despite taking both states.

When March 15 rolls around, in most states the winner will take all the delegates. Florida, Rubio's home state, has 99 delegates on the line while Ohio, where John Kasich sits as Governor, has 66.

Rubio and Kasich both know they have to win on home turf, as Ted Cruz did, to remain viable. If they don't, it's hard to imagine the path forward for them. If they do, their large delegations put them right back into the thick of the delegate hunt.

"Delegate math" is now far more important than the bragging rights of winning individual states. For all the hype in the media, only 133 delegates had been awarded prior to Super Tuesday. Now less than 750 out of almost 2,500 have been slotted.

Donald Trump currently has 316, about a quarter of what it takes to be nominated. Cruz has picked up 226, Rubio 106 and Kasich 25.

How different things will look if Rubio and Kasich both carry their homes states and Ted Cruz picks up North Carolina with its large bloc of 72 delegates (although not "winner-take-all").

Conversely, if Trump can beat Rubio in Florida and Kasich in Ohio, the "inevitability" of his nomination may be undeniable.

Should Rubio, Kasich and Cruz be able to pull off the March 15 Trifecta, it would undoubtedly preserve and propel their individual candidacies, good news for each. It would also ensure a divided field opposite Donald Trump, a big advantage for him.

Trump's principle problem, of course, is that there is a hard ceiling on his support. How high that ceiling is remains the subject of debate. But this much is true, the one third of the vote he's amassed thus far has him in good position in a field of four or five. It wouldn't be so good in a field of two.

If things roll on this way, the Pennsylvania looms large--"yoouge" even.

Our late primary date, April 26, has often left us less than relevant because the nomination has been wrapped up by then. This yea it could find us right in the thick of a pitched battle for the remaining delegates.

More significant, if the Republicans arrive in Cleveland without a presumptive nominee, Pennsylvania's huge bloc of uncommitted delegates will be at the epicenter of convention wrangling.

Although the Republican "super delegates" (17 of them) are bound to vote for the winner of our primary (but on the first ballot only) the remaining 54 are legally not bound to any candidate.

They will all have their own preferences, but they aren't obligated to vote for any particular candidate. That will make each and every one of them highly sought after.

They don't call us The Keystone State for nothing.
For mine one of the best economic journalists in the country - Bernard Keane

The best economics correspondent - Ross Gittins
PDVSA CRP Cardon refinery paralyzed due to a fire now under control

PUNTO FIJO, Venezuela

Petroleumworld.com 03 07 2016

A small fire broke out at Venezuela's 310,000 barrel-per-day Cardon refinery on Saturday but it was quickly put out and the refinery is operational, Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA said.

"A small fire in the AV3 plant of Cardon was extinguished," the Paraguana Refining Center (CRP) said on Twitter.

"The refinery is continuing with its operations thanks to our firemen," the refining center added, without providing further details.

The fire started in a pumping room, according to union boss and fierce PDVSA critic Ivan Freites.

One distillation unit was halted as a precaution, Freites added, meaning Cardon's gasoline-making fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) had to be reduced to 50,000 bpd from its previous level of roughly 60,000 bpd.

A worker inside Cardon, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the fire had been brought under control and there were no injuries. (Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Tom Brown and Matthew Lewis)

The OPEC country's refinery circuit has been plagued with unplanned stoppages in recent years, with 2014 outages at the Paraguana complex - including 310,000-bpd Cardon refinery and the adjacent Amuay refinery - prompting PDVSA to import gasoline and diesel.

Critics argue that a lack of maintenance and shortage of spare parts due to strict state currency controls have left refineries operating well below capacity.

An explosion at Amuay in 2012 sparked a huge fire that killed more than 40 people and halted operations.

Venezuela, which has the world's largest oil reserves, often says sabotage is to blame for power outages. PDVSA, headed by Oil Minister Eulogio del Pino, says it is modernizing refineries.






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During Super Saturday coverage, an all-male panel on MSNBC led by Chris Matthews cut away from Hillary Clintons speech to discuss how she needs to speak more softly when shes in front of a microphone. The three men then mansplained that this isnt a matter of gender, in case anyone was wondering.

Video:

The men decided that when Hillary Clinton is speaking in an interview, she does well. Its just when she is using a microphone to speak to a crowd that she has issues, apparently, as she speaks up like all public speakers do when they are speaking in front a large crowd. They tried to avoid using the loaded words that hung in the air like shrill. But the message was obvious enough to outrage many women journalists who heard the sexist whistle.

No one asked a woman if it might be related to gender because apparently men are the experts on sexism.

Being criticized for being shrill and sounding angry is old news for powerful women. Women are supposed to be strong but not so strong that they sound strident. Strident is bad.

MSNBC needs to send a memo out to their hosts and panel guests that instructs them how to determine if they sound like a sexist jerk. Hint: Maybe a panel of men arent experts on deciding what qualifies as gendered criticism.

Heres a little schooling on how not to sound like a sexist jerk from Time:

Avoid Describing the Sound of My Feminine Voice. Also, the Tone of It. Women naturally have higher-pitched voices than men. Do we need to point it out? Theres no male equivalent of shrill or screechy. And I dont believe theres one for nasal-car honk tone either. And while were at it, lets avoid descriptors like whiny, nagging or complaining to refer to women. Unless of course youd use them to refer to a man too.

Maybe before male hosts announce something isnt due to gender they should know something about sexism from oh say a woman. A panel full of men shouldnt criticize Clintons voice for not being soft enough. It is sexist. Its right next to commenting on her hair.

Sexist commentary about a politician reduces their standing among voters. This has been proven in studies. The media needs to get it together. Theres no excuse for this kind of ignorance about well documented evidence regarding what constitutes sexism. Its not up for debate and its not up to a panel of all men.
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Bernie Sanders got two needed wins while Donald Trump got a reality check among the Super Saturday winners and losers.

Super Saturday Winners:

1). Bernie Sanders  Bernie Sanders got two badly needed wins in Nebraska and Kansas and reasserted his electability argument. After losing all of the big delegate prizes on Super Tuesday, Sen. Sanders needed to win an election night. Sanders got a boost out of Saturday, and as attention turns to Michigan, he has given his supporters a little extra fire ahead of a must-win primary.



2). Ted Cruz  Ted Cruz strengthened his case that he should be the Republican to take on Donald Trump one on one with a dominant win in the Kansas caucuses, and a solid win in the Maine Republican caucus. There is now one clear Trump alternative in the GOP field, and it is Ted Cruz.



3). Hillary Clinton  The Clinton train keeps rolling along. Bernie Sanders won two caucuses, but Hillary Clinton stuck to her strategy and won another big delegate Southern state. Hillary Clinton may come out of Super Saturday having added to her delegate lead. By this point in the campaign, the race for the nomination is all about the delegate count, and nothing that happened on Saturday took away from the idea that Clinton is in the drivers seat for the Democratic nomination.

Listen to Jason Easley and Sarah Jones discuss the winners and losers:

Super Saturday Losers:

1). Marco Rubio  Marco Rubio had a horrific Super Saturday. He lost in every contest. Rubio had zero second place finishes and was completely blown out in Kansas. Rubio has 11% of the vote in Louisiana, 16.7% of the vote in Kentucky, and 8% in Maine. Sen. Rubio is the candidate who the establishment put their money on, and he has completely flopped. Rubio must win Florida, or he has no purpose in the race.

2). Donald Trump  Trump tried to sell the strength of his campaign at a press conference, but the truth is that he was seriously dinged on Super Saturday. The media was running with the storyline that Trumps nomination was inevitable, but Cruz demonstrated that in closed primaries and caucuses that Trump can be beaten. Donald Trumps base of support remains white conservatives in the Deep South. However, whether or not Trump wins the nomination will come down to whether or not he wins Ohio and Florida.

3). John Kasich  Kasich still thinks that he has a chance to win the Republican nomination, but the reality is that Kasichs main role is to do his part to deny delegates to Trump. Kasichs national future is will depend on the Republican primary in Ohio. If Kasich wins his home state, he will help the Republican Party deny Trump the delegates that he needs to clinch the nomination. A Kasich win would open the door to the partys eventual nominee putting him on the ticket as the vice presidential nominee. A Trump win means that Kasich will likely have no shot at being on the ticket and will be heading back to Ohio sooner rather than later.
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During an interview on Meet The Press, Mitt Romney crumbled when he was pressed and challenged on his previous support for and praise of Donald Trump.

Video:

Transcript via Meet The Press:

CHUCK TODD: However, when you accepted his endorsement four years earlier, this is what you said about his business background. (BEGIN TAPE) MITT ROMNEY: Donald Trump has shown an extraordinary ability to understand how our economy works, to create jobs for the American people. I spent my life in the private sector, not quite as successful as this guy, but successful nonetheless. (END TAPE) CHUCK TODD: Governor, all those unsuccessful businesses that you outlined on Thursday, Trump Airlines, Trump University, Trump Vodka, those were all failures before 20-12 as well. Were you just sort of saying something you had to say four years ago in order to accept his endorsement? MITT ROMNEY: Well, Donald Trump has made a lot of money for himself. And theres no question that hes got a lot of money in his pockets and has been successful in that score. But if you look at his record overall, and there are other, by the way, failures, you say, Okay, he made a lot of money for himself, he inherited a lot of money from his dad. But this is not a guy whos a self-made man. And this is a guy whos crushed a lot of people along the way. CHUCK TODD: But whyd you say nice things about him four years? Why did you say so many nice things about his business career when clearly youre not impressed? MITT ROMNEY: You know, hes made a lot of money for himself. And Im gracious enough in a setting where someone has endorsed me to point out that hes been successful, made a lot of money. He has a lot of hotels and so forth. But you cant also ignore the fact that hes had a lot of failures. And he tries to sell himself in this campaign as nothing but successful. Hes not a loser. You know what? Hes lost time and time again. And hes crushed a lot of people in the process. And the thing that I find most unusual, and perhaps outrageous, is that even though he says hes worth $10 billion, he finds it in his interest to go out and bilk people of $10,000 here, $15,000 there for Trump University. These people have really been scammed. And I want to make sure that the American people are not subject to the same kind of scam as we nominate a president. CHUCK TODD: I understand that. But, you know, you did, you laid out a whole bunch of things that you thought disqualified Trump, not just his business background, you thought his support for terrorists could lead to a trade war, you were pretty critical of the vulgar language that he uses, the insulting of Muslims. But, you know, he was pretty insulting of Muslims four years ago. He was the face of the birther movement, which has been totally discredited.

Mitt Romney never answered Chuck Todds questions. In fact, he didnt address the fact that he knew that Trump was a racist birther before he sought the endorsement of the billionaire. The problem for Romney is that the facts dont lie.

As I wrote in 2012, hours before Trump hosted a fundraiser for Romney, he went on a full birther rant. During an interview with CNBC, Trump said, Nothings changed my mind. You have a huge group of people. I walk down the street, and people are screaming please a publisher came out last week and had a statement about a young man doing a book, born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia. The publisher came out and said we made a mistake. What do we do? Oh, we made a mistake. Thats not the way life works. Hes a young man doing a book and he said what he believed to be the truth. So there are a whole lot of things. His mother was never in the hospital, they dont know which hospital it was, his grandmother said he was born in Kenya. It all wouldnt matter except if youre born in a foreign country, youre not allowed to be president, so this is a minor detail. So the publisher comes out last week and made this statement and said we made a mistake. Is it an important thing? In a way, it is because it says youre not allowed to be president if youre not from the country. Im not fanning flames. This is something that came out last week; a lot of people are questioning his birth certificate, questioning the authenticity of his birth certificate. Ive been known as being a very smart guy for a long time. I dont consider myself birther or not birther but there are some major questions here, and the press just refuses to cover it.

Mitt Romney created Donald Trump, and now he is lying to save the Republican Party from a catastrophic defeat in November. Mitt Romney elevated Donald Trump in 2012. Romney helped to create Trump as a political figure, but he wont be honest and take responsibility for what he has done. Mitt Romney only supports racism when it is used against the nations first African-American president. When the same racist hate tactics are being used to hijack the Republican Party, Romney finds his backbone and demands that Trump must be stopped.

The only person with less credibility in this Republican circular firing squad than Donald Trump is Mitt Romney.
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Americans remain unmoved by Republican justifications for obstructing President Obamas eventual Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Scalia.

Calling Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) argument supremely unconvincing after he joined with 10 Senate Republicans as members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to sign a letter petulantly announcing their intent to refuse to do their jobs, Inquirer columnist Michael Smerconish asked in Philly.Com asked, WWSD? What would Scalia do?

The answer, according to Geoffrey R. Stone, a former clerk for Justice William Brennan who knew Scalia from 1977 until his death, is Scalia would have condemned Senate Republicans for flagrant abuse of authority for purely partisan ends.

Here is what Stone told Smerconish:

Although Ive never discussed this question with Justice Scalia, and although hes never, to the best of my knowledge, written or spoken on the question, I would have to believe that, if he were addressing this question purely as a matter of principle and behind a curtain  that is, with no knowledge of who the president was and no knowledge of which party controlled the Senate  he would condemn the view put forth by Senator Hatch and the other Senate Republicans, Stone told me. Justice Scalia very much believed in the rule of law, Stone added. In this instance, the well-established practice is clear. He would find unconscionable what is unquestionably a flagrant abuse of authority for purely partisan ends. As he made clear in a range of decisions, including, for example, those dealing with campaign finance, he was very skeptical about the legitimacy of congressional action when he suspected politically self-interested manipulation of the legislative process.

Scalia believed in the rule of law.

Senate Republicans do not.

It is clear to everyone except the most desperate Republican that what Senate Republicans are doing is politically self-interested manipulation of the legislative process. That is to say, Senate Republicans are hijacking power intended for the executive branch, stealing it for their own extremist purposes, in an effort to deny the peoples will.

The Republican arguments for failing to do their jobs havent been going over so well. Perhaps Republicans have finally pushed their obstruction to the point where even the both-sides-do-it press cannot carry the water (not to suggest the above columnist has ever done that, I am referring to the beltway media narrative). The bucket of lies has become too heavy, too obvious, to carry.

Denying even a hearing because they claim the voters should have a voice is a patently absurd argument when the voters did have a voice and voters did not choose Republicans to be in the White House. Why is it that Senate Republicans do not care about those voters  a majority of this country, by the way?

The voters entrusted in President Obama the solemn, immense power that comes with the executive office. The voters want President Obama to choose the next Supreme Court justice.

This is how its always been done. There is no excuse for Republicans refusing to do their jobs  the jobs we pay them to do. Its an outrageous power grab, undermining checks and balances and at the same time spitting in the voters faces.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, on Thursday noted the low participation of retail investors in the countrys capital market, saying its vision was to attract more players to help deepen and develop the market.

The Director General of the commission, Mounir Gwarzo told the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Markets and other Institutions in Abuja, that less than two per cent participation of retail investors exists in the countrys capital market.

Mr. Gwarzo, who said Malaysia has 9 per cent; United Kingdom 13 per cent; South Africa 19 per cent, and USA 43 per cent, said Nigerias retail investors participation level was poor.

He said due to the dominance of the foreign investors, the market goes down anytime the they exit the market.

The SEC effort, he said, was to see that in the next five to ten years the level of involvement of the retail investors would be raised to at least five per cent.

Mr. Gwarzo said one of the reasons the Commission embarked on various initiatives, namely e-Dividend, Direct Cash Settlement, National Investors Protection Fund (NIPF), among others, was to attract retail investors to the market.

We have pursued a lot of initiatives in the last year and we are pursuing more this year. We are taking it from a perspective that this market has never witnessed and the perspective is to address some of the lingering complaints of the investor. We believe that the retail investors are the owners of this market so our strategy should focus on them, he said.

The SEC boss said the Commission had identified some of the challenges hindering retail investors from accessing the market, saying removing them through the recent initiatives would enhance productivity.

Some of these challenges, which have been there in the last 30-40 years in market, included investors not receiving their dividends, which necessitated the introduction of the e-dividend system to address the problem.

The DG disclosed that the SEC was also addressing the issue of dematerialization, where share certificates have not been fully dematerialized in the market.

He said since the introduction of Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) about 21 years ago, the Commission has not yet been able to dematerialize certificates fully.

As at August last year, only 40 per cent of certificates had been dematerialized, pointing out that as at today, about 97.5 per cent of shares have been dematerialized to remove the rigorous process of verification, which takes six months to one year.

With the inauguration of the National Investors Protection Fund, Mr. Gwarzo said so far over 300 investors that lost their money in the market have been paid.

He said the SEC was also encouraging the listing of more companies in the market, as it believed that the market needed to be deep to be sustainable.

The Chairman of the House Committee, Tajudeen Yusuf, said the Committee members were in the Commission to see what has been done in 2015 as that will give them a good platform to look at 2016.

Lamenting that the market was not doing well at the moment, with SEC generating its revenue from the market, he said whatever happens in the market has a direct correlation with the revenue of SEC.
Iranian multibillionaire, Babak Zanjani, and two colleagues have been sentenced to death for fraud.

Iranian Attorney-General, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-EjeI, said on Sunday in Teheran that Mr. Zanjani was accused of secretly selling Iranian oil as part of a criminal gang during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 2005-2013, and embezzling billions in profits.

He said President Hassan Rowhani had stepped up investigations against corrupt gangs, including the arrest and trial of 41-year-old Mr. Zanjani.

Mr. Mohseni-EjeI said during the court proceedings, members of Ahmadinejads former cabinet were mentioned several times as potentially being involved in the scandal.

Zanjani was also blacklisted in the U.S. after he breached international sanctions against Iran by selling oil.

The economic sanctions imposed on Iran over the last decade for its nuclear programme were lifted in mid-January.

This was because Tehran scaled down its nuclear programme and fulfilled its obligations under a July nuclear deal with six world powers.

(dpa/NAN)
When Nduma Wilson flagged a cab on December 11, 2015, she had only one thing in mind: how to get to the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar, where she worked.

However, things would not go as planned. As soon as she paid the driver and alighted from the vehicle opposite the hospital gate, she recalled, two teenagers accosted her.

Before I knew what was happening, one of the boys kicked me on the ankle and I lost balance and fell to the ground, she told PREMIUM TIMES, describing the boys as aged between 12 and 15 years old.

As I landed on the ground, the other boy snatched my bag and ordered me to surrender my mobile phone. And I did. I lay on the ground helplessly and shouted for help but none of those who were passing by came to my rescue.

It was after the marauding boys went away with her valuables that a man walked up and told her to thank God she was not raped or injured.

I wanted to report the incident to the police but the man who witnessed it all told me I would be wasting my time because the police wont do anything to the boys, she said.

The boys who attacked Mrs. Wilson are popularly called Skolombo Boys, a name residents of the Nigerian city claim was derived from a Jamaican slang, Skolo, meaning, to obtain.

An unlucky victim

While Mrs. Wilson was lucky to get away alive, losing her phone, money, jewellery and getting a slight cut on her finger, a pregnant mother, Emilia Etim, died after her ordeal.

Popularly called Nne, the 33-year-old lived along Edgerly Street, Calabar South Local Government Area.

A witness, Usoro Akpanika, told PREMIUM TIMES Mrs. Etim had, at about 7 p.m. on a day in March 2015, gone to buy foodstuff at a shop near her home when members of the dreaded gang apprehended her.

We were around on the day the boys stormed our area and met Nne on her way to buy foodstuff to prepare the evening meal, Mr. Akpanika recounted.

Numbering about eight, the boys surrounded her and demanded she surrender her money and phone but she resisted.

Before one could count three, a member of the gang, who looked not older than 10, pulled a knife and stabbed the woman on the chest.

Apparently overwhelmed by the fatal cut, Mr. Akpanika said the woman shouted as she collapsed.

It was Nnes cry that attracted many residents and caused youth in the neighbourhood to confront the gangsters, who seemed to have gone unchallenged before then, while they terrorised the community.

Seven of the gang members reportedly escaped but one was caught, beaten to a pulp and set ablaze by a mob of local youth.

When PREMIUM TIMES visited Nnes compound, the place was deserted.

Residents and visitors shared bitter stories about the ruthless gang.

A resident of Calabar South, where the street gang is said to have begun, said the name, Skolombo was first used after members of the bloody gang, consisting of street boys and girls, numbering over 30, robbed a busy filling station in the area in 2014.

It was like a thriller movie, the resident said.

Over 30 street boys and girls swooped on the filling station in a commando style, shot sporadically into the air and within minutes, collected all the sales proceeds from the cashiers.

After successfully robbing the station, the source said the leader of the gang, whose face was masked, fired into the air and shouted, Skolombo and the gang members responded, obtain by force, and they disappeared just as they came.

The changing face of Calabar

Calabar is first in many historical narratives in Nigeria. It was the first seat of Government of the Niger Coast Protectorate, Southern Protectorate, and Oil River Protectorate.

It also boasts the first public hospital in Nigeria, St. Margaret Hospital; the oldest Post Office; and the first secondary school in the former Eastern region, the Hope Waddell Training Institute, established in 1895 and where Nigerias first President, Nnamdi Azikiwe, had formal education.

Besides its rich history, the annual Calabar Festival and the warm and friendly nature of its people have attracted tourists from all parts of the world to savour its serene beaches and hills, its mouth-watering cuisines and its breathtaking dances and masquerades.

But in the last two years, Calabar seems to be losing its endearing peace and ambience; especially with the menace of street children.

One of such street children is Abigail Orok, an 18-year-old who has spent seven years of her life on the streets of Calabar.

Miss Orok said she was born into a middle-class family in Calabar. Her father had substantial income and was able to provide for everyone in her family and even the extended family.

However, trouble started when her parents separated and her father remarried.

I had a little misunderstanding at home and my dads wife chased me out of the house. None of my relations allowed me into their homes and so I found myself on the street, she told PREMIUM TIMES.

On her first night outside, she said she met no fewer than 30 other children consisting of boys and girls who had been living on the streets.

By the time she spent a year on the streets, Miss Orok said she had encountered hundreds of kids who lived in motor parks, marketplaces, uncompleted buildings, and unoccupied public buildings.

She maintained that one interesting attribute of street children is a sense of communality which enables them to fight and defend one another from intruders and other hostile street kids.

But that did not insulate them from disagreement and fights which she said were regular within their community.

We had no food and shelter. To keep ourselves from cold, we slept in uncompleted buildings and market stalls in the night and very early in the morning we go round begging for money, Miss Abigail said.

When some of the spiritual churches preached that people should not give money because were witches and wizards, we started searching for discarded plastic materials and sold them to make money. Some of us washed plates for food sellers in Bogobiri Street and they gave us remnants of food eaten by customers.

Miss Orok gave a chilling account of how she and other female street children were constantly raped by men in the night.

I went through a lot on the streets of Calabar. It is very difficult for me to say everything that happened but the truth is I got raped five times. During the first time, I was sleeping in an uncompleted building with two other girls in the night when a man came and threatened to kill us if we dont allow him have his way.

We were afraid he could hurt us and so we allowed him take turns and raped us as much as he wanted and then left us before sunrise. We fled that area because we believed the man had been monitoring us for some time before he came to rape us.

Another former street girl, who gave her name simply as Mary, said on several occasions, their male counterparts turned on female members of the community in the night, raping and assaulting them.

It was a common thing for the boys to wake up in the night and forcefully have sex with us. They beat up any girl who resisted their advance and so at a point, we had no choice but oblige them anytime they want to have us, she said.

Asked why they still bonded with people who raped and assaulted them, she said it was better to cohabit with the street boys than go back to face the stigma from members of their families who branded them witches and maltreated and chased them into the streets.

Another street boy, Essien Aye, said he was forced out of home by his stepmother when he lost N3,000 being the proceeds of an entire day of hawking foodstuff on the streets.

He said some street kids who are expert pickpockets might have stolen the money.

When I got back to tell my stepmother, she insisted I must produce the money or leave the house. I pleaded that I did not steal or use the money but she would hear none of that, Mr. Aye told PREMIUM TIMES.

I thought my father would prevail on her to let me in but that was not to be. When he came back and my stepmother told him I lost the money and that I should leave home, he supported the wife and asked that I either produce the money or leave the house.

He left home and joined hundreds of Calabar street children.

Helping street kids

A child rights activist and member of a Calabar-based group, Child Protection Network, Arikpo Williams, said as far back as 2003, it was common to find large number of children living on the streets of Calabar.

As at 2003 when I discovered we had uncomfortable number of children on our streets and tried to do something about it, I met some children who told me they had been on the streets for over seven years, Mr. Arikpo told this newspaper.

If somebody says he has been on the streets for seven years at that time, it means he had lived outside home as far back as 1997. It was unfortunate we had such an ugly situation and we didnt even realise it. So it is an old problem.

Before 2013, Mr. Arikpo said, hardly was any of the children involved or arrested by the police for committing crime.

He said the Skolombo menace started when members of adult gangs in Calabar South Local Government Area lured street children into the underworld and later used them as tools for wielding economic and political influence.

It pains me that I have to keep repeating this and people are not getting it. What has come to be known as Skolombo Boys is a cult formed by Area Boys, Mr. Arikpo told this newspaper.

The first known childrens cult emerged in 2013 and started spreading during the build-up to the 2015 general elections.

The situation further degenerated during the build-up to the 2015 general elections when adult leaders of the street gangs increasingly pushed more children to stoke conflict thereby forcing politicians to recognise and settle them with huge amounts of money.

With so much to gain from the ugly trend, what started as Skolombo Boys later multiplied into several smaller cult gangs including Blackskin, Skylo, among others, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Officials react

In his reaction, the Security Adviser to the Cross River State Governor, Jude Ngaji, said criminal elements in Calabar recruited and used street children to perpetrate crimes including rape, armed robbery and killings.

To underscore the seriousness of the problem, he said the state Governor, Ben Ayade, commissioned a security outfit christened, Operation Skolombo to deal with crimes associated with deadly gangs, which had multiplied and were operating in many parts of the city.

While the activities of the streets gangs have largely been curtailed with the massive arrest and prosecution of some of the adult perpetrators, he admitted that some of the street kids still lurk around parts of the city.

Barely two weeks to last years Calabar carnival, Mr. Ngaji said eight members of the street gangs were arrested around North-West filing station in the city.

The Operation Skolombo is a joint security outfit comprising a detachment of Police, Navy, Air Force, State Security Service, SSS and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.

The Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Henry Fadairo, also told PREMIUM TIMES that the command was collaborating with other security agencies in the state to address the menace of the street gangs.

Mr. Fadairo said the Skolombo Boys started from Calabar South Local Government Area before it spread to many parts of the capital city.

This is the first of a two part report. The investigation was done with the support of Ford Foundation and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting.
Nigerias Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi, is dead.

Born November 26, 1960, he was 55.

He died in a road accident along the Kaduna-Abuja highway on Sunday afternoon, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Mr. Ocholi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Kogi state, and his son died on the spot of the accident.

Those familiar with the incident said his wife, who slipped into coma after the accident, died hours later.

His driver remained in critical condition at Doka clinic, several kilometres from Kaduna, as at the time of this report.

A witness, whose car was behind the ministers when the accident occurred, told PREMIUM TIMES the ministers car had a burst tyre before somersaulting several times.

Contacted, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said he was away in Lagos and was trying to confirm the incident.

But a spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, said the presidency had been briefed of the tragedy.

We are trying to issue a statement on the matter, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said.

Mr. Ocholi became Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2007, and Chairman, Disciplinary Committee of the Abuja chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association.

In 2011, he was governorship aspirant in Kogi State on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change.

Between 2013 and 2014, he was deputy national legal adviser of the All Progressive Congress.

Last year, he sought the APC gubernatorial ticket at the partys primary election, losing to the late Abubakar Audu. He was appointed minister in 2015.

Mr. Ocholi attended Ochaja Secondary School, and the University of Jos.

He graduated from the Nigerian Law School in 1986 and was admitted to the Nigerian Bar the same year.
The Lagos State Police Command has rescued three teenage girls abducted from their school in Ikorodu on March 1.

Dolapo Badmus, the police spokesperson, confirmed the rescue to PREMIUM TIMES over the phone on Sunday.

They were rescued in the early hours of this morning at Igbokuta area of Lagos State, said Ms. Badmus, a Superintendent of Police.

She did not say whether the girls had been reunited with their families.

The students were taken from their school at the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Agunfoye Lugbusi, by unknown gunmen at about 8 p.m.

According to Olaoluwa Adeyemi, the schools principal, the gunmen gained entry into the school after destroying a part of the schools fence, started shooting sporadically into the air to scare teachers and students, before making away with the three girls.

The Lagos Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, had told Channels Television that the girls were hale and hearty, and that there were not molested by their abductors.

Three suspects, the police said, had been arrested in relation to the matter.
Nigeria will join the Saudi Arabia led coalition of Muslim countries against terrorism, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

Mr. Buhari stated this in an interview with Aljazeera Television.

We are part of it because we have got terrorists in Nigeria that everybody knows which claims that they are Islamic, the Nigerian president said in reference to Boko Haram, the group whose activities has caused the death of about 20,000 people since 2009.

Mr. Buharis decision to push Nigeria into the coalition announced by Saudi Arabia last December appears to have been taken after a meeting with Saudi King, Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz.

According to a statement by his spokesperson on February 23, the Nigerian leader had expressed reluctance to join the coalition when he met the Saudi king.

Even if we are not a part of it, we support you, he was quoted to have said at the meeting held in Saudi Arabia in February.

The Aljazeera interview is believed to have been held in Qatar, where Mr. Buhari visited after his trip to Saudi Arabia.

Many analysts have described the coalition as Saudi Arabias way of challenging Irans growing influence in global Islamic affairs.

Saudi Arabia is home to mainly Sunni Muslims while Iran is the base of Shia Muslims worldwide.

Most Muslims in Nigeria are Sunni and the countrys military recently attacked a Shia procession, killing hundreds, according to Human Rights Watch, after the military claimed they planned to assassinate Army chief, Tukur Buratai.

We must not let Sunni and Shiite states furtively and covertly turn Nigeria into another Middle East battleground, Adeolu Ademoyo, a Nigerian lecturer at Cornell University said, in opposition to the coalition.

The decision to join the Islamic coalition also goes against the calls by many Nigerians who asked that the country not join the coalition.

The Christian Association of Nigeria had in December cautioned against joining the 34-member coalition, called ISMAT.

This singular gesture of the Buhari government betrays so much, and tends to confirm our fears that underneath everything this government is doing, there is an agenda with strong Islamic undertones, aimed at undermining Nigerias pluralistic character and neutrality regarding governments affiliation to any one religion, Vanguard Newspapers quoted the coalition of Nigerian Churches as saying in a statement by its General Secretary, Musa Asake.

PREMIUM TIMES had also warned against joining the coalition. In an editorial published in January, this newspaper stated that Nigeria should not join ISMAT, created specifically under pressure to fight ISIS.

The national interests of Saudi Arabia are not Nigerias national interests. On the sound and legitimate issue of fighting terrorism locally, regionally and globally, Saudi Arabia has shown that her interests come first before any commitment to fight terrorism.

However, defending his decision, Mr. Buhari told his interviewer that, If there is an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, Nigeria will be part of it because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism.

When asked how the coalition would work in Nigerias interest, the president said it would be within the framework of Lake Chad basin coalition against Boko Haram which comprises of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and Benin.

I dont think we need to tell the press the details of that, he said, in relation to the number of troops to be deployed by the Lake Chad coalition that would be part of the Saudi-led coalition.

When asked whether or not his decision would go well with Nigerian Christians who make up about half of the countrys population, Mr. Buhari said, I have just told you it is the Boko Haram itself that declared loyalty to ISIS. Now, ISIS is basically based in Islamic countries. If there is a coalition to fight terrorism, why cant Nigeria be part of it.

Why cant those Christians that complain go and fight terrorism in Nigeria or fight the militants in the South. It is Nigeria that matters, not the opinions of some religious bigots, he added.

The Nigerian leader denied seeking to change Nigerias multi-religious nature by his actions, saying, How can I change the religious identity of Nigeria?

WATCH THE INTERVIEW HERE
Three suspects involved in the abduction of three girls from a secondary school in Ikorodu, Lagos, were arrested during rescue operation, the Lagos State Police Command has said.

Fatai Owoseni, the Commissioner of Police, told journalists on Sunday that the suspects include one Emmanuel (Arigidi) who was actively involved in the abduction, Seun Akanji, and one Henry who were conspirators.

With respect to the state of the girls, they are very well and they are stable, said Mr. Owoseni.

I can confirm that immediate medical attention just to test them up has been given to them by the police medical team and I can as well tell you that as we picked them up, one of the questions we asked the girls was whether they were molested in any way and the three of them stated unequivocally that they were not molested in any way.

There were media reports during the week that there were negotiations for a ransom between the kidnappers and the victims families, with the former reportedly reducing their earlier N100 million demand for each student to N20 million per head.

But Mr. Owoseni denied that ransom had been paid to the kidnappers before the rescue operation, insisting that the police utilised intelligence reports.

When you talk about ransom in cases like this, you are glorifying kidnapping, the police chief said.

We should not be talking about ransom anymore in this country because if you do, you are telling others that kidnapping is viable and you can be going and kidnapping people to collect money.

But I want to also say that what was employed in rescuing the girls is more of application of intelligence-led policing using the platform of technology, partnering with members of the community and pressures on the kidnappers because what we have done with other security agencies is that we also went for members of their families including their mothers, their fathers, their children and with that pressure they found out that there was no way again for them to keep on keeping the girls and that was what led to the success we recorded in rescuing the girls.

The three teenagers of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Agunfoye-Lugbusi, were abducted from their school on February 29 by unknown gunmen at about 8 p.m.

The girls were rescued on Sunday morning at the Igbokuta area of the State, the police said.

The prime suspect in the abduction, Mr. Arigidi, told journalists that 12 people were involved in the operation which was planned at the Majidun area of Ikorodu.

We went to Maya bridge to enter canoe and went to the school around 8 p.m., Mr. Arigidi said.

After we gained entrance into the school, we took away three girls and we took them to our hideout. But along the line, we had disagreement between ourselves and I was actually the one that started it. I told other members of the gang that what we have done is not good and that I dont like it.

I know that security in Lagos State is now tight and I was telling others that there was no way we would get away with this kind of job considering the level of security in the state.

Mr. Arigidi said when he told his gang members to end the assignment, they threatened to kill him, and he escaped with a canoe.

Three days after I ran away, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) then arrested me somewhere in Majidun and that was how I told them how we planned the attack, he said.

One thing I will like to say is that if not for the fact that I was arrested, they would not have seen the girls because I was the one that revealed everything to the police.

Earlier, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said the girls had been safely reunited with their families.

Let me warn that the Lagos State will not tolerate kidnapping or any forms of crime in the state, Mr. Ambode said.

Our position is clear and unambiguous. Lagos State had the capacity and the will to go after every form of crime and criminality in order to safeguard lives and property in the state.
The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, said on Sunday that the remains of the late Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi, have been deposited at the morgue of the National Hospital, Abuja.

Bisi Kazeem, the spokesperson of FRSC, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that the corpse of the minister was taken to the hospital along with two other casualties.

Mr. Kazeem explained that the deceased lost their lives in a crash that occurred at Kilometre 57, along Kaduna-Abuja highway on Sunday.

The minister and two other occupants died eventually, while four people were injured, he said.

Although Mr. Kazeem did not give details of the other victims of the crash, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the other two deceased her the ministers wife and son.

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, confirmed this in a facebook post.

It is with great sadness that the Kaduna State Ministry of Health and Human Services further announces the death of Mrs. Ocholi at Doka Hospital, who was in coma since the accident near Rijana, along the Kaduna-Abuja Road. Earlier, the death of Minister Ocholi and his son were announced. May their souls rest in perfect peace, Amen, the governor wrote.

Born November 26, 1960, Mr. Ocholi was 55.

He became Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2007.

He was also the Chairman, Disciplinary Committee of the Abuja chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association.

In 2011, he was governorship aspirant in Kogi State on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change.

Between 2013 and 2014, he was deputy national legal adviser of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Last year, he sought the APC gubernatorial ticket at the partys primary election, losing to the late Abubakar Audu. He was appointed minister in 2015.

Mr. Ocholi attended Ochaja Secondary School, and the University of Jos.

He graduated from the Nigerian Law School in 1986 and was admitted to the Nigerian Bar the same year.
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said that the active subscribers in Nigerias telecommunications industry increased by 340,525 in January.

The regulatory body made this known in its Monthly Subscriber Data, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Sunday.

Active lines in Nigeria stood at 151,357,769 for the month of January, against the figure of 151,017,244 in December, 2015.

According to the data, 149,022,919 of the 151,357,769 active numbers subscribe to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network services.

The GSM operators active customers increased by 341,557 from the 148,681,362 subscribers they recorded in the month of December.

The Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators had 2,147,982 active users in January, indicating a decrease of 745 from the 2,148,727 customers they had in December.

Also, the monthly subscriber data showed that the Fixed Wired/Wireless networks consumers decreased to 186,868 in January, as they lost 287 customers to their record of 187,155 in December.

The chart revealed that the teledensity of the countrys telecommunications industry increased to 108.11 per cent in January, from 107.87 per cent in the month of December.

The teledensity statistics measure the percentage of a countrys population with access to telecommunications services as determined from the subscriber base.

Nigerias teledensity is currently calculated by the NCC on a population of 140 million people.

NAN also reports that there is an increase of 0.24 per cent in the teledensity of Nigeria in January.

(NAN)
The Bayelsa Chapter Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Nuhu Ibrahim, has said the parents of 14-year-old Ese Oruru also deserve some blame for her ordeal.

Mr. Ibrahim said that the incident had shown lapses at various stages but regretted that blames were being shifted to only one direction.

What Yunusa did was very bad and condemnable, I married from Bayelsa and my wife is from here. We have been living together peacefully for a very long time until this unfortunate incident, we should not allow this sad incident to tear us apart.

As leaders of the Hausa Community we were not happy with what happened and we worked to see that things did not get out of hand and we thank God that she is back.

This incident shows that there is need for everyone to brace up to their responsibilities, all hands are pointing at Yunusa and no one is looking at the lapses on the parts of others.

The parents have their blame as well as all others that had one role or the other to play in all these, I also did my own investigations before briefing the National Headquarters of the ACF in Kaduna on this matter.

Yunusa was not a stranger to the Orurus , he is well known to them and that brings the issue of parental care and vigilance which is lacking in our society today, Mr. Ibrahim said.

He said that rather that shift blames, all sides in the matter should close ranks to assist the victim and take steps and brace up to forestall re occurrence as well as strengthen protection of minors in our society.

He assured that the leadership of the Hausa community in Bayelsa would continue to promote peaceful coexistence amongst different ethnic groups in the state.

The Police in Bayelsa have shielded Ese from the media and members of the public since her arrival from Abuja, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

Mr. Yunusa was accused of eloping with the teenager to Kano where she was kept away from her family and allegedly married Yunusa.

The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, recently admitted that the police were culpable in their handling of Eses case.
A coalition, Civil Society Network Against Corruption, CSNAC, has urged the President Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, to investigate and sanction the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta for allegedly contravening the code of conduct for judicial officers.

In a petition signed by CSNAC chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, and addressed to the chairman of the commission, Prof. Itse Sagay, the anti-corruption coalition said the commission should investigate the introduction of Gabriel Igbinedion to Justice Auta at a book launch in honour of the Justice as well as the donation of N8million at the book launch by Mr. Igbinedion whose son was standing trial at the High Court before the donation.

The petition read: In its publication of 18th February, 2016, Premium Times, an online newspaper reported that The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has accused Mr. Rickey Tarfa, a senior Nigerian lawyer, of having a long history of manipulating courts and improperly communicating with judges. Mr. Tarfa, in defence instituted a Fundamental Rights Enforcement Action against the Commission. In the course of the proceedings, several startling revelations were made by the Commission.

The report stated that in furtherance of his unhealthy relationships and communication with judicial officers, Mr. Tarfa sometime in April 2015, attended a book launch in honour of Ibrahim Auta the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, in the company of Gabriel Igbinedion, who was the chief launcher. At the event, Mr. Tarfa introduced Mr. Igbinedion to judges and senior lawyers who attended the programme. In the counter affidavit deposed to by one Moses Awolusi, an investigator on behalf of the EFCC, he stated as follows:

That I know as a fact that in spite of the Applicants knowledge of Rule 3(f)(j) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers which stipulates that A judicial officer and members of his family shall neither ask for nor accept any gift, bequest, favour, or loan on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties the Applicant did not advise his client not to donate the said sum of N8 million to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. Now shown to me and marked Exhibit Q is Thisday edition of 3rd May 2015 capturing the proceedings of the launching including role of the Applicant.

Furthermore, the report also stated that in the said affidavit, the investigating officer also stated That I know as a fact that the Applicants client, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion made the donation of N8m at the referred occasion to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in spite of knowledge by Chief Gabriel Igbinedion that his son Michael Igbinedion who had been convicted was awaiting the sentence of the Federal High Court in criminal proceedings pending against Chief Gabriel Igbinedions son (Chief Michael Igbinedion) before the Federal High Court.

While noting that shortly after the book launch and donation of the said N8million, Chief Gabriel Igbinedions son Michael was sentenced to 1 year imprisonment or a paltry fine of N1million in questionable plea bargaining that sparked outrage among Nigerians

It is trite that the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers is replete with several provisions on the conduct and relationships of judicial officers with members of the public.

The Code of Conduct prohibits judicial officers from unnecessarily fraternizing with members of the public that could result in putting the course of justice in jeopardy as well as causing embarrassment to the judiciary.

The noncompliance with the provisions of the rules can be seen as exemplified by the questionable plea bargaining procedure Chief Gabriel Igbinedions son benefitted from shortly after his introduction to Hon. Justice Auta and the donation of the aforementioned sum.

CSNAC is therefore by this petition calling for a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the introduction of Chief Igbinedion to Hon. Justice Auta, as well his donation of N8million at the book launch. The presence of several lawyers at the book launch should also be thoroughly investigated as this could create conflict in the exercise of his duties as a judicial officer, since the crop of senior lawyers who were in attendance are likely to come before his court.
About 11,000 Beninese nationals on Sunday converged at the Republic of Benins Consulate-Generals Premises in Lagos to vote in their countrys presidential election.

Most of the nationals who came from Badagry, Ijanikin, Sango and other communities in and around Lagos, arrived at the polling centre as early 7:00 a.m. for accreditation.

Joel Houndolo, an Elections Supervisor in Benins National Electoral Commission (CENA), told the News Agency of Nigeria on the sidelines of the election that he was impressed with the peoples turnout.

Even outside our country, we have here about 11,000 Beninese happily coming out in Lagos to participate in their nations Presidential election.

This is the second time that we are having our elections in Nigeria, and we are very happy with the interest of the Beninese resident in Nigeria in taking part in our national elections from here.

Let me also say that their interest in voting in our countrys election from here, also shows the peace they are enjoying in Lagos and across Nigeria, he said.

Mr, Houndolo said that the votes would be counted at the premises, before being forwarded `securely to CENA for the general announcement of the results, with others from across the world.

The Consul-General of the Republic of Benin in Lagos, Faustin Kpanou, said that the conduct of the election in Nigeria was to further promote the existing cooperation between Benin Republic and Nigeria.

Mr. Kpanou commended the Federal Government, as well as the Lagos State Government for providing the consulate with 50 police officers, to ensure the peaceful conduct of the election in Lagos.

The consul-general said that his government and Beninese resident in Nigeria would continue to enjoy the friendship and neighbourliness currently existing between the two countries.

We have decided to bring our democracy to the doorsteps of Nigeria and other countries, as a way of telling them that we will continue to be partners in progress.

We need to know that we have the same culture, traditions and a lot to learn from ourselves politically, economically and otherwise.

The peaceful and orderly conduct of our presidential election here in Lagos today is for us to know that we are neighbours and friends, he said.

A Beninese community leader in Lagos, Albert Ayinde, shortly after casting his vote, said that he was `really happy participating in his countrys election from Lagos.

Mr. Ayinde described the conduct of the presidential election in Lagos as peaceful, orderly and encouraging.

He commended his government for making it possible for their nationals outside their country to determine who they wanted as their leader.

Another Beninese, Mermoz Lidehou, also express satisfaction at the peaceful conduct of the election, adding that it was his first experience to vote outside his country.

A Correspondent, who monitored the election, reported that the election was conducted under heavy security presence, where eligible voters were requested to present their voters cards before entry into the premises.

Voters were also led out of the premises soon after casting their votes by officials of CENA.

(NAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari and other Nigerians have mourned the death of the Minister of State in the Labour Ministry, James Ocholi.

Mr. Ocholi, alongside his wife and his son, died on Sunday in an auto accident along Kaduna-Abuja expressway. The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, said the minister died after the vehicle they were travelling in somersaulted several times due to a burst tyre.

Mr. Ocholi and his son reportedly died on the spot, while his wife later died in a hospital. Four others were injured in the accident, the FRSC said.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, expressed shock and sadness at the deaths.

Mr. Buhari described the ministers death as untimely, regretting that Nigeria has lost a key component of the change agenda.

Barrister Ocholi was an accomplished and patriotic Nigerian, who was keen to accept the call to service at a time his country needed him, President Buhari said, adding that in the few months he had been in office, the late minister had already begun to distinguish himself through his commitment and dedication to work.

The statement said the late Mr. Ocholi had a long record of political association with Mr. Buhari.

President Buhari also consoled with the government and people of Kogi State, whom he described as having lost a distinguished and irreplaceable son.

The entire country mourns the loss of this great man, who has sadly left us when we need him most, he said.

The statement added that Mr. Buhari has sent the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Babachir, to formally convey the news to members of the deceased family as well as parishioners in his place of worship.

In the same vein, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi, where the late Mr. Ocholi hails from, has expressed shock at the death.

Mr. Bello in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday described the death of Ocholi as a monumental loss for the state and the country at large.

The late minister hailed from Ogbabede/Abocho in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi, and was a member of Nigerias ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Late Ocholi was a pragmatic, dynamic, humane and brilliant law officer who was known around the world for his dexterous approach to legal and political issues and one of the most unswerving constitutional lawyers Nigeria has ever produced, the governor said of the late minister.

The statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kingsley Fanwo, recalled how the late minister joined other progressive minded individuals around the country to drive the intellectual pillars of the APC.

While condoling members of his immediately family, political associates, friends, colleagues and the APC over his death, Mr. Bello said that the vacuum left behind by the deceased would be difficult to fill.

He prayed for the peaceful repose of Mr. Ocholis soul and urged all those he left behind to see his death as an act of God.

Also reacting, the Kogi state treasurer of the APC, Ismail Adesayo, described Mr. Ocholis death as very unfortunate.

He described the late minister as a fine leader who meant well for the people and development of Kogi State and Nigeria.

On his part, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State described the death of Mr. Ocholi, his wife and his son as shocking and sad.

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria, Mr. Oshiomhole said: His death is indeed a colossal loss to the nation, which he served devotedly to the end.

I had several interactions with the late Minister and I found him to be a remarkably frank and patriotic Nigerian with a deep sense of commitment to the nations growth. He had a fervent passion to implement the Change agenda of Mr. President and worked assiduously to leave a lasting legacy in the Labour Ministry where he was Minister of State.

The National Secretariat of the APC also said it received news of the death of Mr. Ocholi, his wife and his son with great shock and sadness.

The APC National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni in a condolence message on Sunday described the deaths as a monumental loss.

The APC National Secretary said the late Mr. Ocholi, who was the partys former Deputy National Legal Adviser, will be remembered for his selfless service to Nigeria and Kogi State.

While extending his condolences to the people and government of Kogi State, Mr. Buni prayed God to grant Mr. Ocholis immediate family the fortitude to bear the loss.
The Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, has appealed to the Federal Government to allow local refineries to operate in the Niger Delta region.

The Chairman of the council, Udengs Eradiri, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Yenagoa on Sunday.

Mr. Eradiri also urged government to harness the potential of the operators of the local refineries and help in perfecting them to ensure production of high quality petroleum products.

He said formalising the operations of the local refineries would help curb the frequent scarcity of petroleum products in the country and create jobs in the region.

According to him, if legalised, the local refineries will also curtail oil theft and make petroleum products available.

Licensing modular refineries will reduce the pressure on the naira as the foreign exchange spent on importing the products will be conserved.

Mr. Eradiri commended the Minister of Solid Mineral, Kayode Fayemi, for encouraging illegal miners to form cooperatives for the formalisation of their activities.

He said that such an arrangement should be extended to the operators of illegal refineries in Niger Delta who had exhibited ingenuity in refining the products in makeshift refineries.

The IYC chairman, however, said that the illegal refineries had adversely impacted on the environment of the Niger Delta region, but said that legalisation of their operations would prevent this.

We welcome the idea being mooted by the minister of solid minerals, and urged the Federal Government to also extend such gestures to the people involved in illegal refining.

If the skills of these people are further developed, they will be adding to the local refining capacity of the country.

All that is required is for government to train them, licence them and set the standard for the operation and thousands of jobs will be created.

We are supporting the idea and shall shortly commence the collation of data on the operators of these bush refineries. We will bring them together for government to work with them.

It is going to block the crude oil leakages and the NNPC will get revenue from the supply of crude to the proposed modular refineries.

The required environmental standards should be introduced to make their operations safe, Mr. Eradiri said.

He also urged the Federal Government to sustain the amnesty programme, which he said, had guaranteed peace for optimal oil output in the past four years.

Sustenance of the programme is better than deployment of more troops to the Niger Delta.

The deployment of troops heightens anxiety and creates disequilibrium in the psyche of the people. The soldiers presence leads to conflict with the people and increased violence and crime.

We recommend that rather than spend funds on deployment of more troops, the amnesty programme which has proved a huge success should be sustained.

(NAN)
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa has called for the strengthening of regulatory bodies in the oil sector to make multinational companies operating in the Niger Delta live up to its responsibilities.

Mr. Dickson noted that the multinational whose activities were largely responsible for degradation of the area had cashed in on weakness of those institutions to short change the region and Nigeria in general.

The governor spoke when he received the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who was in the Niger Delta for consultation ahead of the launch of Ogoniland cleanup by President Muhammadu Buhari.

All of us must work to address the weakness inherent in our institutions in this country, the weaknesses which some of these oil majors are exploiting to create two standards.

One for Nigeria and the Niger Delta, where they can pollute everyday and destroy everything and suffer no consequences at all.

And the other, international standard, where when there was a spill in the Gulf of Mexico, British Petroleum (BP) pay billions of dollars and pounds, we have real challenge, he said.

According to the governor, pollution from Agip Oil Company alone in the state is about a thousand incidents.

I am aware of the faction of the incidents attributable to what they called sabotage.

But lets face the fact; who has the responsibility to protect pipelines and other facilities, who has the legal responsibility to prevent sabotage?

Communities or those who own the licences, we have been making billions and trillions and yet the effect of sabotage is felt by innocent people, Mr. Dickson said.

He said that environmental pollution by oil companies began in Bayelsa, where crude oil was first discovered in Oloibiri in 1958, adding that the state is the epicentre of pollution.

Let the truth be told, this state is the headquarters of pollution, this state is the epicentre of environmental degradation, in fact, what I called environmental terrorism.

From 1958 till now, we have borne the brunt of providing revenue to sustain our nation.

We are pleased and happy to do that but the other side of it is that that has also brought a lot of damage to our ecosystem.

We commend the Federal Government for its resolve to begin the cleanup of Ogoniland, and also attempt a cleanup of the Niger Delta, he said.

Mr. Dickson described himself as a firm believer in the environment because it is the collective heritage for mankind.

He promised to collaborate with the Federal Government to clean up the Niger Delta.

In this government, you are going to find a partner, a reliable partner that will work through these problems with you.

The environment is so important to us both now and in the future, he said.

Earlier, Ms. Mohammed solicited the cooperation of the governor, people of Bayelsa and entire Niger Delta in effort to clean up the area, beginning with Ogoniland.

The minister assured that President Buhari would fulfil his campaign to clean up the entire the region.

(NAN)
Troops have intensified efforts of clearing remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in some hideouts in the North Eastern part of the country.

In line with this on Saturday, soldiers of 121 Task Force Battalion, 26 Task Force Brigade carried out a clearance operations at Dure district.

During the encounter, troops met stiff resistance from the terrorists. They, however, overcame and cleared Dure 1, Dure 2, Jango, Dibiye and other suspected Boko Haram terrorists hideouts within the general area of the district.

Three soldiers however sustained injuries as a result of an Improvised Explosive Device, IED. They were immediately evacuated for medical treatment and are in stable condition.

During the operation, troops killed several terrorists and recovered 2 hand held Motorola radios one of which was booby-trapped, materials for Improvised Explosive making devices and destroyed several grains storage facilities.

Simultaneously, another combined team of units under 26 Task Force Brigade based in Gwoza same day cleared Amdaga Makaranta and Amdaga Madachi of remnants of Boko Haram terrorists. During the encounter, two Boko Haram terrorists fighters were killed.

According to General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brigadier General Victor Okwudili Ezugwu, prior to the clearance operation, Dure 1 and 2 were Boko Haram strong holds in the mainland of Sambisa forest. The operation further revealed the new and desperate strategy of Boko Haram terrorists; hiding their logistics especially grains for the rainy season in dugouts and the use of hand held radios primed with Improvised Explosive Devices as booby-traps.

He assured that the Nigerian military is confident that God that gives victory is helping the military to decode and frustrate all terrorists evil plans and machinations. General Ezugwu further noted that it is the militarys determined objective to ensure that the menace of Boko Haram would be consigned to the dustbin of inglorious history in the annals of Nigerias corporate existence as a nation.

It is imperative to state that we shall not rest on our oars in implementing the directives of our indefatigable Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, to ensure that Boko Haram terrorists are completely defeated and their remnants are cleared wherever they may be hibernating.
The suspected mastermind of the 2010 Independence Day bombings, Charles Okah, has sued the Federal Government of Nigeria for allegedly violating the rights of inmates in Kuje Maximum Security Prison.

Mr. Okah also asked the court to compel the government to pay him N350 million damages for alleged violation of his fundamental rights.

His counsel, Timipa Okponipere, filed the case on February 15, barely a week before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Abuja High Court halted his trial on health grounds.

Joined in the suit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/118/2016, are the Federal Ministry of Interior and the Nigerian Prisons Service as first and second respondents, respectively.

Among the reliefs sought by the applicant is the declaration that the failure of the respondents to respond to the letter of a prison inmate is a breach of fundamental right.

He also sought a declaration that his detention in solitary confinement without a charge and a valid court order breached his fundamental right.

Again, Mr. Okah sought a declaration that the refusal of the respondents to return the intellectual property seized from him without compensation is a breach of his fundamental right.

The applicant also sought a declaration that the refusal of the respondents to allow for conjugal visits to the prison breached the fundamental right of both convicted and awaiting trial inmates.

He also sought a declaration that the failure of the prison authorities to allow him access the welfare office at the prison to make calls to his family abroad violates his fundamental right.

The applicant challenged the failure of the respondents to stop illicit sex trade and drug trafficking by prison warders at Kuje Prison and sought a declaration that the acts violated the rights of awaiting trial and convicted inmates at the prison.

He also challenged the selective handcuff of prison inmates based on their status, saying the act is discriminatory and a breach of the fundamental rights of inmates.

Mr. Okah, therefore, sought an order of the court to among other things:

Compel the respondents to recognise the fundamental right of awaiting trial and convicted inmates in the prison;

Compel the respondents to forthwith introduce conjugal visits in Kuje Prison as applicable in other parts of the world;

Compel the respondents to release his intellectual property which were seized by the prison authority since January 6;

Compel the respondents to ban illicit sex trade and drug trafficking by prison warders as well as stop all discriminatory practices in the prison.

The suit was supported by a 58-point affidavit deposed by counsel to the applicant, Mr. Okponipere.

Justice Kolawole had during the resumed hearing of the bombing case on February 22, announced that Mr. Okah could not attend the session because he was undergoing surgery at the National Hospital, Abuja.

The judge, however, adjourned the case till March 10, and ordered that the suspect be brought to court on the new date.
Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has criticised the Nigerian government for allowing the practice of child marriages to thrive in the country.

Mr. Soyinka spoke Sunday during a press conference titled Justice At Bay: The Long, Twisted Road to Ese jointly hosted with Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer.

Until we make an example of people like (Senator Ahmed) Yerima, there will be thousands of Yunusa, said Mr. Soyinka, a Professor of Literature.

Mr. Yerima (APC, Zamfara West) in 2010 married a young Egyptian girl alleged to be 13 years old.

Yunusa Yellow allegedly abducted Ese Oruru, a Bayelsa teenager, in 2015 to Kano where she was converted to Islam.

Mr. Soyinka also lauded the role Lamido Sanusi, the Emir of Kano, played in the saga noting that the emir represents a modern traditional ruler who will help transform the primitive chiefs in power.

Details later
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday declared Mao Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, winner of Saturdays re-run election in Abia North Senatorial District.

The Returning Officer of INEC, Ojike Nwankpa, said Mr. Ohuabunwa polled 26,009 votes to defeat candidates of the Progressive Peoples Alliance and All Progressives Grand Alliance, Orji Kalu and Bourdex Onuoha, who polled 25,814 votes and 13,633 votes respectively.

The candidates of the All Progressives Congress and Labour Party, Nwanna Okoro, and Oji Nwachukwu, polled 976 votes and 147 votes, respectively.

Mr. Nwankpa, who announced the result on Sunday, declared Mr. Ohuabunwa the winner for polling the highest number of lawful votes cast.

Mr. Nwankpa had at the end of collation of results on Saturday night declared the election inconclusive.

The Head, Education and Publicity of INEC in the state, Edwin Enabor, said the returning officer erroneously declared the re-run election inconclusive.

This was wrong. In a re-run election, a winner must emerge by simple majority.

The margin of lead vis-a-vis the number of registered voters does not arise in a re-run election, Mr. Enabor said.

The National and House of Assembly Tribunal in Umuahia had affirmed Ohuabunwas election.

But the Court of Appeal, sitting in Owerri, reversed the judgment and ordered a re-run election in Abia North Senatorial District.

Meanwhile, the state Chairman of APGA, Augustine Ehiemere, has described the result as a sham, saying that it`s all fraud and unacceptable to us.

Mr. Ehiemere said in a telephone interview that PDP is in control of the instrument of power and the local government councils where election results are manipulated.

The PDP state Chairman, Emma Nwaka, however, expressed delight over the result of the re-run election.

He said the result had affirmed Mr. Ohuabunwas victory in the March 28, 2015 general elections.

Mr. Nwaka faulted the returning officer for initially declaring the election inconclusive, saying that one could not have an inconclusive election in a re-run election.

Results of re-run election for House of Assembly in Aba North, Arochukwu, Ikwuano, Isialangwa South, Osisioma, Umuahia South and Umunneochi state constituencies are being awaited.

(NAN)
The Ogun State caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the National Assembly may intervene in the political rift between the former governor of the state, Olusegun Osoba, and the sitting governor, Ibikunle Amosun.

The lawmaker representing Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency of the State in the House of Representatives, Ayodele Isiaka, stated this on Saturday while speaking with journalists.

The feud between Messrs. Osoba and Amosun in the build up to the 2015 general elections led to the exit of the former and his supporters from the APC to the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

When I get back to Abuja, I am going to contact my colleagues in the caucus of APC and we shall look on the need to fashion out way to attend to the issue.

The difference between them was political rather than personal. We are going to work with both of them, Mr. Isiaka said at the site of a federal road he is helping to repair.

Mr. Isiaka said he was funding the temporary repair of the 7 kilometre road in Ifo Local Government Area from his purse as the road was not included in constituency project of the National Assembly. He assured that he would contact the state government to help in bringing a permanent solution to the problem.

Speaking on the repair of the road, a resident of the area, Ariori Saheed, described the road as a nightmare to the people of the area.

He said successive governments had promised to repair it, but failed to do so.
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has decried the recent crisis that engulfed Mile 12 Market which led to scores of death and destruction of several property. The party said the crisis was needless and targets the peaceful coexistence that has existed in Lagos.

In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Joe Igbokwe, the party urged the various groups and factions in the crisis to maintain the peace and follow the processes laid down by the Lagos State government to restore peace in the area.

It urged leaders of the various ethnic communities in Lagos to respect the rights and interests of other ethnicities and ensure that the state continues to play its role as a huge entrepot of diverse shades of Nigerians.

As a party that believes in the peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians in all parts of the country, we see the recent bloody crisis in Lagos as a drawback to the peace and well being of the country and the peaceful coexistence of its diverse ethnic nationalities. We express this sentiment because we see the crisis as needless and grossly in contrast with the existing amity that has endured in Lagos fir a very long time.

We believe that all ethnic groups in Nigeria must imbibe tolerance and compromise for us to forge a united and prosperous nation and the taking up of arms at the slightest excuse. We did not see what reportedly happened in Mile 12 as capable of igniting the kind of violent reaction that followed it if we all see ourselves as united and we believe the leaders of the various ethnicities as well as religious leaders must intensify efforts to promote tolerance and peace among Nigerians.

We condemn the crisis in its entirety and throw our weight behind the efforts of the present state government to find lasting peace to the Mile 12 crisis. We therefore urge the various contending interests to maintain the peace, sheathe their sword and key into the peace efforts of the state government

Lagos APC mourn the lives lost in the crisis and condolence with those that sustained injuries as well as those whose properties were destroyed in the crisis. We urge all to tap into the new vision for Lagos which requires every Lagosians to leave at peace and harmony with each other irrespective of tribe or tongue.
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.




Name : php

Product : Fedora 23

Version : 5.6.19

Release : 1.fc23

URL : http://www.php.net/

Summary : PHP scripting language for creating dynamic web sites

Description :

PHP is an HTML-embedded scripting language. PHP attempts to make it

easy for developers to write dynamically generated web pages. PHP also

offers built-in database integration for several commercial and

non-commercial database management systems, so writing a

database-enabled webpage with PHP is fairly simple. The most common

use of PHP coding is probably as a replacement for CGI scripts.



The php package contains the module (often referred to as mod_php)

which adds support for the PHP language to Apache HTTP Server.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Update Information:



03 Mar 2016, **PHP 5.6.19** **CLI server:** * Fixed bug php#71559 (Built-in

HTTP server, we can download file in web by bug). (Johannes, Anatol) **CURL:**

* Fixed bug php#71523 (Copied handle with new option CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER crashes

while curl_multi_exec). (Laruence) **Date:** * Fixed bug php#68078 (Datetime

comparisons ignore microseconds). (Willem-Jan Zijderveld) * Fixed bug php#71525

(Calls to date_modify will mutate timelib_rel_time, causing date_date_set

issues). (Sean DuBois) **Fileinfo:** * Fixed bug php#71434 (finfo throws

notice for specific python file). (Laruence) **FPM:** * Fixed bug php#62172

(FPM not working with Apache httpd 2.4 balancer/fcgi setup). (Matt Haught,

Remi)

**Opcache:** * Fixed bug php#71584 (Possible use-after-free of ZCG(cwd) in

Zend Opcache). (Yussuf Khalil) **PDO MySQL:** * Fixed bug php#71569 (#70389

fix causes segmentation fault). (Nikita) **Phar:** * Fixed bug php#71498

(Out-

of-Bound Read in phar_parse_zipfile()). (Stas) **Standard:** * Fixed bug

php#70720 (strip_tags improper php code parsing). (Julien) **WDDX:** * Fixed

bug php#71587 (Use-After-Free / Double-Free in WDDX Deserialize). (Stas)

**XSL:** * Fixed bug php#71540 (NULL pointer dereference in

xsl_ext_function_php()). (Stas) **Zip:** * Fixed bug php#71561 (NULL pointer

dereference in Zip::ExtractTo). (Laruence)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-



This update can be installed with the "yum" update program. Use

su -c 'yum update php' at the command line.

For more information, refer to "Managing Software with yum",

available at https://docs.fedoraproject.org/yum/.



All packages are signed with the Fedora Project GPG key. More details on the

GPG keys used by the Fedora Project can be found at

https://fedoraproject.org/keys

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package-announce mailing list

package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org

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New Delhi, March 3 : A Gorakhpur-bound flight of the Jet Airways was on Thursday held up at Delhi International Airport for over three hours following a hoax call that claimed there was a bomb on board.

"A call regarding a bomb in the Jaipur-Gorakhpur Jet flight was received at around 12.08 p.m. at the office of Gorakhpur Air Director. The Jet flight No.9W 2647 was scheduled to land at 3.30 p.m. in Gorakhpur but was detained here and thoroughly checked," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Dinesh Kumar Gupta.

Gupta said that following the call, the flight landed at Delhi Airport and all the passengers were deboarded and the necessary checking was done.

The flight landed in Delhi at 12.57 p.m. with 61 passenger and four crew members on board.

"All passenger were Delhi-bound and have since left," Gupta added.

Gupta further said that the flight took off at 3.18 p.m. with 59 passengers on board after it was given security clearance by the authorities.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 3 : Once cast in the main role of a common man who accidentally ends up being the home minister of Kerala, comedian and character actor Jagadish may well have a chance to realise something similar in real life.

"Sthalathe Pradhana Payyans", a Malayalam political film released in 1993, came to mind when the media reported on Wednesday that the Congress party could field Jagadish in Pathanapuram constituency of the state assembly in the next elections.

In the film, Jagadish essayed the role of Gopalakrishnan, a young man from a middle class neighbourhood who becomes a surprise candidate in an assembly seat that falls vacant on the death of a minister.

He not only wins the seat, but also becomes the home minister. He then wins the heart of the chief minister by measures that make policing system efficient.

Jagadish, 60, who has acted in more than 325 films, told IANS that he got a call from state Congress president V.M. Sudheeran.

"I got a call from state Congress president V.M. Sudheeran. Since my name started to come out in the media from yesterday, I have been flooded with calls, wishing me all the best," said the actor.

Jagadish began his career as a colleague of Congress leader A.K. Antony's wife at a leading public sector bank. He later became a commerce lecturer in a college from where he took long leave to start acting in films. He subsequently became a fulltime film actor.

His first film was "My Dear Kuttichathan", released in 1984. Since then he has been an integral part of the Malayalam film industry, doing numerous characters, most of which were those with a good sense of humour.

His most popular films include "Hitler", "Kunikite Kozhi", "Vandanam", "Harihar Nagar" and its two sequels.

In Pathanapuram constituency in Kollam district, he is likely to be pitted against former state minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, another film actor.

Ganesh Kumar, who has been representing the constituency since 2001, is the lone legislator of the Kerala Congress-Pillai.

"Yes, he is my colleague in the film industry and if I am fielded there, I intend to have a keen political fight," said Jagadish.

Jagadish had campaigned in the 2011 assembly polls for a number of Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) candidates.
Chennai, March 4 : The teaser of Suriya-starrer Tamil sci-fi thriller "24", with its world class visuals, will leave audiences in awe as well as intrigue them with the time-travel concept on which the core plot of the film is based.

IANS was given an exclusive sneak peek of the one-minute teaser, which will be released on Friday.

Going by the teaser, the film features Suriya in three diverse roles from which it is very evident that he also plays the baddie.

It could also be learnt that Suriya plays a scientist and a gangster, while the third role is kept under wraps.

Without giving too much away, the teaser smartly introduces the time-travel angle which is a pivotal part of the story.

The action-packed teaser is aptly supported by some breathtaking visuals, razor sharp cuts and A.R. Rahman's fitting score.

According to director Vikram Kumar, Suriya insisted on doing stunts from the film without a body double.

Gnanavel Raja, the film's producer, said the film will hit the screens in April.

"24" also stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Nithya Menen, Girish Karnad and Ajay.
Cairo, March 6 : At least 135 people were killed in areas covered by the cessation of hostilities during the first week of the truce, which came into force in some parts of Syria on February 27, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Saturday.

The London-based NGO said the victims included 45 people from rebel fighters and Islamist factions and 32 civilians, including seven children and seven women.

A total of 25 members of Syrian regime and National Defence forces were killed, in addition to the death of 33 combatants from the People's Protection Units, Nusra Front, an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in Syria, and other Islamist factions.

Most of the victims were killed in airstrikes and clashes during the period between February 27 and March 4 in Syrian areas where the cease-fire entered into force, including the province of Latakia, Western Ghouta and Eastern Ghouta, located on the outskirts of Damascus, and the northern province of Aleppo.
London, March 6 : Actor George Clooney has reportedly stepped up security to protect his mansion after his wife and lawyer Amal was sent death threats.

The couple have taken drastic measures to protect their $10.7 million mansion in Berkshire, South England and have been advised not to travel without bodyguards, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The couple now is chauffeured to local restaurants just 300 yards away following worrying messages which the 38-year-old lawyer has received. It is supposedly in relation to her current case, which is seeing her represent jailed former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed.

"Security isn't so much for him but for her. From George's point of view, the high-level legal work she does and the death threats she gets, it's quite serious," Grazia magazine quoted South Oxfordshire district councillor Paul Harrison -- who has been involved in negotiations to beef up surveillance at the Clooneys' home -- as saying.

The "Tomorrowland" actor and his wife initially applied for permission to erect up to eight cameras on 6 metre poles in the grounds, plus another 10 fixed to the ground, but the plans were denied as the cameras would represent a potential infringement of the privacy of neighbouring properties, though a compromise has now been reached.
Los Angeles, March 6 : Veteran actor Sylvester Stallone will reportedly star in the sequel of Marvel's superhero film "Guardians of the Galaxy".

The actor was spotted heading to the sets of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" at Pinewood Studio in Georgia, Atlanta and holding what looks like a script, reports aceshowbiz.com.

While Stallone's involvement in the film is yet to be confirmed, a photograph of him exiting a hotel in Atlanta surfaced via NY Daily News.

The movie's cast has been staying at the hotel while filming is taking place. Stallone was spotted getting into a car that was usually assigned to the movie's star Chris Pratt.

The film will release on May 5 next year.
Islamabad, March 6 : The US government has formally notified the intended sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, taking a major step towards finalising the deal, the media reported on Sunday.

"This proposed sale contributes to US foreign policy objectives and national security goals by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner in South Asia," said the notification published in the US Federal Register.

"We are grateful to the US administration and members of Congress for their acknowledgment of Pakistan's decisive actions against extremists and terrorists and of the effective role the F-16a play in our counter-terrorism efforts," Dawn online reported citing Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani as saying.

The notification estimates the total cost of the deal to be nearly $700 million.

However, the Indian government and some US lawmakers have criticised Washington's rationale that such an arms transfer will help combat terrorism. They claim the fighter jets will change the military balance in South Asia and will ultimately be used against India.

In a policy justification, posted on the Federal Register, the US administration rejected this assertion.

"The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region," it said, adding that the aircraft would improve "Pakistan's capability to meet current and future security threats".

The administration also noted that the additional F-16 aircraft would facilitate operations in non-daylight environments and "enhance Pakistan's ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations".

The Obama administration also explained that the sale would increase the number of aircraft available to the Pakistan Air Force to sustain operations, meet monthly training requirements, and support transition training for pilots new to the Block-52, F-16 aircraft.

Implementation of the proposed sale would not require the assignment of any additional US government or contractor representatives to Pakistan. There would be no adverse impact on US defence readiness either, it said.

The administration also assured Congress that Pakistan "can provide the same degree of protection for the sensitive technology being released as the US government".

The 30-day notice period for Congress expires on March 11, after which the deal will be final.

Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said at a news briefing in Washington earlier this week that Pakistan had initially requested for 18 F-16s, but because of financing problems it was purchasing just eight. He said the F-16s were a critical tool in the war against terrorism.
Mumbai, March 6 : Bollywood actress Preity Zinta has confirmed that she has given up her 'Miss' tag by marrying her American beau Gene Goodenough.

The dimpled beauty made the announcement on her official social media pages, just days after news of her secret wedding in Los Angeles surfaced.

"I was holding on the 'Miss Tag' rather seriously till now, until I met someone 'Goodenough' to give it up for. So now I join the Married Club folks.

"Thank you all for your good wishes and for all your love. Love you all. Ting! Let the Goodenough jokes begin," Preity wrote.

Last year, there were reports that she will be marrying Goodenough in January, and then around Valentine's Day. But back then, she had declined the reports, saying that she is fed up with all the speculation about her personal life.

But the virtual world went into a tizzy earlier this week over news of the "Kal Ho Naa Ho" actress' wedding as veteran actor Kabir Bedi congratulated her.

Preity's close friends, fashion designer and stylist Surily Goel and Sussanne Khan were also reportedly a part of the celebrations.

Online memes surrounding Preity and her husband began in no time once the news of their wedding news spread.

A user posted: "Finally #PreityZinta married a Goodenough Gene!", while another shared: "Actress Preity Zinta gets married to Gene Goodenough - so will she now have the epic name, Preity Goodenough?".

But as one can make out from her latest social media post, Preity has taken them all in the right stride.
Ahmedabad, March 6 : Two teams of the National Security Guards (NSG) landed in Gujarat on Sunday following a high alert sounded by the central government amid reports that 10 terrorists from Jash-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba have entered the coastal state.

"The Gujarat Police are on alert. The state government had asked the Centre to send NSG teams, which have also arrived," the state's Home Minister Rajanikant Patel told reporters here.

He said, "We have issued high alert and beefed up security at all key installations."

The state government was galvanized into action, stepping up security across Gujarat, especially the coastal borders with Pakistan, after a note sent by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval about the suspected infiltration of fidayeens (suicide attackers).

Ajit Doval's note came after Pakistan's National Security Adviser Nasir Janjua called him up and confided in him that 10 terrorists from the two Pakistan-based outfits have entered Gujarat, according to official sources.

The officials said police stations have been asked to carry out combing operations at hotels and guest houses. Forces have been moved around shopping malls, cinema halls and bus stands. And security personnel on leave have been called back from their furlough.

Besides Kutch district, which shares land and maritime borders with Pakistan, heavy patrolling and checking has begun along Gujarat's border with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Important monuments, pilgrimage centres like the ancient Somnath and Dwarka temples, and Akashardham temple in Gandhinagar which had come under terrorist attack on September 24, 2002, as well as power plants, dams, defence and security establishments have been put on alert.

The central agencies are investigating the discovery of five abandoned fishing boats near Sir Creek on the Kutch coast over the last three months, including one found by a Border Security Force (BSF) patrol on Friday.

The boat found on Friday is 20 feet long and 10 feet wide. Some ration, water jugs, fishing nets, crabs, diesel and mattresses were found on board.

Meanwhile, Gujarat's Additional Chief Secretary (Home) P.K. Taneja held a meeting with the top officials of the armed forces, police, Intelligence Bureau and paramilitary forces.
Ranchi, March 6 : Rising incidents of theft and chain snatching in Jharkhand's capital city have left the residents a worried lot.

On Saturday, there were four incidents of theft in four flats and snatching of chains of women besides Rs.6.50 lakh being looted from a trader. All incidents occurred in broad daylight.

Miscreants raided four flats in the city's Shanti Enclave apartment complex and took away jewellery worth of Rs.8 lakhs.

The criminals also looted Rs.6.50 lakhs from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Latehar district president Lal Motinath Sahdeo in the city's Pandara locality. He was robbed as he withdrew cash from his bank and was heading towards a company.

On Thursday, there were three incidents of theft in Ranchi's Bariatu locality, with the thieves managing to escape with jewellery and cash worth lakhs of rupees in broad daylight.

Though a total of 20 theft and robbery cases have been reported in the last two months in Ranchi, police have failed to crack any case.

At many places, women say they have stopped wearing gold chains, fearing snatching.

"In some cases young boys are involved in theft and chain snatching incidents. There are a few biker gangs who are involved in chain snatching. We will soon crack all the cases. In some cases, theft took place after rendering the residents unconscious," a police official told IANS.

Ranchi police has made a public appeal for installing CCTV cameras for safety.

"The women in our locality have stopped wearing gold chains. There is hardly any woman whose gold chain may not have been snatched," Poonam Gupta, a resident of Anantpur told IANS.

In Jharkhand, there were 10,154 cases of theft reported in 2015.
New Delhi, March 6 : Tales of the multiple facets of Lord Shiva will be told through 'Spirit Of India - Maha Shivratri', a TV special which will be aired on the festival on Monday.

The one-hour special on Discovery Channel will also explore people's spiritual and religious faith and rituals that are followed to celebrate this occasion across the country.

It will give viewers an insight into the deeper spiritual significance underlying the celebration, according to a statement from the channel.

"The show will showcase people from Varanasi recreating the momentous occasion of Lord Shiva's marriage to his wife Parvati. From fancy guest lists to dressing up the city in its wedding finery along with colours and scents to singing and chanting, the programme will show how the whole city will participate in the big wedding procession," read a brief about the show.
New York, March 6 : Digital fitness devices help orthopaedic patients monitor their activity levels, medication use, weight, sleep patterns, rehabilitation progress, and other personal health data, ultimately empowering them to improve clinical outcomes, according to a study.

"If we can get people more involved in their care and help them get in better shape, then everyone wins - patients, physicians, and the entire health care system," said lead study author Claudette Lajam from New York University.

The study, presented recently at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in Orlando, Florida, analysed activity tracking, cost, interfaces, location of devices on the body, and other relevant features for 28 most popular health devices.

The most common features were a pedometre (tracking distance travelled), in addition to monitors for heart rate, sleep and caloric intake, although many other features were available.

Lajam said that data generated by fitness devices can be applied across different levels of orthopaedic care.

If authorised by patients, this data can also be sent to their doctor and health care team, via apps that interface with Apple HealthKit, Google Fit, and Microsoft HealthVault and electronic medical record systems.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 6 : The Indian government will shift, out of Yemen, the Indian mother superior of an aid home in Aden where four nuns including were killed and an Indian priest kidnapped in an attack by gunmen on Friday, said Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy.

Speaking to IANS, Chandy said that after he spoke to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday night, Indian embassy officials from Djibouti have established contacts with Sister Sally, the mother superior of the old age home run by the Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, who hails from Kerala.

"I managed to speak to Sally a while ago and she said that she has been contacted by Indian embassy officials from Djibouti who are expected to come to take her with them on Monday. In her place (Yemen), there is no Indian embassy or any officials.

"She said that things are not that smooth where she is and there is no information about the priest Tom Kuzhuvennal, who hails from Kottayam district and was taken away by these unidentified gunmen," he said.

Chandy added that Sally was lucky to escape the attackers as she, along with a few locals, saved herself by hiding when these gunmen created mayhem.

He said that according to reports that he got, these gunmen tied the arms and hands of the priest and took him with them.

"She also said that there is no information about the priest," said Chandy.

In the gunfire, four nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, including one from India, were killed. The Indian nun has been identified as Sister M. Anseleme, 57, from Jharkhand. Of the other three nuns, two were from Rwanda and another from Kenya.

The home, set up by Mother Teresa in 1992, houses 61 elderly destitutes and the Kerala priest had come to the home from an insecure place in Yemen.

An official attached to Chandy's office, who is in constant touch with the convent and with Keralites in and around the place, told IANS that he has been told that things are fluid there.

It has now been established that that these unidentified gunmen belonged to the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) group.
New Delhi, March 6 : National carrier Air India will celebrate the International Women's Day on Tuesday by operating 20 domestic flights manned by all-women crew.

"Air India will fly 20 domestic flights with all-women crew on March 8 to observe the International Women's Day. The details regarding their routes and timings are expected to be disclosed by Monday evening," an airline official told IANS on Sunday.

Air India has already created a record by flying the world's longest flight operated by an all-women crew on Sunday. The airline's San Francisco-bound AI 173 took off from New Delhi on Sunday morning and will return to the national capital on Tuesday.

"The national carrier supports the cause of women in every area," Harpreet Singh Dey, president of the Indian Women Pilots' Association, said.

Air India celebrates the Day every year by deploying women crew on its select international and domestic routes.

The New Delhi-San Francisco flight saw women handling all operations ranging from cockpit to cabin crew, check-in staff, doctor, customer care staff, entire ground handling staff from operators to technicians, engineers and flight dispatchers and trimmers.

Air India has 3,765 women employees, including women pilots, cabin crew, engineers, technicians, doctors, security personnel and executives.
New Delhi, March 6 : Following intelligence agencies' inputs about infiltration of 10 suspected terrorists into Gujarat, Delhi was also put on high alert on Sunday as a precautionary measure, police officials said.

"Delhi has always been on high alert. But the recent intelligence alert about the entry of some suspected terrorists in Gujarat is really a serious issue following which a prompt message was circulated to step up security," said a police officer on condition of anonymity.

The officer said that all the station house officers (SHOs) of over 180 police stations in Delhi have been asked to enhance security at busy markets, vulnerable places and vital installations falling in their jurisdiction.

Security has also been tightened at railway stations, Inter State Bus Depots (ISBTs), borders and airport, the officer added.

Delhi along with all metro cities was reportedly put on high alert just hours after intelligence inputs about the infiltration of 10 suspected terrorists into Gujarat to carry out attacks against high-value targets.

Minutes after the alert, security across Gujarat was intensified and leaves of all police personnel were cancelled.

Two NSG teams, comprising nearly 200 personnel, were sent to Ahmedabad by the central government on the request of the Gujarat government.

The agencies suspect that the infiltrators belong to Pakistan as a fishing boat of the neighbouring country was seized by an Indian Border Security Force patrol team on Friday. Its occupants fled upon seeing them in the Koteshwar creek area off the Kutch coast along the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat.
Jaipur, March 6 : Seven people have been arrested in connection with the burning alive of a 27-year-old woman allegedly by her family members for marrying a man from another caste eight years ago in Rajasthan's Dungarpur district, police said on Sunday.

According to police, the incident occurred on Friday over 530 km from here while Rama Kumwar was visiting her family to meet them along with her little daughter.

"The woman, Rama Kumwar, after marrying Prakash Sevak of another community had eloped from her village Pachlasa in Dungarpur district around 8 years ago," a police official told IANS on Sunday.

"After living somewhere else for all these years she returned to her village along with her three-year-old daughter to meet her family and in-laws."

"Her brother Laxman Singh and other relatives who were still angry with her (Rama Kumwar), dragged her out of my house. They beat her up badly and burnt her alive. To destroy evidence, they cremated her late in the evening," Kalavati, mother-in-law of Rama Kunwar, said in her police complaint.

Kalavati also claimed to have been beaten up badly when she tried to save Rama Kumwar. "We have registered a case on her complaint and investigations are going on," the official said.

"We have so far arrested seven people including her brother Laxman Singh," he added.
Ahmedabad, March 6 : NSG teams were put on standby and Mahashivratri festivities at the historic Somnath temple were suspended in Gujarat after the Centre on Sunday sounded a high alert amid reports that 10 fidayeen militants have entered the coastal state.

"The Gujarat Police are on alert. The state government had asked the Centre to send National Security Guards (NSG) teams, which have also arrived," state Home Minister Rajanikant Patel told reporters here.

Two NSG teams, which landed in the state on Sunday morning, were put on standby.

He said, "We have issued a high alert and beefed up security at all key installations."

The government was galvanised into action to step up security across Gujarat, especially the coastal borders with Pakistan, after a note sent by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval about suspected infiltration of 10 militants of the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Doval's note came after Pakistan's National Security Adviser Nasir Janjua called him up and said 10 terrorists from the two Pakistan-based outfits have entered Gujarat, according to official sources.

Authorities at the Somnath Temple in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra, which is the first among the 12 'jyotirlingas' of Lord Shiva in the country, said all cultural programmes slated for Sunday and Monday, the Mahashivratri day, have been cancelled.

Somnath Temple Trust's general manager Vijay Chavda said a 'nrityotsava' (dance festival), scheduled for Sunday evening and 'Ras-Garba' and 'Dayra' programmes scheduled for Monday were cancelled.

The Mahashivratri at the Somnath Temple every year sees a massive gathering of devotees from across the country and the world.

Chavda said elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure uninterrupted 'darshan' by the pilgrims on Mahashivratri.

Besides, Dwarka and Akshardham temples in Gandhinagar, which had come under terrorist attack on September 24, 2002, power plants, dams, defence and security establishments have been put on alert.

Officials said police stations in the state have been asked to carry out combing operations in hotels and guest houses. Forces have been moved around shopping and cinema halls and bus stands. Security personnel on leave have been asked to report for duty.

Besides Kutch district, which shares land and maritime borders with Pakistan, heavy patrolling and checking has begun along Gujarat's border with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The central agencies are investigating the discovery of five abandoned fishing boats near Sir Creek on the Kutch coast over the last three months, including one found by a Border Security Force patrol on Friday.

The boat found on Friday is 20 feet long and 10 feet wide. Some rations, water jugs, fishing nets, crabs, diesel and mattresses were found on board.

Meanwhile, Gujarat's Additional Chief Secretary (Home) P.K. Taneja held a meeting with top officials of the armed forces, police, Intelligence Bureau and paramilitary forces.
Ranchi, March 6 : Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) newly appointed Chairman P.K. Singh on Sunday met Chief Minister Raghubar Das and discussed the expansion of Bokaro steel plant.

"The SAIL chairman told Das that the company wants to set up new plants on available vacant land," an official release said here.

The SAIL chief said that the company also wished to open a new medical college on its vacant land and develop a special work plan for slums.

The chief minister assured that his government was taking all necessary steps for the renewal of lease of iron ore mines in the state.

Das praised SAIL for its commendable work under corporate social responsibility.
Gurgaon, March 6 : The first "Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit-2016" will kick off here on Monday, less than a fortnight after the state was rocked by a series of violent protests by the Jat community agitating for quotas.

Prior to the two-day investors' meet that will see the participation of 12 countries, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said entrepreneurs had assured him of their keenness in investing in the state.

China, Czech Republic, Japan, Malawi, Mauritius, New Zealand, South Korea, Peru, Poland, Spain, Britain and Tunisia will participate as partner countries.

The event is being organised by the state government in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Kolkata, March 6 : Tendering an unconditional apology to a woman customer who complained of sexual harassment at a company outlet here, Reliance Fresh dismissed two store employees, said a top company official.

The company also set up a two-member women's committee to inquire into the incident.

In a posting on social media, Reliance Fresh CEO Damodar Mall tendered the apology to the woman.

"We welcome Rajshree ji (the customer) back to our store. We have terminated the offending staffer, Sumit Rajbhar, on account of gross indiscipline and breach of code of conduct," Mall posted.

Mall said the services of the on-duty store manager was also terminated for dereliction of duty.

According to him, a panel of Parbati Paul, retired deputy commissioner of police, and Sarita Joglekar, counsel at Reliance headquarters, will conduct an inquiry and report their findings within 72 hours from March 7.

Images captured on the closed-circuit television at the store have been given to Paul and others authorities.

The accused staff had flashed at Rajashree Tamang Lama, a final year law student at Calcutta University, following which she reported the matter to the duty manager, who allegedly did not take any serious action.
Rajamahendravaram (Andhra Pradesh), March 6 : BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday said that he wants the party to emerge as a key force in the electoral battle in south India.

Addressing a public meeting in Rajamahendravaram, as Rajahmundry is now called, he said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should spread to all regions of the country.

"Modiji has given slogan of Congress-free country. If we have to free the country from Congress, we have to ensure that be it north, south, west and everywhere region, the BJP flag should fly high and 'vande mataram' slogan is sung," he said.

In Andhra Pradesh, where BJP is a partner in Telugu Desam Party-led government, this was the first public meeting of BJP after state's bifurcation.

He asked BJP workers to take the party to every village and booth in the state and strengthen the organisation. "Those who say that BJP is a party of the north should know that the party unit in Andhra Pradesh is the strongest in the country," he said.

He claimed that the BJP which started with 11 only members, is today the largest party in the world with 11 crore strong membership.

The BJP chief said that though there are NDA governments at both the centre and in the state, their political rivals are making a false propaganda that the BJP-led government at the Centre is not extending necessary support to Andhra Pradesh.

During the last one-and-half years, Modi government has given schemes worth Rs.1.40 lakh crore to Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Stating that Polavaram project is the lifeline of the state, the BJP leader said it was Modi government which is making it a reality by merging seven 'mandals' (of Telangana) with Andhra Pradesh.

He said the state was selected under the project to ensure 24x7 electricity in every village. Listing out the initiatives, he said national highway works worth Rs. 65,000 crore were sanctioned for the state.

Shah said Kakinada and Visakhapatnam were selected under smart cities project while the central government also released Rs.1,500 crore as initial assistance for development of new state capital Amaravati.

He said an industrial park at a cost of Rs.22,000 crore will come up in the state. HPCL refinery in Visakhapatnam will be built at a cost of Rs.25,000.

He said it would take seven days for him to read the entire list of works sanctioned for the state during last one-and-half years.

Shah challenged Congress party to explain to people what it did for Andhra Pradesh during last 60 years. He alleged that the Congress insulted the state and this forced N. T. Rama Rao to launch the TDP for self-respect of Telugus.

Interestingly, NTR's daughter and former central minister D. Purandareswari was translating Shah's speech in Telugu.

She quit Congress party to join BJP on the eve of 2014 elections.
New Delhi, March 6 : The National Conference of Women Legislators on Sunday adopted a resolution to work for transparent, accountable and inclusive governance and to contribute the task of building a 'Resurgent India'.

The resolution was adopted by conference participants in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and former president Pratibha Patil.

The resolution, adopted at the valedictory function of the two-day conference, also said that the participants would strive for social and financial inclusion to ensure equal opportunities to all.

The resolution further said: "...will promote grass-root entrepreneurship, and improve the skill levels of the workforce, promote increased role of women in financial decision-making and fostering financial literacy among the masses."

"Engage with elected women representatives at the municipal and panchayat levels regularly as bridges of constructive dialogue between and among the people, the states and the Union," the resolution added.
Srinagar, March 6 : A guerrilla of the separatist Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit was killed in an ongoing gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir Kulgam's district on Sunday , police said.

"A Hizbul militant identified as Dawood Sheikh was killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Buchroo village of Kulgam district," a senior police officer told IANS here.

The gunfight ensued after security forces, closing in on a house in Buchroo village after receiving specific information about two militants hiding there, came under heavy gunfire from the hiding militants, triggering the gunfight, the officer said.

"The operation is still going on (as on 10.30 p.m.)," the officer added.
Lucknow, March 6 : Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) received a shot in its arm on Sunday as it won 23 out of 28 local bodies seats in the legislative council. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won two seats, the Congress one and the Bharatiya Janata Party drew a duck.

Two other seats were bagged by independent candidates. With Sunday's victory, the SP has gained a majority in the 100-member upper house. Seven SP candidates were declared elected unopposed.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) claimed that the victory was "acceptance and endorsement" of the governance and developmental agenda pushed by the Akhilesh Yadav government in the state. SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said that the mood of the state showed that the party will romp back to power in the state assembly polls, slated for early 2017.

The BJP, which was handed over a stunning defeat, however sought to downplay the victory of the ruling party, attributing it to muscle and money power. "The victory has very little meaning as it was won on basis of political power, muscle and money" said state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak.
New Delhi, March 6 : Laying stress on moving towards women-led development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged elected representatives to use technology to be more effective in their role and suggested creating a e-platform of women MPs.

Addressing the National Conference of Women Legislators, he said the country must think beyond "women development" and move towards "women-led development" and asked woman lawmakers to interact with panchayat and municipal representatives in their area as a step towards their "empowerment".

He however did not mention the women's reservation bill to which President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari had referred in their speeches on Saturday.

The two-day conference, which concluded on Sunday, was attended by women members of parliament and state legislatures and legilative councils, union ministers and present and former chief ministers.

In her speech at the valedictory session held in the central hall of parliament, former president Pratibha Devisingh Patil said children should be imparted values to respect women. She also stressed that women legislators should scrutinise provisions of gender budgeting.

Patil said women should be imparted training in self-protection and emphasised on their economic self-dependence. She said women legislators should come together in the fight against money and muscle power.

The first-of-its-kind conference adopted a resolution which the participants resolved to work for transparent, accountable and inclusive governance and to contribute to task of building a Resurgent India.

In his address, Modi said there was need to change the psychological feeling concerning women empowerment as empowerment is needed for those who are weak and not for those who are capable and strong.

"I am unable to understand who are men to empower (women). But the need is that we should understand our strength ourselves," he said.

Noting that a country is enriched by the power of its women, he said multitasking, considered to be a very important element of modern day management, comes naturally to women.

Also noting his government had a large share of women ministers, he praised External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, saying her capability is widely recognised.

Congratulating Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for her leadership and vision to organise the conference, he said in addition to the structured component of such events, experiences shared informally among delegates were also extremely enriching.

"Women have higher success ratio despite the fewer opportunities they get in comparison to men," Modi said, referring to Rwanda, saying that the east African country was brought back to its feet by women after massacres in which a large number of men were killed.

He urged women to work more towards srcutinising bills in parliament, saying they have a long-term perspective of events.

"I would urge Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, can you create an e-platform of women representatives," he said.

Also admitting women are better in adopting technologies than men and "are specially gifted by god in this aspect", he urged the women legislators to engage with their constituents using technology.

Shehnaz Ganai, a member of legislative council of Jammu and Kashmir who spoke before the concluding session, suggested that such conferences should be held in states, while former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said that women must raise their voice to get 33 percent reservation in parliament and assemblies.
Mirpur (Bangladesh), March 6 : India won the Asia Cup, outclassing Bangladesh by eight wickets in the final at the Sher-e-Bangladesh National Stadium here on Sunday evening.

Delhi lads Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli led the charge with a 94-run partnership as India overhauled the 121-run target in 13.5 overs.

Dhawan, who has been a flop throughout the tournament, finally found his touch when it mattered most, with 60 runs scored off 44 balls with nine boundaries and a six.

Kohli remained unbeaten on 41 runs off 28 balls with five boundaries.

Al-Amin Hossain gave Bangladesh some early hope by dismissing Rohit Sharma early. But that was one of the few moments of joy that the Bangladesh players and the capacity home crowd could find as India emerged as the champions of Asia with seven balls and eight wickets to spare.

Earlier, Bangladesh posted a competitive total of 120/5 thanks to some lower order fireworks by Mohammad Mahmudullah.

Walking in with Bangladesh in trouble at 75/5, the right-hander proceeded to hit two boundaries and an equal number of sixes in his 13-ball innings to remain unbeaten on 33.

Sabbir Rahman gave him crucial support from the other end with 32 runs from 29 balls. The duo produced a 45-run partnership to help the hosts to a competitive total.
Moscow, March 7 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry on Sunday praised the "real progress" in ensuring a cessation of hostilities in Syria.

"The two sides expressed an overall positive assessment of real progress in achieving a truce on Syrian soil, which is generally respected and has already led to a sharp decrease in the level of violence," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov and Kerry, on a phone call, stressed the need to prevent delay of intra-Syrian talks under the UN auspices, as well as to provide humanitarian aid to blocked areas in Syria, reports Xinhua.

"It is essential to ensure from the very beginning the participation (in the intra-Syrian negotiations), along with the delegation of the Syrian government, of a wide spectrum of all opposition forces, including Syrian Kurds," the ministry quoted Lavrov as saying.

The top diplomats confirmed that joint efforts would be paid by both countries' representatives in Geneva to ensure smooth work of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) task forces on humanitarian and ceasefire issues.

Lavrov and Kerry discussed a schedule of political contacts for the nearest future.

They also agreed to continue cooperate with all involved parties in order to find the ways to settle Yemeni conflict through political dialogue.

The Russia-US-backed cessation of hostilities plan has gone into effect at midnight last Friday in all Syrian cities. The truce has so far been largely adhered to despite sporadic violations.

Currently, a UN-mediated intra-Syrian talk was scheduled for March 9 in Geneva as a fresh diplomatic effort to politically settle the Syria crisis.
Auckland, March 7 : Pop star Madonna, who is in the midst of a custody battle with her ex, Guy Ritchie, over their son, Rocco Ritchie; was overcome with emotions while dedicating a song to the 15-year-old during her worldwide Revel Heart tour performance here.

She performed for a sold-out crowd at the Vector Arena here and dedicated "La Vie en Rose" to her eldest son.

"That is my son, who I mentioned earlier. He is actually 15 and it's true, there is no love stronger than a mother for her son," Madonna is seen as saying, in a video obtained by TMZ.

"And, if I talk about him too much, I might cry. But I would like to dedicate this song to him. It's a love song for a man, but I know he'll be one, one day. I hope he hears this somewhere and knows how much I miss him."

Earlier this week, a New York Supreme Court judge urged Madonna and Guy to come to an agreement to end their custody battle out of court.

It was ruled back in December that Rocco was to be returned to his mother in New York, after he moved to London in mid-2015 and began attending school there. However, Guy's attorney claims that Rocco does not want to move back to the Big Apple.
Washington, March 7 : Former US first lady Nancy Reagan passed away at the age of 94 in her Los Angeles home on Sunday, her office said.

A statement issued by her office said the former first lady died of congestive heart failure, and she would be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California next to her husband, Ronald Wilson Reagan, who died in June, 2004.

"Prior to the funeral service, there will be an opportunity for members of the public to pay their respects at the library," Xinhua quoted the statement.

The White House, in a statement in the wake of Nancy's death, praised her on Sunday for her role in advancing Alzheimer's research.

After her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, Nancy Reagan became an advocate for Alzheimer's research.

Born in New York City, Nancy Reagan came to fame in the 1940s and 1950s during her acting career in Hollywood.

During Reagan's presidency from 1981 to 1989, the former first lady was well-known for her clout with her husband and for bringing a lavish lifestyle to the White House in a time of recession, making her one of the most influential and controversial first ladies in the US history.

During her White House years, Reagan's most famous initiative was a major anti-drug campaign known as "Just say no".
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The tested lithium battery showed multiple advantages over lead acid batteries, including longer life, no freezing in extreme temperatures, lighter battery weight, ability to mount in any direction, no maintenance required, 95% energy efficiency, no corrosion, lead free and does not require a fully charged condition for storage. Lithium batteries also offer faster charging times, charging to 99% in 2.5 hours versus up 13 hours for lead acid batteries.

We were no strangers to the advantages of lithium technology over lead acid batteries, said Kary Katzenberger of Forest River, Inc. But seeing the side by side comparison made choosing Progressive Dynamics and RELiON a clear choice for our trusted RVs.

About RELiON

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP)  Amid a drawn-out fight over the budget, two Republicans are among the state legislators calling attention to plans seeking more funding to improve street safety for students walking to school.

It's an issue that needs attention despite the state's messy finances, supporters of the idea say, given that nearly five Illinois children are hit by cars every day within a block of a school, according to the Safe Routes to School program.

To highlight the need, Springfield Republican Reps. Tim Butler and Sara Wojcicki Jimenez walked from the state Capitol to a nearby school in downtown Springfield with about a dozen supporters, including parents, on Wednesday.

The Illinois legislation  sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Elaine Nekritz of Northbrook  seeks $5 million overall for the program, with a combination of state and federal aid. But since the state has been operating without a budget since July 1, it's unclear where they would get the money. Gov. Bruce Rauner, a first-term Republican, and the Democrat-controlled Legislature remain deadlocked over a spending plan. Were the bill to pass, the state would foot $2 million of the costs.

The state's Safe Routes to School program has a goal is to promote improvements to streets and sidewalks to create a safer environment for kids. During the tour participants commented on how difficult some sidewalks were to walk on. Across the state, advocates say street hazards include incomplete sidewalks and broken crosswalk signals.

"They're uneven and some of the older trees have broken through the concrete so it creates a walking and biking hazard for the kids or even for parents that might be coming down with strollers," said Bryan Finn, director of the downtown Springfield YMCA about the streets near the facility.

The Safe Routes to School program has paid nearly $50 million since 2005 for 500 projects that improve streets, add bike lanes and address gang violence by enlisting volunteers to accompany students during their walks.

"Students are feeling unsafe predominantly because of gang violence," said Simone Alexander of Enlace Chicago, a community action group in the Little Village neighborhood. "That is not the only thing happening in Little Village but when we talk about safe routes to school that certainly bumps up to the number one issue families are having getting to and from school."
CHICAGO (AP)  Seen as one of the U.S. Senate's most vulnerable Republican incumbents, Mark Kirk has been raising money for his re-election bid and launching attacks for months at his likely general election challenger, Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth.

His approach to his March 15 primary opponent is another story.

Businessman James Marter's long-shot challenge to Kirk is predicated on his asserting that he's the true conservative, and was launched after it became clear Illinois' GOP establishment was discouraging a primary. Since then, he and Kirk haven't even been in the same room together; Marter says Kirk sent his campaign manager for the one debate both campaigns participated in.

Kirk's campaign says he has a "robust" schedule heading into the primary, including parades and other events this week. He has the endorsement of top Republicans such as Gov. Bruce Rauner and Illinois' GOP congressional delegation, who see Kirk as the kind of Republican needed to win statewide in a Democratic-leaning state.

While Kirk holds conservative positions on issues such as national security, he deviates from the party on social issues. He supports same-sex marriage and voted against a measure to defund Planned Parenthood. Last week he said President Barack Obama should appoint a replacement for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a position that put him at odds with GOP leaders.

"As a Senator representing the great state of Illinois, each morning I go to work ready to fight to do right for Illinois all the time," Kirk said.

The more conservative wing of the state party doesn't buy what Kirk's selling. Marter says it's those people from whom he's won support for his stances, which he says provide perhaps "the most clear-cut race in Illinois' primary this year."

He's aware he faces an uphill climb. Kirk's name recognition far surpasses Marter, who's never been elected to public office.

Campaign finance filings show Marter had raised about $22,000 as of the start of 2016, while Kirk entered the year with $3.8 million.
Matt Schutte

Age: 38

Address: Orion, Illinois

Party: Republican

Family:

Education: B.G.S. Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind. Doctor of Jurisprudence, Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington.

Occupation: Henry County States Attorney

Political Experience: Appointed by the Henry County Board by an almost 2-1 margin in January of 2015 to finish the remainder of Terry Pattons unexpired term.

Social Media: Facebook page, Matt Schutte for States Attorney

Brian L. Kerr

Age: 37 years old

Address: Geneseo

Family: Wife, Brooke, son, Colton, 11 months old.

Party: Republican

Education: B.A. from Knox College in 2000; J.D. from Southern Illinois University Law School in 2003

Occupation: First Assistant States Attorney for Knox County

Political experience: Chairperson for Patton for Judge campaign

CAMBRIDGE -- Matt Schutte, appointed by the Henry County Board last year to complete Terry Patton's term as state's attorney, faces a challenge from Brian Kerr for the Republican nomination.

Whichever wins the March 15 primary likely will have a free ride in the November general election since the Democrats have no one listed on the ballot.

Both Mr. Schutte and Mr. Kerr have worked as Henry County assistant state's attorneys.

When Mr. Patton, the long-time state's attorney, won a judge's seat, both sought appointment to fill the vacancy.The County Board voted 13-7 to appoint Mr. Schutte to complete the turn.

.

Here are their answers to questions posed by The Dispatch and the Rock Island Argus.

What are the greatest needs of the office?

Schutte: The needs and reputation of Henry County are best served when the laws are enforced consistently and equitably. The duty of a prosecutor is always to seek Justice, not merely to convict. The states attorney must remain professional, and must treat judges, opposing counsel, police officers, and victims with respect. The States Attorney must also demand that his assistants do the same. I have assembled a staff that I can count on to do just that. The States Attorney must also maintain a strong, collaborative relationship with the other members of law enforcement. It is critical that the free flow of ideas continue, and that we listen to what the police officers are seeing and what they need. It takes a team approach to uphold Justice in Henry County, and I am proud of the relationships I have built with law enforcement. Those relationships, and the faith they have in me as States Attorney, have led Henry County Sheriff Jim Padilla, the Henry County Sheriffs Office FOP Lodge, and the Kewanee Police Department FOP Lodge to endorse me for States Attorney.

Kerr: The biggest need for the Henry County States Attorneys Office is leadership. I spent 9 months in the office after the current states attorney was appointed. During that time, I was surprised how many county officials and officers continued to come into my office, asking questions that would ordinarily be directed at the states attorney, unable to get those answers from the state's attorney himself. Officials and officers should always be able to rely on the state's attorney to get the advice and leadership they need to help the citizens of Henry County. I have also been informed by officers that when they call and leave a message, those calls will often go unanswered. Sometimes officers have been unable to get search warrants to protect the citizens of Henry County. This is unimaginable. Henry County needs a States Attorney who knows all aspects of the job and responds to all of those relying on the office for answers.

Are there any policies or practices you would change?

Kerr: I believe that Henry County needs to implement a Saturday court program just like Mercer County and Rock Island County. That will require the cooperation of the circuit clerk and the judges of Henry County. Defendants should not have to wait as long as 72 hours in some cases to be seen by a judge.

I would work to implement the Saturday court program. I believe in the importance of a good working relationship with all elected officials and department heads from Henry County. Currently, untrained attorneys have been told they are responsible for answering complex questions of department heads. The states attorney should be handling these inquiries or making sure the answers come from trained attorneys. As states attorney, I would be available to answer questions for any elected official or department head to help the citizens of Henry County.

Schutte: The overriding policy of the Henry County States Attorneys Office must always be that our duty is to seek justice, not merely to convict. The policies in place were established after careful consideration by the previous states attorneys and have served Henry County well. However, the only constant in life is change, and if a particular policy becomes ineffective, burdensome, or unjust, I will change it.

What is your view of the forfeiture laws and their use?

Kerr: As an officer of the court, I have the responsibility to follow the forfeiture laws of the State of Illinois. As such, I have no opinion about whether they are right or wrong. I have seen them help the citizens of Henry County and the law enforcements officers who protect them. The law also has been drafted to ensure that there is judicial oversight from the beginning of the forfeiture process. The law was written to deter people who commit major crimes from profiting. It has been my experience that these laws help the county to pay for items that help law enforcement protect our citizens. For example, forfeited currency has allowed law enforcement in the county to purchase a number of K9 Officers, equipment to protect officers, and train officers and prosecutors on the best practices to protect our county.

Schutte: The forfeiture laws are designed to provide a tool to further weaken criminal enterprises, and the assets forfeited are used to provide training and equipment for law enforcement. In 2015, my office instituted forfeiture proceedings against over $1,000,000 in assets found in the possession of alleged drug dealers and money launderers. We also used previously forfeited assets to help pay for training and equipment for law enforcement at no taxpayer expense. That included providing funds to the Kewanee Police Department for the purchase of their new K9 Rosco, purchasing a new interview recording system for the Sheriffs Office, training and equipment to fight cybercrimes against children, body cameras, police squad car cameras, and tools for the Illinois State Police drug interdiction officers. There is a poetic justice in using a criminals forfeited assets against other criminals!

Would you work to establish a drug court in Henry County?

Schutte: We need a cost-effective way of dealing with those who are addicted to drugs, but it must also be a program with real consequences and a real potential for rehabilitating the offenders. In addition to drug courts, there are also mental health courts and veterans courts. I would support such programs as long as their effectiveness is not outweighed by the financial burden to the county. Unfortunately, one of the main reasons those programs were not instituted in Henry County before I was states attorney is because the county simply does not have the money to fund them. Another problem is the fact that Henry County is much different from Rock Island County and other more metropolitan counties. We lack a lot of the treatment providers and public transportation that make those programs effective in more urban counties. Luckily, we have outstanding probation officers, prosecutors, and judges in Henry County, and we understand that even though we may not have a formal drug court or mental health court, there are still options available to us to effectively rehabilitate those who, with a little extra supervision, will be productive members of society again.

Kerr: Since I left Henry County in September of 2015, I have seen drug court in practice where I work in Knox County. I believe that it is a valuable program that should be and legally needs to be implemented in Henry County. Cooperation is the key to success in a drug court program. This would require cooperation among Henry County Court Services, a judicial officer, the states attorneys office, a defense attorney, local law enforcement, and a social service agency such as Bridgeway. Generally, this means a weekly meeting to keep tabs on those defendants selected for the program. With the overcrowding of the prison system in the State, drug court gives people who would otherwise go to prison a chance to change their ways. It is not an easy program to complete. There will be individuals who succeed and individuals who fail, but they need to be given a chance.

To: Mr. Schutte: Can you comment on an allegation that Mr. Kerr wiped a county-owned laptop clean and if so, whether it caused any issues prosecuting cases?

Schutte: The county-owned laptop assigned to Mr. Kerr was not wiped clean, but numerous files were missing from the laptop and from a folder on the network that was assigned to Mr. Kerr, and many of those files were deleted during his last week at the states attorneys Office. We were prepared for something like that happening and caught it quickly, and we were able to restore most of the deleted files. Our current staff is working together to ensure all our cases are prosecuted to the best of our ability.

To Mr. Kerr: Did you wipe county-owned laptop clean when you left and if so why? Wouldnt it cause difficulties prosecuting pending cases?

Kerr: I did not wipe a county-owned laptop prior to leaving the Henry County States Attorneys Office. I would never do anything that would jeopardize any pending cases.
EAST MOLINE -- She did not know her grandfather but helps maintain his memory.

John H. Gardner, a Civil War veteran, died before Roberta Melton, 78, was born. But she remembers, as a child, going with her mother to see if his name was on Rock Island County's monument to its Civil War dead. She remembers being told of his patriotism and his frequent participation in parades.

"I know my parents thought an awful lot of him," she said, sitting at her kitchen table in East Moline on Thursday with memorabilia of Mr. Gardner's life fanned out before her.

Among the items was a regimental history of the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery/112th Volunteers, with Mr. Gardner listed in the regimental roster in the back. Another item was a small medal with a badge depicting the numeral "2" over crossed cannons.

The 2nd Artillery, formed in 1862, spent much of its early existence defending Washington, D.C., from potential Confederate attacks, according to a regimental history from the U.S. National Park Service. In 1864, the 2nd Artillery was sent to Virginia and fought in a number of campaigns, including Cold Harbor, Petersburg and Richmond.

The regiment was stationed in Virginia through the end of the war and the rest of 1865, finally being sent home in 1866, according to the history. The unit suffered 226 deaths from combat operations and another 390 from illness.

Pennsylvania National Park Service records at phmc.state.pa.us and the Ms. Melton's regimental history show Mr. Gardner was a private in Company I of the regiment. He enlisted on Jan. 18, 1864, and mustered out with the rest of his unit at the end of the war. Available records offer no further detail of his activities.

Obituaries for Mr. Gardner, who died around 1930, said he'd already enlisted once before 1864, fought at Gettysburg in 1863, was wounded in the leg, was captured at another battle and spent months at the notorious Andersonville Prison before being released with the aid of a sympathetic Confederate officer.

After the war, he worked briefly at an umbrella factory in Philadelphia before enlisting a third time and being stationed at the Rock Island Arsenal, according to his obituary. He worked there until his retirement in 1921.

A member and commander of the Quad-Cities' Grand Army of the Republic Post 243, he died in his Rock Island home at 86, according to the obituary.

His name, however, is not among the hundreds on the Rock Island County monument to its Civil War dead. Dedicated in April 1869, the monument includes a life-sized statue of a Union soldier atop a pedestal inscribed with several hundred names of men from the county killed during the war.

Since its dedication, age and weather have taken its toll on the memorial. In 2014, the statue was put in storage where it now is being renovated.

Ms. Melton said she donated to the renovation project not long ago, after seeing stories about it. She said she hates to see things get run down.

"I got sentimental," she said, noting she only knows about her grandfather from the collection of material her father gathered or inherited. She remembers her family visiting his grave and those of other relatives at the family plot at Chippiannock Cemetery.

She shared a photo of the cemetery plot Thursday, pointing out a simple headstone among the more ornate ones around it. That one, she said, belonged to Mr. Gardner.

"Ever since I was a little girl, we always went up to the cemetery," she said. "We still go up there."
Carrying a stun gun without a firearms permit in the state of Iowa is illegal, according to a recent ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court.

In a decision handed down Feb.19, the court deemed a stun gun to be a dangerous weapon based on the wording in the law. Carrying a dangerous weapon without a permit will result in an aggravated misdemeanor charge.

The court ruling came in a case stemming from an arrest at a Walmart in Waterloo. In that case, an officer was arresting a shoplifter and found an inoperable stun gun in her purse. A Blackhawk County judge ruled that the stun gun was a dangerous weapon.

The Iowa Court of Appeals overturned that decision, citing insufficient evidence. The case was appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court, which ultimately sided with the original ruling.

"We hold that a stun gun, even if inoperable, is per se a dangerous weapon under the definition of Iowa Code section 702.7," the Iowa Supreme Court ruling said.

This has one local business owner concerned, not only about sales at her business, but also for the safety of women.

Kali Gruenhagen, of Walcott, is an independent distributor for Damsels in Defense which makes self defense items for women. Products for sale include pepper sprays, personal alarms, concealed carry bags and stun guns. She said about 40 percent of her business is stun gun sales.

"I am going to have to call every single woman I sold a stun gun to and let them know they are illegally carrying a stun gun," Ms. Gruenhagen said. "If a woman has a stun gun in her hands, the people are going to walk the other way. You are going to lose that safety factory, and that worries me."

Ms. Gruenhagen said she has talked to state senators, police officers and police chiefs who knew nothing of the ruling.

"They had to do their own research to find this out," Ms. Gruenhagen said.

Ms. Gruenhagen said it will be a struggle to make money if she is not allowed to sell stun guns. She also said she is still committed to the business and will continue with it.

In Illinois, the company does not sell stun guns because the buyer must obtain a FOID (firearm owners identification card) to carry it. Ms. Gruenhagen said Damsels in Defense does not sell stun guns in states that require permits because the company can not verify the permits, so Iowa could be next.

Ms. Gruenhagen will be making a trip to Des Moines on Monday to voice her concerns with Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady. She said she hopes the meeting will help get the ball rolling towards enacting legislation that would exclude stun guns from the dangerous weapons list.

"They are at the end of their session," Ms. Gruenhagen said. "It's possible this could be stuck for a year."
WASHINGTON _ The Justice Department's legal offensive to force Apple to unlock the iPhone of San Bernardino, Calif., shooter Syed Farook can be traced to one reality: Apple simply offers far better encryption capabilities than its smartphone competitors.

"If Farook used an Android phone, then it likely would not have disk encryption turned on at all," said Dan Guido, co-founder of the Trail of Bits information security consultancy.

Without such encryption "all of the data from the phone would be immediately accessible without the passcode," Guido said.

The court fight between Apple and the FBI erupted not just because California terrorist Farook happened to use an iPhone, but also because Apple has taken mainstream digital security to an unprecedented level in the past two years.

The FBI's attempt to force Apple to unlock the phone used by Farook, who along with his wife killed 14 people in the San Bernardino terror attack, has turned Silicon Valley's push for encryption into a national debate.

That debate, in turn, traces its origins to another major controversy _ Edward Snowden's revelations in 2013 that the National Security Agency was collecting information on every cellphone in use in the United States and eavesdropping on Internet communications as well.

That made improving encryption _ the process by which data are scrambled so they can't be read without the proper codes _ a top priority for Silicon Valley.

"Tech companies have become much more sensitive to whether they are perceived as being an advocate and protector of security post-Snowden," said Christopher Budd, global threat communications manager for security firm Trend Micro.

And Apple is winning the smartphone security race, Budd said.

"Most security people I know have iPhones rather than Androids," he said.

While there might seem to be a lot of smartphones to choose from, the market fundamentally is Apple versus Google's Android. Eighty-three percent of smartphone users worldwide that have the Android operating system running are on smartphones that are nearly all made by companies other than Google. Samsung, Motorola, LG, Sony, HTC and Huawei produce a wide range of Android devices that vary in price and quality.

An unlocked iPhone 6S starts at $649 while a Motorola Moto G can be had for less than $200.

Android controls 51 percent of the U.S. market, where it is often a cheaper alternative to Apple. Forty-four percent of Americans use Apple's iOS operating system, which runs only on the company's own devices.

Microsoft has 3 percent of the American market share. Blackberry, once the industry standard for digital security, is down to just 1.3 percent of the market.

"If you walk into a Best Buy, most of the Android phones on the shelf will not be encrypted by default," said Chris Soghoian, principal technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union. "If you walk into the store and come out with an Apple iPhone, the data on it is encrypted by default _ with a key that Apple doesn't have _ so Apple is not able to unlock for law enforcement, and a criminal or identity thief who steals your phone isn't able to get anything off of it."

Text messages between iPhones are also encrypted so Apple can't access them, Soghoian said. So are video or voice calls made using Apple's FaceTime function.

Apple began encrypting FaceTime and iMessage in 2009. But the big leap came in September of 2014 when Apple announced that its iPhone operating system would have automatic encryption and the company itself could not access the data.

Once that happened, the conflict with law enforcement was inevitable.

How Apple made the leap is a tribute not just to engineering prowess but to the competition fostered by the very law Congress is now considering changing as a result of the San Bernardino phone. U.S. Rep. Robert Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican, takes credit for the enabling Apple to make those technological advances.

"Over 15 years ago, I led congressional efforts to ensure strong encryption technologies and to ensure that the government could not automatically demand a back-door key to encryption technologies," Goodlatte said. "This enabled the U.S. encryption market to thrive and produce effective encryption technologies for legitimate actors, rather than see the market head completely overseas to companies that do not have to comply with basic protections."

Google quickly followed Apple, saying in 2014 that the newest Android phones would be encrypted by default. The problem is _ unlike Apple _ Google doesn't make the chips or the phones and did not have the power to force phone manufacturers to encrypt.

That became an issue when it turned out that phones lacking more expensive chips slowed when Android encryption was turned on, said the ACLU's Soghoian.

"The Android market is very competitive," Soghoian said. "Samsung couldn't sell a phone that was half as fast as the previous year's model. No one would buy it."

The result was that most Android phones don't have automatic encryption. Android users generally have the option to turn on encryption but that doesn't mean they know how to do so.

Google does require encryption by default on high-performing devices such as Samsung's new Galaxy S7 that use Android's latest Marshmallow operating system. But just 1.2 percent of Android smartphones on the global market are running on Marshmallow at this point.

Google's own Nexus phones also have automatic encryption.

There are social consequences to Android dominating the bargain end of the market, Soghoian said, with minorities and the poor far more likely to have an Android than an iPhone.

"Those in our society who are the greatest targets of surveillance by the authorities are using devices that protect them the least," Soghoian said. "The middle class and the rich already have iPhones."
BOSTON (AP)  Investigators who spent years building a criminal case against gangster James "Whitey" Bulger have long believed he had multiple helpers when he fled Boston and went on the run.

But if prosecutors don't bring charges within the next few months, the only person to be charged with actually assisting the notorious crime boss during his 16 years as a fugitive will be his longtime girlfriend.

The statute of limitations for harboring a fugitive is five years. The clock began ticking when Bulger was captured in Santa Monica, California, on June 22, 2011, and runs out on June 22, 2016.

Catherine Greig, who accompanied Bulger on his long flight from justice, was sentenced to eight years in prison for helping him.

Greig faces additional prison time after pleading guilty last month to contempt for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating who else may have helped Bulger.

Now the question is, without Greig's help, will anyone else ever be charged?

"I don't think the chances are great. I'd be happy to see it, but I'd be surprised to see it," said retired state police Col. Thomas Foley, who spent two decades pursuing Bulger.

Bulger, now 86, is serving a life sentence after being convicted of a litany of crimes during a 2013 racketeering trial, including participating in 11 murders.

Over the years, investigators suspected Bulger received help from his family, and attention focused on his brother, William Bulger, a powerful political figure who was president of the state Senate for 17 years.

But William Bulger has denied helping his brother while he was a fugitive and has never been charged. In testimony before a federal grand jury in 2001, William Bulger acknowledged that he and his brother spoke by phone shortly after he fled Boston in late 1994. William Bulger also acknowledged that he did not encourage his brother to surrender.

"I don't feel an obligation to help everyone catch him," he said, according to leaked transcripts of testimony published in The Boston Globe.

Another brother, John "Jackie" Bulger, pleaded guilty to perjury and obstruction of justice in 2003 for lying to federal grand juries. Jackie Bulger admitted he had spoken to his brother while he was a fugitive. He also admitted lying when he testified he had no knowledge about a safe deposit box owned by his brother.

Greig's twin sister, Margaret McCusker, pleaded guilty to lying to a grand jury about having contact with her sister after she fled Boston with Bulger.

Kevin Weeks, a key Bulger henchman, admitted that he provided Bulger with fake identification while he was on the run. Weeks, who testified against Bulger, served five years in prison for being an accessory to five murders, but was not charged with helping Bulger as a fugitive.

Although the statute of limitations on the harboring charge ends in June, prosecutors could potentially have more time to bring a different charge. If, for example, Bulger had assets hidden and someone moved them after his arrest in 2011, that person could potentially be charged with obstruction of justice. The statute of limitations would begin running on the date the assets were moved.

Or, if someone lied to the grand jury after Bulger's arrest, that person could be charged with perjury for up to five years. Likewise, if someone lied to the FBI after Bulger's arrest, that person could be charged with making a false statement to a federal agent.

With Greig refusing to testify, another key question could remain unanswered: where is the money investigators believe Bulger hid?

While Bulger was a fugitive, the FBI seized cash and other items from safe deposit boxes in Florida, London, Canada and Ireland. But investigators believe that was just a fraction of the money Bulger made through his gang's illegal activities.

"I think the general belief was yeah, he had money stashed all over the place," said Tom Duffy, a retired state police trooper.

When Bulger and Greig were captured, authorities found $822,000 in cash in their apartment.

Prosecutors have said they will divide that among the families of Bulger's victims.

Patricia Donahue, whose husband was killed by Bulger and another man in 1982, said she has little hope any more money will be distributed to Bulger's victims.

"I'm sure there is probably money stashed out there somewhere, but I don't think we'll see it," she said.
In a piece that ran last summer, I suggested that Donald Trump could use his wildcard status to trump the Republican Party and secure the partys nomination for president. In a conversation after the piece ran, a member of the Republican Central Committee of a neighboring state assured me that this wont happen. The facts on the ground tell a different story.

With Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and the 12 states that voted on Super Tuesday having cast their votes, Mr. Trump is the clear front runner. He will be very difficult -- if not impossible -- to stop.

Who can stop him?

Wishful thinking on the part of party officials will not get the job done. Its those voting in Republican primaries and caucuses, not party officials, who decide who the partys candidate will be.

So whos going to stop Mr. Trump? Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who has become the preferred candidate of many party leaders? To date, Sen. Rubio has won only the Minnesota caucuses and, according to tracking polls, is significantly behind Mr. Trump in Florida, with the gap widening rather than closing.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who would be an excellent president but has done no better than second in any primary or caucus? Tracking polls give Mr. Kasich a narrow lead in his home state of Ohio, which like Florida votes on March. 15. However, one state does not a nomination make.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who, in addition to Texas, came out ahead in Iowa, Oklahoma and Alaska? Many Republican Party leaders view his winning the nomination (which is only a remote possibility) as a case of the cure being worse than the disease. In short, the facts on the ground clearly favor Mr. Trump.

What many in the Republican establishment fail to realize is that this is an election cycle in which the political tides are running strongly against those in positions of power. As noted in the piece I wrote last summer, the most significant statistic is that only 13 percent of likely voters have a positive view of the job that Congress is doing.

The problem is not just that Mr. Trump is an unconventional candidate. In fact, in some respects that might be a good thing Rather, what is alarming is his tendency to make careless statements that fly in the face of basic American values, such as that at least for an interim period of time, no Muslims should be allowed to enter this country. Commenting on Mr. Trumps ill-considered proposal, House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, stated in no uncertain terms, What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for and, more importantly, is not what this country stands for.

Trumps KKK problem

During a recent television interview, Mr. Trump let pass the opportunity to disavow support he is receiving from the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups. He claimed the earpiece wasnt working and that he couldnt hear the question, a lame excuse that Speaker Ryan and Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell did not buy. Speaker Ryan stated, Today I want to be very clear about something, if a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican Party, there can be no evasion and no games, they must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry. This party does not prey on peoples prejudices. We appeal to their highest ideals This is the party of Lincoln.

Sen. McConnell was even more forceful, stating that the Republican Party condemns in the strongest possible language David Duke, the KKK, and everything they stand for.

If Mr. Trump secures the Republican nomination for president, it will be an unspeakable disaster for the party of Lincoln. If he ends up being elected president, it will be an unspeakable disaster for the nation. Unfortunately, both are within the range of the possible.
Now what?

Super Tuesday is over, leaving Donald Trump with 332 delegates, slightly over 25 percent of the number needed to win the Republican presidential nomination. Ted Cruz trailed with 230; Marco Rubio followed with 113; while the only plausible candidate, John Kasich, had 27.

The next 10 days may very well settle the matter. I have no idea what happened in Saturdays voting. You may add those totals with todays action to bring the figures up to date, but I doubt that the relative rankings will change much.

On the 15th, we encounter three winner-take-all primaries. If Rubio wins his home state of Florida, he will garner 99 delegates, perhaps keeping the flame in the Koch Brothers heart from guttering out. If Kasich can take Ohios 66, he may be able to generate a small groundswell for sanity, but thats a very long shot. If he loses, hes out. Dr. Ben Carson has already stopped campaigning, in case you hadnt noticed.

No, it looks as if the race will dwindle to three very bad options, what one vicious pundit likened to a choice among Mussolini, Hitler, and a haircut. My moderate Republican friends are beside themselves. This was not supposed to happen. Jeb(!) Bush was the chosen one; why didnt voters get the message?

They dutifully voted for Mitt Romney, but to no avail. That seemed to be the last straw for some reliable foot soldiers who have served the GOP establishment: evangelicals, racists, and the tea party. Long-time Republican voters have long provided a reliable core of support, but party leaders have cultivated those three passionate constituencies to dominate primaries and energize campaigns, but without giving them a single thing they wanted.

It was a a dicey plan and the whole combustible structure has finally exploded. One party loyalist who despises Trump said he voted for him and will work to make him the candidate, in the hope of having him and the party crushed by a Clinton victory.

He reasons that only if and when the party hits rock bottom will it be able to rebuild itself on a more coherent basis. Its not the most practical plan, but it is a measure of the near desperation some solid Republicans are experiencing.

The fact is that both parties are shells of what they used to be. Back in the day of party bosses and highly-structured political organizations, a voter was able to identify with coherent systems of belief and objectives. The give-and-take within parties extended to deal-making across party lines.

Compromise wasnt a dirty word; a betrayal. it was, as the very first Congress demonstrated, the life blood of democracy. The winner-take-all mentality, which took hold under Newt Gingrich, has metastasized steadily to the point where any degree of cooperation is viewed as a sellout.

Complicating the situation is the rise of a shadow Republican Party under the control of a small circle of ultra-wealthy donors organized by Charles Koch. The Kochtopus, as it is termed, has more money, more paid workers in the field, more sophisticated voter information than what remains of the old political apparatus.

The Koch organization controls more that half of state governments and many federal legislators in both parties. The most striking example of its reach can be seen in Wisconsin. Gov. Scott Walker, the man they had hoped to elect president, has not only undercut unions, but has recently weakened the civil service, heading one of the most progressive states in the union back to patronage. We appear to be on track to do the same thing in Illinois.

Having rattled on like this, I have to admit that it is pointless to complain about the candidates, the clever manipulators working to shape public opinion, the compliant Supreme Court, the destructive behavior of the recent Bush administration, even the angry citizens finally rebelling against what they see as public and private betrayal.

Its our fault. We cannot shift blame for the whole sorry mess onto others. Government and society are what we make them, whether through action or inaction. No matter how deviously others work to deceive or mislead us, it is our job to know what we do when we vote.

Casting a vote in fear, anger, ignorance -- or even solely in narrow self-interest -- is to create chaos instead of a functioning democracy. We have every right to deplore the situation we are in just now; but we cannot ignore our complicity in allowing it to develop. Now, its our job, not to tear it down, but to fix it.
Think carefully who you vote for in November. Did you know Illinois is fast becoming the epicenter for abortions in the Midwest? Our good Governor JP and his cohorts with the approval of our so-called Catholic president are saying come to Illinois for your abortion. Big corporations such as Amazon, Microsoft and even Walt Disney are paying for Abortion Travel for their employees. Did you know over 63 million babies have been killed since 1973 when abortion was legalized? A whole generation has been lost. Thats pretty sad for America. No longer is there any question on when life begins. Life is just not sacred anymore.
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The Federal Trade Commission tracks complaints about IRS imposter scams, and every year, the IRS releases its list of the "Dirty Dozen" tax scams it has encountered, in an effort to alert taxpayers about the scam artists who are out to get your hard-earned money. It's no surprise that the complaints continue to escalate. As quickly as these imposters are shut down, there are more waiting to take their place. Here are some things you need to watch out for.

With stolen identities on the rise, it didn't take criminals long to figure out that an ill-begotten Social Security number or tax ID number can be used to file fraudulent claims with the IRS. In fact, tax refund fraud is expected to exceed $21 billion this year. Basically what thieves do is file a fake return for you, early in the year, essentially "beating" the taxpayer to their refund money. This money can be deposited to a pre-paid credit card that they then simply spend like cash. Refunds are typically issued in less than 21 days, and victims often don't discover that they've been scammed until they try to file their legitimate return and are rejected by the IRS.

How do the bad guys get your information in the first place? One of the most common ways criminals obtain your personal information is through phishing schemes. "Phishing" is where the imposter poses as a known entity, commonly the IRS, using a fake email or website to lure in a potential victim. You should know that the IRS will never send you an unsolicited email about a bill or a refund.

Website and email addresses can look deceptively legitimate. Don't be fooled. Clicking on a web link from one of these emails can send you straight to a hacker's website, where malicious software can be downloaded to your computer.

Email delivery of malware and phishing scheme messages are so prevalent this year, the IRS has renewed a consumer alert, reporting that they've seen an approximate 400 percent surge in phishing and malware incidents so far this tax season. The IRS statement reports that, "The emails are designed to trick taxpayers into thinking these are official communications from the IRS or others in the tax industry, including tax software companies.

The phishing schemes can ask taxpayers about a wide range of topics. E-mails can seek information related to refunds, filing status, confirming personal information, ordering transcripts and verifying PIN information."

Phishing also happens over the phone. Never give personal information to someone who calls you -- only when you were the person initiating the contact, and only when you're confident you're speaking to a legitimate IRS representative. Be wary of someone requesting your Social Security number or Taxpayer ID unless it's truly necessary. Just because someone asks for it, doesn't mean you should offer it.

Speaking of phone calls, another big scam initiated by criminals is one where they call people out of the blue, impersonating IRS agents. Playing upon your fears of the IRS coming to get you, they aggressively threaten and cajole potential victims, demanding payment for fictitious penalties or tax fines. Sometimes the phone number will even show on your caller ID as the IRS, in a process called "spoofing."

Getting a phone call from the IRS can be scary stuff. Scammers will try to frighten victims into providing credit card or bank information, targeting potential victims that are among those most vulnerable -- the elderly, recent immigrants and those for whom English is a second language. Because they may be easily confused or intimidated, the criminals threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation or legal and financial penalties. After making their threats, they often will follow up the phone call with a subsequent one from a partner pretending to be the DMV or police department to corroborate the story.

How can you be sure the person on the phone is not really the IRS? Well, just getting a phone call without any prior notice should be a red flag. The IRS will always mail you an official notice about any taxes due. The IRS will never demand you pay taxes without giving you a chance to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. Scammers often request a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card, or will request your credit card number over the phone. An agent of the IRS will never threaten to bring in local law enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

There are other ways you can protect yourself. Always keep your computer's anti-malware software up-to-date, and run your virus scans often. Use a firewall on your home and business networks. Don't use the same username and password combinations across multiple websites. Use encryption software whenever you send your personal data over the Internet. When navigating websites, look for the "https" in front of the web address, so you know entering data on that website is secure. Review your credit report for any oddities at least every 12 months.

If you become a victim of IRS identity theft, the IRS has a Victim Assistance organization that will work on your case. They're usually notified of the fraudulent return when you attempt to file your legitimate one. You may receive a letter from the IRS asking you to verify your identity on their website, IDVerify.irs.gov, or though the Taxpayer Protection Program toll-free number. If you happen to discover the fraud before they do, you can report it at www.identitytheft.gov. They will create a personal recovery plan to help you through the process.

Nerd Chick Adventures is written by Andrea Eldridge and Heather Neal from Nerds On Call, an onsite computer and laptop repair company in Redding. They can be reached at nerdchick@callnerds.com.
In this photo taken on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, researcher Svetlana Kapyrina speaks as she shows Vasily Perov's painting of the writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky to the Associated Press at Moscows Tretyakov Gallery, Russia, as preparations are made for 26 works of art to be shipped from Moscow to Britain's National Portrait Gallery for an exhibition. Cultural exchange between Russia and the West is alive and well, even in difficult political and economic times, says the director of Moscows Tretyakov Gallery, as her staff pack up some of Russias finest paintings, to be sent to London for a landmark exhibition. The 26 portraits being sent to the National Portrait Gallery for a March17-June 26 exhibition are part of an exchange that include major British works loaned to Russia. Despite chill relations with the West and an economic crisis in Russia, the shows will go ahead because the two museums are determined to cooperate, Tretyakov director Zelfira Tregulova said. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

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By KATE DE PURY, Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP)  The staff of Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery is packing up some of Russia's finest paintings to send to London for a landmark exhibition, proving, the gallery's director says, that cultural exchange between the Russia and the West is alive and well.

The 26 portraits being sent to the National Portrait Gallery for an exhibition March 17 to June 26 are part of an exchange that also includes major British works loaned to Russia.

Despite chilly relations between Moscow and the West and an economic crisis in Russia, the shows will go ahead because the two museums are determined to cooperate, Tretyakov director Zelfira Tregulova said.

The Tretyakov portraits going to London show elite artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tregulova singles out two  portraits of writer Fyodor Dostoevsky by Vasily Perov and of composer Modest Mussorgsky by Ilya Repin  for their powerful depiction and "profound analysis."

The portraits from the Tretyakov are rarely loaned for foreign exhibition. The iconic portrait of Dostoevsky was last seen in Britain in 1959.

The 1881 Mussorgsky portrait was completed just before the composer died of alcoholism at the age of 42. The work shows the harsh reality of his condition, but at the same time conveys his energy and spirit.

Tregulova says the show presents a unique insight into a golden age of Russian culture leading up to the 1917 revolution, showing "Russian creativity and the originality of those people with its pluses and minuses."

Tregulova took charge at the country's premier collection of Russian art a year ago. She had been assistant director of the Kremlin Museums and has curated major exhibitions of Russian art abroad, including the 2005 Guggenheim museum show that was the largest ever of Russian art in the United States.

At the Tretyakov, she has used television and social media to create such buzz for a recently ended show of Valentin Serov's works that viewers stood in line for hours in frigid temperatures to get in, at one point even breaking down the door. Nearly a half-million people visited what was reportedly Russia's most popular show in 50 years.

The traffic isn't all one way, and the National Portrait Gallery is lending works of equal stature, including the so-called "Chandos portrait" portrait, believed to depict William Shakespeare, and the "Ditchley portrait," a depiction of Queen Elizabeth I standing on the globe. These, as well as portraits of Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin, will go on show at the Tretyakov in June, playing to a strong and enduring love of British culture among Russians.

Cambridge University's Rosalind Blakesley, who curated the NPG show, said the early stage of negotiations with the Tretyakov involved first the Russians surprisingly agreeing to loan so many treasures on her wish list, then issuing their own equally ambitious requests.

Blakesley says it's a fair exchange of works that will resonate with art lovers in London and Moscow alike. There may be political tension, but she hails what she calls "extraordinary opportunities and collaborations" with Russian museums and galleries that have ambitions for future exchanges with the United Kingdom.
SHARE Carla Denise Bledsoe Date of birth: March 5, 1986 Vitals: 5 feet 4 inches; 134 pounds; brown hair, blue eyes Charge: Receiving known stolen property Trenton Dean Harris Date of birth: April 4, 1987 Vitals: 5 feet 11 inches; 200 pounds; brown hair, hazel eyes Charge: Vehicle theft Robert James Maurer Date of birth: July 10, 1955 Vitals: 6 feet 1 inch; 195 pounds; gray hair, hazel eyes Charge: Assault with a deadly weapon Daniel Eugene Vigil Date of birth: March 15, 1979 Vitals: 5 feet 10 inches; 175 pounds; brown hair, hazel eyes Charge: Assault and battery

By Staff Reports

Shasta's Most Wanted, featured in the Record Searchlight in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, targets people who have failed to show up in court for sentencing after being convicted of crimes.

As of Friday a total of 561 arrests have been made through the Most Wanted program since it began September 2013.

Authorities say they have seen an increase in criminals failing to appear in court since the onset of Assembly Bill 109.

Also known as prison realignment, the state program shifted certain state prison inmates to county supervision.

Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti said court appearances have been going up since the rollout of the program.

Five new people are added each week. Those caught will be held until at least their next court appearances. Shasta County Secret Witness is offering a reward of up to $250 for information leading to an arrest.

Anyone with information is asked to call 245-6540 or 243-2319.

The feature appears Sundays in the Record Searchlight's Northern California section and on Redding.com.
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A 36-year-old Redding man was arrested Saturday after a family disturbance in which he threatened to kill his two children and brother-in-law, according to the Redding Police Department.

Officers responded to a Paso Drive residence at 10 a.m., where Xiong Moua had armed himself with 12 gauge loaded shotgun and pointed it at his own children and brother-in-law Lo Saelee, 28, police said.

Saelee told police that Moua was despondent over marital issues and showed up at the residence intoxicated. A verbal altercation escalated, and after Moua brandished the firearm, Saelee got into a fight with Moua in an attempt to disarm him, police said.

Saelee hit Moua over the head with the shotgun and sought refuge at a neighbors house with the two children, police said.

After police were contacted, officers surrounded the residence. They said Moua was found passed out in his vehicle, parked in the driveway of the residence.

He was taken into custody without incident and had to be medically cleared due to his high level of intoxication, police said.

He was booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, endangering a child, and numerous weapon violation enhancements.

Due to the danger Moua posed to his family, a bail enhancement was sought and granted for a minimum of $500,000, according to police.
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By Curtis Tate, McClatchy Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON  Before a gunman opened fire last month in Kansas, killing three people and injuring 14, he established a pattern of domestic abuse that, experts say, can frequently be a precursor to deadly violence.

U.S. Justice Department statistics show that more than 50 percent of women who are killed with guns are killed by intimate partners or family members. Kansas, like many states, relies heavily on federal funding to support services to cope with domestic violence. But advocates in the state say that despite an increase in federal grant money last year, Kansas still has unmet needs.

And while federal law prohibits the possession of guns by domestic abusers, Kansas lacks a state law that empowers local courts and law enforcement agencies to enforce it.

Women are killed with guns at higher rates by abusive partners in states with weaker gun protections in domestic violence cases, according to FBI data.

The gunman, 38-year-old Cedric Ford, shot and killed three of his co-workers in Hesston, Kan., on Feb. 25. Ford, a convicted felon, was shot and killed by police.

He had been served earlier by Hesston police with a court-issued restraining order sought by an unidentified woman.

Another woman who had lived with Ford, now faces federal charges of transferring firearms to a convicted felon after, police say, she gave him the two guns he used in the shooting.

There is evidence in court documents, though, that the woman, Sarah Hopkins, was herself afraid of Ford. She had asked police last summer to help her retrieve the firearms when she moved out of a home she shared with Ford.

According to court documents, Sarah Hopkins then pawned the two guns but she allegedly gave them back to Ford when he threatened her.

Joyce Grover, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, said guns in the home of a domestic abuser can lead to deadly outcomes.

What we know about domestic abusers is that they can be very dangerous, she said in an interview.

Kansas allocated $4 million in state general funds in 2015 for support services to victims of domestic violence. The amount was bolstered by $19 million in federal grants from the Justice Departments Office for Victims of Crime, and a $1-million grant from the Family Violence Prevention & Services Program of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Grover said that the additional federal funds  up from about $5.8 million in 2014  help support legal services, child care, housing and food for domestic violence survivors.

However, Grover said, the states programs have always operated on a shoestring budget. The need for services has never been fully funded, she said.

A snapshot of Kansas taken last September by the National Network to End Domestic Violence found that many programs around the state reported a critical shortage of funds and staff to assist victims.

The shootings by Cedric Ford could spur a renewed conversation in Kansas and other states about gun law changes aimed at keeping the weapons out of the hands of domestic abusers. At least one state lawmaker has filed a bill to give courts and law enforcement that authority.

According to an analysis of FBI data by the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, 38 percent of mass shootings from 2009 to 2015 involved prohibited possessors  someone like Ford whose criminal record would havebarred him from having guns.

Luke Entelis, counsel for Everytown for Gun Safety, said the overwhelming caseload of federal prosecutors often places the responsibility of enforcing federal laws in the hands of local officials who may lack that authority.

States need to put in their own prohibitions, Entelis said. That empowers state and local law enforcement authority to act with full authority of state law behind them.

Ford had a tumultuous past.

In addition to convictions for burglary and theft in Florida, he also had been convicted of domestic violence and disorderly conduct in Kansas.

In a protective order filed Feb. 5 in Sedgwick County, Kan., Fords unidentified former girlfriend said a verbal dispute between them became physical. He placed me in a chokehold from behind, she wrote, adding that she couldnt breathe. He then got me to the ground while choking me  finally releasing me.

That kind of violent behavior is an indication of lethality, Grover said.

Someone can die in a matter of seconds, she said of the alleged choking. To me, that is attempted murder.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, Kansas is not among the states that prohibit people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors or subject to domestic violence restraining orders from having guns.

Kansas also is not among a group of states that require such people to turn in their firearms, according to the group.

More than half of states have taken concrete measures to separate firearms from domestic abusers, Entelis said.

According to another analysis of FBI data by Everytown for Gun Safety, a woman is about eight times more likely to be shot and killed by an abusive partner in Kansas as she is in Illinois, and twice as likely as in Minnesota. Both of those states have more stringent laws restricting domestic abusers access to guns.

Catherine Mortensen, a spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association in Fairfax, Va., agreed that convicted domestic abusers should not have guns. She did not comment, however, on efforts by some states to require those under restraining orders to turn in their guns.

The NRA does not want convicted domestic abusers and violent felons to have access to firearms, period, she said in a statement. Under federal law, these individuals are already prohibited from possessing firearms.

The states that have enacted tougher requirements include Connecticut and New York, but also more rural and conservative Tennessee and Iowa.

This is not a blue-state policy by any means, Entelis said.

Legislation currently in a Kansas House of Representatives committee would empower state and local courts and law enforcement to remove guns in domestic abuse cases.

I have no idea what will change after last weekend, said Kansas state Rep. Barbara Bollier, a Republican and retired physician from Mission Hills who introduced the bill, in an interview. By God, I would hope something would.

Bollier knows the bill could be a tough sell in Kansas, which in the past year has relaxed its gun laws to allow people to carry concealed weapons without permits or training.

At least let it be heard, Bollier said. Our state owes it to the people.



2016 McClatchy Washington Bureau

Visit the McClatchy Washington Bureau at www.mcclatchydc.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. interrupt each other during the NBC, YouTube Democratic presidential debate at the Gaillard Center on Sunday, in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)

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By Jess Nocera, McClatchy Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON  For people under 30, socialism isnt a scary word.

I think there are a lot of people who, when they hear the word socialist, get very, very nervous, Bernie Sanders told reporters at a campaign stop in Iowa in October of last year.

Sanders, a self-identified democratic socialist, has captured the attention and support of young voters. In the South Carolina primary, Sanders won 54 percent of the votes of 17- to 29-year-olds, compared with Hillary Clintons 46 percent, according to CNN exit polls. He nonetheless lost the state resoundingly to Clinton on Feb. 27.

Clinton also won seven states on Super Tuesday, but in her own former home state of Arkansas, younger voters supported Sanders 59 percent, compared with Clintons 41 percent, according to the CBS News exit polls.

Pollsters show him consistently winning the support of young voters over Clinton.

Mackenzie Logan, 22, a senior and psychology major at the College of Charleston, said she leans toward Hillary Clinton, but said she also likes the socialist label. She says its not as scary as some people think it is.

She said she knows older people  not her parents  who are scared by the word. But, she adds, socialism has some attractive aspects, as does the man who is championing it on the Democratic stage. Among them, hes looking at helping the middle class, she said.

Millennials, the generation born between 1982 and 2004, are more often identifying with Sanders ideas, including his promises of free college education and health care.

When we talk about democratic socialism, its not the Cold War socialism. There is a difference, said Caleb-Michael Files, 24, a former Clinton supporter and an activist for both the People for Bernie Sanders and Millennials for Bernie Sanders. This is people-driven.

The millennials worry about college debt, not finding a post-graduate job and paying the bills, said Sarah Smith, 21, a senior global affairs major at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. As a millennial, I believe that we identify with what Bernie Sanders has to offer because weve had so much taken away from us.

Sixty-seven percent of millennials polled by the Harvard Institute of Politics in December said Sanders brand of socialism would make no difference in a decision to vote for him. Twenty-four percent said that his socialism would make them more likely to vote for him, said John Della Volpe, director of polling at Harvard Institute of Politics.

Its less about labels, more about ideas, Della Volpe said in an interview with McClatchy.

Twenty-five percent of millennials polled said they would definitely vote for any socialist presidential candidate in a McClatchy-Marist poll conducted from Oct. 29 through Nov. 4, 2015.

Millennials are looking for someone to connect with, and Sanders may not be a fresh face since hes 74 years old, but hes new to a lot of people, said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.

The biggest reason why millennials are associating themselves with Sanders is because they feel he is the only one that is caring about the millennials future, said Allen Hester, 21, of George Mason University.

Since high school Hester has been reminded that we (millennials) might not have Social Security one day.

Rafael Molina, 23, a psychology major at the College of Charleston, likes the concept of socialism. His Cuban grandfather hates the word. Its too close to communism.

Sanders himself has traveled to Cuba twice, once in 1989 for eight days when he had hoped to meet former president Fidel Castro. The meeting never took place.

Even though it is the same term, I think it does mean something different now, but Sanders has struggled to create a distinction, said Jorge Duany, director of the Cuban Institute at Florida International University.

Sanders self-professed political revolution doesnt seek to mirror Cuba or the Soviet Union; rather it would allow for more people to participate in politics and the economy, Duany said.

Sanders is advocating Scandinavian socialism, said Maria Svart, national director of Democratic Socialism of America, located in New York.

Social democracy is much more democratic  , said Svart. Scandinavian social democracy is different from communism because communism is an economic system controlled by the government, with no freedom of speech.

The so-called Scandinavian model focuses on control of the public economy through the government, said Samuel Goldman, assistant professor of political science at George Washington University.

Sanders has said on several occasions that the American Dream lies in Denmark, a Scandinavian country.

Denmark has free higher education as well as universal health care, Svart said.

That dream does have a price tag. A 2014 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found Denmark is one of the highest taxed countries in the world.

Denmark relies heavily on indirect taxes such as income tax, said Alan Auerbach, a professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley.

In the OECD report, 62 percent of Denmarks tax revenue came from taxes on income, profits and capital gains.

I dont think (Americans) are aware of how heavy our tax burden is.  They would not like it, Goldman said.



(Lesley Clark contributed to this report from South Carolina.)



2016 McClatchy Washington Bureau

Visit the McClatchy Washington Bureau at www.mcclatchydc.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Redding firefighter Steven Tenorio looks out the window of a fire engine as he and other crew members from Station 5 head to a medical call Feb. 25 in Redding. About two-thirds of the Redding Fire Department's calls for service involve medical emergencies. Year-over-year, the Fire Department handles an ever-increasing call volume, with 12,863 incidents reported in 2015.

SHARE Redding Fire Engineer Craig Martin (left) and firefighter Joe Brennan (right) clean up a gas spill Thursday after a two-car accident in Redding. The City Council on Tuesday will discuss recommendations for the Fire Department. Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight Redding fire engineer Craig Martin (left) and Steven Tenorio train Feb. 25 at Station 5. Greg Barnette/Redding Fire Capt. Adam Snyder talks with Redding police officer Bryan Cowan on Thursday at the scene of an accident.

By Sean Longoria of the Redding Record Searchlight

Firefighters in Redding responded to more than 400 additional calls for service in 2015 compared with a year earlier, and Fire Chief Gerry Gray anticipates that trend will continue in 2016 and beyond, even as staffing levels for the department continue to be pressed.

It's not a new issue for the Redding Fire Department, but it will come into sharp focus in upcoming discussions on the Blueprint for Public Safety, the first of which is set for Tuesday at a special meeting of the Redding City Council.

Council members will hear about 22 recommendations for the Fire Department in various stages of implementation, according to agenda documents for that meeting.

January saw the department respond to 23 fires as part of 1,057 incidents total, according to data provided by Gray. That was a step down from January last year, but an increase over the average since 2012. Data for February is not yet finalized in the department's computer system.

Year-over-year, the Fire Department handles an ever-increasing call volume, with 12,863 incidents reported in 2015. Gray anticipates that number increasing in 2016.

"This year the milestone is going to be that 13,000 call mark. We're anticipating, in fact we're sure, we'll be passing that milestone," he said.

About two-thirds of the Fire Department's calls for service are medical emergencies, and that will be a large factor in any increases, Gray said.

"Redding historically has had a large senior population, and we serve them and a lot of that is through the emergency medical system," he said.

Though fires are a comparatively small percentage of the total calls, Gray said they present "one of the greatest threats to our community."

Gray also sees those increasing because of rising temperatures and Redding's low population density.

Last month saw the second-warmest February on record at the Redding Municipal Airport since 1986 and the fifth-warmest since records started being kept in the 1890s, said National Weather Service forecaster Karl Swanberg.

March is off to a damp start, and forecasters expect as much as 4 inches of new rainfall at Lake Shasta through the weekend, Swanberg said.

Gray said he hopes the wet weather can help replenish the state's snowpack, which has fallen below normal for the year. Snowpack in the mountains of the North State and Sierra Nevada was at about 86 percent of normal as of Friday, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

The National Interagency Fire Center, relying on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is predicting normal rainfall for the area through June.

While that would help delay the onset of fire season, Gray cautioned additional plant growth as a result of wet weather is likely to keep his department busy when warmer, drier weather does hit.

Tuesday's meeting will cover those recommendations requiring staff time or relatively small costs.

Those items - appointing a media contact and webmaster for the department and ensuring annual physicals for employees - would cost about $43,000 initially and $40,000 annually, according to estimates from the blueprint.

The blueprint implementation team - a combination of law enforcement, administrative and elected officials from the county and city - identified only two of the Matrix Consulting Group's recommendations to push back against.

Citing Gray's resistance to the idea, the team has recommended against considering response times across the city, differentiating between urban, rural and suburban areas. The team is also recommending against increasing public outreach, citing the extra cost and full workload of the three-person fire prevention team.

One of the blueprint's more substantial recommendations for the department - adding 12 more firefighters to improve staffing to three firefighters on each fire engine - won't be considered Tuesday, as it's one of the blueprint's costlier items. Estimates from the blueprint put that cost at more than $600,000.

Redding Vice Mayor Brent Weaver, who sits on the blueprint implementation team, said costlier recommendations will likely come up for discussion next month.

Redding saw its last batch of new firefighters in 2012 after the city secured a $1.4 million federal grant to fill nine new positions. The Fire Department employs 87 people, with 78 firefighters covering Redding's more than 60 square miles.

That grant expired, but the current City Council dipped into city coffers to keep the firefighters onboard.

Gray said he's aware of the expense of additional resources, but he's encouraged by the blueprint project and the statement it makes about the city's commitment.

"I have to be very positive in thinking that the county of Shasta and the city of Redding embarked on this public safety blueprint for not just the purpose of more documents but the purpose of laying out a long-range plan on how to improve public safety," he said.
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Coral Brady, Canberra, Australia

As an alumnus of Central Valley High School I was dismayed to see my alma mater used as a disparaging comparison in the editorial on Feb. 27 regarding the racist behavior of U-Prep students. While some in the community may believe CVHS students are of a different "class" than U-Prep, you should note that last weekend CVHS was celebrating its 13th annual Multicultural Festival, while U-Prep administrators were giving watered-down apologies on behalf of their students.

My education at CVHS provided excellent preparation for university. While CVHS students may not have all the opportunities provided to them compared to U-Prep, they have certainly proven themselves in and out of the classroom.
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Cinnamon and Jillian Kern, Shasta Lake

While we agreed wholeheartedly with your point in "The Toughest Lesson...", we were sorely disappointed to see Central Valley High School used as an example. We all ought to recognize our privilege and go forward with enhanced humility.

This could start with a critical look at local depictions of CVHS. Many issue droll comments at the expense of our fellow Falcons. Fewer are willing to discuss the struggles faced by the district and students.

Alumni of other schools could acknowledge the high per student expenditures they benefited from - $9,000 at Shasta High School, in contrast with CVHS's $5,000. Or they could tackle the rates of socioeconomic disadvantage - 70 percent at CVHS as opposed to 14 percent at U-Prep. This acknowledgement was the point of your editorial. But with a one-line dismissal of CVHS - or any other school - you are perpetuating the problem.

We Falcons are a diverse group of varied achievements, including Gateway's recent placement on the AP District Honor Roll, and to dismiss us as metonyms for shameful behavior encourages local prejudice.

As proud Falcons, we hope for better in the future.
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Derek Yorton, Sacramento

I would like to discuss your editorial "Toughest lesson of year prompts storm at U-Prep."

Yes, it was an unfortunate event, an embarrassment for the school and the town, and shouldn't be taken lightly. However, the focus of the incident has not addressed the underlining issue, the lack of diversity in Redding and ethnic education in the Shasta County school system.

Redding has a population of over 91,000 people, but let me break that down demographically. The fact is, whites make up 80 percent of the city. Hispanics are the next largest group with an outstanding 8 percent, Asians are half their size, Native Americans make up just over 2 percent and African-Americans only are just over 1 percent.

As a former Redding resident and high school student, I can understand that this event was not only "just for fun" in the eyes of the students, but it came about from ignorance by the lack of diversity and proper education addressing ethnic groups.

It's not just the school system that should be blamed though, but the environment that Redding allows to perpetuate. This town has an overwhelming amount of self-proclaimed "white supremacists" who openly wear their racist tattoos and fly their rebel flags proudly. With this hidden influence in Shasta County, I am surprised that an incident like this hasn't happened before or more severely.
An Indian priest missing after an attack on a care home run in Yemen is being held by the assailants, likely militants from the Islamic State group, officials said on Sunday.

The 56-year-old Tom Uzhunnalil was taken by Islamic State gunmen after they launched an attack on an elderly care home in Aden.

India will spare no efforts to rescue father Tom Uzhunnalil, who has gone missing in Yemen after the Islamic State militant group attacked a care home run by Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity, said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Yemen is a conflict zone. We do not have an embassy there. But we will spare no efforts to rescue Father Tom Uzhunnalil, she tweeted.

The minister noted that though there was Indian embassy in Yemen, there was a camp office in Djibouti. She also corrected the number of Indians killed in the attack from four to one.

Gunmen stormed the refuge for the elderly on Friday, killing a Yemeni guard before tying up and shooting 15 other employees.

Four foreign nuns, including an Indian, working as nurses were among those killed.

The Yemeni officials said that though Islamic State was yet to claim responsibility for the attack, information pointed to their involvement.

The VaticansSecretary of State Pietro Parolin said Pope Francis was shocked and profoundly saddened to learn of this act of senseless and diabolical violence.

Al Qaeda and IS have stepped up attacks in Aden, targeting mainly loyalists and members of a Saudi-led coalition battling Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year.
Renowned thinker and academician Noam Chomsky, who had questioned Jawaharlal Nehru University authorities over the handling of the recent event, believes that Indias image among those who care for freedom and human rights is declining.

The intolerance debate is not just limited to India. There is plenty of intolerance everywhere. As for Indias image, among people who care about human rights, freedom, and justice, it is declining, Chomsky told PTI in an e-mail interview from the United States.

Chomsky, Emeritus Professor of Linguistics and Philosophy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said academic freedoms are a key indicator of the overall status of political freedom and democracy. The acceleration of privatisation across the public higher education system is undermining these freedoms on a global scale.

Chomsky was asked about the debate over intolerance and whether alleged government interference in educational institutions was limited to India.

He maintained that India is not the only country where educational institutions are being subjected to such attacks, though the sequence of events at JNU signal towards a culture of authoritarian menace.

Three cases have been most prominent in that regard since the beginning of 2016: the crackdown by Turkish authorities on more than 1,200 signatories of the petition by Academics for Peace criticising the anti-Kurdish war drive launched by the Turkish government.

The crackdown by Indian authorities on students involved in a non-violent campus protest at JNU and Hyderabad University... and the savage torture and assassination in Cairo of Italian research student Giulio Regeni, Chomsky, known as the Father of Modern Linguistics, added.

Chomsky had last week written to the JNU vice chancellor questioning his decision to allow police on campus when it was not legally required after six of its students were booked under sedition charges after a programme where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

Chomsky, who has over 40 honorary degrees from varsities across the globe including Harvard and Columbia, was also signatory to a recent statement along with noble laureate Orhan Pahmuk and 84 academicians worldwide, who had condemned the culture of authoritarian menace that the present government in India has generated.

Image: Dozens of protestors from Campus Front of India express solidarity for Rohit Vemula and were also demanding the release of Kanhaiya Kumar, a Jawaharlal Nehru University student union leader accused of sedition. Photograph: Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters
Canadas first Sikh Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan now has a chicken burger named after him and it is called the minister of national deliciousness.

Sajjan, 45, who was in November named Canadas Minister of National Defence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus 30-member Liberal cabinet, stopped by a downtown Vancouver eatery to sample the burger named in his honour.

National Deliciousness indeed! Tried my namesake burger at #Vancouvers @TheCannibalCafe and was not disappointed, Sajjan tweeted after eating the burger.

Sajjan, who represents the Vancouver-South, was in town last week for the Liberal governments first ministers meeting, but made time to visit The Cannibal Cafe and try out his namesake burger the minister of national deliciousness.

I approve, Sajjan said after taking the first bite.

Its got pakoras on it. Who wouldve thought to put it into a burger? Now that -- that makes sense, he was quoted as saying by CTV News.

The chicken burger also features a tandoori-spiced patty doused in butter chicken sauce and pressed yogurt with mint, cilantro and cucumbers.

It was introduced as Februarys Burger of the Month but the eaterys owner said it was so popular they added it to the regular menu.

Sajjan, who called the experience very humbling, also shook hands with the chef behind the burger, Zai Kitagawa, and signed off on a chalkboard featuring a drawing of him in sunglasses.

Kitagawa told reporters on Wednesday that he started thinking about the burger shortly after the ministers appointment.

If theres a man that a Canadian can be proud of, its definitely Mr Sajjan, he said.

Sajjan is a combat veteran and has served in Bosnia and had three deployments to Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was born in India and moved to Canada with his family when he was five-years-old.

Since his appointment as Defence Minister, Sajjan has faced two incidents of apparent racism.

Soon after his appointment in November, he faced racist remarks by a soldier on social media, prompting the Canadian Armed Forces to launch a probe.

Last month, Sajjan was heckled in Parliament with an opposition member shouting that MPs needed an English-to-English translation as he spoke, an act dubbed as racist.
Pakistan has asked India to send all the 24 Indian witnesses to depose before the anti-terrorism court holding the Mumbai attack trial, the chief prosecutor in the high-profile case said on Sunday.

The foreign ministry has written to the Indian government asking it to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court in the Mumbai attack case, Prosecution Chief Chaudhry Azhar said.

He said the Anti-Terrorism CourtIslamabad has already completed recording the statements of all Pakistani witnesses in the case which has been underway in the country for more than six years.

Now the ball is in Indias court. The Indian government should send all Indian witnesses of the Mumbai case to Pakistan to record their statements so that the trial could further move ahead, said Azhar, who is also a special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency.

Last month, the court, which is holding the trial of the seven accused including Mumbai attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Tayiba operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had ordered the FIA to present all 24 Indian witnesses in court to record their statements.

It had also ordered to bring back to Pakistan the boats used by Ajmal Kasab and other militants on the grounds that it is case property and should be duly examined.

The eight-member Pakistani judicial commission had visited India on behalf of the Pakistani anti-terrorism court.

The statements of the Indian witnesses were supposed to be used as evidence in the trial.

However, Lakhvis lawyer had challenged the commissions proceedings because Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S S Shinde did not let its members cross-examine witnesses.

The trial court here subsequently declared the proceedings of the commission illegal.

Pakistani authorities have arrested seven LeT members involved with the planning of the 2008 Mumbai attack.

Apart from Lakhvi, other arrested LeT men are Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum. A trial is underway against them at the ATC since 2009.

Lakhvi, 55, secured bail in December 2014 and was subsequently released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore high court set aside the governments order to detain him under a public security act.

Six other accused are lodged in the Adiala Jail for over six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in which 166 people were killed.
Delhi was on Sunday put on high alert after the police received inputs that 10 suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists believed to have entered India from Pakistan through Gujarat may have sneaked into the national capital for an attack even as four elite National Security Guard teams were rushed to the western state.

On the eve of Maha Shivratri festival, Gujarat as well as other metros and Jammu and Kashmir were also on high alert with raids conducted at Kutch and other places, security being beefed up at vital installations, sensitive areas and at all main temples including the famous Somnath temple where a NSG team has been deployed.

The Gir-Somnath district authorities have postponed Mondays cultural event at Somnath temple owing to the terror threat.

In Kolkata, security has been stepped up at NSCBoseInternationalAirport after an e-mail threat that it would be blown up within 24 hours, airport officials said.

The e-mail came in the airport managers ID early Sunday and it was claimed to have been sent from Germany, they said.

In the national capital, security was beefed up at vital installations, important buildings and crowded places after Delhi police received inputs about a potential terror strike in the city. A constant vigil was maintained near prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges.

A police source said the input specifically mentions about 10 militants having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi.

The Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi police have been briefed about the input separately, so that activities of gangs operating in and around the city and elements with suspected terror links can be monitored.

The police are also ensuring that CCTV cameras at all places with high footfall, like popular markets in the city and metro stations are functional. Patrolling across the city has been intensified.

Security has been ramped up at major religious sites in Gujarat like SomnathTemple and Akshardham and in metro cities -- Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

Vital installations across the metros like railway stations and airports are also being secured.

An advisory has been issued to enhance security at all strategic locations, sensitive industrial sites and religious places in Gujarat after intelligence inputs suggested that the terrorists have entered the state taking the sea route, official sources said.

Gujarat DGP P C Thakur held a meeting with NSG officials in Gandhinagar and announced that one team will be sent to step up security at Somnath temple in Gir-Somnath district.

Thakur issued orders late Saturday night cancelling leave of all policemen.

Four teams of NSG reached here(Gandhinagar) last night. Out of these, three will remain here, while one team will go to Somnath, he said. The size of each team could vary between 50 to 90 personnel.

Image: Police check vehicles after a high alert was sounded out across the nation. Photograph: PTI
Mathematics is very much its own language, and those of us who don't speak it well get easily lost in translation. (Stupid numbers. Leave me alone.) This is one problem from which the characters in 'A Doubter's Almanac' don't suffer. But they have plenty of others to make up for it.

Ethan Canin's new multigenerational family saga is about the agony of the select few wired to master what seems indecipherable to mere mortals. Here math represents, among other things, a state of existential torment worthy of Sisyphus, who watched helplessly as his boulder kept falling back down the hill.

'There's no proof in mathematics that can't be broken down into steps basic enough for a child of reasoning age to follow. The trick is accumulating the steps, each one so trivial that it can be comprehended by the crippled thing we call the mind.' That's Hans Andret, son of the anti-social alcoholic genius Milo Andret, who was kind enough to pass down the good, the bad and the ugly facets of his beautiful mind, from cognitive brilliance to devilish addiction.

Beneath the theorems and formulas lies a story of legacy, the qualities we inherit and, with any luck and wisdom, improve upon. Canin has written a big, generous novel, gentle in judgment and tone even as it details a life that can only really function off the rails of responsibility and politeness. 'A Doubter's Almanac' understands that bad company can wear out its welcome over the course of 550 pages. Milo Andret is a rogue and a horrible husband and father, but Canin takes the time and care to make him a man in full, demons and all.

Born to working-class Michigan parents, young Milo starts carving out his future when he carves a 25-foot chain out of the wood in the backyard forest. This is around the same time he goes out on a boat on Lake Huron with his parents and realizes he knows their exact coordinates in his head. He's a natural for the field of topology  the study of geometric properties and spatial relations  and before long he's a favorite math prodigy at Berkeley.

Canin gives Milo's Berkeley years a sort of golden sheen, with hints of the dark days to follow. He meets a girl, the beguiling Cle, and he gains a rival, the cocky, callow and gifted undergraduate Earl Biettermann (who turns out to be aptly named). He also gains the glory and the curse of solving an extremely difficult conjecture. The glory comes with the accolades and a prime teaching position at Princeton. The curse? He'll be chasing this initial blast of accomplishment for the rest of his life.

The first half of 'A Doubter's Almanac' tracks Milo's belligerent rise and the beginning of his fall, complete with womanizing, boozing, raging at Ivy League pretension and enough generally bad behavior to render his accomplishments moot in the eyes of his bosses. Hans takes over narration duties in the second half, which privileges the perspective of Milo's extremely forgiving wife, Helena. Much of the novel's pleasure comes from watching Helena develop beyond the role of a martyr to become a woman unafraid to express her own regrets and desires.

'A Doubter's Almanac' flags a little down the stretch, as so many novels of this length do. Milo's swirl to the bottom of the drain is a long way down. But Canin never loses sight of redemption's possibility, and the fact that it lies within reach of everyone. It's this idea that keeps you turning pages, and that helps push 'A Doubter's Almanac' far beyond the realm of formula.
Coach Valentine's legacy honored with park rededication Friday

Under new policies adopted in December by the city's parks board, the name change will stand for at least 50 years.
Incident reports released Saturday by the Abilene Police Department:

Criminal mischief, 2500 block of Nonesuch Road, Friday

A man reported that soon after he arrived to work at an apartment, an unknown suspect or suspects broke out the back passenger window of his vehicle, causing $200 in damages. The window could have been broken by a lawnmower throwing a rock.

Fraud, use of ID, 100 block of Muirfield Street, Friday

A person reported an unknown suspect or suspects used the victim's information to open credit card accounts.

Assault, family violence, 1400 block of South 18th Street, Friday

A man reported he was assaulted by his roommate.

Assault, 1200 block of Hickory Street, Friday

A 57-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman reported being assaulted by a 32-year-old man and 30-year-old woman. The victims suffered bloody noses and red marks on their faces.

Burglary, 100 block of Orange Street, Friday

A business reported that an unknown suspect or suspects had broken into a locked building with no sign of entry and stole items.

Assault, 1000 block of Cedar Street, Friday

A 33-year-old woman reported being assaulted by a 27-year-old woman, causing scratches to the victim's chest.

Assault, 1900 block of Fannin Street, Friday

A 31-year-old woman reported being assaulted by a 32-year-old man. She will not press charges.

Assault, 3000 block of West Lake Road, Friday

A 37-year-old man reported being scratched by his boyfriend. The suspect left for Odessa. The victim will not press charges.

Burglary, 1600 block of North 17th Street, Friday

A 44-year-old man reported that an unknown suspect or suspects went through a fenced backyard and into a detached garage and stole $1,100 worth of items.

Assault, 5000 block of Hartford Street, Saturday

A 29-year-old woman reported being punched in the face by her sister, who was gone when police officers arrived. The victim will not press charges.

Assault, 3300 block of Melinda Lane, Saturday

A man reported that a known suspect took off his belt and swung it at the back door of the victim's residence and broke the glass, causing $500 worth of damage. The suspect left and returned, resulting in a fight that caused minor injuries to both parties. The victim will not press charges.
Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Raegan Schmidt sings "Set Fire to the Rain" during the 2016 Abilene Idol Finale on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at the Abilene Civic Center. Thomas

SHARE Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News MaKenna Arise sings "Something's Got a Hold on Me" during the 2016 Abilene Idol Finale on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at the Abilene Civic Center. Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Marisa Tate sings "Stone Cold" during the 2016 Abilene Idol Finale on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at the Abilene Civic Center. Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News David Holbrook sings "Unchained Melody" during the 2016 Abilene Idol Finale on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at the Abilene Civic Center. Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Manny Foreman sings "The Way You Make Me Feel" during the 2016 Abilene Idol Finale on Saturday, March 5, 2016, at the Abilene Civic Center.

By Dan Carpenter, Special to the Reporter-News

At 14 years old, Raegan Schmidt may have been the youngest finalist at this year's Abilene Idol competition Saturday at the Abilene Civic Center, but she didn't seem to be intimidated by her more senior competitors.

"I thought my performance went well, and the judges said I was very powerful for my age," said Schmidt, an eighth grader at Mann Middle School who performed Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" in front of a crowd of several hundred at the Civic Center. "I definitely felt more confident than I did when I auditioned in 2013 (when she was 11). It was a great experience."

Schmidt was one of 15 finalists competing for top honors in the 2016 competition. This year's winner was Megan Calvery, who performed "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues," by Martina McBride.

"This has been a real journey for me this year," Calvery said. "I have a great husband and four beautiful kids. It was really special for me to be able to perform in my hometown."

Second place went to Marissa Tate, who sang "Stone Cold" by Rainbow. Third-place honors went to David Holbrook, who sang "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers.

This is the fifth year Chorus Abilene has hosted Abilene Idol, the organization's biggest fundraiser according to executive director Gwynn Hazeltine.

"When we started this five years ago, we were looking for something that had a great tie to our mission of music," Hazeltine said." Of course, back then, American Idol was still growing strong, and we have been thrilled every year with the quality of talent and amazing support we receive."

Hazeltine said she expects Abilene Idol will raise more than $13,000 this year. Fifty hopefuls auditioned in February for one of the finalist slots, and an opportunity to perform live on the Civic Center stage.

"Raegan is our youngest finalist this year, and our oldest is 52 years old," she said. "We have virtually every genre of music represented, and the talent keeps getting better and better every year."

To determine the winners, judges Kaye Price-Hawkins, D. Grant Smith, Holli Nicole Smith and Alex Whitten's decisions counted for 50 percent of the score. The remaining 50 percent came from free-vote fundraising done by the contestants before the finals and text votes from supporters during their performances.

In addition to the finalist performances, Holli Nicole Smith, 2002 Cooper High School graduate and Nashville recording artist, gave a special performance for the crowd. One of the numbers Smith performed was her rendition of "Crazy" by Patsy Cline.

"My grandma was in the audience, and she asked me to sing 'Crazy,'" said Smith, who won first place in the talent competition portion of the West Texas Junior Miss Scholarship Pageant singing the song. "It was very nostalgic being back in Abilene, and I loved being part of Abilene Idol this year."
A new film serves as a painful reminder of one of the darkest periods in Catholic Church history, where more than 200 priests and religious were accused of abusing minors and were reassigned in a cover-up.

'Spotlight,' which won Best Picture at the Oscars last Sunday night, chronicles The Boston Globe's ground-breaking coverage of the clergy sexual abuse crisis in the Archdiocese of Boston that would go on to win the paper a Pulitzer Prize in 2003.

Reflecting on the 10-year anniversary of the Globe's revelations, Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley said that 'the media helped make our Church safer for children by raising up the issue of clergy sexual abuse and forcing us to deal with it.' And as New York Times columnist Ross Douthat observed in 2010: 'The Catholic Church has always had enemies ... But Catholics - and especially Catholic leaders, from the Vatican to the most far-flung diocese - should welcome it, both as a spur to virtue and as a sign that their faith still matters, that their church still looms large over the affairs of men, and that the world still cares enough about Christianity to demand that Catholics live up to their own exacting standards.'

It's for this very reason that U.S. Catholics should be grateful for the earnest reporting that took place then - and continues to take place - to tell a story that must be told. However, an unfortunate feature of an otherwise excellent film is that 'Spotlight' ends where the real story begins.

In January 2002, the Globe first broke the story of former priest John Geogan's abuse of more than 130 young boys. In over 600 follow-up articles, they revealed the tragic story of numerous other abusers and the cover-up that reached the highest levels of authority within the American church, law enforcement and the legal system. Dubbed as 'The Long Lent of 2002' by Catholic commentator George Weigel, the revelations marked a crisis of faith for Catholics around the world.

Since then, the Church adopted a 'zero tolerance' policy for abusers. If a clergy member commits even one act of sexual abuse, he is immediately and permanently removed from ministry. In the United States, the Church has implemented mandatory background checks for any individual - priest or otherwise - who comes into contact with minors. And every single U.S. diocese has enacted Safe Environment coordinators to ensure compliance with both canon and civil law enforcement and independent, outside review boards have been set up to monitor these initiatives.

The newer reforms of accountability and transparency have made the Catholic Church among leading institutions seeking to protect minors in the United States.

Local and national improvements also were strengthened by a restructuring of abuse proceedings in Rome. Of the 3,400 cases reported between 2004 and 2011 to the Vatican for official review, 848 priests were laicized and 2,572 were permanently removed from active ministry within the church.

Following in the tradition of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, Pope Francis has fast-tracked other reforms. In 2013, he announced the creation of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, a permanent body designed to promote reform. The committee is made up of survivors of sexual abuse, psychologists and other experts who are tasked with both pastoral care and maintaining accountability for those in authority. This past June he doubled down on reform efforts by establishing a special tribunal explicitly set up to discipline negligent bishops.

In both word and deed, Francis has reiterated that an institution whose very mission is to care for the vulnerable cannot be compromised by the failings of those charged with this responsibility. This is an ongoing process that has not yet managed to fully heal the very painful wounds of the past, but it's a commitment that a broken system is finally in the process of being fixed.

Moments after meeting with victims of sexual abuse during his recent visit to the United States, Francis did not mince words about this legacy while speaking to the priests of Philadelphia.

'I continue to be ashamed that persons charged with the tender care of those little ones abused them and caused them grave harm,' the pope said. 'I deeply regret this. God weeps. The crimes and sins of sexual abuse of minors may no longer be kept secret; I commit myself to ensuring that the Church makes every effort to protect minors and I promise that those responsible will be held to account.'

After his meeting in Philadelphia David Clohessy, spokesman for the Survivor's Network of those Abused by Priest (SNAP) said, 'Is a child anywhere on Earth safer now that a pope, for maybe the seventh or eighth time or ninth time, has briefly chatted with abuse victims? No.'

But as 'Spotlight' reminds us, perhaps one of the greatest lessons the church has learned is that in order for the institution to understand the full devastation of the clergy abuse crisis, we must listen to the stories of those most affected, tell them, and ultimately, repent and reform. Francis knows that PR efforts will do the church no favors. Only a change in practice will ensure that predatory priests are a thing of the past.

Early on in 'Spotlight,' when the Globe's editorial staff is weighing whether it has the resources, manpower and long-term endurance to take on the daunting task of uncovering this story, one reporter comments that 'the Church thinks in centuries.'

Century's-long thinking is why Catholics around the world who passed on the faith from generation to generation felt so betrayed by their leaders who failed in their fidelity to the gospel. But it's also the motivation for the reform efforts of the past decade - and a renewed commitment from the Church to ensure that for centuries to come, such tragedies must never be allowed to take place again.

Christopher White is associate director of Catholic Voices USA and co-author of 'Renewal: How a New Generation of Faithful Priests and Bishops is Revitalizing the Catholic Church.'
Late in the evening on Super Tuesday, the Republicans' former House majority leader, Tom DeLay, appeared on MSNBC and told Chris Matthews that party leaders would deny Donald Trump the party's nomination if he arrives at the national convention in Cleveland lacking a delegate majority.

This was on a night when Trump's victories in seven primaries set him up to dominate in the winner-take-all states coming down the pike later in March. An incredulous Matthews asked DeLay if the Republican establishment would really be bold enough to reject the man with the most delegates and anoint someone else as the GOP standard-bearer. DeLay grinned like a shark and said it was a plain matter of math. If Trump does not win a majority of delegates on his own, DeLay said, then that would mean a majority of Republicans had voted against him.

It may be simple math, but the simple reality is that such a scenario would blow the Republican Party apart. The Trump people would bolt, their candidate would probably try to run as an independent if he could still get on enough state ballots, and the likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, could take a three-month vacation in the Hamptons until she glided to victory on Election Day.

After Tuesday's results, there is almost no mathematical possibility of either Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz besting Trump in the delegate count, short of Trump coming out as a gay Muslim (and, even then, his uncritical admirers might still stick with him). That leaves the anti-Trump forces one desperate hope: a convention coup. It appears most institutional Republican leaders, big money donors and movement conservatives would burn their house down rather than turn their party over to Trump.

The most notable dissenter from this tactic among establishment leaders is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. After his own feisty candidacy went dead in the water, he shocked everyone by defecting to Trump. A former finance official in Christie's presidential campaign, Meg Whitman, quickly spoke up to say what was surely on the minds of many Republican leaders. She called Christie's move 'an astonishing display of political opportunism.' Past New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman joined in the criticism, telling the Newark Star-Ledger, 'I am ashamed that Christie would endorse anyone who has employed the kind of hate-mongering and racism that Trump has.'

Nevertheless, Christie has not shied from being Trump's new best buddy. On Tuesday night, Trump ran his victory rally like a presidential press conference on a stage at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida festooned to look like a flag-cluttered corner of the White House. And there, just behind Trump's right shoulder, Christie stood like a faux vice president.

Christie looked decidedly uncomfortable in the second banana role. Maybe he was recalling the times he had characterized Trump as a 'carnival barker' unfit for the presidency. Maybe he was wondering why it had taken Trump three days to disavow endorsements from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and other white supremacists. Maybe he was stewing about the six New Jersey newspapers that had just called for him to resign as governor.

Or maybe he was just stunned by having ended up in such a humiliating situation. This was not at all the outcome he had hoped for in this presidential campaign. Clearly, that is a sentiment shared by the entire shattered, impotent Republican establishment.

Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David Horsey is a political commentator for the Los Angeles Times. Go to latimes.com/news/politics/topoftheticket/ to see more of his work.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is dead, and U.S. Senator McConnell does not want him replaced this year which is the last year of Barack Obama's presidency.

McConnell calls this Obama's lame duck year, and hopes for the replacement to take place only after President Obama leaves office and a new president has taken office. He hopes the new president will be a Republican.

This would mean that for one year, the Supreme Court would function with eight justices, and every case would have the possibility of a 4-4 decision, and every tie vote would kick the case back down to a lower court.

There is no certainty that a Republican will be made president this year. The Republicans hoped for victory in 2008, and in 2012, and they have acted as if they could not believe the result of the election for seven years. If the Republicans do not gain the presidency, and they continue to tread water and wait for some divine miracle from on high, we may go through five years with a Supreme Court composed of eight justices capable of achieving a tie on every case that may come before them.

Very important issues can come before the Supreme Court in the next five years. Abortion. Immigration. Labor unions.

A Republican Congress has sat on legislation for seven years now and we might expect continuation of that same action for the next five years, until they can get a Republican elected president. This sort of action, by which governmental action is tied up, amounts to treachery, and those who participate and those who advocate it are guilty of treason and should be treated as traitors.

This nation is facing great threat and great opportunity.

ISIS has rapidly become the greatest threat to us since Hitler's Germany and Imperial Japan. This threat offers us the opportunity to prove that a democracy can meet such a terrorist attack and come off victorious. If we continue to sit on our hands and hope that somehow we will be saved, then we will be defeated by the terrorist forces active in the world today. And if the people blocking action in our government today are allowed to act in this manner with impunity we will deserve what we are going to get. We will be defeated by the Islamic State, and we will get our heads chopped off.

It would be better for us to see some heads fall now, politically speaking, than to have such catastrophe fall upon us in the literal sense.

President Obama inherited a nation in recession/depression and he has bailed us out and set the nation upon a course to activity that may enable us to survive and achieve a place of leadership in our world. I have closely watched the Republican debates, and all of the hopefuls promise to undo the good that Obama has done. They promise to strike down the Affordable Care Act and void the treaty by which we have gained 15 years to reach a sane and peaceful relationship with Iran.

They promise to make America great again. And by this they mean to make the United States so strong militarily that the rest of the world will stand in awe of us and will not dare to oppose us.

What they will do is make the rest of the world fear us, then come together and destroy us. So what the candidates are offering us is not a life of liberty and peace, but the dying days of a once great nation that has chosen the path that leads to national death and disgrace.

And all of this because a good man died.

The people whom we have sent to Washington to represent us, and the people who are asking to be sent to Washington to govern us, are bent upon a false and destructive course of refusing to do what we sent them there to do, so that they may do to us what will lead to national disaster and death.

For the sake of our nation's children, don't let them do it.

Henry A. Buchanan lives in Gorman.
Globally, people are pledging to discontinue using a term that gained popularity in culture - the 'R-word.'

Retarded.

It's used both as a slur and as an overused teenager noun or adjective.

All forms of this figure of speech, whether used in a casual context or otherwise, are hurtful to millions of people with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) and those who love them.

In a recent Nielsen survey, 38 percent of the participants claimed that it's OK to call a friend the 'R-word' while 56 percent believe it is permissible to call oneself the slang term. Despite feeling entitled to use the word being discussed, 92 percent of the people surveyed admit that the 'R-word' is offensive.

People know the word is offensive and yet they still feel it's acceptable to inflict it on themselves or their neighbors by uttering such derogatory vocabulary. It's hypocritical. Even though the First Amendment gives us the right to express our opinions through word and action, it's not right to continue to use a word that is so hurtful to millions of people throughout the world.

Some may argue that if they don't direct the word at a person with IDD that it's OK to use because, 'I'm only joking.' Others believe there's no harm in saying it, because it's been used for a long time and we as a society have become sensitive.

Political commentator Ann Coulter used the latter as her reasoning after a Special Olympics athlete wrote to her, expressing how he was offended after she tweeted the term to describe President Barack Obama after a debate against Mitt Romney in 2012. When asked about it on 'The Alan Colmes Show,' Coulter stated, ''Retard' had been used colloquially to just mean 'loser' for 30 years. But no, these aggressive victims have to come out and tell you what words to use.'

Ultimately, no one else can control what we do or what we say, but we can be taught to make better choices after learning more about what we already know.

Over the years, we have come to learn more about IDD and with that, changes have been made to improve the lifestyle for people with IDD, scientifically and socially - including a movement to drop the 'R-word' because we have come to understand that it insults people.

For too long, people with IDD have had to overcome the challenges put forth through stereotypes. Like everyone else, they too deserve the kind of respect and dignity that each of us expects from others in our community.

It is time to show respect for them by making a change. The Abilene Reporter-News and its readers can take a stand to bring acceptance and inclusion in our community by taking the pledge to Spread the Word to End the Word at www.r-word.org.

Steve Helm is public relations coordinator for Special Olympics Texas.
Thousands of people gathered in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on March 6 to protest negotiations between their government and Russia's state-owned energy giant Gazprom.



The demonstrators formed a nearly 7-kilometer human chain stretching from the Russian Embassy to the government headquarters.



The protesters say they fear that buying gas from Gazprom would make Georgia dependent on Russia.



The rally was organized by former President Mikheil Saakashvili's pro-Western United National Movement party (UNM) that accuses Moscow of using Gazprom in a bid to prevent Georgia from forging closer ties with the West.



On March 5, the government announced that it had abandoned its initial plan to buy natural gas from Russia after it had signed a deal with Azerbaijan to increase gas supplies enough to fully cover Georgian demand.



David Bakradze, a UNM lawmaker, claimed that the decision was the result of opposition pressure on the authorities.



Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in August 2008 over the two Moscow-backed breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Iraqi officials say at least 47 people were killed and dozens more injured by a suicide car-bomb attack near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on March 6.



Police say the attacker struck a crowded checkpoint at one of the entrances to the city of Hillah, south of Baghdad.



The Islamic State (IS) extremist group claimed responsibility for the bombing.



A local security official told Reuters that "it's the largest bombing in Hilla Province to date."



A police officer was quoted by the Associated Press as saying 39 civilians were among the dead, while the rest were members of security forces.



More than 60 others were wounded and nearly 50 cars were damaged, the officer said on condition of anonymity.

Hospital sources confirmed the casualty figures.



The United Nations says at least 670 Iraqis were killed last month in ongoing violence, including a string of suicide bombings in and outside Baghdad, all claimed by IS militants.

Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
Ideals give way to disillusionment easily in Syria, where foreign militants who go with ideals of helping the Syrian population often find themselves embroiled in battles between rival groups for plunder and territory instead.



Arben has seen that firsthand.



The 27-year-old Kosovar Albanian, who spent 10 months in Syria before returning home, also says he saw goodwill turn to hostility among civilians caught up in the conflict zone as abuses mounted and noncombatants increasingly feared the ranks of foreign-born militants like him.



Speaking recently to RFE/RL's Balkan Service, the grandson of a Kosovar imam says videos from the conflict persuaded him to go to Syria in May 2013.



But he says that he soon found his idealism about combating the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad collapsing amid turf wars between powerful rival commanders.



"Each of them wanted to have his own territory," he says. "Children and women were not spared. No one was safe."



Arben, not his real name, will not divulge exactly where he was located in Syria or with which group. He says only that he was near Aleppo. The city, Syria's second largest, has been the focus of fierce fighting between regime troops and a loose coalition of rebel groups that includes units from the secular Free Syrian Army, the Al-Qaida-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, and the fundamentalist militant group that has claimed to set up a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, Islamic State (IS).



Arben says the hard-line Islamist Al-Nusra Front and IS were among the most brutal of the groups toward civilians.



"Al-Nusra would take the wives of those they had fought against" once they seized an area, he says. "They also robbed the houses."



He says such abuses sickened him. At the same time, he notes, they frightened civilians to the point that no one trusted any foreign volunteers, including himself.



"In the beginning, when I went [to Syria], everybody was greeting us," he recalls. "But later, they were looking at us differently. They were scared of us."



Back in Kosovo since the middle of 2015, Arben is one of an unknown number of his countrymen who have traveled to Syria to take part in its civil war. Newspapers in Kosovo estimate the number of those who have gone in the hundreds, with most recruits attracted to the conflict after turning to radical Islam.

INFOGRAPHIC: Foreign Fighters In Iraq & Syria -- Where Do They Come From? (click to expand)

Arben's path was different. He says he became interested in Syria due to his own experiences during the Kosovo conflict of 1998-99. During the conflict, the forces of the then-president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, drove hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo as Belgrade sought to quash a separatist rebellion.



"I experienced the war as a child in Kosovo and terror offensives as well, so I wanted to offer humanitarian help to the small children and families [in Syria]," he told RFE/RL's Balkan Service.



Religion, he says, was not his foremost concern. At the time, he says, he attended his local mosque for prayers but not on a regular basis because was busy working in an Internet cafe.



When he first arrived in Syria after being smuggled across the Turkish border, he was pleased. He was initially assigned by the group he joined to activities like "fixing refugee camps, schools, and [doing] clean-up," and felt he was helping the Syrian people.



"But after that we started to train every morning," he says. "We were prepared to give humanitarian aid and military aid. We were trained to use AK-47s, and I attended the training but I did not participate in combat."



He says that he was not sent to the front line because he was "still new and inexperienced." But there was fierce fighting in the area around him, including suicide bombings in schools and mosques. He says the bombings were to terrify local populations into submission as rival warlords' expanded their power.



Arben says he counts himself lucky to have gotten out after 10 months. But to leave, he first had to overcome the suspicions of his group that he was deserting them. He says he lied to his superiors that his parents were sick and begged to be allowed to return home to care for them.



Since returning to Kosovo, Arben says he has broken off all contact with his group in Syria.



Asked if he would go again, he shakes his head.



"Never. I regret I was there," he says. "Since I came back, I don't want to hear anything about Syria and I never look at those videos anymore."



He adds, "I am surprised that there are people interested in [joining] this fight, even women. It has nothing to do with Islam."

Written in Prague by RFE/RL correspondent Charles Recknagel based on an interview by Luljeta Krasniqi Veseli, an RFE/RL Balkan Service correspondent in Kosovo
A large part of Moldova's military equipment dates back to Soviet times and is in urgent need of replacement, Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii told RFE/RL, adding that the money allocated by the government for defense amounts to a small sum but is still important for its badly underfunded and underequipped army.

Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, when it declared independence. It has a long border with Ukraine and has been hosting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees since the start of Moscow's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has some 1,500 troops in Moldova's Moscow-backed separatist region of Transdniester, a sliver of land sandwiched between Moldova proper and Ukraine.

"Some 90 percent [of our military equipment] is of Soviet origin and dates back to the 1960s to the 1980s.... You cannot modernize a ZIL-131 [military truck] or an antiaircraft system made in the 1970s," Nosatii said.

The pro-European government of President Maia Sandu accelerated its EU bid after Russia invaded Ukraine and in June was given candidate status alongside Ukraine.

Moldova's armed forces consists of 6,500 professional personnel, while 2,000 conscripts are being recruited annually for compulsory military service. The military also employs 2,000 civilians as auxiliary personnel.

Nosatii told RFE/RL that the 0.5 percent of the gross domestic product allocated for defense by the government -- roughly $25.5 million -- while small, is still very important for the implementation of modernization projects.

Nosatii also spoke about the equipment shortages that the Moldovan military faces because of insufficient funding.

The Defense Ministry covers only partially the contents of the so-called "emergency backpack" that contract soldiers, who account for the bulk of Moldova's armed forces, must have at the ready for unexpected situations, Nosatii said.

Nosatii, who was appointed in August last year as defense minister in Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita's reformist government, told RFE/RL that his ministry's current priority is to provide every member of the armed forces with one of these individual first-aid medical kits.

Moldova has been cooperating with foreign partners, including NATO, in its efforts to supply the first-aid kits to its military personnel, Nosatii said.

Besides the first-aid kit, the emergency backpack must also include personal items such as underwear, socks, gloves, a woolly hat, food, and a flashlight, Nosatii said, adding that the state can only partially cover the cost of such equipment.

"For example," Nosatii told RFE/RL, "if the state provides four T-shirts [for daily usage] but the backpack has to cover seven days of deployment, the remainder of three or more T-shirts must be bought by the soldier."

Nosatii said that supplying Moldova's small military with equipment has been a permanent underlying problem but that the ministry has obtained aid from Moldova's external partners.

"You can't demand that a soldier perform his duties when he doesn't have what he needs, when he's cold, lacks military equipment, or is forced to buy it himself," Nosatii said.

Military equipment donated by Moldova's Western partners this year consists of protective gear such as helmets, flak jackets, and waterproof and winter clothing.

Earlier this month, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht visited Moldova and said Berlin is prepared to provide drones and other military equipment to Chisinau.

Lambrecht also said the German Army is ready to provide military training to Moldova.

She said Berlin also realizes the importance of supporting Moldova in the wake of energy shortages stemming from the war in Ukraine.
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Russian Embassy in Kyiv on March 6 to demand that Moscow release Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko.



The protesters threw eggs and rocks at the building, breaking several of its windows after smashing cars and burning a Russian flag.



Police officers at the scene did not intervene.



An embassy spokesman said that the building was "attacked" overnight and that men with baseball bats damaged embassy vehicles and threw smoke bombs onto its territory.



Savchenko said she was taken prisoner in Ukraine in July 2014 and was brought to Russia against her will for trial in connection with the deaths of two Russian journalists covering the fighting in Ukraine.



Her trial was adjourned on March 3 until March 9, prompting Savchenko to declare a dry hunger strike (refusing both food and liquids) after she was not allowed to make a final statement.



Prosecutors have asked the court to convict Savchenko and to sentence her to 23 years in prison.



Russia's presidential human rights envoy Ella Pamfilova met with Savchenko in her jail cell in Rostov-on-Don on March 6.



Savchenko's lawyer, Nikolai Polozov, said on his Facebook page on March 6 that Pamfilova had spoken by telephone to Savchenko's family and has assured them Savchenko is in satisfactory health and is being monitored closely.

WATCH: Protesters In Kyiv Demand Russia Release Ukrainian Pilot

Polozov also wrote that his client is in "satisfactory condition" and is not being forcibly fed or hydrated.



A group of Ukrainian doctors has applied for permission to visit Savchenko, he added.



On March 6, Russian journalist Irina Lesnevskaya, founder of REN-TV, wrote an appeal on Facebook to Russian President Vladimir Putin, asking him to release Savchenko in honor of the International Women's Day holiday on March 8.



"Don't humiliate Russia, its men, and its officers who still know what honor is all about," she wrote. "Even if you consider a Ukrainian officer defending the sovereignty of her country to be an enemy, respect her. I also consider you my ideological enemy, but let me at least respect the president of my country as a man."

With reporting byTASS, AP, and AFP
Officials in the Far Northern Russian city of Vorkuta have decided to flood a coal mine there after explosions there killed 30 miners and six rescue workers late last month.

A Russian government commission said on March 6 that work to extinguish a fire in the Severnaya mine by flooding it with water would begin immediately and take 60 to 80 days.

Four miners were killed in the initial methane explosion on February 25. Twenty-six miners were missing following that explosion and rescue operations were begun in an attempt to locate them.

However, on February 28, a second explosion in the mine killed six rescue workers.

Authorities then ceased rescue operations and declared that the missing miners were dead.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax
The largest military culinary competition in North America serves as a showcase for the best of the best, said Brig. Gen. Ronald Kirklin, quartermaster general and commandant of the U.S. Army Quartermaster School at Fort Lee.
The written word thrives  and still draws a big crowd. At least in Richmond. On Wednesday, some of central Virginias best writers converged at the Times-Dispatch Production Plant in Hanover to celebrate clear thinking, brevity and good words.

More than 220 people arrived for the RTDs annual Correspondent of the Year celebration. Every day of the year, with an exception or two, the newspaper chooses a Correspondent of the Day from among the scores of letters to the editor that we receive and the half dozen or so that we publish. Selection as COD, Editorial Pages Editor Todd Culbertson explained to the audience, is an art that values originality, clarity, and, yes, proper grammar. We invited all of the 2015 CODs and their guests to last weeks event.

This years festivites included a keynote address from Charles F. Bryan Jr., author, historian and RTD Commentary columnist. His topic could not have been more timely: What makes great nations great?

Bryans comments were followed by a question-and-answer session that veered from queries on historical significance to questions about the future of newspapers. RTD Publisher Tom Silvestri joined Culbertson and Bryan in answering the questions.

With suspense building  and at least most questions answered  Culbertson began reading the list of the top 10 correspondents of 2015, including runners-up Bob Deans, John Winn III, J. P. McMenamin, Michelle Eichorn, and Manown Buck Kisor.

Op/Ed Editor Cindy Paris read the letter of fourth runner-up Georgia Geen, who decried opposition at her high school to a documentary featuring Muslim perspectives on 9/11. Paris also read the letter of our third runner-up, Paige Lanier Chargois, who praised South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haleys brave and gracious response to the church murders in Charleston last year. Associate Editor Robin Beres read the second runner-ups letter, in which Andrew Maggard described in calm but devastating prose the atrocities and failures of the Castro regime in Cuba.

Deputy editor Bart Hinkle read the letter of first runner-up William Rodriguez, a sophomore at St. Christophers School, who urged Americans to have the courage and take risks necessary to preserve a free society. If we continue to be frightened by those who are different from us and ask the government to wall off those who may or may not be threats, he wrote, we will begin to lose the freedoms we so frequently exalt.

Culbertson read the letter written by Herbert Heltzer, the 2015 Times-Dispatch Correspondent of the Year. Heltzer argued that Sept. 17  the date in 1787 when delegates to the Philadelphia convention put their names to our Constitution  deserves as much renown as July 4. And he, most appropriately, identified Virginias James Madison as the essential man leading to that date. Heltzer wrote: From all we know of James Madison, he would not be much distressed that his countrys Constitution is not commemorated with hot dogs and beer. He would be troubled, however, were he to discover that his countrymen failed to remember the purpose of the Constitution  to preserve the ideals of the Republic and advance liberty of conscience, which he believed to be the birthright of all its citizens.

On that note, the crowd dispersed for brownies, fresh fruit  and conversation with the publisher and the Times-Dispatch editorial staff. The winners toted certificates and gift bags. We thank them  and all our letter writers  for their engagement in our community and country and for their willingness to place their words and names into the dynamic marketplace of ideas.
Donald Trump has pledged to return America to greatness if he is elected as our next president. When asked what he means by return to greatness, his response provides few specifics.

Great nations have existed for thousands of years. Studies of the ancient Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans reveal mighty nations that spread their power, wealth, and influence well beyond their own borders. Each left its mark on the world and shaped the course of history for centuries to come.

After the Middle Ages, the emergence of nation-states in Europe turned tiny countries such as Portugal and Holland into economic powers that shaped their times in the 16th and 17th centuries more than did many larger countries.

Spain, France, and Great Britain evolved into the superpowers of their time, but were superseded by the United States and the Soviet Union in the 20th century. Germany and Japan threatened the balance of power for a while, only to be crushed by combined American and Soviet military might and the industrial juggernaut of the United States.

The U.S. and Soviet Union came out of World War II as the two most powerful countries  and as bitter rivals. Locked in a Cold War that lasted a half-century, America emerged as the sole great power in the world when the autocratic Soviet Union, burdened with a flawed governing concept and corrupt economic system, collapsed in the early 1990s.

***

Although the U.S. has its share of problems, one can argue that it has become the greatest nation in history. It has enormous wealth. It fields military forces superior to any other on Earth. The language it inherited from England is used universally. Its natural resources make it almost self-sufficient.

The country is one of the earths leaders in the field of technology. Its people live in better housing than most, are blessed with good health, are better educated, and enjoy a degree of financial security that would have been unthinkable two or three generations before them. For better or worse, its popular culture has weaved its way into the lives of people on every continent. It is taking a lead role in helping save the environment.

Why has this country been elevated to such a lofty position? Dozens of reasons can be given, including a democratic governing system that allows a majority of its citizens to participate and have a voice. It has been a remarkably stable form of government, one that has lasted nearly 250 years. The system is far from perfect, but in the words of Winston Churchill: Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.

The U.S. economy has operated under the free enterprise system, which has its share of flaws, but it is the most successful wealth-creating economic form in history, and has made America and its people the most prosperous ever.

***

As important as those factors are, another is arguably the most important of all  location, location, location.

In his latest book, Prisoners of Geography, British author Timothy Marshall argues that too little attention is paid to geography in explaining the strengths and vulnerabilities of nations. According to Marshall, no country has benefited more from its geography than the U.S.

Geography has determined that if a (country) could get to and then control the land from sea to shining sea, it would be a great power, the greatest history has known. When the U.S. developed a large blue-water navy at the turn of the 20th-century, it was well on its way to becoming the worlds greatest power.

With most of its border protected by large oceans, and with barriers of the great Canadian Shield to the north and a desert environment to the south, the U.S. has achieved, according to Marshall, the rare geographical position of near invulnerability from conventional attack. It is little wonder that only three of the 13 wars and major conflicts America has fought have been on U.S. soil.

Americas location on the globe arguably is the best of any nation. In addition to having an advantageous strategic position, its climate is varied enough from one region to another to produce a cornucopia of agricultural products. It is blessed with mineral resources  gold, silver, copper, lead, coal, uranium, oil, and natural gas  that have helped make it wealthy and more self-sufficient than most other nations.

For three decades now, some politicians and pundits have warned that the sky is falling on the United States. I have trouble believing their message of doom and gloom. As Tim Marshall observes, The planets most successful country is about to become self-sufficient in energy, it remains the preeminent economic power, and it spends more on research and development for its military than the military budgets of all the other NATO countries combined.

Furthermore, the American population is not aging as it is in Europe and in many parts of Asia.

If countries could sell stock shares, which ones of the following would I keep in my portfolio? Which ones would I buy or sell?

China: keep what I have but buy no more anytime soon;

Russia  sell;

India  sell;

Japan  keep but maybe buy;

The European Union  sell;

The United States  buy!

Despite the challenges facing the U.S., it is still a blue chip stock, and will be for a long time.
Tyrese Minor. Velda Garner. Latrice Walden. Cory Holmes. Marquetta Harris. Nathaniel Bullock. These individuals died as a result of a domestic violence-related homicide, which represent half of the deaths classified as homicides so far in 2016. The youngest victim was 3 years old.

Last week in Prince William County, Crystal Hamilton called 911 after getting into an argument with her husband when she wanted to go out with her friends. Her son, who had just celebrated his 11th birthday, returned home from a sleepover to find his parents arguing. When the situation escalated, Crystal told him to run. As he ran down the stairs, he heard gunshots. Her husband then allegedly shot all three responding officers as they approached the house, killing Officer Ashley Guindon.

These are just the latest victims of a pervasive public health issue just as deadly as cancer or heart disease, but much harder to detect and prevent: domestic violence.

Since 1999, Virginia has collected information on domestic violence-related homicide in the commonwealth. Heres what we have learned:

Over one-third of homicides occurring in Virginia are related to domestic violence.

Both men and women are victims of domestic violence. Women are likely to be killed at the hands of an intimate partner, while men are more likely to be killed as a bystander or in an altercation over an intimate partner.

Over half of all domestic violence homicides involve a firearm (55.5 percent), and just over 80 percent of homicides occurr within a residence.

Approximately 40 percent of all intimate partner homicides occur while or after a relationship is ending.

Of all intimate partner related homicide events, over one-fifth are homicide-suicide events.

In 2014 alone, 31 percent of all homicides in Virginia were attributed to family and intimate-partner violence. While the overall number of homicides has generally decreased over the past decade, 2014 was the first year since 2007 that the proportion of deaths attributed to family and intimate partner violence has fallen below one in three.

***

The House of Delegates has passed a number of bills this session to combat these trends.

HB 1391/SB 49, signed by the governor last week as part of the historic bipartisan gun deal, requires any person who is subject to a permanent protective order for family abuse to relinquish his or her guns within 24 hours or face a Class 6 felony. The bill, which had been defeated year after year in the House, is now one of the strongest laws in the nation regarding taking guns away from domestic abusers.

Building on legislation I successfully sponsored after the deaths of DeNora Hill and Tiffany Green, HB 886 strengthens the penalties for stalking by making a second offense committed within five years of any prior stalking conviction a Class 6 felony. Under current law, a second offense of stalking only becomes a Class 6 felony if the person convicted had also been convicted of certain offenses involving assaults or bodily wounding or of violating a protective order.

HB 752 provides that following, contacting, or attempting to do so, after being given notice that the person does not want to be contacted or followed, is prima facie evidence that the suspect intended to place the victim in fear of death, criminal sexual assault, or bodily injury to himself or a family or household member. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia State Crime Commission as a result of its study of stalking last year.

HB 1160/SB 291 establishes a comprehensive procedure for the collection and analysis of physical evidence recovery kits for victims of sexual assault, including those who elect at the time of the exam not to report a sexual assault to a law enforcement agency.

HB 659 requires any high school family life education curriculum offered by a local school division to incorporate age-appropriate elements of effective and evidence-based programs on the prevention of dating violence, domestic abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual violence.

In addition, the House budget includes additional funding for local domestic violence grants and to the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide safe, permanent, housing solutions.

***

These measures should make Virginians safer from intimate- and family-partner violence. However, more can and should be done. I applaud the Richmond Police Department, the city Commonwealth Attorneys Office, and the YWCA for partnering to implement the Lethality Assessment Program, which will train officers to identify high-risk domestic violence victims and offenders for more intense follow-up. This program has proven to reduce the number of domestic-related homicides, and may prove a model for localities across the commonwealth.

If you or someone you love is suffering from an abusive relationship, dont suffer in silence. Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Virginia Hotline at 1-800-838-8238 or the Greater Richmond Regional Hotline at 804-612-6126.
Leading Founders such as George Washington, James Madison (father of the American Constitution) and Benjamin Franklin never thought it would be easy to create and preserve a decent and competent democratic republic. They understood that good institutions alone would not be sufficient to give the American people a respectable shot at having a defensible republic that protected their fundamental rights and security interests. Good institutions would have to be matched by good judgment exercised by policymakers and the general citizenry.

At the core of good judgment for Madison is an appreciation for the benefits of moderate vs. factious politics. He never lost sight of the fact that factious impulses can easily become factious divisions and ultimately lead to violence of the sort that shook France to its very foundations just as the United States was adopting a new constitutional system. While it is important for the American people to be attentive to the problems posed by factious divisions, it is critically important that policymakers and opinion leaders are attentive to these problems.

If there is anything that defines the presidential campaigns this year, it is a general inattention to problems associated with the human proclivity to give in to factious impulses. Too many candidates are happily exacerbating factious impulses for political gain rather than moderating these impulses. For Madison, this represents the absence of good judgment on the part of candidates, and the absence of good judgment on the part of Americans who encourage and support factious politics.

***

Factious politics, of course, is not new to the United States, but the existence of historical precedents (the Jacksonians vs. the gentry class in the 1820s) does not supply legitimacy in this case. Context matters, and contemporary America suffers from cultural and social ills (e.g., the breakdown of the traditional family, an especially large prison population for an advanced nation, dysfunctional public schools, drug use at epidemic levels in many regions of the country) that make factious politics especially dangerous.

For the American democratic republic to produce the results that he desired, Madison asserts in the Federalist Papers that public officials must be prepared to refine the views of the people. The impurities that need to be refined out include factious demands, whether coming from a minority or even a majority, that he believed are always latent in human beings. Nowhere does Madison suggest that candidates for public office are exempted from the responsibility for demonstrating that they are up to the task of refining public opinion.

Candidates who are content to have Americans cast their votes while in a feverish state are undermining the deliberative process that is inextricably tied to any rational defense of democratic government. If it is not possible to have a truly deliberative electorate, then it becomes impossible to provide a rational defense for democratic government. Americans should not forget that the Declaration of Independence, the creedal document of our republic, was drafted to convince the world that we were up to the job of governing ourselves.

***

Madison recognized that it would not be easy to create and preserve a moderate rights-oriented republic of several million people, hence the weight that he assigned to having a civic and social culture that tempers class, religious, and racial impulses that might sow seeds of distrust and division among the people. The importance of having such a civic and social culture in a republic of 300 million racially, religiously, ethnically, and economically diverse people cannot be too strongly emphasized.

The fact that leading candidates for both parties seem to be cheerfully exacerbating factious impulses should be troubling to all Americans who are intent on preserving the nations integrity and overall strength. It does not help that candidates who are shamelessly pitting Americans against Americans seem to be oblivious to the damage that they are doing to the civic and social culture of the republic.

It is noteworthy that when Madison attempted to sum up what he wanted from the new American republic he chose the phrase rational dignity. He did not believe that passion (for example, strident and emotional denunciations of the so-called 1 percent or Wall Street or illegal immigrants or Syrian refugees) could substitute for reasoned discourse on important public policy issues or that pandering to human fears could substitute for upright conduct. Significantly, he believed that a government characterized by rational dignity was an attainable goal for the American people.

***

A decent and competent rights-oriented democratic republic as large as the United States is, in fact, a rather rare and fragile political phenomenon. The social capital (e.g., good civic habits and sound public opinion) required to sustain such a republic is quite substantial and not easily cultivated. It is a sobering fact that it is easier to erode and squander good social capital than to build up such capital.

It is not unreasonable to assert that the leading candidates for both parties are playing with fire when they excite factious impulses and exacerbate factious divisions. This alone should disqualify them from occupying the Oval Office  not understanding that they are playing with fire is an additional disqualifier.

The American people should be insisting that the presidential candidates demonstrate that they are capable of exercising the good judgment that is critically needed in a chief executive, especially at a time when the country faces enormous challenges at home and abroad  only in this way can this nation satisfy Madisons good judgment test and vindicate his faith in democratic-republican government.
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What should you do when your house is leveled by a tornado?

Thats a question dozens of Appomattox County residents are learning how to answer in the aftermath of a twister that blew through their community Feb. 24.

Federal emergency management officials now have determined that the tornado affected 136 structures in Appomattox County, including 30 destroyed, 12 heavily damaged, 48 lightly damaged and 46 otherwise affected.

These numbers are unlikely to change and are now being combined with data from other storm-damaged localities.

A full report will be submitted to Gov. Terry McAuliffe next week and will include a summary of the damage, injuries and deaths, disruption to community services and needs, effect on special populations, voluntary aid assistance, insurance data and local resources.

McAuliffe will use the report to determine whether to request federal assistance with the recovery efforts.

On Friday, residents affected by the storm came to the Storm Recovery Resource and Information Center at the Evergreen Ruritan Club, where representatives for nonprofits and government agencies provided information about available resources.

For four hours, more than 40 wide-eyed, weary residents tried to figure out their next step in the recovery process.

Its just throwing so much at people at once, theyre just overwhelmed, said Appomattox County Public Health Nurse Sabrina Wood, who administered free tetanus shots.

Wood said several people stepped on rusty nails and cut themselves with metal during the cleanup process.

What comes after the cleanup for residents whose homes were completely destroyed can vary widely depending on their immediate needs for housing and transportation.

Melissa Yuille, director of Housing Counseling Services at the Lynchburg Community Action Group Inc., said the situation is challenging for people who want temporary housing in the area, which has few rental properties.

They want to stay in the county, Yuille said Friday. Shes found some housing for residents, but not enough to house everybody that needs to be housed so far.

To make matters more difficult, people who lived in mobile homes destroyed by the tornado are reluctant to live in a mobile home again.

To alleviate some of the stress on tornado victims, Horizon Behavioral Health counselors offer support through crisis intervention.

Theres a lot of emotion, of course, surrounding a disaster like this, said Beth Ludeman-Hopkins, director of Continuous Quality Improvement at Horizon.

Ludeman-Hopkins said tornado victims have experienced trouble sleeping, loss of appetite and trauma. While these are normal for patients undergoing severe devastation, Ludeman-Hopkins said, they should be addressed before they become long-term issues.

Some residents face a lengthy recovery process, especially those without insurance who havent previously dealt with government bureaucracy.

Theyre so confused right now, said Appomattox County Building Official Lonny Hamlett.

He and other county officials were at the center Friday giving information about the rules surrounding building permits and zoning during the reconstruction phase. To expedite the process, Hamlett said, the county indefinitely suspended building permit fees for victims of the tornado.

They just dont know any processes, and thats why were trying to make the process as simple as possible, Hamlett said.

Appomattox County Director of Community Development Johnnie Roark said his office will likely see reconstruction requests over the next two years.

After news of the tornado spread through the region, Hamlett said, more than a dozen building inspectors showed up from Amherst County, Campbell County and Lynchburg to create an initial damage assessment.

With their help, Hamlett said a job that would have taken his office weeks or months to complete was done in 48 hours.

While county officials have their eyes set on the long-term, some residents still seem to be processing their own day-to-day needs.

Vernon Lutke and his wife Lois Lutke are moving for a third time since the tornado knocked the roof off their home on Red House Road. Vernon Lutke said Friday they previously stayed in hotel rooms and with a friends daughter.

Like many residents who went to the center Friday, he was curious about the available resources but didnt have a long-term plan.

For now, Vernon Lutke said, he is focused on cleaning up the wreckage and salvaging whatever belongings he can.

You drive down [Virginia] 727, he said, youll see parts of my roof wrapped around trees.
Dr. Orren L. Royal, Captain Medical Corps, United States Navy (ret), aged 89, passed away on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 surrounded by his children. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Madelyn, in 2003.He was a graduate of Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala. and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical School. He retired from the US Navy in 1981 after a distinguished 24-year career, where he was ultimately Chief of Psychiatry at National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Md. Highlights of his Navy career included research, residency training, and service at the South Pole.He then embarked on a second career in private practice at St. Alban's Psychiatric Hospital in Radford, Va. He and his wife enjoyed their beautiful home on Claytor Lake and their farm in Highland County, Va., both of which they had lovingly restored.His joys in life were his family and his patients. He was an avid reader, and a long time collector of books and fine art. He loved conversation and sharing ideas. He will be remembered as a compassionate physician, and a loving husband and father.He is survived by his children, Mark (Darci) of Darnestown, Md., Jeff of Dublin, Va., Chris of Bluegrass, Va., and Susan (Patrick) of Apex, N.C. as well as five grandchildren and numerous extended family. He liked to say, "Love one another, be good to yourselves, and make the most of the time you have yet to spend."A celebration of his life will be held at a later date in Highland County, Va.The Royal family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory in Radford, Virginia. www.mullinsfuneralhome.com
Delegate John OBannons claim that Virginia has already made a clear decision not to expand Medicaid  (Hospital Reform Bill Survives Voice Vote Feb. 12) must have surprised many residents. Two recent polls by Roanoke College and Christopher Newport University, both showed a decisive majority of Virginians support expansion.

OBannons statement only supplies further evidence that his Assembly majority is disconnected from the reality in Virginia. Theyre spending another winter in their strictly reinforced closed ranks partisan hibernation chamber, where members can comfortably ignore distressing facts and avoid the distraction of debate and practical problem-solving. Its a marvel of modern political design worthy of the age of space travel.

Already known to be absolutely impervious to all logic, math, and feeling, this airtight chamber has now proven resistant to even the pressure of overwhelming public opinion.

Having this remarkable invention right here in the Commonwealth is apparently quite an honor, so some economies will have to be enforced to keep it here. Well have to sacrifice closing the coverage gap for 400,000 low-income Virginians, including many of our hardest working, who cant otherwise get insurance. Theyll still have overburdened hospital emergency rooms for care, when they get there in time.

Well forego $5 million every day in direct federal payments, and 30,000 new jobs, along with substantial savings in state emergency care expenses. Hospitals, insured families, and Virginias treasury will continue to absorb a surcharge, to pay for emergency care Medicaid wouldve covered.

Sure, the billions weve paid seems like a lot, but the unique privilege of hosting this sensational, reality-blocking bubble, is something you cant put a price tag on, like the magic of Oz, or Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Theres untapped tourist potential. Attractions like this are increasingly rare, as most states have chosen to close their coverage gap with Medicaid.

Their loss is our gain, and lets not overlook the potential utility for ordinary Virginians, who may one day also enjoy a vacation in the bubble, free from worries about desperately needed healthcare and the reality of the costs of obstruction.

JIM LINDSAY

ARLINGTON
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Japan will on Monday release preliminary figures for its leading and coincident indexes, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The leading index is expected to see a score of 101.6, down from 102.1. The coincident is called at 113.8, up from 110.9.

Australia will see February numbers for job advertisements from ANZ, as well as for the Performance of Construction Index from AiG. In January, job ads climbed 1.0 percent on month, while the construction index had a score of 46.3.

Taiwan will provide February numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to shed 8.5 percent on year after slipping 11.5 percent in January. Exports are called lower by an annual 12.5 percent following the 13.0 percent contraction in the previous month. The trade balance is expected to show a surplus of $3.49 billion, down from $3.51 billion a month earlier.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
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A first-of-its-kind journey along India and Pakistan border

What binds the two most talked about nations - India and Pakistan together? What makes the
Press Release

March 5, 2016 POE GETS INPUT ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION FROM COASTAL LGUS SAMBOAN, CEBU--Buoyed by her lead standing in recent surveys, presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe is making the rounds in the country's coastal towns in the Visayas to help local governments find ways to be more resilient during disasters. Poe and running mate, Sen. Francis Escudero, visited Bantayan island and Samboan in Cebu to meet with local government officials and get their input on how to reduce their vulnerability to disasters and achieve national resilience. "The focus of our visit to these areas is to figure out a good government initiative for the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council). We are trying to put up a separate department for risk reduction so we need to be able to have input from the local governments when it comes to national resilience," Poe said in a press conference in Samboan. Should she win the presidency, Poe said her administration will create a department-level and independent Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority that will not only prepare for calamities but also build and sustain disaster-resilient and adaptive communities across the country. The head of the agency will have a cabinet rank. Poe said she wants to get on the ground and see for herself what needs to be done. "Ang importante dito sa pagpunta namin ay pakikipag-usap sa kababayan, sa mga fisherfolk communities," she said. Poe, who remains the top choice in pre-election presidential surveys, said she wants to run a campaign that will not only allow her to share her platform but also help her get valuable insights from the people. "Mas lalong tumitindi ang aming layunin at mas nagkakaroon kami ng inspirasyon na umikot sa ating bansa hindi lamang para makita ang mga kababayan kundi pakinggan din sila kung ano'ng nais nilang idagdag sa aming plataporma at ialay din sa kanila ang plataporma namin," she said. Accompanied by local officials and media, Poe and Escudero also toured the famous Aguinid waterfalls in Samboan before heading to Bantayan island, another famous beach destination in Cebu.
A group of more than 100 drivers for a company that buses workers to local tech companies, including Facebook and Google, chose union representation from the Teamsters, representatives of the union said Saturday.

The company, WeDriveU, recognized Teamsters Local 853 as the union for the 110 drivers, the Teamsters said.
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EDUCATION

SUNY EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE

Cathleen M. Sheils joined as executive director for western New York, responsible for regional student recruitment and retention programs and day-to-day operational management of the 15 western state campuses. Sheils previously served as the director of admissions for the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.

FINANCIAL

SARATOGA NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST CO.

Thomas Ratsep was promoted to senior vice president. Ratsep joined the bank last year as senior loan officer and corporate banking manager.

BALLSTON SPA NATIONAL BANK

Paulina Grinnell was promoted to relationship manager, responsible for providing financial solutions to customers and maintaining daily operations at the Malta branch. Grinnell joined the bank last year as a personal banker.

KEYBANK

Joseph J. Badolato was named financial adviser and vice president for Key Investment Services, responsible for providing clients with comprehensive financial solutions covering investment planning and insurance needs. Badolato previously served as vice president, financial consultant and certified retirement counselor at Citizens Investment Services.

LEVERPOINT

Albert Schnide joined as a senior accountant. Schnide previously served as a financial planning specialist at Volkswagen Group of America in northern Virginia.

Sam Marcellus joined as an accountant. Marcellus previously served as manager of The Other Brothers band.

Sha Lin joined as a senior accountant on the venture capital team. Lin previously served as a senior staff auditor for UHY LLP and an experienced assurance associate for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

HEALTH CARE

ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER

Francis D. Ferdinand was named chief of the division of cardiothoracic surgery and will also serve as director of the cardiothoracic surgery program. Ferdinand previously served as the surgical director of cardiovascular quality and strategy at Lankenau Medical Center in Philadelphia.

NONPROFITS

NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF AGRICULTURAL FAIRS

Lauren A. Rowland was appointed the director of District 2, which includes the Altamont, Greene County Youth, Fonda, Washington County, Schaghticoke and Saratoga County fairs. Rowland previously worked at the Saratoga County Fair.

THE WESLEY COMMUNITY

Kimberly Garso was promoted to director of nursing, providing oversight and management of more than 400 clinical and support staff at Wesley Health Care Center. Garso previously served as assistant director of nursing.

PROFESSIONS

MAYNARD, O'CONNOR, SMITH & CATALINOTTO LLP

Sara A. Smaila joined as an associate attorney. Smaila concentrates her practice in medical malpractice defense, personal injury defense and insurance coverage disputes, general litigation defense, and trusts and wills.

SERVICES

AT&T

Amy Hines Kramer was promoted to executive director of external affairs, responsible for all state legislative and regulatory matters, including development and implementation of strategies for achieving policy objectives and positions.

PIA MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC.

Shauna Rockwell joined as a meeting coordinator in the education and conference department. Rockwell previously served as an account executive for Townsquare Media.

 Jennifer Patterson
The outlook for commodities has changed significantly over the past couple of years. A once robust outlook has been upended by slowing growth in China, which sapped that country's growing appetite for natural resources. This caused a significant plunge in commodity prices, leading to a pummeling of companies that produce commodities, including both Freeport-McMoRan and Alcoa :

AA data by YCharts

Many investors, however, see this current weak period as just a short break in a very long-term upward trend of increased global demand for commodities. That's causing them to take a close look at beaten-down producers in search of a bargain. Here's a closer look at the bull case for Alcoa and Freeport-McMoRan in search of the best opportunity right now.

The bull case for Freeport-McMoRan

While Freeport-McMoRan is a diversified natural resource company that produces significant amounts of gold, oil, natural gas, and molybdenum, at its core it's a copper company. In fact, it's the world's largest publicly traded copper company, with a portfolio of assets around the world including the crown jewel Grasberg mine in Indonesia, which is one of the world's largest copper and gold deposits.

Copper, like any market, is driven by supply and demand. The bulk of the market's demand comes from China, which consumes 45% of global copper supplies each year. While its demand growth is slowing, it's still growing in large part because China's GDP continues to grow in the 6.5% to 7% range. Additional copper demand comes from the auto industry, as well as from the construction market, both of which continue to improve. On the other side of the equation is supply, which is relatively balanced with demand right now. Further, longer term, the supply picture is actually weak because declining ore grades and mine depletion will eat into future production. This suggests a healthy copper market in the future, which is good for Freeport.

Having said all that, there is an area of concern when it comes to investing in Freeport-McMoRan's stock. Freeport-McMoRan took on billions of dollars in debt to acquire its oil and gas businesses a few years back. That debt has really weighed down the company during the downturn in the oil market. Because of that Freeport-McMoRan has been selling stakes in its copper assets to pay down its debt, while it is also exploring the sale of some or all of its oil and gas business. This uncertainty regarding the future fate of the company is something investors need to keep in mind.

The bull case for Alcoa

Like Freeport-McMoRan, Alcoa is a market leader. It's the world's largest, low cost bauxite miner and has the world's largest, most attractive alumina business. In addition to that Alcoa also currently owns a value-add business, which makes high-performance advanced multi-material products for a number of key markets including aerospace, automotive, and commercial transportation. All that said, Alcoa is currently in the process of separating into two companies, one holding its upstream assets and the other its value-add businesses:

Source: Alcoa investor presentation.

It's this split, as well as the strong growth projected by both business, that makes Alcoa a compelling opportunity right now. As that slide notes, Alcoa's upstream business is strongly positioned for robust projected aluminum demand growth. Meanwhile, its value-add business is positioned in growing markets as well as having a pipeline full of innovative productions and solutions to drive additional growth.

Further, both companies will have a much stronger credit position than Freeport-McMoRan, with Alcoa aiming for an investment-grade credit rating for the value-add company and a strong non-investment-grade credit rating for the upstream business.

Investor takeaway

While Freeport-McMoRan is well positioned for the growing copper market, it is weighed down by debt and its oil and gas business. Alcoa, on the other hand, has a solid position in the growing aluminum market, without those weights. Further, it's separating its two core businesses to enable investors to capture both the direct growth in aluminum demand as well as the growth in demand for value-add aluminum-based products. In my opinion, that better balance sheet and potential for unlocking value by separating makes Alcoa the more compelling opportunity, and therefore the better buy right now for investors looking to choose between the two.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

The article Better Buy: Freeport-McMoRan Inc. vs. Alcoa Inc. originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Berkeley police are searching for a man who sexually assaulted a student near the UC Berkeley campus early Saturday and is suspected of other attacks in the area.

Police described the attacker in a news release as a Latino man in his mid-20s to early 30s, unshaven, dressed in dark pants and a hooded dark sweatshirt.
A group of people rammed a car into a Petaluma gun store Saturday and stole multiple firearms.

The Independence Armory was burglarized by what appear to be three men, Petaluma Police said. A surveillance video showed the suspects crashing into the store in a used 1990s Honda Accord with a white drivers door, disabling the security system.
WICHITA, Kan.  In a split decision, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each captured two victories in Saturdays four-state round of voting, fresh evidence that theres no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders notched wins in Nebraska and Kansas, while front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana, another divided verdict from the American people.

Cruz claimed Kansas and Maine caucuses, and declared it a manifestation of a real shift in momentum. Trump, still the front-runner in the hunt for delegates, bagged Louisianas primary and Kentuckys caucuses. Despite strong support from the GOP establishment, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida had another disappointing night, raising serious questions about his viability in the race.

Trump, at a post-election news conference in West Palm Beach, Fla., declared himself primed for a head-on contest between himself and Cruz, and called for Rubio to drop out.

I would like to take on Ted one on one, he said, ticking off a list of big states where he said Cruz had no chance. That would be so much fun.

Cruz, a Tea Party favorite, said the results should send a loud message that the GOP contest for the nomination is far from over, and that the status quo is in trouble.

The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together, he declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days.

Chaotic race

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures are frantically looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

Everyones trying to figure out how to stop Trump, the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Trump prevailed in Kentucky, the home state of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been critical of the front-runner for incendiary comments on Muslims and a slow disavowal of white supremacist groups.

Rubio, who finished no better than third anywhere and has only one win so far, insisted the upcoming schedule of primaries is better for us and renewed his pledge to win his home state of Florida, claiming all 99 delegates there on March 15.

But Cruz suggested it was time for Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to go.

As long as the field remains divided, it gives Donald an advantage, he said.

Campaigning in Detroit, Clinton said she was thrilled to add to her delegate count and expected to do well in Michigans primary on Tuesday.

No matter who wins this Democratic nomination, she said, I have not the slightest doubt that on our worst day we will be infinitely better than the Republicans on their best day.

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Neb., said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning, she said.

Sanders won by solid margins in Nebraska and Kansas, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season, compared with 11 for Clinton, who still maintains a commanding lead in competition for delegates.

Voter turnout

Sanders, in an interview, pointed to his wide margins of victory and called it evidence that his political revolution is coming to pass.

Stressing the important of voter turnout, he said, when large numbers of people come  working people, young people who have not been involved in the political process  we will do well and I think that is bearing out tonight.

Clinton picked up at least 55 delegates to Sanders 47 in Saturdays contests, with seven delegates yet to be allocated.

Overall, Clinton had at least 1,121 delegates to Sanders 479, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination.

Cruz won at least 64 delegates Saturday, Trump at least 49, Rubio at least 13 and Kasich nine, with 20 delegates still to be allocated.

In the overall race for GOP delegates, Trump led with at least 378, Cruz had at least 295. Rubio 123 and Kasich 34.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.
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In a split decision, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each captured two victories in Saturday's four-state round of voting, fresh evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders notched wins in Nebraska and Kansas, while front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana, another divided verdict from the American people.

Cruz claimed Kansas and Maine, and declared it "a manifestation of a real shift in momentum." Trump, still the front-runner in the hunt for delegates, bagged Louisiana and Kentucky. Despite strong support from the GOP establishment, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio had another disappointing night, raising questions about his viability in the race.

Cruz, a tea party favorite, said the results should send a loud message that the GOP contest for the nomination is far from over, and that the status quo is in trouble.

"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together," he declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days.

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Fla., where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Trump prevailed in the home state of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Rubio, who finished no better than third anywhere and has only one win so far, insisted the upcoming schedule of primaries is "better for us," and renewed his vow to win his home state of Florida, claiming all 99 delegates there on March 15.

But Cruz suggested it was time for Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to go.

"As long as the field remains divided, it gives Donald an advantage," he said.

Campaigning in Detroit, Clinton said she was thrilled to add to her delegate count and expected to do well in Michigan's primary on Tuesday.

"No matter who wins this Democratic nomination," she said, "I have not the slightest doubt that on our worst day we will be infinitely better than the Republicans on their best day."

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Neb., said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

"I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning," she said.

Sanders won by solid margins in Nebraska and Kansas, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season, compared to 11 for Clinton, who still maintains a commanding lead in competition for delegates.

Sanders, in an interview with The Associated Press, pointed to his wide margins of victory and called it evidence that his political revolution is coming to pass.

Stressing the important of voter turnout, he said, "when large numbers of people come  working people, young people who have not been involved in the political process  we will do well and I think that is bearing out tonight."

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.
Politics in the U.S. are more divisive than theyve ever been. But when taking a look at Donald Trumps most famous supporters, you see a bona fide field day for diversity.

His celebrity enthusiasts dont care about his anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric or that he was criticized for his response to support from white supremacists. Trump seems to be a uniter.
A little more than a decade ago, the idea of sustainable fish was still a fringe concept. Today, thanks to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Seafood Watch, celebrity chefs trumpet its importance on TV and more than 1 million sustainable seafood guide smartphone apps have been downloaded, with several more million wallet guide cards in circulation (www.seafoodwatch.org).

As the movement grows, insiders want Monterey to remain the focal point.

Monterey should be one of the most sustainable seafood cities in the country, maybe even the world, says Sheila Bowman, Seafood Watchs manager of strategic initiatives. Thats our goal.

As part of that local effort, Seafood Watch works with 40-plus restaurant partners in the Monterey Bay area, hosting chef seminars, recommending best choices and helping educate cooks. That leads to dining opportunities that are as mindful as they are mouthwatering.

Here are other ways to explore the epicenter of seafood sustainability:

Learn about sea life: The Monterey Bay Aquarium remains the hub for seafood sustainability and information on ocean conservation. Current exhibits range from the mind-blowing Tentacles and its camouflaging, suction-cupping and big-eyed octopuses (and cousins) to the endangered bluefin tuna, hammerheads and sunfish in The Deep Sea. Its ever-evolving and sustainability-touting Cooking for Solutions events are a festive way to soak up whats best about smart sourcing, via tastings, special dinners, cooking demos and celebrity chef appearances. Visit the aquariums website for information. 886 Cannery Row. (831) 648-4800. www.montereybayaquarium.org . 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. $39.95 adult; $25.95 children 3-12. Under 3 free.

Visit Doc Ricketts Lab: Ed Doc Ricketts, marine biologist and one of the first eco-conscious fishermen, was the close friend and muse of sorts for Monterey County author and Nobel laureate John Steinbeck. Ricketts inspired the central figure in Cannery Row, who cased the areas tide pools gathering specimens for research and measurement. Ricketts colorful lab is housed in a drab building thats barely noticed from the street  even though its one of the most famous spots in Monterey Peninsula history. The lab tour includes a look at the jars Ricketts used to collect organisms and plenty of stories of old-time coastal California. Ricketts never had money, docent Steve Johnson said, but he constantly gave happiness. He still does. 800 Cannery Row. (831) 650-2112. www.canneryrow.org. Tours the second Saturday each month, $15 donation, reservations at tours@canneryrow.org.

Explore Cannery Row: Around Steinbecks birthday in 2014, a bronze tribute to Cannery Row and its famous denizens was unveiled in Steinbeck Plaza. Created by Carmel sculptor Steven Whyte, it depicts the author sitting atop a rock with friend and marine biologist Ricketts toward its base, along with Chinese fishermen and tourism pioneers Ted Balestreri, George Zarounian, Harry Davidian and Bert Cutino. Adjacent McAbee Beach presents another highlight of a Cannery Row exploration. So do the range of tasting venues, including wine (Bargetto and Taste of Monterey at 700 Cannery Row) and olive oil (Montereys Tasty Olive Bar at 751 Cannery Row). Interpretive signs help explain the positioning of old cannery worker dorms and other artifacts. Much of the history of its canneries is best accessed inside Monterey Bay Aquarium. At the relatively new Intercontinental Hotel, Coastal Commission-required public walkways allow on-top-of-the-water views across Monterey Bay, with Seaside and Santa Cruz in the distance and whales often frolicking in between.

Dine on sustainable seafood: In Pacific Grove, home of the countrys first marine sanctuary, Passionfish remains the gold standard for sustainability, so much so that owners Cindy and Ted Walter lead talks on how to shop and prep quality seafood. Highlights from their menus include smoked trout ceviche tostaditas with cashew pesto, albacore tuna tartare with jicama and spicy orange-cilantro vinaigrette, sea scallops in tomato-truffle butter, and chile-marinated shrimp. 701 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. (831) 655-3311. www.passionfish.net.

Catch your own: Aquarium insiders recommend Moss Landings Kahuna Sportfishing as a leader in environmentally conscious sportfishing. Line-catching adventures range from seasonally sensitive pursuit of albacore tuna (roughly July to October), chinook and king salmon (April through September) and rockfish (spring until end of the year) down at Point Sur along the Big Sur coast. 7881 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing. (831) 633-2564. www.kahunasportfishing.com. All-day fishing trips, $100.

Buy fresh off the boat: Robbie Torrise of Robbies Ocean Fresh Seafood has built a reputation among local chefs for his ability to procure the freshest responsibly harvested oysters, salmon and tuna, among other seafood. Much of Torrises appeal lies in his enthusiasm. He fields customers calls personally any time of day and passes along his savings readily. (831) 212-0231. www.facebook.com/Robbies-Ocean-Fresh-Seafood-155049601221799.

Watch fishermen at work: If you want to check out fishing boats and all the sights, sounds and smells that come with it, Torrise recommends Municipal Wharf Two, a few blocks away from Cannery Row. Whoever wants to see the commercial side of things should just walk down and see all the boats, he said. You get a nostalgia kind of feeling just looking.
KABUL  The Taliban said Saturday they will not participate in a peace process with the Afghan government until foreign forces stop attacking their positions and leave the country.

A statement emailed to the Associated Press by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents reject peace talks and that reports of their participation were rumors.
KABUL  Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Sunday that the Islamic State group has been defeated in the eastern parts of the country, where it had taken over some remote districts.

Speaking at the opening of parliament, Ghani said Afghan forces had dislodged Islamic State loyalists from regions of Nangarhar province bordering Pakistan.

Afghanistan will be their graveyard, he said in an address broadcast on national television.

The militant group has had a presence in Afghanistan for more than a year. Officials have said most militants calling themselves Islamic State are disaffected Taliban fighters.

Afghan forces claimed victory following a 21-day operation in the Achin and Shinwar districts of Nangarhar, claiming at least 200 militants killed, a provincial official told the Associated Press.

Achin and Shinwar are among a number of districts in the remote mountainous regions along the Pakistan border that were overtaken by Islamic State loyalists in recent months. Operations against the militants included air strikes to destroy bases and a radio station that was broadcasting recruitment messages across Nangarhar province. The radio station was destroyed, along with at least seven militants, on Feb. 1.

The aim of the operation in Nangarhar was to root out IS from the area, said Afghan Army Lt. Col. Sharin Aqa.

The operation was aided by local residents who set up checkpoints to help maintain security in their villages. These local uprisings had supplemented the Afghan forces, which have been stretched since the drawdown in 2014 of the international combat mission, Aqa said.

The Afghan government is attempting to end the war on its territory with hopes of drawing the Taliban into a dialogue and eventual peace talks. The Islamic State presence has been principally in the east, where they have also fought the Taliban for territory.

The Taliban have intensified their war to overthrow the Kabul government. The usual winter lull in fighting did not come in the southern regions, notably Helmand province where most of the opium that produces the worlds heroin supply is grown.

Officials have said the fight in Helmand, which the Taliban consider part of their heartland, is for control of the smuggling routes, and some Taliban groups have been fighting each other. The drug production is worth up to $3 billion a year. The Islamic State group is believed to be interested in Afghanistan because of the riches offered from contraband.
HILLAH, Iraq  A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden fuel truck into a security checkpoint south of Baghdad, killing at least 47 people and wounding dozens Sunday, officials said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombing in an online statement circulated by supporters.

It was the third major bombing in and around Baghdad in a little more than a week and appeared to be part of a campaign by the Islamic State to stage attacks deep behind front lines to force the government to overextend its forces.

Crowds gathered at the scene, picking through rubble and twisted car parts in search of survivors. Smoke rose from smoldering cars that had been lined up at the main checkpoint at the northern entrance to the city of Hillah, located about 60 miles south of Baghdad.

The blast has completely destroyed the checkpoint and its buildings, said Falah al-Khafaji, a senior security official in Hillah. More than 100 cars have been damaged.

Islamic State has carried out scores of suicide bombings against security forces and the countrys Shiite majority. Hillah is in the countrys mainly Shiite south, far from the front lines of the war against Islamic State.

Among the dead were 39 civilians, while the rest were members of the security forces. The attacker struck shortly after noon when the checkpoint was crowded with dozens of cars, police said. Up to 65 other people were wounded.

Iraq has seen a spike in violence in the past month, with suicide attacks claimed by Islamic State killing more than 170 people. The attacks follow a string of advances by Iraqi forces backed by U.S.-led air strikes, including in the western city of Ramadi, which was declared fully liberated by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition officials last month.

The Islamic State still controls large swaths of Iraq and neighboring Syria and has declared an Islamic caliphate on the territory it holds.
CAIRO  Egypt said Sunday that members of the Muslim Brotherhood trained in the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out the bombing that killed the countrys chief prosecutor in Cairo last year.

Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar said 14 people have been detained in connection to the killing of Hisham Barakat, 65, in June, the first assassination of a senior Egyptian official in 25 years.

Hamas trained, prepared, and oversaw the implementation of the attack, he said in an address broadcast by state and private media, which also aired confessions by some of the alleged perpetrators.

There will be measures taken against the group without harming Palestinian civilians, he said, without elaborating.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri condemned the baseless accusations. Hamas is considered a terrorist group by the U.S. and other Western countries, but says it confines its attacks to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

There have been no credible claims of responsibility for the bombing that killed Barakat outside his Cairo home on June 29. The Brotherhood, which is now outlawed as a terrorist group, denied any involvement.

Abdel-Ghaffar said a total of 48 people have been arrested from a wider Brotherhood cell for planning other attacks, including the 14 suspected of involvement in the killing of Barakat.

Authorities also secured a number of vehicles that have been prepared for detonation, carrying huge amounts of explosives, he said.

He said Hamas had trained Egyptian Brotherhood members in military and guerrilla warfare tactics before sending them back to Egypt with the help of Bedouin smugglers in the Sinai Peninsula.

Egypt has seen a wave of attacks mainly targeting security forces since the 2013 military overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi, who hailed from the Brotherhood. The government has blamed most of the violence on the Brotherhood  including attacks claimed by more extreme groups.

Barakat had led the prosecution of Brotherhood members, including Morsi, who was Egypts first freely elected president but faced mass protests after a divisive year in power.

Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood, and enjoyed warm relations with Cairo during Morsis brief presidency.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia  The families of those who were aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 appealed to authorities Sunday to continue searching for the plane, saying one of aviations great mysteries must not be left unsolved.

A search in the southern Indian Ocean has found no trace of the Boeing 777, which vanished two years ago with 239 people on board, though a wing part washed ashore on Reunion Island in the western Indian Ocean in July. The search is expected to end in June.

At a commemorative event Sunday to mark the second anniversary of the jets March 8, 2014, disappearance, family members released white balloons tagged with the names of everyone aboard the plane and the words: MH370: Always remembered in our hearts.

Jacquita Gomes, who lost her husband, inflight supervisor Patrick Gomes, when the plane disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, said the families are fighting for the search to continue because our loved ones are not home yet, so how can we say its the end?

Gomes, standing on a stage at a shopping mall in a Kuala Lumpur suburb with more than two dozen relatives of passengers, said the families are united in fighting for the cause.

We do cry in silence. We have faces full of smiles, but behind the smiles, there is also sadness. ... We have not reached closure, she said.

Other family members paid tribute to their loved ones during the three-hour event, which included songs, poems and dances. A big backdrop on the stage showed a picture of a plane and read: Search On 2.0. Re-investigate, re-evaluate, re-start. Never give up.

We may never recover from this if its classified as an aviation mystery and the case is then closed, the families said in a statement. If this is left unsolved, then how will we prevent it from happening again?

Authorities have said that the search will not be expanded in the absence of fresh clues.

Jiang Hui, a 41-year-old Chinese man, said his life has been in limbo since he lost his 62-year-old mother, Jiang Cui Yun, who was aboard the plane. He said he lost his job as an IT engineer a few months after the tragedy due to depression.

He said he filed a lawsuit in China on Friday against Malaysia Airlines, not for the money but in the hope that it will bring some answers to the mystery.

I want to let my mother know that I will not give up, Jiang said.
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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Horse-drawn carts

In its earliest years of colonial settlement, "Stapleton consisted at first of farmland; Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) spent his youth on a farm facing the bay on a site now occupied by the Paramount Theatre on Bay Street," according to New Brighton historian Barnett Shepherd. This old postcard shows Water Street back in the day, with not a car in sight. (Postcard courtesy of the New York Public Library)

In the next century, this North Shore neighborhood thrived as an urban center: Think hotel, theaters, restaurants and cafes, banks, and storefront shopping venues along Bay and other streets.

As for an inviting public space: A focal point was Washington Park, now known as Tappen Park.

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Village Hall

The distinctive, red-brick Village Hall on the grounds of Tappen Park, built in 1889, served the village of Edgewater (Stapleton) and housed its supervisor and trustees, the local board of health, and police courts. The park surrounding Village Hall was originally called Washington Park. In 1934, it was renamed for James J. Tappen, a Stapleton resident killed in the Battle of Argonne, France, during World War I. Located at 111 Canal St., the Village Hall is a designated New York City landmark. (Postcard courtesy of the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Elegant

The Elk's Club in Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Hotel

Bay Street, Stapleton, with trolley tracks. (From the New York Public Library)

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Cobblestone

Canal Street, Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Bay Street

Looking north on Bay Street, Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

View from 1899

This charming postcard -- which appears to have been sent in 1899 -- shows Stapleton and the Narrows. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Bird's-eye view

Looking down at Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Classic storefronts

Looking toward Tompkinsville from Bay Street -- with its trolley tracks. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Village green

Tappen Park in Stapleton was formerly known as Washington Park, as this vintage postcard indicates. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Tranquil space

Cobblestone Water Street in Stapleton, with Tappen Park on the left. (From the New York Public Library)

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Landmark bank

Staten Island Savings Bank, Stapleton. This neo-Classical building, at the corner of Water and Beach streets, was built in 1924-1925 and enjoys protected status as an official New York City landmark. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Theatre

The Liberty Theatre in Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Post office

Stapleton Post Office. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Fire protection

The caption reads: Truck No. 1 and Fire Bell, Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Shady street

Beech Street, Stapleton. Is this present-day Beach Street? (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Hilltop homes

Stapleton Heights, with fruit trees in the foregrounds. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Piel Brothers brewery

Piel Brothers brewery in Stapleton, photographed in August 1965. (Staten Island Advance file photo)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Brewery clock tower

Piels Brothers bought the Atlantic Brewing Co. facility in Stapleton in 1953. (Staten Island Advance file photo)

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Bay Street restaurant

The Stapleton Chop House, at 519-521 Bay St., also served seafood and Sedutto ice cream. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Interior of the Black Hawk Cafe, Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Hofbrau and 'caves'

Demyan's Hofbrau, left, and the caves on Van Duzer Street (right) in Stapleton were demolished. The site now is a townhouse development. (July 1988 photo in Staten Island Advance archives)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Shopping mecca

Stapleton was a shopping mecca, back in the day before malls were developed on Staten Island. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Distinctive church

First Presbyterian Church, Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Public library

The Stapleton Public Library. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Ivy-covered walls

Ivy-covered Stapleton public library. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

'The Vanderbilt'

The text on this postcard reads: "Public School No. 14, now call The Vanderbilt. Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Public school

PS 14, Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

The Richmond Borough National Bank, on a cobblestone street in Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

>'

Brady's Pier on the Stapleton waterfront, with U.S. transport ships McClellan and Kirkpatrick berthed there. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

'New' piers

Overview: Stapleton and the new piers. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Familiar?

Bay Street, Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Seamen's club

The Staten Island club of United Seamen's Service, Inc. was located at 98 Beach St. in Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Uphill on Cebra Avenue

Cebra Avenue -- note that it's spelled Cebre on this vintage postcard -- in Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Hillside homes

Homes in Stapleton Heights. (From the New York Public Library)

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Virginia N. Sherry | sherry@siadvance.com

Court house

The court house on Targee Street, Stapleton. (From the New York Public Library)
Rob Bailey | bailey@siadvance.com

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Amanda Steen | asteen@siadvance.com

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF PARADE DAY

Once a year, New York City's most Italian borough goes unabashedly Irish: The Staten Ireland St. Patrick's Parade will once again turn New York City's greenest borough even greener when the 52nd annual edition steps off at noon March 6 at Forest Avenue's intersection with Hart Boulevard in West Brighton. Thousands of spectators rally to celebrate celtic culture decked out in shamrocks, beads and holiday hats as the parade winds its way down the North Shore thoroughfare, concluding at the intersection of Forest and Jewett Avenue. Here's what you need to know to make the most of parade day:

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Anthony DePrimo | deprimo@siadvance.com

WHAT TO WEAR

How do you wear your green? A graphic tee, savvy accessories, or just full on costume? All the ways to don some green for the St. Patrick's Parade on Forest Avenue. (Video by Anthony DePrimo / Music: "The Banshee, Gravel Walks, The Old Copperplate" by SlAinte (http://www.irishband.com/slainte/index.htm)

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Hilton Flores

THE FOREST AVENUE MILE RUN

This annual race tradition starts at 12:10 in front of Jody's Club Forest, 372 Forest Ave. in West Brighton. Race-day number pickup from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Pretty Woman Hair Salon, 395 Forest Ave. Race day fee: $30.

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Rob Bailey | bailey@siadvance.com

WHERE TO HANG OUT IF IT GETS TOO COLD!

Where are the best spots to perch before, after and during the parade? Click HERE to find out.

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Amanda Steen | asteen@siadvance.com

THROW YOUR OWN PARADE OR PADDY'S PARTY

It doesn't matter if you celebrate on parade day or on the actual holiday, here are surefire food and drink recipes to make you a legit shamrock star.

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THE LEADER OF THE MARCH

This year's parade will be led by grand marshal Brian Nutley, a retired NYPD officer and longtime member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 4. Megan Crimmins is Miss Hibernia 2016. (Staten Island Advance/Kristin Dalton)

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Bill Lyons | lyons@siadvance.com

THE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

The day begins with a mass and the Forest Avenue Mile run, followed by an onslaught of pipe and drum crews, step dancers and even the occasional Elvis impersonator with a live band on a float.

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Lauren Steussy | lsteussy@siadvance.com

OH, YOU WILL NEED IRISH-INSPIRED COCKTAILS

Danny Ippolito of Bin 5 Restaurant in Rosebank shows us how to make an Irish Manhattan, just in time for St. Patrick's Day. (Video by Lauren Steussy)

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Bill Lyons

WHY IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY PROPER

The 2016 edition is a wee more than 10 days before St. Patrick's Day on March 17.

Why? Well, that's just the way things are, according to AOH, which participates in and raises money for the parade. This year's parade committee chairman is John Dick.

After the 2014 parade, members of the St. Patrick's Parade Committee decided to change the parade to occur on the first Sunday of the month, which happens to be March 6 this year.

Last year's parade fell even earlier, on March 1, when parade participants found themselves marching in a swirl of snowflakes.

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Lauren Steussy | lsteussy@siadvance.com

DO AN 'IRISH JIG'

Looking for something Irish to drink for St. Patrick's Day? Danny Ippolito of Bin 5 in Rosebank shows us how to make an "Irish Jig," a recipe he got from Jim Meehan at Please Don't Tell in Manhattan. (Video by Lauren Steussy)

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(Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons)

CLOSURES: THE ROADS YOU WANT TO AVOID (OR FREQUENT)

The following roads will be closed to traffic from approximately 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

Forest Avenue, between Victory Boulevard and Decker Avenue

Hart Boulevard, between Castleton Avenue and Revere Street

Randall Avenue, between Forest Avenue and Castleton Avenue

Walbrooke Avenue, between Forest Avenue and Castleton Avenue

Gregg Place, between Randall Avenue & Walbrook Avenue

Delafield Avenue, between Randall Avenue and Walbrooke Avenue

Elwood Place, between Randall Avenue and Walbrook Avenue

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Lauren Steussy | lsteussy@siadvance.com

FIND THE POT O' GOLD IN ROSEBANK

Danny Ippolito of Bin 5 Restaurant shows us how to make "Pot of Gold Fashioned" cocktail a his Irish take on a classic cocktail, just in time for St. Patrick's Day. (Video by Lauren Steussy)

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Rob Bailey | bailey@siadvance.com

WHERE TO CELEBRATE ON THE ACTUAL HOLIDAY

Unlike so many of New York City's other bar and nightclub "scenes," these "public houses" are where earthy brews trump tricked out cocktails with precious names  and warm woods outshine sterile minimalist decor and fashionista fakery. And ironic dive bar divas or haughty hipsters? Hell no. For this Irishman, it's all about The Three Cs: Community, Camaraderie and Craic (i.e. "loud, enjoyable conversation"). That said, you don't have to bleed green  or toss back pints  to honor the Irish. With St. Patrick's Day calling, here are some (let us know which spots we left out in the comments section!) of our favorite borough public houses.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Today's archive page is from July 23, 1975.

Richmond College President Dr. Edmond L. Volpe announces that the college is complying with requests from the Board of Higher Education by trimming $300,000 from its operating budget and increasing existing fees.

Volpe says the college will find ways to cut costs with supplies, equipment and other operating services, as well as restricting sabbatical leave, increasing existing fees, tuition, and cutting about 35 percent of the master's degree program.

The current operating budget is said to be in the neighborhood of $4 million.
Bill de Blasio

Mayor Bill de Blasio marches in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaways on Saturday, March 5, 2016. He will skip the Staten Island parade again.

(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

CITY HALL -- Mayor Bill de Blasio is boycotting the Staten Island St. Patrick's Parade again this year.

De Blasio will skip for the third year in a row because the borough event isn't inclusive, a spokeswoman said. The parade prohibits gays from marching openly under banners or otherwise identifying themselves.

There was a brief confrontation at the Staten Island parade in 2011 when members of the Young Democrats of Richmond County wore small rainbow lapel pins while marching to show their support of gay rights. A parade marshal objected to the display.

The mayor's office has said de Blasio won't march in parades that exclude any groups. He didn't march at the Staten Island event in 2014 or 2015. (Michael Bloomberg participated in the borough parade at least nine times as mayor.)

De Blasio has still been known to rub elbows with other politicians at Jody's Club Forest before the Staten Island event. He went as public advocate and while campaigning for mayor, but hasn't since being elected.

The mayor also boycotted the St. Patrick's Day parade in Manhattan for a similar prohibition on gay and lesbian groups marching under their own banners. He was the first mayor in more than two decades to do so.

De Blasio will attend the Manhattan parade this year after the longstanding ban was dropped. He is expected to march with police officers, firefighters and other uniformed service members and spend another portion of the parade with the Lavender and Green Alliance, an Irish LGBT group that pushed to reverse the ban.

On Saturday de Blasio was booed while marching in the Rockaways St. Patrick's Day Parade. He will also attend the St. Pat's For All Parade in Queens on Sunday.

The Staten Island St. Patrick's Parade steps off Forest Avenue at 12 p.m.

Editor's note: This post was updated from an earlier version. It was corrected to reflect that the person involved in a 2011 confrontation at the parade was not the grand marshal. It now reads that he was a parade marshal.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With the parade not yet started, residents in Port Richmond, West Brighton and New Brighton hosted their own pre-parade celebrations to get in the Irish spirit.

Some parties began as early as 9 a.m. before their departure down to Forest Avenue to watch the parade.

Here's a look at some of the St. Patrick's Parade parties on Staten Island. Be sure to check out our gallery above for some photos of the parties:

Kerry Falcone, West Brighton

The Falcone's have hosted their annual St. Patrick's Parade pre-party since 2000 at their home on Egbert Avenue.

Every year their party offers plenty of booze, and a combination of breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites cooked by Kerry herself. Falcone also hired a band, Next of Kin, to perform Irish-American songs in her backyard.

"We invited everyone, people on our block, from Blessed Sacrament," Falcone said. "Almost everyone that comes are from Staten Island."

Before the parade begins, Falcone gathers up her group of about 100 friends and family and they walk their way up to Forest Avenue to find a good spot to watch the parade.

Tommy Dwyer, Port Richmond

Starting his party at 9 a.m., Tommy Dwyer has hosted his annual St. Patrick's Parade pre-party at his Heberton Avenue home since he first moved to Staten Island 13 years ago.

Just five years ago, Tommy started to fundraise during his parties to help others in need.

"It just keeps growing so we started fundraising," he said. "This year we are fundraising for my friends who couldn't be here, Anthony and Christine Geury. Their son has cancer, he's three years old."

More than 150 guests attend each year to dress up in their most elaborate Irish spirit outfits to hang out in Dwyer's house and backyard which offered booze, food and free face painting. They then head down to watch the parade.

Danny and Donna Gildea, New Brighton

Danny Gildea first came to Staten Island on St. Patrick's Day when he was 16-years old for a vacation and ended up never leaving.

When Danny and Donna Gildea were married, they started their annual St. Patrick's Day pre-parade party 28 years ago.

The party hosts anywhere from 30 to 50 people at their Park Place home complete with food, booze and green attire.
2016 SkS Weekly Digest #10

Posted on 6 March 2016 by John Hartz

SkS Highlights... El Nino Impacts... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... He Said What?... SkS in the News... SkS Spotlights... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

SkS Highlights

Ted Cruz's favorite temperature data just got a lot hotter and GWPF throws out centuries of physics, climate scientists laugh, conservative media fawns by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus -the 97%, Guardian) attracted the most comments of the articles posted on SkS during the past week. Will Fossil Fuel Prices Fully Recover? by Riduna rounded out the top three.

El Nino Impacts

Toon of the Week

Hat tip to I Heart Climate Scientists.

Quote of the Week

"The overall message that climate science delivers to society, policymakers, and the public alike is this: we have a global emergency. Fossil fuel CO 2 emissions should be reduced as rapidly as practical. We argue that country-by-country goals, the approach of the 21stConference of the Parties[13] cannot lead to rapid phasedown of fossil fuel emissions, as long as fossil fuels are allowed to be the cheapest energy. It will be necessary to include a carbon fee that allows the external costs of fossil fuels to be incorporated in their price. Border duties on products from countries without a carbon fee, would lead to most nations adopting a carbon fee."

Regional Climate Change and National Responsibilities by James Hansen & Makiko Sato, Climate Science, Awareness & Solutions, Earth Institute, Columbia University, Feb 29, 2016

He Said What?

Cruz* often brought up the satellite data in Senate hearings and on the campaign trail to dispute the existence of climate change. In a Senate subcommittee hearing in December, Cruz suggested the idea of climate change was a conspiracy among scientists, Democrats and the media.

There has been no significant global warming in the past 18 years, he said at the time. Global warming alarmists dont like these data. They are inconvenient truths, as Al Gore might say. But facts and evidence matters.

*US Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and candidate for the Republican nomination for US President

Adjusted satellite data derails one of Cruzs arguments against climate change by Elizabeth Koh, Dallas Morning Herald, Mar 6, 2016

SkS in the News

How should we teach students about climate change? by John Cook was published by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

Lisa Bailey, Program Manager at RiAus, Australias Science Channel, interviewed John Cook for her article, Leo Wins Oscar But Can He Win The Public Over Climate Change? Her lead-in to Cook's repsonses:

I asked John Cook, a research fellow in Climate Communication at UQ (and who also runs the fabulous and free Climate Denial 101x course you can check out here), what he thought of Leos win and its implications for public perceptions of climate change.

A new document, The 12 Questions Every Climate Activist Hears and What to Say, created and published by the Climate Reality Project contains references/links to a number of SkS Rebuttal articles.

SkS Spotlights

The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (Columbia Law Center) develops legal techniques to fight climate change, trains law students and lawyers in their use, and provides the public with up-to-date resources on key topics in climate law and regulation.

The core mission of the Sabin Center is to develop and promulgate legal techniques to address climate change, and to train the next generation of lawyers who will be leaders in the field. The Sabin Center is both a partner to and resource for public interest legal institutions engaged in climate change work. Further, the center addresses a critical need for the systematic development of legal techniques to fight climate change outside of the realm of judicial litigation, and the compilation and dissemination of information for lawyers in the public, private and NGO sectors.

Columbia Law School is specially situated to make fundamental contributions to the development of the legal structures needed to address climate change. As one of the worlds preeminent law schools, our faculty has unsurpassed depth in the many legal disciplines that must be harnessed to address the critical issue of climate change. This initiative benefits from great synergies with the schools other centers and programs around Columbia University.

Coming Soon on SkS

During the most important year for climate news, TV coverage fell (Dana)

(Dana) After 116 days, MIT fossil fuel divestment sit-in ends in student-administration deal for climate action (Geoffrey Supran)

(Geoffrey Supran) Guest Post (John Abraham)

(John Abraham) Why We Need to Keep 80 Percent of Fossil Fuels in the Ground (Bill McKibben)

(Bill McKibben) Why is 2016 smashing heat records? (Karl Mathiesen)

(Karl Mathiesen) 2016 SkS Weekly News Roundup #11 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2016 SkS Weekly Digest #1 1 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week

SkS Week in Review

97 Hours of Consensus: Sarah Das

Sarah Das' bio page & Quote source
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Conservatives' gut-level resistance to all things Obama  the man, his authority, his policies  gave birth to the tea party movement that powered the GOP to political success in multiple states and historic congressional majorities. Yet contained in the movement and its triumphs were the seeds of destruction, evident now in the party's fracture over presidential front-runner Donald Trump.
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Bob Fife: Knuckledragger

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SDA: Reader Occupation Survey

Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop

Flakes On A Plane

All Your Weather Are Belong To Us

Song Of The Sled

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Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl

Trudeaupiate

Kleptocrat Jeans

Child Labour

I Concede

Small Dead Feminist

Protein Hoser: THK Interview

The Werewolf Extinction

Dear Laura (VRWC)

We Wait

Blogging The Oscars

Jackson Converts To Islam

Just Shut The HELL Up

Manipulating Condi

Gay Equality Rights


Los Angeles: Nancy Reagan, the former actress who was fiercely protective of husband Ronald Reagan through a Hollywood career, eight years in the White House, an assassination attempt and Alzheimer's disease, has died at the age of 94.

Reagan, who became one of the most influential first ladies in US history during her Republican husband's presidency from 1981 to 1989, died on Sunday morning at her home in Los Angeles.

The Reagan Library confirmed she died of of congestive heart failure.

She will be buried next to her husband at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, the statement said.
Zelda D'Aprano is no stranger to campaigning for gender pay equity. In 1969 she famously chained herself to the doors of the Commonwealth Court of Arbitration in Melbourne's Spring Street to draw public attention to the cause.

Back then women received about 75 per cent of a man's salary for doing the same job. Fast forward almost five decades and women now earn on average 82 per cent of a man's pay. For Ms D'Aprano, progress has been frustrating. But its plodding pace is not surprising.

Women's rights activist Zelda D'Aprano at Trades Hall. Credit:Pat Scala

"I've watched it limp along for years," she said on Sunday before attending a Women's Rights at Work festival at Trades Hall ahead of International Women's Day on Tuesday.
New evidence "demolishes the conspiracy theories" that the Independent Commission Against Corruption is a rogue agency, including in its failed pursuit of Crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen, SC, says Labor's shadow attorney-general, Paul Lynch.

Mr Lynch said revelations by the head of the Police Integrity Commission, Bruce James, that it has used "notices to produce" to force the immediate production of material showed ICAC had not acted in a rogue fashion when demanding Ms Cunneen's mobile phones.

Margaret Cunneen, SC, subject of an investigation into whether she attempted to pervert the course of justice. Credit:Peter Rae

"Whatever else this demonstrates, it's clear that ICAC was not alone in using notices to produce in this way," Mr Lynch said.

"I don't think this was the way Parliament intended these provisions to be used, but it demolishes the conspiracy theories that ICAC was a rogue agency."
QSuper has become the first major superannuation fund to offer its retiring members a cash bonus for moving their accumulated savings into a pension account rather than taking a lump sum.

For some of the 550,000 Queensland public servants and their spouses in the $60 billion fund, this will provide an incentive worth thousands of dollars.

QSuper chief executive Michael Pennisi "would welcome" a decision from the Queensland government to open the $50 billion fund to the public. Credit:Chris Hyde

"We are excited to be the first fund to offer this type of cash-back bonus to encourage members to better manage their longevity risk," QSuper chief executive Michael Pennisi said.

The "transfer bonus" initiative has been under development for nearly two years. Its launch comes amid a push for super funds to show they are doing more to encourage members into "comprehensive retirement income products".
More than 2000 jobs in the Australian mining industry have been axed so far this calendar year, with hundreds more at risk as mining companies continue to respond to the sharp drop in commodity prices.

An analysis of company announcements revealed about 2330 mining industry jobs had been axed across the country to date in 2016, led by deep cuts at BHP Billiton spin-off South32.

More than 2000 jobs in the Australian mining industry have been axed so far this calendar year. Credit:Ryan Stuart

The Perth based diversified miner announced in February at least 772 jobs across its Australian alumina, coal and manganese assets would be lost before the end of the financial year and a further 55 new jobs would not be recruited for as it restructures its portfolio and cuts costs.

Mining companies have cut thousands of jobs over the past two years due to the steep and sustained decline of most major commodity prices. The cuts appeared to accelerate early in 2016 as companies pared back workforces to reduce costs, temporarily suspended operations or collapsed entirely.
The installation of lights, while badly needed, only serves to highlight just how inappropriate Haig Park's current planting scheme is for the needs of the rapidly changing population of the inner north. Haig Park is a wind break, it is planted in 14 dense rows of pine trees and cedars; cold, dark and unsuitable for recreation for six months of the year. The Haig Park master plan makes no attempt to fundamentally repurpose the park to meet the recreation needs of the communities, especially east of Northbourne Avenue.

While the government commits significant resources to building a new lakeside park (be it delayed) to start the City to the Lake development, Haig Park is going to receive "dramatic lighting", to "expose the interior of the park to people looking from the edge".

Two articles in The Canberra Times (" Government defends lakeside park delays ") and " Dramatic lighting proposed for park ") shine a spotlight on this problem. They highlight the need for a city-wide strategy for updating and improving the provision of high-quality re-creation spaces for Canberra. The story of these two parks are a case in point.

Canberra is blessed with an abundance of green spaces; parks playgrounds, playing fields and paddocks within easy access to most Canberrans. However, the city lacks a comprehensive parks and recreation strategy.

The new lakeside park on the other hand is part of the broader West Basin master plan. Building this park is low hanging fruit for the LDA as a relatively low-cost kick starter to the West Basin project, designed to enthuse the community and inspire developers to get excited about investing in City to the Lake. Economically a clever investment, but not really serving the recreational needs of the emerging residential population of the city; already very well catered by the parks around Central Basin.

Canberra is a greenfield city; it has grown for more than 100 years by expanding into the surrounding landscape. The most recent new town of Molonglo is a testament to our appetite for converting open space into suburbia. We have always been blessed with an abundance of green spaces. However, the city is growing back in on itself as well. The city and gateway urban renewal strategy clearly demonstrates a political will to repopulate the centre.

What is lacking is a parallel parks and recreation strategy that addresses the need for quality not quantity open space. But here is the catch. The government can barely keep up with the maintenance demand of our existing urban parkland. TAMS is faced with the almost insurmountable task of just keeping the grass in check in our suburban parks. Without the dedicated volunteer park care groups, Canberra nature parks would be in trouble.

Any proposals for new higher quality recreation facilities in parks such as Haig Park are met with nervous apprehension from the city park managers reluctant to add more assets requiring a higher level of care than a six-monthly visit from the ride-on mowers.

In 1984, ecologist and landscape architect George Seddon devised an open space strategy for the city. He argued that a [future] ACT government should adopt a "honey pot" approach to park management and identify a few areas to be intensively used and managed. He believed largely dispersed medium intensity use of green spaces would be damaging both ecologically and economically. Professor Seddon has been proven right; the city has fallen into the trap of a dispersed approach to park management which is economically and ecologically unsustainable.
Two faces of Australian Catholicism were on display this week. One was Cardinal George Pell's testimony before the royal commission on child sexual abuse.

Pell could have been discussing the internal workings of a department store. He had his job, others had theirs, he didn't "indulge rumours" and had "no interest" in tracking those rumours down even though they concerned the welfare of the youngest and most vulnerable members of what once would have been called his flock. What his testimony lacked was moral imagination.

Winston Churchill said, "We shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us". The same is true of institutions and, once again, Pell emerged as a functionary of the institution.

I do not equate religion with spirituality, but it is genuinely spiritual people who make religion meaningful by investing it with humility and compassion. Without those qualities, religion is no more than a series of empty rituals encased, in the case of the Catholic Church, in a medieval pomp which is supposed to embody a Jewish rebel who sided with social outcasts and was openly contemptuous of the religious authorities of his day for their double standards.
No one wants another summer of deaths at music festivals. Not the organisers, not the health experts, not the government, not the festival goers and not the parents left to wonder and worry when their children go to these events.

But how to prevent it? The best efforts of police, teams of sniffer dogs, the threat of arrest has failed to make a dent in Australia's love affair with "party drugs". We are many years into the relationship and use has not decreased. Meanwhile, the potency of ecstasy has shot up and new psychoactive substances are coming onto the market, increasing the risks for those taking illicit substances and making it harder for medical personnel to work out the best treatment for those who get sick.

The best efforts of police, teams of sniffer dogs, the threat of arrest has failed to make a dent in Australia's love affair with "party drugs". Credit:Greg Newington

Prominent doctors are convinced that pill testing will make a difference, so convinced they are prepared to break the law to conduct pill-testing trials, as first reported in The Sun-Herald last week.

They are reflecting a deep sense of frustration among researchers and the treatment sector with Australian drugs policy, which has failed to keep pace with international developments. Many even speak fondly of the Howard era which, despite its tough on drugs rhetoric and the intervention to stop prescription heroin trials, saw $200 million poured into diverting drug users from the criminal justice system to treatment.
From today, Australian motorists will for the first time have access to a smartphone app that lets them use crowdsourcing to hunt down cheap fuel.

GasBuddy, a smartphone app that has been downloaded 56 million times in North America, today officially launched in Australia  the first time the app has been made available outside the US and Canada.

Gasbuddy lets motorists report petrol prices to each other in real-time. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The app, available on Android and iOS, lets motorists report fuel prices to each other in real-time with the help of location information and a software algorithm designed to ensure information fed into the system is accurate.

Motorists in the US and Canada generate around 15 million fuel price reports per month using the app and the company is hoping to repeat its success in Australia.
Google has announced that it's testing a payment program called "Hands Free" that lets users pay for goods without having to reach into their pockets.

The idea behind the program is that anyone can walk in to a store, find what they want and head to the register, requiring only their face and a moment's conversation to purchase something.

Woolworths customers have been advised to check their bank statements after the retailer charged hundreds of customers twice because of a payments processing glitch. Credit:Michele Mossop

Hands Free is in a limited pilot program at select stores in the Silicon Valley area. Google said that it uses a variety of sensors in a users' smartphone, including Bluetooth and WiFi, to detect when shoppers are in a particular store. When at the cash register, the users simply have to say, "I'll pay with Google" and give their initials to the cashier. The store employee checks the initials and a picture that users have uploaded to their payment accounts to verify that they are who they claim to be.

According to the company's website, stores never get access to consumers' full credit card information. Users also get a notification when their Hands Free account has been used, as a fraud-prevention measure.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme could spark a multibillion-dollar jobs boom in Victoria by helping thousands of people with disability and their carers to find work, new analysis suggests.

The analysis shows the disability scheme could generate more than $5 billion in activity for Victoria's economy each year, suggesting fears of a billion-dollar funding shortfall for the scheme may be overblown.

Every Australian Counts campaign director John Della Bosca: the time is right for the NDIS to be implemented. Credit:James Brickwood JSB

A new paper has been commissioned by peak body National Disability Services, with modelling by Charles Sturt University economist Dr Brendan Long, to find how many people with a disability and their informal carers, who are usually family members, may find paid work after receiving support from the NDIS.

It predicts job opportunities will grow rapidly in Victoria's disability service sector, with up to 10,800 people with disability able to seek work with help from an NDIS package.
Tragedy has struck the equestrian community after 17-year-old Olivia Inglis died when her horse tripped and fell on top of her during a competition.

Olivia, from the well-known horse sales family, was competing in the Scone Horse Trials in the Upper Hunter Valley on Sunday morning.

Equestrian Australia chairwoman Judy Fasher was at the event and said the horse made a tragic mistake.

"Her horse fell at fence eight and tragically landed on her," Ms Fasher said. Fence eight is about a third of the way around the cross-country track.
Welcoming questions, the first, on jobs, and the need to abandon green policies and start a state and federally-owned bank to re-industrialise the nation and bring meaningful work back, was handled deftly, if not addressed. But then, less than two minutes into questions, came the first on Uber. "Thank you Premier, thank you for coming into community cabinet, it is a very good effort from your people leading us in this term," the small, polite man, said from the middle row. "Premier, I am related with the taxi industry, for the last 20 years. And I am owner for a long time, my question is regarding, I am losing $100-$250 a day to the illegal taxi industry run under your government, Uber. And that is directly we are losing that. "The extremely serious thing is, I am 60-years-old, if I want to sell my licence in my sickness, or retirement days, it is zero, I can't sell it. It is extremely serious. And we are losing, under your government, we are losing everything. And I know the owner of [taxi licences] retire from 30-35 year job, they can't sell their licences. They are on suicidal conditions right now.

"Now my question is, more than two years, or nearly close to two years, Uber is running illegally and why can't we honour our own laws, to stop it." Pausing slightly for the applause, he continued. "The second thing is, why the Premier, you were very, very great Queensland Transport Minister under Anna Bligh's government, we supported you all the way, and why can't you honour your own laws. It is illegally running and pick-pocketing us. I mean, it hurt me. I can't work more than 70-hours a week. "I am getting old and working 70-hours and somebody is ripping us off illegally. It is under your leadership. It is no good. "And why did you, this director-general of Queensland Transport, are you thinking to sack him, because he won't implement the law, or are you going to have him in the Crime and Corruption Commission.

"Just one more question, a little one, how will you regulate Uber taxi's whether they are drunk drivers or not. Already it is on record, in Western Australia, in Sydney, two or three drivers are already caught doing their job, drink driving. Thank you Premier." Ms Palaszczuk said the government understood that taxi licence owners were a small business. And her ministers understood that. They understood the concerns taxi owners had for their small business and they understood the concerns Uber had brought. But also understood was that the review that Queensland had instigated last year, when NSW and ACT were regulating Uber, and would not return until August, was the best way forward to make sure that everyone understood how to handle the disruption to the taxi industry. Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe seconded that he understood that the Premier understood how concerning Uber was. But those in the crowd did not understand why the law regulating unregulated taxi companies, was not being upheld to their satisfaction - ie, taking them off the road.

"At the end of the day, we are going broke now, right, today, right? Why are the laws not being enforced, and could we, on this day, get your commitment, to the demerit point legislation that has been put forward by the Katter Party? Because we need something now, not in six months time, not in three months time, we need it now," said another man from the crowd, earning his own applause. Ms Palaszczuk recommended he speak directly with Mr Hinchliffe after questions ended. Despite having his hand very straight and demonstrating excellent hand waving control, the man in the bright orange "I trust Pauline Hanson" t-shirt was not picked. The man at the back, however, was. "Thank you Premier. My Premier is going to be very short. There are laws in this state, all I want to know is why are you not enforcing the law. We know there is an inquiry going on, we know all this other stuff, all we want to know is why are you not enforcing the law of the land."

He would have received applause, except the crowd had to switch tact to groans, when the Premier answered that "the police enforce the laws, that's the way - no, they do, the police enforce the laws". "Hang on a minute, If you have some specific issue you would like to raise, the Police Minister is here, please come up and speak to him." Instead, they rushed to speak to Mr Hinchliffe, surrounding him like seagulls who'd spotted a stray chip. Then they moved, en masse, from minister to minister seeking answers they weren't going to get. Uber has been fined close to $2 million by the Transport Department since it was issued with a cease and desist order under the Newman Government but Transport inspectors, who have been tasked with dealing with the issue, have struggled to stay ahead of the service, reporting the company has been blocking their phones from accessing the app.
Use of methamphetamine is on the increase in Queensland and scientists have the data to prove it.

Professor Wayne Hall from the Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research at the University of Queensland has lead a study into wastewater at two cities in Queensland over the past six years that has shown levels of methamphetamine residue has increased nearly five times in the study period.

Use of methamphetamine is increasing in Queensland. Credit:Shannon Morris

"We have been sampling continuously since 2009 and monitoring trends in various forms of illicit drug use," Professor Hall said.

"We have been looking at cocaine, MDMA, cannabis along with a variety of other drugs including methamphetamine."
A 39-year-old Oakey man twice punched in the face during a pub fight in Oakey on Saturday night was flown from Toowoomba hospital to the Gold Coast hospital in Sunday with critical head injuries.

The RACQ Careflight* helicopter flew the man to the Gold Coast University Hospital for specialist treatment.

Oakey man flown to Gold Coast University hospital with head injuries

The injured Oakey man is in critical condition on Sunday afternoon.

Two men have each been charged with grievious bodily harm by detectives and will appear on Monday in Toowoomba's Magistrates Court over the serious assault.
The Queensland Government may consider giving Clive Palmer's nickel refinery the $10 million cash injection it needs to continue operating - but only if Mr Palmer sells up.

The Federal Government officially rejected the auditor FTI Consulting's request for the overdraft facility, warning the plant, one of North Queensland's largest employers, was in danger of closing within days.

Previously it was thought the Yabulu plant, which was placed into administration in January, could continue operating until at least the end of the month.

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison turned down the request, saying it was not the government's position to provide "companies in difficulty with direct financial assistance".
Aesthetically speaking, @ is a rotund and cozy symbol, sleek enough to have been inducted into MoMA's architecture and design collection.

He was also a key driver in the development of standards for the "From", "Subject", and date fields found in email messages today.

Tomlinson, who was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2012, is best known for rescuing the @ symbol from obscurity and, in the process, shaping the way we talk about being online.

The computer from which the first email was sent.

In 2010, the museum called the acquisition "momentous" and "elating," but cheerful enough to have acquired friendly nicknames around the world. In Israel, it's a "strudel"; in Croatia, it's a "monkey"; and in Mandarin Chinese, it goes by "little mouse".

Conceptually, what @ has done is signify the internet as a destination: the @ symbol is "at", therefore the internet is a place one can go, a place at which one may reside.

The symbol suggests that we think of the web as a geographic location, rather than a state of mind. It is something to be surfed, cruised and crawled through.

Forty years ago, Tomlinson was an engineer at the R&D company Bolt Beranek and Newman when he developed an application that allowed messages to be sent back and forth between computers. He used @ to separate the user name from the host name, selecting a symbol with a modicum of familiarity to the general public.
A Catholic priest whose parish is at the centre of historical sexual abuse allegations has spoken of the burden of living in a possible "crime scene".

Father Michael Shadbolt, parish priest of Holy Family church in Doveton for 17 years, said he was horrified by allegations that some of his predecessor priests had committed sexual and other assaults on parishioners.

Parish priest Father Michael Shadbolt delivers a sermon at the Holy Family church in Doveton on Sunday. Credit:Darrian Traynor

He said he knew Peter Searson in 1996 when both were priests in the area, but he had not known he was a paedophile. "In a way I'm horrified," Father Shadbolt said. "But I guess also in a sense I'm not surprised because he did seem a very strange personality."

"I'm possibly living in a crime scene," he told Fairfax Media before 9.30 Mass on Sunday. "It's quite sad. Perhaps the presbytery is where some of the crimes were done, I don't know for sure."
The sunny weather proved summer is not over yet  and so did the street party.

Thousands poured into Brunswick's Sydney Road on Sunday for a jam-packed afternoon of dancing, art, live music, and food.

Revellers flocked to the Sydney Road Street Party in Brunswick on Sunday. Credit:Paul Jeffers

From Union to Victoria streets, one of the biggest street parties in the city's events calendar saw party-goers stream down Brunswick's main artery in celebration of the multicultural diversity of the Moreland community.

There were 10 stages set up this year along the 800-metre stretch of festivities as Sunday's hot temperatures drew in an eclectic mix of revellers, some parading past in costume.
Australian sailors have seized a large weapons cache, including almost 2000 AK-47 assault rifles, from a fishing vessel in the Middle East.

HMAS Darwin's boarding team intercepted the fishing vessel about 300 kilometres off the coast of Oman and found 1989 AK-47 assault rifles along with 100 rocket propelled grenade launchers, 49 machine guns, spare barrels and mortar tubes hidden under fishing nets in the dhow.

Weapons seized by HMAS Darwin about 300 kilometres off the coast of Oman. Credit:ABIS Sarah Ebsworth

The weapons were seized under United Nations sanctions which authorise interdiction on the high seas of illicit weapons destined for Somalia.

The fishing boat was headed towards the Somalia coast.



Chief of Joint Operations Command, Vice Admiral David Johnston, said the seizure on Darwin's first patrol was highly significant.



"One of the key reasons HMAS Darwin is deployed to the region is to contribute to global security and counter international terrorism," Vice Admiral Johnston said.
West Australian Health Minister Kim Hames has rejected suggestions he reversed a decision to close a maternity unit in Perth's south, saying he'd never made a full commitment on the matter.

Dr Hames says Bentley Hospital, which delivers more than 1000 babies a year, is "a bit old" but still provides excellent service and any decision to close it will be made by the minister of the day in 2018.

Health Minister Kim Hames has rejected suggestions he has reversed a decision to close Bentley Hospital

"People are talking about a backflip - there has been no backflip because I never made the decision that it was going to close," he told reporters on Sunday.

"I was still considering that decision and reviewing it as I promised that I would."
Arthur Manuel is a Secwepemc-Ktunaca activist and co-author of Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call. He discusses colonization in Canada and how this systemically impoverished Indigenous Peoples for generations. Watch video 

Arthur Manuel (1951  2017) was a Secwepemc-Ktunaca activist and co-author of Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up Call . He discusses colonization in Canada and how this systemically impoverished Indigenous Peoples for generations. If Canada is going to renew its relationship with Indigenous Peoples it must recognize the colonial relationship it has with Indigenous Peoples. Canada must recognize that this colonial relationship gives Indigenous Peoples the right to self-determination. This will become clearer when Canada celebrates 150 years of its settler colonial relationship with Britain in 2017.

This was part of the Indigenous Education Week at the University of Toronto. Recorded in Toronto, 22 February 2016.
What you need to know about Powerball and the $580 million jackpot

News
Oak Creek to host outdoor 2022 World Cup watch party

A partnership between Morans Pub in South Milwaukee and the city of Oak Creek will offer residents food, drinks, music and games on Nov. 25.
The diamond ring effect of the 2013 total solar eclipse is seen in this amazing photo by eclipse-chasing photographer Ben Cooper, who captured the image from an airplane at 43,000 feet on Nov. 3, 2013 during a rare hybrid annual/total solar eclipse.

Tuesday seems to be a double-header for cosmic events: A total solar eclipse will shadow Indonesia and the North Pacific Ocean, and a 100-foot-wide (30 meter) asteroid will streak past Earth.

The total solar eclipse of March 2016 is the only total eclipse of the sun of the year. The last one occurred in March 2015 and this time around the moon's shadow will travel across the Earth late Tuesday (March 8), for the Pacific, and early Wednesday (March 9) in Indonesia. (Strangely, because of the international dateline, this actually happens in the opposite order  it starts off over Indonesia and travels eastward across the Pacific Ocean; it will be Tuesday for about the last third of its journey.) So while its timing is firm, you'll need to check a list to tell when exactly to look out for a full or partial eclipse.

Remember, do not look directly at the sun with the naked eye or a telescope  you can use special eclipse-viewing glasses or build a pinhole projector. [Solar Eclipses: An Observer's Guide (Infographic)]

The asteroid's arrival is uncertain in a different way: researchers originally thought the asteroid flyby would be Saturday (March 5), but updated their predictionin late February. The asteroid should pass by about 3 million miles (5 million kilometers) from Earth, but there's a possibility it will approach as close as 15,000 miles (24,000 km), NASA officials said in a statement.

On March 9, 2016, a total solar eclipse will be visible to skywatchers across Indonesia and parts of southeast Asia. This NASA graphic depicts the 100-mile-wide path of totality (in dark red) for the event, which will occur late on March 8 Eastern Time. (Image credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/E. Wright)

If you're not lucky enough to live in the right geographical area to see either a total solar eclipse, where the moon entirely blots out the sun, or a partial one, where a dark bite is taken out of it, you can still watch the process live in a webcast hosted by the Slooh Community Observatory. The Slooh broadcast will begin March 8 at 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT) and will stretch until 9 p.m. EST (0200 on March 9 GMT). You can also watch the webcast live on Space.com, courtesy of Slooh.

NASA will host its own solar eclipse webcast starting at 8 p.m. EST (0100 on March 9 GMT) on NASA TV, and they will have a variety of events lined up to explore the research they'll do during the eclipse: NASA scientists will be answering questions on Twitter, Google+, Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #eclipse2016, and they'll be tweeting with the account @NASASunEarth.

NASA solar scientists will also host a Facebook Q&A the day before, at 2 p.m. EST (1400 GMT) March 7, and will answer questions on Reddit Tuesday at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT).

This NASA graphic depicts the orbit of asteroid 2013 TX68, which will fly by Earth on March 8, 2016. The asteroid poses no threat to the Earth. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

For those hoping to observe the passing asteroid, 2013 TX68, live coverage has not yet been announced  but NASA officials said in their statement that it would likely be very dim and difficult to observe due to the distance from Earth. It last flew by Earth two years ago at a distance of 1.3 million miles (2 million km).

Wherever you are, you can check back here at Space.com this week for our full coverage of the two events and what scientists can learn from them.

Editor's note: If you safely capture an amazing photo of the March 8 total solar eclipse and would like to share it with us and our news partners for a story or gallery, send images and comments in to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.




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About the Author - Sandi

Sandi is part of the Senior Staff at SpoilerTV having been a contributor from back in the Lost days of DarkUFO, and who now writes previews for Banshee, The Musketeers, Poldark, and other UK shows. She also enjoys watching and commenting on other shows such as Vikings, Orphan Black, Game of Thrones and The Flash. All Reviews)

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As some of you are already probably aware, when I am covering a series which is an adaptation from a popular novel I tend to include slightly more detail than I would with my other previews. Therefore, if you are not familiar with the material, or havent read the press releases issued, then please be aware that the following will contain some spoilers for the episode.This week kicks off with another social gathering, although this party is a far grander affair than the get-together at the secluded restaurant that Pine utilised to infiltrate Ropers gang. Juan Apostol, a business associate of the arms dealer, is hosting his daughters birthday celebrations, not that Elena is impressed by the efforts her father has gone to. Maybe its the fact that he seems to have invited all his friends along instead of making it about her, or could it be that she has cottoned on to what it is her father does for a living.Once again, the festivities are called short after tragedy strikes. Elena decides that she cannot pretend anymore and takes her life, thereby setting the story on a course which will eventually see Jonathan Pine firmly settled into Richard Ropers inner circle. Without this regrettable twist of fate the plan would have most likely failed at the first hurdle.So far Hugh Lauries portrayal of the alleged worst man in the world has been very subdued; its hard to imagine that theres a monster lurking behind the guise of this smooth talking, courteous entrepreneur. As we follow Pine edging his way ever deeper into his confidence however, the thin layers of veneer slowly begin to peel away, revealing over time his villainous traits piece by piece. His reaction to Elenas death gives us an early clue to what lurks below the surface; it shows a shocking lack of empathy which leads to him regretting his words being heard by someone in particular.Jonathan finds himself a couple of unlikely sources whilst staying as a guest at the Mallorca villa  well, I say guest, yet as Frisky and Tabby rarely leave his side it may be more correct to refer to him as a detainee, for now. Young Danny has taken a shine to the man who saved his life and is eager for any company, especially from someone who is essentially turning on the charm offensive to become the most engaging grown-up mate hes ever had. Not only do secrets come tumbling from his innocent mouth, but hes also an ideal diversion when it comes to a very public meeting with Angela Burr where he alerts her to Corkys scepticism.We dont spend much time in London this episode, although this side of the plot is moved significantly forward still. Without Burr to support him, Mayhews colleagues feel that the time is right to get to the bottom of Project Limpet and what it entails. The bullish behaviour and backhanded tactics displayed may well make you question what the underlying issue is with some of these supposedly good guys. Do they really want what is best for the country, and indeed the world, or do they have another agenda entirely, and if so, which of them are involved and why? More importantly, how will Mayhew react when faced with a bribe that sounds too good to be trueairs at 9pm on Sunday 6th March on BBC One and BBC One HD, below are a few dialogue teasers to see you through until then. Dont forget to come back and vote in our poll after the episode and let us know what you thought.
Contributed photo

The Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular adds a new dimension to the colorful music of this legendary band, and will be presented at Hartfords Infinity Music Hall on Friday, March 11.

Audiences have been entertained by various versions of this production for more than three decades. If youve never seen this kind of entertainment before, you can get a feel for it at pinkfloydlasershow.com.
Dear Connecticut,

Do you remember me?

Nine years ago I was a senior at Stamford High School on the brink of a life-altering event.

One night as I sat watching a movie, a group of anonymous boys called my cell phone and left me a series of voicemails. Their words, to this very day, represent the most horrific that I have ever heard uttered against another human being.

They started off by telling me that they were going to kill me "just because" I was black. They warned me that if they found me at home, they were going to unload a bullet into the back of my head. They cited other "niggers" who had died before me, like Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. They threatened to tar and feather my family.

I remember feeling shocked and scared because I could think of not a single person, much less a group of them, who wanted to watch me die.

I was reluctant to report it, but the next day a teacher insisted I tell the school principal.

And then nothing was ever the same.

By some random stroke of misfortune one those involved was Gov. Dannel Malloys son  a boy I had never even laid eyes upon. Malloy was mayor of Stamford at the time and, for obvious reasons, the mixture of politics and race proved irresistible to journalists. Soon my face was plastered on the front page of every newspaper across Connecticut and everyone from the NAACP, to Dr. Phil wanted in on the story.

Do you vaguely recall me now?

The connection meant that arrests would not immediately be made. The local police told me they needed to treat the case with special diligence, and they called in the FBI to help determine whether the four boys, three of whom were perfect strangers to me, had committed a hate crime.

The boy I believed had orchestrated the voicemails (the only one out of the group whom I had ever seen or spoken to) denied the allegations vehemently, perhaps rolling the dice that his chance political association would protect him in the end.

I stayed out of school for six weeks before formal charges were filed, and in that time the gossip escalated. It wasnt limited to the students. Parents, teachers and you, the general public, felt inclined to state your opinions about me online.

I perused those words quietly, a stranger to the girl that the unsympathetic portion of you were depicting.

I was a liar.

I just wanted money.

I was ugly.

I was desperate for attention, another black girl taking advantage of a situation.

I was a lot of bad things all at once.

No one seemed to see me as a 17-year old girl going through a traumatic experience.

Those words destroyed me. I held my head high at school, but I went home and I cried every single night.

Without my consent or involvement, political forces took sides. The NAACP held press conferences outside my high school, which I relucantly attended. Malloys political enemies seized the opportunity to criticize him. Within my own family, lines were drawn. My father wanted to press charges. My mother just wanted to keep quiet so I could return to normal life.

And all I wanted was an apology. I wanted someone to be accountable, admit they had made a mistake and just say Sorry.

But, to this day, no one has.

Not even our governor, who at the time had no comment, other than that his son had been fully cooperative with the police.

And so what was my takeaway?

I hated Stamford. I hated Connecticut, but above all else, I hated myself. I hated that my name would come up in a Google search for hate crime.

I developed a severe eating disorder, to help me combat it. The skin against my bones for five years helped me to feel as though I had at least one aspect of my existence under control.

After college, I moved to New York City and disappeared into its masses. The city was much too fast-paced for anybody to stop and take notice of me, much too distracted by its own idiosyncrasies.

I felt lonely and, my god, it was magnificent.

For the first time, I was given an opportunity to grow up. To remember who I was, absent the inked impressions of a judgmental community.

In the city I emerged as a woman with a deep love and appreciation for children and a raw understanding of how fragile they are.

And I looked back upon my high school experience with just that realization: We were children.

I say we because I wasnt the only victim. I wasnt the only child who had to read your words. The four boys who left me those messages were labeled racists. They were labeled no good. Those are words that no child deserves to hear.

Suddenly I found myself wondering, with a sympathetic heart, what happened to them. Had they maybe developed eating disorders as well? Or did they instead turn to drugs to numb the pain? Did they, too, feel paralyzed with anxiety by the idea of a simple Google search? Had they also tried to kill themselves a year later in their college dorms?

Connecticut, do you remember any of us?

I do, and Ill be the first to say I am sorry.

To all of them, for having to endure that experience; a group of children dissected and labeled.

Were they wrong? Categorically. Should they have been held accountable for their actions? Undeniably. Did they deserve to be branded by a society?

No.

Because Ill tell you something that you may not have realized about not only them, but all of us children from Generation Y.

We are a generation of lab rats, a generation that participated as the world speeded up. We laughed at our ability to shoot messages through thin air in a matter of nanoseconds, never stopping to consider the implications. We were the white mice at the turn of a century in which technological advances made us infinitely more capable, and definitively less human.

We no longer have to look someone in the eye to say something hurtful. We no longer have to watch their faces flush with hurt, or their eyes flood with tears.

We just push send.

For the last year, I have worked on creating a website, SocialAutospy.com, that will stop online bullying by outing the bullies. I created a searchable database of people who spew hate online. I hope it will make people think twice before they exercise their First Amendment rights online as a means to hurt others.

And this wouldn't be fun without a public challenge to Gov. Malloy to contact me. To look me in the eye for the first time and stand with me as a leader in the fight against online bullying.

I am once again so happy to be a part of Connecticut, my home state, and one that I believe will be a part of a real solution. Not just another perpetuator of divisive arguments.

Sincerely,

Candace Owens
A rmed police have been sent to a leafy Kent market town after a man was apparently attacked by dogs in his house.

Kent Police sent a group of firearms officers to Vicarage Hill in Westerham at 7.10am while the Air Ambulance landed on a nearby green.

It followed a report that a had been bitten by dogs, although police have been unable to confirm how many or what breed they were.

He was taken to hospital with serious injuries while the road was closed for a short while.

One neighbour claimed that the man had been mauled by his own dogs and was in "a bad way".

Police are still investigating at the scene.
P olice have today released CCTV footage after a parked car and the front door of a doctors surgery in east London were allegedly squirted with paint.

The first incident is believed to have occurred at Bay Tree Medical Centre in Collier Row Lane, Romford, at about 5.05pm on November 3.

A man was seen walking onto the driveway outside the surgery and allegedly squirted blue paint along the side of a parked car.

After walking away briefly to Oaks Avenue, the man returned to the medical centre and reportedly scratched the boot of a parked car before walking towards Wainfleet Avenue.

In the second incident, a man walked to the surgery from the direction of Wainfleet Avenue at about 4.40pm on December 17.

CCTV: Police want to speak to a man captured on camera / Metropolitan Police

Police said dark red paint was squirted across the door and front of the surgery building.

The Metropolitan Police Service have released footage and a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to.

He is described as white, about 65 years old, 5ft 8in tall and of average build.

He was said to be wearing a light coloured woollen hat and a light coloured coat with a dark coloured collar. He was also carrying a canvas or hessian type shopping bag.

Anyone with information should call PC Rebecca Elliott from Pettits Safer Neighbourhoods Team at Havering on 020 8721 2513 or via 101. Information can also be given to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting reference 5420028/15.
A man has been jailed for 12 months after he attacked a motorist's car with a metal pole in a fit of rage.

Christopher Ross, 40, of Exebridge, Furzton, Milton Keynes, carried out the road rage attack at about 11.55am on May 17 last year, Thames Valley Police said.

Ross threatened a 28-year-old driver with a metal pole before causing damage to the victim's vehicle with the weapon.

The victim was not injured during the attack.

After a two-day trial at Amersham Crown Court, Ross was found guilty of one count of criminal damage to property valued under 5,000 and one count of threatening a person with an offensive weapon in a public place.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison for the threats with an offensive weapon and one month in prison for criminal damage, to run concurrently.

Police constable Sarah Nash, from Thames Valley Police, said: "Im very happy with the verdict of the jury and the sentence given.

"This was an unprovoked attack on another driver and this conviction and sentence shows that violence will not be tolerated under any circumstances."
A Met Police officer has been arrested after allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl he met on dating app Tinder.

The Ealing officer was arrested on January 29 on suspicion of sexual activity with a child, a spokesman for the Met confirmed today.

According to the Sunday Mirror, he allegedly met the girl several times in central London in January after contacting her through the Tinder app.

The paper claimed NHS staff called police after he tried to visit the girl when she was in hospital.

He has also been ordered to live at an address in another part of the country and told to stay away from the girl as part of his bail, it has been reported.

A spokesman for the Met Police confirmed the allegation involved a girl under the age of 16.

The officer has been bailed to a date later this month while the Mets Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command investigate.

He has also been suspended and the forces Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed.
P olice invoked special powers to search people for weapons and restore order in an Essex town after three London men were stabbed in the space of just 10 minutes.

Last nights violence in Colchester began when a London 18-year-old was found with suspected stab wounds to his shoulder.

Just five minutes later, at 6.27pm, a 21-year-old man from Barking was found on nearby North Hill with a stab wound to his leg.

Finally, a London 17-year-old was found near a car park at 6.31pm, believed to have four stab wounds to his arm.

All three men were taken to hospital and later arrested for a range of offences.

Just minutes before the stabbings began, a man was also assaulted in car park by a gang of four people, police said.

In a rare move last night, Essex Police used powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, allowing them to stop and search people for dangerous objects without needing to have reasonable suspicion.

Chief Inspector Simon Andrew said the decision was taken to ensure the safety of everyone in the town.

He said: This was very much a temporary measure while we carried out initial investigations into the stabbings to establish if they were all linked and the reasons behind them.

We have already arrested three people for offences including possession of cannabis, violent disorder and breach of bail conditions.

They all live outside of Essex and they will be questioned shortly once they have been treated for their injuries, which all include puncture wounds which are not life-threatening or likely life-changing.

He added: We only deployed this robust policing tactic for as long as it was necessary to ensure that order had been fully restored, suspects had been arrested and anyone intent on causing trouble had dispersed.

There was a significant police presence in the town to manage the section 60 power and maintain order and we would advise members of the public intending to visit Colchester to carry on as normal.
P olice investigate at least four racist incidents on London's trains and Tubes every week, the Evening Standard can reveal.

The reports, which include racist attacks, abuse and graffiti, show the scale of racism on the capitals rail network.

Figures released to the Standard under the Freedom of Information Act show 652 incidents have been logged in the past three years - equivalent to more than four each week.

In 2015, 212 reports were logged, compared to 219 in 2014 and 221 in 2013.

But despite the high volume of reports, figures show only 13 arrests were made.

British Transport Police said the only way to tackle racism on the railway was to understand its true scale.

A spokesman said: Any crime or incident of anti-social behaviour which is motivated by hatred is particularly abhorrent and British Transport Police is working hard to drive such behaviour from the railway.

Part of this drive is encouraging victims, and those who witness crimes, to report them to police.

Only by understanding the true scale and nature of the problem, can we hope to develop lasting solutions that will give all travellers and rail staff an environment as free from hate crime as possible.

"It is vitally important that such crimes are reported to us immediately."

A London TravelWatch spokesman said: London TravelWatch believes that everyone should be able to travel without fear of crime or anti-social behaviour in London.

"This key priority for the next London Mayor is included in our list of 10 transport users priorities for the next Mayoral term.

"Success in reducing crime on Londons transport system should be matched by continuing efforts to reduce anti-social behaviour and the fear of crime."

Anyone can report an incident to British Transport Police by texting 61016 from a mobile or by phone on 0800 405040
H undreds of protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square today to call for an end to what they say is violence against Kurds by the Turkish state.

The demonstration, organised by activist group Stop War on Kurds, began outside the BBC headquarters at 12pm on Sunday.

Protesters then marched to Trafalgar Square, some releasing smoke bombs en route, where speeches were made condemning the Turkish military campaign in the south east of Turkey.

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett joined the crowd and called for better treatment of Kurdish people in Turkey.

Many more took to Twitter to show their solidarity with hashtag #StopWaronKurds.

The protest was in response to Turkish military action in the south eastern area of the country, where the population is predominantly Kurdish.

The demonstration follows an incident earlier this year when pro-Kurdish supporters stormed Conservative campaign headquarters in Westminster.
A n autistic south London teen will be moved to a specialist ward after more than 15,000 backed his parents petition to end their sons six-month jail sentence in a psychiatric ward.

TV presenter Tanya Byron is among the supporters of 15-year-old Matthew Garnett who has been detained in the Mental Health Act at the Cygnet Hospital Woking in Surrey since September because of a lack of specialist support.

His parents Matthew and Isabelle Garnett, from West Dulwich, currently face a 70-mile trip to visit him and launched thier #makeroomformatthew campaign to highlight a lack of facilities elsewhere.

Following the campaign, NHS England has now confirmed the boy, whose move to Surrey was only meant to be temporary, will be transferred within weeks to St Andrew's Healthcare in Northampton.

Matthews father, 48, welcomed the move but said the family wanted to see "words become actions".

Campaign: The Garnett family had been supported by 15,000 people in their bid to move him / PA

Mrs Garnett, 47, said her son, who has ADHD and learning difficulties, also has "complex and yet unassessed mental health difficulties" that needed investigation.

Writing on petition website Change.org, she said: "For the last six months, he has been denied this, trapped, alone, in a place unequipped to look after him.

"We were told this was temporary and that within six weeks he would receive an autism-specific assessment, treatment and care.

Half a year later he has not been moved. What I was promised would be a six week pit stop has become a six month jail sentence."

The family hope he will one day be able to return home and receive treatment in the community but Mr Garnett said he feared it was "just the start" and there were hundreds more families going through similar experiences.

A spokesman for NHS England said: "We have every sympathy for Matthew and his family and we understand that this has been a very difficult time.

"It has been confirmed that Matthew will be moved to St Andrew's, where he will be able to receive the specialist care that he needs. We anticipate that this will happen in a matter of weeks but cannot confirm an admission date at this point."
M et Office forecasters today issued fresh weather alerts for London as they predicted unseasonably low temperatures would continue to chill the UK for another week.

Motorists have been warned roads may be icy as the mercury threatens to sink below freezing.

The conditions have prompted the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning of ice that forecasters said was likely to remain in place into the Monday morning rush hour.

Hail and sleet fell in London on Sunday as parts of the UK were told more snow was expected to fall.

Met Office forecaster Charlie Powell said of Monday: "Hopefully we will see an even sunnier day still with one or two showers around but on balance probably fewer showers than we have seen today. Tomorrow will be a slightly better day but still feeling cold and wintry."

It is expected to be the end of the week before temperatures start to rise to an average level for this time of year, with 13C forecast in London and the South East.

By this time next week we should be looking at things a bit more seasonal for mid-March," Mr Powell said.
A n aide to Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan has been suspended after allegedly posting a series of offensive messages on social media.

Shueb Salar, a parliamentary assistant to the Tooting MP, is accused of posting a string of messages on Twitter about women and homosexuals.

A spokeswoman for Mr Khan said they were "serious issues" and Mr Salar had been suspended from Mr Khan's parliamentary office pending an investigation.

In May 2012 a tweet was posted apparently saying "currently hating on all you faggots who have finished uni", adding "lucky c****".

Another post from June 2012 allegedly read "f*** all you hoes" while a message from April 2012 seemed to suggest that the way to "treat a lady" was to "buy her a nice iron and extend the kitchen for her".

Mr Salar started working for Mr Khan in his Westminster office in November 2014, after the offensive messages had been put on social media.

But Cabinet minister Chris Grayling questioned Mr Khan's judgment in employing someone accused of publishing the comments.

The Commons Leader said: "These comments have absolutely no place in modern society.

"They raise serious questions about the judgement of Sadiq Khan who chose to employ this man despite his views being public, on a Twitter account followed by Khan himself."

A spokeswoman for Mr Khan said: "Clearly these are serious issues. Shueb Salar has been suspended from Sadiq Khan's parliamentary office pending an investigation."
A ndrew Marr ticked off Boris Johnson during the Mayor of Londons appearance on his Sunday morning political chat show today, telling him: Its not the Boris Johnson Show, its the Andrew Marr Show.

It came as the London Mayor made the case for Britains exit from the EU with a claim that European legislation could have led to billions more being spent on the Crossrail project.

Mr Johnson put regaining sovereignty at the centre of his argument to leave the EU, claiming the loss of control to Brussels had become "injurious to government in this country".

He told BBC's Andrew Marr Show he had to fight a lengthy battle to prevent the Crossrail programme spiralling in cost as officials succumbed to "Stockholm syndrome" in the way they interpreted EU rules.

Boris Johnson- Can't have both types of sovereignty - EU Brexit

He said: "Even as mayor of London I have encountered the delay caused by the EU.

"The Crossrail tunnels - the EU decided - such is the Stockholm syndrome capture of officials in this country that they decided to interpret the directive on the interoperability of trans-European networks in such a way as to insist that Crossrail tunnels had to be 50 per cent bigger in order to accommodate German trains in the vanishingly unlikely eventuality of German trains needing to go down the Crossrail tunnel.

TODO: define component type apester

"That would have cost billions and we had to spend literally a year trying to fend off that demand.

Clash: Boris Johnson speaks Andrew Marr on his BBC show / BBC

He also accused the EU of blocking plans to ban potentially unsafe lorries from the streets of the capital.

Challenged that the rules were being changed, Mr Johnson said EU legislation had been blocked "and there is no chance of getting it through until 2021 or 2022" because "currently it is opposed by both the French and the Swedes because they have truck businesses that don't want to see it".

In the confrontational interview, which was mocked by Scottish Conservative lead Ruth Davidson, Mr Johnson was criticised by Mr Marr for attempting to bulldoze his way through questions.

Following protests from the host that there was a lot to cover, Mr Johnson said: Im going to tell you what Im going to cover.

But the long-serving BBC broadcaster rejected his remarks with a stiff response, saying: Its not the Boris Johnson Show, its the Andrew Marr Show, I get to ask the questions.

He added: I have complete sovereignty over this programme, to which Mr Johnson replied: Unlike the UK.

Following the appearance, Tory MSP Ms Davidson tweeted: "Is it just me or is Boris floundering here? Not sure the bumble-bluster, kitten smirk, tangent-bombast routine is cutting through."
T he Mayor of London has hit out at one of the UKs biggest business groups following its suspension of director general John Longworth after he appeared to back Brexit.

Boris Johnson claimed that British Chambers of Commerce had become a victim of "Project Fear" - the label used by Brexit campaigners to criticise the tactics used by David Cameron and his allies backing a Remain vote.

His comments came as Justice Secretary Michael Gove warned that the UK's membership of the EU could make the country less safe.

Mr Johnson, who is a prominent Brexit backer, said the BCC's decision was "scandalous".

The BCC is remaining neutral in the referendum campaign and Mr Longworth stressed he was giving his personal opinion as he used his keynote speech at the organisation's conference on Thursday to say the UK might be better off outside the EU.

EU referendum: Should the UK vote to stay or leave?

Mr Johnson said: "It is absolutely scandalous that John Longworth has been forced to step aside.

TODO: define component type apester

"This is a man who reached the conclusion - after long reflection and a lifetime's experience of business - that it would be better to vote Leave.

He added: "Only 5 per cent of UK firms do business with the rest of Europe, and yet they must obey 100 per cent of EU legislation.

"The British public deserve to have the facts put before them. They deserve a proper debate.

The Sunday Telegraph said a friend of Mr Longworth claimed Downing Street had "bullied" and been "putting pressure" on BCC board members to suspend their director-general.

But a No 10 source said: "This is simply not true. This is a matter for the BCC. No pressure was put on the BCC to suspend John Longworth."

Additional reporting by PA
T he family of Paul Daniels say they dont know how long the terminally ill magician has left to live and every day is a bonus.

Son martin Daniels said the entertainer was spending his last days at home, surrounded by family, after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

The 77-year-old had fell at home last month and was rushed to hospital suspected of suffering a stroke, before being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

His son told the Sunday Mirror: Dads not going to get any better. Theres no treatment which can help him.

Magician Paul Daniels 'has incurable brain tumour'

Doctors haven't said how many weeks or months he might have and we haven't asked.

"He knows things are not in his hands now and we are living in the knowledge every day is a bonus.

"It is unbearably difficult. He has said before when 'it's your time it's your time' and that's how he is trying to face up to things."

Mr Daniels, 52, who is a magician himself, had to cut short a tour in Argentina after receiving a call from his father's wife and assistant Debbie McGee, 57.

The entertainer was still trying to cheer up the other patients while undergoing tests in Royal Berkshire Hospital that later revealed he had a "rapidly growing" brain tumour, his son said.

He said: "He went round the beds saying hello, making jokes. He sat at the nurses' stations. He was doing a little ditty by the door to the ward saying, 'roll up, roll up, visiting time is over folks'."

Daniels, who is said to be lucid, is now at his Thames-side home surrounded by his family, said his son, adding that the support of his fans had given them "tremendous strength at what is a very difficult time".
N ancy Reagan, the former First Lady of the United States, has died aged 94.

The wife of former US president Ronald Reagan died at her home in Los Angeles on Sunday morning, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library said.

It is believed she died from congestive heart failure.

Reagan became one of the most influential first ladies in US history during her Republican husband's presidency from 1981 to 1989.

She was fiercely protective of her husband through a Hollywood career, eight years in the White House, an assassination attempt and Alzheimer's disease.

President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan wave to onlookers AP / AP Photo/File

Her husband, who affectionately called her "Mommy" while she called him "Ronnie" died in 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer's

As Nancy Davis, she was a Hollywood actress during the 1940s and 1950s and married Reagan, a prominent film actor, in 1952.

She then served as first lady of California during her husband's stint as California governor from 1967 to 1975 before moving into the White House after his decisive victory over incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Former First Lady: Nancy Reagan has died aged 94, according to reports Rex / Mark Reinstein/REX

Her most publicised project as first lady was the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign. After her husband developed Alzheimer's disease, she became an advocate for discovering a cure.

She was diminutive and publicly soft spoken but her strong will, high-tone tastes and clout with her husband made her a controversial figure during his presidency.

In a statement, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library said she would be buried next to her husband in Simi Valley, California.

Additional reporting by agencies.
Mary and Elton Wells of Huntley, Wyoming are celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary on March 25. They were married in Cheyenne in 1956. The couples children Katy(Troy Williamson of Casper, Wyoming; Kelly(Jodee) Wells of Chandler, Arizona; along with their grandchildren Brandon, Nick, Austin, Kaylee and Tanner; and Great Grandchildren Sophia and Adalynn are honoring them with a celebration March 12, 2016 at the Table Mountain Vineyards. Friends and family may join them at 1 p.m. Your love and friendship is a treasured gift and the couple requests no other.
USDA has announced its purchase of $13.4 million worth of pinto and Great Northern beans for distribution to child nutrition and other related domestic food assistance programs. This is good news for Nebraska producers, according to Courtney Schuler, chairman of the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission.

Although its impossible to tell how many of the beans are from Nebraska, most of the Great Northerns probably are, because we grow most of them, Schuler said Thursday afternoon.

The USDA notice said more than 60,000 bags of pinto beans were not awarded due to no bids received or constraints, but it does plan to re-tender for pintos.

Schuler said this is probably necessary because one of the constraints in moving the beans through the USDA program is the fact they are in 2 pound packages. These small units are for convenience, and not all destinations prefer the smaller quantities.

The purchase includes almost 182,000 hundred weight bags of pinto beans and 112,000 hundredweight bags of Great Northerns, to be delivered between April 1 and Aug. 30.

Schuler noted that the delivery dates are welcome because they will reduce the carryover before the 2016 harvest.

This government purchase is the result of requests made by the Nebraska Dry Bean industry, Northarvest Bean Growers Association and North Central Bean Dealers Association, last summer. The Section 32 USDA program allows the agency to purchase surplus beans for distribution to schools and aide programs.

Dean Keener, president of the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association, said the transaction is good news, and he is optimistic about this years pinto prices because Mexico, a large producer, is reported to have a short crop this season.
OK, fellow political junkies. If you could stand the embarrassment of Thursdays Republican debate and were able to watch it to the end, I am not sure how anyone could say that this was not a hands-down victory for John Kasich. Hes the only Republican left in the field that is qualified to be Commander in Chief, President, Leader of the Free World, or any other title bestowed on the most powerful person on the planet.

To steal a phrase from Jeff Headley, fellow publisher in Ogallala, this is not Star Search. What we are trying to do, with little to no help from the national media, is have a rational discussion or debate about the future of our nation. And clearly, John Kasich is the only candidate that wants to have that discussion.

Trump, Rubio and Cruz want to play games, point fingers, and accuse each other of lying. The national media wants to throw gas on these flames to make the spectacle even more outrageous. Shame on us (media) and shame on the candidates (other than Kasich) for playing into their Star-Search mockery of what needs to be a serious process that will help us decide the future of America.

If you frequent this space in the Sunday Star-Herald, you no doubt already know I was for Kasich even before he announced his candidacy. He was the last one in the race, and suffered lack of name recognition and was already being smothered out by all the Trump-de-dumps.

Maybe its my age and my perception of what is really wrong with our country that makes me so Kasich-susceptible. We are $19 trillion in debt, a number that is inconceivable, although I heard the other day if we begin tomorrow and pay $10 million of that debt off every day, yes, $10 million a day, every day, it will take us over five thousand years to pay it off. Remember, John Kasich was the last person to balance the budget by working with Bill Clinton, and for several years after that we actually did pay off some debt.

The other major problem with our country is the gridlock in Washington. Partisan politics has frozen us in time, both political parties afraid to govern for fear the difficult decisions like balancing the budget, shoring up Social Security and Medicare, fixing our immigration problems and overhauling an unfair tax code will cost them votes, power and campaign contributions.

John Kasich has overcome those political diseases, and is all about working together and solving problems. And nowhere was that more evident than in the Thursday night game-show debate. There was only one real candidate on stage. He was passionate. He was conservative. He was positive. He has a vision and a plan to restore our nations economy and position in the world.

Maybe we dont want that this year. Maybe we want to entrust the greatest and most powerful country on Earth and the future of our children to a hothead, name-calling, and narcissistic, vindictive, unproven, untested real estate developer or to a couple rookie senators who currently have ambitions larger than their abilities.

Trump, Rubio and Cruz were an embarrassment to the office of the Presidency, an embarrassment to the Republican Party, and an embarrassment to the democratic process. How a candidate campaigns is a window to how they will govern, so if elected, they will no doubt be an embarrassment to the United States of America. Can you even imagine how they will abuse the office if this is all the respect they have for the democratic process?

There was only one man on that Detroit stage qualified to be president, and I believe it is time we take our responsibility more serious than an American Idol show and get behind John Kasich.

If you think I am wrong and you can defend the actions of Rubio, Trump and Cruz, let me have it. Greg.awtry@starherald.com
Imitation isnt necessarily flattery.

In proposing standards for construction in St. Louis local historic districts, the citys guardian of its architectural heritage says in a new report that 21st-century modernity and 19th-century stateliness can coexist side by side.

Put another way, compatibility differs from comparability, said Betsy Bradley, director of the citys Cultural Resources Office.

Compatible buildings can  and should  be different than their neighbors in historic districts, she wrote. They do not have to be replicative or dominantly comparable to be compatible.

Fostering new buildings of good design and construction that respect nearby historic buildings is the reports goal. The new standards would make most of the citys historic districts more than museum pieces by permitting examples of modern architecture.

Members of the citys Preservation Board, which oversees projects in historic districts, at times have lengthy discussions over whether to approve construction plans. The board has approved a few modern designs in recent years but Bradleys recommendations would establish more formal guidelines.

Bradley presented her report to the Preservation Board at its monthly meeting in February. The board is scheduled to consider it at its next meeting, on March 21.

Her eight-page report grew out of a discussion she had in November 2014 with a group of architects. Further talks led Bradley to conclude the citys 17 historic districts can accept modern buildings that respect the past and convey a sense of vibrancy and authentic change.

I wanted to broaden the conversation and  that led me finally to the report, she said in an interview.

Jessica Deem is one of two St. Louis architects who volunteered their time to advise Bradley in her report. Deem, director of sustainability at Killeen Studio Architects, noted that some of the citys historic districts already encompass varied building styles that arose as the areas developed.

Federal-style houses next to Second Empire-style near plain St. Louis-style flounders distinctive for their street-facing, right-triangle roof lines  are viewed now as good neighbors built years apart as the city grew and remade itself block by block. A common trait is that the structures were built to last.

Historic districts wouldnt exist if people who had built them didnt use durable materials, employ skilled craftsmen and use the latest technology of their day, Deem said.

She said new buildings allowed in historic districts should be of similar durability and constructed with the latest energy efficiencies.

It were going to add infill to our historic districts, it should be compatible with durability of materials in addition to being attractive, Deem said.

Bradleys report is out weeks before she retires. Shes headed the citys Cultural Resources Office since 2011.

She said that among the reasons for revising her thinking about allowable design is recognition that not all matters of compatibility are visual and that quality of construction and materials are key.

Suburban design themes should be kept out of the citys historic zones, Bradley said. Those include cul-de-sacs with individual driveways to residences front-facing garages. Allowed sparingly would be exteriors of fiber-cement siding.

Bradley studied Denver, Philadelphia and other cities to come up with a St. Louis-specific balance between forcing builders to duplicate historic structures and allowing them to push modern designs.

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Andrew Weil, executive director of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, said Bradleys report is on the right track.

Some of the old standards were standing in the way of people who want to have good, contemporary modern design, he said.

Innovative approaches by developers to projects in historic areas show significant demand for construction on vacant lots, Weil said. Growing nationwide is a belief by architects and city planners that good contemporary designs can co-exist with and complement historic architecture, he added.

Embedded in that belief is the truth that architecture is a cultural expression and needs to be allowed to evolve, Weil said.

The new standards effect could vary by historic district. In the Central West End, for example, the Preservation Board already is approving modern versions of old buildings. Little would change in Soulard and Lafayette Square because ordinances require new construction to mimic those neighborhoods old buildings.

In other historic districts where most buildings appear much alike, architects would have opportunities to design newcomers that are more of a punctuation point to old streetscapes, Bradleys report said. More abstract designs should pass a first-glance test to show they refer to their old neighbors, the report added.

Bradley said the standards could lead to more variety in some areas, including Benton Park and the North I-44 historic district, where vacant lots mix with flats and single-family homes.

Urban Improvement Co., or UIC, has several redevelopment projects in the Botanical Heights part of the North I-44 district. Brent Crittenden, UICs chief executive and managing principal, disapproves of the reports squint test to see if contemporary buildings pass initial review. He advocates a bigger role for design professionals on the Preservation Board.

I think (design approvals) have to be objective, Crittenden said.

By ordinance, five of the boards nine members must be real estate brokers, architects or other design professionals. The boards current makeup includes a real estate lawyer, an engineer, a real estate broker, an architectural historian and three people with architecture degrees.

Developer Jeff Winzerling said he believes the new standards, if adopted by the Preservation Board, will have little effect. He noted that the board already has approved contemporary residential projects within the Central West Ends historic districts.

In areas where historic models are not required, the board has been open to compatible buildings all along, said Winzerling, president of Universatile Development.

He said board members tend to go with their gut.

Its understandable that the city would want to create rules and standards around what is essentially an aesthetic decision, but the Preservation Board usually seems to know what feels right, he added.

Winzerling, who attended the boards meeting Feb. 22, said Bradley tried to make the case for allowing worthy additions to historic districts.

Good design always trumps, he said. The best designs are going to be the ones able to push the compatibility envelope and still make sense.
NEW DELHI  U.S. seed giant Monsanto has threatened to pull its genetically modified crop technology from India if the government goes ahead with its plan to cut the company's royalty fees.

Monsanto's joint venture firm in India said that it would be difficult to bring new technologies to India because it was becoming difficult for the company to recoup its investments in research and development of genetically modified seeds.

Shilpa Divekar Nirula, chief of Monsanto's India unit, said in a statement seen late Saturday that if the committee recommends imposing a cut in the fees that local seed companies pay to use Monsanto's crop genes then the company would have to reevaluate its position in India.

Nirula said it was difficult for Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Limited, the company's joint venture, "to justify bringing new technologies into India in an environment where such arbitrary and innovation-stifling government interventions make it impossible to recoup research and development investments."

In December, India's government ordered that cotton seed prices, including royalties on seeds, be controlled from the 2016-17 crop year. India's agriculture ministry has set up a committee to determine the price of cotton seeds, including fees the company charges for licensing crop genes.

"If the committee recommends imposing a sharp, mandatory cut in the trait fees paid on Bt-cotton seeds, MMBL will have no choice but to reevaluate every aspect of our position in India," Nirula said.

The company said it was "shocked and disappointed" at the news that the government plans to reduce the "trait fees," or the fees that seed companies pay Mahyco Monsanto to use its crop genes, by around 70 percent.

Monsanto said about 7 million cotton farmers in India use its seeds. Over the last two decades, millions of small farmers have adopted genetically modified cotton seeds, making India one of the world's biggest producers of cotton and a major exporter of raw cotton.

However, farm activists say that the pest-resistance of the seeds has gone down and that farmers have to use more insecticide on their cotton crops.

Genetically modified plants are grown from seeds that are engineered to resist insects and herbicides, add nutritional benefits or otherwise improve crop yields and increase the global food supply. Advocates say these new strains will boost yields and stabilize supply by also improving drought resistance.

India has allowed the use of genetically modified seeds only to grow cotton. It says further study needs to be done to guarantee consumer safety before genetically modified food crops can be cultivated in the country.
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger 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

There is a new Iron Curtain and the enemy is us.

So says Benjamin Akande, the president of Westminster College in Fulton.

It was 70 years ago on Saturday that former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill traveled to the private liberal arts college in mid-Missouri to give his famous Sinews of Peace speech in which he coined the term Iron Curtain for the growth of Communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe headed by the former Soviet Union. While Churchill warned of rising Soviet power, the bulk of his speech was dedicated to what Western nations could do to stop future war. Key to that strategy was opening lines of communication and cooperation, including with countries perceived as rivals or enemies.

Akande, who has a doctorate in economics from the University of Oklahoma, fears America hasnt heeded the lessons of Churchill all these decades later. Hes not talking about the nations foreign policy, but its inability to communicate with itself.

Anybody who watched the childish, insult-laden GOP presidential debate Thursday night knows exactly what hes talking about:

We have been stuck in our ideological perspectives on both sides, Akande said in a phone interview Friday. It has frozen the country that is supposed to be leading the world.

In 1946, at the end of World War II, that was Churchills message to America as delivered in Fulton. America must join with its British partners and lead the world so that the Iron Curtain didnt become the same sort of destructive force that the world just defeated in Germany, Churchill warned.

For decades now, Westminster has been the keeper of Churchills memory. It opened the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in 1969, and it has grown since. The museum holds more than 10,000 objects and personal papers of the historic British leader.

Before taking the helm at Westminster in July 2015, and inheriting the responsibility of keeping Churchills memory alive, Akande was the dean of the George Herbert Walker School of Business and Technology at Webster University in St. Louis. As the 70th anniversary of Churchills speech approached, Akande said he spent time thinking about the current U.S. political environment in relation to Churchills message of open dialogue and diplomacy.

I was trying to bring a 20th-century speech into the context of the present, Akande said. Fast forward 70 years and take an aerial view of the landscape to look for evidence that we have learned from the great event in history. We have not been able to extract lessons from it in the present.

The new Iron Curtain is the divide in the American political system between Democrats and Republicans, between the Congress and the president, between liberals and conservatives on the Supreme Court.

The great divide has America living in a state of hospice, Akande said. We are becoming a country in which the past is greater than the present or our future.

So what to do?

Try a little diplomacy. Open lines of communication with our enemies. Break down the Iron Curtain through compromise and mutual respect.

Its time that we stop talking to each other, Akande said, but talk with each other.

Akande was reared in Nigeria and came to the U.S. at 17, so he brings a worldly perspective to his view of a broken American political system. And despite its current state of raucousness, he has hope that come November, America will find its way through the insults to a path forward.

He tells his three voting-age daughters to try to ignore all the noise and do their own research on candidates with an open mind. Hes hopeful the majority of voters will do the same.

The U.S. found its way out of the Cold War. It can dig its way out of its current political morass.

America always gets a chance to speak its voice, Akande said. And it usually gets it right.
ST. LOUIS  The hulking St. Bridget of Erin is now a mere memory, just like the Irish immigrant prayers that once sounded through its brick walls.

The cornerstone of the church, built at the intersection of North Jefferson Avenue and Carr Street, was laid in 1859. For decades it married and buried the Kerry Patch Catholics. But the parishs original settlers, many of whom hailed from Irelands County Kerry, left for other parts of the city and later the suburbs  dwindling the flock and paving the road for the churchs destruction.

Last weekend, with an active parish a distant memory, St. Bridget was turned to rubble, just like the old Pruitt-Igoe housing complex that once stood nearby. The tear-down sparked an emotional reaction from many of the regions Irish Catholics. It also touched off a civic discussion about culture, race and a renewed debate about the citys preservation process.

The church was in a ward that doesnt have mandated preservation review of demolition applications, a process that could have blocked the churchs destruction. St. Louis had citywide preservation review until 1999, when an ordinance allowed aldermen to choose whether their wards would be covered.

Mayor Francis Slay said on Twitter that the demolition should spark a civic discussion. Then he asked: Do we understand each other on preservation?

Slays office says the mayor was referencing comments from Terry Kennedy, a longtime alderman who serves on the citys preservation board.

Kennedy, who doesnt represent St. Bridgets Ward 5, has long said preservation means different things to different people. Kennedy says the citys approach to cultural preservation is often dominated by architecture and saving buildings, but he said other things should also be considered and promoted.

America is more than just its European heritage, said Kennedy, saying other cultures in St. Louis are often overlooked. Architecture is an outgrowth of culture.

Kennedy says the preservation debate rarely digs deeper to reflect a broader cultural impact.

Often times African-Americans can appreciate the architecture of the city, but you have to bring into the discussion all the architecture represents, Kennedy said, while not specifically speaking about St. Bridgets. Many of these buildings we were not allowed into. We never got to reap the benefits of them.

Kennedy says the city should also strive to include other cultures in existing or new architecture. A good example, he said, is the inclusion of West African art at the citys OFallon Park Recreation Complex.

Kennedy explained that it is often a struggle to preserve buildings in neighborhoods where economic forces prevent serious developers from taking on major rehab projects.

There is no infrastructure, Kennedy said. No money at the table to renovate them. The thing continues to be a haven for crime. Yet oftentimes the preservation aspect keeps it sitting there.

Thats part of why aldermen opted for the more piecemeal approach to preservation. But, preservationists say a citywide preservation review might have saved St. Bridget and other buildings.

Bill Hannegan visited the St. Bridget ruins after the church was demolished. He said he felt such shock and sadness. A citywide cultural review process, he said, would have given St. Louisans one last chance to save the church.

Such a demolition would never happen in Europe, Hannegan said.

Hannegan said his great-grandparents were married at the church in 1887. From 1927 to 1936 it served Kenrick Prep Seminary and High School. Decades later it served schoolchildren from the now-demolished Pruitt-Igoe housing complex.

He lamented that its not a Catholic church anymore, that its not a Catholic neighborhood anymore. But, he said he understands the difficulty in preserving it.

Alderman Tammika Hubbard, who represents the neighborhood, echoed Kennedys comments about historic preservation. She said a previous alderman didnt opt in to the citys review process.

I would consider doing so, or figure out a way to do it on a case-by-case scenario, Hubbard said.

Hubbard said many of the citys North Side wards struggle with crumbling buildings and scant resources to rehabilitate them.

At least in this case something good will come of it, Hubbard said.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis closed St. Bridget in 2003. In 2013, it closed the nearby school. But, the land will serve the community once again.

De La Salle, a charter school, took control of the property and paid to have St. Bridget torn down. De La Salle is planning a $4 million renovation of the churchs old school, and is planning to build a $2 million activity center on the site.

We understand it is an emotional issue, but the property will serve the greater community in a positive way, said Melissa Brickey, De La Salles executive director.

And, the school plans to preserve some of the churchs Irish culture by including its old stained glass and bells in the new structure.
FERGUSON  The U.S. Department of Justice has assured city officials that they can still resolve a costly lawsuit by approving a proposal to overhaul its police and court practices, according to a letter obtained by the Post-Dispatch.

The Justice Department also suggested that the price of reform isnt nearly as expensive as has been portrayed.

The clarifications couldnt have come at a more critical time: The Ferguson City Council is expected to vote within days on an agreement with the Justice Department after effectively rejecting it less than a month ago.

We are fully prepared to litigate this matter, wrote Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division in a letter dated Friday. Should the city wish to avoid the litigation process we submit that the alternative is to sign the agreement...

The letter rebuts the notion that a provision requiring Ferguson to offer police competitive salaries means that officers and other employees must receive 25 percent pay increases, as a prominent city official had previously asserted.

We have always been clear that the salary provision neither requires any specific salary increase nor prohibits increases from being implemented over a reasonable time period, Gupta wrote.

As the Post-Dispatch reported last week, the council is expected to vote on the agreement on Tuesday  weeks after a new appointment to the council created a shift in favor of accepting a consent decree, but before a municipal election in April.

Ferguson Councilman Wesley Bell said Guptas letter clearly indicates that the Justice Department has no intention of bankrupting the city. The document, he said, should ease the fears of those opposed mostly for financial reasons to the agreement, called a consent decree.

Its time for everyone to rally behind this decree and move the city forward, Bell said.

Bell confirmed that the agreement would likely be added to the councils agenda for a meeting on Tuesday for a first reading.

I will be supporting it, he said. No was never an option for me.

Concerns about agreement

Last month, the council voted to accept the decree, but only with certain conditions, one of which would have effectively diluted its power.

The city sought to eliminate the so-called poison pill clause that made the decree apply to any other agency providing policing in Ferguson. The revision allowed Ferguson to circumvent most of the decree by disbanding its police department.

The Justice Department sued the city the next day.

But at that same meeting, council members also appointed Laverne Mitchom, a retired educator, to fill a council seat vacated when Brian Fletcher, a former mayor died of a heart attack in January.

Fletcher had founded the I love Ferguson campaign and never passed up a chance to extol the citys virtues.

Mitchom, on the other hand, had participated in the protests following Michael Browns death in August 2014, an event that sparked the Justice Department investigation into the citys police and court practices.

The Justice Department investigation produced a 105-page report alleging patterns of illegal stops, searches, and arrests  driven partly by racial bias.

City leaders encouraged the abuses, which violated the Constitutions First, Fourth and 14th Amendments, in the interest of raising revenue, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has said.

In the aftermath of the report, the Justice Department and Ferguson spent 26 weeks negotiating a 131-page consent decree  one of the most comprehensive such agreements ever produced.

The city released it to the public in late January, holding hearings for its residents over a two-week period.

At those meetings, some residents expressed concerns that the expense of enacting the lengthy list of reforms would lead to the citys dissolution  fears that were only heightened by a presentation from Fergusons finance director, Jeffrey Blume.

Of the decrees more than 450 provisions, one requires Ferguson to develop a plan to offer police salaries that are among the most competitive with comparable agencies in St. Louis County.

Blume said the city had interpreted the provision to mean that Ferguson had to give 25 percent raises not only to police officers but all employees  raising the cost of abiding by the decree to $3.7 million in the first year.

But a Post-Dispatch analysis found that to arrive at that number, city officials appeared to have accelerated deadlines in the agreement, used inappropriate salary data and ignored the context of the most-competitive phrase.

Letter stresses collaboration

Guptas letter is unequivocal that the federal government will not accept the modifications the city unilaterally made to the agreement last month. But it also reveals an expectation that both parties will work collaboratively and that the city may have some latitude in carrying out the reforms.

That sentiment was mostly absent in the City Councils previous deliberations about approving the decree.

 as we made clear during our negotiations, Gupta wrote, the precise contours of implementation  would be developed over time in close coordination and consultation with City officials, the Department of Justice, the independent monitor and the court.

Gupta also suggests that her department has a significant stake in Fergusons financial health.

The Department of Justice has a strong interest in ensuring the sustainability of the reforms in our consent decrees and we understand that sustainability often, as a practical matter, requires attention to the financial condition of the local jurisdiction during the implementation stage, Gupta wrote.

Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III did not immediately return a voice message on Sunday. But he has repeatedly pointed to the numbers provided by Blume as evidence that the cost of abiding by the decree would be more expensive than fighting the federal government in court.

In an exchange with National Public Radios Ari Shapiro last month, Knowles went even further, saying he had seen no evidence that the citys practices had violated the Constitution.

I have not been presented with a case from the Department of Justice nor have we been able to identify specific instances in which this has occurred, Knowles said.
Two waves of heavy rainstorms are in the forecast for next week, bringing another chance of flooding to eastern and southern Missouri.

The National Weather Service says three to six inches are possible, with heavier amounts in some places, beginning Tuesday through Thursday or Friday. The track of heavy rain is forecast to roughly follow Interstate 44 northeast through St. Louis into Illinois, with higher accumulations to the south in Arkansas, said Thomas Spriggs, meteorologist at the Weather Service office in Weldon Spring.

Spriggs said parts of Arkansas could get eight or nine inches.

He said Saturday night the forecast calls for storms that are similar to, if not as intense, as the ones that inundated Missouri beginning Dec. 26. Rainfall of eight or more inches over three days caused the Meramec and Bourbeuse rivers to rise to record flood levels.

"There are similarities with that storm, although we're talking about a lesser event this time," Spriggs said. "If this forecast holds, we're likely to see some flooding."

The Weather Service calls for a 20 percent chance of rain beginning Sunday night, rising to 100 percent by Tuesday night. Rain is expected through Saturday.

Spriggs said the forecast calls for heavy rain Tuesday, followed by a second wave Wednesday or Thursday. He said the second wave probably will be heaviest to the south of the first track.

"We don't see the levels of moisture as last time, and it doesn't look like it will persist do the degree that the other did," he said. "But if the two waves coincide -- if the second max (accumulation) falls over the first max -- we're going to have problems."

Spriggs said a front in the southern Rockies will push Gulf air north into the Midwest, feeding the storms. Rain is expected to diminish later in the week with the arrival of wind from the west.
SAN FRANCISCO  A biologist who contracts with a lumber company is at the heart of an experiment sanctioned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: killing bully owls to protect endangered owls.

Biologist Lowell Diller, a contractor for Green Diamond Resource Co., a lumber company managing timberland in Californias Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties, kills barred owls, which are known to bully the smaller northern spotted owl, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

The barred owl has invaded California from the eastern United States, muscling out northern spotted owls upstate, and spreading south toward San Francisco. A Pacific Northwest native, the spotted owl is threatened with extinction and has become the symbol of the regions timber conservation battles.

Northern spotted owl populations have fallen in some areas by about 12 percent each year, despite efforts enacted in the 1990s to protect their old-growth forest habitat.

After Diller learned Jack Dumbacher, ornithology curator at the California Academy of Sciences, had a permit to collect some barred owl specimens, Diller saw an opportunity and applied for his own permit.

In 2009, he set aside patches of timberland to remove barred owls. In other patches, he did nothing. After four years, he found that in the areas without barred owls, northern spotted owls are no longer declining.

A study soon to be published in the Journal of Wildlife Management and Wildlife Monographs shows Dillers grisly conservation experiment works because without barred owls competing for habitat, northern spotted owls bounce back.

But the ethics of the approach leave some conservationists uncomfortable.

Its sort of a no-win situation, said Andrea Jones, the National Audubon Societys California director of bird conservation. Were not advocating for the killing or against the killing.

She says old-growth habitat destruction is to blame for pitting the two owls against each other.

Shawn Cantrell, Defenders of Wildlifes northwestern program director, suggested that barred owl removal should play a short-term role in spotted owl conservation, while habitat restoration should play a bigger one. When we mess things up, we have an obligation to fix them, he said.Diller, too, says he doesnt enjoy killing the animals and tries to focus on what hes saving: the northern spotted owl. He talks about a pair of owls that emerged from hiding only two weeks after hed removed barred owls from their old home.

They were looking for a free mouse and flew up to greet me, he said. That was thrilling.
NEW YORK  Before they say I do, soon-to-be newlyweds are increasingly going online to ask, Will you pay for our honeymoon?

Crowdfunding websites such as Honeyfund, GoFundMe and Honeymoon Wishes make it easy to raise cash from family and friends for a post-wedding getaway. The sites charge fees for their services  as much as 10 percent of the total collected  but people are warming up to the idea, despite the cost.

As couples increasingly live together first and marry later, they already have toasters and towels, so traditional gift registries dont make as much sense. Honeymoon registries also provide a polite way of hinting to guests to give money instead, without breaking wedding etiquette.

I didnt feel right saying, Hey, give me cash, says Nicole DePinto, who raised $2,900 on GoFundMe for an Icelandic honeymoon with her husband Anthony in December.

Sites that help couples raise cash for honeymoons have seen their popularity soar recently. Honeyfund users, for example, raised $90 million last year, a 50 percent jump from the year before, says co-founder and CEO Sara Margulis.

Last year, 22 percent of people using the Knot, a wedding planning site, said they also used honeymoon registries, according to a survey of 6,500 customers.

Thats the same as the year before, but up from 17 percent in 2013 and 13 percent in 2012.

The DePintos even crowdsourced the destination of their honeymoon, asking the 100 guests at their travel-themed October wedding reception to vote on Greece, Iceland or Japan. The save-the-dates came on travel postcards, and the party favors were luggage tags.

We did everything outside of the box, she said, and besides: Theyre all places we wanted to go eventually.

The guests chose Iceland. In winter.

Iceland is absolutely beautiful in December, she insisted, recalling the Christmas decorations, mulled wines, ice caves and northern lights.

I think our guests understand that we are not a super-traditional couple, so we wanted our honeymoon to be more adventure and less lounging on a beach.

Most guests gave the couple cash-stuffed envelopes at the wedding, but the 14 donations they got online covered their hotel and airline tickets, even after GoFundMe kept more than $230 in fees. The Union City, N.J., couple also had a registry at Target, but they asked for just a few things there because they had lived together for three years.

In that time weve acquired tons of pots, plates, towels, throw pillows and bedding, they explained on their GoFundMe page.

Asking for cash in the invitation is a wedding faux pas, says Kristen Maxwell Cooper, deputy editor at the Knot. But passing around a link to a honeymoon registry works, because couples can explain to guests exactly where the money will be spent, she says.

Couples have a few options to turn to.

Crowdfunding site GoFundMe has collected $2 billion to date for all sorts of personal campaigns, raising money for medical emergencies, crime victims and other local causes. But the site does have a weddings and honeymoons section where users have raised $4 million since GoFundMe was launched six years ago, says media director Kelsea Little.

Anyone can see a GoFundMe campaign, but dont expect strangers to hand over cash  only friends and family will likely donate, says Little.

Its a common misconception, she says.

Honeyfund, meanwhile, is more focused on honeymoons. Couples can list exactly what the cash will pay for, from hotel rooms to sightseeing tours to massages.

Major resorts and cruise lines are jumping in, using Honeymoon Wishes to power honeymoon registries built into their sites.

At Carnival Cruise Line, for example, couples can ask wedding guests to pay for scuba diving excursions or horseback rides. The money goes straight to Carnival and couples can redeem the gifts on board, says Nancy Williams, the business development director at Honeymoon Wishes. Couples can also go to Honeymoon Wishes and build their own honeymoon, without being attached to a certain resort.

Its now socially acceptable, says Williams.
When A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness won the 2016 Oscar for best short-subject documentary, the film and its director, Pakistani-born Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, were understandably feted on social media. Obaid-Chinoys victory was seen as a triumph for women, South Asia and the power of cinema.

The documentary details the harrowing story of a young woman in Pakistan, Saba Qaiser, who was shot in the head and left for dead at the side of a river by her father in 2014. The act was an attempted honor killing, with Sabas father apparently irate at his daughters decision to marry someone not approved by him.

The teenager survived and went on to seek justice, a quest captured by Obaid-Chinoys documentary.

The film reveals a grim and tragically widespread culture of abuse and misogyny in Pakistan. In rural parts of the country, as well as elsewhere in South Asia, honor killings and other acts of violence against women are all too commonplace.

The Pakistani government estimates that about 500 women were victims of honor killings last year, though many activists believe the real number is far higher.

The tale of Sabas ordeal, though, has moved Pakistan into action. After the films victory at the Oscars, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hailed its director.

Women like Ms. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy are not only a pride for the Pakistani nation but are also a significant source of contribution toward the march of civilization the world over, he said.

Sharif also vowed to push through further legislation against the practice of honor killings, which are already outlawed but endure because of religious mores as well as legal loopholes that pardon assailants who are forgiven by survivors. Sharif insisted that there is no place for killing in the name of honor.

In a phone call the day after her victory, Obaid-Chinoy expressed satisfaction that her work had led to the prospect of genuine political reform.

For a social justice documentary filmmaker, its a dream come true, she said. You have a sitting prime minister whos making bold gestures.

Obaid-Chinoy earlier won an Oscar for her 2012 documentary, Saving Face, about the prevalence of acid attacks against women in Pakistan.

Unfortunately, it takes much more than tough legislation to change ingrained traditions in often remote and underdeveloped parts of the country.

In a 2013 Pew poll of Pakistanis, 84 percent of respondents expressed support for Islamic religious law and, of that number, a vast majority favored stoning as a punishment for adultery.

We need to make examples of people, Obaid-Chinoy said. Some people still dont think that killing a woman in the name of honor is actually a crime.

She hopes that with political leadership and greater education, more mindsets will change.

Still, if there was any need for evidence of the ideological obstacles along the way, the news in Pakistan on Monday offered a good glimpse.

Authorities finally executed the assassin of Salman Taseer, a prominent liberal politician who was killed in 2011 for his opposition to the countrys controversial blasphemy laws.

The execution sparked nationwide protests, with Islamists taking to the streets and chanting the name of Taseers murderer.
JERUSALEM  A good argument can be made that the soul of Jewish Jerusalem is the old Mahane Yehuda market, known as the shuk. Now it will become the largest Jewish portrait gallery in the world.

The open-air food mart is a beautiful chaos of jostling capitalism five and a half days a week, but at night, it is dark and spooky. A good place to be a rat, or better, a cat. But in the past few years, the shuk has transformed itself into an improbable nightlife hot spot, the narrow alleys and stalls taken over by dozens of micropubs, fish-and-chips joints and live music bars.

If there is a slice of hip in fusty Jewish Jerusalem, this is it.

Now a prolific street artist and his pal are adding the color.

There are about 360 metal shutters that roll down to protect the fruit, fish and bakery stalls at night. Solomon Souza has spray-painted portraits on 140. He has another few months to go and thinks he and other artists will do at least a hundred more.

Using spray cans he pulls out of grocery sacks, Souza has painted portraits of Jews, famous and obscure. There is the founding generation of Israel: David Ben-Gurion, featured upside down, and Golda Meir, Menachem Begin and Zeev Jabotinsky (but pointedly no Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat).

He has painted famous Jews, such as Albert Einstein, Steven Spielberg and the medieval philosopher and astronomer Maimonides, and the less well-known, such as Gracia Mendes Nasi, the spice trader and perhaps the wealthiest Jewish woman in the Renaissance world, who helped resettle Jews in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee in the 16th century, making her an early Zionist.

There is a portrait of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal correspondent executed in Pakistan by al-Qaida operatives in 2002, whose last words were My fathers Jewish, my mothers Jewish, Im Jewish 

There is Bob Marley, too (Babylon, Zion, Rastafarians; it is a complicated connection, but it works. At night, too, the shuk smells like marijuana; it is not legal in Israel but is tolerated).

Souza, 22, is a transplant from London. Mostly self-taught, he can paint up to four shutters a night.

On a recent day, Souza and his crew walked from their nearby home over to the shuk, lugging cans of paint and video equipment.

At the Levi brothers falafel shop, they scrapped and cleaned the metal shutters as Souza asked his friends whom he should paint.

He did not have a plan, but he did have a smartphone. Someone suggested Lucy Aharish, a Muslim Arab Israeli and popular TV news anchor. Souza found a photo of Aharish he liked on Google Images, then put on his gas mask and went to work, a can of paint in his right hand, the phone photo in his left.

Souza will not paint a shutter unless shopkeepers give their permission. His artistic partner and the P.T. Barnum of the team, Berel Hahn, prowls the shuk during the day, cajoling venders to allow their shutters to be sprayed.

At first we got a bunch of requests to paint the shopkeepers favorite rabbis, so a lot of the early shutters are old men, which is fine, but our friends said, Hey, where are the women? Wheres everybody else? said Hahn, 26, a transplant from Crown Heights in Brooklyn who wears a gold, sequined yarmulke.

Souza painted many grandfathers of todays stall owners; other vendors tell the artist to paint whomever he likes. The pair ask not only for permission to paint, but also a donation. Many shop owners decline; some offer to buy the paint.

This is a labor of love, Hahn said. They want to open a nonprofit gallery in the market to sell T-shirts, coffee cups, posters and refrigerator magnets of the portraits.

Hahn said the vision is to paint everybody who helped the Jews get here, to support indigenous Jewish culture.

He said one day he had a vision. I saw the shuk exploding at night with color and history.

Merchants in the shuk by their very nature are hagglers. Theyre suspicious. They want to know whats the catch? Why are these guys painting shutters for free? They think maybe this artist will be famous and somebody is going to steal my shutters? That kind of thing, said Shuki Haidu, a tour guide and friend of the artist.

Some of the vendors wanted the art to serve as advertisement, which Souza and Hahn declined. A coffee shop wanted a painting of coffee. A mobile phone dealer wanted phones. So Souza painted Samson fighting the lion, and at the bottom of the shutter, he drew a fallen cellphone.

Sara Hannah Ekaireb, 20, a New Yorker spending the year on a religious studies program in Jerusalem, said she comes to the shuk most evenings and enjoys seeing the how the project is taking shape.

Its fun to see snippets of Jewish history with this work, she said. Although I think there could be more women.

Her friend, Rachel Sneiderman, who moved to Israel from Delaware, said the shuk is a super cool place to be.
The most formidable opponent Hillary Clinton faces in her campaign for the presidency is, unfortunately, Hillary Clinton. She is well on her way to leaving Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in her dust in the Democratic primaries. Whoever emerges as the GOP nominee probably will be no match for Clintons political mastery and knowledge of world affairs.

Clinton is, by far, the Democrats best option to retain the presidency, which is why she receives this newspapers endorsement in the March 15 Missouri and Illinois primaries. She would work on behalf of her party to stop the nations dangerous lurch toward political extremism. Her demonstrable toughness and perseverance is a quality Americans must demand in their next president.

Clintons four years leading the State Department, eight years as a U.S. senator, and another eight years as first lady in the tumultuous White House of her husband, all have prepared her to take on the presidency.

But can she overcome her worst political adversary, the Hillary Clinton who constantly blocks the doorway to her own political advancement? Clinton ranks among the most highly qualified presidential candidates in history, but her demeanor has a tendency to make Democrats as well as Republicans recoil.

There have been serious missteps in her past: sidestepping justice in the Whitewater affair, inept handling of the U.S. consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya, and the massive judgment lapse of using her personal email server to send highly sensitive State Department messages.

Republicans can be expected to work overtime to make her weaknesses and vulnerabilities the central focus of the election. The GOP will pound on her explanations for the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, in which U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed.

They will call her judgment into question. They will ask how Americans can trust her with the worlds most powerful and sensitive job, especially considering the State Department email scandal that continues to be the focus of an FBI investigation.

We believe Clinton can take the heat and deliver it right back in spades.

Missouri Democratic voters should weigh Clintons electability against that of Sanders, whose dismal performance in the Super Tuesday primaries all but ensured his eventual withdrawal as a candidate.

His socialist model might energize young voters with attractive ideas to improve the quality of life for people at the lowest economic rungs, but realistically, he cannot be expected to carry a general election if he cant even inspire a large percentage of Democrats to vote for him.

Americans are tired of political polarization and the domination of our national conversation by extremist blowhards. The choice of Clinton to lead her partys charge will force the GOP to present a more moderate and palatable option or risk yet another humiliating defeat.
For the GOP to be a political party of today, and not of a past where the poor, middle-class and people of color were safely marginalized, it must unite behind Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.

Republican voters in Missouri and Illinois have an opportunity on March 15 to turn around the GOP ship before its too late to stop front-runner Donald Trump. Rubio is the best option to halt the partys takeover by an extremist fringe.

The 44-year-old junior senator is the only remaining candidate for the Republican nomination for president who has maintained an inclusive campaign theme aimed at energizing his party around helping the poor and middle class.

Rubio is a traditional conservative. He tells crowds he does not want big government to be used as a tool of crony capitalism. Of course, he also trumpets the predictable themes of opposition to same-sex marriage, Obamacare and raising the minimum wage. He adamantly opposes restoring relations with Cuba, the country his parents are from, even though many Republican leaders now say its time for a new approach.

Spanish-language media sometimes describe this son of a bartender and a maid as a joven viejo  young fogey. His personal story is compelling. He is a genuine candidate with something to offer Republican voters turned off by Trumps blowhard, strongman appeal to the partys fringe.

Rubio does not prey on voters anger, pessimism or fear. He deserves credit and support for championing workers, families and small businesses. Although he occasionally waffles, Rubio favors a fix for the nations broken immigration system.

He reasonably says the GOP can work with blue-collar unions on many issues, provided employers arent driven out of business in the process.

Rubio calls himself a child of the Reagan Revolution, and that mantle, along with his message of limited government and cutting the nations nearly $19 trillion debt, has helped him win the backing of conservative, establishment Republicans.

Its not too late for Republicans to reverse Trumps Super Tuesday momentum and opt for a Republican leader with vision and ideas that embrace more members of their party, rather than fewer.

Rubio has made missteps. Hes recently been criticized for rolling in the mud and taking childish swipes at Trump. A flawed debate performance before the New Hampshire primary led to concern that he lacks presidential gravitas.

He has massaged a family narrative to present his parents as exiles from Fidel Castros Cuba; in fact, the family left the country as emigres more than 2 years before Castro took power. He also had trouble with commingling personal and professional finances, and friendships with two scandal-tainted Florida state representatives.

These concerns should not be serious enough to discourage voters. If Republican primary voters want to halt their partys rapid self-destruction, Marco Rubio should be the choice.
LATAKIA, Syria  At first glance, the Mediterranean port of Latakia doesn't look like a city at war. Its streets are jammed with traffic, stylish women chat under palm trees, and idyllic orange groves stretch for miles.

But the signs become apparent on closer inspection: a man in camouflage shopping with a Kalashnikov slung on his shoulder, the occasional military checkpoint, and rows of unfinished cottages and apartment buildings whose construction was interrupted by Syria's 5-year-old civil war.

For a group of international reporters on a five-day trip to Syria organized by the Russian Foreign and Defense ministries, the contrasts were stark.

From our military-escorted bus, we rode through a relaxed and sun-splashed Latakia, located in the heart of President Bashar Assad's Alawite homeland.

We passed burned-out tanks, armored personnel carriers and a shattered bus in areas of recent battles.

And we came under fire in a mountain village, with shells falling around us as we scrambled up a street to an armored truck and safety.

  

Portraits of Assad and his father, Hafez, looked down from billboards, walls and windows on Latakia's busy streets, packed shops and cafes serving kebabs and humus.

But the front lines of the civil war that since 2011 has killed a quarter-million people and displaced half of Syria's population were only about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) away.

As our group approached those lines, half-finished construction projects gave way to houses damaged by fighting. Many had walls riddled by shrapnel, a missing balcony or a roof blown off. In some places, cardboard replaced missing walls, and clothes hung out to dry across empty sections  signs of life amid the devastation.

Troops at checkpoints appeared increasingly tense as we got closer to the fighting, their look purposeful and fingers on triggers.

Our bus was escorted across central Hama province by a pickup truck with a heavy machine gun mounted on top, with a soldier in a black bandanna scouring the surrounding landscape.

At an intersection outside Hama, we transferred to armored trucks of the Russian military  a clear indication of the danger ahead. Reporters clumsily climbed up the ladders, and we continued under Russian army escort.

We were greeted in the village of Maarzaf, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) west of the city of Hama, by scores of heavily armed men from the private militia of Sheikh Ahmad Mubarak, an influential leader in the province. We saw him sign a deal pledging to respect the cease-fire that began Feb. 27.

Some of his troops were in their early teens, and they looked proud of their weapons and fatigues.

When a Russian truck unloaded humanitarian aid, the sheikh's troops mixed with the residents reaching for candy, and one half-seriously loaded his rifle to fend off some particularly pushy boys.

But there was more curiosity than danger. A female press officer from the Russian Defense Ministry instantly became the focus of attention, with Syrian men elbowing each other to get a photo taken with her.

  

A visit to mountain villages near the border with Turkey was more harrowing.

Most of the homes in Ghunaymiyah, recently seized by the Syrian army from militants, were empty shells, their windows and doors missing and walls riddled by shrapnel. Residents who returned to inspect the damage reacted with shock.

A few knelt to pray at a Christian church, its walls half-ruined and the floor covered with rubble and broken glass. The devastation seemed incongruous with the blossoming trees and bright blue sky.

We then went to nearby Kinsibba, which sits on a steep hill overlooking a strategic road leading to Idlib and Aleppo, Syria's onetime commercial capital that has been the focus of a recent government offensive backed by intense Russian airstrikes.

An indifferent-looking Syrian general said the cease-fire was largely holding despite some shelling by militants of the Nusra Front, al-Qaida's branch in Syria, which is excluded from the cease-fire. The Russian officers weren't so calm, and they nervously urged reporters not to stand at the edge of a cliff overlooking the hills controlled by the militants.

Reporters paid little attention, snapping pictures of the idyllic landscape and later moving down a street to chat with residents.

Suddenly, an explosion and a puff of gray smoke rose from the mountain slope about 200 meters (yards) below. At first, I didn't understand what had happened, but a Russian officer next to me immediately yelled: "All down! We are under fire!"

As I tried to hide behind a nearby low concrete barrier on the street, I saw another puff of smoke from a nearby explosion and reached for my camera. That's when another blast forced me to get down.

More shells fell, and I realized the next one might land on us.

A Russian APC rushed forward to shield us from shrapnel. Under its cover, we ran up the steep hill and around a corner to where our armored trucks were parked.

I felt I was losing my breath after running in my heavy flak jacket, and others stumbled and fell, with the Russian troops helping them up.

We frantically climbed aboard, the nervous Russian officers shouted our names to make sure all were safe, and the trucks sped away over a bumpy road. We could see little through the small armored windows, and the feeling of danger was intense.

But the trucks soon reached a spot where our bus was waiting for us  a sign the immediate peril had eased. Medics treated those who scraped their arms and legs after falling on the asphalt.

  

On another day, a Russian military plane flew us to the capital of Damascus, where we saw entire neighborhoods wiped out by fighting, with barely a single apartment building intact. Just a few miles away, however, other neighborhoods bore no sign of damage, with streets filled with traffic and busy shops.

We were taken to al-Tall, on the northern outskirts, where hundreds of people gathered on the streets. Children chanted "Bashar!" Portraits of Assad and army heroes were everywhere. The atmosphere seemed relaxed, but Syrian military snipers patrolled the rooftops.

We went farther north to the Christian hamlet of Maaloula, which has changed hands several times in the war. Set into a mountainside with breathtaking views, the town is overlooked by the Catholic monastery of St. Sergius, locally known as Mar Sarkis and dating back to Byzantine times. A narrow gorge leads to the Greek Orthodox convent of St. Takla, a place of worship since the early days of Christianity.

Some people in Maaloula and other nearby towns still speak a version of Aramaic, the language Jesus is believed to have used.

The sites were badly damaged by jihadi militants. Their walls were blackened by fire and the frescoes damaged by bullets and shrapnel. Ancient icons were stolen.

  

At Hemeimeem Air Base, the facility used by the Russians in western Syria near Latakia, the military said its warplanes mostly have been grounded since the cease-fire, except for a few missions to the northeastern province of Raqqa, controlled by the Islamic State group. The relative calm contrasted sharply to a previous visit to the base in January, when Russian jets were taking off and landing around the clock.

Since Moscow began its air campaign at the end of September to help its longtime ally Assad, there have been more than 6,000 missions. The bombardment has allowed the Syrian army to reclaim ground in several key areas, most recently around Aleppo.

  

Our last trip was to Al-Issawiyah, a village 15 kilometers south of the border with Turkey, for a delivery of humanitarian aid. Most of the residents are Turkmen, an ethnic minority that Turkey sees as its kin.

The village has been spared fighting, and unlike other we were taken, there were few portraits of Assad and no chants of support.

The Syrian security agents who accompanied our group seemed nervous and urged us to stay together to avoid being abducted.

Still, residents said the Syrian army was protecting them, and some expressed sympathy for the Russian pilot killed by militants while parachuting from his plane that was shot down by a Turkish jet in November.
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas  Looking for a low-key winter getaway or quiet spring break destination? Grand Bahama may be your place.

Its one of the main islands of the Gulf Stream-warmed Bahamas archipelago of 700 islands, cays and inlets sprawling across the waters off southeastern Florida. Our February trip saw temperatures locked between 70 and 80 degrees, with an occasional spurt of rain at night.

At restaurants, it wasnt unusual for the three of us  my wife, brother-in-law and me  to be the only ones there, although some places buzzed with activity. With the exchange at 1:1 U.S. dollar to a Bahamian dollar, the prices all seemed reasonable, and the practice of factoring tips into the bill made transactions even simpler.

Beaches in many areas were quiet, with an occasional trickling of cruise ship passengers now and again making their way across the glistening sand, wading out to reefs and checking out ships dotting the horizon. This was the case at Gold Rock Beach at Lucayan National Park, which at $5 per head is a dont-miss stop just a few miles east of Freeport along the Grand Bahama Highway.

Tour companies and taxis make trips to the park, which features trails to an underwater cave system where pre-Columbian artifacts have been discovered. Another part of the park (be careful crossing the highway) offers trails whose meandering boardwalks lead through a mangrove ecosystem featuring saltwater fish, waterfowl and wading birds.

Tour companies also offer activities including kayak trips through a mangrove forest, sightseeing by bike or Jeep, all-terrain vehicle rides, snorkeling and birding. For the more adventurous, theres parasailing and even (gasp!) shark feeding dives.

We spent a week in a rented house in Freeports Xanadu Beach area, noted for the 13-story resort once owned and inhabited by Howard Hughes and haunted by Hollywood jet setters. Now the high-rise stands eerily silent, its once-vibrant surroundings looking desolate as we looked on from the quiet white-sand beach. Same at Freeports International Bazaar, a marketplace of shops and boutiques  now mostly abandoned, shuttered, silent. Under the shade of a palm tree near its main gate, a checkers board, pieces still set on squares, lay untouched as if waiting for the next move.

But we found our bliss at Albertha Coopers restaurant. Its a bit out of the way, but worth the expedition.

At the far eastern end of the island in McLeans Town, a seaside village known for its annual conch-cracking contest, we happened upon Coopers tidy little drive-up restaurant. There was no menu to be seen, but she gladly obliged us with her specials for the day. I chose the fried conch plate. Asked where the conch was caught, she pointed to the turquoise cove a few hundred yards to our backs.

Right there, she said with a smile.

The conch came with a helping of rice-and-beans and coleslaw. My wife chose three lobster tails with sides, and her brother chose the ribs plate. Add a couple of beers and a rum and Coke for drinks, $52 total for our feast for three.

On another outing, we drove to the west side for a day of snorkeling and relaxing at Paradise Cove, a friendly and informal resort near Dead Mans Reef, 15 miles from Freeport.

Getting around the island was easy, though driving itself is a bit of a challenge: You drive on the left side of the road, but many cars also have steering wheels on the left  different from both the U.S. and British systems.

Of course Grand Bahama is but one of the islands in the Bahamian chain. Nearby Paradise Island and Nassau (the Bahamian capital on New Providence island), offer more night life. Atlantis, with its more than 2,300 rooms, casino, water park and what it calls the worlds largest open-air marine habitat, is also a major draw for visitors.

Eleuthera and Harbor Island offer quieter settings in an atmosphere that retains trappings of the British loyalists who settled there centuries ago. Eleuthera, where fishing and pineapple farming are king, boasts well-developed resorts, pink sand beaches, rocky bluffs and large coral reefs.

IF YOU GO

Numerous flight options to Freeport, including frequent service from South Florida airports, plus ferry service from Fort Lauderdale for the four-hour trip to Grand Bahama. Planes and boats connect Freeport and Nassau.
The U.S. Navy has decided to put the latest (Block III) version of the AGM-154 JSOW (Joint Stand Off Weapon) glide bomb into mass production and make this version the current standard. What makes Block III special is that it has a Link-16 digital data link and is equipped to go after moving ships. Block III carried out its first successful test of this in 2014. The video link/heat sensing guidance system was also accurate enough to locate and find a cave entrance, fly into it and then detonate. Two missiles were tested and both were able to do it. This was part of ongoing upgrades for JSOW. The last round of tests in 2015 verify that the new software can handle a wide variety of moving ship targets. This final round of tests included verifying that Block III can handle electronic countermeasures.

JSOW has been continually upgraded since the 1990s. In 2013 the powered (ER for extended range) version of JSOW completed its testing. Earlier problems with the fuel system were fixed and this enabled the small jet engine to propel a JSOW nearly 500 kilometers. Normally, JSOW is unpowered but able to glide for up to 22-130 kilometers (depending on the altitude it is dropped from). The powered version (JSOW-ER) had been in development for six years and has been delayed by technical problems and a shortage of customers.

JSOW first entered service in the late 1990s. Australia, Canada, Greece, Finland, Poland, Singapore, Turkey, and the Netherlands have bought small quantities. The U.S. Navy and Air Force have bought over a thousand and used 400 in the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The long range and cave finding versions are apparently sending a message to Iran and North Korea.

The JSOW is becoming a popular, if specialized, smart bomb, even though it has had little use in combat. JSOW is basically a smart bomb with wings. That enables it to glide up to 130 kilometers. Range is about 22 kilometers if dropped from low altitude. JSOW also contains more elaborate fins and software that enables it to follow a specific route. Like the wingless JDAM smart bomb, JSOW uses GPS and inertial guidance (as a backup) to find its target. The C version has a terminal guidance system using IR (infrared, as in heat, sensors) for additional precision. Like JDAM, JSOW will hit within 10 meters (31 feet) of its aiming point just using GPS (or about 30 meters is using the backup INS system). JSOW can also attack moving ships.

There are three types of JSOW warheads. AGM-154A carries 145 bomblets that attack personnel and vehicles. AGM-154B contains six SADARM bomblets that seek out and destroy armored vehicles in an area 300 by 600 meters. This one costs $490,000 each. The AGM-154C carries a 361 kg (794 pound) warhead that can penetrate concrete or earth before detonating the high explosives it carries. This model contains a video link that allows for hitting very small targets (like going through a window). The C1 version is able to hit moving targets.

Each JSOW weighs 500-618 kg (1,100-1,500 pounds), depending on type. Not a lot of JSOWs have been bought because there is not a lot of demand for them. The purpose of a standoff weapon is to keep the aircraft away from enemy anti-aircraft defenses (mainly missiles). Some JSOW have been used in Iraq (between 1999 and 2003) and Afghanistan (2001). But in most cases, the much cheaper JDAM (about $30,000 each) does the job just as well. But against a better equipped foe, like China, Syria, Iran, or North Korea, JSOW would be more useful, and thats why JSOW remains in production and development continued on JSOW ER.

JSOW ER is similar to JASSM a heavier and longer range missile that entered service over a decade after JSOW and the development delays caused the U.S. Navy to back out of the JASSM program as JSOW ER and SLAM ER did what the navy needed and it could save a lot of cash and hassle by leaving JASSM to the U.S. Air Force. The delays in getting JASSM into service enabled improved JSOWs to take a lot of the business JASSM was going after. Sometimes better isnt good enough if its too late to arrive. JSOW entered service in 1998 while JASSM was not ready until 2011.
By the end of 2016 the U.S. Navy will disband one of its ten carrier air groups. This will mean the remaining nine carrier air groups will spend more time at sea and away from their home bases. The military term for this is less dwell time (with family and largely ashore). This is bad for morale but if the carriers spend less time at sea they will be less prepared for war.

A carrier air wing has about 2,500 personnel and 60-65 aircraft and helicopters. The elimination of a carrier air group is the result of the 2011 decision to disband one of its ten Carrier Strike Groups (SCGs), leaving only nine of them for the eleven aircraft carriers in service. This was a money saving measure because nuclear powered aircraft (CVN) carriers spend twenty percent of their time out-of-service having maintenance done. Thus only 8-9 CSGs are needed at any one time for carriers that can go to sea.

The SCG is actually a complex organization. There is the CVN and its crew, and the CAW (Carrier Air Wing), which includes all the aircraft, pilots and support personnel. The CAWs do not stay with the same CVN, but move around. When a CVN goes in for maintenance, its CAW will move ashore and then to another carrier (usually one coming out of dry dock). Also part of a SCG are the escort ships (usually a destroyer squadron of 2-4 destroyers, cruisers or frigates) and one or two SSNs (nuclear attack subs). There are also one or two supply ships carrying spare parts and maintenance personnel for all ships, as well as fuel for the escort ships.

Until 1998 the U.S. had twelve carriers, but new ones are not being built quickly enough to replace the older ones that must retire (because of old age). By 2007 there were only eleven carriers and soon there will only be nine CVNs, and there will be cost cutting pressure to disband another SCG.

The most expensive down time for CVNs are those shipyard trips that involve refueling the nuclear reactors. Those operations can take nine months and include lots of repairs and upgrades all over the ship. There is a lot of maintenance involved with CVNs, enough to keep these carriers unavailable for over 20 percent of their career. Over its fifty years of service, each Nimitz class carrier has 17 planned trips back to the shipyard. There are twelve Planned Incremental Availability (or PIA) operations in which new gear is installed, worn or damaged stuff is replaced and any heavy duty work needed, is completed. Duration of a PIA varies with the amount of work to be done, but it can take several months, or a year or more.

Even more lengthily are the four Dry-docking Planned Incremental Availabilities (DPIA) operations, which are more extensive PIAs that include putting the ship into dry dock. These efforts can last a year or two. The one Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) is like the DPIA, except the ship is partially dismantled so that the spent nuclear fuel can be replaced. This takes a little longer than your usual DPIA, and often costs over half a billion dollars.
While the Russian armed forces have declined by about 80 percent since the Cold War the government is currently running a propaganda campaign (mainly via mass media and the Internet) portraying Russia as capable of posing a major military threat to the West. That is more fiction than fact and perusing Russian language print media and Internet discussions provides lots of details. Russian military personnel and any Russians who care to pay attention know that Russia is much worse off versus its Cold War adversaries (mainly NATO) now than in 1991 (when the Soviet Union collapsed). The problem Russia does not like to talk about is that while Russian forces shrank 80 percent during the 1990s those of its adversaries declined by less than half. Worse NATO nations replaced or upgraded much of their older and obsolete equipment after 1991. At this point NATO has four times as many troops as Russia. Until 1991 Russia had more troops than NATO. Worse still is the fact that NATO nations account for nearly 60 percent of all military spending on the planet, about ten times what Russia spends. That underlines the major Russian military weakness; the inability to replace aging weapons after 1991. Russia was in the midst of trying to remedy that when the price of oil (the main source of for the government budget) dropped by over 70 percent. Then came the economic sanctions in response to Russian attacks on Ukraine and threats to do likewise to other East European nations. Until 1991 Russia was a very real conventional military threat to its neighbors (especially the NATO nations of Europe). That is no longer the case although Russia is a threat to new NATO members in East Europe, but only if they want to risk defeat because of the mutual defense clause of the NATO treaty. The one Cold War era threat Russia retains is a diminished but still potent nuclear weapons capability. This, however, is still a doomsday solution for Russia if used. Retaliation would be devastating, but as a threat nuclear war is still as badass as it gets. At this point it is all Russia really has left, all else is theater and illusion.

The most likely targets for another Russian invasion are three small nations (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) on the south coast of the Baltic Sea between Russia and Poland. In the 18th century the Baltic States were forcibly incorporated into the expanding Russian empire. They became independent after World War I (1914-18) but were taken over again in 1940. It wasn't until 1991 that the Baltic States regained their independence and they are determined to keep things that way. Meanwhile Russian backed forces in Ukraine are maintaining their positions and generally observing a ceasefire by not making major moves. This is largely because economic problems in Russia and the need to divert most military attention to the situation in Syria. Russia believes time is on its side in Ukraine because Ukraine is suffering more economic and political problems than Russia. Corruption has been a major problem in Ukraine since 1991 (and before). Even the obvious Russian military threat has not persuaded a lot of powerful Ukrainians to shut down a lot of their profitable corrupt practices. As a result of that, the war and economic sanctions by Russia, the Ukrainian GDP shrank 10 percent in 2015. Worse, if action is not taken on corruption a lot of Western economic aid will be cut or never arrive.

Opportunities In Syria

The UN and most of the West are eager for peace in Syria but for most Moslem nations Syria is a main battleground in the current Shia (led by Iran) and Sunni (led by Saudi Arabia) civil war as well as a joint effort to destroy ISIL, which threatens everyone. The West is not willing to use enough force to make a difference and the pro-government forces, now including Russian warplanes and ground troops, are better armed and more determined than the rebels. The UN is caught in the middle and goes along with whatever seems least offensive. Meanwhile those rebels that are willing to negotiate are insisting that the Assad government has to go and Russia has been quietly trying to work out something along those lines. Another issue the rebels are angry about was the UN agreeing to keep the Syrian Kurds out of the peace talks. This was something Turkey insisted on. There were other problems, like the tensions between Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran which have also helped cripple UN efforts obtain a meaningful Syria peace deal. The growing tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran has made cooperation over brokering a Syria peace deal less likely. Russian efforts to mediate are also compromised because of tensions with Iran and the Saudis. What keeps the peace talks going is the fact that the war in Syria has been going on for five years so far, left over 300,000 dead and created ten times as many refugees and provided an opportunity for ISIL and other Islamic terrorist groups to grow. It is in everyone elses interest that the war end. That will require some more agreement on the terms and Russia has taken the lead in trying to make a deal. Russia, which is reverting back to an authoritarian form of government (all Russia had ever known until the 1990s) does not have to worry about domestic opposition to whatever peace deal Russia can arrange in Syria. Success at this would be a major accomplishment for Russia and many nations (especially in the West and the Moslem world) would be indebted. This is seen as an effective way to get Arab oil producers to reduce their output (and let prices rise) as well as getting Western economic sanctions lifted. Russia needs both of those things to happen by the end of the decade because that is about how long the government can cope with the economic damage done by the low oil prices and sanctions. Eventually the economic problems will lead to a major recession, massive unemployment and too much unrest.

Since October 2015 Russia has become a major player in Syria. While Iran still supplies a lot of manpower (mostly via foreign Shia it has recruited) Russia has the modern military gear and troops who can use it. Russia also has a veto at the UN and an eagerness to achieve some kind of victory in Syria. To achieve that Russia is concentrating most of its considerable firepower on rebel groups that are hurting the Assad government forces the most. By American count only about ten percent of Russian air strikes have been against ISIL and those targets were usually hit to protect Assad forces. Russia justifies (to the UN and the world in general) its military presence in Syria because it is part of the effort to destroy the ISIL threat. While Russia does not hide its support for the Assad government (which the UN and most of the world accuse of war crimes and wants gone) it insists that its presence in Syria is not primarily to keep the Assads in power. Yet thousands of Russian troops are working with the Assad forces. The Russian troops are mostly based in Assad controlled territory and the majority of rebels, who are not ISIL or the local al Qaeda franchise al Nusra, are the main targets of Russian firepower. A growing pile of evidence (mainly from social media activity by Russian troops in Syria) confirms that Russian ground troops, mainly special operations and some technical experts, are involved with the ground combat alongside Syrian troops. Russia denies this but has good reason to do it anyway. This gives Russia a chance to put its post-Cold War military to the test. What the Russians are preparing for is the possibility of clashes between Russian and NATO forces in Eastern Europe. Both NATO and Russia are not sure how their respective post-Cold War forces would do against each other. Most East European nations are preparing for the worst and paying close attention to whatever Russia does in Ukraine and Syria.

Meanwhile Russian support has enabled Assad forces to push most rebels away from Aleppo and cut them off from Turkey (a primary source if reinforcements and supplies). This is a major defeat for the rebels and if the government regains control of Aleppo (or what is left of what used to be the second largest city in the country) Russia will be in a better position to sell its proposal for a UN approved partition of Syria and a de-facto pardon for the Assads (and hassle free exile) so the war against ISIL and al Qaeda can continue. Forgiving the Assads will be a hard sell but the Russians are feeling heroic at the moment and the Assads will take whatever salvation they can get.

Russia further complicates the Syrian situation by getting involved with increasingly strident disagreements with Turkey. The Turks are angry at Russia for flying its aircraft too close to the Turkish border and for bombing Turkish backed rebels. A particular sore point has been Russian attacks on Syrian Turkmen rebels. As these people are fellow Turks, Turkey has long felt obliged to help them. Now Russia and Turkey are threatening to go to war with each other over this. NATO is debating whether or not this would trigger the mutual-self-defense clause of the NATO treaty. Russia is threatening to use nukes if Turkey gets too aggressive.

March 5, 2016: In eastern Ukraine (Donbas, along the Black Sea coast) Ukrainian troops have been under attack near Mariupol by pro-Russian rebels who have opened fire numerous times in the last week and made several attempts to advance into the city. This resulted in some of the worst fighting so far this year. In one incident at least 30 rebels were killed before the attackers pulled back. The fierce Ukrainian resistance to attacks on Mariupol has been going on for nearly a year. The rebels appear to be bringing in more troops and weapons in preparation for another effort to take Mariupol. This is in violation of the truce and is nothing new as far as the Russians and rebels are concerned. Pro-Russian forces have been threatening the port city of Mariupol since early 2014.

March 4, 2016: Ukraine accuses Russian backed rebels in the east (Donbas) of violating the cease fire and attacking Ukrainian forces about 40 times a day so far in 2016. These attacks were mainly harassment but did kill twelve Ukrainian troops and wounded over 150 so far this year. The current ceasefire went into effect in September 2015 and over 400 Ukrainian troops have died since then. Ukraine believes that Russian trainers, officers and officials in Donbas have put together a rebel force of at least 40,000 armed men and continue to support it with supplies and new equipment. Many, perhaps a third, of these rebels are not even Ukrainian but rather Russian troops or civilian volunteers from Russia. This force is equipped with over 1,200 armored vehicles, most of them supplied by Russia, as well as 450 artillery (guns and howitzers) and 190 MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems) including some of the latest models. These rebels have killed over 2,600 Ukrainian troops since February 2014 and wounded over 9,000.

March 3, 2016: In France diplomats from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France met and agreed to a prisoner exchange with the Donbas rebels by April 30th and local elections in Donbas by June 30th. Russia wants rigged elections that will enable Russia to annex Donbas like it did Crimea in 2014.

March 2, 2016: The United States extended its economic sanctions against Russia for another year. American allies are expected to do the same.

February 28, 2016: NATO has officially agreed to supply personnel help train and expand Ukrainian special operations forces. This is sorely needed because when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 Ukraine inherited about 6,000 special operations troops. During the 1990s this force shrank to about 3,000. A common reason for Ukrainian special operations troops leaving was that many were Russian or pro-Russian and Russia made more of an effort recruit special operations troops who had ended up in the armed forces of one of the new 14 nations created from the wreckage of the old Russian Empire. When a Ukrainian popular revolt in 2014 put an anti-Russian government in power even more Ukrainian special operations troops left, or were discharged, because they were suspected of being more loyal to Russia. Since then Ukraine has been rebuilding its special operations forces using troops who are loyal to Ukraine. Thus the need for NATO help.

February 27, 2016: In Syria a ceasefire began and so far it has worked, sort of. While Syrian government, Russian and some rebel forces observed the truce there is still a lot of fighting because most of the rebels are not part of the ceasefire. This is mainly because ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and al Nusra (nearly as large as ISIL but affiliated with al Qaeda) have not agreed to stop fighting. This was the second attempt at a ceasefire in February. That first effort failed for the same reasons the new effort is only partially successful. The new ceasefire was still working in many areas as of March 6th. This is useful because it allows food and other aid to reach several hundred thousand civilians trapped by the fighting.

February 26, 2016: Ukraine reports that Donbas rebels are using the new Grad-K MLRS. This is a modernized version of the decades old BM-21 122mm MLRS. This new MLRS first appeared in 2011 and Russian troops began receiving it in 2012. There are no export customers yet and Ukraine never had it. Yet there are photos of the new MLRS operating inside Donbas.

February 25, 2016: The Russian government revealed that in late January it had ordered a halt to a program that was to expand and modernize the airborne forces. This confirms rumors that the government has quietly halted military rebuilding and expansion efforts, especially for the special operations troops (which includes airborne units as well as the more traditional commandos). This is all because of the continuing economic crises.

February 22, 2016: Turkey is accusing Russia of using a new spy place (a recently arrived Tu-214R) to monitor Turkey, not Islamic terrorists in Syria. Russia only has two Tu-214Rs and these entered service in 2015. Russia is testing a lot of their new military gear in Syria.

February 20, 2016: Iranian officials came to Russia to discuss a multi-billion dollar deal to buy Russian Su-30 jet fighters, Yak-130 jet trainers and Mi-17 helicopters. Such sales are still forbidden without explicit permission from the UN. At the same time it was confirmed that Iran is still discussing details of the S-300 anti-aircraft systems sale. This was thought to be a done deal. In December Russian announced that deliveries would be made via the Caspian Sea. Some supporting equipment has already been flown in or came by sea as non-military equipment. Apparently the key S-300 components (missiles and fire control systems) have not been delivered.

February 16, 2016: Belarus, Russias western neighbor and only ally in East Europe, is ordering at least a dozen new Su-30SM fighter-bombers from Russia to replace 37 elderly (1980s vintage) MiG-29 fighters. Belarus tried upgrading the MiG-29s in 2004 but the 13 aircraft that were refurbished demonstrated that it was not worth the effort. Meanwhile in 2013 Belarus decided to retire its Su-27 fighters. It wanted sell them, but there were no buyers. Belarus did not have the cash to refurbish the Su-27s and was not sure that would work any better than it did on the MiG-29s. These Su-27s entered service in the 1980s and not built to fly more than 3,000 hours. This is low for modern jet fighters but typical of Russian combat aircraft. The Belarus Su-27s were worn out.
EAST HANOVER, N.J., March 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis today announced new late-breaking data from the head-to-head CLEAR study, showing that Cosentyx (secukinumab) was superior in achieving a key secondary efficacy endpoint of near clear skin on the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI 90) in significantly more moderate to severe psoriasis patients compared to Stelara* (ustekinumab) at Week 52.1 These findings were presented for the first time at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 74th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Cosentyx is the first and only fully human interleukin-17A (IL-17A) antagonist approved to treat adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, with almost 15,000 U.S. patients prescribed to date.2 Cosentyx also was recently approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in the U.S.3

"The new CLEAR data reinforce that a majority of patients can achieve clear or almost clear skin with Cosentyx and that those results continue over time and compared favorably to Stelara," said Andrew Blauvelt, MD, MBA, President of the Oregon Medical Research Center and lead study investigator. "This is an important consideration for patients as psoriasis is a chronic disease that requires ongoing treatment."

The ultimate aim of psoriasis treatment is clear skin, and the PASI 90 response is considered an important measure of treatment success.4 Meeting the primary and all secondary endpoints at both Week 16 (PASI 90 response for the Cosentyx treatment group was 80.1% vs. 59.0% for the Stelara treatment group; P

In an exploratory analysis, a higher percentage of Cosentyx patients achieved completely clear skin (PASI 100) compared to Stelara patients at Week 52 (45.9% vs. 35.8%; P=0.0103). Cosentyx also showed significantly greater Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) 0/1 responses versus Stelara (71.6% vs. 59.2%; P=0.0008).1

"We've heard that for many psoriasis patients, their worries don't always end after successful treatment to clear or almost clear their skin. They may still wonder if their medicine will become less effective over time," said Christi Shaw, US Country Head, President of Novartis Corporation and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. "We understand this concern. At Novartis, our commitment to patients includes pursuing studies like CLEAR one-year data comparing Cosentyx to Stelara to provide helpful information for physicians and patients to use in deciding the best course of treatment for them."

The safety profile of Cosentyx was consistent with previously reported Phase III trials and similar to Stelara. In the study, the most common adverse events (AEs) in the Cosentyx-treatment arm during the 52 week study were nasopharyngitis (27.1 exposure adjusted Incidence Rate [IR] per 100 patient years), headache (13.5 IR) and upper respiratory tract infection (10.1 IR). The most common AEs in the Stelara-treatment arm during the 52 week study were nasopharyngitis (31.0 IR), headache (14.2 IR) and upper respiratory tract infection (9.9 IR). Non-fatal serious adverse events were comparable between Cosentyx and Stelara treatment groups (9.6 IR and 8.5 IR, respectively). One death was reported in the Stelara treatment group, to date.1

About the CLEAR study

CLEAR (Comparison to assess Long-term Efficacy, sAfety and toleRability of secukinumab vs. ustekinumab) is a multi-center, double-blind, parallel-group study evaluating Cosentyx (n=334) versus Stelara (n=335) to compare the efficacy, safety and tolerability in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Patients were randomized to receive either Cosentyx (300 mg) by subcutaneous injection at Baseline, Weeks one, two and three, then every four weeks from Week four to 48, or Stelara (dosing per label). Cosentyx achieved the primary objective of superior PASI 90 response at Week 16 and this data was presented at AAD 2015. The 52-week PASI 90 response is a secondary objective in this study.5

Efficacy data presented at the AAD Annual Meeting included both non-response and multiple imputation data sets.1

About Cosentyx (secukinumab) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A)

Cosentyx is a human monoclonal antibody (mAB) that selectively binds to the interleukin-17A (IL-17A) cytokine and inhibits its interaction with the IL-17 receptor.3

Cosentyx is approved in over 50 countries for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis which includes the European Union countries, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S., Cosentyx is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy (light therapy). Cosentyx is also approved for adult patients with active ankylosing spondylitis and active psoriatic arthritis.3

About psoriasis

Affecting about 7.5 million Americans, psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease characterized by thick and extensive skin lesions (plaques), which can cause itching, scaling, and pain.6 Patients reported these symptoms can negatively impact their quality of life, both psychosocially and physically, which makes daily functioning difficult.7,8,9 Additionally, patients with psoriasis are at increased risk for other chronic illnesses.10

INDICATIONS

COSENTYX (secukinumab) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults:

with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis that involves large areas or many areas of the body, and who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet or UV light, alone or with systemic therapy)

with active psoriatic arthritis

with active ankylosing spondylitis

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not use COSENTYX if you have had a severe allergic reaction to secukinumab or any of the other ingredients in COSENTYX. See the Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients.

COSENTYX is a medicine that affects your immune system. COSENTYX may increase your risk of having serious side effects such as:

Infections

COSENTYX may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections.

Your doctor should check you for tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with COSENTYX.

If your doctor feels that you are at risk for TB, you may be treated with medicine for TB before you begin treatment with COSENTYX and during treatment with COSENTYX.

Your doctor should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with COSENTYX. Do not take COSENTYX if you have an active TB infection.

Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you:

are being treated for an infection

have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back

have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB

think you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection such as:

o fevers, sweats, or chillso muscle aches o warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body o cough o diarrhea or stomach pain o shortness of breatho blood in your phlegmo weight loss o burning when you urinate or urinate more often than normal

After starting COSENTYX, call your doctor right away if you have any signs of infection listed above. Do not use COSENTYX if you have any signs of infection unless you are instructed to by your doctor.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

New cases of inflammatory bowel disease or "flare-ups" can happen with COSENTYX, and can sometimes be serious. If you have inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease), tell your doctor if you have worsening disease symptoms during treatment with COSENTYX or develop new symptoms of stomach pain or diarrhea.

Serious Allergic Reactions

Serious allergic reactions can occur. Get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms: feeling faint; swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat; trouble breathing or throat tightness; chest tightness; or skin rash. If you have a severe allergic reaction, do not give another injection of COSENTYX.

Before starting COSENTYX, tell your doctor if you:

have any of the conditions or symptoms listed above for infections

have inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)

are allergic to latex. The needle caps contain latex.

have recently received or are scheduled to receive an immunization (vaccine). People who take COSENTYX should not receive live vaccines.

receive live vaccines. have any other medical conditions

are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COSENTYX can harm your unborn baby. You and your doctor should decide if you will use COSENTYX.

are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if COSENTYX passes into your breast milk.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

How should I use COSENTYX?

See the detailed Instructions for Use that comes with your COSENTYX for information on how to prepare and inject a dose of COSENTYX, and how to properly throw away (dispose of) used COSENTYX Sensoready pens and prefilled syringes.

Use COSENTYX exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

If your doctor decides that you or a caregiver may give your injections of COSENTYX at home, you should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject COSENTYX. Do not try to inject COSENTYX yourself, until you or your caregiver has been shown how to inject COSENTYX by your doctor or nurse.

The most common side effects of COSENTYX include: cold symptoms, diarrhea, and upper respiratory infections. These are not all of the possible side effects of COSENTYX. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide.

DisclaimerThe foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by words such as "can," "continue," "consideration," "aim," "may," "will," "commitment," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential new indications or labeling for Cosentyx, or regarding potential future revenues from Cosentyx. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management 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 Cosentyx will be submitted or approved for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that Cosentyx will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding Cosentyx could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including unexpected clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the company's ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; general economic and industry conditions; global trends toward health care cost containment, including ongoing pricing pressures; unexpected safety issues; unexpected manufacturing or quality issues, 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 NovartisLocated in East Hanover, New Jersey, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is an affiliate of Novartis AG, which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care and cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2015, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.4 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 8.9 billion (USD 8.7 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 119,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are available in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis.

*Stelara is a registered trademark of Janssen Biotech, Inc.

References

1. Blauvelt A et al. Secukinumab demonstrates superior sustained efficacy vs. ustekinumab in clearing skin of subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: 52-week results from the CLEAR study. Presented at the congress of the American Academy of Dermatology. March 5, 2016. 2. Novartis Data on File. 2016. 3. Cosentyx (secukinumab) [prescribing information]. East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp, 2016. 4. Guideline on clinical investigation of medicinal products indicated for the treatment of psoriasis. European Medicines Agency Web site. http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Scientific_guideline/2009/09/WC500003329.pdf. Accessed September 15, 2015. 5. Thaci D, Blauvelt A, Reich K, et al. Secukinumab is superior to ustekinumab in clearing skin of subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: CLEAR, a randomized controlled trial. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015 Sep;73(3):400-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2015.05.013. Epub 2015 Jun 17. 6. National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriasis fact sheet. https://www.psoriasis.org/sites/default/files/publications/PsoriasisFactSheet.pdf. Accessed February 29, 2016. 7. Rapp SR, Feldman SR, Exum ML, Fleischer AB, Jr., Reboussin DM. Psoriasis causes as much disability as other major medical diseases. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999;41(3 Pt 1):401-407. 8. Martinez-Garcia E, Arias-santiago S. Quality of life in persons living with psoriasis patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;71:302-7. 9. Mease P, Menter M. Quality-of-life issues in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: outcome measures and therapies from a dermatological perspective. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006; 54:685704. 10. National Psoriasis Foundation. Comorbidities associated with psoriatic disease. https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/related-conditions. Accessed February 29, 2016.

Novartis Media Relations Elizabeth Power Novartis Global Media Relations +1 212 830 2466 (direct) +1 617 583 3015 (mobile) [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Michelle Bauman Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation +1 862-778-6519 (direct)+1 973-714-8043 (mobile)[email protected]

For Novartis multimedia content, please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/Novartis. For questions about the site or required registration, please contact: [email protected].

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-novartis-data-show-cosentyx-demonstrated-sustained-superiority-in-skin-clearance-pasi-90-versus-stelara-at-week-52-300231422.html

SOURCE Novartis
Novartis International AG / Novartis' Cosentyx superior to Stelara in delivering long-lasting skin clearance (PASI 90) for psoriasis patients at 52 weeks . Processed and transmitted by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

New data at AAD 2016 shows Cosentyx  is significantly more efficacious than Stelara in sustaining skin clearance (PASI 90 to PASI 100) at 52 weeks[1]



Cosentyx delivered and sustained skin clearance (PASI 90 to PASI 100) in nearly 8 out of 10 moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients[1]



Cosentyx granted first-line systemic indication for psoriasis in Europe and recently approved in psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in the US and Europe

The digital press release with multimedia content can be accessed here:





Basel, March 5, 2016 - Novartis announced today new late-breaking data from the head-to-head CLEAR study, demonstrating that Cosentyx (secukinumab) remains superior to Stelara (ustekinumab) in achieving sustained skin clearance (PASI 90 response) at 52 weeks for adults living with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. These findings were presented for the first time at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC[1].

Cosentyx is the first fully human interleukin-17A inhibitor approved for adults to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and was recently approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in the EU and US.

"Cosentyx continues to demonstrate superior and sustainable efficacy against currently available biologics and is a proven first-line treatment option for adult patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis," said Vasant Narasimhan, Global Head, Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. "Cosentyx has the potential to give more people with psoriasis than ever before the benefit of long-lasting skin clearance."

The ultimate aim of psoriasis treatment is clear skin, and the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90 response is considered an important measure of treatment success[2],[3]. Meeting all primary and secondary endpoints at Weeks Four, 16 and 52, Cosentyx demonstrated it remains consistently superior to Stelara in achieving and sustaining PASI 90 response (76.2% vs. 60.6%; P

The study also demonstrated Cosentyx had a superior rapid onset of action compared to Stelara, with half of Cosentyx patients achieving PASI 75 as early as Week Four (50.0% vs. 20.6%, P

Affecting around 125 million people globally, psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes itching, scaling and pain, and can have a significant impact on physical and psychological wellbeing[5],[6]. Despite this, up to half of patients receive no treatment, and of those who do, many (52%) remain dissatisfied with their disease management[7].

About psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, non-contagious, autoimmune disease that affects up to 3% of the world's population[5]. Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of the disease and appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells. Psoriasis is not simply a cosmetic problem, but a persistent, chronic (long-lasting), and sometimes distressing disease, which can affect even the smallest aspects of people's lives on a daily basis. Up to 30% of patients with psoriasis have, or will, develop psoriatic arthritis, in which the joints are also affected, causing debilitating symptoms including pain, stiffness and irreversible joint damage[8],[9]. Psoriasis is also associated with other serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and depression[8].

About the CLEAR study

CLEAR (Comparison to assess Long-term Efficacy, sAfety and toleRability of secukinumab vs. ustekinumab) is a multi-center, double-blind, parallel-group study of Cosentyx (n=334) versus Stelara (n=335) to compare efficacy, safety and tolerability in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Patients were randomized to receive either Cosentyx (300 mg) by subcutaneous injection at Baseline, Weeks One, Two and Three, then every four weeks from Week Four, or Stelara (dosing per package label). Cosentyx achieved the primary objective of superior PASI 90 response at Week 16. These data were published as an e-publication in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, June 17, 2015[4]. The 52-week PASI 90 response is a secondary objective in this study. PASI 100 and DLQI responses at 52 weeks are exploratory endpoints.

About Cosentyx and interleukin-17A (IL-17A)

Cosentyx is a fully human monoclonal antibody that selectively neutralizes circulating IL-17A. Research suggests that IL-17A may play an important role in driving the body's immune response in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis[10],[11].

Cosentyx is approved in over 50 countries for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis which includes the European Union countries, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, the US and Canada. In Europe, Cosentyx is the only biologic approved for the first-line systemic treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients. In the US, Cosentyx is approved as a treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy (light therapy).

In addition, Cosentyx is the first IL-17A inhibitor with positive Phase III results for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis and active ankylosing spondylitis[12]-[16] and is now approved in Europe, the US, Ecuador, Bangladesh and the Philippines for these conditions. Cosentyx is also approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis and pustular psoriasis in Japan.

Disclaimer

The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by words such as "continues," "potential," "aim," "can," "will," "suggests," "may," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential new indications or labeling for Cosentyx, or regarding potential future revenues from Cosentyx. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management 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 Cosentyx will be submitted or approved for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that Cosentyx will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding Cosentyx could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including unexpected clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the company's ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; general economic and industry conditions; global trends toward health care cost containment, including ongoing pricing pressures; unexpected safety issues; unexpected manufacturing or quality issues, 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 provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care and cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2015, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.4 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 8.9 billion (USD 8.7 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 119,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are available in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.

Novartis is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @Novartis at http://twitter.com/novartis.

References

[1] Blauvelt A et al. Secukinumab demonstrates superior sustained efficacy vs. ustekinumab in clearing skin of subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: 52-week results from the CLEAR study. Abstract presented at the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2016 March 4-8; Washington DC.

[2] Guideline on clinical investigation of medicinal products indicated for the treatment of psoriasis. European Medicines Agency website. Available at: http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/

Scientific_guideline/2009/09/WC500003329.pdf Accessed September 2015. Accessed February 2016.

[3] Ryan C et al. Research gaps in psoriasis: opportunities for future studies. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014; 70:146-167.

[4] Thaci D, Blauvelt A, Reich K, et al. Secukinumab is superior to ustekinumab in clearing skin of subjects with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: CLEAR, a randomized controlled trial. J Am Acad Dermatol. June 17, 2015 [E-pub ahead of print].

[5] International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) World Psoriasis Day website. "About Psoriasis." Available at: http://www.worldpsoriasisday.com/web/page.aspx?refid=114. Accessed February 2016.

[6] Langley RG et al. Secukinumab in plaque psoriasis - results of two phase three trials. N Engl J Med. 2014; 371(4):326-338.

[7] Armstrong AW et al. Undertreatment, treatment trends, and treatment dissatisfaction among patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in the United States: findings from the National Psoriasis Foundation surveys, 2003-2011. JAMA Dermatol. 2013; 149(10):1180-1185.

[8] National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriatic disease: about psoriasis. Available at: www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis. Accessed January 2016.

[9] Mease PJ, Armstrong AW. Managing patients with psoriatic disease: the diagnosis and pharmacologic treatment of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis. Drugs. 2014; 74:423-441.

[10] Kirkham BW et al. Interleukin-17A: a unique pathway in immune-mediated diseases: psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Immunology. 2014; 141:133-142.

[11] Ivanov S, Linden A. Interleukin-17 as a drug target in human disease. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2009; 30(2):95-103.

[12] Baeten D et al. Secukinumab, interleukin-17A inhibition in ankylosing spondylitis. N Engl J Med. 2015; 373:2534-48.

[13] Mease, PJ et al. Secukinumab, a human anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody, in patients with psoriatic arthritis (FUTURE 2): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. The Lancet. 2015; 386(9999):1137-1146.

[14] Mease PJ et al. Secukinumab inhibition of interleukin-17A in patients with psoriatic arthritis. N Engl J Med. 2015; 373(14):1329-39.

[15] Cosentyx (secukinumab) [prescribing information]. East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp, 2016.

[16] Cosentyx Summary of Product Characteristics. Novartis Europharm Limited. Available at: http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/medicines/human/medicines/003729/human_med_001832.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058001d124. Accessed February 2016.

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Novartis Media Relations

Central media line : +41 61 324 2200 Eric Althoff

Novartis Global Media Relations

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Novartis Global Pharma Communications

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Novartis Investor Relations

Central phone: +41 61 324 7944 Samir Shah +41 61 324 7944 North America: Pierre-Michel Bringer +41 61 324 1065 Richard Pulik +1 212 830 2448 Thomas Hungerbuehler +41 61 324 8425 Sloan Pavsner +1 212 830 2417 Isabella Zinck +41 61 324 7188 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]




Police set up a tent in the front yard of the house.

Police are examining a property in the South Auckland suburb of Mangere.

They have set up a tent in the front yard of a house on Wayne Dr and neighbours said police officers had been standing guard since Friday night.

Lavi Vetelino lives over the road and said a man who lives at the house - a Thai man in his late 20s - was taken away by police at about 7pm Friday.

JOSH FAGAN/FAIRFAX NZ Police have not commented about the nature of the search in Mangere.

Since then there had been a constant presence of police, including armed officers, he said.

Other neighbours described the man and his mother, who also lives at the address, as a nice family who kept to themselves.

There had been speculation the search was linked to the death of Jindarat Prutsiriporn, who died after falling, bound and gagged, from a car in Papatoetoe on Tuesday.

Detective Inspector Dave Lynch, who is heading the inquiry into Prutsiriporn's death, would not confirm if there was any link to her case.

"My only comment is that police are following a number of lines of investigation," he said.

"At this stage there will be no further comment on any specific lines of inquiry or operation activity."
The inner city was eerily dark - but the Sky Tower remained lit.

A power outage plunged thousands into darkness in the Auckland CBD on Sunday night.

About 5000 residents in the Eden Terrace, Newmarket and Grafton area reported their power going out around 11pm.

Vector spokeswoman Sandy Hodge said the cause of the outage was a cable fault around the middle of Queen St.

She said power went out at 11:13pm and was restored to all but 88 users by 11:48pm.

Power was restored to the final 88 users just after 4am on Monday.



CBD resident Lena Lin said on Sunday night her whole street, just off Queen St, was among the affected residents.

"[I've] never seen all the apartments pitch black like this - there's usually always lights on, even at 4 or 5am in the morning," she said.

Her power was restored by about 11.40pm.

"We are back up and running, was just about to fall asleep when my lamp turned on and phone vibrated in winner's triumph," she said.

"Good work to the team at Vector - I heard some cheering when it all came back outside."

Anthony Milas, who lived on upper Queen Street, was riding his bike home along Karangahape Road when the outage hit, making the normally well-lit city "really dark".

The busker had a battery and inverter that he connected at home to get the wifi back up and running, and charge his laptop and phone.

The power came back on at his house about midnight.
Ed Smith, 16, Daisy Abraham, 16, and Rose MacKenzie, 15, pictured in the new gender-neutral toilets.

For a transgender teenager, something as simple as going to the loo at school can be a huge stress.

So two Wellington schools are leading a dunny revolution: fitting gender-neutral bathrooms for students who feel uncomfortable using 'male' or 'female' bathrooms.

Wellington High School has transformed its level 4 boys' bathroom into, well, just a bathroom.

And Onslow College is soon to follow suit, spending tens of thousands converting an old block of girls' toilets into gender-neutral facilities.

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* Opinion: New Zealand needs gender-neutral loos and changing rooms

* American school adopts gender-neutral bathrooms

The schools join a global trend of schools and cities moving towards bathrooms that are not set up specifically for men or women.

"Some people don't identify with male or female fully, so it's hard for those people not feeling they can go into one of those bathrooms," said Wellington High School student Rose MacKenzie.

The 15-year-old said she had sometimes avoided using bathrooms in public, not knowing which to choose

"If I go into one I know I'll be told this is the female bathroom, but if I go into the other I might receive threats because of, you know, what I look like," she said.

MacKenzie is a member of Wellington High's UltraViolet club, representing LGBTQI+ students, which - led by student Ed Smith, 16 - raised the issue with the school board.

Deputy principal Andrew Savage said UltraViolet put together a comprehensive proposal on how the urinals could be converted, with sanitary bins put in each cubicle, and the sign outside changed to simply read 'bathroom'.

"The board of trustees listened to what the need was and within a short amount of time it was all done and dusted. It's kind of a boring story, in a good way," he laughed.

"The sky didn't fall in, there was no Erin Brockovich moment, it was very straight-forward."

Onslow College is also about to convert one block of girls' toilets into gender-neutral stalls, after its LGBTQI+ group Club Sandwich took the idea to staff.

"It's all about respecting diversity and meeting the needs of diversity, and I think it is the way to go," principal Peter Leggat said.

RainbowYOUTH national communication manager Toni Duder said Onslow and Wellington High were the first schools she had heard of taking the lead on gender-neutral bathrooms.

"It's phenomenal, and it's inspiring to see students doing it," she said.

Opposition against unisex bathrooms was often raised by people who thought women could be put in unsafe situations with men in shared loos, she said.

"But shouldn't we be addressing why women don't feel safe around men, not why they should have different bathrooms?"

Others argued that once the transgender community got the bathrooms, they might want more.

"But if you couldn't pee without feeling like you were going to get beaten up or teased, wouldn't you want that, too?" she said.

While Secondary Principals' Association of NZ president Sandy Pasley hadn't heard of any other schools fitting full gender-neutral bathroom stalls, she said many were installing individual unisex toilets.

She said some schools were being more flexible with their uniforms to be more inclusive, too.

WHAT IS LGBTIQ+?

LGBTQI stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex.

The + stands for other marginalised genders and identities not covered by the LGBTQI acronym.
A house in Blenheim has been decontaminated for the fourth time because the level of methamphetamine is still not safe.

Contract cleaners had to rip the kitchen out of the Springlands property on Thursday after tests showed chemicals remained in the wood.

TechClean operations manager Keith Hill said methamphetamine had become an epidemic in New Zealand.

"I know, personally, that there are great people out there with families looking for a house, and homes like this are empty because of meth," Hill said.

READ MORE:

* Blenheim house decontaminated after traces of meth found

* Marlborough state homes lie empty as bill for cleaning up meth-contaminated state homes could top $20,000 per property

* P contamination rampant and growing in New Zealand state homes

Marlborough had eight Housing New Zealand properties sitting empty waiting to be decontaminated, up from five in December.

Hill said it could take up to three months to clear a property from contamination.

Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Phillip Conza said the Springlands house had been empty for seven months.

"It's an atrocity. How did [the tenants] get away with it this long? Don't they do inspections? Taxpayer money is taxpayer money and we get sick of seeing it going to waste."

The house was first tested for methamphetamine after the tenants were sentenced for drug-related charges in August last year.

The family included a child in a wheelchair, and the house had a ramp and a wheelchair-accessible shower.

Housing New Zealand chief operating officer Paul Commons said he was concerned the house had to be decontaminated four times.

"It really highlights the hugely negative impact this drug has across our organisation, our properties and tenants, as well as for other social housing and landlords in New Zealand."

They would continue to test and decontaminate the house until traces of the drug reached a safe level.

TechClean took over from a Christchurch-based contractor in December.

"Private landlords have it just as bad. Only landlords cover it up, or paint it, because they don't want to cough up for it. It's their retirement plan, and then someone comes along and destroys it," Hill said.

Decontaminating a house could cost about $14,000.

Summit real estate manager Diane Parish said landlords and prospective buyers were frequently dealing with the effects of meth use.

"It could be any home. There was a home in the North Island that was passed through the generations of the family and came back testing positive, and that was in excess of $3 million."
The woman who died after falling, bound and gagged, from a car in south Auckland has been described by a friend as a "very bubbly, very happy person."

The friend, who said she had known Jindarat Prutsiriporn for several years, said she had been aware Prutsiriporn had been facing drug charges, and had previously served jail time for drug offences. However, the last time they had spoken Prutsiriporn said she had been trying to get out of the drug scene.

"She did have a tendency to slip back in - but i guess none of us really know what was going on."

1 of 10 CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ A major police operation was launched on Tuesday after a tied-up woman jumped from a car in Papatoetoe. 2 of 10 CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ A major police operation was launched on Tuesday after a tied-up woman jumped from a car in Papatoetoe. 3 of 10 CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ A major police operation was launched on Tuesday after a tied-up woman jumped from a car in Papatoetoe. 4 of 10 CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ A major police operation was launched on Tuesday after a tied-up woman jumped from a car in Papatoetoe. 5 of 10 CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ A major police operation was launched on Tuesday after a tied-up woman jumped from a car in Papatoetoe. 6 of 10 CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ A major police operation was launched on Tuesday after a tied-up woman jumped from a car in Papatoetoe. 7 of 10 CHRIS MCKEEN A major police operation was launched on Tuesday after a tied-up woman jumped from a car in Papatoetoe. 8 of 10 CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ A major police operation was launched on Tuesday after a tied-up woman jumped from a car in Papatoetoe. 9 of 10 CHRIS MCKEEN/FAIRFAX NZ Papatoetoe residents look on as police investigate the scene of where a woman was thrown from her car. 10 of 10 Chris McKeen A major police operation was launched on Tuesday after a tied-up woman jumped from a car in Papatoetoe.

Prutsiriporn, 50, died in hospital after escaping from the boot of a car as it drove through suburban Papatoetoe in Auckland on Tuesday night. She suffered head injuries and never regained consciousness.

READ MORE:

* Woman who fell from car boot had served jail time

* Tied-up woman who jumped from car in Papatoetoe identified

Her death is being investigated as a homicide and police say she may have links to the organised drug scene.

CHRIS SKELTON/STUFF Police investigate the site on Huia rd, in Papatoetoe where Jindarat Prutsiriporn fell out the back of a car gagged and bound.

The friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she did not want to be linked to the criminal world, said Prutsiriporn had been mixed up with some "pretty scary" people, but she couldn't imagine her being the sort of person who would rip off her drug dealer.

"She was very bubbly, very happy - she really lit up life for those around her.

"It sounds odd, but you needed to meet her to know."

The friend said she had little idea about Jindarat's family life - but this was not because she was a particularly private person, rather because she had never asked.

At the time of her death, Prutsiriporn was on bail for drug charges and was scheduled to appear in the Auckland District Court on April 1 for what were understood to be methamphetamine-related offences, The New Zealand Herald reported.

In September 2011 she was sentenced to 18 months in jail for her role in a drugs importing conspiracy, Hawke's Bay Today reported at the time.

She pleaded guilty to conspiring to import the methamphetamine precursor pseudoephedrine, after more than 70g of meth and quantities of cannabis were found in a Napier house in November 2009. She and two others were arrested and subsequently convicted.

After initially not being able to identify her, police named Prutsiriporn on Thursday and said her death was being investigated as a homicide.

They also said she had "a couple of sons" in Auckland, and had some involvement with organised crime in the city.

She was found with life-threatening head injuries after managing to "propel herself" from a vehicle while it was driving on Huia Rd in Papatoetoe about 7pm on Tuesday.

It was believed she managed to escape using a metal pole.

Witnesses said her arms, legs and neck were tied, her mouth was gagged and she was bleeding.

Detective Inspector Dave Lynch said on Thursday afternoon that a team of 17 police officers were continuing to assess information being received from the public.

"She was kidnapped - the way to unravelling what happened is, why she was kidnapped, and who was involved."

Police said at least one of the serious head injuries Prutsiriporn sustained was likely to have been inflicted before she fell from the car.

"We are still appealing for sightings of a late model silver vehicle in Papatoetoe and surrounding areas on the evening of 1 March 2016."
An internal police investigation into the handling of a case involving a former high-ranking officer is still ongoing despite him being jailed more than a year ago.

Former detective sergeant Mike Blowers, who had more than 20 years experience, was in charge of the Northland organised crime unit, which focused mainly on investigating and prosecuting drug crimes.

During that time, he stole the drugs to supply an informant and in turn received thousands of dollars.

Despite denying the crimes, he eventually pleaded guilty to one charge of theft of controlled drugs and one of supplying methamphetamine during his 2014 trial. He was jailed for four years, nine months.

READ MORE:

* Cops 'betrayed' by Michael Blowers' crimes

* Ex-cop Michael David Blowers sent to jail



Auckland City Police-based Detective Stuart Allsop-Smith, who led the initial investigation, started an internal review to examine the steps taken by Northland police who knew about Blowers' affair with the informant.

It also included a review of the treatment of another police officer working underneath him who raised concerns, but was instead investigated himself.

Allsop-Smith said he completed the review in May 2015, and made several recommendations which were being reviewed.

"It started out on Blowers and the investigation into Blowers, but then I was obliged to look at other matters in that inquiry that came to my attention," he said.

"I think in any of these situation where a police officer has become corrupt we should always reflect on how it happened, what the circumstances were, and if there is anything to be learnt from that we should learn from it.

"The public expects us to act with professionalism and integrity amongst other things, and these sorts of inquiries gives us an opportunity to reflect on that and if there are learnings then we should take that on board. The public don't expect police officers don't expect police officers to engage in criminal activity."

Police have remained tight-lipped on the findings of Allsop-Smith's review, but it is understood that recommendations will be put in place at both a district and national level.

A statement released to Fairfax Media on Friday by police employment relationship manager Jennifer Williams said the review was "a complex matter".

"Following completion of an investigation into Mike Blowers, the Northland District Commander instructed a review be undertaken," she said.

"This review was initially carried out by a Detective Inspector. It was then referred to employment relations specialists at Police National Headquarter who in turn are reviewing the matter from an employment law perspective.

"This is a complex matter that dates back a number of years and police want to ensure the review is thorough and accurate before it is finalised."

Williams said that no police employees were under an employment investigation or performance management in relation to the review.

It is expected that the review will be released within the next month.
Police have appealed for members of the public to step forward if they have more information.

A 23-year-old Otago man suffered serious head injuries following an assault near Alexandra in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Police said the alleged serious assault, which involved two men and a woman travelling in a yellow sedan, occurred on State Highway 8 about 1.30am.

The incident resulted in the 23-year-old man being flown to Dunedin Hospital, where he was initially admitted to the intensive care unit with serious head injuries.

He was later transferred out of intensive care and remained in a stable condition.

A 20-year-old Roxburgh man was arrested and charged with several counts of serious assault following the incident.

Police are also appealing for members of the public, who stopped to assist the woman before emergency services arrived, to contact them.

Detective Sergeant Derek Shaw said: "We are very appreciative of the fact that members of the public stopped and assisted at the scene. We now ask that they come forward so that they can be spoken to."

The members of the public may have been towing stock cars north towards Alexandra. Police believed they could help clarify what occurred.

Anybody who could assist police is asked to contact Senior Constable Mike Colligan at the Alexandra Police Station.
Freedom campers and migrant workers are increasingly fishing without permission throughout the South Island.

Increasing numbers of freedom campers are fishing illegally in lakes and rivers, with some fleeing the country before they can be prosecuted.

Fish & Game officers are pursuing wrongdoers "to the ends of the Earth" to pay their debts, but say they are struggling to deal with an increase in illegal fishing.

Officers are reporting larger numbers of overseas visitors fishing without licences, amid the tourism boom in parts of the South Island.

SUPPLIED Overseas visitor the Queen Mother fishing at Lake Wanaka in 1966. Her visit predated the current licensing system, so she was not breaking the law.

Some flee the country before paying the $500 fine, risking potential court action if they return.

It is an emerging problem in tourism hotspots such as Queenstown and Wanaka, where backpackers have taken to "opportunistic" fishing in picturesque freshwater lakes.

READ MORE:

* Record tourist numbers put pressure on towns

* Freedom campers overwhelm Banks Peninsula infrastructure

* Christchurch freedom camping ban could be 'on the table'

Overseas visitors, particularly freedom campers, have been accused of defiling parks and scrapping with locals in recent weeks.

"They are upsetting quite a lot of the local anglers," said Fish & Game North Canterbury general manager Rodd Cullinane.

"We are under quite a lot of pressure to try and sort it out, if you like."

This week a French visitor was spotted trout fishing in the polluted Avon River in central Christchurch, next to the quake-damaged Bridge of Remembrance.

He left the country before he could be prosecuted.

In North Canterbury, immigrant workers working on farms and the rebuild were often found fishing for kahawai along the Waimakariri River without licences, Cullinane said.

"In a general sense, we're processing a lot of prosecutions . . . although there's little we can do, other than take an educational front. We don't like prosecuting every person."

All non-residents are required to have a licence to fish in New Zealand.

A one-day licence costs $20, and a full-season licence costs $161.

The system was introduced after high visitor numbers began putting pressure on fisheries.

Near the tourist traps of Wanaka and Queenstown, there has been a sharp uptake in illegal fishing among tourists, many of them backpackers.

The perpetrators were often freedom camping, and in some cases, had found their fishing rods in the vehicles they had bought from other freedom campers.

"We've got a bit of an epicentre for it," said Fish & Game Otago operations manager Ian Hadland.

"We've got those very touristy areas like Wanaka and Queenstown and Cromwell, and there are a lot of foreign people and transients there."

The number had increased noticeably this year, he said, coinciding with the tourism boom in the region.

There were nine prosecutions under way already, including visitors from Germany and Australia.

Some opted to pay the $500 on the spot fine to avoid a court appearance, but others fled the country.

New Zealand's fishery resources were not limitless, and the interests of Kiwis had to be protected as well, Hadland said.

"We welcome foreign tourists to fish our waters, but at the same time we must enforce the rules to protect our fisheries and some of the best angling worldwide."

While the local council had trouble receiving fines from law-breakers  about half do not pay their fines  Fish & Game had been more successful.

"We're getting as many details as we can and almost pursuing them to the ends of the earth, to the point where they're actually sending money back from overseas to clear up their offending.

"While we don't have a great deal of clout, if you follow these people and are persistent, you can generally get a result."
The largest alternative flag in the country has been snatched in broad daylight from the flagpole on the roundabout on Takitimu Drive.

The 3m by 6m flag which was sponsored by Bay Venues chairman Peter Farmer was removed from the pole about mid-day today.

A male in his 40s, not tall, under 1.8m was seen at the flagpole about noon.

The flag has been flown on alternate days with the New Zealand flag over the past week.

The decision to fly the alternative flag this week from the Takitimu Drive roundabout flagpole is delighting some, but infuriating others.

The flagpole is bare. Photo Tracy Hardy

One of the infuriated is Rob Paterson who says flying anything other than the official New Zealand flag from the pole breaches the flag poles resource consent.

The decision to fly the alternative flag on alternate days is made by Tauranga City Council, which is also responsible for policing the flagpole resource consent.

The council is acting on the advice of Rebecca Perrett, general manager environmental services, who states that as the alternative flag is being alternated with the New Zealand national flag, it is in general accordance with the conditions of resource consent.

It also asked Martin Rodgers, project manager of the New Zealand Flag consideration project if the council can fly the New Zealand flag and alternative flag on alternate days. The advice is that is at the councils discretion.

Rob says its unlawful. The government advice deals with flying of the referendum flags in a public place generally, which has nothing to do with the flagpole at Takitimu Drive with its specific and clear RMA Consent terms.

Tauranga Council is the consent holder, and also the consenting and enforcement authority yet it saw fit to use one of its TCC staff members to justify the inane conclusion that the silver fern referendum flag is in some way an alternative NZ National Flag  it is not, says Rob.

More details as they become available.
Two Bay of Plenty accountants have been awarded a prestigious fellowship, out of 58 nominees worldwide.

The top accounting honour is awarded annually to members of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
Alcohol and cars dont mix. This is the message from police after a drunk driver crashed into a parked vehicle overnight.

While the crash happened in Te Awamutu, the warning extends to all drivers  including those in the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel.
A family of six, including a baby, are coming to terms with health issues they say they have accrued from three years of unknowingly living in a Tauranga house used to manufacture methamphetamine.

The Pauls moved out after Methsafe inspected the property in early January and found it was still heavily contaminated from more than three years ago, when former tenants were arrested on drugs charges.
The Treasure Coast Cosplayers became part of a real carnival sideshow at the Treasure Coast Freak Show. (MOLLY BARTELS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

By Maureen Kenyon of TCPalm

I wasn't sure what I would encounter Saturday when I entered the Havert L. Fenn Center in Fort Pierce for the inaugural Treasure Coast Freak Show.

Would there be people made up like zombies, roaming aimlessly through masses of 20-somethings wearing T-shirts splashed with their favorite horror movie monsters? Would there be a side show barker, announcing the next carnival attraction, a sword swallower or teens with painted faces and outlandish costumes?

They all were there.

But I also found local artists, drawing and painting for convention-goers while they tried to make a few dollars selling their work.

I also saw a family of six, dressed like their favorite characters from "The Walking Dead," taking photos with an actor who starred on the television series.

The Treasure Coast Cosplayers were there, too, giving a family-friendly, behind-the-scene tours of what it's like to be a side show carnival worker.

And it was all Ryan Strickland was hoping the first Treasure Coast Freak Show would be.

"We saw a need for this kind of convention on the Treasure Coast," said Strickland, of South Florida Event Management, the organization that hosted the event. "The popularity of the horror and freak show genre is so huge. We're just feeding that need."

After the success of the organization's Treasure Coast Comic Con - 11,000 people attended the September event at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center - Strickland wanted to continue that momentum, especially since television shows like "American Horror Story" and "The Walking Dead" are so popular.

VIDEO | Scroll down to watch an interview with a sword swallower

Strickland scored big names for the event's first year, too, including three actors from the "American Horror Story" franchise, an actor from "The Walking Dead" and two actors from the horror movie favorites "Friday the 13th" and "Halloween."

There also were several panels spread out throughout the day where fans could ask questions of the actors and special guests and take photos and get autographs. Vendors sold T-shirts, buttons, posters, homemade gifts and other items. There also was a live sideshow with Will Rotten of Rotten Brothers Sideshows. (Above: Naomi Grossman (from left), Jenny Warren and Mat Fraser chat Saturday with fans at the "American Horror Story" panel.)

Strickland said the best part so far has been working with the spirited people in the genre.

"They're really kind and really brilliant. Outsiders think it might be weird, but this group of people is very passionate."

I saw that passion in artist Marcus Grant, of Fort Pierce, who has been traveling to conventions for 15 years and inherited his love of art and drawing.

"My father was an architect," he said. "I've always been into comics and graphic novels. I've never wanted to do anything else. It's just what I know."

Another local artist, Alex Worden, 29, of Port St. Lucie is a part-time substitute teacher who travels to several horror and comic conventions a year. She sells her artwork, too, which is mostly drawn with charcoal pencil and opaque watercolors. She draws what she loves: anime characters, cartoons and horror movie monsters. (Above: Alex Worden's art on display.)

"It's my dream," she said, "to make a steady income doing this. My days are long at these conventions, but it's what I love doing."
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On Sept. 10, a coalition of 48 environmental groups sent a letter to Gove. Rick Scott denouncing the proposed "Sugar Hill" sector plan, which would permit a 67-square-mile city in the former River of Grass. Their strongly worded letter emphasized that "the solution (to restoring the Everglades) has been known for decades," and acquiring the U.S. Sugar land "for water storage and flow" was "the only realistic option for real restoration success."

This letter will likely fall on deaf ears. Having locked in price supports and lowball cleanup costs during Rick Scott's tenure, U.S. Sugar no longer wants to sell. At state hearings last fall, dozens of water experts urged politicians to acquire the land, but they were ignored or cut off. Sugar friendly officials, like then South Florida Water Management District assistant and interim director Ernie Barnett, testified that the land was not needed, although he never explained why. It's hard to believe that only five years prior, the same water district said the U.S. Sugar acquisition "represents an unprecedented opportunity to protect and restore the Everglades in a way we never anticipated."

Shortly after testifying, Barnett left the water district to work at a nonprofit chaired by U.S. Sugar exec Robert Coker. Such a blatant conflict of interest should raise eyebrows, but under Scott it has become business as usual. The recently exposed hunting junkets sponsored by U.S. Sugar for Scott, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and some state legislators gave us a glimpse of how things work in Tallahassee at the moment.

With such coziness between Big Sugar and Florida politicians, it's not surprising that there is such a disconnect between the state and nearly all environmental groups regarding how to clean our toxic waterways. I say nearly all, because there is one "environmental" outlier, "One Florida Foundation," which advocates positions that are lock-step with Big Sugar and state officials. Only 10 months old, OFF has jostled its way to the front of the grass-roots movement, claiming to represent the local water advocates, despite fundamental differences with venerable organizations like Rivers Coalition, Florida Oceanographic Society, Waterkeeper Alliance, and many others.

Last fall, OFF met with Barnett, Putnam and others who provided them with data and talking points that support the Big Sugar party line. Last winter, OFF reached out to the Rivers Coalition, asking them to meet with a group of sugar execs, led by Robert Coker, who claimed they wanted to work with environmentalists to solve our water problems. The talks broke down after two meetings because Coker proposed a mishmash of projects that neither impacted Big Sugar nor stopped the discharges. And the Rivers Coalition insisted the land was critical to store, clean and move the water south ? just as the coalition of 48 said in their recent letter to Scott.

Since those failed meetings, OFF has canvassed the state to attend conferences, meet with politicians and court the media, all while advocating Big Sugar's "mishmash." Very strange, indeed, for a grass-roots organization trying to save a river.

Despite Big Sugar's influence, it's not too late. The deal is still on the table. Scott has shown he will not take it. Crist, who authored the original deal, has said if elected he will finish what he started. Big Sugar is putting its money behind Scott, because it wants the land option dead. Also dead would be our last, best chance of stopping the recurring, toxic discharges. The choice couldn't be clearer, nor a vote more important, than in this year's governor's race. Vote for Crist, demand we exercise the option, demand we stop the discharges.

Chris Maroney is co-founder of bullsugar.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to stopping polluted discharges into the St Lucie River, Caloosahatchee River and Indian River Lagoon. Email: chris@maroney.com.
For one, the Mi 5 flaunts the same metal mid-frame sandwiched by glass panels; The one at the back even has curved sides reminiscent of the SGS7.

Mi5 is Xiaomi's 2016 flagship model featuring the very best that the company has the offer in this product category not only in terms of design and build but more importantly when it comes to technical specifications

This release is also the first device from the Beijing-based handset maker to sport a home button, which incorporates a fingerprint sensor for quickly unlocking the device and making supported online purchases with but a swipe of a finger in lieu of typing one's password.

I would like to give credit to Gadgets 360 for all images that I used in this post. I hope you can follow their informative Youtube channel, TP Friends.

16 MegaPixel main camera with f/2.0 apeture, 1.12 m pixel size, Dual Tone LED flash and optical image stabilization

Though it looks a lot like the SGS7, the Mi 5 has one thing that the Korean Giant's flagship lacks: A USB Type C 1.0 Reversible connector port!

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST) Name Xiaomi Mi5 Type Slate Form Factor Price Category Midrange (Flagship Level) Dimensions 144.6 x 69.2 x 7.3 mm Weight 129 grams Available Colors Black, White, Gold, Ceramic Operating System Android 6.0 Marshmallow with MIUI 7.0 Display 5.15 inches (~73.1% screen-to-body ratio), 1080 x 1920 pixels (~428 ppi pixel density), IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Gorilla Glass 4 Processor Quad Core Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 chipset = Dual Core 1.8 GHz Kryo + Dual Core 1.6 GHz Kryo, Adreno 530 GPU RAM 3GB, 4GB RAM options Internal Storage 32GB of ROM (minimum, also available in 64GB and 128GB), non-expandable Camera Main: 16 MegaPixels, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus, OIS (4-axis), Dual Tone LED flash, 1/2.8" sensor size, 1.12 m pixel size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection, panorama, HDR

Front: 4 MegaPixels, f/2.0 aperture, 1/3" sensor size, 2m pixel size Video Capture Main: 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps

Front: 1080p@30fps Audio and Video Playback MP4, DviX, XviD, H.264, WMV, MP3, WAV, FLAC, eAAC+, WMA player Ports Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, 3.5 mm combo jack Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, LE, apt-X, 3G HSPA+; LTE Cat12 GPS Yes, with GLONASS, A-GPS, and BDS FM Radio Yes (TBC) Sensors Fingerprint, Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Gyroscope, Barometer Network 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, 4G Network LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 (TBC) SIM Card Type Dual nanoSIM Battery Non-Removable 3,000 mAh Li-Ion battery Uptime TBD Value-Added Features Glass-Sandwich Design Language, Value for Money, Top-Notch Imaging Capabilities Announcement MWC ~ February 2016 Availability TP Guesstimate: March 2016 Price Official: Starts at $300









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I hope our friends from the Chinese electronics company won't call me out on the title of this post because, really, apart from the location of this model's camera module at the back, almost all design elements of newmake it look largely identical toAlso announced at MWC 2016 a few days ago,On the outside, the device is equipped with adisplay protected by scratch-resistant glass, a- which is one of the strongest selling points of the Mi5, a 5 MegaPixel front cam for selfies that performs well in low light conditions, and a 4K 30fps video recorder.At its heart, like the more expensive LG G5 and Galaxy S7 (in some territories), the most affordable Xiaomi Mi 5 variant runs its MIUI-flavored Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system with the beastlychipset, has 3 GB of RAM - which is just right considering its price, and comes with 32GB of non-expandable storage. The company offers more expensive versions with 64GB and 128GB of internal storage paired with 4GB of RAM. All variants are powered by a non-removable 3,000 mAh Li-Ion battery pack that supports Quick Charge 3.0 giving you up to 83% of the battery's capacity in just 30 minutes.Xiaomi Mi 5 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM will be launched in China and India later this month with price tag of around $300 USD -- that's roughly 1,999 CNY or 10,300 INR. The smartphone comes in three colors: Black, Gold, and White with a special Ceramic version.Given that Xiaomi has mellowed down its operations in the Philippines, I'm not sure if the company will officially release this model here. In fact, last year's top-of-the-line model - the Mi 4 - didn't even see any local launch. Nonetheless, I'm confident that we can rely on our online sellers to make the Mi5 available to Pinoy Xiaomi fans as soon as the handset gets released in Xiaomi's priority territories. I'm still hoping, though, that the Chinese device manufacturer would at least formally bring some units here.
Google confirms earlier reports that it is going to adapt the approach to the European "right to be forgotten" in response to talks with regulators.

Starting next week, the company is going to wipe out a few search results from all of its Google Search domains if searches are carried out in the European Union.

In 2014, the European Union Court of Justice ordered that search engines should comply with the requests of Europeans to delist a few search results which come with irrelevant, inadequate, not in the public interest, out-of-date or excessive information. The request has since been popularly known as "the right to be forgotten" or more accurately, "the right to delist."

Google's present practice is that if a European requests for delisting a particular link through its webform, it checks out if it conforms to the criteria laid down by the EU court. Once the request meets those conditions, then the company is going to deindex that link from its European domains, such as google.fr, google.de and google.co.uk, but not on google.com.

"We're changing our approach as a result of specific discussions that we've had with EU data protection regulators in recent months," says Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel. "We believe that this additional layer of delisting enables us to provide the enhanced protections that European regulators ask us for, while also upholding the rights of people in other countries to access lawfully published information."

The Catch

Beginning next week, Google will make use of geolocation signals, such as IP addresses, in limiting access to deindexed links across Google Search sites, which include google.com. The delisting, however, is applicable to the country of the person who made the request.

As an example, if a specific webpage is delisted in line with the request of a person residing in Germany, the URL won't be visible to people who live in the country on all Google Search domains. However, when a person is going overseas, even in countries within the European Union, then they are able to see the posted webpage, but on non-European Google Search sites.

In November, Google disclosed in its transparency report that it had received almost 350,000 requests to deindex 1.2 million links to web pages from its search engine results.

Requests came from Belgium, Hungary, United Kingdom, Poland, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Netherlands, Austria and Latvia.

Google also revealed 10 sites which had been mostly affected by the removal of URLs from search results. The list included facebook.com and twitter.com.

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As the FBI continues to make its case to legally compel Apple to unlocked the iPhone once owned by one the perpetrators of the San Bernardino massacre, the United Nation's high commissioner for human rights has urged the U.S. to avoid crossing a "key red line" that could jeopardize the quality of life of millions of people around the world.

Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein, the UN's Human Rights High Commissioner, asserts that there are others ways for the FBI to determine whether or not a third party played a role in launching the terror attack at an office party in San Bernardino, California last December.

Breaking the iPhone's encryption, by having Apple build a software backdoor, could unlock a "Pandora's Box," states Al-Hussein.

"This is not just about one case and one IT company in one country," says Al-Hussein. "It will have tremendous ramifications for the future of individuals' security in a digital world which is increasingly inextricably meshed with the actual world we live in."

Al-Hussein reasons that the software backdoor not only sets a precedence for oppressive regimes around the world, but it also offers them the means for prying into the personal information of their citizens. It could be "a gift to authoritarian regimes" and hackers alike, adds Al-Hussein.

Encryption protects activists, political dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists and whistle blowers around the globe from persecution, according to the high commissioner.

"There is, unfortunately, no shortage of security forces around the world who will take advantage of the ability to break into people's phones if they can," he says. "And there is no shortage of criminals intent on committing economic crimes by accessing other people's data."

The UN is the latest organization to support Apple stance, to some degree, in the debate over encryption and consumer protections. For various reasons, Silicon Valley has been submitted "friends of the court" briefs in a show of support for Apple.

On March 1, the two sides held another bout in court during a hearing dubbed "The Encryption Tightrope: Balancing Americans' Security and Privacy." The hearing, in its 5 and a half hour-long entirety, can be viewed in the video below:



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Microsoft has pushed out a significant update to its Windows 10 beta. The new Windows internal build, dubbed "build 14279," brings in more languages support for Cortana along with other nifty additions.

Cortana In More Languages

The new build enables Microsoft's digital assistant for the Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Mexico) and French (Canada) languages.

"If you're running the Windows 10 Insider Preview in these languages  give Cortana a try and let us know what you think," says Microsoft on a blogpost.

Microsoft says it has packed in "local flavor" to match not only the accent and the language of the country but its culture as well.

However, the company underscores that there's still a lot of work to do, and a huge part of the development process depends on the feedback it gets from the members of the Windows Insider Program.

Cortana Handles Reminders

With the new build, Cortana now remembers things for Windows 10 users. As an example, if users wish to save the title of a particular movie to watch at a later time, they can now ask the digital assistant to remind them about it, e.g., "remind me to watch [the title of the movie]." Users can likewise set details at a later time, such as the time, location and people.

The company promises that in future versions of the Windows 10, users will be able retrieve the reminders upon their requests, "just like a real personal assistant would."

Lock Screen Background

In the new build, Microsoft has also made a tweak on the personal computers' lock screen and logon screen. The company has now fused the experience so users will only have one background  the lock screen background, as Microsoft calls it.

Microsoft adds that it is planning to have this particular feature available to users of the Windows Spotlight, and it also working on making the transition between the lock screen and logging in more seamless.

Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14521, which Microsoft rolled out in January, arrived with a few bug fixes. One of which is an issue that causes PC games to crash when users change from windowed mode to full screen upon launch or upon game resolution change.

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Police authorities in New Jersey and Northern Virginia are investigating into robocall bomb threats that prompted evacuation and lockdown of several schools on Friday.

Robocalls are automated phone calls that are becoming increasingly popular for bomb threats on schools in the U.S. Robocalls resulted in school evacuations and even lockdowns in January this year; however, none of these calls were credible.

On Friday, seven schools in the state of Northern Virginia received bomb threats via robocalls. Again, police found that none of the calls were true.

A spokesperson for the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) says that the calls were mainly intended to disrupt school operations and none of its students are at any risk.

About a dozen schools in New Jersey also received bomb threats at about 11 a.m. on Friday, which affected thousands of students. The problem has become so severe that some police officials have decided to have a conference to discuss how to tackle the problem.

Apart from robocalls, the entire school district in Augusta, Maine, was also shut down on Friday as police authorities investigated a bomb threat received by email.

Amy Klinger, an assistant professor at Ashland University in Ohio, suggests that some Internet-based organizations are behind robocalls.

"Schools are really caught in this dilemma of what do we do? Do we ignore it? But you can't," says Klinger. "That's a really dangerous precedent to say we're just going to stop responding. So it's really kind of a Catch 22 that schools have found themselves in. We need to respond, but every time we do it just generates more threats."

In January, about 206 bomb threats were recorded nationwide. Klinger also revealed that so far in school year 2015-2016, a total of 745 bomb threats had been made against schools, which is an increase of 143 percent when compared to the same time period in the 2012-2013 school year.

One of the students said that she has grown tired of the increasing number of hoaxes that result in schools being evacuated.

"Apparently they're all pranks I don't know why you would even think that funny," said the student. "So annoying. You're just trying to get through the day and suddenly they tell us we're being evacuated."

It remains to be seen how authorities will manage robocalls and punish those responsible for the hoax that resulted in the evacuation of schools and unnecessary hassle to students.

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The water crisis in Flint, Michigan has been going around in circles over the past years.

Too much information has been released, the numbers have become so overwhelming, and the issues just keep on coming. Saying that the Flint water crisis is a hullabaloo is an understatement.

Finally, on Friday, the city was able to take the first major step to mitigate the problem: removing the first lead water service line under Mayor Karen Weaver's FAST Start Program.

The program aims to eliminate all lead water lines, which have been plaguing residents and keeping them from drinking fresh tap water.

Population Affected

Flint is a city situated about 70 miles north of Detroit. The city has about 99,002 residents, of which 41. 6 percent are considered to be below the poverty line.

While the median household income in Michigan is about $49,087, the rate in Flint is only approximately $24,679.

More than half of Flint residents are African-Americans, with a population rate of 56.6 percent.

The Start Of Lead Problems

In 2007, the city prepared to make the big switch from Detroit to Flint River to be its backup water supplier, despite concerns about sewage and industrial spills. The main reason for this change is to save money and eventually look at joining a corporation that would have its own pipeline to the lake.

In 2011, the state of Michigan took charge of the city's finances after an audit revealed that the city has a deficit amounting to about $25 million. Although the funds allocated for water supply was $9 million, authorities used some of these money to deal with deficits in the general fund.

In April 2013, state treasurer Andrew Dillon gave the green light to make the switch. However, the changeover did not happen until April 2014.

In August 2014, complaints about water contamination with lead, coliform bacteria and other substances started pouring in.

Turns out, the corrosive water from the river scraped lead from the old pipes. Some children showed increased levels of lead in their blood and the change in water system became the primary culprit. Such events even urged Governor Rick Snyder to seek for expanded Medicaid coverage for the victims.

According to a report by the state auditor general, the staff of the Department of Environmental Quality was not able to release a city order to treat its water with anti-corrosives as it switched to Flint River. The report also states that even if they have initiated the said rules, it may not be enough to protect the residents.

Number Of Lead Lines

The person tasked to oversee the FAST Start program is retired National Guard Brigadier General Michael McDaniel. He said that as far as they know, there are about 5,000 lead lines that need to be removed.

Because the city records are not sufficient, this number is said to be the minimum number of lead lines. This means there could be more, much more.

"Some sources estimate over 6 million lead service lines exist across the U.S.," says credit ratings and research firm Fitch Ratings. Majority of these areas are in the Northeast, Midwest and older urban locations.

Number Of Lead Lines To Be Removed In The Upcoming Weeks

Flint is looking forward to having 30 homes serviced and their lead lines replaced in the coming weeks.

McDaniel says the initial replacement of the lines this week was just the beginning. The team will prioritize homes with apparent lead problems and those that have occupants who are vulnerable. These people include children, pregnant women and individuals with weakened immune systems.

FAST Start Program Funds: How Much Is Needed?

Weaver said she is looking to collect $55 million to complete the FAST Start Program.

As of the moment, they were able to begin the program with $2 million, which came from the state of Michigan. The said money was repaid to the city after it was used as payment for services needed to reconnect Flint's water supply to the Detroit system.

The rest of the needed money may be obtained from state's so-called "rainy day" fund.

Nationwide Funds Needed

Fitch estimates that the capital expenses to replace the estimated 6 million lines in the entire country would be $275 billion.

Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that water structure improvement up until the year 2030 would entail about $385 million in funds. Such amount only includes partial replacements.

Fitch says these costs are achievable, provided that there would be adequate time for collection. However, if the program needs faster implementation, then it could cause financial distress for a couple of water utilities. Ultimately, this stress may be passed on to consumers, which will spell greater problems.

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Apple has announced that its Apple Pay mobile payment service now has support from more than 20 new banks.

Apart from adding a number of major banks to its current roster of credit card issuing companies which have Apple Pay compatible cards, Apple said it has also added Credit Unions and some smaller regional financial institutions to the list. These new entries are said to be servicing some of the small regions in the United States or individual cities.

"Apple Pay works with many of the major credit and debit cards, including store-issued cards, from the top UK and US banks and stores," states the support page of Apple. "In Canada and Australia, Apple Pay works with credit and charge cards issued by American Express. Just add your supported cards and continue to get all the rewards, benefits, and security of your cards."

Apple seemed to focus heavily on building partnership with more merchant partners as part of its expansion plans for the service. It is expected that American Apparel should be able to support Apple Pay later this year. Other merchants that are lined up to accept Apple Pay include Starbucks, KFC, JCPenney, Dominos, Chili's, Cinnabon, Chick-fil-A, Crate & Barrel and American Apparel.

McDonald's is one of the early establishments to support Apple Pay. The company currently accepts the mobile payment service in all of its 14,000 branches sprawled across the United States. It also revealed that 50 percent of its "tap-to-pay" orders are transacted using the service.

Apart from McDonald's (and of course Apple Stores), merchants that have initially supported Apple Pay include American Eagle, Aeropostale, Bloomingdale's, Champs Sports, Chevron, Nike, Office Depot, RadioShack and Walgreens.

Outside the United States, Apple Pay is supported by banks from other regions such as Australia, Canada, Mainland China and the United Kingdom.

Here is the full list of new banks that were added in the United States.

1. Abacus Federal Savings Bank

2. BankFirst Financial Services

3. Colfax Banking Company

4. First Bank

5. First National Bank of Durango

6. Franklin First Federal Credit Union

7. Gulf States Credit Union

8. Henrico Federal Credit Union

9. Mill City Credit Union

10. Pasadena Federal Credit Union

11. Raleigh County Federal Credit Union

12. St. Landry Bank and Trust Co.

13. West Milton State Bank

14. 1st Community Federal Credit Union

15. Bank of England

16. Bull's Eye Credit Union

17. Columbia Bank Florida

18. First Federal Bank of Louisiana

19. First Southern National

20. Green Country Federal Credit Union

21. Guthrie County State Bank

22. Lone Star National Bank

23. Modern Woodmen Bank

24. PNC Bank, Global Investment Servicing

25. Sage Capital Bank

26. TCM Bank

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Facebook will soon allow publishers to use its messaging app as a new platform for sharing stories.

This means that users will not only see their News Feeds filled with articles, but also come across with content that publishers would share in Messenger threads.

Early rumors suggest that Facebook is already working on a software development kit that would enable developers to create Messenger-based chat bots. It was said that these developers who are testing out the new software also include publishers.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg somehow hinted at the future of its messaging platform when he revealed the type of sessions that should be expected on its upcoming Facebook's F8 Developer Conference in April.

Apart from holding talks on Facebook Lite, Facebook Business Pages and Android Apps, there will also be discussions on News Publishers and Readers, WhatsApp, Graph API and Immutable Objects, according to Zuckerberg.

On the event's first day of conference, Zuckerberg will formally take the stage with a keynote where he will talk about how Facebook can help developers to build, grow and monetize success, as well as the future projects that they can expect from the social media company.

One of the earlier tools that developers began testing earlier this year is a chat bot-plugged Messenger, which will allow users to request Uber rides using a Messenger conversation thread.

Tech firm Imperson also created a chat bot for the "The Muppets" character Miss Piggy in order to allow an exchange of conversations and replies with fans. The bot would reportedly use computer algorithms to analyze the fan-sent messages and then send out a reply by choosing the most relevant response based on a predetermined list.

Last fall, Facebook also rolled out the Notify app which seemed to feature another way that the Messenger can be used by publishers. People who subscribe to the app can receive push notifications from a number of publishers such as Fox Sports, People, Mashable and The New York Times, among others. They can also view the article in an in-app browser by simply clicking on the alerts that they get from the notifications tab of their devices.

Apart from the Messenger, publishers are also exploring other messaging apps for sharing content. These include BBC News which uses Viber and WhatsApp; The Huffington Post which is on Viber; The Economist which uses Line; and BuzzFeed, NBC News and The Washington Post, which all have tried using Kik.

Last month, Facebook announced that its Messenger now has more than 800 million active monthly users worldwide. According to Nielsen, Messenger gained more active monthly users in the United States on average compared to any other messaging platforms on either iOS or Android.

It remains to be seen how the move will allow publishers and other businesses to monetize from the content that they share through Messenger. With Facebook's growing number of users, it seems that the possibility of selling brands on sponsored messages looks very enticing indeed and we'll learn more about it at Facebook's upcoming F8 conference.

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Due to an unusual rise in cases of late-winter influenza, hospitals across some parts of the Southeastern United States have implemented stricter visitor regulations.

Illinois, Indiana and North Carolina are seeing upswing in influenza cases. In some areas, the flu has turned more dangerous and deadlier, public health officials said.

Cases of influenza in Chicago, Illinois went from 49 in December 2015 to 326 by Feb. 27, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

In Indiana, public health department spokesperson Jennifer O'Malley said 19 people have already died from the flu since October. More than half of the deaths this season came in the past two weeks.

Indiana's flu season had begun mildly compared to last year, which had recorded 789 cases. Today, there are 127 positive influenza tests. What's alarmed officials, however, is that 84 of the 127 cases came in February alone.

"It appears that this flu season is picking up later than what we have seen in recent years, and it's too early to say if we've hit the peak or if it's yet to come," said epidemiologist Genessa Doolittle.

The same goes in Chicago: the flu season peaked by late January, a deviation from the past trend in which cases peaked in early January.

Hospitals in both states have taken notice and are exercising caution.

At Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois, doctors in emergency rooms have observed more flu cases last month, and it appeared to increase more and more every week.

"The emergency room became very busy a couple of weeks ago," said Stephen Sokalski, the center's chief of infectious disease and epidemiology. He said most of the cases were children.

In Feb. 22, the hospital enacted restrictions that ban visitors who are younger than 18 years old, as well as visitors with flu-like symptoms.

Other hospitals in Chicago with visitor restrictions include Northwestern Memorial and Prentice Women's hospital, Presence Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, and Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin.

In North Carolina, Pardee Hospital announced on March 5 that it will implement visitor restrictions as a response to the rising number of influenza cases. Additional restrictions include: visitors must be limited to immediate family members or clergy; and only one or two visitors are allowed inside a patient's room.

Health professionals advise the public to frequently wash their hands, stay at home when sick, and consider getting a flu shot if they have not yet been vaccinated.

In Indiana, flu shots will be available for free to county residents who are aged 6 months old and above.

Photo: Rick Kimpel | Flickr

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Scientists are set to conduct a drilling expedition at the impact crater  Chicxulub crater  generated by a dinosaur-killing asteroid.

The team hopes to obtain rock cores that will give information about how life was restored after the widespread destructive event that occurred millions of years ago. Specifically, they want to discover if the actual crater harbored microbial life.

Drilling the crater may also pave the way for more information about how the so-called powerful "peak rings" formed.

A Look Back

Chicxulub crater is believed to be the impact site where an asteroid crashed into the Earth 66 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaur population.

In the 1950s, a Mexico-based oil company called Pemex, performed gravity and magnetic experiments at the Yucatan Peninsula. The researchers were surprised to find circular structures below the ground, which may potentially be oil traps.

They then drilled wells, but halted the mission after obtaining volcanic rocks rather than oil-rich sediments.

Fast forward to 1980, Luis Alvarez, a Nobel laureate and some of his colleagues brought up the presence of a thin layer of iridium in ancient rocks dating back to the time of dinosaurs. Iridium is a chemical element that scientists consider as a potential component of an asteroid. Most importantly, the scientists regard the discovery as a sign of a great impact, which is a significant indicator of formerly unsuspected cause of extinctions.

In 1991, geologist Alan Hildebrand and colleagues dubbed the Chicxulub village as the site of natural destruction. They found quartz crystals appalled by the impact via the samples collated by Pemex.

Because the said samples have been idle for the more than 10 years from that discovery, some people were a bit embarrassed, said Hildebrand.

Hopes For This Mission

Because the information from Pemex was irregular, experts have been eyeing on going back to the site to obtain more detailed data from the impact and the aftermath.

The scientists have so much hope for the upcoming mission. Once they have drilled 800 meters down the crater, they expect to find lesser samples of the shell-producing species that compose the limestone because life was still in the stages of recovery.

Other scientists think that the carbon dioxide caused by the impact may have lowered down the pH of oceans, making it acidic. With this, they are also looking at investigating if the animals at the seafloor level were those that endured low pH.

Slightly on top of the crater is an impact sheet that is 100 meters or more thick. Such layer may have been accumulated after the natural destruction. At the bottom part of this sheet, scientist anticipate to discover a mixture of rocks destroyed by the impact and some previously-molten rocks that returned back to the crater just minutes after the impact.

Ultimately, the highlight of the mission would be to reach the peak ring that exists abundantly on Mars, Mercury and the moon.

On Earth, however, there are just two craters bigger than Chicxulub that should also contain peak rings. These are Vredefort crater in South Africa and Sudbury crater in Canada, which are two billion and 1.8 billion years old respectively. However, these craters are so old that the peak rings may have already disintegrated.

The Mission

The forthcoming drilling expedition will commence during the latter part of March. A special vessel will sail from Progreso port in Mexico up to an area 30 kilometers offshore.

The boat will then sink three pylons 17 meters deep in the water and raise itself atop the waves, producing a sturdy platform.

The team plans to drill starting April 1 and rapidly beat through 500 meters of limestone found on the sea floor accumulated from the impact.

Once through, the team would obtain core specimens three meters after three meters. They will persist to attempt going deeper by a kilometer, day and night, to look for diversification in rock types, classify microfossils and obtain DNA samples.

"We've got one shot to try and get this down to 1500 meters," says David Smith from the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP), which will sponsor the $10 million mission.

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Budding from the cross pollination of fixed and rotary wing technologies, the LightningStrike, a VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft, is set to grow from a concept to a prototype.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on Thursday announced that contractor winner Aurora Flight Sciences will nurture the LightningStrike in Phase 2 of the VTOL's life.

The concept for the LightningStrike VTOL was the result of collaboration between Aurora Flight Sciences, Rolls-Royce PLC and Honeywell International Inc.

The LightningStrike is a part of DARPA's VTOL X-Plane (Vertical Takeoff and Landing Experimental Plane) program. Though it isn't the first of its kind, the LightningStrike's technology is unprecedented.

"If successful, VTOL X-Plane's radically improved flight capabilities could lead to revolutionary advancement of the U.S. military's future mission capabilities," said [pdf] John Langford, chairman and CEO of Aurora. "We're honored to have been selected by DARPA to build and flight test the demonstrator aircraft."

Lightning In A Bottle

VTOLs have been in development for more than six decades. Beyond the MV-22 Osprey, researchers and engineers have failed to build a breed of aircraft that could stand next to or step ahead of the helicopter.

Aurora Flight Sciences has been commissioned to develop the LightningStrike concept into an aircraft that can top out at a speed somewhere between 300 and 400 knots, 345 mph to 460 mph.

The Virginia-based firm must also raise the VTOL's hover efficiency from 60 percent to at least 75 percent and double its cruise-to-drag ratio between 5 and 6. The firm must also improve the concept's load-bearing capacity so that it supports a payload of at least 40 percent of the VTOL's project weight of 10k to 12k pounds.

DARPA would like for the LightningStrike to best the MV-22 Osprey, which tops out at 351 mph.

It'll use the same Rolls-Royce AE 1107C turboshaft engine as the Osprey, but the LightningStrike will be more fuel-efficient.

And along with the increased fuel efficiency the VTOL's hybrid electric engine will deliver, Langford explained the potential for a stealthier aircraft.

"Instead of taking two big powerful thrusters, we have 24 of them," said Langford. "We distribute that same energy over 24 fans ... has less blast, less heat, is quieter and less disruptive, which means it can get into places that the V-22 can't. Part of the idea of this is to make it more practical."





Preying On The Osprey

While Aurora Flight Sciences is working to turn 3D renders into a working prototype, Ashish Bagai, DARPA program manager, tempered expectations of LightningStrike. The Osprey and its supporters have nothing to worry about, at least not in the next few years.

The VTOL won't make it to "volume production in the next few years," but actualizing on the concept is important for the future technologies the aircraft could facilitate, according to Bagai.

"Imagine electric aircraft that are more quiet, fuel-efficient and adaptable and are capable of runway-independent operations," said Bagai. "We want to open up whole new design and mission spaces freed from prior constraints, and enable new VTOL aircraft systems and subsystems."

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Just a day after finding its writer in Eric Heisserer, the "Sandman" adaptation lost its director and star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The actor took to Facebook to make the announcement, citing creative differences with New Line Cinema as the reason for his departure.

But while news of his leaving is fresh, it looks like Gordon-Levitt had known for a while that the project might not be a good fit. According to his post, a few months ago he realized that he and New Line, the studio to where Warner Bros. shifted its entire Vertigo catalog, are not on the same page on what a film adaptation could and should be and what makes "Sandman" special.

"So unfortunately, I decided to remove myself from the project. I wish nothing but the best for the team moving forward," wrote Gordon-Levitt.

His leaving is a great shame because his participation as director and star held a lot of promise, most especially when he realized the magnitude of undertaking adapting for the big screen one of most well-loved and critically acclaimed comic book titles.

Gordon-Levitt said the team understood just how ambitious the project was but he was pleased with the progress they were making although they truly had ways to go.

The actor also took the time to thank everyone he's worked with so far for the adaptation, including Neil Gaiman. He said getting to know the original author of "The Sandman" series was a "particular privilege as well as a rocking good time."

Gordon-Levitt also recently joined Amazon Studios' "K Troop" as producer. The film follows the rise of the KKK and highlights the man who led the K Troop, an elite group from the U.S. Army responsible for stomping out the group in 1871. "K Troop" is based off an article published in Slate by Matthew Pearl.

His latest film "Snowden" is due to hit North American theaters on Sept. 16, 2016. Gordon-Levitt is also known for his work in "The Walk," "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," "Don Jon," "The Dark Knight Rises," "Inception" and "(500) Days of Summer."

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This $500 Fingerprint Clone Tool Unlocked Samsung S6 Belonging to a Murder Victim And It Can Hack iPhones Too

Dr. Anil Jain from Michigan State university was approached by police authorities to unlock a Samsung Galaxy S6 belonging to a murdered person. Dr.Jain and his associate unlocked the Galaxy S6 easily with a tool they had developed. They told Forbes that they needed to produce the high-definition print cost under $500 and their clone can unlock the Samsung Galaxy S7 as well as the iPhone 6.

Two researchers at the Michigan State University have found a cheap and faster method of hacking smartphones that use fingerprint biometrics to secure and lock the users data.

Kai Cao and Anil K. Jain from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan State University have devised a simpler technique that uses an off-the-shelf printer and special photo paper to spoof fingerprints that can be carried out under 15 minutes. This process is significantly faster than current fingerprint spoofs that depend on 3D printing, which take more than twice the time.

According to the duo, their attack is much more effective than the one that Germanys Chaos Computer Club (C3) came up with when the iPhone 5S was launched, which involves a 2.5D printed gummy finger made from the authors fingerprint.

However, their method uses a normal inkjet printer, a normal black ink cartridge, and conductive silver ink and a type of photo paper, both from a Japanese manufacturer called AgIC. The researchers used a Brother printer that costs about $400 new on Amazon.

The researchers said that anyone can lift a smartphones owner fingerprints, even from the stolen phone itself, scan it at 300 dpi, flip it horizontally, and then printed on the glossy side of the special AgIC paper that resembles photo stock, using a conductive ink that contains silver.

They can then cut out the fingerprint, put it over the phones fingerprint scanning sensor (whichever that may be, depending on brand), and the phone will identify the fingerprint and allow the attacker access to the data. All of this takes around 15 minutes to carry out.

The Michigan State researchers, Cao and Jain, tested four phones, unlocking two successfully. They were a Samsung Galaxy S6, Huawei Honor 7, iPhone 5s, and Meizu MX4 Pro. The researchers said that while the Samsung was easy to crack, the Huawei phone needed more attempts. However, they could not unlock the Apple and Meizu ones.

Cao told Quartz that the spoof worked on the iPhone during an earlier attempt, but it didnt work when he tried to repeat the result for the technical report. We unlocked it at the start of the project, but when we prepared the report, I could not unlock the iPhone. I used the same protocol and method. Im not sure why it didnt unlock, Cao said.

Chaos Computer Club in Berlin, a non-profit that works on security and privacy in technology, had earlier come up with a well-known fingerprint spoof that involved printing the target fingerprint with latex milk or wood glue. First described in 2013, that process, sometimes called 2.5D printing, had successfully unlocked an iPhone 5s. However, the problem with this technique is that the fabrication of the print depends on the hackers experience, to some degree, and it takes up to half an hour for the fabricated print to dry.

But the new system proposed by Cao and Jain means that fingerprints can be generated more quickly. Hackers can easily generate a large number of spoofs using fingerprint reconstruction or synthesis techniques, which is easier than 2.5D fingerprint spoofs, the report said.

Some companies say they have technology that will stop these spoofs from working. A firm called Goodix has a sensor that detects a users blood flow, thus preventing printouts, whether 3D or 2D, from unlocking a phone.

As we are going to be using lots of devices that have fingerprint sensors and biometrics for online security in the future, the report shows how insecure this validation system really is for todays tech environment.

According to market research firm IHS, the number of fingerprint sensors inserted in devices will grow from 499 million in 2015 to 1.6 billion units in 2020, which is something the Michigan State fingerprint spoofers are worried. We want to emphasize the urgent need for anti-spoofing technology because more phones are using fingerprint sensors, Cao told Quartz.

For more details, please consult the Hacking Mobile Phones Using 2D Printed Fingerprints research paper. Below is a video of the attack.
Facebook to pay millions more in UK tax as revenue from largest advertisers to be routed through UK instead of Ireland

Facebook has agreed to pay millions of pounds in tax to the British Government after a key overhaul of its tax structure. Facebook, Amazon, Google, Starbucks and other multinationals have been criticized for using complex tax arrangements in Europe to considerably reduce their bills.

Facebook said in a statement that from April, UK sales made directly by our UK team will be booked in the UK not Ireland. Facebook U.K. will then record the revenue from these sales. It said the change would provide transparency to Facebooks operations in the UK.

Income from some of its largest advertisers will now be taxed in the UK after the company announced stopping routing profits through Ireland.

In 2014, Facebook was greatly criticised after it was revealed that the company only paid 4,327 in corporation tax in the UK despite an annual profit of 1.9 billion and with Britain being one of the companys biggest markets outside the US.

At this stage, it is not clear exactly how much tax Facebook will pay under the new arrangements in Britain, where the corporation tax rate is 20 percent of taxable income. Changes are expected to be put in place in April, with the first, new tax bill to be paid in 2017.

Facebooks announcement follows Britains introduction of a diverted profits tax of 25 percent to discourage companies from using complex international arrangements to cut their tax bills.

It was revealed yesterday that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) pays Facebook six times the amount the company pays in tax to buy adverts telling people to pay their taxes.

A Freedom of Information request by Channel 4 News disclosed that the company was paid 27,000 by HMRC last year.

Like all large organisations we find that an increasing number of those we serve communicate through and get their information from social media, a spokesperson for HMRC said.

Our investment in social media is carefully evaluated to ensure we are getting maximum value for the taxpayer.

A spokesperson for Facebook told The Independent the changes announced on Friday were meant to increase transparency and fall in line with tax changes made by the current Government.

She added, On Monday we will start notifying large UK customers that from the start of April they will receive invoices from Facebook UK and not Facebook Ireland, she added.

What this means in practice is that UK sales made directly by our UK team will be booked in the UK, not Ireland. Facebook UK will then record the revenue from these sales.

In light of changes to tax law in the UK, we felt this change would provide transparency to Facebooks operations in the UK.

The new structure is easier to understand and clearly recognises the value our UK organisation adds to our sales through our highly skilled and growing UK sales team.

The UK represents less than 10% of Facebooks global revenue, but the company restated that its operations in the country, which include more than 850 staff, remained an important part of the business. The company is currently building a new headquarters in London, while the UK contributes to some of its most ambitious projects, including its solar-powered drone development.

Its Irish base employs almost 1,000 people from 50 countries working in departments IT, engineering, finance, sales and marketing.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, promised to clampdown on tax avoidance by introducing a diverted profits tax on companies moving their profits outside of the UK to countries with lower corporation tax rates in order to pay less to the Treasury.

Nicknamed the Google Tax, the penalty came into effect in April last year.

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister David Cameron said: We are committed to making sure that multinationals pay their fair share of tax in the UK. That is why we have taken a wide range of action, both domestically and leading the international agenda on this, to make sure we can tackle these issues with other countries.
Alphabet Chairman and Google ex-CEO Eric Schmidt to head a new innovation board at Pentagon

Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Wednesday appointed Eric Schmidt, Alphabet Chairman and former Google CEO, as the head of a new Pentagon Advisory Board aimed at bringing Silicon Valley innovation and best practices to the U.S. military and make it more tech savvy.

Carter revealed the new Defense Innovation Advisory Board with Schmidt during the annual RSA cyber security conference in San Francisco, saying it would give the Pentagon access to the brightest technical minds focused on innovation.

The board will also address problems in the way the Pentagon uses technology, and it will be tasked with providing quick solutions. Schmidts group will have no access to information about military operations strategy.

Schmidt said the board would help bridge what he called a clear gap between how the U.S. military and the technology industry operate. He will oversee a group of up to 12 other board members, who also have led large private companies and public organizations and excelled at recognizing and adopting new technology concepts.

If we dont innovate and be competitive, were not going to be the military that the country needs and deserves, Carter told his RSA conference audience. We should have done it a while ago.

Schmidt has a unique perspective on the latest practices in harnessing and encouraging innovation, said Carter.

Based on the Defense Business Board, which provides advice on best business practices from the private sector, the new panel is proposed to help the Pentagon become more innovative and adaptive in developing technology and doing business.

The Pentagon said the board would advise it on such Google-y topics as rapid prototyping, iterative product development, business analytics, mobile apps, and the cloud. The secretary is always looking at ways to  keep the department thinking fresh, bringing in new ideas, bringing in new voices, and he sees this as another opportunity to do that, said a senior defense official.

Also Wednesday, the Pentagon announced a Hack the Pentagon bug bounty program, which will pay hackers who find out vulnerabilities in the Department of Defenses systems. Bug bounties are a commonly used tool in Silicon Valley to help companies find out vulnerabilities before they are exploited by bad hackers.

The Pentagon said its bug bounty would be done in a controlled environment, and the hackers would be examined first.

The Defense Department regularly attempts to recruit hackers to help it fight attackers and battles in cyberspace.
Guccifer loses extradition case in Romania, to face charges in United States

Guccifer, the famous Romanian hacker has been sent to America by Romanian High Court of Cassation and Justice to face charges related to hacking social media accounts of Bush family and other important people.

Marcel Lehel Laz?r, widely known as Guccifer or Little Fume, is responsible for number of high level security breaches involving both current and former members of US Government. Just after three years after his debut on the world hacking stage, he is being sent to USA for prosecution of numerous illegal hacking activities.

He is currently undergoing a sentence of four years and after his eighteen months in America, he will be brought back to Romania to complete his existing sentence.

Sentenced in Romania

Guccifer was arrested on January 22, 2014, and was later sentenced to four years in prison for hacking the email and social media accounts of various Romanian politicians and celebrities, and also breaking his parole.

Despite the large number of hacked victims, Romanian law enforcement only brought official charges against Guccifer for hacking the email accounts of George Maior (Romanian Secret Service chief) and Corina Cretu (Romanian member of the European Parliament). For each case, the hacker pleaded guilty and received a prison sentence of three years, but the court decided that he should serve just one of them.

Additionally, Guccifer was previously convicted on February 8, 2012, by the District Court of Bucharest, Sector 3 for another hacking-related charge, for which he received a suspended prison sentence of three years.

Guccifer had one year left to serve on that suspended sentence when he was arrested, so that year got added up to the more recent convictions, rounding up to a total of four years of prison time he has to serve in a Romanian jail.

Guccifer is accused of carrying out leaks of sensitive data and hacking of various eminent persons accounts

In the US, the hacker will be facing multiple similar hacking charges after he broke into the accounts of various members of the Bush family, US Secretary of State Colin Powell, and numerous celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Leonardo di Caprio, Steve Martin, and many other more. For a complete list of victims, you can check The Smoking Gun website, through which Guccifer was releasing his leaks.

US authorities officially indicted Guccifer in 2014. The hacker is accused of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, unauthorized access to a protected computer, cyberstalking and obstruction of justice.
Vantablack : The darkest pigment in existence becomes more darker

In 2014, British company Surrey NanoSystems had announced that it had created Vantablack, a series of microscopic vertical tubes. The compound is so black that it absorbs 99.965% of visible light and 99.85% of visible radiation, deceiving the eye into seeing a wrinkled aluminium foil spread with Vantablack as a smooth, black surface. Originally developed for military purposes and astronomy equipment, the implementation of Vantablack is more fields than arts.

Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor has acquired exclusive rights to the revolutionary Vantablack pigment, said to be the blackest shade of black ever created.

Kapoor, who has designed the Orbit tower for the London Olympics, is currently the only person in the world who can paint using this colour, and has been doing so since 2014. He has described the pigment as so black you almost cant see it.

Surrey NanoSystems is limiting the use of Vantablack in art, but not other areas, referring the difficulty of actually using the material, and their basic desire not to deal with the customs headache of exporting it from the UK. Vantablack is not paint or a pigment, as Surrey NanoSystems points out in their FAQs:

Vantablack is generally not suitable for use in art due to the way in which its made. Vantablack S-VIS also requires specialist application to achieve its aesthetic effect. In addition, the coatings performance beyond the visible spectrum results in it being classified as a dual-use material that is subject to UK Export Control. We have therefore chosen to license Vantablack S-VIS exclusively to Kapoor Studios UK to explore its use in works of art. This exclusive licence limits the coatings use in the field of art, but does not extend to any other sectors.

While artists might not agree with the idea that a nanotech company gets to choose what is generally not suitable for use in art, Surrey NanoSystems is not limiting the use of Vantablack completely. Their decree apparently means that the company could license its use in products like space-based telescopes and cameras. Vantablacks distinctive ability to absorb 99.965 percent of visible light and 99.85 percent of infrared radiation means that it can stop unwanted light from reaching a camera sensor, an amazingly valuable feature in space, where researchers are trying to capture faint light from distant stars.
Meanwhile Nancy Daviss career had been foundering. As a heavily pregnant wife in The Next Voice You Hear (1950) she projected, according to Spencer Tracy, all the passion of a Good Humor ice cream  frozen, on a stick, and all vanilla.

She was a schoolteacher in Its a Big Country (1951), and a gutsy war widow (her favourite part) in Night Into Morning. But she made no mark in these films, nor in Shadow in the Sky (1951) and Talk About a Stranger (1952). In January 1952 Warner ended her contract.

Ronald Reagans career was also at a low ebb in 1952, though he would be saved two years later by a lucrative contract to introduce General Electric Theatre on television. Before that Nancy had been in Donovans Brain (1953), as the wife of a mad scientist. Later, the Reagans appeared together in Hellcats of the Navy (1957), and the next year Nancy Reagan made her last film, Crash Landing (1958).

By the time that their son Ronald Skipper Reagan was born in 1958, the Reagans were becoming more closely involved with politics. Under the influence of Loyal Davis, Reagans views had hardened; he had developed a particular horror for socialised medicine. Though he campaigned as a Democrat for Nixon in 1960, he became a Republican  and a Right-wing one  soon after John Kennedys victory. Four years later Reagan was the one bright spot in Barry Goldwaters presidential campaign.

Nancy Reagan was certainly behind her husbands decision to run for Governor of California in 1966, backed by a group of Californian millionaires. Always at home with the super-rich, she formed an especially close attachment to Betsy Bloomingdale, wife of Alfred whose grandfather had founded the department store.

Reagans victory in California offered opportunities for internal decor that she did not mean to forgo. Calling on her rich friends for donations, she built a new governors mansion overlooking the American River outside Sacramento. She also had her first taste of press hostility, when Joan Didion penned a withering piece about her for the Saturday Evening Post.

It was certainly difficult to strike a human spark from her in interviews. She just drove me nuts, complained another journalist, Nancy Collins. She just sits there with her legs glued together, her hands all white knuckles, teeth grinding and that face just a mask  no animation, no laughter, no spontaneity, nothing. She was awful, just awful.

Reagan made a cursory attempt at the presidency in 1968, marked by his wifes claim that she was really much happier in California. It was as well, then, that Reagan was re-elected as Governor in 1970, albeit with a reduced majority.

Notwithstanding the emerging Watergate case, there was no chance of Reagan making a realistic challenge to President Nixon in 1972. But the fall of Nixon and the presidency of Gerald Ford offered new hope. Nancys beam is like a lighthouse, sang Frank Sinatra at Republican fundraisers in 1974, she sees her husband in the White House.
Mother's Day, the celebration of mums far and wide, is here, with children presenting flowers, cards and chocolates to their maternal figures as a thank you for all they do.

While the occasion has become heavily commercialised in recent years and we now typically associate the day with buying gifts and making breakfast in bed for our mums, it has not always been linked to honouring motherhood.

From the history behind the calendar date to the traditions and its Americanisation, here is the story of Mother's Day.

When is Mother's Day?

This year, Mother's Day, otherwise known as Mothering Sunday, falls on Sunday, March 31.

The date changes every year, but always takes place on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday and usually in the second half of March or early April.

Mothering Sunday is a celebration of mothers and the maternal bond, a chance for us all to show love, gratitude and appreciation to our wonderful mums.

Children commonly give flowers, gifts, cards and other acts of kindness to their mothers, as well as their other special maternal figures including grandmothers, stepmothers and mothers-in-law.
The Venezuelan government celebrated on Friday the arrival in the country of the last five crew members of the Emtrasur aircraft that had been held in Argentina since June 6. | Read More
Star Heroine Turns YS Jagan's Neighbor

The most happening heroine of the tollywood Rakul Preet Singh is very busy these days. Now the actress has decided to make Hyderabad as her permanent address.



Ever since she moved to Hyderabad two-and-a-half years ago for work, she has been staying at a luxury hotel in Hitec city and she got tired of it. Now she thought of having house on her own and bought a three-bedroom house spread over nearly 16, 000 sq ft. Sources close to Rakul say that she spent a whopping Rs 3 crore and bought a posh house in Hyderabad.



Rakul's new flat is located in Jubilee Hills close to YSRCP Chief Jagan's residence Lotus Pond. Her parents and brother will be moving in with her into the three-bedroom flat.On the movies front, Rakul is currently occupied with 'Thani Oruvan' Telugu remake, in which she is paired opposite Ram Charan. She also has a project with Sai Dharam Tej in her kitty. Its known that Rakul has recently owned the franchise of the noted fitness chain F45











News Posted: 6 March, 2016








Dattatraya promises Neo-natal services at ESIC

Hyderabad, March 6 (INN): Stating that surgical intervention of birth defects could minimise mortality in India, Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatraya has proposed to start the Neonatal Surgery Services unit at ESIC Super Speciality Hospital associated with proposed ESIC Medical College at Sanathnagar.



Speaking as Chief Guest at World Birth Defects Day function organised by ESIC Medical College here on Sunday, the Unio Minister said that the unit was envisaged to start with international collaboration between ESIC NSS (Neonatal Surgery Service) and ESIC BiDS Birth Defects Surgery units. This would be extended to the rest of the country through the ESIC Hospitals, he said.



The program was Presided by Prof. Srinivas, Dean of ESIC Medical College, Hyderabad. Kapilavai Dilip Kumar, Ex MLC and ESIC National Director, Nethi Rajeshwar, ESIC National Director, R.S. Rao, Regional Director, ESI Corporation, Dr P.K. Jain Medical Director, State Medical Commissioner ESI Corporation and Dr. Balraj Bhandar, Medical Superintendent ESIC Super Speciality Hospital also participated in the programme.



Dattatraya said that about 5% to 10% of the babies are born with birth defects and it is one of the major cause of high infant mortality rate in India. The cost of the treatment of this group of Malormations is high as the birth defects are common and most of the major defects need super speciality treatment. Children who are successfully treated are an increased risk for long-term medical and surgical issues.



The union minister said that the role of prevention of Birth Defects and Education about he Birth Defects is very important. "In this direction, as a Chairperson of the ESI Corporation with around 8 crore ESI beneficiaries in India, I propose to start the Fetal Medicine Unit at ESIC Super Speciality Hospital associated with the proposed ESIC Medical College at Sanathnagar, Hyderabad. This unit is contemplated to start a unique natinal programme - ESIC CARES programme. CARES: Congenital Anomalies Registration and Education Service. Our insured persons would be educated and counseled for the Birth Defects through this initiative. Once well established at Hyderabad, this would be extended to the rest of the country through the ESIC Hospitals.



Dattatraya said tha the ESIC (Employees State Insurance Corporation) has transformed itself into Empathetic Socially Inclusive Corporation.









News Posted: 6 March, 2016








TS will be free from farmers' suicides: Pocharam

Hyderabad, March 6 (INN): Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said that the State Government was taking measures to turn Telangana free from farmers' suicides.



Speaking to media persons here on Sunday, the minister said that the State Government would promote agriculture and allied services in a phase manner. He said 100% subsidy would be given to farmers belonging to SC and ST communities for poly house and tractors. He said tha the Horticulture Corporation was being set up to promote horticulture sector in the State. He said farmers would be given fertilizers and seeds on huge subsidy.



The minister said several major changes were being introduced in the agriculture sector to make it a profitable profession. Besides waiving off crop loans, the government would provide seven-hour free power during the day-time to farmers.









News Posted: 6 March, 2016








The global property company Knight Frank have released their 2016 India residential investment advisory report for 2016, which can be used as a useful barometer for how well the Indian economy is doing overall.

This is especially true of consumer trends  of vital note to foreign investors hoping to sell products to Indias massive middle class consumer base.

Unlike China, where worrying signs are that property prices are set to retrench, Indias residential property market looks healthy. The report, which specifically features the main India cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune, also covers areas of prime infrastructure interest, such as the New Gurgaon area in Delhi, and the airport development project in Pune. That means some welcome and detailed on the ground research has been put into this survey.

In terms of expected growth, there are some spectacular numbers within

Knight Frank view the Madh-Marve area of Mumbai to appreciate as much as 94 percent, and nearby Ulwe and the Majiwada  Kasarvadavali corridor to show appreciation of 70 and 59 percent respectively.

Mumbai, it seems, is set to boom as Indias financial and services center, with a young, emerging and dynamic professional Indian class all wanting to get onto the local property market.

This represents a huge pointer for foreign investors looking at India in terms of both sourcing and attracting key Indian personnel.

The Delhi market and especially the NCR region  with the exception of Gurgaon  appears sluggish at best.

Other hot spots include Pune and Hyderabad

while the south-east cities of Bengaluru and Chennai can be expected to perform well now, and boom perhaps later. Discussions with the government of Sri Lanka over restoring ferry and transport services, if successful, between Jaffna and Colombo and Chennai would have a major impact on these cities.

Overall however, Knight Franks observations fit in with the recent Indian budget, which has promised incentives for affordable housing within its aims. It remains as true in India as elsewhere for foreign investors  following government policy will provide you with a detailed source of where the opportunities lie.

While these are trends for the Indian consumer, it should be noted that a consumer society that has access to cash supported by a favorable Government policy towards housing typically indicates a consumer boom will occur.

In this regard it is important to note that Indias current middle class consumer base is about 250 million people. It is expected to grow significantly, borne out by the India Brand Equity Foundations overview suggesting Indias FMCG market is expected to grow at 12% in 2016 alone.

This development of Indias consumer market has also been underpinned by government strategy to upgrade tens of millions of Indians to middle class consumer status. One step in ensuring that, like China before it, Indias middle class continues to grow, is the introduction of Indias Payment Banks  designed to gradually move lower class Indians used to dealing with a cash economy onto a banking platform, and incentivizing them to do so. We illustrated how this will come about in our article New Payment Banks to Change Indian Consumer Behaviour.

These initiatives, and the expected demand and ability to profit from Indias encouraging residential market expectations, are encouraging news for foreign investors looking to sell products to India.

With several years of our own experience in the Indian market behind us, I can say that the country remains an awkward place to do business, at least from the administration and bureaucratic perspective.

However, things are slowly changing for the better, and another truism is beginning to emerge: getting into a consumer market growing at rates of ten percent plus, with Indias middle class able to make serious money on investments in their residential property market, means only one thing  India is a consumer market to explore.

Knight Franks 2016 Residential Investment Advisory Report for India can be downloaded for free here.
The first water order from Victoria's controversial Wonthaggi desalination plant has been placed by the Andrews government in a bid to combat declining water storages across the state.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Water Minister Lisa Neville made the announcement at Cardinia reservoir on Sunday morning for 50 billion litres (50 gigalitres)  the Target 155 water saving campaign will also be reactivated.

As first reported by The Age last week, an order for water had been imminent with a deadline for an order on April 1.

The order will push up water bills by $12 a year for households. Even with no order placed, Victorians pay $1.8 million every day to keep the desal plant open and ready for an order.
The ACT government spent $43 million buying 203 public housing units off builders and developers last year and is now preparing to buy up to 400 more.

Public Housing Renewal Taskforce head David Collett would not provide a detailed breakdown of where the apartments and townhouses are, saying it would not be in the best interests of future tenants to identify properties as public housing.

The Owen Flats, on Northbourne, among the swathe of public housing being demolished, with new units being built around the city. Credit:Rohan Thomson

But he said the public housing was being spread across the city, "consistent with the government's salt and pepper policy".

"One of the aims of the ACT Government's public housing renewal program is to break down concentrations of disadvantage and their associated social problems and stigma," he said.
The High Court has overturned an ACT Court of Appeal decision that set aside a father's conviction for an indecent act involving his five-year-old daughter because of the way her unsworn evidence was dealt with.

The man, who cannot be identified, was convicted by a jury in 2014 of committing an indecent act in the presence of his daughter two years earlier.

The High Court has overturned an ACT court's decision to set aside a father's conviction for an indecent act involving his five-year-old daughter. Credit:Chris Lane

But he appealed to the ACT Court of Appeal, successfully having his conviction overturned and a retrial ordered.

His argument at appeal attacked the way the evidence of his daughter was dealt with and presented to the jury.
Canberra faces a trades skills crisis with figures showing apprentice numbers in the ACT are experiencing a free fall.

Latest statistics show the ACT has recorded a 48 per cent drop in the number of apprentices in training in the past three years.

Manufacturing has been in decline since the 1970s, when one in four Australian workers were employed in the sector. Credit:Jessica Shapiro

The Australian Industry Group has called for reform of the apprenticeship system after the release of September 2015 quarter figures showing yet another drop in young workers strapping on tool belts.

The figures, published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research this week, show a total of 5700 apprentices were training in the ACT at the end of the September 2015 quarter.
As economic growth has fallen while debts and excess industrial output have risen, Chinese leaders have faced growing questions about whether they will carry out the painful policy surgery many experts say is needed to cut away the financial dead weight on the economy.

But the answer that Prime Minister Li Keqiang gave Saturday was to wager that China could enjoy a relatively painless cure that avoids hard choices between spurring growth and restructuring. Chinese leaders' usual two-sided rhetoric about their options "peril is close at hand, but so is a sure cure" was especially striking in Li's latest annual report to the legislature, the National People's Congress.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the annual National People's Congress on Saturday. Credit:AP

"Domestically, problems and risks that have been building up over the years are becoming more evident," Li told the roughly 3,000 delegates to the congress, a Communist Party-controlled body. But "there is no difficulty we cannot get beyond," he said in the speech.

Continued economic growth of at least 6.5 percent can be achieved in 2016, and a similar rate is foreseeable until 2020, he said. That, Li suggested, would help dull the pain from cuts to wheezing state-supported industries that must shed millions of workers, as part of a program that China's powerful president, Xi Jinping, has promoted as "supply-side structural reform".
Passage of the Turnbull government's changes to media ownership regulation is under pressure with just two crossbench senators committing their support for the proposed reform.

West Australian senator Dio Wang and NSW senator David Leyonhjelm are expected to vote in favour of the reforms brought forward by Communications Minister Mitch Fifield last week to remove the reach rule, preventing networks from broadcasting to more than 75 per cent of the population, and the two-out-of-three rule, preventing media companies from owning a TV station, radio network and newspaper in the same market.

Six of the eight crossbench senators have not decided whether they will pledge their support to the bill in its current form.

While Labor supports the removal of the reach rule, the two-out-of-three rule is more controversial.
Qantas and Fairfax Media director Todd Sampson plans to financially back a new tech start-up after taking on his third board role with a company that matches high-profile consumer brands with Instagram "influencers".

Mr Sampson, the non-executive chairman of advertising agency Leo Burnett, said it will be an easy decision to invest some of his own money in Visual Amplifiers (Vamp) given his enthusiasm for a product that disrupts the traditional advertising model.

Todd Sampson has been appointed a director of tech start-up Visual Amplifiers. Credit:Nic Walker

"I love the changes that are happening in the digital space, I love the way its knocking our structures down and I want to be a part of that," Mr Sampson said in an interview. "I will certainly be a shareholder. If you believe in something it's important to be a part of it."

With his regular appearances as a panellist on The Project and The Gruen Transfer along with recent documentary Redesign My Brain, Mr Sampson's transition to two high-profile board positions has been a talking point within corporate Australia.
Was anyone not moved to despair, or maybe even outrage, watching Cardinal George Pell's evidence at the royal commission on child sexual abuse? Even if Pell didn't know, as implausible as it looks, that Father Gerald Ridsdale and a cabal of priests and brothers was systematically raping children in the 1970s and '80s, his church's guilt is palpable.

Why was Pell, a big strong outspoken man in his younger years, so timid when a generation of children was being terrorised by cowardly, sadistic brothers and priests? If he'd been a reserved, retiring kind of man we might have imagined he didn't have the nerve to confront those who covered for Ridsdale and his like. But Pell is not that kind of man. He's never flinched in a public debate about Catholic doctrine or the failings of sinners. A man of the old world, George Pell was never one to mince his words.

Yet when acting as a "consultor" to Bishop Ronald Mulkearns it seems he never asked one forthright question about why a known sadistic "sinner", Ridsdale, was being moved from parish to parish. All the while, says Pell, those with knowledge of these crimes either lied to or failed to confide in him. Whatever the truth of what he knew, there can be no mistaking his indifference to the lives of young boys at Catholic schools. While some men in his predicament might have shed a tear for those who have suffered, the cardinal from Ballarat is made of sterner stuff. His testimony was all about survival and proving that, because he was ignorant of the crimes, he had no moral culpability.

Now that we've established the church's culpability, we need to answer other, very serious questions. Why could men supposedly called to God act so sadistically? Were there reasons, other than the protection of the church's name, that induced its leaders to protect those men engaged in a brutal misuse of power? Were some church elders burdened by what they believed were their own guilty secrets?
The US presidential race has many months still to run before it culminates in November, but the choice of candidates appears to be all but resolved. The Democratic Party's Hillary Clinton towers in substance and reputation over her likely Republican rival, Donald Trump, but her bid to win the White House is far from guaranteed.

Mrs Clinton has formidable experience. She served as secretary of state and before that learnt the hard political lessons of an earlier bid for the Democratic nomination. She was elected as a senator for New York, and prior to that championed women's rights and other social causes when her husband, Bill, was president.

Her commitment to public service is tangible and longstanding, and while a candidate should never be judged by their gender, it is high time a woman in the US broke through the political glass ceiling.

Mr Trump is a carnival clown by comparison. His business savvy is reflected by his personal fortune, but his penchant for rhetorical abuse, stretching the truth, and outright lies are qualities that best serve his record as reality television star. Mr Trump's willingness to traduce the reputation of opponents in the Republican primary has dragged electoral politics in the US to a new low, while his slurs against women, people with disabilities, Mexicans and the Muslim community have sown needless mistrust.

His tactics foreshadow what is now expected to be an especially ugly national campaign. Mrs Clinton will be tempted to match fire with fire, but Mr Trump has so far revelled in any and all attention, negative or otherwise. He has led in the Republican race by making himself the centre of the story, generating a new outrage or simplistic slogan and diverting questions about his vacuous promises.
The convoy that traversed 1300 kilometres into Antarctica. Credit:Jean Jacques Olivier The southern continent is nearly twice the size of Australia. Once you get away from the coastal stations  Mawson, Casey and Davis in Australian territory  it remains relatively little traversed. When new territory is forged, it is most usually by people who earned their professional stripes as physicists and chemists. It is not easy work. "In Antarctica, you are utterly dependent on the heat and shelter you bring with you," van Ommen says. "You are back to basics, and it is very primal. The risk of something awful happening is probably moderate, but it's always there. It is a privilege and an adventure of a lifetime, but it is not for the faint-hearted." Ice Core and climate researcher Dr Tas van Ommen. Credit:Australian Antarctic Division The privilege two summers ago involved not just visiting a slice of the planet few ever see, but an opportunity to access an untouched data store that could give fresh insight into the history of the planet.

The destination was Aurora Basin North, an unmarked and potentially unforgiving site 550 kilometres inland from Casey station, or roughly 4000 kilometres south-west of Hobart. Tas van Ommen at the Aurora Basin North campsite. Credit:Australian Antarctic Division If all went according to plan, they would return with an ice core from down to 400 metres beneath the Earth's surface, giving a picture of what was happening in the atmosphere over the past 2000 years. The first results from the expedition will be presented at a conference bringing together the world's leading ice core scientists in Hobart this week. The idea of digging up and analysing trace elements captured in ice was hatched in 1965, when French glaciologist Claude Lorius dropped a piece of 1000-year-old Antarctic ice into his whisky after a day of drilling at the French research station Dumont D'Urville. Watching the bubbles fizz, he wondered what they might be able to tell him about past climates. Working with scientists from Russia, Britain, Australia and the US, he set about finding out. Erecting a drilling tent at Aurora Basin North. Credit:Tas van Ommen

More than 50 years on, there are at least five decent Antarctic ice core records, some stretching back nearly 600,000 years. They give a historic picture of temperature, snowfall, volcanic and solar activity and the spread of sea ice. They have been used to sharply demonstrate the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations over time, showing the extraordinary rise since industrialisation. They can also tell us about unexpected connections in today's climate. An analysis by van Ommen found a dramatic reduction in rainfall in the Australia's south-west in recent times is linked to changes in atmospheric circulation that have led to increased snowfall in parts of Antarctica. Setting up the Hans Tausen ice core drill at Aurora Basin North. Credit:Tony Fleming The ice records have been verified  they match atmospheric readings in recent decades from sites including Mauna Loa in Hawaii and Cape Grim on Tasmania's north-western tip  peer reviewed, and published. Each new sample adds further information that is fed into computer models to give a more detailed picture of the what the future might look like under different scenarios. Australia has a highly precise ice core record from a coastal site known as Law Dome, where samples have been extracted down 1.2 kilometres.

Tas van Ommen with an ice core in a drill tent. Credit:Joel Pedro Late last decade, Aurora Basin North was recognised as a "sweet spot" for another sample. The annual snow fall was just enough to give a fine-grained, year-to-year picture and the altitude would allow a broader history than just what had been happening in Australia and Antarctic. "The moisture in the air that gets further inland and to that higher site has come from further out in the southern hemisphere," van Ommen says. So, how to get there? The topography between Casey and Aurora Basin was untested, so it was decided to go the long-way round. The Australians on the expedition flew east to Dumont D'Urville, then joined a French team on a beaten path 500 kilometres to an existing measurement site. Then it was a right turn, and another 800 kilometres over virgin snow. Dr Mark Curran examines an ice core inside the tent at the Aurora Basin North campsite. Credit:Tony Fleming On arrival, the real work began: setting up camp and clearing and smoothing a 2.2-kilometre runway. That took a week. Once done, the cavalry could jet in  about 20 scientists and support staff, armed with the 4.2 metre-long ice core.

The drill was attached to a winch and set up in a tent to protect the drillers from the elements. The drilling process itself is a necessarily laborious process. Ice cores are removed in small cylinders, each 10 centimetres across and about 1.5 metres long. The ice is then re-cut and bagged in one metre lengths, labelled and placed in a cold store for transportation. Mark Curran, the scientific leader of the Aurora Basin North project, says: "A lot of adventurers around the world go to places to experience a blizzard, and say they have survived extreme conditions. When we're there, we can't just be in survival mode. We're there to work - to get the core, and we need it to be right. It is very, very precise work." Good progress was made at Aurora Basin North. Drilling to 303 metres, the team worked with Danish experts to extract a record spanning 2600 years. Two shallower ice cores were also taken with the French, dating back 800 and 1000 years respectively. It took a month. In late January 2014, the site was stripped and packed up with the precision of a military operation, with only a small weather station left behind. The process of analysing the ice core - being carried out in labs in the US, France, Germany, Denmark and Australia - will take years. The shopping list of elements and isotopes being examined include, but are not limited to, carbon dioxide, sea salt, sulphate (a signal of volcano activity), beryllium-10 (solar activity), lead (industrialisation), plutonium (testing and use of atomic weapons), black carbon (fire). It is early days, but the cores are starting to yielding results. "It is turning out to give a very clear signature of volcanic eruptions," Curran says. "Ice cores can tell you information about drivers of climate change  greenhouse gases, volcanic eruptions and solar variability  and how the climate responds to those drivers. This will help improve that picture."
Burger joints seem to be opening on every corner these days. But when the dust settles, which ones are going to sizzle and which are going to melt?

Competition hots up

When Melbourne's Daragh Kan launched his first Mr Burger truck in 2012, the city's love affair with burgers was in its infancy. Huxtaburger had only just opened, McDonalds was yet to launch its Create Your Taste menu and international players such as Carl's Jnr wouldn't be on the scene for another four years. Now it's a different story.

Daragh Kan says while there will always be new trends and cuisines, the burger will always be the classic food that resonates with everyone.

"There's a huge amount of competition in the local market, without even looking at overseas players coming in," Kan says.
At least five Victorian police officers, paramedics and firefighters are taking leave for psychological injuries every week, as new data shows worsening mental health among frontline staff.

WorkSafe statistics obtained by Fairfax Media reveal the number of insurance claims for mental health injuries have surged 25 per cent in five years for emergency services personnel, with 305 claims lodged in 2015 alone.

Paramedic Al Briggs says dealing with horrific situations on a regular basis gradually wore him down. Credit:Pat Scala

Psychological injuries now account for almost a quarter of all worker compensation claims from Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria, the State Emergency Service and the state's fire agencies.

The spike in claims comes as Victoria Police voices rising concerns about traumatic stress and suicides within the force, and undertakes a high-level mental health review.
The multibillion-dollar long-term lease of the Port of Melbourne has again been thrown into doubt, with the Opposition rejecting critical amendments.

With Parliament resuming on Tuesday, and hope of a bill needed to sell the port to finally pass, Nationals leader Peter Walsh said the opposition was not happy with all amendments the government had provided and had asked for further work to be done.

Webb Dock when under redevelopment in 2015. Credit:Joe Armao

Despite a "rock-hard" deadline set last sitting week by Treasurer Tim Pallas the bill was not voted on with the government backing down on its opposition to the Coalition's request for only a 15-year compensation clause.
A woman who was "frozen out" by her husband committed the ultimate act of family violence in killing the couple's two young sons, a coroner has found.

Judge Ian Gray found it was difficult to resist the conclusion that Anitha Mathew was punishing her husband when she set fire to her Clayton South home, while she and her sons Philip, 9, and Mathew, 5, were inside on June 1, 2012.

Anitha Mathew died in the house fire with her two sons.

The 37-year-old had given the boys sleeping tablets before she lit the fire, in which she also died.

Ms Mathew's husband, George Philip, was returning from a trip to India at the time.
Slugging it out to name a presidential nominee for an election in November, the party is foundering in uncharted waters. A man protests Donald Trump while he speaks during a campaign rally in Florida. Credit:AP Deconstructed, the debate among Republicans can be reduced to a single question  is the long-term viability of their once-venerated party more important than a single term in the White House? "My party is committing suicide on national television," tweeted Jamie Johnson, an advisor to former Texas governor Rick Perry who was an early casualty in the nomination race, during the mayhem of last week's candidates' debate.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump talking to the media after a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida. Credit:AP "We're in territory that our party hasn't seen," said Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee. Political biographer Jon Meacham told MSNBC: "Trump has managed to hijack the whole political party, and the pilots are asking why no one is on their side  the passengers are cheering for the guy who took over the plane." Donald Trump has been raging ahead in the polls and primaries. Credit:AP Described by some as an insurgent from within, by others as an outside raider mounting a hostile takeover, Trump's disdain for the policies and practices of the GOP have wrong-footed Republican grandees and the conservative US establishment  political, moneyed and media  at every turn.

Trump was supposed to self-immolate, to be torched by his own political ignorance and naivete. Instead he has surged in the primaries, taking command of a nomination field that has shrunk from 17 to just four. Votes in Kansas, Louisiana, Maine and Kentucky on Saturday and in Puerto Rico on Sunday are a waypoint between two big voting dates in big states  last week's Super Tuesday, in a dozen states; and March 15, in five states that include the vital turf like Florida and Ohio. In the first returns on Saturday's vote, Texas Senator Ted Cruz pulled ahead of Trump  but with his 51 per cent win, with 73 per cent of the count tallied, Cruz had captured just 17 of the 40 convention delegates in play. Nationally, in primaries, to date, Trump still has a good lead over Cruz  335 to 248 delegates in a race in which the winner needs 1237 delegates to secure the nomination. At each stage of the process, the commentariat has identified the hurdles that surely would trip up Trump. This weekend is no different  his penis talk in last Thursday's candidates' debate; several of the contests are in caucus states, in which Trump has been weak; and these are "closed elections", in which only registered Republicans are allowed a vote. As the primaries progress, the Republican leadership is at war with itself  a war of ideas on how to dress up what sounds like a coup being plotted by some, by which to rob Trump of the nomination in the event that he prevails, as a legitimate application of the party rules.

A difficulty is that so far, Trump can ridicule the biggest names behind the push as failures  Mitt Romney, who lost against Barack Obama in 2012; John McCain, who lost to Obama in 2008; and the hundred-odd conservative national security and foreign policy experts who have condemned the Trump candidacy  but a good many of whom were the architects of the failed invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Like the hotel and apartment towers that bear his name, Trump is making the party his own, sideling and abusing the leadership at all levels; and along the way, jettisoning policy and principle in serial pronouncements which when written down, invariably reveal themselves to be meaningless. What to do? Romney effectively called for Republicans to vote in the remaining primaries to deny Trump the delegate count he needs, so that a new round of voting could take place at the party's convention in July, to deny Trump the nomination  a so-called brokered convention, the last of which was in 1976. But Ted Cruz, a Texas Senator fighting Trump for the nomination, warns that to subvert the will of the rank and file would be a great mistake  "if that happens, we'll have a manifest revolt on our hands all across the country".

The warning by Cruz was underscored by outpouring of contempt and fury by callers to talk shows on conservative radio in the wake of a speech last week by Romney, in which he seemed to suggest a brokered convention as a strategy to defeat Trump Last year the leadership went to great lengths to block a Trump breakaway  he was threatening to quit the Republican Party and run as his own candidate against the Democrats' Hillary Clinton and whoever the Republicans might select. Now some believe he should have been pushed out  that way, they argue his guns would have been trained on Clinton, not on fellow Republicans. Writing in the weekend, former George W Bush adviser Michael Gerson argues that stopping Trump at a brokered convention is an obvious choice for the party. "But if Ohio or Florida falls to Trump [in primaries on March 15], anti-Trump Republicans are likely to face a choice between voting for Clinton or supporting a third-party candidate." A #NeverTrump campaign has been launched and there is a reported gusher of donations to fund an advertising campaign to tear down the real estate mogul. Their difficulty is, that in leaving their run so late; they might be too late. Trump has harnessed, and now owns, the rank-and-file conservative voter anger that the GOP failed to address in any meaningful way and for which they were rebuked by a weekend editorial in The New York Times.

"It is an excellent thing that the Republican leaders have noticed the problem they have fostered, now embodied in the Trump candidacy. But until they see the need to alter the views and policies they have expressed for years, removing Mr Trump will not end the party's crisis." It's asymmetric war  Trump appeals to the gut; the party leadership talks to the brain. Sounding more like Mussolini, whose quotes he happily retweets, Trump says he wants to "open up the libel laws", by which he means he wants to rip down the First Amendment, so that he can go after his media critics; and he menaces contributors to the campaigns of his opponents that "they better be careful, they have a lot to hide". He incites the ugly side of his audiences, ordering his security to "throw [protesters] out in the cold"; or weighing in himself with incendiary threats like, "I'd like to punch him in the face". For Trump, torture is the go; international law is to be ignored and his fellow Republican and House speaker Paul Ryan might as well be road kill  "I'm sure I'm going to get along with him; and if I don't, he's going to pay a big price."
For four years, playwright and director Richard Nelson acquainted us with a small upper-middle-class family from Rhinebeck, New York. Their small victories and massive losses played out over a quartet of quietly majestic dramas collectively titled The Apple Family Plays. Each premiered on the day they were set, written and rewritten to include up-to-the-minute references to politics or weather, largely performed by the same company of actors throughout.

Now, Nelson has embarked on what is perhaps an even more ambitious series: three plays all to open in the same year, examining the pleasures and agonies of a different Rhinebeck family as election season kicks into high gear. The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family kicked off at the Public Theater on March 4, a day after another quarrelsome GOP debate, with Hungry.

But the specter hanging over the modest Gabriel kitchen on South Street is not Donald Trump or Ted Cruz  it's the absence of Thomas Gabriel, a playwright and novelist who died four months ago. The extended family  his wife, Mary (Maryann Plunkett), brother George (Jay O. Sanders), mother Patricia (Roberta Maxwell), sister Joyce (Amy Warren), sister-in-law Hannah (Lynn Hawley), and first wife, Karin (Meg Gibson)  have gathered to send off his ashes and share a meal, which is cooked in great detail over the course of the play's 100 minutes.

As in all four of the Apple Family works, the characters are so affable, so friendly, so genuine, that it's almost like we're eavesdropping. We know we should feel bad about that (especially since they're still grieving), but Hungry seems so familiar that it's like being at home, wrapped in a warm blanket by the fire. After all, Hungry unfolds like a conversation among people who've known each other practically for their entire lives. It's as though we're long-lost relatives who've returned home and taken a seat on the sofa to have the comfort of family.

Amy Warren, Lynn Hawley, and Jay O. Sanders in Richard Nelson's Hungry.

( Joan Marcus)

Though there's only a small discussion of politics (and a humorous conversation about the March 3 debate), Nelson's major gift here is the way he captures, in a way no other contemporary playwright yet has, the all-too-real fear among members of the Democratic Party: What if it collapses, and what if Hillary Clinton (naturally they're supporters) somehow screws it up? And does she even deserve to be president?

"It sort of feels to me like we're all about to jump off some crazy high cliff. Doesn't it?" asks Joyce at one point. "Jump or be pushed, Joyce?" replies Hannah. No matter what your party affiliation, if that doesn't grab you by the jugular, nothing will.

Directed with sharp precision by the author, Hungry features a company of actors whose work is so authentic we forget they aren't actually their characters. Sanders and Plunkett, a real-life married couple who also appeared in the Apple Plays at the Public, on tour, and in the public television film version, are the standouts. They're so in tune with Nelson's writing that the effect is devastating. Plunkett, in ostensibly the leading role of Thomas' adrift widow, particularly impresses with her ability to seem on the verge of a facade-cracking crying jag, but always summoning the internal energy to push it away.

The other company members are every bit their equal. Maxwell is feisty and stoic as their infirm mother; Warren is sharp as their sister; Hawley is lovely as an outsider who's worked her way into the family; and Gibson is impressive as the former insider who's working her way back home. The design team  Susan Hilferty (sets and costume), Jason Ardizzone-West (sets), Jennifer Tipton (lighting), and Scott Lehrer and Will Pickens (sound)  creates a recognizable kitchen atmosphere in a middle-class family home. There are no walls, but we know exactly what everything looks like.

Between now and November, Nelson will provide us with two more Gabriels plays, one opening amid the general election, and the other on Election Night itself. "God, it's going to be a long eight months," Hannah says of having to live through this contentious election cycle. It's doubly true for us, the eager audience members who have to wait so long to dine with the Gabriels again.
Old Dog New Tricks BMW @ 100

IN CONTEXT: BMW GOES DRIVERLESS ON PUBLIC ROADS (Originally Published June 2013/

IN CONTEXT: BMW Autonomous Article Archive (text video images AND Specs)

At 100, BMW sees radical new future in world of driverless cars

GENEVA Mar. 05, 2016; Edward Taylor and Ilona Wissenbach writing for Reuters reported that after a century building what it calls the ultimate driving machine, BMW is preparing for a world in which its customers will be mere passengers, and the cars will do the driving themselves.

Days before BMWs 100th birthday, its board member for research and development described plans for a completely overhauled company, where half the R&D staff will be computer programmers, competing with the likes of Google parent Alphabet to build the brains for self-driving cars.

For me it is a core competence to have the most intelligent car, Klaus Froehlich told Reuters in an interview at the Geneva auto show.

As a high tech world opens new business opportunities, BMW sees its competitors as including firms like internet taxi service Uber and sales website Truecar, which Froehlich described as new intermediaries.

Our task is to preserve our business model without surrendering it to an internet player. Otherwise we will end up as the Foxconn for a company like Apple, delivering only the metal bodies for them, Froehlich said.

BMW will have to ramp up quickly, striking deals with a new network of suppliers, many from outside the traditional automotive industry.

We have some catching up to do in the area of machine learning and artificial intelligence, Froehlich said.

Today, software engineers make up just 20 percent of the 30,000 employees, contractors and supplier staff that work on research and development for BMW.

If I need to get to a ratio of 50:50 within five years, I need to get manpower equivalent to another 15,000 to 20,000 people from partnerships with suppliers and elsewhere, Froehlich said, adding that German schools are not producing enough tech engineers for BMW to hire them all in house.

As software becomes as important as hardware, another cultural shift could see BMW free up resources by licensing out technology produced by its own engineers, such as drivetrains for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Going forward we will sell electric drivetrains, Froehlich said. We see many smaller manufacturers who cannot afford to develop a plug-in hybrid.

Germanys premium auto makers are at the center of the countrys global reputation for meticulous engineering. Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend BMWs birthday bash at its Munich headquarters on Monday.

But with the expected shift in focus from a cars body to its brains, the risk is that the expertise will accumulate in silicon valley or in China, rather than Germanys carmaking regions of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemburg.

In the auto industry the battle will be not for horsepower but bragging rights will be my car is more autonomous than your car, said Manuela Papadopol, director, global marketing automotive for Elektrobit, a software company now owned by Continental.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagens Audi

are each making an effort to build a hub for automotive software and services. They clubbed together to buy digital map maker HERE from Nokia last year to create a neutral platform where smart cars can share data on road and traffic conditions.

BMWs own recent hiring included a 200-strong digital innovation team in Chicago, most of whom had worked for Nokia, the Finnish mobile phone pioneer.

Among the areas Froehlich identified where BMW will still need partners is in cloud computing, the technology of storing data and software remotely and accessing it over the internet. Data gathered from a cars onboard sensors will be combined with remote information, for example about weather and traffic, using next generation mobile networks, also known as 5G.

The ultimate aim would be to build as much expertise in-house as possible, although there could be mutual benefits from working with new outside suppliers.

The thinking here is: they too have weaknesses and there may be some win win situations, Froehlich said of potential new suppliers. Nonetheless I need to build our own in-house competence in the next 5 to 6 years.
GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania  The Sons of Confederate Veterans clashed with professor-led protesters as the group celebrated the first Confederate Flag Day rally today at the site of one of the Civil Wars bloodiest battles.

The retention of the Confederate Flag on government property in several Southern states came under heavy scrutiny this summer after Dylann Roof allegedly murdered nine African Americans in a South Carolina church in the name of the Confederacy.

Retired Marine Lt. Col. Michael Landry, a guest speaker invited by the Sons Private J.W. Culp Camp in Gettysburg, told The Daily Beast the ceremony is the first surge in a national movement to reclaim the Confederate battle flags image and stop the tearing down of secessionist monuments, a progression which he likened to the Islamic States destruction of Babylonian artifacts in the Cradle of Civilization. North Carolina raised rebel colors over its state capitol in honor of this first commemoration, which was also celebrated in Michigan, and in Colorado, where boosters held a flag ride from Durango to Pagosa Springs.

Scott Hancock, an associate professor of History and Africana Studies at Gettysburg College, also received a First Amendment permit from the National Park Service to hold a counter-demonstration. Professor Hancock has been outspoken about what he says is a need to remove the Confederate Flag from commemorations of the battle. At 1:30, half an hour before the scheduled event, both factions were already assembled in force and had worked up an antagonistic froth.

Fuck your kids, the anti-Confederates yelled back after the Sons objected to their profanity in front of the many children present. Fuck you and your inbred kids.

Gen. Robert E. Lees defeat at Gettysburg marked the beginning of the end of the Confederacy. The battlefield is home to many monuments both Confederate and Union, but the site of Saturdays demonstration, the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, has the distinction of being dedicated to all who fought. The gas-flame torch atop an Alabama Limestone pedestal was unveiled July 3, 1938, the 75th anniversary of the battle. President Roosevelt remarked at the dedication ceremony, which was attended by over 250,000 people: All of them we honor, not asking under which Flag they fought thenthankful that they stand together under one Flag now.

The two groups Saturday were separated by 50 yards of grassy field. The Sons free speech zone, the Park Services explicit term for their designated space, was immediately in front of the monolith and behind a steel barricade that lined the sidewalk to the parking lot. The Confederate zone extended a further 50 yards west, surrounded by a single yellow-rope fence. Across the field, protesters with Equality flags and Black Power fist-emblazoned signs, many of them wearing masks, had their own steel barricade but no rope enclosure. Several Confederates had already crossed the rhetorical No-Mans-Land to confront the rival demonstrators, and were sent back by less-than-enthusiastic park rangers.

INSIDE CONFEDERATE FLAG DAY AT GETTYSBURG (PHOTOS)

Ranger Katie Lawhon was on site to distribute a statement from the Park Service explaining their decision to grant the groups permit. She told The Daily Beast that while they often have Confederate flags and re-enactors at the park, they usually dont apply for First Amendment permits.

The statement reads, in part: National parks host hundreds of first amendment activities each year....Some like Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech at the Lincoln Memorial reflect the prevailing mood of the American people, while others deliver a more controversial message whose validity is ultimately judged by the American people.

This is a wonderful day for the Confederacy, the southern people, the Southland that we love. Today is the inaugural Flag Day event and we welcome each and every one of you, began Commander Gary Casteel of the Gettysburg Sons of Confederate Veterans, addressing a few dozen seated in a handful of white folding chairs while around them perhaps 200, holding more than 50 Stars-and-Bars of all sizes among them, stood within their barricaded half of the memorial site.

The lectern with a microphone and built-in speaker was frequently drowned out by the music and bullhorn of the counter-demonstrators, who chanted at the celebrants to burn that flag, amid epithets and entreaties to join our side, youre already traitors.

The Sons say their organization is not racist and neither is their flag. It is absolutely wonderful to see so many flags flying, and to see so many beautiful faces here carrying those flags, Casteel continued. He then called the assembled to join him in two pledges of allegiancefirst to the American flag, then to the ConfederateI salute the Confederate Flag, with affection, reverence, and undying devotion to the cause for which it stands.

Thank you very much, you may take your seat, or stand your ground, whichever you might like, said Casteel to chuckles from the crowd. He then introduced camp adjutant Henry Chandler to give the invocation, whose walk to the podium was punctuated by the megaphone of the counter-demonstrators: All right, we got a history lesson for you racist fucks! Chandlers prayer was unintelligible above the heightening chants of burn that flag!

Casteel introduced his guest Landry, up from Tennessee, who like himself was one of many attendees who instead of donning rough gray cap and coat had dressed in the finery of antebellum gentry.

Hey, aint it a wonderful day to be a Confederate?! began Landry, who was immediately beset by a rebel yell from the throngthe only occasion they had to drown out their rival faction. I praise God every day to be able to say that my ancestors fought for the Southland.

He set out to educate the nodding crowd, from his speech written on a Subway napkin, regarding misconceptions of the Confederate army. People like to think it was just a bunch of white guys, he claimed.

Landry said he was working on a project about diversity in the Confederate Army for a pamphlet in Confederate Veteran magazine, from which he sampled for the audience accounts of several Confederate officers, each story ending with the reveal that the subject was not Caucasian, but black, or Jewish, or Latino.

Landry closed his address by affirming his groups right to celebrate their ancestors, no matter how unpopular that might be in the current political climate. We arent second-class citizens. The South is not a second-class citizen area.

He assured the crowd that they would win their fight to save their Confederate artifacts, because we love our ancestors more than they hate em.

Casteel ended the ceremony with a call to benediction, and then a full-verse, fairly raucous chorus of Dixie, the lyrics of which were printed on the back of the Sons event program.

The departing Confederates clashed with the protesters and lingered in shouting skirmishes, watched closely by park rangers armed with long sticks, Tasers, and pistols, though there were no physical altercations. Well after the ceremony had concluded, The Daily Beasts photographer came across a group of Confederate soldiers in a nearby store, buying yet more Dixie banners.
When Henry James died one hundred years ago, on February 28, 1916, he took many secrets of his private life with him. One of the most mysterious is his close friendship with the writer Constance Fenimore Woolson. There is little archival evidence to go on, which has led to plenty of speculation and innuendo. But there are indications that their friendship was far more intimate and mutually supportive than previously realized.

James met Woolson in the spring of 1880 in Florence. Although Woolson was already a famous author, having made her mark as an accomplished short-story writer with one book and prolific contributions to the leading literary magazines, James had not heard of her. Her hopes of meeting him as a fellow writer were dashed, but he still showed an extraordinary interest in her. Although James was supposed to be writing his new novel, The Portrait of a Lady, he extended his stay in Florence to play cicerone, showing her the citys churches and galleries.

Why such interest in a 40-year-old, half-deaf single woman, many have wondered? Despite her age, Woolson had a lot in common with the heroine James was in the process of inventing. Like Isabel Archer, she was on the cusp of possibility, having come to Europe after the death of her mother and charting her own path for the first time in her life. She possessed the same curiosity about Europe and the same spirit of independence and free will that he was putting into his character. No wonder that Woolson would feel, after reading the completed novel nearly two years later, a perfect sympathy, & comprehension, & a complete acquaintance as it were with Isabel.

Thus began a 14-year friendship that lasted until Woolsons death in 1894. At some point, their intimacy deepened to the extent that they agreed to destroy their letters to each other. Only four have survived. He made no such agreement with anyone else, and she only with her sister. While Jamess and Woolsons careful sabotage may forever hide the true nature of their relationship, it is clear that the immensely private Woolson and James trusted each other with parts of themselves that they may have shown to no one else.

Their relationship became almost like that of siblings, particularly after Woolsons brothers suicide and Jamess sisters death from cancer. Still, what the two writers felt for each other was undoubtedly a kind of love that fell outside the sanctioned bonds of their era. Living in the same villa in different apartments or traveling to Switzerland to see each other had to be kept quiet since they were both unmarried and unchaperoned. Yet, their need for mutual support made them take these chances.

In addition to the emotional strength they provided each other, Woolson and James came to understand and support each others work beyond what Jamess biographers have recognized. Critic Leon Edel was particularly dismissive of Woolsons influence on James even though Edel wrote admiringly of her in unpublished correspondence, claiming that she was a powerful writer in her own right who understood Jamess work like no one else. Why Edel abandoned this perception of her when he wrote his five-volume biography of James is a mystery, but he deeply damaged her reputation by fostering an image of Woolson as a kind of love-sick puppy following James around Europe rather than the peer she was. In contrast to this image, in 1887, James inscribed one of the books he gave her, to Constance Woolson / from her friend and confrere.

Not only did Woolson understand Jamess work; she also gave him advice and tried to push him to reveal more emotion in his writing. In one of her four remaining letters to him, written three years after they met, Woolson challenged James to portray a woman who truly loves and thereby to allow his readers to feel deeply for her. His portrait of Isabel ultimately fell flat for Woolson because she could not tell if Isabel truly loved Gilbert, or anyone else for that matter. [L]et us care for [your next heroine], even greatly, she dared him. Woolson also proceeded to show him what she meant in her next novel, East Angels, a kind of rewriting of The Portrait of a Lady, in which the tragedy of a womans failed marriage is made more palpable by her deep desire and love for another man.

What Woolson advocated and practiced was an empathetic realism that she (and many readers and critics) found more satisfying than Jamess psychological realism, or William Dean Howellss social realism. While James supported Woolson as a writer by publishing a laudatory profile of her and collecting it in Partial Portraits (she and Emerson were the only American writers included), Howells turned against her. His influence as an editor and critic was greater than Jamess, and his criticism of her helped to ensure that Woolsons significant contributions to American literature were quickly forgotten after her untimely death in 1894. James didnt do anything to help, unfortunately, remembering her privately as his friend rather than memorializing her as a writer.

Woolsons impact on Jamess writing, however, did not die with her. It is particularly visible in The Beast in the Jungle, his most affecting work. He published it nine years after her death. In many ways, it is about the failure of a man to love. John Marchers realization of his failure and all that he missed in not loving May Bartram while she was alive is one of the most poignant scenes James ever wrote. What is significant is not only the way Jamess feelings for Woolson appear to have made their way into the story (as many critics have previously pointed out), but also the way her advice about how to write literature that truly moved readers (the primary purpose of literature in her view) affected his writing. In essence, Woolson lived on in his writing, not only in The Beast in the Jungle or in The Wings of the Dove, but also in his daring to excavate his characters deepest emotions. Now we ought to return the favor and let Woolson live on in a rediscovery of her writing.

Anne Boyd Rioux is the author of Constance Fenimore Woolson: Portrait of a Lady Novelist, published by W.W. Norton.
Everyone knows that the strictest penalty in the Catholic Church is excommunication. In contemporary conversations it is billed as the ultimate harsh punishment for sinners and heretics. Of course heretical groups and monarchs who supported them, like Elizabeth I, were regularly forced out of the church. But the truth is that excommunication isnt just for heretics.

In fact, sometimes its a punishment for good behavior. In 562 the Irish saint Columba was excommunicated at the Synod of Teltown for praying for the winning side in the Irish War. In truth this doesnt seem fair. When you are a saint you do seem to have something of an advantage when asking God for divine intervention, but does exploiting this merit disqualification from the church? Later authorities agreed, and the excommunication was first commuted into banishment and then overturned as a miscarriage of justice. A group of 16th-century Carmelite nuns in Avila, who refused to reject St. Teresa of Avilas leadership, were excommunicated by local officials. And in 1871 the Australian nun and now saint Mary Mackilop was excommunicated by her local bishop, Bishop Sheil, for insubordination. Some have claimed that her excommunication resulted from the fact that she reported sexual abuse in the church. Sheil removed the excommunication on his deathbed, but what a thing to be remembered for.

Excommunication is one of the few arenas in which being rich and famous doesnt help you. Henry VIII, excommunicated for marrying Anne Boleyn, wasnt the first monarch to feel that his sex life was being overly scrutinized. Four centuries earlier Philip I of France decided to repudiate his wife (on the grounds that she was too fat) and marry his mistress, Bertrade de Montford. He was summarily excommunicated, but the ban was lifted when Philip made a public penance. French monarchs have a problem with their wives: only a century before that, the 10th-century King Robert II of France was excommunicated by Gregory V for marrying his cousin, Bertha (What can you say, the heart wants what it wants). It was only after Gregorys death and after Robert agreed to annul the marriage that he was readmitted into the church. Jousting with the Pope over multiple wives? Its a good thing The Donald isnt running for Holy Roman Emperor.

More often than not, though, regal excommunications have often just been a cover for political shenanigans. Sometimes it was just a sign that the Pope had changed sides. Most scholars believe that when Pope Alexander II excommunicated Harold II of England in the 11th century, he did so in support of William the Conquerors Norman Conquest in 1066.

There are of course authentically grave sins that provoke excommunication. There are a number of artists and scientists who fell afoul of church teaching. Most famous, of course, is Galileo, but Galileo was never actually formally excommunicated (or tortured, for that matter). There are others who were. In 1878 Dr. Chil y Marango was excommunicated for his work on evolution in the Canary Islands and, as recently as 1908, famed Bible scholar and Catholic priest Alfed Loisy was excommunicated for his book on the Gospels which suggested that the Jesus of history is far from the person portrayed in the Synoptics (standard fare for Bible scholars today).

Finally, of course, theres no shortage of clerics who have committed grave offenses against the church. Falling in love (and acting on it), preaching anti-Pope sermons, ordaining women, writing heretical tracts, and exhuming the corpse of a deceased pope and putting him on trial are all crimes punishable by excommunication. (For those who enjoy a good Wikipedia rabbit hole, check out the Cadaver Synod).

The good news for everyone involved (grave-digging cardinals included) is that excommunication is widely misunderstood. Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor, who was excommunicated no fewer than three times during his lifetime, received his first chastisement in 1227 for failing to start the Fifth Crusade. Excommunication is often thought of as the church hanging up the phone on you, its really more like just pressing the mute button for a bit.. It doesnt mean that a person is banned from church or that he or she ceases to be Catholic. In fact someone who is excommunicated is required to attend church on a weekly basis; he or she is simply unable to receive the sacrament of communion. Although mandating church attendance even for the excommunicated might seem counterintuitive, if you care enough to be bothered by excommunication youre probably going to church every week already anyway.
Editors' Note: On October 25, Paul Beatty became the first American author to win the presitigious 2016 Man Booker prize for fiction.

2015: the year that the charade of a Post-Racial America was swept finally into historys dustbin. There it joined Beacon-of-Hope America, Affluent-Society America, and Post-Historical America, fantasies that did not reflect real circumstances so much as the national predilection for wishful thinking. In 2015, Post-Racial America was buried beneath a compost heap of white-on-black police executions, desperate efforts to preserve Confederate symbols in places of public reverence, and the screeds of an orange billionaire openly inciting his white followers to violence against black, brown, beige, and olive semi- and non-citizens. We are not cured of racism, Barack Obama said this year, not long after the shooting of nine people at the Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston by a young white supremacist. Societies dont overnight completely erase everything that happened 200-300 years prior.

What happened 200-300 years prior is revived in brazen detail by Paul Beatty in The Sellout, the most perverse novel about race yet published in Obamas America. To save Dickens, a declining agricultural city on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Beattys narrator, a local black farmer named Bonbon Me, happens upon an unusual remedy: slavery. Me enslaves his neighbor Hominy Jenkins, the last surviving member of the Little Rascals, at Jenkinss request. Despondent and beaten down by a lifetime of humiliating roles in HollywoodStable Boy, Paper Boy, Shoeshine Boy, Errand BoyJenkins yearns to feel relevant again. Sometimes we just have to accept who we are and act accordingly, he says. Im a slave. Thats who I am. Its the role I was born to play. A slave who just also happens to be an actor. Jenkins proceeds to address Me as Massa, demands to be lashed by whips, and begins donning a shiny pair of emerald green and pink silks, holding a gas lamp at arms length, and posing in my front yard as a life-size lawn jockey.

Beattys characters do more than acknowledge their racismour racism. They revel in it. Racism becomes a path to honesty, even self-knowledge. Its an improvement on the current status quo, at least, better than the denial of the racism that pervades our culture and our institutions. The Sellout tries to make sense of a time in which acts of racism are not as taboo as the acknowledgement that no Americans are actually colorblind. A strange and terrible thing happens to both Hominy and Me when they re-enact slavery. They start to feel free.

Me grows more ambitious, posting priority seating for whites signs on the towns public buses, no whites allowed or colored only signs in storefront windows, a white and non-talkers only sign on the floor level of a movie theater and, in the balcony, blacks, latinos, and the hearing impaired. The business owners of Dickens are grateful for the signs. The customers love it. Its like they belong to a private club thats public! When Me puts up a fake construction site for a new whites-only school, test scores at the local public school go up. Passengers on the segregated bus start treating each other with respect.

People grouse at first, says one character, but the racism takes them back. Makes them humble. Makes them realize how far weve come and, more important, how far we have to go. On that bus its like the specter of segregation has brought Dickens together.

Beatty, like his narrator, manages to discriminate against every race at the same time. Each ethnic and identity group is held up to ridicule, the stereotypes taken to absurdist extremes. Some of the gentler (printable) examples include a classification of whiteness in America, ranging from Regular (Benefit of the Doubt, Higher Life Expectancy) to Super Deluxe (Military Service is For Suckers, All Vices and Bad Habits Referred to as Phases); a scene at the Supreme Court in which Judge Sotomayor utters Spanish profanities under her breath and Clarence Thomass robe is stained with barbecue sauce; and a social justice organization called The L.A. LGBTDL Crisis Center for Chicanos, Blacks, Non-Gays, and Anyone Else Who Feels Underserved, Unsupported, and Exploited by Hit Cable Television Shows. But Beatty directs his most biting satire at liberal intellectuals who boast of racial progress and bristle at politically incorrect language.

What does that mean, Im offended? asks Me. Its not even an emotion. What does being offended say about how you feel? ... if I ever were to be offended, I wouldnt know what to do. If Im sad, I cry. If Im happy, I laugh. If Im offended, what do I do, state in a clear and sober voice that Im offended, then walk away in a huff so that I can write a letter to the mayor?

Beattys prose is amphetaminized and deranged, though never fully able to suppress an undertow of profound pain. Ive whispered Racism in a post-racial world, says Me, and he is punished for it, dragged to the nations capitol to defend himself before the nations highest court. But he doesnt regret anything. By mocking his own powerlessness, Me empowers himself. He saves Dickens. He restores his pride. He wins the girl. He finds comfort in despair. Sometimes, he says, its the nihilism that makes life worth living.

There is humor to be found in seeing things as they are but there is also wisdom and relief. Beattys writing has the unconstrained exuberance available only to a writer who has cast off sobriety, caution, and the dictums of good tasteand possesses a pitch-perfect comic sense. He has accomplished something fleetingly rare in contemporary American literature: he has made his readers uncomfortable. Reviewers everywhere have hailed The Sellout as a comic masterpiece. Many of the novels best jokes are racist jokes. Does that mean that readers who find the novel funny are racists? The answer would seem to be yes, which is why everyone who reads The Sellout cant help but laugh.

Other notable novels published in 2015:

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

A Cure for Suicide by Jesse Ball

The Clasp by Sloane Crosley

Purity by Jonathan Franzen

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Delicious Foods by James Hannaham

Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnson

The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips

Pulitzer Prize:

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

National Book Award:

Fortune Smiles: Stories by Adam Johnson

Bestselling novel of the year:

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

About this series:

This monthly series will chronicle the history of the American century as seen through the eyes of its novelists. The goal is to create a literary anatomy of the last centuryor, to be precise, from 1900 to 2020. In each column Ill write about a single novel and the year it was published. The novel may not be the bestselling book of the year, the most praised, or the most highly awardedthough awards do have a way of fixing an ages conventional wisdom in aspic. The idea is to choose a novel that, looking back from a safe distance, seems most accurately, and eloquently, to speak for the time in which it was written. Other than that there are few rules. I wont pick any stinkers.  Nathaniel Rich

Previous Selections

1902Brewsters Millions by George Barr McCutcheon 1912The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man by James Weldon Johnson 1922Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis 1932Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell 1942A Time to Be Born by Dawn Powell 1952Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison 1962One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey 1972The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin 1982The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux 1992Clockers by Richard Price 2002Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 2012Billy Lynns Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain 1903The Call of the Wild by Jack London 1913O Pioneers! By Willa Cather 1923Black Oxen by Gertrude Atherton 1933Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathanael West 1943Two Serious Ladies by Jane Bowles 1953Junky by William S. Burroughs 1963The Group by Mary McCarthy 1973The Princess Bride by William Goldman 1983Meditations in Green by Stephen Wright 1993The Road to Wellville by T.C. Boyle 2003The Known World by Edward P. Jones 2013Equilateral by Ken Kalfus 1904The Golden Bowl by Henry James 1914Penrod by Booth Tarkington 1924So Big by Edna Ferber 1934Appointment in Samarra by John OHara 1944Strange Fruit by Lillian Smith 1954The Bad Seed by William March 1964Herzog by Saul Bellow1974Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig1984Neuromancer by William Gibson1994The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields2004The Plot Against America by Philip Roth2014The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

1905The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton1915Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman1925Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos1935Pylon by William Faulkner1945If He Hollers Let Him Go by Chester Himes1955Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov1965The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick1975The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey1985White Noise by Don DeLillo1995Independence Day by Richard Ford2005Veronica by Richard Ford
The story of Mehmed Emin Pasha, born a Jew as Isaak Eduard Schnitzer and baptized as Eduard Carl Oscar Theodor Schnitzer, is a multiculturalists delight. This Jewish doctor who turned Christian, then Muslim, could be the cosmopolitan poster child, proof that we are all one and that distinctions dont matter. But universalists beware; this pasha was no Zelig, fitting in chameleon-like at colorful historical moments. This shapeshifter adapted smoothly but stood out boldly, proving that the best way to contribute to the world is to root identities in particular cultures and act on core ideals.

Schnitzer was born in Oppeln, Silesia on March 28, 1840, into a German Jewish family that had already broken from the ghettos provinciality. Schnitzers father was a merchant, a proper German burgher wannabe. He embodied the Enlightenment delusion that we could, as John Lennon would sing, all live together as one. But Schnitzers father had made the classic Enlightenment deal with the devil. To become emancipated, to prosper, most Jews felt compelled to abandon much of Judaismeven though they would only be accepted marginally as Europeans.

When Isaak was 5, his father died and his mother ditched her people and purchased acceptance by marrying a Christian. Now baptized as a Lutheran, Eduard Carl Oscar Theodor Schnitzer grew up championing German nationalism as embodying Western humanism at its best. After studying at the universities of Breslau, Konigsberg, and Berlin, he became a physician, to use modern science to save lives.
When I was 10 years old, I found a shortwave radio in a crumbling old leather trunk where we kept family photos and other memorabilia. As I spun the dial, tinny, modulating noises, like the song of an electronic slide whistle, emanated from the radios small speaker. Staticky cracks and pops competed for airtime. The sounds swished and swirled, unintelligible and unremarkable. But then, emerging through the clamor, was a voice.

I might have run right over it with the dial, but the voices rhythmic, steady pacing caught me up short. It wasnt a deejay. Nor a commercial. And he wasnt singing. He was just speaking. The same line, over and over again.

76743. Pause. 76743.
On Sundays, Shinta Ratri would sit in the back of the mosque, in her hijab and a full-body prayer garment, preparing to pray among her transgender sisters. Most of them would line up ahead of her, their heads bare and their bodies clad in mens shirts and pants.

The Pondok Pesantren Waria was likely the first transgender prayer school in the world. The schools name is a combination of pondok pesantran, Indonesian for prayer school, and waria, Indonesian for transgender woman. Shinta and another transgender woman (waria in Indonesian), fostered a community of 30 to 40 active members, from a community of several hundred transgender women in the city. Then in February, it was shuttered by authorities responding to threats from the Islamic Jihad Front.

Shinta, 54, was also the mosques landlady, even letting some other waria live at her home, though her co-founder passed away a few years ago. Theyd created the space in 2008 to provide the community with a gathering space and help in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Yogyakarta two years prior.

Shinta has been married to men, twice, and now lives with one of them and his new wifea cisgender woman. Shes also raising an adopted daughtera fact that might explain why she, unlike so many of the other waria, prays in her hijab as a woman. She is not only a waria: Shinta is a mother.

I am a waria; I am not gay, and I am not straight, Shinta told David Brian Esch, who spent three months observing the prayer school while he was a graduate student in religion. I feel I am a woman, but physically I am a man.

While transgender issues and identities are just now gaining widespread acceptance in the United States, theyve been on the forefront of Indonesian national consciousness longer because the waria are more visible than gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.

The waria a term for transfeminine people drawn from the Indonesian words for woman (wanita) and man (pria), see themselves as far from gay.

They would look at meIm a gay manand they would say, Youre a woman, Esch said. Their sexuality is what gives them gender.

Over conversations with 19 waria, Esch said he continuously got answers about sexuality to questions about gender.

I would ask, are you gay or heterosexual, and they would say, no, Im waria, Im a woman, he said. What theyre most adamant about is that theyre not gay.

Yet the waria nonetheless face rampant discrimination in housing, employment, and society at large, and the prayer school was a social and religious safe haven.

One fascinating aspect of the pesantren is that it went along without any harassment from hardline groups for years and we all wondered why extremist groups were shutting down churches and gayish nightclubs and leaving the pesantren alone, Esch said. Perhaps Shintas integration in the general community of Yogyakarta, and the citys large student base, may have given them more leeway.

Yogyakarta is a city where all Islamic groups, both moderate and Islamist-leaning, have a high representation, Alexander Arifianto, a researcher at Singapores Nanyang Technological University, told The Daily Beast, adding that the groups recruit from the citys universities. The attack against the LGBT boarding school is just the latest of these incidents within the city. Last year there were several attacks against a number of Christian churches within the city.

Transgender people have been acknowledged throughout Islamic history, and the Prophet Muhammads wife is even said to have had a mukhannath (effeminate) servant who was only banished from the womens quarters when the Prophet realized he was attracted to women.

Even today in Iran, the Islamic government will pay for gender confirmation surgery for transgender people, making the country second only to Thailand in the number of such surgeries performed. (Homosexuality is punishable by death in Iran, and activists worry that some gay people may be forced into such surgeries to escape that grisly end.)

The waria at the prayer school, however, are increasingly familiar with Western terms like gender identity and expression: Volunteers frequent the mosque and the local Planned Parenthood gives them workshops on those concepts. Now, the waria translate waria to transgender, but gender and sexuality are still culturally inextricably linked.

Indonesia, an archipelago-nation home to the worlds largest Muslim population, has no laws against sodomy and is one of the friendliest Muslim-majority countries for LGBT people. But the country also has a growing Islamist presence that is attacking the big-city safe havens for queer folks. Last month, for instance, the country banned LGBT emojis.

Just before the pesantren was forced to close, the Indonesian psychiatric association declared being transgender may cause suffering and obstacles in functioning as a human being.

But at the makeshift mosque, they had a safe haven and a clear understanding of their identities. Their religious leader told Esch that he wanted Islam to adapt to the era and take into account gender, human rights, and a transgender perspective.

This hope for an expansion of acceptable practices and opinions is the very thing conservative salafist preachers in the city find threatening.

God created his creatures and I want to live as I am, Oki, one of the waria at the pesantran, told Esch on camera. It is my fate.

Sometimes I feel sad because I want to pray at the mosque, but people look and talk about me, she added. Others have told me that being waria is a sin. I told them that we do not know Gods gender. We do not know if God is a man or a woman or waria.

Another waria, Tamara, asserted an almost-holy status for her gender when confronted with naysayers.

I just asked, so, what gender your God? Your God is women or guys? And they answer, God not women and God not man, she told Esch in English. And Im stand up and told them, Im your God!

And the pesantren allowed the women to pray as they want, although most chose to pray as men. They see themselves as male, not as men, Esch explained.

I pray as a man because I want to face my god as a man. And I learned as a child to pray as a man, with the male dress, the sarong, and when I die I want to be buried as a man, even though I am waria, Oki said. I will be asked by God what my original family name is.

Because this belief is prevalent, many waria say they dont want gender confirmation surgery, though it would be financially unfeasible for most in any case.

The body modifications that do take place come from taking female hormones (usually birth control pills), and injecting liquid silicone into their faces to give them a more feminine look. It travels under their skin and settles on the ends of their noses and on their cheekbones, giving some of the waria a distinctive, mask-like appearance. Some resort to under-the-table surgeries to remove it.

While the pesantren waria attracted researchers and reporters from around the world by combining the seemingly incongruous categories of transgender and Muslim, that combination may have been the least interesting thing the waria observed about themselves. They would rather talk about the discrimination they encounter in housing and employment.

What youre asking us is not very important to us, they told Esch.
Marco Rubio recently repeated the same line four times during a debate, earning the repetitive senator the nickname robot Rubio and the general consensus is that he malfunctioned.

Rubios robotic performance isnt the first time people have reacted negatively to a plastic politicianduring the last presidential campaign, The New York Times suggested building a better Romney-Bot. While the fire and fury of someone like Donald Trump might be difficult to digest, a politician who doesnt seem quite human turns voters off.

At the same time, the idea of a robot politician holds some appeal, since robots are immune to corruption and greed. In some of Isaac Asimovs stories, robots understand better than humans whats best for the human race and act accordingly, per the zeroth law of robotics: Robots cant harm humanity or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.

In Asimovs short story Evidence, a lawyer named Stephen Byerley runs for mayor despite claims that hes a robot. Byerleys opponents find it next to impossible to prove Byerley isnt humanno one sees him eat or sleep and he never pursues the death penalty in his cases, but these are weak circumstantial observations. The robo-psychologist summoned to weigh in on the situation offers a better way to differentiate between Byerley and a human politician: Robots are essentially decent. Even the Muppets agree.

In 2014, Oklahoma politician Timothy Ray Murray claimed that he lost a congressional race to a robot. Murray alleged that his opponent Frank Lucas died years earlier and had been displayed by a look alike. Lucas, who won in a landslide, took the accusation in stride, simply saying that it was the first time hed ever been accused of being a robot.

These examples raise the question of whether its possible to build a humanoid robot so convincingboth in appearance and ability thatIt could perform the part of a politician.

The answer: Robots arent there yet, but theyre probably closer than you think.

Roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro developed a robot doppelganger that gives lectures and attends meetings on his behalf. Ishiguro maintains that his robotic double has a real presence, as well as a spirit (Shinto, Japans dominant religion, holds that any object, manmade or not, has a spirit) and that soon, humanoid robots will overcome the uncanny valley by being indistinguishable from humans.

Humanoid robots serve as companions for hospital patients and the elderly, as well as practice subjects for dental students. Ishiguro and other robot designers combine synthetic skin with sophisticated software that allows these androids to blink, smile, frown, and track people with their eyes, in addition to responding appropriately to questions and commands. One of them became the first robot to deliver a newscast in 2014.

Hanson Robotics, a Hong Kong-based firm, is also pioneering the progress of humanoid robots. Researchers at the company developed a material called Frubber, an elasticized rubber used in creating human-like faces. Hansons humanoids can express themselves with more than 62 muscular architectures in the face and neck, while using artificial intelligence to recognize faces and hold conversations.

Among Hansons most human-like robot is the Albert Einstein Hubo, a remarkable re-creation of the famed physicist. A shock of white hair and the signature moustache frame the Frubbered face and wrinkles crease its forehead. When it smiles, crinkles form at the creases of its eyes and the bot seems to portray the zany warmth we associate with Einstein.

Hanson Robotics also created an android in the image of sci-fi author Philip K. Dick. Not only does the robot look uncannily like the writer, but its robo-brain contains the text of every book Dick wrote, as well as interviews and talks. The android can learn new words in real time during a conversation, and its responses sound like what Dick might say if he were still alive. Even if I evolve into Terminator, Ill still be nice to you, the Philip K. Dick android once said to a reporter. Ill keep you warm and safe in my people zoo, where I can watch you for old times sake.

Hanson says his company is on the verge of creating a conscious robot, a feat some scientists believe is impossible. If that happens, robots just may break into politicsthough time will tell if robots have the stomach for campaigning.

Still, wouldnt it be amazing if we learned that Donald Trump is made of rubber, a toupee, and a series of fantastically wicked algorithms?
Love old or unusual movies but never know when they're on? Here are several I recommend:

The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965): This almost-great film tells the fictionalized and fascinating story of the relationship between Pope Julius II and the artist Michelangelo. The Sistine Chapel is one of the greatest works in the history of art, and it's irresistible to watch the interplay between two stubborn men. Charlton Heston is excellent as Michelangelo, and Rex Harrison is truly great as the pope. The only major problem with the film is its insistence on portraying the great artist as a heterosexual, when we know from history that he certainly was not. Still, if you've never seen this movie, you've got to check it out.

Turner Classic Movies, Monday at 7 p.m.

Fog Over Frisco (1934): Not only is this one of my all-time favorite movie titles, it's a dandy little early '30s proto noir film. Bette Davis stars as a very spoiled little rich girl whose boredom leads her into some dangerous territory with money and gangsters. Margaret Lindsay co-stars as her more sensible sister, who tries to get to the bottom of the mess Bette manages to get herself into. Handsome Lyle Talbot co-stars in this zippy little crime film.

Turner Classic Movies, Thursday at 9:15 a.m.

Five Flights Up (2015): This is one of those movies that's good, not great, but made totally worthwhile by its stars. Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton (both national treasures of acting) star as a long-married couple who have decided to sell the apartment they've lived in for decades. This low-key movie explores the painful world of New York real estate as well as the difficulty of facing life-changing decisions as you get older. Cynthia Nixon co-stars as their eager real estate agent niece who is determined to sell their apartment. Again, not a great film, but watching these two pros is worth the time.

Now available on HBO GO.

Call Northside 777 (1948): Even if you're a huge Jimmy Stewart fan (like me) you may have not seen this gem, one of his most obscure and unusual films. Director Henry Hathaway used a crisp, documentary-style approach to this story about a reporter who begins chewing on a 10-year old murder case. At first he believes the convicted man (Richard Conte) is really guilty of killing a cop, but as new clues surface, he's not so sure. Stewart is beautifully convincing as a cynical and stubborn reporter, and the always underrated Richard Conte is charismatic. This movie includes one of the all-time great character names as well: "Wanda Skutnik."

Now streaming on Netflix.

Trivia Question #623: Which of this week's directors helmed more Gary Cooper films than any other director?

Answer to Trivia Question #621: George Roy Hill won Best Director for The Sting.

 Bryan native Ray Ivey is a writer and movie fan in Hollywood, Calif. He would love to hear from you at rayivey@ca.rr.com. You can also visit his blog at www.starkravingray.com.
Aggies don't cheer. They yell.

Instead of the cheerleaders seen at most other universities, Texas A&M is known for the few, but iconic, male students donning all-white attire, signaling what might be the most organized crowd in all of sports to yell in unison. The result of this is one of the most powerful home-field advantages in college sports. These students are know as yell leaders, and their role at Texas A&M has reached a near-celebrity level of prominence.

(Click on the image to see it larger and read the caption.)

Fitting with a school that was founded as an all-male military college, there has never been a female yell leader to direct the passionate crowd at an A&M sporting event. The student body of A&M elects its yell leaders each year. In recent history, the Corps of Cadets-backed group "5 For Yell" has nominated the standard two sophomore students and three junior students to run for the yell leader positions. Being associated with the Corps means the "5 for Yell" candidates are usually elected.

Several female students have run throughout the years, with the greatest success coming in 2012 when junior student Samantha Ketcham made it to a runoff. In that case, the votes were found to be miscounted and Ketcham was relegated to the list of women who tried, but failed. Of the 15 candidates running this year, there were two women vying for the chance to make Aggie history.

Juniors Kaitlyn McCain and Viona Vraniqi both took their shot, and both ultimately came up short, losing to the "5 for Yell" candidates who swept the elections. Although the tradition wasn't changed this year, The Eagle followed McCain as she attempted to make her mark on Texas A&M history.

McCain is a junior early childhood education major and a first-generation college student who spent her last two years of school battling depression.

She, in part, attributed the camaraderie at A&M events to helping her overcoming depression and she felt becoming a yell leader would be the ideal way to give back to a community that gave her so much.
Using official data and ship tracking systems, researchers found that large numbers of fishing vessels owned by major companies have taken advantage of melting sea ice to fish in previously impossible to reach parts of the Norwegian and Russian Arctic.

As climate change has caused the Arctic sea ice to recede the trawlers are slowly moving into a part of the Barents sea above 78 degrees north which used to be inaccessible.

Home to Arctic puffins, walruses and Polar bears, the region is one of Europe's largest marine ecosystems, and has until recently been relatively untouched.

The move comes as fishing in the region increases dramatically. Data from the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries shows an increase in the amount of fish being caught in the Barents Sea in recent years - from 2% of the Norwegian quota for the region in 2001, to 11% in 2014, the most recent data available.

Satellite tracking

The Barents Sea has been fished by Norwegian and Russian vessels for decades, but the waters around the island of Svalbard have historically been covered by sea ice for most of the year, making access difficult - as a result the region has sustained a rich eco-system of marine life.

Ship tracking technology, known as the Automatic Identification System (AIS), was used to pinpoint the locations of fishing vessels in the Barents Sea. A data analysis of close to 18 million location signals indicates that, from September 2012 to September 2015, more than a hundred vessels licensed to fish in the area have moved into the previously ice-covered waters.

Every AIS (Automatic Identification System) signal contains information on the identity of the vessel. We have used that id number to verify what kinds of fishing vessels were spotted. You can do this through lists of licensed vessels to fish in the areas provided by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries and also ship spotting sites and sites like Marine Traffic and also Lloyds Register of Fishing boats.

Bottom trawlers are also distinctively different from vessels with other gears so it easy to tell and we only looked at the ships travelling at 5 knots or below, which is the typical speed of bottom trawlers. Indeed of the 189 vessels licenced to fish in the Barents Sea as a whole 90% are bottom trawlers.

Bottom trawling is widely considered to be the among most destructive fishing techniques, with vast nets catching fish as they are dragged along the sea bed.

The companies involved are: Havfisk ASA, the largest Norwegian operator; Ocean Trawlers, Russian-owned but based in Hong Kong; Fishing Industry Union of the North (FIUN), a leading Russian fishing association.

Arctic exploration and exploitation

In May last year, scientists from the Norwegian Polar Institute warned that the Arctic was facing a 'new era', with thick ice permanently covering the region being replaced by thinner ice which disappears in the summer.

Months later, President Obama's Arctic envoy described the impact of climate change on the region as "scary". The Arctic changing climate has afforded businesses with new opportunities in the region, with oil companies keen to get hold of vast oil deposits under the ice.

Shell famously abandoned plans to drill in the Arctic in October, but Italian firm Eni still plans to drill off the north coast of Norway.

Looking to capitalise on the opportunities afforded by the melting Arctic, the British government presented a report to MPs last summer entitled 'Responding to a changing Arctic last year'.

Among other things, the document, produced by UK Trade and Investment talked up opportunities for British mining companies in the region.

Joe Sandler Clarke is Content Coordinator at Guardian News and Media on the Global Development Professionals Network and Energydesk, an open data, investigative journalism project run by Greenpeace. Tweets at @JSandlerClarke

This article was originally published by Energydesk Greenpeace
DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER The first hour-and-a-half had excited voters lining up to the parking lot at Henderson County High School in the first-ever Kentucky Republican Presidential Caucus Saturday morning. By 11:30 a.m., the line had disappeared, but a steady stream of voters continued to show up to pick their favorite candidates.

SHARE DENNY SIMMONS / THE GLEANER Keegan Scott, 3, stands in line for a chance to watch his granddad, Danny Bomar, vote in the first-ever Kentucky Republican Presidential caucus at Henderson County High School Saturday morning.

By Erin Schmitt of The Gleaner

Starting at 10 a.m., Republicans flocked to the polls Saturday to vote in the first-ever Kentucky Republican Presidential caucus.

Registered Republicans from all 45 precincts in Henderson County cast their ballots at the local high school.

"It's been amazing today," said volunteer J.R. Stanley. "We probably had 50 people standing outside the door by 9:15 a.m. and it's been a constant flow since the door opened."

About 600 people had voted as of 1:30 p.m. - a little more than midway through the six-hour polling window. More than 1,280 voters had cast their ballots by the time the polls closed at 4 p.m.

There are 8,582 registered Republicans in Henderson County, according to Henderson County Republican Party President Richard Shoulders.

"I'd hoped it would be this kind of turnout," said voter Mike Shappell. "It's just strong for Henderson County to be able to be part of this."

The turnout matched what Shoulders expected.

"It's exciting," he said. "I think people are motivated and activated to do something this election cycle. They are wanting change - a big change."

The change was made this year because of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's Republican candidacy for U.S. president. According to CNN, a Kentucky law prevents a candidate's name from appearing on the same ballot more than once, so Paul could not run for Senate and president on the same primary ballot. Attempts to change the law failed, so Paul pushed for the Kentucky Republican Party to change the presidential primary into a caucus and move it earlier in the spring.

Ironically, now that the caucus was held - Paul has already dropped out of the presidential race.

Normally Republicans would select a presidential nominee during the May primary when the party's nominee is all but a foregone conclusion. But being able to vote in March made many Kentucky Republicans feel their voice was heard, according to some.

"I feel my vote matters this year," said Brad Ayer as he waited in line.

Most voters expressed appreciation they were able to vote in a March caucus rather than a May primary.

"I think it's interesting that they finally decided that all of us should be able to say something," said lifelong Republican Helen Posey. "Before it was just your representative, and how did they know they were getting what all of us felt? When they count this, they're going to know. So, we'll see."

She's been follow the presidential race intently and was planning to brush up on other races. Posey picked up information from city commission, state representative and U.S. congressional candidates as she exited the high school.

"I'll look them up online and read more about them," she said.

Some Republicans had been looking forward to the caucus for a while.

"I've been excited about it since I first heard about it months ago," said Bill Kinkade. "I was really glad to see the turnout when I got here, how full the parking lot was when I got here."

Kinkade said he follows politics on a daily basis and listens to the news frequently.

"I've been voting for this party for a number of years and I think we've got a good option this year to turning some things around for this country in general," he said.

Having only learned about the Republican caucus Friday, Joyce Hudson made sure a trip to the polls was part of her Saturday plans.

"We wouldn't miss it," Hudson said, adding that she's watched every debate and followed the presidential election closely.

Shoulders said the first-ever GOP presidential caucus ran smoothly.

"It was fairly steady throughout the day, he said. "There might have been a slight pick up at the end. There was always someone at the registration table."

The only downside was that several people wished the polls had stayed open later. Shoulder's daughter-in-law was working and could not make it in to vote. He heard others say they had family or friends who couldn't make it in during the six-hour window.

Voters will have a chance to vote on other races on May 17.

"It's very important to vote in the May primary because we have a great selection of Republican candidates for both U.S. Congress and State Representative that will be on the ballot," said Shoulders.
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It's a shame the early 20th-century humorist Will Rogers isn't alive to edit one of his most famous remarks.

"I don't belong to any organized political party," Rogers once quipped. "I'm a Democrat."

If Rogers were with us today, he'd likely be aiming that jab at Republicans, who are dealing with the possibility that Donald Trump might be their presidential candidate this fall with the sort of discipline and organization one normally sees from hyperactive toddlers who have been denied sleep and fed massive amounts of caffeine and sugar.

They'd have to calm down quite a bit just to return to panic status.

It's always interesting to see how people react to stressful situations.

Denial is one common response.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, is an example of that approach. McConnell has been attempting to reassure his fellow Republican senators who are up for re-election this fall and worry that Trump's presence at the top of the ticket will cost them votes - and perhaps their seats.

McConnell tells his colleagues not to fret, because they can distance themselves from Trump. They can drop Trump "like a hot rock," McConnell says.

Really?

And how does McConnell think the message that Republicans can't govern their own party but they are ready to govern the country is going to play with voters?

Then there's U.S. Sen. and GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who in recent days has decided the best way to deal with Trump is to sink to the billionaire's level.

Starting with last Thursday's debate, Rubio has attacked The Donald by delivering insults that range from sophomoric to snarling.

Rubio has pounded Trump for hiring undocumented workers, for defrauding the public with Trump University and other ventures and, in a move that's sure to soothe the tender sensibilities of old-money Republicans, for being a trust-fund baby.

Rubio's most telling shot is Trump is "a con man" who is out to take over the conservative movement by deluding and betraying working people.

That may be true, but Rubio's line of attack also illustrates the problem Republicans have in dealing with Trump.

If The Donald is nothing but a huckster, doesn't that mean the people who vote for him are rubes too stupid to see through his con?

How do Rubio and other Republicans plan to bring those Trump voters back into the fold after telling them, over and over again, that they are simple-minded morons for falling for the bombastic billionaire's shtick?

But that's the thing about panic. When people are this scared, they can't think about anything but the danger that's right in front of them.

That's where the GOP is right now.

The truth is that Republicans can't wound Trump without wounding themselves. And, if they try to destroy him, they risk destroying themselves.

The even greater truth is that he's a monster they made themselves.

A large part of Trump's appeal is he says full-throated and in plain speech - immigrants are evil, anyone who disagrees with you is either weak, dumb or a traitor, etc. - that many right wing Republicans have said in whispers and in code for decades.

That's why the GOP leaders such as McConnell, Rubio and Karl Rove (who apparently is trying to shop various "stop Trump" strategies to conservative funders) have been so flummoxed. They can't attack Trump without attacking themselves.

Once again, Will Rogers could offer appropriate commentary.

He once quipped about the way Democrats form a firing squad. He said they arrange themselves in a circle and then shoot back toward the center. It appears Republicans have taken that not as a joke, but as a campaign strategy.

John Krull is director of Franklin College's Pulliam School of Journalism, host of "No Limits" WFYI 90.1 Indianapolis and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
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Small-government Republicans in the Kentucky Senate have taken the unusual turn of pushing legislation to improve upon protections in the U.S. and Kentucky constitutions and override those offered by some local ordinances.

Senate Bill 180 purports to be about religious liberty, something that the Founders took so seriously they included it as the first liberty mentioned in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In this free country, the government is not supposed to play any role in an individual's choice and expression of religious beliefs, or lack thereof.

SB 180 offers a new take on this freedom, seeking to twist it to allow people to use their religious beliefs to discriminate against people in totally secular settings. The bill is particularly aimed at overturning local ordinances, such as one in Lexington, that outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the sponsor, Sen. Albert Robinson, R-London.

Specifically, Robinson is worried that businesses that cater to weddings, such as florists, photographers and bakers, will be compelled to serve same-sex couples.

The trouble with this is that it's not about protecting the baker's or florist's right to worship as they choose - they have that, thanks to the First Amendment - but to employ their beliefs to pick and choose among people in the marketplace, a non-religious environment.

Once you go down the path of allowing a religious test for commerce, no one's rights are secure. Sincerely held religious beliefs could deny services to a whole host of categories, from liars (the economy would crash) to philanderers or, for some belief systems, people who drink or dance or women who bare their heads.

The thing about the inalienable rights that the Founders touted is that, by definition, everyone has them. So, the difficult job of society and government is to find a way to balance those rights.

Bills like Robinson's are being offered around the country to inflame a popular, if misguided, belief that conservative Christians are under attack. So it's hardly surprising the issue came up in the Republican presidential debate last week. Candidate John Kasich, the conservative governor of Ohio, offered a thoughtful response.

"If you're not going to sell to somebody you don't agree with, OK, today I'm not going to sell to somebody who's gay, and tomorrow maybe I won't sell to somebody who's divorced," Kasich said. "I mean, if you're in the business of commerce, conduct commerce ... And if you don't agree with their lifestyle, say a prayer for them when they leave and hope they change their behavior."

Kentucky lawmakers should take Kasich's remarks to heart.

This editorial was written by the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Here are ideas for what you can, and should, plant in the fall
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STAMFORD  Students at K.T. Murphy Elementary School got to experience the diversity of the cultures in their community, as 19 different countries where represented at the Multicultural Fair on Saturday.

"In today's current state of the world, its good to show the children the positivity that comes from all the different cultures," said Frank Rodriguez, principal at K. T. Murphy School. "The fair is also a way of getting the parents engaged in our school community."

The fair featured tables and displays from 19 different countries, ranging from Chile to Palestine to Korea. The tables featured famous foods from the countries, facts about the culture and pictures of famous landmarks and items.

The tables and displays were set up and ran by the parents of the students at the school. Many, if not all the parents had some relation to the countries they were presenting to the children.

"We've been having the fair for six years now and its something everyone looks forward to," said Loraine Masone, event coordinator and mother to a K.T. Murphy School student. "Ever since my daughter started here in kindergarten, I have been organizing the event. She is graduating this year so hopefully I can pass the torch to someone else and keep the tradition alive."

The fair is a small fundraiser that benefits the school.

"The (ticket) cost is just so we can cover the costs of the event." said Masone. "We keep the ticket cost low for the families. We just want to use the fair to help spread awareness of the different countries and cultures."

Barbara Curra, a second grade teacher at K. T. Murphy, was running the table for Italy with her mother.

"We are offering bruschetta and pizzella, which is an Italian cookie," said Curra. "My mother is Italian and I bring her every year."

Shannon King, parent of first-grader Aaliyah King, set up a table for Nigeria. King found out he was Nigerian after submitting a DNA sample to an ancestry company.

"We are offering a Nigerian food called 'chin chin,' which is a fried dough snack," said King. "Its like potato chips where you snack on them at anytime, like when your watching TV or after school."

Mariela Gonzalez and her husband Ralph Yoakum were in charge of the Dominican Republic table. They were sharing locrio de pollo, which is a rice and chicken dish, and flan. They had a green and silver costume on display as well as historical and cultural facts.

"The costume is used to celebrate Dominican Republic's Independance Day," said Yoakum. "Its very much like a 'Carnaval' type parade and celebration."

Parent Camilla Lyons was running the table for England, whose parents are English. She was offering blueberry scones with strawberry jam.

"On our display board we have pictures of Adele, Queen Elizabeth, the Bronte sisters (and many more) all of which are from England," said Lyons.

The K. T. Murphy Elementary School is located at 19 Horton St., Stamford and has students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. This was its first year having a pre-kindergarten class.

"We have about 550 students which come from a very diverse background," said Rodrigeuz. "Many are Indian and Guatemalan, but we are a neighborhood school with a wide range of cultures."

The school was founded in 1900 as the Cove School and is one of the oldest schools in Stamford.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Hour's "Chalk Talk" column runs the first Sunday of every month and is written by former Norwalk educator Roz McCarthy. For the full collection of stories, visit www.thehour.com.

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A wonderful article, "Teaching Reading Is Like Rocket Science," argues that 95 percent of children can learn to read fluently if taught in an organized, systematic, scientific way.

Last year, Fox Run School piloted just that kind of scientific approach, called CK3LI, with excellent results: 91 percent of kindergarteners and 82 percent of first-graders met the reading goal on the mCLASS assessment that the district and state use.

By 2017, all Norwalk schools will be using the CK3LI (Connecticut K-3 Literacy Initiative) approach.

Is CK3LI a complete change from what's happening now? No, but it's more systematic. "Our teaching is dramatically more meaningful and focused," says Fox Run Principal James Martinez, "and my teachers' passion has increased because we have a plan."

Key to CK3LI is small group instruction that provides highly-focused letter, sounds, and phonics instruction. Because some children learn skills more quickly than others, students are regrouped regularly based on their mastery of specific skills.

With the help of literacy consultants, highly structured materials, and lots of staff training, Principal Martinez says, "we now know exactly what we need to do for every student."

Fox Run kindergartens, like grades 1-3, are divided into different levels of instructional groups that meet daily, where they practice specific word-attack skills. The lessons are designed to match the students' needs.

Paraprofessionals have been trained to teach the students who need extra support using scripted, quick-paced phonics activities. They are designed so the kids practice a lot in a short time.

Paraprofessional Mark Crafter is reviewing sounds with his five kindergarteners. He holds up a chart with letters and points. What's the name of this letter? "T," the group answers. What's the sound of the letter? "Tuh." Then each child answers individually as he points to different letters. He keeps track of which students struggle with what letters.

Mr. Crafter will lead at least four more activities teaching sounds. This week, the group has been working on the short "i" sound. The children read aloud from little books: "Big Tim can sip it.Tab will be big like your cat."

In a moment, they are onto the next activity. The pace is quick. There's lots of repetition. And children are reading. "The kids love going to group," said second grade teacher Jo-Anne Minoff. "The step-by-step approach allows them to be successful."

In another group with a slightly different instructional focus, Kindergarten Aide Deborah Campaniello listens while students read aloud about a game of tag. "Rip is It. Rip ran into Pam. Pam will be It now. Can Pam tag Rip?" Ms. Campaniello notes which sounds continue to give students trouble.

Regular assessment is the key to matching instruction to student needs. At data-team meetings, teachers review the progress of every student and rearrange the groups based on student needs.

Kindergarten teacher Lisa Malizia said that at the beginning of the year, 16 of the 74 kindergarteners were identified as at-or-above grade level; now, 38 are so identified. When the teachers regroup the children based on grade-wide assessments next week, she expects even more students to score at-or-above grade level.

Mrs. Malizia's group is above grade level and the focus and materials reflect their skills. They are looking at two new words that are in the book they are about to read. This group quickly reads octopus and starfish (difficult words for kindergarten). Then they read their books aloud.

Both small and large group instruction are closely integrated. Skills are pre-taught in the small groups so all students are prepared for whole class instruction. "Some students who would never raise their hands now participate actively," said Ms. Minoff.

In whole class instruction, Ms. Malizia tells her kids to be ready for blast off. They crouch. She points to the word WHO on the board. "Look at the word. Spell the word." They say W..H..O. "Now say the word and blast off!" 20 kids shout "WHO" as they jump up with glee. Everyone knew the word. They all learned it in their small groups.

"They are getting the skills they need," said Ms Minoff. "They get one skill under their belts and then move on to the next. We are addressing reading in a systematic way."

More information

Next Sunday: Part 2: Making CK3LI Work in All the Schools

For more backup information on CK3LI, follow Chalk Talk on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Roz-McCarthy-Chalk-Talk-1510724929255047.
Do you think the government should be able to access your cellphone?

"I think it depends on the situation. If I'm an ISIS spy, then I would hope the government is checking my cellphone so they can save lives. If I'm just average Tom from Westport, then they better not be wasting the resources monitoring my phone."
People who dont know Anna Kortes full story might think shes a perfectly healthy Northwest High School sophomore.

Anna is a member of Northwests golf team and the schools Bella Voce show choir. While she was a student at Cedar Hollow School, she played volleyball and basketball. She also played softball in the summer, as well as golf with her family.

All of that hides the fact that Anna received a heart transplant before she reached her first birthday, which means she must have medical checkups at Childrens Hospital in Omaha four times a year. She also must take anti-rejection medicines every day, although the number of medications has dropped from 15 to two pills in the morning and a repeat of one of those pills in the afternoon.

Anna must take care of herself every day for the rest of her life for what still is considered a life-threatening illness. Thats why she qualified to have her wish of attending the 2016 Grammy Awards on Feb. 15 come true via the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Cardiologists from Childrens Hospital first referred Anna to Make-A-Wish when she was very young. Michael Korte, Annas father, said the family delayed fulfilling their daughters wish for a number of years.

While they knew their daughters condition was serious, they also realized other Make-A-Wish families had children with conditions such as cancer, and the families were in a constant state of battle involving months of medical care.

Their daughters situation was a little different. Anna said that, even though she must get checkups in Omaha every three months, she always gets a clean bill of health. Thats why she has been able to live such an active life.

Very few restrictions, said Chris Korte, Annas mother. When she got the transplant, the surgeon always told her to not live in a bubble but go out and be the person she needs to be.

The connection to Make-A-Wish began when Anna was 7 months old.

We took her in thinking it was actually RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and they said they found an enlarged heart, Chris said, recalling that their first stop was at the St. Francis Medical Center emergency room.

Michael said that, following their midnight visit to the St. Francis ER, they went to their pediatrician in Hastings, who immediately referred them to Childrens Hospital. After two days in Omaha, Anna and her parents flew to St. Louis for the transplant.

She was on the transplant list for 21 days in St. Louis. Following her transplant, they stayed in St. Louis for close to another month before returning to Grand Island.

Make-A-Wish has a definite cutoff age of 18 to grant wishes, with the organization often wanting to have young people complete their wishes by age 15 or 16. Anna, who is 16, said she made a wish for herself, her parents and her two brothers, Andrew, a Northwest High School freshman, and Alex, a Cedar Hollow fifth-grader, to attend the Grammys.

She said the Make-A-Wish people urged her to do something that you love. Ive always enjoyed music, listening to it, playing it, and singing, so I thought, Oh, that would be awesome to attend a music event that big and that important.

As the 2016 Grammy Awards approached, Anna said, she went to the Bridal Collection to choose a dress. The owners not only helped her find a dress suitable for the red carpet, but also ended up donating it to her.

She said she and three other Make-A-Wish girls got up early in the morning on the day of the awards show to have a makeup and hair styling session courtesy of Make-A-Wish. At 1:30 p.m. they arrived at the red carpet, where they sat in the front-row bleachers.

Anna said she and the other girls, along with Make-A-Wish volunteers, waved down artists and celebrities to sign autographs and have their photographs taken with them.

She said some of her favorite autographs included country singer Sam Hunt and British pop singer Adele. The favorite autograph for Andrew came from Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Most artists were willing to visit with the Make-A-Wish group.

They were very nice and just all-around generous, Anna said. They would take their time and just talk to us a little bit.

She said they left at 4:30 for the 5 p.m. start of the show at the Staples Center. Their seats were awesome because they could not only see the main stage and performances, but also could look left and see all the artists arriving and departing for their performances.

When the Grammys ended, Anna and her family went to one of the after parties, which had a Candyland theme.

It was very bright, colorful and very candy-filled, she said. It was delicious. The event featured a D.J., acrobats and video games, with Alex saying he enjoyed playing pinball.

While the Grammy Awards were on Monday, the family arrived in Los Angeles the previous Wednesday, giving them nearly a week to enjoy activities such as visiting the Santa Monica Pier, sightseeing on Rodeo Drive and in Beverly Hills, visiting the Grammy Museum, eating lunch at the Wolfgang Puck restaurant, seeing some of the Olympic marathon trials, seeing the Endeavor space shuttle at the California Science Museum and enjoying rides at Universal Studios.

Anna and Michael also took in part of the Grammy Awards rehearsal, getting to see Alabama Shakes, Miguel and Justin Bieber. Anna said she and the other Wish girls got a backstage pass to meet Bieber.

That was very exciting for all of us, she said, adding that Bieber was very gracious with the group. He took his time. He had his picture taken with all of us and he signed all our autograph books. He talked with us for about 20 minutes.
To honor Chucks wishes, cremation was chosen, Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 12, at St. Marys Cathedral. The Rev. Richard Piontkowski will officiate. Burial of ashes will follow in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
DEARBORN, Mich.  It is here in the industrial Midwest, not in the South, where Ted Cruzs audacious theory of the 2016 race was supposed to be put to one of its most important tests. Michigans primary on Tuesday  and especially what happens that day in the Detroit suburbs that in 1980 were ground zero for a new political species, Reagan Democrats  will answer this question: Can Cruz locate and motivate legions of recently nonvoting conservatives, millions of them nationwide, especially whites without college experience, who can be pulled back into voting in numbers sufficient to determine the election in November?

But the best-laid plans of mice and men and even senators often go awry, and one problem with Cruzs plan is that it was formulated in olden days, in the world B.D.T.  Before Donald Trump. He, too, is courting this cohort of the disaffected, whose grievances about politicians certainly cannot this year include being ignored by them. But although Trump may bestride the political scene mastodon, Patrick Colbeck and Wendy Day are undaunted.

Colbeck, 50, was an engineer with no interest in politics until, six years ago, he did something almost unprecedented even among members of the national legislature: He read the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. He concluded that this is about control and has nothing to do with care. Now he is a Republican state senator, the first Michigan legislator elected from the tea party, and a thorn in the side of the GOPs legislative leadership on spending and other matters. Which is to say, he is somewhat like Ted Cruz, of whose Michigan campaign Colbeck is chairman.

Day, 43, is the wife of a soldier who has a Purple Heart from two tours in the Middle East, and the mother of a 19-year-old soldier just back from his first deployment, in Kuwait. She was working with war widows before becoming state director of the Cruz campaign because hes been to Babylon and survived. Meaning hes resisted the seductive nature of Washington. Now she travels with a spreadsheet, supplied by Cruzs national campaign headquarters in Houston, detailing the expected March 8 vote in all of Michigans 4,500 precincts and the number of votes Cruz needs to get in each in order to win the state.

Houston projects that Cruz needs 345,000 of the 1.08 million votes the campaign expects to be cast. Day has on her phone a picture of two of those voters who, with no prompting from the campaign, set up a table outside a tractor supply store to educate voters about Cruzs enthusiasm for the Second Amendment. Other volunteers held a fundraiser at a gun range to pay for a Cruz billboard.

Yes, each such anecdote testifies to Cruzs ability to energize a passionate cadre, and, yes, as has been said, the plural of anecdote is data. Today, however, much more than when Winston Churchill said so eight decades ago, We have entered the region of mass effects. In Michigan, as in many of the Super Tuesday states, the Cruz campaign mounted the most ambitious efforts to create telephone-and-shoe-leather get-out-the-vote operations, all of which strengthen the sinews of American democracy. In its approach to Iowa, the campaign identified 150 clusters of Iowans for special attention, including a group of 60 who signed a petition seeking legalization of the sale of fireworks in the state, a group that received a blessing from Cruz in his libertarian mode.

But todays saturation journalism about presidential politics  and especially the insatiable appetite of television for the garish sights and sounds of Trump, whose campaign consists almost entirely of feeding this appetite  can raise waves of passion and distraction that wash away more methodical ways of engaging with voters.

A Detroit News/WDIV-TV poll, taken Feb. 14-16, after Iowas caucuses and New Hampshires primary but before South Carolinas primary and Nevadas caucuses, presented a microcosm of the GOPs national problem: Trump 25.2 percent, undecided 21.3, Cruz 15, Marco Rubio 11.8, John Kasich 10.5, Ben Carson 9, Jeb Bush 5.3. Trump had the highest unfavorable rating (41.3), but the combined 37.3 percent of the three serious Trump rivals still in the race is too fragmented to derail him. And Kasich, from contiguous Ohio, is targeting Michigan.

Michigans primary comes a week  an eternity  after Super Tuesdays 11 primaries altered the political landscape. Michigan is one of the 18 states (and the District of Columbia)  with 242 electoral votes  that Republicans have lost in six consecutive presidential elections, so attention must be paid.
The University of Nebraska is nearing a decision on who will be the next chancellor of the Lincoln campus. And at the same time the Nebraska Legislature is nearing a decision on LB1109, a revision to state law that would deny the public information about future searches for chancellors and NU presidents.

Last week and this week, the students, faculty and staff of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have been listening to and asking questions of the four finalists for the job of UNL chancellor. Those candidates have described their ideas about how the university should be governed, what the university needs to do to excel in the 21st century and how it should allocate its resources to achieve its goals.

Because we have had the opportunity to see and question all four finalists, students, staff and faculty will be better prepared to support the next chancellor, whoever that might be, and to help that person strengthen the university.

If LB1109 were in place, we would not see four finalists, but only one priority finalist. We would not have an opportunity to compare and evaluate. We would be forced to accept someone elses judgment that this one person was the best choice for the university. But the only way one can determine which candidate is best is by having four or more from whom to select.

Faculty members have asked the chancellor candidates about the public nature of the selection process and about LB1109. While the candidates have avoided injecting themselves into the politics of the issue, all of them have spoken of the need for transparency in management of university business. They all have embraced the notion that the only way to get the support they need to manage the university is by being as open and frank as they possibly can be with everyone who has a stake in UNL. And that means just about everyone in Nebraska.

It would be sadly ironic if the Legislature decided to eliminate the last vestige of transparency from the process of selecting university chancellors and presidents at the same time that the new chancellor of UNL was promising transparency.

The Faculty Senate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln voted 48 to 4 in February to oppose LB1109. Our reason for doing so was to send a message that we value the opportunity to participate in the process of selecting university leaders and that a public university deserves leaders who are committed to the widest possible public participation in all of the major decisions they make.
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Binjai, North Sumatra  Sun, March 6, 2016

A black suitcase containing explosive material, assembled guns, magazines for SS1 and FNX 45 weapons, bullets and cable reels, was found on Saturday in Binjai, North Sumatra, just three days after President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo visited the city.



The suitcase was found by a local resident named Desra Yuda near the final trash disposal site (TPA) in East Binjai. The location is quite far from the location where President made his visit.



'When I passed by the site, I saw that suitcase. And when I opened it, it contained bomb,' Desra told reporters.



He added that he informed nearby residents of his discovery. The residents immediately called the police.



Binjai Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Mulya Hakin Solihin said that the suitcase was currently being examined by North Sumatra's Gegana bomb squad.



'We're still investigating it, but the homemade bomb has been detonated by Gegana,' he told The Jakarta Post.



A squad from Gegana put the bomb, which was covered by brown tape, into a bomb bag and exploded it at the TPA. The guns, SS1 and FN45 magazines, bullets and other documents, Mulya said, had been secured by the police for further examination.



He said that he would increase security measures around the city following the discovery of the bomb, and that the police would find out who the bomb-maker was.



'We will cooperate with the North Sumatra Police and the anti-terror squad Densus 88,' he added.



The bomb was discovered just three days after Jokowi's visit to the city on Wednesday to inspect the progress in the development of the trans-Sumatra highway and the trans-Sumatra railway track. It is hoped that these infrastructure projects will lower logistics and transportation costs.



The trans-Sumatra railway track, which has been in planning for 30 years, will connect Aceh with North Sumatra and Riau and will extend for 1,574 kilometers. Meanwhile, the trans-Sumatra highway will see the construction of a toll road stretching 2,700 kilometers in length, connecting major cities in Sumatra from Aceh to Lampung.



North Sumatra Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Helfi Assegaf said that they would not jump to conclusions about whether or not the bomb could be linked to Jokowi's visit.



'We don't know yet because everything is still being investigated, and we should wait for the results,' he said.



He said that the bomb was seen as an act of terror, and requested residents to remain calm and report all suspicious acts to the police.



The last major terror attack to strike Indonesia happened in Jakarta in January when explosions and gunfire erupted near the Sarinah shopping center on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta. Four civilians were killed in the attack.

_________________________________________

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Linkedin Nancy Benac and Roxana Hegeman (The Jakarta Post) Wichita, Kansas  Sun, March 6, 2016

Ted Cruz claimed double-barreled victories in Kansas and Maine, and Donald Trump captured Louisiana in Saturday's four-state round of Republican voting, fresh evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious Republican race for president.

In the Democratic race, Bernie Sanders grabbed a win in Nebraska and state party officials gave him a victory in Kansas, while Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana.

"God bless Kansas," Cruz declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days. "The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together."

The Texas senator defeated Trump easily in Kansas and Maine, and Trump rolled to victory in Louisiana, underscoring that his appeal knows no geographic limitation. Early returns showed Cruz and Trump were in a tight race for Kentucky.

In the overall race for Republican delegates, including partial results for Kansas, Trump led with 347 and Cruz had 267. Rubio had 116 delegates and Kasich had 28. Cruz will collect at least 36 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine, Trump at least 18 and Rubio at least six and Kasich three. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Heading into Saturday's voting, Clinton had 1,066 delegates to Sanders' 432, including superdelegates ' members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Cruz, a favorite of the ultraconservative tea party movement, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a "manifestation of a real shift in momentum."

With the Republican race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders ' including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain ' are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the Republican ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.

In Maine, Cruz won by a comfortable margin over Trump. Republicans and Democrats also were voting in Louisiana on Saturday.

On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Sanders won by a solid margin in Nebraska and Kansas officials said he'd won the state caucuses, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season. Clinton, who's been doing well with African-American voters, had an easy win in Louisiana.

Clinton hoped that strong support among African-Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Vermonter Sanders, trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the Republican convention, every one of the 155 Republican delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

It was anger that propelled many of Trump's voters to the polls. "It's my opportunity to revolt," said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because "he's not bought and paid for."

Overall, Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturday's voting. Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.

___

Benac reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Jacksonville, Florida; David Eggert in Warren, Michigan; Catherine Lucey in Detroit; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; John Hanna in Olathe, Kansas, and John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan, contributed to this report.

___

Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nbenac (**)
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Linkedin Terry Spencer (The Jakarta Post) Coral Springs, Florida  Sun, March 6, 2016

The family and colleagues of a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran nine years ago while on a CIA mission expressed anger and disappointment at a rally Saturday that he wasn't part of a January prisoner exchange with Tehran.

Several hundred people attended the rally for Robert Levinson, 67, who disappeared from Iran's Kish Island in March 2007. A 2013 Associated Press investigation revealed that the married father of seven was working for the CIA on an unauthorized intelligence-gathering mission to glean information about Iran's nuclear program.

If Levinson remains alive, he has been held captive longer than any American ' longer than then-AP journalist Terry Anderson, who was held more than six years in Beirut in the 1980s. Unlike Anderson, Levinson's whereabouts and captors remain a mystery. US officials believe the Iranian government was behind his disappearance. It has denied that.

The case drew renewed attention in January when Levinson was not part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iranian governments that freed four other Americans who had been in Iran's custody. Levinson's family insists he is still alive, even with health issues including diabetes, gout and high blood pressure. They last received video and photos of him about five years ago.

Stephanie Levinson Curry, his second-oldest child, said her autistic 9-year-old son Ryan cried for days when the other American captives were released, but not his grandfather.

The rally's stage was decorated with nine chained and padlocked glass cookie jars filled with yellow rocks, each one representing a day Levinson has been held captive. The crowd held yellow signs showing the social media hashtag "whataboutbob."

"Bob Levinson has been deprived of being a grandfather, a job that he would love so much," Curry said. "We worry all the time about what he is thinking while he is alone in his cell. Even prisoners in jail get to see their families, write them letters and call them. Bob Levinson has none of that."

Retired FBI agent Ellen Glasser harshly criticized the Obama administration for not demanding that Iran release Levinson or, at least, turn over information about his whereabouts. The FBI says it still investigates every lead and remains committed to finding Levinson. A $5 million reward for information leading to his whereabouts remains in effect.

"The failure to push publicly and hard for answers about Bob was an outrage," Glasser said. "A rare opportunity was squandered when we had the most possible leverage to bring him home. Despite many requests, no new pressure was put upon Iran to produce information on Bob's status."

US Rep. Ted Deutch told the crowd they should send messages to Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, who is active on Twitter.

"It is unfair that Bob wasn't among the Americans who came home, but because of that, our fight continues," he said.

The 2013 AP investigation showed that in a breach of the most basic CIA rules, a team of analysts ' with no authority to run spy operations ' paid Levinson to gather intelligence from hotspots around the world, including the Middle East and Latin America.

The official story when Levinson disappeared was that he was in Iran on private business, either to investigate cigarette smuggling or to work on a book about Russian organized crime. Russia has a presence on Kish, a tourist island.

In fact, he was meeting a source, an American fugitive, Dawud Salahuddin. He is wanted for killing a former Iranian diplomat in Maryland in 1980. In interviews, Salahuddin has admitted killing the diplomat.

The CIA paid Levinson's family $2.5 million to pre-empt a revealing lawsuit, and the agency rewrote its rules restricting how analysts can work with outsiders. Three analysts who had been working with Levinson lost their jobs. (**)
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Linkedin Erika Anindita Dewi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 6, 2016

The House of Representatives has slammed the decision by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to drop the charges against two former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders, saying that the AGO could only take such a decision if there was a real 'public interest' in it.

'If the AGO decided not to drop the charges, would it lead to the weakening of anticorruption efforts?' House Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon asked on Friday, referring to two former KPK leaders, Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjojanto.

The Gerindra Party legislator made the statement following Prasetyo's move on Thursday to drop the charges against Abraham and Bambang.

Fadli said Indonesia's corruption eradication efforts depended on a system instead of individuals. Moreover, he noted that Abraham and Bambang were no longer leaders of the antigraft commission.

As reported earlier, the AGO said it decided to drop the Abraham and Bambang cases in the interest of the public following its concern that continuing the two cases could be counterproductive to the government's fight against corruption.

Explaining the actions of the AGO, Prasetyo said Abraham and Bambang had been widely perceived as anticorruption icons.

"Both AS [Abraham] and BW [Bambang] are known widely as figures committed to eradicating corruption," he said. This was why, he went to say, the prosecution of the two graft-busters had drawn strong criticism from the public.

Arsul Sani, a member of House Commission III overseeing legal affairs and laws, human rights and security, said the AGO's decision would be questioned during a working meeting between the commission and the AGO in the next sitting session.

"In general, the commission agrees with the AGO's right to drop a case for the sake of the public interest. However, the AGO must explain why the Abraham and Bambang cases fit this explanation," Arsul said at the House complex in Jakarta on Friday.

The legislator was referring to an article from the law on the AGO that stipulates that the AGO has the authority to drop a case if it is in the public interest to do so.

Abraham, a former KPK chairman, was named a suspect by the National Police in an alleged document fraud case while Bambang was charged with perjury relating to a local election dispute at the Constitution Court when he was working as a lawyer.

Public suspicion over the criminalization of Abraham and Bambang amplified following the actions of the National Police after the KPK named then National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a corruption suspect. (ebf)
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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 6, 2016

Indonesia has responded positively to the selection of Gambia as the host country for the 2018 Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit, conveying its readiness to help the African country strengthen its capacity on protocols in preparation for the event.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi highlighted Indonesia's commitment to strengthen cooperation with the West African country, especially in the field of agriculture and other developmental fields, during a bilateral meeting with Gambian Foreign Minister Neneh Gaye on the sidelines of the OIC summit in Jakarta on Sunday.

Neneh said that during the meeting, Gambia also confirmed its readiness to host the 2nd Joint Commission meeting between Indonesia and Gambia. The exact date of the meeting has not yet been decided, she added.

'We are looking forward to it. Hopefully, we can set an exact date for the meeting soon," said Neneh, who spoke to journalists after her closed-door meeting with Retno.

The Gambian minister further revealed that she had met with officials from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce to strengthen economic relations with Indonesia.

Neneh added that both countries had the potential to develop stronger commercial exchanges through the presence of more businesses and investors from Gambia in Indonesia. She expressed the hope that Indonesia would also commit to investing more in Gambia.

Both ministers also agreed to "enhance and build" people-to-people relations. (ebf)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Sun, March 6, 2016

Tantowi Yahya, a legislator from House Commission I overseeing defense, foreign affairs and information, said on Friday that television networks found to frequently violate the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission's (KPI) regulation on broadcasting program standards might find it hard to extend their 10-year broadcast permits.

Tantowi was responding to the broadcasting commission's plan to evaluate 10 television networks whose permits are set to expire this year.

Nine television stations, namely ANTV, Global TV, Indosiar, MNCTV, RCTI, SCTV, Trans TV, TV7 and TV One, will see their permits expire in October, while Metro TV will have to renew its permit in December.

It is reported that the KPI will first evaluate the television stations before it recommends to the government whether or not their permits ought to be extended.

'According to the 2002 Broadcasting Law, it is mandatory for the government to take notice of KPI recommendations,' said Tantowi.

The KPI imposed 266 sanctions on several Indonesian television networks in 2015, with sanction categories ranging from child and adolescent protection, courtesy and morality, and journalism ethics violations. The figure was higher than last year, which saw the KPK impose 184 sanctions.

'Everything is already stated in the Broadcasting Code of Conduct and Program Standards [P3SPS]. It is clear enough to determine whether or not a program violates the rules,' said Tantowi.

The KPI will look at three main factors in evaluating the television stations, namely their adherence to the P3SPS, their broadcasting program proposals for the next 10 years and their implementation of the Network Broadcast System.

In January, the KPI carried out for the first time a public test to involve the public in the evaluation process.

KPI commissioner Amirudin said the commission received around 5,000 responses from individuals, NGOs, foundations and educational institutions.

'We want to look at public input for the improvement of broadcasting programs in the future,' said Amirudin on Saturday.

'We hope this permit extension process can become a chance for television stations to improve programs and their content.'

Separately, television watchdog Remotivi deplored the KPI's lack of transparency, saying the commission must reveal the results of the public test.

'There will be another evaluation stage after a hearing conducted with representatives from television stations, the KPI, and also the public. Thus, it is unlikely that the public test will deliver a big impact, although there are lots of complaints about broadcasting content,' Remotivi researcher Wisnu Prasetya Utomo said on Friday. (vps/ebf)
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Linkedin Elena Becatoros (The Jakarta Post) Idomeni, Greece  Sun, March 6, 2016

Macedonian authorities imposed further restrictions Sunday on refugees trying to cross the border, allowing only those from cities they consider to be at war to enter, Greek police officials said.

The officials said the restrictions mean people from cities such as Aleppo in Syria, for example, can enter Macedonia from Greece, but those from the Syrian capital of Damascus or the Iraqi capital of Baghdad are being stopped.

The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak on the record.

The restrictions were the latest move by Macedonia to slow the flow of refugees into the country. The rate at which refugees are being allowed to cross had already been reduced to a trickle, with sometimes only a few dozen, or even nobody, being allowed to cross.

Greek police said 240 people crossed between 6 a.m. Saturday and the same time Sunday morning.

On the Greek side near the small village of Idomeni, about 13,000-14,000 people remain stranded, with more arriving each day. The refugee camp has overflowed, with thousands of people pitching tents among the railway tracks and in adjacent fields.

The camp is beginning to take on a form of semi-permanence, with people realizing they will be spending at the very least several days in the fields. As morning broke, women swept the earth outside their tents with makeshift brooms made of twigs and leaves. Men stomped on branches pulled off trees nearby to use as firewood for small campfires to boil tea and cook.

Throughout Sunday morning, dozens of local Greeks arrived in cars packed with clothes and food donations to distribute to the refugees. Many were mobbed as they arrived at the first tents, with men, women and children scrambling to receive whatever handouts they could.

The sheer numbers have overwhelmed Greek authorities. Massive queues of hundreds of people form from early in the morning, with people waiting for hours for a lunch-time sandwich.

While Greek officials have tried to discourage more people from arriving, and no longer allow buses to drive to the Idomeni border, hundreds continue to arrive each day, walking more than 15 kilometers (10 miles) from a nearby gas station where the United Nations refugee agency has set up large tents.

"We have been here five days, or six. Who remembers the days anymore," said Narjes al Shalaby, 27, from Damascus in Syria. She is travelling with her mother and two daughters, 5-year-old Maria and 10-year-old Bara'a. Her husband and third daughter are already in Germany.

"All we do here is sleep, wake up, sleep. We get hungry, we wait in the queue for two hours for a sandwich, we come back, we sleep some more," said Narjes, who worries about her daughters.

"She's grown up sooner that she should have," she says of Maria, who is sleeping in the back of the family's small tent. "She's aged."

___

Costas Kantouris in Thessaloniki contributed. (**)
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Linkedin Imanuddin Razak (The Jakarta Post) Karanganyar, Central Java  Sun, March 6, 2016

The fight against terrorism should not always be conducted with an offensive approach. As experience, both at home and abroad, has shown, such an aggressive approach against terrorism has often created a backlash to the campaign itself.



Learning from that experience, the government has been taking the initiative to take a soft approach in dealing with terrorism. In the past few months, the government has been proactively campaigning to combat terrorism at the grassroots level by inviting all elements of the nation to be concerned about these extraordinary crimes.



Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan has taken such an initiative by holding discussions and dialogue in regions that have the potential to generate terror threats, or regions that could be categorized as fertile ground for the dissemination of radical thought in the country.



To prevent the stigmatization of certain regions as 'homes for terrorists', the government has been promoting a religio-cultural approach in its campaign. The government has always invited cooperation on these issues with religious and social organizations that have a strong influence on the general public.



Luhut led a multi-party delegation to attend a dialogue session in Karanganyar regency, Central Java, on Saturday. This time, the ministry invited elements from within the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), in the discussion. They included executives of the NU central board, its youth wing Ansor, and its female wing, Muslimat NU.



'For sure, the government cannot perform the task of organizing these anti-terrorism campaigns alone. We must cooperate with other elements in this nation, including Nahdlatul Ulama,' Luhut said while addressing the opening of the dialogue session at the open assembly hall of the Karanganyar regency administration complex.



Forty Indonesians supportive of or declaring themselves members of the Islamic State (IS) movement in Iraq and Syria have been arrested across the country in the past few months, Luhut said, quoting data from the National Police's anti-terror squad.



'It's good that we managed to arrest those people, thanks to valuable information provided by low-ranking police and military officers at the village level as well as elements of the society,' he said.



The active involvement of the general public in the soft campaign approach is highly important, Luhut said.



'The general public, particularly the Muslim community as the largest in the country, should prove that Islam is not ISIS [IS] and that ISIS is not Islam,' Luhut said.



Miftahul Ahyar, deputy chairman of NU's law-making body, said the Indonesian Muslim community should be able to prove that Islam was rahmatan lil alamin, or a blessing to the whole universe.



'There are lots of examples set by Prophet Muhammad that Muslims should always promote love and care to all, including non-Muslims,' Miftahul said.



Indonesia remains vulnerable to terror attacks. The latest attack took place on Jan. 14 when suicide bombers and gunmen attacked Central Jakarta. Four civilians were killed in the attack.
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 6, 2016

Indonesia should strengthen campaigns on sustainable palm oil in European countries to tackle charges against the product that could affect the country's palm oil industry and exports, an official has said.

"Indonesia needs to intensify its campaigns on sustainable palm oil and nutritious substances, such as vitamins, contained in the commodity," the National Development Planning Agency's (Bappenas) director for trade, investment and international economic cooperation, Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, said on Friday.

She made the statement in response to ongoing pressure against the world's palm oil industry.

Recently, France reportedly imposed a new palm oil import tax of '403 (US$443.28) per ton, up from '103 per ton. The policy has drawn sharp protests from oil palm plantation communities in Indonesia as it could set a precedent for other countries.

Indonesia has undertaken several initiatives, such as Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) and the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), to improve practices in its palm oil industry. Still, it is facing tough challenges from Western countries, whose concerns are mostly focused on peatland fires.

'We need to first change their perspective,' said Amalia, referring to widespread views that oil palm plantations are responsible for environmental damage, especially land and forest fires triggered by forest conversion and peatland drainage carried out by the plantation sector.

Supported by data, local and regional scientists are reportedly striving to introduce the benefits of sustainable palm oil to the public. However, several significant scientific institutions in Europe have tended to dominate the discourse, placing the palm oil industry in a corner.

"In their visits to Indonesia and Malaysia, European civil groups have never made any comprehensive measurements [of local conditions]. They have always analyzed the situation based on methods in their countries. Tropical soil is different," Lulie Melling from Tropical Peat Research Laboratory (TPRL) Malaysia told thejakartapost.com in a recent interview.

Lulie commented that research activities based on local land characteristics needed to be carried out intensively. There should be new methods for sustainable oil palm plantations so they could increase their bargaining power against counterproductive palm oil campaigns, she said.

"Valid data is important for us to argue but currently we are dominated by European perspectives. For example, of 14 peat congresses, all were held in Europe. The upcoming 15th peat congress will be the first congress to be held in a tropical country, namely Malaysia in August," Lulie said.

She argued that palm oil was still the best option for vegetable oil. Citing examples, she said the output of oil palm plantations could reach 5,950 liters of oil per hectare, while rapeseed, soybean and corn could produce only 1,190, 446, and 172 liters of oil per ha respectively.

"If there is no palm oil, and you replace it with rapeseed, you will need four times more land and that does not mean less pollution," Lulie said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 6, 2016

Renowned Teater Koma, popular for its sociopolitical critiques, has remade the play for which writer Norbertus Riantiarno was recognized with a Southeast Asia Writers Award in 1998.



Semar Gugat, first performed in November 1995, is a satire that looks at Lord Acton's postulate 'power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely'.



Nothing much has changed in the remake, which holds on to the original script and sees many of the actors and crew from the 1995 show return also.



Aside from the story, and most of the choreography by the original choreographer Sentot S., artistic elements such as set and costumes are all newly designed for the show by scenographer Taufan S. Chandranegara and wardrobe manager Rima Ananda.



Although it might be unintentional, at least according to Riantiarno, aka Nano, the play sneers at strict new regulations that ban cross-dressing performances on TV.



'The original play is made based on ludruk [a Javanese all-male play] in which all female characters were played by male actors with the exception of Arjuna who at that time was played by Daisy Lantang,' he said.



'The regulation is obviously made by those who know nothing about the history of performance art in this country.'



Daisy again assumed the role in the remake now playing at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta playhouse, Central Jakarta, from March 3 to 10.



The opening show on Thursday was a full house, with some of the audience members having to stand in the aisles to get a better view.



As the curtains opened, the audience was welcomed to the colorful cotton-candy land of Amarta, a kingdom ruled by Yudistira (Julung Ramadan), the eldest of the Pandawa brothers.



His handsome brother Arjuna plans to marry Srikandi (Rangga Riantiarno) as his third wife after Sumbadra (Ina Kaka) and Larasati (Andhini Puteri).



The goddess of evil, Betari Permoni (Cornelia Agatha), who intends to own Arjuna for herself, sets out a plan with the help of her assistant Kalika (Tuti Hartati).



The possessed Srikandi asks Arjuna to prove his love by cutting the hair crest of Semar (Budi Ros), the chief of the palace's punakawan (jesters).



Semar and his three children Bagong (Dorias Pribadi), Petruk (Dana Hassan) and Gareng (Emanuel Handoyo) represent the commoners, the knights' advisors and the palace tricksters.



Semar himself is an exiled god whose fart is a weapon that can destroy nature.



The humiliation caused by Arjuna on Gareng's wedding day starts a string of unfortunate events after Semar and his kids leave the palace.





Yudistira and his other brothers Bima (Toni Tokim), twins Nakula (Asmin Timbil) and Sadewa (Raheli Dharmawan), along with their uncle Kresna (Alex Fatahillah), retire to meditate and leave Arjuna to rule.



Permoni takes the opportunity to make the kingdom and its people hers, while Semar, accompanied by Bagong, files complaints with heaven and demands a change to his fate as a commoner.



The gods give him back his good looks and grant Semar his own kingdom. He returns home alone ' Bagong is then caught in an endless chase by heaven's guards ' but his wife Sutiragen (Rita Matu Mona) doesn't recognize him and leaves the new kingdom.



Semar decides to seclude himself in meditation while Petruk and Gareng share the throne while Bagong is still running around the playhouse with the help of Arjuna's old wives, trying to get more people from Amarta to move to the new kingdom.



When Semar finally returns to the kingdom, he asks for a duel with Arjuna and Srikandi. He later realizes that it is Permoni he is fighting with, but doesn't realize that his change of form has taken away his power.



For three hours the audience was entertained by fresh jokes and improvised lines from the actors. The scenography was brilliant, emphasizing the hollowness of the concept of beauty.



Co directed by Ohan Adiputra, the play showcases a solid performance by the actors, each one owning their character.



The appearance of gods Batara Guru and Narada (Alex and Julung) as the narrators toward the end was cheered by the audience, but it was Bima's son Gatotkaca (Bayu Dharmawan) who stole the show as a lovable youngster.



Criticism of how people change when they assume power and a portrayal of evil that will never cease to exist was subtly delivered through the lines, but strongly stated in the lyrics of songs during the performance saying that Semar is in everyone and it's OK to be a commoner because 'the party is never over with Permoni'.



'I hope the play can serve as a lesson for those seeking power or already in power for whatever reason that power is often not a solution to everything,' said Nano.



' Photos by R. Berto Wedhatama

________________________________

'Semar Gugat'

by Teater Koma



Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Jl. Kantor Pos No. 1, Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta, until March 10.

Tickets from Rp 75,000 on Monday; Rp 100,000 from Tuesday to Thursday; and Rp 125,000 on weekends.

Shows start at 7:30 p.m. every day and also at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

_________________________________

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Linkedin Freddy Cuevas (The Jakarta Post) La Esperanza, Honduras  Sun, March 6, 2016

A large crowd in Honduras accompanied the body of Berta Caceres to its final resting place Saturday amid calls for justice in this week's killing of the indigenous leader and environmental activist.

Many of those carrying Caceres' coffin on their shoulders through the dusty streets of La Esperanza were Lenca indigenous people for whose rights she had fought. Drummers pounded out Afro-Honduran rhythms as mourners chanted "The struggle goes on and on" and "Berta Caceres is present, today and forever."

The crowd marched more than six miles (10 kilometers) from Caceres' mother's home to a chapel where a Mass was celebrated in her memory Saturday, and to the cemetery in La Esperanza about 190 miles (300 kilometers) east of the capital. Her four daughters and her ex-husband were among the procession.

"Forgive me, Bertita," said Salvador Zuniga, Caceres' former husband. "Forgive me for not understanding your greatness."

The previous evening, Austra Flores said she hoped that her daughter's murder will not go unpunished and that international attention will pressure Honduran authorities to find those responsible.

Caceres, 45, who was awarded the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her role in fighting a dam project, had complained of death threats from police, the army and landowners' groups. She was slain early Thursday by gunmen who broke into her home and shot her four times.

"My mother died because she defended the land and rivers of her country," Caceres' daughter Olivia said.

Mexican human rights activist Gustavo Castro Soto was also wounded in the attack. After gunfire grazed his cheek and left hand, Castro pretended to be dead as he lay on the floor so the assailants would not finish him off, according to Security Ministry Julian Pacheco. He is considered a protected witness whose testimony is key to solving the killing.

Pacheco said two suspects have been detained for questioning, including a neighborhood private security guard. Authorities have not said what role they may have played in her killing.

President Juan Orlando Hernandez says authorities are investigating Caceres' killing with assistance from the United States.

"We have asked for a rapid and exhaustive investigation so the full weight of the law is applied to those responsible," US Ambassador James Nealon told reporters at the funeral.

Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales vowed Friday in a meeting with diplomats that justice would be done, saying that "there is abundant information to solve the case."

According to the website of the Goldman Environmental Prize, Caceres "waged a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world's largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam."

It said the project threatened to "cut off the supply of water, food and medicine for hundreds of Lenca people and violate their right to sustainably manage and live off their land." (**)
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Linkedin Nurni Sulaiman (The Jakarta Post) Medan, North Sumatra  Sun, March 6, 2016

The National Police's bomb squad investigated an unattended brown suitcase found by a local resident in front of a McDonald's fast food restaurant on Jl. Ring Road in Medan, North Sumatra, on Sunday.

The suitcase was suspected to contain an assembled bomb similar to that found in East Binjai, North Sumatra, on Saturday, just three days after President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo visited the city.

The police dispatched their Gegana bomb squad to the location after receiving a report on the suspicious suitcase.

'I went along the street at around 6 a.m. and the suitcase was already there. I saw a young man wearing a green shirt standing near the suitcase,' said Irwan, a local resident.

Nofri, a local resident who also passed through the area around 6 a.m., said he saw four men watching over the suitcase. 'I thought they wanted to go to Kualanamu [International Airport]. This area is on the route of bus services to the airport,' he said.

The police said that after assessing the suitcase, they found it did not contain materials similar to those found in East Binjai. The police seized the suitcase for further investigations.

As reported earlier, a local resident found a black suitcase containing explosive materials, assembled guns, magazines, bullets and cable reels in Binjai on Saturday.

Binjai Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Mulya Hakin Solihin said the North Sumatra Police's bomb squad was examining the suitcase, but added that the homemade bomb had been defused.

He said the police would beef up security measures around the city following the discovery of the bomb and would find out who made it.

'We will cooperate with the North Sumatra Police and the [National Police's] Densus 88 counterterrorism squad,' he added.

On Jan. 14, a deadly attack occurred near the Sarinah department store on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta. Four civilians were killed in the attack, which also injured more than 20 people. (ebf)
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Wichita, Kansas  Sun, March 6, 2016

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz claimed the first prize in Saturday's four-state round of Republican voting, triumphing in Kansas as front-runner Donald Trump tried to pad his delegate lead in the fractious race for the party's presidential nomination. Democrats in three states were choosing between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Saturday's Republican races also included Maine, Kentucky and Louisiana, while Democrats voted in Nebraska, Kansas and Louisiana.

These states were largely overshadowed by Super Tuesday contests in the rear-view mirror and critical contests soon to come. But with front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the Republican convention, every one of the 155 Republican delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

With the Republican race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail the billionaire businessman, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders ' including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain ' are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the Republican ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida.

The Texas senator was leading Trump by more than a 2-to-1 margin in partial returns in Kansas, and also held the early lead in the Maine caucuses. He attributed his strong showing to conservative coalescing behind his candidacy. He has contrasted his steadfast conservative record to Trump's shifting positions on such issues as abortion and past campaign donations to Democrats, including Clinton.

"God bless Kansas," the Texas senator declared during a rally in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. "The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together."

Overall, Trump has prevailed in 10 of 15 state contests heading into Saturday's voting. Cruz had won Alaska, Oklahoma, Iowa and his home state of Texas. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, too, bid for Republican votes. But both had higher hopes for winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.

Cruz will collect at least 17 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas, and Trump will win at least six. In the overall race for delegates to the party's national nominating convention, Trump led with 335 and Cruz had 248. Rubio had 110 delegates and Kasich had 25. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Although Trump has drawn the biggest crowds at his rallies, Cruz is believed to have an edge in caucus states because he has put an emphasis on organizing a strong ground game to get-out-the-vote.

On the Democratic side, Clinton is farther along than Trump on the march to her party's nomination. She has 1,066 delegates to Sanders' 432, including pledged superdelegates, elected officials and party leaders who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination at the party's national convention. There are 109 at stake on Saturday.

Clinton hoped that strong support among African Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Sanders, the Vermont senator, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

Rubio, for his part, has had no qualms denouncing Trump as a fraud and a "con artist."

"It's not enough to say, 'Vote for me because I am angrier and over the top and am going to do and say things no one is going to do,'" he told conservatives at the conference outside Washington. At a later rally in Jacksonville, Florida, he pleaded for support from the same city "that believed in me" in his successful Senate bid six years ago.

Trump, intent on denying Rubio a crucial Florida win, had the thousands at his Orlando rally swear to give him their ballots.

With early voting already under way in the state, Trump told them: "Do it now. Do it today. Do it tomorrow. ... Remember, you all swore, you're voting for Trump, you can't change."

Kasich, looking for political survival with victories in the Midwest, said Ohio would be "the crown jewel" for him.

Ahead of a debate Sunday night in Flint, Michigan, Clinton met with about 20 African-American ministers in Detroit on Saturday and said "the future" of the Supreme Court was on the ballot in November's general election. The Michigan primary is on Tuesday.

Sanders had events in Ohio on Saturday as the Democrats kept close watch on those two big states and their upcoming delegate hauls.

Democratic voters said they liked both of their candidates, but were most concerned about who stood the best chance of winning the November election.

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Nebraska, said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

"We'd be getting two for the price of one," she said. "I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning."

___

Associated Press writers Roxana Hegeman in Wichita, Kansas, Nancy Benac in Washington, Bill Barrow in Jacksonville, Florida; Catherine Lucey in Detroit; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; John Hanna in Olathe, Kansas, and John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan, contributed to this report. (**)
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Linkedin A. Kurniawan Ulung (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 6, 2016

A cover girl contest paved the way for dentist Ully Triani to appear in magazines, and now, she steps into the spotlight as a movie star.

An actress of many television movies, Ully makes her debut on the silver screen in the newly released romantic drama Stay with Me.



Her portrayal of Deyna Fellita, an unhappy career woman who rekindles an old relationship years after separating from her husband, has caught the attention of film critics who have dubbed her' a promising star.



Her looks, poised deportment, years of experience in front of the camera and, according to the director, her improvised acting skills, could be factors in her success but Ully believes that luck was also at play.



In a recent interview on a Sunday afternoon on the sidelines of a promotion event, 'she said that she never stopped praising God for giving her the opportunity to play in a motion picture directed by respected film maker Rudi Soedjarwo.



'I really want to plunge into this industry,' said Ully, who started her career in show business as a model after being the runner up in the 2007 Wajah Femina (The Face of Femina) beauty contest organized by women's magazine Femina.



She recalled that during film auditions held by Rudi, she was pitted against experienced film actresses and was over the moon when she found out that she had finally landed a role in her first movie.



'I was so lucky. I came on the last day of auditions in February last year,' said the 30-year-old, who has also featured in video clips for more than five Indonesian musicians, including in the clip of 'Dekat di Hati' (Close to My Heart) by pop jazz trio RAN.



However, Ully soon realized that it would not be easy to work with the perfectionist Rudy, who was named best director at the 2004 Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) for his teen flick, Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (What's Up with Cinta?).



She had heard that Rudi was a grumpy director, but what she experienced on set was fiercer than what she imagined.



Ully had acted in more than five television movies. However, her acting still did satisfy the director easily, leaving him to retake many shots.



'He [Rudi] asked me, 'Are you working seriously? Do you really want to act in this film? If you don't want to, just return to your modelling job!' I was shocked,' she said.



Rudi's fury did not leave Ully offended or angry. Instead it motivated her to keep learning and working harder in the industry.



'For me, he is firm. If we make mistakes, he will be angry. He is grumpy for a reason. That's normal. He really wants to make a very good movie,' she said, adding that she still remembered all of his scathing words.



Ully, who never went to acting classes before Stay with Me, thinks that the movie is a part of her learning process rather than being merely a big leap in her career.



She said that in the making of television movies, she could still have a fun and play with the film crews. However, in her debut film project, she cannot do that.



Ully recalled a moment when she was taking a rest and chatting with the film's crew and Rudi came and scolded her. 'He said, 'Ully, what are you doing here? Are you having an arisan [social gathering]? Why were you laughing? If I were you, I would not do this!'



She said that for the film, she was paired with sweet, charming young actor William 'Boy' Hartanto, who plays Boy Dimas, a film director whose marriage is on the verge of collapse.



Boy, who has played in more than nine films since 2012, helped Ully a lot with her acting and never underestimated her.



Ully and Boy already have partners. However, during the filmmaking process, they acted like a couple even outside of shooting locations in a bid to find their chemistry for the roles they were playing.



'We did everything together. We were dating. Basically, for three months, we did kawin kontrak [contractual marriage]. Then, after the making of the film ended, we were divorced,' Boy said, laughing.



Boy believes that after Stay with Me, Ully will have a bright future in the Indonesian film industry.



'She is a great actress. I'll be damned if she does not get more offers,' he said, adding the he really wanted to get an opportunity to play alongside her again in the future.



Ully, who graduated from Trisakti University's school of Dentistry, said she was still active as a dentist. However, she would continue in her new career as a movie star.
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Chinese man nabbed in Phuket on suspicion of supplying walkie-talkies to failed Bangkok gun heist gang

PHUKET: Police yesterday (March 5) apprehended a Chinese national at a villa in north Phuket on suspicions of having links with the Chinese gang behind a failed gun heist in Bangkok on Friday.

crimeChinese

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Sunday 6 March 2016, 07:11AM

At 5.45pm yesterday (March 5) Pol Lt Gen Suchart Thirasawat, Assistant to the National Police Commander, along with Phuket immigration police, Phuket Tourist Police and Phuket Police led a raid of a luxury villa development in Phuket's Pa Khlok.

Police subsequently apprehended a Mr Su Su, 29, of China, whose passport indicated that he had last arrived in Thailand on February 12 via U-tapao airport in Chonburi. Mr Su had a visa which was due to expire on April 14, and was reported to had previously checked into a Rasamee Apartment on Krungthep Krita Rd in Bangkok's Saphan Soong district.

Police have yet to charge Mr Su Su, who has allegedly admitted that he sold SIM cards* to various Chinese nationals, but claimed to have no knowledge or links with Friday's failed heist in Bangkok.

According to media reports from Bangkok, the alleged leader of the failed heist on Friday, named as Zheng Yang, 30, and who was reportedly arrested in Nakhon Sawan yesterday, confessed that he had aquired SIM cards* used in Friday's failed heist from Mr Soo, who had reportedly conducted business in Phuket and Chiang Mai.

It is understood that one member of the heist gang has died from gunshot wounds, while the other three are in custody.

Media reports say the men had used BB guns and a knife in an attempt to rob a gun store in the capital's China Town district, but when they were unable to break open the safety cabinet where the guns were stored, the men finally attempted to flee the shop empty-handed, but ended up caught up in a shootout with police.

* Correction: Not walkie-talkies as originally reported.
Gov. Noem will host veterans fundraiser instead of going to SDPB debate

While Rep. Jamie Smith and Libertarian Tracey Quint will be attending the South Dakota Public Broadcasting gubernatorial debate, Gov. Kristi Noem will be hosting a fundraiser for veterans.
Nuclear families  fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters: when family members come together, the results can be explosive.

The Good Goodbye, Carla Buckley

The theme for this woman-pleasing suspense is a familiar one: the people we love often have secret lives about which we know nothing. Buckleys fourth novel begins when Natalie, a Washington restaurateur, learns her daughter, Arden, and niece, Rory, have been hospitalized following a fire in the college town where they are living. Another student is dead. As the arson investigation unfolds, Natalie discovers disturbing facts about the complex lives of Arden and Rory.

The Guest Room, Chris Bohjalian

Bohjalian packs a lot of action into the first two pages of his 18th novel. Richard, a mergers and acquisitions guy, agrees to host his younger brothers bachelor party, complete with two strippers and a couple of Russian bodyguards who vow to break the fingers and destroy the smart phones of any guest who takes a photo of the fun. Richards wife and daughter, meanwhile, are off in Manhattan for dinner and a play. At the end of the evening, the Russians are dead and the strippers have fled. And Richards family life will never be the same. Bohjalian is best known for Midwives and The Sandcastle Girls.

The Three Sisters Bar and Hotel, Katherine Govier

Goviers last book, The Ghost Brush, was set in 19th-century Tokyo. Her new novel unfolds in the more recent past  it spans a century, beginning in 1911  and much closer to home, in Albertas Bow Valley. The big question at the heart of this sweeping saga concerns the fate of the Hodgsons  an archeologist, his wife and two adult children  who disappear during an expedition at the beginning of the book. Govier is an accomplished storyteller who knows Alberta well, and this multigenerational plot has solid popular appeal.

Somewhere Out There, Amy Hatvany

Hatvany specializes in domestic dramas, and this sixth novel focuses on the human toll of adoption by exploring the lives of three women. In 1980, Jennifer was living in her car with two small daughters, Natalie, 6 months, and Brooke, 4, and pilfering food to feed them. When she is caught and incarcerated, the children are taken from her. The novel picks up the lives of the mother and daughters 35 years later when the paths each has followed once again intersect.

Hurt People, Cote Smith

Cote Smith is a young writer who grew up in Leavenworth, Kan., famous for having more prisons than restaurants  a county jail, a juvenile facility, a womans prison and the most notorious of all, the mile-long federal penitentiary. And it is Leavenworth, in 1988, that is the setting for Smiths debut novel. The narrator is 8, his brother 10, and they are looking forward to swimming in the pool at their apartment complex every day that summer. One day, the kids hear a siren, which in that Kansas town suggests a prison escape. Then a stranger with a tattoo appears poolside and teaches them the meaning of secrets.

Shes Not There, Joy Fielding

Carole and Hunter Shipleys 2-year-old daughter, Samantha, vanished 15 years ago from a Mexican hotel room while her parents had dinner in the restaurant downstairs. Carole and Hunter were scrutinized by the police and tormented by the media but no trace of the toddler was ever found. The novel opens on the anniversary of the disappearance, with Carole dreading the annual onslaught of media attention. But this year is different. The phone rings and a young woman identifying herself as Lili tells Carole, I think my real name is Samantha. I think Im your daughter. The prolific Toronto writers new thriller will stirs memories of the unsolved 2007 disappearance of 3-year-old Madeleine McCann in a hotel room in Portugal while her British parents dined nearby.

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Q. I made a booking with a travel agency to fly to Barbados as my mother was ill. Prior to my scheduled departure, my mother passed away. When I called my travel agent to change my ticket to travel as soon as possible, I was unable to rebook my travel dates without incurring either a cancellation penalty, rebooking fee, or paying for a new ticket entirely. Can travel agencies not change a ticket and waive the penalties or rebooking fees for compassionate reasons based on extenuating circumstances?

A. When you made your initial booking with the travel agency, your airline ticket would have been subject to the airlines terms and conditions for the airfare you purchased. Ultimately, the airlines terms and conditions of carriage is the contract between you and the airline. The terms and conditions would have set out whether the ticket was refundable or what cancellation penalty would apply, as well as whether rebooking fees and any difference in the airfare were applicable when making a date change. These fare rules are set by the airline and not by the travel agency that made your booking.

Some airlines do offer bereavement fares, also known as compassionate fares, to family members travelling because of an imminent death or death of a family member. Policies vary from airline to airline, but the benefit of a bereavement fare is it usually allows some flexibility in the travel rules not usually available on last-minute fares, such as allowing date changes and open returns, which provides flexibility on deciding your return date at the time of booking.

If offered, these fares are usually only granted due to the death of an immediate family member, not friends or distant relatives. In addition, bereavement fares may not be available to all destinations serviced by an airline and there are usually restrictions on bereavement fares when travelling internationally.

However, there are steps you may have to take to obtain either a reduced fare or a refund of the value of the discount upon completing your travel. Some airlines will require the name of the deceased family member and contact information for the funeral home or attending physician in order to verify your request for a reduced fare is legitimate. Some airlines also require a copy of the death certificate.

These factors would all depend on the airline you were initially booked with and what policies they have in place. Your travel agent could contact the airline involved to relay your circumstances and obtain information as to whether or not a bereavement fare is available and, if not, what other options are available to you to get you on your way. Unfortunately, incurring some fee, penalty or difference in airfare may be unavoidable under these circumstances.

Your travel agent should be able to present you with some options. In addition, if you purchased travel insurance with your initial ticket, it may include trip cancellation and/or trip interruption coverage. You or your travel agent may wish to contact the insurance company to see if there is any coverage that would provide some relief under these circumstances.

Dorian Werda is vice-president, operations, for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), a non-profit corporation that regulates 2,500 travel retailers and wholesalers registered in Ontario. Send your travel questions to askdorian@tico.ca . Not all questions can be answered.

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Loud sobs and wailing erupted from a Toronto courts public gallery on Sunday morning as a judge told Cindy Ali she'll face the mandatory sentence  life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years  for the murder of her handicapped 16-year-old daughter Cynara.

Backed by family, friends and fellow parishioners filling the courtroom, Ali stood facing Justice Todd Ducharme as the jury returned a guilty verdict on one count of first-degree murder after one day of deliberation. After the sentence was addressed, the accused raised a tissue to her eyes as her supporters knees buckled and cries of Oh Jesus, why? rang out.

We love you, family friend Anne Woolger called out as Ali was arrested. Alis three remaining daughters sobbed and clung together, exiting the room as a unit.

They got it wrong, trust me, said Alis husband, Allan Ali, of the verdict outside the courtroom.

He said the family plans to appeal.

First responders found Cynara, who had cerebral palsy and could not walk or speak, lying without vital signs on a sofa on Feb. 19, 2011, after her mother called 911 claiming there had been a home invasion and that the teenager was not breathing.

The Crown argued Ali wove an elaborate web of lies about a home invasion and two masked men searching for a mysterious package in order to cover up that she used a pillow to suffocate Cynara.

The case hinged on whether the jury accepted Alis home invasion story, said defence lawyer Christopher Hicks outside the courthouse.

I think that was a critical piece of evidence, and they had to believe what she said about that, he said.

In closing submissions, Crown prosecutor Rosemarie Juginovic pointed to several pieces of evidence to argue the break-in was staged, including a firefighters testimony about seeing no footprints in the snow outside the Scarborough townhouse and Cindy Alis unprompted explanation to police for why some drawers and rooms were untouched.

It defies belief (that one of the robbers) would kill a defenceless and immobilized human being like Cynara who could not identify who they are and what they did, when they left someone alive who could, Juginovic told the jury.

The defence response, in part, is are you kidding me? Hicks told the jury in his closing submissions, where he said the jury should believe Alis testimony about the home invasion and that there was a clear lack of evidence to suggest Ali killed her daughter.

Ali said the home invaders left saying they had the wrong house, and both she and her husband testified that there had been mix-ups before with mail and pizza going to another house in the neighbourhood, Hicks said.

Hicks also argued that no medical evidence was found during the autopsy to suggest Cynara was suffocated with a pillow, and that the cardiac arrest that resulted in her death could have been due to her epilepsy disorder, a lung infection or by a seizure triggered by fear of the robbers. These possibilities ought to raise reasonable doubt, he told the jury.

Juginovic told the jury that the pathologists also testified they could not rule out smothering and urged them to look at other evidence such as Cynaras blood and saliva being found on the pillow where Cynaras mouth would be expected to be if she were suffocated.

Hicks told the jury there was no reason for Ali to kill Cynara because the family of six was in a sweet spot having just obtained permanent residency. He stressed that the family, and Ali in particular as Cynaras primary caregiver, viewed Cynara as a blessing not a burden and devoutly followed their churchs belief that life can only be given and taken by God.

They love Cynara, that was their whole  and that was part of our point as well, Hicks said after the verdict was delivered. Cindy Ali was a terrific mother, a devoted mother, and wouldnt have harmed her daughter. And that sentiment was shared by other members of the family.

The Crown suggested Ali had stopped loving Cynara, which made providing care for her and making the sacrifices involved intolerable. During the trial, however, Ali denied smothering Cynara, seeing anyone smother her with a pillow or telling anyone she saw Cynara smothered with a pillow.

Its not easy taking care of a baby like Cynara, said Ali. But it was a big joy for me as a mother. I have no complaints. I loved taking care of Cynara.

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LOS ANGELESNancy Reagan, the helpmate, backstage adviser and fierce protector of Ronald Reagan in his journey from actor to president  and finally during his 10-year battle with Alzheimers disease  has died. She was 94.

The former first lady died Sunday at her home in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles of congestive heart failure, assistant Allison Borio told The Associated Press.

Her best-known project as first lady was the Just Say No campaign to help kids and teens stay off drugs.

When she swept into the White House in 1981, the former Hollywood actress partial to designer gowns and pricey china was widely dismissed as a pre-feminist throwback, concerned only with fashion, decorating and entertaining. By the time she moved out eight years later, Mrs. Reagan was fending off accusations that she was a behind-the-scenes dragon lady wielding unchecked power over the Reagan administration  and doing it based on astrology to boot.

All along she maintained that her only mission was to back her Ronnie and strengthen his presidency.

Mrs. Reagan carried that charge through the rest of her days. She served as a full-time caretaker as Alzheimers melted away her husbands memory. After his death in June 2004 she dedicated herself to tending his legacy, especially at his presidential library in California, where he had served as governor.

She also championed Alzheimers patients, raising millions of dollars for research and breaking with fellow conservative Republicans to advocate for stem cell studies. Her dignity and perseverance in these post-White House roles helped smooth over the publics fickle perceptions of the former first lady.

The Reagans mutual devotion over 52 years of marriage was legendary. They were forever holding hands. She watched his political speeches with a look of such steady adoration it was dubbed the gaze. He called her Mommy, and penned a lifetime of gushing love notes. She saved these letters, published them as a book and found them a comfort when he could no longer remember her.

After Reagan was shot by John Hinckley just three months into his presidency, he was said to have famously wisecracked to her, Honey, I forgot to duck.

In announcing his Alzheimers diagnosis in 1994, Reagan wrote, I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience. Ten years later, as his body lay in state in the U.S. Capitol, Mrs. Reagan caressed and gently kissed the flag-draped casket.

In a statement Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spoke of the Reagans journey with Alzheimers disease.

Later, in her long goodbye with President Reagan, she became a voice on behalf of millions of families going through the depleting, aching reality of Alzheimers, and took on a new role, as advocate, on behalf of treatments that hold the potential and the promise to improve and save lives, the Obamas said.

Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney called Reagans death a great loss and said she played a marvellous role in her husbands presidency.

I thought she was probably the most valuable and influential counsellor that her husband had, Mulroney said in a phone interview Sunday.

I really didnt think that he would have made it to the presidency without her.

As the newly arrived first lady, Mrs. Reagan raised more than $800,000 from private donors to redo the White House family quarters and to buy a $200,000 set of china bordered in red, her signature colour. She was criticized for financing these pet projects with donations from millionaires who might seek influence with the government, and for accepting gifts and loans of dresses worth thousands of dollars from top designers. Her lavish lifestyle  in the midst of a recession and with her husbands administration cutting spending on the needy  inspired the mocking moniker Queen Nancy.

But her admirers credited Mrs. Reagan with restoring grace and elegance to the White House after the austerity of the Carter years.

Her substantial influence within the White House came to light slowly in her husbands second term.

Although a feud between the first lady and chief of staff Donald Regan had spilled into the open, the president dismissed reports that it was his wife who got Regan fired. The idea that she is involved in governmental decisions and so forth and all of this, and being a kind of dragon lady  there is nothing to that, a visibly angry Reagan assured reporters.

But Mrs. Reagan herself and other insiders later confirmed her role in rounding up support for Regans ouster and persuading the president that it had to be done, because of the Iran-Contra scandal that broke under Regans watch.

She delved into policy issues, too. She urged Reagan to finally break his long silence on the AIDS crisis. She nudged him to publicly accept responsibility for the arms-for-hostages scandal. And she worked to buttress those advisers urging him to thaw U.S. relations with the Soviet Union, over the objections of the administrations evil empire hawks.

Near the end of Reagans presidency, ex-chief of staff Regan took his revenge with a memoir revealing that the first lady routinely consulted a San Francisco astrologer to guide the presidents schedule. Mrs. Reagan, who had a longtime interest in horoscopes, maintained that she used the astrologers forecasts only in hopes of predicting the safest times for her husband to venture out of the White House after the assassination attempt.

Anne Frances Robbins, nicknamed Nancy, was born on July 6, 1921, in New York City. Her parents separated soon after she was born and her mother, film and stage actress Edith Luckett, went on the road. Nancy was reared by an aunt until 1929, when her mother married Dr. Loyal Davis, a wealthy Chicago neurosurgeon who gave Nancy his name and a socialites home. She majored in drama at Smith College and found stage work with the help of her mothers connections.

In 1949, MGM signed 5-foot-4, doe-eyed brunette Nancy Davis to a movie contract. She was cast mostly as a loyal housewife and mother. She had a key role in The Next Voice You Hear, an unusual drama about a family that hears Gods voice on the radio. In Donovans Brain, she played the wife of a scientist possessed by disembodied grey matter.

She met Ronald Reagan in 1950, when he was president of the Screen Actors Guild and she was seeking help with a problem: Her name had been wrongly included on a published list of suspected communist sympathizers. They discussed it over dinner, and she later wrote that she realized on that first blind date he was everything that I wanted.

They wed two years later, on March 4, 1952. Daughter Patti was born in October of that year and son Ron followed in 1958. Reagan already had a daughter, Maureen, and an adopted son, Michael, from his marriage to actress Jane Wyman. (Later, public spats and breaches with her grown children would become a frequent source of embarrassment for Mrs. Reagan.)

She was thrust into the political life when her husband ran for California governor in 1966 and won. She found it a surprisingly rough business.

The movies were custard compared to politics, Mrs. Reagan said.

Californias Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown released a statement on behalf of all Californians.

Nancy Reagan lived a remarkable life and will be remembered for her strength and grace, Brown said.

With files from The Canadian Press

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Canadas North awaits with anticipation the Trudeau governments first budget.

While political rhetoric can soar, governing, to use the metaphor of Max Weber, is mostly the steady boring of hard wood. Speeches are poetry but implementation is prose. This is where the Arctic comes in: during the election campaign and the governments first 100 days, four distinct themes or priorities have emerged  economic progress through infrastructure investment; reconciliation with First Nations, Metis and the Inuit; climate change; and multilateral engagement in foreign policy.

These four areas converge especially well in the North, with the region having the potential to become the sweet spot of implementation of the Liberal governments agenda. Linking these four themes together in a co-ordinated action plan for the Arctic could demonstrate to skeptics that the Trudeau administration is as serious and skilled at governing as it is at communicating.

Now is the time for the Trudeau government to connect the dots. On infrastructure, the prime minister has promised $60 billion of investment across Canada over a 10-year period, but only $17.4 billion is promised in the first four years of the mandate. With the economy slowing, both the total amount of infrastructure spending and the initial moderate pace should be greatly accelerated.

The North has especially huge infrastructure needs, as outlined in a January 2016 report by the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board. Canadas North makes up 25 per cent of the global Arctic and 40 per cent of Canadas land mass. Because of the distance and the harsh environment, the cost of doing business is significantly higher in the North than in the South. Mines cost two to three times more to bring into production than similar projects in the South. The Liberals pledged in the last election increases in the northern residents tax deduction to help with their higher cost of living. The same rationale applies to business: the next budget should not only implement the personal deduction but also include enhanced tax credits for business with North-specific investments.

The North also suffers from a gap in intellectual infrastructure. As is well known, Canada is the only Arctic nation without a university in its North.

To create one will be an arduous process involving negotiations with the three territories, but it is a possibility if built on the strength of the existing community college system. An immediate start to building intellectual infrastructure could be made by assisting northerners to develop their own made-in-the-North policy expertise. There is currently no northern-based think tank. A generation ago, there were few think tanks in Canada as a whole, until the federal government, provinces and the private sector contributed funding to create the Institute for Research in Public Policy, an independent not-for-profit organization. Today we need a similar effort to jointly fund and create the Institute for Northern Public Policy.

Justin Trudeau has recognized that the great unfinished business of Confederation is to develop a true partnership with Canadas indigenous peoples. Achieving the aim of reconciliation with Canadas aboriginals could be as defining for Trudeau as French-English reconciliation was for his father. The North could be an incubator for such a change: the highest proportion of indigenous populations is in Nunavut with 86.3 per cent, the Northwest Territories at 51.9 per cent, and Yukon with 23.1 per cent.

In the Arctic, January 2016 saw the greatest departure from average temperatures of any month on record, with temperatures more than four degrees Celsius greater than the 1951 to 1980 average in the region. This unprecedented heat wave was accompanied by a new low for Arctic sea ice, over 400,000 square miles below average for the month, and is one more indication that the Arctic is the epicentre of global climate change.

On climate change and environmental sustainability, the world can also learn from the North. The impact of climate change is most often felt through changes in the water cycle with severe droughts or flooding. This fact was recognized years ago by the Government of the Northwest Territories in their Northern Voices, Northern Waters policy on water stewardship. Building on the lead and expertise of northern policy-makers, Canada should make water stewardship and its connection to climate change a particular Canadian contribution to restoring the earths ecosystem health.

In its first 100 days, the Trudeau governments foreign policy has been consumed by the debate over the bombing mission against ISIS. Yet Canada will always be a bit foreign policy player in the Middle East. In the Arctic, however, Canada can be a major force and there is an existing multilateral institution  the Arctic Council  tailor-made for the aspirations of the Trudeau government to make a positive difference in the world.

The Arctic Council has working groups or task forces on issues like indigenous languages, black carbon, oil spill prevention and response, maritime shipping and navigation and a host more. It is a body both with a commitment to human security and a track record in encouraging Russia to make a positive contribution to world affairs. Created in 1996, the Arctic Council was strongly influenced by Mary Simon, Canadas first Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs and a former president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. The Trudeau government should re-establish the post of Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs and provide the necessary resources for Canada to contribute to the multipolar co-operative agenda of the council.

The Trudeau government has made an impressive beginning. It has articulated four overarching themes and so far Canadians are supportive  none more than northern Canadians, whose values and priorities seem so clearly aligned with the Trudeau governments objectives of increased infrastructure spending, reconciliation, climate change adaptation and multilateral diplomacy. If policy implementation indeed is a slow inch-by-inch boring down, the Trudeau government should make a special effort to start this process in the permafrost.

Thomas S. Axworthy is Public Policy Chair at Massey College, University of Toronto.

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Re: How dark money may choose who's the next U.S. president, Feb. 29

How dark money may choose who's the next U.S. president, Feb. 29

Kudos to Heather Mallick for saying it so: The 2016 American election has nothing to do with humans.

Regardless of who wins, the U.S. political culture preserves the privileged elite with a fairly substantial middle class living the American Dream. The rest of the population either aspires to the dream that never materializes, or they have given up and live on the fringes.

Bernie Sanders gave a short-lived hope of getting the Big Money out of politics or loosening the ruthless grip of the billionaire class who are making American society brutally unequal. But this is eyewash. There is no hope that the current crop of candidates from either party will ever champion the cause of the ordinary people.

Once elected, its payback time to the billionaires. Even if the candidates intended to fulfil their election promises, they cannot go against the will of this class. It is greed and power that motivates them, not rational ideas, not what is just and unjust, right or wrong.

Oligarchy of the rich will not make American democracy strong nor will it deliver a just society. Once elected, such candidates pursue the corporate agenda on whose money they were ushered into the office. This holds equally for Democratic and Republican presidents.

The only president since FDR who in any serious way went against the policies favoured by Big Money was JFK, and he was assassinated.

Javed Akbar, Ajax

It is not a question as to whether dark money may choose the next U.S. president. People who really understand American politics know dark money will indeed manipulate the election levers and hanging chads for the presidency and for both houses of Congress from the haze of its mostly curtained booth.

In Star Wars, Darth Vader once told Luke Skywalker that he did not know the power of the dark side of The Force. In 2016, Americans of many political persuasions who were not aware of the power of the force of dark money are learning more than they ever feared possible about the prowess of such a force.

The unfortunate thing for the vast majority of Americans who do not benefit from such cash is that we presently dont appear to possess the means to destroy the Death Star of dark money.

At least not yet. Though we probably can take some comfort in knowing that a bright dawn usually follows the darkness.

Usually.

Mary Stanik, Phoenix, AZ

Thanks to Heather Mallick for bringing to light the problem of Dark Money in American politics. Its worrying how American democracy has been transformed from one vote per person to a dollar a vote, by billionaires who think they should be allowed to control government.

Maybe we dont know the solution yet, but its good to recognize that 1 per cent Monopoly Game Politics is a problem that should be solved.

Max Moore, Toronto

Heather Mallick might have missed the real picture when she says: Which party might win the 2016 U.S. presidential election? Hint: not the Republicans or the Democrats. Its a third party, a shadowy collection of billionaires pushing a radical-right agenda so harsh its almost otherworldly. They may be unstoppable.

Although billionaire Donald Trump is immensely popular among white blue-collar workers, this may not be enough to get him elected. It is far more likely that a coalition of minority voters  African-Americans, Hispanics, young whites  that helped elect Barack Obama as the first African-American president twice, is likely to elect Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as the first woman president of the United States.

The Koch brothers billions of dollars failed to elect Mitt Romney in 2012. They are likely to fail again. In fact, Donald Trumps candidacy might end up hurting the Republican party.

Mahmood Elahi, Ottawa

Heather Mallick has done us a service by bringing to light a book about how money manipulates elections in the United States. She has raised many valid concerns about the dangers of billionaires buying elections. I support the general direction of her article. There are, however, some issues I have with it.

First, I think it is wrong to portray the United States as a democracy. The book cites Paul Krugman regarding a fear that the United States will transform from a democracy into a plutocracy or even an oligarchy. Mallick implies the same thing when she writes that the radical right has swallowed U.S. democracy.

However, the United States was never meant to be a democracy. The country was founded by what today would be called the 1 per cent. They worried about grabbing land in Ohio. They speculating on government securities. They worried about tobacco and slavery. They also had a penchant for monarchy, among other things.

Eric Nelson, for example, wrote a book The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding, that goes into how some of the famous founding fathers were revolting deliberately in favour of monarchy. Attempts by people to achieve democracy were suppressed, such as during the famous Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania.

Second, I think it is wrong to portray dark money as some right-wing conspiracy. The money powers have controlled the United States from day one. To be somewhat sarcastic, pretend we were living in 1932. I could see Republican Herbert Hoover writing a letter to a newspaper complaining about the dark money funding his opponent, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and how it cost him the election. According to Nomi Prins book All the Presidents Bankers: The Hidden Alliances that Drive American Power the dark money in this case was coming from Goldman Sachs.

In conclusion, I agree that the United States is in trouble economically. This is a very serious issue because most Americans will probably suffer from this libertarian plutocracy as Mallick has warned us. However, I do not see how this is really any different from raising the alarm bells about the Eastern Establishment (Roosevelt), the slave powers (lurking behind the Civil War), or the Federalists at the creation of the country.

The big money powers have been behind everything for the most part and the United States has never really been a democracy, although one can find some good examples of democratic uprisings such as the Great Strike of 1877 or sit-down strikes in the 1930s.

Neil M. Tokar, Niagara Falls

That America was becoming a Might makes Right society was first openly condemned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who warned about the influence of what he aptly termed the Military-Industrial Complex. But it may be as much dark psychology as evil billionaires that keep fueling American conceit (Make America Great Again) and Americas obsession with spreading weapons both at home and abroad. The extent to which America helped create the Iranian theocracy, an out-of-control Saddam Hussein, chaos in Afghanistan and especially Iraq, and the extent to which the American homeland has become the scene of citizens hunting down their fellow citizens -- all this gets deeply repressed whenever The Evil Other is blamed for Americas inherent discontent: whether those culprits are Muslims and jihadis or Mexicans and other immigrants. In psychiatry, this is known as choosing a paranoid position rather than a developmentally more mature and realistic depressive position. Its much more satisfying to vehemently condemn some Evil Other than it is to maturely reflect on your own shortcomings, on what went wrong in your own pursuit of greatness.

Most Canadians dont know that less than 8 per cent of all rapid-fire weapons in the US are in the hands of the government and police. They dont know that the former militia-fielding company Blackwater (lets call them defense contractors shall we?) was renamed Xe and now, ironically, calls itself Academi. They know nothing about DARPA and its research into ever-more efficient ways of destroying people while preserving property.

Maybe what we dont know wont hurt us, though I doubt that, and these entities may be no worse than dark, militarized forces that control Russia, and likely China as well. Here at home, the moneyed forces to which Stephen Harper sold out had to do with fossil fuels, a right-wing Middle East policy and yes, the gun lobby. It was never an accident that financially, the increasingly unpopular Conservative Party had a much deeper war chest going into the last election. Canadian politics, too, were very much up for sale. But Canadians arent nearly as conceited as so many of our neighbors to the south, and saw through Mr. Harpers self-serving, other-blaming jingoism.

Ron Charach, Toronto

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Former U.S. first lady Nancy Davis Reagan died this morning at her home in Los Angeles at the age of 94. The cause of death was congestive heart failure, according to her spokesperson.

Known through the 1980's and 1990's as the face of campaign to end youth substance abuse, and for her catchphrase, "Just Say No," Reagan remained an active champion of many causes -- principally for Alzheimer's research -- to combat the disease that claimed her husband, former President Ronald Reagan.

She will be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, next to her husband, who died on June 5, 2004.

When Ronald Reagan was governor of California, Nancy Reagan assisted wounded Vietnam veterans and worked with the elderly and with physically and emotionally disabled children. She later promoted a Foster Grandparent program that brought together seniors and disabled children.

After leaving the White House in 1989, Reagan established the Nancy Reagan Foundation to continue her campaign to educate children about the serious dangers of substance abuse. She later worked to develop the Nancy Reagan Afterschool Program, a drug prevention and life-skills program for youth.

Reagan became her husband's caregiver as he battled Alzheimer's Disease, which led her to become a champion for Alzheimer's studies.

She promoted stem cell research, a topic that put her at odds with Reagan's Republican Party, in which he has, in recent years, gained a cult-like following and heroic status.

After his death, Nancy Reagan worked on projects related to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Born on July 6, 1921, in New York City, Reagan was raised in Chicago. She went on to Smith College, Northampton, Mass., where she graduated in 1943.

A stage, film and TV actress early in her career, she signed a seven-year contract with MGM in 1949.

It was during that time she met Ronald Reagan and they were married on March 4, 1952. She made 11 films in all, including three after her marriage. Her last film, at Columbia in 1956, was "Hellcats of the Navy," the only film in which she and her husband appeared together, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library biography.
FILE - In this March 6, 2012 file photo, an FBI poster showing a composite image of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, right, of how he would look like now, left, taken from the video, released by his captors in Washington during a news conference. The family of Levinson is holding a rally Saturday, March 5, 2016 demanding that the U.S. government keep pushing for his freedom. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Republicans can blame their united stand against President Barack Obama for their partys splintering.

Conservatives gut-level resistance to all things Obama  the man, his authority, his policies  gave birth to the tea party movement that powered the GOP to political success in multiple states and historic congressional majorities. Yet contained in the movement and its triumphs were the seeds of destruction, evident now in the partys fracture over presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

Obamas policies, from the ambitious 2010 law overhauling the health care system to moving unilaterally on immigration, roiled conservatives who decried his activist agenda and argued about constitutional overreach. Quasi-socialist, says Tea Party Express.

Republicans rode that anger to majority control of the House in 2010 and an eye-popping net gain of 63 seats as voters elected tea partyers and political outsiders. Four years later, the GOP claimed the Senate, too.

For all the numbers, though, Republicans were unable to roll back Obama administration policies or defeat the Democratic president in 2012, further infuriating the GOP base.

Now the party of Abraham Lincoln is engaged in a civil war, pitting establishment Republicans frightened about a election rout in November against the unpredictable Trump, who has capitalized on voter animosity toward Washington and politicians.

There would be no Donald Trump without Barack Obama, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. No fan of Trump, Graham argued that resentment of Obama plus his own partys attitude toward immigrants are responsible for the deep divide and the billionaire businessmans surge.

Mainstream Republicans are hard-pressed to figure out a way forward with Trump, who has pledged to build a wall on the Mexican border, bar Muslims from entering the United States and equivocated over former Ku Klux Klan leader David Dukes support. The candidate has assembled a growing coalition of blue-collar workers, high-school educated and those craving a no-nonsense candidate.

I think they are at a loss to try to reconcile this nihilist wing of the Republican Party with conservative principles, said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.

The health care fight proves illustrative.

The disaffected Americans embracing Trump echo the angry voices that filled town halls in the summer of 2009 as fearful voters taunted lawmakers over efforts to overhaul health care. Obama and Democrats were undaunted, pushing ahead on a remake of the system despite unified Republican opposition.

In January 2010, thanks to tea party backing and conservative outrage, Republican Scott Brown won a special election in Massachusetts, claiming the seat that liberal Sen. Ted Kennedy had held for 47 years.

That sent people a message that if you could win in blue Massachusetts, we could win in my state, said Sal Russo, co-founder and chief strategist of Tea Party Express. That changed the movement from a protest movement to a political movement.

Three months later, in March 2010, Democrats rammed Obamas health reform through Congress as mobs of protesters chanted outside the Capitol. Not a single Republican backed it.

Completely partisan, said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo.

That November, the tea party propelled Republicans shouting repeal health care to victory, among them Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky. They defeated establishment GOP candidates more likely to compromise in Washington. Dozens of other tea party candidates captured House seats; many were making their first foray in politics.

Losers in 2010 were some of the moderate and conservative Democrats who had backed the health care law.

Along with Obamas re-election in 2012 came another group of congressional tea partyers, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. The movements strength ran headlong into Washington reality: Obama was president and Democrats still controlled the Senate. Efforts by Cruz and House conservatives to torpedo the health care law led to a partial, 16-day government shutdown in 2013.

Republicans triumphed a year later, capturing control of the Senate and knocking out some of the more moderate Democrats such as Louisianas Mary Landrieu and Arkansas Mark Pryor. In the House last year, they toppled House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, a victim of his pragmatism.

Expectations among uncompromising conservatives were sky-high. So was the disappointment. Obamas health care plan remained the law of the land.

It definitely led to a wave in 2010 that gave us the majority, and then, what have we done since then, said Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla. Thats our responsibility to show what we have done since then, in spite of this president.

Trump has tapped into voter frustration even though hes not considered tea party. At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, made clear that their man was Cruz.

Still, Republicans recognize the power of his candidacy and the ramifications.

The American people are fed up, said Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., one of a handful of Trump backers in Congress, and if elected officials dont realize it, well be out of jobs.

(AP)
Hillary Clinton wrote 104 emails that she sent using her private server while secretary of state that the government has since said contain classified information, according to a new Washington Post analysis of Clintons publicly released correspondence.

The finding is the first accounting of the Democratic presidential front-runners personal role in placing information now considered sensitive into insecure email during her State Department tenure. Clintons authorship of dozens of emails now considered classified could complicate her efforts to argue that she never put government secrets at risk.

Clinton sometimes initiated the conversations. More often, she was replying to aides or other officials with brief reactions to ongoing discussions.

The analysis also showed that the practice of using non-secure email systems to send sensitive information was widespread at the department and elsewhere in government.

Clintons publicly released correspondence also includes classified emails written by about 300 other people inside and outside the government, the analysis by The Post found. The senders included longtime diplomats, top administration officials and foreigners who held no U.S. security clearance.

In those cases, Clinton was typically not among the initial recipients of the classified emails, which were included in back-and-forth exchanges between lower-level diplomats and other officials and arrived in her inbox only after they were forwarded to her by a close aide.

For federal employees other than Clinton, nearly all of the sensitive email was sent using their less secure, day-to-day government accounts. Classified information is supposed to be exchanged only over a separate, more secure network.

The Post analysis is based on an examination of the 2,093 chains of Clintons email correspondence that the State Department decided contained classified information. The agency released 52,000 pages of Clintons emails as part of a court-ordered process but blocked the sensitive information from public view. The Post identified the author of each email that contained such redactions.

The analysis raises difficult questions about how the government treats sensitive information. It suggests that either material is being overclassified, as Clinton and her allies have charged, or that classified material is being handled improperly with regularity by government officials at all levels  or some combination of the two.

The analysis did not account for 22 emails that the State Department has withheld entirely from public release because they are top secret, the highest level of classification.

The handling of those emails has drawn particular criticism from Republican lawmakers and officials in the intelligence community, who have argued that Clintons use of a private server exposed some of the governments most closely guarded secrets to hacking or other potential breaches.

The FBI is investigating the security of the server and whether Clinton or her aides mishandled classified information.

Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said the large number of people who sent and received emails that were declared classified was a sign of overclassification run amok, and indicates that our system for determining what ought to be classified is broken.

Regarding Clintons role in writing 104 of the emails, Fallon said the classification determinations were after-the-fact . . . for the purposes of preparing these emails for release publicly.

It does not mean the material was classified when it was sent or received, he said.

Clinton has struggled to fend off the email controversy since it was revealed last year that she used the private server. Republican presidential candidates have vowed to make an issue out of her handling of classified information, with front-runner Donald Trump saying last week: What she did is a criminal act. If shes allowed to run, I would be very, very surprised.

A key question facing Clinton is whether any of the emails she authored  or any of the correspondence stored on her private server  contained information that was classified at the time it was sent.

When her use of a private system was first revealed, she told reporters, I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. At other points, she has said that none of the emails was marked classified at the time she sent or received them  a point she reiterated Friday in a CNBC interview.

But government rules require senders of classified information to properly mark it. And the inspector general for the intelligence community has said that some of Clintons correspondence contained classified material when it was sent  even if it was not labeled.

The State Department has side-stepped the question.

Spokesman John Kirby said only that the departments reviewers focused on whether information needs to be classified today  prior to documents being publicly released. State officials have not offered an assessment of whether the information was classified when it was sent.

The discrepancy has allowed Clinton to chalk up much of the email controversy to infighting among government agencies.

The 104 classified emails authored by Clinton are difficult to evaluate because of the heavy redaction in the versions that have been released.

They are generally short, running sometimes only a sentence or two.

The emails often were sent in response to another State Department official whose original note has also been redacted in the publicly released version.

In nearly a quarter of the emails, the only classified redaction is the subject line.

Across all the classified emails, the language that remains visible provides only hints of the conversations.

For example, Clinton wrote an email in July 2012 to Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and other top department officials with the subject line Agrement [sic] for Egypt. The email includes a short paragraph that has been entirely redacted by the State Department followed by one line from Clinton: Whats the status?

In another instance, Clinton engaged in an exchange with top aide Jacob Sullivan on June 7, 2012, all of which has been redacted and classified as secret, one of a few dozen messages to receive that higher-level designation from the State Department. The only indication of the exchanges topic is the subject line: Khar where we are. Earlier that week, Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had requested that the United States apologize for the death of 24 Pakistani troops in a NATO airstrike.

Sullivan, a top foreign policy aide who now advises Clintons presidential campaign, was the most frequent author of classified emails. He wrote 215, the Post analysis found.

Sullivan did not respond to a request for comment. Fallon, the campaign spokesman, said that Sullivan generally sent Clinton more emails than others, so there was simply more material available for government lawyers to overclassify.

Other close aides to Clinton, including Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills and Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin, also authored dozens of such notes. Top officials outside of State wrote some, too, including Clintons eventual successor at State, John F. Kerry, who was then a senator.

Representatives for Mills and Abedin did not respond to requests for comment. Kirby, the State spokesman, said Kerry had been providing Secretary Clinton with information he thought would be helpful.

But the bulk of the emails that State Department reviewers deemed classified were sent by career officials engaged in the day-to-day business of diplomacy.

Some diplomats point to the volume of classified email as evidence of systemic flaws in deciding what information is sensitive rather than an indictment of Clintons actions.

If experienced diplomats and foreign service officers are doing it, the issue is more how the State Department deals with information in the modern world more than something specific about what Hillary Clinton did, said Philip H. Gordon, who was assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs and was the author of 45 of the sensitive emails from his non-classified government account.

Kirby, the State Department spokesman, said the agency takes the protection of sensitive information seriously and our staff are aware of the appropriate channels for transmitting classified information.

We stand by the redactions we have made, he said.

Still, some diplomats who have reviewed their emails that have now been classified have expressed puzzlement.

Several said in interviews that they believed the State Departments review process relied on an overly broad interpretation of public-records laws that restrict release of certain information involving relations with foreign governments.

They said they never stripped classified markings from documents to send them through regular email, as Republicans have alleged occurred in Clintons correspondence.

Instead, they said, the emails largely reflect real-time information shared with them by foreign government officials using their own insecure email accounts or open phone lines or in public places such as hotel lobbies where it could have been overheard.

In other emails, they said they purposely wrote in generalities. Numerous emails were labeled Sensitive But Unclassified, indicating those writing did not believe the note was classified.

Former ambassador Dennis Ross, who has held key diplomatic posts in administrations of both parties, said that one of his exchanges now marked secret contained information that government officials last year allowed him to publish in a book.

The emails relate to a back-channel negotiation he opened between Israelis and Palestinians after he left government service in 2011.

What I was doing was communicating a gist  not being very specific, but a gist. If I felt the need to be more specific, we could arrange a meeting, Ross said.

Princeton Lyman, a State Department veteran who served under presidents of both parties and was a special envoy to Sudan when Clinton was secretary of state, said he has been surprised and a bit embarrassed to learn that emails he wrote have been classified. He said he had learned through decades of experience how to identify and transmit classified information.

The day-to-day kind of reporting I did about what happened in negotiations did not include information I considered classified, he said.

One former senior official who authored some of the now-classified emails referred to a cringe factor for officials reviewing their own emails with the benefit of time that was often not available in the middle of unfolding world crises.

The former official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed disagreement with the State Departments decision to classify the emails. Still, the official said diplomats at the time believed they were sending the material through a closed system in which the emails would be reviewed only by other State Department officials. They are only becoming public now, the official noted, because of Clintons email habits and her presidential run.

I resent the fact that were in this situation  and were in this situation because of Hillary Clintons decision to use a private server, the official said.

Security experts say Clintons private server added risk because it functioned beyond typical government safeguards. That would have been the case not only while she was in office but for two years after she stepped down, when the emails remained in the servers memory.

The State Department staffer who managed Clintons server has turned over security logs to law enforcement officials showing no evidence of a foreign hack, the New York Times reported Thursday

Nevertheless, Ron Hosko, former head of the FBIs criminal investigative division, said Clintons use of the server offered a one-stop-shop for a would-be hacker or U.S. adversary looking to scoop up the totality of the sensitive information she was receiving.

Piece by piece, its not particularly momentous, said Hosko, who heads a law enforcement advocacy group whose board includes prominent conservatives. But as a foreign adversary starts to aggregate that information, it becomes more and more concerning because of the ability to show you, who are the actors? What are our intentions? What is our understanding?

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Hamburger
You know youve had a bad week when you hear yourself uttering this sentence: I want people to know who were concerned I was not being held hostage.

That was Chris Christie on Thursday at a press conference in the Garden State defending his appearance on Tuesday night in Florida introducing Donald Trump after the real estate moguls victories on Super Tuesday.

After brief remarks touting Trump, Christie stepped to the back of the stage  just off of the Republican frontrunners right shoulder. And there he stood. And stood. And looked. And gaped. And stood some more.

Even as Trump was speaking, the Internet was exploding.

Mockery from the Internet is one thing. You can take that as a sort of badge of honor.

But, there was plenty of other bad news for Christie this week.

Six newspapers in his home state published an op-ed calling on Christie to resign. Heres how the op-ed started: Were fed up with Gov. Chris Christies arrogance. Were fed up with his opportunism. Were fed up with his hypocrisy.

Then there was the Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released this week that showed Christies already-not-good approval rating dropping six percentage points following his decision to endorse Trump last Friday.

Christie quite clearly was hoping to keep his political career alive with his surprise endorsement of Trump. Instead he may have doomed any future prospects he had. The look on Christies face Tuesday night was that of a man who suspects he has made a very big mistake and knows there is no easy or quick way to fix it.

Chris Christie, for watching your future pass before your eyes, you had the Worst Week in Washington. Congrats, or something.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Chris Cillizza
One side effect of the agitation over an imminent Donald Trump nomination is the emergence of a litmus test for prominent Republicans. Would you or wouldnt you support the Republican nominee for president if it is Donald Trump, Trumps opponents in the process were asked during the debate on Thursday, with each of them saying yes  even Marco Rubio, who sells merchandise on his campaign website that says, Never Trump.

There are political science (and/or psychology) dissertations to be written on why these candidates wont simply cross the line into declaring Trump ineligible; one can only assume that they have polling data that suggests it will shave off a few supporters at a time when theyre desperately trying to snowball their way to a surprise win.

However, a version of that question that was posed to Trump himself. Can you definitively say tonight that you will definitely support the Republican nominee for president, Fox Newss Chris Wallace asked, even if its not you?

Trumps response:

Let me just start off by saying that Im very, very proud of  millions and millions of people have come to the Republican Party over the last little while. Theyve come to the Republican Party. And by the way, the Democrats are losing people. This is a trend thats taking place. Its the biggest thing happening in politics, and Im very proud to be a part of it.

Its a classic pointillist answer from Trump  a few dabs from a few different places resulting in on heck of a portrait. But its not really true.

Turnout is down in the Democratic contests, though that may be a function of there being a much more dominant front-runner. Theres little indication that Democrats are jumping ship to back Trump in large numbers, though of course thats happening. (As it is happening in the other direction, too.)

A report from the Boston Herald before Super Tuesday cited the Massachusetts secretary of states office to note that 20,000 Democrats had left their party before voting began. A representative from the secretary of states office confirmed to the Post by email that this had happened  with 16,000 of them switching to be independents, not Republicans. Thats out of about 1.5 million Democrats in the state, incidentally.

The state of Texas, the largest to vote so far this year, added about 250,000 new voters since November of last year  but thats all voters, not just Republicans. We cant tell from the states data how many are Republicans. In California, the largest state, Republican voter registration is tanking, in the words of the Los Angeles Times, with the density of Republicans in the voter pool falling 3 percent since 2012. What Trump giveth, Trump taketh away.

Gallups regular polling on party identity doesnt see much of a spike for Republicans either.

It is true that more than a million more people have voted in the Republican primaries and caucuses so far this year than the Democratic ones. But that has nothing to do with com(ing) to the Republican Party.

A better way of looking at that claim is to consider how many new voters are turning out. This is hard to measure without full access to state voter files, but we can estimate.

For example, exit and entrance poll data reported by CNN tells us about how many of the people whove come out to vote in that partys elections this year are first-time voters. Forty-four percent of voters in Iowa were doing so for the first time, compared to 16 percent in New Hampshire and 20 percent in Texas. The high was 62 percent in Nevada  one of the few states where Democrats turned out more heavily than Republicans. Adding it up, we get about 1.1 million people on the Democratic side whove come out to vote for the first time in a primary in 2016.

Thats not necessarily new voters. Democrats have a habit of voting only in the general election and skipping the primaries. But its an estimate.

We can also estimate how many of those people came out because of Bernie Sanders, the unexpected candidate whos doing well with new voters on the Democratic side. In states where there were enough new voters for their vote preferences to be statistically significant, about 563,000 of those new voters backed Sanders. Its safe to assume that he got about another 100,000 from the states where there were too few new voters to break out this measure separately. So, figure that Sanders spurred about 650,000 people go to the polls. Thats out of 6.2 million total voters. Impressive.

On the Republican side, the math is trickier. First and foremost, exit and entrance polls in most states didnt ask Republicans if it was their first time voting, only doing so in New Hampshire and Iowa. In those two states, about 127,000 people were voting for the first time, and about 42,000 of those were voting for Trump. Thats actually lower than the number of new voters in Iowa and New Hampshire that backed Sanders; he got about 68,000 votes from new voters in those two states.

Thats the second reason the math is tricky. Sanders has accrued 37.5 percent of all of the Democratic votes, to Trumps 34.5 percent of the Republican one. (All vote result data is from U.S. Election Atlas.) Sanders is trailing in the delegate count by a lot, and Trump is winning by a lot  but there are two Democrats and four Republicans. And there are four Republicans now; just over a month ago, there were still a dozen to split up the vote. In Iowa and New Hampshire, Trump got 30 and 38 percent of the new vote, respectively. Sanders got 59 percent and 78 percent.

So it seems safe to assume that, even with increased Republican turn-out, the number of new voters voting for Trump isnt much higher than the number backing Sanders. Its hard to believe that it has reached 1 million, much less millions and millions.

There is one way in which Trump might be spurring millions and millions to the early-voting states. If about a quarter of the electorate in the early states has been new voters, as on the Democratic side, that means that 2.3 million people voted for the first time through Super Tuesday. Millions and millions. And a some large chunk of that group was indeed turning out because of Donald Trump.

To vote against him.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Philip Bump
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruzs bid to become the chief alternative to GOP front-runner Donald Trump gained steam Saturday, as he secured a commanding victory in the Kansas caucuses and appeared poised to claim a first-place finish in Maine.

As party leaders have wrung their hands over the prospect of Trump winning the Republican nomination, Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio (Florida) have each sought to paint themselves as the only candidate who can take him down. They have accused Trump of feigning conservative values and fooling voters with promises he cannot keep.

The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what We the People are doing together, Cruz said in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, speaking shortly after his projected victory was announced.

Trumps detractors hope that a series of disappointing losses Saturday for Trump could signal a break in the populist momentum that has swept him to the top of the polls. Republican leaders fear that his bombastic personality and controversial rhetoric on Mexican immigrants and Muslims could ruin their chances of capturing the White House in the fall and damage the party brand permanently.

But although Cruzs ascension could signal growing opposition to Trumps candidacy within the party and thus present a victory for the anti-Trump faction, it would be bittersweet for the party leadership. Both Cruz and Trump have run on anti-establishment messages and have put party establishment directly in their cross hairs.

The 2016 election pressed forward Saturday as five states held presidential nominating contests across the country. Dubbed Super Saturday, Republicans voted in Louisiana and caucused in Maine and Kentucky. Democrats also voted in Louisiana and caucused in Kansas and Nebraska.

The presidential race entered a new stage Tuesday after real estate mogul Donald Trump (R) and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton (D) secured victories in a majority of the 11 partisan primaries and caucuses held that day, when hundreds of delegates were at stake. Clinton  the Democratic establishment favorite  has pulled sharply ahead of rival Sen. Bernie Sanders, while Trumps wave of populist support showed little sign of waning even as he has endured scathing attacks from GOP leaders.

The fallout from Saturdays contests will again pitch the election forward, as Clinton and Trumps rivals seek to keep them at bay by maximizing their delegate counts. The two front-runners, meanwhile, are looking to protect their leads and to sustain their momentum ahead of a series of high-stakes, high-delegate races in mid-March.

I dont want to tell you that were 21 points up in Louisiana because you wont vote, a bullish Trump quipped Friday evening during a campaign event here in New Orleans. You have to go out and vote, so lets assume were tied, OK? Lets assume. No, you have to go out and vote.

An unruly Republican presidential debate Thursday showed the urgent crossroads the GOP nominating contest has come upon. Cruz, Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have struggled to position themselves as the chief alternative to Trump while Republican leaders have become increasingly vocal about their opposition to Trump.

The Cruz campaign focused its efforts on Kansas and Maine in the lead up to Saturday, which both held caucuses instead of primaries and where Cruzs strategic ground organization could be rewarded. Cruz  who has now won five nominating contests  has increasingly positioned himself as the only candidate able to beat Trump.

Cruz has made a direct appeal to libertarian-leaning voters in Maine, hoping to siphon off voters who once supported Sen. Rand Paul (Kentucky).

Trump and Cruz crossed paths at a caucus site in Wichita on Saturday morning, where each delivered abridged versions of their stump speech to potential supporters. On display was Cruzs increasingly populist pitch, which he believes will help blunt Trumps appeal moving forward. He directly singled out single mothers and working-class voters he said are struggling under Obamas policies.

The media tells us this is as good as it gets. That is an utter lie, Cruz said. The heart of our economy is not Washington, D.C. The heart of our economy is not New York City. The heart of our economy is small business all across this country.

Rubio, in the meantime, is intent on winning the March 15 primary in his home state of Florida, though Trump appears to have an enormous lead in the Sunshine State. The Rubio campaign has remained steadfast in its belief that the senator can turn things around; a loss there would be devastating for Rubio and would give Trump all of the states delegates, which will be allocated on a winner-take-all basis.

The Florida senator spent Saturday morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, where he delivered an impassioned speech and was received warmly by the audience. He made a passing dig at Trump, who he has repeatedly accused of being a false conservative and a con man on the campaign trail.

Young Americans have a chance to fulfill an incredible potential, he said at the end of his address. But we have to give them a chance. And they wont have a chance if a Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders is elected. And they wont have a chance if the conservative movement is hijacked by someone who isnt a conservative.

Rubio will travel to Puerto Rico on Saturday evening, where voters are poised to give him a second primary win this cycle on Sunday. Victory in Puerto Rico could give him a boost on Florida, where a significant bloc of Puerto Ricans have relocated amid ongoing economic turmoil on the island.

But there are signs that Rubios prospects are increasingly limited. He canceled campaign events in Kentucky and Louisiana this week in favor of campaigning in Kansas, where his campaign hoped to capture some delegates even though Trump is favored in polls of Republican voters. The campaign has dismissed speculation that the campaigns decision to rearrange its travel schedule effectively means that Rubio realized he could not compete in Kentucky or Louisiana.

Trump spent Saturday afternoon in the Sunshine State, where he ripped apart little Marco Rubio and pitched himself to the crowd as the only Republican candidate who can beat Hillary Clinton. Trump said he hopes to win Kansas and Kentucky on Saturday, and he urged the Orlando crowd to vote for him in the March 15 GOP primary. At one point, Trump asked everyone in the audience to raise their right hand and swear to vote, trying their best to repeat a lengthy and at times rambling pledge.

If we win Florida, its over, Trump said. If we win Florida and Ohio, its really over.

In the Democratic contest, Sanders is facing down questions about how much longer he can realistically stay in the race with Clintons prohibitive delegate lead; she has 1,066, including superdelegates, to his 432.

Sanders has a good chance to win caucuses in Nebraska and Kansas on Saturday, the campaign manager for Clinton said last week. And he is also likely to win a caucus Sunday in Maine, which is close to his home state of Vermont. But Clinton is likely to prevail in the Louisiana primary by a wide margin the same day  and that would make her still come out ahead on the delegate math, said campaign manager Robby Mook.

We have no doubt that as long as Sen. Sanders remains in the primary, he will continue to win elections along the way, but it will make little difference to Hillarys pledged delegate lead, Mook wrote in a state-of-the-race memo released a day after her big victory on Super Tuesday.

The voting Saturday will reinforce this point, Mook wrote. Sanders has clear advantages and is investing heavily in two upcoming caucuses, Mook wrote of Nebraska and Kansas.

Sanders has spent roughly double what Clinton has on advertising in Nebraska. Clinton went to Omaha to collect the endorsement of Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett but has not spent significant time campaigning there.

At a rally in Portland, Maine, last week, Sanders reminded the crowd how far he had come.

We were up against the candidate supported by the entire political establishment, someone who had been anointed by the pundits, he said. Well guess what? It doesnt look like shes so inevitable now.

The establishment wing of the Republican Party, meanwhile, is hoping for any sign that one of the remaining GOP candidates will be able to stop Trumps seemingly steady march to the nomination, which has captured the imagination of millions of disaffected conservative voters around the country but has given establishment party leaders serious pause.

At the heart of their escalating attempts to end Trumps bid is fear that his hard-line rhetoric against Mexican immigrants and anti-Muslim proposals could destroy the partys chances of capturing the White House in the fall. They also fear that Trumps rhetoric could deeply damage the partys brand for elections to come.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, denounced Trump in a scathing and unprecedented speech Thursday.

Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud, Romney said in a speech at the University of Utah on Thursday. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. Hes playing members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat.

But Trump is buoyed by a broad and faithful coalition of supporters who agree with his immigration positions and believe his wealth shields him from alliances with lobbyists and special interests.

His campaign, sensing persistent and hostile attacks from the partys leadership, says it is not yet looking to the general election.

We need to get 1,237 delegates. If we dont have that or more, it doesnt matter, said Corey Lewandowski, Trumps campaign manager. Our whole focus is on getting delegates. Thats our job.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Jose A. DelReal
Ted Cruz cinched double-barreled victories in Kansas and Maine, and Donald Trump captured Louisiana in Saturdays four-state round of Republican voting, fresh evidence that theres no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president.

Bernie Sanders notched a win in Nebraska and state party officials gave him a victory in Kansas, while Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana.

God bless Kansas, Cruz declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days. The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together.

The Texas senator defeated Trump easily in Kansas and Maine, and Trump rolled to victory in Louisiana, underscoring that his appeal knows no geographic limitation. Early returns showed Cruz and Trump were in a tight race for Kentucky.

Cruz, a tea party favorite, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a manifestation of a real shift in momentum.

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

Everyones trying to figure out how to stop Trump, the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.

In Maine, Cruz won by a comfortable margin over Trump. Republicans and Democrats also were voting in Louisiana on Saturday.

On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Sanders won by a solid margin in Nebraska and Kansas officials said hed won the state caucuses, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season. Clinton, whos been doing well with African-American voters, had an easy win in Louisiana.

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins hell need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

Count Wichitas Barb Berry among those who propelled Cruz to victory in Kansas, where GOP officials reported extremely high turnout. It was Cruz fifth win of the nominating race. Cruz had won Alaska, Oklahoma, Iowa and his home state of Texas.

I believe that he is a true fighter for conservatives, said Berry, a 67-year-old retired AT&T manager. As for Trump, Berry said, he is a little too narcissistic.

It was anger that propelled many of Trumps voters to the polls.

Its my opportunity to revolt, said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because hes not bought and paid for.

Overall, Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturdays voting. Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.

On the Democratic side, Clinton hoped that strong support among African-Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Vermonter Sanders, trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Nebraska, said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning, she said.

Heading into Saturdays voting, Clinton had 1,066 delegates to Sanders 432, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Clinton and Sanders both campaigned in Michigan, a sign of the importance both attach to the states primary on Tuesday.

Clinton met with about 20 African-American ministers in Detroit and said the future of the Supreme Court was on the ballot in Novembers general election.

Sanders, at a rally in suburban Warren, stressed his opposition to disastrous trade agreements that he said cost U.S. jobs. Hes hoping his emphasis on reducing income inequality plays well in a state hit hard over the years by shifting economic trends and globalization.

In the overall race for GOP delegates, including partial results for Kansas, Trump led with 347 and Cruz had 267. Rubio had 116 delegates and Kasich had 28.

Cruz will collect at least 36 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine, Trump at least 18 and Rubio at least six and Kasich three.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

(AP)
The dati leumi Bayit Yehudi party is divided regarding the egalitarian prayer area near the Kosel but this is not news in its own right. Perhaps more significant is the coalition crisis that is brewing involving chareidi parties and the Tekuma faction of Bayit Yehudi headed by Minister Uri Ariel.

The story begins with reports that Ariel on Sunday morning 26 Adar-I boycotted the weekly cabinet meeting in an act of protest against the government recognition of the Reform Movement. When he spoke with Israel Radios Reshet Bet on Sunday morning, Ariel stated I am not boycotting the meeting. I checked the days agenda and saw nothing pressing as I am touring the Kosel area and then meeting with Gush Katif expellee officials.

Ariel, who heads the Tekuma faction of Bayit Yehudi, toured the Kosel on Sunday morning accompanied by MK Betzalel Smotrich, who is a member of his faction too.

While Ariel and Smotrich are opposed to the new egalitarian prayer area, others in Bayit Yehudi explain the prayer area at Robinsons Arch was allocated during the 19th Knesset and in fact, there is nothing new today.

However, Ariel views the situation a bit differently. He explains the area at Robinsons Arch that was set into place during the 19th Knesset is officially viewed as a tourist area while the new egalitarian prayer area arrangement is a religious site and this represents a change in the religious status quo and this is where the problem lies. Ariel questions how the cabinet feels it can create a new reality for a religious site without first consulting the nations Chief Rabbis, particularly the location of the Kosel, which is the exclusive responsibility of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. He adds that in addition to the latter, the cabinet should not be changing the long-standing religious status quo without consultation with the Chief Rabbis of Israel. This he explains is at the heart of his objections to the cabinet decision.

Reshet Bet:

Where have you been for the past three years [since the area at Robinsons Arch was allocated by the previous administration]?

Ariel:

I heard about something taking place but I was not consulted. I want not made a part of this process. As I explained, the area was a tourism site and today, a religious site and the cabinet decision includes recognition of the Reform Movement and this is a change in the long-standing religious status quo.

Bennett set up an area, which exists for two years, but it is not approved by the Minister of Religious Services but as a tourist area. The place is not the issue for as you say it exists. The issue is recognition of Reform today, which is a new reality.

NOTE: It is noted that Bayit Yehudi leader Minister Naftali Bennett spoke with Reshet Bet earlier on Sunday, expressing his support for the current situation. Clearly the dati leumi party is divided.

Reshet Bet:

Isnt this discrimination. After all the Reform and Conservative are also entitled to their religious freedom as are the Orthodox?

Ariel:

There other cases of religious discrimination as you put it. For example, Arabs may not pray at the Kosel and Jews may not on Har Habayis. This is not a matter of discrimination but respecting long-standing religious practices.

Reshet Bet:

Is there a coalition crisis brewing?

Ariel:

This may lead to a crisis in the coalition. I understand the prime minister has canceled his planned meeting with the Chief Rabbis to permit time to polish up the new proposal.

Reshet Bet:

Why not just give the Reform Jews their place?

Ariel:

This is an area under the auspices of the Chief Rabbinate which has ruled certain acts are prohibited. How can we then permit them to do exactly what the Chief Rabbinate has ruled in prohibited?

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
The Kuwaiti daily Al-Jarida is reporting that Russian President Vladimir Putin has put a hold on delivery of the advanced S-300 anti-aircraft system to Iran. The report stated the decision is based on Israel providing the Russian leader with proof that Iran on more than one occasion in the past, transferred the SA-22 surface-to-air missile system to Hizbullah despite promises it would not do so. The report in the Kuwaiti daily quotes high reliable sources.

Adding addition credibility to Israeli concerns is the fact the report cites Russian pilots operating over Syria have reported on a number of occasions that their radar detected the advanced systems in areas under Hizbullah control.

The $800 million deal between Russia and Iran would provide Tehran with the system back in 2007 but Russia got cold feet amid strong objections voiced by the United States and Israel but Russia attributed its decision to the international sanctions placed on Iran by the UN.

After the announced lifting of sanctions against Iran in 2016, Russia announced it is now ready to make good on the delivery to Iran, which resulted in an additional warning from Jerusalem that such a deal would further destabilize the region. Putin however continues to justify the deal as he has done in the past, explaining the S-300 is a defense system and therefore, Israel has no reason to be concerned. Clearly the Russian-built system would shift the balance of power between Jerusalem and Tehran and create new concerns surrounding an Israeli military strike against Irans nuclear facilities.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Voters in five states headed to the polls Saturday for four GOP presidential contests and three Democratic ones. While there was certainly less emphasis placed on the caucus states that provided the bulk of the action  Louisiana was the lone primary  there was plenty to comb through in the results.

  

Winners

 Ted Cruz: Cruz won just two of the four states on Saturday, but the two he lost wound up being closer than expected  and will probably be cast as signs of potential Cruz momentum. In perhaps the most significant development of the night, primary-day votes in Louisiana turned a primary that basically all of the major networks called early on into a competitive race. Donald Trump had a huge margin among early voters, but as the night wore on, Cruzs much-stronger primary-day performance made it a competitive race. Could that primary-day performance reflect a shift in the race more broadly? Its possible. We would note that Louisiana is probably a state Cruz should compete with Trump in and maybe win. But insofar as this is still a momentum race, Saturday suggested Cruz momentum. And given many were declaring Trump the presumptive nominee and Marco Rubio had such a poor night, thats significant. Cruz still needs to start winning primaries that arent his home state of Texas or dont border it, but Saturday was, all things considered, a good night for his narrative.

 Donald Trumps delegate math: He still won two of four states on Saturday night, and both of them  Louisiana and Kentucky  are Southern states where Cruz was supposed to do well, thanks to his strength among evangelical Christians. Trump also won the nights marquee contest  the Louisiana primary  in Cruzs backyard. Whats more, Trump won the two biggest states. Cruz might have new life thanks to the closeness of Louisiana and Kentucky, but Trump is still winning the big prizes and heading toward the GOP nomination. Well see if that changes.

 Hillary Clinton: Clinton won just one of three states on Saturday. But it was the biggest one  Louisiana  and she will likely have maintained or grown her delegate lead even further when all is said and done. Basic math still points to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and Saturday did nothing to change that.

 Bernie Sanders, the guy who wants to keep running: Sanders won a couple states! It bears mentioning here, of course, that these were the same brand of heavily white states he has won before. Combine that with Sanderss success at caucuses, and this is completely unsurprising. But hes still winning states  even after many have declared the Democratic nominating contest to be Hillary Clintons. As long as Sanders keeps winning some states, itll be hard to completely stop talking about him. And given hes made clear he wants to be a factor at the Democratic National Convention, thats helpful.

  

Losers

 Bernie Sanders, the Democratic nominee: Look, Sanders still hasnt broken out of the mold of winning only heavily white states. Hes won seven states, and all of them rank among the 18 whitest states in the country. Thats not good enough to win the Democratic nomination  especially considering the most populous states have more black voters. Clintons massive margins of victory among black voters and huge delegate prizes in such states, combined with her massive lead among superdelegates, quite simply mean Sanders cant keep relying so heavily on white voters; its just not good enough. Sanders won some states Saturday night, but he didnt little to change the underlying reality that he remains a distinct underdog who needs something to change.

Sanders has won 7 states. All rank among the 18 whitest in the country, at 86%-plus.

 Ted Cruzs path forward: Look, Cruz still hasnt broken out of the mold set by Mike Huckabee in 2008 and Rick Santorum in 2012. He has still only won caucus states and Southern primaries. And in fact, hes not even doing that well in the South, losing eight of 10 contests thus far  all to Trump. That now includes Louisiana, a state that borders Texas and Cruz would very much liked to have won. But he didnt  despite his late momentum. Cruz still needs to branch out and win a wider array of states. Well see if that happens.

 Marco Rubio: This might be the biggest news on Saturday. No, there werent a lot of marquee contests, but Rubio absolutely tanked. He was taking 11 percent in Louisiana, 17 percent in Kansas, 17 percent in Kentucky and just 8 percent in Maine. Those are four of his six worst showings so far on the primary calendar. In Maine, Rubio finished fourth and didnt even win a single delegate. In Louisiana, hes on-track to finish well shy of the 20 percent threshold for delegates  thanks to Cruz completely stealing his voters on primary day. Rubio quite simply doesnt look the part of a real contender at this point. Were now 19 states in, and hes won just one state  a caucus state, at that. Combined with Cruzs growing number of wins, the case for Rubio is getting less and less convincing.

 Rand Paul: So, back when he was a real contender, Paul wanted to be able to run for both president and reelection to the Senate in 2016. But Kentucky law got in his way, and he couldnt appear on both a presidential and Senate primary ballot at the same time. So he convinced the state party to set up a caucus. Well, of course, Pauls presidential bid didnt go like hed hoped, and he dropped out. But the caucus remained, and on Saturday, Trump  the man Paul railed against repeatedly  looks primed to win his state, beating Pauls regular Senate ally, Cruz. Would the results have been any different if it were a primary? Who knows. But Paul probably isnt happy.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Aaron Blake
Your credit report is key to accessing the cheapest loans, mortgages and credit cards. But it is out of view, seldom thought of and rarely referred to  until it is too late.

Laura Shannon asks what you need to know about this key document and how you can make it work in your favour.

Back on track: Amy Loines ran up debts when she was unable to work

IT IS IMPORTANT

On the surface, a credit report is a boring but detailed document, sold by experts who stand to make a profit when people read it, sign up to fraud alerts and take other commercial offers pushed their way.

But the experts also know that a credit report can be the difference between a person paying a low interest rate on borrowing and being rejected for a deal.

James Jones, of credit reference agency Experian which provides reports, says: 'Credit files and credit decisions are widely misunderstood, but we work hard to bust common myths and things are now improving.'

Most people either do not know what a credit file is or have not checked theirs for a long time. There are around 16million people over the age of 55 in the UK, but only 150,000 of them  less than one per cent  are active subscribers to Experian's CreditExpert service, giving them unlimited access to their credit reports for a fee.

The agency also provides one-off reports to several hundred thousand people every year, but with a population of more than 50million adults the proportion of regular checkers in Britain is low.

Usually people check their report when something financial has gone wrong  at which point it is too late to repair serious damage.

This was evident in the case of Cliff Savage, highlighted by The Mail on Sunday in January. A dispute with Vodafone saw the mobile phone company register a default on Cliff's credit report. It meant he was turned down for a mortgage.

Mortgage lenders will usually offer a higher loan rate, ask for a bigger deposit or reject a loan application if a credit report is flawed.

Even minor slip-ups such as the late payment of an energy bill can leave a black mark. Checking a report well in advance of any application for credit means catching unforeseen problems early and having time to remedy them.

LOAN HELPED ME REBUILD AFTER BREAK-UP Lecturer Amy Loines is no stranger to her credit file after her personal life and finances fell apart a few years ago. She separated from a boyfriend, moved out of the home they owned and later fell ill. She could not work, lost her income and could not repay her debts. Amy, 30, who now lives with a new boyfriend in Kent, says: 'It was scary and out of my control.' She managed to get back to work and started paying off her debts slowly. But her credit report was still poor. Amy says: 'I was turned down for a bank loan that would have consolidated my debts, shrunk the cost and helped me rebuild my credit rating.' She turned to credit reference agency Experian and used its CreditMatcher service  linking people with deals they are likely to be accepted for. It paired her with Amigo Loans, which has higher rates than mainstream lenders but does not reject customers according to what is on their credit report. It will only lend if a friend or relative is prepared to act as 'guarantor'  which Amy's new partner was. She got the loan last summer and has been paying it off steadily ever since  improving her credit rating in the process.

THE FIRMS CAPTURING YOUR FINANCIAL DATA

Credit reference agencies Experian, Equifax and Callcredit hold and update the records.

But they only amend them according to information passed over by lenders and household bill providers.

Customers can update their own records, but may find the process less than straightforward.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Earlier this year we told the story of Joe Jones, whose credit record was impaired by information from HSBC, which was chasing him for the debt of a stranger who shares his name. Joe was not even a customer of the bank.

It was clearly an error, but one that took the best part of a year to rectify. Tashema Jackson, money expert at comparison website uSwitch, says: 'Mistakes on credit reports can easily happen  such as the wrong address, bank or even incorrect credit products.'

To fix errors on your report, contact the company concerned to raise a dispute. Or write to the credit reference agency. It will contact the relevant lender and respond within 28 days. Explain why the information is incorrect and include supporting evidence.

If the lender agrees it has made a mistake, it can take up to eight weeks for any amendment to become visible on the report.

A 'notice of correction' can also be added to a file. This allows a customer to write a message of up to 200 words that gives wider context for negative entries on a report  such as illness or redundancy.

Lenders are not guaranteed to take note or assess an application differently because of this notice, but it could help if a decision over whether or not to lend is borderline, and made by a human being rather than a computer algorithm.

Error: Joe Jones' credit record was impaired by information from HSBC, which was chasing him for the debt of a stranger who shares his name

BUILD A BETTER REPORT

Householders should ensure they are on the electoral roll under their correct address, as this is a typical reason for rejection from a financial deal. Sign up online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Financial links to people who are no longer a connection  such as a former spouse or partner  should be removed. Ensure previous joint credit accounts are closed and then write to a credit reference agency to ask for a 'notice of disassociation'.

Most important is using credit  including credit cards, bank accounts and loans  wisely.

James Jones, of Experian, adds: 'Pay on time each month and stick to agreed limits. Many organisations register regular information about their customers, including gas and electricity bills.

'Having no information is likely to be seen as a negative, while missed or late payments may harm the chance of getting credit in the future.'

KNOW THE VALUE OF SCORES

Reports may also come with a 'credit score'. This is an indication of how profitable or reliable customers are in the eyes of lenders.

It means little because every company judges borrowers against different criteria. But a straw poll conducted by Amigo Loans indicates that nine in ten people do not know their credit score, suggesting few bother to check their reports either.

CHECK A REPORT (CHEAPLY)

Where to find your own report For a postal copy of a report, write to a credit reference agency asking for their application form, or download one from their respective websites and post to the corresponding address below. Experian: Customer Support Centre, Experian Ltd, PO Box 8000, Nottingham NG80 7WF. experian.co.uk Equifax: Equifax Ltd, Customer Service Centre, PO Box 10036, Leicester LE3 4FS. equifax.co.uk Callcredit: Consumer Services, Callcredit Limited, PO Box 491, Leeds LS3 1WZ. callcreditstatreport.co.uk

There are two ways to check your report.

First is to apply for a copy of a 2 statutory report online or by post, which will show all relevant details but will not include a score.

Second is to access a report online, which can be done free of charge and typically comes with a score.

Experian and Equifax offer free month-long trials with unlimited access to reports, after which time a fee of up to 15 a month applies unless the account is cancelled.

Callcredit offers a free service through Noddle, or a 15-a-month hand-holding service called Credit Compass. ClearScore  partnered with Equifax  gives free access online and via its free smartphone app.

Alternatively, website checkmyfile has a two-in-one approach, with a month-long free trial for checking reports held by both Equifax and Callcredit. If the trial is not cancelled it costs 9 a month.

Comparison website uSwitch is running a campaign called 'It's My Report'. It calls for a change in the law that would provide consumers with free annual credit reports.

It also wants to force lenders to give a reason when a customer is rejected for credit because of information on their file, along with a free copy of the report referred to, and to standardise credit scoring between agencies.
'No regrets': Darren Topp took over the top job at the retailer last year

BHS chief executive Darren Topp had to face his staff on Friday morning last week and tell them hundreds would lose their jobs and dozens of stores are likely to close.

Just one year after a group of investors bought the stores group from fashion billionaire Sir Philip Green for 1, BHS is coming apart at the seams.

'The truth is we have a chunk of stores that lose BHS millions and millions of pounds  so much money that they drag the whole group down,' Topp told The Mail on Sunday this weekend.

Many may wonder whether Green  who insists he left the business with cash, assets and free of debt  managed to get out of owning BHS just in time, leaving a company unfit for the new retail environment.

Topp however will not be drawn. 'The truth here is this is not about Philip. We own it now and it's our issue to resolve,' says the 48-year-old, who has been at BHS for seven years and so was part of the team that ran the business under Green's ownership.

'Fifteen years ago, 20 years ago, nothing was being bought on the internet. There weren't even that many out-of-town shopping centres or retail parks. The high street was the only place to be,' says Topp.

And that focus on bricks and mortar  so widespread in retail  is what Topp is now trying to escape from.

Ever mounting pressure from rivals such as Marks & Spencer, Next and Primark has lured away its customers, but Topp says that would all have been manageable if not for the store leases which hang like a millstone around the business.

And he argues plenty of retailers are in the same boat as the impact of the internet has taken even the biggest by surprise.

'I've worked for a lot of retailers. There won't be a retailer in the country that hasn't got a group of stores that drag the rest of the business down. It's a combination of relatively high rents, high business rates, service charges  all these have made some of our high street uneconomical.'

'Nobody is under any illusions. Staff have been anticipating this. But this is about securing the long- term success of the business for as many of the 8,500 people that will continue to work here,' Topp says.

Challenge: Topp is trying to compete with the internet and overturn expensive leases on BHS stores

The restructuring plan  under a court action called a Company Voluntary Arrangement  is being organised by accountancy giant KPMG with a plan to redraft the lease payments on half the stores. It is a controversial way to operate because it allows retail firms to walk away from property contracts unless landlords agree to lessen their bills.

More than a dozen leases have been redrafted in some way during the past year, but there are dozens more that Topp wants to overturn.

He says: 'It's always been part of our turnaround plan to deal with excessive rents and underperforming stores. We've just been unable to do that at the speed we wanted to. Unfortunately, this is the most effective way we can deal with this challenge.'

His frank analysis reflects wider market speculation that the group would have to be restructured in some way after it was sold less than a year ago.

We will make it to the century milestone in 2028  but we want the business fitter

Life away from the Green stable has been a struggle amid concerns BHS lost its relevance years ago and may have pension liabilities to face up to.

Confidence in the firm's future was not helped early on when credit insurers refused to support BHS suppliers and stock invoices needed to be paid up front. It also emerged that Dominic Chappell, one of the firm's new backers, is a former bankrupt. To his credit, Topp managed to weather many of the issues and shrug off the criticisms  and even the leak which meant most of his staff heard the news on Thursday night before he had a chance to tell them.

It was then that BHS was racing against other retailers to sign the leases which are now so burdensome. Many of the leases are 25-year contracts with 'upward only' clauses. The onerous leases weighed heavily on many of the high street's major casualties from Woolworths to Comet.

'We signed leases back then in good faith but the world has changed,' he says. In one case, at Clydebank in Scotland, the firm is held to a lease which lasts more than 100 years from its inception to 2103  almost unheard of these days in a sector where typical leases are five or ten years. BHS property adviser Savills estimates the lease is also paying about 65 per cent above the market rate. Another large store pays 830,000 a year in rent while Savills says that should be nearer 500,000 compared with others nearby.

Topp says 47 of those merely need to be brought down to a market rate. That measure has dropped sharply in many towns where fewer shoppers visit, instead heading for larger centres or the internet. Another 40 need a substantial reduction or will be jettisoned. The remaining 77 will not be affected.

'Every supplier of goods or services, none of those are affected. This is to solve a particular problem. We just can't be paying 65 per cent over the market rent,' he says.

Mounting pressure from rivals such as Marks & Spencer, Next and Primark has lured away BHS customers

The process requires the support of 75 per cent of creditors at a meeting on March 23. Some may be less sympathetic after it emerged this weekend that its new investors took an 8.4million loan out of the business to pay 'professional fees' shortly after the acquisition.

Topp insists: 'We want to minimise the number of closures. If we can reach a sensible agreement with the landlord then we'll continue to trade in them.' The business also intends to make more than 350 people redundant in stores and at the head office.

Topp, the former chief operating officer promoted to chief executive last year when it emerged that former boss Richard Price had departed just days after the business was sold, says BHS's issues are part of a wider problem.

Topp, who was born in Manchester and now lives in Lincolnshire, says he is determined to defy any doomsayers. 'This is a business that started in 1928. We are all determined to make sure that it is even more confident, vibrant and successful in 2028. We will make it to that century milestone  but we want the business in an even fitter and more successful position by that date.'

He also says he has no regrets taking on the top job last year.

'I believe in the business and I believe in the million customers a week we've got. Yes, we've had to make some difficult decisions but we're not scared of that.'
Easter is a time for new beginnings  to roll up your sleeves and embark on do-it-yourself projects that add value to your home.

We offer practical guidance on how to make the most of your DIY skills.

For those not so keen on getting their hands dirty, we also look at how to hire a reputable tradesperson while avoiding the cowboys.

Hands on: Steve and Tracy Swinnerton, with daughter Cara, are preparing for their new kitchen

ANYONE CAN DO DIY

A lack of ability is no excuse when it comes to DIY. If you can hold a brush or screwdriver then you have the skills to do some basic home renovation tasks.

Giving your home a fresh lick of paint is a great place to start  refreshing the property and redecorating rooms to your taste.

With spring in the air you can also weather-proof windows and doors to avoid paying for expensive replacements further down the line.

Estate agents believe that despite such a spruce-up costing less than 1,000, it can add as much as ten per cent to the value of the home because of the 'extra kerb appeal' it will bring.

Alison Winfield-Chislett, founder of DIY workshop The Goodlife Centre in Bankside, Central London, says: 'Anyone can do DIY if they put their mind to it. Saying you are not able to do basic handyman tasks is just a state of mind.

'People managed DIY perfectly well in the past but now we get frustrated too easily and look for excuses for not being practical. But it can prove so rewarding.'

Winfield-Chislett believes preparation is key. For those looking to do a spot of redecorating, putting down heavy-duty dust sheets, covering areas with masking tape and moving soft furnishings away from the area of work are all vital first steps.

By giving yourself plenty of time to prepare and getting all the necessary tools and equipment before starting a job, you stand a better chance of completing the work satisfactorily.

If you see it as a chore, you could share any work with family and friends  ideally, ones who may be able to show you what experience has taught them.

Home improvement store B&Q offers free online advice on how to tackle tasks by yourself without professional training. Subjects covered include everything from putting up wallpaper to changing light fittings.

There are also useful books such as the Collins Complete DIY Manual (25) that can help beginners.

Thinking out of the tool box: Bernard and Tamryn Kerr have done many courses

INVEST IN TRAINING

Once you discover that DIY is not a chore, you can look to develop new skills.

Tiling a bathroom or kitchen might seem daunting but with careful practice  and the right tools  there is no reason why you cannot do it yourself.

Woodwork is another area where practice and training can soon be turned into a hobby where fixtures and fittings around the home can be repaired or replaced without having to call out a handyman.

You can also reward yourself with a wide range of tools that help develop your skills. Basic electric, plumbing and plastering work can be learnt with a little professional guidance and training.

Courses held after work or over the weekend at local adult education centres are a great way to learn new DIY skills with like-minded people.

Websites such as Hotcourses and Floodlight provide details of classes in your local area. A ten-week course in carpentry might cost 100, but it will arm you with a lifetime of invaluable skills.

Tamryn Kerr, 32, and husband Bernard, 36, from Woolwich in South East London, have taken courses in decorating, DIY using drills, basic plumbing and electrics at The Goodlife Centre.

Tamryn, an advertising art director, says: 'We bought a three-bedroom Victorian house a year ago as a virtual wreck.

'Despite our best intentions renovation has proved a slow and difficult process. We had no idea how to tackle jobs and did not even own a hammer.

'But at the start of this year we decided it was high time to get trained up so we could work on the house room-by-room.

'The courses have given us the confidence to roll up our sleeves and crack on with restoring the house to its former glory.'

She says the courses  costing 175 a day  have already paid for themselves in savings made from not employing professionals to do basic tasks. She also believes the work they have done is of the highest quality.

'It's our home and we take great pride in everything we do to transform it to a place of beauty,' she says.

DIY disasters: Among the most common is paint getting spilt on carpets

TRUSTING A PROFESSIONAL

Despite the rewards from tackling jobs around the home it is important to know your limits  and when it is best to call in the experts.

Four out of ten people admit to carrying out DIY disasters that have landed them with bills of as much as 3,000 to put right.

Among the most common is paint getting spilt on carpets  something easy to avoid with careful preparation. Other costly botch jobs include burst water pipes as a result of amateur plumbing and people accidentally putting their foot through a ceiling.

Personal recommendation is a great place to start when looking for a tradesperson but it is vital to follow up with references and alternative quotes.

The cheapest quote is not necessarily the best and can end up being the most expensive if it fails to disclose extra costs  such as charging for travel, additional materials and VAT.

The not-for-profit Government-backed TrustMark scheme has more than 14,500 members signed up to a strict code of conduct. Members include decorators, electricians, tilers and plumbers.

They must have a proven level of technical skill.

If you are not happy about the quality of work that a member provides, the scheme will step in to arbitrate.

There are other organisations that help homeowners find trustworthy tradespeople. They include TrustA-Trader, Which? Trusted trader, Checkatrade and Rated People.

An electrician should be a member of an approved trade organisation, such as the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting and the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers.

For gas installations find a tradesperson who has a Gas Safe register certificate.

Workers not signed up to any of these associations could invalidate home insurance if something goes wrong  such as a house fire.

For builders, consider using a member of the 9,000-strong Federation of Master Builders.

If you are unfortunate enough to fall foul of a cowboy builder then contact Trading Standards officials who are employed by your local council. They can look into the company and have the power to issue fines.

Those that have already parted with money for a job that is then botched can chase a refund through the County Court Money Claims Centre.

There is a fee for claiming  but you should get it returned if your claim is successful. For example, it will cost 60 to make an online claim for 1,000.

Protect your money: If the final bill comes to more than 100 ask if you can pay by credit card

PROTECT MONEY FROM COWBOYS

It is important not to pay upfront for a job, though it may be necessary to hand over a deposit as security.

If the final bill comes to more than 100 ask if you can pay by credit card. This means you can make a claim against your credit card company under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if the work proves unsatisfactory  and the trader has been unable to help you out.

There are also third-party companies that will look after any money earmarked to pay for home improvement work. The money only gets released once any work has been successfully completed.

Steve Swinnerton, 50, and wife Tracy, 45, from Liverpool, are using the Home Improvements Guarantee third-party service to lock away 14,000 for a major kitchen refurbishment to be completed this Easter by a local builder.

The service will cost the couple nothing. Their money has been put into a bank account with HSBC.

Payment to the builder is only authorised once the work has been completed to the Swinnertons' satisfaction.

If there is a dispute over the work, the Home Improvements Guarantee service steps in as a mediator to try to resolve the problem.

This might involve a surveyor being sent round to inspect the work  and if they deem it is not up to standard then the builder will be ordered to complete the work properly before authorisation is given to release the money and pay them.

Steve, a retired policeman, says: 'It is real head-wrecking stuff finding a tradesman you can trust.

'But having someone independent look after your money until the job is completed seemed like a good idea. It gives me peace of mind if anything were to go wrong.'

The couple, who have four children living at home  Cara, 21, Rebecca, 20, Matthew, 18, and 16-year-old Daniel  are cutting down on some of the costs of having their new kitchen installed.

They are busy doing basic DIY preparation work including removing old plaster and digging up flooring.

Steve adds: 'I know my DIY limitations. Once I drilled into a wall and hit an electric cable that was not supposed to be there according to the wiring diagram.

'I ended up in hospital after being electrocuted. It taught me to be wary of tackling jobs I am not trained to do.'

The Home Improvements Guarantee service is for projects that cost more than 2,000  including extensions, loft conversions and kitchen and bathroom refurbishments.

The firm only uses tradespeople signed up to its service. Customer money is protected in an insurance-backed contract and if the tradesperson goes bust then a new contractor is found to complete the job.
Prime Minister David Cameron has pressed Britain's retail giants for more support over the EU referendum at a secret meeting held in Downing Street.

Major names from the high street  including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda  voiced fears that soaring business rates bills and the Government's new National Living Wage and Apprenticeship Levy could devastate the retail industry at the summit last week.

It is understood that Cameron used the meeting to raise the question of the EU referendum  a subject on which several of the country's largest retailers have so far flatly refused to comment.

Support: It is understood that Cameron used the meeting with retail giants to raise the question of the EU referendum

One supermarket source said: 'Business rates are at the top of retailers' agendas and the EU is at the top of the Prime Minister's.'

Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis and Sainsbury's boss Mike Coupe were at the talks on Tuesday, which also included representatives from Asda, Marks & Spencer, pharmacy giant Boots and electricals group Dixons Carphone.

A source said of the summit: 'The discussion was around the business climate. Business rates was a key focus of the meeting, but as you can imagine other pressures on the retail sector such as the Chancellor's Living Wage were discussed.'

Cameron has been criticised for trying to tip the balance of the Brexit debate by attempting to enlist the support of large firms in the strategy dubbed 'Project Fear' by the pro-Brexit lobby.

The determination of the large retailers to distance themselves from the debate  insisting it is for the public to decide  has frustrated many who are campaigning to remain in Europe.

So far none of the FTSE 100 supermarkets  Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, which together employ 600,000 staff in Britain  have entered the debate. Other big retailers were among 200 signatories to a letter in favour of EU membership but few have lent much-needed vocal support.

Brexit:So far none of the FTSE 100 supermarkets  Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons - have entered the debate

The secret meeting followed a report from the British Retail Consortium which warned that more than 900,000 jobs could be lost and thousands of stores may close because of the higher cost of the National Living Wage and the Apprenticeship Levy being imposed by the Government.

On Thursday, department store BHS announced a huge restructuring which it is feared could lead to the closure of up to half of its stores and the eventual loss of hundreds of jobs.

The meeting came ahead of a crucial budget for retailers who are desperate to hear concessions from Chancellor George Osborne over their rapidly escalating business rates.

Retailers are increasingly doubtful that a meaningful overhaul of the business rates system will materialise. They have complained that they have been forced to shoulder the burden of the Chancellor's economic plan while receiving little in return.

The meeting is understood to have been presented by No. 10 as a broad-ranging discussion with no specific agenda. Downing Street declined to comment.
Corporation tax may be scrapped entirely for some small businesses under plans unveiled by Angela Knight, the newly appointed chairwoman of the Office of Tax Simplification.

In a report into small company taxation, Knight suggests that instead of a company paying corporation tax, its shareholders could pay income tax on the profits of the business. This would apply to so-called micro-businesses with up to ten employees.

Knight suggests this could make tax payment simpler for businesses which distribute all of their profits to shareholders.

Report: Angela Knight, the newly appointed chairwoman of the Office of Tax Simplification

There are 4.1million businesses in the UK with fewer than ten employees, 1.3million of which operate through a company structure.

It makes it simpler for business owners in this position because they pay one amount of tax. The tax system is not built for a one-man band type of operation.

It is built for large, multi-million pound businesses and this could be one of the ways in which we can make it easier for the little guy, said Knight, a former Tory MP who once ran an engineering business.

Her report notes, however, that while many of those businesses canvassed for the survey were in favour of the proposal, just as many were not.

Knights report suggests other measures aimed at helping smaller firms. She wants companies to be able to provide information to just one Government department rather than duplicating it to several.

The report also calls for Revenue & Customs to offer extra support at weekends and evenings when most small firms attend to their tax affairs.
Loan: Cold & Blac is based in Dalston, East London

A coffee liqueur producer launched last month has become the Start Up Loans Company's 36,000th client, bringing the total lent to more than 200million.

Formed in 2012, the Government-backed scheme provides loans of up to 25,000 at 6 per cent interest, as well as offering mentoring.

Until recently it was chaired by James Caan, best-known as a former judge on TV's Dragons' Den, and its creative director was Yasmina Siadatan, the winner of the BBC's The Apprentice in 2009.

Tim Sawyer, chief executive officer of Start Up Loans, said: 'Reaching 200million is an important landmark.

'Over the past four years our loans have helped create more than 50,000 jobs and for every pound invested we have returned 3 to the economy.'

Tom Mellese, 34, founder of Cold & Blac, which is based in Dalston, East London, has borrowed 7,400.

He said that having a mentor meant he 'had support and someone to help me keep my feet on the ground'.

Minister for Small Business Anna Soubry has pledged to expand the scheme so that a total of 75,000 loans 'will create jobs, drive the economy and turn people's dreams into reality'.
Tomorrow Small Business Minister Anna Soubry, Vote Leave's John Mills and groups including the Federation of Small Businesses and Enterprise Nation will face questions about the EU referendum from undecided small business voters in a live Question-Time-style event at The Shard.

It comes as bosses of more than 200 small businesses have called for Britain to leave the EU in an open letter organised by the Leave.EU campaign, which is backed by Nigel Farage, and the director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce has been suspended after saying he wants to leave the EU despite the organisation being neutral.

Signatories to the Leave.EU letter urged voters not to listen to 'a minority of managers' and said Brexit would give them 'flexibility and adaptability'.

The debate tomorrow has been organised by software provider Sage, and its president Brendan Flattery has said he wants small businesses to have their say.

EU referendum talks: Leader of Vote Leave John Mills, left, and Small Business Minister Anna Soubry

According to research by the FSB last month, 42 per cent of small businesses have not decided how they will vote on June 23.

Last week Small Business reported a poll by Enterprise Nation found more than 60 per cent wanting to remain. The group, set up by Emma Jones, is now conducting further research.

William Chase, founder of Chase Distillery and Tyrells Crisps, said 'for our exports it would be lovely to be out' of the EU and 'remove some of the shackles.

'Some countries like India make it almost impossible to get in and we could be like that, we could look after our exports a lot more.'

But he added: 'But if I had to go with one side it would have to be to stay in because it's steady for the moment and it works.'

BCC's director of policy and external affairs Adam Marshall, who chaired the panels at the organisation's conference on Thursday, asked Jon Moynihan of the Vote Leave campaign if he was selling the British public 'the equivalent of a unicorn  something they want but can't have.'

Moynihan replied: 'The EU has free trade agreements with countries that have $7trillion worth of GDP (4.9trillion).

Chile has free trade agreements with countries that have $58trillion of GDP, Korea  $41trillion, Switzerland  $40trillion, Singapore - $39trillion. The EU is unable to make deals with the large countries, whereas these smaller countries have been able to.

'Do you think we're not going to be able to do what Switzerland, Korea, Chile or Singapore does?'

Lord Rose, head of the campaign to keep Britain in the EU, Britain Stronger in Europe, and former executive chairman of M&S, said when asked if he was operating Project Fear: 'We need to get out into the ether 'Project Reality',' but he admitted: 'It's very difficult to get clear numbers.'
The Federation of Small Businesses has urged Ministers to back bra tycoon Michelle Mone's recommendations for enterprise in deprived communities, which were published last week.

The report by the founder of lingerie firm Ultimo called for the encouragement of self-employment by offering mentoring; the quality of the New Enterprise Allowance to be strengthened; and for more business skills to be taught in schools. The allowance helps people start firms if they are getting certain benefits.

Mone's report highlighted the fact that people in the most deprived areas are almost 50 per cent less likely to be self-employed.

Mentoring: Founder of lingerie firm Ultimo Michelle Mone
MBABANE  A sum of E32 million, kept in the Strategic Oil Reserve Fund under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, is missing.



The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, the custodian of the fund, is ignorant about withdrawals of millions of Emalangeni from the fund.

This is the same fund that is expected to keep a sum of E900 million for the taxpayer to finance the construction of the Strategic Oil Reserve facility in Phuzamoya in the Lubombo region.



Auditor General (AG) Phestecia Themba Nxumalo said she was very concerned about lack of documentation and authorisations for movements of funds kept in the Strategic Oil Reserve Fund.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy will defend itself before the House of Assemblys Public Accounts Committee (PAC).



In her report for the financial year ended March 31, 2015, Nxumalo, the auditor-general, said the Strategic Oil Reserve Fund was dogged by unexplained transfers.

She reported that E32 million (E32 088 920.39) was transferred from the fund on August 19, 2013 and on the same day, the same amount of money was deposited into the fund.



On February 9, 2014, she reported that the same amount of money, narrated as payment of principal and an interest of E647 053, was deposited into the Fund.

A month later, the auditor general said E32.7 million was withdrawn from the Fund.



I expressed concern that the explanations regarding the movement of the funds and supporting documentation authorising the transfers from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy were not provided, said the auditor-general. She said enquiry helped to reveal that there was an agreement between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy and the Treasury Department, to the effect that the funds would be invested on behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy.



However, the Auditor General said evidence of such agreement was not provided. It is disturbing to note that while Section 5 (1) (a) of the Administration of the Strategic Oil Reserve Fund regulations (2005) clearly states that the fund shall be administered by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy was ignorant about the reasons for the cash movements in the Fund, regretted the auditor-general.



Nxumalo said she advised Winnie Stewart, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, that the authenticity of the transfers, whether any benefit was derived from them, would not be determined in the absence of documentations and explanations.



She said Stewart, in her response, told her (AG) that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy had requested clarity on the transfers from the accountant general.

She said the Natural Resources Ministrys PS informed her that the Ministry of Finance had requested a meeting with the Accountant General and Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy.

However, Nxumalo was told that the suggested date for the meeting was not suitable to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy.

Nxumalo said the ministry proposed another date for the meeting but the Ministry of Finance did not respond.



I am concerned that the ministry, which is legally supposed to manage the fund did not have full knowledge about the movement of funds in the account. Such ignorance compromised decision making and hampered the ministrys ability to effectively manage the fund, she said.

She said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy only brought to her attention Section 6 (i) of the Administration of the Strategic Oil Reserve Fund Regulations of 2005, where the accountant general, in consultation with both the Controlling Officer and Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Finance, was mandated to invest any unused balances.



The response was not satisfactory because it meant that the transfers occurred without following the Regulations and without any agreement between the relevant parties, the auditor general noted.

At the time of writing this report, I am still in the dark about these transfers, hence cannot confirm their legitimacy, the AG said.



Musa Mdluli, Secretary-General of the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU), has called for a full-scale investigation into the Strategic Oil Reserve Funds unauthorised cash movements.

Mdluli said the matter should also be reported to the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).

He said controlling officers should account for public funds.



E32 million is a lot of money. The police must also help the auditor general find it, he said.

He said the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) should thoroughly scrutinise the bank statements of the fund because there was a lot that did not go according to financial regulations.
By Bob Harris

The civic associations of Queens are concerned about the number of hotels which are being built. There is concern that the owners of these hotels could lease them to the city as homeless shelters. Two small hotels have already been turned into homeless shelters.

One hotel is the Verve Hotel at 40-03 29th St. in Long Island City. The building has 94 rooms and houses about 200 women. It seems that an advisory board meeting by the Department of Homeless Services about this hotel caused a furor because the press was not permitted to attend. The excuse given was that sensitive information about the clients might be revealed or that clients might be present and might want to talk. Well, my feeling is that the clients might want to speak and tell of the poor way some of these homeless shelters are maintained.

Another hotel which was suddenly turned into a homeless shelter is the Par Central Motor Inn at 82-85 Parsons Blvd. in Jamaica, which is near a couple of active civic associations. Community Board 8 was not informed that 33 homeless families were being placed in the hotel and it has sent a letter of concern to the NYC Human Resources Administration.

Another hotel which was turned into a homeless shelter was the Pan American Hotel, which is now called the Boulevard Family Residence. It is at 79-00 Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst and opened as a shelter in June 2014 with little or no notification to the surrounding community which led to years of demonstrations by civic leaders and legislators. It has 216 units with many children. A new city contract with Samaritan Village to operate the building has been approved by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer. Are there places where children can do homework?

This type of facility is one reason why many people oppose these shelters. There are numerous building violations of all kinds. The city Administrative Code is violated because the units do not have kitchen facilities, which means that families are now cooking on hot plates. Samaritan village says it can correct the violations and provide a daycare center, a playground and outdoor recreation facilities. A civic leader involved with this facility came to last months Queens Civic Congress. One problem he told about was the actions of some of the residents who wander around the neighborhood, take off their clothes and throw them around and do other weird things.

One big problem is that some families are dysfunctional, some people have mental problems and dont take their medicines, which would make them behave more rationally, and some people are addicts and behave abnormally. These facilities need mental services and guidance services and people to help the families solve any problems they have. If there are not enough services to meet the needs of the clients, the community will suffer and will complain, fighting the facility and causing all kinds of disruptions.

Three large hotels are being built in Fresh Meadows. One 12-story hotel is just to the west of the Fresh Meadows Development at 61-27 186th St. It will have 102 transient rooms to be rented to Chinese students who will not stay more than 30 days. Sounds strange to me! The Fresh Meadows Homeowners Civic Association has sent a letter of concern to the mayor. The developer has refused to meet with civic leaders. There is concern that the owners will turn this building over to the city for homeless shelters.

Just about 600 feet across the Long Island Expressway from this hotel, two Marriott 146-room hotels are being built on the westbound LIE service road. Who will use them? They are a couple of blocks from Francis Lewis High School. Will the owner try to flip them into homeless shelters?

GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK: Civics have spent decades fighting to improve their communities and now City Hall may destroy all this.
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By Bill Parry

The NYPD has released a sketch of the suspect wanted for pushing a 17-year-old girl onto subway tracks in front of an oncoming No. 7 train Saturday evening.

Police said a man in his 20s shoved the 17-year-old victim off the Manhattan-bound platform at 103rd Street in Corona around 8:30 p.m.

As the suspect fled the scene, the trains motorman spotted the girl and slammed on the brakes, as the teenager positioned herself between the platform and the wheels of the subway car, police said.

The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center with only minor injuries, according to the NYPD.

The suspect was caught on surveillance video. Police said he is a Hispanic man in his mid-to-late 20s, about 5-foot-5.

He was last seen wearing a black jacket, white T-shirt, gray pants and white sneakers. Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
October Fun Calendar: Plenty to do this month in Beaver County
By John Ingle of the Times Record News

"If you don't know history, you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it's part of a tree" - Michael Crichton, writer and filmmaker

There are perhaps no truer words regarding where people come from, where they've been and how they've arrived than those from screenwriter and filmmaker Michael Crichton. Stories and keepsakes are passed down from generation to generation so successors don't forget about their predecessors; rather they remember what set the course for their forefathers that led them to where they are today.

Museums are often the location where artifacts and treasures end up for display to take people down memory lane or introduce people to interesting tidbits they didn't know. The Red River Valley Museum in Vernon is one of those location in this area, capturing North Texas history beginning with its prehistoric days.

But, it's not just about capturing yesterday's history.

"History doesn't end today," said museum board president Bobby Burrus. "History continues. So, why don't we continue to tell our story. Hopefully there's going to be the birth of a young person today that's going to go on and do something similar to what the Waggoner family did; something similar to what the Wright family did; something similar to what the Sumner family did.

"All of these families that were pioneers here developed something extraordinary, I think we can up lift them (today's youth) and let them know they can do it."

A new vision

Wilbarger County District Attorney Staley Heatly joined the museum board in about 2005, having grown up in Vernon and seeing the displays of area history since the museum opened in the early 1980s. He became president of the board in 2012, and the group was looking at a multimillion dollar project to revive the museum.

Displays had, for the most part, gone unchanged including the massive J. Henry and Ethel Ray collection of Native American and prehistoric artifacts, pieces that began the rumblings of a historical gallery in the Wilbarger County seat in the 1960s. More than 130 pieces of the William Bond Wild Game collection as well as the history of the Waggoner Ranch became permanent fixtures, too.

While the relics did provide a glimpse into the past of Vernon and the county, it really didn't tell the story. The area played a significant role in the Great Western Cattle Trail, specifically with the establishment of Doan's Crossing, the first trading post along the trail on the Red River, in 1878.

Heatly said the board took stock in 2012 of what items they had in the museum - even those in the basement - and realized they already had an extraordinary museum, but it just needed to be improved.

"What we decided to do is let's take a look at what we have in this building, the exhibits that we've had, and I think we'd kind of just forgotten how special they were," he said. "We had kind of forgotten because things had been the same for maybe 20 years since this building was built and the exhibits were put in. They had remained the same, and we had forgotten what we had."

The museum began the Western Trail Campaign in 2014 after taking inventory, setting the bar low, Heatly said, regarding what it would cost to recreate the interior of the facility. They soon realized it would take much more than that to create exciting, interactive and interesting displays that capture the mind, hearts and imaginations of guests of all ages. The fundraising goal ballooned to about $700,000, and a grant from the Priddy Foundation in Wichita Falls was the catalyst to get well-known Wilbarger County families and others to join in the effort. The city also provided local hotel/motel tax money for the project.

Heatly said it wasn't easy, but just over $750,000 was raised for the project, leaving some leftover funds for the next couple phases after the main display area was remodeled by Exhibit Concepts, a group that worked on the Oklahoma City National Memorial Center as well as the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas.

The new Red River Valley Museum held its official grand opening in December 2015.

"It exceeded our expectations," Heatly said. "We're all pretty blown away that we have a facility like this in Vernon, Texas. I think that when people walk in to this museum, they're amazed that in a town the size of Vernon, we have a facility that's such high quality."

The show

What's a museum without cool things to look at, interesting factoids that bring a homeliness to the atmosphere and some flashing lights to elevate the level of excitement? Red River Valley Museum has those features now, including audio recording to provide information to guests and special effects to assist in the storytelling.

Sherry Yoakum, museum executive director, has a passion that's just as electrifying as the displays in the museum. From a 200 million-year-old fossil found in Wilbarger County coveted by the Smithsonian to a historic flint cache to an animatronic cattle drover to history of Doan's Crossing, Yoakum

"A lot of museums have artifacts that are amazing, but their not as defined as ours," she said of the prehistoric fossil and mastodon teeth and jawbones, but could easily apply to other displays. "That's why so many people come here. We've got a shark's tooth. That proves we had freshwater sharks here. We were under water; 10,000 years ago you would've been swimming here."

Fossils are just the beginning of relics that capture the vast changes the land and cultures have gone through over the years. Clovis points from the Native American Clovis tribe are hints that trading among tribes went on in North Texas. Tools such as arrows used in the 18th and 19th centuries and stones rubbed with animal fat to make war paint are also on display.

The story of Doan's Crossing has flashes of brilliance, using its choreographed lightning to coincide with the lightning strike that spurred a cattle stampede. A Doan's May Picnic display has a permanent place on the floor instead of its traditional unveil during the annual celebration. There are also slide out board and wall-mounted displays that share the history of prominent settlers and families that helped building and shape communities in Wilbarger County.

Burrus, an Edward Jones financial adviser, said the next phase is to begin reinventing and reinvigorating the largest display of Waggoner Ranch history in location.

No man is an island

"This is exciting," said Burrus, a 15-year member of the board. "You can walk through the museum and you'll see that the exhibits are something you'd see in the (Dallas-Fort Worth) metroplex. It's exciting to have this here in Vernon. We could've continued the same old path of just let's dust off things and keep going, but Staley's leadership came in and brought new vibrancy and new life to us, so we looked at our collections and said we need to do something better."

While Burrus, Yoakum and others might send accolades the way of the district attorney, Heatly said the achievements made by the museum required more than one person. It required a community.

He said the board sought to include people in Vernon and surrounding communities from the very beginning of the project to share their vision of what they wanted the large display room and museum to be. It purposefully wasn't intended for only those who would donate to the campaign, but to get the stories of generations of people in the area who contributed to its growth.

"We included as many people as we could - subject matter experts on the Great Western (Cattle) Trail or on Doan's Crossing and Doan's (May) Picnic - so that we were bringing in the community and getting buy-in from the whole community," Heatly said. "If you're going to have a project like this and have it be successful you've got to have buy-in from a number of different people in the community."
SHARE Mitchell Lunns Col.

Roversa Lee Mitchell departed this life on Thursday, March 3, 2016 in Wichita Falls.

Services will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, March 7, at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas, with the Rev. Robert M. Castle officiating. Burial will be at East Lawn Cemetery under the direction of Lunn's Colonial Funeral Home. The family will be at the funeral home Sunday evening from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. for visitation.

Roversa was born in Waxahachie, Texas, to the late Walter and Theresa Richie. She attended elementary school in Electra, Texas and Waxahachie, eventually graduating from Booker T. Washington High School in Wichita Falls.

She worked as a beautician for several years before finding her calling as a nurse. She attended and graduated from Bethania Nursing School and devoted her life to nursing, working at Bethania Hospital and Wichita Falls State Hospital for over 40 years combined. In 1941, she married her high school sweetheart and best friend, Clem (C.H.) Mitchell, later adding their daughter, Gloria, to their family. She and Clem were devoted to each other for over 63 years, until his passing in 2006. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her beloved sisters, Opal Evelyn Johnson and Minnie Lee Richie. Roversa is survived by her daughter, Gloria, and numerous other relatives and dear friends.

Her daughter would like to especially thank Roversa's dear friend and caregiver, Wendie Choice, and Hospice of Wichita Falls, whose kindness allowed Roversa to spend her final days in the home she loved so much.

Roversa was a great friend to both young and old. Always there to lend an ear or add a bit of laughter. She will be greatly missed. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Wichita Falls, 4909 Johnson Road, Wichita Falls, Texas, 76310.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lunnscolonial.com
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An inspection is a buyer's best chance of finding a costly flaw in a house before signing a contract. But with 175 home inspectors in the Capital Region alone, how do you know you're getting a good one?

A home inspection is when a state-certified inspector observes and provides a written report of the systems and components of a residential building, including the heating and cooling systems, plumbing, electrical system, structural components, foundation, roof, masonry structure, exterior and interior components or any other related residential building component as recommended or required by the department through regulation to provide a client with objective information about the condition of the residential building.

Although home inspections are not required as part of a home sale, most real estate agents recommend them.

Brian Brosen, a real estate agent with Realty USA, said it's important to have a knowledgeable home inspector, ideally with a background in construction. He always tells his clients to ask around and get referrals.

"I don't want a people pleaser, I just want someone who is honest and fair and I can trust them," said Brosen.

Home inspectors must be licensed by the state Department of State, and licenses must be renewed every two years. Check with the state to ensure the inspector you're considering is on top of his or her paperwork, said Laz Benitez, a DOS spokesman. An online database of consent orders and hearing determinations is also available that will show you if the state has taken disciplinary action against the home inspector.

Benitez also said that if a consumer has a bad experience with a home inspector, they can file a complaint with the department.

They are authorized to revoke or suspend a license, or impose a fine but cannot take action to recover civil damages for consumers  for that you will need to file a claim in civil court.

Bergami Building Inspections, which has been in business since 1982, charges between $275 and $400 for typical structural inspection, depending on if it is a residential building or a commercial building.

Ryan Bergami started shadowing his father in high school in 2010 and has been doing home inspections full time now for two years. He's also a licensed mold assessor.

He said a typical structural inspection includes a full exterior and interior look, including grading and landscaping that could affect the structure and everything in the interior from heating to the ceiling to make sure there's no major defects.

They offer several additional services outside of their typical structural inspection, including tests for radon, water quality, mold assessment and how well water flows from a well. Bergami said he finds homeowners in the Capital Region commonly make the mistake of leaving gutters off their houses.

"They're very important because anything that can divert water away from your foundation will benefit you," he said. He also advises to keep any wood sealed or painted because it rots easily.

"Business is amazing. We've already done 85 inspections this year and we're hoping to hit 100 by mid-March," Bergami said.

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Breaking bad news without being an alarmist is the most important thing about being a home inspector, he said.

"Buying a home should be a fun and exciting time, I do my best to make the home inspection process just that," he said.

Edward Costigan, the founder of Costigan Inspections & Consulting Services said the best thing to do when hiring a home inspector is to get at least three to five references. He also suggested asking for a resume to see how long they have been licensed, and what other work they do. Costigan said home inspectors with construction and engineering background come from a professional environment so they have the knowledge and background for the job and they treat people with concern. "They don't look for things that aren't there and they respect the profession," said Costigan.

According to the Department of State, aspiring home inspectors must complete a 140-hour course approved by the department, pass a written exam and attend 40 hours of unpaid field based inspections under the supervision of a licensed home inspector.

Lamya Zikry is an intern for the Times Union. Reach her at lzikry@timesunion.com.
Given my general antipathy toward the fast foods consuming Latham, no one could be more thrilled to find a new family-run Thai restaurant off Latham Circle on Troy-Schenectady Road. Despite traffic, car dealerships, burger chains, Panda Express and a drive that quietly shreds the soul, you should go. Celadon Thai is startlingly good.

It opened just six weeks ago, cutting it close to the Times Union's minimum for a dining review, but seemed worth a chance. If the restaurant wasn't yet ready, I figured, I could always try again in a month. I shouldn't have worried. My head was soon enveloped in steam rising from an aromatic fish hot pot soup ($12.95), and I stayed breathing in bright lemongrass, lime and basil before even raising a spoon. The broth activates sweet and sour zones across the tongue, grazing it with mild chile spice, while Thai basil leaves, cherry tomatoes and the flesh of firm white swai flash beneath, mushrooms bobbing on top. In one fell swoop, it delivers that signature burst so integral to authentic Thai cuisine, projecting high notes and layering flavors.

The chef-owners, Berm Chanprakhon, and his effervescent wife, Yaya Wongprasert, come to us from Bangkok by way of Los Angeles - Hollywood, to be precise, where Yaya has served her fair share of celebrities. In Bangkok, Chanprakhon spent eight years cooking fancy European food at the five-star Sukhothai Hotel. In Los Angeles, roles reversed, and he spent 12 years cooking the food of his homeland. As Thai restaurants are numerous in L.A. and rents prohibitively high, it took only the recommendation of an Albany-based friend for the pair to move east.

Granted, it's an unassuming location. Close to the Latham traffic circle, the shingled gingerbread building has convenient parking and seating for about 40 guests, though the interior is unrecognizable from its days as The Roman Pub. (If you ever went  and I know I didn't  you may be one of the ladies immortalized on their Facebook page.) Starkly plain white walls still sport pink balloons from the recent grand opening, and pristine dark tables shine with expectant forks and spoons. It's unquestionably simple, but needs nothing more.

More Information Celadon Thai 461 Troy-Schenectady Road Latham Phone: 389-6190 Web: www.celadonthailatham.com Cuisine: Authentic Thai cuisine with a range of northern and northeastern dishes, creamy southern curries, classic Thai soups, salads and Chinese-style stir-fry and noodle dishes. Ambiance: Simple, unassuming dining room. Family-friendly. Licensed for beer and wine: Singha Thai beer ($5), hot sake ($5) and a basic selection of red or white wine, $8 per glass. A wider wine list coming soon. Takeout or free delivery in 3-mile radius, with $15 minimum. Price: $-$$ Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, noon to 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Credit cards: All major. Parking: Front and side parking lots. Handicapped accessible: Yes. Handicapped ramp in front. Price ratings for inexpensive eateries based on average of entree costs: $: $9.95 and less $$: $9.95-$15.95 $$$: $15.95 and higher See More Collapse

From clues in the menu I knew the chef hailed from northern Thailand. Dry spice curries carry Burmese influence; a shredded papaya and shrimp salad in lime juice dressing ($8.50) is recognizable as som tam, the iconic dish from Isaan in the northeast, zinging with palm sugar sweetness, chile spice and citrus. Starchy plain white rice, a staple of the north, comes out with everything but noodles. The grains are sticky enough to hang together in clusters  perfect for pressing by spoon into curry or rolling into little balls, northern-style, to dredge through sauce.

Of course, perennially popular Thai noodle dishes find homes beside a short list of southern creamy coconut curries. Pad thai ($12) is a classic fusion of tamarind paste, sweet nam pla and lime coating tofu, toothsome rice noodles and cooling mung-bean sprouts. The kitchen packs chicken, hunks of sweet potato, onions, peanuts and a swirl of fried shallots into a gorgeously rich, turmeric-stained massaman curry ($12) so irresistible I skip my plate and spoon it straight into my mouth. Best of all, Celadon Thai uses a color-coded heat scale sliding from mild (1, green) to extra-hot (4, red), allowing every dish to be customized with capsicum heat of finely diced chile, flesh and seed, for nose-tingling pleasure or medicinal, throbbing pain. Children and the heat-averse can choose "no spicy" and skip the heat index altogether.

Admirably lean sliced beef  absent anything stringy or gristly  shimmers in a stir-fried King's Curry in a flash mob riot: Pretty carrot flowers are a nod to the carved vegetables of the Sukhothai kingdom (popularized several hundred years back), and crisp green beans crush satisfyingly between teeth. Fronted by fragrant lemongrass and backed up with a dry chile and feral fermented fish base, the level-3 heat had my nose running, heart palpitating and hands reaching for a beer. I'm clearly too farang (European) for heat level 4. Chanprakhon dismembers whole ducks for use in several dishes, so crispy basil duck ($19.95)  our server's favorite, prepared at a tame level 2  contrasts braised breast humming with basil and a chile garlic sauce with brittle skin on crisp drumsticks.

Chicken wings and calamari look curious among the appetizers. It's proof, according to Wongprasert, of their popularity in Thailand, with sweet-chile dipping sauce in a sort of cross-cultural exchange. I stuck with satay skewers (four for $7.50) and was rewarded with coriander-scented chicken stained turmeric-yellow ready to swab in the peanut sauce.

I could continue on but why? See for yourself. There's chicken larb ($8.50), a salad of ground chicken doused with lime, cilantro and mint leaf, waiting to blow your mind. And nowhere is the interplay of sweet and salt better shown than the wodge of sugar- and coconut-sweetened sticky rice topped with cool ripe mango ($6.95) and speckled with black sesame seeds. Honestly, that's reason enough to beeline to Latham.

Dinner for four  including two appetizers, five entrees and one dessert  came to $116.16 with tax and tip.

Follow Susie Davidson Powell on Twitter, @SusieDP. To comment on this review, visit the Table Hopping blog, blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping.
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Schenectady

Michael Roberson sees question marks when he looks at his brother's urn.

"I was told by the coroner that my brother died in his sleep and I need to know why," Roberson said. "It hurts not knowing."

His brother Robert Thomas and three other people died when fumes, smoke and flames spread through apartments at 104 Jay St. during the early morning hours of March 6, 2015. The furious blaze spread to the neighboring apartment building, eventually gutting both structures and leaving questions that one year later linger about whether it was safe to live inside 104 Jay St.

Local police, firefighters and the U.S Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the cause of the fire, eventually determining it most likely started when a cigarette, candle or incense ignited the upholstery of a recliner inside the apartment of victim Harry Simpson, 59.

Jermaine Allen, 37, and his girlfriend, Berenices Suarez, 33, also died.

All told, firefighters and police officers rescued about 60 people from the two buildings, Assistant Chief Michael Gillespie said.

In the year since the fire, lawsuits have alleged the sprinklers weren't working in the building, that 104 Jay St. was poorly maintained, that the city's fire hydrants closest to the buildings did not work and that city inspectors did not properly scrutinize the building before it burned.

The Schenectady County District Attorney's office subpoenaed code enforcement records from the city within weeks of the fire, Mayor Gary McCarthy confirmed last year. Relatives of the dead hope the prosecutor's investigation will help answer some of the questions about the building, but there has been little outward sign of progress in the probe.

District Attorney Robert M. Carney declined to discuss the case last week.

"The one thing frustrating a lot of us is that the Schenectady County DA will not release the inspection report after a year," said Phil Rodriguez, a Schenectady-based attorney. He represents Vytas Meskauskas, whose neighboring building at 100-102 Jay St. also was destroyed. Meskauskas is one of several people suing the city and the owner of 104 Jay St.

Rodriguez said his client's building was not insured but 104 Jay St. had about a $1 million limited liability coverage.

"A lot of lawyers are aiming at that," he said.

Attorney James Lagios, who represents Theodore "Ted" Gounaris Inc. of Long Island, the owner of 104 Jay St., sent a statement on behalf of his client in part stating that he wished all the ex-tenants and their families well and is "waiting for the results of the investigation of the events leading up to that night."

"I certainly had expectations that 12 months later, we'd all have additional details on what happened," it reads. "I'm hopeful we will soon see what the results are."

In June, Gounaris notified the city he was preparing legal action because he contends the Schenectady Fire Department's response was hampered by fire hydrants outside his building that were not in "proper working condition."

The fire department disputes the allegation.

In an emotional interview, Roberson said he recalled seeing roaches and unfinished plumbing when he visited his brother's apartment.

"To me, that place should have been condemned," he said.

Legal experts familiar with the case said a grand jury could file criminal charges, issue a report about the fire and any flaws in the city's inspection process or find that nothing was done wrong.

The blaze put the city code enforcement department under a microscope after displaced tenants complained smoke alarms and sprinklers may not have been working that morning.

The temperature was 5 degrees when firefighters battled the flames.

Last year, City Building Inspector Eric Shilling told the Times Union that on March 5, 2015  the day before the fire  his staff conducted a full inspection of all 20 apartments at 104 Jay St. and found the building had an expired alarm certification. But, he said, that didn't mean the alarms were broken. Shilling said 100-102 Jay St. had no outstanding code violations. He has not returned recent calls.

Shilling and McCarthy have defended the work of the code enforcement officers.

Roberson is planning a memorial from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday on the Jay Street side of City Hall to mark the anniversary of the tragedy. He isn't the only one with questions about the inferno.

Dennis Thomas, 62, an Army veteran who said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder, remembers being awakened from a deep sleep by a neighbor furiously banging on his door.

When he emerged into the smoke-filled hallway outside his apartment on the fifth floor of 100-102 Jay St., Thomas spotted a smoke alarm with a strobe light that he said was not working.

He said he tried to trigger the sprinkler. "I took a lighter and I hit the sprinkler system, it didn't go off," he said.

"There's no water in the lines."

Edward J. Matthews, a plumber who installs sprinkler systems, said his Troy-based company previously was hired to repair sprinkler heads at 104 Jay St. after they froze.

"I believe that the system might have frozen again and it was not operational at the time of the fire," Matthews said. He described a wet-pipe sprinkler system in which water is in the pipe at all times.

As part of the probe, authorities looked into whether tenants disconnected smoke detectors so the alarms wouldn't sound when they smoked.

In the past, Dennis Thomas said, he complained to the city about piles of trash left on the fire escapes on 100-102 Jay St. but saw little sign of a response. "I went over and told them (city) about the trash on the fire escape in January, and they told me go to the fire department, then the fire department told me to go to code" enforcement, he said. "I blame the city because they don't follow their own damn policies."

Thomas, who escaped with his two pit bulls, Lexi and Max, is haunted by the desperate cries of those trapped inside.

"It's a scream that will stick with you for life, it was a terrible scream" Thomas said. "I mean, I've heard people screaming but not like this."

Thomas had trouble finding a stable place to live. Along with other tenants, he is suing Meskauskas, the building's owner, and Ravena Holdings, LLC, to recoup rent and security deposits.

Meskauskas is among those who have filed claims alleging the city was negligent for conducting what they describe as an incomplete and inadequate inspection of 104 Jay St.

The city faces about a dozen notices of claim, the legal precursor to a lawsuit. The owners of both buildings have sued the city. Lawsuits also have been filed by the victims' estates and displaced residents as well as the insurance company for a Caribbean restaurant and the owner of a jewelry store closed by the fire.

Seven lawsuits were filed against Ideal Property Services, which managed 104 Jay St. for a few months before the fire, according to Mike McDermott, the company's attorney. He said a motion is pending to combine the cases and that no under-oath questioning has taken place.

Schenectady Fire Chief Ray Senecal said getting to hydrants and water was not a problem. Firefighters poured millions of gallons on the buildings. "Without question, we had plenty of water," he said. "We were able to hold that fire to the building of origin and the one next to it and you don't do that without a large amount of water."

Citing the ongoing investigation, Senecal declined say if the buildings' sprinkler or alarm systems were working.

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Roberson said he wonders why his brother, who had military training from the Army, didn't escape.

Roberson was at work when he learned about the fire. "It was devastating and shook everything I believe in," he said. "It hurts more than anything I've ever felt and more than any pain I've ever known."

Senecal said he is proud of the job his department did but has resisted saying it publicly for fear of appearing insensitive to the victims and their families.

He and Gillespie said the confluence of the fire's 2 a.m. start, frigid outdoor conditions and multi-story structure meant it would be difficult to fight.

Fire commanders faced tough decisions as they fought the flames and tried to rescue people inside a burning building.

Senecal said a crew with a captain and about three firefighters made it to the fourth floor, where the fire started, for about 10 minutes.

But the captain radioed to say they were getting out because the conditions on the floor were deteriorating and it was getting too hot, he said.

"There comes a time that you have to weigh what do you have to gain and what do you have to lose," Senecal said. "If my men and women can't survive in that building, certainly anybody without our equipment in there is not going to be alive. ... We are going to risk a lot to save people and we did."

"It's a tragic event, the scope and magnitude that the city has not seen in recent memory, and I hope we never have to deal with that again," the mayor said. McCarthy said he hoped something new would be built on the empty lots where the buildings were razed.

Businesses on the block were hit hard. The Executive Lounge Caribbean restaurant on ground floor of 108 Jay St. remains closed. Others moved elsewhere in Schenectady.

In December, displaced restaurant Bel Cibo reopened to fanfare nearby at 96 Jay St.

One owner, Jeanette Massaro, recalled getting a text from her business partner with a picture of the fire. By the time she arrived, the fire had spread to 100-102 Jay St.

Her emotions alternated between "worrying about other people and being selfish" about her business, which had been open at the location for three days.

"It was like an episode of 'Chicago Hope,' you never saw anything like it," she said.

Massaro said she remembers being inexplicably overcome when a pit bull named Zeus was found alive in the rubble days after the fire.

She wants more concrete answers. "I have a lot of questions that will never be answered," she said.

Bel Cibo lost about $25,000 worth of items in the basement, but Massaro realizes she is lucky to be back in business.

"I nurtured this for five years, it's my baby," she said, "but at the end of the day, it paled in comparison to what happened to those families. "

"We were fortunate to still be standing."

pnelson@timesunion.com  518-454-5347  @apaulnelson
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Laura Greco, a 41-year-old who has never smoked, found out she had lung cancer by accident  literally. Doctors found her tumor on a CT scan following a car crash.

John, a 71-year-old Colonie resident who asked that his last name be withheld, had no symptoms of lung cancer when he decided to get screened for the illness, based on family history and his years of smoking. He was shocked when the radiologist who read his CT scan asked if he already had a cancer doctor.

Longtime smoker Joe Iraci, a Greene County resident, had been on lung-cancer alert for years and insisted on regular chest X-rays. Yet the first time doctors detected the disease, it had already spread to his lymph nodes.

One way or another, lung cancer sneaks up on people.

That the disease is capable of such surprise is ironic, perhaps.

It is the second most common cancer in the country (after breast cancer) and by far the cause of more deaths nationwide than any other.

Often detected after it's too late for effective treatments, lung cancer is expected to kill more than 150,000 Americans this year  more than the death estimates for breast, prostate and colon cancers combined.

Yet awareness of lung cancer pales in comparison to diseases that kill fewer people. Everyone knows, for instance, that a pink ribbon denotes breast cancer.

More Information About this report These stories are brought to you as a joint Times Union/WMHT venture. See a multimedia presentation at wmht.org/lungcancer. See More Collapse

There's a ribbon for lung cancer, too. Know the color? (It's white. Or maybe clear. As one advocate said, there's not even broad consensus on that.)

Patients, doctors, advocates and other experts say there's one reason lung cancer has held on tenaciously to its position as No. 1 killer, with relatively little discussion and a historical lag in research advances that have propelled promising treatments for other cancers: Unlike other cancers, lung cancer carries a stigma. Due to the illness' long-time link to smoking, patients are blamed for getting sick.

That causes some of them to keep quiet and deters philanthropists from making big donations for lung cancer research when public support is greater for finding cures to other diseases, experts said.

The public judgment is unwarranted, they add.

For one, it's not just smokers who get lung cancer, a fact highlighted early this year by the death of former New York Chief Judge Judith Kaye, a nonsmoker and fitness enthusiast. As many as 20 percent of Americans who die from lung cancer each year  30,000 of those estimated to die this year  have never smoked.

For another, the nicotine in cigarettes is highly addictive  as tough to kick as heroin, cocaine or alcohol, according to health agencies.

Many of today's smokers started before the health hazards were widely known.

Dr. Christopher Dolinsky, a 38-year-old radiation oncologist with Schenectady-based Northeastern Radiation Oncology, grew up on public service messages and a health curriculum that cautioned about the dangers of smoking.

But a generation before him, people smoked on airplanes and even in hospitals.

"People were growing up at a time when people were smoking. And they smoked. How can you fault them for that?" Dolinsky said.

Smoker or non-smoker, there's few other diseases where people are questioned as if they deserve the illness, experts said.

"Unfortunately, lung cancer stigma is alive and well, and that is very real," said Erika Sward, assistant vice president at the American Lung Association. "No matter what, no one deserves lung cancer."

Some suggest socioeconomics play a role in keeping lung cancer out of the public eye, too.

While decades of anti-smoking campaigns have reduced cigarette use, tobacco consumption remains tenacious among groups whose public voices are muted  lower-income Americans and those with mental illness. That leads some experts to see the relatively meager amount of attention given to lung cancer as an example of a class-based health disparity.

But others say socioeconomic discrimination may be a secondary issue or problem for a future generation of lung cancer patients. Today, the group most at risk of contracting the disease are seniors who smoke or used to smoke. In a generation for whom smoking was cool for everyone, tobacco use was not a mark of class, said Dr. Jorge Gomez, a lung cancer specialist at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.

Regardless of who gets lung cancer, survival rates are lower than for many other cancers. (Though whites fare somewhat better than blacks, women somewhat better than men.)

Five years after diagnosis, less than 18 percent of lung cancer patients are alive, compared to 65 percent for colon cancer and over 90 percent for breast cancer, according to data from the National Cancer Institute.

A key to lung cancer's deadliness is that tumors are often not caught until the disease is in its late stages, when the cancer has spread and treatments are limited. Only 15 percent are caught in an early, more treatable stage, according to the American Cancer Society. More than half of patients die within a year of diagnosis, according to federal data.

Patients often don't experience any symptoms at all when their tumors are small, doctors said. Or they dismiss problems such as persistent coughs or shortness of breath as symptoms of other respiratory conditions, like emphysema, said Dr. Makenzi Evangelist of New York Oncology Hematology in Albany.

By the time breathing problems are severe enough to prompt most patients to visit the doctor, or a patient feels pain in their bones, the cancer is unstoppable.

"When it gets big enough that it causes respiratory symptoms, it's usually large enough that it's already spread outside the lungs, so it's incurable," Gomez said.

Another trait fueling lung cancer's deadliness is its aggressiveness. It spreads fast, so that even people like Greene County resident Iraci, who check for it regularly, often don't catch it early.

"It doesn't stay 'early' for very long," said Gomez, who is a scientific advisor to the American Lung Association.

Low-dose CT scans that hold the promise of improving lung cancer survival rates by catching tumors earlier have become available in recent years. The idea is to catch malignant lumps when they are small and easy to remove.

A large-scale study published in 2011, the National Lung Screening Trial, found a 20 percent reduction in lung cancer deaths among healthy smokers at high risk for the disease who received the low-dose CT scans, compared to those who had chest X-rays. At Albany Medical Center Hospital, Dr. Thomas Smith and Dr. John Fantauzzi showed the differences in the two types of scans; even the untrained eye can see nodules on the CT image that are barely noticeable on the X-ray.

Government and private insurers began covering the screenings last year for the highest-risk patients. Guidelines vary, but patients recommended for screening include current and former heavy smokers over 55, who have smoked the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes a day for 20-30 years.

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Drawbacks of the scans  cost and radiation exposure  make them inappropriate for all but high-risk patients, Gomez said. But even that highest-risk group is not getting scanned in sufficient numbers, specialists at Albany Med and Schenectady's Ellis Hospital said. Primary care doctors are not yet routinely referring eligible patients for lung cancer screenings, the way they do for mammograms or colonoscopies to detect breast or colon cancer, respectively, they said.

A series of lucky coincidences prompted John, the 71-year-old Colonie man, to get screened three years ago. John's father and brother had died of lung cancer, a second brother had been recently diagnosed and he'd smoked "a lot," he said, "three packs a day, for 40 years, maybe more."

A mailer from John's health insurer, Albany-based CDPHP, alerted him that he was a candidate for the screenings. Then he saw an ad urging heavy smokers to get them, and decided to spend the $200 or so not covered by his insurance.

It was well worth it, given the finding. Doctors caught his lung cancer at its earliest stage. Treatments have proven effective and doctors have deemed him clear of disease.

"It kind of amazes me," John said. "If my brother wasn't diagnosed, I don't think I would have even thought about going for this scan."

While smoking remains the biggest risk factor for lung cancer, there are other known causes. People who don't smoke can get lung cancer from radon gas, air pollution, secondhand smoke and cancer-causing materials in some workplaces.

Gene mutations also cause lung cancer. These are not inherited genetic traits, explained Evangelist, but changes in genes that can result from environmental factors or other causes that remain mysterious.

A few recent studies, in fact, have pointed to a rise in lung cancer among non-smokers, especially women under 40. Gomez is skeptical about the numbers, however, because long-term comparisons are impossible. Until about a decade ago, doctors didn't ask whether a lung cancer patient smoked or not. That distinction only mattered when targeted treatments developed.

"That would suggest there's something new in the air or the environment, or some new genetic issues going around," Gomez said of the hypothesis about the rise. "I'm not sure that's the case."

Identification of gene mutations in non-smokers with lung cancer have brought about some of the most promising recent advances in drugs that target the specific genetic change.

The treatments are more effective than traditional chemotherapy, which attacks all cells and not just the cancerous ones, and side effects are also less severe.

Immunotherapy is also showing promise for both smokers and nonsmokers with cancer, something that excites Evangelist. Aimed at boosting the body's own immune system, immunotherapy does not have the toxic side effects of traditional chemotherapy.

Seven drugs were newly approved for lung cancer last year, the Lung Association's Sward said, something she called part of a "paradigm shift" for the disease. Right in the Capital Region, NYOH is conducting five clinical trials on new lung cancer treatments, and a sixth is about to start.

Federal funding for lung cancer research has increased markedly too  from $233 million in fiscal year 2012 to $362 million this year. Funding decisions are based in part on the likelihood that the research will yield useful results, a factor working against lung cancer for years. "It has only been because of some of these new therapies, that we have lung cancer survivors," Sward said.

Gomez said he, too, is optimistic. But he's also aware that the advances are being made in increments that affect small percentages of lung cancer patients.

A decade ago, researchers discovered that a drug targeting mutations of a gene known as EGFR helped 10-15 percent of lung cancer patients. That finding launched a search for others, Gomez said. A drug that targets the ALK gene is now known to work for about 4 percent of patients. One targeting a gene called ROS1 works for another 1 percent, he said. Researchers have also found changes in the HER2 and BRAF genes, associated with breast cancer and melanoma, in lung cancer patients.

"These are huge advances, but they're for 1 percent here, another 1 percent there," Gomez said. "So yes, these are amazing things. But I look at what we haven't done, and I become less enthusiastic and more driven to find new stuff."

chughes@timesunion.com  518-454-5417  @hughesclaire
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Jeb Bush: out. Lindsay Graham: out. Ben Carson and Chris Christie: also out. Who will be the next one to go? Will it be Jon Kasich or Marco Rubio? The Republican Party: the elephant, the anti-immigrant force of the United States, is convulsing, has hit a wall, and it seems like its establishment does not know what to do next to have a realistic shot at winning the presidency. And the reason of all of this is its front runner, Donald Trump, and his supporters, who have turned this political machine on its head."My party has gone batshit crazy," Republican senator Lindsay Graham said during a Washington Press Club Foundation dinner last month. "How did I lose to these guys?" Mr. Graham happened to be one of the best candidates this party had, along with Ohio Governor John Kasich, but their credentials did not matter to the hard-core conservatives of the party, who instead have gone for "The Donald," who says whatever comes to his mind first, and Ted Cruz, a fairly new senator who shut down the Federal Government over his opposition to the Affordable Care Act, a law thanks to which millions of people have been able to get health insurance.Trump started his presidential campaign by attacking Mexico, something that has many terrified, and pledging to make America great again. Before a crowd of about 3,000 at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, during one of his rallies, and with the song "We're Not Gonna Take It" in the background, he told his crowd : "So, we're going to build a wall, and Mexico is going to pay for the wall. They're gonna pay for it." During all of his rallies, he always asks: And who is going to pay for that wall? The which the crowd, energized, responds: Mexico! What a way to try to bring Hispanics to your side.And Mr. Trump has also targeted other minorities. He claims that after the September 11th attacks, Muslims went out in the streets of New Jersey to celebrate. "It's not only that the facts are wrong," Andrea Mitchell from NBC said in # MeetthePress . "It's that what he is saying is so emotionally and politically powerful. He is lighting fires. He is turning people against people. He is misstating the facts of what's happening domestically."I am loving the Republican presidential campaign. Finally, the true feelings of the neo-conservative base of this political force are out there in the open for the world to see. But its moderate voices are very concerned. That is why this week, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney started a full-front attack: "If Donald Trump's plans were ever implemented, the country would sink into prolonged recession. Look, his bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who work for them. And whatever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there's Trump Magazine, and Trump Vodka, and Trump Steaks and Trump Mortgage. A business genius he is not."Republicans are pouring millions into attack ads against Trump, and the feud keeps growing. Republican economist and New York Times columnist, David Brooks, has also joined: "Finally, finally someone (Romney) is beginning a sustained attack on Donald Trump," he told Chuck Todd today. "And to me, every Republican office holder, if they want to save their party, has to continue that attack. He (Trump) is a betrayer, and he's a narcissist, and he thinks ultimately only about himself.I say let Donald Trump be the Republican nominee. Let's see if the people of the United States will vote for a candidate that wants to send them back to the times of deep racism and division. Let people see the difference between them and the Democratic Party, where issues are really discussed, and candidates do not attack each other as if they were on the Jerry Springer show. I think the voters are smarter than that."Hispanics don't like our message on immigration. I don't think they're gonna like self-deportation better," Graham continued to warn today. "At the end of the day, Donald Trump has taken any problems we have with Hispanics and young women, and made them worse. I cannot tell you the damage that Donald Trump would do the Republican Party if he carried our banner, because he has run a campaign on xenophobia, race-baiting, and religious bigotry. That cannot be Republican conservationism."
"God bless Kansas,'' Cruz told supporters in Idaho, moments after the first Saturday race was called. "And the scream you hear--the howl you hear from Washington, D.C.--is utter terror for what we the people are doing together. What were seeing is conservatives coming together.''





The strong Christian conservative took home a major victory today in this Heartland state.Just like Iowa, the Bible belt believes in the Cruz message and doesn't mind his obstructionism or inability to resonate with GOP voters in any other part of the nation.Still, Trump remains the front runner as this GOP primary reveals serious fractures among Republican voters and no clear ideology other than a rejection of all things related to Prez Obama and Hillary.Check the links . . .You decide . . .
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Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) is set to invite prequalified bidders to submit proposals for the development of two independent water projects (IWPs) in the sultanate, said a report.



The IWPs at Sharqiyah and Salalah (Dhofar) are right now under tender following the completion of the prequalification process, reported the Oman Observer.



As many as 10 leading international developers are in the race for the two projects.



The reverse osmosis plant at Salalah, which boasts a 100,000 cu m per day capacity, is slated for commercial launch in early 2019, while the Sharqiyah scheme, sized at 80,000 cu m per day, is proposed to be brought on stream in two stages: the first by May 2019 and the next by May 2020, stated the report.



A Request for Proposals (RfP) representing the second stage of a competitive tender for a mandate to execute the two water schemes will be issued soon, said the report, citing a senior company official.



Earlier in January, the state-owned power and water procurer had announced that Request for Qualifications had been received from several interested groups, Ahmed bin Saleh al Jahdhami, the chief executive of OPWP, was quoted as saying.



These include a consortium led by Abengoa with Seven Seas Water Corporation and Modern Channel as members; GS Inima; Hyflux; Sembcorp; Marubeni; Sojitz Corporation; Acwa Power with Veolia Middle East and Dhofar International Development and Investment Holding as members; Tedagua; and Degremont SAS with Itochu Corporation as member, he added.



Meanwhile, an award for the implementation of a new Independent Water Project at Sohar has gone to a consortium headed by Spanish water services giant Valoriza Agua SL, said Al Jahdhami.



The Madrid-based company has teamed up with Oman Brunei Investment Company and Sogex Oman in implementing the Sohar IWP, which is sized at 250,000 cubic metres per day of desalination capacity. The facility will come up within the power and water cluster at Sohar Port and Freezone.



The Sohar IWP, along with the Barka IWP  contracts for which were formalised on Thursday  were conceived as one tender at the outset with the intention to award them to separate successful bidders, he added.
A leading Moroccan businessman plans to build a 200-m-tower in a strategic area near the Bou Regreg River, which runs into the Atlantic Ocean between the capital city of Rabat and Sale, said a report.



Othman Benjelloune, who was recently ranked by Forbes as the richest man in Morocco with a net worth of $1.9 billion for the third year in row, is the brain behind the ambitious project, reported Morocco World News.



The tower, to be built at an estimated cost of 1 billion Moroccan dirham ($100 million), is likely to be the tallest in African region, said a report.



The 46-storeyed building will house smart offices equipped with the latest technologies besides upscale residential complexes and restaurants.
Gunmen who killed at least 15 people in an old people's home in Yemen last week also kidnapped an Indian priest, officials said on Sunday, as Pope Francis condemned the attack and the "indifference" of the world's reaction to it.



No one has claimed responsibility for Friday's incident in which four gunmen posing as relatives of one of the residents at the home burst inside, killing four Indian nuns, two Yemeni female staff members, eight elderly residents and a guard.



Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter that an Indian national identified as Father Tom Uzhunnalil had been "abducted by terrorists in Yemen". She said officials in neighbouring Djibouti were trying to ascertain his whereabouts to secure his release.



Officials in the southern Yemeni city of Aden confirmed that the priest had been kidnapped and said authorities were investigating the attack. It sparked widespread condemnation, including from the Pope and the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which called it an act of terrorism.



Pope Francis called the nuns "today's martyrs" because they were both victims of their killers and of global indifference.



"They do not make the front pages of the newspapers, they do not make the news. They have given their blood for the Church," he said in his Sunday message to thousands of people in St. Peter's Square.



"They are victims of the attack by those who killed them but also victims of indifference, of this globalization of indifference. They don't matter," he added, departing from his prepared text.



International aid groups have pulled most of their foreign staff from Yemen but continue to operate on a reduced basis through local employees.



Aden has been racked by lawlessness since Hadi supporters, backed by Gulf Arab military forces, drove fighters of the Iran-allied Houthi group from the city in July last year.



The Yemeni government has repeatedly promised to restore security to the city but has so far had little success. - Reuters
A total of 135 people were killed in the first week of a partial truce in Syria in areas covered by the deal, a monitoring group, highlighting its fragile nature just days before the United Nations attempts to reconvene peace talks.



U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura said the talks, originally due to begin on Monday in Geneva, would get off to a staggered start later in the week, with delegates arriving from Wednesday onwards.



The U.N. said the delay was due to "logistical and technical reasons and also for the ceasefire to better settle down".



"I see us beginning on (Thursday) March 10 when we will launch the process," de Mistura said in an interview with pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat.



A pro-Damascus Lebanese TV channel, al-Mayadeen, reported from its own sources that talks had been moved to March 13. Reuters could not independently verify this.



The five-year Syrian civil war has killed more than a quarter of a million people and created a massive refugee crisis in Lebanon, Turkey and the European Union.



The partial truce, drawn up by Washington and Moscow, came into force a week ago and has slowed the pace of the war, although it does not include Islamic State militants or the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.



The opposition is dissatisfied with the implementation of the deal and has yet to say whether it will attend the new talks. Fighting continues in many parts of Syria, and rebels say the Syrian government, backed by Russian air power and fighters from Iranian-backed Hezbollah, has kept up attacks on strategically important frontlines.



Fighting has also continued between rebel groups and Kurdish-backed forces in north Aleppo, and between rebel groups and Islamic State.



On Saturday Islamic State regained control of a border crossing with Iraq seized by a group of rebels on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.



The Observatory said 135 people have been killed in areas covered by the 'cessation of hostilities' agreement since it came into force on Feb. 27. In areas not covered by the truce, 552 people were killed, said the Britain-based group, which tracks the conflict via sources on the ground.



Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a phone conversation late on Friday, called for a prompt start to the peace negotiations, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.



"The two sides called to start the negotiations as soon as possible...between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the opposition, during which the Syrians themselves should determine the future of their country," the ministry said.



ASSAD'S DEPARTURE



Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, whose country backs the rebels, said on Saturday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must leave at the beginning of a political transition, not at the end.



"For us it is very clear it's at the beginning of the process, not at the end of the process, it's not going to be 18 months," Jubeir said during a visit to France.



Assad, however, enjoys firm backing from Iran and Russia and his military position has strengthened, especially since Russia entered the war by launching waves of air strikes last September. The United States and other Western governments that previously called for the president's early departure have quietly backed away from that demand.



De Mistura attempted to convene peace talks in January, but these failed before they had even started in earnest. The new talks will be conducted indirectly, not face-to-face, he told Al Hayat.



The fall-off in violence has made aid deliveries easier in some areas of the country, but de Mistura said the Syrian government should be processing aid faster.



"Lorries are waiting for 36 hours," he said. "And medical aid must be allowed."



On Wednesday the World Health Organization said Syrian officials had rejected the delivery of medical supplies, including trauma and burn kits and antibiotics, in a convoy to the besieged town of Moadamiya two days earlier.



Syrian opposition coordinator Riad Hijab said on Friday conditions for talks were "not favourable" and medical and food supplies were being blocked despite the truce.



On Saturday, the opposition Syrian National Coalition said it had named a new president.



Anas Abda will replace Khaled Khoja as head of the group, the SNC said in a statement on its Twitter account.  Reuters
Motorcity, the sole distributor of Hino Motors in Bahrain, has delivered the first Hino 700 Series heavy duty truck with automatic transmission to Gulf Agency Company (GAC) Bahrain, a pioneer in the logistics industry.



Motorcity has launched the new automatic transmission trucks in both heavy and light duty variants, said a statement from the company.



Arun Ganesh Kumar, assistant general manager, and Amjesh Asokan, assistant sales manager of Motorcity, handed over the keys of two units of Hino Automatic Transmission (AMT) 4x2 tractor heads to Pontus Fredriksson, managing director of GAC Bahrain, at its office in Muharraq, it added.



Hino also took the credit of being the first brand to introduce an automatic transmission truck in the light duty segment within the kingdom. The Hino 300 series truck that has a gross vehicle weight between 4.5 to 8.5 tonnes and with a variety of options includes a Euro 3 engine, disc brake, ABS, airbag, automatic transmission and rear air conditioner cooling on the double cabin version, it said.



The Hino 700 series is a powerful and reliable truck suitable for various applications such as crane and cargo body configurations, tankers, refuse compactors, dump trucks as well as trailers offering a hauling capacity of 100 tonnes.



Arun Kumar Ganesh, assistant general manager of Motorcity commercial vehicles, stated that Hinos diversified product range meets a wide spectrum of customer requirements in Bahrain and with its proven reliability and durability, and has gained the credibility of the most powered and trusted truck.  TradeArabia News Service
Burj Al Hamam, a popular Lebanese restaurant in the heart of The Pearl-Qatar, has reopened post the completion of its refurbishment.



Known for its famed popular authentic dishes, the restaurant reflects the diversity of the Levantine culinary disciplines. The grand reopening, which took place on March 3, was attended by distinguished personnel from the government and private sector, media professionals and loyal clienteles.



The design team worked around the clock since the restaurants closure in December last year, to transform the outlet with a cutting edge, premium design that is full of drama while retaining Burj Al Hamams reputation as being true to the authenticity of Lebanese cuisine.



Further, Hospitality Development Company (HDC) - a wholly owned subsidiary of United Development Company (UDC) is all set to reinforce Burj Al Hamams brand positioning in Qatar with the opening of a second outlet at Mall of Qatar, projected for the third quarter of this year.



Burj Al Hamam first opened in 1958 and became a household name not only in Lebanon but the region. It was only six years ago that the restaurant opened its first outlet here in Qatar at The Pearl-Qatar.



Presenting a selection of cold mezza and salads, such as hummus, tabouleh, fattoush and moutabal, and hot mezze, like the delicious kebbeh and fava beans with olive oil and spices, alongside main courses such as grilled lamb, shish taouk and kofta, lobster, shrimp, red mullet and sea bream or pastries, such as halawat el jibn and knafeh, Burj Al Hamam truly captures the spirit of homemade Lebanese cuisine that everybody has enjoyed and grown fond of over the years.



Burj Al Hamam offers private dining rooms, providing comfort and privacy to families, as well as a terrace overlooking the Marina along with an indoor and outdoor shisha lounge.  TradeArabia News Service
Gulf Air, Bahrain's national carrier, plans to boost its global footprint by more than 50 per cent within the next seven years with the acquisition of new aircraft, its chief executive officer was quoted as saying.



The carrier will start taking delivery of the new aircraft in the second quarter of 2018, Zawya said quoting Maher Salman Al Musallam.



The airline has placed orders worth a total of $7.6 billion for 45 Boeing and Airbus planes. The contracts include 16 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, 17 Airbus 321neo, and 12 Airbus 320neo.



"These planes, which are of different sizes, can boost Gulf Air's different products and services at various levels, whether it is safeguarding the environment, boosting flight connections or improving the services," he said in an interview with Zawya.



The airline aims to fly to 60 destinations by 2023 form the present 39 cities, he said. The expansion will focus on developing Gulf Air's footprint in Europe, the Indian Subcontinent and the greater Asia region, he said.
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Business / Companies

by Business Reporter

FLEDGLING local airline FlyAfrica is expected to take to the skies soon after obtaining an operating licence from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz).Caaz withdrew FlyAfrica's operating licence in October last year due to heated shareholder disputes and failure to meet statutory requirements.It had earlier resumed operations in August 2014.At the time that the brand was introduced onto the local market, the business was jointly owned by Fresh Air  controlled by the Karase family  and Mike Bond of South Africa, which operated under a franchise from Mauritian-headquartered FlyAfrica Limited.The airline is now wholly-Zimbabwean owned by Nu-aero.Apart from shareholder differences, it is also understood that FlyAfrica was not remitting passenger service charges to Caaz and did not have an accounting manager in violation of Statutory Instrument 140/2010.But FlyAfrica re-organised itself and obtained the Air Operators Certificate from Caaz on December 23, 2015.The airline will begin by servicing the Harare-Johannesburg route. lt joins Air Zimbabwe and South African Airways on the fiercely contested route.Caaz chief executive officer, Mr David Chaota confirmed to The Sunday Mail Business that FlyAfrica has met all the standards prescribed under local aviation regulations and was now fully registered."We have given them the licence to fly. It is now up to them as to when they will make their first flight," said Mr Chaota.Nu-Aero chairman, Mr Cassidy Mugwagwa said the first flight in their newly-acquired and branded B737-M500 jet would begin once training of pilots is completed.The pilots are currently undertaking refresher courses and simulated training with Com-Air in South Africa. Mr Mugwagwa said the pilots have been on training for the past three months."As soon as they complete the various stages they are going through, we will be ready to start," he said.Fares are expected to be US$40 for a one-way ticket from Harare to Johannesburg.Mr Mugwagwa said the establishment of Nu-aero was driven by Government's pursuit to empower local citizens through the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act.Meanwhile, the airline said that it has fulfilled all outstanding payments to passengers who lost their bookings when they abruptly ceased operations.Some of the passengers were re-routed on other flights while others who preferred refunds received them.Before the withdrawal of its operating licence last year, FlyAfrica had set in motion plans to launch regional routes from Harare to Lusaka (Zambia), Lubumbashi (DRC) and the Victoria Falls-Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) route.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

AN MPUMALANGA man who was sentenced to eight life sentences for smashing the skulls of three women and one teenager with a pick before raping them has told the court that demons made him commit the crimes.Daily Sun reported that Region Makhubela, 23, from Mkhuhlu near Bushbuckridge, was arrested on October 12 2013 after he was suspected of raping and murdering Wendy Mabunda, 16, at the Mkhuhlu taxi rank.After his arrest, he was linked to the rapes and murders of Phethasi Mandlazi, 81, and Anna Honyini, 78, at their Mkhuhlu home on September 10 2013 and the rape and murder of a nurse Kotsana Msesi Tibana, 58, who was burnt in her house in the same area on September 29.He faced 10 counts including four murders, four rapes, robbery and arson.Judge Zeenat Carelse described Makhubela as an offender who showed no mercy for his victims and who was extremely brutal, savage and barbaric."When the social worker interviewed him and asked why he committed these crimes, he replied he was demon-possessed," said Carelse.The judge said Makhubela had first pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea at the 11th hour."The accused pleaded guilty to all 10 counts. He gave an account of events that culminated in the rape and death of the four victims. He said on September 10, armed with a pick, he went to the house where Mandlazi lived with Honyini."On entering the house, he smashed Honyini on the head and after she fell down, went into the other room where Mandlazi was, smashed her head and face, fracturing it, before raping her," she said.The judge said Makhubela then went back to where Honyini lay, repeatedly smashed her face, and raped her.On September 19, he armed himself with a hammer and went to Tibana's house where, after smashing her face and skull, he raped her and set her house on fire.He said later on October 12, he killed Mabunda by smashing her face and skull, before raping her."The nature of injuries showed he absolutely had no mercy and it is quite clear he aimed for the faces and skulls as all the victims were crushed beyond recognition," she said.Carelse said his plea was not acceptable because he did not apologise to the victim's families including Mabuda's mother, who was in tears when relating her daughter's life dreams."Your remorse was not genuine and the matter that you grew up watching your mother being abused by your father does not allow you to commit such offences," said Carelse.She sentenced Makhubela to life for each murder and each rape, 10 years for arson and 15 years for robbery. The arson and robbery sentences will run concurrently with one life sentence.Carelse said all the life sentences will run consecutively.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

The co-suspects in a double murder case have been granted bail by a Broadhurst Magistrates court.The Voice reported that despite fears for their safety, on Thursday morning, murder suspects Bakang Godisang, 26, and Caroline Gwamolumba, 38, were released on bail.The pair are accused of the murders of sisters Kgalalelo Mokgalo and Tuelo Mokgalo who died of their wounds after the house that they were sleeping in was set alight.The older of the two sisters, Tuelo, was heavily pregnant at the time of the fire, and managed to give birth to a baby boy before she eventually succumbed to her injuries a week later.Conditions of the bail include: the duo had to pay P3, 000 each, provide two citizen sureties from a blood relation as well as binding themselves to the sum of P2, 000.The two were also required to surrender their passports and have to report to their nearest police station every other Monday.During the hearing, prosecutor Onkemetse Gaboutlwelwe urged the court to refuse bail, arguing that, due to the horrific nature of the crime, feelings amongst the public and members of the deceased's family are still dangerously high.Gaboutlwelwe argued that prison was therefore the safest place for the two suspects as there was a real threat of vigilantes seeking their own form of justice.The prosecutor added that the police have a duty to ensure the safety and security of every citizen, which they would not be able to do if the suspects were granted bail.However the representatives for the accused, McBain Kaang (representing Gwamolumba) and Herbert Sikhakhane (representing Godisang) successfully argued that, in the eyes of the law, their clients are innocent until proven guilty and so should be treated accordingly.Sikhakhane added that if the police suspect members of the public to be after retribution by taking the law into their own hands, then it is the police's duty to bring them to task. As a precaution against possible reprisals, it was agreed that, on their release, the suspect's whereabouts would not be made public.It was also agreed that the co-accused would report to the police station nearest them as opposed to reporting to the cases' investigative officer, Assistant Superintendent Phillimon, of Broadhurst Police.Gwamolumba, who is living with cancer, was appearing before court for the first time as she has been receiving ongoing medical attention in South Africa for the past two months. Kaang argued that, in her fragile state, Gwamolumba needs to see the doctor every day and that, in prison, her condition was likely to deteriorate.The next mention date for the case is 28 April 2016.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

FAILURE to put up with his stepchildren prompted a man to call his marriage quits and filed for divorce in the Matero Local Court.Zambia Daily reported that Wilson Lyanshimba, 51, of Chazanga township has sued Judith Daka, 46, for divorce after being together for 15 years.Lyanshimba told senior court magistrates Lewis Mumba and Pauline Newa that the couple has two children together and bride price was paid."At the time when we were getting married, Daka had three children from her previous marriage. I took responsibility of the three children whose father is deceased. I educated my stepchildren but they later turned against me by disrespecting me as well as stealing from me," he said.Lyanshimba complained that Daka always shielded her children even when they did wrong without his knowledge. He expected Daka to support him in instilling discipline but she did the opposite."The children have no regard for me and they do it in full view of their mother. There was a time I was so upset that I sent the children packing but Daka pleaded that I forgive them," he said.Lyanshimba told the court that he was convinced that his marriage would only survive if his stepchildren were no longer under his roof."After hearing that I had sued their mother for divorce, the three children ordered me to leave my house. They said Daka could not walk out with nothing after spending so many years with me," he said.Initially, Daka objected to the divorce but later accepted as it was in the best interest of her children.Daka said Lyanshimba has been denying her conjugal rights since they started having marital problems.Divorce was granted with no compensation. The court ordered Lyanshimba to pay K600 monthly as child maintenance after awarding custody of their two children to Daka.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A MAN of Lusaka has blamed his wife for contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) because she denies him his conjugal rights.Chilama Laima, ( 34) appearing before senior presiding magistrate Lazarus Mwape at the Chelston Local Court, said his wife, Sharipha Phiri is the reason he contracted an STD as she denies him sex.Zambia Daily Mail reported that this is in a matter Laima has sued Phiri for divorce."She always tells me she is tired whenever I want to have sex with her. The situation worsened when she started wearing a tight pair of leggings in bed," he said.He told the court that even after the STD was cured, his wife has continued to deny him sex.Laima, who has been married to Phiri for four years described her behaviour as unbearable hence his resolve to seek divorce.He also accused his wife of being disrespectful, unremorseful, arrogant and rude.But Phiri accused her husband of denying her sex and that he always claims to be tired."My husband sleeps with boxer shorts and most of the time, he spends time on the phone and watching television when I demand sex from him," she said.She told the court that she started denying her husband sex after he contracted an STD allegedly from a woman he paid K20 to have sex with."I wanted Laima to also consider taking some traditional medicine after a named private clinic cured the infection to ensure that he was completely healed. However, he rejected my proposal compelling me to stop having sex with him," she said.Passing judgment, Magistrate Mwape dissolved the marriage citing lack of love."The court cannot force you to be together if one party is not willing to reconcile," the court said.The court instructed Laima to maintain his wife with K8,000 and support his child with K250 monthly.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

A SECONDARY school teacher of Kafue has been charged K10, 000 for impregnating a 25-year-old woman.This was in a case in the Chelston Local Court in which Joyce Chalwe of Salama Park was demanding to be paid K15,000, for damage.Zambia Daily Mail reported that the court, however, reduced the amount Chalwe was demanding from Haward Mweene to K10,000.Chalwe told senior presiding magistrate Lazarus Mwape that Mweene impregnated her daughter but has failed to discuss the matter despite being summoned on several occasions."We have been calling Mweene for discussions from the time the pregnancy was only three-month-old but he has not come through and the pregnancy is now six months old," she said.But Mweene told the court that in the past, his family has failed to meet Chalwe's family due to circumstances beyond their control."I got involved in a road accident at a time I arranged to meet Chalwe's family and thereafter, something always came up whenever I planned to meet them," he said.Mweene, however, said he has intentions of marrying Chalwe's daughter and expressed disappointment for being dragged to court.Passing judgment, the court told Mweene that there was nothing wrong with Chalwe dragging him to court."You should not combine damage and marriage because they are two different things. This is how many people have been swindled because they combine the two. If you wanted to marry her, you wouldn't have impregnated her first," the court said.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

THE Chelston Local Court heard how a man of Lusaka married another woman after his wife went to the village to give birth.Chimika Mkandawire told senior presiding magistrate Lazarus Mwape that she was shocked to learn that her husband, Alfred Mvula, took in another woman while she was in the village."Unfortunately, the child died and I had to stay in the village for two years while waiting for my husband to send money for my transport back to Lusaka but this did not happen," she said.Zambia Daily Mail reported that this was in a case in which Mkandawire, 25, sued Alfred Mvula, 37, for divorce. The couple got married in 2004 and has two children together. He paid K50 as bride price."After staying in the village for two years, I decided to return home to ascertain the rumours that my husband had taken in another wife."I discovered that the reports were true and my husband prevented me from returning to the village stating that I'm still his wife," she said.Mkandawire told the court that Mvula asked her to look for a house to rent but later abandoned her.She said her husband failed to settle rentals and buy her food.Mkandawire further told the court that her husband is fond of accusing his father-in-law of having a hand in their child's death which she described as unfortunate.But Mvula, who did not deny marrying another woman, said he was not ready for a polygamous marriage hence seeking divorce from Mkandawire."I'm not financially stable at the moment to support two women. This is why I told Mkandawire not to return to Lusaka but she still found her way back," he stated.Passing judgment, the court castigated Mvula for marrying another woman while married to his first wife."It is heartless of you to turn a woman into a sex object. Why did you ask your wife to go to the village to give birth? Could it be because you had intentions of marrying another woman?" the court questioned.The court ended the marriage and ordered Mvula to pay Mkandawire K8,000. He was also instructed to pay monthly child support of K300.
News / Education

by Tinomuda Chakanyuka

PETRA High School in Bulawayo has terminated employment contracts for 12 Government-registered teachers, replacing them with "volunteers", Sunday News reported.The 12 teachers had their contracts terminated without being given the option to choose between staying in private service or be redeployed in the civil service. Affected teachers who spoke to Sunday News on condition of anonymity said school authorities forced them to sign forms for redeployment to Government.This comes after Government, in January this year, recalled all Government teachers at all trust and private schools, in line with recommendations of the 2015 civil service audit report. The teachers, however, still had the option to choose to stay in private service or be redeployed in Government schools.In communicating the development to the affected schools, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango gave teachers 14 days from Thursday to respond. By failing to respond within the prescribed period, she said, one would be deemed to have resigned from the Civil Service Commission.A follow up circular on 16 February this year to Petra High School indicated that the affected teachers had the option to choose between staying in private service or be redeployed to the civil service."Reference is made to the Civil Service Commission minute referenced C716 dated 28 January 2016 . . . The Minute was meant to afford members an opportunity to choose whether they are willing to be redeployed to a Government school," reads part of the circular signed by Bulawayo provincial education director Mr Dan Moyo.The circular further read: "Normal members are to remain in their current stations until further notice. They should be given their normal load."Other trust and private schools are yet to act on the initial circular and are still waiting for further notice from Government.However, authorities at Petra have, without according teachers the options contained in the follow up circular, terminated contracts for 12 teachers, leaving contracts for 15 other Government-registered teachers running.Sources at the school said the 12 affected teachers are still reporting for duty but their teaching loads have since been taken over by volunteers, and they are not allowed to go anywhere near the classrooms.Sunday News is in possession of a copy of the letter of termination of contract for one of the teachers, which cites financial constraints as one of the reasons the school was terminating the teachers' contracts."In view of the decision taken by Government to stop paying your salary to the school, and in view of their recent circular asking Government teachers to elect whether they want to either be redeployed or want to terminate Government service, your contract with Petra will regrettably terminate on Tuesday 16 February. Because of funding constraints caused by Government's withdrawal of salary payment we urge you to complete the redeployment form and submit it to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education by not later than 16 February 2016," reads part of the letter.Petra Schools Board of Governors chairperson Mr Ian Conolly said the decision to terminate contracts for the 12 teachers was in line with the Government circular recalling Government teachers from trust and private schools.Mr Conolly, however, did not explain the discretion the board used in selecting 12 teachers out of a complement of 27 Government-registered teachers at the school."Petra Schools Board of Governors acted on this circular and on February 15th informed 12 Government teachers that, because of financial constraints caused by Government's termination of the payment of teachers' salaries, they would need to be recalled back to Government service. The affected teachers then submitted their paperwork as required by the CSC circular."The Civil Service Commission's original directive has not been countermanded by the CSC and it remains in force. The school and the Government teachers affected by it have complied with that directive," he said.Added Mr Conolly: "As a school community we are very sad that teachers who have given such fine, loyal service over so many years are no longer able to remain at Petra due to circumstances beyond our control. We are most grateful for the professional manner in which staff have dealt with their redeployment and we wish them well as they move back to Government service."Bulawayo PED Mr Moyo could not be drawn to comment on whether the move by Petra was above board.
News / Health

by Robin Muchetu

ONE of Bulawayo's biggest health institutions, United Bulawayo Hospitals has run out of life saving Anti-Retroviral Drugs, a situation that has left patients stranded and having to find their own supplies at pharmacies.UBH public relations officer Matron Nobuhle Thaka confirmed the situation, adding that the hospital had no option except to refer patients to private pharmacies."We do have a shortage of Abacavir Lamivudine 600/300 mg tablets for our adult patients and they have to source them from elsewhere because we are out of stock," she said.Abacavir Lamuvidine is a combination drug for the treatment of HIV infection and may improve immune system function.It is used with other HIV medications to help control HIV infection. It helps to decrease the amount of HIV in the body so that the immune system can work better. This lowers the chance of getting HIV complications (such as new infections, cancer) and improves the quality of the patient's life.Matron Thaka said the institution's ARVs are sourced from Natpharm which is the Government distributor of the drugs and the organistaion has also indicated that it had no stocks."Natpharm told us that they did not have the drugs as yet but have promised to send a consignment as soon as they get the drugs. We as an institution do not procure the drugs but they are donated to us and Natpharm distributes to us as and when we need them," she said.She said that UBH needs 325 units each quarter of the year but for the last quarter they were only given 81 units of Abacavir Lamivudine which have run out. UBH has 161 patients who take this special regimen."What this means is that towards the end of the month more people will be coming to collect their supply for the next quarter but we do not have them and we have been advising them to purchase from pharmacies'," said Matron Thaka.Those on pediatric ARVs have also been affected as the hospital is out of Ritonavir and Lopinavir for the five patients it was supplying. The institution has advised parents to also source the drugs for their children.The hospital said the biggest challenge is that it has no back-up supplier of ARVs as Natpharm was the sole supplier in Zimbabwe. Hospitals can neither purchase from private suppliers nor borrow from sister institutions.A snap survey by the Sunday News in pharmacies' shows that Abacavir Lamivudine costs between $30 and $60 for one month's supply, meaning that per quarter a patient has to fork out a maximum of $180 for ARVs.Mr Lucky Maseko from Hope Fountain on the outskirts of Bulawayo who was at UBH Opportunistic Infections clinic last week said he was not sure of what will become of him since he was unable to purchase the drugs."I get ARVs from here and they told me that I have to buy from the pharmacy but the challenge is that I am not gainfully employed, I actually struggled to get money to travel to the hospital and now I cannot afford the high pharmacy costs," he said.Medical practitioners said if patients stop taking Abacavir Lamivudine even for a few days (for example, if they run out of your medicine and do not get it refilled right away), they should contact a doctor before they start taking it again."You may experience a serious allergic reaction if you stop taking Abacavir Lamivudine and then start again," said a doctor from the city.
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 5

Terming the Aam Admi Party(AAP) performance a big zero, the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Sikander Singh Maluka, in a press release, said here today that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had done nothing for hundreds of women who had been pushed into prostitution in the national capital.

Maluka said Kejriwal should go to the women forced into prostitution and provide them normal lives instead of wasting time making useless announcements for solving all problems of Punjab in less than two months. What can he do here when he had failed miserably on all fronts in Delhi? Maluka added.

Taking a dig at the AAP leaders, Maluka said, What can they do in the name of parivar jodo(unite families) when their star leader(Bhagwant Mann) could not keep his family together? Hungry for power, AAP leaders who are denied the party tickets for elections will publicly show their character. Kejriwal is a dictator as was visible from important party leaders like Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan and Dr Dharamvir Gandhi being sidelined,

The AAP spokesperson for the state, Manpreet Randhawa, did not offer any comment on the issue. Let people read the contents and judge for themselves, he added.
Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 6

Two Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel from the Pathankot airbase drowned while three airmen were hospitalised after the water level in the Ravi river rose near Chamba town on Saturday evening.

The sudden rise in the level was caused due to release of water from the Chamera-II dam, sources said.

Those who drowned have been identified as Corporal Shakti Singh (30) of Jaipur and Corporal Nitesh Mishra (26) from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. Airmen Naval Pandey, Naveen Sharma and Gajender Singh are recuperating at the Chamba Civil Hospital.

Deputy Commissioner Sudesh Mokhta said, The five IAF personnel were clicking photos on the river bank near Chamba when the strong currents swept them away. While Nitesh and Shakti drowned, the three others managed to swim to a safer place.

The district authorities were informed about the accident following which search was launched. The bodies of the two airmen were recovered today.

The sources said the water level in the river rose when surplus water was discharged from the Chamera-II dam of the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) located upstream. It was being suspected that the airmen did not hear the alert sounded through a siren by the NHPC authorities. Deputy Commissioner Sudesh Mokhta has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Shubhkaran Singh will head the investigation and will submit the report within 15 days regarding the circumstances that led to the accident. Last year, when students drowned in the Beas river in Mandi, the state government had issued directions regarding the release of water from dams. It had ordered closure of all paths into the riverbeds. However, it seems that the directions were not complied with at Chamba where the personnel had entered the Ravi riverbed for clicking photographs.
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

The MDC led by Welshman Ncube's councillor in Mtshazo area of Gwanda has been blocked from distributing the food supplied by the Social Welfare Services to the villagers.The Zimbabwe Peace Project reported that on 30 January 2016, in a case of discrimination and corruption, Zanu-PF ward members in Mtshazo area of Gwanda North barred elected councillor Kelan Ndlovu of MDC party led by Welshman Ncube, from distribution of social welfare food."They had their own list of beneficiaries which was done in a partisan manner. Normally food is distributed by councillors and village heads," ZPP reported.
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 5

Iqbal Singh (52), president of the Indian Nirmal Temple, located in Panki city in the Philippines, died in a road mishap three days ago. He was hit by an ambulance while he was crossing a road to reach a gurdwara on his motorcycle.

The accident was so intense that the victim was dragged by the ambulance for some distance, resulting in his death on the spot.

Kin of the deceased said he had been living in the Philippines for the past over a decade. They said once he was kidnapped by some miscreants and, in return, Rs 15 lakh extortion money was paid to the kidnappers, following which he was freed by them.

Iqbal had also been helping Punjabis stuck in the Philippines through the help of the Indian Embassy there. Iqbal Singh was a follower of environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal.

The gurdwara management has decided to hold the bhog ceremony of Iqbal Singh on March 9 in Panki city.
Pathankot, March 5

There are some disturbing inputs about a terror attack in India aimed at creating the maximum media impact during the Shivratri festival and the ongoing Parliament session, a top army commander disclosed here today with an assurance that steps have been taken to deal with it.

There are security related problems today. You know, Maha Shivratri is coming. There are inputs which are disturbing but notwithstanding that extra care has been taken, Western Army Commander Lt Gen KJ Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of a function. When asked to elaborate, he refused but said such events were planned to create maximum media impact.

See elaboration is neither required nor warranted. These events (terror attacks) are planned to create maximum media impact and when can you create a media impact when Parliament is in session, when a festival is taking place, so both happen to be going on so that is why, there are inputs but we have taken steps against that. I must assure you of that, he said.

The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Western Command went on to add that such mischievous activities will not deter a great nation as the Army is fully geared to meet any eventuality.

We want to tell whoever has got this mischievous intentions that nothing can deter us, one Pathankot, one Arnia, one Janglot, once more Samba, cannot deter us. This nation is too great. The Indian Army is fully organised. We will take care of every situation, Lt Gen Singh said.

When asked about inputs that some Pakistan-based terrorist commanders were in touch with their Kashmiri counterparts, he said, there are certain inputs. There are certain indications. I should only tell you this much that we are fully prepared for that.

With regard to the detection of a tunnel in Jammu on the International Border with Pakistan, he said it had helped avert a major terror attack. He added that a survey would be carried out in all the border areas to see if there are any more such tunnels, for which a team of officials of Home Ministry and other security agencies has been formed.  PTI
Lahore, March 6

Pakistan has asked India to send all 24 Indian witnesses to depose before the anti-terrorism court holding the Mumbai attack trial, the chief prosecutor in the high-profile case said today.

The foreign ministry has written to the Indian government asking it to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court in the Mumbai attack case, prosecution chief Chaudhry Azhar said.

He said the anti-terrorism court in Islamabad had already completed recording the statements of all Pakistani witnesses in the case, which has been underway in the country for more than six years.

Now the ball is in Indias court. The Indian government should send all Indian witnesses of the Mumbai case to Pakistan to record their statements so that the trial could further move ahead, said Azhar, who is also a special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Last month, the court, which is holding the trial of the seven accused, including Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had ordered the FIA to present all 24 Indian witnesses in court to record their statements.

It had also ordered to bring back to Pakistan the boats used by Ajmal Kasab and other militants on the grounds that it is case property and should be duly examined. The eight-member Pakistani judicial commission had visited India on behalf of the Pakistani anti-terrorism court. The statements of the Indian witnesses were supposed to be used as evidence in the trial.

Pakistani authorities have arrested seven LeT members involved with the planning and execution of the 2008 Mumbai attack, which killed 166 people.  PTI
Bhuj (Gujarat), March 5

A BSF patrol party has impounded a Pakistani fishing boat after its occupants fled upon seeing the border security personnel in the Koteshwar creek area off the Kutch coast along the Indo-Pakistan border.

Meanwhile, a man has also been arrested in Kutch for taking pictures of the Army cantonment.

"A Pakistani fishing boat was seized yesterday from the Koteshwar creek area after its occupants fled to the Pakistani side on seeing a patrol party," BSF officials said.

Nothing suspicious was found in the boat, they said.

This is the fifth such seizure in that area by BSF in the last five months. Last month too they had seized one boat from the Koteshwar creek area.

Earlier in January, a boat was found in the Sir Creek area. In December last year, a fishing boat was found at Padala creek near Koteshwar while in November, two fishing boats were found in another area of Kutch.

Meanwhile, a man was caught by army personnel while he was allegedly clicking photos of sensitive sites in the cantonment area here in Kachchh district, which borders Pakistan, police said.

"A man was caught by army personnel as he was taking pictures of sensitive locations in the cantonment area," said Inspector of B division of Bhuj, JM Boxa.

"Army officials handed the accused over to us last night, after which we arrested him under the Official Secrets Act," he said.

The accused has been identified as Ayub Khan, a resident of Nana Dinara village of Bhuj Taluka, police said, adding that he was a truck driver.

The mobile phone on which he was clicking pictures was also seized, they said.  PTI
New Delhi/Ahmedabad, March 6

Delhi was on Sunday put on high alert after the police received inputs that 10 suspected LeT and JeM terrorists believed to have entered India from Pakistan through Gujarat may have sneaked into the National Capital for an attack, even as four elite NSG teams were rushed to the western state.

Read: Disturbing inputs about terror attack, says Army top gun



On the eve of Maha Shivratri festival, Gujarat as well as other metros and Jammu and Kashmir were also put on high alert with raids conducted at Kutch and other places, security being beefed up at vital installations, sensitive areas and at all main temples, including the famous Somnath temple where an NSG team has been deployed.

The Gir-Somnath district authorities have postponed tomorrows cultural event at the Somnath temple owing to the terror threat.

In Kolkata, security has been stepped up at NSC Bose International Airport after an e-mail threat that it would be blown up within 24 hours, airport officials said.

The e-mail came in the airport managers ID early today and it was claimed to have been sent from Germany, they said.

In the National Capital, security was beefed up at vital installations, important buildings and crowded places after Delhi Police received inputs about a potential terror strike in the city. A constant vigil was maintained near prominent malls, hospitals, schools and colleges.

A police source said the input specifically mentions about 10 militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfits having entered India via Gujarat and that they could carry out a terror strike in Delhi.

The Special Cell and Crime Branch of Delhi Police have been briefed about the input separately, so that activities of gangs operating in and around the city and elements with suspected terror links can be monitored.

The police are also ensuring that CCTV cameras at all places with high footfall, like popular markets in the city and metro stations are functional. Patrolling across the city has been intensified,

Security has been ramped up at major religious sites in Gujarat like Somnath Temple and Akshardham and in metro citiesMumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.

Vital installations across the metros like railway stations and airports are also being secured.

An advisory has been issued to enhance security at all strategic locations, sensitive industrial sites and religious places in Gujarat after intelligence inputs suggested that the terrorists have entered the state taking the sea route, official sources said.

Gujarat DGP P.C. Thakur held a meeting with NSG officials in Gandhinagar and announced that one team will be sent to step up security at Somnath Temple in Gir-Somnath district.

Thakur issued orders late last night cancelling leave of all policemen.

Four teams of NSG reached here (Gandhinagar) last night.

Out of these, three will remain here, while one team will go to Somnath, he said. The size of each team could vary between 50 to 90 personnel.  PTI
Aden, March 6

An Indian priest, Tom Uzhunnalil (56), who went missing after the Friday attack on care home in Aden, is being held by assailants, likely militants from the Islamic State Group. The authorities have blamed IS for the attack on the refuge for the elderly, operated by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity.

We are aware that no group has yet claimed the criminal attack... but information points to the involvement of Daesh, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Gunmen stormed the refuge killing a Yemeni guard before tying up and shooting 15 other employees. Four foreign nuns working as nurses were among those killed.

The Vatican missionary news agency, Fides identified the nuns as two Rwandans, one Kenyan and one Indian, adding that the mother superior managed to hide and survive while an Indian priest was missing.

The internationally recognised government in war-torn Yemen is struggling with both an Iran-backed rebellion and a growing Jihadist presence. The Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has said Pope Francis "was shocked and profoundly saddened" to learn of "this act of senseless and diabolical violence.

Al-Qaida and IS have stepped up attacks in Aden, targeting mainly loyalists and members of a Saudi-led coalition, battling Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year.  AFP
Hilla, March 6

Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide attack with an explosive-laden fuel tanker on an Iraqi police checkpoint south of Baghdad, killing at least 60 persons and wounding more than 70, medical and security officials said.

Responsibility was claimed in a posting on the website of the Amaq news agency, which supports the ultra-hardline Sunni group.

"A martyr's operation with a truck bomb hit the Babylon Ruins checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, killing and wounding dozens," the statement on the Amaq website said. Hilla is the capital of Babylon province, a predominantly Shia region with some Sunni presence.

"It's the largest bombing in the province to date," Falah al-Radhi, the head of the provincial security committee, told Reuters. "The checkpoint, the nearby police station were destroyed as well as some houses and dozens of cars."

A provincial hospital official confirmed the number of casualties. Many had suffered burn injuries.

Officials said the vehicle was a truck packed with explosives and was detonated after being pulled over by checkpoint security as it tried to enter Hilla.

Pictures posted on social media showed vast destruction around the checkpoint, where cars are usually bumper-to-bumper at that time of day, queueing to be checked by security personnel.

A March 2014 suicide bombing at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Hilla, 80 km south of the capital, killed 50 persons and wounded more than 150.

When Iraqi forces began their counter-offensive against IS in late 2014, securing the Shiite shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, south of Baghdad, was a priority.

The jihadist group has been losing territory in Iraq for almost a year. In the most recent operation, Iraqi forces are retaking areas west of the city of Samarra. In the cities the group retains control over, internal tension appears to be on the rise and the lack of supplies is taking its toll.  Agencies
Baghdad (Iraq), March 6

A truck bomb exploded at a crowded checkpoint outside the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, today, killing at least 60 persons, and wounding more than 70, medical and security officials said.

Officials said the vehicle was a truck packed with explosives and was detonated after being pulled over by checkpoint security as it tried to enter Hilla.

Pictures posted on social media showed vast destruction around the checkpoint, where cars are usually bumper-to-bumper at that time of day, queuing to be checked by security personnel.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

Responsibility was claimed in a posting on the website of the Amaq news agency, which supports the ultra-hardline Sunni group.

A martyrs operation with a truck bomb hit the Babylon Ruins checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, killing and wounding dozens, the statement on the Amaq website said.

Hilla is the capital of Babylon province, a predominantly Shiite region with some Sunni presence.

Its the largest bombing in the province to date, Falah al-Radhi, the head of the provincial security committee, told Reuters. The checkpoint, the nearby police station were destroyed as well as some houses and dozens of cars. A provincial hospital official confirmed the number of casualties. Many had suffered burn injuries.  Agencies
Baton Rouge, March 6

Republican Ted Cruz posted two crucial wins over front-runner Donald Trump who also triumphed in two states in today's multi-state vote while in the Democratic camp Bernie Sanders clawed his way back into the presidential contest with two victories over Hillary Clinton.

Clinton was jolted by Sanders in Kansas and Nebraska but the former secretary of state bounced back to easily win Louisiana, seen as the weekend's big prize.

In the Republican camp, Texas Senator Cruz scored decisive wins in the Kansas and Maine caucuses, demonstrating his enduring appeal among conservatives as he tried to reel Trump's significant lead in the Republican presidential race.

Trump, 69, contained Cruz's advances by winning in Louisiana and Kentucky.

But the Texas senator's wins were sure to energise the anti-Trump forces who are desperately trying to stop Trump's march to the nomination, and they left little doubt that Cruz, who has now captured six states, is their best hope.

However, with today's result Trump and Clinton consolidated their lead in the race to the White House even as their rivals gave them a tough time by winning some key states in the multi-state 'Super Saturday' primaries.

Trump registered an impressive win in Louisiana, the home State of Indian-American Bobby Jindal, and had a narrow win in Kentucky over Cruz.

68-year-old Clinton, who seems set to be the first woman presidential nominee of a major political party, had a landslide win in Louisiana. But she lost to Senator Sanders in Kansas and Nebraska.

Senator Marco Rubio performed very poorly in all the four Republican primary states following which Trump asked him to drop out of the race.

"I have been in competition all of my life. There is nothing as exciting as this," Trump said and asked Rubio to drop out of the race following his poor performance.

"I would love to take on Ted (Cruz) one-o-one. I will win Ted one-o-one," Trump told reporters at a news conference in Palm Beach in Florida.

"Marco has to get out of the race," he said.

Trump also warned that the party establishment planning to have a third party run would be handing over the White House to the Democratic Party in a platter.

However, Cruz asserted that he is the only one who can defeat Trump and urged other candidates to drop out of the race.

"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D C, is utter terror at what we the people are doing together. We saw on Tuesday, the Super Tuesday results that were extraordinary. And today on Super Saturday, we seem to be seeing a continuation of that very same pattern," Cruz told supporters at a rally in Idaho.

"What we're seeing is conservatives coming together," said Cruz who so far has won seven states to Trump's twelve.

Trump exuded confidence that he would get enough delegates to earn the party's nomination before the July convention.

Campaigning in Puerto Rico, Rubio played down his poor performance and said he would continue his run.

"Here's the bottom line. There will be more delegates awarded in Florida than basically any other state that voted tonight combined. It's a winner-take-all state," he said.

"The states that voted tonight are important and we're going to leave tonight with more delegates than we had. I've explained repeatedly this is a proportional process and every night that we have caucuses like there were tonight in three states, we continue to pick up delegates," Rubio said.

With an eye on the November presidential polls, Clinton attacked Trump at an election rally.

"We have allowed our politics to be hijacked by extreme ideologues. We all know the stakes keep getting higher, and the rhetoric we're hearing from the other side just keeps sinking lower," she said at an election rally in Detroit.

"Instead of building walls, we're going to be knocking down barriers and building ladders of opportunity and empowerment so every American can live up to his or her potential," Clinton said after Sanders landed victories in both the Kansas and Nebraska caucuses.

Sanders said the win in Nebraska coupled with a double- digit victory in Kansas put him on a path toward victory.

"We've got the momentum, the energy and the excitement that will take us all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia," he said.

"I feel good about our campaign because the voters are sending a clear message. No matter what the pundits say, it is the voters who will decide this election," Sanders said.  PTI
News / Local

by Vusumuzi Dube

THE Bulawayo City Council has informed the Government that it has annexed areas which were under the Umguza Rural District Council to expand its boundaries heightening tensions between the two local authorities that have been fighting over the ownership of the affected areas.The two local authorities have been at each other's throats regarding the incorporation of land around the city following a Presidential Proclamation 15E of 2004 and the subsequent Statutory Instruments that created the metropolitan provinces of Bulawayo and Harare.In both cases the metropolitan boundaries were declared as covering a radius of up to 40 kilometres.In the latest development, BCC abandoned negotiations with Umguza over the expansion moves and instead informed the Government that it was going ahead with expanding the city's boundaries and will now start collecting revenue and providing services to areas despite them being under the jurisdiction of Umguza RDC.The areas annexed include the controversial Reigate, Umvutsha, Umguza Agricultural Lots, Umguza Estate and the Southern portion of Nondwane. Last year Umguza RDC launched an exercise of demolishing Reigate compound houses after the local authority decided to turn Reigate area into a residential suburb.In an interview with Sunday News Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Martin Moyo said what they were doing was just a mere formality as there was a clear law which supported their move."This is just a formality, we have not been implementing this but the law supports us," said Clr Moyo.Umguza RDC chief executive officer Mr Collen Moyo, however, hit back at BCC saying while they were aware that they had since written to the Government informing them of this move, they had a low institutional memory as they were overlooking the reason why previous city fathers had never implemented the proclamation."We are aware that they (BCC) have written to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing but I think this is a case of them having a very low institutional memory. They should ask themselves why, people who were in office then, (did not implement it), it was not an appetising proclamation! It is only this current crop which has become excited over this," said Mr Moyo.According to the latest BCC report, the local authority wrote to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing notifying them of the expansion exercise under an earlier proclamation of 1999."Reference is made to the Statutory Instrument 212 of 1999. Please be advised that an error has been perpetrated over time to assume that the land as detailed in Statutory Instrument 212 of 1999 is under Umguza Rural District Council (fact and Law). It is quite clear that this land since 1999 falls under the city of Bulawayo."The land was acquired/incorporated by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe (President Mugabe) for the City of Bulawayo through Statutory Instrument 212 of 99. Therefore it means every development in these areas must be done under the authority of the city of Bulawayo as the relevant planning authority in terms of the law. We are therefore accordingly proceeding to implement the attached Statutory Instrument," reads part of the letter.According to BCC, the implications of the implementation of the Statutory Instrument were that the said areas now fall under the jurisdiction of Bulawayo, hence the local authority now has to plan and provide services and infrastructure to the areas.In the restructuring of ward and block boundaries in 1999 in terms of the Proclamation 17, the Statutory Instrument stated that: ". . . by virtue of the powers vested in the President I do hereby alter the boundaries of the Bulawayo City Council area by the addition of Umvutsha, Reigate, Umguza Agricultural Lots, Umguza Estate, Southern Portion of Nondwane to the said Council area . . ."This was done in terms of paragraph (b) of subsection 2 of section 4 of the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15).Section 4 of the Act, which deals with provisions relating to establishment, alteration or abolition of municipalities, towns, councils and council areas reads: "At any time after the establishment of a council the President may, subject to this Act, by proclamation in the Gazette and after consultation with the council divide or re-divide the council area into any number of wards, create one or more additional wards, alter or abolish one or more wards or abolish the division of the council area into wards, (Or) alter the boundaries of the council area by adding thereto and additionally, or alternatively, subtracting therefrom any area, determine any question arising therefrom and redefine the council area."The latest move could bring to an end a fight between the two local authorities over the ownership of the land with BCC at one point accusing Umguza RDC officials and land developers, whom they said were building houses close to the border between the two councils and expecting BCC to provide services to these areas.Umguza RDC on the other hand were accusing BCC of arm-twisting land developers that were interested in constructing houses close to the boundary of the two councils on the side of Umguza to seek voluntary incorporation for the council to award them subdivision certificates and connect them to the city's water and sewage reticulation.The matter had been escalated by the development of Mbundane and Emthunzini suburbs, whose incorporation into the master plan of Bulawayo have courted controversy as neither of the local authorities wanted to accept responsibility of both suburbs.
Last month, the community of Sayre lost their local access to emergency health care when the hospital closed their doors. The loss of local health care is a trend across the US. Since 2010, 55 rural hospitals have closed their doors. Burdensome Medicare requirements have forced hospitals to operate under impractical classification regulations to see patients, like the minimum number of inpatient beds that are required. If hospitals choose not to accept Medicare patients, they cut out a huge portion of the surrounding population and they must offset their cost with privately insured patients.

When the Affordable Care Act passed, commonly known as Obamacare, Americans were promised more access to health care and hospitals were promised greater insurance coverage. But hospitals across Oklahoma now face a much larger financial burden because of sky-high deductibles and vastly increased regulations. Patients now understand that there is a difference between an insurance card and actual health care coverage. If your local hospital is forced to close, having insurance is of little consolation. Health care was already complicated before Obamacare, now it is even worse. At this point, every bill to eliminate Obamacare has been filibustered in the Senate or vetoed by the President, but the problems still remain.

In Oklahoma, we have 97 hospitals that serve two million Oklahomans who live outside of the five largest counties in the state. In addition to the loss of health care access, communities who see their hospitals close lose valuable local economic activity. Research shows a rural hospital can create an estimated 140 jobs and generate $6.8 million in revenue for the community.

If the larger issue of emergency health care regulations and requirements are not addressed, access to emergency services for communities in Oklahoma and the nation will face continued losses. In 2015, 283 rural hospitals across the nation were identified as being on the brink of closure, 15 of those hospitals are in Oklahoma. Today, there are 673 rural hospitals across the country that have been identified as at risk of closure, 42 are located in Oklahoma. There needs to be a solution that will protect rural access to emergency care and provide states the tools to make decisions based on their needs, not put a bandage on the problem.

The Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital (REACH) Act is a viable solution for Congress to consider, which I have co-sponsored. The REACH Act will replace the current Medicare requirements that hospitals struggle to meet with unattainable payment designations. Once again, the federal government is in the way of rural communities rather than supportive of rural communities.

The REACH Act will provide hospitals the flexibility to offer outpatient care like telemedicine services or hospice care. When Congress repeals bad regulations, we allow local hospitals to make the choices that best fit the needs of their communities. We need to sustain emergency services in rural communities and protect Oklahomans in their greatest hour of need.

Lankford is Oklahomas junior U.S. senator. This article was distributed by Lankford's office.
A woman accused of driving two teenagers during an attempted robbery and shooting of a mixed martial arts fighter and his son on Monday was arrested the following morning.

Otelia Sunnitha Mae Warrior, 30, of Tulsa was arrested about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, two hours before robbery suspects Harold Thompson, 16, and Kywaun Washington, 17, were taken into custody, jail records indicate.

Thompson and Washington are accused of trying to rob mixed martial artist and former UFC fighter Mikey Burnett and his 18-year-old son, Freddie, in the parking lot of RibCrib, 3022 S. Garnett Road, after the two were leaving nearby 10Gym about 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Mikey Burnett was shot four times and underwent multiple surgeries. Freddie Burnett was shot once in a leg.

An arrest report states that Thompson approached Mikey Burnett and asked to use his cell phone. When Mikey Burnett agreed, Thompson pulled out a gun, demanding his wallet.

Mikey Burnett tried to move the gun out of his face and was shot multiple times. Freddie Burnett had been standing nearby and intervened when he saw the attack, according to the report.

A witness saw the two assailants running from the scene and watched them get into a white 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora. The witness followed the car and saw it go north onto U.S. 169, the report states.

Police later found the vehicle, which was registered to Warrior. Officers stayed at the location until the car left about 6 a.m. the following day, at which time they pulled it over and arrested Warrior, who also had outstanding warrants, the report says.

During a police interview, Warrior admitted to driving the car during the attempted robbery and assault. She told investigators she had dropped off Thompson and Washington at CVS near 31st Street and Garnett Road and waited near 31st and 111th East Avenue for the two to return after the robbery, the report states.

Warrior was booked at the Tulsa Jail on a complaint of attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon and several warrants. She is being held in lieu of $50,500 bail, jail records indicate.
The city is announcing the selection of a chief resilience officer this week, a major step in its worldwide partnership with 100 Resilient Cities.

Mary Kell, a licensed architect and certified floodplain manager, has worked with the city in the Engineering Services Department for eight years and is set to assume the role of chief resilience officer for Tulsa.

Im tasked with working across departments and bringing people together, listening to whats in the works for building or infrastructure needs and trying to stretch our money further, Kell said.

A big part of the job, she said, will be working between departments to identify risks and find solutions that save money, strengthening the city in the long term.

If you are going to put in a new road, wed make sure its lit for safety, or maybe you can raise it to help with floodways, Kell said. Theres different ways to design things.

Tulsa earned membership in the 100 Resilient Cities initiative more than a year ago.

The program, established by the Rockefeller Foundation, creates a web of cities across the globe, including major capitals like Paris, Barcelona and Athens, which are granted funds to add the chief resilience officer position and gain direct access to a network that can help solve problems globally.

Mayor Dewey Bartlett has been a major proponent of the program, attending or leading several related events since Tulsa joined the coalition. One event had Bartlett meeting with mayors from across the globe.

I heard so many problems that were much worse than I ever imagined or experienced, Bartlett said.

Kell, as Tulsas chief resilience officer, will be tasked with coming up with a strategy for making Tulsa more resilient  initially identifying priorities for Tulsa.

Kell said those will include looking at both shocks and stresses.

Shocks are more like a weather event, Kell said. Stresses are more like a failing transportation system  something that affects us over time.

Her first goals for the department are to establish five or six initiatives for Tulsa to address, based on identifying the most urgent needs related to shocks and stresses.

Kells department, under the Mayors Office, will work with two interns who already have been hired to spend a $25,000 grant focusing on neighborhood building in lower-income communities.

Bartlett said his focus for the department is not just to shore up Tulsa against disasters, but for Tulsa to become a regional and international leader in ways to respond to and prepare for disasters  likely tornadoes and similar events.

One of the basic concepts of the 100 Resilient Cities is that we are all in it together, Bartlett said. When the problems hit in Joplin, it just wiped out an area a mile wide and six miles long. Joplin wasnt prepared at all. It was uncoordinated. It was scattered. Cell-phone towers were gone, and they had no communication at all.

Bartlett said Tulsa sent a team to respond that was prepared, and through the Resilient Cities program could teach others to be prepared.

They (Joplin) were just at a loss, Bartlett said. When we showed up, we were the white-hatted cavalry. Thats what we do. Thats what we have done multiple times over the last several decades.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP)  Ted Cruz cinched double-barreled victories in Kansas and Maine, and Donald Trump captured Louisiana in Saturday's four-state round of Republican voting, fresh evidence that there's no quick end in sight to the fractious GOP race for president.

Bernie Sanders notched a win in Nebraska and state party officials gave him a victory in Kansas, while Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana.

"God bless Kansas," Cruz declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days. "The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together."

The Texas senator defeated Trump easily in Kansas and Maine, and Trump rolled to victory in Louisiana, underscoring that his appeal knows no geographic limitation. Early returns showed Cruz and Trump were in a tight race for Kentucky.

Cruz, a tea party favorite, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a "manifestation of a real shift in momentum."

With the GOP race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders  including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Sen. John McCain  are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the GOP ticket.

"Everyone's trying to figure out how to stop Trump," the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.

In Maine, Cruz won by a comfortable margin over Trump. Republicans and Democrats also were voting in Louisiana on Saturday.

On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Sanders won by a solid margin in Nebraska and Kansas officials said he'd won the state caucuses, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season. Clinton, who's been doing well with African-American voters, had an easy win in Louisiana.

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins he'll need in order to secure the nomination before the GOP convention, every one of the 155 GOP delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

Count Wichita's Barb Berry among those who propelled Cruz to victory in Kansas, where GOP officials reported extremely high turnout. It was Cruz' fifth win of the nominating race. Cruz had won Alaska, Oklahoma, Iowa and his home state of Texas.

"I believe that he is a true fighter for conservatives," said Berry, a 67-year-old retired AT&T manager. As for Trump, Berry said, "he is a little too narcissistic."

It was anger that propelled many of Trump's voters to the polls.

"It's my opportunity to revolt," said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas. She said she liked the businessman because "he's not bought and paid for."

Overall, Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturday's voting. Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.

On the Democratic side, Clinton hoped that strong support among African-Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Vermonter Sanders, trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

Tara Evans, a 52-year-old quilt maker from Bellevue, Nebraska, said she was caucusing for Clinton, and happy to know that the former first lady could bring her husband back to the White House.

"I like Bernie, but I think Hillary had the best chance of winning," she said.

Heading into Saturday's voting, Clinton had 1,066 delegates to Sanders' 432, including superdelegates  members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Clinton and Sanders both campaigned in Michigan, a sign of the importance both attach to the state's primary on Tuesday.

Clinton met with about 20 African-American ministers in Detroit and said "the future" of the Supreme Court was on the ballot in November's general election.

Sanders, at a rally in suburban Warren, stressed his opposition to "disastrous" trade agreements that he said cost U.S. jobs. He's hoping his emphasis on reducing income inequality plays well in a state hit hard over the years by shifting economic trends and globalization.

In the overall race for GOP delegates, including partial results for Kansas, Trump led with 347 and Cruz had 267. Rubio had 116 delegates and Kasich had 28.

Cruz will collect at least 36 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine, Trump at least 18 and Rubio at least six and Kasich three.

It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Benac reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Jacksonville, Florida; David Eggert in Warren, Michigan; Catherine Lucey in Detroit; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; John Hanna in Olathe, Kansas, and John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan, contributed to this report.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has paid out more than $5.6 million over the past four years to a New Jersey-based consulting group that includes three experts paid $315 an hour to oversee reforms to the states troubled child welfare system.

Taxpayer-funded payments to Public Catalyst  which average more than $100,000 a month  continue at a time when DHS has offered voluntary buyouts to more than 400 employees as agency officials seek to make tens of millions of dollars in spending cuts over the next 16 months because of declining state revenues.

The three out-of-state experts were appointed by a Tulsa federal judge to recommend and monitor reforms that were agreed upon as part of a settlement to a class-action lawsuit that focused on the horrific abuse of some children in state care.

The experts, sometimes called co-neutrals, arent the only ones being paid under the Public Catalyst contract. Their partners, associates, support staff and consultants also have been paid hourly rates ranging from $67 to $315, public records reveal.
WASHINGTON  Here is how Oklahomas members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives voted on key bills and amendments last week.

House

Legal references to minorities: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 4238), sponsored by Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., to change two 1970s laws organizing the Energy Department and governing local public works projects that described minorities as Negro and Oriental, to replace those terms with African American and Asian American. Meng said the time has come to repeal certain terms from federal law that many in the Asian American community would find offensive. The vote, on Feb. 29, was unanimous with 376 yeas.

Yeas: Rep. Jim Bridenstine (1st), Rep. Tom Cole (4th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas (3rd), Rep. Markwayne Mullin (2nd), Rep. Steve Russell (5th)

Naming post office after Maya Angelou: The House has passed a bill (H.R. 3735), sponsored by Rep. Alma S. Adams, D-N.C. The bill would designate a U.S. post office in Winston Salem, N.C., as the Maya Angelou Memorial Post Office. Adams called Angelou one of our countrys greatest writers, inspirational thought leaders, and an overall phenomenal woman. An opponent, Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis., said several of Angelous political positions, including support for the Castro regime in Cuba, made her unworthy of having a post office named after her. The vote, on March 1, was 371 yeas to 9 nays.

Yeas: Bridenstine, Cole, Lucas, Mullin, Russell

Pollution rules and brick making: The House has passed the Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns Act (H.R. 4557), sponsored by Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. The bill would block the Environmental Protection Agency from implementing its proposed emissions rule for hazardous air pollutants in the brick and structural clay manufacturing industry until judicial review of the rules has been completed. Johnson said the rule was jeopardizing good-paying jobs across the country for little public health or environmental benefit, and blocking its preliminary implementation would protect the brick industry from having to spend millions of dollars installing pollution controls to comply with a rule that might never take effect. A bill opponent, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., said it would encourage the brick industry to file endless challenges to the proposed rule, which Rush said sought to advance important public health protections against toxic air pollution. The vote, on March 3, was 238 yeas to 163 nays.

Yeas: Bridenstine, Cole, Lucas, Mullin, Russell

Senate

Prosecuting drug traffickers: The Senate has passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S. 524). The amendment would make it easier for the Justice Department to prosecute the importation by traffickers of counterfeit drugs and banned chemicals used to make controlled substances regulated by the government. Grassley said changing the prosecutorial standard from establishing that a trafficker knowingly intended to import the banned substances to establishing that the trafficker had reasonable cause to believe that the substances would be imported would improve Justices ability to prosecute cartels who harm our communities from abroad by trafficking heroin, other drugs, and precursor chemicals for ultimate delivery here. The vote, on March 2, was unanimous with 94 yeas.

Yeas: Sen. Jim Inhofe, Sen. James Lankford
News / Local

by Vusumuzi Dube

BULAWAYO City councillors are demanding that the local authority purchase iPads and tablets for them although a majority have conceded that they have no knowledge on the use of laptops they were given two years ago.The revelations emerged last week when councillors vehemently resisted a move by the local authority to phase out use of hard copy monthly council minutes in favour of soft copy formats with councillors noting that a majority of them were still technophobic despite having computers for the past two years.Technophobia is defined by the free online dictionary as fear of or aversion to technology, especially computers and high technology. The motion was tabled by the chamber secretary, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou.Ironically the councillors, while resisting this move went to call for the local authority to purchase tablets or iPads for them arguing that their laptops were now cumbersome."Councillor Siboniso Khumalo reported verbally on this matter. He spoke strongly against the notices currently being circulated by the chamber secretary to the effect that hard copies of committee and council agenda were being phased in favour of soft copies."He felt there was a need for extensive training as some councillors were still not knowledgeable on the use of their laptops. Also the laptops that were issued to councillors more than two years ago, were now cumbersome and council should consider replacing these with tablets or iPads," reads part of the minutes.During the debate some councillors even suggested that council officials should limit the use of soft copy formats to committee meetings, which are closed to the public to avoid possible embarrassment during the open full council minutes."I am not against the phasing out of hard copies as this is a progressive move. I, however, feel that the use of information technology should be limited to the committee room at this stage to avoid possible embarrassment in open council," said Ward 23 councillor, Thobani Ncube.The laptops were issued to councillors in 2013 as a sequel to the introduction of the e-agenda, the aim at the time was to eliminate paper, enhance efficiency and reduce costs.Commenting on the matter, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere said while he was not aware of the demands, councils must know that their core responsibility was on service delivery."It will honestly not be fair to residents if councillors use ratepayers' money to purchase luxuries such as iPads and tablets, this has no bearing towards service delivery at all," said Minister Kasukuwere.Bulawayo United Resident Association (Bura) chairperson Mr Winos Dube said it did not make sense for councillors to demand these gadgets noting that there were a lot of things that need to be done in the city."Yes, we note that they are doing a good job in terms of service delivery but this is certainly not the time for them to be purchasing such gadgets for themselves. I am sure that if they set their priorities straight these gadgets should be at the bottom of the list. As residents we don't want a scenario where we watch while they abuse our monies. They occupy those offices just to oversee service delivery, this is one thing they should always have in mind," said Mr Dube.When the councillors were issued with the laptops in 2013 they became an immediate laughing stock during a full council meeting when a majority of them seemingly struggled to use the gadgets, giving a council IT expert a hard time as he had to move around the room assisting the councillors.Before the laptops were purchased a fight almost broke out during a closed door council meeting when the councillors demanded laptops from management. They demanded to know why officials had not given them 29 laptops that were reportedly long bought for councillors in 2010.
A recent Tulsa World article pointed out the results of over-incarceration ("On the inside," Feb. 21).

We lock up young people and put them in dangerous environments. Once there, they have no choice but to join a gang for protection. That fuels more criminal activity, requiring us to build more prisons, which produce more criminals. It is a never-ending cycle that is trashing people's lives and the lives of their families. Private prisons that accept out-of-state prisoners are making the situation worse because they also are importing other states' gang members.

Oklahoma incarcerates more women than any other state. And that is in a country that locks up far more people than any other country. We are No. 2 in incarcerating men. We also are high on the list of states in teen pregnancy, divorce rates, infant mortality rates and children living in poverty. Each of these problems fuels the others.

What results are we getting for the money being spent? Isn't it about time we start looking at the problems and start trying to find real solutions?

I have been locked up three times for having small amounts of marijuana. It was a waste of time and resources, and kept me from working and paying taxes. Can't some of this start making sense? Especially for the amount of money we are spending. Couldn't that money be spent elsewhere?

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com.
It's Divali time so at TV6 over the next few days, we bring you some of the interesting aspe
NITV screens the documentary Putuparri & the Rainmakers which premiered at Melbourne International Film Festival last year and has since been a nominee for best picture at the Guangzhou Documentary Film Festival.

Set against the backdrop of Australias tangled colonial and Indigenous history, the film 10 years in the making is the stunning story of Aboriginal culture, life and law told through Tom Putuparri Lawford.

Director Nicole Ma spent more than a decade documenting Putuparris journey, travelling with him and his family on numerous occasions to Kurtal, in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. Kurtal is a site of great spiritual significance to Putuparris family where they have ritually made rain for many thousands of years. The family have spent nearly two decades fighting for their native title claim over the area. The film captures the long fight for ownership of traditional lands, it is an emotional and breathtaking story of love, hope and the survival of Aboriginal law and culture against all odds.

Toms grandparents, Nyilpirr Ngalyaku Spider Snell and Jukuja Dolly Snell, the traditional owners of Kurtal are in the documentary and seen painting the iconic Ngurrara Canvas (traditional map) taken to Canberra as part of their land claim case. The iconic painting saw 40 artists and senior traditional owners of the Great Sandy Desert of northern Western Australia take part in creating their land map.

Sunday 13 March 2016, 9:30pm on NITV.
Optus recently launched a homepage for its upcoming English Premier League coverage, which begins in August.

It allows EPL fans to register and hear first about plans, in a major move to position itself with exclusive content.

It remains to be seen whether it will pay off in luring new subscribers.

According to Roy Morgan Research there are 1.7m EPL fans in Australia, and 96% of them (aged 14+) own a mobile phone, 77% have fixed broadband in their homes.

Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan Research, recently said, Buying the exclusive rights to broadcast the English Premier League was a big move for Optus. Nearly five million Australians think that all telecommunications companies are the same. This widely held attitude reflects thatregardless of things like price, network coverage, data allowances, customer service and bundling optionsthe fundamental services they provide are basically the same no matter which you sign up with. We dont love internet connections and 4G networkswe love the content it delivers.

Optus now owns something that many Australians want, and will need to be intelligent about providing it in a way that feeds new customers, and revenue, back to its core services for the long term. The success of this Australian-first model depends on month-by-month, consumer-focused impact analysis in the lead up to and throughout the next season, and then beyond over the life of the three-year deal.

Meanwhile the Australian Financial Review reports Optus has had discussions with Foxtel to screen the EPL to put together a package for pubs and clubs, but talks have not progressed since December.
News / Local

by Lynnia Ndlovu

AN injiva is on the run after he allegedly stabbed his rival suitor to death accusing him of snatching his wife when they were on separation, police have confirmed.Midlands acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said police were looking for Londani Moyo who works in South Africa but is from River Block resettlement area in Gwanda in connection with the alleged murder of Sikhulumani Sithole of Nyakuve Village in Mberengwa on 16 February over a dispute involving Pretence Mpofu who was once married to Moyo.After the alleged killing Moyo ran away and is suspected to have skipped the border into South Africa.Said Assistant Inspector, Ethel Mukwende: "I can confirm that Londani Moyo of River Block in Colleen Bawn stabbed Sikhulumani Sithole of Nyakuve Village in Mberengwa on 16 February 2016. It happened that on the day, Moyo who had married Mpofu of Mhlanyuki Village came back from South Africa where he used to work and reside."His wife Mpofu had left their homestead at River Block after they had a misunderstanding which led to their separation on 25 December 2015 and she then fell in love with Sithole with whom she were cohabiting in Mberengwa," said Asst Insp Mukwende.She said Moyo followed his wife to her parents' home in Mberengwa but did not find her.He then threatened his ex-wife's sister Prevalent Mpofu to reveal his ex-wife's whereabouts."Moyo then force-marched Prevalent to Sithole's home."When they arrived at Sithole's home Moyo commanded the couple who were in their hut to open the door in which they refused leading him to pick a stone and forcibly open the door."He pulled Sithole by hand and stabbed him once on the collar bone. Sithole later died due to excessive bleeding," she said.Asst Insp Mukwende appealed to members of the public to assist in the arrest of Moyo."Moyo is nowhere to be found and we appeal to members of the public that if anyone sees him or gets any information that may assist in his arrest they should report to any nearby police station or contact the officer commanding Zvishavane on 051-2648 or on officer commanding CID Zvishavane 051-3402."We confirm that we have the report and we want him as he is still at large," said Asst Insp Mukwende.
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
News / Local

by Lovemore Kadzura

DEBT-RIDDEN Rusape businessman, Barnabas Amos Nemaire, has approached the courts demanding maintenance from his wife and business partner, Victoria Nemaire, alleging that she deserted their matrimonial home.Manica Post reported that Nemaire, who has separated with his wife of 26 years, has had series of misfortunes which include the closure of his school, Watermark College and attachment of property and cars.Last week, his two school commuter omnibuses which he was using to ply the Harare-Rusape route were attached by financiers, FBC Bank and Mega Link for failing to service debts.In his court papers, Nemaire claimed that Nemaire was influencing financiers to reverse deals they had entered into together as husband and wife. He also argued that he no longer had a source of income."Sometime in November 2015, Victoria stole from the school and abandoned me. She later took all the school children and started to run a boarding house, leaving me unemployed. She phoned financiers to reverse the contracts we had with them."Since she moved out of our home she has neglected me and I have no source of income to fend for myself. She is interfering with every attempt I am making to fend for myself, yet she has an income from the boarding house she is running."She has been sending dangerous thugs to threaten me wherever I attempt to do business. She is a businesswoman and when employed earns approximately $2 000. I wish to claim maintenance for myself in the sum of $335 per month," stated Nemaire who is not represented.Nemaire was the first to file for maintenance late last year, but had to stop pursuing the matter on the advice of Nemaire's relatives who were attempting to reunite the estranged couple.However, the deal did not take place as Nemaire allegedly refused to reunite with his wife.Mrs Nemaire, who is staying with the children, is now also pursuing her $6 600 maintenance claim from Nemaire.Mrs Nemaire who is represented by Munyaradzi Manyengavana of Chiwanza and Partners argued that Nemaire had virtually turned his back on his family as he was no longer providing basic needs such as food, fees and rentals for his five minor children."He (Nemaire) does not maintain his family at all since May 2015 to February 2016. I wish to claim maintenance for myself in the sum of $2 000 and $920 per month for each of the five minor children making a total of $6 000 per month," she said.The case was transferred to Nyanga and will be heard on March 18 after Nemaire had told the magistrate, Mrs Elizabeth Hanzi that he was not comfortable with the matter being heard in Rusape.He had opted to have the matter heard at Murambinda as he had other pending cases at Rusape court. He also argued that the media was also following him.However, Manyengavana argued that Nemaire could not chose a court he wants and he is the one who brought the matter to the court, so he must not inconvenience the respondent.Meanwhile, in an unrelated matter, Rusape businesswoman, Ms Gladys Svosve, has approached the courts seeking a peace order against Mrs Victoria Nemaire whom she alleged was disturbing her peace.Mrs Nemaire is claiming that Svosve snatched her husband, Barnabas Nemaire and wrecked her 26-year-old marriage."On numerous occasions, she sends different men to my house. On February 17, 2016 a group of eight men stormed my residence claiming that Victoria had come with them and pointed at my house for them to come in."I have no choice, but to ask for court to protect me, my children, my work place as we are under security threat. Victoria should not be allowed near my work place along Robert Mugabe Street and at Brainstorm school where my daughter is schooling. She must also be stopped from gossiping malicious unfounded allegations which are unsubstantiated to discredit my wellbeing in the community and in business. This is my prayer," stated Svosve in her papers.Mrs Nemaire, who is represented by Manyengavana, denied ever breaching Svosve's peace and questioned the basis and validity of her application."I do not even know where the applicant stays. Svosve is vindictive, malicious and bent on silencing me hence this false assertion. I do not pose any security threat at all to Svosve or any member of her family. It is Svosve who can be a security threat to me due to her violent nature. Svosve is a trigger happy woman. . .Svosve snatched my husband, I never asked her."At Brainstorm, I have two children attending classes there and I do not know that applicant's children also attend school there. I do not want anything from applicant's workplace as there is nothing for my consumption or attention there."Applicant is a busy body who is so fond of mounting baseless court applications. In the circumstances, I accordingly pray that this court application be dismissed with the contempt it deserves," said Mrs Nemaire.In proceedings which took place in magistrate, Mrs Hanzi's chambers, Svosve applied that the matter be transferred to Murambinda as she was a public figure in Rusape. She also said there was no media attention in Murambinda.Mr Manyengavana opposed Svosve's court shopping saying she must not be allowed to specifically name a court she wants her matter to be heard.However, Hanzi referred the matter to Murambinda and will be heard on March 22.
Dedicated to fostering conversations about the global nature of The United Methodist Church
News / National

by Staff reporter

Western institutions are trying to prop up Zimbabwe People First leader Dr Joice Mujuru as seen by publication of reports coinciding with her party launch last week claiming her husband, General (Retired) Solomon Mujuru, was the victim of a political assassination.The unsubstantiated claims came soon after Dr Mujuru told a British newspaper that Rtd Gen Mujuru was shot, without providing a shred of evidence to support the claim.She claimed the national hero was shot by "people in power".Rtd Gen Mujuru died on August 15, 2011 when fired gutted his Ruzambo farmhouse. A March 2012 inquest presided over by Harare provincial magistrate Mr Walter Chikwanha concluded there was no foul play, while a postmortem by Dr Gabriel Gonzalez said death had been caused by carbonisation due to open fire.Police investigations led by Assistant Commissioner Chrispen Makedenge found no evidence of foul play.Mr Chikwanha ruled, "Despite the suppositions, speculations, conjectures and suspicions by various people including the deceased's relatives, nothing concrete and no evidence at all was placed before the court to show that there was foul play in the death of the deceased."The facts and evidence presented before the court, therefore, do not show that there was foul play and consequently the court concludes that there was no foul play."Now, four years later, Dr Mujuru and her British backers are claiming the general was murdered.Political analyst Mr Alexander Rusero said, "While General Mujuru's death remains a mystery, equating mystery to assassination is an unfair judgment. The Oxford University Journal claims murder but does not point to murderers, meaning the research is not informed. The research must . . . produce evidence if it is to stand the test of time."Midlands State University's Professor Nhamo Mhiripiri weighed in: "The widow has a right to inquire about the death of her husband and the responsible authorities are obliged to answer. Forensics like any other science is subject to prone to error because it is conducted by human beings."Whether it is a political move to gain sympathy from people or it is indeed a genuine call to the cause of General Mujuru's death no one knows, but even the President himself questioned the manner in which the general died."
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News / National

by Kuda Bwititi and Lincoln Towindo

President Mugabe has dismissed War Veterans Minister Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa from Cabinet, replacing him with his deputy, Colonel (Retired) Tshinga Dube.This follows Ambassador Mutsvangwa's three-year suspension from the ruling Zanu-PF for misconduct and disloyalty.Rtd Col Dube was sworn into office by the President at State House in Harare yesterday.And after the ceremony, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda told The Sunday Mail: "(Mutsvangwa) has been relieved of his duties as Cabinet minister, and official communication to this effect was sent to him on Friday. The reasons for his departure were linked to the decision made by the Politburo last Thursday."The Politburo found Ambassador Mutsvangwa guilty of undermining the authority of Zanu-PF's President and First Secretary, and insulting the First Family.He will not hold any party position during his suspension, though he can remain a Zanu-PF member and National Assembly representative.In his State of the Nation Address last month, President Mugabe blasted the ex-combatants leader for organising an illegal war veterans meeting and failing to notify him of his intentions as patron.Said the President: "Mutsvangwa did not inform me, the VPs or security ministers about the war veterans meeting. We take exception to that. He has acted in a manner we describe as irresponsible, completely irresponsible."People were naturally hurt or at least they had this water from cannons come on their bodies and teargas as well. Mutsvangwa bears responsibility for inviting war veterans to an illegal meeting. He abused his authority as minister in the gravest way possible. We take exception to that."Minister Dube told journalists that his immediate task was to unite war veterans and improve their welfare."We are not supposed to recognise any faction. What we are trying to do is bring these people together so that we can manage them properly."Just imagine: If we have many factions, not just two, and collaborators also split into factions and restrictees do the same  So, we want to unite these war veterans, persuading them to work together. Division has never achieved any success."We all know it is difficult to superintend divided people.''I cannot support any faction; all I am trying to do is persuade them to see the sense in coming together so as to create a proper structure for them."The minister spoke of his "many dreams for war vets", adding that adequate planning should go into the proposed meeting between war veterans and their patron, President Mugabe."I think (the meeting will go on), but these things need a lot of preparation because we have many war veterans  34 000. We can't bring all of them to Harare, so we need to get representatives."His Excellency says he is ready to meet them this coming week, but this might also be postponed until such a time when all preparations have been made."Hailing from Matopo, the new minister became politically active after leaving school, joining the liberation struggle in 1961.He stayed in Zambia where he held different positions in Zapu until 1964 when he went for military training in Russia aged 22.On his return, he was immediately deployed to the war front in the then Southern Rhodesia where he majored in communications and commissariat work.He remained at the front for a year, but was eventually pressured to cross into Botswana by the Rhodesian forces, resulting in his arrest there.Later he was to command a recruitment camp in Zambia and become a member of the Zipra High Command.Minister Dube was conscripted into the Defence Forces at Independence in 1980 and then moved to the Defence Ministry where he was research and development director.He was to then join the Zimbabwe Defence Industries.An engineer by profession, President Mugabe conferred him with the Grand Officer of the Zimbabwe Order of Merit on August 14, 2012.He was appointed War Veterans, Ex-Political Detainess and Restrictees Welfare Services Deputy Minister in 2015 and now takes overall charge of the portfolio.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

The Mthwakazi Republic Party internal Institute of Research have established that the President Robert Mugabe led government does not have an understanding of what development issues entails.Party' Secretary General: Hloniphani Ncube said this would be depicted through a cross examination of Mugabe administration since 1980."Our understanding as a political party is that leaders are chosen to serve the people who put them in power. However ZANU PF Mugabe led administration have a different opinion especially when cross-examining what they have done so far in Mthwakazi," Ncube said.."In 1980 to 1987 the ZANU PF began its policy by killing more than 25 000 civilians in what is popularly known as the Gukurahundi, by so doing the achieved instiling fear to the people of Mthwakazi so that the could implement their retrogressive policies."Ncube said after achieving this, they then further deployed the Shona police officers, nurses and host of other questionable professionals to all the provinces of Mthwakazi."The idea behind this was simply to deteriorate the issues of service delivery around the provinces of Mthwakazi. Thus why these days there is no justice in Mthwakazi because the people of Mthwakazi are served by foreigners who are highly corrupt because they are on a mission to totally destroy the identity and confidence among our people," Ncube said. "These Shona professionals does not understand the local languages of Mthwakazi, thus why there is an out cry from the citizens across Mthwakazi. Mthwakazi Republic Party have sufficient evidence to prove these atrocities to the world."He said people have died in government hospitals because they are given wrong medication due to misunderstandings brought by the Zanu PF System."Thus why Mthwakazi Republic Party policy on this matter is the development which is undertaken taking in consideration of people's languages, cultures and customs, and employment of the local teachers and we have the best professionals from our country who can do that," he said."Furthermore Zanu PF further proceeded to deindustrialise Bulawayo. The purpose of this was simply to destroy Bulawayo economically and promote one sided development in Harare, however, things did not work out to expected plans, because the industries they tried to transfer performed and are still performing dismally."Ncube said the other purpose was to create unemployment among the people of Mthwakazi, and that in turn would chase youths to South Africa as noted in their 1979 satanic grand plan."The problems that our people are experiencing were created by Mugabe and his government, as always they will blame the West about every thing just like all the failures who always look for others to blame about problems they engineered. Mthwakazi Republic Party believes that we are in these cercumstances because of Zanu PF mischief," he said."The other worst political mistake that they made in Mthwakazi was taking land based on racial grounds and inhuman approaches to give to their Shona fellows. As sober scholars have noted, that, the land reform that this government took is a future time bomb that would create the worst ever consequences. The Mthwakazi Republic Party land audit have established with concern that, almost all the farms were given to Shona cronies some in the army and others in the intelligence as a reward for successfully completing the aggressive Gukurahundi program and for continually commiting human rights crimes."Ncube said another concern especially in Bulawayo province is the allocation of stands after the implementation of what was described as the so-called Murambatsvina, whereby the Zanu PF government destroyed thousands of houses of the local Bulawayo people, with the hope of leaving scores of people homeless."In addressing this they created stands in Cow Dray Park and gave houses to the Shona people most of them who are serving in the army and the original Bulawayo people were left desperate up to today. This shows that, this government does not know what development is, because all these human crimes they implemented, they were ironically saying they were developing the city. May God have mercy in our land, we are running out of patience," he said."As a political party, we exist due to such injustices that we inherited and we stand to fight against such crimes against humanity with all that is available on us. As we said we have not entered this painful field to play or gain anything, but to fight for justice in our life time. We call upon our supporters to stand with us at this critical time."
News / National

by Lackson Munkombwe

A SOUTH African human rights lawyer has vowed to represent about 30 000 Zimbabweans, who used to work at South African mines, to access their compensation that have not been released for more than 30 years by different South African mining companies.Addressing over 100 former Wenela workers in Bulawayo yesterday, Mr Barnabas Xulu of Xulu Attorneys said there has been progress since the last meeting in 2014 with about 2 000 Zimbabweans having registered so far."We are here to help people who lost their jobs in South Africa," said Mr Xulu. "We have workers who do not know where their funds are and where to claim them. As human rights lawyers we want to engage those people who lost their jobs and help them reclaim their monies and also get their proper benefits which every former mine employee is mandated to get."He said people who were once employed in mines especially gold and platinum are supposed to be examined at hospitals for any possible diseases that could have develop over time."Miners must be examined of possible sicknesses like tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumoconiosis among others for every two years. We understand diseases can develop for up to 30 years and hence these people who were retrenched from any of these mining companies 28 to 32 years now can still be at risk of suffering from any of the diseases. So we need to represent these people today so that they are able to get their benefits," said Mr Xulu.He said more cases will be filed at the court in Pretoria against the mining companies, an initiative that will spearhead the exercise so that people can get their monies as soon as possible."We need to reach out to as many people as we can, so that everyone has his cases filed at once. This will enable us to engage the mining companies."He encouraged people to register at Bulawayo ex-Wenela association offices, including details with the company registration number, contact details, the company they were employed at and also indicating the next of kin to ensure that everyone get benefits even if they have died."We are collecting data for everyone even for those who have died as long as their children are still living. Let those who had their parents or relatives who were employed in South African mines come and register and produce evidence," said Mr Xulu.He said he was also going to engage local stakeholders to help in the collection of data especially in rural areas where there are people who have been disadvantaged by not receiving the information. A non-governmental organisation, the Institute for Rural Development Technologies has been so far engaged to help in the collection of data and also registering people in rural areas.
photos by JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR David Griffith (left) and Mark Gibbs of Azstec, a cybersecurity company. Griffith and Gibbs work out of Ventura.

SHARE Griffith (left) and Gibbs oppose the FBIs efforts to make Apple help it unlock a phone that belonged to the man who, along with his wife, killed 14 people in San Bernardino, last year. ERIC RISBERG/AP Phil Schiller, Apples senior vice president of worldwide marketing, talks about the features of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Mark Gibbs chief technology officer Azstec LLC., a cybersecurity company. Gibbs lives in Ventura. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR David Griffith, president and CEO of Azstec LLC., a cybersecurity company.

By John Scheibe of the Ventura County Star

In the end, only the bad guys will win if the FBI force sApple to build a back door to unlock an iPhone used by a San Bernardino terrorist in December, say two men who run a software encryption company in Ventura.

"Once it's built, to assume that just the good guys will use the back door is just absurd," David Griffith, president and CEO of Azstec LLC, a company that provides encryption to emails and other sensitive documents, said from his Ventura home last week.

Azstec was founded by a certified public accountant who had to manually encrypt documents he electronically sent to his clients, Griffith said. Convinced that there had be a more efficient way to encrypt the documents, the CPA enlisted the help of a friend who was a software developer. Over the course of more than a year, the software, DocNcrypt, was developed.

Griffith eventually became the company's president.

A federal judge ordered Apple in mid-February to help FBI investigators unlock a phone used by Syed Farook. Farook, along with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, carried out an attack in which 14 people were shot to death at a county facility in San Bernardino.

Apple is appealing the judge's order, saying it would create far more serious security and breach-of privacy-related problems if the company is forced to build a back door into the phone's operating system.

Griffith agrees, saying forcing Apple to comply with FBI's request for a back door, "would create a bad and dangerous precedent."

"This is really, really serious with far reaching implications," he said. "Once Apple is forced to help the FBI get into this iPhone, what's to stop the FBI, other law enforcement agencies or any government around the world from doing the same thing?"

And once hackers and others discover that such a back door exists, "it's not a question of if, but only when, someone will figure out a way to use it, and that won't take long," said Mark Gibbs of Ventura, Griffith's business partner and chief technology officer for Azstec.

Moreover, terrorist organizations around the world already have access to technology that provides them with secure, encrypted communication that cannot be easily hacked, if at all, Gibbs said.

Ultimately, those who will be most negatively affected are the millions of people who use iPhones, both in the United States and around the world, Griffith said.

Forcing Apple to build a back door would also adversely affect many other technology companies, including Azstec, Griffith said.

Azstec's business is built on its clients knowing that any sensitive document or email sent is secure and will only be seen by the intended recipient.

"That's one big reason why so many technology companies in Silicon Valley and elsewhere are siding with Apple," Griffith said.

Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter have said they will file unsolicited briefs on behalf of Apple in the court case. Other groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have made similar statements.

"The government can't stop the use of unbreakable encryption," Griffith said, noting, "That train has already left the station."

Griffith then went on to cite the development of a secure, encrypted communication application by the Islamic State terrorist, militant jihadist group in the Middle East.

There also is the cost of inserting a back door into the iPhone's operating system. The operating system is a very complex piece of software, Griffith said.

"Inserting a back door into it would mean having to develop" a new operating system, an endeavor that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more, he said.

"My belief is there is probably no information on that iPhone that they don't already have," he said of Farook's phone.

Gibbs agreed, adding that government intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency, no doubt have already reverse-engineered and gained access to data held on iPhones.

"Given the billions of dollars in the NSA's budget, I find it highly implausible that they wouldn't have done so," Gibbs said.

So why is the FBI asking for Apple's help in getting into the iPhone used by the San Bernardino attacker?

Both Griffith and Gibbs said it all has to do with legal precedent.

Once Apple is forced to create a back door, there will be other similar demands made of it and other technology companies not only by U.S. law enforcement agencies but also by governments in other countries around the world where their products are used.

Ultimately, Griffith said he believes the Apple case will either be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court "or some sort of action will be taken in Congress to resolve the issue." The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the matter on Tuesday.

Azstec has been operating for about a year now, Griffith said.

Many of its current clients are CPAs, financial advisers, attorneys and medical providers.

For more information on the company, visit https://docncrypt.azstec.com/index.php.
News / Press Release

by BMV

It has come to our notice that residents of Bulilima East, Ward 19, Zihwabeni-Springfontein area are being denied welfare food because of actual or suspected membership of or sympathising with political opposition parties. It is our understanding that this welfare programme involves distributing 50kg of maize is a government initiative aimed at alleviating famine in the affected regions. It would not surprise us if the programme is partly or wholly donor-funded by external and internal agencies. We have no issue about the source of the much needed help to struggling citizens of Zimbabwe. This programme caters for any households with one or more members classified as senior citizens with age 60 years and above. It's original aims are noble and we as Zapu, would like to give credit where it is due. On this occasion, the normally inept and inefficient Zanu pf led government has got it right. It is a laudable gesture for this usually hard-hearted ruling party to spearhead efforts to soften the blow of hardship faced by our fellow citizens. The problems faced by ordinary hard-working Zimbabweans are perpetuated by chronic unemployment, years of poor agricultural yields due to droughts and the extremely expensive and unaffordable scourge of the US dollar currency in an ailing Zimbabwean economy.We would like to believe that this is not a Zanu pf policy per se which is being used to discriminate which mouth to feed based on political allegiance and not on the gnawing hunger pains experienced by our unfortunate fellow citizens. Even by Zanu pf standards, this would be scrapping the barrel of low morals, to use food aid as a cheap vote-winning tactic. As everyone knows, Zanu pf was our junior partner in the liberation struggle that led to independence from our then colonial masters. Both Zapu and Zanu pf fought against social injustices in order to establish a just and fair, egalitarian post-colonial Zimbabwe. Our suspicions are that the current trend of distributing welfare food to only card-carrying Zanu pf supporters, their relatives and their friends, who may or may not be party members themselves, is not official Zanu pf stance. We are confident that this malpractice is instigated by corrupt, local community leaders who have misunderstood the the Zanu pf ideology (sic). We believe these Zanu pf minions have over bloated political egos and an overstated sense of self-importance . In Ward 19, Bulilima East, specifically at Zihwabeni-Springfontein, this appears to be the case. The chief culprit minions are in the sad form of Mr Simon Sibanda (Zanu pf councillor ) and Mrs Thandiwe Ndlovu (nee Moyo), a Zanu pf stooge charged with overseeing the welfare of the local villagers in the said area.Zapu would like to take take this opportunity to alert Zanu pf and their government that we are aware of what some of their appointees are up to. These dirty tricks are being used to target all opposition parties. That includes Zapu, MDCs, ZPF, Mavambo-Kusile and the various pro-democracy parties challenging Zanu pf policies and their system of administration that has brought Zimbabwe's economy to its knees. This case of Zihwabeni-Sprinfontein in Bulilimamangwe highlights a negative recruitment strategy by Zanu pf as this party is turning a blind eye to what is happening while paying lip service about fighting corruption and social injustice. We believe that this practice is prevalent in most rural areas of Zimbabwe and explains Zanu pf's stranglehold in these regions. This is certainly not an isolated incident.Zapu remains committed to improving the lives of our people. Zapu advocates for the respect of all those freedoms enshrined in our constitution. We continue to promote respect of Human Rights. Denying fellow Zimbabweans food on the basis of actual or perceived affiliation to opposition political parties infringes those rights. ZAPU hereby demands a public response and announcement denouncing the deliberate starving of the residents of Zihwabeni-Springfontein. Specifically we demand an official response from the regional co-ordinators of this programme. We also demand that the Zanu pf councillor, Mr Simon Sibanda and the local welfare officer, Mrs Thandiwe Ndlovu, offer a public explanation of their role in starving their own neighbours for political expediency.Zapu calls for a unified response from all opposition political parties whether or not their members are directly affected by such devious political strategies. Together let us take the fight to Zanu pf and show them that there is a bottom line' and that we are not prepared to stoop below this level. We taken this stand for the sake of our sanity, dignity and our survival. Aluta continua. Zhiii.
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Have you ever been annoyed by someone shouting on the sidewalk? Well, the Bay Area town of Burlingame is institutionalizing the practice. The historical society there has just appointed their city's first official town crier.

It begs the question, in today's wireless world, why would a town crier be needed? The answer, of course, is he isn't. But Burlingame had a guy who wanted the job and the Burlingame Historical Society gave it to him. Richard Aptekar was named town crier in February.

Russ Cohen, the historical society's vice president said, "Truth be told, we weren't sure we needed a town crier. But sometimes you don't think you need one, until you have one." Following that logic, Burlingame may soon have its own blacksmith, apothecary and wigmaker.

Aptekar's main duty will be to announce the opening of the Burlingame Hillsborough History Museum on the first Sunday of every month. That should be a huge advantage to the people who don't notice them open the door and hang out the red "open" sign. He will also announce at public meetings and events.

Aptekar dresses the part wearing a top hat, and a long coat in a style from 1860. A gold medallion hangs from a ribbon around his neck over a white shirt and, naturally, he rings a large brass handbell. He has vowed that no "cry" will be longer than 125 words - in Olde English. Just to put that into perspective, the first three paragraphs of this column total 127 words. I'm not sure I'd want some guy standing next to me ringing a bell and shouting three paragraphs.

City officials are making it clear that town crier is not an official city position, even as a volunteer, and has no affiliation with city hall. Aptekar is, however, an official member of the American Guild of Town Criers. In fact, he had to be approved for membership in that organization for the historical society to give him the job.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, that membership was a challenge. They reported the application process took three months, involved many exchanges of paperwork and, when his membership was finally approved, it came along with a letter of acceptance, the guild's six-page constitution and a patch to be sewn onto his coat.

It seems like an intensive selection process given the fact that, nationally, the American Guild of Town Criers has 25 members. Total. Then again, they probably don't want just anyone wearing their patch. The membership numbers undoubtedly reflect the current employment atmosphere for town criers, although there are town criers in two other areas of California. Redmond O'Connell has been the town crier for the city of Martinez and Contra Costa County for 23 years. The Board of Supervisors for San Luis Obispo County named Bev and Jerry Praver the county's town criers in 2000.

The county resolution read in part: "Whereas, They have summoned people: to councils, to judgment, to religious rites, to public hangings; and whereas, they carry: staffs of office, maces of authority, white flags of truce, heraldic symbols of the high and mighty and sign boards for steak and kidney pie " I'm pretty sure they were referring to historic town criers, not the Pravers, but still, it's quite a document. Which makes me wonder if Ventura County should look into town criers.

I have a hard time picturing it. A town crier in Ojai might add to its already considerable charms, or possibly downtown Ventura, but I have a hard time imagining one anywhere else. Then again, you don't think you need one until you have one. Or so I've heard.

Bill Nash is a Star columnist. Contact him at bnash805@aol.com. His new novel, Stolen Dream, is available at www.billnashonline.com, on Amazon.com or as an e-book.
LISA MCKINNON/THE STAR Mrs. Olson's Coffee Hut owners Paula and Tom "Brim" Brimigion pose on the patio of the restaurant's new location in Oxnard's Channel Islands Harbor. Now in its 42nd year, the restaurant moved from its original location a few blocks away because the building owner declined to renew the lease.

Lisa McKinnon Columnist SHARE LISA MCKINNON/THE STAR Decor at the new Mrs. Olson's Coffee Hut in Oxnard's Channel Islands Harbor includes novelty signs and a mural of a flag-carrying surfer. LISA MCKINNON/THE STAR Chef Benito Cruz checks the order wheel for tickets during reopening day of Mrs. Olson's Coffee Hut at its new location in Oxnard's Channel Islands Harbor. LISA MCKINNON/THE STAR Masts are reflected in the windows at Mrs. Olson's Coffee Hut, which reopened Friday at its new location in Oxnard's Channel Islands Harbor. LISA MCKINNON/THE STAR At Ciao Italian Grill in Oxnard's Seabridge Marketplace, create-your-own-dish options include spaghetti squash with pesto, tofu, pine nuts and grilled garlic bread. The restaurant also offers beer and wine on tap.

Mrs. Olson's Coffee Hut reopened at its new home in Oxnard's Channel Islands Harbor at 7 a.m. Friday. The verdict on the success of its move from Hollywood Beach came less than 30 minutes later:

"It's bigger, but the feel of it is just like it was. And the parking is better," said longtime patron Mike Rhodes, who stopped in for a post-gym visit with wife Diane Rhodes.

Owners Paula and Tom "Brim" Brimigion moved the 42-year-old restaurant because the owner of its original location at 117 Los Altos St. declined to renew the lease. (That space now bears temporary signs identifying it as the future home of Hollywood Beach Cafe. A peek through the front door Thursday revealed that the interior has been gutted, with a mound of dirt where a table for six once stood.)

The original location seated about 60 people. The new one more than doubles that figure, including a lower-level dining room reserved for large groups.

When Mrs. Olson's closed at its original location on Christmas Eve, the Brimigions hoped to reopen on New Year's Day. But problems with the plumbing and other issues at the new space - which was last occupied by Flip Flops in 2009 - caused unforeseen delays.

During the downtime, the former bar counter was lowered and tables-for-two were installed on the patio.

A wall painting of a surfer with an American flag by muralist Lisa Kelly inspired the creation of a new front page for the Mrs. Olson's menu.

That and the addition of the words "Thank you for helping us celebrate our 42nd anniversary!" are the only changes to the menu, said Tom "Brim" Brimigion.

"It's the same food, made the same way, with the same prices," Brimigion said. "All we did was photocopy the old menu pages onto new paper."

The crew that prepares the menu of pancakes, Mrs. Olson's classic potatoes, chilaquiles, barbecue tri-tip sandwiches and other items is also the same. Brimigion kept all six members on the payroll during the nearly three months the restaurant was closed, he said.

"They've been with us for 15 years. They're not employees. They're family," Brimigion said.

Founding owner Corrine Olson was the "Mrs." in question when the breakfast-and-lunch spot opened in 1974. She sold the restaurant to the Brimigions in 2001. Shortly after 9/11, Brimigion, a former Los Angeles police officer who served in the Marine Corps, started a tradition of playing a recording of Daniel Rodriguez singing "God Bless America" at the restaurant every Sunday at around 11:30 a.m. The tradition will continue.

"I tell people that it may not be politically correct, but I politically own the restaurant," Brimigion said.

Just before 7 a.m. on reopening day, eight or nine people had lined up to wait for the front door painted with tropical scenes to open. The six seats at the counter went first, followed by tables nearest the windows overlooking the restaurant's sand-covered patio, where seating includes picnic tables covered with colorful pieces of oilcloth.

Claiming one of the counter seats Friday was Oxnard resident Bob Morris, whom I last saw when he was sitting at the counter at the old Mrs. Olson's on the morning of Dec. 24.

A patron since the days when the Los Altos Street restaurant was known as the Mud Hen, Morris initially had some reservations about the move. But after settling in with his customary order of scrambled eggs with sliced tomatoes and nine-grain toast, he declared it a success - especially "since they lowered the (bar) counter for me," he said with a smile. "The food is the same. The restaurant is just newer."

Hours are from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily (2800 S. Harbor Blvd., Suite A101, 805-985-9151).

OPEN, SHUT AND IN BETWEEN

Ciao Italian Grill opened in January at what used to be a Round Table Pizza in Oxnard's Seabridge Marketplace.

The restaurant owned by Roger and Brenda Allen echoes the create-your-own dish concept seen at places like Chipotle and PizzaRev: You choose a style of food (plate, bowl, panino or salad), followed by a "grill item" that determines the price. The range starts at $6.70 for vegetables or grilled pesto tofu and tops out at $8.80 for Tuscan steak.

Pastas include whole-grain corkscrews, gluten-free penne rigate and what the menu refers to as the "vegi alternative": spaghetti squash. Add a sauce and toppings like pine nuts and/or artichoke hearts and you're good to go, or to dine in.

Additional sides ($2.35 each) include Parmesan roasted potatoes and pistachio-orange green beans, kept warm in colorful enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens lined up next to the glass-ceramic cooktop where orders are prepared.

Beers and wines on tap include selections from Ventura's Surf Brewery and Wente Vineyards of Northern California.

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays (1111 S. Victoria Ave., 805-382-2426).

But Red Lobster at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks closed on Feb. 28, about 10 months shy of its fifth anniversary and without having ever turned a profit, according to a Red Lobster Seafood Co. spokeswoman. (For a previous Star story about the closure, click on http://bit.ly/1WSupM6.)

Signs posted on the front doors this week direct potential diners to Red Lobster restaurants in Oxnard (1740 E. Ventura Blvd., 805-981-9595) and Canoga Park (https://www.redlobster.com).

Mall owner Macerich did not respond to requests for information about plans for the stand-alone building at 156 W. Hillcrest Drive.

Meanwhile, new construction near the shopping center's Muvico Thousand Oaks 14 movie theater will house three fast-casual restaurants: Chipotle, PizzaRev and Urban Plates, all slated for debuts this summer.

After 20 years of business in Camarillo, the Texas Cattle Co. restaurant is scheduled to ride off into the sunset sometime in late March or early April, said current owner Richard Carlson. He sold the business to Tracy Jeffares, who plans to turn it into a second location of Agave Maria's Restaurant & Cantina, the Ojai restaurant she opened in 2011 (106 S. Montgomery St., 805-646-6353, http://agavemarias.com).

The restaurant will not close before or during the transition. "One day it will be Texas Cattle Co., and the next it will be Agave Maria's," Carlson said.

Hours at Texas Cattle Co. are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (710 Arneill Road, 805-383-2770, http://www.texascattleco.net).

UPDATES! GET YOUR UPDATES HERE!

Read on for the latest on places and projects mentioned in previous Cafe Society columns.

In Simi Valley, Go Fish Sushi is planning a return to the Simi Valley Town Center ... restaurant owner Todd Kanteman just isn't sure when.

The local-favorite restaurant closed to help make way for Buffalo Wild Wings, which opened in September. Go Fish's eventual new home will be in Suites 400 and 410, near Rocket Fizz and Studio Movie Grill. A recent peek in the windows revealed that the suites' interiors have been demolished, save for a couple of jewelry display cases left by the previous tenant.

Elsewhere in the shopping center, the former Suite 695 home of Limon Latin Grill has been gutted along with several adjacent spaces to make room for Ulta Beauty and Marshalls.

In Santa Paula, Best Bar B Que opened last year at the former (and remodeled) Chicky Weedys space.

The latter's menu of tacos and corn burritos has been replaced by tri-tip, chicken and hot-link sandwiches ($7), bowls with rice, beans, veggies and your choice of meat ($7 to $8), and dinners served with chili beans, bread and two sides ($10 to $11 depending on meat selection).

Meats cooked over the barbecue grill on the sheltered patio are available to eat-in or take home (from $6 for half a chicken to $16 for a full rack of pork ribs). Sides include coleslaw, macaroni or potato salad, and chili or baked beans ($1.25 each).

Beverages include fountain drinks and, as of last month, domestic, imported and "crafted" beers ($2.95 to $4.95).

Hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily (915 E. Harvard Blvd., 805-229-7668).

But members of the family that owns and operates Verona Trattoria in Old Town Camarillo have pulled the plug on efforts to open the bistro-style Caffe Verona in Santa Paula, despite putting signs on the building at 650 W. Harvard Blvd. The space is now available for lease.

As the chef at Verona Trattoria in Camarillo, meanwhile, Julio Perez said he recently added an Angus burger to the lunch and dinner menus (2485 Ventura Blvd., 805-383-7576, http://www.veronatrattoria95.com).

YES, CHEF

Globe-trotting chef Diego Felix may have settled in the Ojai Valley last fall, but he's still collecting frequent flier miles.

Coming up on his Colectivo Felix cooking tour from April through October are appearances in Austin, New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and Miami.

But a stop at The Food Liaison in Carpinteria comes first. Felix will visit the combination cafe and catering company on March 25 to offer a six-course tasting-menu dinner that includes oysters with Torrontes gelee and lemon verbena, followed by corn arepas with mole turkey and pinquito beans. For reservations, $100 per person including tax and tip, send an email to events@thefoodliaison.com.

For a previous Cafe Society column about Felix, go to http://bit.ly/21aHPo0.

After nearly three months as chef de cuisine at Azu Restaurant in Ojai, Marcus Hollingsworth has returned to running his own catering and special-events business, Ojai Soul Kitchen. Visit the website for news of cooking classes and other events: https://squareup.com/store/ojai-soul-kitchen.

Lisa McKinnon is a staff writer for The Star. Her Cafe Society column also appears Fridays in the Time Out section. For between-column updates, follow 805foodie on Twitter and Instagram and "like" the Facebook page VCS Eats. Please send email to lisa.mckinnon@vcstar.com.
SHARE CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Former state legislator Tony Strickland thinks criticism from the Republican establishment boosts Donald Trump's popularity to voters. Smith says Democrats could win the presidency if his party nominates Trump. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Dale Thomas, president of Westlake Village Republican Women, Federated, worries about Donald Trump's impact on her party. But if he's nominated, she'll vote for him.

By Tom Kisken of the Ventura County Star

What to do about Trump?

The question of the possible, maybe likely, nomination of a front-runner who says and does things no front-runner has said or done before buffets Republicans like Santa Ana winds.

For many, the answer comes instantly.

"Celebrate," said Robin Lindsey, a Republican from Chino Valley staying with her daughter in Thousand Oaks. "He is the only one who isn't obligated to the corporations and the politicians."

But the consequences of nominating Donald Trump seem clear to Jared Smith, a junior at California Lutheran University fixated on politics.

"I think if Trump is nominated, we'll have our first woman president in Hillary Clinton," said Smith, who leads the school's College Republicans club.

For many GOP leaders in and around Ventura County, the dilemma is complicated. They talk of energized voters and party unity. They also cite alarms sounded by Mitt Romney and other party leaders about a nominee engulfed in controversy over issues as big as blocking Muslims from coming to the country and as small as the flap over his hands.

Shaking things up

Dale Thomas has been a Republican "since they invented dirt." She cast her first presidential vote in 1964 for Barry Goldwater - a friend of her father's.

This campaign, the Oak Park resident and leader of the Westlake Village Republican Women, Federated has ricocheted like a billiard ball.

She appeared on CNN to support then-candidate Carly Fiorina on the September night of the Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.

Later, she briefly backed Chris Christie before landing in Marco Rubio's camp.

She's unattached at the moment.

"I'll admit to you that Donald Trump concerns me greatly for the party," Thomas said, noting she worries more about an anti-Trump movement among GOP leaders splitting her party apart.

Dissent in the party is OK in March, she said, not during the general election.

"You better believe that on Nov. 1, if he's the nominee, his bumper sticker will be on my car," she said.

Republican Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, is running for re-election in a 38th district that includes Simi Valley. He backs Marco Rubio and is co-chair of the Florida senator's campaign in California.

He parried when asked the Trump question.

"I'll worry about that bridge when I cross it," he said of backing a Trump nomination, hedging his bets when asked if his voting options in the general election would be limited to Republicans.

"I've voted outside the party before. I'm not saying when but I have," he said.

Trump taps into the anger of voters, Wilk said, adding he's still trying to deduce whether the billionaire's statements are dressed with a wink and nod. He declined to detail his objections.

"We would be here too long," he said. "I don't like the style. I don't like a lot of things."

Criticism helps campaign

Trump's popularity is fueled by frustration at the establishment. Condemnation from party leaders does not exactly hurt his campaign, said Tony Strickland who served 10 years in the Assembly and state Senate. Now, the Moorpark Republican teaches California public policy at USC and leads a new fundraising super PAC called Strong America.

Still, some of the charges against the Republican front-runner are unfounded, said Strickland. He cited flak over an interview in which Trump declined to denounce David Duke, former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

Trump blamed his problems on an ear piece used in the interview. Strickland can see it, citing his own struggles with such equipment. He said Trump has repeatedly denounced Duke, after the interview and as far back as 16 years ago.

Strickland has not endorsed a candidate. He plans to soon.

"I can't confirm or deny," he said when asked point-blank about endorsing Trump, adding he'll support any candidate who wins the nomination.

Some prominent Republicans worry about Trump's chance in November. Strickland said record turnout in the GOP primaries reflects energized voters.

"I believe the Democrats have an enthusiasm gap compared to the Republicans," he said. "I'm extremely more optimistic now after the first primaries."

Considering a write-in

Elton Gallegly, who lives in Simi Valley and served 26 years in Congress, said he backs Rubio. But if Trump is nominated and faces Clinton or Sanders in the election, he would vote for Trump.

Mike Osborn said his role as chairman of the Ventura County Republican Central Committee means he can't back a candidate during the primaries.

He said he'll "fight like heck" for Trump or anyone else who is nominated.

The rank and file weighed in too. Mary Littell is 85 and works at a Camarillo bookstore. She has always voted Republican but worries about a race between Trump and Clinton.

She couldn't vote for either candidate.

"I'll write in someone's name," she said, noting her favorite is Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Others laud Trump's business savvy. They said the criticism against him reinforces the need for change in a broken political system.

"It's like Jesus. Everyone was against him," said A.J. of Oxnard who refused to give his last name for fear of being targeted by Democrats.

Tab Berg's job is to soak in and analyze conflicting opinions. He's a Republican political consultant, onetime cage fighter and former Oxnard resident who worked for Assemblyman Nao Takasugi, who has since died.

Like many, Berg answers questions about Trump with more questions.

"Do I think he should be the nominee, absolutely not," he said. "Do I think he could hurt as the nominee, yes."

Berg doesn't see many choices. If enough people vote in the primaries to deliver Trump 1,237 delegates, the worst thing party leaders could do is try an end-around that leads to another nominee.

"We have to respect what the voters say," he said.
Olympic medalist, figure skater, Scott Hamilton, is framed by President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan at a White House reception Feb. 29, 1984 at a reception for the U.S. Olympic team. (AP Photo/Scott Stewart)

By Zeke Barlow, Special to The Star

If Ronald Reagan's first term as president was tough because Nancy Reagan was considered out of touch, her second was even tougher because she was considered to be meddling and controlling.

"Did I ever give Ronnie advice? " she wrote in her memoir. "You bet I did. I'm the one who knows him best and I was the only person in the White House who had absolutely no agenda of her own - except helping him."

Many of her decisions had to do with the people who Reagan surrounded himself with, using her considerable influence to make sure the people closest to him had his best interests at heart.

The biggest explosion came during Reagan's biggest controversy, the Iran-Contra scandal. As the crisis unfolded, people wanted to know how much the president knew about the U.S. secretly funneling money to Iran for weapons. "It's hard to envision Ronnie as being a bad guy," she told Cannon, Reagan's biographer. "And he's not. But there are times when someone has to step in and say or do something. And I've had do that sometimes - often."

Don Regan, Reagan's chief of staff who battled with Nancy Reagan, exacted his revenge in a book, part of which disclosed how Nancy was constantly consulting astrologer Joan Quigley.

A self-described chronic worrier, Nancy Reagan admitted that she paid Quigley to help her draw up Reagan's schedule to figure out what days were the safest for him to travel and have meetings according to the astrological charts. At a time when many thought she was a shadow president, the news that she was using an astrologer made many wonder if important decisions were based upon whether or not the planets were aligned.

In her memoirs, she defended herself, saying that after the assassination attempt on Reagan, she couldn't be too careful, but that nothing other than scheduling was influenced by her beliefs.

"While I was never certain that Joan's astrological advice was helping protect Ronnie, the fact is that nothing like March 30 ever happened again. Was astrology one of the reasons? I don't really believe it was, but I don't really believe it wasn't. But I do know this: It didn't hurt, and I'm not sorry I did it," she wrote.

Cannon said Nancy's influence was mainly over personnel matters of who would best serve Reagan and that she had little say over actual policy matters.

If the attacks from the press weren't bad enough, she had them coming from her own family, too.

The couple's relationship with their daughter, Patti - who changed her last name to Davis - was under constant strain, exacerbated by a thinly-veiled fictional book Davis wrote that was critical of her parents. Michael also was set to write a disturbing tell-all, but later abandoned it.

"It's true, we weren't always able to live up to the principles we believed in, but that doesn't mean we don't believe in them," Nancy wrote in her memoirs. She couldn't even escape controversy when dealing with her breast cancer diagnosis in 1987.

Instead of undergoing chemotherapy and surgery to remove the lump, she opted for a mastectomy of her left breast. Much to her dismay, news reports and graphics of breasts were plastered on the news, with experts saying that she could have avoided removing her breast by merely removing the tumor.

Breast cancer advocates said she set women's knowledge of how to deal with cancer back 10 years. Nancy defended herself by saying she could not undergo chemotherapy and still function in her role as first lady.

But in the months and years that followed, more women sought out mammograms, which was partly attributed to Nancy Reagan's diagnosis.

By the end of eight years in the White House, Nancy Reagan was ready to be out of office and enjoy some time with her husband, away from the constant attention and criticism. Ronald Reagan said it was hard on his wife.

"I never understood or got used to the constant sniping at her, which at times got so bad that she was in tears when I came upstairs at the end of the day," he wrote.

Through it all, the two were still very much in love. "I Love You, Ronnie," a compilation of telegrams, post cards and love notes, showed how they never stopped telling each other how much they loved each other. He would sign letters, "Your In Luv Gov," "Your pres," and "Daddy Poo Pants."

Nancy returned every bit of the affection, but perhaps showed it best not by standing by him when he was in office, but by taking care of him when he was out.
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John.Scheibe@VCStar.com

805-437-0270

Light rain fell across the county Saturday ahead of a rain storm expected to bring a heavier downpour overnight.

The rain was from the first of two storms expected to swing through the county this weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Oxnard. More rain was forecast to fall late Saturday night and continue into early Sunday, forecaster said.

A second more powerful and colder storm is expected Sunday night, said Bonnie Bartling, a meteorologist with the weather service.

By the end of Monday, both storms would leave anywhere from an inch to two inches of rain across the valley areas with two to three inches in the mountain areas, Bartling said.

While snow levels were only expected to reach down to 8,000 feet and above on Saturday, they could be as low as 4,000 feet Sunday night, Bartling said, affecting those traveling across the Grapevine or other higher elevation areas.

Temperatures late Saturday and early Sunday were forecasted to be in the mid 50s and dipping down to the low 50s Sunday night and early Monday. But it will get even colder Monday night and early Tuesday with the lows in the mid 40s, Bartling said.

A wind advisory was also in effect until 9 p.m. Sunday as winds from 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph were expected.

A high-surf advisory has also been issued for Ventura County until noon Monday. After the advisory was expected to expire, a high surf warning was expected to go into effect informing beachgoers that strong rip currents and damaging surf was expected. The warning was forecast to be in effect from noon Monday to noon Tuesday.

The storms should clear out by Tuesday but rain could return on Thursday night, Bartling said. Thunder storms are also possible on Monday, she said.

Forecasters had hoped that an unusually strong El Nino system would have made this a very wet winter amid what is one of the worst droughts on record for California.

But there was little if any rain in February. It was also one of the hottest Februarys on record for Southern California.

Forecasters say March promises to bring considerably more rain.
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By Kathleen Wilson of the Ventura County Star

The public would get more than a week's notice of most issues to be decided by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors under a measure the panel could adopt Tuesday.

Managers are recommending publishing a draft agenda eight days before the regular Tuesday meetings for the panel overseeing county government and its $2 billion budget.

The approach would make the county a leader in the state in early publication and public access, says the proposal from Brian Palmer, chief deputy clerk of the board, and County Executive Officer Mike Powers.

In a poll of the other 57 California counties and the 10 cities in Ventura County, eight of the 38 entities that responded said they published some form of advance agenda. Of those only three - the city of Ventura and Kern and San Luis Obispo counties - made them available to the public.

"It's a rare thing," Palmer said Friday.

Critics say they have been blindsided when the board makes major policy changes that were only disclosed a few days before the vote.

Typically, the items appear on the board agenda published Thursday for the board meeting the following Tuesday. That's well within the legal limit of 72 hours, but interest groups and residents say they need more warning than that.

"We have seen items show up late in the week that are of high interest to taxpayers," Dick Thomson, president of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association, said Friday. "We have to react very quickly."

The proposal stems in part from a heated argument last August between Supervisors Steve Bennett and Linda Parks.

Parks said she had learned of Bennett's proposal to stop public funding of limited sidewalk repairs just a few days before the vote ending the practice. She asked the board to require that controversial items be listed on a board document at least two weeks before they are heard.

Bennett and Supervisors Kathy Long and John Zaragoza defeated Parks' proposal, calling it too vague. The next week the board unanimously directed Powers to review policies for placing items on the regular agenda. Supervisors asked him to suggest changes to advance transparency, timeliness and public participation in decisions.

According to the resulting proposal, the draft agenda would show items expected to be discussed at the next board meeting, but without detailed staff reports that go on the official agenda.

The draft agenda would also contain a listing of future items to be scheduled. Those would include items of high public interest, and those that would significantly affect the community or environment.

The draft document would be posted online on the county website in the same location as the regular agenda. Residents could also sign up for email notifications linked to the advance agenda just as they can now with the regular agenda.

Palmer said the measure would not prevent a supervisor or department head from placing an item on the agenda late in the week. The 72-hour legal deadline does not expire until 8:30 a.m. Saturday and some late-breaking items are posted the previous Friday in addendum agendas.

Supervisors are scheduled to hear the proposal at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the board room in the Hall of Administration at the County Government Center, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura.
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By Staff Reports

Police were looking for a man who robbed a check cashing business armed with a shotgun Saturday morning in Santa Paula, officials said.

The incident was reported just before 11 a.m. at the business located at 135 E. Harvard Blvd., Santa Paula police said.

The man entered the businesses wearing a black beanie, a mask, white jacket, blue jeans and tan boots, officials said. He ordered one of the employes to lay on the ground while the other gave him an undisclosed amount of checks and cash, authorities said.

The robber left the business in a late model Chevrolet Tahoe but the vehicle was later found abandoned on Highway 126 west of Palm Avenue, police said.

The employees were not injured during the incident, officials said.

Anyone with information should call Sgt. Cody Madison at 525-4474 extension 220.
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By Staff Reports

Police arrested a man in connection with a burglary Saturday in Ventura, officials said.

Officers responded about 7:30 p.m. to the 6300 block of Ventura Boulevard to a report of suspicious activity, Ventura police said.

A local business owner saw a man carrying property from a recreational vehicle parked in the parking lot of another nearby business and called police to investigate, authorities said.

Once on scene, officers detained the man, later identified as Frank Lawrence, and arrested him in connection with burglarizing the business, possession of burglary tools and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said. The 50-year-old Venturan was also found with a throwing star and arrested on suspicion of possession of a dangerous weapon, officials said.
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It is here in the industrial Midwest, not in the South, where Ted Cruz's audacious theory of the 2016 race was supposed to be put to one of its most important tests.

Michigan's primary on Tuesday - and especially what happens that day in the Detroit suburbs that in 1980 were ground zero for a new political species, "Reagan Democrats" - will answer this question: Can Cruz locate and motivate legions of recently nonvoting conservatives, millions of them nationwide, especially whites without college experience, who can be pulled back into voting in numbers sufficient to determine the election in November?

But the best-laid plans of mice and men and even senators often go awry, and one problem with Cruz's plan is that it was formulated in olden days, in the world B.D.T. - Before Donald Trump. He, too, is courting this cohort of the disaffected, whose grievances about politicians certainly cannot this year include being ignored by them. But although Trump may bestride the political scene mastodon, Patrick Colbeck and Wendy Day are undaunted.

Colbeck, 50, was an engineer with no interest in politics until six years ago, when he did something almost unprecedented even among members of the national Legislature: He read the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. He concluded "this is about control and has nothing to do with care." Now he is a Republican state senator, the first Michigan legislator elected from the tea party and a thorn in the side of the GOP's legislative leadership on spending and other matters. Which is to say, he is somewhat like Ted Cruz, of whose Michigan campaign Colbeck is chairman.

Day, 43, is the wife of a soldier who has a Purple Heart from two tours in the Middle East, and the mother of a 19-year-old soldier just back from his first deployment, in Kuwait. She was working with war widows before becoming state director of the Cruz campaign because "he's been to Babylon and survived." Meaning he's resisted "the seductive nature of Washington." Now she travels with a spreadsheet, supplied by Cruz's national campaign headquarters in Houston, detailing the expected Tuesday vote in all of Michigan's 4,500 precincts and the number of votes Cruz needs to get in each to win the state.

Houston projects that Cruz needs 345,000 of the 1.08 million votes the campaign expects to be cast. Day has on her phone a picture of two of those voters who, with no prompting from the campaign, set up a table outside a tractor supply store to educate voters about Cruz's enthusiasm for the Second Amendment. Other volunteers held a fundraiser at a gun range to pay for a Cruz billboard.

Yes, each such anecdote testifies to Cruz's ability to energize a passionate cadre, and yes, as has been said, the plural of "anecdote" is "data." Today, however, much more than when Winston Churchill said so eight decades ago, "We have entered the region of mass effects."

In Michigan, as in many of the Super Tuesday states, the Cruz campaign mounted the most ambitious efforts to create telephone-and-shoe-leather get-out-the-vote operations, all of which strengthen the sinews of American democracy. In its approach to Iowa, the campaign identified 150 clusters of Iowans for special attention, including a group of 60 who signed a petition seeking legalization of the sale of fireworks in the state, a group that received a blessing from Cruz in his libertarian mode.

But today's saturation journalism about presidential politics - and especially the insatiable appetite of television for the garish sights and sounds of Trump, whose campaign consists almost entirely of feeding this appetite - can raise waves of passion and distraction that wash away more methodical ways of engaging with voters.

A Detroit News/WDIV-TV poll, taken Feb. 14-16, after Iowa's caucuses and New Hampshire's primary but before South Carolina's primary and Nevada's caucuses, presented a microcosm of the GOP's national problem: Trump, 25.2 percent; undecided, 21.3; Cruz, 15; Marco Rubio, 11.8; John Kasich, 10.5; Ben Carson, 9; and Jeb Bush, 5.3. Trump had the highest unfavorable rating (41.3), but the combined 37.3 percent of the three serious Trump rivals still in the race is too fragmented to derail him. And Kasich, from contiguous Ohio, is targeting Michigan.

Michigan's primary comes a week - an eternity - after Super Tuesday's 11 primaries altered the political landscape. Michigan is one of the 18 states (and the District of Columbia) - with 242 electoral votes - that Republicans have lost in six consecutive presidential elections, so attention must be paid.

George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group.
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The Obama administration is blowing off its legal responsibility to carefully consider the risks of fracking off California's coast. And blue whales and other animals in the wildlife-rich Santa Barbara Channel could pay the price.

Oil companies' use of this toxic technique has been on hold in federal waters, but that could soon change. The federal government recently released a draft proposal to let the oil industry resume offshore fracking near Santa Barbara and Ventura. The plan, which could be finalized as soon as next month, would even allow the industry to go back to dumping fracking chemicals mixed with wastewater into our ocean.

Californians still have time to tell federal officials that our marine wildlife and coastal communities deserve far better.

We're at this point because in 2015 my organization sued the federal government for rubberstamping offshore fracking without engaging the public or analyzing the environmental threats. Offshore fracking blasts water mixed with toxic chemicals beneath the sea floor at pressures high enough to fracture rocks.

The lawsuit was settled in late January, when the Department of the Interior agreed to stop approving fracking off California, pending completion of a final environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Oil companies have fracked at least 200 wells in state and federal waters off Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and the Santa Barbara Channel. But the draft environmental assessment, issued just three weeks after the settlement, provides only a cursory analysis of the threats.

The problems start on the draft's first page, where officials write that the purpose of the analysis is to allow offshore fracking and other well stimulation "in support of oil production." That's exactly backward. The law clearly requires the government to analyze the impacts on California's fragile ocean ecosystem before deciding whether to allow them, not the other way around.

The administration's mixed-up approach reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of its legal obligations and an apparent desire to appease the oil industry. It should be encouraging sustainable energy, not prolonging fossil-fuel production.

Tellingly, the analysis admits that insufficient information about the toxicity of fracking chemicals and their effects on marine environments are "critical data gaps." In fact, the California Council on Science and Technology has identified some common fracking chemicals to be among the most toxic in the world to marine animals.

Yet, bizarrely, the document proposes allowing offshore fracking because prohibiting it could lead to more fracking on land, which could increase air pollution and other harms. By this strange logic, fracking is so dangerous it should only be done in our fragile ocean. The reality is that fracking is risky everywhere.

The Refugio spill showed the damage oil production can inflict on our coast. The good news: We can persuade the administration to go back to the drawing board. If officials thoroughly analyze offshore fracking's risks, they'll have to stop authorizing it.

It's simply too big a gamble with our ocean's life-support systems.
News / Regional

by Lynnia Ndlovu

FORMER National University of Science and Technology Vice-Chancellor Professor Phineas Makhurane on Friday launched six novels written by different writers in SeSotho as efforts to promote learning and teaching of indigenous languages gather momentum.Speaking at the launch in Gwanda which was facilitated by the Edward Ndlovu Memorial Trust (ENMT) and Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), Prof Makhurane encouraged more people to consider writing books in indigenous languages."I have a task to honour these SeSotho book writers for their good work. Long ago our grandparents used to tell folktales and it ended there but we are glad that these writers took a big step by putting the stories on paper. Now that these minor languages are officially endorsed in the constitution, I encourage many writers to take a stand and write books," said Prof Makhurane.The director of the ENMT Mr Jackson Ndlovu appreciated the support of OSISA for funding the project."We greatly appreciate the sponsorship of OSISA and we appeal to all of you who have relatives out there who can sponsor us in writing SeSotho books to encourage them to come and support us. OSISA sponsored us with $14 000 in 2015 for the project," said Mr Ndlovu.He said the books will be distributed to many schools in Matabeleland South Province."The books were meant to cover the requirements of primary schools teaching SeSotho," added Mr Ndlovu.Acting Matabeleland South Provincial Education Director (PED) Mr Lackson Zanamwe acknowledged the good work done by the Edward Ndlovu Library and the novelists.
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As the march to the GOP convention continues, Donald Trump remains the front-runner, having won a majority of the state primaries. Both Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio have also tasted victory but remain far behind in delegates secured.

All have talked about being the unifying candidate who can bring Republicans together in November. After one of the most divisive races in decades, however, finding unity after all of the personal attacks and brutal ads will be a difficult challenge for whichever candidate receives the eventual GOP nomination. With anger toward the Washington establishment driving more and more voters, you can just hear the shouts coming from the losers: "If it's not my man, I'm staying home!"

At a time when the media is focusing almost entirely on the latest personal attack and outrageous comment to define the evening news and fuel talk show discussions, principles and policies are taking a distant back seat. By allowing this to continue, we risk losing sight of the main goal - winning in November to stop the destructive liberal transformation President Obama has unleashed on America. Another four years with a Democrat as President is a nightmare that should keep Republicans up at night searching for an answer that truly will unite the party.

At a pivotal point in America's history, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich challenged Republicans in Washington to create a "Contract with America," laying out a blueprint of actions they promised to take if given the victories they needed. On Fox News, current House Speaker Paul Ryan has shared a similar plan: "We're working to provide a bold conservative agenda, one that is based on the principles our country was built on and applied to the problems of today."

Instead of sitting back and waiting for a presidential candidate bloodletting to destroy their chances for victory in November, it's time for Sen. Mitch McConnell to join Ryan in creating a new "Contract with America." The promise would be clear - give us a Republican president we can work with, and we'll pass the following slate of bills in the first 100 days of his administration for him to sign into law.

There's a debate question worth asking the GOP candidates who remain in the race: "If you could work with the Senate and Congress to create a 'Contract with America' to unify the party, what three specific actions would you want to make sure are included in that contract?"

How do you regain trust once lost? You build a history of promising and delivering on what you promise.

It's clear that many Republicans are disappointed in the politicians they have sent to Washington. They can't earn back that trust with sound bites; they must actually deliver on those promises. A new "Contract with America" would put the focus back on principles and policies worth endorsing. It would force candidates to address promises they will actually support if elected.

Ten years ago, I used an email list of registered Republicans and asked them to identify three core values they felt united our party. No choices were given. They had to take the time to write their own list. Although stated in different ways, the following six core principles were listed as unifying values, in this order:

Stand for smaller government and less government intervention/regulations (51 percent).

Be a force to lower taxes (41 percent).

Promote national and homeland security (37 percent).

Help sustain the American dream based on personal freedom and responsibility (37 percent).

Promote educational excellence to leave no child behind (32 percent).

Foster a sound, free enterprise economy (27 percent).

No other principle or issue appeared in even 10 percent of the emails I received.

There's a timely need that must be added. With the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, choosing his replacement will be another critical issue in November. Republicans want a president who will select a justice who would mirror Justice Scalia's unwavering support for our founding principles, viewed through the lens of originalism, which states the Constitution's meaning does not change or evolve over time.

How do these principles match your priorities for the Republican Party? What promises would you want in a new "Contract with America?"

Terry Paulson, of Agoura Hills, is a speaker and author of "The Optimism Advantage." Email him at terry@terrypaulson.com.
WASHINGTON - So much of our financial lives comes down to certain numbers.

There's the retirement figure you hope to get to so you can retire and not worry about whether you can eat better than store-brand potted meat and rice.

We've got to guard our Social Security number. Although, based on the frequency of major data breaches, that number may already be compromised.

And, of course, there is the SAT-like number that has come to define our overall financial identity - your credit score. (Technically, you actually have more than one credit score, since there are several variations of the measure of our financial worthiness to become debtors.)

Pumping up your credit "number" should be a priority. The higher your score, the more likely you'll get favorable lending terms, because the algorithms say you're more likely to pay your debts.

A landlord is likely to ask for a credit number. A potential employer will want you to disclose it. Even a date, hoping to become serious, might judge you by your credit score. A Federal Reserve study found a link between a lasting relationship and good scores. Couples with similarly high credit scores tend to stay together.

So do you know your number? And more importantly, do you know enough about how the credit-scoring system works to boost your rating if it's not measuring up?

If you're not sure, pick up the Color of Money Book Club selection for this month, "Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Improve and Protect the 3-Digit Number that Shapes Your Financial Future" (FT Press, $26.99), by personal-finance author Liz Weston, who writes the syndicated column "Money Talk."

Be sure to get the fifth edition. Why so many versions?

The credit-scoring world is complicated and ever-changing.

"Twenty years ago, you didn't even have the right to know the numbers that lenders used to judge you," Weston writes. "Today, you can get dozens of your scores online within seconds, along with detailed information about what goes into creating each one. Instead of having too little information, sometimes it can feel like you have too much."

Weston, who also writes for NerdWallet.com, has put together a very informative guide to the underbelly of credit scores. Trust me, there is some stuff under the hood of this system that you need help understanding. In fact, she devotes a whole chapter: "Credit-Scoring Myths." Here are some of the top myths she dispels:

 Checking your credit report too often will bring down your score.

 You need to pay interest to get a good score.

 Credit counseling is worse for your score than declaring bankruptcy.

n Your score will automatically drop if you comparison-shop for rates such as before buying a car or applying for a home loan. (You actually have a window in which multiple inquiries won't hurt your score.)

Last month, Chase Slate released the results of a study that found that 40 percent of Americans don't know their number. Of those who do, 32 percent aren't happy with their scores. Of those who are dissatisfied with their score, 82 percent would like to spend the year improving their rating.

In a report released earlier this year, Credit Karma found that more than two-thirds of people surveyed said they had made a major credit mistake before turning 30. They either overspent using credit, paid bills late or defaulted on a loan. Those actions can create tsunami-like forces that significantly drag down your score.

"How you handle your credit problems will have a huge effect not only on your creditworthiness but also on your financial future," Weston writes in the book. "The wrong move can sink you further into debt, devastate what's left of your scores, and put your entire financial life at risk. The right moves can help you climb out of the hole stronger, wealthier and more creditworthy than ever before."

You've probably heard the radio ads from companies promising to "fix" your credit.

Often, that repair comes with a high price from several hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. Save yourself some money and frustration by studying Weston's book. Fixing your credit is a doable DIY (do-it-yourself) endeavor as long as you have the right information.

And "Your Credit Score" gives you just that.

If you're new to the book club, we don't meet in person. Just get the book and join me for the live online discussion. I'll be hosting a chat about this month's selection at noon Eastern on March 24 at http://washingtonpost.com/discussions.

Weston will be joining me to take your credit-score questions.

Readers can write to Michelle Singletary c/o The Washington Post, 1150 15th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20071. Her email address is michelle.singletary@washpost.com. Follow her on Twitter (@SingletaryM) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/MichelleSingletary). Comments and questions are welcome, but due to the volume of mail, personal responses may not be possible. Please also note comments or questions may be used in a future column, with the writer's name, unless a specific request to do otherwise is indicated.


Celebrate Oktoberfest on the Strip at Rockhouse with matchless drink specials beginning Sept. 22 through Oct. 3. Daily from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sin Citys number one place to party will be offering customers all-you-can-drink domestic drafts for $20.

Las Vegas only ultra-dive bar will bring the yearly German Oktoberfest beer-drinking tradition to life, celebrating the American way on the Vegas Strip. For 12 days, Rockhouse will be turning the nightlife experience into a beer lovers paradise while featuring its unbeatable fall season promotion.

Day or night, its always the right time to party at Rockhouse. Whether people watching on the rowdy Strip-side patio by day, or dancing on the bar with an 80-ounce guitar by night, the ultra-dive bar is one of Vegas best-kept secrets. Rockhouse gives partygoers the ultimate nightlife experience  minus the VIP attitude. With a knockout lineup of gorgeous bartenders, bottle service that wont break the bank, a walk-away daiquiri bar and casual dress code, Rockhouse is a must-visit hot spot for locals and tourists alike.


Chippendales, the ultimate Las Vegas Girls Night Out, is about to get even hotter when reality show star, Jake Pavelka (ABCs The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars,) dawns the stage as the highly- anticipated celebrity guest host for a Spring residency (February 23  March 18, Thursdays through Sundays).

The addition of Pavelka, who is still touted as one of Americas most eligible bachelors, will add to the four-week long frenzy as Chippendales celebrates its 10th Anniversary at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino (on Friday, February 24) with nearly 4,000 performances.

For more than three decades, sinful schoolboy charm and naughty fantasy, colliding with the boy next door has been the winning combination that has solidified Chippendales as the premier birthday, divorce, and Las Vegas bachelorette party for women. The iconic bare-chested men with their cuffs and collars are a household name across the globe  with the reputation of being The Ultimate Girls Night Out! Pavelka will be joining an exclusive roster of guest hosts at Chippendales including Ronnie Magro of Jersey Shore and Jeff Timmons of the platinum-selling group 98 Degrees.

During his limited engagement at Chippendales, Pavelka will use his charm, sex appeal and hosting skills to keep the women entertained while leaving the dancing to the men of Chippendales.


TREVI at The Forum Shops at Caesars has introduced a new menu and happy hour specials just in time for summer.

The first menu change since its grand opening in 2009, the new selections include an array of classic and contemporary Italian selections crafted by Executive Chef Peter Scaturro. An array of delectable new desserts have also been developed by Sous and Pastry Chef Hank Sbraccia, accompanying his celebrated fresh gelato made daily at the popular dining spot.

Scaturro, a talented chef who learned to prepare Italian dishes through his upbringing and training in New York City, showcases an array of new house specialties on the new menu. Scaturro will continue to update the menu every spring and fall to highlight the freshest ingredients and to offer lighter or heartier dishes in keeping with seasons. In addition to serving up classic Italian cuisine, Scaturro also believes in the quality of service and guests experiences at the restaurant.

My motto has always been to work hard, be honest and treat people the way youd like to be treated, said Scaturro. Thats the way we treat our guests at TREVI.

TREVIs specialties include lasagna pizza, a deep-dish pizza topped with layers of Italian sausage, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and tangy pomarola sauce; shrimp amatriciana, a grilled shrimp dish with spaghetti, pancetta, concasse tomato and onions tossed with homemade marinara; and pollo la griglia, grilled chicken medallions topped with oven-roasted tomatoes, artichoke hearts and provolone cheese in a tomato caper bianco sauce accompanied by risotto cakes and asparagus.

TREVI has also introduced a new happy hour, titled TREVI TIME. Available from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday through Friday in the bar, only, drink offerings include $3 bellinis, $4 bottled beers, $6 wines by the glass and martinis. An array of $6 small plate selections are also featured during TREVI TIME, and include tomato bruschetta, fresh stuffed mushrooms, fried calamari, Romano chicken sliders, homemade meatballs and mini cheese stuffed burgers.

As if the mouthwatering appetizers and entrees werent enough, Sbraccia arrives every morning at 2 a.m. to make the homemade gelato. The gelato bar, situated at the opposite side of the patio from the main entrance, features an array of ten flavors every day including popular selections like tiramisu, strawberry sorbeto and chocolate chunk along with two featured flavors of the day by Sbraccia. Other sweet treats and Italian coffees are also available at the gelato bar.

When I make gelato, youre going to remember it, said Sbraccia, whose gelato was described in Food Arts Magazine as the best this side of Florence. I believe in giving people lots of flavor, because thats how I like it. TREVI sells between 250 and 350 pounds of gelati on a busy day.

TREVI offers incredible patio dining surrounding the Fountain of the Gods, a 28-seat oval bar and a grand staircase that leads guests up to the mezzanine level. The newly added mezzanine features dining seating overlooking the fountain through arched windows. A stunning 12-foot tall custom glass chandelier is the focal point and centerpiece of the restaurant as it beautifully hangs from the mezzanine level to the bottom floor.

TREVI has phenomenal group sales offerings with a private or semi-private upper level or the full restaurant available for buyouts. The upper level, overlooking the Fountain of the Gods and framing the lower level, accommodates parties from 20 to 165 guests for a mixer, or up to 140 for a seated dinner. The dining room accommodates 70 guests for a seated dinner, and the entire restaurant, including the patio, seats 400.

TREVI is located at the heart of The Forum Shops at Caesars next to the Fountain of the Gods. The laid-back restaurant and bar is open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. until midnight on Friday and Saturday. More information and reservations are available on the companys website at www.trevi-italian.com or by calling 702.735.4663. Follow TREVI is on Twitter @TREVILV and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TREVILV.






PBR Rock Bar & Grill inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino will celebrate National Smores Day with a special price on their delicious smores menu selection on Friday, August 10.

Guests are invited to ditch the campfire and head to PBR Rock Bar & Grill to feast on the delectable Smores Bread Pudding, made with rich and creamy bread pudding mixed with chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows and topped with vanilla ice cream, priced at $7. In addition to the tasty treat, revelers can enjoy the daily happy hour from 3 until 6 p.m., consisting of $3 domestic drafts, $5 shots, two-for-one well drinks and $19 Budweiser beer buckets.
News / Regional

by Sukoluhle Ndlovu

A GWERU woman must be cursing her gods after approaching the courts seeking a review of her monthly maintenance payout from $600 to a staggering $5 050 but came out worse off after the magistrate cancelled the maintenance after evidence of her cheating escapades with a local pastor were exposed.The woman, Lula Masvanhise, sometime last year allegedly got into an adulterous relationship with her pastor Lloyd Gangata of the Covenant Life Ministers allegedly at the blessing of her husband Ronald Masvanhise after he had allegedly suffered an erectile dysfunction.It was alleged that Ronald had at the time agreed to have the man of the cloth sleep with his wife but unbeknown to the wife the husband secretly installed the closed circuit television (CCTV) in their bedroom which recorded all his wife's sexual encounters with her pastor. Lula claimed she did not know that the alleged "sex contract" was a ploy to get rid of her and also deny her of spousal maintenance on the basis that she had committed adultery.The stunning revelations came out when Lula approached Gweru magistrate Vimbai Makora seeking an upward variation of $5 050 for her spousal maintenance of $600. According to court papers submitted by Lula's legal representative, Arnold Sakuinje of Mhaka Attorneys, she claimed her estranged husband is an engineer in Saudi Arabia earning about R129 000 a month.She said when she engaged in a sexual relationship with her pastor, her husband secretly recorded them so that he could use the explicit videos as an excuse for him not to pay maintenance. She maintained that her sexual relationship with Gangata was not adultery because they had agreed with her husband that she should seek sexual gratification out of wedlock."The respondent earns R129 000 monthly. Apart from the monies that the respondent realises from business adventures, he also realises R10 000 a month from renting out our matrimonial home in Germiston, South Africa. He is also getting $300 from renting out our house in Woodlands Park, Gweru. I am seeking to get an increase to $5 050 which includes $2 000 rent, $1 000 for holidays, $500 for clothes, $500 for groceries, among other expenses," reads part of her submission.She also claimed that her husband hired thugs who forced her to sign for the release of their children from a school in South Africa before taking them to Gweru."On 26 June, respondent brought thugs to our matrimonial home in South Africa without my knowledge and forcibly took me to the children's school to sign for their release. He fraudulently smuggled my kids to Zimbabwe without my consent and placed them in the custody of third parties," she said.In response, the respondent (Ronald)'s legal representatives from Dzimba Javaraza and Associates, disputed Lula's claims. They said their client never agreed to the "sex contract" and he only found out about the illicit affair through CCTV cameras which he had secretly installed in his house."The applicant committed adultery while she was in South Africa. Evidence is overwhelming and abounding in the form of video footages. Ronald is not in a position of paying spousal maintenance to her as she had committed adultery. The video which was captured on CCTV and circulated over the Internet can be produced in court," reads the arguments prepared by Ronald's lawyers."The sum of R129 000 that the applicant is claiming is shocking given that the respondent is currently out of employment. He was contracted by the SRACO as a control and instrument engineer since 12 February 2015 up to 13 February 2016. His contact has since expired."However, Magistrate Makora dismissed both the review and the maintenance case citing Section 10 of the Maintenance Act (chapter 5:09) which states that the court may dismiss the application for maintenance on the grounds that the applicant committed adultery.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has issued a strong warning to Taiwan and its incoming, independence-leaning government.

According to the official Xinhua news agency, Xi told delegates at the annual meeting of China's parliament Sunday that Beijing would "resolutely contain Taiwan independence secessionist activities in any form," and would never allow the "historical tragedy" of a split to occur again.

China and Taiwan have been split since 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces fled the mainland after losing the civil war to Mao Zedong's communist army. Beijing considers self-ruled Taiwan a renegade province, and vows to bring the island back under its control  by force, if necessary.

Located about 180 kilometers off China's southeastern coast, the island was under Japanese colonial rule until the end of World War II in 1945.

Xi's warning is the latest issued to the self-ruled island since Tsai Ing-wen  the head of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party  won the presidency in January and led the DPP to a landslide legislative majority.

Tsai has said she wanted to maintain the current status of peace and stability between Beijing and Taipei after she took office in May.

Outgoing Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou signed a series of economic agreements with mainland China as leader of the pro-Beijing Nationalist party, and held a landmark summit with Xi Jinping in Singapore in November; the first face-to face meeting between the two sides since the 1949 civil war.

But an effort to push a controversial trade agreement through the legislature last year was met with violent protests by demonstrators angry over what they believed was Beijing's growing influence on the island.
Thousands of migrants remain stranded at the Greece-Macedonia border as European Union leaders prepare to meet their Turkish counterparts to discuss the crisis at an emergency summit in Brussels Monday.



The European leaders will try to persuade Turkey's prime minister to slow the flow of migrants traveling to Europe and also take back thousands who don't qualify for asylum in the European bloc.



Nearly 14,000 migrants are currently camped at the Greek-Macedonia border, clinging to the hope that they might be allowed to move north. But many of their preferred destinations, like Germany and Scandinavia, have reintroduced border controls, threatening the future of the Schengen passport-free area so vital to trade and travel.



With a fresh surge of migrants expected as the weather warms, EU leaders are pinning much of their hopes for reducing the chaos on new commitments from Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.



However, Turkey has a huge migrant challenge of its own, as host to more than 2 million people who fled the conflict in Syria.



The EU has offered several incentives to get Turkish authorities to crack down on migrant movements. Some $3.3 billion will be made available for Syrian refugees. Turkey's long-coveted EU membership process is being sped up, as are moves to ease EU visa requirements.



But even as the world leaders struggled to cope with the influx, on Sunday tragedy struck again. Some 18 migrants drowned off the Turkish coast, even as the coast guard managed to pluck 15 others to safety.



The coast guard has launched a search-and-rescue mission for others believed to be missing from the accident off the the Aegean Sea resort of Didim.



The statistical office of the European Union, Eurostat, reported Friday that a record number of more than 1.2 million first-time asylum seekers arrived in the EU in 2015, more than double the figure from the previous year.



It said that the largest group of refugees came from Syria, followed by Afghanistan and Iraq.
The families of those who were aboard missing Malaysia airlines Flight 370 are vowing to never to quit fighting for answers.

They appealed to authorities Sunday to continue searching for the plane, saying that one of aviation's great mysteries must not be left unsolved.

The plane inexplicably vanished during an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, carrying 239 passengers and crew.

The families of the missing passengers gathered for a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur to mark Tuesday's second anniversary of the jet's disappearance and to argue for an expansion if the area currently being searched in the remote southern Indian Ocean comes up empty.

Search cost

The unprecedented Australian-led hunt for wreckage from the Boeing 777 is expected to finish its high-tech scanning of a designated swathe of sea floor by July. Authorities hope to detect debris far down in the ocean depths and eventually recover and analyze the black boxes for clues.

Australian, Malaysian and Chinese authorities plan to end the search, projected to cost up to $130 million, at that point if no compelling new leads emerge.

Many relatives remain unconvinced that authorities are searching in the right place.

"If they have exhausted one particular line of inquiry, that doesn't mean other areas may not come up with something. Just sit down and ask, 'Okay, what next'?" said K.S. Narendran, an Indian national whose wife Chandrika was aboard.

Many next-of-kin accuse the airline and the Malaysian government of letting the plane slip away through a bungled response and covering up what caused the disappearance.

Some also allege Malaysia wants to stop searching to prevent embarrassing information from emerging, which the airline and government strongly deny.

Sunday's ceremony included prayers, musical performances and the release of 240 white balloons, one for each passenger and another for the plane.

Relatives say acceptance of their unexplained loss remains impossible two years on.

"We don't have anything to accept. We still know nothing and we are all in limbo. If anything, I am worse than before," said Grace Nathan, a Malaysian attorney who lost her mother.

Jacquita Gonzales, wife of flight steward Patrick Gomes, said "We are fighting to search on because our loved ones are not home yet. So how can we say it's the end?

We will fight on to make sure that we get the truth of exactly what happened to all of them. We will not give up."

A piece of the plane washed up on the French-held island of Reunion last year. Last week, new debris yet to be confirmed that it's from MH370 was found on the same Reunion shore and on a Mozambique beach.

But the finds came thousands of kilometers from the suspected crash zone and have yielded no clues.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said his security forces have uprooted loyalists of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan.

Addressing lawmakers at the opening of parliament in Kabul Sunday, he said IS is one of the elements in the current Afghan conflict, but it is only fighting to promote its own extremist ideology and interests.

We can say with pride that today Afghanistan is the only nation where Daesh (Arabic acronym for IS) is on the run. They are on the run in Nangarhar, and Afghanistan will be their graveyard, Ghani said.

The eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan, is where IS established its strongholds more than a year ago and tried to expand its influence to the rest of the country through use of its terrorist activities.

In recent days Afghan ground and air forces, assisted sometimes by U.S. drones, have carried out repeated attacks on the remote mountainous Achin and Shinwar districts in the restive province.

Afghan officials say the operations have killed more than 200 IS fighters in the 21-day military campaign that was concluded last week.
Nigerias army said it would pay for the education of at least four children for each solider killed in the counterinsurgency fight against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in parts of the countrys north.

The armys sponsorship, officials said, would include paying the school fees for the children from primary level until they complete tertiary levels of education.

While welcoming the announcement, Nigerians have also urged the army to ensure the slain soldiers' families do not face challenges to access the plan through corruption or incompetence, which they say often permeate state institutions.

Nigerian military spokesman Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman said the army had established an insurance policy for the soldiers to ensure the families they leave behind are properly taken care of.

Welfare plan

We have a welfare scheme for both officers and soldiers of the Nigerian army, especially for their dependents or next of kin in the event of inevitable unforeseen [death]. For instance, if the soldier is injured or ultimately lose their life, his family will be adequately taken care of apart from the routine administrative we have," Usman said.

"We also have a group life insurance and we have provisions for sponsorship for at least four children of the deceased officer or soldier, right from the primary school, secondary or high school and of course tertiary institution, he said.

Usman made the remarks following the armys announcement that it had made significant progress in the counterinsurgency fight against Boko Haram in the militants hideout in the Sambisa Forest.

He said in the notorious part of the forest, several militants were killed and others captured. Those captured are providing intelligence, Usman said, adding the army is acting on in a bid to end the insurgency.

Just yesterday, one Musa Abdullahi was captured by our troops, and of course he gave insight about some of the atrocities being committed. We were able to recover quite a number of equipment and weapons, Usman said.

'These guys are unrelenting'

These guys are unrelenting and with each coming day they come up with new strategies. For instance, they tend to use even communication gadgets to set up booby traps apart from the normal improvised explosive devices they bury on the ground. But our troops are up to the task," he said.

Usman added Boko Haram is also contaminating the source of water in the communities where they have been routed out.

Local media reported that Boko Haram militants have resorted to selling cattle to generate funds for their insurgency.

Usman confirmed the reports, adding that it shows the armys continued pressure on the militants has forced them to abandon their regular sources of income, which includes taxing people who reside in communities Boko Haram previously controlled.

Initially, they were having a field day ... but as we closed onto their respective supply routes, denying them freedom of action, freedom of movement and of course freedom of their source of logistics supply theyve devised several other means using a third party, either by way of trading some goods and maybe animals. ... And that is what led to the closure of some of the markets, because the markets acted as meeting points for some of them, Usman said.

With each passing day we get intelligence and information and we act on it," he said. "I can rest assured, confidently, that in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria, we are gaining tremendous success and in no distant time, we can beat our chest and say, 'Yes peace and stability have come to stay in our country.

But critics said President Muhammadu Buharis government has yet to defeat the militants who continue to launch attacks on civilians, even after the government said it had technically defeated the Boko Haram militants.
A leading Turkish newspaper that was staunchly opposed to the country's president has printed its first edition since being seized by authorities, and the publication now features a distinctly pro-government slant.

Sunday's edition of Zaman, Turkey's largest-circulation daily, led with an article about what it called the "historical excitement" over a nearly-completed bridge project. The front page also prominently featured a photograph of a smiling President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

There was little coverage in Sunday's Zaman of the previous day's unrest in Istanbul, where police sprayed tear gas and fired rubber bullets at hundreds of protesters who gathered outside Zaman's offices chanting "free media cannot be silenced."

The crackdown was the latest in a series of actions against opposition media linked to Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric living in exile in the United States whom the Ankara government accuses of treason.

The police action began Friday, when helmeted officers used powerful streams of water and clouds of tear gas to push demonstrators away from the newspaper's headquarters, then cut through a metal fence to occupy the building and install court-appointed trustees.

Zaman's chief editor, Abdulhamit Bilici, addressing his staff before police stormed in, called Friday "a black day for democracy" in Turkey.

The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists spoke out against the Turkish government's action. The head of the rights group, Joel Simon, said, "Turkish authorities should be fulfilling their constitutional obligation to defend press freedom" rather than undermining opposition media with aggressive action.

CPJ has reported Turkey is one of the top jailers of journalists in the world, with government officials taking advantage of laws that can be broadly interpreted to imprison journalists on suspicion of espionage, conspiracy, or defaming the government.

Because of Turkey's geographical position as a bridge between East and West, and as a member of NATO, it has been a valuable ally to the United States and Europe on issues such as the civil war in Syria and the tide of refugees flowing west from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Critics of Turkey's government say the nation's value as an ally keeps Western nations from protesting too loudly about the Ankara's human-rights record.
Opinion / Columnist

Just like many of my colleagues during this time of the year, I was out of the country over the past few weeks to re-connect with my spiritual father.You see, many of our congregants will generally be broke at this time so there was really no need for us to waste our time preaching to people who after the sermon would walk out of the church as if they are coming from some social gathering.This is commercial and so yeah, it was time yekunobikwa zvakare. Quite a number of my colleagues went to Ghana and Nigeria but I wasn't anywhere near Africa. It's good to be back.How do I start this sermon?There is a high risk that some people will think Bishop Lazarus vadzoka vakadhakwa or the Bishop has gone bonkers.Let me quickly put a disclaimer here. I am a fanatic of that French theorist Jean Baudrillard who is considered a guru of French postmodern theory. For those not in the know, Baudrillard is that guy who published a paper saying "The Gulf war will not take place" just a few days before the Gulf war started in 1991.When the Gulf war started, he maintained that it was not "really taking place". After the war, he published another paper saying "it did not take place."Baudrillard argued that the Gulf war was nothing but a media spectacle and not a genuine war.Crazy was this guy, isn't it?Don't worry dear reader, I am not about to bombard you with social theories and philosophy here, but then what's the significance of Baudrillard's crazy thinking here?Well, I have been reading lots of stories over the past few days saying Joice Mujuru launched her Zimbabwe People First political party.I was at that said press conference where some people are saying she launched her political party and let me tell you this  Joice didn't launch anything. Nothing of that sort ever happened. I was there and no party was launched. Nothing!I know some are already saying Bishop Lazarus vakupengeswa nerimwe benzi rekuFrance, Baudrillard but no, no, handisi kumhanya mushini or kumhanya bani as some of my congregants would put it.No. Joice didn't launch anything. I was standing a few metres away from her as she was painfully ploughing through her flat speech and you can't tell me I would be so daft not to see if a political party was being launched. No.You see, this is what Joice did. She came to this plush hotel and boy, ohh, boy you should have seen how her supposed bodyguards tried to imitate President Mugabe's bodyguards. You look at them trying to look mean and alert but you know what dear reader, there I was in the same elevator with them and their Mai Mujuru. I was standing behind her and those ever-alert bodyguards didn't see me.But let's go back to what Joice did exactly. She came to this hotel, walked into the press conference room, of course looking super nervous, gave a speech and answered a few questions before leaving  again with her ever-alert bodyguards still trying to make it real.She didn't launch any party. I was there when Edgar Tekere launched his ZUM.I was there when Morgan launched his MDC. I was there when Simba Makoni launched his Mavambo. Mavambo akabva angoita magumo.Simba Makoni, what an orator but sekuru vangu Matope would say hapana scopedhonoro apa. An empty orator. What a waste and what a shame! Someone greet Simba for me. While at it ask him kuti ko Joice wamuona here yaari kutambwa? Same style isn't?I was there when the bombastic Arthur Mutambara came back from the US to join Welshman Ncube's party. I was there when Tendai Biti launched his party. The only person of note who launched his party when I was not there was Egypt Dzinemunenzwa. Kikikikikiki! I wasn't there and I don't want to claim that I know how he did it.But for Tekere, Morgan, Simba, Mutambara and Biti, I was there and I know that while they were selling rotten eggs, they did try to make it real. In fact Morgan chakamira-mira, despite the massive hand-holding and all the open zip issues.So no, Joice didn't launch anything. All she did was read what her creature would be all about. You remember those poorly written and shallow statements she has been publishing in the private media? She just came with one of those statements and read it out in front of bemused journalists and visibly disappointed diplomats.She could have just put her long statement in the private media as usual and continue playing with her grandchildren at home.I know Sylvester Nguni won't agree with me. He is supposed to be the personal assistant, what else can we expect? I know Bright Matonga won't agree with me, but then I can't remember who exactly said "Bright is not so bright." Let's leave him. Kana munhu awana basa risina basa todii? Siyai adyewo, it's really cold out there.I know Jealous Mawarire won't agree with me, but then he is never supposed to agree with me. Jealous ari pabasa. In case you have forgotten dear reader, Jealous is that clever villager akadya Zimbabwe yose nebrain, went to court and made sure that the July 31, 2013 elections were held. He is a damn clever boy that one, so don't expect him to agree with me. Ndati ari pabasa. Morgan haana mate naye Jealous.Ari pabasa kudaro, Joice didn't launch any party. What Joice did on this day is a "Big lesson on How not to Launch a Political Party."In fact, I won't be way off the mark if I say Joice was actually not present at that press conference. She wasn't there.Besides Joice's presence, besides the presence of a visibly tired Rugare Gumbo, besides the presence of a clearly disinterested Dydmus Mutasa and besides that rented crowd, there was nothing to show that someone serious was launching a political party.Joice and her team have to quickly learn the basics in politics. The very basics, like the importance and effects of symbols in politics.That thing they organised at that hotel was just hallow. There was nothing electrifying, there was no verve and that thing had no life. It was just too dull.Surely, after months and months of preparation, I expected better but what I saw really got me feeling pity for Joice. Like I have always said, Joice is a very good mother and grandmother. I know she likes playing with her grandchildren like we saw in that other video.But Joice as the leader of a political party, uuumm, that's stretching it too much. She can't stand the rigors of politics.Let's not forget that for her to become Vice President, it wasn't through her scheming prowess. It was at the benevolence of President Mugabe with a little assistance from her husband, General Mujuru.To prove my point here, after becoming Vice President, if the truth is to be told, Joice did not do anything to prove her leadership qualities. She continued riding on the President's mercy, mixing it with sympathy from some who looked at her not as a leader but as a woman.When Joice was sacked from Zanu-PF, many thought she would ride on this sympathy card, but after months of hiding and with Rugare Gumbo and Dydmus Mutasa saying all manner of nonsense, that sympathy is gone.So when Joice came for that press conference, people were expecting to see the real politician in her, the real deal that has liberation war credentials and they were expecting to see the leader ready to take Zanu-PF head on.But they were disappointed, Joice the politician is still to be born. The motherly Joice came and as she spoke, there were whispers that even Morgan avakupera is still far much better as a politician than Joice.Some maybe wondering why Joice the politician is still to be born but the answer is very simple. What do you expect when her personal assistant is Sylvester Nguni? Nguni is a good guy but a bad politician. Those from Mhondoro will confess that that guy was never and is still not a politician.So there is Joice, the motherly figure and Nguni, the smart guy. As politicians, in Shona they say pasangana madera chaiwo.Sorry dear reader, let's go back to my real issue. I said Joice didn't launch any political party. She launched nothing. Let me explain it from another angle.American political scientist, Murray Elderman who is known for his research on symbolics and political psychology developed the concept of symbolic politics which now forms the bedrock for understanding political communication.According to Elderman, all political actions and events are characterised by a division into an instrumental dimension, that is, a principal value  which represents the actual effect of a political action  and an expressive dimension, that is, a symbolic value  which represents the presentation of the action for the public.He points out that political players subconsciously and based on their own roles produce a make-believe political world for the electorate using political symbols and rituals for and by the mass media.Other scholars like Ulrich Sarcinelli assert that the "mediatisation" of politics, that is, the presentation and "packaging of politics tailored to the needs of the mass-media and in particular those of TV, is becoming increasingly important in presenting a politically capable leadership.He says verbal symbols such as catch phrases and slogans; and non-verbal symbols like anthems and flags are used to announce the presence of a political entity.Now those who are saying Joice launched a political party, can they tell us this party's colours, can they tell us this party's slogan, can they tell us what that party stands for, can they tell us anything they remember about that party except the fact that Joice is the leader?Just like Baudrillard concluded about the 1991 Gulf war, that this was a media spectacle, I maintain that Joice launched nothing. She tried a media spectacle and it went horribly wrong for her.The thinking was that by now the Joice buzz would be all over the place and Zimbabwe would "catch a fire" as Bob Marley would put it. But no, there is no buzz and I repeat for the umpteenth time, Joice did not launch anything.Bishop is out!
Prominent Sudanese politician Hassan al-Turabi was buried Sunday in a cemetery east of the capital, Khartoum, following a funeral attended by thousands of mourners.

Turabi died Saturday of a heart attack at the age of 84.

He once played a major role in the 1989 coup that brought President Omar al-Bashir to power.

However, the two close allies later became bitter foes, and Turabi became the only Sudanese politician to support a warrant for Bashir's arrest by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes.

Turabi also at one time hosted al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, although the group was later expelled from Sudan under U.S. pressure in 1996. Turabi, who supported radical Islam in the 1990s, remade himself as a mainstream politician.

He was jailed several times after a power struggle and split with Bashir in 1999.
Thousands of mourners turned out for the funeral Saturday for slain Honduran indigenous leader Berta Caceres, who fought to stop a potentially destructive dam.

Her supporters chanted "Berta lives!" and called for justice as her coffin was carried from her mother's home to the church in the town of La Esperanza, northwest of Tegucigalpa.

Caceres, a Lenca Indian activist who won the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize, was killed by gunmen in her home Thursday in what appeared to be a targeted killing. At least one person was reported to have been arrested, but no other information about the attack was released.

The Honduran government had assigned her special protection because she had received numerous death threats, but Caceres had complained that security surrounding her home was lax.

Caceres fought against construction of the Agua Zarca Dam on the Gualcarque River, a waterway the Lenca considered to be sacred.

Dam opponents argued that it would destroy the lives of hundreds of Lenca by cutting off the access to the river. The project has been put on hold.

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has ordered security forces to find those behind the killing.

The U.S. State Department condemned the shooting, calling on Honduras to carry out a transparent investigation. It offered to help bring the killers to justice.
Thousands of people protested negotiations between the Georgian government and Russia's state-owned energy giant, Gazprom, Sunday in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

The demonstrators formed a nearly 7-kilometer (4-mile) human chain, stretching from the Russian Embassy to the government headquarters.

The protesters said they feared buying gas from Gazprom would make Georgia dependent on Russia.

The rally was organized by former President Mikheil Saakashvili's pro-Western United National Movement party (UNM), which accuses Moscow of using Gazprom in a bid to prevent Georgia from forging closer ties with the West.

Azerbaijan deal

The government said Friday that it had signed a deal with neighboring Azerbaijan to increase gas supplies enough to fully cover Georgian demand.

However, opposition leader in parliament David Bakradze said Georgian officials "tried to deceive us by saying it was not technically possible to increase gas supplies from Azerbaijan."

"The Georgian society will not allow this government to undermine the country's energy security," the senior UNM lawmaker said.

Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said Saturday that officials had abandoned the plan to buy natural gas from Russia after it had secured a deal with Azerbaijan to purchase additional volumes of gas.

Technical issues

Previously, Kaladze had justified the negotiations with Gazprom by saying Azerbaijan didn't have the technical ability to supply more gas. But he said those problems had been overcome.

Bakradze said protesters had "forced the government to do everything possible to receive additional fuel from Azerbaijan. ... We will not allow Georgia to be under Russia's control."

Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in August 2008 over the two Moscow-backed breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
A total of 135 people were killed in the first week of a partial truce in Syria in areas covered by the deal, a monitoring group said on Saturday, highlighting its fragile nature just days before the United Nations attempts to reconvene peace talks.

U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura said the talks, originally due to begin on Monday in Geneva, would get off to a staggered start later in the week, with delegates arriving from Wednesday onward.

The U.N. said the delay was due to "logistical and technical reasons and also for the ceasefire to better settle down".

"I see us beginning on (Thursday) March 10 when we will launch the process," de Mistura said in an interview with pan-Arab newspaper Al Hayat.

Talks moved?

A pro-Damascus Lebanese TV channel, al-Mayadeen, reported from its own sources that talks had been moved to March 13. Reuters could not independently verify this.

The five-year Syrian civil war has killed more than a quarter of a million people and created a massive refugee crisis in Lebanon, Turkey and the European Union.

The partial truce, drawn up by Washington and Moscow, came into force a week ago and has slowed the pace of the war, although it does not include Islamic State militants or the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

The opposition is dissatisfied with the implementation of the deal and has yet to say whether it will attend the new talks. Fighting continues in many parts of Syria, and rebels say the Syrian government, backed by Russian air power and fighters from Iranian-backed Hezbollah, has kept up attacks on strategically important front lines.

Fighting has also continued between rebel groups and Kurdish-backed forces in north Aleppo, and between rebel groups and Islamic State.

On Saturday Islamic State regained control of a border crossing with Iraq seized by a group of rebels on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

More than 100 killed

The Observatory said 135 people have been killed in areas covered by the "cessation of hostilities" agreement since it came into force on Feb. 27. In areas not covered by the truce, 552 people were killed, said the Britain-based group, which tracks the conflict via sources on the ground.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a phone conversation late on Friday, called for a prompt start to the peace negotiations, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The two sides called to start the negotiations as soon as possible...between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the opposition, during which the Syrians themselves should determine the future of their country," the ministry said.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, whose country backs the rebels, said on Saturday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must leave at the beginning of a political transition, not at the end.

"For us it is very clear it's at the beginning of the process, not at the end of the process, it's not going to be 18 months," Jubeir said during a visit to France.

Assad, however, enjoys firm backing from Iran and Russia and his military position has strengthened, especially since Russia entered the war by launching waves of air strikes last September. The United States and other Western governments that previously called for the president's early departure have quietly backed away from that demand.

Failed talks

De Mistura attempted to convene peace talks in January, but these failed before they had even started in earnest. The new talks will be conducted indirectly, not face-to-face, he told Al Hayat.

The fall-off in violence has made aid deliveries easier in some areas of the country, but de Mistura said the Syrian government should be processing aid faster.

"Lorries are waiting for 36 hours," he said. "And medical aid must be allowed."

On Wednesday the World Health Organization said Syrian officials had rejected the delivery of medical supplies, including trauma and burn kits and antibiotics, in a convoy to the besieged town of Moadamiya two days earlier.

Syrian opposition coordinator Riad Hijab said on Friday conditions for talks were "not favorable" and medical and food supplies were being blocked despite the truce.

On Saturday, the opposition Syrian National Coalition, which is part of the main Saudi-backed opposition High Negotiations Committee, said it had named a new president.

Anas Abda will replace Khaled Khoja as head of the group, the SNC said in a statement on its Twitter account.
The U.N. refugee agency reports that the refugee situation in Greece is rapidly deteriorating, with about 30,000 people living under miserable conditions, but it's proposing a plan to help resolve the crisis.

The proposal from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees comes ahead of a European Union ministerial meeting with Turkey in Brussels next week.

The UNHCR says only a trickle of people are being allowed to cross into Macedonia, leaving thousands of refugees stranded on the Greek side of the border, amid mounting tensions and inadequate accommodations.

Agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming says this situation could be largely resolved if European nations would implement a plan they agreed to last year for the fair and equitable relocation of refugees.

The EU had agreed to fairly distribute 160,000 refugees among its 28 members. Fleming says most of the countries are unwilling to face up to their responsibilities, as only 603 people have been relocated.

It is not fair right now," she said. "It is not fair that Greece and Italy have to take on all of the people who are arriving and all that that entails. And it is not fair that Austria, Germany and Sweden, on behalf of all of Europe, have to take the burden of all the refugees who are arriving. That has to stop.

The UNHCR's six-part plan to manage and stabilize the refugee situation calls for relocating asylum-seekers from Greece and Italy and, at the same time, returning individuals who do not qualify as refugees to their home countries.

Another recommendation is to make available safer, legal ways for refugees to travel to Europe under managed programs, such as humanitarian admission programs and family reunification efforts.

The UNHCR says these and other suggestions in the plan can work if European countries come together in solidarity and assume their obligations under international law to provide protection and support to people fleeing conflict and persecution.
The U.S. National Guard's cyber unit may join the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said.

"Units like this can also participate in offensive cyber operations of the kind that I have stressed we are conducting, and actually accelerating, in Iraq and Syria, to secure the prompt defeat of ISIL, which we need to do and will do," Carter said, using an acronym for the group.

"We're looking for ways to accelerate that, and cyber is one of them," he added.

Carter visited the National Guard Cyber Unit at its base Friday in the northwestern U.S. state of Washington. He noted the squadron was not currently engaging in offensive cybermissions.

Ongoing campaign

But the defense secretary said in the ongoing campaign against the Islamic State group, there is a need to make it clear that there is no such thing as a state that is based on that ideology.

As part of that effort, Carter said he would not rule out cyber operations to work on an offensive strategy to try to disrupt the Internet outreach operations of the militant group.

Since it was formed back in the late 1990s, the cyber unit has focused solely on defensive cybersecurity efforts, National Guard officials told the Seattle Times newspaper.

The National Guard's cyber unit is a 101-person team of part-time soldiers, most of whom have full-time jobs in the tech industry at companies such as Microsoft and Google.

Beneficial work

Using National Guard units for such work made sense because it allowed the military to benefit from private sector cyber experts, Carter said.

"It brings in the high-tech sector in a very direct way to the mission of protecting the country," he added, "And we're absolutely going to do more of it."

The U.S. National Guard is a reserve military force, composed of military units of each state, the District of Columbia and the territories of Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

The majority of its soldiers and airmen hold civilian jobs full time while serving part time as National Guard members.
President Robert Mugabe on Saturday fired War Veterans Minister Christopher Mutsvangwa following a fall-out with the former freedom fighter, who was accused of gross indiscipline, after he convened a so-called illegal meeting of war veterans said to have wanted to discuss the Zimbabwean leaders succession.

According to the state-controlled Sunday Mail newspaper and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Mugabe immediately appointed former freedom fighter and Makokoba Member of Parliament, Tshinga Dube, to replace him.

Dube, who is also the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Defence Industries, pledged to fight for the needs of war veterans that are currently unsettled following skirmishes with the police in Harare recently when they attempted to hold the indaba convened by Mutsvangwa.

The axed Mutsvangwa told some independent newspapers that he asked Mr. Mugabe to fire him, noting that he was sick and tired of working for a thankless government.

Mutsvangwa and his colleagues are believed to be linked to a Zanu PF faction backing Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the presidential post at a time when party insiders say the president appears to have almost lost control of the party.

The Mnangagwa faction, nicknamed Team Lacoste, is currently backpedalling following the disciplining of Mutsvangwa, who was last week suspended from the ruling party for three years for gross indiscipline.

Some of the party members linked to this faction have been expelled from President Mugabes party for allegedly insulting First Lady Grace Mugabe, among many other issues.

Mrs. Mugabe is also allegedly being backed by a group of Zanu PF members calling themselves Generation 40, who want her to succeed the 92 year-old president that has been in power for more than 35 years.

Factionalism has ravaged the former liberation movement, which expelled former Vice President Joice Mujuru and several other top officials, for allegedly attempting to topple Mr. Mugabe.

The former vice president has formed her own party named the Zimbabwe People First.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has announced that George Gangarahwe is the winner of the Mhondoro-Mubaira parliamentary by-election after beating his nearest rival Rodwell Nyanganya of the Freedon Front party.

The seat fell vacant following the expulsion of then Zanu PF legislator Sylvester Nguni from the party.
Opinion / Columnist

THE proliferation of a crop of young "prophets" leading Pentecostal churches has seen the emergence of "spiritual fathers" who are often treated as demi-gods.When the spiritual fathers walk into auditoriums, congregants sheepishly kneel with arms stretched as if in worship of these men.This has sharply divided the Christian community, with traditional churches criticising the concept of spiritual fathers.Recently, there were dramatic scenes at Andy Millar Hall in Harare where 30 ministry leaders from all over Zimbabwe knelt before Father Lawrence Michael Hood of the Blood of the Lamb Christian Community to ask for forgiveness for leaving his church, and to express gratitude for his guidance.This led to questions as to why Christians felt comfortable kneeling before another human being.Some Christians and even non-believers ask if the concept of spiritual fatherhood had biblical bases.Prominent church leaders Prophets Walter Magaya and Emmanuel Makandiwa have spiritual fathers, Nigerian televangelist TB Joshua and Ghanaian Victor Kusi Boateng respectively.Spirit Embassy founder Prophet Ubert Angel considers himself a son of Prophet Boateng. In turn, Prophet Angel is spiritual father to Prophet Shephered Bushiri of Malawi.In some cases, one hears church members describing the spiritual father of their pastor or prophet as grandpa.Last year, New Life Covenant church leader Bishop Tudor Bismark torched a storm when he issued a statement disowning Prophet Passion Java as his spiritual son. Prophet Java had allegedly claimed to be Bishop Bismark's spiritual son.Pastor Paul Sanyangore also made headlines last year when he knelt before his spiritual father Apostle Tavonga Vutabwashe.Methodist Church in Zimbabwe Reverend Tawanda Sungai dismissed the concept of spiritual fathers as a deliberate misinterpretation of the Bible."The term 'spiritual father' is not found anywhere in the New Testament. Just like other extra-biblical teachings, the proponents of 'spiritual fatherhood' often take one or two scriptures in the New Testament out of context and then build on that with heavy out of context reliance on the Old Testament as their back-up. Why should I have a spiritual father when I have direct contact with God," questioned Rev Sungai?"Yes, the New Testament speaks about leaders in the church. Paul the Apostle appointed various leaders in the churches he opened. However, never did he refer to them as 'spiritual fathers'. Never did Paul state that blessings and success come from 'spiritual fathers'.He argued that the concept of spiritual fathers was used by some to control and manipulate for monetary gain."The more people who call some individual a spiritual father, the more that 'spiritual father' can gain in terms of influence."Rev Sungai asserted that when it came to "receiving the anointing", there was no Biblical basis for such teachings and Christians did not need a spiritual father to be anointed.Salvation Army public relations secretary Captain Victor Mafukidze quoted Matthew 23:8-10 which says: "But you do not be called 'Rabbi'; for one is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for one is your Father, He who is in heaven."He said Jesus Christ was clear that people only had one Father in Heaven."The New Testament uses Father in reference to God in Heaven and He is the only one who has authorised blessing for us believers through Jesus Christ, by grace and not works."No 'spiritual father' on Earth can grant one any blessing, none. As a matter of fact, John the Apostle tells us that we are all anointed by the Holy Spirit as Christians after we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour."1 John 2:26 says 'These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him'."He added that the anointing one received from the Holy Spirit was able to teach a Christian all things."The Holy Spirit should guide a Christian through God's Word and one's mentor should be Jesus Christ and not a man who will fail you the next day."The teaching of "spiritual fathers" is placing a level of trust in a human which is disastrous to one's spiritual faith as one will discover that humans fail and therefore one true mentor should be Jesus Christ and what He taught and said," explained Capt Mafukidze. In an interview last week, Pr Sanyangore said Apostle Vutabwashe helped him start his own church."Every pastor needs a pastor that is why I went there. He is my spiritual father and for me to be where I am today it is through him," he said."I am a leader but I also need a leader, a mentor and guardian. My ministry has grown but I need guidance to lead the ministry. I am human, I can have problems with my wife and I need someone who can counsel me."Faith in Christ Ministries International leader Prophet Daniel Mlauzi said spiritual guidance was vital."So as we consider Elijah and his miraculous ministry let us also consider this powerful prophet's role in shaping the life and ministry of young Elisha, who went on to do far greater things than his spiritual mentor."We are seeing the manifestation of the Malachi mandate that proclaims: 'He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers' (Malachi 4:6)" Paul the Apostle was a spiritual father according 1 Corinthians 4:14-21, claimed a Harare-based prophet who declined to be named.United Family International Church spokesperson Pastor Prime Kufa said spiritual fathers dated back to the days of Elijah, Moses, Joshua and Jethro in the Old Testament.He said, "I am wondering why people are now criticising this phenomenon. Catholics have fathers but are those fathers biological? No. They are spiritual."It is God's idea to raise fathers who help their children in faith and everyone should have a spiritual father. Paul refers Timothy as his son because Paul led Timothy to saving faith in Christ. In doing this, Paul became like a 'spiritual father' to Timothy."Timothy was, in essence, like Paul's son and Paul felt responsible for him and taught him. This is often the case when someone leads another person to the Lord."In addition, Timothy is not the only one Paul calls his 'son'. He also calls Onesimus his 'son' in (Philippians 1:10): 'I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds'."This seems to make it much more clear that Paul called Onesimus his 'son' because he had lead him to the Lord while 'in bonds' (in prison). Paul also calls Titus his 'son' in Titus 1:4."SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK"And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and H e is in heaven." Mathew 23:9'God is the only spiritual father'
My love for Kimmy Gibbler knows no bounds, but I have to admit that she has a fatal flaw: Shes pretty bad at her job.

In this episode, Gibbler Style Party Planning throws Ramonas 13th birthday party and Kimmy Gibbler doesnt do any of the things a good party planner would do. She doesnt have anyone check the ice cream cake and mistakenly gets some creepy-looking priests retirement cake instead. Yes, she does a great job transforming the back yard into an Instagram-worthy venue complete with DJ rig for Stephanie, but she doesnt make sure that the sound equipment will work without setting the power off. To top it off, she doesnt refrigerate the priest cake and it melts before anyone can eat it.

While all of this is going on, shes inside choking on balls. Okay, that sounds bad. She was choking on Matts meatballs and tiny wiener. Ouch. Even worse. She was choking on some food and Matt, the hunky vet whom D.J. works with, has to save her life. If the power is out, the cake is awful, and all the kids are sitting around complaining about it on Snapchat, wouldnt it be a good party planners job to fix all of those things? That shouldnt even be a question because the answer is yes. Instead Stephanie, a woman who is so incompetent she cant even dress herself to look her age, is dealing with everything. Get it together, Gibbler.

Kimmy Gibbler had bigger things to worry about in this episode, things exactly as big as the glorious, firm globes of her ex-husband Fernandos posterior. Kimmy Gibbler and Fernando promised Ramona that they would get along for her birthday party, but they cant manage the whole day without getting into a fight. Its only because Fernando is very possessive of Kimmy Gibbler and doesnt want Hunky Vet Matt getting his paws on her. Ramona sees them squabbling and it upsets her because she just wants them to get back together. Good thing she didnt see Kimmy Gibbler making out with Fernando in the backyard or else she would really get her hopes up.

Now, I think Fernando is hotter than a baked potato in Tuscon, but I dont think that Kimmy Gibbler should get back together with him. Why? Well, Fernando just seems kinda gay. Yes, that is judgmental, and its probably just a confluence of the myriad stereotypes colliding in my brain. Maybe its just that the closest thing Ive ever seen to him on screen is Agador Spartacus, Hank Azarias super fey Latino maid in The Birdcage. You remember. This one. Whenever I see him, I just want to scream out, Oh hey, gurrrrllll.

Look at Fernandos traits: The love of dancing, the tight shirts, the floral prints, the lispy voice, the choice of female hairstyling as a career. I mean, this is San Francisco after all. That place is gayer than Cristiano Ronaldos underwear drawer. The only thing about Fernando that doesnt read as gay is his love of Kimmy Gibbler. Considering that I am an adult homosexual male and I love Kimmy Gibbler, too, I dont know what that says.

Speaking of gays, I was impressed by the rather sensitive and inclusive gay joke that Steve makes at the vets office. He asks Hunky Vet Matt if he had a wife and when he says no, he asks if he has a husband. This is what inclusion looks like, people. Sure, he was hoping the dude was gay so he wouldnt hit on his high-school sweetheart, but still. The sensitivity was heartwarming.

So, Steve has it bad for D.J., which I think is a really stupid. D.J. is not just a wet blanket  she is a wet blanket that was frozen in the freezer, covered in fire ants, and then rubbed with poison ivy. She does not want anyone to have any fun ever. Notice how she busted out into the backyard just to keep a bunch of 13-year-olds from making out. Who wants her as a girlfriend? She probably thinks that Cosmo sex tips are tantamount to hardcore porn. Steve is never going to get it on if he keeps barking up that tree. It is a tree with a fence, a gate, barbed wire, and a sensor for one of those invisible dog collars.

Because D.J. is a bigger prude than a nun in Las Vegas, I was surprised she took it so well when Hunky Vet Matt actually came right and told her how cute he thinks she is. How is it that D.J., a woman who is as interested in sex as Donald Trump is in rational thought, has all of these really cute eligible guys after her? Meanwhile Stephanie, who probably gives hand jobs in the bathrooms of Europes seedier night spots, doesnt have anyone to keep her company. That seems cruel to me.

Stephanie knows what women want, so she helps teach Jackson Spencer, D.J.s oldest son, about how to attract girls. The answer, shockingly, is to be yourself. I dont know. Ive known a lot of 13-year-old boys  heck, Ive even been one  and they are smelly and awful and kind of stupid around girls. Maybe the kid could use some Axe body spray and a few lessons on his swagger, as Stephanie calls it, looking like shes from the Victorian era.

While Spencer Jackson at least has a coherent story line, I feel like everything Max does is just tagged onto the episode. Look at what happens to him: First, hes trying to get the dog to stop pooping inside, which is, of course, a very essential task. However, as soon as the lights go out, hes suddenly irrationally worried that its the zombie apocalypse and freaks out. Then the lights come back on and hes sitting in the dog house, staring at Kimmy Gibbler as she makes out with her ex. What is going on with this kid? Does he just need some A.D.D. medication? Does he need an actual story line of his own? Does someone need to give him a job so that he has something to do? If thats the case, lets hope hes a lot better at it than Kimmy Gibbler is at hers.
As Jonah Hill hosts SNL for the fourth time, its easy to see why theyd want him. Even though hes not riding the wave of some recent accomplishment, and not likely to be as big of a ratings grab as another celebrity, Hills got a lot to offer. He can come across as a little mechanical in reading the cue cards, but hes jovial, good-natured and seemingly game for whatever the writers want to throw at him. Wondering whether hell do another sketch about taking an embarrassingly massive dump? Wonder no more! Hell do it, dear viewer!

Though tonights show has scads of news parodies  four, if you include Weekend Update and a long news report folded into a filmed sketch  there isnt one game show or talk show parody in sight. A reprieve! The more exciting moments, i.e., a stellar jab at Trumps racist supporters, understandably coalesce around political happenings; for that reason, some of the premise-based sketches feel a little flat by comparison.

CNN Cold Open

Between the excitement of Super Tuesday, an awful GOP debate, and lots of smaller ridiculous happenings, this open is a hodgepodge of several noteworthy moments in the political circus. While Donald Trump (Darrell Hammond) boasts that the media hadnt seen a campaign like his since Germany in the 1930s, Bobby Moynihan does a good, shell-shocked Chris Christie hovering in the background. Kate McKinnon as Hillary taunts Hillary-haters, and Jason Sudeikis makes an appearance as the Trump-condemning Mitt Romney: We in the GOP do not say racist and sexist things. We imply them, subtly, over decades and decades of policy. A few good lines but all in all, it feels like an obligatory round-up. After all, having Trump come right out and say he has a big dick isnt any funnier than Trumps original big dick joke.

Jonah Hill monologue

When Hill last hosted SNL, he was still fresh off the success of Moneyball, his big part in Wolf of Wall Street, and his two Oscar noms. This time, well, he bragged about his starring role in the Hail, Caesar! trailer and seeing Deadpool. Hill took questions from the audience, as he did during his last host monologue, but this time it was just Kyle Mooney jabbing Hill about a recent lack of visibility. Then Hill brought musical guest Future out so Hill could try out Drakes bars in Jumpman. If the guy doesnt have anything to brag about at present, maybe this is the ego boost?

Voters for Trump Ad

The episodes sketch most likely to blow up social media is this, a searing political ad for Trump in which well-meaning, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth Americans back the Orangeman. After all of the average (white) Janes and Johns have talked about how authentic and successful the Donald is, its slowly revealed that their everyday chores involve book-burning and ironing klan robes. This package looks and feels incredible, and the tone is spot-on. No, not all Trump supporters are racists, but its clear that the racists know who theyre voting for.

The Champ

This filmed piece, which involves Hill as demure wrestling champ Nate, feted by his peers after winning the unwinnable match, takes a pretty long walk to get to the joke. At about a minute and a half, when Nate settles down in front of the TV with his folks, a news segment reveals that Nates win was a hoax to make the school loser feel good. Its a little bland, but there are highlights: The news is focused on Nates story despite the fact that his neighbors were murdered by Will & Graces Eric McCormack, while the cheery school janitor (Kenan Thompson) offers up the secrets of Nates bad habits and keeps getting more on-camera interviews (Why is Mr. Ramirez getting so much air time?).

Fond Du Lac News

This straightforward newscast parody  from Southeastern Wisconsins award-winning news team  finds the personal lives of small-town newscasters taking over the broadcast. There are cute characters, including Vanessa Bayers weather-woman who just got a Navigator, though a lot of it is giving the cast time for Wisconsinite yah-sure-hey-you-betcha chatter. The best laugh arises from a reaction; after Cecily Strongs co-anchor tells a long story about her Korean best friend, a stand-up pool, and the Korean friends drowned sister, her co-host Hill only manages to say, Huh!

Weekend Update

After more Trump dick jokes and a groaner about former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle, the desk bits take a backseat to the individual cast performances. Cecily Strong does the Girl You Wish You Hadnt Started a Conversation With at a Party, and proves that solid writing and performance can support a character thats growing stale. Vanessa Bayer shows up for a charming, would-be remote interview with a recalcitrant 110-year-old woman played by Kate McKinnon. As the ever-cheery Bayer sticks her mic in McKinnons face, the latter really sells exhausted lines like, Leave this place.



Finally, Jay Pharoah steals the show by imagining a caucus of black comics coming to terms with this weeks Katt WilliamsKevin Hart beef. In a few minutes, he delivers a whirlwind of nine impeccable impersonations  some of which, like his blustery Chris Rock, need no introduction at all. Its in impressive feat, but then again, impressions are Pharoahs superpower.



Silver Star Catering

A conference room full of officemates gather to talk about a proposal while their lunch caterer  Hill as Toby from Silver Star  blabs on and on about how much they are enjoying the food. (In fact, theyve hardly touched it.) Even in the world of the sketch, the script doesnt do much to support Tobys ongoing, noxious interruptions; how believable is it for an entire office to sit quietly while a dude loudly goes from talking about wraps being housed or munched to ranch dressing getting gang banged? In any case, its a thin premise, but Hill deserves credit for doing his damndest to make work.

Murder Mystery

Ostensibly a parody of mannered, English murder mysteries, this sketch is just an elaborate shit joke. The cast of broad characters  the brash Americans, the daffy cook  are less interested in the murder than they are in the 24 separate flushes in the span of 90 minutes that emanated from the room of Hills character, Mr. Westin. The writers must think of scat when they think of Hill: The last time Hill hosted the show in 2014, he sat through a game show parody that belabored the fact that his character clogged the toilet.

School Auction

In this sketch, parents gather to support their kids school during a charity auction to support the senior carnival. When the three teens behind hit internet song I Have a Crush on Kevin offer a private concert, the parents are outbid by the assistant to the Qatari king, played by Hill. The initial reveal is a silly surprise, and its fun to watch the parents doubts about sending their kids overseas with strangers evaporate when money gets involved. Of course, the fact that white dudes are playing Middle Easterners is inherently uncomfortable, even when they try to chew the scenery to make up for the fact that theyre white dudes playing Middle Easterners.

Inside SoCal

This ultra low-key news show  one of the most surprisingly successful transplants from Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney and Nick Rutherfords Good Neighbor  is always good to great. During their top story, host Casey (Bennett) sets the tone by confronting his newborn dad pal with a hard-hitting journalistic question: Whats it like having a fucking baby? The audience doesnt seem to love the fact that most of this episode is about brahs distraught by a woman getting a breast reduction; but Pete Davidson does such a convincingly hurt brah that a few people in the audience Awww in sympathy after his brokenhearted exit.
Organizers are seeking locally created paintings, drawings, collages, photography, ceramics and every type of art medium in between for the fifth annual Art on Elm Avenue exhibition April 9, which includes extended hours this year.

Artists have until Saturday to submit work to the event, which also will feature live music, food and vendor booths.

Angie Veracruz, Central Texas Artist Collective co-founder, said she enjoyed having her artwork in the event last year, and she is encouraging other artists to participate in the local event.

Definitely just getting this experience helps local artists, Veracruz said.

Claire Sexton, Cultural Arts of Waco education coordinator, said it was an easy decision to increase the time available for the community to come to the East Waco street fest and enjoy the atmosphere, arts, food, culture and music.

The free event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 9 draws thousands to East Waco, just over the Brazos River from downtown to the historic Main Street Waco on Elm Avenue near the corner of Dallas Street.

Artists can submit up to three works through Saturday for possible inclusion in the juried exhibition or apply for a booth. Participants must be local Texas artists to submit work.

Vendors also have until Saturday to apply for a booth space, with a $50 fee for merchants and a $125 fee for food vendors.

Veracruz said she already has reserved two booths through Central Texas Artist Collective. She said local artists should take advantage of local events as they help prepare them for larger ones as they move forward in their artistic careers.

Waco can be like a learning center where you can learn locally how to create artwork, price it, submit it and give yourself the confidence, Veracruz said.

Bellmead resident Carlos Arias, 26, went from painting a pair of shoes for himself to taking special orders from people he meets.

He plans to display his artwork  on a different kind of canvas  at the event this year for the first time.

I always thought that I would have to go to a place like Austin, where its bigger and more known and more artistic, but now with Art on Elm and the cultural festival happening here in Waco, it just made me want to be a part of it, Arias said.

From cartoon characters to lettering, Arias said, he enjoys each pair and the idea of individuals walking around in his artwork.

He said art is more than a hobby.

I can express myself. I can set myself apart with my artwork. I can also just have something meaningful, Arias said. I do a piece and when I love it, it makes me feel good, and its like a medicine to me now. It makes me feel good. It makes me so proud.

Sexton said Art on Elm is a great community event, bringing arts to an area that was once a vital center of the city and is poised to take off again in the near future. She said attendance at the event has grown by about 1,000 people each year. She expects at least 5,000 to attend this year with the extended hours.

Im very excited to be a part of this event, Sexton said. My mother-in-law bought us a nice print at the 2013 edition when I was still living in New York, and I remember her telling me what a neat event it was. I am also personally very interested in urban development and revitalization, so its a great fit.
Two former patients at Baylor Scott & White Health in Waco filed medical malpractice lawsuits in the past week.

Randall Clark and Sandra Clark, residents of Duck River, Tennessee, filed a lawsuit in Wacos 414th State District Court. McLennan County residents William Bailey and Nicole Bailey filed a lawsuit in 170th State District Court.

Scott Clark, a Baylor Scott & White Health spokesman, said it would be inappropriate for him to make a public comment on pending litigation.

The quality of patient care we provide is of paramount importance to us, Clark said. As this is pending litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time.

The Clarks suit says Randall Clark went to the hospital in December 2013 for treatment of a hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

An operation was aborted because doctors noted bleeding from a large artery, according to the lawsuit. The operation was converted to an open abdominal exploration, called a laparotomy.

The scheduled surgery was performed after the bleeding was brought under control, the suit says. Doctors and nurses used sponges and pads to control the bleeding.

After the operations, hospital officials recognized that an appropriate accounting of the sponges had not been performed, so doctors performed a radiographic procedure to locate any unaccounted sponges. No foreign objects were located, and Clark was transferred from the operating room, the suit says.

Later, Clark suffered a marked deterioration, developed respiratory failure and was transferred to the intensive care unit, according to the suit. A scan was performed, which showed a retained foreign object in his stomach near his diaphragm.

Surgery was performed and revealed two laparotomy pads that had been left inside Clark, the suit alleges.

Retained surgical objects are considered to be completely preventable and thus are included on the list on never events, the treatment for which Medicare and Medicaid will not reimburse as it cannot occur in the absence of negligence, according to the suit, filed on the Clarks behalf by Houston attorney Jon Phillip Spiers.

The suit alleges that as a result of the hospitals negligence, Clark suffered a number of injuries, including the need for an additional surgery; invasive testing and monitoring devices; respiratory failure that required prolonged endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilation; cardiac arrhythmias; anemia requiring transfusions; and others.

2nd lawsuit

The second lawsuit, filed a day later by Houston attorney Monica Vaughan, says William Bailey went to one of the hospitals clinics for a urological scope procedure in March 2014. Bailey told nurses there he was severely nauseous and light-headed, the suit alleges.

He was assisted to the bathroom but left unattended. He blacked out and fell, striking his head, according to the lawsuit.

Bailey was taken to the emergency room, where tests revealed he suffered traumatic brain injury, accompanied by pain and memory loss.

He also began to experience severe neck pain and was found to have a herniated disc, for which he underwent surgery, the suit alleges.

He continues to suffer pain and memory problems that have prevented him from returning to work. The suit claims the medical facility was negligent for failing to prevent Bailey from falling.
An acquaintance last week asked that any of her Facebook friends who support the Republican presidential juggernaut of real estate tycoon and reality TV star Donald Trump identify themselves so she could defriend them: If you support this man, I do not respect how you think and I do not want you as a Facebook friend . . . . Or friend, apparently.

I see this as sure evidence of two things: First, many citizens see Trump as a reckless, sexist, Mussolini-quoting but intriguing narcissist who, if victorious, could well prove to be a Yankee version of Silvio Berlusconi, stamping our descent as an oversized third-world nation with trifling concern for the U.S. Constitution. Trump could make President Obama look statesmanlike by comparison  and modest in his use of executive power. (Face it: Most of us dont mind broad executive orders, so long as they reinforce our own political agendas.)

Second, if people are outraged about Trump backers, why not the reckless and inexplicable choices we ourselves make as Texas voters? Travis County Republicans are apoplectic because they just handed a significant victory to a loose cannon as their new party chairman. He spent Election Night tweeting about former Gov. Rick Perrys sexual orientation and how some of the Bushes ought to be behind bars. GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak is quoted as saying Republicans possibly picked Robert Morrow as chairman because they liked the name better.

The situation offers up some parallels with the GOP presidential race in that some Travis County Republicans now say if they cant get rid of the man they just voted into office, theyll split and form their own Republican Party. My question: Will this make them any smarter when they go into a voting booth next time and vote on yet another down-ballot race? I doubt it.

How to explain, for instance, the colossally stupid decision by many Republicans statewide last week to pass on experienced geologist Lance Christian as a Texas Railroad Commission nominee? Instead, they put into runoff a Harris County apartment developer and a former legislator (also named Christian) deservedly lambasted by party elders and the news media for steering to passage legislation narrowly benefiting his own beachfront property.

All this, mind you, involves a pivotal industry that entails 400,000-plus oil and natural gas jobs in our state and last year paid $13.8 billion in state and local taxes and state royalties. May the best unqualified Republican win.

Other examples include voters who last Tuesday put into a runoff for the State Board of Education a creationist who claims Obama once toiled as a male prostitute to support his drug habit. Or the voters who very nearly returned to office state Rep. Molly White, who last year needlessly fueled anti-Muslim fervor at the State Capitol. Former state legislator and veteran Hugh Shine only narrowly kept her from another term. (White is now demanding a recount.)

One of the most glaring examples of voter bungling came two years ago when Republicans bypassed two worthy Republicans (including then-state Rep. Dan Branch, a Dallas lawyer) for state attorney general and picked Ken Paxton, who earlier admitted violating state securities laws, a third-degree felony. Paxtons ethical lapses continue to dog his administration as our states top law enforcement officer. He now seeks to get the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas to dismiss the charges while fending off charges of violating the Texas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct for ignoring the U.S. Supreme Court. Nice going, Republican voters.

I guess I have similar feelings as my Facebook friend when, every Election Night, I survey winners, losers and the vote tallies and see some of the fools and scoundrels we the voters have picked over candidates of outstanding credentials and impeccable character. I feel moved to go out and ask some voters: Hey, did you actually vote for this idiot  and, if so, why?

A close friend of mine who for many years was an outdoorsman of note once told me that he voted for Jesse James as state treasurer because he thought it amusing for someone with a train robbers name to be overseeing our states finances. (James success as our treasurer did get noticed by Ripleys Believe It or Not.) I told my friend this was terrible but decided his logic precluded further argument from me.

I do wonder how this nation survives such misjudgments by we the people. While we might be well justified in disowning some friends for supporting a braggart with uncertain regard for constitutional powers and limits, how many of us have let ignorance and what only passes for instinct run wild in the sanctity of the voting booth?
Last month movie-goers in Clifton might have felt like theyd gone Back to the Future, jumping from the 21st century to a cotton farm in the 1930s, a lion hunt in the 1960s or an East Texas funeral home in the early 1990s. To be sure, no one actually traveled through time. But the historic Cliftex Theatre took patrons on a trip nonetheless, showing movies that provided a glimpse of life in Texas through different eras as part of the theaters centennial celebration.

Places in the Heart (set in the 1930s), Secondhand Lions (set in the 60s) and Bernie (set in the 1990s) were each filmed in our state and tell a story unique to Texas. And theres no venue better to feature Texas-made films than the Cliftex Theatre, which has just about seen it all since opening in 1916 playing black-and-white silent films. Once synchronized sound debuted in the late 1920s, owners changed the theaters name to Cliftex Talkies to promote the new technology. A hundred years later, the Cliftex Theatre still operates in Clifton, population 3400, four nights a week, and claims the distinction of being the longest-running theater in our state.

Simpler times

Walking into the Cliftex Theatre is a throwback to simpler times. Popcorn is just $1 a bag, a relic that hungry, budget-conscious patrons appreciate. Many decorations remain from the 1930s art deco period, including individual wooden seats. Those seats may be a little less comfortable than modern theaters plush recliners, but patrons arent stuck in them for long. In another nod to the past, the Cliftex Theatre still holds an intermission during each movie. And while the intermission is no longer needed to swap in the next reel of film, the sound system up till recently still played the classic Lets All Go to the Lobby jingle to notify guests it was time to stretch and grab a snack.

Throughout its history, the Cliftex Theatre has survived the ups and downs of a cyclical economy and waves of technological change. What keeps this local jewel going is its small-town business model: the owners and employees know repeat-customers by name and movie preference, and they even announce customers biggest milestones  birthdays, anniversaries  to the audience so all can join in the celebration. Co-owners Phyllis Gamble and Mechelle Slaughter even greet customers with a hug before they pass into the theater.

The Cliftex Theatres centennial celebration began with the Texas throwback films and even included a reunion of past Cliftex employees  many of whom got behind the counter to sell tickets once again. Cliftex has also designed souvenirs with a special centennial logo and commissioned a 100 Years film chronicling the history of the storied theater.

Luckily for the Cliftex Theatre, Texas has a long film history to celebrate. Happy birthday, Cliftex. Heres to 100 more!

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, is a member of the Senate Judiciary and Finance Committees.
Opinion / Columnist

It is always intriguing when I hear the Zimbabwe President - in his attempts to ward off any discussion on his succession - remind the nation that he is still alive, and as such, there is no vacancy for the presidency.In his recent televised interview on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), the 92 year old President Robert Mugabe even jokingly said that maybe he should punch someone to remind people that he was still alive.Hearty joke indeed!However, a sadder and more serious story lies beneath that apparent joke.It appears that the President is missing one very important point - Zimbabwe is supposed to be a parliamentary democracy, and not a monarchy, and as such, the issue of succession does not come up only after the incumbent's death.In fact, I stand corrected, because even in a monarchy, the issue of succession is sorted out well before the death of the incumbent sovereign.That is why in a monarchy such as the United Kingdom, the crown prince has already been identified as Prince Charles, and as such, the succession issue has already been sorted out.The same goes for other kingdoms like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and so forth.As such, it goes without saying that, if a kingdom can freely and openly discuss and sort out its succession issues, why then can a parliamentary democracy fail to do so even more freely and openly.Actually, in a parliamentary democracy, such as Zimbabwe, the post of President is open for contestation any time of the year, 365 days (or 366 in 2016) of the year.This is as a result of the Constitutional provision in Section 97, which clearly defines terms for the removal of the President or Vice-President from office.It is clear from this Section of the Constitution of Zimbabwe that the Senate and the National Assembly (the Parliament of Zimbabwe) may at any time resolve to remove the President from office, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.Section 97(1), then clearly stipulates the reasons that a President may be removed from office, which are varied.For the Constitution to carry such a provision for the removal of the President by parliament, clearly shows that death is not the only way the office of the President may become vacant.I can not speak for the Constitution of ZANU PF, but if this party claims to be democratic, then the position of president should also be freely and openly contested without waiting for the incumbent to retire of die.According to what the President said in the ZBC interview, he was chosen by ZANU PF to be the party's Presidential candidate in the 2013 elections.If we are going to take his choice of the word 'chosen' seriously, it would mean there was some form of an 'election', ZANU PF style (I really say this with tongue in cheek) to select its Presidential candidate.If that was the case, then it means even ZANU PF accepts that the office of President is not only vacant through retirement or death, but may be contested.In fact, there is always a vacancy for the office of the President, and in any democracy, people should freely position themselves for it.That is why some countries as the United States of America are currently holding very interesting primary elections for both the Democratic and Republican parties to choose their Presidential candidates for the November 2016 US Presidential Elections.However, as both the late 17th President of the United States Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) and the 42nd US President William J. Clinton (1993-2001) can testify, the President can be impeached and be removed at any time.The people of Zimbabwe also demand and deserve to see democracy at work in their own country.The issue of the presidency is not a personal fiefdom.Therefore, even in ZANU PF, this issue should be openly and freely discussed and debated without fear.The problem that the country is now faced with is of a party that knows no democracy.This is a party that had nurtured and accepted dictatorship throughout its history, and as such, lacks maturity when it comes to handling something as simple as leadership renewal.Although, this is unfortunately also a problem with all the other opposition parties, I am targeting ZANU PF because it is the ruling party, and as such, what goes on in there also affects the whole country.ZANU PF built a personal cult around President Mugabe, and now that he is refusing to leave office until he dies or voluntarily steps down, they are crying.Joice Mujuru, the former ZANU PF and Zimbabwe Vice-President, recently assumed that Mugabe was probably planning to turn the party's presidency into a family dynasty.Whose fault is it?Are they not the same people that made him to be who he is today?The President and ZANU PF should finally accept the concept of democracy and acknowledge that the issue of succession should be encouraged to be openly and freely discussed.As failure to do so, is what has led Zimbabwe to witness such childish shenanigans in ZANU PF, that have adversely affected the operations of the county.Zimbabweans have suffered enough due to this infighting, and demand that ZANU PF sorts out its mess as a matter of urgency.They created this mess, so they should clean it up.There are more important issues adversely affecting Zimbabwe, and it is time for them to grow up.The infighting in ZANU PF clearly shows how much they are not used to the concept of democracy.It is like children who grew up without being exposed to any concept of playing - once they becomes adults, they will try to compensate for that lost childhood by indulging in childishness even at the age of 40 years.We, as a country, should start learning the concept of democracy and have it inculcated in ourselves.It is so sad that we witness so much leadership squabbles in the various organisations that we have in this country, as a result of not appreciating this concept.If I formed an organisation today, for instance, why should I believe that I should automatically be the leader?We, as Zimbabweans should learn that if one decides to form an organisation for whatever cause, they should also appreciate that they might not be chosen to lead that organisation should they have enough members for an elective congress - that is democracy.Therefore, if one is to decide to form an organisation with the sole hope of leading it, then they miss the point.It goes to show that the motive behind setting up the organisation was purely a selfish one.This is because, if one had a noble cause - for instance, fighting for social justice - then fulfilling the cause comes first, and as such, the founder of the organisation should be eager for anyone who is best suited to lead such an organisation be elected, so that the cause may be best fulfilled.The same goes for leadership of a country.The interests of the country should always come first, above personal ambitions.A true leader is one who is willing and eager to encourage others to take over the reigns for the good of the country.Actually, my father taught me something very important about leadership, that is 'a great leader always surrounds him/herself with people who are better than he/she is'.Any leader who is self-delusional enough to believe that they are the best thing to ever happen to a country - some actually believing that they are God-sent - is more of a liability than anything else.Any good leader accepts that leadership renewal brings with it fresh ideas, which are inevitably good for the country.That is why we now have Presidential term limits in our Constitution, because leadership renewal is not only necessary when there is poor leadership, but as a way of fostering fresh and innovative ideas.Therefore, there is always room for leadership renewal, whatever the reason, and the office of the President - as the highest office in the land - should always be available for renewal.Once as Zimbabweans we appreciate such a concept, we are on our way to true democracy and all its goodness. Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a community activist, communications specialist, writer, and journalist. He writes in his personal capacity, and welcomes feedback. Please feel free to call/WhatsApp: +263782283975, or email: tendaiandtinta.mbofana@gmail.com
Under perfect conditions, Tuesdays election of McLennan County Precinct 1 Commissioner Kelly Snell over challenger Cory Priest would be termed a squeaker in that the two-term incumbent won his race by a mere 29 votes. Under less than perfect conditions, both candidates would have cause for concern  Snell because such conditions raise questions about his legitimacy as an elected official, Priest because he might well have been cheated of victory.

And, unfortunately, Election Day went off under less than perfect conditions with up to 600 ballots at the busy polling place at First Assembly of God on Bosque Boulevard being issued to voters without options for contested commissioner races in Precincts 1 and 3. Blame is now being leveled at what was reportedly the election softwares debut trial by fire in a joint primary election in which vote centers were used in our county.

The concept of vote centers in which people can visit any polling place in the county and cast ballots in races specific to their home addresses always struck us as a remarkable one, given the great level of complexity it demands of any software program. After all, a voter will vote on one or two different races if he or she lives in one part of a city or neighborhood as opposed to another part of the very same area.

In any case, problems arose Tuesday when some voters belatedly realized they had not been given the option to vote in one of the two county commissioner races that were supposed to be on their Republican primary election ballots. Some confusion by such voters is understandable, given that redistricting occasionally moves lines and leaves voters with different elected officials than they might have had only a year earlier.

Local election officials quickly acknowledged that human error had indeed prevented possibly several hundred people from voting in commissioner races and that the 10-year-old voting equipment and software used had been employed in their very first joint primary election at voter-friendly vote centers. Add an unusually large number of voters, many prompted by hard-fought presidential, congressional and sheriffs races, and you have all the ingredients for potential problems.

County commissioners are right to demand a complete accounting of what transpired Tuesday. Voters are justifiably angry when cheated of one of the basic rights under our system of governance. And all commissioner candidates should be outraged, win or lose, because the problems raise glaring questions about who won or might have won had things gone off without a hitch.

We owe the voters in McLennan County an explanation and we need to look into that, said Precinct 3 Commissioner Will Jones, who had been favored to win his primary election race last week against challenger Benny Ray Matus. The margin of Jones victory  821 votes  made his election decisive, but who knows what the result might have looked like had all Precinct 3 voters received proper ballots. Matus might have gotten some more votes for his total; Jones might have won a larger margin of victory.

For his part, Priest is right to press for a recount  and, while we appreciate the fact both he and Snell ran as fiscal conservatives intent on saving our county money, we dont believe Priest should be required to pay the $3,300 ordinarily demanded if a recount doesnt change the election results. This call for a recount has less to do with the election results than the integrity of the county election system, for which Priest, in our opinion, cant very well be faulted.

Priest is also right to press legal action requesting a special election, given the county does not ordinarily have the authority to call for a new election. A judge must order one after a formal complaint has been filed.
While a new CNN poll indicates most Americans want to see President Obama nominate someone to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the presidents Facebook post inviting Americans to sign a petition backing that view drew various thoughts, not all similarly disposed. Heres a sampling of the most engaging thoughts touching on everything from rumors that Scalia was killed in Big Bend to a 1787 compromise in the Constitution involving the value of African-American slaves (three-fifths) in population counts in order to determine Southern representation in Congress:

Donna Melissa Simmons: I signed it and will support President Obama till the end. Let me repost so all my peeps can sign as well.

Tim Quilty: Too bad that online petitions are completely meaningless, but the sentiment is nice.

Geoffrey Lyons: Sorry, Donna, the end is here. Congress beat him to death. RIP the presidency.

John R. Apthorpe: Sen. Biden, Sen. Schumer, Sen. Reid and Sen. Obama are all undeniably on record as advising against any president appointing a Supreme Court justice in an election year. These are wise and noble Democrats who have our best interests at heart. I think we should heed their advice.

Lori Wilkinson Connelly: They can always vote no.

Patricia Ryan: Anyone who obstructs justice  Republican, Democrat, independent, Cat Scratch Party  should be ashamed! This is childish, bullying behavior and Im sick of it!

V.l. Jeter: Ted Cruz blocked a bill that would have aided Flint, Michigan, in repairing the water infrastructure, but I guess he figures all that bottled water will last and last and last.

Cody Morrow: Yeah, how about no? If President Obamas just gonna appease the Republicans by nominating a Republican governor [Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, who has now removed himself from any consideration], Id rather they stonewall him until we can hopefully get Bernie in and get Democrats back in control of the Senate so we can get a real liberal appointed.

Peter N. Horne: When the time comes, I may sign. The Senate has no responsibility until a judge is nominated. So far it is all what if talk. Since the current Senate is not known for matching action to words, I am not going to assume they will take no action.

Rich Wasson: They are doing their job, especially according to Sens. Biden and Obama. Been watching the garbage from the opposite side ever since Bork. About time to see it go the other way for once.

Libby OClear Bunz: I just signed, since it seems quite obvious that this is the presidents responsibility, regardless of the election cycle. But why is it asking me to donate $15? Are you seriously crowd-funding to support the functions of government? I could have sworn that there was something like this already in place where the government takes money from the people to fund its activities.

Arielle Jean: The American people already exercised their voices when they said President Obama could have another four years in office and those four years arent done yet. Dont act like youre doing us any favors by delaying the nomination.

Carol Watson: I kind of want the obstructionists in the Senate to hold up a nomination so that President Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders could nominate Barack Obama! Who better qualified? Would serve the GOP right!

Elaine Marie Schumaker Crain: I agree President Obama should nominate Ted Cruz.

Darren D. Foster: Obama should have done a recess appointment the minute they said they wouldnt hold a hearing! He blew it!

Leslie Harris: If Obama wants it, Republicans are against it. So sad to see people who swore to uphold the laws are so blinded by their own agendas.

Jan Goldstein: Wouldnt it just be easier for President Obama to bump off a second conservative judge?

Rich Spohn: The GOP loves the Constitution till its not in their favor.

Joshua Olsen: Apparently, the Republicans think a black (mixed) president only gets three-fifths of a term. Fascinating.
Words of thanks

I retired from city government this past week after 35 years of service. I would just like to give a few words of thanks to all of those people who believed in me and assisted me during my career. I thank the city of Waco for giving me the opportunity to work in the Planning Department for over 29 years. It was in Waco that I developed the experience and skills that led to my subsequent position in Robinson.

I am grateful for the opportunity the city of Robinson gave me as their city manager for over six years. It has been an honor and a privilege. I am appreciative to all of the city employees who assisted in the many accomplishments during this time. These folks should be given due credit as they were integral to our success. They worked tirelessly in the development of a comprehensive plan for the city, constructing the city park, writing a new zoning and subdivision ordinance, developing a police strategic action plan, building a new fire station, preparing the budget, making sure the water and wastewater systems work well on a daily basis and working on the street reconstruction program.

I also give thanks to our city engineer for assisting in the development of the water and wastewater system master plans, and the securing of the water rights amendment with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. I thank the city of Waco for their efforts in negotiations for a long-term water contract, and the Waco Industrial Foundation for purchasing land for the future development of the city. I will miss the daily interaction with city employees and the many kind citizens who supported these many achievements. I have developed life-long relationships with a number of city employees, past mayor and council members, city attorney and many citizens during this long career. It is the relationships you develop over your lifetime that are the most important.

Looking back, I take pride in that it was all done with the utmost professionalism, integrity and honesty. I look forward to the new opportunities that await me in this next phase of my life.

Robert E. Cervenka, former city manager, city of Robinson

Selling out

Those millions of fed-up voters whove elevated Donald Trump and Ted Cruz to the top of the heap do have a valid complaint: Too many a politician will sell his soul just to satisfy his own greed.

We need only consider New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie turning tail for Trump or former Texas Gov. Rick Perry holding the coattails of Cruz to see that these anti-establishment citizens have perceived the problem.

Bob Lott, Waco

Troop pay

I keep hearing Hillary Clinton talking of raising the minimum wage, which is OK by me. I do not hear her raising the wages of our troops to $15, which is especially important.

Mercer Buchanan, Waco
WAHOO  Saunders County Democrats made their presidential preference known Saturday morning, and in at least four of the five caucus sites in Saunders County, the majority preferred Bernie Sanders.

Countywide results were still being finalized Saturday afternoon.

Shawn Otte, one of the caucus committee members at the Wahoo High School site, reported that 65 people took part in the caucus and 12 absentee preference cards had been submitted.

With the absentees added in, the vote count was 52 for Sanders and 25 for Hillary Clinton.

Clinton garnered the most absentee votes, taking 10 to Sanders two.

As they stood during the caucus, however, Sanders supporters outnumbered Hillary Clinton supporters three to one.

Ashley Else was the first one to grab the microphone Saturday morning and stump for her candidate. She said she believed in Saunders because of his promise for change.

I am voting for Bernie Sanders because I believe in real change, she told those gathered in the gymnasium of Wahoo High School.

Else said she also believes in Sanders concepts for education and making college more financially accessible to people.

She was willing, she said, to pay more taxes to make the concepts work.

Several other people speaking in support of Sanders mentioned his education proposals as a reason for their support too. His proposals for change were also reoccurring stump themes.

Five people stood in the middle of the gym as an uncommitted group. Mary Daily of Wahoo was one of them.

This is the first time ever I have not had a candidate, but I am getting tired of the promises, she said.

She said it is not that she doesnt support the ideas being tossed out by the Sanders camp.

I love his ideas, but how can my paycheck take on more taxes? How can my house take more property taxes, she asked.

Daily was eventually persuaded during the caucusing to join the Sanders supporters.

Although Clinton has more experience with government, she said she was tired of the established government.

Experience was one of the reasons given by the Clinton supporters as to why she was their preference for president.

Steve Daharsh was also in the uncommitted group in Wahoo that got pulled to the Sanders corner as well. He said he was leaning a little toward Sanders to start,

But, I wanted to hear both arguments, Daharsh said after the caucus. I wanted to hear the people speak about their viewpoints and then make a decision.

This was the first time that the Wahoo resident has taken part in a caucus. Daharsh, who also helped with caucus registration Saturday morning, was also elected as a delegate to the county convention May 28.

He said he found the caucus process to be interesting and really liked that the presidential choice was done through participation, rather than just checking an oval in the voting booth.

That is exactly one of the reasons that the caucus method was put into place by the Nebraska Democratic Party in 2008, said Ken Havelka, who served as the team leader at the Wahoo caucus site.

Havelka said the first goal was that the candidates would come to Nebraska and share their campaigns with the voters. This year, Sanders and Clinton have made stops in Nebraska.

The second goal is to get voters engaged.

We want active, involved members, Havelka said. So these goals have been met, and we are a stronger party.

However, Havelka said he had hoped that more people would have attended the caucus.

That same sentiment was expressed by Otte. She said participation might have been lower than expected because of the specific time frame the caucus method has.

Its completely different than the primary, when they can go anytime between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., she said.

Otte said many people may not be aware of the caucuses yet or that this was the day to make their voice heard for the presidential nomination.

Still, there were some people who were aware of the caucus and made sure not to miss it.

Growing up, Jeff Borreson always went to the polls on election day.

I went with my parents when they went to vote on election day, he said. So I have always gone to elections.

The first time he was old enough to vote himself for the 2008 caucuses. Borreson said he liked taking part then, and wanted to have his voice heard again Saturday morning.

With the Primary Election not until May, Borreson said the states Democrats had the ability Saturday to have a voice in the overall party nomination.

This is an important time, he said.

Theresa Borreson agreed with her son. She said she liked the caucusing because it was a way to be interactive with the voting process.

The interactive process suited a government teacher Saturday morning too. Phyl Woodburn lives within the Wahoo caucus voting precincts and teaches government at Yutan Public Schools.

He said he has been talking to his students about the voting process and didnt want to miss an opportunity to lead by example by participating in the caucus.

Woodburn attended the 2008 caucus that was held at the Wahoo Heritage Inn. Prior to the start of Saturdays activities, he said this years caucuses seemed a little less energetic.

(In 2008), it was wall to wall, elbow to elbow and people were excited, he said.

Even with a few less people and a little more subdued, Woodburn still said he was glad to participate.

He said he believes in the caucus method.

It becomes a means to talk to like minded people, he added.

Caucuses were also held Saturday morning in Yutan, Ashland, Ceresco and Cedar Bluffs.

In Yutan, there were 35 attendees and seven absentee preference cards. At the end of the caucus, 23 votes went for Sanders and 11 for Clinton.

Steve Mayfield served as chairman of the Yutan caucus. He said the process went well.

This is a new process in Nebraska that started in 2008. Were learning as we go, said Mayfield.

He said the caucus process energizes the party.

It makes it a more social event. If you just go in and vote, then theres a disconnect, he added.

Mayfield wasnt disappointed with the turnout in Yutan.

In 2008 I think there were only three sites for caucus, he said. I thought having five sites might spread us a little thin, but Im very happy with the turnout.

Ashland, which was anticipated to have the second largest turnout after Wahoo, didnt disappoint either.

The Ashland Community Resource Center saw a packed house Saturday.

Juile Nygren of Ashland was a newcomer to the caucus process.

This is my first time participating, but I feel this is a way I have my say in who leads our country, she said.

Krista Simpson of Ashland agreed.

I am surprised not more are in support for Hiliary, but I am interested to hear views from both parties, said Simpson.

In Ashland, there were 76 people who showed up to caucus and 10 absentee cards. The vote went 55 to Sanders and 27 to Clinton.

In Ceresco, the vote for the candidates was closer, with Sanders getting 27 and Clinton 24. There were four absentee votes.

(Staff Reporters Sam Farmer and Camee Schofield contributed to this report.)
Opinion / Interviews

Veteran Zambian politician, Dr Vernon Mwaanga who held different positions in the Zambian government during the days of the liberation struggle last week spoke to Munyaradzi Huni about how Zambia took the decision to host liberation movements during the struggle. He spoke about allegations that the Zambian government supported Zapu and was anti-Zanu.He continues the narration this week talking about his chilling last moments with Herbert Chitepo and many other controversial issues. Read on. . .***MH: Dr, you say there was no discrimination between Zanu and Zapu and if it was there it was at party level. But sometime in 1974, a tragic incident happened at Chifombo where some Zambian soldiers shot and killed some Zanu comrades following clashes between Zapu and Zanu officials. How do you explain this incident in which many commanders from Zanla that I have interviewed have confirmed that it indeed happened?Dr Mwaanga: Well, I don't know the details concerning that particular incident. We did get information, I was Foreign Minister, that this had happened. But I hope the comrades you have spoken to go back a little further down because they were also problems within Zanu itself. Splits within Zanu itself where they started attacking each other. Even killing each other and burying each other in shallow graves.MH: I know what you are talking about. Its the Nhari rebellion. We will get to that but for now let's talk about this incident at Chifombo were quite a number of Zanu comrades were killed by the Zambian soldiers.Dr Mwaanga: Like I said I don't have much details regarding that incident but I can tell you that even people like Emmerson Mnangagwa for example, he had been kidnapped by a rival group. It took the Zambians to go and liberate him. There were problems which we had even within Zanu itself. We had to deal with these problems because they were not good for us. Our people then started to complain that we were allowing lawlessness among liberation movements. We had to take some kind of action to restore some order within our country.We realised that security was a major concern for our citizens. A lot of our citizens died because of raids which were undertaken constantly by the Smith regime and by the South African regime.So there may have been incidences like the one you are referring to, but if you ask the Zambian army I am sure they will tell you that at no time did they deliberately target Zanla forces or Zanu cadres. Different interpretations have been given to these incidences depending on who you talk to.You will probably recall also that we had the national chairman of Zanu, Hebert Chitepo assassinated. Herbert Chitepo came to see me at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and told me that he felt threatened by certain elements within Zanu in Zambia. That they wanted to take away his life.MH: Which year was this?Dr Mwaanga: It was 1975. I remember I met him on a Thursday. He asked for an appointment to come and see me. I granted him the appointment. He felt that he was not safe because some of his comrades were after his life according to what he told me. So I said to him, well, we can give you protection. I can ring the commissioner of police now to give you protection. He said to me, let me see how this night passes. Tomorrow morning, I will call you or I will come and see you to say whether I need the protection or not. That was a Thursday afternoon. I said if you do please make sure you let me know so that we give you the protection right away.I reported this meeting to President Kaunda and he said why didn't you offer him police protection and I said I offered him protection but he said he wants to get back to me the following day.The following day was a Friday. I was at Parliament because our Parliament meets in the morning on Friday. I got a call from my permanent secretary that Herbert Chitepo had been killed. Just a few hours after I had a meeting with him where he told me that he was afraid for his life.MH: What did he say were the reasons why his life was in danger?Dr Mwaanga: It had to do with the internal differences. The factions in Zanu.MH: Did he mention names?Dr Mwaanga: Well, yes he did but I don't think it would be prudent to begin mentioning those names. I wrote those names down at the time. I even gave the names to our police and the intelligence services.MH: Was it a big list?Dr Mwaanga: It was not a big list. It was a small list but significant enough. The fact that he didn't come back to me only a few hours afterwards, I said to myself oohh, my God. I wish he had accepted police protection.MH: So these people you are saying were after him as he said, where they people living in Zambia at that time?Dr Mwaanga: Ooohh, yes they were people living in Zambia. Its just like the people who had kidnapped Emmerson Mnangagwa. Took him to some camp. One morning his wife came to my house and told me that my husband has been kidnapped. We had to mobilise first of all the police but when they went there, they faced military resistance. So we had to send the army. We used force to go and release him from this rival group in Zanu.MH: Who were the leaders of this rival group?Dr Mwaanga: Well, I think the Zanu leaders know themselves and I don't think its for us to begin to name names. As a host country, we agreed that we would not go into those details.MH: We will at a later stage of this interview come back to the assassination of Chitepo because we want to hear from you who you think killed him. For now, let's go back to 1965 in November. Smith declares UDI in Southern Rhodesia and it looks like the Zambian government was taken by surprise?Dr Mwaanga: It wasn't a surprise. There was advance information which indicated that UDI was coming. We were even given exact dates. So there was no surprise.MH: But a few weeks before the declaration, Dr Kaunda was quoted saying 'I don't think this will happen.'Dr Mwaanga: Well, yah, that was a political statement. He couldn't say we know it will happen. He had to say he didn't think it would happen because it was not something logical. It was not a logical thing for Ian Smith to do, although we knew it was coming.Even in discussions which we held as the Zambian government with the British government, we warned the British government that there would be rebellion against the Crown by Ian Smith and his colleagues before the 11th of November when UDI was declared.We told them to prevent it from happening and they said they didn't think it would happen. When it happened we told them that they should take action because this was a rebellion against the Crown, but they were not prepare to use force.MH: Do you think it would have been strategic and possible for them to do that?Dr Mwaanga: It would have been logical to use force because it was a British colony. For Britain to accept that they cannot use force in a colony when they had used force in all the other colonies, it was not logical. It didn't make sense.I remember at the time we had the Labour government under Harold Wilson. The Labour Party had a very strange history in terms of their relationship with African countries. They had good relations with us even as liberation movements when they were not in government. The moment they got into government, their positions changed. And we had a more difficult relationship with them when they were in government than we had with the Conservatives. The Conservative party were much more decisive in dealing with these issues than the Labour Party.But on the other hand, UDI intensified the resolve to fight the liberation struggle.MH: When UDI was declared, we hear that Dr Kaunda was furious at the liberation movements, both Zapu and Zanu and he went on to call them "stupid idiots" and he described them as "always eating chickens in a basket." He was saying these two liberation movements had not done enough to avert the declaration of UDI?Dr Mwaanga: He made the statement not so much in response to the UDI. It was made in response to activities which they were supposed to undertake. One of the things that happened after the Declaration of Independence, the OAU Liberation Committee which was based in Dar es Salaam asked for a permission to set up an office here in Lusaka to actively pursue the liberation struggle.They were given the permission. There was concern about the conduct of some of the leaders of Zapu and Zanu because for example, they were found in hotels eating chicken in the basket which was a very popular dish among the elite in Zambia at the time at the Southern Sun Ridgeway Hotel.So a lot of leaders from both Zapu and Zanu were found eating chickens in the basket at the hotel. That was how the anger began to build up that instead of eating chicken in the basket, they should intensify the struggle against Smith. The statement was made in the context of some of the affluent lives that some of the leaders of Zapu and Zanu appeared to be living at the time at the expense of the struggle. There was widespread complaints among our citizens that look we are spending our money to support these people, yet they are spending the money eating chickens in a basket. What is happening to the liberation struggle in Rhodesia? We want to see a more intensified struggle against Ian Smith.MH: Who were some of these leaders who were enjoying this chicken in a basket?Dr Mwaanga: Leaders from both Zapu and Zanu. Again no names because we agreed as a host country never to name names. The struggle was not about individuals.MH: Surely, Dr Mwaanga after all these years isn't it time to name names?Dr Mwaanga: Some of the comrades are still alive. (Laughs) We don't want them to be cast in unfavourable light you know. We faced many problems here. Even with other liberations movements from these other countries, but we tried as a host country to ensure that we kept these as in-house as possible so that they wouldn't get out of hand. There were times when some of the leasers of liberation movements were involved in fights or they had fights over other people's wives. They made other people's children pregnant and the families made lots of noise. We had to play dual roles to try and protect freedom fighters from this unpleasant side of life.Some of them were involved in violent acts with our own people in bars or in restaurants. They ended up getting arrested and we had to find ways, imaginative ways of releasing them and dropping charges against them. So we had a very difficult role as a host country, but we had to do so for the sake of liberating the African continent.MH: What would you say were some of the problems causing the clashes between Zapu and Zanu?Dr Mwaanga: I think they had to do with personality issues. I don't think they had to do with any ideological issues. I must stress here, those fights and clashes were not common between Zapu and Zanu. Not common place. They were isolated incidences. They didn't occur on a regular bases because these people lived in different areas and different towns.They were separated for fear that these issues would begin cropping up. We had to separate them. The issues to do with liberation were dealt with by the Ministry of Defence, but at the political and diplomatic level, they were dealt with by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the President's Office. We had to be very careful how we handled these issues. They were capable of getting out of hand. We didn't want them to get out of hand.Even at the liberation centre, they operated from the same offices and they were no problems there. Occasionally you would hear that a letter bomb has been sent to somebody and exploded in the office. We then changed the system and said letters meant for freedom fighters should not be delivered to them without going through the Ministry of Defence. There were scanning mechanisms to ensure that there were no explosives in the letters. That is how we put an end to it.MH: As a former Minister of Intelligence, would you say there was a lot of infiltration of the Zambian intelligence by the Rhodesia's Special Branch?Dr Mwaanga: Not infiltration of the Zambian system. The infiltration had occurred among freedom fighters. So they had to tighten up the system of recruitment and vetting to ensure that they recruited the right people.We were disturbed by the level of information that the Smith government seemed to have. Even Forster in South Africa.They knew where the camps were based, who was where and who was doing what. We discussed this issue very seriously with the liberation movements. Security was really a major concern at that time. We couldn't have parcel bombs being sent to kill freedom fighters in our country. It reflected very badly on us as a country.MH: So you said the clashes between Zapu and Zanu were not common. Do you think these clashes derailed the liberation struggle?Dr Mwaanga: No they were not common and I don't think they derailed the struggle that much. They were on such a small scale and they couldn't have impacted on the liberation struggle that much because the bulk of the people were being trained outside Zambia. When they came back after training, under the supervision of our government, we would give them free passage into Rhodesia.When Mozambique became liberated, we then had two fronts so some comrades went through there. So you see most of the comrades who were here were mainly in transit  either to go for military training or to re-enter Rhodesia.MH: In 1969, we hear of the signing of the Lusaka Manifesto on Southern Africa. Can you tell us briefly what this manifesto was all about?Dr Mwaanga: The Lusaka Manifesto on Southern Africa was produced jointly by Zambia and Tanzania. The purpose of it was to give the colonial authorities the option of a negotiated settlement as opposed to the armed struggle which we were also committed to.We were committed to the armed struggle and a lot of the supporters of liberation movements Scandinavian countries, they felt that they had moral difficulties in supporting just the armed struggle without an option for negotiations. We understood that.As a result of that we sat down to say in the Lusaka Manifesto that we prefer to negotiate rather than fight to achieve the objective of political independence. But we said if negotiations fail to achieve this objective, we would continue supporting the armed struggle.So it was a dual approach, which supported both the armed struggle and also the path of negotiations. We wanted to give the colonialists an option to negotiate.MH: And what was their response?Dr Mwaanga: Well, the Portuguese as you know they came to Lusaka and we hosted them here. They negotiated with Frelimo in Mozambique and they negotiated with MPLA in Angola. The negotiations also started in South West Africa.This manifesto was quite a famous document. Initially it had been misunderstood that we were saying we are abandoning the armed struggle. No we said if negotiations failed, we would continue to support the armed struggle.The manifesto didn't even allow the stopping of the war.This is how we ended up hosting these other liberation movements and governments from their respective countries.Smith's reaction to the manifesto was muted. At that time we didn't think that Smith was really the guiding factor with regards to negotiations. We had to discuss that manifesto with the South African government because they were the de-facto colonial power. They are the ones who were capable of having influence on Smith. Remember Smith was under sanctions after he declared UDI. So we had to be realistic. There was no point going to tell Britain to say go and persuade Smith to negotiate. They had lost influence on Southern Rhodesia.The people who had the influence were the South Africans and they are the ones we focused on in terms of discussions. Subsequently, those discussions led to the release of the liberation leaders.Contrary to some of the allegations which have been made by some individuals that we wanted to negotiate for independence. No.MH: I was coming to that. Some people say you were calling for negotiations just because as Zambia you had not fought a war to free your country. Others even say you wanted to negotiate for independence on behalf of the colonised people.Dr Mwaanga: We said in the document we wanted the leaders of liberation movements to be released so that they could negotiate on behalf of their people. We stated clearly that we were not interested in negotiating for independence on behalf of the colonised people. That was the responsibility of the leaders of the liberation movements. That's why in all our dealings, either with South Africa, the Portuguese, or the British we were saying you have to negotiate with the leaders. Not the leaders of the people of Zambia. We were fighting so that the leaders of the liberation movements were released so that they could negotiate on their own. There is no time we suggested that we wanted to do the negotiations on our own. We put political and diplomatic pressure for the release of the leaders.Even when the time came for constitutional conferences, they asked us to go with them just to observe the process and to be around to make sure that there was someone they could trust.We never participated in those negotiations because that was not our mandate.MH: In 1971, Zambia managed to bring Zapu and Zanu together to sign some pact to work together. It didn't work, isn't it?Dr Mwaanga: Well, it may not have worked but at least it demonstrated our commitment as a country to make sure that liberation movements don't begin fighting against each other.We wanted to see liberation movements work against their common enemy, not to work against each other. This was our attempt to hammer this point home. It may not have worked but part of it did work as subsequent events proved. Later on, sufficient trust had been built among some of the leaders and this made it possible for them to work together.MH: Some say this pact didn't work because there were moves by the Zambian government to engineer the swallowing of Zanu by Zapu. What is your comment?Dr Mwaanga: That was never our intention. We wanted them to work tougher as equal partners. We wanted them to go for negotiations with a common position. There was never an intention for one party to dominate the other.You see the differences that the liberation movements had only pleased the enemy. They were pleasing Ian Smith and we didn't want to give comfort to the enemy. We wanted a more united front even if they were working separately.Even the meeting in Victoria Falls between Dr Kaunda and Vorster from South Africa, it was us who engineered that because we thought the timing was right.After we produced the Manifesto on Southern Africa, we thought it was time to start the negotiations while the struggle continued.There were various other moves that had taken place and according to us, the timing was good to start the negotiations.The negotiations which had been done in New York by myself and Botha who was then the South African Ambassador to the UN, we had negotiations there and the result of those negotiations and supplementing negotiations which took place at the level of Foreign Ministers determined that the timing was right for Dr Kaunda and Vorster to meet.We now wanted the leaders of Zambia and South Africa to actualise what we had agreed in the manifesto. I can tell you that all the negotiations that subsequently took place were based on that manifesto. So in the final analysis, we made the correct decision.MH: Maybe it was a good decision suggested too early?Dr Mwaanga: Well, we had to make that determination that the time was right. According to us, that time was right. We dispute anyone who says the timing for negotiations was not right because like I said, we determined that on the basis of other secret negotiations that had been going on.MH: What were these secret negotiations all about?Dr Mwaanga: They were talks about releasing leaders of the liberation movements. We couldn't conduct those talks in public. We had to conduct them privately. Open negotiations are difficult because the parties are then subjected to pressure. We had been involved in negotiations in Zambia and many other fora and we knew we couldn't negotiate in the open. The negotiations had to be kept a secret up to a certain time. If the idea was just to get publicity, we could have just said done so but we were not going to achieve anything.And you need to know these negotiations were very difficult. Sometimes we would part while insulting each other. It was difficult to tell a South African minister, President, that one day you will be governed by a black president.They would not want to hear that and we would tell them that these freedom fighters do not want to drive you to the sea, that they want you to accept majority rule. It wasn't easy for us to tell them this.Smith was entrenched. Each time he was asked "when do you think there will be black majority rule in Southern Rhodesia" his standard reply was "not in my life time." So we had to guard the integrity of those negotiations.MH: Don't you think this secrecy gave birth to suspicion?Dr Mwaanga: Yes, but people were supposed to place faith in us. The fact that we could host liberation movements and give them all the facilities they needed meant that we were committed to the struggle. The struggle was about independence and to us we said there are different ways of gaining independence. Either through the armed struggle or through negotiations. We were committed to both.If you look at the history of the world, there is no war that ended without negotiations. Not even one.MH: Some say you really wanted the negotiations because Zambia was suffering because of hosting the liberation movements. The cost was just too much?Dr Mwaanga: Yes, Zambia was suffering. We had accepted that there had to be a price to pay for Africa to gain independence. For us no price was too high. We were prepared to pay anything.We just had to fulfill our obligations to Africa and to the colonised people to ensure that they attain their independence.The issue of personal gain for Zambia was never an issue. We did it because we were committed to the principle of doing it.We felt that if we didn't play our role, the other countries would find it more difficult to achieve their independence. We didn't want independence to be delayed.You will probably remember in the case of Zimbabwe, there was a famous slogan  NIBMAR  No Independence Before Majority Rule. That slogan came from Zambia.Next week, we carry the last edition of Dr Mwaanga's interview where he will speak about the reasons why Zambia arrested some Zanu leaders after Chitepo's death. He will talk about the cost of hosting the liberation movements and whether Zambia thinks it has been thanked enough.
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work as well as a big vote to follow our good friend Kay Wilson on Twitter.

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..Commentary Magazine..04 March '16..Earlier this week, the United States signaled that once again it would seek a term on the United Nations Human Rights Council. Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken addressed the UNHRC to note all of Americas human rights concerns, speaking of abuses by Russia, Egypt, South Sudan, Venezuela, Cuba, China, as well as a strong statement about North Korea. He also complained about what he correctly termed the councils persistent bias against the state of Israel. But while the UN body has done little good in recent years and much harm with respect to undermining the already minimal chances for peace in the Middle East, he also said that the U.S. faith in the institution was still strong.While there was merit to many of the concerns Blinkens address pointed toward, the decision about American intentions it highlighted sums up just about everything it that is wrong with the Obama administrations attitude toward the United Nations and international diplomacy. No matter how squalid the UNs failures, their ideological blinders require them to not merely acquiesce to its continued abuses but to substantially aid and abet them.The U.S. has pulled out of the UNHRC before. But it eventually returned and, under the current administration, it has dug in its heels and ceased even to threaten to abandon this travesty.To understand the depths of this problem, you need to understand that the UNHRC runs on two commodities: hypocrisy and anti-Semitism.The hypocrisy stems from the fact that members of the UNHRCs governing council contain some of the worlds most egregious human rights abusers. Most of the countries that were mentioned in Blinkens address as violators of human rights are also part of the council. That means that rather than investigate Russia, China, Cuba or Saudi Arabia, to name just a few of the worst offenders, the council exists to protect them from scrutiny. Hypocrisy isnt just an ever-present element of life at the UNHRC. It is its engine.That means that rather than act as a watchdog for human rights or even a driving force for helping the oppressed peoples of the world the UNHRC is instead essentially the diplomatic bodyguard for dictators.But there is one issue that the UNHRC works hard to promote: the plight of the Palestinians. Of course, that doesnt mean that it tries to promote peace with Israel or an end to terrorism. Instead, it supports terror campaigns against the Jewish state. It devotes a disproportionate amount of its time creating resolutions and setting up committees and writing reports aimed at delegitimizing the Jewish states right of self-defense. Its reports on the last two wars fought between Israel and Hamas over the latters terror attacks have been travesties that didnt even bother with a pretense of objectivity. They solely condemned Israel while ignoring Hamas firing of thousands of rockets at Israeli cities, its use of terror tunnels to kidnap and murder Israelis or its use of the population of Gaza as human shields.At the same time that it works overtime attacking Israel, the UNHRC hasnt done much that is effective about a real human rights catastrophe next door in Syria where hundreds of thousands have been killed and millions made refugees. To the contrary, as with most UN efforts, it has failed the people of Syria.The argument for staying in the UNHRC has always been that the U.S. could accomplish more by staying in it than by boycotting it. But the systematic bias against the one Jewish state on the planet is not an exception to an otherwise fine record but actually key to understanding why it does little to advance human rights. By diverting the UNs attention to an embattled democracy that tries to save the lives even of its foes, the UNHRC does more to harm that cause than to help it. Moreover, by giving it the imprimatur of U.S. participation, the administration has legitimized the very anti-Semitism that it says it wishes to oppose.Among the priorities of the next president ought to be a revisiting of the decision to stay in the UNHRC. The argument for staying in was always unpersuasive. But the longer the U.S. sits alongside human rights abusers on this council, the more it will be complicit in the problem.
Seven West Media has signed a deal to have its content from shows such as My Kitchen Rules and Home and Away streamed on Google's online video platform YouTube.

Advertising will be sold by Yahoo7 in Australia, while Seven West Media will do the advertising sales for the rest of the world.

My Kitchen Rules, hosted by Manu Feildel and Pete Evans, will be streamed on Google's online video platform YouTube.

The content will initially be restricted to short form, or snippets, while full-length shows will be hosted on the network's Plus7 streaming service and other catch-up services around the world.

"This is an exciting step in Seven's delivery of owned content anywhere, any time to global audiences and our partnership with YouTube supports our growing investments in content creation," Seven director of content, distribution and rights Therese Hegarty said.
One of the biggest issues facing property landlords in coming years will be the concept of driverless cars.

Uber has predicted they will operate driverless cars by 2030 and many car manufacturers are also making similar suggestions.

Autonomous cars like this Google design could radically alter the look of suburban shopping malls. Credit:Google

But given the length of time in planning and developing property, such as shopping centres, hotels, office blocks and large-scale warehouses, the concept is now firmly on the agenda.

All the major land owners have said it is an issue that will change the dynamics of the commercial property sector. Whether that is adding more pick-up and drop-off zones at a mall and using the car parking areas for other uses, or building an office tower with very few car parking bays  something which is already happening.
It's probably a good thing Rebel Wilson is a world-famous comedian earning millions of dollars a year, because as the events of the past week have proven so comprehensively, she makes a lousy investigative journalist.

Wilson attempted to shame freelance Australian journalist Lizzie Wilson last week, labelling the reporter "total scum" after she had phoned Rebel Wilson's octogenarian grandmother Betty while researching a profile piece. Reporter Wilson, who has many years experience under her belt as a journalist and written for a raft of titles locally and abroad, later said she had been commissioned to write for an unnamed but apparently "respectable" international publication about the rise of the comic star who has seen her career scale the dizzying heights of Hollywood over the past five years.

Actor and comic Rebel Wilson came off second best when she got her facts wrong about an investigative journalist. Credit:Steven Chee

Lizzie Wilson defended her actions and told website Mamma Mia: "I was approached by a publication, a very respectable publication, who were working on a story around 'Who is the real Rebel Wilson?'. They wanted someone on the ground here in Australia to speak with her family and school friends  and I agreed to do it.

"I did ring her grandmother, not once, but twice. The first discussion we had was very pleasant. I introduced myself and we chatted.
Warren Buffett is like the Don Bradman of investing  he is arguably the best ever long-term investor. To say that he invests like a girl is somewhat controversial, but the book of this name posits that many of the attributes which make him so successful are natural to women. Firstly Buffett is naturally cautious, undertaking copious research and making decisions slowly, but once an investment is made, is happy to stick with it for the long term, able to calmly ignore short-term vicissitudes. Buffett takes investment very seriously and while happy to take risks, seldom gambles. He rarely strays away from areas he knows well and is comfortable to swim against the prevailing investment trend. These are all character traits women naturally display when investing. Many of the traits that make Warren Buffett a successful investor come naturally to women, a new book argues. Credit:AP The book's author, LouAnn Lofton, suggests that it's all about controlling your emotions. "Buffett has always said that it's temperament  not intellect  that makes you a great long-term investor. When you look at studies about how men and women invest, what you see is that women tend to naturally have this temperament that creates long-term investing success." Researcher Meredith Jones points out that there are biological factors in women's favour. The interaction between the male hormone testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol coupled with the larger relative size of men's amygdala  a section of the brain that impacts emotional reactions  mean that men tend to have stronger reactions to stressful situations. According to Jones, "women don't react as much externally. They may be more adept at ignoring market noise and maintaining conviction".

Illustration: John Shakespeare. Studies conducted during the height of the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009 highlight the difference in male and female reaction to stressful market situations. After studying more than 2.7 million retirement accounts, the study found that men were 10 per cent more likely than women to capitulate to market fear, selling down their holdings in growth assets at the very bottom of the market. Jones also notes that men view probabilities differently to women, which makes them more likely to overestimate price estimates, which can lead to excess market volatility. Women are sometimes criticised for being too risk averse and lacking confidence when it comes to investing, but this is an area where too much confidence is not a good thing. The University of California has shown that when you filter out other factors, such as age, income and education, female investors tend to suffer less from overconfidence, resulting in lower trading frequency and consequentially smaller transaction costs. Over the six years of the study, men traded 45 per cent more than women and as a result, lowered their net returns by 2.65 percentage points a year as opposed to 1.72 percentage points for women. It might not seem like much of a difference, but in the current low return world, the ability to improve returns by nearly 1 per cent a year just by getting a woman involved in your portfolio seems a good outcome. With all these things in their favour, why are there so few stories of successful female investors? Certainly women generally earn less than men and have not traditionally gravitated to numbers-based professions, however my suspicion is that many women value other things more highly than money. There is good evidence to indicate that women value relationships, particularly family, and the temporal flexibility (the ability to choose how much and when they work) to spend more time with their loved ones, more highly than financial wealth. The reality is that financial independence aids rather than inhibits positive relationships. In fact Relationships Australia cites financial stress as the number one cause of relationship breakdown. This is notwithstanding that Australia consistently rates as one of the richest countries in the world, when measured by income per person. It's not lack of money itself which necessarily causes stress, it's the confusion and discord which result from money controlling you, rather than the other way around.
Last year, Beniamin was found guilty of deprivation of liberty and received a custodial sentence of more than a year. Despite being a permanent resident, the charge meant he was sent to immigration detention where he remains. He was in the Australian government's immigration detention centre on Christmas Island when his sister's body was found stuffed inside a toolbox in Logan after she had been missing for more than a fortnight. Iuliana, along with Logan man Cory Breton, was beaten, stabbed, tied up and forced into a large metal toolbox before being driven to a dam where they were shot in the head and sunk, inside the toolbox, in the water. The brutal death and the grisly details of the murder have had an enormous impact on Iuliana's family.

"I cry every time I think about her. I just still don't believe it, I feel like she is going to come home and come back," Ms Anderson said. But perhaps the most hard hit has been Beniamin, the little brother who had always looked out for her. "He blames himself, he feels guilty about his sister because he wasn't there to protect her," Ms Anderson said. "[Beniamin] was always the one who was around Logan, to check on Iuliana ... They would have laughs, go for drives and he would always protect her ... he stood up for her." As the family prepares to lay Iuliana to rest on Tuesday, they are doing so with the knowledge that Beniamin won't be there to say goodbye.

"He just wants to be there for that last leg of her life," Ms Anderson said. Ms Anderson contacted Immigration Minister Peter Dutton begging him to allow Beniamin out of immigration detention for the day to attend the funeral. On Friday, a letter from Border Force was emailed to her rejecting the application. "His sister was brutally murdered, her life was taken away, It took 14 days for them to find her body in a tool box, it is devastating," Ms Anderson said. "He just wants the chance to say goodbye, he doesn't want to be let out for a month or something, he just wants to be there from when the funeral starts at 11am until 2 in the afternoon."

Ms Anderson said the Immigration Department's heartless refusal to allow Beniamin out of detention for the day had made the family's heartache worse. "My message [to Mr Dutton] is he should have some more sympathy, we are just asking for a few hours," she said. A spokesman for the Immigration Department would not be drawn on Beniamin's case specifically but said special purpose visits were assessed on a case-by-case basis. "Circumstances [where a special purpose visit may be granted] may include the death or critical illness of close family or the birth of a child to the detainee," the spokesman said. "Decisions on special purpose visit requests take into consideration the values of being fair and reasonable and upholding the dignity of, and respect for, the detainee.
Cassandra's Legacy is not being updated anymore. It has been replaced by a new blog titleda little less catastrophistic and a little more philosophical. But still kept by Ugo Bardi.

A message I received from Facebook on Jan 29, 2021. Five of my posts were deemed "spam" and erased. Some were somewhat "pol...

The devil scene from Walt Disney's 1940 "Fantasia" movie. A fitting representation of the nightmare that 2020 has been. T...

Cassandra has moved. Ugo Bardi publishes now on a new site called " The Seneca Effect. " "It would be some conso...

Cassandra has moved to a new site titled " The Seneca Effect " After the fall of Troy, Cassandra was taken as Agamemnon's &q...

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I try to publish at least a post every week, typically on Mondays, but additional posts often appear on different days. Comments are moderated: no insults, no hate, no trolls. You may reproduce my posts as you like, citing the source is appreciated!


After eight years, no one has ever been charged for murdering James but the promise of a $1 million reward for information announced by the homicide squad on Sunday may change that. James Russouw. "We believe there are people who know what happened to Mr Russouw and we urge them to contact investigators," said Detective Inspector Mick Hughes. "We owe it to Mr Russouw's family to solve this case and bring justice for them." The car seen leaving the murder scene. Credit:LUIS ENRIQUE ASCUI

For a long time, James' parents Cecil and Lorna Russouw said they were in shock. "You have to bury your son, rushing around trying to find a plot, funeral directors, it was so weird," Ms Russouw said. "Then it's in the paper, then it's on the news, then the police come to the house." Eight years on, their grief is heavily anchored to the big looming gaps; why had he got caught up in drugs, how he hid it from them. And the bigger ones, who took his life and why. "I still can't get my head around it," Ms Russouw said. "A young man once told me, he said to me, 'You older folks, you don't understand us'. He said to me, 'This is like a social thing to us and there's nothing wrong in it'."

At the time, James was searching for a new supplier after his usual one from Sunshine had stopped selling to him. At 10.54pm on March 7, 2008, James was on his way to a friend's place in Vermont when he received a call from the public phone box at the Burwood East Kmart complex nearby. That phone call, most likely made by someone he trusted, promised the product James was after and a meeting was arranged at the Burwood East Reserve. "Whoever met him was either a supplier or saw him as vulnerable," Inspector Hughes said. Security footage captures James driving into the reserve in his dad's dark blue Jeep Cherokee with a front seat passenger at 11.03pm. Twenty minutes later, a witness sees a British racing green Ford Falcon sedan leaving the reserve at the same time as James' Jeep explodes. Firefighters find James' charred body and a weapon lying across the front seat. At the inquest into James' death last November, Detective Senior Constable Simon Hunt revealed there were two "persons of interest". One was a gunman with a crooked history who appeared to have coincidentally been in the area. The other, a troubled young man who checked himself into a psychiatric unit the next day. James knew one of these two - the soon-to-be psych patient was the younger brother of an acquaintance. Ms Russouw can still recall a conversation with her son about the troubled young man.

"He said 'I feel sorry for him because he's got an illness'. But he was a very unstable boy," Ms Russouw said. Unstable and, at times, violent. His family had an intervention order out against him, he had threatened at least two people with knives and reportedly talked about torching cars. "(Name omitted) goes into hospital when he has done something wrong, such as when he has serious charges coming up," a friend told a recent inquest. Detective Inspector Hughes said the key to solving the case is identifying the man shown in grainy security vision making the call from the phone box. ."The earlier they (those with information) engage with us, and are frank with us, the better position we are in to give advice to them."
Erica Johnstone saw the impact of psychotropic medication on her late father Wolfgang Schulz while he was in a health facility in Victoria's regional west living with dementia.

"We went to visit him and he was unrecognisable. He was sitting in a chair, with his head just hanging down, with drool all over his T-shirt. We walked in the room and mum was horrified," she said.

Erica Johnstone shares a laugh with her mum, Ursula Schulz, and sister, Petra Davies. Ursula holds a picture of her late husband, Wolfgang. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

Ms Johnstone, a palliative care clinical nurse consultant and lecturer in nursing at Australian Catholic University, said her dad was given a lot of olanzapine, a lot of risperidone.

"He just kept getting it like potato chips," she said.
"I don't think anyone in our party should say, 'Oh no, even if the people in the party wanted me to be the president, I would say no to it,' " Mr Romney said Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press.

But the 2012 GOP nominee is nevertheless leaving the door open  just a crack  to the possibility of being drafted by his party at a contested convention in July.

Mitt Romney isn't trying to steal the Republican presidential nomination from the four remaining candidates. He has made that much clear.

"No one's going to say that."

Mitt Romney has criticised Donald Trump, calling him a "fraud". Credit:AP

It's a far-fetched scenario, to be sure, but it goes something like this: if through the primary process Republican front-runner Donald Trump fails to collect the majority of delegates needed to secure the nomination, the result would be a contested convention. And if, when delegates are free to vote as they please, none of the candidates is able to secure a majority, it is possible an off-the-board name such as Mr Romney's could be entered for consideration.

The former Massachusetts governor said he was confident such a scenario would not come to pass.

"I can guarantee you this: one of the people running for president  one of the four  is going to be the Republican Party nominee," he said. "Three of the four are people I would endorse. But I'm not running, and I'm not going to be running."
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to the crowd asking them to take a pledge to promise to vote for him during a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida. Credit:AP
By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 23, 2016 | 05:10 PM | PADUCAH, KY

A reception is scheduled for Tuesday, March 8 in the WKCTC Student Center to honor Ron Rash, the author of this year's One Book Read Project title, "Saints at the River".

The reception is set for 6:00 pm in the Student Center, with a public presentation with a question-and-answer session at 7:00 pm in the Clemens Fine Arts Center Theatre. A book signing to follow at 8:15 pm in the theatre lobby.

While Rash is in town, another book signing will be held on Wednesday at 10:30 am, with a presentation to WKCTC and area high school students at 11:00 am. Wednesday's events will be in the Clemens Fine Arts Center Theatre.

The One Book Read project began at West Kentucky Community and Technical College in 2008 to encourage reading across various groups of people in hopes of helping to eliminate illiteracy in our region. The project encourages the community, area school districts, and colleges to read the same book and come together to discuss it in a variety of settings.

"Saints at the River" was voted the Southeast Booksellers Association Best Book of the Year for fiction in 2005, and winner of the 2004 Weatherford Award for Best Novel. Rash also wrote prize-winning novels "One Foot in Eden" and "The World Made Straight", as well as "Serena", a 2009 PEN/Faulkner Finalist and New York Times bestselling novel. His other writings include three collections of poems and four collections of stories, among them "Burning Bright", which won the 2010 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, and "Chemistry and Other Stories", which was a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award. He is the winner of an NEA poetry fellowship and has received the O. Henry prize twice. His latest work, "Above the Waterfall: A Novel", was released in September 2015.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 05, 2016 | 09:42 PM | LONE OAK, KY

A Paducah woman was arrested for allegedly stealing money from her employer.

According to the McCracken County Sheriff's office, 21-year-old Kristen Wildharber of Kevil called police regarding an alleged money theft. She told deputies that when she arrived to her employer, Sew Southern Designs in Lone Oak, that she discovered the front door of the business unlocked and over $1500 in cash missing.

Deputies obtained permission from Wildharber to search her vehicle. That's where deputies say they found the missing money, hidden underneath a child safety seat.

Deputies say Wildharber then allegedly admitted to taking the money and hiding it in her vehicle.

Wildharber has been charged with theft by unlawful taking over $500, and falsely reporting an incident.

She was booked into the McCracken County Jail.
Back in the day, while on an exchange visit to Belgium, I borrowed a fixed-wheel bicycle and went for a ride down a country lane. Things went well until I wanted to stop... No brakes. When I tried to back-pedal I fell off, landed on a (mildly) electrified boundary fence and was mooed at by a cow.

That childhood embarrassment has crossed my mind more than once recently with each new pronouncement by English National Opera's inexperienced (or, more accurately, differently skilled) board of management. My, how they're struggling to steer the thing. I bet they want it to stop too, but since they haven't driven anything like an opera company before they don't know how. So they hit the fence.

Every time CEO Cressida Pollock makes a new statement it provokes cynicism on social media, the latest being the accuracy or otherwise of her claim that she and senior management are taking pay cuts. I'm not equipped to add my voice to that imbroglio, although the semblance of spin isn't helped by a generalised tone that's light on detail and strategy. No, I'm bothered by something else.

The custodians of both ENO and its three most prized possessions, the chorus, the orchestra and Frank Matcham's glorious London Coliseum, are threatening their corner of the nation's heritage by seeking to reduce the size, pay and permanence of one of the very finest opera choruses in the world. It's no exaggeration to describe the ENO Chorus as such: last week it was singled out by the International Opera Awards panel, a recognition that came just hours after its nomination for a 2016 Olivier Award. What more proof do the bean counters need that they're sitting on a crock of gold?

'A world-class resource'

It won't have escaped the board's notice that all three of the company's crown jewels are interlinked. It certainly hasn't escaped mine that their plan to reduce the chorus to an untenable pool of part-timers goes against all logic. If you're in financial trouble and you have a world-class resource on your books, the obvious priority is to squeeze as much benefit from it as you can, not decimate it. Taken together, the ENO Orchestra and Chorus could take the world's concert halls by storm and bring immeasurable kudos to this country. And if that has to be done out of season, at least the company's planned decline to the level of a country house festival (or even less, given that Glyndebourne offers nine or ten operas across the year against ENO's latest reduction to eight) means there'll be plenty of time to do it.

As for the Coliseum itself. ENO's board has been accused by some journalists of conspiring with Arts Council England to make the place uninhabitable for a slimmed down company and then move out, possibly to the historically unloved Roundhouse at Chalk Farm. Indeed a few, Private Eye among others, have gone further by suggesting that the dream plan is to shut down ENO altogether so that ownership of the London Coliseum reverts to the Arts Council, who'll then sell its prime slice of west-end real estate at a vast profit. Such a plan would be despicably cynical if true, not least for being conceived on the sly; but once the ENO board reduces its chorus to the scale of a regional company it will add weight to voices who already say that the place is too big.

The canard about the Coliseum being oversized is preposterous, of course. Anyone who attends regularly will know that while the odd production struggles in it, the vast majority of shows fill it thrillingly. And that's not down to scale nor spectacle, it's about understanding how theatrical spaces actually work. Simon McBurney, who knows a thing or two about such matters, has no trouble weaving stage magic there with Mozart's modest little Singspiel The Magic Flute, and nor does Phelim McDermott, whose extraordinary new Akhnaten embraces the epic. Do go and see these two triumphs if you haven't already done so.

ENO Chorus (centre tier) in Akhnaten (ENO)

 Richard Hubert Smith

As for the capacity of its auditorium, all ENO has to do is consider which operas are likely to pack 'em in and which will be harder sells, then decide on a show-by-show basis whether or not to open its balcony. Productions can be budgeted accordingly. The London Coliseum is a flexible space and it should be used as such.

Where exactly is Arts Council England in all this? Twelve months ago it showed its displeasure - and its teeth - by removing ENO from the national portfolio until it puts its house in order. Since then things have moved on apace, and very few of the old management guard are still in post, so it will soon be time to ask what sanctions ACE intends imposing on the present board, given its questionable stewardship of a key cultural bastion. Don't hold your breath, though. There's been a deafening silence from ACE's chief executive Darren Henley since his Guardian article of 16 February, in which he claimed, unequivocally, "we are fully supportive of [ENO's] new leadership".

No one apart from the odd accountant wants to see ENO crash, least of all me. I love the company, warts and all, and I hope it hires a strategically-minded new artistic leader who'll see growth as the corrective (and correct) way forward - perhaps in directions the less visionary among us cannot imagine. Someone who understands that the company's very name implies a duty to serve both opera and the English nation, who can win ACE's trust and who'll be given time to deliver on it.

Meanwhile, starting tomorrow - today, even - the much-maligned board has a chance to prove its own mettle by pursuing new avenues for income rather than stripping away the company's lifeblood.

If it doesn't, I'll be here to say moo.
Finance Minister of the Year: full rankings

1 Cesar Purisima The Philippines 2 Arun Jaitley India 3 Choi Kyung-hwan South Korea 4 Bambang Brodjonegoro Indonesia 5 John Tsang Chun-wah Hong Kong 6 Heng Swee Keat Singapore 7 Lou Jiwei China 8 Scott Morrison Australia 9 Chang Sheng-ford Taiwan 10 Taro Aso Japan 11 Apisak Tantivorawong Thailand 12 Najib Razak Malaysia

Najib Razak: Asia's worst finance minister 2016

1MDB first started to attract unwelcome attention in early 2015 after struggling to settle a RM2 billion ($563 million) bridge loan. The funding crunch was an embarrassment for Najib, who chairs the funds advisory board and expanded its remit on coming to office in 2009, to help turn Kuala Lumpur into a financial hub.





Then The Wall Street Journal reported that nearly $700 million had been transferred to the prime ministers personal bank account from the Saudi Arabian royal family, prompting a series of investigations. The identity of the donor and the reason for the donation was never disclosed, but it triggered demands for Najib to step down and cast doubts over about the countrys commitment to good governance. After seven months, investigators said in January that they had found no evidence of wrongdoing by Najib.





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The long-running political crisis has taken up time that could have been better spent addressing the countrys acute economic troubles and made Malaysia appear even less attractive as an investment destination. According to Moodys, foreign investors withdrew approximately RM24.5 billion ($5.83 billion) from the country in the third quarter of 2015. The ringgit also depreciated by 19% last year to its lowest level since 1997.





The main task for Najib will be whether he can manage down the budget deficit to 3.1% of GDP in 2016 from 3.2% in 2015 in the face of a further slowdown in Chinese economic growth and low oil prices. Najib's stated aim is to balance the books by 2020, which would be no mean feat for a country that has run a deficit since 1998.





In response to falling oil prices and weakening exports, the prime minister presented a revised 2016 budget plan in January. The original plan had assumed an average oil price of $48 per barrel, more than 50% above current levels. The "recalibrated" budget sets a minimum price of $25.





Rating agency Moodys, which cut the outlook on Malaysias A3 sovereign rating to stable from positive, has estimated that Malaysias fiscal deficit will likely widen to 3.4% of GDP if the oil price averages $34 per barrel. Other economists think the fiscal deficit has the potential to blow out to 4% of GDP if things stay the same.





To help lessen its reliance on oil export revenues, the government introduced a goods and services tax in April in the face of public opposition. In the short term, though, thats hurting consumer confidence, by biting into the spending power of Malaysian households.





The country also joined the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal in October to gain greater access to new markets.





How the embattled Najib can improve Malaysias reputation remains to be seen, but before then he must be ready to figure out a plan to tame the budget deficit while external weaknesses continue to crimp government revenue. - FinanceAsia, 2/2/2016





FinanceAsia has named Malaysia's Prime Minister and Finance Minister Najib Razak as the worst finance minister in 2016. He pipped 12 other finance ministers of Asia-Pacific's largest economies for the crown. Last year, Najib came eighth in FinanceAsia's ranking.The magazine said that 2015 had been a "very challenging year" for the Malaysian economy, having suffered a "double whammy" of a political scandal involving state fund 1Malaysia Development Fund and Najib. It also faced the collapse in the price of its key oil export.The scandal over 1MDB triggered demands for Najib to step down , raising doubts in the international arena over Malaysia's commitment to good governance, FinanceAsia added. After months of an internal probe, Malaysian authorities said last month that there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by Najib."The long-running political crisis has taken up time that could have been better spent addressing the country's acute economic troubles and made Malaysia appear even less attractive as an investment destination,"FinanceAsia said. It noted that in the third quarter of 2015, foreign investors pulled out around $5.83bn (4.04bn, 5.34bn) from the country. The ringgit depreciated by 19% in 2015 - a fall not seen since 1997.FinanceAsia said: "The main task for Najib will be whether he can manage down the budget deficit of 3.1% of GDP in 2016 from 3.2% in 2015 in the face of a further slowdown in Chinese economic growth and low oil price. Najib's stated aim is to balance the books by 2020, which would be no mean feat for a country that has run a deficit since 1998."It continued: "How the embattled Najib can improve Malaysia's reputation remains to be seen, but before then he must be ready to figure out a plan to tame the budget deficit while external weaknesses continue to crimp government revenue."Thailand's Apisak Tantivorawong took the second last 11th spot for the worst finance minister. It noted that Apisak "appears to have limited influence" and that former finance minister Somkid Jatusripitak seems to be leading the government's economic effort with "similar crowd-pleasing tricks".It said that these moves will drain government funds and are unlikely to leave any lasting economic benefit. "Thailand's economy may grow faster this year but its foundations remain worryingly weak."The magazine said that the government should focus on getting large-scale infrastructure projects moving, highlighting that Thailand "does not have a positive track record for executing in a timely fashion." - International Business Times, 3/2/2016 For the second year running, FinanceAsia has ranked the finance ministers of the Asia-Pacific regions 12 largest economies.FinanceAsia considers several factors when thinking about how to compare the performance of these men over the past 12 months. The roles responsibilities and powers vary between countries but each minister contributes to fiscal policy and the budget, accesses capital markets, regulates financial institutions, and drives reform. Investor perceptions are one way to view how good a job they are doing, particularly when times are tough.But the hardest criterion is independence. Most finance ministers serve at the pleasure of their prime ministers, presidents, or military dictators. Their ability to get things done requires political deftness, mastery of policy, sway over the bureaucracy, and the will to fight for the public interest.Asia developed a post-1997 reputation for quality government, a perception now being put to the test as the Chinese economy slows and dollar strengthens.For last year's results, click here The vast withdrawal of capital from emerging markets makes it all the more imperative for Asias finance ministers to pursue good governance, sensible structural reform, and sound finances. Unfortunately, the overall quality of the governments we cover has mostly deteriorated.Source: Finance Asia, 24/2/2016 For the second year running, FinanceAsia has ranked the finance ministers of the Asia-Pacific regions 12 largest economies.FinanceAsia considers several factors when thinking about how to compare the performance of these men over the past 12 months. The roles responsibilities and powers vary between countries but each minister contributes to fiscal policy and the budget, accesses capital markets, regulates financial institutions, and drives reform. Investor perceptions are one way to view how good a job they are doing, particularly when times are tough.But the hardest criterion is independence. Most finance ministers serve at the pleasure of their prime ministers, presidents, or military dictators. Their ability to get things done requires political deftness, mastery of policy, sway over the bureaucracy, and the will to fight for the public interest.Asia developed a post-1997 reputation for quality government, a perception now being put to the test as the Chinese economy slows and dollar strengthens.For last year's results, click here The vast withdrawal of capital from emerging markets makes it all the more imperative for Asias finance ministers to pursue good governance, sensible structural reform, and sound finances.Unfortunately, the overall quality of the governments we cover has mostly deteriorated, led by the lowest ranked minister in our study. Take a bow ...Last year was a very challenging year for the Malaysian economy. The country suffered a double whammy of political scandal that enveloped state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and Prime Minister Najib Razak , who also happens to be Malaysias finance minister. In addition, it endured a collapse in the price of its key export, oil.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 05/03/2016 (2422 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two women revived a campaign Friday against restaurant dress codes in a bid to end the practice of compelling women into short skirts and high heels.

For years, its been an industry requirement at some establishments for women to wear high heels and short skirts when they take drink and meal orders, despite medical evidence high heels wreck feet and contribute to back damage later in life.

Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey and Allison Ferry say sex appeal may sell but is not worth the cost to womens dignity or to their backs and feet.

.BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey is urging customers to pressure restaurants into ending the practice of mandating high heels and short skirts

We need another conversation, we need to start to talk to restaurants and to include people, the public, to make a statement with their dollars. Dont go eat there. Sign our petition, said Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey.

Stop Sexist Dress Codes is a petition posted Friday on change.org, an online site that hosts petitions. It lists four popular Canadian restaurant chains and their presidents, urging supporters to write letters of protest to Mo Jessa at Earls Restaurants, Thomas Gaglardi at Moxies Grill and Bar, Jeff Fuller at Joey Restaurants and Peter Fowler at Jack Astors Bar and Grill in Toronto.

A local manager at the Earls on Main said she was familiar with the Hell on Heels campaign, and she promised to call back after the lunch rush. The Free Press had yet to hear from her by 5 p.m.

Moxies at the MTS Centre referred a reporter to their head office in Calgary, which did not return a call Friday.

The official dress code at Earls was written up in a manual, with one-inch heels and mid-thigh skirts but there was an unspoken dress code, said Ferry, who worked for four years at one of the Winnipeg Earls locations.

It was basically a matter of endurance and how far you were willing to go, to move up, Ferry said by phone from Montreal, where she is completing a masters in communications at Concordia University.

The shorter the skirt, the higher the heel, the better the hours and the bigger the tips, Ferry said.

I believe I did wear three-inch heels for awhile. I think I was treated differently by customers, but it wasnt something I was aiming for. Customers perceived you as more sexual, more open to advances. They would flirt with you. (There was) a lot of trying to wrap their arms around your shoulders, touching you on the arm. A lot of things you dont necessarily do as a server, Ferry said.

In 2013, Tuckett-McGimpsey took the Hell on Heels campaign forward with a 12-minute documentary in an effort to reform provincial employment standards around servers dress codes and high heels.

As a former server and massage therapist, McGimpsey had suffered the aches and pains herself and considered heels hell. And shed seen damage to other women, who suffered lower-back problems and came to her for therapy.

Now shes back, after a break to start a family and land a full-time job.

Ive been seeing a lot of conversations about sexualization in the restaurant industry. Its sort of ridiculous this is still happening in 2016, McGimpsey said.

Barely a week ago, heels took a high-profile hit when U.K. fashion diva Victoria Beckham told the Telegraph she couldnt do heels anymore, a transition from stilettos to flats that had the fashion world in virtual mourning.

The issue is back in the news in Canada, too. CBCs Marketplace was slated to air an expose Friday evening on how restaurants use their servers sex appeal to lure in business.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2016 (2421 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, assassins broke into the home of an indigenous Lenca community leader in western Honduras and killed her.

Berta Caceres was 47 years old and was one of the best-known and most respected leaders in Honduras. Her life had been threatened countless times, she had been harassed by the national police, and she had been physically attacked on several occasions. Now, she has paid the ultimate price for opposing a military dictatorship that isnt afraid of international censure.

The current government of Honduras  the product of a 2009 military coup  has singled out Canada as one of its closest friends. Canada worked hard in the aftermath of the coup to help the new regime rebuild its reputation, and Canada has consistently downplayed the governments role in the human rights crisis in Honduras that has made it the most dangerous country  with the highest homicide rate  in the world.

TIM RUSSO / GOLDMAN ENVIRONMENTAL PRIZE Honduran indigenous leader and activist Berta Caceres was slain last Thursday.

Why would we do this? Isnt this contrary to Canadian values?

Its no conspiracy theory, and its not complicated. You simply have to follow the money. Under the Harper government, Canada openly shifted its foreign policy to prioritize the interests of Canadian businesses abroad. When the military kidnapped a reforming Honduran president and put power back into the hands of the business elite, it was good news for Canadian capital. Canada is Hondurass top investor in mining and has more than $600 million invested in the country, a number that is growing every year.

So, when the military government reduced taxes on foreign capital and eliminated labour and environmental regulations that cut into Canadian profits, it was all smiles in Ottawa. And when that same regime sent death squads to assassinate activists trying to maintain the rule of law and democratic process, then-prime minister Stephen Harper was in no hurry to speak out against the violence. Quite the contrary, the Harper government repeatedly praised the new Honduran government for promoting reconciliation after a political crisis. This despite widespread acknowledgement by organizations such as Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders that the Honduran government was murdering its own citizens for daring to organize peaceful rallies against the coup.

Canadian companies in Honduras are no doubt thankful the Canadian government didnt interrupt the flow of profits to condemn the assassinations. Our new prime minister doesnt seem inclined to crash the party, either. He has already signalled his staunch support for Canadian capital in the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a deal that looks very similar to the one Canada signed with the Honduran military government in 2013.

This is bad news for Hondurans, hundreds of whom are killed every year as the country descends deeper and deeper into lawlessness and impunity. Caceres is the latest victim of this situation, and the loss is profound.

Caceres was a world-renowned environmental and indigenous advocate. She was awarded the Goldman Prize in 2015 for her work helping to protect the Gualcarque River from a proposed hydroelectric dam that would destroy crops, flood communities and separate the Lenca people from their traditional lands and lives. The community of Rio Blanco denied the company permission to build the dam on several occasions, but the company went ahead anyway. Caceres was among those who blockaded the road and refused to let the river be dammed.

The assassination of such a well-known figure in Honduras sends a terrifying message to anyone who would oppose the will of the regime. If they can kill Caceres, they can kill anyone.

When I sat with her this time last year at a small cafe in Tegucigalpa, I remember thinking how much she reminded me of my own extended family in rural Manitoba. Like the women in my family, Caceres saw through people. This was a woman who cut past the nonsense and spoke plain, obvious truths. As a result, she was a magnetic presence in the Honduran resistance, which has maintained a peaceful opposition to the violent dictatorship for more than seven years now.

But when we spoke a year ago, Caceres wondered whether people could hold out much longer.

People have lost hope, she told me, in part because so many people are struggling just to get food to eat.

The situation in Honduras is desperate, and the murder of Caceres only emphasizes how bad it has got.

The Canadian government still celebrates its relationship to the dictatorship, noting our two countries enjoy a positive relationship, and Canada is playing a constructive role in Honduras.

Canadas complicity in the crisis, which now has claimed the life of one of Hondurass most impressive individuals, is anything but constructive.

Tyler Shipley is a professor of politics and economics at Humber College and author of the forthcoming book Ottawa and Empire: Canada and the Military Coup in Honduras.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/03/2016 (2421 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BANGUI, Central African Republic  The neighbourhood is a patchwork of low-slung buildings scorched and looted at the height of the civil war, a place where the United Nations was supposed to come to the rescue. But in a number of homes, women and girls are raising babies they say are the children of UN troops who abused or exploited them.

Peacekeeper babies, the United Nations calls such infants.

A horrible thing, says an elfin 14-year-old girl, who describes how a Burundian soldier dragged her into his barracks and raped her, leaving her pregnant with the baby boy she now cradles uncomfortably.

PHOTOS BY JANE HAHN FOR THE WASHINGTON POST Rosine Mengue says she was sexually exploited by a UN peacekeeper when she was 16. The desperate residents of her neighbourhood in Bangui, Central African Republic, were vulnerable to manipulation.

The allegations come amid one of the biggest scandals to plague the United Nations in years. Since the UN peacekeeping mission here began in 2014, its employees have been formally accused of sexually abusing or exploiting 42 local civilians, most of them underage girls.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called sexual abuse by peacekeepers a cancer in our system. In August, the top UN official here was fired for failing to take enough action on abuse cases. Nearly 1,000 troops whose units have been tied to abuses have been expelled, or will be soon. Among them is the entire contingent from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

But the victims appear to be more numerous than the United Nations has acknowledged so far. In a corner of the capital city known as Castors, near the UN headquarters in the country, the Washington Post interviewed seven women and girls who described contact with peacekeepers that violated UN regulations against sexual exploitation and abuse. Five of them said they exchanged sex for food or money  sometimes as little as US$4  while their country was rocked by civil war and families were going hungry. Two had reported their cases to the United Nations.

Five of the seven interviewed by the Post said they had borne the children of their abusers. The 14-year-old mother said she was raped, but the UN recorded her case as involving transactional sex, in which acts are exchanged for money or food.

Sometimes when Im alone with my baby, I think about killing him, the teen said, holding the little boy. He reminds me of the man who raped me.

The Post does not usually identify minors who are victims of sexual abuse or exploitation.

The accounts by the women and girls could not be independently verified. But their stories echoed other accounts of abuse in the Central African Republic collected by independent groups and the UN.

The UN system responsible for handling and prosecuting such cases has been widely criticized as dysfunctional, even after scandals involving peacekeepers in other parts of the world. Only one criminal charge has been filed in connection with any of the 42 cases of sexual abuse or exploitation that have been officially registered in the Central African Republic, UN officials say.

UN officials did file a report on the 14-year-old mothers allegations, and a spokeswoman, Ismini Palla, said the organization was monitoring the case of the girl closely. But nine months after the girl reported the alleged rape, investigators have not reported any results.

The sexual-abuse scandal is the latest horrific development in a war already marked by extreme brutality. The conflict began in late 2013 when mostly Muslim rebels overthrew the government in this Christian-majority country, setting off a cycle of revenge killings that in Bangui fell largely along religious lines. About 6,000 people have been killed. The UN mission, which includes troops from 46 countries and is known as MINUSCA, was established to provide security and protect civilians.

Numerous allegations have emerged in recent months of peacekeeper abuse of vulnerable residents. Human Rights Watch issued a report last month documenting the cases of eight women and girls allegedly raped or sexually exploited by UN peacekeepers in late 2015 in the central city of Bambari. Amnesty International said last August it had obtained evidence of a UN peacekeepers rape of a 12-year-old girl in the capital.

UN officials recognize they are grappling with a serious breakdown in their peacekeeping forces. Last month, they said they were investigating the cases of four girls who were allegedly exploited or abused at a camp for internally displaced persons in central Ouaka prefecture. In January, they said at least four peacekeepers had allegedly paid girls as little as 50 cents for sex at a camp in Bangui.

Were going to be flooded by paternity claims, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the newly appointed head of the UN mission, said in an interview.

  

It is not the first deployment in which UN forces have been accused of sexual abuse. In Bosnia in the 1990s, peacekeepers were accused of soliciting sex from women who had been trafficked and virtually enslaved in local brothels. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the early 2000s, more than 150 allegations of abuse and exploitation were registered against peacekeepers, and UN investigators found many of the alleged victims were orphans. UN missions in Kosovo, Haiti, Liberia and other places also have been tarnished by such allegations.

The United Nations has conducted internal investigations and revamped training programs, but the complaints continue to roll in.

Perhaps no mission in recent UN history has been as quickly tainted by abuse allegations as the one in the Central African Republic. The 12,000-member operation was established in 2014 and is expected to cost US$814 million this year. The first cluster of sexual-abuse cases appeared within months.

Even before the UN mission officially began, French troops were accused of sexually abusing a number of local children. In a report issued last year, a UN-appointed review panel sharply criticized UN officials in the Central African Republic as failing to take action or report the cases after uncovering them.

The welfare of the victims and the accountability of the perpetrators appeared to be an afterthought, if considered at all, the report said.

UN bases in the Central African Republic are now plastered with posters that list the rules troops are already supposed to know, stating Sex with anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited, Exchanging money, goods or employment for sex is prohibited and Zero tolerance for sexual exploitation.

But the Castors neighbourhood is a shocking illustration of how brazen the peacekeepers became. Residents say troops skulked around the neighbourhood looking for girls during the day and snuck out at night to meet them in rented rooms or abandoned houses, or to take them into the barracks. Moroccan troops broke holes in the perimeter wall of their bases, witnesses said, so they could leave undetected.

There are so many girls here who slept with (peacekeepers), said Thierry Karpandgei, a resident. You can see their babies all over here.

Most of the alleged cases of abuse and exploitation occurred at the peak of the conflict, in 2014 and 2015, when the fighting pushed residents to the edge of survival.

There was no way to get food or money at the time, and they promised to help us if we slept with them, said Rosine Mengue, who said she received the equivalent of US$4 in each of two encounters with a peacekeeper.

Mengue was 16 at the time. She spent the money on cassava leaves, which fed her family for two days. Mengue, who is now 18, told the Post it could use her full name.

Like the rest of the women, Mengue never heard from the man after she became pregnant, she said. He went back to Morocco. She dropped out of school and is raising her son in her familys home, surrounded by charred palm trees and the ruins of half-destroyed buildings.

We dont have enough food for everyone, her mother said.

Most of the women interviewed by the Post said they did not report their cases to the UN because they felt ashamed and did not think the organization would be able to help them. One of the women did approach the UN seeking financial assistance for her baby after his father returned to the Congo Republic. But UN officials say she did not specify she had received money from the peacekeeper  as she later told the Post  so the case was not recorded as involving exploitation. Such an act would have violated UN rules for peacekeepers on sexual relationships.

Sometimes when Im alone with my baby, I think about killing him a 14-year-old mother impregnated by rape

  

Castors is along the road from the sprawling UN headquarters, where Onanga-Anyanga, 55, a veteran UN official from Gabon, is scrambling to solve the problem. In an interview last month, he sat in front of a sheet of paper that said in bold print: Talking points  Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. When he looked up, he spoke angrily.

We inherited troops that we cannot call troops. I realized that what was sent here was trash, he said.

There are a range of explanations for the rampant abuse, including the poor training and discipline of many battalions, which are dispatched here for years-long rotations, said UN officials and analysts. Some troops were sent in 2013 as part of an African Union operation and then were re-hatted as UN peacekeepers with little or no additional instruction.

We cant just put a blue helmet on them and assume their mindset will change overnight, Onanga-Anyanga said.

UN officials here have tried to encourage the reporting of sexual abuse by setting up a hotline for victims and buying radio ads in which they are encouraged to come forward. Victims of abuse whose cases are documented are eligible for medical and psychological help and possibly other recompense. But many women are still unaware of how to register complaints.

Even as the UN has tried to improve training on sexual abuse, there have been mistakes. Many of the new lessons, for example, are taught only in English and French, and some troops lack fluency in either language, said one UN official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the issue.

Perhaps most problematic is the United Nations leaves the adjudication of sexual-abuse allegations to the troops countries of origin. But those nations investigations are often weak, UN officials said. That has contributed to a sense of impunity, UN officials and outside experts say.

For peacekeepers in the Central African Republic, The message is clear: you can rape or abuse women and girls, and you can get away with it, said Lewis Mudge, an Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. Until troop-contributing countries bring peacekeepers accused of these crimes to justice, we can expect more of these cases in the future.

  

The 14-year-old mother still watches the troops drive near her faded-yellow home, where broken beer bottles are glued on top of the outside wall to keep trespassers out. She and other residents said they first saw the peacekeepers as a sign of security, proof the world hadnt forgotten about them.

But when the soldiers began arriving in 2014, there was still a massive food shortage. Some peacekeepers recognized their leverage over a city of starving women and girls.

Two teenage girls recalled approaching a base of Moroccan peacekeepers to beg for food. Neither had ever had sex, they said in a recent interview, but they agreed to sleep with the soldiers after the men suggested they would give the girls water, food and money. The older girl, then 16, said she met one man in a vacant house. The younger girl, then 15, said she met another soldier next to a base. Both girls said they regretted what they had done almost immediately.

You just feel used, said the younger girl.

The 14-year-old said when she went to a UN base last year to ask for food, a Burundian soldier gently beckoned to her from his barracks, calling, Come here.

Then, she said, he pulled her into a room full of empty beds. He ripped off her clothes.

The teenager and her aunt said three months later, they told two UN employees what had happened. The pregnant girl was then taken to a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, the medical group said. But aid workers who followed the girls case over the next few weeks said they were dismayed at how little help she received from the UN.

There was absolutely no immediate or concrete measure of assistance available to this girl, said Ondine Ripka, an international legal adviser with Doctors Without Borders.

A UNICEF spokesman, John Budd, said the organization does not comment on aid provided to individuals. The 14-year-old mother said she had not received any psychological counselling or financial assistance.

In a 2005 internal report recognizing the problem of peacekeeper babies, UN officials wrote there is a need to try to ensure that fathers, who can be identified, perhaps through blood or DNA testing, bear some financial responsibility for their actions.

But it is often difficult to identify offenders who have returned to their home countries, UN officials say. Even if victims know the names of their abusers, armies in many nations have proved unco-operative in pursuing DNA tests, UN officials say.

The teenage mothers case was referred to the Burundian military, which appointed an investigator, according to UN officials, but no results have so far been reported. That country has been consumed in civil strife in recent months, and experts said it was unlikely the military would follow through on an investigation.

That leaves girls like the 14-year-old to raise their babies on almost nothing, as the war rages on. Last month, she sat outside her home, five rooms where more than 20 relatives sleep. Nearby, a man sold liquor from a plastic table. A white UN surveillance blimp flew overhead. Roughly 180 metres away, a group of Burundian troops was on patrol.

The teenager handed her baby to her mother, who looked at the ground. She fears her daughter has been ruined by the abuse.

If someone destroys what you love, what do you do? the mother said.

 Washington Post
HOUSTON, Minn.  A large crowd gathered in the Houston High School gym Saturday during the 14th annual International Festival of Owls for a live owl program by the Illinois Raptor Center.

Jacques Nuzzo, program director of the IRC, gave this years presentation on the rescue, rehabilitation and research the IRC has been doing the past few years with owls.

He said that this is the first year this many people have been at the event in Houston.

The bleachers and seats were filled with parents, children and others waiting to learn more about the owl species, as well as see live owls such as the great horned owl.

We created more programs for people to check out. Nuzzo said. This is the only all-weekend owl festival in North America.

People come from near and far to see what the hype is all about.

Patty Ogles and Jo Gross drove 5 hours from West Bend, Wis., to experience the weekend dedicated to owls.

Ogles said she was driving through Houston at this time last year and saw signs for the event and thought it might be interesting.

I saw them and marked it on my calendar that I was going to come next year, Ogles said. Owls are fascinating birds, and I enjoy learning about them.

Gross said Ogles asked if she would join her on the trip, and they ended up deciding to make it their weekend away.

Well be here all weekend, Ogles said. Theres just so much to do. Its exciting.

The two spent much of Saturday morning touring the city and checking out the owl sculptures. Ogles said it gave them a chance to meet nice people who share a common interest in owls.

I wish I would have known about this event years ago, Ogles said.

Peggy Kreutzman, a science teacher at La Crescent High School, has been coming to and volunteering at the festival for many years now. She said she wasnt quite sure exactly how many  shed have to count her T-shirts to be sure.

Theres always something new to learn because owls have unique adaptations, Kreutzman said.

There were also vendors throughout the halls of the schools, food, kids activities (such as a hooting contest) and an award presentation Saturday night.

Artwork on display from Houston elementary school students, as well as paintings and drawings of owls from students all over the world, added another unique aspect to the event.

The festival continues from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, concluding with another live owl program by the IRC, Nest-cues: Re-nesting Young Owls.
I live in Winona with my husband and son. Last week, I attended a Winona County board meeting to ask our commissioners to consider a ban on frac sand mining in Winona County.

I have a bachelors degree in architecture and Ive worked in my home state Louisiana with engineers doing traffic impact studies. I spent two years in Ghana, West Africa helping the local government develop a 10-year water sanitation plan. In Louisiana, Ive witnessed the impact of lack of regulation and disregard for the environment and public health. We have an area called cancer alley, and the state has the second-highest death rate from cancer in the U.S. The chemical history of the last 30 years in Louisiana is fraught with accidental releases, unplanned chemical discharges, contaminated water supplies, and of course, oil spills. These unpredictable outcomes are a glimpse of what happens when regions invite the oil and gas industry in the name of economic growth.

We can look at Flint and see what happens when government leaders place profit ahead of public protection. And just across the river, Wisconsins silica mining disaster proves just how unpredictable this process can be.

On the other hand, I lived and worked in North Carolinas Research Triangle Park. I witnessed what a thriving economy can look like when its leaders have the foresight to establish regulations that safeguard the ecology and capitalize on other strengths that the area has to offer: low unemployment, educated workforce, industries that do not threaten the environment. Even in Ghana, a still developing country, the local government took more care in regulating against environmental misuse from outside industry, than we are taking in this region regarding silica mining.

Last Saturday, my son and I visited the library and sat together reading Dr. Seusss The Lorax. At the end, Oliver asked if the fish and the birds could ever come back and pointed to the dirty water and air. But sadly, the damage had already been done and I had to say, No. He spent the rest of the weekend asking me why they ruined the water and the air. And now Im wondering if Ill have to ask our commissioners the same question.

I spoke at my first board meeting when Oliver was 2 months old and here we are, nearly three years later. Im hoping that when my next child is turning 3 I wont have to skip bedtime to protect my childrens rights to a safe Winona.


Again, I watched with great embarrassment the Republican presidential debate on Fox.



It's was pitiful that two of the leading Republican presidential candidates felt it appropriate to discuss the size of their hands and how it related to the size of other body parts in their quest for the presidency. It's sad for the country that the leading candidates of the Republican Party have devolved into this. Middle school elections have more class and civility.



Trump is wholly unqualified for the presidency.

Instead of "making us great again," he is bringing our election process down to the lowest of the lows. The trajectory of the Republican campaign proves what Trump will do as president and others are following him down this fool-hardy path of conducting themselves in an inappropriate way for those running for the highest office in the land.Other candidates, office holders and party leaders recognize this and on the one hand will say it, but then go on to undermine their own argument against a Trump presidency when they say they will ultimately support Trump, if he wins the nomination.I won't. If one truly believes Trump is bad for the Republican Party and nation, like I do, they should never support him if he wins the nomination. In my book, the good of the nation comes before the good of the party. Republicans who truly believe this should take a strong stand and say it.If a politician of either party will ultimately sacrifice the good of the nation for the good of their own political party first, he or she has no business being in national elected office. Republican office holders need to think about that before they jump on the Trump bandwagon.Republican office holders didn't put the good of the party before the good of the nation when Nixon was in office. They shouldn't be doing it now by supporting a toxic Trump for president and as the new leader of the Republican Party.We can do much much better as a party and nation. There is still time to find an appropriate nominee more in line of actual policy, conduct and character of Ronald Reagan. Supporting Kasich staying in the race for a possibility of a brokered convention or a draft Mitt Romney movement would be a start.Tim Gobble

* * *

Mr. Gobble: You and the other Republican men can wiggle lacy fans in front of your faces and feign horror all you want, and perhaps you could just go quietly to sleep on a fainting couch while youre at it.

But after seven years of those do-nothing Republican girlie-men in the House and Senate, I say: Give Me TRUMP, big name, big jet, big hands, big mouth and anything else big he wants to take to the White House with him.





Pamela Alexander

Signal Mountain
Wednesday to Sunday

Jersey Mikes Subsknown for its fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, will open in Cleveland on Wednesday. Franchise owner Ryan Hendrix will hold a grand opening and free sub fundraiser fromto support the Ocoee Middle School PTO.

The new restaurant, located at 2416 N Ocoee St., is circulating 7,500 coupons throughout the community offering a free regular sub for a minimum $2 donation to Ocoee Middle School PTO. Customers must have a coupon to be eligible.

We are thrilled to be opening our newest location in Cleveland, said Mr. Hendrix. With every grand opening we partner with a local organization to raise funds and help spread the word about our opening. It was a natural fit to partner with the Ocoee Middle School PTO since they are able to allocate the funds to the programs where the school needs them most. We are also excited to share the Jersey Mikes experience with our customers and look forward to seeing many new faces on March 9.

Since 2010, Jersey Mikes locations throughout the country have raised nearly $14 million for worthy local charities and have distributed more than 1.5 million free sub sandwiches to help numerous causes. All March long, franchisees throughout the nation are celebrating the 6th Annual Jersey Mikes Month of Giving.

Started in 1956, Jersey Mikes now has 1,500 restaurants open and under development nationwide. In 2015, for the second year in a row, the company was named the #1 fastest growing chain in the Nations Restaurant News Top 100, and continues to win best sub awards in virtually every market it enters.

The restaurants hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. You can contact this location directly at (423)790-7844.
Keith Meldahl, a geologist and professor of geology, has written one of the most interesting books on the history of the American West Ive ever encountered. Its a history of how it got the way it is, physically. He covers the creation of California  its only recently been pasted onto North America  how the Sierra Nevada formed and what it actually is, why Nevada looks like it does, how the Colorado Plateau got there, how the Rocky Mountains were formed, and some very interesting and odd details as well. Along the way, he provides a few vignettes of the early explorers and settlers and their often brutal encounters with these features.

Probably the two most important players in all this are something youve never heard of, the Farallon Plate, and the North America continent itself. Long story short, 240 million years ago the worlds landmasses had merged together into single massive conglomeration called Pangea (All Land). Prior to that time, North America had moved West to East, the East coast was the active margin and the West coast, which then ended in a line from Wyoming across Utah and through Nevada, trailed along. The eventual impact with Africa raised the Appalachians to Himalaya scale and merged us to it like India to Asia. By 150 million years ago, Pangea was breaking apart and a newly born mid-ocean ridge opened the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. As the ridge continued to build new seafloor, it spread apart. Everything east of that ridge began being pushed to the east, and everything west of it, including North America, began being pushed to the west. It was then that things began changing for the western states. You can page through that 100 million years at Arcadia Street for a glimpse at the plant and animal life you would have seen, had you been there.

As the continent was pushed westward, it encountered the Farallon Plate on the Pacific seafloor, which folded down into the mantle under the onslaught of the advance of the North American continent. As the plate subducted several things happened.

One, it carried bits of continental land and island chains into the West coast and pasted them on in long strips called exotic accreted terranes. Theyve been mapped all over the edges of continent, testifying to a long history of plate encounters from various directions. The area of the Great Plains north through central Canada, a region referred to as the continental craton, seems to be the ancient core of North America and appears to be almost 4 billion years old. Notice, for example, how smooth, flat, and earthquake free that zone is. It is ancient land. There is only one known major fault zone through that area, called the New Madrid Fault. When it is disturbed, and that last happened in 1811, it rang bells in Boston. The crust is solid and unbroken and energy waves travel very long distances through it. Think of a hammer hitting a plate of steel. Earthquakes in the west, even large ones, tend to only be felt locally. That is because The West is broken and shattered from 200 million years of plate tectonics. Think of a hammer hitting a pile of rubble.

Two, the West Coast became volcanically active. When seafloor is carried to a depth of around 100 km (60 miles) it undergoes a pressure and temperature induced transition to a mineral called eclogite. At that point, much of the water in the seafloor is released as a superheated fluid. Some is recycled into the mantle making it less dense, destroying its crystalline structure, and so melting it. This magma then rises as a buoyant fluid, working its way to the surface and erupting as volcanoes. When the water saturated magma nears the low pressure of the surface, the water changes from a fluid to a vapor, causing the magma to burst explosively out on the surface.

The third thing that happened was the most profound. For reasons still debated, the Farallon stopped subducting at the normal angle of about 45 degrees and took on a much more horizontal trajectory. One explanation for this put forth by the author is the subduction of a seafloor plateau, possibly something the size of Texas. This would make the plate too buoyant to subduct into the mantle, and it would simply slide along underneath the landmass. That caused a whole series of event to occur in succession. First, it cut off the flow of magma to the West Coast volcanic fields. Next, it slid under the Nevada Plano, an uplifted, high plateau region in what is now Nevada. Next, it slid under Arizona/Utah and lifted that entire region about 3,500 meters (about 10,000 feet) straight into the air. Thats as high as a mountain range, hardly even tilting it. Think about the energy required to do that. Next, it impacted the granite basement rocks in Colorado, pushing them up through 30-40 km (20-25 miles) of crust in the granite-cored uplift that are the Rocky Mountains. As an analogy, imagine steel blocks pushing up through the floorboards of your porch, so that the boards lay inclined around and along the core of steel. Next, as if all that were not enough, as the tail end of the Farallon disappeared under North America the damaged basement rock under the Nevada Plano collapsed and foundered into the mantle collapsing the entire region and forming a vast sunken provence called the Basin and Range, and the the North American component called the Great Basin.

As the Farallon disappeared, the western edge of North America collided with the Pacific Plate, which did not subduct. That plate is moving north. That movement is tearing at the western region and has caused a whole series of changes as well. It has caused the Baja Peninsula to separate, it is also pulling the whole Southwest into a northerly direction even as the continent is pushed west from the Atlantic. The combination is rotating the region clockwise, tearing apart the weakened Basin and Range region, and is tearing off slices of California along the San Andreas and Hayward Faults and sliding them northward up the coast.

Short movie demonstrating the ongoing breakup of the Basin and Range and the strike-slip faulting along California: Extension in the southern Basin and Range

Im happy to say thats not all. Ive only covered the high points, and if you find the subject interesting I highly recommend this book. Rough-Hewn Land: A Geologic Journey from California to the Rocky Mountains




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Researchers expanded upon earlier studies that feeding peanuts to infants improve immunity to the allergy.

Researchers have been trying to find methods to reverse the potentially life-threatening peanut allergy, which has risen more than 300% in the U.S. alone, from 0.4% in 1997 to 1.4% in 2010. British scientists discovered a promising lead last year. Infants that had a high probability of developing the deadly allergythose who already had eczema or egg allergiesand were given peanuts between the ages of four and 11 months, were less likely to develop the allergy by five years old reported in Quartz.

But the study was controversial in the scientific community because it opposed established dogma that parents shouldnt feed allergy-triggering foods to their children until they matured, but a sect of researchers still wanted to know if the results could be reproduced and further developed. And earlier this week, it was.

Originally published in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists analyzed those same high-risk children and discerned that the earlier evidence was consistent. As a result, the focus group was still at lower risk for contracting allergies at six years old, one-plus year after the initial study. Lead researcher and author, Gideon Lack of the pediatric allergy department at Kings College London told CBS News in a statement that theearly consumption of peanuts gives you long-lasting protection against peanut allergy.

Lack encourages that the fear of allergies manifests itself in real life. In other words, excluding peanuts from childrens diets might prevent them from producing an immune tolerance. Although the research is not conclusive, the link may lead to more comprehensive evidence.

Image credit: Wikipedia Public Domain
The idea is that employees who wish to purchase the watch at the discounted price of $25 will need to follow a 2-year health and fitness program and achieve monthly goals, as well as allowing their employer to monitor their progress.

A discount program offering employees an Apple Watch at the discount price of $25 would be dependent upon allowing the boss to track their activity to insure that they meet certain fitness goals. The program is an attempt to improve the general health of employees, and has already been adopted by a number of companies such as Amgen, Lockton, United Healthcare and DaVita HealthCare Partners.

The idea is that employees who wish to purchase the watch at the discounted price will need to follow a 2-year health and fitness program and achieve monthly goals. Their progress will be monitored by supervisors, and if the employee misses goals they have to pay the company back for the watch.

Apple representatives say the goals are all reasonable, but are challenging enough to prompt people to change their exercise habits. The programs are usually voluntary, but participants must be willing to share their activity data to qualify for rewards. Program officials say the data typically goes to outside administrators and not directly to the boss.

Vitality is initially bringing the discount/fitness/reward program to U.S. employees and has also been testing it since December in South Africa. The disease-prevention and lifestyle program provider offers more immediate payoffs for healthy lifestyle changes than the health benefits that may not be apparent for years.

Vitality requires that participants earn additional points by getting flu shots and completing questionnaires, or staying within healthy limits for such measures as cholesterol and blood pressure. Smokers can get points for joining stop-smoking programs.

DaVita HealthCare Partners found that health care spending by their employees was significantly reduced after it offered the tracker-based incentives. Some insurance companies, such as John Hancock, are offering the program to their consumers in exchange for discounts on premiums.

The programs is definitely Apple friendly. Vitality does not offer, nor plan to offer, anything similar for Androids, so an iPhone is required.
Isobel Becky Parker

By: Mahesh Sarin

A man was arrested on a charge of murder after allegedly killing his former girlfriend because she canceled his tax credits, police in the United Kingdom said.

Essex police said that they have arrested 23-year-old Matthew Smith, after being accused of killing 23-year-old Isobel Becky Parker, who was pregnant.

Smith was charged with one count of murder.

According to the police investigation, Smith wrapped wire around Parkeras neck after discovering that his tax credits had stopped.

Parkeras sister Sarah, 18, discovered the dead body in the bathtub of her home. Sarah told investigators that she received a text from Smith, saying that by the time she gets to her sister it will be too late.

Parker left Smith about six months before her death. Smith was devastated and had even tried to commit suicide.

Two weeks before her death, Parker contacted the tax department to report a change in circumstances in the house, saying that Smith was no longer living with her.

As a result, it was estimated that Smith had been overpaid by more than 1,500 pounds ($2,135). He was ordered to repay the amount.

Smith snapped and killed Parker.
The suspect

By: Wayne Morin

Police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a young girl in front of her brother while her mother was paying for food at a bakery, police in the United Kingdom said.

West Yorkshire police said that man was seen in the Greggs bakery holding a can of soda before sexually assaulting the 8-year-old girl who was sitting next to her younger brother.

The incident occurred in the Headrow branch of the bakery in Leeds City Centre around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, while the mother was ordering and paying for food.

The suspect was described as Asian, 30 years old, tall and large build. He had a shaved head and beard.

Police released photos of the suspect and asked anyone who recognizes him or has any information that may assist in the investigation to contact them immediately.
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A model of China's Mars probe [Photo: weibo.com/casc]

China is planning to launch a Mars probe in 2020 to carry out an independent exploration of the Red Planet.

The probe is expected to reach Mars in 2021 after a flight of around ten months.

Mars exploration is among the 10 major missions so far for Long March-5, the country's next-generation heavy lift rocket.

Other missions include the Chang'e-5 lunar probe that will bring back soil from the moon next year, and the much-anticipated launch around 2020 of the next space station core module.

The launch vehicle is slated to make its maiden flight later this year.
Aaron Stein

By: Mahesh Sarin

A desperate groom robbed a bank a few days before his wedding.

Police in Pennsylvania, arrested 36-year-old Aaron Stein, for robbing a bank using an adult toy, which was attached to telephone wires and held together with duct tape to look like a bomb.

Stein of Pittsburgh, was just a few days away from his wedding and his honeymoon was booked. However, he soon learned

that he lost the $9,000 invested in foreign currency markets, which he planned on using for his honeymoon trip.

His attorney Bruce Carsia, said that Stein panicked and in a move of desperation, he made the fake bomb and robbed a bank.

In the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, Stein pleaded guilty to robbery, aggravated assault, making bomb threats, and reckless endangerment.

Stein got married after spending about 18 days in the jail until his father was able to post his bail. After pleading guilty, Judge Anthony Mariani revoked Steins bond pending his sentencing.
Latosha Ann Wilbourn

By: Feng Qian

A woman was arrested on a charge of battery after beating up her boyfriend and biting off his eyebrow during an argument, police in Arkansas said.

Hot Springs police said that they have arrested 34-year-old Latosha Ann Wilbourn, after being accused of ripping off her boyfriend stitches and biting off his eyebrow.

Now, Wilbourn has been sentenced to serve 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to failure to appear and battery.

According to the police, Wilbournas 55-year-old boyfriend reported that she cut his left hand with a knife and hit him in the head with a stick during an argument.

The victim went to a hospital, where he received 12 stitches.

After returning home, there was another argument.

Wilbourn pushing him out of a chair and threw him onto a bed, where she climbed on top of him and bit off most of his right eyebrow.

She then ripped off the stitches from her boyfriendas hand.
Council Urged to Match Publics Donations to Community-Run Leisure Centre

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Mar 6th, 2016

Wrexham Council are being urged to match donations made by the public to fund essential maintenance work at a community-run leisure centre.

The #MakingWaves campaign was launched by the team at Splash Magic Leisure Centre last month in a bid to raise funds to help with the maintenance of the building.

The campaign encourages members of the public to donate 3 over text to help keep the leisure centre up and running. Donators are also being encouraged to post pictures of themselves on the Splash Magic Facebook Page in support of the campaign.

Plaid Cymrus Clwyd South candidate for the Welsh Assembly Elections, Mabon ap Gwynfor is calling on Wrexham Council to match the donations made by members of the public.

Mr Gwynfor said: The leisure centre was the focus of a huge public campaign to keep it open and, when the council failed to listen, people came together to re-open it as a community cooperative. As with all such ventures, goodwill can only take you part of the way. Money is needed to make essential repairs and improvements to the building.

Its a testament to the management team, staff and volunteers who run Splash Magic that things have gone so well in the first year but they now need additional funding for essential maintenance work. Local people are donating in their droves through a simple text message and I call on Wrexham Council to match those donations pound for pound.

Not only would it give the community an added incentive to raise funds, its the least the council can do. This is the council that allowed the centre to deteriorate for years before it closed and failed to carry out vital maintenance work. The council benefits hugely from having a busy leisure centre that boosts health and well-being in the county. Its not too much to ask it to support Splash with a little more cash.

Anybody wishing to contribute to the #MakingWaves Splash text donation campaign can do so by texting SPLA34 3 to 70070.

Further information about Splash Magic and how you can get involved can be found on their website.
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The government will launch a campaign to address the emerging practice of sharing and hosting pornography via cloud storage services.

According to the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications, website administrators, police, as well as industrial and publication authorities will tighten supervision of cloud storage enterprises, and hold them accountable for the security of their services.

The office released details on six cases that involved individuals profiting from the sale of account names and passwords to cloud storage hosting pornography.

In one case, a court in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, sentenced Liu Hangjie to three years plus six months in prison for selling access to pornography hosted on a cloud storage site.

Liu was selling individual accounts that had access to over 10,000 pornographic video clips for 50 yuan (7.68 U.S. dollars).

Cloud storage services used by criminals include those run by Internet security firm, Qihoo 360, and online video website LeTV.
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The Public Defender's Office has filed a motion for a retrial for Ovadia Shalom, who was convicted of the murder of the chairman of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) in the mid-90s.

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Shalom was convicted in 1994 of murdering attorney Shmuel Levinson, but has been claiming his innocence over the past 22 years. The Public Defender's Office filed a petition for retrial to the Supreme Court, saying it has evidence, including new DNA tests, that prove the DNA found on exhibits presented during the trial were not Shalom's DNA, but that of another person. If accepted, the Public Defender's Office says the evidence could overturn the conviction.

Ovadia Shalom, who was convicted of killing Shmuel Levinson

The request presents new information that includes 43 new evidence, including DNA tests performed especially for this case at an American laboratory.

According to the Public Defender's Office, none of the exhibits tested had Ovadias DNA, while the DNA of an unknown person was found. The defense argues that the conviction is based on shaky empirical evidence and seeks a retrial for Shalom.

Levinson was murdered on August 2, 1994 in his home in Jerusalem. He arrived at his home in the Rehavia neighborhood and surprised a burglar who was there. A struggle ensued, during which the intruder shot Levinson and fled.

Shalom was arrested about six months after the murder. He was known to police as a drugs addict and property offender. During his interrogation, Ovadia tied himself to the scene of the crime. He appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court, but his appeal was rejected.

Shalom turned to the Public Defender's Office and asked for DNA tests to be done on exhibits that were in the crime scene and were not tested, according to him. The defense received permission to perform DNA testing, and the exhibits from the murder scene were sent for testing at a laboratory in the United States.

The laboratorys opinion, according to the defense, unequivocally rejects the possibility that the Ovadias DNA is on the exhibits that were surveyed and collected from the scene of the murder.

Dr. Yoav Sapir, the Chief National Public Defender, said: "It's hard to think of a bigger legal injustice than the conviction of the innocent. Ovadia Shalom has been sitting in prison for more than 20 years, screaming his innocence. The request for a retrial that was filed to the Supreme Court is the result of an intensive investigation and a legal struggle that has gone on for many years. Despite the difficulties and obstacles along the way, we examined all aspects of the case, and concluded a retrial should be held."

Sapir added that "the request brought plenty of new evidence to support Shalom's claims of innocence, and we relied on scientific tests that did not exist before. We hope that the prosecution is also impressed by the scope of the new evidence and its quality and shows a willingness to examine them with an open heart and a willing soul, to determine whether there was an error in the conviction."
A new factory specializing in building materials for the defense industry was officially inaugurated in the Druze village of Isfiya outside of Haifa on Tuesday. The factory - which will specialize in making drone components - is unique in that 23 of the 30 factory workers are Druze women, who will be employed in everything from engineering to management and day-to-day operations.

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Druzenet, a project management firm specializing in high-tech, established the factory with the help of a NIS 12 million investment.

"This factory is great news and significant for the Druze community, especially Druze women," said Col. (res.) Anwar Sa'ab, the head of Druzenet.

Workers at the factory.

"The Druze community has undergone huge changes over the past decade, and young people from the community can be found in every job sector in Israel, from the most traditional of jobs to the most contemporary of high-tech jobs."

The factory was established at the encouragement of the aerospace industry, which even provided professional training to the women who will work there.

"As world leaders in the planning and development of drones, we are proud to be crucial partners in this important initiative," said Yossi Weiss, CEO of the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

The person responsible for the initiative was Brig.-Gen. (res.) Amal Assad, a member of the board of directors at IAI. According to him, the percentage of women from the Druze community who have a university degree is at the highest level since the founding of the State of Israel.

Searcher drone (Photo: Israel Aerospace Industries)

"The fact that we succeeded in creating a new industry - into which Druze women are integrated and in a field dominated by men - is ground breaking for us," he said.

"The decision to open the factory, and its operation entirely by Druze women is wonderful," said Hasnat Hamdan, 40, a mother of four, who will be a quality control manager at the factory. "We feel that this is a huge honor. We are full of happiness and admiration. Before, I worked as a childcare worker in a daycare, and I decided to leave when I heard they were building the factory in town. This idea advances the standing of women in the Druze community, and enables Druze women to leave the house and truly participate in supporting the family."

The factory was inaugurated by Sheikh Mawfiq Tarif and Chairman of IAI Rafi Maor.
BERLIN - German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has criticized leading US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as a right-wing populist whose political views pose a threat to peace and prosperity.

The comments by Gabriel, economy minister and leader of the Social Democrats, are the clearest sign yet that ruling politicians in Europe are increasingly worried about the outcome of the US presidential elections.

"Whether Donald Trump, Marine le Pen or Geert Wilders - all these right-wing populists are not only a threat to peace and social cohesion, but also to economic development," Gabriel told Welt am Sonntag newspaper in an interview published on Sunday.

Gabriel said that Trump and France's Le Pen were promising voters "a way back into a fairytale world" in which economic activity only happened within national borders but that history has shown such isolated economies have no chance to develop.

"We have to make the effort to explain how we want to shape globalization in a fair way," Gabriel said.
Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) went on the offensive on Saturday night against what he dubbed as "radicals" on the left and right, in an effort to promote his alternative diplomatic plan.

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"The public is tired of hearing the radical left wing blaming Israel for the situation without offering solutions that maintain Israel's security, and the radical right wing that forces an unavoidable annexation of masses of Palestinians in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria," he said during a cultural event in Ramat Gan.

"That is why our separation plan is the only initiative that safeguards Israel's Jewish and democratic nature and ensures its security," Herzog asserted.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Photo: Amit Shabi)

"The radical right and the radical left are babbling slogans that would lead us to Israelstine, a Jewish-Arab state from the Jordan to the sea," the opposition leader went on to say.

"We're the only ones proposing a plan that could be implemented tomorrow morning, which would reduce the wave of terror attacks and change reality," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies.

"The government caused the deterioration of Israel's foreign relations and now it's claiming everything is okay. Not everything is okay. Slowly, a diplomatic blockade is being imposed on us, and the government says 'no, no, everything's excellent.' Not everything is excellent," Lapid said, also speaking at a cultural event.

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

"I want to replace Netanyahu and I'm running for the premiership. The way to change a sitting government in this country is by working hard over a long period of time, and this is what I'm doing. It's time for the State of Israel to choose the future and not the past," he added.

A recent poll by Channel 2's Meet the Press showed that Lapid's party is recovering from the blow it suffered in the 2015 elections. After dropping from 19 Knesset seats to 11, the poll forecasted a return to 19 seats.

Herzog's Zionist Union, meanwhile, is weakening, losing six of its current seats and dropping from 24 to 18.

Opposition parties Meretz and the Joint List saw no changes - with five and 13 seats respectively, while Yisrael Beytenu gained two seats, rising from six to eight.

In the coalition, the ruling Likud party, which won 30 seats in the last elections, lost four seats in the poll, while coalition partner Bayit Yehudi gained three seats (from the current eight to 11), likely at the expense of Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu party, that dropped from 10 to seven seats.

Ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism gained one seat, at the expense of ultra-Orthodox party Shas.

The poll was conducted on March 1-2, 2016, by Dr. Mina Tzemach and Mano Geva from the Midgam Institute, among 500 respondents who constitute a representative sample of eligible voters in Israel.
BRATISLAVA - The leftist ruling party has won the parliamentary election in Slovakia, after campaigning on an anti-migrant ticket, but will need coalition partners to form a majority government, according to results announced on Sunday. In a surprising development, a neo-Nazi party gained parliamentary seats for the first time.

With the votes from 99.9 percent of the almost 6,000 polling stations counted by the Statistics Office Sunday, the Smer-Social Democracy party of Prime Minister Robert Fico is the winner with 28.3 percent of the vote, or 49 seats in the 150-seat Parliament.

Most notably, the neo-Nazi People's Party - Our Slovakia, got 8 percent, or 14 seats.

Party chairman Marian Kotleba was chairman of the banned neo-Nazi Slovak Togetherness-National Party, which organized anti-Roma rallies and expressed sympathy for the Slovak Nazi-puppet state during World War II.

The party says NATO is a terrorist organization and keeps attacking the European Union and Europe's common currency, the euro, which Slovakia uses.
Hundreds of Israelis have been wounded over the past five months of terror attacks, many of them still recovering from their injuries.

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The ongoing escalation of violence began with the murder of Alexander Lebelovitch in a stone-throwing attack on the eve of Rosh HaShana. Since then, 33 people have been killed and 321 wounded: 31 seriously, eight moderately-to-seriously, 50 moderately, 14 lightly-to-moderately and 218 lightly. In addition, Magen David Adom paramedics treated 114 people for shock.

Four months ago, a terrorist sped into a bus stop near Kibbutz Gan Shmuel , ramming into 21-year-old IDF soldier Orel Azuri . As she was lying on the ground, the terrorist ran over her again.

Orel spent 13 days unconscious at the intensive-care unit at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer. Doctors fought for her life for days, until they won the battle, but the road to recovery is still long.

Orel Azuri (Photo: Dana Kopel)

"I want to go back to being like other girls my age - go out, dance, and have fun. It'll take me a while, but I believe it will happen," said Orel.

She has spent the past few months at the Tel HaShomer Rehabilitation Hospital. "My leg still hurts and I'm expected to remain in the hospital for quite some time for rehabilitation. I've undergone a lot of operations, I'm dealing with a serious injury, and it's not easy," she said. "Everyone around me went back to their normal lives, and while friends still come and visit, they don't as much, and that's natural."

With her parents not leaving her side, Orel goes through intensive treatments - physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and physiological therapy. She spends the rest of her time watching TV, reading, and even writing a book. "I'm writing about a girl who was kidnapped and I believe the situation I'm in will affect the writing and the development of the characters in the book," she said.

'Not something you can forget'

Liam Yoteko, 13 years old from Kiryat Gat, was moderately wounded when a knife-wielding terrorist chased people on a main street in the city, stabbing four. It took her three and a half months to return to the scene of the attack.

When Liam tried to recount what had happened, she was flooded with difficult memories. "I left on a walk with a friend at around 6:30pm. We saw someone suspicious and started walking faster. The terrorist pulled out a knife and started chasing us. He stabbed me four times - in the back, the leg and the stomach. He kept chasing my friend but couldn't catch him. I remained fully conscious, sat down on the ground, and tied a scarf around to stop the bleeding. I called the police and then my phone died because I was out of battery. Someone gave me their phone and I called my mom and told her I was stabbed. My dad and brothers showed up, and then the ambulance. I was hospitalized for five days."

Liam Yoteko

Liam said her physical situation has improved a lot since the attack, even though her back still hurts and she is still undergoing medical treatments and tests.

The mental difficulties, however, remain. "I hardly ever leave the house. Even for school, a five-minute walk, I only go by car. When I leave the house, it's only with my brother because he carried a weapon, and I keep looking back to make sure there's no one there. I keep thinking about what happened. It suddenly comes up in the middle of class, or while Im with friends. I feel like I've become different, because I'm afraid to join them when they go out. I believe I'll remember this for the rest of my life and that there will always be fear in me. It's not something you can just forget."

'I lost my sense of security'

Bruriya Shenhav, 21, a student from Ariel, was wounded in a vehicular attack at the Tapuach Junction last November. A Palestinian terrorist sped towards the hitchhiking stop Bruriya was standing at, ramming into three teenage boys. Border Police troops stationed there opened fire at the terrorist and accidentally hit Shenhav.

"I remember how one second everything was quiet, and then there was a lot of noise of police and ambulances," Shenhav recounted with tears. "The entire junction was filled with troops, I felt like I was in the middle of chaos and didn't understand what was happening. It was only a few minutes later that I realized there had been a terror attack there. At first I didn't feel my injury and thought I was fine. I took a ride with one of the guys there towards Yitzhar, where my dorms are located. I remember walking into the caravan, which was empty, and all of a sudden feeling pain in my leg. I lifted my skirt and saw a huge blood stain. I felt helpless. I just sat there and started crying."

Bruriya Shenhav at the scene of the attack (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

Now, almost three months later, her life has changed completely. "I'm part of the statistics now, I went through a terror attack and it's a horrible and awful thing. I remember many sleepless nights, and feeling the lack of security, even to go out and walk around," she said. "As part of the healing process, I met with a psychologist to try and understand what I went through. It's a feeling, and a kind of fear, that is hard to describe. Every time I'm at a bus stop or stuck in traffic, I'm afraid that it could happen (again). After all, the terrorist in my attack probably decided he's going to commit the attack only shortly before that. It all happens in a matter of seconds, so I have a really great fear," she said.

Shenhav, originally from Tlamim in southern Israel, goes to Ariel University and lives in the settlement Yitzhar. "After the incident, my parents were really worried and we thought about leaving the place, but if you examine it you see it is happening everywhere - Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Be'er Sheva. It's a wave of terror attacks that is raging all over the country. People stay wounded, it's something that won't go away and will stay with me for the rest of my life. I'm beginning to rehabilitate myself and trying to have a normal life, but it's a process that takes a long time and the most important thing is this sense of security that many people have lost," she concluded.

'My soul is in torment'

Rachel Eizenkot, 80, was seriously wounded last November in a stabbing attack in Rishon Lezion. After ten days at the Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center, she was transferred to the Shmuel HaRofeh Medical Center for a long rehabilitation, returning home only a month and a half ago.

Eizenkot was getting off the bus, returning from a visit to her brother's house in Rehovot, when a terrorist attacked her from behind, stabbing her.

"My sister went into the SuperPharm and I went to the bus stop to go home. Suddenly, I felt a stabbing in my back, with a very sharp pain above my waist, and I fell down onto the sidewalk. I knew it was a terror attack and that this time, I'm the one who was wounded," she recounted.

Rachel Eizenkot

Footage from security cameras that was published hours after the attack showed the wounded Eizenkot lying on the ground as people skip over her in an effort to catch the terrorist.

"I'm not completely back to my old self yet, and I doubt I could go back to being who I was," Eizenkot said. "I'm still suffering from pain in my leg, and have a hard time walking - I can't even bend over. I now have a caretaker with me and I can't do anything without her ... I used to be independent, doing everything on my own. Now I'm very limited," she said.

Rachel also said she believes the mental and emotional rehabilitation is harder than the physical rehabilitation. "I still have thoughts and nightmares and I take tranquilizer tablets. My spirit hasn't returned to what it used to be. I keep remembering the moments the terrorist attacked me. I keep asking myself - How did I survive? Why did the terrorist stab me of all people? What did I do to have this fate? What would've happened had I died? These thoughts won't relent and it's very difficult. Physically I look almost the same, but my soul is in torment."

Eizenkot said that since the attack, she hasn't been able to watch the news. "I can't watch this. When I was hospitalized at Shmuel HaRofeh, everyone had a TV over their beds, but I left mine turned off. At home I only watch Channel 24, listening to music, and that's it. My heart aches for the young people who are killed and wounded and I can't bear to watch it. I can understand what they're dealing with."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said relations between Israel and the United States were "strong" ahead of a visit this week of US vice President Joe Biden to the holy land.

"There are those who have predicted the collapse of these relations  it is not so. The relationship is strong in all areas and also in face of the challenges that we are standing together against in our region," Netanyahu said at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting.

In addition, the prime minister said Israel was working to build relations with many other countries.

"Every week a president or minister, or prime minister or foreign minister, or other ministers, visit here from countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, from the entire world. This also expresses, of course, Israel's status as an asset today in the fight against radical Islam and captures opportunities for the future, especially in technology," he said.
Let's pretend, just pretend, that one of the Israeli technology companies that were sold to a foreign cooperation for hundreds of millions of dollars had demanded, as part of the sale, to allocate several millions of dollars to produce a math competition on TV. Sort of like "Mathematics Idol," with the first prize of $2 million and a second prize of $1 million, in addition to a few more prizes to fund higher education - from first year all the way to PhD. Think of the rating such a reality show - with a $2 million prize - would have. Think of the impact it would have and the role model it would provide young people, who are at least 80 percent of reality TV watchers nowadays.

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The chances of such a thing happening? Zero. The leaders of the technological community in Israel may be rolling in the dough, but they'd rather bemoan the crisis in math studies (and other science subjects) in private, or waggle a finger at the government. They leave the work to others.

Those others are few and far between, and sometimes they feel like their work is Sisyphean, like they are pushing a rock that keeps rolling down, with the top of the mountain just beyond their reach. That was also the impression I got when I sat down with Eli Horowitz, the CEO of the Trump Foundation, which promotes math studies in Israel. Trump? I wonder. Why would he care about math studies in Israel? Trump, Horowitz responds seriously, is an esteemed Jewish family from Miami. More than just esteemed: Brothers Eddie and Jules Trump belong to a very exclusive circle of very high-net-worth individuals, with their assets' worth estimated at many billions of dollars. Immeasurably higher than that orange-haired New York real estate mogul who rises and falls, rises and falls, the former reality star and the present start of the Republican primaries - Donald Trump.





Illustration (Photo: Shutterstock)

Donald Trump took legal actions against Eddie and Jules Trump in the past, trying to force them to drop their family name from the name of the cooperation they own ("The Trump Group," which is not the same as Donald's "Trump Organization"). The courts rejected Donald Trump's petition, but the United States Patent and Trademark Office ruled in his favor and limited the use of the term "The Trump Group" as a trademark. In a short interview with the New York Times about a month ago, Jules Trump, who considers himself a supporter of the Republican Party, said of Donald Trump: "He's a remarkable person, hes an incredible person," but refused to say whether he would vote for him.

In 2011, the Jewish-American Trump family donated $150 million to improve the quality of math teaching in Israeli schools. The donation, spread over a decade, is the financial basis for the Trump Foundation. "We identified the serious shortage of math teachers as a main obstacle to the improvement of math studies in Israel, and we invested in that," Horowitz says. "We focused on a group of technology professionals with knowledge in math, 35-45 years old, who were tired of their job and were looking for different challenges. Some of them despaired of the dream of making millions in a successful (high-tech company's) exit and some already made enough money in such an exit. Now they're willing to work in teaching, without having to learn in teaching education programs. We, in cooperation with educators and universities, enable this: We fund the training that they do at the actual schools. They participate in a shortened adjustment process and start teaching, with the guidance of experienced teachers and under their supervision. We found that when it comes to teaching, there's no replacing knowledge and motivation."

Students taking the math matriculation exam (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Over 350 new teachers are trained in this way to teach high school math every year, compared to several dozens a year at the end of the last decade. The great majority do their career retraining with the support of the Trump Foundation. According to Horowitz, the program is considered prestigious and competitive, and allows "interweaving theoretical knowledge with practical experience."

And the results? There has been an improvement, Horowitz determines, based on data and indexes - but there's still a long road ahead. Only five percent of students who started studying five units of math (the highest level offered to high school students in Israel - ed.) in the 10th grade, continued with that program until the 12th grade. "The massive dropout rates," Horowitz says, "mostly points teaching as the main problem."

In order to keep students at high level math studies, a "diagnostic form of teaching" is required: "Thoroughly examining the reasons for dropout among each of the students and conducting a focused effort to keep them in the program," Horowitz explains.

To that end, the Education Ministry, the Trump Foundation, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Tel Aviv University and Haifa University are developing innovative methods to diagnose the failures in math teaching including, for example, an analysis of real lessons that were filmed.

At the same time, the Trump Foundation funds long-distance schooling using computers as part of a "virtual high school" program. A thousand students study high levels of math and physics from afar, particularly among the Arab and ultra-Orthodox sectors.

Eli Horowitz praises the Education Ministry which is "leading the change" and adds, "We at the Trump Foundation have NIS 500 million more to finance the process. And this isn't the end of it for us."
Traces of Tawfik Okasha, "the normalization parliamentarian" - a nickname given to him during the vote that ousted him from the parliament in Cairo - disappeared over the weekend. After he was refused the chance to apologize directly to those who voted against him, he announced the sale of his privately-owned TV network, Al Fara'een the Pharaohs, pledged to cover all his debts, left his home in Cairo, and disconnected all his phone lines.

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If you finally close your big mouth, he was told, there's a remote chance you will return to parliament. The truth is Okasha is not much of a catch. His ever-angry face on the small screen gave him the image of being the government's mouthpiece, a clown seeking self-publicity at all costs, even by threateningly waving a filthy sandal on live TV, his virulent rhetoric towards Arab leaders and his colleagues in parliament, and the big mouth of someone who was sure that everything was permissible for him until he was tossed out of parliament.

Tawfiq Okasha, right, with Israeli ambassador to Egypt, Haim Koren, middle

The votes against him numbered 496, while 17 abstained or opposed, arguing that the procedure was illegal. The numbers speak for themselves. Okasha's curious supporter was the fresh MP Mohammed Anwar Sadat, nephew of the late president. After all, the vote on his expulsion was also a vote on the peace agreement.

Even after his ouster, the affair refuses to go away. Newshounds found his ex-wife who complains about his stubborn refusal to pay alimony. Investigative reporters link the "Zionist agent" and the espionage affair which rocked Egypt 50 years ago, when Egyptian intelligence uncovered Okasha's uncle, a senior Air Force officer who was drawn by his girlfriend and joined the Mossad. That affair, which became the basis for the film "The Plunge into the Abyss", ended with the hanging of the general and his lover.

Tawfiq Okasha getting a shoe beating by Egyptian MP

Okasha was sure that the juicy affair was forgotten. Just before the vote against him, he managed to boast of two secret visits to Israel and declared that he was planning another visit to Tel Aviv to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and interview him.

The good side to this story, if there are any, is that it opened the wound of the countries' relations and pointed the radar at it. 40 years after Sadat's historic visit to Jerusalem, when he pledged to "get into the hearts of Israelis and break Egypt's psychological barrier," we remain stuck. All Egypts professional unions reacted to the surprise which Sadat hit them with by an all-out strike and a strict interdiction to collaborate with the "Zionist enemy." The ones who were caught in the act of "normilazation" were forced to apologize and pledge not to repeat the "sin". The few who refused ran away in disgrace and lost their jobs and livelihoods.

Cairo's political salons are buzzing with conspiracy theories about the trial the government orchestrated using Okasha  in order to check if the time has come to take the relationship with Israel beyond security matters. What would the reactions be, for example, if President Reuven Rivlin or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were invited to Cairo? Such an invitation is considered necessary, especially in Jerusalem, to signal that normalization is not something that results in punishment.

We received the answer: Peace will prevail only between the leaders. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is currently visiting Japan and Korea, was quick to announce that Egypt is committed to the agreements with Israel, and didn't say a word for or against Okasha. Jerusalem understands that he cannot afford to quarrel with parliament which making comparisons between their expulsion and the Israeli discussion of distancing of Arab MKs.

Only al-Sisi can save Okasha. One can't be sure he is going to make any efforts given that latter, with his big mouth, rudely trampled the authority of the presidential palace and mocked the top of the pyramid.
London - Police in Northern Ireland say they have found "a significant terrorist hide," including explosives and bomb parts, buried in a rural park.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said Sunday that detectives uncovered the stash at Carnfunnock Country Park, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Belfast, after a passer-by reported a suspicious object.

Police say officers found several buried plastic barrels containing "a significant amount of bomb making components including partially constructed devices and a small quantity of explosives."

On Friday, a prison officer was injured when a booby-trap bomb exploded under his van in Belfast.
Israel arrested in January a Palestinian who allegedly moved to Egypt in 2007 in order to found a terrorist cell dedicated to attacking Israel, it was cleared for publication on Sunday. Najib Mustafa Nizal, 33, was a resident of Qatabiya until moving to Egypt, supposedly for school.

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According to the Shin Bet, Nizal joined Kata'ib al-Mujahideen, a terror organization distinct from the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and adopted radical Islamist features.

Najib Mustafa Nizal

The groups operatives committed in the past few years multiple attacks on Israeli targets, especially firing rockets at Israel and attempting to support terrorist activity on Israeli soil.

The group has ties to Hamas, including in the areas of labor, training and professional assistance, and weapons supplies. In practice, Kata'ib al-Mujahideen is under the sponsorship of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and receives funding and guidance from it.

Nizal confessed to the Shin Bet that while in Egypt, he worked to locate and recruit students from the West Bank who were studying in Egypt. He said he sent these recruits to Gaza for military training and then helped them infiltrate the West Bank.

The streets of Cairo (Photo: AP)

Nizal also told the Shin Bet that the objective of the recruitment was to create military infrastructure in the West Bank.

He further admitted that he conducted his activities in Egypt from a safe house belonging to Kata'ib al-Mujahideen. He said the house was used for meetings of militants from the group in Gaza, including the organizations leader, Assad Abu Shariah.

The apartment also served as a meeting place for senior Hamas operatives from Gaza, according to the confession, as well as for other terror operatives. Nizal also told the Shin Bet that he was involved in transferring funds for the project. He also admitted knowledge of a major weapons smuggling route between Libya and Egypt and from there to the Gaza Strip.

Egypt points a finger

Also Sunday, Egypt accused exiled Muslim Brotherhood officials of conspiring with Gaza-based Hamas operatives to assassinate public prosecutor Hisham Barakat last year and arrested 14 people in connection with the attack.

Barakat, 64, was killed by a car bomb in Cairo in June 2015. He was the most senior state official assassinated since the toppling in mid-2013 of elected president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. There was no claim of responsibility for the attack at the time.

Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar told a news conference that the attack was ordered by Turkey-based leaders of Egypt's oldest Islamist movement and coordinated with Hamas. He accused Hamas of helping to provide training and explosives.

He said the authorities had arrested 48 members of a Muslim Brotherhood cell aimed at undermining security through a series of attacks. Fourteen of them had confessed to killing Barakat."This is a very big conspiracy that started a long time ago and continued," he said.

A judicial source told Reuters on Sunday that six people had been arrested for Barakat's murder. The official MENA news agency reported that those arrested were suspects in several acts of "terrorism, possessing and using explosives, and joining a terrorist group".

Judges and other senior officials have been targeted by radical Islamists since then-military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted Mursi after mass protests against his rule. Sisi, who went on to win a presidential election the next year, banned the Brotherhood and jailed thousands of its followers. Security forces killed hundreds of Morsi supporters in a single day in the bloodiest episode in Egypt's modern history.

The Egyptian judiciary says it is independent of the government and military, but some judges have been accused of bias after handing down lengthy jail terms and mass death sentences. The crackdown, which has included restrictions on freedom of protest, has angered many opponents of Sisi who has struggled to suppress an insurgency that is raging in the Sinai Peninsula which borders Hamas-controlled Gaza.

The attack last June cast doubt on Egypt's ability to contain an Islamist insurgency based in Sinai that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since Sisi took over. The Brotherhood has been banned and designated as a terrorist organization. The group says it rejects violence. The most active militant group is Sinai Province, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, the jihadist group that has seized control of significant areas of Iraq and Syria.
Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) had its YouTube account removed on Sunday, March 6, after the video site said it had violated terms of service.

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PMW, which monitors and exposes incitement in Palestinian media, last posted a video to YouTube on Thursday. The video showed a Palestinian girl reading a poem on official Palestinian Authority television calling for a war that will smash the oppressor and destroy the Zionist soul.

According to PMW, YouTube entirely shut down the groups primary account. A check of the portal on Sunday night, March 6, showed that it was gone, with text announcing: "This account has been terminated due to repeated or severe violations of our Community Guidelines and/or claims of copyright infringement."

According to Itamar Marcus, PMWs founder and director, YouTube has removed PMW material in the past on the grounds that it constituted hateful content.

In the past, theyve given us warnings about particular videos because they misinterpret them to be hate speech. Then they would take those videos down, and we would have to explain to them that, in fact, they are designed to expose hate speech. And then they would always repost them, Marcus told Tazpit Press Service.

Example of Palestinian propaganda

PMWs work on exposing media incitement has been recognized by European governments, and the organization has briefed parliamentarians from around the world. Indeed, on Friday a 25-minute debate took place in the Swedish parliament in which the Palestinian Authoritys support for the current terror wave was discussed, with evidence based entirely on PMW documentation.

There was no warning at all, Marcus said of the videos removal. They didnt give any more information than about the violation of terms. We know what the violation was because they have done this before, but they dont get that it is Palestinian incitement that we are exposing rather than promoting.

The organizations YouTube account was shut down in 2010 for similar reasons. After a barrage of complaints, the account was reinstated.

There is very little you can do. You can try to contact them, but they dont make it easy to do so. We can send feedback and hope that other people will do the same. Send feedback and all we can do is hope they will respond.
Khartoum - Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir arrived in Indonesia on Sunday, defying an international warrant for his arrest, to attend an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit, the Sudanese state news agency said.

The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010, accusing him of masterminding genocide and other atrocities in his campaign to crush a revolt in the western Darfur region.

Members of the ICC are obliged to act on arrest warrants. Indonesia is not a member.
 Flash

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to meet with the U.S. Vice President Joe Biden over the current tensions with Israel and the stalled Middle East peace process, a senior Palestinian official said Saturday.

The two are scheduled to meet in the West Bank city of Ramallah next Wednesday amid Biden's tour in the region that also includes the UAE, Israel, the West Bank and Jordan, according to Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee.

The official said, however, no new ideas were presented before Biden's visit pertaining to the Palestinian cause or the peace process with Israel.

"What we were informed was that the general theme of Biden's visit is counter-terrorism and particularly against the Islamic State (IS)," said Majdalani, adding that the meeting is expected to involve the issues like Palestinian development and an international peace conference.

He expressed less hope of an American move "in light of Washington's upcoming elections and its unwillingness to push Israel in the peace process."

The Israeli public radio reported that a senior official at the White House said Biden's visit includes no suggestions on the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

Abbas met with U.S. State Secretary John Kerry on Feb. 21 in Amman, without citing progress.

The peace progress between Israel and Palestine has been stalled since April 2014, after nine months of talks achieved no tangible results.
Editor's note: Ice water now sells for GHp30 or GHp20 in some places. Over the years, it has undergone several changes not only in price, but also how it is packed and even the songs that accompany its hawking on the streets. As Ghana celebrates her 59th Independence Day, YEN.com.gh presents a fun bit of history behind what is easily the commonest commodity on the Ghanaian market, ice water!

The different phases of

The journey of drinking water with pleasure in Ghana has been rather interesting. Clay pots and deep wells used to be the Ghanaian way of cooling water. Then also came the times when water was treated with smoked palm husks to give it a distinctive flavour. Although these methods are still in vogue in some parts of the country, it is a fact that the refrigerator and its ability to provide ice-cold water to quench the thirst of many Ghanaians has turned water into lucrative business.

It became commonplace to see people (especially young ladies) at busy lorry parks and crowded places, carrying buckets of ice-cold water, with beads of chilled water dripping along the sides of their buckets. Accompanying the bucket was one measuring cup and a set of multi-coloured cups. With the measuring cup, the seller would scoop the iced water from the bucket to fill one of the other cups for her customers.

It soon became an unwritten code of conduct for the sellers to sing a tune to attract people to the water being sold by the cupful. Some of the sellers would just sing the phrase Yes, Ice as though they were selling ice blocks instead. Many sellers joined the chorus without knowing the connotation of the lyrics.

The downside of serving customers with the same cups over and over again was the ease with which diseases were spread. Often, although many drank from the same cup, the sellers were too busy selling to thoroughly clean their cups. More health concerns were raised when news broke that particles of faecal matter were once found on the ice blocks that were used to cool the water. Clearly, a new method of packaging was required to make ice water truly hygienic, thus the plain transparent polythene seemed the right option. Though the great Ghanaian ingenuity another solution was found in industrialised sachet water; or so it seemed.

The original sachet water - Panyin de Panyin

Ice water in tied miniature poly clear plastic bags later became referred to as Panyin de Panyin (loosely meaning the old is still the king), with the introduction of industrialised sachet water. This packaging for the ice water and sometimes smoke-flavoured water was very good for travellers. Initially, the size of the bag was such that a consumer could go through the whole day with just one bag of the water in hand. They only had to tie the punched area to preserve the water.

Little children fell under the weight while others let go of the bagged water, which picked up dirt from the ground, or the bag may burst as a result of the fall. From an initial price of 10 (from what I remember), the new ice water moved steadily through 20, 30 to 50 (old cedi currency) before going on retirement. And her retirement was dramatic.

Pure water is born

Soon came on the scene the pure water phenomenon. To date, its purity is in doubt and many wonder if this description is not a misnomer. The very first sample of pure water, I remember without a doubt, was called Sultan, which appeared in the late 1990s. It was in a square-shaped, relatively firmer sachet and had a green label with the inscription Sultan over an image of two crossed swords.

The inscription of Sultan in colour and alongside it the name pure water seemed to have worked like magic. Again, the name Sultan must have given the Ghanaian consumer the impression that this brand of pure water had Arabian links, perhaps that it was imported from Saudi Arabia! If so, then this made it more than welcome on the Ghanaian market (we love everything and anything imported).

Sultan actually gave its consumers a sign of affluence and it soon became a status symbol: those who patronised this brand were seen as rich and civilised. It soon became the preferred brand, since it was seen as hygienic compared with the soft, round and knotted panyin de panyin', which had hitherto reigned supreme.

Panyin de Panyin is floored but not without a fight

The Maame Panyin (the elderly woman) started losing her hold on consumers. This followed persistent complaints of dirty particles floating in the water. Ghanas original sachet water was now being ridiculed and being called names, one of which was Yoomo Fofoo (the sagging breast of an old lady). This name seemed perfect, considering the fact that older folks stuck to their knotted water, seeing it as more hygienic and flavoured.

Apparently, the old folks were saying that the old soldier can be subdued but he never dies. They were right. I think they foresaw the fall of the Arabian Knight, and embraced it. They were ready to help him fall deeper for his treasonable offence against their beloved ice water as some fondly called it. Well, I agree with them. Maame Panyin knew how to take care of herself. As clean water should be, she had no smell nor taste except, of course, when treated in the smoke process.

Sultan, on the other hand, had a pungent smell and an appalling taste. I remember I threw up the first time I tried it (I was called a villager by my friendsanother reason why I detested the Sultan brand of pure water).

It had the smell of green algae and the taste was sour (isnt water supposed to be tasteless?). I dont know whether to attribute these foul qualities to the possibility that the water had expired, but there was no expiry regulation then so one could not tell. (But for each of the five times or so that I tasted it, I threw up). Some friends theorised that the smell and taste were due to the treatment (really, shouldnt this rather have improved the taste?)

Despite these downsides, the Arabian Knight managed to kick our old woman out of business. The death of the latter was slow but steady as sellers carried her along with Sultan in their pans. It was just the way the old cedi notes had had to pave way for the new ones in 2007. The consumer now had a choice between the pure water and its knotted counterpart. Gradually, she bowed out of the market and the only traces of her came through similarly packaged ice cubes.

The birth of a business idea

I love Ghana for a reasonits a nation full of copycats. Just start one thing today and tomorrow thousands of Ghanaians will follow suit. That is quite good, though, it breeds competition which raises the standards of products and service delivery (in ideal situations). Perhaps other pure water consumers had had their fair share of my experience with Sultan, leading to incessant complaints about him. Bam! An idea was born. Apparently, there was hope for Yoomo foofo : she only needed some breast-firming treatment. And so with the sachet-making machine, business-minded Ghanaians gave the old lady a new attire, firmer and tighter than the original. Good for the economy.

Soon the market was flooded with reconditioned pure water. Water had become a commodity rather than a necessity for survival. All one needed was the capital to purchase a sachet-making machine, to explore the new gold mine.

To make it more indigenous, enterprising Ghanaians gave the old lady local names: Nsu, Adom, Gye Nyame were just a few. Other brands just maintained their English names. I guess it reflected their standard (incidentally, thats an example of one such brand with an English name, Standard pure water). Other English names were Glacier, Gocool and Everpure (really?).

Although most of the former brands are now extinct, some of the newcomers are still in serious business. Some people used pure water to propagate the gospel, and this resulted in pure water names such as Gods love, Saviour, Grace, King Jesus, to mention but a few (smart Christians huh?). The fine names notwithstanding, hygiene at some of the places where the water is produced is suspect. It seems as if the quality and attractiveness of the packaging are more important than the purity of the water itself.

.And bottled water arrives!

After these phases, came the bottled water which started gaining more grounds in the 2010s. Now it also sits competing with the other types from vendors. Recently a friend paid a visit to Kumasi and showed me pictures of all these phases of water still been sold in Kumasi, so after all pinyin di pinyin and all other forms still exists.

Now, when bottled water came, it was seen as a drink preferred by the bourgeoisies in Ghana, but with time, it is all over the place and with a minimum of GH1.00, one could buy a bottle water. Like I previously stated, Ghana is not a country without competition. Gradually bottled water turned into a business that many have started cashing in.

Voltic used to be the popular brand making money till the others joined to give them a run for their monies. Now it is more of preference and the brand you are interested in buying. As bottled water gets popular, many now worry about the amount of acidic content in each bottle, so now the companies in business decide to state the alkaline content in each bottle of water and my guess is to perhaps attract a better market.

Pure water regulations to the rescue?

By the early 2000s, pure water was everywhere on the Ghanaian market. But following revelations of poor hygienic conditions at some pure water factories, and the subsequent abuse of the commodity, regulation had to set in. Then the Ghana Standards Board (GSB) went on the rampage to clear the market of all shoddy pure water products. These products had made the city dirty because of the litter of the numerous sachets and along with this menace, water-borne infections.

The GSB directed that all producers should start indicating the expiry dates of their products on the sachet and with a GSB symbol. With time this became the norm, but there were still bad products on the market and yet, curiously, with the GSB symbol.

Periodically, the GSB, now Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), comes out with a list of recognized sachet water producers. Though this exercise is good, it doesnt seem to go far enough, considering the new brands being churned out (which are constantly being advertised as if they were drugs). Every nook and cranny of the country is littered with sachets, and the initial zeal to clamp down on shoddy water products seems to have ebbed. I do not even see the GSA symbol on most of the products anymore. Perhaps, the GSA needs to do a little more in this direction.

So, finally, here we are; its a little over a decade since pure water burst onto the Ghanaian market, but I am still wonderingreally, how pure has our pure water become? I pause for an answer.

An infographic of Ghanaian leaders since independence

Source: YEN.com.gh
On March 4, long-time anti-nuclear activist Clay Turnbull was cited for trespassing at Vermont Yankee. Turnbull is a trustee and staffer at the New England Coalition (NECN), a long-time antinuclear group that has been fighting Vermont Yankee for decades.According to a Mike Faher article on the incident , Vermont Yankee security summoned the sheriff's department because a "man with a camera was within the perimeter hiding along the inside fence line." Turnbull claims he was not hiding, but merely crouching down to take photos. Turnbull wanted to take pictures of the proposed dry cask storage area, to show it was more visible than Entergy claims.Turnbull also claims that he did not know he was on Vermont Yankee property, since he had not crossed a fence. Turnbull also asserts that he has been on the site numerous times, and is "quite familiar" with the site.Turnbull was not a lone wolf at the site. He was alone, but he had been sent to Vermont Yankee by his organization. In an article by Robert Audette at the Brattleboro Reformer , Ray Shadis of the New England Coalition said that he was unsatisfied with existing pictures of the proposed dry cask storage area. Shadis said: "Clay got some photos at about 200 feet, through the old switchyard, which we assume will be gone with decommissioning, showing plainly that what Dodson (of Entergy) said was fiction. I asked Clay to return to see if there were clear views from any other vantage points along the fence. Apparently Yankee now features multiple lines of fence."So, a man is sent by his organization to take pictures at Vermont Yankee. The man claims to be very familiar with the site, and also completely unaware that he is trespassing.Well, Vermont Yankee reacted at the time of the trespass. Spokesman Marty Cohn was quoted in the Faher article at VTDigger: Cohn said that Turnbull's actions put the plant into a high-security alert. By the nature of security and security alerts, Cohn could not elaborate much more on the plant's reaction to the trespasser.In some ways, this whole incident is just plain funny. In other ways, not so funny. These are grown men in an anti-nuclear organization. As part of their role in that organization, one of them tells the other to get better pictures. Their actions cause a security alert.This is not about a little boy trying to get down to the river to do some fishing. This is not about a casual trespass. This action was discussed and planned, within the organization.My suggestion is as follows. On the day that Turnbull is found guilty of trespass, even if he gets nothing but a reprimand---on that day, Entergy should sue the New England Coalition for the expenses caused by the security alert. Entergy shouldn't sue for punitive damages or anything like that. That would look mean. Entergy should just sue for compensatory damages for the extra expenses caused by the alert. At the same time, Entergy should ask for a restraining order against members of NECN approaching Entergy property.I mean, the people from NECN admit that there was an organizational plan, discussed between two members of the organization, to take these pictures. Turnbull admits to being very familiar with Vermont Yankee. Then he trespassed. In my opinion, Vermont Yankee has both the law and the facts on their side, and they should bring suit.NECN should absolutely pay the cost of the security alert.-----In the section above, I mention Ray Shadis and Clay Turnbull. Their names have appeared before in this blog.In a blog post a few days ago , I shared a quote from Ray Shadis, a quote that originally appeared in the Rutland Herald. In this quote, Shadis suggested that Entergy should buy a gravel pit across town from the plant, and store spent fuel underground at that gravel pit.Clay Turnbull has also appeared in this blog. In a post last year, Opponents Claim That Vermont Yankee is More Dangerous Than Ever , I quote Turnbull. He had written that, although the NRC plans no further meetings in Brattleboro after February 2015,This post has been reprinted at The Energy Collective . It currently has five comments at that site. The Energy Collective usually has more comments than I receive on this blog.
They roam around in the background, sometimes in the open, but are always on call. Whoever you want: plain-clothed police officers, intelli...
Hurray! The torture has finally ended after 8 long years- a little too late I would say but better late than never. Its time to rejoice So here is raising a toast to the unnatural death of Ekta Kapoors flagship<i> rona dhona, maha drama</i> Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. May the dreaded K never return to haunt us again <br><br> Wonder why I am being so cynical? <i>Kyunki</i> it drove us to the wall, <i>Kyunki</i> it tested our patience and intelligence, <i>Kyunki</i> it portrayed us (women) in the most stereotypical fashion, <i>Kyunki</i> it did not come with a warning of watching at ones own risk and <i>Kyunki</i> one did not need a reason to detest this show or cast suspicious glances at those who did like the show. <br><br> So in case you are a Kyunki fan then please leave or forever hold your peace for this write up; its not meant for the faint hearted or weak willed. Readers discretion is advised as we are going to dive in some serious whipping and no holds barred bashing of this soggy saga. <br><br> But just like any other Balaji serial which begins on a chirpy note with the birds singing and the temple bells tolling; Kyunki wasnt all that bad initially. So I would like to venture into un-chartered waters and risk appreciating this k katha just a bit. For, like it or not, the show had the potential of being met with a different fate had many aspects been handled differently. <br><br> <b>The Good</b> <br><br> <b>Family ties:</b> A joint family in the confused 21st century was one of the major USPs that got the viewers hooked on to the show. When most of the soaps were busy celebrating nuclear family freedom, Kyunki came as a refreshing break. A show about an affluent <i>Gujarati</i> family that had a modern outlook yet traditional values immediately clicked with the audience and garnered the highest TRPs. <br><br> <b>Widow re-marriage:</b> Everything said and done, the show did break a lot of taboos. The soap, time and again, took up the cause of widow re-marriage. Tulsi, her daughter Shobha and daughter-in-law Nandini were urged to remarry once their spouses passed away. <br><br> <b>Marital rape:</b> The prima donnas of TV serials Kyunki once again took the lead in bringing the harsh reality to the fore. The loveless marriage of Nandini and Ansh served the plot to present this brutal truth. Nandini is raped by her husband Ansh, who was subsequently dragged to court by Nandini on the behest of guess who??? Anshs mother Tulsi. <br><br> <b>Mother India Tulsis killing of own son:</b> Not that I want to promote domestic violence but Tulsi killing her own son Ansh to protect her <i>bebas bahu</i> was one of the few eye popping, unbelievable, exaggerated sequences. Nevertheless, it was the right thing to do. May be killing was a little to much for anyones taste but the idea was well conveyed. <br><br> <b>Baa-the 84 yr old (or was she 400?) fashionista:</b> This was one of the few crowning moments of the show. Just when critics were breathing fire down Ektas neck to send Baa to the grave, she sends her to the school of fashion design. Once again the point was taken well. The aged cant be just nudged away, they have a life too. <br><br> Even a Kyunki basher like me feels that the show did have the potential had it not slipped from good to bad to downright ugly. <br><br> <b>The Bad</b> <br><br> <b>Blah blah blah about <i>sanskaars</i>:</b> Anyone watching the show could easily give religious channels like 'Sanskaar' and 'Aastha' a miss. The characters of the show had loads of <i>faltoo gyaan</i> to pass on to its poor moral defunct viewers any given day. <br><br> <b>Privacy went for a toss:</b> From bedroom talk to kitchen politics, everybody overheard everybody. Whether is was a husband and wife doing coochie coo or a <i>saas</i> bitching about the new bride, someone would always overhear and pass on the golden words. The motto being: if informed then better misinform. <br><br> <b>Drama queens galore:</b> Who needs dialogues, when your body language speaks volumes? Cunning smirks, weird eye moves, and look east talk west actions, exaggerated reactions reduced the dialogues to mere lip service. In fact, put the show on mute and you are as good as someone whos heard all the wailing, screeching and thundering. <br><br> <b>Sleeping beauties:</b> They smiled in make-up, they wept in make-up (water proof of course), they even slept in make-up; the characters were good enough to enter a beauty pageant on any given moment. Being glamorous is good, but did no one tell these <i>saas bahus</i> that sleeping with make-up on was a beauty disaster. Quiet literally the characters hid their true colours behind the glossy exteriors. <br><br> <b>The Ugly</b> <br><br> <b>Reverse ageing process:</b> Generations leaps had a different connotation here. The most bugging factor was the characters getting younger and sassier with each passing year. Instead of getting sober with age, they just got lousy make up jobs done and the beauticians had a ball. Getting older here meant extra coats of foundations, oodles and oodles of mascara, and even more glam accessories. <br><br> <b>Arise from the dead:</b> Grrr grrr even Ramsay Brothers would have bowed to Ekta Kapoor when she pulled Mihir out of the coffin. The day Mihir returned from the dead, the show was fated to be doomed. For the tacky scheme was used time and again as the characters deemed dead would suddenly appear and instead of going BOOM, the audience went Yawn <br><br> <b>In-law incest:</b> Being accommodating is one thing but marrying your brothers ex-wife is simply tacky. Every now and then a wife would leave her husband and go and marry her devar. What kind of a sick minded plot was the show promoting? <br><br> <b><i>Saaziish</i> and more <i>saazish</i>:</b> Mindless conspiracies ruled and misunderstandings were the order of the day. Just when something good would happen; the bad immediately followed leaving room for ample of drama. <br><br> It will always remain a mystery as to how a serial so banal and plot-dead, where the characters always remained dressed as if they were attending a barat or a Halloween party, could become so popular. <br><br> But like it or not Kyunki was one the most popular shows the telly has ever known. But with the channel the tying a goose around its neck and finally sending it to the dungeons, all I am left is with a list of if only that could have saved it from its unprecedented death <br><br> If only Mihir had not died or brought back from the dead on popular demand, if only the characters looked their part, if only Baa bid adieu before she turned 400, if only the family members understood the term privacy, if only Ekta Kapoor gave some credit to the viewers intelligence and did not take them for a ride, if only Tulsi did not have to be such a goody two shoes. The show could have been bearable!
Ahmedabad: Security agencies have issued red alert across Gujarat after intelligence input about the possible infiltration of terrorists in the state.

According to reports, the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had informed the Gujarat government that around 10 terrorists may have entered the state from across the border to carry out strikes.

Security arrangements at all important places have been beefed up in Gujarat after intelligence report on infiltration of terrorists. Director General of police PC Thakur convened an emergency meeting with all the district police chiefs on the issue and alerts were sounded off in all major cities in the state.

In wake of terror report, a high-level meeting of top cops and senior government officials was also held at the secretariat to review the situation.

The terror input comes after three abandoned boats were found on the shores in the Kutch district, with the BSF patrolling team finding the third boat late on Friday.
New Delhi: After Gujarat, now a high alert has been sounded in the national capital following a warning issued by the intelligence agencies that suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jash-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants could have sneaked into Delhi.

According to media reports, security officials have passed information to Delhi Police that 10 suspected militants from Pakistan, who may have entered India via Gujarat, likely have now entered the national capital.

The intelligence agencies further issued a warning saying the suspects may carry out strikes in markets and malls here.

The police have been told to enhance security arrangements in crowded areas and security installations, as per media reports.

Two teams of the National Security Guards (NSG) landed in Gujarat, earlier in the day, following a high alert sounded by the central government amid reports that terrorists have entered the coastal state.

"The Gujarat Police are on alert. The state government had asked the Centre to send NSG teams, which have also arrived," the state`s Home Minister Rajanikant Patel told reporters here, as per IANS.

He said, "We have issued high alert and beefed up security at all key installations."

The state government was galvanized into action, stepping up security across Gujarat, especially the coastal borders with Pakistan, after a note sent by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval about the suspected infiltration of fidayeens (suicide attackers).

Ajit Doval`s note came after Pakistan`s National Security Adviser Nasir Janjua called him up and confided in him that 10 terrorists from the two Pakistan-based outfits have entered Gujarat, according to official sources.

Besides Kutch district, which shares land and maritime borders with Pakistan, heavy patrolling and checking has begun along Gujarat`s border with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Important monuments, pilgrimage centres like the ancient Somnath and Dwarka temples, and Akashardham temple in Gandhinagar which had come under terrorist attack on September 24, 2002, as well as power plants, dams, defence and security establishments have been put on alert.

The central agencies are investigating the discovery of five abandoned fishing boats near Sir Creek on the Kutch coast over the last three months, including one found by a Border Security Force (BSF) patrol on Friday.

The boat found on Friday is 20 feet long and 10 feet wide. Some ration, water jugs, fishing nets, crabs, diesel and mattresses were found on board.

Notably, a top Army commander had said yesterday that there were "disturbing inputs" about a possible terror attack in the country aimed at creating "maximum impact" during the Shivratri festival and the ongoing Parliament session.



"There are security-related problems today. You know, Maha Shivratri is coming. There are inputs which are disturbing but notwithstanding that extra care has been taken," Western Army Commander Lt Gen KJ Singh had said, without giving any further details.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Sushil, son of Andhra Pradesh Minister Ravela Kishore Babu , surrendered before Hyderabad Police on Sunday early morning. He is accused of molesting a 20-year-old woman teacher in Banjara Hills area of the city.

Sushil is likely to be produced before the Magistrate later today.

It is alleged that the AP Social Welfare Minister's son Susheel and his driver M Ramesh followed the victim in their car, passed lewd comments and tried to pull her inside the vehicle on Thursday evening.

The woman claimed that she raised an alarm following which her husband, who was nearby, and some locals gathered at the spot and beat up the accused.

After a complaint by the teacher, police had registered a case related to eve-teasing against the car driver though she had on Friday accused both the minister's son and the driver of misbehaving with her.

While Susheel claimed innocence and alleged that the case was "politically motivated", his father said police probe will reveal the truth and he will "not interfere" in the matter.

The complainant had alleged that a car with 'MLA' sticker followed her when she was passing through Road No 13 while on her way to school on Thursday evening. The driver of the car and another occupant, who were drunk, passed remarks and asked her to come inside the car while one person with a tattoo on his hand tried to pull her inside the vehicle, she alleged.

"They tried to pull me in their car, I somehow managed to escape. I just want justice. Those who do wrong, must be punished so they don't repeat it in future," said the victim.

On Friday, the woman also claimed to have identified the photo of the minister's son as the one who held her hand and tried to pull her inside the car.
Vrindavan: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday launched a stinging attack on Rahul Gandhi for voicing "sympathies" for "those who raised slogans for breaking up India" and said it was the Congress vice president's "ideological hollowness" that he did something that likes of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi never did.

The senior BJP leader also termed JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar's speech, delivered following his release on bail, a "victory for us", saying he had gone to jail for raising anti-India slogans but came back to speak amid slogans of 'Jai Hind' and hoisting of the tricolour.

In his valedictory address to a convention of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, Jaitley said it was the country's "misfortune" that the Congress vice president sympathised with the actions of a "small group of Jihadists and a bigger group of Maoists".

Congress had always been against those wanting to break up the country through the last 100 years of struggle between nationalist and anti-national forces, Jaitley said as he attacked Rahul.

"A new trend has started. Some people want to hold an event to commemorate Yakub Memon and some to commemorate Afzal Guru. These people used to comprise a small section of jihadists and a big group of Maoists.

"Slogans were raised for breaking up the country and it was the country's misfortune that a leader of Congress, which has been in the mainstream so far, went there to express sympathies with those who did so. Mahatma Gandhi never did it, neither did Ambedkar. Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandbhi never did it but he did....It was ideological hollowness," he said.

BJP fulfilled its "national responsibility and emerged victorious", he said, referring to Kanhaiya's speech without naming the JNU Student Union President.

While the Left has had a "historical tradition" of speaking against the national interest, Congress was always against the conspiracy to break the country except for Emergency when it was supported by CPI, Jaitley said.

The JNU row and the opposition attack on the Modi government and BJP was at the centre of the two-day BJYM conclave with party chief Amit Shah, Chief Ministers and a number of Union Ministers raising the nationalist pitch and attacking Congress, especially Rahul.
New Delhi: The Congress Party on Sunday slammed Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh for his remark on Kanhaiya Kumar and his supporters, saying it is not a fight of individuals rather of ideas.

"The remark of V. K Singh shows his immaturity. He is correct that both Rohith and Kanhaiya lie on same page. Rohith was the member of Ambedkar association and Kanhaiya is a part of AISF which has a major representation of OBC and backward classes," Congress leader P.L. Punia told ANI.

"This is not a fight between individuals rather it is fight between ideas. He must ponder over his words," he added.

Speaking at the national meet of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in Vrindavan earlier, Singh spoke about JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and Vemula, seeking to question their nationalism.

Referring to Kumar, Singh said, "The student leader of JNU says his leader and source of inspiration is Rohith Vemula, and not Afzal Guru. That's when I thought that even Rohith organised a conference in support of Memon. Do we want to follow those people, who want to divide the country, who want to spread terrorism, who curse (India)?"

HRD Minister Smriti Irani, who also spoke at Saturday's event, said that BJP chief Amit Shah had already declared in the morning that "if anyone talks about dividing the country, the BJYM would give a befitting reply".
Delhi: One Navy personnel died on Sunday as fire broke out on aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

Chief Engineering Mechanic Ashu Singh was reportedly shifted to the naval hospital in Goa where he died after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Also, reports said that three others had sustained injuries in the fire after inhaling smoke.

They are said to be under treatment and out of danger.

The fire broke out in one of its boiler rooms after leakage of steam and was quickly brought under control, as per reports.

It is being said that the fire was minor and broke out in the afternoon today when the aircraft carrier was on a routine deployment to Goa.

The carrier is to be decommissioned later this year and the incident comes on a day when Sea Harrier fighter jet flew off its deck for the last time.

In 2013 too, a fire incident had taken place on INS Viraat off the coast of Mumbai.

However, Navy Headquarters had then termed the event as minor, saying that there had been no injury to anyone in the fire incident which had taken place in the air conditioning system on the aircraft carrier.
New Delhi: In India, whether its communist or capitalist ideology, freedom of speech has always been honoured at any cost, it's there in the 'genes' of the country, said spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, while speaking exclusively to Zee Media, adding, that the group of students who had allegedly raised 'anti-India' slogans recently should 'meditate' since they were a bunch of 'misguided' youth.

He added that in his opinion, universities were lacking how to teach students to make perfect use of their 'enthusiasm'.

Further denouncing people for questioning the judicial proceedings of the nation, Sri Sri said, If a person (Afzal Guru) was proved to be a terrorist and was punished as per the constitution then no one should question it. It's an insult to the court.

Saying things like Bharat ko barbaad karke rahenge will not be tolerated by any democracy and any civilised society, he added.

A Padma Vibushan awardee, Sri Sri spoke on a range of subjects, from freedom of speech, JNU-Afzal Guru row, 'Award Wapsi' and many more.

We need to decode the real intention or motive behind such provocative things. It has to be seen that whether JNU row was based only on an incident was a planned scheme to attack the government. It can't be left unattended, said Sri Sri.

I am always there for students to channelise their energy, Sri Sri added, while saying that it was easy to 'destroy' but very difficult to 'build'.

Further talking on the recent 'Award Wapsi' incidents, the Art of Living founder said, Tolerance prevails in India's DNA but people of this country are indifferent to things happening around them. By returning 'Awards' people have maligned India's image. If you are not satisfied with the government's work then protest against it. Refuse the awards in advance, as I did.

Putting his weight behind his event - World Culture Festival  scheduled to take place on the banks of Yamuna, which is expected to be attended by 3.5 million people from around 155 countries, Sri Sri said, People from worldwide like, Uruguay, Perugia, Chilli, South America are eager to listen this program. They have booked big halls where this event will be broadcasted. In India, even in a small village situated in Kerala, people are looking forward for the event. So, I think the function will spread a big message to the world. It is high time that we bring closer the people of this world under 'spiritualism' so that we can provide a terror-free world to our future generation.

"The Art of Living should be lauded and rewarded for even choosing such a polluted place for a prestigious international event, he added.

While stressing that they will not cause any harm to the river, the spiritual guru said, It takes enormous courage and commitment to ready a place where once, one could not even breathe due to the stink. It's joke of the year when people say 'Art of Living' is polluting Yamuna.

The spiritual guru further applauded the volunteers of the program for doing a commendable job by cleaning the Yamuna. Our volunteers have created some special enzymes which has lowered the pollution level and the bad odour of the river, he said.

The 'World Culture Festival' will be held on the 35th anniversary of the Art of Living foundation.

However, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had pulled up the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for granting permission to hold Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's 'World Culture Festival' on the banks of Yamuna.

The three-day event will be held on the flood plains of the Yamuna river near DND toll bridge and massive construction is underway for the festival starting March 11.
Delhi: JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar may have had information about the event held on February 9 in the university, as per reports on Sunday.

ANI quoted sources as saying JNU Registrar Bhupinder Zutshi has told the inquiry committee that Kumar had information about the event held on February 9 in the campus.

The news agency also quoted sources as saying that Kanhaiya had called the Registrar after Dean of Student Welfare had cancelled permission for the event.

PTI also quoted that Zutshi has claimed that Kumar had objected to cancellation of permission for the controversial event against hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Zutshi, deposing before the high-power enquiry committee constituted by Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, is believed to have said that Kanhaiya Kumar was against the authorities' decision to cancel permission of the February 9 event during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

"I had called a meeting of JNSU in my office at 3 pm on February 9 to discuss the route for the new bus acquired by JNU for disabled students. Kanhaiya Kumar and Rama Naga (JNUSU General Secretary) reached first. Around 3 pm, we had a discussion on the bus route. After 10 minutes, Saurav Sharma (ABVP member and JNSU joint secretary) also came. We all discussed the bus route for 10 minutes. Sharma later showed me a pamphlet regarding the 'cultural event' on 'judicial killing of Afzal Guru' and said some of the students are organising this event today (February 9, 2016) at 5 pm at Sabarmati Dhaba," Zutshi has told the committee.

The Registrar has further maintained that when the varsity decided to withdraw the permission, Kanhaiya had called him objecting to the cancellation.

JNU had instituted a disciplinary committee on February 10 to probe into the controversial event.

On the basis of the preliminary enquiry report eight students including Kanhaiya were academically debarred.

The five-member committee which has been granted two extensions for submitting its report is expected to come up with its recommendations by March 11.

Students including Kanhaiya, have already refused to depose before the committee demanding that the preliminary inquiry was conducted in an absurd manner and students suspended without questioning.

The students have been demanding that committee starts its enquiry afresh, a demand which has been ruled out by the university.

Zutshi, is also under criticism from a section of students and teachers for allegedly mishandling the issue.

CPI expresses concern over security of Kanhaiya

Meanwhile, CPI today expressed concern over the security of Kanhaiya in the wake of announcement of cash rewards for anyone "shooting him down" and "cutting off" his the tongue by some elements.

"Kanhaiya is safe in JNU campus, but he has threat outside the campus," CPI National Secretary Amarjeet Kaur told reporters.

Stating that Kumar, also a CPI member, had become the symbol of 'Save India democracy', she demanded the Centre carry out investigation into the JNU row to find out the truth.

Police asks JNU to keep it informed about Kanhaiya's movement

As part of efforts to provide foolproof security to Kumar, Delhi Police has asked University authorities to inform them about the student leader's movements outside the campus and nature of his visits.

In a letter to University authorities sent after Kumar's release from jail, DCP (South) Prem Nath wrote that the SHO of Vasant Kunj (North) Police Station, which has the campus under its jurisdiction, should be informed well in time about "the movements/visits of Kumar outside the campus, including nature of visit and travel mode so that necessary security/preventive measures may be taken to prevent any untoward incident".

A police source said the move comes in view of the court's directive after the attack on Kumar at Patiala House court complex on February 17, which said police must ensure that none of the students arrested in connection with the sedition case suffer even a scratch.

(With Agency inputs)


London: Scores of people held placards and marched the streets of London, demanding the extradition of an Indian man wanted in the UK for over five years on charges of rape, murder, and a string of other sexual assault cases.

New Delhi-based Aman Vyas, the son of a wealthy Indian businessmen, is suspected by Scotland Yard of a string of late-night attacks in north-east London over five years ago when he was in the UK on a student visa.

The 31-year-old has been on bail since 2011.

Opposition Labour party MP Stella Creasy, who led the march yesterday, has also written to Indian high commissioner to the UK Navtej Sarna demanding Vyas' extradition to face the British court.

"It's worrying about whether they [the Indian authorities] are serious about dealing with this issue," Creasy told 'The Times'.

The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has authorised charges over the alleged murder and rape of 35-year-old Michelle Samaraweera, who was attacked and strangled in 2009 after she went out to buy milk while staying with her boyfriend in Walthamstow, north-east London.

The CPS has also authorised charges against Vyas over three allegations of rapes in the two months before Samaraweera's murder and the Metropolitan Police are investigating whether he is responsible for five other sex attacks.

"Officers are working with the Indian authorities," the Met Police said.

According to 'The Times', an application by lawyers for Vyas to dismiss the case against him was rejected by an Indian judge in 2012 but delays have meant that the British authorities have been unable so far to extradite him.

Vyas now has bail until next month.

He was on a student visa in Britain when the alleged attacks took place.

He was arrested in July 2011 boarding a plane at Delhi airport that was bound for Auckland, New Zealand and was granted bail in November 2011.

The family of Samaraweera said it was "disgusting" that they had had to wait so long for justice.

Ann Chandradasa, 44, one of the victim's three sisters, said:?"We just want to see justice done. I just want him back."
The personal blog of Peter Lee a.k.a. "China Hand"... Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel, and an open book to those who read. You are welcome to contact China Matters at the address chinamatters --a-- prlee.org or follow me on twitter @chinahand.
Mumbai: Hamid Dabholkar, son of slain anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, on Sunday expressed unhappiness over investigators' failure to zero in on the murderers of his father, CPI leader Govind Pansare and Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi.

"Why is it so difficult to identify them? There are reports in media that these three rationalists were killed by the same set of weapons, (but) even then the investigating agencies were speculating about the motive," he said, speaking at 'Mumbai Collective: Celebrating Freedom and Pluralism', a two-day conclave here.

"All three of them were working to propagate rationalism and constructive criticism of religion. They were labelled as traitors of religion by a particular organisation which has a history of resorting to violence to achieve their agenda.

"The same organisation had put a red cross on Dabholkar and Pansare's photographs (on its website). Still, two and a half years later, not a single arrest has been made," he said.

"On one hand there is deep anguish of losing my beloved father, comrade Pansare and professor Kalburgi, and the insensitive delay in investigation, but on the other hand there is a definite ray of hope and feeling of solidarity when we see many youths and like-minded people coming together and supporting this cause," Hamid said.

"Right from the day of assassination of Dabholkar (on August 20, 2013, in Pune), we were telling the agency that it is not a personal or property dispute. This is a planned assault on ideological framework and if you don't arrest the culprits there will be more murders. But sadly nobody paid heed. One and a half years later, Pansare was killed in Kolhapur and four months later Kalburgi in Dharwad," he said.

"It was very much possible for the state government and the topmost (investigation) agency of this country like CBI to save the lives of these people," Hamid said.

Echoing the sentiment, Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of Govind Pansare, said, "Arrest of one suspect (in Pansare case) has led to nothing... We are struggling for justice three years after the (three) killings."
Vrindavan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is God's gift to India, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday.

He also attacked the Congress, saying the party of Mahatma Gandhi should be "embarrassed" at its vice president Rahul Gandhi's stand on the JNU row.

In his address to a convention of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, where leader after leader showered enconiums on Modi and attacked Congress, Chouhan said the Prime Minister had become the "most popular leader in the world" and was working to make India a strong and prosperous country.

"He is a man of ideas and has the strong will to execute them. Wherever in the world he goes, people chant Modi! Modi! He is the God's divine gift to India. He will make India 'vishwa guru' by 2022," he said amid cheers from the audience.

Hitting out at the opposition party over the JNU row, he said, "Congress, the party of Mahatma Gandhi, should be embarrassed... Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed."

It was, however, his state's development under him that was the focus of Chouhan's speech as he reeled out a number of welfare schemes he had launched for weaker sections and the poor.

Attacking Congress, Chouhan said it had no right to talk about the poor as it "sucked their blood" when in power and claimed BJP was the most pro-poor party.

Speaking about the his government's successes, the third-term Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh said, the state has been clocking over 10 per cent growth for the last eight years and 20 per cent of agricultural growth for over four years.

He said the money transfer scheme for newly-born baby girls had resulted in improved sex ratio. "I had decided that daughters should become a boon not curse for their families."

Against the 50 per cent reservation for women, they were elected to 56 per cent of seats in local bodies, he said.

Maintaining that he believed in social justice through distributing wealth among those with "empty hands", he said if there is one party for the poor, it is BJP.

Union ministers Sanjeev Balyan and Dharmendra Pradhan also spoke earlier in the day.

Balyan, among the younger names in the government and party's Jat face in Uttar Pradesh, said youth should be given more responsibilities in the UP Assembly poll scheduled for early next year as only they can take on the current state government of "thieves".
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said a nation is always empowered by its women.

"Nation is always empowered by its women. It is she who nurtures a citizen as a mother. These empowered citizens eventually make an empowered country," Modi said, addressing the National Women Legislators Conference in the central hall of Parliament.

Women representatives from both the houses of parliament, state legislative assemblies and councils attended the two-day conference that concluded on Sunday.

The prime minister said the country must think beyond "women development," and move towards "women-led development."

The prime minister said multitasking, considered to be a very important element of modern day management, comes naturally to women.

Congratulating Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for her leadership and vision to organise the conference, the prime minister said in addition to the structured component of such events, experiences shared informally among delegates are also extremely enriching.

"Women have higher success ratio despite the fewer opportunities they get in comparison to men. Women need to recognise themselves and their strength and feel confident about it," Modi said.

"You will recognise your strength only when you encounter a challenge. So, our women must use the challenges they face to empower themselves," he added.

"Women are better in adopting technologies than men. They are specially gifted by god in this aspect," Modi said.

The prime minister urged the women legislators to engage with their constituents using technology. He described his own experience in this regard, and spoke of the enriching thoughts and views he has been receiving through the MyGov platform and Narendra Modi App.


Pakistan on Sunday released 87 Indian fishermen held for violating its territorial waters and officials said a similar number would be freed later this month.

"We have total 536 Indian fishermen in prison and today we released 87 of them while 86 more will be released on 20th of this month," deputy superintendent of Karachi`s Landhi prison, Shakir Shah, told AFP.

Shah said those released Sunday had been in jail for more than two and half years. They were freed after verification of their travel documents sent by Indian authorities.

The Indians boarded a train to the eastern border city of Lahore in a journey arranged by Pakistan`s Edhi foundation, a private charity.

Edi foundation officials said they gave the Indians gifts and other necessities for their journey.

Indian and Pakistani fishermen are frequently detained for illegal fishing since the Arabian Sea border is not clearly defined and many boats lack the technology to fix their precise location.

Last week Pakistani maritime security forces detained 20 Indian fishermen and impounded their four boats.

The fishermen often languish in jail even after serving their terms, as poor diplomatic ties between the two arch-rivals mean fulfilling bureaucratic requirements can take a long time.
Islamabad: Scores of Hindu pilgrims from India arrived in Pakistan through the Wagah Border to celebrate 'Shivaratri', the festival of Lord Shiva, with their near and dear ones.

According to a Pakistani news portal, more than 120 Hindu pilgrims arrived in Pakistan through the Wagah Border on Saturday alone.

Evacuee Trust Property Board chairman (ETPB) Siddiqul Farooq, secretary Khalid Ali, Hindu leader Manohar Chand, Sikh leader Sardar Sham Singh and others welcomed the pilgrims in Lahore.

The pilgrims went to Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore for a one-day halt and from there they were expected to leave for Chakwal on March 6, where they will perform rituals, the dailytimes.com.pk reported.

On March 7, they will participate in the main ceremony at Katas Raj Mandir Chakwal, the report added.

Parliamentarians from the minority community in the country will also participate in the main ceremony.

On March 8, the pilgrims will return to Lahore, where they will stay in Krishna Mandir for two days and perform their rituals.

They will return to India on March 11.

ETPB chairman Siddiqul Farooq said the board has provided all facilities including security, accommodation, medical and transport etc. for the pilgrims.

The Walled City of Lahore Authority, under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with ETPB would organise the visit of pilgrims to historical places of walled city free of cost, he added. He stressed the need for good relations between Pakistan and India for durable peace in the region.
Ahmedabad: Gujarat has been put on high alert on Sunday following intelligence inputs that terrorists have sneaked into the state, with raids being conducted at Kutch and other places, security beefed up at vital installations and sensitive areas and NSG teams on standby.

Here are top 10 developments:-

1- Security was intensified across Gujarat, which cancelled leave of all police personnel.

2- Two NSG teams comprising nearly 200 personnel have been sent to Ahmedabad from Delhi.

3- Advisory has been issued to enhance security at all strategic locations, sensitive industrial sites and religious places after intelligence inputs suggested that the terrorists have entered Gujarat taking the sea route.

4- The state government has increased security at all the main temples of the state for 'Maha Shivaratri' festival tomorrow.

5- A massive security operation has been launched and raids were conducted by a police team, led by South Kutch Superintendent of Police Makrand Chauhan, early this morning in Varnora village of Bhuj taluka in Kutch district bordering Pakistan. The Kutch police also raided Noorani Mahel hotel and Muslim Jamat Khana in Bhuj.

6- Two National Security Guard (NSG) teams comprising nearly 200 personnel have been sent from Delhi to Gujarat to meet any eventuality.

7- Security of all the Air Force and Army bases has also been ramped up.

8- A Pakistani fishing boat was seized by a BSF patrol party on Friday after its occupants fled upon seeing the security personnel in the Koteshwar creek area off the Kutch coast along the Indo-Pakistan border, heightening the security concerns.

9 - Gujarat DGP PC Thakur said combing operations have started across various locations.

10- Till now, police have not found any suspicious person.
New Delhi: Noted writer and activist Taslima Nasreen on Sunday lambasted those who announced bounty on JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's head over his slogans on JNU campus.

Taslima, who is quite active on Twitter and followed by many for her criticism of bigotry, wrote in disgust, I thought only Muslims can be fatwabaz, but some Hindus want to be insane. Issued fatwas. Put 11 lakh on Kanhaiya's head, 5 Lakh on his tongue.

I thought only Muslims can be fatwabaz,but some Hindus want to be insane. Issued fatwas. Put 11L on Kanhaiya's head,5L on his tongue!  taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) March 6, 2016

Further denouncing the idea of violence, she said, First you fall in love with your religion. Then you give up your sanity and rationality. Then you set price on your critics' heads. Then you start beheading...

First u fall in love with ur religion. Then u give up ur sanity & rationality.Then u set price on ur critics' heads.Then u start beheading..  taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) March 6, 2016

A few posters have appeared near the Delhi Press Club, offering Rs 11 lakh reward for shooting Kanhaiya down.

The posters, viral on social media, bear the name of Adarsh Sharma, president, Purvanchal Sena.

Meanwhile, a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader has announced a prize money of Rs 5 lakh for cutting off the tongue of Kanhaiya Kumar.

Kuldeep Varshney, the BJYM district president, Budaun district, Uttar Pradesh, has reportedly been expelled by the BJP for six years.
Srinagar: The gun battle between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district has ended, according to media reports.

A terrorist belonging to Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen group was killed and an army jawan was injured in a gun battle between militants and security forces late on Sunday.

About two to three militants are reportedly holed up inside a house and retaliating with gunfire against the security forces.

One militant has been killed so far even as the attackers, numbering two to three, continued to hold fort late on Sunday night in Nai Basti in Kulgam's Buchroo area, according to media reports. A security personnel is injured in the gunfight.

The attack comes as several major Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, were put on high alert on Sunday following a tip-off from Pakistan about an imminent strike by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant group.

Security has also been tightened in Jammu and Kashmir after the alert.

Currently in Kulgam, a joint team of the army, CRPF and police has cordoned off the site of the attack and a door-to-door search operation is on to hunt down other militants who may be hiding in the area.
Gwalior: A forest guard was killed after a truck carrying sand illegally, overturned on him in the city on early Sunday.

The incident took place in the wee hours today when a team of forest department along with jawans of Special Armed Force chased down two tractors carrying illegally mined sand.

A joint team of MP police and forest department, carrying out a drive against illegal sand mining, was bringing 3-4 sand laden tractor-trolleys from the bank of Chambal river to Purani Chowki police station area.

Lala Gurjar (19), at the wheels of one of the tractor-trolleys, tried to flee with the vehicle on National Highway no 3 (Agra-Mumbai), forest officials said.

In order to stop him, forest guard Narendra Sharma jumped onto the trolley after which Gurjar speeded up his vehicle.

Both pushed and pulled each other and in the process, the driver pushed the guard down and the tractor-trolley fell on Sharma, Gwalior Superintendent of Police H C Mishra told PTI over phone.

"We are going to charge Gurjar under section 302 (murder) of IPC," the SP said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for Sharma's family. CM Chouhan also promised of a job for one of the family members of Narendra Sharma.

(With agency inputs)
Mumbai: Against the backdrop of the JNU row, noted lawyer Mihir Desai on Sunday said even if JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar had shouted slogans against the government, he cannot be charged with "sedition" as per the Supreme Court's past rulings.

"The Kanhaiya episode is a repetition of `Gandhian blunder' by (Prime Minister) Modi-ji, Amit Shah and Smriti Irani," Desai said, speaking on 'Sedition and the Spectre of the anti national' during a two-day conclave on 'Celebrating pluralism and freedom' here.

"Gandhiji was also arrested under this law by the British government who thought they could propagate their ideas this way. But this was their biggest blunder....Lokmanya Tilak had been arrested under this law in 1897 when he had written against the government's handling of plague (epidemic) in Bombay Province," he said.

In the pre-independence era, one could be charged with sedition for spreading `disaffection' against the government, but the law had now changed, he said.

"The Supreme Court, while passing the judgement in Kedarnath case in 1962, had said that this law needs to be seen in a diluted manner. According to the Supreme Court, a person can be charged with sedition if spreading disaffection against the government leads to violence and public disorder," he said.

Therefore, as in the cartoonist Asim Trivedi's case who was also charged with sedition, he expected the courts to grant bail to Kanhaiya the next day, Desai said.

"This was not a case whether he shouted slogans or not. Even if he did, it did not amount to sedition. We may disagree with him but unless it caused violence, it was not sedition," the senior counsel, who has represented some of the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots, said.

"Section 124 (A) (sedition) of IPC has to go, like the section 377 (which makes homosexuality an offence) which should be abolished. The UK government has abolished both but we haven't," he added.


On Thursday, staff and parents of students at Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District received a letter from Jeffrey Holmes, Superintendent about active shooter swatting calls taking place at multiple school districts across the state. Swatting calls are hoax reports of threats made to police which insight panic.

Police say similar types of false threats have occurred at multiple schools across the state Thursday. These threats included 911 calls to police across the state claiming that schools had an active shooter.
New Delhi: Cyber criminals are looking to exploit vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure of Indian startups to steal customer data, including passwords and financial details, a report said.

According to a report by UK-based data security firm BugsBounty.Com, 72 out of the 100 major startups it analysed were "negligent" in implementing and maintaining reasonable security practices and procedures.

While the report did not name the companies, it said these were across segments like eCommerce (30), classifieds (14), finance and fin-tech (7), healthcare (7), food-tech (5) and hyperlocal services (3).

With growing Internet penetration and data packs becoming more affordable, consumer-focussed startups have seen business booming. Be it ordering food or furniture online or paying bills, consumers today are much more comfortable making purchases on the web and sharing details like email IDs, address and phone numbers.

"We have been speaking to some of these firms. We have warned them that they may be liable to pay massive compensation to users whose 'personal' and 'sensitive' data they store including passwords and financial information," BugsBounty.Com Director Ankush Johar told PTI.

Citing Section 43A (Compensation for failure to protect data) of Indian IT Act, Johri said the companies may have to shell out as much as Rs 5 crore in case of a data breach.

He added that this is critical, especially since billions of dollars of investor money is riding on these ventures.

"Also, 22 out of the 100 were found to have web server software vulnerabilities that pertain to software on their servers that is known to have bugs, but these startups have not patched those," he said.

This puts all the data on their server at risk including their software code, databases in entirety among others, he added.

Explaining the attack, Johar said a user receives an email asking them to login to the company's and they comply.

"The link is the same URL as that of the startup. The 'cautious' user ensures that the URL in the browser is the same as the sender. The user inputs his or her username and password because it appears to be completely genuine," he said.

However, instead of the company, it is the hacker who receives the username and password.

"This is not a phishing attack because the consumer is indeed logging into the company's website. However, because of the vulnerabilities that the website has, the consumer data can get into the hands of the hacker," he said.

Also, the magnitude of the threat is even higher because with mobile penetration soaring, Johar said.

Consumers on their part should ensure that they change their passwords regularly and keep different sets of passwords for critical services like banking and email, and another set for other non-critical services.

"They shouldn't share any extra information that is not critical for the companies," he said.
London: With Google Glass, a team of researchers has found a way to monitor constantly organs-on-chips experiments without being physically present there.

An organ-on-a-chip is a multi-channel 3-D microfluidic cell culture chip that simulates the activities, mechanics and physiological response of entire organs and organ systems.

This technology has helped scientists to experiment on tiny models of human organs but they require near-constant monitoring.

According to a new study, published in Scientific Reports, researchers have developed software and hardware that is allowing them to go about their days while the high-tech glasses kept watch on their experiments.

With the Glass, the team was able to control livers and hearts on a chip remotely, dosing out pharmaceutical compounds by using valves.

The authors said that the software might be particularly useful for doctors or researchers running risky experiments, such as those involving highly infectious bacteria or radioactive materials, by allowing them to keep a safe distance.
Lahore: Pakistan has asked India to send all the 24 Indian witnesses to depose before the anti-terrorism court holding the Mumbai attack trial, the chief prosecutor in the high-profile case said today.

"The Foreign Ministry has written to the Indian government asking it to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court in the Mumbai attack case," Prosecution Chief Chaudhry Azhar told PTI.

He said the?Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad has already completed recording the statements of all Pakistani witnesses in the case which has been underway in the country for more than six years.

"Now the ball is in India's court. The Indian government should send all Indian witnesses of the Mumbai case to Pakistan to record their statements so that the trial could further move ahead," said Azhar, who is also a special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Last month, the court, which is holding the trial of the seven accused including Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had ordered the FIA to present all 24 Indian witnesses in court to record their statements.

It had also ordered to bring back to Pakistan the boats used by Ajmal Kasab and other militants on the grounds that it is case property and should be duly examined.

The 8-member Pakistani judicial commission had visited India on behalf of the Pakistani anti-terrorism court (ATC).

The statements of the Indian witnesses were supposed to be used as evidence in the trial.

However, Lakhvi's lawyer had challenged the commission's proceedings because Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S S Shinde did not let its members cross-examine witnesses.

The trial court here subsequently declared the proceedings of the commission illegal.

Pakistani authorities have arrested seven LeT members involved with the planning of the 2008 Mumbai attack.

Apart from Lakhvi, other arrested LeT men are Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum. A trial is underway against them at the ATC since 2009.

Lakhvi, 55, secured bail in December 2014 and was subsequently released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the government's order to detain him under a public security act.

Six other accused are lodged in the Adiala Jail for over six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in which 166 people were killed.
Lahore: Hafiz Saeed, chief of Jama'at-ud-Da'wah (JuD), a front group of banned militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), has questioned Pakistan's decision to adopt Urdu as its national language in a country where majority of people speak Punjabi language.

Speaking to a group of his supporters in Lahore last night, Saeed said he felt the government did not adopt Punjabi in 1947 because the written text is in Gurmukhi language and that would have questioned the two-nation theory on which Pakistan was created. Saeed whose base is in South Punjab is pushing for a review of Urdu as the official language.

Saeed, who is based in Johar town near Lahore, is pushing for Punjabi to be the main language of Pakistan. Punjabi is also the main language for the JuD and the LeT recruits and there are frequent anti urdu protests by the cadres of the Punjab based hardline groups whose demand is to make Punjabi the National language. Saeed also cited the fact that Punjabi is the main language of the Pakistan Army and that in itself is reason to review the language situation as a mark of respect to the armed forces.

Saeed mentioned that even though he personally is not a Punjabi speaker, the fact remains that Pakistan's larger interests are more important. He added that in these times where each region of Pakistan is getting restless, Punjabi is perhaps the only language which can ensure the unity of the nation.

There has been no word from Pakistan government after Saeed made the comments.

The creation of Pakistan was based on religion rather than their language and ethnicity. The two-nation theory was the founding principle of the movement to create a separate country for Muslims.

Even after 68 years of its independence, Pakistan continues to have Urdu as its national language but it is losing its prominence as a large number of people continue to speak different languages in different provinces.

Despite their official adoption of Urdu as their first language, some 44 per cent of people in Pakistan speak Punjabi where as Pashto and Sindhi are spoken by an estimated 15 and 12 percent of its population.

Only 8 per cent of Pakistanis speak Urdu whereas 3.6 percent speaks Balochi.

It should be recalled that the Supreme Court of Pakistan in last September directed the federal and provincial governments to adopt Urdu as official language in the country. It questioned the use of English as a language which can't be understood by the public at large.

In order to preserve the Urdu language, the government of Pakistan has directed all schools to treat Urdu as a compulsory subject.

People in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan region have often hit the streets protesting the government's decision to impose Urdu on them. They say that Urdu reflects a cultural imperialism by the Pakistan establishment.

They allege there is a sinister plan by the Pakistan government to suppress their local languages and dialects including Punjabi.
Delhi: The report of one-man inquiry commission headed by Justice (Retired) Vishnu Sahai on the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots has given a clean chit to the Akhilesh Yadav government of Uttar Pradesh, as per a media report.

The report has blamed the local police and officials for misjudging and mishandling the situation and has held Subhash Chandra Dubey, then Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzzafarnagar, and the local intelligence Inspector Prabal Pratap Singh directly responsible for the riots, as per NDTV.

Notably, the report has added that no further action can be taken against BJP MLA Sangeet Som as his role is being investigated by the police.

Som had been alleged to have uploaded a fake video on Youtube. He had been arrested and later given bail.

The website quoted the report as saying - "No further action by the government can be initiated against him."

Further Sahai report says that no one can be directly held responsible for the hate speeches and at the same time questions the role of the then District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma.

Going further, the report says that as regards the Maha Panchayat held in August 30, 2013, a case against politicians Kadir Rana, Noor Salim Rana, Rashid Siddiqui, Ehsan Qureshi and others had been registered.

Thus, no further action can be taken, it added.

The 700-page report was tabled in the state Assembly today.

More than 60 people had died and over 40,000 displaced in the riots that broke out in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining districts two years ago.

The Justice Sahai commission was formed to look into administrative lapses in controlling the violence and role played by media as well as politicians in flaring up the riots.

The state government had constituted the commission headed by the retired judge of Allahabad High Court on September 9, 2013, days after riots had taken place in Muzaffarnagar.

While the commission was initially asked to submit its report in two months, it was later given several extensions.

The state government had also formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) on September 24, 2013.

In the past two years, a total of 567 cases related to Muzaffarnagar riots had been lodged.

The SIT has already submitted its investigation report in all the cases barring nine that are still pending.

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh today blamed the Akhilesh Yadav government for the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

BJP rejected the Sahai Commission report as "incomplete" and demanded a CBI inquiry into the riots.

BJP legislature party leader Suresh Khanna said, "The inquiry report is a mix of of several semi-truths. It is one-sided and does not highlight the real culprits, reasons, causes of provocation and how it spread," as per PTI.

"The SP government shifted the blame onto BJP and our seven senior leaders were detained without any reason. The real picture would have emerged if the commission had probed the incident thoroughly," he said in a statement.

The government failed to take prompt action and the intelligence system failed, he said, adding the situation got out of control due to "ministers' intervention".

Congress' Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, "The report is blaming the Centre that we didn't give intelligence (inputs). Our home minister at that time had again and again said we provided information. The UP government cannot run away from its responsibilty."

BSP's Sudhindra Bhadoria said the riots are the most "unfortunate" incident after Independence. "The CM is responsible for this...Since it happened under Akhilesh Yadav," he said.

Senior SP leader Azam Khan, however, sought to put the blame at the media's door, saying it "over-exaggerated" the incident.

"In America, you can't show dead bodies and bloodshed," he said

(With Agency inputs)
Patna: Throwing a spanner to the proposed alliance of the Left and Congress in West Bengal Assembly election, CPI National Secretary Amarjeet Kaur on Sunday said there would be "no" such tie-up in the state.

"As of now, we'll not have any alliance with Congress in West Bengal and there is no possibility of having direct alliance with Congress in future too," Kaur told reporters here.

Kaur, however, said all those parties which wanted to uproot Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should take a call as which side they wanted to be.

Stating that there would be direct fight between TMC and Left Front in West Bengal, she claimed that ruling TMC's popularity graph had declined and people of West Bengal were angry with the excesses of the TMC government.

In Kerala too, there would be direct fight between Left Democratic Front and Congress-led United Democratic Front so there was no question of having any alliance with Congress in West Bengal, she said.
Idomeni (Greece): Greece is likely to receive another 100,000 migrants by the end of the month, Europe's migration commissioner has warned, two days ahead of an EU-Turkey summit seen as the only viable solution to the crisis.

As EU members continued to bicker, Dimitris Avramopoulos, in charge of migration at the powerful Brussels executive, pointed to upcoming measures, including an overhaul of asylum rules, to help ease tensions.

"Hundreds are arriving on a daily basis and Greece is expected to receive another 100,000 by the end of the month," Avramopoulos told a conference in Athens yesterday.

Greece lies at the heart of Europe's greatest migration crisis in six decades after a series of border restrictions on the migrant trail from Austria to Macedonia caused a bottleneck on its soil.

Over 30,000 refugees and migrants are now trapped in the country, desperate to head northwards, especially to Germany and Scandinavia.

"In a few weeks," the EU will announce a revision of its asylum regulations to ensure a "fairer distribution of the burden and the responsibility," Avramopoulous told the conference.

The huge influx of refugees and migrants has caused major divisions within the EU, although European President Donald Tusk on Friday struck an upbeat note about Monday's summit in Brussels, which will include Turkey.

European leaders are expected to use the summit to press Ankara to take back more economic migrants from Greece and reduce the flow of people across the Aegean Sea.

Finger-pointing continued within the 28-nation EU bloc yesterday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel - a key player in the drama - said Greece should have been quicker in preparing to host 50,000 people under an agreement with the European Union in October.

"Greece should have created 50,000 accommodation places for refugees by the end of 2015," Merkel told Bild newspaper in an interview to appear today.

"This delay must be addressed as soon as possible as the Greek government must provide decent lodgings" to asylum claimants, she said.

Germany's neighbour, Austria, meanwhile, reiterated its call for Berlin to establish an annual quota of refugees.

Last year, 1.1 million migrants arrived in Germany under Merkel's liberal asylum policy - a flood that other countries have said is just not sustainable.

"Germany, for its part, has to determine a figure for the number of refugees which can be accepted, which it is willing to go and pick up in the Syria and Turkey region," Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said in an interview in the daily Kurier.
Baghdad: Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide attack with an explosive-laden fuel tanker on an Iraqi police checkpoint south of Baghdad, killing at least 60 people and wounding more than 70, medical and security officials said.

Responsibility was claimed in a posting on the website of the Amaq news agency, which supports the ultra-hardline Sunni group.

"A martyr`s operation with a truck bomb hit the Babylon Ruins checkpoint at the entrance of the city of Hilla, killing and wounding dozens," the statement on the Amaq website said.

Hilla is the capital of Babylon province, a predominantly Shi`ite region with some Sunni presence.

"It`s the largest bombing in the province to date," Falah al-Radhi, the head of the provincial security committee, told Reuters. "The checkpoint, the nearby police station were destroyed as well as some houses and dozens of cars."

A provincial hospital official confirmed the number of casualties. Many had suffered burn injuries.
District of Columbia: US Senator Ted Cruz struck first in the series of five presidential nomination contests held Saturday, besting Donald Trump in Kansas and boosting his claim as the most viable alternative to the billionaire frontrunner.

With nearly half of the votes counted, networks called the midwestern state for Cruz, who earned some 49 percent of the vote, doubling up on Trump who was second with 25 percent. Senator Marco Rubio was in third, followed by Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Kansas and the other contests will provide the first test of whether the Republican establishment`s desperate effort to halt Trump, led this week by 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, is having any effect among voters.

The brash real estate mogul Trump is ahead in the all-important delegate count for the Republicans, having won 10 of the 15 states that have voted to date in the process that determines the nominees for both parties.

But Cruz`s win is a reminder that while Trump still appears to be the likely nominee, it is by no means inevitable.

"God bless Kansas!" Cruz told a campaign rally in Idaho, upon learning that he was projected the winner.

"What we`re seeing is conservatives coming together... and standing as one behind this campaign."

The GOP race has been winnowed down to four men: political outsiders Trump and Cruz, and the more mainstream candidates Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich. Many in the Republican establishment are in virtual panic over whether anyone can stop Trump`s march.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is well ahead of rival Senator Bernie Sanders, hoping to expand her lead as she inches closer to securing the nomination.

Clinton and Sanders do battle Saturday in Kansas, Louisiana and Nebraska, while the Republicans are contesting Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maine.

The former secretary of state is expected to dominate in Louisiana, the weekend`s biggest prize, because of its large African-American vote.

But Sanders could bounce back in the other two states -- plus Maine, which holds its Democratic caucus Sunday -- because they have largely white populations, a demographic with which Sanders has done well.

Saturday`s races are wedged between far more consequential contests: the dozen states that voted on "Super Tuesday" March 1 and the big battles on March 15, when many Republican races, including in Rubio`s Florida and Kasich`s Ohio, become winner-take-all affairs.

Cruz received an added boost Saturday when he won the straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference, a prominent gathering of grass roots far-right activists.

Cruz finished first with 40 percent, followed by Rubio with 30, Trump with 15 and Kasich at eight percent.

Trump made waves when he cancelled a scheduled Saturday morning appearance at CPAC near Washington, opting instead to hold a rally in Wichita, Kansas.

The move angered members of the American Conservative Union which hosts CPAC.

"I think it was a big mistake for Donald Trump not to be here," ACU chairman Matt Schlapp told CNN. Trump told the Wichita crowd that Romney, who on Thursday called Trump "a fraud," was a "loser" who should have defeated President Barack Obama.

"It`s the establishment. The establishment is against us," Trump said.

Rubio, seen by many political observers as the best hope to defeat Trump, issued a forceful repudiation of the frontrunner, challenging him, like many Republicans have, on his conservative credentials.

Rubio brought the house down at CPAC when he warned about a dire future for Republicans "if the conservative movement is hijacked by someone that`s not a conservative."

With Trump`s challengers insisting they are in it for the long haul, there is a chance no candidate will rack up the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination before the convention in July.

That would mean a contested or "brokered" convention, a scenario that could turn chaotic, especially if establishment figures seek to somehow actively prevent delegates from coalescing around Trump.

There are 155 delegates at stake in Saturday`s Republican races.

Heading into Saturday, Trump led the field with 329 delegates, followed by Cruz with 231 and Rubio with 110. Kasich trailed with 25.

Trump has won 10 state contests, while Cruz has claimed five including Kansas. Rubio has won one.
Islamabad: The US government has formally notified the intended sale of eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, taking a major step towards finalising the deal, the media reported on Sunday.

"This proposed sale contributes to US foreign policy objectives and national security goals by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner in South Asia," said the notification published in the US Federal Register.

"We are grateful to the US administration and members of Congress for their acknowledgment of Pakistan`s decisive actions against extremists and terrorists and of the effective role the F-16a play in our counter-terrorism efforts," Dawn online reported citing Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani as saying.

The notification estimates the total cost of the deal to be nearly $700 million.

However, the Indian government and some US lawmakers have criticised Washington`s rationale that such an arms transfer will help combat terrorism. They claim the fighter jets will change the military balance in South Asia and will ultimately be used against India.

In a policy justification, posted on the Federal Register, the US administration rejected this assertion.

"The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region," it said, adding that the aircraft would improve "Pakistan`s capability to meet current and future security threats".

The administration also noted that the additional F-16 aircraft would facilitate operations in non-daylight environments and "enhance Pakistan`s ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations".

The Obama administration also explained that the sale would increase the number of aircraft available to the Pakistan Air Force to sustain operations, meet monthly training requirements, and support transition training for pilots new to the Block-52, F-16 aircraft.

Implementation of the proposed sale would not require the assignment of any additional US government or contractor representatives to Pakistan. There would be no adverse impact on US defence readiness either, it said.

The administration also assured Congress that Pakistan "can provide the same degree of protection for the sensitive technology being released as the US government".

The 30-day notice period for Congress expires on March 11, after which the deal will be final.

Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said at a news briefing in Washington earlier this week that Pakistan had initially requested for 18 F-16s, but because of financing problems it was purchasing just eight. He said the F-16s were a critical tool in the war against terrorism.
Washington: A group of Sikhs and Muslims mostly from South Asian countries have joined the Donald Trump bandwagon in the US state of Maryland, asserting that the Republican presidential frontrunner is "not against" their communities.

Under the banner of "Sikh Americans for Trump" and "Muslim Americans for Trump" scores of Sikhs and Muslims held their first meeting in a suburb of Washington DC in Maryland, wherein a representative from the Trump campaign addressed them.

Organisers of the event ? from both the Sikh and Muslim communities ? argued that the view of Trump about minority community has been "twisted" and "taken out of context" by the mainstream media and claimed that the 69-year-old billionaire real estate magnet would create more jobs in the country which would benefit he minorities.

"He (Trump) is not at all against the Sikhs or the Muslim community. What he says is given spin. The mainstream media gives a spin. Because they are scared of him. He is not the status quo.

He is not taking anybody's money," said Jasdip Singh, who helped organised the "Sikh Americans for Trump" in Maryland.

A prominent member of the Sikh community, Singh is Chairman of the Maryland Governor's Commission on South Asian Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Sikh Associations of Baltimore.

"When he talks about Muslims, he does not talk about all Muslims or American Muslims. He spoke in the context of the refugee crisis that was happening in Syria. We (Sikhs) agree with him.

Muslim (Americans) agree with him that we should not bring people into this country before we can vet them. And this was a temporary measures proposed by him," Singh said.

"He is not against minorities. I have even heard that he is not good for India. I believe, he is very good for India. He has businesses in Pune and Mumbai. He understands all these countries and cultures better than any other candidates," said Singh, who in September led a delegation of Sikh leaders to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Silicon Valley.

"Trump built Tajmahal (Casino) in Atlantic City 25 years ago and brought a piece of India to the US and tried to bring things from India into Taj.

"So he has a very strong affinity and relationship with India. We should not listen to the spin that is coming from the media," Singh added.

Of all the presidential candidates, Trump is the only one who has achievements to show, argued Sajid Tarar, a Pakistani American, who helped organise the Muslim Americans for Trump.

"We believe, he has the ability and capacity to change America. He has built a huge empire. He is self-funding the campaign. There is no special interest behind him," Tarar said.

"There is a war going on against Trump. Every message and speech of his has been twisted," he said referring to the Trump's call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country.
An investigation is underway in Saint-Jerome, Que., after 1,500 mailboxes were vandalized or tampered with over a two-month period.

Saint-Jerome police say about 40 complaints have been filed by residents following a string of thefts between November 2015 and January 2016, Radio-Canada has learned.

Some residents have had their mailboxes ransacked several times. Kathleen Giguere says thieves take a variety of assorted goods. "It can be cheques, credit cards, birthday cards," she said.

The slew of incidents has residents worried about having their personal information stolen from them.

"It's not safe," resident Nicole Wilscam said. "It can happen at any given moment."

Widespread problem

Reports of vandalized mailboxes and thefts have also been mounting in other Quebec communities.

Blainville police made two arrests last December in connection with a string of thefts in the Laurentians, in the communities of Blainville, Mirabel and Rosemere.

The Monteregie region has also been hard hit by vandalism and theft in recent months.

Investigators are asking for the public's help after large parcels were reported missing from 100 mailboxes in Hudson, Vaudreuil-Dorion and Rigaud.

Canada Post would not respond to interview requests but the Crown corporation told Radio-Canada it is working with police.
BANGUI (Reuters) - Armed men killed 12 people in villages in Central African Republic, local officials said on Sunday, in the first violence since Faustin-Archange Touadera was confirmed as president last Tuesday after an election many hoped would help end attacks. The attacks took place near the central town of Bambari and were likely linked to livestock rustling or an inter-ethnic dispute involving the Peuhl, or Fulani, ethnic group, the officials said. The violence did not appear directly connected to the political, communal and religious killings involving militia groups that since 2013 have left thousands dead, forced many more to flee their homes and left the northern half of the country effectively partitioned. In the latest attack late on Saturday, six people were killed in three different villages, the authorities said. "Three women from the same family had their throats slit six kilometers (four miles) from the town," Amassaka Topi, a local counselor and youth leader in Bambari told Reuters by telephone. The constitutional court confirmed former mathematics professor Touadera's victory on Tuesday following a run-off election on Feb. 14., setting the stage for him to be sworn in later on March 25. Touadera has pledged to make peace and disarmament his priorities. Bambari has seen numerous attacks in the last year despite the presence of U.N. peacekeepers. The United Nations designated it a weapons-free zone last September, but the former rebel group called the Seleka and the anti-Balaka militia retain an armed presence in the town. The country suffered the worst crisis in its history in early 2013 when the mainly Muslim Seleka fighters toppled the then president. Christian so-called anti-Balaka militias responded by attacking the Muslim minority.. (Reporting by Crispin Dembassa-Kette; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Susan Thomas)
BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union may need to more than double financial aid already pledged to Turkey to help it keep millions of Syrian refugees on its soil, Germany's European Union Commissioner Guenther Oettinger was quoted as saying on Saturday. The European Commission on Friday announced the first payouts from a 3 billion euro ($3.3 billion) fund to help Turkey pay for the needs of some 2.5 million refugees. "Europe should hold out the prospect of further financial support to Turkey also beyond 2017," Oettinger told German magazine Der Spiegel. "Taking over full costs of the services that Turkey is providing by accommodating and caring for the refugees, the bill could easily add up to six or seven billion euros per year," said Oettinger, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right party Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann proposed a new EU fund to finance the additional costs. "In the migrant crisis, we need joint European solutions," Faymann told the magazine. "Therefore I suggest a fund in which each EU member state pays in, similar to the bank bailout. The money should be used to cover the costs of providing for the asylum seekers." European Council President Donald Tusk, who on Friday held talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, will chair an emergency EU summit with Turkey on Monday aimed at strengthening cooperation to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Ros Russell)
A Canadian indigenous law expert says First Nations self-government is long overdue and will benefit both the Crown and indigenous people in this country.

John Borrows is the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law and a law professor at the University of Victoria. He spoke about the issue of self-governance in Fredericton this week.

Since the constitution was signed, he said the Supreme Court of Canada has issued about 45 or 50 judgements regarding indigenous rights, but in all those decisions they have skirted around the issue of governance and whether aboriginal people have the right to self government.

But he said it has been implied.

"The courts are requiring the Crown to consult and accommodate aboriginal peoples, they are saying they are landowners and that you have treaty rights to hunt and fish, and make certain decisions in relationship to that," he said.

"These all imply governance."

Borrows said it's time to go to the next step and declare that aboriginal peoples have the right to self-government in Canada.

"When that's clear, we'll get rid of some of the internal challenges that aboriginal people have started to be cleaned up."

Currently, both the government and courts have to rely on the Indian Act to help make decisions. It's legislation passed in 1876 and Borrows said it is in no way equipped to meet the challenges of modern-day life.

"If aboriginal people were recognized as having the right to self governance under the constitution, we'd be able to get away from that Indian Act," he said.

He said self-governance would also clear up any confusion over who governments should consult with since there would be a clear process. He warns that self-governance wouldn't mean all issues would disappear, but it would outline a process for dealing with them.

"Until self-governance is recognized more explicitly, we really don't have a way of organizing that dissent and organizing those differences in opinion, not that they'd go away, but it would at least throw up some clarity," Borrows explained.

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Critics have said New Brunswick is lagging behind in recognizing aboriginal peoples rights, but so is the rest of Canada he said. But the first place to start for improvement is the 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"A lot effort went in over many years to be able to derive a sense of what the priorities should be," Borrows said.

Meeting nation to nation

Borrows said under self-governance, meeting nation to nation would become better defined.

"What you really need underneath a nation to nation relationship are the protocols for diplomacy," he said.

"You would have channels that are both explicit and even back channels to be able to get information with one and other."

He said self-governance would give both sides the necessary framework to hold each accountable.

Borrows points to countries like Australia, New Zealand and Norway and the self-governance aboriginal peoples in those nations have.

"Again, all we have in Canada is the Indian Act. We're very impoverished and of course the provinces aren't much better."

Not only is the Indian Act out of date, but Borrows said you have to remember it was designed to assimilate indigenous peoples.

"You can't go forward with a respectful process when you've got a document that was designed to erase the presence of so called indians in this country," he said.

Borrows said he is optimistic Canada is very close to moving forward with self-government.

"The Crown wants it and First Nations themselves are in the grassroots level experimenting and finding their feet on this," he said.

He said Canada is on the cusp of the change that is needed and the federal government is committed to changes both big and small.

Crown equally responsible

"It's not just in parliament we are seeing this, education, health care, different social services, they are all being pushed, so it's not just a top down edict that's going on."

He does hope self-governance leads to more trust, both inside and outside the First Nations community.

"I think there's a lot of mistrust by First Nations, Inuit and Metis people about their governments. Part of that is born from the fact they are living with this Indian Act that's not connected to their ways of processing disputes," he said.

From trust comes respect and Borrows said the Crown is equally responsible to help create that atmosphere.

"This is not just an aboriginal issue. It's time responsible government was extended to all Canadians."
Rumble

This video shows the incredible behaviour of a caring mother elephant on high alert, quickly stopping her adorable baby which was curiously straying away from her towards a vehicle full of safari tourists. Going on safari in the Kruger National Park is a life changing experience. Driving around multiple tarred roads, slowly scanning a massive area of wilderness is all part of the thrill. You never know what will be around the next corner or what animal will suddenly appear from the bush onto the road. Its an exciting experience and one of the must-see animals for most tourists are elephants. Not only are they the largest land mammals on our planet and fairly intimidating, elephants are also one of the most intelligent and emotionally intelligent animals that roam this planet. Seeing these giants in the wild is always a sight to remember. The video shows an incredible moment filmed in the Kruger National Park when a safari vehicle full of tourists found a large elephant cow and her adorable calf next to the road. The safari vehicle stopped and it looked like the mother elephant and her baby wanted to cross the road. The baby elephant was the cutest thing alive in the wild right at that moment. While the elephant cow remained focussed on crossing the road, her baby took notice of the safari vehicle and curiously started straying away from its mother towards the vehicle. The caring mother elephant immediately went into high alert and quickly took her trunk and stopped her baby from going any closer to the safari vehicle. The mother elephant gently used her trunk to guide her baby back and into the right direction. It was incredible to see how quickly the elephant cow became protective over her baby. The elephant calf listened to its mother and in a well-behaved manner, walking on the opposite side of its mother, continued to focus and follow its mother as it should. This is crucial for the survival of the calf in the wild. The gestation period of an elephant is twenty-two months, so it is very understandable that an elephant calf is seen as a huge investment and there will always be a mother around, ready to protect her calf from any potential danger. Even though the tourists were not a direct threat, the mother elephant knows all to well that there are humans that still pose a danger for them in the wild. The mother of such a small calf is definitely not something to mess with at all and its best never to get too close to a mother and her calf.
The Salvation Army in Ottawa says it's struggling to keep up with demand after a surge of Syrian families landed in the capital late last week.

The charity said a large number of families landed on Thursday and Friday, and they're trying to make sure they have enough clothing, food and household items in stock.

"The surge has placed pressure on our ability to meet regular needs of families in the city," spokesman Sean Maddox said in a media release.

"We prepared nationally to meet the needs of the Syrian refugees and the normal client base. We had not expected to have such a sudden surge at this time after a relatively slow pace over the last month."

The Salvation Army issued a plea over the weekend for more donations.

People can drop food donations off at its 171 George St. location. Clothing and household items can be dropped off at any of the Salvation Army store locations around the city.

"No item too small or too large," reads the media release.
Tear gas has been used against people protesting against the takeover of a private newspaper by the Turkish government.

Hundreds of demonstrators, many of them women, had to run to escape the noxious gas after riot police moved in to clear the street outside Zaman's offices in Istanbul.

The editor-in-chief and a columnist were marched off the premises after state prosecutors won a court order to impose control at the publication on Friday.

It was over the Zaman group's alleged links to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen who the government says plotted a coup.

Rubber bullets and water cannon were also fired at the crowd that gathered for a second day outside the offices of the group, which also includes English language Today's Zaman and the Cihan agency.

Meanwhile, footage has emerged of heavily armoured police inside the Zaman building shot by a staff members soon after the government attempted to take control.

Several senior figures in the European Union have expressed concern.

European Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said on Twitter: "Extremely worried about latest developments on Zaman newspaper which jeopardises progress made by Turkey in other areas."

European Parliament President Martin Schulz said the takeover was "yet another blow to press freedom" and promised to talk about the matter with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday.

In Berlin, Norbert Roettgen, chairman of Germany's foreign affairs committee, said: "Not only the violent action against a critical newspaper, but also the fact that the government takes over the whole paper is a severe blow by the Turkish leadership against the freedom of press."

The comments are in some contrast to what critics have said is the EU's reluctance to attack Turkey's alleged censorship of the press.

The EU - and Germany in particular - have been keen to win Turkey's support in slowing the flow of refugees and migrants across the Aegean Sea to Greece.

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Mr Gulen, who has lived in the US since 1999, was once Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ally but the two fell out.

The government accuses the Gulen movement of orchestrating corruption allegations in December 2013 against ministers and people close to Mr Erdogan as a plot to overthrow it.

Reuters says most Turkish media are not fully reporting the takeover out of fear they could face similar action.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said the Istanbul court that ordered Zaman's seizure was acting under political authority.
Ten people who helped rescue victims after a whale watching boat capsized off the coast of Tofino in October, 2015 have been awarded medals for their bravery by the Lifesaving Society - BC and Yukon.

Included in the group were Etienne Herold and Trinity Jezierski, both guides, working for Jamie's Whaling Station aboard the Leviathan II when it sunk.

"You can't even fathom it," said Herold "It's like an action movie."

After getting knocked into the water they were able to deploy a life raft and pull other victims into it.

"It's something that stays with you every single day," said Jezierski. "The unfortunate thing is we couldn't get everyone, right? But we did [get] who was close to us and who we could reach.

"When you meet the parents of the people you helped get onto the life raft and how grateful they were, there's no other feeling like it."

Ahousaht fishermen close by Vargas Island off of Tofino were the only people able to see a single flare launched from the doomed Leviathan II as it quickly tipped, spilling 27 people into the water.

21 were rescued, while six died.

On Saturday the Lifesaving Society recognized:

- Francis Campbell

- Michelle Campbell

- Peter Frank Jr.

- Etienne Herold

- Trinity Jezierski

- Ken Lucas

- Carl Martin

- Marcel Martin

- Clarence Smith

- Donald Williams Jr.

Of the ten, only the Campbells, Etienne Herold, Jezierski and Carl Martin were able to accept their awards in person.

Francis Campbell and his wife Michelle raced to the scene after hearing a call for help and the pair were able to pull eight people to safety on their water taxi.

"And I'm just starting to talk about now," said Michelle Campbell. "So it's still really fresh and it's still really emotional."

Meanwhile in Tofino, Jamie's Whaling Station, along with several other companies, are preparing for the start of the whale watching season.

Special exercises were conducted last week to help coordinate local Ahousaht knowledge with coast guard operations.
By John Whitesides and Amanda Becker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz gained momentum on Saturday, projected as the winner of the nominating contest in Kansas and the winner of a "straw poll" of conservative activists. Cruz, currently in second place in a Republican field that has been winnowed to just four, is seeking to dent the lead of brash New York billionaire Donald Trump. Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton are each looking to strengthen their front-runner status as five states hold presidential nominating contests on Saturday. Trump has a substantial lead in the delegates needed to secure the nomination at the Republican National Convention and is trying to weather a barrage of blistering attacks from his party's establishment as Republicans vote in Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maine. Polling has been scarce in all four states, which together account for just 155 delegates, and the four contests are open only to registered Republicans. The exclusion of the independent voters who have helped Trump's surge adds an air of uncertainty to the latest round of state-by-state contests to pick nominees for the Nov. 8 election to succeed President Barack Obama. Both CNN and MSNBC projected Cruz as the winner in Kansas. Saturday's contests were the first since retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson dropped from the race, after polling in the single-digits in most of the nominating contests. Carson had drawn support from evangelical voters, a group that has also been a stronghold of Cruz. Since winning seven of 11 contests on Super Tuesday, Trump has come under withering fire from a Republican establishment worried he will lead the party to a resounding defeat in November's election. Mainstream Republicans have blanched at Trump's calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the United States. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, called Trump a phony and a fraud who was playing American voters for suckers, and 2008 nominee John McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, said Trump's foreign policy views were uninformed and dangerous. At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, held near Washington, D.C., U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who is also challenging Trump, criticized the media for fueling his rise. Ive been sitting here for five minutes and two of the three questions youve asked have been about Donald Trump, Rubio said during a question-and-answer session with CNN's Dana Bash. Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, made a similar argument related to the media in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday. CPAC attendees chose Cruz as their preferred candidate in a "straw poll" on Saturday. Rubio, a frequent target of Trump's attacks, also told Bash he "didn't get into this race to beat up on other candidates." But, he added, "If someone keeps punching people in the face, eventually someone's going to have to stand up and punch him back." At a rally in Rubio's home state on Saturday, Trump criticized his opponent, using a favorite nickname - "little Marco." "He's a nasty guy, said nasty things, and you know? We hit him hard. Little nasty guy," Trump told the cheering crowd. The anti-Trump forces have a short window to stop the caustic businessman, who has accumulated 319 of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination at July's Republican national convention, outpacing Cruz, who has 226 delegates. On March 15, the delegate-rich states of Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina will vote. Both Florida and Ohio use the winner-take-all method to allocate Republican delegates, making the stakes in those two states particularly high. If Trump takes Florida and Ohio he would be nearly impossible to stop. There are a total of 358 delegates at stake in the five states voting March 15, including 99 in Florida and 66 in Ohio. On the Democratic side, voters in Louisiana, Kansas and Nebraska were weighing in on Saturday on the race between Clinton, the former secretary of state, and Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont. Polls show Clinton with a big lead in Louisiana, which has a large bloc of African-American voters, who helped her roll up victories across the South on Super Tuesday. But the caucuses in less diverse Kansas and Nebraska could be more suited to Sanders. The three states have a total of 109 delegates at stake. Clinton has opened up a big delegate lead and Sanders might have a tough time making up the difference. All states in the Democratic race award their delegates proportionally, meaning Clinton can keep piling up delegates even in states she loses. (Additional repoerting by Emily Flitter and Alana Wise; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Leslie Adler)
ALGIERS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has said he will try to restart negotiations between Western Sahara's Polisario independence movement and Morocco to resolve their conflict and allow Sahrawi refugees to return. The dispute over the arid region in the northwest corner of Africa has festered since Morocco took most of it over in 1975 following the withdrawal of former colonial power Spain. The Polisario Front, which says the territory belongs to ethnic Sahrawis, waged a guerrilla war until a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in 1991 that did not settle the dispute. The two sides have been deadlocked since. The U.N. chief plans this weekend to visit refugee camps in Algeria's Tindouf area where Polisario is based. Before leaving Mauritania on Thursday, the U.N. chief said he intended to "relaunch negotiations to resolve the conflict so that the Sahrawi refugees can return home to Western Sahara". "The patience of the Sahrawi people has now run out. The U.N. has lost its way on Western Sahara," Polisario leader Mohammed Abdelaziz said in a statement on Friday. "Ban's visit and his upcoming reports to the Security Council are the best opportunity in a long time to reset negotiations." Polisario, backed by Morocco's regional rival and neighbor Algeria and a number of other African states, wants to hold a referendum promised in the ceasefire deal on the region's fate. "We want to hear from the Secretary-General in order to achieve a solution this year," Abdelaziz said. "Allowing the stalemate to continue would have serious consequences not only for the people of Western Sahara, but also for the prospects for peace and security in a Maghreb region." Rabat wants Western Sahara, which is rich in phosphates and possibly offshore oil and gas, to be an autonomous part of Morocco and disagrees with Polisario over who should take part in the referendum. Ban said last year U.N. envoy Christopher Ross had intensified efforts to facilitate the entry of the parties into negotiations "without preconditions and in good faith". (Reporting by Patrick Markey; Additional reporting by Khalilou Diagana in Nouakchott; Editing by Andrew Roche)
By Edith Honan and Elias Biryabarema KAMPALA (Reuters) - Ugandans started casting their votes on Thursday to decide whether to give Yoweri Museveni, in power for three decades, another term in office. Voting at most polling stations in the capital, Kampala, was yet to start 90 minutes after the official opening of polling at 7 am local time (0400 GMT), leading to concerns among some voters. "If the voting time is reduced like this there will be many people who will not be able to vote," said Dickson Mamber, a 34-year-old history teacher, who had been waiting in line for two hours at Muyembe polling station in Kampala. Voting at the station still had not started by 0545 GMT. All sides contesting the election accuse each other of stoking tensions and assembling vigilante groups, and the leading opposition candidates have predicted vote rigging. Museveni, 71, has pleased Western allies by sending in peacekeeping troops to hotspots such as Somalia. He faces two main challengers - longtime opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who has run unsuccessfully in three previous elections, and former prime minister Amama Mbabazi, who until recently was a close ally. Besigye told Reuters on the eve of the vote Museveni was "not going to go peacefully" and said his supporters may stage street protests to dispute the election outcome. Museveni meanwhile warned opponents to expect a tough response from security services if violence erupts. The United States last week supported calls for a peaceful, transparent and credible vote. Museveni, who came to power in 1986 after waging a five-year guerrilla war, is hailed by many Ugandans as providing decades of relative peace and economic stability. His rivals, however, are drawing strength from a clamour for fresh leadership. Uganda is an overwhelmingly youthful country, and all the candidates have sought to stir the enthusiasm of younger voters. Museveni's rallies featured performances by leading pop stars, while Besigye and Mbabazi have centred their campaigns on pledges to boost employment and tackle corruption, issues that young voters emphasise. On the streets of Kampala, most young voters identified themselves as Besigye supporters. Joel Nyonyintono, a 26-year-old entrepreneur, said he was ashamed of the condition of Uganda's roads and hospitals and craved an innovative leader. "We are so far behind. We need to open our eyes and move into the 'now' tense," Nyonyintono said as he sat near a church in Kampala. Other voters say the idea of "change" makes them nervous. Nanteza Beatrice, 56, a fruit vendor in a Kampala market, said she believed Uganda was not ready for a post-Museveni era. "We have had peace for a long time and these young people are taking it for granted because they don't know how it was before him," she said. Voting is scheduled to last for nine hours, ending at 4 p.m. (1300 GMT) (Editing by Paul Tait)
Explosives and bomb-making equipment have been discovered in Northern Ireland after a member of the public reported finding a suspicious object in a forest park.

The weapons haul was uncovered in Carnfunnock Country Park, in County Antrim, after police were alerted on Saturday afternoon.

Officers found several small plastic barrels buried in a wooded area of the park.

Police say they contained bomb-making components, including partially-constructed devices and a small quantity of explosives.

The find comes after a prison officer was wounded when a car bomb exploded under his van in east Belfast on Friday.

Detectives investigating the attack have arrested three men and one woman, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Detective Chief Inspector Gillian Kearney said the items found on Sunday will be "subjected to a detailed forensic examination".

"Until this has been completed, it is too early to link these items to any particular grouping, but we are following a number of lines of inquiry," she said.

"I would ask the public to remain vigilant, wherever they are and whatever they are doing. If people report suspicious activity to police, we will act on it to keep people safe.

"We apologise that the park will remain closed for some time while a full clearance operation is carried out, but I hope people will understand the need to put public safety first."

Sky's Ireland Correspondent David Blevins said the discovery came after police mounted a "major security operation".

"They have now confirmed that when they went searching they found a number of small barrels containing partially constructed bombs, other bomb making components and explosives," he said.

"They are describing it as a terrorist hide. So it's a success for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

"There has been a wave of security alerts over the last three days: a couple in west Belfast yesterday, and of course this follows Friday morning's attempted murder of a prison officer when a booby trap bomb partially exploded under his van in east Belfast, causing him serious leg injuries."

Story continues

Police have warned the public that dissidents are planning acts of violence in the run-up to the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising against British rule in Dublin.

The chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Mark Lindsay, said: "There are murderous republican gangs who think the best way to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising is to visit misery on the family of a police officer and society.

"They are aggressively targeting officers, prison officers and soldiers in a worrying escalation. For them, success is measured in casualty numbers and anguish.

"Their cause is worthless and pointless. They are a throwback in time, relying on out-dated rhetoric in their attempts to justify everything this entire community doesn't want."
A wildlife biologist at the Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre in Conception Bay South is going to great heights for animal conservation  so much so, her efforts will soon be filmed by a documentary crew.

Laura King is climbing rock walls in St. John's to prepare for the unusual program that will see her scaling rainforest trees in Mauritius, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean.

"They have a really cool species called the Echo parakeet which is like a really small parrot  it's very bright green and adorable," King told CBC News.

"[The birds live] in nest boxes that are really high up in trees so part of my program is going to be climbing trees to check on the families of this parakeet."

King will spend seven months working in Mauritius, located a little more than 1,100 kilometres east of Madagascar. The first few months will be spent in a classroom, learning about various endangered species.

'The New Noah'

The program is called The New Noah, and it's a modern take on saving species.

"Where [Noah] took all the animals and put them in a boat, we're using hands-on techniques, genetics and captive breeding to save species that might otherwise go extinct pretty quickly," she said.

King was the sole recipient of an annual scholarship offered by Wildlife Preservation Canada. She'll be the only Canadian in a group of 12 students. The other students, she said, are from the United Kingdom, Australia and Madagascar.

King said she hopes climbing beforehand will help her to focus more on the endangered birds, and less on her fear of heights.

"When I get there I don't want to be thinking about tree climbing, I don't want to be thinking about heights. I just want to be thinking about endangered parrots," King said.

Island biology

And it's not just the extreme height that's weighing on her mind.

"I'm pretty nervous about the whole tropical thing. As a Canadian, I think it's pretty easy for us to over-heat," she laughed.

Story continues

Despite the vast distance between the two islands, King said many parallels exist between tropical Mauritius and Newfoundland, and she looks forward to sharing what she's learned with her coworkers in Manuels.

"Here we have introduced moose, introduced mink ... and over there they have rats and weasels that are non-native. Even just getting a feel for island biology in general is good," she said.

A documentary crew will spend Wednesday through Saturday recording King in Newfoundland as she prepares for her big trip. King departs for Mauritius on March 28.
LONDON (Reuters) - Davis Cup champions Britain were locked at 1-1 with Japan after the opening two singles of their World Group, first-round tie on Friday after Andy Murray gave the hosts the lead. World number two Murray, playing his first match since the Australian Open final, outclassed Taro Daniel 6-1 6-3 6-1 to the delight of a boisterous home crowd in Birmingham. Japan later hit back with world number six Kei Nishikori beating local favourite Dan Evans 6-3 7-5 7-6(3), meaning Saturday's doubles rubber could be pivotal. Daniel, ranked 87th in the world, briefly knocked Murray out of his stride to break early in the second set but he was no match for the man who led Britain to their first title since 1936 virtually single-handed last November. "I was getting a little out of breath, but I played a good match and served well," Murray said. "I had unbelievable support today and it was great to play in front of a full house." Murray, who won 11 live rubbers in last season's march to the title, could team up with brother Jamie on Saturday, although captain Leon Smith could use doubles specialist Dominic Inglot and rest him for Sunday's clash with Nishikori. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Ken Ferris)
Donald Trump.

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump joked Saturday night that Ted Cruz won the Maine caucuses because of the state's proximity to Canada.

"He should do well in Maine because it's very close to Canada. Let's face it," Trump told his supporters after the four contests that night split between himself and Cruz.

Trump has infamously and constantly questioned Cruz's legal capability to serve as president because the Texas senator was born in Canada.

Most legal experts believe that Cruz is eligible to be president because his mother was a US citizen at the time of his birth.

Earlier in the day Saturday, Cruz also won the caucuses in Kansas. But Trump was projected to win in Kentucky and Louisiana.

NOW WATCH: A global intelligence analyst explains why Clinton is sinking in the polls





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London (AFP) - Police in Northern Ireland on Sunday announced the discovery of a large cache of bomb-making parts and explosives, raising fears of an attack in the province.

The bomb-making materials, explosives and partially-constructed devices were found buried in plastic barrels in a forest park in a predominantly unionist area near Larne, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Belfast.

"It is too early to link these items to any particular grouping, but we are following a number of lines of inquiry," said Police Service of Northern Ireland detective chief inspector Gillian Kearney.

"I would ask the public to remain vigilant, wherever they are and whatever they are doing. If people report suspicious activity to police, we will act on it to keep people safe."

In a separate incident on Sunday, a suspicious object was found in a residential area of Derry, leading to the evacuation of several houses, a day after two explosive devices were also found and defused in west Belfast.

In another incident on Friday, a prison guard was injured by an explosive device placed under his van in an attack attributed to dissident republicans.

Police investigating that incident have arrested three men and one woman, according to the PSNI.

Police warned following the bomb that some "people within dissident republican groupings" wanted to mark the centenary of Ireland's 1916 Easter Rising with violence.

The anniversary of the rebellion which led to Irish independence is to be commemorated with high profile events both in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

About 500 people were killed in the revolt in April 1916, in which rebels seized prominent buildings in Dublin and declared an Irish republic, an event that paved the way for independence in 1922.

Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom, a division that remains at the heart of the disagreement between pro-British loyalists and republicans, who want a united Ireland.
By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Satellite images show China may be installing a high-frequency radar system in the Spratly Islands that could significantly boost its ability control the disputed South China Sea, a U.S. think tank reported on Monday. The Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies said the images showed that construction of facilities at Cuarteron Reef appeared nearly complete and that the artificial island now covered an area of about 52 acres (21 hectares). China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. "Two probable radar towers have been built on the northern portion of the feature, and a number of 65-foot (20-meter) poles have been erected across a large section of the southern portion," the report said. "These poles could be a high-frequency radar installation, which would significantly bolster China's ability to monitor surface and air traffic across the southern portion of the South China Sea." China's Ministry of Defence said in a statement on its microblog that the facilities China had established on the "relevant islands and reefs" included navigation and meteorological equipment. "At the same time, we have deployed necessary defensive facilities on the islands," the statement added, adding the facilities were "legal and appropriate". Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, asked about the report, said she didn't know any details, but that China had every right to build on its own territory and deploy "limited" defensive means there. The world should pay more attention to the civilian facilities China has built like lighthouses, Hua told a daily news briefing. The report said the images showed that China appeared to have constructed a buried bunker and lighthouse on the northern portion of the feature, a helipad, communications equipment and a quay with a loading crane. The report, which based its analysis on satellite images from January and February, said China already had significant radar coverage of the northern part of the South China Sea given its mainland installations and in the Paracel Islands to the northwest of the Spratlys. Both the U.S. and Vietnam last week expressed concern at China's deployment of advanced surface-to-air missiles on the Paracels. A high-frequency radar on Cuarteron Reef would increase China's ability to monitor sea and air traffic coming north from the Malacca Straits and other important channels, the report said. It also pointed to "probable" radars at Gaven, Hughes and Johnson South Reefs in the Spratlys as well as helipads, and to possible gun emplacements at the former two features. China previously operated radars on Fiery Cross but the latest installations would give it far more extensive coverage, regional military analysts said. The report comes a day before a visit to the United States by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, at which U.S. concerns about China's assertive territorial claims will be high on the agenda. Beijing has been angered by air and sea patrols the United States has conducted near islands China claims in the South China Sea. Hua said the United States was pushing "groundless worries" about freedom of navigation to carry out such patrols. "The United States talks about freedom of navigation, but I fear in its heart what it's thinking about is absolute maritime hegemony," she added. (Additional reporting by Greg Torode in HONG KONG and Ben Blanchard and Megha Rajagopalan in BEIJING; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Nick Macfie)
By Jorge Pineda SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) - A Frenchman wanted in the Dominican Republic for helping to orchestrate a dramatic speedboat escape of two pilots convicted of cocaine trafficking arrived in the capital early on Friday to face trial in the Caribbean nation. Looking haggard and unshaven, Christophe Naudin was escorted by over 50 officers in a motorcade to be arraigned on Saturday over the Oct. 27, 2015, escape of pilots Jean Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odos, who were under loose house arrest at the time. He was extradited from Egypt after his arrest in Cairo last month. Naudin, 53, a criminologist specializing in aviation security who had admitted in the media that he helped arrange the escape, was hustled into the public prosecutor's office in Santo Domingo past a throng of local and foreign media. The pilots were sentenced to 20 years in prison in August 2015 for possession of 1,500 pounds (700 kilos) of cocaine with intent to traffic it aboard an aircraft seized in the Dominican Republic's Punta Cana International Airport in March 2013. They denied the charges and were given some freedom of movement during an appeal against the conviction. The two fled the Dominican Republic in the well-planned escape and arrived back in France shortly afterwards. The pilots were rearrested by French authorities on Nov. 2. Dubbed "air cocaine" by French media, the case has sparked criticism of Dominican Republic's judiciary, as the judge who granted them looser terms was subsequently charged with taking bribes in a corruption case linked to contract killings. A French member of the European parliament, Aymeric Chauprade, is also wanted in the Dominican Republic over the case, as is Pierre Malinowski, an assistant of France's veteran far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen at the parliament. The two had also told media they helped the pilots escape. Dominican authorities are expected to charge Naudin with conspiracy and people trafficking, according to justice officials quoted in the local media. (Editing by Dave Graham and Andrew Hay)
A jailed female Ukrainian pilot, who this week rejected food and water to protest delays in her controversial murder trial in Russia, is in "satisfactory condition," her lawyer said Sunday. Nadiya Savchenko, 34, is demanding she be repatriated to Ukraine after a judge in the southern Russian town of Donetsk on Thursday unexpectedly postponed her final address to court as her trial over the 2014 killing of two Russian journalists in east Ukraine nears an end. "Nadezhda Savchenko is now in satisfactory condition," one of her lawyers, Nikolai Polozov, said on Facebook, using the Russian version of her name. He said she was being constantly monitored and there was no need to force-feed her. Savchenko has not been drinking water or eating since the trial was adjourned on Thursday. Her supporters are concerned that by refusing to drink water she may damage her health irreparably or not live long enough to attend the next hearing set for Wednesday. Refusing both food and water is known in Russia as a "dry hunger strike" and was a method of last resort for some Soviet dissidents under Communism. Polozov said that Russian human rights ombudsman Ella Pamfilova had informed Savchenko's sister Vera of her condition after her representatives visited her in a detention centre. A group of Ukrainian doctors are waiting for permission to also visit her, he added. Savchenko has fasted before to protest the accusations against her but has never before refused both food and water. "She counts only on her pressure on the Kremlin," her sister Vera told AFP earlier this week. "She does not believe politicians." Irena Lesnevskaya, the founder of Russia's REN TV channel, on Sunday appealed to President Vladimir Putin to let Savchenko go ahead of March 8 when Russia and Ukraine celebrate Women's Day, a public holiday. "Do not humiliate Russia, its men, its officers who still know what honour is about," Lesnevskaya wrote on Facebook. "And even if you consider the Ukrainian officer defending the sovereignty of her country an enemy, respect an enemy! I also consider you my ideological enemy but let me at least consider the president of my country a man!" Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined this week to comment on Savchenko's decision to refuse food and water, saying the issue was not on the Kremlin agenda. The US State Department has reiterated its call for Savchenko to be released "immediately."
By Ayla Jean Yackley and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin ISTANBUL/DUBAI (Reuters) - Turkey and Iran, two countries on opposite sides of Syria's civil war, agreed they must cooperate to end sectarian strife, including support for a fragile ceasefire, in the region after their leaders met in Tehran on Saturday. Iran, along with Russia, has stood by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the five-year war, providing him with military and financial support, while Turkey is his most outspoken critic and has backed opposition forces. "We may have different views but we cannot change our history or our geography," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said. "It is extremely important for Turkey and Iran to develop some common perspectives in order to end our region's fight among brothers, to stop the ethnic and sectarian conflicts." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani echoed the sentiment. "We believe regional issues should only be resolved by the regional countries and nations. Iran and Turkey's cooperation would be constructive in bringing lasting peace to the region," he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA in a meeting Davutoglu. Majority-Sunni Turkey is close to Saudi Arabia, which has cut its diplomatic ties with Shi'ite Iran and is concerned about Tehran's growing clout in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. "We have our differences on some regional issues, but we are determined to manage the differences to reach stability in the region ... Iran and Turkey would both benefit from regional security and stability," said Iranian Vice-President Eshagh Jahangiri, standing alongside Davutoglu in comments carried live by Turkey's NTV and Iran's Press TV. The meeting, days before the planned resumption of Syrian peace talks in Geneva, also focused on a ceasefire that is largely holding in Turkey's war-torn neighbour. "We believe staunching the bloodshed will establish an important basis for political negotiations. To this end, Turkey and Iran will, together and separately, undertake initiatives with the sides with which they have influence," Davutoglu told reporters after meeting Rouhani, who he said would visit Turkey. TRADE POTENTIAL Reaping trade benefits from the easing of international sanctions against Iran in January was also discussed. The removal of the sanctions means the two neighbours can easily exceed their previous trade target of $30 billion annually, Davutoglu said. "The main obstacle that prevented us from reaching our goal were the sanctions. Being free of those, means we can easily surpass our goal of $30 billion," Davutoglu said, adding he hoped to encourage mutual direct investment. Trade between the two nations was $9.7 billion in 2015, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute. Turkey has trailed other European countries eager to tap into Iran's $400 billion economy after world powers, led by the United States, reached an agreement with Tehran last year that seeks to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Turkey mainly sells machinery, vehicles and iron and steel products to Iran. Oil and natural gas make up 90 percent of Iranian exports to Turkey, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. Turkey will serve as a key transit route for Iranian energy supplies to Europe and wants to integrate high-speed rail projects to connect ports on its Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts with Iran, Davutoglu said. (Writing by Ayla Jean Yackley; editing by Mark Trevelyan and Jason Neely)
A former metalworker who rose to become one of the most popular presidents in Brazilian history, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva now sees his legacy under threat after being implicated in a huge corruption probe. Lula, as he is known to all in Brazil, left office in 2011 as a blue-collar hero who presided over a watershed boom and helped lift tens of millions of people from poverty. He was so widely admired as president that Foreign Policy magazine called him a "rock star" and US counterpart Barack Obama called him "the man." Known for his charisma and common touch, Lula's popularity in Brazil and the success of the economy during a period of high commodities prices helped him ride out numerous corruption scandals. When he stepped down after two terms, he basked in 80 percent popularity ratings. But five years after helping handpicked successor Dilma Rousseff take his place in the presidency, graft allegations have left him fighting for his reputation -- and potentially his freedom. The gruff, bearded leftist was briefly detained for questioning Friday in the investigation into a massive embezzlement and bribery conspiracy centered on state oil company Petrobras. Prosecutors accused Lula, 70, of accepting "many" favors from corrupt construction companies seeking Petrobras contracts. They also suggested that they are looking at an allegedly more central role played by Lula in the scheme that has already seen charges against scores of people, many of them politicians and businessmen closely tied to Lula's Workers' Party. Lula, who was not charged, has rejected any involvement in the Petrobras scheme. - Poverty to power - Lula grew up in deep poverty, the last of eight children born to a family of farmers in the arid, hardscrabble northeastern state of Pernambuco. He had little formal education, quitting grade school to help his family get by. When he was seven, his family joined a wave of migration to the industrial heartland of Sao Paulo state, where Lula worked as a shoeshine boy and street vendor before becoming a steel worker. As a teenager, he lost the little finger on his left hand in a machine accident. But in an early sign of his toughness, he not only persevered but became president of his trade union, less than a decade after joining. He was the force behind big strikes in the 1970s that challenged the military dictatorship in power at the time. And in 1980, Lula founded the Workers' Party, first standing as its candidate for president nine years later. Lula made three unsuccessful presidential bids from 1989 to 1998, each time chipping away at the establishment parties and the idea that a poor, uneducated labor leader could never be president of Brazil. The fourth time, in 2002, he succeeded, taking office on January 1, 2003. "The majority of the population has given me the opportunity to prove that a mechanic shift worker can do for this country what the elite never managed to do," he said at the time. - Glory days - Lula soon calmed market fears of a radical surge to the left by adopting fiscally responsible policies, dark suits and a calm, pragmatic approach. He also had the good fortune to preside over a so-called golden decade for Latin America, when a rising China's ravenous demand for raw materials propelled the region's economies to a historic period of growth. Brazil's economy hit a breakneck 7.5 percent growth in 2010, his final year in office. Despite a series of scandals in his first term -- most notably a congressional vote-buying case that felled his chief of staff -- Lula coasted to reelection in 2006. He became a star of the emerging markets boom of the 2000s, reinforcing alliances across the world's developing nations. Constitutionally limited to two consecutive terms, he cemented his legacy by helping Rousseff into power. - Question over comeback - But his post-presidential life has been fraught with difficulties. In October 2011 he was diagnosed with cancer in the larynx and successfully underwent chemotherapy. Although he has flirted repeatedly with the possibility of running to succeed Rousseff in 2018, he is an increasingly divisive figure, loved by his leftist, working-class base but loathed by the more well-off. With Brazil's economy in deep recession, Rousseff highly unpopular, and the Petrobras corruption scandal heating up, Lula's political mastery has never been under greater challenge. He was defiant after his release from police questioning. "I escaped dying from hunger before I was five. That was one miracle. The second was getting a diploma as a metal worker. Another was getting a political conscience. "Another was founding a party. Another miracle was getting to the presidency of the republic and I was better than all of them -- the political scientists, doctors and lawyers who presided over the country," he said. "It's not all over as I thought," he added. "It's time to start again."
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Security forces in the western Libyan city of Sabratha said they had killed seven suspected Islamic State fighters in a raid on a militant hideout on Wednesday. Local brigades have been battling militants in Sabratha since they briefly overran the city centre last week and beheaded more than 10 brigade members. That followed a U.S. air strike on the outskirts of Sabratha on Feb. 19 in which more than 40 people were killed. Sabratha is one of several Libyan cities in which militants loyal to Islamic State have established a presence, taking advantage of the political chaos that has plagued Libya since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an uprising five years ago. A spokesman for Sabratha's military council, Sabri Kshada, said Wednesday's raid took place about 20 km (12 miles) south of the city. "Our forces were confronted by the militants and there was an exchange of fire," he said. Three suspects escaped during the operation, and a Syrian fighter and a female Tunisian militant with a three-year-old son were detained, Kshada said. Earlier, Kshada said that 46 members of local brigades had been killed in clashes with militants since last week. He could not give a toll for the militants, but said a "great number" had died. The situation in the city was largely calm, he said, with state offices expected to reopen in the next few days. Also on Wednesday, military forces in the eastern city of Benghazi said four troops had been killed in clashes with militants near the university. Colonel Abdullah al-Shaafi said troops had advanced during fierce fighting in the Garyounis neighbourhood, south-west of the city centre. A medical source said at least five people died and nine were wounded. Military forces loyal to Libya's eastern government have made major gains over the past 10 days in Benghazi, where they have long been fighting Islamist militants and other armed groups in the city's streets. (Reporting by Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli and Ayman al-Warfalli in Benghazi; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Dan Grebler)
A leading Turkish newspaper that had staunchly opposed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday printed its first edition since being taken over by the authorities, with a string of pro-government articles on its front page. Police on Saturday fired tear gas and rubber bullets at people protesting outside the Istanbul offices of Zaman while in its last edition before its takeover on Friday, the newspaper warned of the "darkest days" in the history of the Turkish press. Press freedom campaigners have urged the European Union on the eve of a key summit with Turkey not to compromise on fundamental values in return for Ankara's cooperation in tackling the migrant crisis. The front page of the paper, normally strongly critical of the president, on Sunday carried a lead story focused on an ambitious $3 billion government project to connect the Asian and European sides of Istanbul by a third bridge. In common with other pro-government newspapers, the front page also contained images of the funerals of "martyrs" killed in military clashes with Kurdish rebels in the southeast. Another article said the president would host a reception to mark international women's day with a photograph showing him holding the hand of an elderly woman. With an estimated circulation of 650,000, the newspaper has been closely affiliated with Erdogan's enemy, exiled Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, believed to wield significant influence in the police and judiciary, as well as media and financial interests. Ankara accuses Gulen of running what it calls the Fethullahist Terror Organisation/Parallel State Structure (FeTO/PDY) and seeking to overthrow the legitimate Turkish authorities. The paper's new administration, appointed by court order, on Saturday sacked editor-in-chief Abdulhamit Bilici. - 'Culpable weakness' - Critics said the takeover was aimed at eradicating opposition media in Turkey which hopes to join the European Union. "The Internet has been cut off, we are unable to use our system," one of the newspaper's journalists told AFP. "The Sunday edition was not produced by Zaman's staff." The seizure of the newspaper by the state comes ahead of a critical summit on Monday between Turkey and EU leaders in Brussels. The EU has urged Ankara, its key ally in tackling the huge migrant crisis facing the continent, to uphold press freedom. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which ranks Turkey 149th out of 180 countries in its latest World Press Freedom Index, warned the EU on the eve of the Brussels summit not to "yield to blackmail regarding migrants". "There can be no question of resuming EU accession talks while Ankara visibly tramples on basic European values," RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said in a statement. "Until now, the European Union has demonstrated culpable weakness in response to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attacks on the media," he said, adding that "business as usual" would be incomprehensible after the seizure of the Zaman daily which is "now taking a pro-government line that borders on caricature". The news of the court decision to seize the media group broke as Erdogan was holding talks in Istanbul with EU President Donald Tusk. "Is the EU determined to let itself be humiliated?" Deloire said. - 'Legal process' - The raid comes amid concerns over freedom of expression under Erdogan's rule. The opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper's editor-in-chief Can Dundar and Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gul were released on an order from Turkey's top court last week after three months in jail on charges of publishing state secrets. They face a trial on March 25. Almost 2,000 journalists, bloggers and ordinary citizens, including high school students, have also found themselves in court on accusations of insulting Erdogan. The government, for its part, has denied any interference in the Zaman affair, describing the seizure a "legal process." "There are many media outlets in Turkey that criticise our government. None of them are subjected to legal procedures," Davutoglu told A Haber television on Sunday. "But what's in question here is not merely a press activity but rather an operation targeting a legitimate government that came to power with popular support," he said, referring to Gulen loyalists. Gulen has been based in the United States since 1999 when he fled charges against him laid by the former secular authorities. Turkey has asked the United States to extradite him but Washington has shown little interest in doing so. Davutoglu said talks with the United States were under way "within the frame of international law" for Gulen's extradition. "I hope we will obtain a result as soon as possible," he said.
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The long-awaited Cocktail Week is here again and do we really need any better reason to love this amazing eight day long festival that recognises the beauty of liquid gold. Cocktail Week 2016 starts from the 12th to 19th of March and you can be sure to indulge in a myriad of activities.

It doesnt matter if this will be your first sip of alcohol or if youre already a maestro, Singapore Cocktail Week 2016 promises fun for everyone and anyone. You can expect cocktail workshops, tours, supper clubs, brunches, pop-ups, international guest bartender appearances and more.

How does Singapore Cocktail Week work?

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My toes are tingling and I hope yours are too as well. With such an eventful packed programme, I really cant see why anyone would let go on this one. Except if youre really against liquid gold, which I respect, stay golden.

Buying Wristbands for Parties and Bar pop-ups

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Get yourself a set of eight wristbands for $38 (1 for each day), and you can enjoy full access to all the parties and bar pop-ups throughout Singapores Cocktail Week. Not only that, you will also get 10% off workshops, brunches and supper clubs, as well as $14++ signature cocktails at participating bars.

Get your wristbands at the Singapore Cocktail Week website or at participating bars.

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*Even without a wristband, anyone may partake in the festivities at Singapore Cocktail Week. However, they will have to pay full price for drinks and ticketed events.

Booking Workshops, Masterclasses

There are workshops of different levels, for trade and for consumer. E-Tickets are only available online till 19 March 2016, 5PM or till sold out. You can reserve your slot for a cocktail workshop or masterclass here.

Bar Tours

There are also bar tours from 14-16 March 2016 that you can join in. Each tour visits different set of bars, and you can check out about the tours and book the bar tours here.

Most Worth It Cocktail Workshops To Join

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Cocktail Workshops and Salon Sessions will be conducted throughout the week, for both trade and consumers to gather and proclaim of their love for cocktails and of course admire the craft of it. Different bars will specifically have different themes, so take your pick or hell, just head to them all.

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Calling all whisky lovers, La Maison Du Whisky is holding a masterclass that introduces all ye who are interested into the wonderful world of whisky, where youll taste flights of fine scotch whiskies at only $45 per pax.

Psst ladies, theres a ladies only workshop at The Flagship, Whiskies Are For Ladies, where you can learn from the industrys experts at only $48.

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If whisky isnt your preferred poison, head on over to The Spiffy Dapper for their Gin & Tonic Pairing Workshop where you get to taste different gins and pair it with different composition of tonic, end it off with some botanicals to perfect your very own G&T. While it costs $65 per person, it has been said that you may have to drink more than 300ml of alcohol, so be prepared.

Also, head over to Jigger and Pony and learn how to make 50 Cocktails with 8 Bottles at only $58. You never have to worry about helming the bar at home no more.

The Coolest Cocktail Parties, Pop-ups and Bar Tours

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For the party animals out there, youre not forgotten. The cocktail parties and bar tours are designed specially for you. Visit the first-of-its-kind pop up at Potato Head Folk, the Elyx House where you can expect cute signature pineapple cups of bespoke Elyx cocktails crafted by international big name of the industry.

Head down to Holland Village Food Court because theres a pop-up cocktail bar right there during cocktail week.

Jio You Cocktail Club will showcase a series of cocktails that takes inspiration from our very own local fare like the Nasi Lemak and Prawn Noodle Soup. So if youre in for a wild ride, you wont wanna miss this, you also get a complimentary cocktail so why not really.

If youre more adventurous than that, head to NOX for their Mystery Tipples In The Dark where only the bold ones get to enjoy a flight of four cocktails in the dark, and of course try to guess whats in it.

Must Visit Cocktail Brunches and Supper Clubs

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This year, Cocktail Week recognises the food lover in you as well and has added in cocktail brunches and supper clubs into the menu.

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On the 19th of March, Tanuki Raw holds Brunch Designed that starts at 12pm onwards. Youll be pampered with two cocktails, the use of the Bloody Mark Bar and your choice of coffee. Choose from their signature rice bowls, have a Superstar Maki Sushi Roll and Beef Sliders, all at $80++.

Have a tipsy afternoon at Anti:Dote because theres no other place to spend an afternoon of debauchery and indulgence. Tipsy Tea Time at $45 per pax, you get to dine classy, complete with boozy afternoon treats. Opt for an exclusive cocktail week addition at $50, where you get unlimited iced tea cocktails.

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Then dine at Tippling Clubs Once Upon A Time In Candelaria for dinner. A continuation to their critically acclaimed Once Upon A Time series, Tippling Club will be partnering up with Josh Fontaine and Carina Soto from world renowned Parisian bar Candelaria, to put together a specially curated five-course Latin American dinner menu paired with signature cocktails. Dinner goes at $155++ per pax.

If youre feeling more Japanese-y, head over to Jekyll & Hydes A Night To Remember that starts from 10:30pm. It features an Omakase Japanese and Italian fusion homemade pasta pairing, add on an omakase cocktail filled with Japanese ingredients and its a steal at $43. Or go over to Hashida @ Gibson with absolutely no cover charge at all.

Over 60 Cocktail Bars Participating

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Of course, this event will be a star studded one with close to 20 international bartenders conducting masterclasses and guest bartending at bars all over our little red dot.

This years Singapore Cocktail Week has the largest line up of yet, with 60 cocktail bars and restaurants involved.

Some highlight participating bars and restaurants include:

28 HongKong Street

Anti:dote

Bar Stories

Catalunya

MEATLiquor

Operation Dagger and many more.

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Get a wristband and head down to Lucha Loca to enjoy their signature cocktails for a mere $14++. Choose from Margarita Ultimo, Frambuesa that is oh-so-refreshing or the Loco Pisco Sour.

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If not, try the El Megroni, which is made with Mezcal. Or simply enjoy the Cafe Diablo, a dark, rich and intense cocktail made with Mezcal, XO Cafe Dark Cocoa, Cynar liqueur, Egg white and Flamed Orange.

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Do the same at Neon Pigeon and immerse yourself in cocktails that are cheekily Japanese. Have their version of Sangria no Takumi, Hato Kuro, or the Kyuri Jin that has Sakura Tea Infused Gin.

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If you prefer something heavier, opt for their Mukashinagara, which is personally my favourite. It consists of Whisky, Mirin & Dolin Rouge Mix, Orange Bitters, Rum with Salted Caramel and Coco Nips. It gives an intense and sweet flavour, without any overpowering the others.

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For those looking for something lighter, try their WasaFizz that incorporates Gin. Matcha Powder, Condensed Milk, Wasabi, Cream, Lemon & Lime, Syrup and Soda. Literally a wasabi soda pop, this drink is slightly spicy with the aromatic wasabi and sweet with the fizzy soda. Definitely a thoroughly intriguing cocktail worth trying if youre a wasabi fan like I am.

So, what you waiting, what you waiting, what you waiting for? (Quotes and sings in Gwen Stefanis voice bravely).

Join the drinking party at Singapore Cocktail Week 2016 from 12th to 19th of March 2016!

The post Singapore Cocktail Week 2016 Tutorial: How To Enjoy Your Cocktails Cheaply and Efficiently appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
Slovaks voted in a general election Saturday forecast to hand firebrand leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico a third term on the back of a staunchly anti-refugee platform. His policies echo those of other hardliners in the EU's poorer ex-communist east, including Czech President Milos Zeman, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and Poland's Jaroslaw Kaczynski. All have shunned refugees as Europe grapples with its worst migration and humanitarian crisis since World War II. Arguing that jihadists posing as refugees could infiltrate the European Union, the populist Fico has insisted on "monitoring every Muslim" in predominantly Catholic Slovakia after November's attacks in Paris. "We'll never bring even a single Muslim to Slovakia, we won't create any Muslim communities here because they pose a serious security risk," Fico told thousands at a pre-election rally in Bratislava for his Smer-Social Democracy (Smer-SD) party. Exit polls were set to be published around 2100 GMT when polling stations close. Full official results are expected Sunday, according to election officials. - 'I feel safe' - Fico "even changed his party's slogan to 'Protecting Slovakia', as in 'protecting Slovakia against migrants'," said Jan Baranek, an analyst with the Polis Slovakia think tank. Billboards blasting the message blanketed the country before election day. The strategy appears to have worked despite very few refugees arriving, as most prefer richer nations. "I like how they (Smer-SD) lead this country. I find Fico trustworthy," a pensioner who identified herself only as Anna told AFP at a Bratislava polling station. Fellow pensioner Stefan Kralko told AFP Fico has his vote "because I feel safe." Fico and regional EU allies have vowed to help Bulgaria and Macedonia seal their borders with EU member Greece, should Athens fail to stem the tide of refugees from Turkey by mid-March. As Slovakia gears up for the EU's rotating presidency in July, Fico starkly warned that "we have reached the point when... Greece is likely to be sacrificed for the sake of Schengen", referring to the 26-nation passport-free travel zone. He also insists that Slovakia, a eurozone member since 2009, opposes further bailouts for troubled Greece, calling this "a red line for us". Greece shot back Friday, accusing Fico of running "his election campaign with vitriol and human drama" and questioned his ability to lead the EU presidency. Not all at home have been wooed by Fico's strident anti-refugee stance. Public sector workers who feel left behind by Slovakia's economic success staged strikes demanding wage hikes ahead of the vote. "Fico keeps talking about Muslim migrants and forgets about Slovak teachers and nurses," Alena Takacova, a 44-year-old Bratislava office worker, told AFP. She will vote for "someone from the opposition". Smer-SD holds 83 seats in the 150-member parliament, but analysts cite surveys predicting a cut to 65-70 amid concerns about bread-and-butter issues. - Populist streak - To clinch his third term, leftist Fico could relaunch a controversial coalition with the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) he first forged for 2006-10, or team up with moderate right-wing and centrist parties, say analysts. Although Andrej Danko, the SNS's new leader, toned down its anti-EU, anti-Roma and xenophobic views, his deputy wants EU reforms to rein in "the exaggerated ambitions of (the) Brussels administration to rule, command and regulate free European nations." "I chose the new SNS. Danko changed the party for better," Milos, a 41-year-old teacher who refused to disclose his surname, told AFP after voting in Bratislava. Commentators also admit the possibility, albeit unlikely, that a gaggle of right-wing and centrist liberal parties could scrape together a coalition to dethrone Fico. A 51-year-old ex-communist with a strong populist streak, Fico cut food taxes and hiked childcare allowances and the minimum wage to engineer a quick recovery after philanthropist Andrej Kiska beat him to the presidency in 2014. Slovakia's debt is among the eurozone's lowest while growth in the export-oriented economy of 5.4 million people hit 3.5 percent in 2015 and is set to expand by up to 3.3 percent this year and next. Joblessness sank to a 10-year low of 10.4 percent in January.
TINDOUF, Algeria (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Sahrawi refugee camps in southern Algeria on Saturday as part of efforts to restart negotiations to end a dispute between the Polisario independence movement and Morocco over the Western Sahara territory. The Polisario Front, which says the territory belongs to ethnic Sahrawis, waged a guerrilla war after Morocco took over the area from colonial Spain in 1975 until a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in 1991. The two sides have been deadlocked since. Many of the Sahrawi refugees, who fled the fighting in Western Sahara, have been living in mud brick houses in the harsh Tindouf area for some 40 years. Ban has said he wants to relaunch negotiations over the desert region and allow the return of Sahrawi people from refugee camps in Algeria across the border. Algeria backed Polisario in the conflict against regional rival Morocco. "I will spare no effort to help make progress towards a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution for Western Sahara," Ban said, according to the social media account of his spokesperson. The U.N. chief will visit refugee camps and schools in the Tindouf area and meet with the Polisario leadership there. Before Ban's arrival, Polisario leader Mohammed Abdelaziz said the U.N. had "lost its way" over Western Sahara but called Ban's visit the best opportunity in a long time to reset negotiations over a referendum for self-determination. Polisario, backed by Algeria and a number of other African states, wants to hold a long-delayed referendum promised in the U.N. ceasefire deal on the region's future. "We want to hear from the Secretary-General in order to achieve a solution this year," Abdelaziz said. But Morocco wants Western Sahara, which is rich in phosphates and possibly offshore oil and gas, to be an autonomous part of Morocco and disagrees with Polisario over who should take part in the referendum. Morocco's king late last year insisted only the autonomy plan was acceptable. Rabat invests heavily there, hoping to calm social unrest and independence claims, and in February announced a $1.85 billion investment plan for the region. Ban said last year U.N. envoy Christopher Ross had intensified efforts to facilitate the entry of the parties into negotiations without preconditions and in good faith. "We expect a lot from the secretary general's visit. We expect him to end the suffering of the Sahrawi and to settle the conflict," Ahmed Lobate, a refugee at one of the camps, told Reuters. "All of us refuse to continue any more like this." (Reporting by Abdelaziz Boumzar; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Ros Russell)
(Reuters) - The Australian government said on Sunday it will hold a public vote on same-sex marriage later this year if it wins reelection. The decision comes a day after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull brushed aside criticism from staunchly conservative elements of his Coalition government to attend Sydney's annual gay Mardi Gras parade. Attorney-General George Brandis said legislation would be pushed through parliament before the end of the year if the government voted in favour of approving gay marriage. "We will be going to the election promising a plebiscite before the end of the year," Brandis told Sky News. "I believe that marriage is one of the fundamental institutions of society and I think it's important the fundamental institutions of society reflect the fundamental values of society," he added. "Treating gay people equally is, I think, one of the fundamental values of modern, Australian society." Australia has been criticised by international human rights groups over its slowness to act on same-sex marriage. Several countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, United States, France, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa, have already amended their marriage laws to recognise same-sex unions. Turnbull, considered a moderate in his Liberal Party-led conservative Coalition government, has long attended Sydney's world-famous Mardi Gras as it falls within his electorate. However, his appearance at Saturday's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) pride parade through the city's inner streets was the first for a sitting prime minister. "I'm very proud to be the first PM to attend," Turnbull tweeted, along with a photograph of himself and wife Lucy at the event. The federal opposition has put pressure on the government to move quicker on same-sex marriage, pledging to skip a plebiscite and introduce a bill to parliament within 100 days if it wins the federal election. Turnbull's government remains ahead in the polls for the election, which are likely to be held between September and November this year, although the gap has narrowed in recent weeks. Political wrangling has also left open the option of an election being held in July. (Reporting by Peter Gosnell; Editing by Jane Wardell and Kim Coghill)
By Reese Ewing SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Senior judges in Brazil voiced concern on Saturday over the detention of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, even as they threw their support behind the sweeping corruption investigation that threatens to topple his embattled successor. Lula's three hours of questioning in police custody on Friday was the highest profile development in the two-year-old probe focused on state oil firm Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras). The detention of 70-year-old Lula, Brazil's first working class president and a hero to millions of Brazilians, shocked many in the South American nation. His 2003-2010 government helped lift an estimated 40 million Brazilians out of poverty and raised the nation's international profile. Supporters and opponents of the former union leader clashed outside his home on the outskirts of Sao Paulo after he was detained by police early on Friday. There were also noisy protests outside the police offices where he was questioned. Supreme Court Justice Marco Aurelio Mello told CBN Radio on Saturday that "nothing justified the use of force" when police picked up Lula unannounced from his apartment. Even Justice Gilmar Mendes, who has publicly said there is strong evidence the ruling Workers' Party used graft proceeds to fund electoral campaigns, called Lula's interrogation in police custody a "delicate" situation in O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper. The federal judge who ordered Lula to be brought in for questioning, Sergio Moro, said in a statement on Saturday that steps were taken to protect Lula's image during the operation, and he expressed regret that it sparked violence. Speaking to his supporters at Workers' Party headquarters in Sao Paulo after being released on Friday, Lula said that investigators were "disrespectful of democracy" and abusing their authority. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing either while in office or since. President Dilma Rousseff flew from Brasilia on Saturday morning to meet with Lula in his apartment in Sao Bernardo do Campo, in a show of support for her predecessor and political mentor. Rousseff said on Friday it was "unnecessary" to take Lula into custody because he had already voluntarily answered investigators' questions. Before Friday, some analysts had questioned whether the crackdown on graft could be at risk of fizzling out after the justice minister stepped down amid a barrage of criticism from the ruling Workers Party over the investigation. But Supreme Court justices were unambiguous in support for prosecutors pursuing their investigations into Brazil's biggest ever corruption scandal. Justice Rosa Weber late on Friday rejected a request by Lula's lawyers to suspend investigations into real estate assets and the ex-president's institute, which police allege he and his family likely used to launder money stolen from Petrobras. Even Justice Mello, who was critical of Lula's arrest, said the evidence uncovered by prosecutors was "very serious" and deserved further investigation. The pressure on Rousseff and Lula shows no sign of abating. Local media has reported on a spate of new plea bargains by senior politicians that could further ensnare the government. IstoE newsmagazine on Thursday published alleged testimony by Workers' Party Senator Delcidio Amaral claiming that Rousseff and Lula both directly benefitted from corruption. He alleged Rousseff had tried to hamper the investigation. The president strongly denied the reported accusations on Friday. Epoca weekly magazine, meanwhile, published on Saturday testimony from ex-Congressman Pedro Correa, who also outlined graft at Petrobras stretching back to Lula's government. Ratcheting up political tensions, opposition lawmakers said on Friday they will block Congressional voting until the Supreme Court clears the way for the impeachment process against Rousseff. Congress is due to hear the proceedings against the president, on grounds that she broke budgetary guidelines to boost her 2014 re-election campaign, but is awaiting guidelines on how to proceed from the court first. (Additional reporting by Pedro Fonseca; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Tom Brown)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The technician who helped manage Hillary Clinton's private email server for her work as secretary of state has given security logs to investigators that he said show no signs of foreign hacking, the New York Times reported on Thursday. Bryan Pagliano is cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's criminal inquiry into the email setup in exchange for limited immunity by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to the Times, citing unnamed people who know about the investigation. With limited immunity, his testimony cannot be used in a prosecution against him, the Times said. The investigation has overshadowed Hillary Clinton's campaign to become the Democratic Party's candidate in the November presidential election. Clinton has apologised for the arrangement but says she did nothing wrong and that she believes the government will vindicate her. Pagliano, who helped set up and run the email system in Clinton's New York home, told investigators that the logs he handed over indicated that no intrusion occurred, the Times said. The security logs show who accessed the server and when, though they may not capture more sophisticated hacking, the Times said. Pagliano was still working at the State Department's Bureau of Information Resource Management as recently as last September, but has since left, a department spokesman said on Monday. The spokesman declined to say when he left or why. The FBI is doing its own analysis of whether the server was attacked, according to media reports. Pagliano previously worked on Clinton's failed 2008 presidential campaign, and ended up joining her at the State Department in 2009 as a political appointee, working as a technology specialist and maintaining Clinton's email server. His employment ended with Clinton in February 2013, but he stayed on as a contractor. More than 2,000 of Clinton's emails contain classified information that could harm national security if leaked, according to the State Department. The government forbids sending or storing such information outside secure, government-controlled channels, and has prosecuted people for breaches. The FBI and the Justice Department have declined to comment on their investigation, including who might be its target, beyond confirming its existence. Pagliano's lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. A Clinton spokesman said the campaign is pleased that Pagliano is cooperating, but declined to respond to questions. For more on the 2016 presidential race, see the Reuters blog, Tales from the Trail (http://blogs.reuters.com/talesfromthetrail/). (Reporting by Jonthan Allen, additional reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by David Gregorio and Andrew Hay)
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - An environmental rights activist known for her fight to stop hydroelectric plants and mines from encroaching on indigenous lands was shot dead early on Thursday in Honduras, prompting hundreds of students to protest in the capital. Berta Caceres, a 43-year-old teacher, was shot and killed by two men at her home in La Esperanza, Honduras, 112 miles (180 kilometres) west of the capital, Tegucigalpa, Honduran Security Minister Julian Pacheco said, condemning the attack. One other person was wounded in the incident, which is under investigation. The police have arrested a suspect, and are also questioning two witnesses, the government said in a statement. The murder rate in Honduras is one of the highest in the world. Caceres, who had received death threats, won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015 for her struggle to prevent the construction of a $50 million dam that threatened to displace hundreds of Indians. In protest at her murder, students from the National Autonomous University blocked streets near campus, broke windows of a local Burger King and threw rocks at riot police, who responded with tear gas. "The cowardly killing of Berta is a tragedy that was waiting to happen. For years, she had been the victim of a sustained campaign of harassment and threats to stop her from defending the rights of indigenous communities," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International. The project, which was subcontracted by a local company to Chinese builder Sinohydro [SINOH.UL], has been temporarily suspended thanks to protests led by Caceres. (Reporting by Gustavo Palencia and Enrique Pretel; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Sandra Maler)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Europe will set Greece a deadline of May 12 to register all migrants in an orderly fashion or face more border controls, Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told a German newspaper on Friday. Greece has been the main gateway for nearly a million migrants who have crossed the Aegean Sea from Turkey over the past year on their way to wealthier northern Europe. The influx has prompted Austria and others along the Balkans migration corridor to impose restrictions on their borders, meaning at least 30,000 people fleeing conflict of poverty in the Middle East are now trapped in Greece. "Greece will have until May to protect its external borders," Avramopoulos, a former Greek government minister, told Die Welt newspaper. "We will take stock of the situation on May 12. Should we see no success by then we will not hesitate to create requirements so that border controls in Europe can be extended," he said. Avramopoulos told the paper the aim was to lift all border controls that have been instated as a result of the migrant crisis within the passport-free Schengen zone by November. The EU Commission also plans to present initial plans to reform the Dublin regulation that states that asylum requests be handled where asylum is first claimed in mid-March. "We are sticking to plans for a permanent distribution mechanism for refugees. It will be associated with the Dublin reform plans. In addition, we will present plans on how asylum standards in Europe can be further harmonised," he said. Some European Union states in eastern Europe have opposed mandatory quotas to redistribute migrants across the 28-nation bloc. (Writing by Caroline Copley; Editing by Alison Williams)
(Reuters) - Reigning World Series champions Fiji ended the impressive run by hosts the United States as they advanced to the final of the Las Vegas Sevens on Sunday with a 21-14 victory in the last four at Sam Boyd Stadium. The Fijians were typically brilliant on the counter-attack as Jasa Veremalua, Vatemo Ravouvou and Pio Tuwai crossed the line for tries, and the Pacific Islanders survived a late U.S. fightback despite having two players sin-binned. Danny Barrett and the lightning-fast Perry Baker scored for the United States who reached the semis by beating giant-killers Kenya 26-14 in the quarter-finals on Saturday. Fiji will face Australia in the final to be played later on Sunday, the Wallabies having battled past fellow sevens heavyweights South Africa 14-12 in a see-sawing encounter where their opponents paid a steep price for dirty play. South Africa struck first when speedster Seabelo Senatla crossed the line early on to lead 5-0 but Australia benefited from a penalty try in the second half after Springbok Rosko Specman shoulder barged Wallaby flyhalf Quade Cooper into touch. Though South Africa again went ahead when captain Kyle Brown crashed over the line from close range, Australia were awarded another penalty try after Specman illegally blocked Ed Jenkins on a last-gasp counter-attack. Cooper, who made his long-awaited sevens debut for Australia in pool play earlier this week, made no mistake with the conversion to put his team through to the final. The Las Vegas event is the fifth stop on the 10-tournament World Series circuit. The teams then head to Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris and London over the coming months. The World Series is providing a showcase for sevens as it prepares for its debut at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Larry Fine)
By Silvia Aloisi MILAN/ROME (Reuters) - Prime Minister Matteo Renzi denied on Sunday suggestions by the U.S. ambassador in Rome that Italy could send up to 5,000 troops to Libya, saying conditions were not in place for military intervention in the former Italian colony. Renzi was speaking on a television talk show on the day two Italian hostages freed in Libya were flown back home. Two other captives held at the same time were allegedly killed by Islamic State militants. "As long as I am prime minister, Italy will not go to Libya for an invasion with 5,000 men," Renzi told Canale 5 television. He was responding to the U.S. ambassador to Italy, John Phillips, who told the Corriere della Sera newspaper on Friday that Rome could send up to 5,000 troops. "We need to make Tripoli safe and ensure that ISIS is no longer free to strike," Phillips said. Rome is working with other Western powers and the United Nations to try to convince two rival Libyan governments to create a single, unity coalition and focus on the fight against Islamic State. In the meantime, the United States has launched air strikes on Islamic State outposts in the country and the French have conducted surveillance flights. U.S., French and British special forces are also in the country, officials and media have said. Italian officials have said Italy has sent some 40 secret service agents to Libya in recent weeks, with an additional 50 special forces operatives set to join them. Rome, however, is resisting pressure to allow aircraft and armed drones based on its territory to stage attacks on Islamic State militants in Libya. It is also trying to persuade its allies to limit action until a single government is in place and requests international help. "If there is a need to intervene, Italy will not back down. But this is not the situation today. The idea of sending 5,000 men is not on the table," Renzi said. The two freed hostages and their slain companions were employees of Italian construction company Bonatti. They were all seized last July near the western Libyan city of Sabratha. Gino Pollicardo and Filippo Calcagno arrived at Rome's military airport of Ciampino on Sunday. According to a spokesman for Libyan security forces in Sabratha, Sabri Kshada, the pair were released during a raid early on Friday. Fellow captives Salvatore Failla and Fausto Piano were shot dead by Islamic State militants shortly before Libyan forces attacked on Wednesday, Kshada has said. However, Italian media said the two freed hostages had told Italian magistrates during a six-hour debriefing in Rome that they had been held by a criminal gang that was not directly linked to ISIS. Quoting unnamed sources, the reports said the pair told magistrates they were beaten and left without food for days by their captors, and had managed to escape unaided on Friday. The two men have not spoken in public about the circumstances of their release. Sabratha is one of several Libyan cities in which militants loyal to Islamic State have established a presence, taking advantage of the chaos since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an uprising five years ago. Before departing for Italy from Tripoli's Mitiga airport, Pollicardo and Calcagno briefly appeared beside Ali Abu Zakouk, the foreign minister of the self-declared government in Tripoli. "We need support and cooperation from the Italians to tackle the criminal organisation of Islamic State in Libya," Zakouk said. (Reporting by Silvia Aloisi, additional reporting by Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli; Editing by Andrew Bolton, Larry King)
BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Britain's Andy Murray won a gripping five-set match against Japan's Kei Nishikori to secure a 3-1 Davis Cup win for the champions and a quarter-final with Novak Djokovic's Serbia. Murray, whose heroics helped clinch the title against Belgium last year, was pegged back after taking the first two sets, but eventually prevailed against the world number six 7-5 7-6(6) 3-6 4-6 6-3 in four hours and 54 minutes. It was Murray's first event back on court since the birth of his daughter, but any doubts over his fitness were dispelled as he once again carried Britain's hopes almost single-handedly, winning three matches, including the doubles, in three days. "I am lost for words at this stage; he (Murray) is a man of steel, isn't he?" Britain's captain Leon Smith said. "What Andy managed to do was astonishing since he hasn't played since the Australian Open final." After his exertions, Murray said he was keen to get back to his family. "It's (wife) Kim's first Mother's Day, so it will be nice to get to see her this evening. I'll try to get back for bath time and to put her to sleep -- the baby, not Kim." Murray has been dogged by the shadow of Fred Perry for much of his career, but victory over Nishikori allowed him to put another Perry milestone behind him. Having become the first British man since Perry to win a grand slam and then Wimbledon, Murray surpassed the former great by improving his unbeaten streak in Davis Cup singles and doubles rubbers to 14. The win was the joint-longest match of Murray's career along with his 2012 U.S. Open final triumph against Novak Djokovic, who he will now face in the quarter-finals in Serbia in July. World number one Djokovic was also involved in an epic tussle on Sunday and took almost five hours to beat Mikhail Kukushkin in five sets. That drew Serbia level at 2-2 against Kazakhstan before Viktor Troicki finished off the tie by beating Aleksandr Nedovyesov in the deciding rubber. (Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Ken Ferris; editing by xxx)
SWNS

<p>Americans are still waiting for their Goldilocks moment  four in five say theyve never found their perfect fit for certain items.</p><p>According to a new poll of 1,000 people 250 lbs and over and 1,000 people under 250 lbs, 52% struggle to find clothing, mattresses (40%) and bathtubs or shower enclosures (38%) that fit their body types.</p><p>In fact, about two-thirds (67%) find themselves struggling frequently with finding items that fit their body size needs.</p><p>This was especially true for those 350 lbs and over, as 41% admit they always struggle, compared to only 23% of those under 250 lbs.</p><p>Despite frequency, almost three-quarters (74%) of all respondents find themselves feeling frustrated when they are searching for an item that accommodates their needs.</p><p>Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of <a href="https://www.bigfigmattress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="1">Big Fig Mattress</a>, the survey asked respondents how they go about their everyday lives despite challenges they may face because of their body type. </p><p>Results found that seven in 10 respondents feel less confident when they struggle with finding items that fit their size needs.</p><p>When asked about other emotions respondents experience, those 250 lbs and over are more likely to feel set apart from others, citing embarrassed (59%) and isolated (53%).</p><p>While those who are under 250 lbs tend to lean towards disappointed (51%). </p><p>Even so, those 250 lbs and up were more optimistic than those under (35% vs 23%).</p><p>The average respondent has crossed off about five brands or retailers because they dont carry products that meet their physical needs.</p><p>However, for those who are 250 lbs and over, 72% have eliminated between three and eight stores.</p><p>Almost one in five (18%) of those under 250 lbs cited that all stores carry their size, compared to only 2% of those who are 250 lbs and up.</p><p>"This survey makes it clear that the 'all' part of 'one size fits all' couldn't be further from the truth," said Jeff Brown, president, Big Fig Mattress. "Almost two in five respondents haven't found something that they felt was made for them. Everybody and every <em>body</em> deserves a long-lasting and comfortable mattress to support a good night's sleep, regardless of your size."</p><p>Products made for all body types are an issue no matter what the product, with respondents needing to stand on furniture to reach something (46%) or finding that clothing is either way too long or too short (46%).</p><p>And ill-fitting items arent just an inconvenience, 61% of respondents say that clothing, vehicles (59%) and mattresses (50%) that arent made for their body type have a big impact on their quality of life.</p><p>More than half of those 250 lbs and over (53%) believe their life is more difficult than for someone who is considered normal sized.</p><p>But that doesnt mean respondents are only dwelling on the negative  almost half (44%) frequently make light of their struggles. </p><p>When asked how they do so, respondents outlined things like, I speak to myself. I'm beautiful and special. I'm impeccable," and Remind myself that if this is the biggest problem I have, then I am doing just fine in life."</p><p>The survey also asked about relationship status and how respondents are navigating integrating their lifestyles with another uniquely sized person.</p><p>Seventy-four percent of all respondents are in a relationship and living with their significant other.</p><p>Almost half (45%) are mixed-size couples, meaning they have a noticeable difference in body size or type.</p><p>Because of this, couples face challenges like finding a place to live that accommodates both people (40%), struggling to share a mattress comfortably (40%) and having items that one person uses but the other never would such as step stools (34%).</p><p>In the end, more than two-thirds (68%) of all respondents agree that its difficult to navigate a one size fits all world when people have varying body types.</p><p>We believe and support being body positive, in body acceptance, and in making positive life choices, noted Brown. Bigger figured people deserve the same level of quality products and choices as everyone else. Its important to accept that all bodies are different and require more from product manufacturers, and I think the data makes that clear.</p><p><strong>MOST DIFFICULT ITEMS TO FIND FOR A SPECIFIC BODY TYPE</strong></p><ul><li>Clothing - 52%</li><li>Mattress - 40%</li><li>Bathtub/shower enclosure - 38%</li><li>Chairs/couch - 35%</li><li>Bike/scooter - 34%</li><li>Vehicle - 31% </li></ul><p><em>Survey methodology:</em></p><p><em>This random double-opt-in survey of <strong>1,000 Americans under 250 lbs and 1,000 Americans 250 lbs and up </strong>was commissioned by <strong>Big Big Mattress</strong> between <strong>September 8 </strong> and <strong>September 21</strong>. It was conducted by market research company <a href="https://www.onepoll.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="2">OnePoll</a>, whose team members are members of the <a href="https://www.mrs.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="3">Market Research Society</a> and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (<a href="https://www.aapor.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="4">AAPOR</a>) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (<a href="https://www.esomar.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-safelink="true" data-linkindex="5">ESOMAR</a>).</em></p>
By John Whitesides FLINT, Mich. (Reuters) - The U.S. Republican front-runner, billionaire Donald Trump, and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz were angling for a two-man race for the party's presidential nomination on Sunday after evenly splitting four state nominating contests at the weekend. The wins for Trump, 69, and Cruz, 45, on Saturday were a setback for party leaders, who have largely opposed Trump and hinted they prefer Marco Rubio, 44, a U.S. senator from Florida who took third or fourth in Saturday's four Republican contests. "I think it's time that he dropped out of the race," Trump said of Rubio late on Saturday. "I want Ted one on one." Cruz has been predicting a two-man race with Trump for several weeks. On Sunday, Rubio was projected to win in Puerto Rico, his second victory to date in nominating contests across U.S. states and territories. CNN said that with a quarter of the votes counted, Rubio had secured nearly 75 percent of the vote. Ohio Governor John Kasich, 63, the only other candidate remaining from a starting field of 17, has yet to win any state. The competition moves on Tuesday to Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii where Trump hopes to expand his lead ahead of a party convention in July and the election to succeed President Barack Obama on Nov. 8. Next up for Democrats is a contest in Maine on Sunday and a televised debate on CNN at 8 p.m. on Sunday (0100 GMT) in Flint, a majority-black, impoverished Michigan city that has suffered a health crisis over a contaminated water supply. In an interview on Sunday, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, 68, played down the legal uncertainty over a federal investigation into her use of a private email server while she was Obama's secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. "Well there is no basis for that," she told CBS's "Face the Nation" programme after being asked about fears in her party that she or her colleagues from the State Department may be prosecuted. She said she was delighted Bryan Pagliano, a technician who managed her email system, was cooperating with a federal criminal investigation in exchange for immunity. Clinton's Democratic rival Bernie Sanders, 74, a U.S. senator from Vermont, has sought to appeal to voters in Michigan, where the decline of the auto industry has been sharply felt, by criticizing Clinton for shifting positions on international trade deals. CONTESTED CONVENTION? The Republican establishment has blanched at Trump's calls to build a wall on the border with Mexico, round up and deport 11 million immigrants who are in the country illegally and temporarily bar all Muslims from entering the United States. In an interview published in Welt am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Trump was "not only a threat to peace and social cohesion, but also to economic development." Republican leaders have been little happier with Cruz, a senator from Texas who has alienated many senators in Washington. Cruz has called for the United States to "carpet bomb" the Islamic State militant group and pledged to eliminate the tax-collecting Internal Revenue Service. Trump still has a substantial lead in the race for delegates who will select the presidential nominee at the party nominating convention in Cleveland in July. Trump said he should become the nominee even if he ends up with only the plurality of delegates, not the outright majority that party nominating rules require. "I have a very fervent group of followers," he told the "Fox & Friends" TV show on Sunday, "and they're not going to be happy if I have the most delegates and we go there and we're a little bit short of a number that was really an arbitrary number." Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman, said he thought the party's nominee would most likely be decided by voters before the convention. "There are no plans to undo the rules, or change the nomination process mid-stream," he told ABC News, playing down any suggestion of a first contested convention in decades. (Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Howard Goller)
DONETSK, Russia (Reuters) - A Ukrainian woman pilot, on trial in Russia on charges of complicity in the killing of two Russian journalists, told a court on Thursday she was going on hunger strike to protest at the length of what she said was an unjust legal process. Nadezhda Savchenko, 34, had been expected to deliver a final speech to the court in southern Russia in her trial, but the judge abruptly adjourned proceedings until March 9, even though the session still had some time to run. Sources close to Savchenko, considered a political prisoner and hero by many in her native Ukraine said she had planned to deliver a speech scathing of the Kremlin. She denies the charges against her. "I am going on a dry hunger strike starting today. You bloody fools!," she shouted as proceedings broke up. A "dry" hunger strike means she will also refuse water as well as food. "You snatched me and have kept me in jail for nearly two years," Savchenko, who wore a traditional Ukrainian blouse, shouted from a metal cage in the courtroom. Savchenko's defence lawyer Ilya Novikov called her case a "show trial". State prosecutors' allegations centre on Savchenko's conduct during the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine pitting pro-Kremlin rebels against the Ukrainian army. In June 2014, prosecutors say that Savchenko, who had been transferred from the air force to fight with Ukrainian ground forces, had helped direct artillery fire in the Luhansk region where a shell killed two Russian television reporters. Her defence lawyers told the court on Thursday that the time and location of calls made from her mobile phone disproved the allegations. Elected a member of Ukraine's parliament while in captivity, she faces up to 25 years in jail if found guilty. Western politicians and rights groups have called for her release. A verdict in the case is expected soon. (Reporting by Sergei Pivovarov and Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Richard Balmforth)
By Tatiana Jancarikova BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovaks voting on Saturday are likely to hand a third term to Prime Minister Robert Fico, a left-wing nationalist whose vocal anti-immigration stance chimes with those of Hungary's Viktor Orban and Poland's Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Opinion polls show Fico's Smer party is set to lose its parliamentary majority after graft scandals and protests by teachers and nurses about low pay cost it support. But a combination of popular welfare measures such as free train rides for students and pensioners and his opposition to immigration even by refugees should secure him well over 30 percent of the vote, pollsters say, enough to form a government with a coalition partner. "The anti-immigration rhetoric combined with a few handouts is enough for Fico to win the election," said Samuel Abraham from the Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts. With Slovakia due to take over the European Union's rotating presidency for six months from July, giving it a bigger role in EU policy discussions, the election will also be watched closely in Brussels. Fico, who dismisses multi-culturalism as "a fiction", has pledged never to accept EU quotas on relocating refugees who have flooded into Greece and Italy from war-torn Syria and beyond, and has launched a legal challenge to the plan. Polls open at 7 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), and close at 10 p.m.. Exit polls are expected to be published immediately after voting ends but counting will run into the night. Like Hungary's prime minister Orban and Poland's ruling party chief Kaczynski, Fico is a social conservative, drawing support mainly from poorer Slovaks outside the liberal capital, Bratislava. He has had poor relations with an often-critical Slovak press and opposes EU sanctions on Russia, but has not sought constitutional changes that have been called undemocratic by government critics in Poland and Hungary. Fico can take credit for solid economic management -- Slovakia is one of the euro zone's most financially sound countries and remains popular with foreign investors, particularly car makers. But unemployment of more than 10 percent and vast regional differences in wealth, as well as low healthcare and education standards, have disappointed many voters. Most opposition parties agree with Fico's views that Muslims cannot integrate into predominantly Catholic Slovakia and pose a security threat, although they use less aggressive language. On Friday, the Greek foreign ministry described as "vitriol" his comments on Greece's inability to control the flow of migrants. Opponents instead portray Fico as a populist who ignores the need to reform schooling and healthcare, seen by critics as inefficient and corrupt. A surprisingly strong showing by centre-right parties such as Yale-educated lawyer Radoslav Prochazkaled's Siet (Net) could still give them a chance to form an anti-Fico coalition that might tone down the anti-immigration rhetoric. But any deal may include the libertarian SaS party whose refusal to provide guarantees for a bailout of Greece brought down the previous centre-right government in 2012. (Editing by Justyna Pawlak and Catherine Evans)
By Angus Berwick and Blanca Rodriguez MADRID (Reuters) - The leader of Spain's Socialists failed on Friday to win the confidence of parliament to become prime minister, opening a new round of talks between parties who now have just two months to break a 10-week deadlock and avoid a fresh election. In a first for Spain, Pedro Sanchez lost his second investiture vote, securing the support of only 131 members of the 350-strong assembly for his proposed coalition which sets the country on course for its second election in six months. Spain's parties have been in fruitless negotiations to form a government since a December vote when Spaniards weary of austerity and corruption deserted the two traditional parties to vote for newcomers. But the talks, which have often boiled over into vitriolic attacks that have highlighted tensions between Spain's political left and right, are now set to continue at a time when the Spanish economy is staging an uneven recovery. As on Wednesday when Sanchez lost a first vote, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative People's Party (PP), anti-austerity upstart Podemos and five smaller parties voted against Sanchez, scuppering his pact with business-friendly Ciudadanos. A small party from the Canary Islands also voted for Sanchez. Until the last minute the Socialist leader tried to woo Podemos into joining his "government of change" but the party's leader Pablo Iglesias, a pony-tailed former university lecturer, held out for an alliance solely between leftist parties. "I will continue working to achieve the majority this country needs," Sanchez told reporters after the vote. "Pablo Iglesias has betrayed his party's voters and he is responsible for Rajoy remaining as prime minister." Iglesias before the vote compared his dispute with the Socialists to a quarrel between lovers and said Sanchez should embrace the other "monstrous" leftist parties which would be needed to reach the parliamentary majority of 176 seats. A coalition between the Socialists and Podemos would have to depend on former communists Izquierda Unida and four regional parties from the Basque Country and Catalonia, all of which voted against Sanchez on Friday. "I again offer you my hand Mr. Sanchez, and after tonight we will be able to get to work," Iglesias, who came third in the December general election, told a restless parliament where speakers were repeatedly interrupted by jeers and whistles. CLOSER TO NEW ELECTIONS Sanchez's failure, the first time a candidate had lost both confidence votes since Spain returned to democracy in the mid-1970s, sets the clock ticking on a two-month window for parties to form an alternative majority before May 2. On that date parliament would be dissolved and Spaniards would have to return to the ballot box, most likely on June 26. Analysts say such an outcome is looking increasingly certain. Although businesses and investors have so far remained calm about the deadlock, new elections would raise the risk that Spain's economic growth, one of the highest rates in the EU, might be impaired by lost months of political leadership. Rajoy had branded the Socialist-Ciudadanos coalition a "farce" and a threat to the national interest which sought to undo reforms his government brought in over the past four years. "He has wasted all our time, he generated false expectations and he has defrauded us," he told parliament before the vote. Rajoy had moved aside last month to allow Sanchez's bid after he also failed to win support. But he said he would now make renewed efforts to form a grand coalition of centre-left and centre-right parties under him as prime minister. Lluis Orriols, a political science lecturer at the University Carlos III of Madrid, says it is unlikely Rajoy would be able to win over other parties since both the PP and the Socialists would not budge their red lines. "We are closer to new elections than to an agreement." (Additional reporting by the Madrid newsroom; Editing by Julien Toyer and Dominic Evans)
Written with the sass and humor of a real life activist, this is an account of the beautiful protest in solidarity with Alex Nieto's family. Alex Nieto was a 28-year-old man murdered by SFPD in March of 2014. This past Tuesday marked the start of the civil lawsuit against the SFPD

This week marked an important event for the #BlackLivesMatter / #BrownLivesMatter movement and the family and friends of Alex Nieto. 28-year-old Alex Nieto (pronounced knee-eh-tow for all you idiot newscasters) was gunned down by four San Francisco cops exactly 2 years ago in Bernal Heights. Alex was eating a burrito at the time and was wearing a taser, which he was licensed to carry because he worked as a security guard. SF Police shot 45 to 59 bullets at the unarmed man, with 14 bullets entering his body. Needless to say, this has become a very political event in the Mission and Bernal Heights area and details of the case are very well presented here:This Tuesday marked the beginning of a long-awaited civil trial for the Nieto family, who is seeking some kind of compensation (as if any amount could be enough) for their murdered son. The district attorney and local government have refused to pursue a criminal case so far, so this is the only option that they have for seeking justice within the legal system right now. Meanwhile the glorified thugs Jason Sawyer, Roger Morse, Richard Schiff, and Nathan Chew still walk the streets armed and dangerous.But maybe I am being too hard on the police? Well corruption is nothing new to the SFPD. See here:The article states: In one incident, the three officers dug up $30,000 in a 2009 search of a Newark heroin dealer's house. They then split the cash, allowing Robles to pay for an expensive Belgian road bike and Furminger to buy new skylights, according to testimony.At least one of the cops in this case has been involved in a manslaughter incident before. This is just a taste of how the police operate in our city by the way, where only the tiniest fraction of bad apples are actually caught red-handed.Tuesdays rally began at 8a.m. outside of the Federal building on Golden Gate Ave. The large 21-foot building is a historic protest sight and has seen the likes of the Black Panthers protesting for Huey P. Newton as well as numerous demonstrations throughout the decades. It stands as lifeless concrete monolith, blocking out the morning sun and creating a strong wind tunnel for which myself and other activist found cause to complain (we San Franciscans are weather babies, or so Ive been told by numerous people from the East Coast). I was chatting with a neighbor I recognized and whining about the cold when he replied, yeah, but look at that guy beasting it, pointing towards the Aztec dancer wearing a tribal outfit preparing for their well choreographed ritualized performance. At this I decided I was being a bit of a wimp and resolved to find a bathroom instead.After a detour to the building across the street (which had a bathroom search that was similar to David Bowies labyrinth) I returned to find a group of people dressed in black setting up a mini refreshment bar with coffee, donuts, muffins, and various pastries. This was all free, part of a delicious protest known as Coffee Not Cops that the anarchists (those bastards!) put on. See, they do more than just break windows! I jeered at the first unsuspecting person poking for a pastry like a fawn at the edge of a forest.At this point some familiar faces started to arrive. I ran into a local poet that said, Ive been looking all over for you! and was desperate to use me as a feature in some upcoming art show. I also came across an old friend that actually blurted out the ever-so-uncommon I moved back to SF in a somewhat bitter tone. Things have changed a lot in the past couple of years with the rampant gentrification, but it was delightful to see a reuniting of the rag-tag activists and artists whos hearts still belong to the revolution.The Aztec dancing began, complete with incense and vibrant costumes and imagery. There was chanting and drumming as well, which echoed down the skyscraper corridors with a wonderful resonance. Noticing this, the four motorcycle cops parked across the street gave a mini-counter demonstration by revving up their engines. I happened to be passing behind them and inhaled a lung full of nasty fumes. There was something strangely poetic about the conflict. On one side was men and women making thunderous noise with ancient drum patterns and on the other was poison gas and machinery from the overseers of law and order.People also took part in some wonderful pastel chalk vandalism. The thoughtless jagged grey architecture and sidewalks were transformed ever so briefly into a wonderful mosaic of colors and messages. People drew hearts and words of love and support. One especially memorable image involved a butterflys wings, composed of two B letters back-to back, writing the words Black and Brown.Three more people went up for a mocha fix and I said to them smiling, This is the Black Bloc Black Bean Roast  its much better than regular coffee! I then noticed a 20-something woman pointing her camera at me and felt like I was at activist zoo for a moment. I had a home-made sign, drawn up the night before, which seemed to attract some welcome attention. In solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter and the Nieto Family one side said, Your courage does not go unnoticed. I was hopeful that this message would make it somewhere to the eyeballs of a curious public, and especially to those hurting over Alexs loss. It takes a lot of guts to fight two years to get to this point, and the Nieto family is ironclad in their determination.After a few snaps from the City College student and a Mission Local reporter, I went on to talk with a middle aged African-American student who said his brother was a cop. But they dont exactly treat me the same, if you know what I mean. Ive seen both sides of it. I asked him what he thought of the demonstration today. Its beautiful, not just black or white people are here. Its like a rainbow. This phrase could be a tagline of the event, I thought, if there was one.The speakers coming to the podium spoke in passionate solidarity. Brown Lives Matter! Black and Brown Unity is what makes as strong! One woman from the Mario Woods Coalition spoke about people that look a little like us, but dont fight for us commenting that she knew what a pig in lipstick looks like. We dont listen to Beyonce. she said, followed by laughter and applause from the crowd.Unfortunately, many of these poignant moments will not be retold by the corporate media, which focuses its reports on elected officials like John Avalos and candidate for district 9, Edwin Lindo. They spoke well, to be sure, but they were not the stars of the event. The students that stormed in from Balboa High chanting with banners alongside those from groups like Youth In Power and HOMEY made a much more significant impact. We are not the future! one girl said with conviction, We are the present!To get more involved, or to simply donate to the Nieto familys GoFundMe for their trial, you can visit:for a hilariously terrible corporate drone account of the event, check out the NBC segment here:
Pro-Fluoridation Study is Fatally Flawed by Fluoride Action Network

Calgary legislators are being pressured to re-instate water fluoridation based upon one scientifically flawed study by a pro-fluoridation activist.

A recently published study concludes that tooth decay rates in Calgary, Alberta, have increased because of the city's decision to scrap its fluoridation program. But the study omits data showing that the spike in decay mostly occurred when fluoride was still in the water and used methods that a leading scientist says do "not provide a valid assessment," reports the Fluoride Action Network (FAN).



In recent years, dozens of Canadian communities, including Calgary, have stopped fluoridating water, citing concerns about safety, effectiveness, and cost. The number of Canadians drinking fluoridated water has plummeted by over 30% since 2005.



Now a new study is fueling a lobbying blitzkrieg, with calls for Calgary and other non-fluoridated Canadian cities to resume fluoridation, based on claims that Calgary children suffered a dramatic spike in cavities in the three years following fluoridation's end in 2011.



The study, however, is riddled with problems, and is "not a valid assessment of the effect of fluoridation cessation," says Dr. Trevor Sheldon, Dean of Hull York Medical School and scientist who specializes in studying the effectiveness of health care interventions, including fluoridation.



The study determined Calgary's pre-cessation cavity rate based solely on a small survey conducted 6 years prior to fluoridation ceasing, even though a much more comprehensive survey was conducted just 1 year prior to fluoridation ending.



The omitted survey, conducted in 2009/10, shows that most of Calgary's increase in tooth decay occurred while Calgary was still adding fluoride to its water. As Sheldon explains, the omitted data "shows a higher average annual rate of increase in [tooth decay] in the period before cessation (7%) than in the period which includes years after cessation in Calgary (5%)."



Says Sheldon, "this is contrary to what one would expect if fluoridation cessation was the primary driver of increases in caries over the period."



The increase in cavities seen in Calgary is not unusual, but part of a larger trend. Tooth decay in baby teeth has been on the rise since the 1990s throughout North America, including in fluoridated cities like Edmonton.



"To imply that ending fluoridation is the cause of Calgary's increased decay while omitting data which shows that most of the decay occurred when fluoride was still in the water, raises serious questions about the study's credibility," says attorney and FAN Executive Director, Michael Connett. "The aggressive, orchestrated way this study has been rolled out to pressure city councilors to resume fluoridation raises the specter of a politically motivated study."



This is especially suspect because just last year a meta-analysis of fluoride research by the respected and objective Cochrane group of researchers could not find any quality evidence to prove fluoridation cessation increases tooth decay.



The lead author of the Calgary study, Lindsay McLaren, is not an independent scientist on the fluoridation controversy.



McLaren currently serves as a member of the Alberta Health Services Community Water Fluoridation committee, has written pro-fluoridation commentaries, and, in 2013, spearheaded a successful effort to convince the Alberta Public Health Association to begin lobbying for fluoridation.








On March 1, the prosecution began its case against John Mazula, who was being charged with manufacturing medical cannabis concentrates. The case came down to whether the process John used to extract cannabis concentrate made use of butane gas or not.The prosecution rested their case after not having proven anything but that law enforcement are experts at reciting how to make butane honey oil. They were to have proven John was making BHO (butane hash oil), they didnt do it. And, theres no honey oil, no blasted plant material, no used filters, piles of empty butane tanks or lengths of glass tubing to help them either.I pulled into the El Cajon courthouse parking lot just in time to see one of Johns jurors. He turned out to be the jury foreman. He gave me a glimpse of what happened in that jury room. In the first few minutes the 12 introduced themselves, then at exactly 4:20, a fact that made some of them chuckle, they took their first and only poll. Without hesitation each juror at the table one-by-one pronounced John not guilty. Then they discussed why. The jurors blamed the police. They knew the case was poorly put together with no evidence to convict John. It was a manufactured case. The case against John was vapor, a waste of time and resources and the jurors took ten minutes to destroy it. The prosecution never lost the case because they never had one. John was not guilty, the DA only tried to make 12 people believe he was. Day One of John Mazula's Medical Marijuana Trial - Presecution's Case Built on Dishonesty || Perjury Entangles Sheriff Deputy in Embarrassing Web As Activists Look On || Ten Minutes to a Not Guilty Verdict in San Diego Medical Marijuana Concentrate Case || San Diego Americans for Safe Access
Reds catcher Devin Mesoracos spring debut will come later than expected due to a groin injury, MLB.coms Mark Sheldon writes. Mesoraco missed most of last season due to hip trouble, and he characterizes his current injury as a minor and expected result of the rehabilitation process. We had a very small minimal amount of groin and hip flexor tightness, soreness, he says. The doctor kind of said this was something that would probably happen once I got back into it. We just slowed things down but everything is feeling fine. I feel good now. It shouldnt be too much longer. The absence of Mesoraco, who batted .273/.359/.534 in his 2014 breakout, was one of many disappointments for the Reds last season. Heres more from the Central divisions.

The Tigers are hopeful Cameron Maybin will return by Opening Day and wont be looking outside the organization for extra outfield help, tweets Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. It was reported earlier this week that Maybin would miss four to six weeks due to a hairline fracture in his left hand. Of course, even the full six weeks would only cause Maybin to miss the first couple weeks of the season, hardly the kind of devastating blow that might require the Tigers to pursue an outfielder with any sort of urgency.

are hopeful will return by Opening Day and wont be looking outside the organization for extra outfield help, tweets Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. It was reported earlier this week that Maybin would miss four to six weeks due to a hairline fracture in his left hand. Of course, even the full six weeks would only cause Maybin to miss the first couple weeks of the season, hardly the kind of devastating blow that might require the Tigers to pursue an outfielder with any sort of urgency. Twins slugger Miguel Sano got to the big leagues and thrived in 2015 despite the loss of his daughter the previous offseason, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. Sanos daughter Angelica died in December 2014 due to a heart defect. Last year in Double-A, I cried a lot, says Sano. I was really sad. I dont concentrate too much on playing because I think a lot about my baby. Sano struggled badly through April at Double-A Chattanooga, batting just .159/.303/.381. He turned his season around from there before his promotion to the bigs, culminating in a 20 at-bat stretch following the All-Star break in which he had seven extra-base hits. He came back after the All-Star break, and it was just completely different, says his Double-A manager, Doug Mientkiewicz. He embarrassed Double-A baseball. I called Terry [Ryan], and I was like, I dont know where he can go, but he needs to go somewhere, because its not normal what hes doing to this league.' The Twins, of course, promoted Sano to the Majors, where he hit 18 home runs in 80 games and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year balloting.
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- The 2016 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards took place on Saturday, March 5 in Lagos and rewarded the most outstanding performances in the continent's movie industry

- It was hosted by seasoned media personality IK Osakioduwa and Minnie Dlamini

- The event saw a range of top celebrity appearances showing up in style from the red carpet to the stage where they received their respective awards

The 2016 edition of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA)was live at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Saturday, March 5 and it was an absolute blast  from the red carpet displays to the awards proper and all of that.

READ ALSO: Popular DJ reveals why he makes music about women, parties (Video)

The hosts at the 2016 AMVCA, IK Osakioduwa and Dlamini.

The show, which was the fourth edition of the annual awards, was hosted my renowned media personality IK Osakioduwa and Minnie Dlamini.

It was a great night and was graced by actors from different African countries as well as broadcast live across Africa.

Below is the full list of winners on the night:

Best Art Director  Frank Rajah (The Refugees)

Best Television Series Award  Ariyike Oladipo (Daddys Girls)

Best Makeup Artist in a Movie or Series  Louiza Calore for Ayanda

Best Short Film or Online Video Award  Oluseyi Amuwafo (A Day With Death)

Best Writer for Movie and TV series  Trish Malone (Ayanda)

Best Lighting Designer (Movies/TV)  Stanley Ohikhuare (Common Man)

Best Cinematographer  Paul Michaelson (Tell Me Sweet Something)

Best Sound Editor  Jose Guillermo (Cry)

Best Picture Editor  Shirley Frimpong-Manso (Rebecca)

Best Costume Designer  Uche Nancy (Dry)

Best Local Language Movie/TV Series (Swahili)  Single Mtambalike (Kitendawali)

Best Indigenous Movie/TV Series (Hausa)  Salisu Balarebe (Dandi Kowa)

Best Indigenous Movie/TV Series (Yoruba)  Binta Ofege

Best Indigenous Movie/TV Series (Igbo)  Paul Igwe (Usekwu Igbo)

Best Documentary  Remi Vaughan (Faaji Agba)

Best Supporting Actor In A Movie  Sambassa Nzeriba (A Soldiers Story)

Best Supporting Actress  Tunbosun Aiyedihin (Before 30)

Best Actor In A Comedy  Folarin Falz The Bahd Guy Falana (Jenifas Diary)

Best Actress In A Comedy  Funke Akindele (Jenifas Diary)

Trail Blazer Award  Kemi Lala Akindoju

AMVCA 2016 Industry Merit Award  Bukky Ajayi and Sadiq Daba

Best Movie (Southern Africa)  Joyce Chavura  (Lilongwe)

Best Movie (East Africa)  Elizabeth Miachael  (Mapenzi)

Best Movie (West Africa)  Genevieve, Chinny Onwugbenu and Chichi Nwoko  (Road to Yesterday)

Best Actress In A Movie/Drama/TV Series  Adesua Etomi (Falling)

Best Actor In A Movie/Drama/TV Series  Daniel K. Daniel (A Soldiers Story)

The Best Director  Akin Omotosho (Tell Me Sweet Something)

READ ALSO: Read what Cynthia Morgan said about her long-time love

Best Overall Movie  Stephanie Linus (Dry)

The AMVCA is an annual awards show which features nominations in over 20 categories in African film and TV series.

The awards comes live under the tutelage of Multichoice and is a reward for the most remarkable performances in the continent's movie industry, with voting from the public.

The first edition of the AMVCA was on March 9, 2013 and witnessed a massive viewership in over 50 countries around the world.

Source: Legit.ng
- Former Nigerian governor attempted to transfer his loot from UAE to Dominican Republic

- The ex-governor reportedly stashed $517m loot in the Middle East country

- He is now under the watch-list of the UAE and the EFCC

A former Nigerian governor who is believed to have stashed $517million loot in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is under close watch.

The Nation reports that the ex-governor recently attempted to move the looted funds to the Dominican Republic but it was thwarted by the authorities in the UAE who are keeping intense watch over him.

The Middle East country is also keeping watch over the accounts and other transactions of some Nigerian VIPs who have used the country as a safety net for their loots.

There is a collaboration between the Nigerian and UAE security agencies to monitor the activities of many Nigerians, especially those categorized as Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).

The intelligence report on the former governor is one of the dividends of the collaboration.

READ ALSO: EFCC seeks support of the UAE in ongoing anti-graft war

The former governor is under the watch-list of the UAE and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a source familiar with the development said.

The source said the former governor tried to transfer the loot because UAE law is now strict, adding that the law will catch up with him.

The affected ex-governor is lying low and avoiding that country in order not to suffer the James Ibori fate, the source said.

According to Mallam Shehu Sani, the chairman of the Senate committee on Foreign and Domestic Debts, as much as $200 billion of stolen funds from Nigeria may have been hidden in the UAE by past public officers and their agents/fronts.

He said: Over $200 billion are stashed away in Dubai alone. This may be the monies stolen in the last 20 years. I am not talking about estates and bonds and other securities bought with Nigerias stolen money.

A security source disclosed that the accounts, transactions and investments of some Nigerians have been under surveillance in the UAE, following the recent signing of the Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement between the two countries.

READ ALSO: Property In Dubai: APC Accuses Gov Fayose

This is based on the sharing of intelligence between Nigeria and UAE. In fact, some of those being watched have reduced their frequent trips to the Emirates. Actually any highly-placed Nigerian arrested for money laundering in UAE risks a 10 -year imprisonment, the security source said.

In January, President Muhammadu Buhari signed six agreements with the UAE to enhance bilateral relations between them. They are; judicial agreement on extradition, transfer of sentenced persons, mutual legal assistance on criminal matters, and mutual legal assistance on criminal and commercial matters, which includes the recovery and repatriation of stolen wealth with the UAE.

Source: Legit.ng
A 7-seat variant of the standard Tiguan that is already on sale in India, Tiguan AllSpace was showcased a few days back at Auto Expo.

Ahead of its launch, key details about India-spec Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace have been revealed. The SUV has been spied on road tests on several occasions. AllSpace is expected to be launched by mid-2020 and when that happens, it will replace the existing 5-seat Tiguan that retails in the range of Rs 28-32 lakh. Bookings have already opened at authorized dealers.

Some of the key features of India-spec Tiguan AllSpace include LED headlights with DRLs, entirely digital instrument cluster, panoramic sunroof, keyless entry, touchscreen infotainment system, 3-zone automatic climate control, and beige coloured Vienna leather seats. The SUV will come with a range of safety features such as 7-airbags, ESP, ABS, rear parking camera and tyre pressure monitoring system.

While existing 5-seat Tiguan is 4,486mm long, 1,839mm wide, 1,672mm tall and comes with a wheelbase of 2,677mm, international-spec Tiguan AllSpace is much larger. The 7-seat SUV is 4,701mm long, 1,839mm wide, 1,674mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,787mm. This translates into a gain of 215 mm in length and 110 mm in wheelbase, which have been used to accommodate the additional third row.

However, with the additional third row, boot space gets restricted to just 230 litres. This is quite less, as compared to existing Tiguans 615 litre boot space. Tiguan AllSpace users who want to increase boot space will have to fold down the rear seats. With that done, boot space can be increased to around 700 litres.

With Volkswagen discontinuing all diesel engines after BS6 norms come into play from April 1, India-spec Tiguan AllSpace will only be offered with a petrol engine. Existing 5-seat Tiguan is powered by 2.0-litre diesel engine that churns out 143 hp of max power. This will be replaced by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit that makes 190 hp. Engine will be mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which will be offered as standard. All-wheel drive will also be a standard feature in Tiguan AllSpace. The all-wheel drive will be powered VWs 4Motion system.

Customers planning to buy Tiguan AllSpace may have to shell out a higher amount, as compared to the SUVs price in international markets. Thats because AllSpace will be imported in India through the CBU route. With import duties, the SUV will be priced at around Rs 35-40 lakh. This will make it costlier than rivals such as Skoda Kodiaq, Honda CR-V, Isuzu MU-X, Mahindra Alturas G4, Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner. However, as this segment is not price sensitive, Tiguan AllSpace may still emerge as an attractive option for customers.
Arriving on the sportscar scene back in 2009, when the Danish brand launched Zenvo ST1, their first supercar. The ST1 was powered by a supercharged and turbocharged 6.8 liter V8 delivering 1104 hp. The numbers were enough to grab attention. But, due to the car catching fire during a Top Gear episode, it received worldwide criticism. The company later revealed the exact cause of fire, but the damage had already been done.

This episode held the company back from taking off in the industry, whereas rivals Pagani and Koenigsegg are now well established. But, not the one to lose hope, Zenvo is back with their second, and the third attempt.

Zenvo TS1 claims to be a completely new car. It is powered by a 5.9 liter supercharged and turbocharged V8 (output numbers are still under wraps). Zenvo TS1 is basically a very extensive update given to the ST1, but the changes are so many, that it is good enough to call it a new car.

Transmission of power to the rear wheels will be taken care by either a 7-speed race style gearbox or a sequential 7 speed unit with paddle shifters. Zenvo did reveal that the car will have an electronically limited top speed of 233 mph (375 kmph). Top speed is limited due to the limit of tyres which are either Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 or Michelin Pilot Super Sport.

There is no news on as to when the TS1 will be launched, but Zenvo did say that its production is limited to only 15 units. Expect a starting price of about $875,000.

Speaking about the Zenvo TSR, it is a race-track only edition of the TS1.

Zenvo TS1  Photos

Zenvo TSR  Photos

Stay tuned to Rushlane as we cover the 2016 Geneva Motor Show LIVE
Offshore wind turbines have to take a lot of punishment, and this is particularly true for their foundations, which are anchored in the seabed. Divers periodically descend to inspect these structures for defects, but in the future, such checks will be faster and easier to carry out thanks to a new sensor ring. Researchers will be presenting a system for this at Hannover Messe from April 25 to 29, 2016.

Waves beat against the pylons of offshore wind turbines, and winds shake the rotors. Because of this, the base of the turbine, which is located underwater near the seabed, must be able to withstand severe stresses. Corrosive saltwater can also damage the foundations. Divers descend periodically to inspect the highly vulnerable welding seams of these anchor points. They need to determine if these are still in good order, or whether any cracks or defects have appeared that pose a safety risk. To get to the bottom of these questions, the divers first blast the weld with a high-pressure cleaning tool to remove growths like algae and crustaceans. Then they apply an electromagnetic field to the weld and cover it with iron filings. If a crack is present, the field will be forced outwards, and the iron filings will accumulate there. This is a difficult task for the divers, who must carry down a lot of equipment while braving strong currents and allowing themselves enough time to adjust to changing water pressures during the dive. Currently, the inspection of one wind turbine installation takes about a day.

Automated measurement using a sensor ring

In the future, this arduous and sometimes dangerous task can be performed by a robot; more specifically, a box-shaped remote operating vehicle, or ROV for short. The groundwork for this technology has been laid by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden in cooperation with various industry partners. "We have developed a sensor ring that simplifies these measurements and will allow them to be performed automatically in the future," says Andreas Schnabel, project manager at the IKTS. This system offers a number of benefits. It is far more precise than other methods used to date, because for instance it can also analyze the dimensions and depth of cracks, which until now was impossible. Furthermore, this type of inspection is much faster than labor-intensive manual methods -- the job is complete in just ten minutes.

But how does the system work? "The heart of the system is the sensor ring, which is placed around the weld and remains there for the entire service life of the wind turbine," Schnabel explains. This ring is composed of numerous sensor elements arranged like a string of pearls, with spaces of five to seven centimeters between them. To take the measurements, the diver first connects a battery-powered handheld device to the interface port on the ring and then begins the analysis with the press of a button. In the future, this task will be performed by the robot. The laborious task of cleaning the area using high pressure is no longer needed.

Each of the sensor elements takes its turn in functioning as an actuator. Here's how it works: the sensor hits the weld with ultrasound waves, which then permeate the entire structure. If there is a crack somewhere, the waves will be reflected back from the damaged area, while passing unobstructed through the intact areas. The other sensors detect these signals, and in this way they can home in on the damaged areas. The next sensor then takes its turn as an actuator: it transfers the data via cable connection to the handheld reader, whose data is transferred to a PC. As a result, the researchers receive data similar to that of a CT scanner at a doctor's office. The end user, or in this case the inspector of the offshore wind farm, receives an image of the weld with damaged areas color-coded according to severity.

Practical trials in the Baltic Sea concluded successfully

Working together with staff from Baltic Taucher in Rostock, the researchers successfully demonstrated the viability of the process in an on-site trial at the Baltic 1 offshore wind farm. For this trial, they made a crack measuring 0.9 millimeters in width, 45 millimeters in length, and 7 millimeters in depth in a branched metal pipe, and lowered it to the bottom of the Baltic Sea at a depth of 18 meters. The trial was a success: not only was the system able to locate the crack with excellent precision, but it even determined its length, height and depth. Researchers are hopeful that the system will be certified and ready for robotic operation in approximately five years. Their goal is to sustainably ensure a long service life for the wind turbines while supporting the transition to new energy sources.
The volcanic rock found in the south of Leon experienced a rotation of almost 60 300 million years ago, an example of what could have occurred across the entire Iberian Peninsula when, in that moment, it was still being formed. This fact is demonstrated by the magnetic signals of its minerals, currently being analysed by researchers from the universities of Salamanca and Utrecht (The Netherlands). This discovery improves our understanding of a now-disappeared mountain range that stood over what is now north-western Spain, France, and the southern United Kingdom.

The bathers that gather every summer on the banks of the rivers of the mountain ranges of La Cabrera and El Teleno in Leon have little reason to suspect that the rocks that they can see near the water are of volcanic origin, over 460 million years old, when an emerging Iberian Peninsula was still on the coast of the continent of Gondwana, on the shore of the Rheic ocean.

Around 350 million years ago, that ancient ocean closed during the formation of the Pangea supercontinent, and the sediments deposited in it became a large mountain range that later acquired a curved shape, becoming part of what is now the Iberian Peninsula around 300 million years ago.

Now scientists at University of Salamanca have collected, in the Leonese towns located between Truchas and Ponferrada, 320 samples of volcanic rock and limestone, a record of that turbulent, volcanic period of our planet's history.

After having analysed the samples in one of the most important Palaeomagnetism laboratories in the world, located at Utrecht University (The Netherlands), they have been able to reconstruct the history of these ancient rocks based on the magnetic signal of their mineral content. The results have been published in the journal 'Tectonophysics'.

"These rocks were deposited on the ocean floor 440 million years ago near the south pole, and its components were oriented in the direction of the Earth's magnetic field at the time (N-S)," explains Javier Fernandez Lozano, a geologist at the University of Salamanca and co-author of the research.

About 120 million years later, the collision of two continents occurred, between what is now the North and South of Europe. The result of this collision was what is known as the Variscan orogeny, the raising of a mountain range along the North-South axis, which left the rocks with a secondary magnetic signal, adapted to the new magnetic field of the Earth.

The changes in the direction of that magnetic field were preserved in their minerals, and indicate that shortly after that process, the rocks of these mountains experienced a rotation of almost 60, until they ended up in with their current orientation," notes Fernandez Lozano.

He points out that this magnetic signal can be associated with large-scale processes of mountain formation, and how these ranges can be curved until they create structures known as oroclines: "With a rock sample, we can analyse a process that has occurred on the tectonic plate level; and, specifically, offers new data that allows us to discover how this orogeny or large Variscan range and its curvature occurred. This information was preserved in the rocks of the British Isles, France, and North-West Spain, along more than 3,000 kilometres.

This study forms part of a long-debated geological problem: the Cantabrian orocline, an issue that a few years ago brought together specialists at an international congress held in Salamanca. An orocline is the curvature of a range or chain of mountains that was originally linear, and the Cantabrian orocline is recognizable 300 million years later in the geography of the Iberian Peninsula and surrounding areas.

Concretely, one can observe the arc formed by the Cantabrian range until it disappears into the continental shelf, and the curvature that continues onward towards the Iberian Range. Fernandez Lozano notes that the new research "goes beyond previous efforts, primarily focused on Asturias, in order to understand this orocline, and now we can find its traces further to the south, on the border between Leon and Zamora."

"Thanks to studies like this one, we can continue to provide information on the causes and processes that gave birth to curved mountain ranges after the collision between two continents," concludes the geologist.
He tried to run with the big rigs, but he probably should have stayed on the porch.

On Friday, a dog in Minnesota accidentally entered the exciting field of long haul trucking when the idling semi he was sitting in somehow shifted into gear.

His career, unfortunately, was brief.
U.s. stocks rose to extend a three-week rally as investors shook off earlier reticence over a decline in wages to focus on a surge in hiring that bolstered optimism the economy can weather a global slowdown. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)

Investors spent the first six weeks of the year concerned the economy stood on the precipice of a recession. Now theyre enjoying the best three-week stretch for U.S. stocks since 2014.

The Standard & Poors 500-stock index jumped 2.7 percent over five days, bringing its run during the past three weeks to 7.3 percent. A surge in hiring cast a vote of confidence in the worlds largest economy, while oils rebound from a 12-year low eased deflation concerns and recent actions in China added to optimism the nation can tamp down volatility thats roiled global markets. Together, it added up to a third week of S&P 500 advances that topped 1.5 percent, the longest stretch with gains of that size since 2009.

While better-than-forecast data from manufacturing to construction spending provided the catalyst for the market gains, technical signals accelerated the rally. Chart-watchers saw the S&P 500 close above the indexs average price for the past 50 and 100 days for the first time this year, as it rallied to 1,999.99.

The U.S. Treasury will sell $37 billion in three-month bills and $30 billion in six-month bills Monday. They yielded 0.30 percent and 0.475 percent in when-issued trading. The Treasury will sell four-week bills and $24 billion in three-year notes Tuesday. It will also sell $20 billion in 10-year notes Wednesday and $12 billion in 30-year bonds Thursday.
Its a shame that John Lawton has ended  or at least suspended  his brilliant series about Inspector Frederick Troy of Scotland Yard. Luckily, however, Lawton has started another about a British spy known as Joe Wilderness. Lawtons fans may find these books as essential as the Troy books.

Both series benefit from the excellence of Lawtons writing, but they offer different protagonists and locales. Troy came from a prominent London family and  despite his rather hectic love life  was an upstanding citizen, as a Scotland Yard official should be. However, his job largely confined his adventures to England.

Joe Wilderness, by contrast, was born into poverty. His father, when he turned up, beat him. His mother died during the Blitz when a bomb collapsed the pub where she sought solace in gin. Joe, at 13, went to live with his grandfather, a complete rogue and an habitual criminal, who taught the boy the finer points of robbery and safecracking. After he died while fleeing police, his girlfriend, an amiable prostitute, introduced Joe to sex.

[Best mystery books and thrillers of 2015]

Throughout his youth, Joe remained an avid reader, and in 1945, when he was called into the Royal Air Force, his life changed forever because he scored 169 on an IQ test. An aristocratic intelligence officer named Alec Burne-Jones, seeing Joes potential, sent him to Cambridge to learn Russian and German and channeled his smarts and criminal skills into the life of a spy. Joes good looks and charm caused women to play an increasingly central role in his life. His real name was Joe Holderness, but an early lover thought Wilderness better captured his wayward ways, and that stuck.

The two Wilderness novels  Then We Take Berlin and The Unfortunate Englishman  allow Lawton to shift his geographic focus. The books have scenes in London, Paris, Moscow, New York and Vienna, but their primary locale is Berlin, a city of endless conflict and intrigue in the postwar years. Joe is there as the city is divided into British, U.S., French and Russian zones, and for the 1948 Russian blockade that sought to isolate the city  and the U.S. airlift that defeated that effort. He returns in the 1960s when the Berlin Wall goes up, and he witnesses the tense 1961 meeting in Vienna between President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, about which he reflects:

Had Kennedy ever met a man like Khrushchev before? A Ukrainian peasant, illiterate until well into his twenties, who had survived in a political pit that had seen many of his contemporaries eaten by the bear. He was certain Khrushchev had met rich aristocrats before  but only to shoot them.

Soon after the war ends, Joe joins a Russian officer and an American officer to carry out a huge black-market operation that steals scarce goods such as coffee, cigarettes and whiskey from U.S. stockpiles and sells them to the highest bidder. (Smuggling became like adultery. A secret that would never trouble the conscience, but which required a strategy to avoid detection.) Later, Joe applies his illicit skills to the dangerous task of spiriting an atomic scientist out of East Berlin and on to Israel, using the same tunnel he had once used to smuggle goods to East Berlin.

In The Unfortunate Englishman, Lawton introduces a brilliant Russian spy who rises high in the British intelligence agency MI5 but is finally caught. He is contrasted with a feckless British spy in Moscow who blunders into a honey trap involving two sisters who bed him and then turn him over to the authorities. It falls to Joe to arrange a swap of the jailed spies.

Both novels portray Joes romance with Nell, a young German first seen ministering to survivors of the liberated Bergen-Belsen death camp, people often incapable of speech until teenage Nell talks, listens and wins their trust. (She would go on listening for over three months. She would go on listening for eternity.) By 1963 Nell has risen to prominence in West Berlin politics and plays a role in Kennedys celebrated Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a Berliner) speech.

All these adventures arrive gift-wrapped in writing variously rich, inventive, surprising, informed, bawdy, cynical, heartbreaking and hilarious. However much you know about postwar Berlin, Lawton will take you deeper into its people, conflicts and courage. Both novels  and they should be read in order  are spy fiction at its best.

Anderson reviews mysteries and thrillers for Book World.
From Moira Shearer in The Red Shoes to Natalie Portman in Black Swan, Hollywood has always loved a good depiction of a ballerina on the brink. Such cinematic portrayals will never be as authentic, beautiful and powerful as FAiTH, a new dance theater work created by Czech artist Mirenka Cechova.

FAiTH had its U.S. premiere Saturday at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. As is often the case with the best guest artists presented at the Northeast venue, Cechova deserved a larger audience, especially given that she began working on the piece while in residence at the Atlas in 2013. FAiTH premiered in Prague the following year and has since toured Europe, finally making it back to the States on Saturday, when it was presented in a black-box theater slightly more than half full.

FAiTH has the power to bowl over anyone who is fascinated by dancers, has taken ballet or has simply experienced the acute anxiety of aging, of being betrayed by corporal tissue maintained like a well-oiled machine. Like past Cechova works presented in the District, FAiTH is autobiographical. She comes onstage first, accompanied by the soundtrack of what might be a noisy New York street. She strips and, in her underwear, begins to warm up in what might be one of the last tiny dance studios in SoHo. A custom soundtrack of ambient jazz plays in the background, while on a screen behind Cechova, monochromatic images of nature past its peak  falling leaves, dying dandelions, bare trees  provide a contrast to the seemingly young, energetic dancer alone in the rehearsal room with a crowd of ghosts in her brain.

Andrea Miltnerova, the second dancer in FAiTH, first appears in a cloud of dirty tulle. Wearing a decaying tutu, she rolls onstage and slowly comes to life by doing a series of runners stretches mimicked by Cechova on the opposite side. From here, they take turns as the focal point, their movements coming in and out of unison. Miltnerova, who is obviously older and has a ballerinas bearing, often counted aloud as she ran through port de bras (arm sequences), tendu drills and deep, thigh-burning grand plies. Without jumps or lifts, FAiTH conveys the unbearable heaviness of balletic training. The piece closes with Miltnerovas recorded voice reading a long list of seasons, ballets and roles. 1998-1999, Giselle, Myrtha, etc. Theyre too specific to be made up, and they arent; theyre the roles danced by Tatiana Juricova, Cechovas teacher at the Czech National Ballet who died in 2002 at age 37. From watching the weary dancer onstage in FAiTH, you might think dancing killed Juricova. It didnt. Life without ballet did.


Matteo Catalani partnered with his uncle Daniele to sell fresh pastas and prepared foods at Cucina Al Volo, a stall in Union Market. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

Matteo Catalani rattles off cooking instructions like a doctor prescribing medicine. Its a Sunday afternoon at Union Market in Northeast, where Catalani operates a fresh pasta stand called Cucina Al Volo. The name means kitchen on the fly in Italian, appropriate considering its co-owner hardly stands still. He scrubs skillets. He plunges tongs into a pot of boiling water, loosening bundles of fettuccine as puffs of steam vanish into his dark locks, tied neatly into a bun.

He dishes constant advice about pasta. Sometimes people dont even have to ask.

Boil water. A pinch of salt. No more than three minutes, Catalani says as he sells an uncooked batch to a customer.

How long will it stay fresh? Five to six days.

What about the pesto? As long as its coated with oil, itll keep.

Years ago, while living in Italy, he never imagined he would wind up cooking pasta in a place that also sells kolaches and Korean tacos. Catalani, 23, harks from a city near Florence called Pistoia. Hes proud of his provenance: For evidence, look no further than the tricolor flag stitched onto his uniform. He focused on chemistry and biology in high school before realizing he didnt see a future for himself in science. In 2011, he left Italy for Washington to join his uncle, Daniele Catalani, a chef here since the late 1990s, formerly of Galileo and Toscana Cafe.

[Union Market: Eccentric bites to savor, if you can find a seat]

Tired of the restaurant industrys crowds and chaos, the duo launched a new venture focused on what they enjoy most: pasta. They carved a niche for themselves by selling fresh noodles directly to home cooks. Now Matteo is handing over fresh pappardelle to customers with the care of a parent delivering a newborn to a sitter. Theres a lot of demand for good food, but theres not a lot of people providing it, Matteo says of Washington. We have a purpose here.

Besides Union Market, the two pop up at the Bloomingdale and the 14th and U farmers markets May through November. But as their tiny operation soars, they face a conundrum: Can they make it big without losing their small-time charm?

Matteo likens his work to a lot of things. Its cookery, yes, but its also a form of consulting. Customers turn to him when they have pasta-related problems: What should they cook at a dinner party for five? People come to me without knowing what they want. I talk to them, establish a relationship with them and help them out, he says. This is what I love.



Matteo Catalani makes fresh egg fettucine at Cucina Al Volo in Union Market. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

Matteo Catalani cooks fettucine and duck ragu, which is Cucina Al Volos best-selling sauce. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

Hes a hit with crowds of all ages. He cooks buttered noodles for the birthday girl in a pink dress, even though the dish isnt on the menu. He gives a discount to the dad who returns a canvas totes worth of empty sauce jars. And hes polite, imbuing regular conversations with the formality of Hello, sir, and Yes, maam.

Most of Catalanis prep work occurs at Union Kitchen, a shared production space populated by food start-ups such as Compass Coffee. There, he layers tomato sauce, braised short ribs, fresh pasta and bechamel into lasagna and cooks a variety of sauces  duck ragu, lobster and shrimp, wild mushroom, eggplant-tomato, pesto  to sell alongside his pastas. He clings to tradition and makes squid-ink fettuccine and kale-spinach fusilli. Other times, he breaks loose, creating offbeat recipes such as smoked paprika pappardelle.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, he works from about 7 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. in the kitchen, prepping sauces, doing inventory and making orders. He works hard all day long, says Jason Rosen, a frequent customer. He makes sure everything is consistent.

[These traditional pastas are stunning  and easy to make. Heres how.]

Catalani doesnt usually shape pasta at Union Kitchen. Instead, he transports the vibrant doughs to his cramped market stand, where he stuffs them into a bronze-plated pasta machine that pumps out ribbons of black, orange and green. He cranks the handle on an old-school pasta maker to shape his ricotta cavatelli and seals every single raviolo by hand.

He built a clear barrier around his prep area, so wide-eyed customers can gawk at the pasta as it emerges from the machines, a sight he says can be hypnotic. He stacks the finished bundles on drying racks, which he assembled himself using materials from Home Depot. I never saw anyone selling it, he says. So I make it myself.

Cucina Al Volo sold only uncooked pasta until customers asked Catalani to serve it cooked with his premade sauces. The decision has paid off. Cooked pasta sales have nearly matched sales of the uncooked variety. On Valentines Day, he sold more than 100 pounds of both.



People come to me without knowing what they want. I talk to them, establish a relationship with them and help them out, says Matteo Catalani. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

[A day in the life of Union Kitchen]

Restaurants have asked to carry Cucina Al Volos products. But the owners feel the company is too young for such large commitments. You stretch too thin, and you start cutting corners, Daniele says.

That sort of conviction doesnt come cheap. A jar of pesto at Cucina Al Volo costs $11. A pound of fresh pasta goes for $8.

People are willing to pay for it, though, and apparently so are investors. A group of potential backers has approached the Catalanis about setting up a casual restaurant downtown, potentially equipped with an open kitchen and salad and gelato bars. The concept could work for the pair, as long as it doesnt involve too many complications. We just want to make good pasta, not to go too crazy, Daniele says.

In the meantime, Matteo wants to host cooking classes and keep on doing what hes been doing: making pasta and hopefully helping some people along the way. Its kind of a therapy, he says.

Daniele agrees: Whenever my wife and I have a fight, I go and make pasta. When I come home, I say, Hey, try this, and we make peace.

Cucina Al Volo, 1309 Fifth St. NE. cucinaalvolo.com.
THE DISTRICT

Woman raped at gunpoint in NE

A woman was robbed and sexually assaulted at gunpoint in Northeast Washington early Friday, D.C. police said.

The woman was leaving a car on Hayes Street NE when two men approached, one with a gun, police said.

 Moriah Balingit

Virginia

Raccoon found rabid after biting a man

A raccoon that bit a man Thursday in his home in Clifton was determined to be rabid, the Fairfax County police said.

The man killed the animal, and the county health department said it tested positive for rabies, the police said Friday. They said the man was receiving treatment.Police are asking anyone with information about the crime to call (202) 727-9099.

 Martin Weil

MARYLAND

Woman assaulted in College Park home

A man broke into a College Park apartment Saturday morning and raped a woman, authorities said.

University of Maryland police alerted students because it was near campus, on Fordham Lane. They said the woman reported that she had been sleeping when she realized that someone was on top of her. When she made a noise, he fled, they said.

 Faiz Siddiqui

Man faces trafcking, prostitution charges

A 28-year-old man wanted by Maryland authorities was arrested Friday and charged with human trafficking and prostitution, police said.

Nathaniel Lee Thompson was arrested in Howard County, nearly three weeks after he allegedly fled from police, police said.

Howard detectives said they had been looking into an ad placed on the website Backpage., often of girls who are victims of trafficking An undercover detective made an appointment to meet with a girl at a hotel, police said.

Police said the girl was dropped off by two people who waited nearby. The girl, 17, agreed to exchange sex for money with the detective, police said.

Detectives learned that the girl had been brought from Delawarefor the purpose of prostitution, police said. When officers approached a parked car, they said, they arrested a woman inside.

But they said a man fled to a restaurant and left through a back door, according to employees.

The 17-year-old was placed with Child Protective Services.

 Sam Tabachnik

THE Region

In February, a respite from heavy snowfall

Now that we are wending our chilly way into spring, a National Weather Service glance back at February shows that in the snow department, it was no January.

The weather service said Saturday that 3.1 inches of snow fell last month at Reagan National Airport. That is little more than half Februarys 5.7 inch average, but informal surveys indicated that the shortfall led to no widespread weeping or gnashing of teeth.
Former D.C. mayor Vincent C. Gray is greeted by supporters before he kicks off his campaign for Ward 7 D.C. Council at The House of Praise in Washington, D.C.. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post)

Former D.C. mayor Vincent C. Gray on Saturday officially launched his comeback campaign to rejoin the D.C. Council, telling an audience east of the Anacostia River that with a federal investigation behind him, he was running to right injustice in the nations capital.

Gray said residents in Ward 7 are being unjustly denied safe neighborhoods, improving schools and health-care options available to others across more prosperous, western stretches of the city and that he would fight to bring a fairer share of those resources to his home ward.

But Gray also left little doubt that the campaign would be a platform for him to make a personal pitch for political redemption and to denounce a now-fizzled federal investigation into the campaign spending of his first mayoral campaign. That investigation dragged out for five years, and weeks before he sought the nomination for a second term, a federal prosecutor alleged Gray had direct knowledge of illegal fundraising on his behalf. The allegation was widely seen as costing Gray the 2014 election, but prosecutors last year dropped the case, saying they did not have enough evidence for a conviction.

Campaigns are typically about the future, and while I want to focus on that a tad, I do just also want to take a moment to talk about the past, and that is injustice . . . what I think was an incredibly unfair, difficult time in my life, Gray said in his campaign kickoff before about 100 people at the House of Praise church in Northeast Washington.

Grays candidacy in Ward 7, where he dominated in two mayoral elections and in council contests before that, promises a competitive race for the Democratic primary in June with incumbent Ward 7 council member Yvette M. Alexander (D).

Gray waves at supporters Saturday before his campaign kickoff. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post)

His bid, however, could also have broader political consequences, as Gray made clear Saturday that part of his strategy would be to question the policies and performance of Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), who succeeded him.

Gray zeroed in on the Districts dramatic rise in homicides during Bowsers first year in office.

Crime was at the lowest level it was in many years until, of course, last year, he said, going on to list homicide tallies in each of his four years in office compared with the more than 50 percent increase Bowser grappled with last year. We need safer neighborhoods, he said.

Gray also gave a full-throated defense of increasing funding for charter schools, for the city funding construction of a new hospital east of the Anacostia River and other initiatives that he championed while in office but that Bowser has dialed back or abandoned.

Whether Gray can mount a political comeback similar to that of Marion Barry, who died in 2014, remains to be seen. Although Barry won the Ward 8 seat following an arrest for cocaine possession, Grays support remains hard to fully gauge. Some in attendance Saturday were from outside Ward 7 and will be unable to vote for him in June, and some longtime supporters have already pledged support elsewhere.

Gray also will have to answer questions about the loss of a planned Walmart in Ward 7 that he broke ground for in his final year saying that it was a done deal. That deal fell apart this year, and Gray blamed Bowser, who in turn said her predecessor had left work undone on the project.

Gray said he would count on those in the half-full sanctuary to be his ambassadors, and he credited them for helping him through the years under investigation. You stood by me, he said. Without you, I would not be here.

Just so you know, he added, I have moved forward, and while Im moving forward, I wont forget what happened, because I dont want that to happen to somebody else.
THE DISTRICT

Woman fatally shot,

man wounded in SE

A woman was killed and a man was injured in a shooting Sunday afternoon in the Woodland neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. police said.

The victims were found with gunshot wounds shortly before 12:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue SE, D.C. police spokeswoman Aquita Brown said. The woman, who was unconscious when police found her, died at a hospital. The man was found conscious and breathing, and police did not have un update on his condition Sunday evening.

It was not immediately known how many times each had been shot, police said.

Police were looking for a green Honda Odyssey minivan in connection with the shooting. The vehicle was last seen near where the shooting occurred, and a man and woman were thought to be inside the van, Brown said.

 Michael Smith

MARYLAND

3 injured in shooting

in Prince Georges

Three people were shot and wounded Sunday afternoon in Prince Georges County, authorities said.

County police said officers were sent to the 6100 block of 63rd Avenue in East Riverdale about 12:15 p.m. after reports of a shooting. The victims suffered injuries not thought to be life-threatening, police said, and the shooting did not appear to be random.

 Faiz Siddiqui

VIRGINIA

Vehicle hits woman

in Alexandria

A woman was seriously injured Sunday afternoon when she was struck by a vehicle on a busy road in Alexandria.

Alexandria police said the incident happened shortly after 2:30 p.m. in the 5300 block of Taney Avenue. Police spokeswoman Crystal L. Nosal said the woman suffered serious injuries. She was taken to a hospital.The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, Nosal said.

 Faiz Siddiqui

Region

Snows disaster rating yields funding

President Obamas disaster declarations Friday for the District and Maryland will make federal aid available in connection with the mammoth January snowstorm.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said the funds would augment recovery efforts that have been underway since the storm.

Federal officials said that the aid can help pay for emergency measures taken to protect lives, health and property.

 Martin Weil
A member of a bomb squad checks a small helicopter after a man landed on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on April 15. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

The Florida ex-postal worker who landed a gyrocopter at the U.S. Capitol last year accused prosecutors Saturday of misleading a sentencing judge by claiming that his protest flight risked a midair collision with a commercial jet departing from nearby Reagan National Airport.

Douglas Hughes, 62, of Ruskin, Fla., is to be sentenced April 13 in Washington after pleading guilty to a felony charge of flying without a license. He piloted his low-power gyrocopter last April from Gettysburg, Pa., to the District to deliver to Congress letters advocating for campaign finance reform.

In court papers asking U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to impose a 10-month sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal S. Chawla and Michael J. Friedman of the District wrote that Hughes came within 1,400 yards of Delta Flight 1639 on April 15, risking a catastrophic accident.

If the gyrocopter had drifted slightly west, or the airline had taken a slightly more easterly path, a collision could have occurred, prosecutors said.

[Man who landed gyrocopter at U.S. Capitol pleads guilty to felony]

Doug Hughes says his flight was to advocate for campaign finance reform. (James Borchuck/Tampa Bay Times)

In a 38-page sentencing memo, prosecutors cited post-flight analyses of the radar path of the 150-person Airbus jet and of radar and GPS locations for Hughess gyrocopter.

They said Hughes intentionally flew his modified and unregistered gyrocopter into the tightly restricted airspace surrounding three active international airports and the national defense airspace of our nations capital, putting his own life and the lives of others at grave risk, all to gain media attention for his political message.

Hughes, in a telephone interview from his home state, rejected the allegation. He cited testimony by U.S. Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine before a congressional committee last spring that showed that the Delta plane took off at 12:58 p.m., 25 minutes before he landed.

I was there. It didnt happen, Hughes said. They said I flew within 1,500 yards. I wasnt within 30 miles of it.

Hughess attorneys have asked for a sentence of time served, saying his flight caused no injury or property damage, nor harm to the community. The charge carries no sentencing guideline, leaving the judge free to impose terms.

Mr. Hughes needed to utilize a dramatic method in bringing attention to the problem because the traditional means of contacting Congress are ineffective and the amount of influence that sixty-two year old mailmen have in the current political arena is insignificant, Hughess defense attorneys wrote.

[In his own words: Doug Hughess flight for democracy]

Hughes spent one night in jail, five weeks on home confinement and has been confined mostly to travel within his home county of Hillsborough County, Fla. Earlier this year, Kollar-Kotelly granted Hughess request to travel to, from and around the Miami-Dade County area, where he is mounting a campaign for Congress from Floridas 23rd Congressional District.

[Limited travel approved for Floridian who landed gyrocopter at U.S. Capitol]
A 15-year-old teen was shot Saturday night near the intersection of the Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights neighborhoods in Northwest Washington, D.C. police said Sunday.

Around 10:21 p.m., the victim was waiting in line to enter a party at the Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Rd. NW, according to a police report.

The teen told police that he heard 20 gunshots, and started to run. After making it to the intersection of 16th and Euclid streets NW, he realized he was shot and tracked down a police officer for assistance, according to the incident report. Police found the teenager suffering from a single gunshot wound to the middle of his back.

The teen, whose identity has not been released, was conscious and breathing when first responders arrived and was taken to MedStar Hospital for treatment, police spokeswoman Aquita Brown said.

The Festival Center, a religious establishment that empowers and equips people to live authentically and to embody now what God calls the world to be ultimately, according to its website, did not have any scheduled activities for Saturday night, according to its online calendar. Messages to the center were not immediately returned Sunday.

The shooting in under investigation, and there are no suspects at this time.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, seen Feb. 3, 2016 in Annapolis, had traveled this week to North Carolina to be at the bedside of a relative in hospice care. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced Saturday that his sister had died, the latest in a year of personal trials for the first-term governor diagnosed with cancer last June.

In a Facebook post, Hogan mourned the loss of his older sister, Mary Theresa Lazarus.

My heart is broken, Hogan said. My only sister passed away this morning. Mary Theresa Lazarus was the best big sister anyone could ever ask for.

Lazarus, 66, died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease  a rare, degenerative, brain disorder that affects about 1 in 1 million people per year worldwide  according to Hogan spokesman Matt Clark.

Hogan said Lazarus was a married mother of three and grandmother of eight.

I was always so proud of her, the governor said. She was a wonderful wife to her husband Bob, and an incredible mother of my niece Becky, my nephews Keith and Kevin and the greatest grandmother of her eight grandchildren.

The governor said his whole family was mourning the loss Saturday. Clark said earlier this week that the governor had traveled to North Carolina to be at the bedside of a relative in hospice care. His departure came at the halfway point of the legislatures 90-day session. Clark said at the time it was unclear when the governor would be back, but that Hogan remained at the helm of the state.

[Md. governor is in N.C. with relative who is in hospice care]

Our entire family is deeply saddened by our loss, Hogan said in his post. The world was a better place because of her time with us. May she rest in peace.

Clark said Lazarus lived north of Charlotte in Sherrills Ford, N.C., a small town on Lake Norman. She was raised in Prince Georges County and attended Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg. Lazarus went on to marry her high school sweetheart, Robert, Clark said.

He added that she was an active member of her community who volunteered at her church and at homeless shelters.

The death came amid a year of adversity for Hogan, who announced in June he was diagnosed with late stage 3 non-Hodgkins lymphoma. At the time, he called it a very advanced and very aggressive form of the disease. The announcement came five months into his term.

Hogan underwent an intense regimen of treatments in the months that followed, including 30 days of 24-hour chemotherapy, three surgeries and four spinal taps.

Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford (R) filled in for Hogan at times during the 18 weeks of treatment, but Hogan remained officially on the job, holding state meetings at the hospital when necessary.

The governor announced in November that his cancer was in remission.

Ovetta Wiggins contributed to this report.
Organizer Adam Siple is ahead of his H Street Runners, inspired by their club motto  "Faster than the Streetcar!" who participate in a fun run along the H Street/Benning Road Streetcar Line in Washington on March 5, 2016. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post)

Like the heroine armed with a sledgehammer and orange jogging shorts in the epic Apple Macintosh ad 1984, a group of 20 runners challenged the Districts new 70,000-pound transit behemoth to a foot race Saturday in the inaugural Running of the Streetcar.

It was man and woman vs. machine. And some of the humans won.

But it was no walk in the park.

Toward the end, I was afraid it was going to sneak up on me, said Jimmy Donofrio, 30, a digital director for a Democratic group. I never looked back for it. I thought it would be too intimidating for me if it was creeping up on my back.

Donofrio made it the two miles from the first station to the last in 14 minutes 45 seconds. The hulking red-and-gray streetcar did it in 17 minutes 9 seconds. The human, who had been a big skeptic after years of streetcar delays, was gracious in victory. It was pretty efficient. I was impressed, actually, he said.

After the crush of the Feb. 27 grand opening, the streetcar has upped its speed game, moving from being nearly beatable with a brisk walk on Day One to being on pace with competitive runners after a few days on the job.

[D.C. streetcar makes its first voyages]

While it took some streetcars more than 25 minutes to go end to end on their packed inaugural runs, theyve since been averaging about 18 or 19 minutes per trip, according to a very rough tally based on information from dozens of trips.

Some of the smattering of commuters who tried out the line last week said they were pleasantly surprised by their easy and convenient rides on mostly empty cars.

But its still slow-speed transit in an impatient world, and its unclear whether it will carry enough people where they want to go fast enough to be a real success as a mode of transportation.

Some have praised the system for aiding the redevelopment of a once-riot-ravaged stretch of H Street NE. But years of poor planning and mismanagement have burdened the nascent system. Design shortcuts left the tracks pushed too close to parked cars along H Street, requiring operators to move at slow speeds to avoid car doors or the drivers themselves.

Though cities are all different, some have done better at implementing streetcar service.

In Tucson, a newly opened, 3.9-mile streetcar line moves significantly faster than the Districts. For someone to travel from one end of the line to the other, it takes between 27 and 30 minutes, according to the citys transit chief, Jeremy Papuga.

Long before the Districts system opened to passengers a week ago, back when the project itself was inching through years of delays, the H Street Runners adopted the informal slogan #FasterThanTheStreetcar.

Right now it feels a little redundant and probably not the optimal way to get up and down H Street, said Adam Siple, a Justice Department trial attorney who organized Saturdays run and lives just off the line. He tends to take Metros X2 bus, which covers the same two miles as the streetcar but stretches farther east and west.

Beyond the streetcars speed is the issue of frequency, which affects how quickly potential passengers can reach their destinations, Siple said.

[Your guide to riding the streetcar]

Back in 2010, the plans were to have the streetcars run every 10 minutes.

But after the District bought its first three streetcars in 2004, officials stored them outside in the rain while the system was still being built, leaving them with water damage and corroded electrical components. One of them remains out of service, leaving just five active cars in the citys fleet, which prompted officials to cut back to 15-minute frequencies.

Siple was among the runners who outpaced the streetcar Saturday, though by precisely what amount wasnt clear. Their race was actually closer to a time trial, since Siple and the other members of the H Street Runners took off a few minutes before the streetcar did. Even in the running of the bulls in Pamplona, they get a little bit of a lead, Siple said as the group set out from the end of the line on Benning Road and Oklahoma Avenue NE.

Dana Ayers was among the runners who were vanquished by the Districts $200 million-plus streetcar system. She got into running in 2002, when she worked at the White House and President George W. Bush set up a five-kilometer run for staffers.

You know, Im a proud ambassador of slow running, Ayers said. It doesnt bother me I didnt beat it.
Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) is one of three lawmakers introducing bills to tighten Virginias approach to illegal immigrants. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

Amid the national debate over illegal immigration, several Republican lawmakers in Virginia are trying to tighten the states already aggressive stance.

Three Republican legislators have pitched separate bills aiming to crack down on people living in Virginia who are in the United States illegally.

Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) wants to make sure cities and counties comply with federal immigration detainers, which usually are requests to local law enforcement officials to hold jailed individuals beyond their release dates while federal agents decide whether to begin the deportation process.

State Sen. Richard H. Black (R-Loudoun) has a bill that would hold cities legally responsible if officials release an illegal immigrant who then commits a crime.

And state Sen. Thomas A. Garrett Jr. (R-Buckingham) wants to prohibit sanctuary cities, a term for communities that try to block illegal immigrants from being turned over to federal authorities.

Its the role of the states to tell the federal government to do their damn job, said Garrett, who is running for Congress. Obama, Congress, the entire federal government is pretending theres nothing to see here.

Compromise legislation will come before lawmakers for final votes in the last week of the legislative session, which begins Monday, and it is unclear whether amended versions of some of the measures will pass. But the debate has tapped into a national concern about illegal immigration voiced by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

Also fueling worry is the 2015 high-profile shooting death in San Francisco of 32-year-old Kate Steinle, allegedly by a Mexican national who had previously been deported five times.

Lawmakers also cited the terrorist attacks in Paris last year and said they had concerns that Syrian refugees fleeing the Islamic State would export terrorism to the United States through federal resettlement programs.

Similar laws were put forward this legislative session in Florida, Arizona, Nebraska, Kansas and Wisconsin, according to Church World Service, which tracks what it calls anti-sanctuary-city bills. So far, only North Carolina has enacted such a law.

Unfortunately, this really is a symptom of the discriminatory rhetoric in this election cycle targeting immigrants and Syrian refugees, said the Rev. Noel Andersen, the national grass-roots coordinator for CWS. The anti-immigrant, anti-refugee, anti-Muslim organizations have taken this opportunity to join forces.

Opponents say the measures could discourage victims from reporting crimes because they fear deportation and might undermine efforts by Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) to portray Virginia as open to newcomers, thereby hurting the states economy.

[6 big things to know about sanctuary cities]

Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax) said the bills are part of a trend first seen in Virginia in 2007 when Prince William County directed police officers to check the immigration status of people if there was probable cause to believe that they were in the country illegally.

We can continue to send that kind of message, he said in a floor speech. We can continue to say that Virginias not open . . . that Virginia doesnt like people that dont look like us or people that dont share our values.

But Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax) said illegal immigration puts too much of a strain on public safety and other resources. He said he began to work on the issue after a dozen of his constituents were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon.

I would venture to say we have about every single law that you can have in Virginia to fight illegal immigration, he said. For example, Virginia already requires law enforcement to check the immigration status of every person who is arrested.

Ever since Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) issued an opinion last year declaring federal detainer requests optional, lawmakers have looked for ways to make them mandatory.

Albo, chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee that hears these bills, said consensus was building around new language that would require sheriffs to comply with lawful detainers before an inmates release date, on the condition that federal officers promise to pick up detainees or pay for their stay.

That is already what happens in Arlington County, according to Paul Larson, chief deputy at the county sheriffs office. If U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement makes a detainer request, the federal agency pays for food and medical care and picks them up within 48 hours.

If they didnt, we would release them, he said. They have not missed a person.

As in Arlington, Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle, a former Republican state senator, said he will not hold anyone past their release date without a judges order.

Last thing they want is law enforcement making decisions about who should be held and who should not be held, he said. Theres due process. Theres a court system for that.
PENNSYLVANIA

Skit that highlighted KKK prompts apology

The superintendent of a Philadelphia-area school district has apologized for a class skit in which students dressed in Ku Klux Klan-like outfits.

Superintendent Richard Dunlap, of the Upper Darby School District, sent a message to parents and the community Friday saying the skit was intended to identify and highlight the atrocities of the Ku Klux Klan. He said it was part of a history class on the 1920s in the 2014-2015 school year.

A photo of the students dressed in white shirts bearing the letter K and wearing conical hoods concealing their faces surfaced on social media Thursday evening. Dunlap said the photo has offended many in the community.

 Associated Press

FLORIDA

Family rallies for agent missing in Iran

Family and colleagues of a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran nine years ago expressed anger and disappointment at a rally Saturday in Coral Springs, Fla., that he wasnt part of a January prisoner exchange with Tehran.

Several hundred people attended the rally for Robert Levinson, 67, who disappeared from Irans Kish Island during March 2007. The married father of seven was working for the CIA to glean information about Irans nuclear program. U.S. officials say they believe the Iranian government was behind his disappearance. Iran has denied the accusation.

Levinsons family last received video and photos of him about five years ago.

Retired FBI agent Ellen Glasser harshly criticized the Obama administration for not demanding that Iran release Levinson or at least tell of his whereabouts. The FBI says it is committed to finding Levinson.

 Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Woman convicted of killing 6 relatives

A Seattle jury on Friday convicted a 37-year-old woman of killing six members of her family during a Christmas Eve gathering in 2007.

Michele Anderson was found guilty of six counts of first-degree aggravated murder following a five-week trial in King County Superior Court.

She faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for gunning down three generations of her family in Carnation, Wash., about 30 miles east of Seattle.

Scott OToole, King County senior deputy prosecutor, told jurors that the motive for the slayings was pure, unadulterated greed, the Seattle Times reported.

Andersons ex-boyfriend, Joseph McEnroe, is serving six life sentences after he was convicted a year ago of the same killings.

Authorities say McEnroe and Anderson first shot her parents, Wayne and Judy Anderson. The two shot Andersons brother, Scott, his wife, Erica, and their two children, 5-year-old Olivia and 3-year-old Nathan, soon after when they arrived for dinner.
WHAT IS the point of having a law if it isnt enforced? Advocates for domestic violence victims are asking Maryland legislators that question with regard to a law that  in theory  bars certain domestic violence offenders from possessing or purchasing guns. Because the chances of a domestic violence victim being killed rise fivefold when an abuser has access to a gun, the question matters. If lawmakers are serious about saving womens lives, they will close the lethal gap between legal theory and real life.

Bills addressing the problem have been filed in both houses of the General Assembly. Under the measures sponsored by Del. Will Smith (D-Montgomery) and Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery), judges would be required to notify anyone disqualified from owning a gun as a result of a domestic violence conviction that he is permanently barred from having or buying a gun, give him 48 hours to transfer all guns to police or a licensed gun dealer and show proof at court within five days that hes done so. Because victims are likely to be blamed by abusers for their arrest and conviction, the period immediately following conviction is particularly perilous.

The legislation doesnt expand the list of those disqualified from gun ownership but merely puts in place a mechanism for sensible enforcement of existing law. The importance of removing guns from potentially dangerous offenders was recognized by Maryland lawmakers when they made violation of the statute a felony punishable with a mandatory five-year sentence and no parole.

Impetus for the legislation was sparked by a report last year from a group that monitors Montgomery County courts that found that guns were virtually never discussed during criminal domestic violence cases. Stark and disturbing, Court Watch Montgomery Director Laurie Duker said of its findings: Only one out of 126 convicted domestic violence offenders were told they were banned from gun ownership.

Its encouraging that House and Senate leaders included the measure in their legislative packages, but a critical test will come this week with a vote expected in the always-unpredictable House Judiciary Committee. Its a place where a lot of good legislation has died, and some members expressed skepticism during a public hearing on the matter. Some seemed not to realize that rather than making new law, this measure would provide clear language to establish a process for enforcing a law that already exists  and with good reason. The General Assembly should act to make sure that domestic abusers turn over their guns, as the law demands.
THE DEMOCRATIC presidential candidates offer a powerful rebuke of the vulgar, demeaning Republican presidential campaign  not so much in what Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders say about the Republicans, but simply in the way they behave. You wouldnt mind your children watching their debates, which have been focused largely on policy. Both the former secretary of state and the Vermont senator offer serious, testable proposals. Both show respect for each other, for the voters and for the office they seek.

Take, for example, the fundamental question of how a government should tax and spend. Ms. Clinton in particular has offered a raft of serious, progressive proposals that are grounded in reality, even though the electorate has sometimes seemed more interested in ideological pizzazz. The independent Tax Policy Center, which has been examining each candidates fiscal plans, reported last week that Ms. Clintons would raise about $1.1 trillion in new revenue over a decade, almost entirely from very high earners. She would spend a significant portion of this money  on a tax cut for the middle class, making college debt-free and other programs. Though it is still unclear exactly how much of Ms. Clintons new revenue would be put to righting the countrys long-term budget outlook, hers is the most fiscally responsible plan on the table.

Mr. Sanders also claims to pay for all the new spending he proposes. But he would increase taxes  mostly on the wealthy, but on everyone to some extent  by a whopping $15.3 trillion over 10 years. The revenue would go to making college and health care free, among other goals. But the tax hikes would be so large and the spending requirements of his new programs so uncertain that the analysts warn that the plan carries economic risks that they cannot measure. There is little precedent for increasing the size of government so much and so fast.

The Republicans lately have not been much interested in discussing such matters. But they all have made proposals  and none of them passes the laugh test, as the Tax Policy Center analyses show.

Unsurprisingly, Donald Trumps plan would do the most damage, reducing federal revenue by $9.5 trillion over 10 years. Ted Cruz takes the silver medal for irresponsibility, reducing revenue by $8.6 trillion, and Marco Rubio claims the bronze with a mere $6.8 trillion reduction. Each plan would require unprecedented spending cuts to work  on the order of slashing the entire defense budget or greater.

True, the estimates do not assume miraculous levels of economic growth, which Republicans typically rely on. But they also do not count the additional interest the country would have to pay if GOP tax cuts ended up being deficit financed. Congress has a much easier time cutting taxes than it does reducing spending, and there is little reason to believe a President Trump or a President Cruz could magically upend that pattern.

This, then, is the state of the presidential race: a thoroughly unbecoming campaign on the GOP side and a quieter but nevertheless stark contrast of visions on the Democratic side. It is clear who knows what running for president should look like  and who does not.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders faced off in Flint, Mich. on March 6. Here are the key moments. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders faced off in Flint, Mich. on March 6. Here are the key moments. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Sunday nights Democratic presidential debate here focused heavily on the lead crisis in this majority African American city, as well as differences between the candidates on issues of trade, jobs, guns and fracking.

There were also points of agreement on policy  former secretary of state Hillary Clinton joined Sen. Bernie Sanders in his previous call for Michigans Republican governor to resign in the midst of Flints water crisis  and few mentions of the emerging GOP field, including front-runner Donald Trump.

We have our differences and we get into vigorous debate about issue, but compare the substance of this debate with what you saw on the Republican stage last week, Clinton said to applause.

Sanders chimed in: When you watch these Republican debates, you know why we need to address the mental health.

But throughout the night, Sanders remained unrelenting in attacking Clinton for her connections to Wall Street and her positions on past trade deals. Clinton criticized the Vermont senator for his position on gun manufacturer liability and investing in exports.

[Sanders keeps raising millions  and spending them, a potential problem for Clinton]

Much of Sunday nights debate in Flint has been about points of contrast between the two Democratic candidates, including intricacies of gun control approaches and trade policies, while they also noted points of agreement, such as dismantling institutional racism.

Clinton has a clearer path to the Democratic nomination than Sanders and leads him by double-digit margins in Michigan polls.

Regarding fracking, Clinton offered what she cast as a measured approach which ultimately would result in few places in America where fracking will be able to take place.

But when Sanders was asked whether he supported fracking, he responded: My answer is a lot shorter: No, I do not support fracking.

In a Democratic primary contest in which African American voters will play a crucial role, Clinton and Sanders were both also asked about their racial blind spots by CNNs Don Lemon, and about their support for a two-decades-old crime bill.

Both candidates noted that they had indeed voted for the 1994 crime bill, which has been blamed for furthering racial disparities in the criminal justice system, while emphasizing that they want to reform the criminal justice system. The 1994 bill also included provisions for harsher penalties regarding violence against women.

I cant pretend to have had the experience youve had, Clinton told Lemon, and that others have had, but I will do everything that I possibly can, to do the best I can, to not just understand and empathize but to tear down the barriers of systematic racism.

Sanders echoed Clinton regarding racial blind spots, talking about his history in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

We must be firm in making it clear that we will end institutional racism and reform a broken criminal justice system, Sanders said.

[The Hillary Clinton-Bernie Sanders race is becoming very predictable]

The debate also covered the issue of guns, after the father of one of the victims of the Kalamazoo shooting rampage asked the candidates about what they would do to curb the tide of gun violence in America.

Clinton called for ending the gun show loophole, and criticized Sanders for his position against holding gun manufacturers legally liable following mass shootings.

I voted against giving them immunity, but I think we should very seriously move to repeal that, she said.

Sanders agreed on the need to expand background checks, but disagreed with holding manufacturers liable, unless they understand that theyre selling guns into an area that its getting into the hands of criminals.

Sanders also criticized Clinton for her past support of trade deals, and the former secretary of state opened a line of attack on Sanders for his opposition to the Export-Import Bank.

I think were in a race for exports, Clinton argued. Here in Michigan, theres been $11 billion in recent years used to support exports, primarily from small business. I favor it, he opposes it.

Sanders, the lone member of the Democratic caucus in the Senate to oppose the Export-Import Bank, fired back, describing the Export-Import Bank as the Bank of Boeing and a source of money for major corporations.

Democrats are not always right, Sanders said. Democrats have supported corporate welfare.

Earlier in the debate, Sanders and Clinton sparred over trade and jobs, after questions turned from the Flint lead water crisis.

Sanders had hammered Clinton for her previous support of trade deals. She responded by laying out a series of proposals to create incentives for companies to invest and stay in the United States, and criticizing Sanders for voting against the auto bailout.

Sanders, responding that the vote was actually one against a Wall Street bailout, cut off Clinton: Excuse me, Im talking, he said, prompting ohs from the audience.

Clinton responded: If youre going to talk then tell the whole story.

[Flint water crisis emerges as a key piece of Democrats election-year message]

The debate began with both candidates calling for Snyders resignation and describing Flints lead water crisis as an outrageous failure of governance.

Its a call that Sanders has made previously and repeated Sunday night. Clinton joined him Sunday, saying Snyder should be recalled or should resign.

Clinton also said the state should use its rainy day fund to help residents in the city.

Its raining lead in Flint and the state is derelict for not coming forward to help, Clinton said.

News that Sanders won the Maine Democratic caucus Sunday came as the two faced off in Flint. Sanders was expected to do well in Maine, and has already won other northeastern states, including his home state of Vermont and New Hampshire, while Clinton won in Massachusetts.

Sundays victory in Maine means he will win at least 14 delegates of Maines 25 pledged delegates, and Clinton will win at least six, according to the Associated Press.

Not including Maines delegates, Clinton has at least 1,123 total delegates, while Sanders has 484, including superdelegates. The race continues to 2,383, the number of delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination.

The debate, which began at 8 p.m. Eastern time and is being televised on CNN, was added to the Democrats schedule after Sanders emerged as a stronger-than-expected challenger. Clinton and Sanders are facing off here in Flint, which was chosen to highlight a two-year-old poisoned-water crisis that has paralyzed the majority-African American city.

Both candidates have campaigned hard in Michigan, which they consider a bellwether for the fall election. The state will serve as a test of Clintons institutional support from workers unions and of Sanderss appeal with the working class.

Sanders drew a large crowd for a rally in Warren, Mich., on Saturday, while Clinton held a small session with African American ministers in Detroit before addressing state Democrats at a dinner.

Hours before Sundays debate began, Sanders called an impromptu news conference where he announced the endorsement of Flint native and former U.S. senator Don Riegle.

There, Sanders acknowledged that he trails Clinton in Michigan, in part because he has continued to struggle to reach African American voters, who represent about 14 percent of Michigans population.

We started off way, way down here, and I think that gap is closing, Sanders said at Sundays news conference. The black vote in Michigan, the black vote all over the country, is enormously important, he added.

But Sanders noted that he believes the divide has been greater along generational lines than along racial lines: Our campaign is doing quite well with younger whites, younger African Americans and younger Latinos.

Sunday night is the first time the candidates have debated since the Super Tuesday contests, when Clinton emerged with a lead of nearly 200 pledged delegates over Sanders. She slightly expanded her delegate lead after a crucial win in Louisiana on Saturday, while Sanders claimed victories in Nebraska and Kansas.

The Sanders campaign believes that the primary map becomes more favorable to their candidate as the race shifts out of the South, but his window to overtake Clinton is narrowing.

Top Sanders strategists tried to make the case last week that the self-described democratic socialist from Vermont still has a path to the Democratic nomination, which involves winning Michigan and other delegate-rich targets such as New York and California.

But Clintons advisers hope that by April, her delegate advantage will make it virtually impossible for Sanders to claim the nomination. And Clinton has already begun shifting her focus on the campaign trail to a potential general election matchup against the Republican front-runner, Donald J. Trump. In recent days, she has pitched supporters with warnings about the GOP field.

We are the last line of defense against Trump succeeding President Obama as our 45th president, and we have got to be ready to fight him with every last thing weve got, Clinton told supporters in a fundraising email.

Michigan holds its primary Tuesday and is the first of the delegate-rich industrial Midwest states to vote. Sanders views the state as winnable despite Clintons steady and comfortable lead in state polling.

A Detroit Free Press-WXYZ poll released late Saturday shows her leading Sanders 56 percent to 31 percent, a gap that suggests it may be too late for him to battle back to a victory here despite a strong effort in recent days, the newspaper wrote.

The Democratic candidates pounced on the Flint water crisis when it exploded in the publics consciousness in January.

The crisis dates to April 2014, when the city, at the time under state oversight, changed its water source from Detroits system to the Flint River to save money. Corrosion-control additives were not added to the water supply, which allowed lead from aging pipes to leach into the water used by the people in Flint.

Complaints about the smell and taste of the water emerged almost immediately, but revelations emerged this year that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and other parts of Republican Gov. Rick Snyders administration dismissed those complaints. Both Clinton and Sanders have said that the crisis would never have happened in a richer, whiter city.

To Democrats, both in Michigan and nationally, the refusal to acknowledge the problem and the negligence that created it is emblematic of Republican-led government failure. That Flint is predominantly poor and black exacerbated a narrative about Republicans being less concerned about minorities.

[In Flint, Clinton casts herself as a problem-solver  and looks past N.H.]

Both Clinton and Sanders have made much of the Flint crisis. The former secretary of state was first, making contact with Flints mayor in January and incorporating references to the matter in virtually every speech since. Clinton first mentioned the Flint crisis during a debate with Sanders in South Carolina, where a majority of Democratic voters are black. She also left a losing campaign in New Hampshire for one day in February to hold a community meeting in Flint, and she and her daughter, Chelsea, returned again in February.

Sanders, who opened a campaign office in Flint, also has visited and has been running a television ad in recent weeks highlighting his dismay at the situation.

[Sanders visits Flint, says crisis points to need for more infrastructure spending]

Clinton, who has enjoyed strong support among African American voters in the South, is expected to do well among black voters in Michigan, too. In 2008, 23 percent of voters who participated in Michigans Democratic primary were African American, according to exit poll data published by CNN.

The senator has increasingly hammered his opponent on trade, jobs and ties to Wall Street. On Friday, Sanders criticized Clintons support of trade agreements dating to the North American Free Trade Agreement, passed under her husband.

If the people of Michigan want to make a decision about which candidate stood with workers against corporate America and against these disastrous trade agreements, that candidate is Bernie Sanders, he said Friday.

With another double-digit victory, we have now won by wide margins in states from New England to the Rocky Mountains and from the Midwest to the Great Plains, the Sanders campaign said in a statement after the Maine win was announced. This weekend alone we won in Maine, Kansas and Nebraska. The pundits might not like it, but the people are making history. We now have the momentum to go all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

And the Sanders campaign maintains that Michigan is ripe territory for the senator. Michigan has large numbers of working-class and struggling middle-class white voters and union members, a constituency that has gravitated toward Sanders elsewhere.Clinton delivered a speech on jobs and trade on Friday, telling workers at a woman-owned Detroit auto parts manufacturer that she opposes President Obamas Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal with Asian nations because it does not offer enough protection for American workers.

But she warned that protectionism is not the answer, either.

There are people in both parties who think we can just shut ourselves away, Clinton said. But even if the United States never signs another trade deal, globalization isnt going away.

Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Brandon Dillon said the states Democrats are pleasantly surprised to be playing a significant role in the nominating contest this year. Although Michigan offers 147 delegates, one of the biggest delegate prizes during the first two months of voting, Dillon said Democrats here had assumed that the race would effectively be over by now. When the primary calendar was set last year, Clinton held a double-digit lead over all potential challengers.

Theres a lot of excitement, especially around the debate and because when this started, people didnt think much attention was going to be paid to Michigan, Dillon said.

Izadi reported from Washington. Steve Friess in Flint contributed to this report.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is famously quiet in the court. But he made his first comments in a decade on Feb. 29. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is famously quiet in the court. But he made his first comments in a decade on Feb. 29. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

The late justice Byron White is credited with the observation that the addition of a new justice to the Supreme Court creates a completely new body that is different in dynamics and practice from its predecessor.

Last week showed that the same can be true of a loss.

With Justice Antonin Scalias chair empty and draped in mourning black  the courts booming conservative voice silenced  the Supreme Court, now with only eight members, seemed transformed in substance and style.

Start with the obvious: On Feb. 29, Justice Clarence Thomas shocked the courtroom by asking a question during oral arguments, the first time he had done so in 10 years. He was defending gun rights, taking up the slack on an issue that he and his closest ally, Scalia, had declared was being treated too cavalierly by the other justices.

[Thomas asks first question during oral arguments in a decade]

During Wednesdays hearing on Texass abortion restrictions, it was the courts four liberals who filled the space that Scalia left.

They dominated the session the way Scalia used to do when he cared passionately about a subject. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg all but commandeered the proceeding, ignoring Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.s efforts to bring the interrogation to an end.

[Liberal justices unite in arguments over Texas abortion restrictions]

That was a change in style, and theres more to say about it. But there were also indications that without Scalia to shore up the courts conservative wing, a shift in the courts jurisprudence is underway as well.

Dow Chemical, for instance, announced that it would settle a nearly $1 billion antitrust judgment instead of pursuing its plans to take the fight to the high court.

Growing political uncertainties due to recent events with the Supreme Court and increased likelihood for unfavorable outcomes for business involved in class-action suits have changed Dows risk assessment of the situation, the company said.

[Dow Chemical settles suit because of Supreme Court uncertainty]

Those changed circumstances were apparent in another of the courts decisions last week.

A month after granting an apparently unprecedented stay to temporarily freeze the Obama administrations signature regulation on climate change, the court denied a similar request to block a different air-pollution rule.

Roberts rejected a request from Michigan and other Republican-led states to stay the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards rule. The regulation was adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency three years ago to tighten restrictions on a class of harmful pollutants that are byproducts of burning coal.

On Feb. 8, just five days before Scalias death and with him in the majority, the court voted 5 to 4 to freeze implementation of the Clean Power Plan, the Obama administrations main avenue to address climate change by limiting greenhouse-gas pollutants. The move was highly unusual because no lower court had ruled on the plans legality.

Last weeks request had different circumstances, but it must have been clear to Roberts that there would not be five votes to issue a stay. He denied the request without even referring it to the full court.

[Supreme Court backs EPA this time in emissions case]

And on Friday night, the court overruled a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit and delayed a Louisiana law that would have forced all but one of the states abortion clinics to close. Because the action came just after the justices were to have met to discuss the Texas case, abortion rights providers took that as a positive sign.

It seems likely that the clinics might have been given the reprieve even if Scalia were voting; the Texas clinics received a similar accommodation last summer. But without Scalia, Thomas was the only justice to register an objection.

As Dows lawyers noted, there is too much uncertainty about the court to make many predictions about its future. The standoff between Obama and Senate Republicans about a replacement for Scalia could mean an eight-member court for at least a year. A flurry of 4-to-4 decisions might blunt the courts influence and postpone controversial decisions.

But in Wednesdays abortion-case hearing, it was hard not to sense a different court.

[Read the transcript of arguments in Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt]

Thomas asked no questions, and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy appeared to be the undecided man in the middle. So it fell on only two justices  Roberts and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.  to make the conservative case for upholding the challenged Texas provisions.

Texas says concern for patient health led to the requirements that clinic doctors have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and that the clinics meet the high standards of surgical centers. The clinics argued that the requirements are medically unnecessary and in some cases impossible to satisfy and that they are a pretext for closing clinics.

Roberts and Alito made time-consuming and technical legal points about whether the case is in the proper form for the court to decide and whether the record contained evidence to support the contention that the law would require 75 percent of the states clinics to close.

The liberals were more aggressive. Ginsburg came to the aid of Stephanie Toti, the attorney representing the Center for Reproductive Rights. The court had taken up so much of her time, Ginsburg said, that she hadnt really been able to get to the heart of her argument.

Can she have some time to address the merits? Ginsburg asked Roberts. He agreed to an extension.

It was the only time they bothered to ask.

When it was Texas Solicitor General Scott A. Kellers turn at the microphone, Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Elena Kagan joined Sotomayor and Ginsburg in a pummeling. Sotomayor was particularly blunt.

According to you, the slightest health improvement is enough to impose on hundreds of thousands of women  even assuming I accept your argument, which I dont, necessarily, because its being challenged  but the slightest benefit is enough to burden the lives of a million women, Sotomayor said. Thats your point?

Later, after Kellers argument time had expired, Sotomayor and Ginsburg continued their questioning, an extremely rare event at a court that lives by rules. Sotomayor spoke six more times; Ginsburg spoke four more.

At one point, Kennedy leaned over to Roberts and said something the courtroom could not hear. But the court transcript later supplied the comment.

Sonia is off, Kennedy said.

That can be taken two ways. But in the context of the day, it seems the most likely interpretation is off and running.
1 of 27 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Photos from presidential caucuses and a primary in Kan., Ky., La., Maine and Neb.. View Photos Ted Cruz secured victories in the Kansas and Maine caucuses while Marco Rubio withered with a string of third-place finishes. On the Democrats side, Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in Kansas and Nebraska, but her dominant status remains intact. Caption Ted Cruz secured victories in the Kansas and Maine caucuses while Marco Rubio withered with a string of third-place finishes. On the Democrats side, Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in Kansas and Nebraska, but her dominant status remains intact. March 5, 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign press conference event at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Sen. Ted Cruzs bid to become the chief alternative to Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump gained steam Saturday, as he secured commanding victories in the Kansas and Maine caucuses while Sen. Marco Rubio withered with a string of third-place finishes.

The 2016 election barreled forward Saturday as five states held presidential nominating contests across the country. On a day dubbed Super Saturday, Republicans voted in Louisiana and caucused in Kansas, Maine and Kentucky. Democrats also voted in Louisiana and caucused in Kansas and Nebraska.

Trump won the Louisiana primary and the Kentucky caucuses, underscoring the extent to which the Republican nomination race has become a contest between him and Cruz.

Taken together, the results marked a devastating rebuke of the Republican establishment, which has settled on Rubio as its standard-bearer. He not only failed to win any states Saturday, but he also finished in third place in every state that voted Saturday except Maine, where he was projected to finish fourth behind Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump urged Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to drop out of the 2016 race after Trump won the Louisiana GOP primary and Kentucky caucuses while Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) won in Maine and Kansas. ( / Reuters)

Trump called on Rubio to drop out of the race Saturday during a speech in West Palm Beach, where he mocked the senators recent losses.

Marco Rubio had a very, very bad night and personally Id call for him to drop out of the race, Trump said. I think its probably time.

As a party we should come together and stop this foolishness, he added later.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders defeated former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in the Kansas and Nebraska caucuses. But Clintons forceful win in delegate-rich Louisiana keeps her vast delegate lead for the Democratic partys nomination intact.

Republican Party leaders have wrung their hands over the prospect of Trump winning the Republican nomination, and Cruz and Rubio have each sought to paint themselves as the only candidate who can take him down. They have accused Trump of feigning conservative values and fooling voters with promises he cannot keep.

The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington, D.C., is utter terror at what we the people are doing together, Cruz, the senator from Texas, said in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, speaking shortly after his projected victory was announced.

Trumps detractors hope that the losses Saturday could signal a break in the populist momentum that has swept him to the top of the polls. Republican leaders fear that his bombastic personality and controversial rhetoric on Mexican immigrants and Muslims could ruin their chances of capturing the White House in the fall and damage the party brand permanently.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz told supporters that as the votes are still being counted, "the networks have called the state of Kansas for us." ( Reuters)

Cruzs ascension comes after a week of intense criticism of the front-runner. Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, called Trump a fraud on Thursday in a blistering speech at the University of Utah, and that night, Trumps rivals launched similar attacks against him at a debate in Detroit.

But although Cruzs rise could signal growing opposition to Trumps candidacy within the party, it would be bittersweet for the party leadership. Both Cruz and Trump have run on anti-establishment messages and have put the party establishment in their crosshairs.

The presidential race entered a new stage Tuesday after Trump and Clinton (D) secured victories in a majority of the 11 partisan primaries and caucuses held that day, when hundreds of delegates were at stake. Clinton, the Democratic establishment favorite, has pulled sharply ahead of rival Sanders, the senator from Vermont, while Trumps wave of populist support showed little sign of waning as he endured scathing attacks from GOP leaders.

Saturdays contests pitch the election forward but do not fundamentally change Clinton and Trumps dominant status; their rivals, encouraged by several victories, have merely managed to keep them at bay. Their focus now turns to a series of high-stakes, high-delegate races in the coming weeks.

I dont want to tell you that were 21 points up in Louisiana, because you wont vote, a bullish Trump quipped Friday evening during a campaign event here in New Orleans. You have to go out and vote, so lets assume were tied, okay? Lets assume. No, you have to go out and vote.

Cruzs Kansas focus pays off

In the lead-up to Saturday, the Cruz campaign focused its efforts on Kansas and Maine, which both held caucuses instead of primaries that the campaign hoped would favor its ground organization. In Maine, Cruz made a direct appeal to libertarian-leaning voters, hoping to siphon off voters who once supported Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.).

Trump and Cruz crossed paths at a caucus site in Wichita on Saturday morning, where each delivered abridged versions of their stump speech to potential supporters. On display was Cruzs increasingly populist pitch, which he thinks will help blunt Trumps appeal moving forward. He pointed to the single mothers and working-class voters he said are struggling under Obamas policies.

The media tells us this is as good as it gets. That is an utter lie, Cruz said. The heart of our economy is not Washington, D.C. The heart of our economy is not New York City. The heart of our economy is small business all across this country.

In Kansas, Rubio stumbled to a third-place finish despite racking up endorsements from major political figures in the state, including Gov. Sam Brownback, Sen. Pat Roberts and 1996 presidential nominee and former Kansas senator Bob Dole. Rubio is looking ahead to the March 15 primary in his home state of Florida, though Trump appears to have an enormous lead in the Sunshine State. The Rubio campaign has remained steadfast in its belief that the senator can turn things around; a loss there would be devastating for Rubio and would give Trump all of the states delegates, which will be allocated on a winner-take-all basis.

Rubio spent Saturday morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., where he delivered an impassioned speech and was received warmly by the audience. He made a passing dig at Trump, whom he has repeatedly accused of being a false conservative and a con man on the campaign trail.

Young Americans have a chance to fulfill an incredible potential, he said at the end of his address. But we have to give them a chance. And they wont have a chance if a Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders is elected. And they wont have a chance if the conservative movement is hijacked by someone who isnt a conservative.

Rubio was scheduled to travel to Puerto Rico on Saturday evening, where voters are poised to give him a second primary win this cycle on Sunday. Victory in Puerto Rico could give him a boost in Florida, where a significant bloc of Puerto Ricans have relocated amid ongoing economic turmoil on the island.

Trump spent the afternoon in the Sunshine State, where he ripped apart little Marco Rubio and pitched himself to the crowd as the only Republican candidate who can beat Clinton. Trump said he hoped to win Kansas and Kentucky on Saturday, and he urged the Orlando crowd to vote for him in the March 15 GOP primary. At one point, Trump asked everyone in the audience to raise their right hands and swear to vote, trying their best to repeat a lengthy and at times rambling pledge.

If we win Florida, its over, Trump said. If we win Florida and Ohio, its really over.

Democratic race

In the Democratic contest, Sanders will probably continue facing down questions about how much longer he can realistically stay in the race with Clintons prohibitive delegate lead; she went into Saturdays contests with 1,066, including superdelegates, to his 432.

In an interview, Sanders said he was heartened that he appears to have won with big turnouts in Kansas and Nebraska and that he feels confident about the Maine caucus on Sunday.

Were feeling great, Sanders said. When I talk about a political revolution, with these kind of turnouts, I think were beginning to see that.

Speaking to Michigan Democrats in Detroit, Clinton congratulated Sanders on running a strong campaign but said she is pleased to add to the overall delegate count.

Sanders has spent roughly double what Clinton has on advertising in Nebraska. Clinton went to Omaha to collect the endorsement of Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett but did not spent significant time campaigning there.

At a rally in Portland, Maine, last week, Sanders reminded the crowd how far he had come.

We were up against the candidate supported by the entire political establishment, someone who had been anointed by the pundits, he said. Well, guess what? It doesnt look like shes so inevitable now.

Anne Gearan in Detroit, Jenna Johnson in Orlando, John Wagner in Raleigh, and Emily Guskin, Katie Zezima and Ed OKeefe in Washington contributed to this report.
Nineteen states have voted in the Republican presidential primary process. And its hard to imagine a more nightmarish scenario for the partys establishment.

Were left with a bully and a zealot, Republican media consultant Kim Alfano said.

At present, Donald Trump  the foul-mouthed billionaire who revels in breaking every political rule  is the favorite for the partys nomination. The alternative is Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), who may be the least-popular politician in Washington.

[Trump throws the GOP into an identity crisis]

The only two realistic options for how the race plays out from here are (1) Trump gets the 1,237 delegates he needs to formally become the GOP nominee or (2) he falls short of the requisite delegates but enters the national convention in mid-July in Cleveland with the most delegates of anyone in the field (and with Cruz in second).

1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trump captures the nations attention on the campaign trail View Photos The Republican presidential candidate dominated the Super Tuesday contests. Caption Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the partys convention in Cleveland. Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami. Carlo Allegri/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

So in an unsavory choice between the unpredictable Trump and the disliked Cruz, where does the Republican political class  strategists, major donors and the like  come down?

The difference between Cruz as the nominee and Trump being the nominee is the difference between pain you know youre going to have and pain you cant yet predict but know is coming, said Neil Newhouse, a partner at the Republican polling firm of Public Opinion Strategies.

[The Republican Partys implosion over Donald Trumps candidacy has arrived]

The general-election race, Newhouse noted, would be markedly different depending on the Republican nominee.

If its Cruz vs. Hillary Clinton, the fight comes down to its essence  an ideological battle, with both sides campaigning to energize their bases while appealing to the moderate middle, he said. Trump vs. Clinton, on the other hand, becomes a personality-character contest, with less focus on ideology, Newhouse said.

But neither Cruz nor Trump are what Republicans hoped for at the start of the 2016 cycle, an election widely touted as one in which some of the partys supposed brightest stars  Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and former Florida governor Jeb Bush  were in the running.

[The Republican establishment really, really doesnt like Ted Cruz]

The problem for the GOP establishment was that its voters didnt like any of those options. Bush is out. Jindal never even got started. Rubio is hanging on by a thread. Ohio Gov. John Kasich is hoping for a quadruple bank shot over the next month to somehow catapult him into contention.

Want to understand how weak the Republican establishment is and how disconnected it is from its base? Of the 19 states that have voted as of Saturday, an establishment candidate has won a grand total of one: Rubio, in the Minnesota caucuses. (Trump has won 12 contests, and Cruz six.)

Yet within some corners of the party, there remains an unwillingness to accept that the choices are  and will be  Trump or Cruz. The idea of keeping Trump from the nomination has become the all-encompassing focus of late. But ask the #NeverTrump folks what denying him the nomination means, and they will be loath to admit that the most likely next outcome is Cruz as the Republican nominee. The sense of well get it worked out belies that, at every turn in this race, the establishments best-laid plans have blown up.

When most professional political Republicans are confronted with the choice between Cruz and Trump, there is an increasing tendency to side with the senator  a remarkable thing and a testament to just how much concern Trumps wildness as a candidate has occasioned.

At the end of the day, I know what Im getting with Ted Cruz, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), one of Cruzs most vocal critics, said on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday morning. Tactically, I disagree with Ted about shutting down the government to repeal Obamacare. I thought it was a bad idea. But, yeah, if I can work with Ted Cruz, I think that shows that there is hope.

Hope may be too strong a word for what the Republican establishment faces as the November election approaches. More like a rock behind Curtain 1 and a hard place behind Curtain 2.
Almost one in six people, some 15.4 percent of the German population, were registered poor in terms of income in 2014. This is the conclusion of the poverty report of the Paritatischen Gesamtverbands charity published for the first time in 2016. The reports co-authors included the organization Pro Asyl, which contributed its expertise regarding poverty among refugees. All the data refers to the period 2005-2014.

The 15.4 percent in poverty corresponds to about 12.5 million people in Germany who live in households where the [net] income is less than 60 percent of the median income of all households. Those particularly affected are the unemployed, with a poverty rate of 58 percent; single parents, with 42 percent living below the poverty line; 19 percent of children, who continue to be among the poorest, and pensioners, who, at 15.6 percent, are above the average poverty rate for the first time.

Compared to the previous year, the poverty rate decreased in 2014 by 0.1 percent. The poverty rate decreased statistically in nine of Germanys 13 states, most notably in Mecklenburg Pomerania (-2.3 percent), Berlin (-1.4) and Bremen (-0.5). Nevertheless, these states continue to head the list of those with the highest poverty rates. In comparison to southern states, the differences continue to be immense.

The slight decrease in the poverty rate, despite these better numbers from some states, can be explained by the fact that both Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, where more than 30 million people live, have recorded an increase in poverty. In Bavaria, which remains one of the states with the highest living standards, the poverty rate increased from 11.3 to 11.5 percent, while in North Rhine-Westphalia it increased to 17.5a 0.4 percent rise.

The Paritatische Gesamtverband also explicitly noted that relevant groups are left out because only people with their own household are included in the statistics. This means that an estimated 335,000 homeless and about 764,000 living in care homes, of which around half are dependent on welfare support, are not included in the statistics.

In addition, there are the more than 200,000 disabled people in inpatient facilities, about 185,000 living in student accommodation and of course the many refugees who persevere in so-called reception centers under inhumane conditions and make do with a minimum of funds, cynically referred to as pocket money.

Excluding refugees, a total of one and a half million people, or about 1.8 percent of the German population, are not included in the data used to calculate the poverty rate. This alone suggests that the minimum reduction in the overall poverty rate reported can in no way be regarded as an endpoint, let alone as a U-turn, in the almost continuously increasing poverty rate among broad social layers since 2006.

This impression is corroborated by the fact that the already very small change in poverty levels stands in flagrant contradiction to the growth of German economic output, which stands at 1.6 percent. It underscores again how wide the social divide has grown and how few have benefited from Germanys enormous economic wealth. The editors of the poverty report also emphasize that economic growth does not automatically lead to a redistribution of the additional produced resources, thereby preventing poverty. Quite the opposite, this increasing wealth can lead to a further widening of the income gap and even greater relative poverty.

It is also significant that the situation of those most affected by poverty changed little, if not worsened, between 2005 and 2014. A group where this is manifested with shocking clarity is that of pensioners: The poverty rate among pensioners today lies 46 percent higher than in 2005.

This is illustrated by a contribution by Joachim Rock titled, Poverty in old age and disability, using the example of 75-year-old Joseph H., who had worked until he was 71 years old and now has a pension of 416, and must thus rely on welfare. While the number of pensioners in receipt of welfare support was 257,734 in 2003, in 2014 the number is 512,262. This represents an increase of 99 percent, but it is already clear that the number of people affected by poverty in old age will increase significantly in the coming years.

This disturbing trend is by no means due to demographic changes or lack of economic success, but the result of a systematic policy of cutting pensions and social benefits. For example, the introduction of the so-called sustainability and Riester factors in 2003 and 2005 means pension increases lag 4.4 percent behind wage increases. By 2029, it will be a further 8 percent. For an average earner with 45 years of contributions this would correspond to a loss of 2,939 a year.

The largest group of people experiencing poverty remains the unemployed. Those who are or remain unemployed in this country are not protected from povertybut on the contrary, are particularly hard hit by poverty, writes expert Tina Hoffmann in the section unemployment and poverty. The worst affected are those who must rely on benefits from the basic provision for jobseekers, better known as Hartz IV, where the poverty rate is 84 percent.

In a European comparison, Germany leads the statistics in a negative sense. Even the most fundamental essentials of food, clothing and housing are not securely covered by the current Hartz-IV rate of 404 a month: 40 percent of Hartz IV recipients cannot [also] afford payment-liable medical treatments such as dentures or glasses.

Receipt of Hartz IV benefits also often impacts on social living standards, because recipients have to restrict their social activitiesfrom the lack of communication possibilities in the absence of the Internet and a computer, to the impossibility of going to a movie or visiting a restaurant.

This social isolation, exacerbated by the frequent breaking off of relations with former colleagues, is also reflected in the mental health of many Hartz IV recipients and increasingly reinforces a withdrawal from social life. However, it would be wrong to draw a picture of apathy and total withdrawal. Empirical evidence shows, according to the poverty report, that in particular the unemployed in East Germany increasingly get involved in voluntary service.

The overall picture that arises from this report clearly contradicts that propagated by many politicians and the bourgeois media of social improvement through higher employment. This only points ultimately to the fact that even for those in employment it is increasingly difficult to achieve a certain standard of living, because poverty has not diminished at all. While even many mainstream media must now acknowledge the widening gulf between rich and poor, the grave figures contained in the poverty report were usually dismissed in short, superficial articles.

In an editorial in Spiegel Online, under the headline Social Association: The dangerous blues from bitterly poor Germany, Guido Kleinhubbert goes so far as to say that the picture drawn by the poverty report would drive those parts of the population already unsettled by the refugee crisis into the hands of the [far right] AfD politicians, NPD scatterbrains and Pegida-brawlers. It is therefore irresponsible to create the impression that for many people in Germany it is getting worse.

This hypocritical standpoint, which simply refuses to state the facts about the standard of living of a large part of the population, reflects the growing fears of the ruling class of a radicalization of the working class. In the face of an increasing social divide, only the working class has an interest in combatting and replacing inequality with a genuinely fair, socialist economic system.
When Ken Duberstein, President Ronald Reagans final chief of staff, heard about Nancy Reagans death, he immediately recalled the conversations he had with the former first lady who always loved to gossip.

My first thought was, Shes back with her Ronnie, Duberstein told Yahoo News in a phone interview Sunday afternoon. And, boy, is she catching him up on everything thats going on.

Duberstein, who served as White House chief of staff from 1988 to 1989, said the bond between the president and first lady was even stronger than it appeared.

Nancy Reagan and President Reagan had an incredible partnership, Duberstein said. And more than that, they had a true love affair. She was better when he was in the room, and he was better when she was in the room.

They had great pillow talk, he continued. She was fiercely loyal: you didnt cross her, and you didnt cross him. And yet she brought an elegance to the White House.

SLIDESHOW  Nancy Reagan: A look back >>>

Nancy Reagan died from congestive heart failure, her office said Sunday. She was 94.

Duberstein, now 71, recalled the first ladys Just Say No campaign against drug abuse, her contribution to stem cell research and her ability to leverage her Hollywood connections.

She convinced Elizabeth Taylor to talk to President Reagan about AIDS, Duberstein said. She was a major player, not only as first lady but also as first partner.

Duberstein also recalled a surprise birthday gift he helped Nancy deliver to the president.

The last time President Reagan celebrated his birthday in the White House, we asked the composer Marvin Hamlisch to write a march for him, Duberstein said. It was played for the first time by the Marine Corps Band in the State Dining room as a surprise and again on his walk toward Marine One. And she was so proud.

Slideshow: Saying goodbye to Nancy Reagan >>>



(Cover tile photo: Ronald Reagan Presidental Library/Getty Images)
>President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan wave to onlookers in Washington following his swearing-in ceremony. (Photo: AP)



Remembrances of Nancy Reagan are rolling in following the announcement of the 94-year-old former first ladys death on Sunday.

Among the first to pay tribute: former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.



With the passing of Nancy Reagan, we say a final goodbye to the days of Ronald Reagan, Romney said in a statement posted to Facebook. With charm, grace, and a passion for America, this couple reminded us of the greatness and the endurance of the American experiment. Some underestimate the influence of a First Lady but from Martha and Abigail through Nancy and beyond, these women have shaped policy, strengthened resolve, and drawn on our better angels. God and Ronnie have finally welcomed a choice soul home.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michele Obama offered their condolences:





Nancy Reagan once wrote that nothing could prepare you for living in the White House. She was right, of course. But we had a head start, because we were fortunate to benefit from her proud example, and her warm and generous advice. Our former First Lady redefined the role in her time here. Later, in her long goodbye with President Reagan, she became a voice on behalf of millions of families going through the depleting, aching reality of Alzheimers, and took on a new role, as advocate, on behalf of treatments that hold the potential and the promise to improve and save lives. We offer our sincere condolences to their children, Patti, Ron, and Michael, and to their grandchildren. And we remain grateful for Nancy Reagans life, thankful for her guidance, and prayerful that she and her beloved husband are together again.





President Obama escorts former first lady Nancy Reagan to a signing ceremony for the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act at the White House. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)



Story continues

Nancy Reagan was totally devoted to President Reagan, and we take comfort that they will be reunited once more, former first lady Barbara Bush said in a statement Sunday. George and I send our prayers and condolences to her family.



Former President George W. Bush released a statement of his own:





Laura and I are saddened by the loss of former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Mrs. Reagan was fiercely loyal to her beloved husband, and that devotion was matched only by her devotion to our country. Her influence on the White House was complete and lasting. During her time as First Lady and since, she raised awareness about drug abuse and breast cancer. When we moved into the White House, we benefitted from her work to make those historic rooms beautiful. Laura and I are grateful for the life of Nancy Reagan, and we send our condolences to the entire Reagan family.



Former President Bill Clinton recalled Nancys strength of character:





Hillary and I were deeply saddened to learn of Nancy Reagans passing. Nancy was an extraordinary woman: a gracious first lady, proud mother, and devoted wife to President Reagan  her Ronnie. Her strength of character was legendary, particularly when tested by the attempted assassination of the president, and throughout his battle with Alzheimers. She leaves a remarkable legacy of good that includes her tireless advocacy for Alzheimers research and the Foster Grandparent Program. We join all Americans in extending our prayers and condolences to her beloved children and her entire family during this difficult time.



You didnt have to be a Reagan Republican to admire and respect Nancy Reagan, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said. She was a tower of strength alongside her husband, had strong beliefs, and was not afraid to chart her own course politically. She persuaded her husband to support the Brady Law, and their advocacy was instrumental in helping us pass it.

Elaine and I join the nation in mourning the loss of Nancy Reagan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday. In many ways the Reagan love story was classic Hollywood, but it was unmistakably human too. Hands intertwined, Nancy and Ron rose to the pinnacle of political power, weathered cancer and personal heartbreak, and braved the depths of Alzheimers cold embrace  always together. I know every American felt Nancys immense pain when she, kissing Ronnies casket, mouthed a tearful farewell to the best friend she once said she couldnt imagine life without.

California Rep. Nancy Pelosi released a lengthy statement mourning Reagans loss:





Today, officially and personally, our nation mourns the loss of former First Lady of the United States Nancy Reagan. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan devoted her time and energy to fighting drug use among children and young adults  bringing national attention to the issue with her just say no campaign. A loving and nurturing wife and mother, Nancy Reagan devoted herself to caring for President Reagan during his battle with Alzheimers. In 2001, Mrs. Reagan courageously spoke out in support of stem-cell research, channeling her familys private struggle into public advocacy on behalf of the millions of Americans fighting this disease. In June 2009, as Speaker and as a Californian, I was honored to welcome Mrs. Reagan to the Capitol and see her joy as we dedicated the statue of President Reagan in the Rotunda. I hope that it is a comfort to the entire Reagan family that so many around the world appreciate her life, mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time.



Related slideshow: Nancy Reagan through the years >>

Nancy Reagan embodied what it means to represent America as First Lady and her dignified and warm demeanor inspired America, Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement. Mrs. Reagan will go down in history as a woman who left her own mark on the White House and our country. She was a longtime friend and supporter of many in our party, and will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Reagan family and all those who she so deeply touched over the years.

Democratic National Committee chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz recalled the legacy of Nancy Reagans Just Say No campaign:





Her Just Say No campaign to keep children from abusing drugs had a long-lasting impact that no doubt saved lives. And her work later in life to support the National Alzheimers Association and stem cell research helped advance the science of finding a cure for a devastating disease that affects millions of American families every day. As we celebrate her life and legacy as a partner, confidant and adviser to President Reagan, and as a leader and philanthropist in her own right, we should also honor her passing by reflecting on the progress we can make when our elected officials work together across the aisle, as the Reagan administration did on issues ranging from immigration to nuclear arms control, making our people more prosperous and our nation more secure.



Others took to Twitter to express their grief and gratitude.





Shes with her Ronnie now, but those of us she left behind will miss her dearly. (2/2)  Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) March 6, 2016

Sending love to Nancy Reagans family. She served our country and the state of California with class  Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) March 6, 2016

I am saddened by the passing of my step mother Nancy ReaganShe is once again with the man she loved.God Bless

  Michael Reagan (@ReaganWorld) March 6, 2016

Nancy Reagan, who died today at the age of 94, was her husbands closest adviser https://t.co/aqsXazXgRS pic.twitter.com/1XwPlJhQid  VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) March 6, 2016

Nancy Reagan, the wife of a truly great President, was an amazing woman. She will be missed!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2016

Nancy Reagan will be remembered for her deep passion for this nation and love for her husband, Ronald. The Reagan family is in our prayers.  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 6, 2016

Ohio Gov. John Kasichs statement on the passing of Nancy Reagan: pic.twitter.com/1EWpzAY01B  John Kasich (@JohnKasich) March 6, 2016

My statement on the passing of Nancy Reagan. pic.twitter.com/5ZHXpKGzZB  Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 6, 2016

RIP Nancy Reagan - truly an iconic First Lady and the epitome of American class and grace.  pic.twitter.com/CDMaJxSxXW  Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) March 6, 2016

Another tremendous service of Nancys: White House began serving liquor again after the abstemious Carter years. https://t.co/B0Z4Y7SB8t  Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) March 6, 2016

As it was her signature color, Nancy Reagan always liked to be photographed @WhiteHouse in the Red Room. pic.twitter.com/Pi7oTHMgsh  Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) March 6, 2016

Nancy Reagan, a stylish and influential first lady, dies at 94 https://t.co/Huur2V6jNi pic.twitter.com/ybdNAUnfLZ  NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) March 6, 2016

My friend Nancy Reagan died aged 94 The end of an era,#Love the 80s  Joan Collins (@Joancollinsdbe) March 6, 2016

Ronald & Nancy Reagan honor the King at the White House pic.twitter.com/z2QOH5zoF1  Steven James (@TheLaunchMag) March 6, 2016

Sad to hear Nancy Reagan passed away. She stood up for us in 1984 when we were banned from playing July 4 D.C. Show. Ended up being great.  Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive) March 6, 2016

@TheBeachBoys will dedicate Their Hearts Were Full of Spring tonight in loving memory of Nancy Reagan. pic.twitter.com/OohUxRMXP6  John Stamos (@JohnStamos) March 6, 2016
Some media outlets and activists have been making big claims that the recent westside wildfires and resultant smoke were the result of globa...
COLUMBUS  Platte County Democrats pointed to Hillary Clintons experience and message of expanding health care, making college more affordable and building coalitions to get things done in throwing their support behind the former secretary of state during Saturday's caucus in Columbus.

Clinton was backed by 54 percent of the caucus-goers, 128 votes, for the Democratic nomination compared to 46 percent, 108 votes, cast for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during the more than three-hour event at the local VFW.

That was a close caucus, said Platte County Democratic Chairman Tom Havelka after the votes had been tabulated. The chairman invited all caucus-goers to attend the May 17 Democratic county convention in Columbus.

Sanders, backed by a wave of enthusiastic supporters, won the statewide vote Saturday, a day after he claimed victory in neighboring Kansas. He won 15 of the 25 delegates in Nebraska.

The local turnout of registered Democrats exceeded Havelkas expectations, especially after only about 20 attended 2012s uncontested caucus that nominated President Barack Obama for a second term.

I was expecting between 100 and 200, the party chairman said.

About 300 county Democrats turned out for the initial 2008 caucus pitting Clinton against Obama.

There were 4,801 registered Democrats in Platte County as of Thursday, less than half of the 11,657 registered Republicans. Party registrations change on a daily basis.

Prior to Saturdays caucus voting, local Democrats spent about two hours comparing their views on the two candidates.

Erin McArdle said she spent quite a bit of time on the fence during the campaign, but settled on Clinton by Saturdays voting.

Ive gone back and forth, said the 42-year-old Columbus mother of a young son. She said Clintons experience and calm demeanor as secretary of state in dealing with other world leaders was a factor in her decision to back the former first lady.

She has really maintained her composure (during the Republican attacks on Benghazi). She is hands down the best candidate on foreign affairs, McArdle said.

Luis Cabanas, a 19-year-old student at Central Community College-Columbus, liked the consistent message of Sanders during his decades of public service.

He said the Vermont senators plans to make higher education more affordable, including his call for tuition-free college, and providing greater access to health care attracted his support.

Clinton, the student said, has sometimes flip-flopped in her views of issues.

College instructor Jeff Kitson, 35, also looked to Sanders as the candidate who can push college affordability and bring student debt under control.

We need to make college more affordable for everybody, Kitson said. The level of student debt is ridiculous. How is a student (with a heavy debt load) going to afford a house or start a family?

Kitson said he was an early supporter of Elizabeth Warren but shifted to Sanders when the Massachusetts senator made it clear she would not be running for president.

Retiree Don Murphy of Columbus said he liked both Clinton and Sanders, but was leaning toward the former first lady before Saturdays caucus voting because he felt she was more electable against a Republican in the November general election.

Murphy said Sanders goals of a single-payer health care system and tuition-free college could be unattainable with the gridlock that has persisted in Congress over the last eight years of the Obama presidency.

I think weve got an embarrassment of riches as far as talent, said Murphy, noting that he liked Clinton, Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley before he withdrew from the nomination race.

I dont think we can go wrong with Hillary or Bernie, Murphy said.

Saturday's contest marked the second time Clinton has lost Nebraska's Democratic caucuses. In 2008, she lost to Obama before his election to the presidency.

The Nebraska party switched from a May primary to an earlier caucus in 2008 to generate national attention and build its membership in the conservative state.

No Democrats hold statewide office in Nebraska, and there's just one among the state's five-member congressional delegation.

But the move to an earlier caucus may have helped build enthusiasm, with both Sanders and Clinton visiting Nebraska in an effort to win the state's 25 delegates and its superdelegates. For the first time, caucus sites were established in all 93 of the state's counties.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
SCHUYLER  Area residents both young and young at heart strutted their stuff on the dance floor Saturday night to raise money for a new library.

Six acts competed at the Oak Ballroom in the second annual Dancing like the Stars fundraiser, an event organized by the Schuyler Public Library Foundation in partnership with the librarys board of trustees to back an ongoing building project.

The evening featured the dance competition, performances by Studio A Dance Academy and last years winning team of Katie Heavican Shultz and Thomas Heavican, an auction and raffle  all benefiting the librarys planned move from downtown to a new building located between 18th and 19th streets along the east side of Colfax Street (Highway 15).

This is a project that is going to happen in 2016, Brian Bywater, president of the library foundation, told a crowd that filled the ballroom.

Bywater and Claudia Lanuza served as emcees for the event, and Shultz, who owns Studio A Dance Academy, is providing dance lessons to the highest auction bidder. Schuylers DJ Chato, who handled the music for Dancing like the Stars, donated his services for the raffle.

The library foundation purchased the property for the planned building last year and some site work, including the demolition of a house located there, has already been completed.

Youre really going to be able to see some action here in the next month or so, Bywater said of the construction process, which he expects to be completed in 2016 or early 2017.

Library officials plan to raise all of the money for the approximately $1.5 million project through private donations and fundraisers like Saturday nights event.

Were close to that number, but we have a little ways to go, said Bywater, who noted that the foundation is close to securing another six-figure donation, this time from a business.

In October, Bywater announced the foundation received $500,000 from Colorado resident James Sindelar, who grew up in Colfax County and graduated from Schuyler High School in 1940. Pinnacle Bank also contributed $25,000 to the project.

Dancing like the Stars raised additional money for the library by allowing attendees to vote for their favorite acts through donations.

The trio of Jayda Sucha, Bailey Sucha and Kameryn Healy won the peoples choice award, and Humberto and Rita Castanon were the judges top pick. Both winners received $100 prizes to go along with their trophies.

A final blueprint for the new library should be approved in about three weeks, according to Bywater, with the initial plan calling for an approximately 10,700-square-foot building.

Library officials, who have been discussing the need for a new building for more than a decade, say the current 5,300-square-foot space at 1123 A St. no longer fits the librarys needs.

Schuyler Public Library has been at its current location, originally built as a grocery store more than a century ago, since the 1970s.

The Colfax Street site is also close to Schuyler Elementary School and outside the updated flood plain as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.




1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
Family Connections

Family history is a long adventure. The aim of this blog is to record notes and stories collected when researching the history of my family.



There is also a section with guidelines for undertaking family history research - Unlocking Family Stories - as well as a series of articles about family members - 52 Articles in 52 Weeks.




Thanks to Lucie Lecomte for sending the link to this report from Nairaland.com: Lassa-fever Kills Corper Doctor, Kelechi-aaron In Kaduna. Click through for a photo of the doctor and comments:

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has lamented the death of a corps member, Dr. Ogboji Kelechi Aaron, who was reportedly killed, last month, by the Lassa fever, while in active service in Kaduna State.

During the briefing of pressmen at the State Secretariat of the Corps in Abakaliki, the Director-General of the Scheme Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawumi, stated that the victim got infected with the virus after treating a patient with the ailment.

Olawumi, represented by the Director of Corps Welfare and Inspectorate, Mr. Michael Ahile, extolled the virtues of the deceased during a formal condolence visit to his family.

He described Ogboji as an exceptional corps member who was fully dedicated to his duties and in the process paid the supreme sacrifice.

Until his death, Ogboji, a native of Igweledoha Amagu in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, was serving at St. Louis Hospital Zonkwa in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Meanwhile, the elder brother of the deceased, Wilfred Emeka Ogboji has expressed dissatisfaction over how the deceased was taken care of in the place of his primary assignment adding that the deceased was treated for malaria until he died of the deadly Lassa Fever.
He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media.





Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.





Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.



A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.



He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.









Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.
Public caning in Aceh, Indonesia (file photo) The Banda Aceh Prosecutor's Office held a public caning on Tuesday to punish 18 people for having violated Aceh's Islamic bylaws, locally known as Qanun. The Banda Aceh Prosecutor's Office held a public caning on Tuesday to punish 18 people for having violated Aceh's Islamic bylaws, locally known as Qanun.





The 10 convicts who had been caught gambling received a sentence of eight strokes, previously reduced by two strokes due to a detention period, six convicts received 40 strokes for consuming liquor and two were punished for dating. The latter two, a 21-year old and a 19-year old, both university students, received 10 strokes after a two strokes reduction had been granted due to a period of detention.





The convicts had all been accused of violating articles listed in the Qanun, as issued in 2014, Antara news agency reported.





Punishments were applied across all regions of Aceh, said Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Saaduddin Djamal





"This punishment is a form of learning. People who witness the caning should be encouraged not to commit the same crime as those who have been found guilty of violating Islamic sharia," Illiza said.





During the public punishment, Illiza told students who had been waiting to view the caning to go back to school, allowing them to return to watch if their teacher met with her first and only if their teacher stayed to accompany them.





Both the police and Public Order Agency officers guarded the public caning centered at Musala Gampong Rukoh complex, Syiah Kuala District, Banda Aceh.





Among the onlookers were Illiza, Banda Aceh Prosecutor's Office head Husni Thamrin, Banda Aceh city administration officials, and thousands of other local residents.













Indonesia plans anti-gay propaganda law over national security issues





No easy job: Being gay in Indonesia

Indonesia is believed to be drafting its own anti-gay propaganda bill.





Following on from Russias 2013 bill, signed by President Putin, banning the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations, Indonesia could be getting its own.





Amid a crackdown on LGBT content on sites like Facebook and Tumblr, the Communications and Information Minister is reportedly drafting a bill to comprehensively ban LGBT propaganda.





Speaking to the Jakarta Post , a spokesman for the ministry, Ismail Cawidu, said it was setting up a panel to discuss the issue.





The House commission has urged us, so we have to follow up on their proposal. However, the panel will still refer to the mechanism [to ban such websites] as stipulated in the prevailing provision, said Cawidu on Friday.





The law has been proposed by the House of Representatives Commission, the chair of which Mahfudz Siddiq, suggested that the issue was a matter of national security.





LGBT issues can damage national security, identity, culture and the faith of Indonesians, Siddiq told The Jakarta Post, going on to say that it could trigger societal unrest.





Despite this, Indonesia Ulema Council chairman Din Syamsuddin said people should not direct hatred towards LGBT people.





We need to give the LGBT people direction, especially for the LGBT people who realise that homosexuality is indecent behaviour, said Din.





This is the latest in a series of moves to crack down on LGBT content online.









According to reports, the emojis, only introduced in recent years, and which show same-sex couples and families, have already been dropped by messaging app Line.





The government in the increasingly conservative Indonesia has now urged other major social media players to remove the icons for users.





The government in the increasingly conservative Indonesia has now urged other major social media players to remove the icons for users.









Under the 2008 Pornography Law, a Government spokesman said he had written to Tumblr demanding that the explicit content be removed.





The Communications and Information Ministrys e-business director Azhar Hasyim has written to Tumblr.





In January, higher education minister Muhammad Nasir suggested LGBT people should be banned from universities if they engage in public displays of affection.









The brutal practise takes place in the province of Aceh  the only part of the Asian nation which enforces Islamic Sharia law and has autonomous control over crime and punishment.





The countrys leading mental health authority last week said it believes homosexuality should not be left untreated





Indonesia has banned men from behaving effeminately or dressing in womens clothing on television.





The countrys Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has also issued a directive banning men from behaving like women, after receiving complaints from viewers.



- Report an error, an omission: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Facebook and Twitter - Follow us onand

Source: Pink News , Joseph Patrick McCormick, March 5, 2016
Public execution in Saudi Arabia

YADH: Saudi Arabia executed a citizen convicted of murder on Sunday, bringing the number of people it has put to death this year to 70.





Alaa al-Zahrani was found guilty of killing fellow Saudi Abdullah al-Sumairi with a rock to the head, the interior ministry said.





He was put to death in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, said a ministry statement carried by the official SPA news agency.





The 70 executions so far this year include 47 death sentences for "terrorism" carried out in a single day on January 2.





Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded with a sword.





In 2015, Saudi Arabia executed 153 people, most of them for drug trafficking or murder, according to an AFP count.





Amnesty International says the number of executions in Saudi Arabia last year was the highest for two decades.





However, the tally was far behind those of China and Iran.





The kingdom has a strict Islamic legal code under which murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape, homosexuality and apostasy are all punishable by death.





Source: Agence France-Presse, March 6, 2016
New Delhi: Engineering exports to as many as 19 out of Indias top 25 destinations have seen a sharp dip in January, with Malaysia alone recording a plunge of about 90 per cent. Out of 33 engineering products, 22 recorded contraction.

The level of distress for Indias engineering exporters can be gauged from the fact that the drop in several key destinations has crossed 50 per cent (in January) while in the case of Malaysia, the fall has been above even 90 per cent, almost evaporating the market, for January 2016 over the same month last year, said Engineering Export Promotion Council of India.

Engineering exports plummeted 28 per cent in January to $4.82 billion from $6.70 billion in the year-ago period. It is getting quite bad. Look at Malaysia, one of the top 25 destinations for our exports. For January, 2016 the shipments there plummeted to mere $78.22 million from a sizeable $830.88 million a year ago. When close to a billion dollar disappears from a single market in just one of the sectors, the depth of the problems can be gauged, said EEPC India, chairman T.S. Bhasin.

Likewise, the analysis shows that engineering exports to UAE, the second largest market destination after the US, dropped by more than half in January to $484.12 million from $ 991.17 million year-on-year. To the Middle-East and West Asia region, which has been witnessing its own serious problems because of a significant downturn in the crude oil prices, Indias engineering consignments dropped by 43.88 per cent, said EEPC.
Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is set to begin shooting for Shoojit Sircar's production venture, whose working title is Eve. The 73-year-old actor, who last worked with Sircar in Piku, will commence the work from tomorrow in the capital. "So Shoojit produced film starts in Delhi by tomorrow and as is wont the anxiety has begun. Always without fail it arrives in throngs of apprehension," Bachchan wrote in his blog.

To be directed by National Award-winner Aniruddha Roy Chowdhary, the film also stars Baby actress Taapsee Pannu. This is Bachchan's third outing with Shoojit after Shoebite and Piku. While Shoebite is yet to see the light of day, Bachchan earned numerous best actor awards for his performance of a cranky ageing father in last year's "Piku". Shoojit directed both the movies.
Mumbai: While there has been a lot of speculation on Deepika Padukones Hollywood debut ever since she and Vin posted their pictures on social media. Deepika Padukone and the entire team have been shooting for the xXx franchise in Toronto, Canada earlier. The film is considered to have cross-country shooting schedules.

Earlier this year in January, director DJ Caruso confirmed the news that they will start shooting sometime on the locations in the Dominican Republic and gave the fans a sneak peek of the locations on Twitter.

A new still of Deepika and Vin Diesel is doing the rounds on social media. After shooting in the frigid conditions, the two actors are seen sharing a light moment on the sets. Deepika Padukone will be essaying the role of a vicious huntress named Serena.
With Deepika's backing, David Liano will attempt to summit the tallest mountain the world within two-months.

Famed mountaineer David Liano, who is the first man to double summit Mount Everest from both the Nepal and Tibet sides, is all set to scale the mountain again, this time for Deepika Padukone. The climber has teamed up with the actress Live Love Laugh Foundation, to spread awareness about mental health.

Deepika took to her social networking handle this morning to confirm the news and make the formal announcement. Her tweets were as follows.

1/2 David Liano will be climbing the Mount Everest & carrying The Live Love Laugh Foundation flag to support people fighting depression  Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) March 6, 2016

David, who has reportedly climbed Mount Everest five times so far, will scale the mount for again with Deepikas foundations banner. During his two-month long climb to the summit the tallest mountain the world, he will keep fans and followers updated with photos and videos.

David had only kind words to say about Deepikas foundation. He released a small note that read: Climbing Mount Everest is a huge challenge, but it doesnt compare with the tough times that people going through depression and mental illness can go through. I know first hand how difficult it can be for them. If you or somebody you know is suffering from depression, anxiety or stress please visit the foundations website for more information.

Thank you for joining us on this adventure and please share this message. Remember #YouAreNotAlone

Mountaineer David Liano poses with Deepika Padukone's Live Love Laugh Foundation banner.

Deepika Padukone, who faced depression in the past, launched 'The Live Love Laugh' Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to addressing the issue of mental health in India. Deepika had first spoken about her plans to set up the foundation in an interview with a news channel. She talked about how she had experienced depression and took professional help to overcome it.

The actress then decided to start a not-for-profit organisation that would focus on increasing awareness about mental health as an issue, reduce the stigma around it and enable support to people affected by mental health issues.
Preity said that she had been holding on to her Miss tag for long enough till she met someone Goodenough.

A week after tying the knot in a secret ceremony in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Preity Zinta has finally opened up about her marriage to Gene Goodenough. The actress took to her social networking handle to confirm the news of her hush-hush marriage, with a short but sweet message to all her fans and followers.

In her note, Preity said that she had been holding on to her Miss tag for long enough till she met someone Goodenough. She also thanked her fans for all the love and wishes that they have been pouring in all through the week. Very sportingly, Preity also flagged off the Goodenough jokes that have been doing the rounds online.

I was holding on the " Miss Tag" rather seriously till now, until I met someone " Goodenough" to give it up for  So now... Posted by Real Preity Zinta on Saturday, March 5, 2016

Preity wed her US based, financial consultant boyfriend in a secret ceremony in LA, in the presence of close family and friends. According to reports, the two wed in an intimate ceremony according to the Hindu rituals.

Also read: Preity Zinta ties the knot with Gene Goodenough in Los Angeles

In an interview with DC, Preity said that it was because of the non-stop encouragement from her mother, that she finally decided to settle down. The 42-year-old also shared photo of her husband Gene, with her online post.

Also read: Not for myself, but for my mother: Preity Zinta on her marriage

Preity and Gene will reportedly host a grand Rajput style wedding in Mumbai, for all of her filmy friends. According to reports, Salman Khan, Sussanne Khan, and many of the actress friends and former co-stars will be part of the grand bash.

Just after the announcement made by Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra took to Twitter and wished her followed by Abhishek Bachchan.

OMG @realpreityzinta I'm soooo happy for you. Congratulations and here's wishing u both a wonderful life ahead! Hugs https://t.co/pLOOq4usKe  PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) March 5, 2016
Aishwarya will be seen playing the role of Dalbir Kaur in the biopic.

We have seen Aishwarya Rai Bachchan go on the run in her last film Jazbaa, and it looks like the marathon continues for her next flick Sarbjit. We have got our hands on the first video from the sets. The clip has the actress bolting across an alley in a rural village, believed to be in Punjab.

Dressed in a maroon salwar khameez, Aishwarya can be seen running across the frame as she shoots and intense scene in the film.

The crew was in New Delhi early this week, to shoot for an important scene at the Red Fort. The scene had Dalbir Kaur, Sarabjits sister (played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), observing a fast unto death, as she requests authorities to take action and secure Sarabjit's release from the Pakistan jail.

Read: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan shoots fast unto death sequence for Sarbjit

A photo of Aishwarya, deep in prayers also made its way online. This photo was taken while the star was shooting her scenes at the Golden temple.

Based on the story of Sarabjit Singh (played by Randeep Hooda), who died in a Pakistani jail, the movie also stars Richa, who essays the role of Sarabjit's wife.
Priyanka, who has always been tight lipped about her love life, spoke about being in a love triangle.

Priyanka Chopra, who is very busy shooting for her Hollywood projects Baywatch and Quantico, stopped over at the Kelly and Michael show to promote her hit television show. At the morning show, PC opened up a little about the show, her time at the Oscar and her love life.

The actress, who has always been tight lipped about her romantic life, spoke about being in a love triangle! No, its not about those nasty affair rumours that were doing the rounds a while back, but about her childhood crush.

Priyanka, who pursued her high school studies in the US, said that she tagged along with a boy (who liked her) to prom, only so that she could meet her crush at the dance.

A flashback photo of Priyanka Chopra in a white gown, all set for prom.

Priyanka said, "It is terrible. I had a crush on this guy who was a junior. And then there was another guy who had a crush on me. He asked me to the prom and I agreed only so that I would get to meet my crush at the prom. I was mean, but now I know better."

The actress also shared a flashback photo of herself in a white gown, all set to go to her school prom. Priyanka became the second most Googled celebrity at the Oscars, after Leonardo DiCaprio, for her stunning appearance in a white Zuhair Murad gown and $8 million worth jewellery.

Heads up Montreal! PC is back in town and all set to shoot for the second season of Quantico. The show, which has gone on to become a massive hit, will be up for its second season later this year. The show will air the second part of its first season in the coming week.
But for the makers of crayons and colour pencils, the trend also poses a fundamental strategic question: is the current boom in demand just a passing fad or is it a new sustainable trend?

Nuremberg, Germany: Colouring books for grown-ups may be the new lifestyle craze, promising ways to combat stress, unleash our creative spirit and generally take time out from our increasingly tech-frazzled, gadget-obsessed lives.

But for the makers of crayons and colour pencils, the trend also poses a fundamental strategic question: is the current boom in demand just a passing fad or is it a new sustainable trend?

"I dream about crayons at night," says Andreas Martin, who manages a factory of the manufacturer Staedtler in Nuremberg, southern Germany.

Staedtler is a small family-run firm employing a workforce of around 2,000 and has seen demand for some of its coloured pencils explode, more or less overnight.

"These are models we've been making for years and demand always chugged along unspectacularly," Martin said.

"But then all of a sudden, we weren't able to manufacture enough. It's incredible."

Just behind him, a machine spits out yellow ink pens at a rate of around 6,000 per hour. Another next to it is currently programmed to produce orange ones.

On the next floor down, finished crayons in a kaleidoscope of different colours are packed into boxes of 20 or 36 for shipping to the United States, Britain or South Korea.

Those are the countries at the centre of the current adult colouring craze, said Staedtler chief, Axel Marx.

In the USA, nine colouring books are currently among the top 20 best-selling products on Amazon.

A slice of the cake

Gradually "we're seeing a similar development in European countries, too," said Horst Brinkmann, head of marketing and sales at rival Stabilo Schwan, which makes fluorescent marker pens and coloured pencils as well.

All the players in the sector are keen to get a slice of the cake.

Stabilo has launched a set of crayons and book with spring motifs.

Swiss upmarket maker Caran d'Ache has published its own colouring book of Alpine scenes.

Without revealing any figures, Brinkmann said Stabilo's sales of crayons had risen by more than 10 percent while the colouring craze enabled Staedtler to lift its sales by 14 percent last year to 322 million euros ($350 million).

"That's remarkable, in this age of digitalisation," said Marx.

But the hype also constitutes something of a headache for factory chief Martin.

"No-one knows how long it will last," he admits.

"We need to strike a balance", so as to know much to sensibly invest to be able to ride the wave, while still keeping in mind that the trend could vanish as quickly as it started.

"At the moment, we're making use of adjustable working hours," adding shifts, say, at night or on Saturday mornings. In addition to the 350 regular employees, the factory had taken on around 30 temporary workers.

But ultimately, the decision is whether to invest the 300,000 euros needed for a new machine.

Fundamental trend?

Staedtler is ready to stump up the cash, with the hope that "if the market falls again, we can use the machines for different types of products," Martin said.

But rival makers are betting on the durability of the new trend.

At Caran d'Ache, "we have invested in production equipment and extended working hours," said president Carole Hubscher.

The company sets great store by being a "Swiss Made" brand and "there is no question of relocating to boost production," she said.

Hubscher is convinced that writing and drawing "won't disappear."

And "our growth targets are not solely built on trends," she argued.

Stabilo's Brinkmann insisted that adult colouring "is part of a fundamental and universal trend towards slowing down."

Nevertheless, "it's important to continue to innovate in this area" to maintain market momentum, he said, pointing to the new "fashion within a fashion" of "Zentangling" or drawing images using structured patterns.

Staedtler chief Marx is more fatalistic, saying that a trend such as colouring is not predictable.

"But we're keeping our fingers crossed that it'll continue," he said.
The researchers said their study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, does not provide proof of a direct causal link between Zika and microcephaly.

The Zika virus is capable of quickly infecting and harming developing fetal brain cells, scientists said on Friday in a study that provides insight into how the virus might cause the birth defect microcephaly in fetuses exposed in the womb.

The researchers said their study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, does not provide proof of a direct causal link between Zika and microcephaly, but it does identify where the virus may be inflicting the most damage in developing fetuses.

The mosquito-borne virus infects a kind of neural stem cell that goes on to form the cerebral cortex, the brain's outer layer responsible for intellectual capabilities and higher mental functions, the study showed.

Researchers found that these cells, exposed to the virus in laboratory dishes, were infected within three days, turned into "virus factories" for viral replication and died more quickly than normal.

"Our study shows once the virus gets to the brain it can reach these very important cells," researcher Hengli Tang, the study's lead author from Florida State University, said in an interview.

Tang said the study suggests the virus would be capable of doing the damage seen in microcephaly, a condition defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems.

Zika has been linked to numerous cases of microcephaly in Brazil and is spreading rapidly in Latin America and Caribbean nations, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global public health emergency.

Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly. Brazil said it has confirmed more than 640 cases of microcephaly, and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is investigating more than 4,200 additional suspected cases of microcephaly.

"By determining whether Zika virus infects cells in the brain and what happens to a cell that is infected, this paper begins to tackle questions surrounding how a virus that had previously been known to cause a mild illness could be linked to microcephaly," Amelia Pinto, a Saint Louis University expert on viruses transmitted by arthropods such as mosquitoes and ticks, said in a statement.

Tang said future studies will be needed to prove whether or not Zika causes microcephaly.

"We know people would be interested in knowing this information, but a lot still needs to be done," Tang said. "Ultimately the proof would need to come from the clinical side and animal studies."

The researchers are currently growing in the laboratory what they called "mini-brains" composed of the stem cells to see how the virus may affect development over a longer period of time.

Traces of Zika virus have been found in the bodily fluids and tissue of mothers and babies affected by microcephaly.

Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the division of vector-borne diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a news briefing on Wednesday at the Pan American Health Organization in Washington that there are numerous lines of evidence now linking Zika with microcephaly.

"I don't think there is any question about that any longer," Petersen said.
Melissa and Chad Croff are shown with their leap year daughters, newborn Evelyn Joy (R) and four-year-old Elian Adaya at the Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, Columbus, Michigan, in this February 29, 2016 handout photo. (Photo: Screen grab)

A southeast Michigan couple is twice lucky after the birth of their daughter on February 29, the second time the mother has given birth to a baby girl on that day in a leap year.

Chad and Melissa Croff, from Columbus Michigan, welcomed Evelyn Joy into the world at 3:06 am, the Henry Ford Health System said in a statement. She arrived 10 days after her due date.

Weighing in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces, the little girl shares a birthday with older sister Eliana Adaya, who was born February 29, 2012, the last time there was a leap year, the hospital system said.

"It's a little surreal," Melissa Croff told Reuters in an interview. "It's kind of winning the lottery; the baby lottery." She added that labour was not induced. Neither drugs nor a Caesarian section delivery method were used.

Currently, the couple celebrates Eliana's birthday on the closest Saturday relatives can agree on, Croff said. In the future, the girls will pick a celebration day during non-leap years.

The serendipitous timing doesn't happen often. Guinness World Records lists five siblings born on the same day in the United States, February 20, from 1952 to 1966, according to the hospital system.
Chennai: A nine-month pregnant woman, wife of a software-professional in Pallikaranai, hanged herself at home on Friday. Her family has preferred a complaint against the techie for abetting the suicide by constant quarrels and physical abuse.

Police said Mary Jesse, the expectant mother, who was married to Stephen 18 months ago, was working in a private medical college in Pallikaranai. She didnt go to college on Friday. Her husband who left for office called her on the mobile phone twice, but she failed to answer his calls. Stephen called his neighbour living in the same apartment to check his house. They informed him that the house was locked from inside and she was not responding after repeated knocks. Stephen rushed home to find his wife hanging from the ceiling of the bedroom.

The woman was moved to Chromepet Government Hospital for post-mortem. Meanwhile, the womans father John from Vridhachalam has lodged a complaint stating that his son-in-law had developed an inferiority complex about his looks, which affected the marriage. He drove my daugher to commit suicide, John alleged. Meanwhile, Tambaram RDO inquired Stephen. The body of the deceased was handed over to the family after post-mortem.
The accused in the murder case of Sanjay Junge after they were arrested by the police on Sunday. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: A car chase from the Hollywood film Fast and Furious gave the idea to car driver Raheem to drive down the wrong side of a one-way road from Paradise junction till Ramgopalpet police station to escape cops after the gang killed techie Sanjay Junge on Thursday.

The police arrested four persons on Saturday who were involved in the murder of Sanjay Junge and a person who sheltered them. Police said the accused were carrying daggers due to a fight Mubashiruddin had with another person over a love affair.

DCP N. Prakash Reddy said the persons involved in the murder were Syed Salman, 18, Syed Mubashiruddin, 22, who was earlier an accused in a rape case, Md Musharaf, 19, and Syed Abdul Raheem Quizar Yaqoobi, 18, and their friend Syed Rizwan, 22, who sheltered them after the murder.

Police found that on Thursday morning, after the four offered a lift to Sanjay, an argument broke out between Sanjay and others. The argument heated up and Sanjay being older, demanded that they talk to him with respect, which infuriated them.

The quarrel continued from Punjagutta to Swapnalok complex, a distance of around nine km, which they covered in just 12 minutes. After they dropped Sanjay at Swapnalok complex, when he started abusing them, they lost control and Mubashiruddin stabbed Sanjay twice killing him on the spot, the DCP said.

The gang then fled to old city in 20 minutes through bylanes. While escaping, when his friends asked Raheem who was driving, why he took the wrong direction, he said that he would show them Fast and Furious.

We chased them till Tank Bund. They escaped as they avoided main roads till they reached their hideout in Yakutpura, the DCP added. Based on clues, the police nabbed the four from Rizwans house in Mehdipatnam. Police also seized the car and the two daggers used by the gang and two bikes and four mobiles. The accused were sent to judicial custody.
89 passengers and 7 crew members were travelling on the flight. (Representational Image)

Panaji: An Air India flight which arrived here from Delhi was on Sunday checked for bomb after evacuation of its passengers, as the police had received a phone call which claimed that a bomb was planted in the plane.

"Calangute police received a call about a bomb planted in the flight AI516 flying to Goa," a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official told PTI.

"After receiving the call upon the flight's take-off, police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), AAI officials and the bomb disposal squad were summoned," he said.

"The plane which landed at Vasco at 2 PM, was moved towards the Indian Navy apron, and checked thoroughly for the presence of a bomb," he said.

"Initially, it looks like a hoax call, but we are not taking any chance," the official said, with the bomb disposal squad still in action.

89 passengers and 7 crew members were travelling on the flight, he said.

Goa Airport Director K S Rao could not be contacted for a reaction.
Hyderabad: AP Assembly Budget Session will be conducted for 16 days from 9 am to 1.30 pm every working day.

This was decided after the AP Assembly Business advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, which was held here on Saturday under the chairmanship of Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao.

During the meeting YSRCP members Jyothula Nehru and G. Srikanth Reddy demanded that the Budget Session should be conducted for 40 working days.

Finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishndu will present the Budget on 10th March at 12 noon. Later, agriculture minister Prattipati Pulla Rao will present the Agriculture Budget separately on the same day.

The speaker proposed to give adjournment notices after completion of the Question Hour and Zero Hour. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu also supported this proposal and asked the YSRCP MLAs to seek the opinion of their leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

YSRCP leaders said that Mr Jagan has agreed to cooperate for the smooth run of the House. Meanwhile, Opposition leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, on Saturday, said that discussions in the House should be meaningfull. Reacting to this legislative affairs minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu commented that if Jagan behaves well, meaningfull discussions will be held in the House.
Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said the central police forces in the five polling states will be deployed well in advance to keep a check on electoral malpractices. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Technology will ensure that 'flying squads' mandated to prevent malpractices do not turn a blind eye to complaints of electoral malpractices and reach the trouble spots without making excuses during the assembly polls to five states.

All vehicles allotted to 'flying squads' will be equipped with GPS devices amid mounting complaints that these mobile teams often deliberately avoid reaching trouble spots.

While GPS (global positioning system) will allow the Election Commission keep track of vehicles allotted to flying squads and mobile teams, personnel of central police forces in these will ensure action is taken against those indulging in malpractices to favour a particular political party or candidate.

"All flying squads and mobile teams will have central police forces travelling with them. All mobile teams and flying squads will have GPS in the vehicles so that their movements are tracked," Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said.

He said there have been charges "that when a complaint is made to the flying squad, instead of going to the real destination, they go to other destinations to let people commit whatever they want to commit. Therefore, this GPS will track them down. The Commission will ensure it."

The CEC also said the central police forces will be deployed well in advance for area domination, route marches in vulnerable pockets, point patrolling and other confidence building measures to reassure the voters and build faith among them, especially those belonging to the weaker sections and minorities.

Seeking to bolster the confidence of the voters belonging to vulnerable sections especially SC and STs, central and state armed police forces will be used to patrol such areas under the supervision of the central observers.

In the Left Wing Extremist dominated areas, central forces will be inducted well in time for undertaking area familiarisation, he said.

Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam and union territory of Puducherry will be held between April 4 and May 16, spread over 43 days.

It will be a single-day polling in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry on May 16, while it will be in six phases in West Bengal and two in Assam.
Vijayawada: The Centre has extended financial assistance of over Rs 1.72 lakh crore to Andhra Pradesh since June 2014 even though the N Chandrababu Naidu government has been complaining about "meagre allocations" to the state.

According to a 'fact-sheet' prepared by the Centre, the Narendra Modi government sanctioned Rs 1.12 lakh crore under different heads to the state after its bifurcation in June 2014. Besides, projects worth Rs 60,000 crore were sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in December last.

The Railways sanctioned Rs 20,236 crore, a major share of which will go for doubling of tracks, while the Defence Ministry has lined up projects worth over Rs 5,700 crore for AP. The Commerce and Industry Ministry has decided to extend Rs 2,700 crore of which Rs 1,900 crore has already been released, while the HRD Ministry will spend Rs 7,000 crore for setting up institutes like IIT and IIM.

The state also received at least Rs 15,000 crore by way of routine grants the Centre extends to states annually.

On the contentious issue of bridging the Rs 16,000 crore revenue deficit presumably suffered by AP due to bifurcation, the note prepared by the Government of India says, Rs 2,303 crore was released during 2014-15 to meet the resource gap funding, while grant-in-aid of Rs 6,609 crore was given towards revenue deficit.

AP will get a sum of Rs 2,06,819 crore as 'enhanced devolution' over the next five years (Rs 41,364 crore per year) and an additional Rs 29,374 crore per annum for five years as 14th Finance Commission grant, the note says.

It says that out of the total sanctions of Rs 1.72 lakh crore, a sum of over Rs 35,000 crore has already been released for various projects, while several financial releases were stuck because the state government could not furnish the requisite utilisation certificates for the disbursed amount or failed to come up with detailed project reports. The state, according to the note, was found to be 'diverting' funds for "purposes other than those specified".

Of the Rs 850 crore released for AP's new capital Amaravati, Rs 500 crore was meant for construction of Raj Bhavan, state Assembly and Secretariat and the balance for other works.

Sources in the state's Finance Department admitted to the diversions.

Amid indications that the money was spent on irrigation projects, a senior Finance Department official said, "These are some general adjustments we normally make every year.

Since nothing concrete has been finalised with regard to the new capital, we could not spend money there."

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu got Rs 1,000 crore released by the Finance Ministry in March 2015 as 'one-time special assistance' for the new capital region. The two main cities in the capital region -- Vijayawada and Guntur -- were supposed to spend Rs 460 crore on developing storm water drainage system and Rs 540 crore on underground drainage and sewerage system. However, tenders are yet to be invited.

"Most of the financial sanctions are in accordance with the provisions made in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. For instance, we have released Rs 700 crore to seven backward districts (four in Rayalaseema and three in north coastal Andhra) in the last two years.

"Similarly, industrial incentives like 15 per cent additional investment allowance and 35 per cent additional depreciation on new plant and machinery for manufacturing industries in the backward districts are being granted," a senior AP cadre bureaucrat in the Government of India said.

State Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu says AP should be treated "separately" because it is a "peculiar" case.

"Ours is a peculiar case. We should be treated separately and given grants as per the Reorganisation Act. Normal grants cannot be shown as a special financial package," Ramakrishnudu said.

"They are showing crores of rupees for educational institutes (like IIT, IIM) but the state government is giving the land and now we are also being asked to build compound walls. So, these funds cannot be treated as special," he said.


Patna: CPI on Sunday expressed concern over the security of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar in the wake of announcement of cash rewards for anyone "shooting him down" and "cutting off" his the tongue by some elements.



"Kanhaiya is safe in JNU campus, but he has threat outside the campus," CPI National Secretary Amarjeet Kaur told reporters here.



Stating that Kumar, also a CPI member, had become the symbol of 'Save India democracy', she demanded the Centre carry out investigation into the JNU row to find out the truth.



The CPI leader alleged that the Narendra Modi government was trying to "polarise" the society to carry out votebank politics in order to hide its "failure on containing price rise, generating employment opportunities and bringing black money.
Mumbai: Hamid Dabholkar, son of slain anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, on Sunday, expressed unhappiness over investigators' failure to zero in on the murderers of his father, CPI leader Govind Pansare and Kannada scholar M M Kalburgi.

"Why is it so difficult to identify them? There are reports in media that these three rationalists were killed by the same set of weapons, (but) even then the investigating agencies were speculating about the motive," he said, speaking at 'Mumbai Collective: Celebrating Freedom and Pluralism', a two-day conclave here.

"All three of them were working to propagate rationalism and constructive criticism of religion. They were labelled as traitors of religion by a particular organisation which has a history of resorting to violence to achieve their agenda.

"The same organisation had put a red cross on Dabholkar and Pansare's photographs (on its website). Still, two and a half years later, not a single arrest has been made," he said.

"On one hand there is deep anguish of losing my beloved father, comrade Pansare and professor Kalburgi, and the insensitive delay in investigation, but on the other hand there is a definite ray of hope and feeling of solidarity when we see many youths and like-minded people coming together and supporting this cause," Hamid said.

"Right from the day of assassination of Dabholkar (on August 20, 2013, in Pune), we were telling the agency that it is not a personal or property dispute. This is a planned assault on ideological framework and if you don't arrest the culprits there will be more murders. But sadly nobody paid heed. One and a half years later, Pansare was killed in Kolhapur and four months later Kalburgi in Dharwad," he said.

"It was very much possible for the state government and the topmost (investigation) agency of this country like CBI to save the lives of these people," Hamid said.

Echoing the sentiment, Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of Govind Pansare, said, "Arrest of one suspect (in Pansare case) has led to nothing... We are struggling for justice three years after the (three) killings."
Pathankot: Punjab police on Sunday conducted search operation in Pathankot following reports of intelligence agencies tracing a phone call made to Pakistan from Gujrat village here, about 20-25 km from Indo-Pak border.



"We have conducted search operation in village Gujrat here after receiving an input," a senior police officer said.



However, he refused to share any detail about the intelligence input.



A huge police force including state police's Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was deployed in Gujrat village to carry out the search operation.



Senior police officials including ADGP (Law & Order) Hardeep Dhillon and DIG (Border Range) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh were also in Pathankot to supervise the entire operation.



Though senior police officials refused to share any information, there were reports that intelligence agencies had traced a phone call made to Pakistan from Gujrat village here.



"I would not like to share any operational details.



Whatever information (input) we had received, we acted on that and conducted the search operation," the DIG (Border Range) said.



"There is nothing for people to fear, we have deployed the police and we are capable to deal with any situation," he further said.



A historical Lord Shiva temple is located in a jungle area of Kataru Chak village which is about 2 km from Gujrat village in Pathankot. Kataru Chak village is famous for its historical place called 'Chatpat vani' which means a small but thick forest.



Lal Singh, husband of Urmila Devi, the Sarpanch of Kataruchak village said every year, a 'Mela' is organised at 'Shivala Chatpat vani' temple on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival and a large number of people from far off places come here to pay obeisance.



He said that about 100-150 security personnel had cordoned off the area.



Yesterday, Western Army Commander Lt Gen K J Singh had said that there were some "disturbing" inputs about a terror attack in India aimed at creating the "maximum media impact" during the Shivratri festival and the ongoing Parliament session.



On March 2, an alert was sounded in villages located near the Indo-Pak border in Pathankot district and patrolling was intensified after BSF alerted police on spotting three to five suspects in Pakistan side near the border.



Heavily armed terrorists had attacked Pathankot Airforce base in January this year.
Guwahati: Considering the socio-ethnic-religious composition of electorates in Assam, the stage is set for a triangular contest with BJP succeeding in forming a formidable alliance against the ruling Congress and the All India United Democratic Front, the second largest party after Congress in the Assam assembly.

Despite the AIUDF, advocating for an alliance with Congress to stop the BJP, the ruling Congress has decided to go it alone. The elections are to be held on April 4 and 11.

Congress and AIUDF must come together because BJP, AGP and BPF have already formed an alliance. There is no other option for us to stop BJP, said founder president of AIUDF Maulana Badruddin Ajmal.

He doesnt hesitate in expressing his disappointment on Assam chief minister Tarun Gogois reluctance to form an alliance with AIUDF.

Gogoi, determined and confident to retain power in the state for forth-consecutive term, is not ready to give up his plank for indigenous Assamese voters by getting cosy with the AIUDF, a party accused to have pro-Bangladeshi image.

Encouraged by success of 2014 Lok Sabha elections and taking a lesson from defeat of Bihar, the BJP has not left anything to chance by roping in regional AGP to its fold. Despite violent protest in the party, the BJP has been trying hard to make dents in Congress strongholds, reviving its friendship with AGP being one of the tactics.

Two-time chief minister and stalwart of AGP Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who considers himself to have little say in the party, said that on paper it is certainly a formidable alliance but both the AGP and BJP will have to work hard to bring cohesiveness in the alliance.

He said, I dont hold any post in the party and will go by the decision of the leadership but in my view it is necessary for the leadership to go to the grassroots level workers to pacify them.

Referring the widening protest in AGP and BJP opposing the alliance, Mahanta said, Both BJP and AGP will have to fine tune their coordination at the grassroots level in order to ensure complete transfer of votes to the candidates fielded by the alliance.

He admitted that presence of Bodoland Peoples Front in the alliance is certainly going to brighten the prospect of the alliance.

Though, most of BJP leaders are inaccessible since the alliance was declared, the main architect of the alliance former minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has started campaigning for the party in Barrak Valley which is going to poll in first phase of polling on April 4.

The insiders in BJP say that leadership of the party is yet to take any initiative to reach out those grassroots workers resorting to violent protest against the alliance with AGP. Though, protest is said to have been backed by aspirants of the party ticket who lost their constituency in alliance.
Tight vigil is being kept at railway stations and airports (Photo: PTI)

Ahmedabad: Gujarat was on Sunday on high alert following intelligence inputs that terrorists have sneaked into the state, with raids being conducted at Kutch and other places, security beefed up at vital installations and sensitive areas and NSG teams on standby.

The leave of all police personnel, including officers, has been cancelled and the state government has increased security at all the main temples of the state for 'Maha Shivaratri' festival tomorrow.

A massive security operation has been launched and raids were conducted by a police team, led by South Kutch Superintendent of Police Makrand Chauhan, early this morning in Varnora village of Bhuj taluka in Kutch district bordering Pakistan, police sources said.

The Kutch police also raided Noorani Mahel hotel and in Bhuj, they said.

"The state government received a serious information from central government yesterday that terrorists have entered Gujarat. We held a meeting where it was discussed that all measures will be taken to ensure no untoward incident takes place," Gujarat Minister of State for Home Rajni Patel said.

With 'Maha Shivaratri' festival tomorrow, the state government has also increased security at all the main temples.

"Especially during Maha Shivratri, lakhs of pilgrims visit temples in Junagadh, Somnath and other temples. So we have issued high alert for security of these temples too," Patel said.

Two National Security Guard (NSG) teams comprising nearly 200 personnel have been sent from Delhi to Gujarat to meet any eventuality, official sources said.

Policemen were seen patrolling the highways since early morning. Security of all the Air Force and Army bases has also been ramped up.

"The Centre has offered all help and NSG task-force has arrived here which is currently being briefed about the various (vital and sensitive) locations," he said.

"We have alerted coastal as well as border police near Kutch to take all necessary steps to beef-up security. In Kutch, we have asked the local police to remain in co-ordination with Border Security Force (BSF)," he said.

"Till now, we have not found any suspicious person. However, whatever information is received by us is serious and we are taking all necessary steps about it," Patel said.

State Director General of Police P C Thakur, who issued orders late last night cancelling leave of all policemen, said they were prepared to deal with any situation.

"We are on high alert and prepared to deal with any situation. We have started combing operations across various locations. We have also sensitised places that see high rate of footfall," Thakur said.

"We are taking all precautions. Security across coastal areas and other vital installations has been increased. If required, NSG team will be deployed as per their protocol," he said.

On reports claiming that Pakistan alerted Indian authorities about the possible infiltration of terrorists in Gujarat, state Director General of Police (IB & CID) Pramod Kumar said the state Intelligence Bureau received information from the Central IB.

"We don't know anything about Pakistan's role in providing this information. We received this information from Central IB. I don't know anything more than that," said Kumar.

Tight vigil is being kept at railway stations and airports.

Notably, a Pakistani fishing boat was seized on Friday by a BSF patrol party after its occupants fled upon seeing the border security personnel in the Koteshwar creek area off the Kutch coast along the Indo-Pakistan border.

BSF officials had said that nothing suspicious was found in the boat.
Ulfa was sending a fixed stipend for the family members of Ulfa cadres but for past few months it has been stopped. (Representational Image)

Guwahati: In what may be an encouraging input for security forces, the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent is reeling under an acute financial crunch that has forced the outfit to suspend the payment of hostel fees and expenses to the children and family members of its cadres.

Disclosing that Ulfa commanders holed up in Myanmar are not taking the calls of their family members for sending the hostel fees for the children of Ulfa rebels, lodged in various hostels in Assam and Nagaland, security sources told Deccan Chronicle that many family members of Ulfa cadres are in financial distress.

Security sources said that a large number of family members of the Ulfa cadres are living in Nagaland to carry out education of their children. Though, security agencies dont have specific input on its fall out on education of children, security sources did not rule out the chances of many children discontinuing their studies.

Pointing out that elusive Ulfa chief Paresh Baruah was also maintaining a low profile, security sources said that central committee of Ulfa was sending a fixed stipend for the family members of Ulfa cadres but for past few months it has been stopped.

Revealing that security forces has succeeded in choking the fund flow to the outfit to a large extent, security sources said that there have been desperate attempt to mobilize resources from various channels but it was not working, even attempt to make their presence felt by launching some offensive has also been foiled by the security forces, sources added.
Search is on for the second person (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: A youth, who was moving around suspiciously near the Panagarh Air Force base station, was on Sunday nabbed by villagers and handed over to the police.

"The villagers near air force station Panagarh found two persons moving around suspiciously. One person has been handed over to the police but the search is on for the second person," a Defence official said.

Around the same time, a few vehicles near the same village caught fire at a petrol pump for which the air force had to rush its fire tenders to douse the blaze.

"It is clarified that no incident has taken place inside the air force station. The identity of the apprehend person is being ascertained by the police," the official said.

Located around 150 km away from here, Panagarh base has recently been refurbished so that all kinds of aircraft in the inventory of IAF can be flown from there.
BJP national president Amit Shah holds a plough, presented to him by members of Kisan morcha, during a public meeting at the Arts College grounds in Rajahmundry on Sunday. To his left is Urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu. (Photo: Manikanta Kumar)

Rajahmundry: BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday attacked the Congress for supporting traitors who were raising slogans on freedom for Kashmir at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

He told the party not to use Parliament as a forum to settle political scores and advised it to use it as a forum for development of the country.

If you want to play politics, choose a state (election). The BJP is ready to pick up the challenge, Mr Shah told a huge public meeting organised at the Government Arts College ground.

Is Parliament for debates or slogan-shouting? Is it for development or to settle political scores, he said.

If you have to settle political scores, jump into the electoral battlefield. BJP workers dont fear anyone. Do do haath kar lenge (lets fight), Mr Shah said.
Lucknow: The Justice Vishnu Sahay Commission that probed the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 has held then SSP Subhash Chandra Dubey and a local intelligence inspector, Prabal Pratap Singh, directly responsible for the riots.The commission has also blamed intelligence failure in the riots.

The Sahay report, that runs into 700 pages, has given a clean chit to the Akhilesh Yadav government and has only blamed the local administration for misjudging and mishandling the situation that led to the riots. The report also said that transfers of officials during riots led to worsening of the situation.

No action can be taken on MLA, says report

The report was tabled in the UP Assembly on Sunday. The report, interestingly, said that no further action can be taken against BJP MLA Sangeet Som, who had allegedly uploaded a fake video, since his role is already being investigated by the police.

No further action by the government can be initiated against him, the report said. Mr Som is an accused in two cases related to the riots and is currently out on bail.The report also said that as far as the mahapanchayat of August 30, 2013 is concerned, a case against politicians Qadir Rana, Noor Salim Rana, Rashid Siddiqui, Ehsan Qureshi and others has been already registered and hence no further action can be taken.

The report further said that no one could be directly held responsible for the hate speeches.It may be recalled that all along, the hate speeches at the mahapanchayat by Hindus and Muslims had been blamed for triggering the riots.

Describing the sequence of events leading to the riots, the report also brought under the scanner the role of then district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma and has said that an explanation on certain points must be sought from him.

The report was tabled in the state Assembly almost six months after it was submitted to governor Ram Naik. The BJP has already rejected the report, saying that its findings were politically motivated.

The Justice Sahay Commission was formed by the Akhilesh government on September 9, 2013 to look into administrative lapses in controlling the riots and the role played by the media as well as politicians in flaring up the riots.
Hyderabad: Claiming that allegations of sexual harassment made against his son were false, fabricated and politically motivated,' Andhra Pradesh Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Babu, on Sunday, said that the episode was a result of a conspiracy hatched by YSR Congress Chief Jaganmohan Reddy against him.

Also read: Andhra Pradesh minister's son Susheel arrested for molestation of teacher

If you want to politically fight me, fight me directly. Not indirectly at the cost of career and life of my son, who is innocent. The allegations against him are false, fabricated and politically motivated. It is nothing but a conspiracy hatched by Jaganmohan Reddy and his party, he said.

#NewsAlert: It is nothing but a conspiracy hatched by Jaganmohan Reddy & his party: Andhra Min Ravela Kishore (ANI)  Deccan Chronicle (@DeccanChronicle) March 6, 2016

Earlier in the morning, Banjara Hills police arrested Ravela Susheel, who was booked for outraging the modesty of a woman a day before.

#NewsAlert: Allegations against my son (Susheel) are false, fabricated & politically motivated: Andhra Minister Ravela Kishore (ANI)  Deccan Chronicle (@DeccanChronicle) March 6, 2016

Susheel surrendered at Banjara Hills Police Station in early morning hours will be produced before the Magistrate later on Sunday.

Also read: AP minister's son, driver booked for allegedly molesting teacher

Susheel and his driver had followed a woman pedestrian in their car at Banjara Hills on Friday and attempted to pull her into the vehicle. After she escaped and raised an alarm, the duo was beaten up by a crowd.

CCTV footage showed that Susheels car had followed the woman for almost 1 km. The police had booked only the driver under the pretext that the other person in the car had not been identified.

Also read: Minorities panel directs police to file report against AP minister's son

After a day-long outcry against their alleged inaction, police recorded the statement of the victim, a teacher, and issued notices to Susheel and driver M. Ramesh alias Appa Rao to appear for investigation.
Rajahmundry: BJP national president Amit Shah will address a public meeting on the grounds of Government Arts College in Rajahmundry on Sunday.

The BJP chief will arrive Rajahmundry from New Delhi via Hyderabad in a chartered flight and after interacting with party senior leaders for some time, he will address the public meeting.

Following criticism from friendly TD and the Opposition parties on the failure to get special status to AP, sanction of a railway zone at Visakhapatnam and the delay in the implementation of some provisions in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, Mr Shah is expected to address these issues during the meeting.

Meanwhile, senior leaders of BJP have been visiting the city in the last few days to oversee the arrangements for the public meeting. The party leaders are mobilising a large number of people from several parts of the state to attend the meet.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday accused the opposition YSR Congress of creating hurdles in the development of new capital and refuted allegations of thousands of acres of land being purchased by some ministers, MPs and MLAs of the ruling Telugu Desam Party.

Refuting allegations of questionable land deals in the Amaravati region, which has been notified as the state Capital, Naidu said, since June 2, 2014, a total of 9,231 acres of land was sold, in some cases multiple times, and as many as 20,306 transactions took place in the region.

"Amaravati was notified as the state's new Capital region on September 3, 2014. Between June 2 (when the state was bifurcated) and September 3, 2014, about 604 transactions took place and 515 acres of land was sold. Between September 4 and December 8, 2014 when the land-pooling policy for the Capital was announced, 1,756 transactions were recorded wherein 1,724 acres of land was sold.

"Since December 9, 2014, to date, 9,304 transactions happened and 6,573 acres of land was sold. In all, 20,306 transactions happened and 9231 acres of land changed hands," Naidu said at a press conference in the state Secretariat.

Of the top 100 land deals in the Capital region, the highest area of land purchased in a single transaction was 7.5 acres and the lowest was two acres. In all 100 people purchased a total of 365.66 acres, the Chief Minister said.

Naidu's statement came following a series of news reports alleging thousands of acres of land being purchased by some ministers, MPs and legislators belonging to the ruling Telugu Desam Party.

The reports also alleged that Chandrababu's son and TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh purchased vast tracts of land using benami (proxy) buyers.

"Some media houses have been publishing and telecasting blatantly malicious news stories on the land deals...They dragged even my son's name despite the fact that the said property is under attachment by the Crime Investigation Department," the CM said.

With regard to the riverside residence owned by the realtor Lingamaneni Ramesh, Naidu said the property now belonged to the state government.

"When the state was bifurcated, we did not even have a Capital. Even before we identified the Capital region and notified it, many people purchased lands in places like Donakonda, Vinukonda, Gannavaram, Agiripalli, Nuzividu, Mangalagiri and Amaravati hoping the capital may come up in those regions....we declared Amaravati as the Capital region after local farmers and land owners came forward to give their land under the novel land-pooling scheme," Naidu said.

Upon notifying the Capital, the government wanted to ban land transactions in the region but gave up the idea following opposition from the local farmers, he said.

Attacking YSR Congress, he said, a "desperate and hostile" opposition party was trying to cause impediments in the development of new capital.

"They tried to instigate the farmers and stop them from giving their lands for the capital. Then they filed petitions up to the Supreme Court. They went to the National Green Tribunal. They sent petitions to the Centre...but the local farmers displayed an iron will and solidly stood behind the government," the Chief Minister said.
BJP national president Amit Shah launches AP-BJP mobile application during a public meeting at the Arts College grounds in Rajahmundry on Sunday. Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu is also seen. (Photo: DC)

Rajahmundry: BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday failed to give any assurance on the long-pending demand for special category status for the state.

He restricted himself to saying that the NDA government would execute the multi-purpose Polavaram irrigation project and set up a railway zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam.

He was speaking at a huge public meeting at the Government Arts College ground here. His speech was translated by BJP leader D. Purandeswari

Mr Shah said that the NDA government had extended financial assistance worth about Rs 1.40 lakh crore to AP and listed out several schemes and projects.

He said, If I go on listing out what the BJP-led NDA government has done for AP non-stop, it would take seven days to complete.

Taking on the Congress, Mr Shah said, I wonder why the Congress is finding fault with our regime. I challenge the Congress to explain what it has done for AP in the last 60 years. Congress leaders made the AP CMs clean their sandals. It was N.T. Rama Rao who addressed Telugu pride by setting up his own political party and grabbed power in the state. I promise you all that the BJP-led NDA regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will protect your honour and there is no question of subjecting you to humiliation by any means as long as the NDA rules the country."

The BJP chief said, "Our party is getting strong by the day. Ours is the largest party in the world with a membership of 11 crore. After 30 years in Indian politics, a single political party like the BJP was given absolute majority to form government at the Centre. I attribute the credit to AP for helping the NDA assume power."

He asked the people in to strengthen the party to contest the next elections independently. He said the Polavaram project was declared as a national project and added that the Centre would take all responsibility to execute it. On allocation of funds, he said it was wrong to ask for the allocation of the entire project cost in one Budget.

He said, I assure the people in AP that the NDA regime will extend all support to the state for implementation of welfare schemes including Polavaram, railway zone and others. I ask AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu not to get agitated on such issues. The Centre is ready to extend all help to AP until the next elections.
New Delhi: Cybercriminals are looking to exploit vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure of Indian startups to steal customer data, including passwords and financial details, a report said.

According to a report by UK-based data security firm BugsBounty.com, 72 out of the 100 major startups it analysed were "negligent" in implementing and maintaining reasonable security practices and procedures.

While the report did not name the companies, it said these were across segments like eCommerce (30), classifieds (14), finance and fin-tech (7), healthcare (7), food-tech (5) and hyperlocal services (3).

With growing Internet penetration and data packs becoming more affordable, consumer-focussed startups have seen business booming. Be it ordering food or furniture online or paying bills, consumers today are much more comfortable making purchases on the web and sharing details like email IDs, address and phone numbers.

"We have been speaking to some of these firms. We have warned them that they may be liable to pay massive compensation to users whose 'personal' and 'sensitive' data they store including passwords and financial information,"BugsBounty.com Director Ankush Johar told PTI.

Citing Section 43A (Compensation for failure to protect data) of Indian IT Act, Johri said the companies may have to shell out as much as Rs 5 crore in case of a data breach.

He added that this is critical; especially since billions of dollars of investor money is riding on these ventures.

"Also, 22 out of the 100 were found to have web server software vulnerabilities that pertain to software on their servers that is known to have bugs, but these startups havenot patched those," he said.

This puts all the data on their server at risk including their software code, databases in entirety among others, he added. Explaining the attack, Johar said a user receives an email asking them to login to the company's and they comply.

"The link is the same URL as that of the startup. The 'cautious' user ensures that the URL in the browser is the same as the sender. The user inputs his or her username and password because it appears to be completely genuine," he said.

However, instead of the company, it is the hacker who receives the username and password. "This is not a phishing attack because the consumer is indeed logging into the company's website.

However, because of the vulnerabilities that the website has, the consumer data can get into the hands of the hacker," he said. Also, the magnitude of the threat is even higher because with mobile penetration soaring, Johar said.

Consumers on their part should ensure that they change their passwords regularly and keep different sets of passwords for critical services like banking and email, and another set for other non-critical services.

"They shouldn't share any extra information that is not critical for the companies," he said.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
The decision to restore encryption feature to the Fire tablets comes after customers and privacy advocates. (Representational image)

Mumbai: Amazon.com said it plans to restore an encryption feature on its Fire tablets after customers and privacy advocates criticized the company for quietly removing the security option when it released its latest operating system.

We will return the option for full-disk encryption with a Fire OS update coming this spring, company spokeswoman Robin Handaly told Reuters via email on Saturday.

Amazon's decision to drop encryption from the Fire operating system came to light late this week. The company said it had removed the feature in a version of its Fire OS that began shipping in the fall because few customers used it.

On-device encryption scrambles data so that the device can be accessed only if the user enters the correct password. Well-known cryptologist Bruce Schneier called Amazon's removal of the feature "stupid" and was among many who publicly urged the company to restore it.

Apple legal battle over USgovernment demands that the iPhone maker help unlock an encrypted phone used by San Bernardino shooter Rizwan Farook has created unprecedented attention on encryption.

Amazon.com this week signed on to a court brief urging a federal judge to side with Apple.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Kentucky voters place their paper ballots in voting box in the GOP presidential caucus at Zachary Taylor Elementary school. (Photo: AFP)

Washington: Ted Cruz claimed double-barreled victories in Kansas and Maine, and Donald Trump captured Louisiana in Saturdays four-state round of Republican voting, fresh evidence that theres no quick end in sight to the fractious Republican race for president.

In the Democratic race, Bernie Sanders notched wins in Nebraska and Kansas, while front-runner Hillary Clinton snagged Louisiana, another split decision from the American people.

Read: Hillary Clinton wins Louisiana's Democratic primary election

God bless Kansas, Cruz declared during a rally in Idaho, which votes in three days. The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington DC, is utter terror at what we the people are doing together.

Supporters cheer after Republican candidate for president Ted Cruz announced that he won the Maine primary election at a rally. (Photo: AP)

The Texas senator defeated Trump easily in Kansas and Maine, and Trump rolled to victory in Louisiana, underscoring that his appeal knows no geographic limitation.

Early returns showed Cruz and Trump were in a tight race for Kentucky.

Also Read: Republican Cruz wins two states, blunting Trumps momentum

In the overall race for Republican delegates, including partial results for Kansas, Trump led with 347 and Cruz had 267. Rubio had 116 delegates and Kasich had 28.

Cruz will collect at least 36 delegates for winning the Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine, Trump at least 18 and Rubio at least six and Kasich three. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president.

Overall, Clinton had 1,104 delegates to Sanders 446, including superdelegates - members of Congress, governors and party officials who can support the candidate of their choice. It takes 2,383 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. There were 109 at stake on Saturday.

Cruz, a favorite of the ultraconservative tea party movement, attributed his strong showing to conservatives coalescing behind his candidacy, calling it a manifestation of a real shift in momentum.

With the Republican race in chaos, establishment figures frantically are looking for any way to derail Trump, perhaps at a contested convention if no candidate can get enough delegates to lock up the nomination in advance. Party leaders - including 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee Senatar John McCain - are fearful a Trump victory would lead to a disastrous November election, with losses up and down the Republican ticket.

People raise their arms as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump ask them to pledge that they will vote for him during a campaign rally. (Photo: AFP)

Everyones trying to figure out how to stop Trump, the billionaire marveled at an afternoon rally in Orlando, Florida, where he had supporters raise their hands and swear to vote for him.

Despite the support of many elected officials in Kansas, Florida Senator Marco Rubio came up short, raising serious questions about his viability in the race. Cruz suggested it was time for some Republican candidates to quit the race.

In Maine, Cruz won by a comfortable margin over Trump. Republicans and Democrats also were voting in Louisiana on Saturday.

On the Democratic side, meanwhile, Sanders won by a solid margin in Nebraska and Kansas officials said hed won the state caucuses, giving him seven victories so far in the nominating season. Clinton, whos been doing well with African-American voters, had an easy win in Louisiana.

Clinton hoped that strong support among African-Americans in Louisiana would propel her to victory. Vermonter Sanders, trailing far behind Clinton in the delegate count, had higher hopes of making progress in Nebraska and Kansas, where the Democratic electorate is less diverse.

With Republican front-runner Trump yet to win states by the margins hell need in order to secure the nomination before the Republican convention, every one of the 155 Republican delegates at stake on Saturday was worth fighting for.

It was anger that propelled many of Trumps voters to the polls. Its my opportunity to revolt, said Betty Nixon, a 60-year-old Trump voter in Olathe, Kansas.

She said she liked the businessman because hes not bought and paid for.

Overall, Trump had prevailed in 10 of 15 contests heading into Saturdays voting. Rubio had one win in Minnesota.

Rubio and Ohio governor John Kasich both pinned their hopes on winner-take-all contests on March 15 in their home states.
Police Special Branch director Mohamad Fuzi said they comprised 30 men, nine women and eight children. "Of the 72 linked to the militant group, 18 were reportedly killed in Syria while seven others died as suicide bombers last year," Fuzi said. (Photo: AP)

Kuala Lumpur: At least 47 Malaysians, including nine women and eight children, are involved with the Islamic state terror group in Syria and Iraq, a top police official has said.

Police Special Branch director Mohamad Fuzi said they comprised 30 men, nine women and eight children. "Of the 72 linked to the militant group, 18 were reportedly killed in Syria while seven others died as suicide bombers last year," Fuzi said.

"Some of those involved in militant activities were arrested and charged in court," he told Bernama news agency. Fuzi said the police has taken measures to curb the spread of ISIS ideology by collaborating with the Immigration Department, KL International Airport (KLIA) and Interpol to monitor the country's entry points.

"If they ISIS militants return to their country of origin via KLIA, they will be arrested immediately, and if they use other means, the police have the mechanism to detect them," he added.

Malaysia is a multi ethnic Muslim majority country.
"The probe is expected to reach Mars in 2021 after a flight of seven to ten months," Ye was quoted as saying by the official media here. (Photo: AP)

Beijing: China plans to land a probe on Marsin 2021 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of founding of the ruling-Communist Party of China and a decade after its first failed mission in 2011, after which India, US, Russia and EU stole the march.

"China is likely to launch a Mars probe in 2020. After months of flying, the probe is expected to land in Mars at the 100th anniversary of the CPC. If successful, it will be a present from people working in the aerospace field," Ye Peijian, a top official of China's space programme, said.

"The probe is expected to reach Mars in 2021 after a flight of seven to ten months," Ye was quoted as saying by the official media here.

The Communist Party, the sole governing party of China, was founded in 1921.

Ye said China has accumulated enough experience from its moon project.

"Our team accomplished the moon exploration project in 2013 as part of the Chang'e-3 mission," he said. In November 2015, China unveiled a model of its orbiter and landing rover at the China International Industry Fair in Shanghai.

"Up till now we have made a breakthrough on the communication issue with a distance of 400 million kms. The main difficulty would be landing on Mars," Ye said.

China's earlier mission to send a probe to the Red Planet in a joint mission with Russia failed in 2011.

So far, only the US, the former Soviet Union, the European Space Agency and India have successfully carried out Mars exploration missions.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the main contractor of China's space missions, said yesterday that the Mars exploration is among the 10 major orders that Long March 5, the country's next-generation heavy lift rocket, has received so far.

Other orders include the Chang'e-5 lunar probe mission that is expected to bring back soil from the moon around 2017, and the much-anticipated space station's core module that will be launched around 2020.

The launch vehicle is slated to make a maiden flight later this year.

The size and structure of the Mars probe will be similar to Chang'e-3, China's first lunar lander that was launched in 2013, though there are many differences, Ye said.

"There are many challenges in front of us. But, I think it is likely we will send the probe to Mars given our all-out efforts, the know-how we gained from past missions and everybody's support," he said.
Fire-brigade try to douse the fire at the Taj Hotel after completion of combing operation during the 26/11 terror strike in Mumbai. (Photo: PTI)

Lahore: Pakistan has asked India to send all 24 Indian witnesses to depose before the anti-terrorism court holding the Mumbai attack trial, the chief prosecutor in the high-profile case said on Sunday.

"The foreign ministry has written to the Indian government asking it to send all 24 Indian witnesses to Pakistan for recording statements in the trial court in the Mumbai attack case," Prosecution Chief Chaudhry Azhar said.

He said the Anti-Terrorism Court Islamabad has already completed recording the statements of all Pakistani witnesses in the case which has been underway in the country for more than six years.

"Now the ball is in India's court. The Indian government should send all Indian witnesses of the Mumbai case to Pakistan to record their statements so that the trial could further move ahead," said Azhar, who is also a special prosecutor of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Last month, the court, which is holding the trial of the seven accused including Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, had ordered the FIA to present all 24 Indian witnesses in court to record their statements.

It had also ordered to bring back to Pakistan the boats used by Ajmal Kasab and other militants on the grounds that it is case property and should be duly examined.

Read: 26/11 attacks trial is test of Pakistans sincerity, says India

The 8-member Pakistani judicial commission had visited India on behalf of the Pakistani anti-terrorism court (ATC).

The statements of the Indian witnesses were supposed to be used as evidence in the trial.

However, Lakhvi's lawyer had challenged the commission's proceedings because Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S S Shinde did not let its members cross-examine witnesses.

The trial court here subsequently declared the proceedings of the commission illegal.

Pakistani authorities have arrested seven LeT members involved with the planning of the 2008 Mumbai attack.

Apart from Lakhvi, other arrested LeT men are Abdul Wajid, Mazhar Iqbal, Sadiq, Shahid Jamil, Jamil Ahmed and Younas Anjum. A trial is underway against them at the ATC since 2009.

Lakhvi, 55, secured bail in December 2014 and was subsequently released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on April 10, 2015, after the Lahore High Court set aside the government's order to detain him under a public security act.

Six other accused are lodged in the Adiala Jail for over six years in connection with planning and executing the Mumbai attack in which 166 people were killed.
Dhaka: India and Bangladesh will soon be signing the Teesta water-sharing treaty as the agreement has reached its final destination, said Bangladeshi official.

"We are confident that it will be signed soon. The agreement is ready. The ball is on India's court now," as daily star quoted Gowher Rizvi, the international affairs adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Rizvi was addressing a panel discussion on the last day of the two-day Bangladesh-India Friendship Dialogue held here.

Drafted in 2010, the Teesta treaty was supposed to be signed between the two countries in September 2011. However, it was shelved in the last hour following protest from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

India shares cordial relationship with Bangladesh and both countries have been looking to book trade and security along the border with special emphasis in fighting human trafficking.

The two neighbours signed the historic land boundary agreement last year to simplify their 4,000-km border and to clarify the identities of 52,000 living in enclaves.
shintao said:



In a new letter to Grassley, Kendall says he got a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance from the Justice Department in November 2013 and a Top Secret clearance from the State Department about a year later. Kendall says his Williams & Connolly law partner, Katherine Turner, also got a Top Secret clearance from State in December 2014.



These State Department security clearances remain active. We obtained them in order to be able to review documents at the Department of State, to assist former Secretary Clinton in preparing to testify before the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Kendall wrote on Monday.



Read more:



August 24, 2015 letter



"Mr. Kendall has represented in a letter to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that he and his associate, Ms. Katherine M. Turner, had access to the emails and currently hold Top Secret security clearances issued by the Department of State."



Chuck Grassley Chairman

Committee on the Judiciary:-D State officials previously confirmed that Clintons attorneys had a clearance.In a new letter to Grassley, Kendall says he got a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance from the Justice Department in November 2013 and a Top Secret clearance from the State Department about a year later. Kendall says his Williams & Connolly law partner, Katherine Turner, also got a Top Secret clearance from State in December 2014.These State Department security clearances remain active. We obtained them in order to be able to review documents at the Department of State, to assist former Secretary Clinton in preparing to testify before the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Kendall wrote on Monday.Read more: Hillary Clinton's lawyer had 'top secret' clearance - POLITICO August 24, 2015 letterChuck Grassley ChairmanCommittee on the Judiciary:-D Click to expand...

Under the Standard form 312 Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement and the Sensitive Compartmented Information Nondisclosure Agreement that Clinton signed, how the emails are marked is irrelevant. Moreover Clinton did send and receive classified information on her unsecured private email server regardless of your denial.Kendall does not determine whether or not he has a security clearance or what that security clearance is. This is an FBI criminal investigation and the FBI will determine his security clearance. Kendall is attempting to use the ad hoc clearance he has when he represented Petraeus and that expired with the Petraeus case. Even if Kendall has a top security clearance, that does not give him authority to read classified documents unless he was given SCI-eligibility, which he was not. And even if he had the clearance, he would still have been on a need to know basis to look at certain emails. No non-federal lawyer for a private citizen, which Clinton was after she resigned from State, can have a TS/SI security clearance. Even if Kendall had all the clearances, he violate the law with how he secured the data, and he also had his staff read 30,000 emails that contained classified information and they did not have security clearances. This is not about Kendall, but all the transgressions involving Kendall are Clintons sole responsibility.
Talk about those Orange pajamas!!!March 04, 2016LAS VEGAS  The renegade rancher at the center of a states-versus-federal rights fight made his first appearance before a U.S. judge in Las Vegas on Friday, while one of his sons did likewise in Utah.Four others appeared before federal judges in Idaho, bringing to 19 the number of people charged with conspiracy, assault and other crimes in connection with the 2014 armed standoff over grazing cattle on U.S. land near Cliven Bundy's Nevada ranch.In Las Vegas, Cliven Bundy stood beside a federal public defender but wasn't asked to enter pleas to the 16 charges against him, which include conspiracy, assault, obstruction and threatening a federal officer.U.S. Magistrate Judge Carl Hoffman expressed doubt that Bundy would qualify for a lawyer at public expense and gave the 69-year-old rancher until Thursday to hire a lawyer or file revised financial disclosure forms.=========Meanwhile in Salt Lake City, Bundy's 38-year-old son Dave Bundy appeared in federal court for the first time since FBI agents arrested him last month at a home he is building in Delta, Utah. A judge will hold a hearing Wednesday to decide whether he should be released before trial.His wife Marylynn Bundy insists that he is innocent of the charges.Also Friday, four Idaho residents charged in connection with the Nevada standoff were appointed public defenders during their first federal court appearances.If convicted, the Idaho Statesman reports, Eric James Parker, Steve Arthur Stewart, O. Scott Drexler and Todd Engle could face life sentences and the forfeiture of approximately $3 million in property, plus cattle and firearms.Parker and Stewart, both of Hailey, Idaho, and Drexler, of Challis, Idaho, appeared in person in the Boise federal courtroom. Engle, a resident of Boundary County, is being held in Coeur d'Alene and appeared via video conference.Drexler, Parker and Stewart are scheduled for detention hearings Wednesday in Boise. Engle's detention hearing is set for Thursday in Coeur d'Alene.The legal net tightened Thursday on militants involved in armed standoffs in Nevada and Oregon as federal prosecutors levied fresh charges against two more Bundy brothers and 12 others across the country.The defendants all face accusations that they were mid-level leaders or gunmen in the 2014 Nevada standoff involving rancher Cliven Bundy.Three of them also face separate earlier charges in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon.They are Brian D. Cavalier, 44, of Bunkerville, Nevada, Blaine Cooper, 36 of Humboldt, Arizona, and Joseph D. O'Shaughnessy, 43, of Cottonwood, Arizona. Cavalier and Cooper already are in custody in Oregon. O'Shaughnessy, released from custody on the Oregon charge, was arrested Thursday in Phoenix.They were named in a 16-count indictment filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas by U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden. Federal agents made arrests in five states Thursday on charges of conspiracy, using a firearm in a crime, assault on a federal officer, threatening a federal officer, obstruction of justice and extortion.The 64-page document recounts in detail the efforts of agents from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to impound about 400 cattle left out on public land by Cliven Bundy and the subsequent standoff in April 2014. Federal agents gave up after they were confronted and threatened by scores of armed militia members who cornered them in a wash near Bunkerville, Nevada.The Nevada indictment is separate from federal criminal charges filed in Oregon against 25 people in connection with the refuge takeover.Cavalier and Cooper were among the first armed protesters to seize the wildlife refuge, acting on Jan. 2 after a rally in Burns to protest federal land management and the imprisonment of two local ranchers. Cavalier acted as a bodyguard for the occupation's leader, Ammon Bundy, and Cooper was one of the occupation leaders throughout. O'Shaughnessy arrived later at the refuge and at one point set up an emergency medical tent nearby.The refuge takeover largely came to an end with the Jan. 26 arrest of most of its leaders, but the bird sanctuary remained occupied by four protesters until they surrendered Feb. 11.The new Nevada indictment accuses Cavalier, Cooper and O'Shaughnessy of helping "organize the gunmen" who confronted the BLM agents in Nevada. Cavalier and Cooper conducted reconnaissance missions, protected the Bundy family and created armed checkpoints to keep federal authorities at bay, the indictment said. O'Shaughnessy led gunmen to assault and extort federal law enforcement officers where the cattle were held, the indictment said.The indictment also charged three others with roles in the Nevada standoff who had at times appeared at the Oregon wildlife refuge. They have not been charged in Oregon. They included Melvin D. Bundy, 41, of Round Mountain, Nevada, who joined brothers Ammon, 40, of Emmett, Idaho, and Ryan, 43, of Mesquite, Nevada, in the early days of the refuge occupation. The new indictment charged him with being one of the "leaders and organizers" of the Nevada standoff.The Nevada indictment also named Todd C. Engel, 48, of Boundary County, Idaho, as one of the gunmen who helped force federal agents to flee the cattle impoundment in Nevada. He was one of four Idaho residents arrested Thursday on the new charge.Engel is part of the Idaho Oath Keepers, a self-styled patriot group. Stewart Rhodes, president and founder of the national Oath Keepers organization, described in an online post how Engel traveled to the Oregon wildlife refuge nearly four weeks into the occupation to scope out law enforcement. Rhodes wrote that Engel and another Oath Keeper evaluated the strength of federal and state police resources and met on Jan. 23 with Ammon Bundy and Cavalier, known as Booda, to share their findings."They warned Ammon and Booda that all the assets were in place for a federal cordon or raid, and that they estimated that within a few days (two to three) the FBI would make a move to shut them down," Rhodes wrote. He said Bundy was encouraged to take security measures, such as setting up a cordon and ending appearances at public meetings.
Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.

This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media  main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.




Discussing the political process in the newsroom the other day, someone made the comment that some Republicans must think a vote for a Democrat automatically is a vote for abortion. Therefore, no matter who's the nominee, they're going to get behind that person, or else they're somehow condoning abortion.

That reminded me of a discussion my family had in January 2009, when Slightly Older Princess and her sister were ages 8 and 6. Barack Obama had taken his seat as our 44th president just three days prior. Already, the rhetoric was ramping up.

We don't talk much about politics in our house, not because we don't think it's important but because it's better for both Husband and myself to be as neutral as possible in public, given our respective jobs. Also, especially when the Princesses were small, we had so many other things to talk about: What happened at recess today? How did you do on your spelling test? Where are your shoes? Why are there wet towels all over the bathroom floor?

Not this day, however. This time, politics bowled into my kitchen with all the finesse and grace of the Kool-Aid Man.

That conversation prompted this blog post. I think it's worth sharing again.

Stolen innocence

"Boy In My Class doesn't like Obama," Slightly Older Princess informed me last evening*. "He put up a sign: 'Obama Kills Babies Before They're Born. I call Obama a Baby Killer. Obama Sucks.'"

With that, she resumed her homework.

I let the silence roll around us for a few minutes, wondering how on earth to proceed.

"Has your teacher seen it?" I asked finally.

"I don't think so."

Silence again. I watched her for a minute. "Do you think that's true?"

"No. But I think Boy thinks Democrats are more likely to want to do that than Republicans," she replied.

Little Princess bounced into the room. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked brightly.

I gritted my teeth. I hate this. Thanks a lot, Boy. Thanks a lot to your parents, too, or whoever's political values are now forcing me to have a discussion about abortion with an 8-year-old.

"Little Princess!" I chirped. "We're just talking about the president. I think it's time for your bath. I'll get the water running and you go get ready, 'kay?"

"I don't want a bath!" she groaned, but off she went.

I turned back to SOP. Her head was bent over her work, her back stiff, her aura shouting at me from across the room: I'm sorry I brought this up. It's not a big deal. Let's change the subject.

I can't, I thought back at her. I can't. I can't let Boy in Your Class be your teacher. Not about something like this.

"SOP," I began, "Boy's sign bothers me."

"Me, too."

"I think it's important that you know what he's talking about. You can decide whatever you want about it, but it's important to me that you understand it, and that you know how I feel about it."

She waited.

"Boy is talking about abortion," I said. "Do you know what that word means?"

"Killing babies before they're born."

"Is this something you've talked about at school?"

"No."

I considered my next words carefully. I didn't want her to feel interrogated, to shut down communication lines. "Maybe you heard about it on the news?"

"No."

Where isn't important, I decided. I'm grateful we've had the birds-and-bees discussion. She knows about babies.

"Some people," I told her, "think that the very second the daddy's sperm meets the mommy's egg, boom, you have a baby.

"Well, it isn't exactly a baby yet. It's going to grow into a baby, but right now, it's just a couple of cells."

She looked up, listening.

"In this country," I said, taking a deep breath, "our laws say that for the first couple of months, it's OK to stop those cells from growing into a baby.

"Sometimes, the mommy can't have a baby. Her body isn't made right, and having a baby would kill her," I went on. "Sometimes, the mommy knows she can't take care of the baby."

I gritted my teeth again. Do I go here? Do I go on?

"Sometimes, the daddy forced the mom to have the baby. That's called rape, when a man forces a woman to have sex with him. Sometimes the woman doesn't even know the man. And she doesn't want to have a stranger's baby, a baby someone forced her to have."

SOP bent over her work again, not looking at me. "This is making me uncomfortable," she said flatly.

"I'm sorry." I'm so sorry. Damn that kid. "You can decide in your own heart what you think is right, and Boy can, too. But I want you to know how I feel.

"I agree with our laws. I don't think abortion is a good thing. I would never do it myself, never ever, not even if my life were in danger. But I don't think it's right for me to make that decision for all the other women in this country.

"I also know that in places where abortion is against the law, women do it anyway. They swallow poisons to make them sick, or they hurt themselves trying to stop the baby from growing. I would rather abortion stayed legal so a doctor can take care of them and help them do it safely.

"Boy is right when he says most Democrats probably feel this way. Probably not all of them, but President Obama is a Democrat, and he believes in a woman's right to choose what's right for her own body."

She considered this a moment. "Probably some Republicans do, too," she said.

"Yes. I'm sure you're right about that."

This morning, before school, I told SOP's teacher about the sign. We found it together, written in thick black marker, taped to the side of his desk. The actual words were closer to this: "Obama kills babys for $1.00. Obama is a babykiller! Obama sucks!!!"

To me, the fact that SOP put the "before they're born" part into her memory of the sign meant the sign had prompted at least some discussion with her classmates. I wondered who else had gone home talking about it.

Teacher crumpled the paper and threw it away and said a discussion with Boy would take place.

"I don't think we need to have a class discussion about this," Teacher said.

"No," I said. "I don't want a bunch of 8-year-olds talking about abortion."

But in my house last night, that's the conversation I was forced to have.

* An inconvenient fact about parenthood is you rarely have a notebook or tape recorder at hand when your child brings up something important. I have captured our conversation from memory, as best I can.
Thanks to new subdivisions and more than 1,600 new homes, North Albanys population has nearly doubled since it was annexed into the city of Albany about 25 years ago.

Following annexation came increased urbanization, said Albany City Council member Floyd Collins, a longtime North Albany resident.

And not everyones happy with the resulting changes, which include the loss of fields and forested land, increased traffic, higher taxes and capacity pressure on local schools.

Its terrible.  There are a lot of people, a lot of growth, said Bill Root, chairman of the North Albany Neighborhood Association. Root moved to the area in 1997.

Its one thing to develop it, but it would be so much nicer if they would do it less dense, he said, adding that North Albany has taken more than its fair share of new homes.

North Albany is not as rural as it used to be, and thats kind of sad, said Donna Dluehosh, who has lived in North Albany for nearly 35 years.

At the same time, what are you going to do? Thats progress, she added.

The annexation and growth also brought reliable sewer and water service, fire protection and amenities such as stores, restaurants and medical facilities.

And North Albany remains relatively rural and attractive for many residents, including Jim Golden, the new superintendent of the Greater Albany Public Schools.

Its got a beautiful park, a lot of active people that like to walk and ride bikes. Its a great place to live, and Im glad we bought a home out there, Golden said.

More people

North Albany, along with northeast Albany near Clover Ridge Road, has been one of the citys primary areas of new housing starts since the turn of the century, Collins said.

Since 2000, roughly 1,300 homes have been added in North Albany, while about 880 homes have been approved in the Clover Ridge Road area, according to city figures.

At the time of annexation, in June 1991, North Albany added 3,881 people to the city, bringing Albanys population to 33,775, according to data from the Portland State University Population Research Center.

In 2014, North Albanys population had jumped to 7,146, an 84 percent increase. Figures from 2015 werent available.

The growth in North Albany, an area of roughly four square miles, has far outpaced the rest of Albany.

The citys population was 51,270 in 2014, a 52 percent increase over 1991. The Linn County side of Albany only saw growth of 48 percent, however.

Pros and cons

The June 1991 annexation. which passed by an 896-778 vote, was controversial and prompted by the state of Oregon declaring North Albany a health hazard in January 1990 due to failing septic systems. There was a moratorium on development at that time.

Oddly enough, many of the issues that North Albany struggles with today were identified decades ago, in a 1974 plan by the Benton County Planning Department (North Albany is in Benton County, although it remains part of Albany). Here are some of the key questions facing the area:

How does the area grow without compromising its rural character?

How will North Albany deal with a struggling transportation network?

How can needed goods and services be provided to a growing population?

Residents views on the urbanization of North Albany depend on when they moved to the area, Collins said. The people that have been here for decades dont like it, he said.

But the higher density also is helping to preserve nearby farm and forest land outside the urban growth boundary from development and therefore is meeting the goals of Oregons land-use system, Collins said.

Jeff Blaine, Albany public works engineering and community development director, said the growth in North Albany has been gradual.

Its been a steady increase, and not an alarming change, added Blaine, who lives in Benton County, a mile outside of the Albany city limits.

The growth has been substantial, though. According to Benton County data, the assessed value of North Albany has grown from $273.5 million to $745.3 million in the past 15 years alone, a jump of more than 170 percent.

During the same period, the section of Albany in Linn County saw its assessed value grow from nearly $2 billion to $3.4 billion, an increase of roughly 70 percent.

Obviously, theres been a significant amount of residential development. In addition, you have the North Albany Village area. That whole development popped up, Blaine said.

Bob Richardson, city of Albany planning manager, said 23 new commercial buildings have been approved in North Albany since 2000, and most of those are along Hickory Street and part of the North Albany Village shopping center.

Collins said new restaurants and gas stations, medical offices, senior care facilities and other developments make life more convenient for residents, even if there isnt currently a grocery store (Rays closed in january of 2014).

Perhaps more importantly, raw sewage isnt filling local ditches like it did in 1991, Collins said.

Longtime resident Dirk Olsen remembered neighbors who had an open pipe from their bathroom spilling out onto their property.

When they flushed the toilet, youd see It was bad, he said.

Overall, Olsen said the annexation was a wash, though he wished North Albany was part of Linn County, rather than Benton County.

The big negatives are losing the rural nature, and the traffic and the population growth. The big positive is the city services, he added.

Housing market

Despite the rapid growth, North Albany retains a certain cachet as an attractive area for people to live.

It is upscale. Theres a nice aesthetic to it. Theres a mix of old and new. The new is higher end with some interesting topography. It has tree cover, said local developer Myles Breadner.

In general, there are larger homes on larger lots in North Albany  its the only area of the city with a RS-10 zone, where lot sizes must average 10,000 feet (lots generally average half that) The city added the RS-10 zone to its development code as a result of the annexation.

Theres room to have the toys, play, run the dogs and have some privacy, said Jessica Pankratz, a broker with Town & Country Reality in Albany.

And many residential properties in North Albany, even on smaller lots, are close to wooded areas or fields. You have the rolling hills, you have the sunset views, said Pankratz, who grew up in North Albany.

Collins and Pankratz said the housing type is more comparable to Corvallis, but that homes were selling for $25,000 to $50,000 less.

Corvallis is a non-expanding market where you have limited inventory. The prices are going to go higher.  Albany has room to build, Pankratz said.

Anne Catlin, Albany city planner, said that many people living in North Albany commute to work in Corvallis, but couldnt find a house in the Benton County seat at the right price or wanted more bang for their buck.

Home prices were hammered in North Albany during the economic downturn that started late in 2007, Pankratz said, but like most of Linn County, they have recovered nicely in recent years.

And houses there are moving fast, just like in the rest of the mid-Willamette Valley.

Pankratz said she put one home on the market Tuesday morning and had an offer Wednesday.

In 2015, the average home sale in North Albany was $289,000, compared to $314,000 for Corvallis, according to data from the Willamette Valley Multiple Listing Service. Still, North Albanys home prices dwarfed the portion of the city of Albany in Linn County, where the average home sold for $196,000 in 2015.

And with more expensive homes come accusations of snobbery.

Ive heard people say that the people of North Albany think they are elitist. I dont think thats true, but Ive heard that said by several members of the community, Collins said.

Regardless, more homes continue to be built in North Albany. Ground clearing activities were underway along Crocker Lane last week for the Albany Heights subdivision.

Breadner, who is developing Albany Heights, said 30 homes will be built this summer, with more than 50 more constructed in 2017.

Hes also donating about 10 acres that include hundreds of oak trees to Benton County. The land will be added to nearby North Albany Park. The hope is to put a walking path through that area.

Breadner said it was rewarding to enhance the neighborhood by preserving some of the natural habitat. Developers dont always have that luxury, he said.

Neighborhood association leader Root pointed to Albany Heights as an example of responsible growth and said the oak grove that will be preserved creates a buffer between the new subdivision and existing homes.

Some other recent North Albany developments also have green space due to wetlands preservations or protection of natural features, Richardson said.

Traffic

Ron Irish, Albanys transportation systems analyst, said traffic is becoming a problem through North Albany, particularly on North Albany Road.

How bad the problem is depends on whether youre stuck in traffic or not, he added.

Two primary roads come out of North Albany  North Albany Road and Springhill Drive  and both lead to Highway 20.

Motorists headed to Albany and turning left at those intersections during rush hour might have to wait for two traffic light cycles, or perhaps even more, before getting onto Highway 20, Irish said.

Root said that no matter the time of day, getting across the Ellsworth Street bridge into downtown Albany can be a hassle due to slow moving traffic.

Collins said that the intersections at North Albany and Springhill are functioning at a very low level. They are only going to get worse, he said.

With future growth, additional traffic will be added to existing routes, and probably North Albany Road and Gibson Hill Road, Irish said.

Plus, the sewer line along Springhill Drive ends at Hickory Street, so there arent utilities yet to support large development projects. Many of the larger parcels off Springhill also are in the floodplain, Irish noted)

Still, for the time being, those two intersections havent exceeded the Oregon Department of Transportations standards for capacity, Irish said.

An intersection improvement at North Albany Road, which added a second left turn lane around 2000, helped mitigate some of the impacts of population growth, he added.

And a 2015 project on North Albany Road added sidewalks and center turn lanes to make things safer for both children walking to school and motorists.

They did a wonderful job as far as Im concerned, Root said, But it still hasnt improved the amount of traffic thats on there.

About 60 to 70 percent of the traffic entering Highway 20 from North Albany Road and Springhill Drive is headed toward downtown Albany, Irish said.

Traffic headed to Interstate 5 from north Corvallis, where new housing has been created in recent years, only acerbates the problem, as Highway 20 is the most logical route to the freeway Collins said.

ODOT is currently conducting a safety study of the corridor but notes that only small, inexpensive upgrades are possible given current budget restraints. Recommendations from the study are due this fall.

Grocery store

Long-time resident Dluehosh, who was critical of the residential growth, liked the new amenities at the North Albany Village shopping center.

But the fact that we dont have a grocery store is nuts, she added.

Dluehosh estimated that she had to drive through nine or 10 traffic signals to get to the grocery store cluster close to Interstate 5. Thats a pain in the neck, but thats a first-world problem, as my son would say, she said.

Collins said that a grocery store would not only make life more convenient for residents, it would help to reduce traffic at North Albanys two major intersections and eliminate many trips by motorists throughout the city.

I probably hear that 100 times a month. When are we going to get a grocery store in North Albany? Collins said.

The city cant force a business to locate in a specific area, but officials have tried to recruit grocers to North Albany. That hasnt been successful so far, despite regular calls to major chains and smaller companies, as well, Collins said.

Rays Market operated out of a 47,000-square-foot spot in the North Albany Village, but closed its doors in January 2014, after its parent company filed for bankruptcy. The space has been vacant since then.

Part of the problem with Rays was that the stores prices werent competitive, so most North Albany residents werent using it as their primary source of groceries, Collins said.

People in North Albany need a new market, he added. Grocery stores count rooftops. Thats their customer base. At some point, it will become economically feasible for a grocery store to come in there.

Schools

The population increase in North Albany also has impacted the school district and its facilities.

Golden said that a population study by the school district shows that all of its schools, in general, are nearly full. And North Albany is of particular concern.

Were watching growth. Were concerned about running out of capacity in our schools in North Albany, Golden added.

North Albany Elementary School, for example, just added a modular building with two classrooms and a computer lab, he said.

With the potential for increased state funding, GAPS officials would love to reduce current class sizes, which are above average for Oregon  and the state is above the national average.

Thats not an option with our current capacity, Golden said.

Part of the solution could be a bond measure to expand an existing school, and doing so at Oak Grove Elementary School has been discussed, Golden said.

Regardless, growth wont stop for North Albany or Albany in general, in part because of the relatively low housing prices and the ease of commuting throughout the Willamette Valley due to the proximity to Interstate 5 and Highway 34.

Were an attractive community.  Its convenient. With a husband and wife, one person could have a job anywhere down to Eugene, Golden said.

Our community is a little gem that is going to be discovered whether we like it or not, he added.

Future growth

North Albanys urbanization has come faster than anticipated, as Benton County anticipated the areas 2020 population to be only 6,250.

But theres the potential for far more growth.

The North Albany Refinement Plan states that the build-out forecast for North Albanys population is 19,075. At that point, North Albany would have roughly 8,400 dwellings, according to the plan, which was completed in 2003 and set guidelines for future growth in that area.

As Albany grows, its urban growth boundary might eventually  inthe distant future  need to extend into the hills above North Albany, as there is farmland to the south, the east and the west, Collins said.

Corvallis growth also looks like it could more than likely occur in the Crescent Valley area north of town, he said.

And if these developments do occur decades from now, that will obviously create additional traffic impacts on Highway 20, Collins said.

To solve that increased traffic volume, there might need to be some sort of bypass that connects from North Albany to Interstate 5 near the Millersburg area, Collins added.

Irish said the city of Albany considered such a bypass, with a new bridge over the Willamette to connect the North Albany area to Millersburg, back in 2007 or 2008.

The goal was to see if a third bridge would remove motorists trips through downtown Albany.

In the long term, if we are talking decades out and money is no object, it makes sense, Irish said.

But the effort to build such a bridge could take decades by itself, as there would be myriad land use and jurisdictional issues to solve as well as the budget issues that prevent current major work on Highway 20.
I searched high and low for this column for a photo of Paul Davies, and almost came up empty before stumbling over the photo thats included with this column. Its a few years old, but he hasnt changed that much. The fact that I had trouble finding the photo says something about Paul.

In July 1983, Rod Deckert, then the editor of the Gazette-Times, talked Paul into a one-year stint working on the copy desk at the G-T. At the time, Paul, a graduate of the University of Iowa, had been employed at the Quad-City Times in Davenport, Iowa, where he had worked as a reporter on a number of beats: He covered police for a few months and then spent four years covering City Hall in Davenport. A stint covering education followed that, and then he moved to the copy desk, editing stories written by other people.

That one-year stint at the Gazette-Times has stretched out now for more than three decades, but its coming to an end: Sometime around midnight on Tuesday, Paul will wrap up work on Wednesdays edition and walk out the door, ending a 42-year career working at daily newspapers. He will leave behind, as is his tradition, emails about how the night went and also clue me in about terrific stories hes seen on the news wires that would be good fits for our religion, people and health pages. I still dont know where he finds those stories. I better figure that out in a hurry.

During his three decades at the Gazette-Times, Paul has tackled a variety of duties, including nearly 10 years working as the editor of the papers opinion page. People tend to underestimate how difficult that job can be, especially in a town like Corvallis, where everyone has an opinion that they are certain cannot be fully laid out in anything less than 1,000 words. In addition to gently explaining to our many letter writers that, yes, many of their missives could in fact be trimmed down to, oh, lets say, 250 words, Paul pounded out daily editorials that were scrupulously fair, accurate and cleanly written. (The older I get, the more I appreciate clean, unflashy writing; it is undervalued in todays overheated media environment.)

When he finally left behind his duties on the opinion page, Paul gracefully moved into work on the copy desk, where his impeccable news judgment and deep knowledge of the community were constant assets. And anyone who ever had the pleasure of working with Paul can attest to his calm and unruffled demeanor, traits that are so important in a profession where so much can go so wrong in such a short period of time. In my decade working in the mid-valley, I cant even recall a time when I heard him raise his voice.

In writing this column, I asked around to see if anyone had any dirt on Paul. I came up empty, except for some speculation about the state of his desk and surrounding work area. It is true that Paul has required an unusually long time to clean out his desk, but journalists tend to be hoarders, and a 42-year career offers plenty of hoarding opportunities.

People like Paul Davies, who labor for years in low-profile positions (and often work dreadful hours to boot) are the unsung heroes of journalism. They make the newspaper better, every day, in ways that readers never see. We wish Paul the best as he heads into a well-deserved retirement, but we will miss him every day. (mm)
SUNDAY

Mary Poppins, 2 and 7 p.m., theater, Corvallis High School, 1400 N.W. Buchanan Ave. Admission: $3-$12 advance, $5-$15 day of show. Tickets: 541-750-7990 or www.corvallistheaters.com.

Blues Jam, 4 p.m., Calapooia Brewing, 140 N.E. Hill St., Albany.

Confluence Chorus: Celebrate Earth, 4:30 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Corvallis, 2945 N.W. Circle Blvd., Corvallis. Admission: $15 general, $12 seniors advanced; $18 general, $15 at the door. Information and tickets: http://confluencechorus.org/tickets.

International Folk Dance, 7 p.m., Gatton Hall, First Congregational United Church of Christ, 4515 S.W. West Hills Road, Corvallis. Admission: $4, no partner required. Information: 971-237-2000.

MONDAY

Tours, noon to 1 p.m., Whiteside Theatre, 361 S.W. Madison Ave., Corvallis. Conducted by the Whiteside Theatre Foundation. Admission: $5 general, free for foundation members. Reservations/information: whitesidetheatre.org.

The Jordan World Circus, 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. shows, Benton County Fairgrounds, 110 S.W. 53rd St., Corvallis. Admission: $18 adults (13 and up), $14 youth (3 to 12), 2 and under admitted free. Advance tickets: www.eventbrite.com.

Corvallis Guitar Society, 7 p.m., Gracewinds Music, 137 S.W. Third St. Meet fellow guitarists, perform and/or listen to guitar music. Information: 509-207-9144 or jerrygraser@gmail.com.

International Folk Dancing, 7 p.m., 1180 25th Ave. S.W., Albany. No partner needed. Admission: $4. Information: 541-967-8017 or grholcomb96@gmail.com.

TUESDAY

Curious George: The Golden Meatball, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Whiteside Theatre, 361 S.W. Madison Ave., Corvallis. Curious George awaits all you-can-eat meatball day, but there may not be enough to go around in this Theatreworks USA play. Admission: $5. Tickets: http://curiousgeorgewhiteside.bpt.me.

An Evening with Novo Veritas (Betsy and Spencer), 6:30 p.m., Whiteside Theatre, 361 S.W. Madison Ave., Corvallis. Betsy and Novo Veritas tell their stories about dramatic life changes and how they were able to sustain these changes through community, support and accountability. Information: 541-207-7199.

Community Movie Night with Ygal Kaufman: The Perils of Pauline (1947), 7 p.m., Darkside Cinema, 215 S.W. Fourth St., Corvallis. Preceded by newsreels, commercials, cartoons and other goodies from the year the film was released. Donations accepted. Information: https://cmnyk.wordpress.com.

League of Women Voters, 7 p.m., Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Topic: money and politics. Information: 541-752-4635.

WEDNESDAY

Random Review, noon, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Alicia Bublitz, director of Calyx Press, will present Damsels in Distress: Women in Classic Dystopian Novels. Lunches OK. Information: 541-766-6965.

Artist reception: What Will Last by Thomas Kinkade, 6 to 9 p.m., Giustina Gallery, LaSells Stewart Center, 875 S.W. 26th St., Corvallis. Family members of the late Thomas Kinkade will attend to discuss his artwork. Reception includes Crescendo of Color, an audio-visual performance by artist Winsor Kinkade and pianist Reinis Zarins, and a speech by Kinkades widow, Nannette, about the renowned artist. Light hors doeuvres and cash wine bar. Information: http://oregonstate.edu/lasells/gallery.

Screening of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, 7 p.m., Whiteside Theatre, 361 S.W. Madison Ave., Corvallis. Admission: $5-$7. Advance tickets are available at Corvallis Brewing Supply, 119 S.W. Fourth St., and online at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2507490.

THURSDAY

Author reading: Greg Warburton, 7 p.m., Grass Roots Books & Music, 227 S.W. Second St., Corvallis. Local author and former mental health counselor Warburton will read and sign his new book, Ask More, Tell Less: A Practical Guide for Helping Children Achieve Self-Reliance. Information: 541-754-7668 or www.grassrootsbookstore.com.

Land, Air, Water: Protecting the Oregon Coast, 7 p.m., Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. Cameron La Follette of the Oregon Coast Alliance will describe work to protect the coast from many threats.

Cascade Promenade: The Nettles with Woody Lane, 7:30 p.m., First Congregational United Church of Christ, 4515 S.W. West Hills Road, Corvallis. Admission: $7 general, $6 Corvallis Folklore Society members; discount of $1 offered to students or those who bike or walk. Information: 541-250-0856 or corvallisfolklore.org.

Luminous Night, 7:30 p.m., Russell Tripp Performance Center, Takena Hall, Linn-Benton Community College, 6500 Pacific Blvd. S.W., Albany. Performance includes LBCCs award-winning concert and chamber choirs, conducted by Raymond Ocampo, accompanied by Craig Hella Johnson and Khoa Tran, along with LBCC male and female a cappella groups. Admission: $10 general, $7 students, seniors and veterans. Tickets: 541-917-4531 or www.linnbenton.edu/russelltripptheater.

FRIDAY

Improv Comedy Jam, 7:30 p.m., Russell Tripp Performance Center, Takena Hall, Linn-Benton Community College, 6500 Pacific Blvd. S.W., Albany. Live comedy show featuring spontaneous scenes and games. Admission: $5 at the door; free for LBCC, Oregon State University and high school students. Information: 541-917-4531.

5 to 1 Theatre presents Sound and Vision, 8 p.m., lab theatre, Majestic Theatre, 115 S.W. Second St., Corvallis. Tickets: $10 to $12; 541-738-7469 or www.majestic.org.

SATURDAY

Beevent Pollinator Conference, 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Holiday Inn, 105 Opal Court, Albany. Classes on bees, book signing, vendor room. Cost: $30. Registration: 541-967-3871 or www.extension.oregonstate.edu/linn/beevent.

Build Lebanon Trails/Sweet Home Trails hike, 10 a.m., Hobart Natural Area; meet at Hawthorne Elementary School, 3205 Long St., Sweet Home. Wear waterproof footwear.

The Willamette Valley Concert Band presents Space Odyssey, 2 p.m., Russell Tripp Performance Center, Takena Hall, Linn-Benton Community College, 6500 Pacific Blvd. S.W., Albany. Free concert depicting a journey to various planets, stars and galaxies, featuring pieces by outstanding composers of the 19th to 21st centuries. Information: 503-838-3474 or www.wvcband.org.

Summit Community Talent Show, 7 p.m., Summit Grange Hall, 19854 Summit Highway. Performers of all ages will present tall tales, songs, dances and other forms of creativity. Admission: $5.
The official blog of the site Der Sturmer  http://der-stuermer.org




In Kansas tonight Little Marco came in a distant third (16.7%) behind Cruz (48.2%) and Herr Trumpf (23.3%). He won 6 delegates to Cruz's 24 and Herr Trumpf's 9. Trumpf called on him to drop out of the race. Early in the day, Rubio was in Overland, Kansas with spectacularly failed Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback Friday, campaigning against Herr. Watch the video above and listen to him explain how, exactly, Republican governance works. But people in Kansas-- just like people in Louisiana and Michigan-- know first hand how Republican governance works. The kind of Republican Party economic orthodoxy espoused by Rubio and Cruz-- and implemented by Gov. Brownback-- has destroyed Kansas' economy, just as Bobby Jindal's crackpot approach to Louisiana governance has wrecked his state's economy. What Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has done to implement the "principles" of Republican governance has done even worse to his state, actually destroying the very lives of its citizens! Friday, Rachel Maddow addressed Rick Snyder's implementation of doctrinaire Republican governance and how that has impacted his state. The segment is somewhat long but worth watching all the way through because it isn't just about Michigan and not even just about Little Marco... it's about Republican governance in general:

Washington Post, Chico Harlan reported that Last night Little Marco also came in third in Louisiana, but didn't win any delegates. He was at 11.2% to Trumpf's 41.5% and Cruz's 37.8%. Friday, writing for the, Chico Harlan reported that Bobby Jindal's application of Republican precepts to government in Louisiana forced the state to gut spending for it's university and deplete its rainy-day funds. "It had cut 30,000 employees and furloughed others. It had slashed the number of child services staffers, including those devoted to foster family recruitment, and young abuse victims for the first time were spending nights at government offices. And then, the states new governor, John Bel Edwards (D), came on TV and said the worst was yet to come."





Edwards talked about "the extent of the states budget shortfall and said that Louisiana was plunging into a 'historic fiscal crisis.' Despite all the cuts of the previous years, the nations second-poorest state still needed nearly $3 billion-- almost $650 per person-- just to maintain its regular services over the next 16 months. Edwards gave the states lawmakers three weeks to figure out a solution, a period that expires March 9 with no clear answer in reach."

Louisiana stands at the brink of economic disaster. Without sharp and painful tax increases in the coming weeks, the government will cease to offer many of its vital services, including education opportunities and certain programs for the needy. A few universities will shut down and declare bankruptcy. Graduations will be canceled. Students will lose scholarships. Select hospitals will close. Patients will lose funding for treatment of disabilities. Some reports of child abuse will go uninvestigated.

...Many of the states economic analysts say a structural budget deficit emerged and then grew under former governor Bobby Jindal, who, during his eight years in office, reduced the states revenue by offering tax breaks to the middle class and wealthy. He also created new subsidies aimed at luring and keeping businesses. Those policies, state data show, didnt deliver the desired economic growth. This year, Louisiana has doled out $210 million more to corporations in the form of credits and subsidies than it has collected from them in taxes.



...This was years of mismanagement by a governor who was more concerned about satisfying a national audience in a presidential race, said Jay Dardenne (R), the lieutenant governor under Jindal and now the states commissioner of administration. Dardenne said Jindal had helped the state put off its day of reckoning in a way that mirrored a Ponzi scheme.

Kansas is not just what Republican governance creates but what Koch brothers-controlled Republican governance creates. It's a one-party state, with no Democrats in federal office or in statewide office. The state Senate has 31 Republicans and 9 Democrats and the state House has 97 Republicans and 28 Democrats. Sam Brownback's Kansas, which was supposed to be the GOP's tax-cut paradise can no longer pay its bills-- which is, after all, what happens when you cut taxes for the rich the way Ayn Rand told the GOP to. In 2012 Brownback signed a massive tax cut into law, arguing that it would boost the state's economy. Eventually, he hoped to eliminate individual income taxes entirely. "Our place, Kansas, will show the path, the difficult path, for America to go in these troubled times."

Kansas is now hundreds of millions of dollars short in revenue collection, its job growth has lagged the rest of the nation, and Moody's has cut the state's bond rating. "Governor Brownback came in here with an agenda to reduce the size of government, reduce taxes, and create a great economic boom," says University of Kansas professor Burdett Loomis. "Now there's been a dramatic decline in revenues, no great increase in economic activity, and we've got red ink until the cows come home."









Brownback's tax cut proposal came as Kansas's revenues were on an upswing. Spending cuts and a one-cent sales tax passed by Brownback's Democratic predecessor had combined with economic growth to give Kansas a surplus. Now, Brownback argued, his tax cuts would lead to even more success. "I firmly believe these reforms will set the stage for strong economic growth in Kansas," he said.





The governor proposed to cut income taxes on the state's highest earners from 6.45 percent to 4.9 percent, to simplify tax brackets, and to eliminate state income taxes on most small business income entirely. In a nod to fiscal responsibility, though, he proposed to end several tax deductions and exemptions, including the well-liked home mortgage interest deduction. This would help pay for the cuts.





Yet as the bill went through the state Senate, these deductions proved too popular, and legislators voted to keep them all. The bill's estimated price tag rose from about $105 million to $800 million, but Brownback kept supporting it anyway. "I'm gonna sign this bill, I'm excited about the prospects for it, and I'm very thankful for how God has blessed our state," he said.





Democrats, and some Republicans, weren't buying it. "It bankrupts the state within two years," said Rochelle Chronister, a former state GOP chair who helped organize moderate Republicans against Brownback's agenda. And the House Democratic leader, Paul Davis, laid down a marker. "There is no feasible way that private-sector growth can accommodate the price tag of this tax cut," he said. "Our $600 million surplus will become a $2.5 billion deficit within just five years." In return, Brownback's administration claimed the bill would create 23,000 jobs by 2020, and would lead 35,000 more people to move to Kansas.





After the cuts became law, it was undisputed that Kansas's revenue collections would fall. But some supply-side analysts, like economist Arthur Laffer, argued that increased economic growth would deliver more revenue that would help cushion this impact.





Yet it's now clear that the revenue shortfalls are much worse than expected. "State general fund revenue is down over $700 million from last year," Duane Goossen, a former state budget director, told me. "That's a bigger drop than the state had in the whole three years of the recession," he said-- and it's a huge chunk of the state's $6 billion budget. Goossen added that the Kansas's surplus, which had been replenished since the recession, "is now being spent at an alarming, amazing rate."





Kansas has to balance its budget every year, so when that surplus runs out, further spending cuts will be necessary. The declining revenues have necessitated extensive cuts in state education funding, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Moody's cut of the state's bond rating this May was another embarrassment. And the economic benefits Brownback promised haven't materialized either. Chris Ingraham wrote at Wonkblog that Kansas's job growth has lagged behind the rest of the country, "especially in the years following the first round of Brownback tax cuts."





Brownback's approval rating has plummeted-- in a recent poll by PPP, his 33 percent was actually lower than Barack Obama's 34 percent approval.

This is what Little Marco was proposing to bring to the whole country-- which is also what Ted Cruz is proposing to bring to the whole country and what Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell are pushing on the whole country from their perches as the leaders if the House and Senate. Want to help save the country? Tap the thermometer below:
It is the Solstice, Blessed Be. As they days grow slowly longer, may we also grow to love one another and to learn to live in peace. Holi...
ELKO  Three volunteer Hunter Education Instructors for the Nevada Department of Wildlife were honored for their lengthy contributions to the hunters of Nevada.

Jerry Windous, Robert Loncar, Barry Adkins and Bill Hicks have a combined total of 137 years teaching hunter education for NDOW as volunteers instructors.

Jerry Windous of Wild Horse, NV began teaching while a game warden in 1975 in Ely, Nevada. Shortly thereafter he began teaching classes where need in Elko County such as Owyhee, Carlin, Montello and Elko. Many of his classes were taught in small rural towns, filling a void where quality instructors may be scarce.

I always tried to include the mothers, said Windous. Often they didnt hunt, but with guns and little children in the house, they wanted to know what to do with the guns if they were lying around.

Windous encourages all instructors to take the time to talk to the mothers of the students and help them out when you can. Jerry has continued to teach classes after his retirement from NDOW in the early 1980s. For his 40 years of dedication, he received a Weatherby .257 with his name engraved on it that Weatherby donated for him.

Bob Loncar started teaching NDOWs Hunter Education courses in 1979 in Goldfield, Nevada, and has taught all over the state while working for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Myself and several neighbors had kids that needed to take hunter safety and there wasnt an instructor locally to teach them, said Loncar. My neighbor and I took the instructor test, became instructors and taught them.

Bob said that as he moved around to different stations in places like Tonopah, Ely, Winnemucca and West Wendover, they always needed instructors and he kept teaching.

For his 30 year award, Bob received an engraved Thompson centerfire muzzleloader donated by Safari Club International, and for his 35th-year award he received an engraved presentation knife and case, donated by Buck Knives.

Barry Adkins, a retired game warden like Windous, began teaching hunter education classes while working as a state park ranger in the Las Vegas area in 1985. With Adkins it was a family affair often teaching classes with his brother Roy.

Adkins transferred to NDOW and continued to teach the classes and eventually ended up in Wells, Nevada where he has been teaching since 1994. Almost every person who has gone through hunter education over the past 20 years in Wells, was taught by Barry.

Barry said, I love to teach. It was a great way for students to see that game wardens are people just like them and I got to meet the hunters in the class before I met them in the field.

For his 30 years of teaching, Akins received an engraved Thompson center fire muzzleloader.

Bill Hicks of Eureka is also receiving his 30-year award of an engraved Thompson centerfire muzzle loader donated by Safari Club International. Hicks has spent his whole career as an instructor in the town of Eureka, Nevada helping teach classes since 1985.

In addition to the four tenure awards above, other long term awards given out in eastern Nevada include: Eric Williams of Eureka25 years, Scott Henriod of Ely  20 years, Rhonda Hicks Brown of Eureka  20 years, Scott Giles of Eureka  10 years, Ed Morgan of Elko  10 years, Jacob Nutting of Elko  10 years.

Combing the six instructors with awards ranging between 10 and 25 years, this years eastern Nevada recipients have more than 230 years of volunteering for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOWs wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmens license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Utah lawmakers are set to discuss a $27 million proposal that is aimed in part at taking pressure off a busy homeless shelter in downtown Salt Lake City, an area that was thrust into the spotlight after police shot a 17-year-old Somali refugee there.

Senators on Friday are expected to consider the proposal, which would expand and revamp homeless resources around the state.

The shooting last weekend left the teen in critical condition and sparked unrest in the bustling area, which is near an outdoor mall and the arena where the Utah Jazz play.

Salt Lake City Police Detective Cody Lougy said downtown's Rio Grande neighborhood has a high concentration of homeless people, and he's noticed a correlation between the homeless population's increase and an uptick in crime.

Homeless people often migrate to the area because it has a plethora of resources available to them, said the bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Francis Gibson of Mapleton.

The city's main shelter, The Road Home, was built to house about 400 people a night but is known to often hold more than double that amount, he said.

"My first goal is to get families out of there," Gibson said. "Children shouldn't be around things we saw this weekend."

He said the ideal situation would be to move homeless people into smaller shelters with a maximum capacity of 400 residents each. That could help the facilities better serve people, because it allows them to become more familiar with each person and their needs.

The majority of the funding included in the bill would go to building new shelters and renovating old ones in Salt Lake County, Gibson said. About $3 million is meant to expand or maintain resources provided outside the county.

The measure would allow organizations to apply for funding to build new shelters and renovate old ones, as well as launch other resources for the homeless.

Chris Croswhite of the Rescue Mission of Salt Lake, another downtown shelter, said it would be beneficial to all involved if the state lowered the concentration of homeless people in the Rio Grande neighborhood.

He said sometimes if you clump everyone who is homeless into one area, it can actually hurt their chances of breaking out of this living situation. A good way to help integrate them back into mainstream society is to surround them with people who aren't homeless.

The plan received unanimous support in the House earlier this week.

Democratic Rep. Joel Briscoe of Salt Lake City said he supports the proposal.

"We're trying to serve them all in one location, and it's not working," he said.
Photo for illustration (Source: Internet)

Addressing the event, Bulgarian Trade Counselor in Ho Chi Minh City Oleg Marinov appreciated the love of people in Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City in particular for Bulgarias nation and people.



He affirmed that March 3th, 1878 was an important day in Bulgarias history, when the country restored its freedom.



Vietnam and Bulgaria set up their diplomatic ties on March 7th, 1950.



Over the past few years, the two countries have exchanged many high-ranking delegations and signed numerous cooperation agreements, laying down a foundation for their long lasting, sustainable connections.



Two-way trade has experienced an increase of 15-20 percent a year recently./.
Photo for illustration (Source: VNA)

The countries include the UK, Australia, US, Canada, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland and New Zealand.

Head of the Vietnam International Education Development (VIED) under the Ministry of Education and Training Pham Quang Hung said the festival aims to help Vietnamese students and postgraduates seek scholarships abroad.



This also creates a good chance for Vietnamese and foreign universities to embrace their connectivity, he added.



Over 4,000 students have registered to take part in the festival in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.



Participants were provided with information about necessary procedures to study abroad, as well as on scholarships, the learning environment and culture in foreign countries where they want to pursue higher education.



The festival will come to Ho Chi Minh City on March 6th./.
At the accident site (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The National Search and Rescue Agency said the passengers jumped into the sea as the boat was capsizing and sinking.



Among the rescued people, many have been injured.



The search for missing persons has been ongoing, but bad weather conditions are preventing the efforts.



Head of Bali s Search and Rescue Agency Didi Hamzar said the list of people on board was only 51, including 14 crewmen.



Ferry Rafelia II was en route from Gilimanuk port in Bali to Ketapang port in Banyuwangi in East Java.



The ferry capsized and sunk 15 minutes after departure./.
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the